When I was a kid in the 50s, whenever me or my brothers or our dog would dig a hole in the yard, our parents would tease, "You're digging halfway to China! Hahaha!"
Now, the U.S. government has dug us 7/8ths of the way to China.
It's not so funny anymore.
I retired to a very small NH town, people no longer bother me, they might if I didn't pay my government rent.