...Those who actively rebel will be swiftly made examples of.
It has not been quick. Too many people thought that there was some sort of economically conservative establishment that would act in its own self interest and thereby, protect the rest of us. That establishment was co-opted long ago ... We thought that traditional values would take generations to change. It really only took two and is now fait d'accompli.
From here on out there will be The Party of Government against everyone. Just as in any totalitarian state. I understand there is a bill pending to change or eliminate the 22nd Amendment. Barack Obama 2.0 will soon be updated and the new versions are going to be even more controlling.
We became too comfortable. We looked for leaders when there were none. We did not believe it could happen here. We laughed at the *loons*. We told ourselves we had vital skill sets and we would be just fine. We bragged about our personal arms. We take comfort from our hoards of precious metals or foodstuffs or other trade goods. We survey our owned, tillable land and think we will be allowed to use it for our own best interests. We make plans for foreign exile. We did not support anyone who sounded early warnings, finding fault with everyone who might even slightly disturb our fantasy of a Republic with any mention of reality-based exigencies. This decline into totalitarian statism has overcome civilizations throughout history. It is our turn and it is going to be everyone for themselves.
Our political organization is a joke and the Party of Government knows it. I expect there will be partisans and I expect, like the early founders, most of them are going to suffer extreme personal loss. I doubt we even have 1/3 of the population willing to fight for what we have lost and what most of them never really recognized. One-third is not enough against a modern police and welfare state with tracking technology, data-mining capabilities, ubiquitous propaganda and all the other means available to them to consolidate power.
We are going to have to hit bottom until some young person rediscovers the meaning the freedom and is capable of rallying their cohort to do something about it. Until then, the only course for most of us is The Church of the Low Profile.
Scary, just scary.