Unfortunately, the federal government is far more insidious than that. You can’t have 40% of your income stolen from you every year and survive long before you have no money at all left. You may say to yourself, “Well, I make $50K. I could live on $30K for my freedom.” The problem is that the government has made so many others dependent on your money. You’re not getting much of that $20K back into your pocket at all, so of course you’re not going to miss it. But what about the guy who makes $20K,including lots of government aid. Now he only makes $10K. Oh, he’ll miss it. So now you’ll have $20K still taken out of your pocket by the feds... and another $15K taken out by the state.
Think you can live on $15K? Well, if everyone around you who makes $50K and used to be taking home $30K after taxes is only taking home $15K, how long do you think you’ll still make $50K?
If I made as much as $50K that would be one thing, but, after a lifetime of service in my field, I can only muster about $40K, counting both jobs. Maybe I’m not competent enough or too difficult to get along with. Who knows? But I do know that the reach of government far exceeds anything we could reasonably extrapolate from the Constitution and has done for my entire life. It’s just gotten that much worse now.
The problem isn’t that people don’t know all of this, it is that most are not willing to step up to combat it. Those in power will not give up without a fight and are ready to eliminate those who presume to confront them. That is a price many people will not risk having to pay, so the number who actually are willing bear a terrible cost for the benefit of those who agree it’s terrible but won’t stand up for what they say they believe.
Most even know that, given the current trajectory, the US is on a course of implosion and that everything they have is at risk, including the lives of their families and STILL they won’t rise to fight.
The only consolation is that Nov 2nd is coming soon. If people will take that much risk and vote the rascals out, then we have a chance of recovery. Not that we must recover but that we won’t recover if enough of the current PTB remain in control. A thin reed? I believe it is, but it is still standing there and we must restrain ourselves to rely on it until it either grows into a field of sturdy principles and precepts, or is rudely and roughly pulled up by the roots and burned by the PTB. If the former, then all may be well.
If the latter, then the die is cast.
Pray for peace but prepare for war.