Here’s a little game I used to play with listeners on my talk show. The goal was to compel them to think about the Government, its size, the pervasiveness of its laws, and smothering regulations.
The challenge: Name the 2 things you come in contact with every day that are not taxed, regulated, embargoed, licensed, restricted, or prohibited by the Government
Invariably, the phone lines exploded! Unfortunately, the majority of callers usually misunderstood the most important part of the challenge: “…you come in contact with…”. As a result, ‘contestants’ would name “ love”, “sunrise and sunset” and similar misses. (In a tactile sense, you don’t come in contact with ‘love’ and there is Daylight Saving Time). Others would try “children”, “air”, “water” – as if kids aren’t subject to taxes, compulsory education, and a boatload of age-specific rules; air and water have their own mountain of pollution laws, water and ‘wetlands’ regulations. Invariably, there would come “sex”, “economics”, “Government” – some never having heard of sodomy laws, intangible “economics” and untouchable Government. A few creative folks tried “prayer”. While it is problematic whether one “…comes in contact…” with prayer, just try kneeling with some fellow believers at the Lincoln Memorial in DC. It’s a blessed opportunity to get educated by members of the Park Police.
After hundreds of challenges in dozens of markets from NY to LA to DFW, ATL, DC, and even Toledo (!), only once, a caller in North Carolina got the correct answer: “Nothing”. Zip. Zero. None. No “2 things” or even 1 we “come in contact with on a daily basis” is not taxed, regulated, embargoed, licensed, restricted or prohibited by the Government.”
While it’s been 10 years since the last game, we could play it today with just one small change:
“Name the 2 issues impacting your life on a daily basis that have not originated from Government?”
Consider:
Presidential ‘mandates’, lockdowns, ‘social distancing’, family association, church attendance, school attendance, and school board meetings, now with FBI agents monitoring rightfully outraged parent-terrorists, employment security, unemployment income, taxation, inflation, savings, investments, groceries, gas, dining out, football games, birthday parties, weddings, even funerals continue to be subject to capricious Government intrusion. If you or a loved one serve in the Armed Forces, a separate set of COVID-related Government regulations can cost you your rank, job, and earned benefits. The impact of legally dubious State and Federal government intervention continues unabated as politicians ‘green mail’ corporate entities in place of enabling legislation even to the point of ignoring SCOTUS verdicts.
The answer is still the same: None. The issues roiling our lives today come from Government laws, unconstitutional regulations, illegal restrictions, and policies intruding into every aspect of our daily life.
How does this happen in America, “Land of the Free”?
As a prescient Ayn Rand wrote:
“The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for me to live without breaking laws.”
Tragically, Reality is not a radio game; there’s no way to tune out. Think ‘Hotel California’. It’s all happening before our eyes right now, every day: specific, intentional parts of a much bigger plan previously discussed here; Mike Nichols reviews the plan and progress in enlightening detail here.
Since there are no prizes for the correct answer, what to do? Play the game anyway with folks you know. Or don’t know. Their reaction will be telling; a new ‘woke-ness’ may come over them and you just may find some valuable comrades for the days ahead.
