Americans Tolerating Domestic Violence -- Of The Government Kind
Wendy McElroy posts at DollarVigilante about what blinking sheep Americans have become. "Do not tolerate domestic violence," she writes:
I am not talking about spousal abuse. I mean the abuse heaped upon you by the United States government. The parallels are striking.America claims to own you, and so you pay a heavy price for leaving as an expat. It cruelly invades your breasts and genitals through pat-downs at the airport. Then it does the same to your children. America swears it is protecting you while violating your rights at every turn; and you have become so brainwashed that you now mistake a fist in your face for safety. There is no respect and no honesty in the relationship the government offers you - only a self-serving contempt that erupts into violence. Your response is to return a love of country along with the money you earn, all the while making excuses for America's bad behavior. Or, perhaps, you even defend America to critics.
I know how you feel. I was once in such an abusive domestic relationship that I am now legally blind in one eye from a fist in the face. After I managed enough self-respect to leave, one question haunted me: Why did I stay? Why would an otherwise independent woman allow herself to be literally beaten up when there were options?
The reasons are similar to why people stay in America. He expressed regret and swore he would "make it up" to me; I wanted to believe him because the love of a person diminishes slowly. He vowed to change; I hoped we could go back to before he exerted soul-crushing control of who I was and what I could do. I was frightened to be without him because I believed both his attacks on my self-worth and the pumped-up version of his own value. Besides which, leaving meant severing ties with close friends who would be called upon to take sides.
America and much of the Western world is doing much the same to you. Officials mouth regret at violations like a ruinous tax burden, and then offer entitlements with your own money. You stay because love of a country also diminishes slowly. America promises to change and you remember what "the land of the free" used to feel like; it was intoxicating. You now believe you are powerless while the government is a relentless Goliath. Besides which, leaving would mean moving away from family and friends.
She suggests walking away. I suggest doing what I'm trying to do, which as much free time as I have -- fighting civil liberties violations and fighting to change things.
If you have time but not money, please give generously to civil liberties defenders theFIRE.org (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) and Institute for Justice, who fight, pro bono, for the rights of those who've had them violated by colleges or the government, or both.
I'd give up and walk away too. But about the only place I can think of is Switzerland. I'd also have to have a job. Otherwise I can't afford it.
So I'm going to have a split job -- fight the political establishment to get back to the Constitution and at the same time stock up for the collapse.
Apparently the Mayan Calendar is off, but not by much. ;-)
Jim P. at November 9, 2012 8:45 PM
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