[Rockingham]

I am old enough to remember technology and nature scares in years past over: an impending ice age due to inescapable climate cycles; overpopulation; extinction of the Bald Eagle; depletion of mineral resources; pervasive eavesdropping; and destruction of the ozone layer.

For more than a generation, conservatives had reason to fear that communism was the future. Its progress seemed inexorable, and our response often faltering, confused, and inadequate.

There was and is a basis for all those fears, but none of them have come true as general catastrophes, or at least not in the time frames projected. Alarmism is seldom in order because somehow, when dangers appear, human beings reform and adapt; and, contrary to the well-informed pessimism of Whitaker Chambers and so many others, communism did not triumph.

Fears over implants for purposes of government control of the populace are of the same category as fear of massive, police state eavesdropping. After a series of eavesdropping abuses came to light in the 1960's and 70's, American public opinion led to reforms that dramatically reduced government and private eavesdropping.

Even if one is pessimistic about the course the US is on, one should have a sense of optimism because of our innate love of freedom and that it reflects fundamental human desires. The house odds are on our side.

[endthematrix]

"The house odds are on our side. "

I pray that you are not teaching that to your grandchildren. The "It can't happen here" argument falls deaf upon the millions of exterminated corpses from Communism.

The annual death rate in Lenin's slave labor camps generally ranged between 10-30% per year. (Thus, the odds of surviving a five- year sentence ranged from 20-60%). Moreover, the high death rate required continuous large-scale arrests merely to keep the prison population stable. I'd suppose to argue this you would counter that they were the "bad" Communists and deserved to be there.