Amazing to me that I've lived through 5 hurricanes, numerous northeasters (when I lived up north) on the coast- and a few blizzards. It never once dawned on me (or anyone else I knew) to expect anything from anyone except to hope the power company would be able to get us switched on "pretty soon". We went anywhere from a day to 3 weeks without power and never saw or expected a governement official.
I mention this because it's striking how our society has changed.
I like your post number 68, very well said - you are right in remarking how society has changed. We gave our government great power in place of our freedom, now we rely on that power instead of on ourselves.