By Nathan Barton

I guess I just naturally seem to hang around with a bunch of malcontents. People who are fed up with things as they are, concerned about how things are developing in the Fifty States, their own state, and their own community, and frustrated by the continued deterioration of society. Maybe it has something to do with who I am, professionally and politically, 

For the past six days, we’ve been on the road, mostly for work – traveling about 2,000 miles on road across four states, working at a half-dozen different locations, having to deal with some government agencies both in person and remotely, and staying with friends and working with clients (most of whom are also friends).

And mostly what we heard was complaints about what is going on.

Socially and politically.  Culturally and even spiritually.

We were actually in contact for considerable lengths of time with about two dozen people, and although the purpose of our time with them was not political, or even directly dealing with working around government, we almost always ended up talking politics.

Admittedly, none of them were the extreme liberals that we find trying to run for Massa next November as Democrats. None of them are exactly supporting either the war hawks and law-and-order “conservative” positions, either. We didn’t hear any of the vitriolic politically-correct view so common in media, schools, and large urban areas. We were (mostly) in rural and frontier areas, so that might be no surprise. The folks we talked to would mostly describe themselves as conservative socially and fiscally, and even politically. But not all, by any means.

Yet everyone we spoke to, when politics came up, expressed their anger and disgruntlement about the heavier and heavier hand of government at all levels, from the local special services districts, schools districts, town and county governments, right up to national and international events. And the way they see it, things are getting steadily worse.

Much of their anger is directed towards “serving” politicians and bureaucrats. Even some of the bureaucrats we spoke with expressed frustration with other agencies, the bosses of their own agencies, and all levels of government. There were complaints about costs and taxes, of course, but more complaints about the increasing authoritarianism of government at all levels. And the failure of government bodies and agencies to do anything constructive. To actually solve problems, or prevent problems.

And none of them, even the Democrats, believe that anyone running for office in elections still more than a year out, are going to do anything to solve or prevent problems of society.

Indeed, the consensus is that all the politicians will do is make things worse. Not just those wanting to get into office, but those in office. That the “solutions” which the politicians  and bureaucrats propose will just create MORE problems, while not really dealing with any problems we already have.

The people we talked to are frustrated because, again to a person, they do not know what to do about it. 

Many (not all) have decided that just voting, and even actively supporting candidates with which they can somewhat agree, is futile.  But they do not see any way that they can change things.  If voting doesn’t work, if protesting and complaining doesn’t work, they don’t know what to do. 

Some have considered both non-violent AND violent resistance.  But they see little hope for those courses of action, either.  They figure that they won’t be able to get enough people together to accomplish anything.  Either people don’t care enough to risk the consequences.  Or figure those consequences are too deadly – a whole lot worse than just surviving.

At the same time, more and more people are just flat ignoring the laws and rules and regulations.  They try to stay below the radar.  Most of them understand the risks that they face if they are caught not following the rules. Financial ruin and possibly even jail time.  But they aren’t willing to just roll over and play dead.  And they can’t afford to comply with all the nonsense: there isn’t enough time or money to do so.

And the stress is eating them up.

So what they are basically doing is waiting.  Waiting for something to happen.  Whether it is a man on a white horse, or a blatant tyranny so bad that the choices are starker.  Or whether they just figure that they will die before it reaches that point. In the meantime, they are just trying to get along.

I don’t think I can wait like they are.  That is one reason Mama started this webzine, and one reason I joined her and continue it.  Unless we teach and spread the word, unless we recruit and encourage, there will be no true opposition to sliding down into complete tyranny.  No answer to the frustration.

What do you think?  What is your level of frustration?  What do you think the answer is?