The lockdown continues, extending both in time and targets, across the Fifty States. The media continue to push the idea that this sort of tyranny must continue, to protect us all from the COVID-19. We MUST have more government controls. Or so they say (and plan). But is that going to happen?

(The lockdown or “shelter-in-place” order is now just in 42 States. Apparently, Idaho’s government has, thankfully, rescinded its order, joining the Axis of Evil. However, many tribes, municipalities, and counties in the eight States are still panicked and implementing more and more restrictions.)

Several times a day we see a story about yet another incident in which police have ticketed, even arrested, some person. Their crime? Violating social distancing, breaking house arrest, selling of some “non-essential” item or service, holding a worship service. Daily we see new restrictions from various States, local governments, or tribes. We also see the constant fearmongering of the mainstream media and the state and local health departments passing across our screens. And the hate thrown at anyone who does not agree is growing.

BUT…

Several times a week, if not daily, we see another example of pushback. Indeed, the Idaho rollback of one bit of the police state is the result of people pushing back against the immoral and illegal (unconstitutional) enactments. We see people banding together to protest, to file legal actions, to come to the defense of those threatened. Institutions are standing up for their freedom, rejecting the demands. And we see at least a few institutions and businesses, not just individuals, refusing to comply with the decrees and “emergency orders” and the rest of the garbage. More and more people are just plain ignoring the government edicts that don’t make sense to them.

Every incident is one more nail in coffin of the entire effort to frighten us, using a virus, into surrendering to the State. In the effort to ultimately lock down an entire planet.

The basis of these incidents is anger and frustration. The original catastrophic estimates of illness and deaths are constantly lowered, even in the most hard-hit areas (like the Greater New York area). The doctors and “experts” are proved to be more panic-stricken than is justified. And often just plain wrong. And even, intentionally lying about the situation. At the same time, people are locked up, their jobs are disappearing; their incomes vanishing. Their children are not getting educated. (Or so they believe, right or wrong.) Supplies are growing scarce. And the media spreads more fear (again, true or not) about massive shortages to come. The frustration and anger are justified.

People’s fears grow: poverty, job loss, business failures, and more draconian limits. Fears more justified than those of illness and death from coronavirus. Things that will result in MORE deaths than COVID-19. This fear is the result, NOT of predictions of pundits and politicians, but of seeing what is going on around them. Even in those places with a fair number of illnesses and deaths.

More and more people have decided that this is a hoax. Not the disease itself, but the measures pushed through to “combat” it. That the powers-that-be, the Deep State, the power-brokers and power-mongers and nanny-statists are taking advantage of a serious problem and are using it as an excuse to gain MORE power. To gain MORE wealth. To permanently change the society and culture that so many of them hate.

But there is another reason. People really do love liberty. They WANT freedom. We are pushed to wake up to the truth that liberty is and has been stolen away from them, bit by bit. The statists have overstepped themselves. Pushed too hard, too fast.

So, after weeks, they are doing something about it. Some are ignoring the government. Others are doing the same old, same old. That in the past usually failed: Protests. Legal challenges. Complaining and petitioning. Trying to recall politicans.

I’ve just heard of a half-dozen states where this is happening: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kentucky, Virginia, Florida, and Texas, at least. But at the same time, we keep hearing more and more stories about how State and local governments are extending the lockdowns, tightening the prohibitions of assemblying, buying, and selling. So it is no surprise to hear that more and more action in defense of liberty is planned across the Fifty States.

Now, I realize that at least SOME politicians are striving to get ahead of this, and back things off some. And some of those politicians are sincere. (But I wonder if many are just concerned that governments are pushing too much and risk the rebellion that statists and politicians fear more than COVID-19?)

At the same time as media keeps telling us that the public doesn’t have the confidence to return to work, they are making sure that the public cannot. And while it is NOT just a partisan divide, it seems that the “liberal” and “progressive” Democrats are by and large the ones pushing the draconian measures. Even when it means reversing their propaganda of years and decades.

But the “business as usual” of protests and complaints, legal challenges and recall, and all the rest? It just isn’t working. There are too many people who ARE scared to death. Who ARE willing to give up their liberty for a little security. Who ARE perfectly fine with being surveilled, sedentary, supervised, and worse.

So, I don’t think that the true rebellion against the explosively-expanding tyranny has really started yet. I think that the pushback, when it comes, may be as explosive. Indeed, may be much more explosive.

The stronger that reaction, the more likely that the reaction will itself be positive feedback out of control. A LOT of things people took for granted four months ago about government power and restrictions on our freedom may disappear. It may very well overturn years and years of regulatory overreach – no, that is an euphemism – the years and years of growing tyranny.

Well, it is about time.