It never ends, does it? Tuesday, 08 November is just 11 months away today. Are you ready?

There is little or no expectation of significant change in the 2022 elections. Oh, it appears very likely that the Republicans will regain control of both the House and the Senate in DC. And probably the GOP will gain more governorships and more State legislatures and other offices, even in so-called Blue States.

AND virtually nothing will change. The expansion of government powers, the insane spending, the erosion of Americans’ rights now taking place will NOT be reversed or even reduced. The problems of the Fifty States – and the world – are beyond solution by electoral politics. The various “successful

Gareth notes that it seems as though the Democrats always push and push, but that when the GOP is in power, they don’t pass MORE power BUT they do not cut back on ANYTHING that their twin part, the Democrats, have enacted. And this lack of any action promotes an attitude in their supporters. It disheartens them. At the same time, the time out of power motivates the Democrats to rally their supporters and push MORE to the “left” – to the dream of totalitarian power.

Why? Because there is so little, if any difference between the two parties except for a very small list of issues. And even in those issues, there is more agreement than disagreement – in practice, not in rhetoric.

An example of this is the Old Dominion, Virginia. When he takes office in January, the new “conservative” Republican governor appears ready to respond to the last period of Democratic rule of the State by … DOING NOTHING. At least nothing substantive. Lots of lip service but apparently no more.

The result? The growing divisions in the States will be made more pronounced in the next eleven months, and because of the divisive election, the chasm will just grow in the two years leading up to the 2024 national elections. Voices on all sides will grow more strident. Extremists in all factions will grow both in number and increase the nature of their extremist views. And more and more people will be condemned as “extremists” (even though their views and how they express them have not changed).

My family and I are increasingly baffled. Why have not MORE people snapped? Why has there not been MORE violence? MORE active resistance?

Perhaps readers have some suggestions.

In the meantime, what can we lovers of liberty do for the next 330-some days, as our ears and eyes are increasingly bombarded by the claims and lies and verbal attacks?

1. Stay calm. It is reasonable to expect that very few of the threats and attacks will actually happen. Remember that while words CAN hurt emotionally, they can do no physical, spiritual, or mental harm!
2. Be prepared mentally. Don’t be sucked in by the rhetoric. Don’t over-react to the personal verbal and written attacks. And never accept any “fact” without verifying that.
3. Be prepared physically. While we all have relatively low probability of being personally attacked or personally impacted by anything anyone might do to us, it is better to be prepared – you and your family and your friends – to deal with whatever mess develops.
4. As Harry Browne was fond of saying, continue to live free in an unfree world. Avoid confrontation and work around, rather than tackling the thugs head-on, if you can.
5. As much as it is possible based on your own actions, live at peace with others – even your enemies and the enemies of liberty.
6. Learn what is going on, and what can be done to work around it, not just resist it. Avoid entanglement with government as much as possible, at all levels.
7. Teach others – starting with family, especially the younger generations, but including friends and neighbors. And yes, even those who are (or seem to be) enemies of you, your family, and liberty.
8. For we who are christian in belief and practice, pray. And pray some more.
9. Count our blessings: there are many who agree with us, and there ARE gains in liberty and technology
10. Above all, do NOT give up your hopes and dreams of liberty and freedom.

Bad as things are – or seem to be – we still have a lot of liberty. More that most of our ancestors, whatever regimes they may have been subjected to.

One last thing to keep in mind: Libertarian political candidates will again be making their same claims and appeals to elect more (some?) Libertarian candidates. Don’t trust them anymore than any statement made by a Democrat or a Republican. And don’t count on them being right.