Fred, the Frog and You

A ‘consequential’ meeting; attendance encouraged

January has always been the prime time for review, reflection, and introspection; ‘New Year’s resolutions’ are born here.

With a ‘consequential’ Trump administration about to begin, with equally consequential policies, this would be an appropriate time to remember the “Biden” years and beyond, reflecting on the damage imposed on Freedom, Liberty, American values, and institutions. Most importantly, how this has affected us individually and what we might expect of the “new” government.

Frederick Douglas, author of significant contributions to advance Freedom back in the day had this most quoted advice:

“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both.”

Anticipating the “Trump Years”, the intensity of Hope for relief from the government’s aggressive regulatory and “WOKE” impositions is palatable. Trump’s campaign promises to reverse Biden’s progressive insanity are front of mind. How much ‘relief’ can we reasonably expect? What if Trump changes his priorities? What if his campaign promises are forgotten or broken? As noted in my previous (“The Grate Trump Effect”), what if ‘unintended consequences’ or political skullduggery already in place sabotage Trump’s plans?

Are you prepared to get personally involved?

Paraphrasing Mr. Douglas: What will you quietly submit to? Have you considered the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon you?

Put more succinctly: Have you drawn your own “line in the sand”?

Remember the Frog of the well-worn “Frog in a Pot of Water” analogy? In this case, the frog is you. How warm is the water now? How much Freedom do you really have in this land of “Liberty and Justice for all”? What have you already “quietly submitted to”?

Simple memes have summarized precise answers to otherwise complicated questions.

“You are taxed on the money you earn, spend, save, and invest as well as the food, property, gas, water, oil, and electricity required to survive. Government imposed Inflation is also a tax. Depending on your net worth, your ‘estate’ will forced to pay Estate taxes simply because you had the temerity to die with what the Government deems too many assets. Then there are the ‘fees’ (actually taxes) imposed by local, State, and Federal agencies (recycling, disposing, accessing, processing).

Freedom doesn’t require government permission; slaves do.

Here are a few of the “permission slips” the Government demands you have to perform these activities legally, i.e. with its permission; basic exercises of a free person now require the government’s permission to:

Drive

Own a vehicle

Own a gun

Hunt

Fish

Run a business – any business

Sell food

Buy or Sell alcoholic beverages

Build/improve anything on your property

Offer legal, medical, or accounting services

Sell stocks, bonds, insurance, real estate

Rent property

Hold public meetings, conventions, or events

Own a pet

Have a parade

Drive a truck

The list is not all-inclusive, it’s endless. If your chosen activity isn’t on the list, requirements will be quickly assembled to add it and tax it.

We blithely accept these infringements on our freedom as if this is normal, even proper. This is the ‘water’ in the ‘pot’, as we paddle about, happily believing we’re free!

“Well, Freedom isn’t Free!” But at what cost? How much more Freedom will we be required to sacrifice to a Government that will punish us for living Free without its permission?

Meanwhile, those who run the Government, both appointed and elected “officials” declare for themselves privileges denied “ordinary citizens’ while ritually absolving themselves of activities you are denied, fined, or imprisoned. Lying to the Government, treason, larceny, non-payment of taxes, insider trading are some of the otherwise illegal acts committed as recently as last year. The guilty remain free and unmolested by the same Government agents who incarcerated many other non-elected (privileged) others. Will the new administration demand accountability?

Remember Douglas’ words:

“…you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon [you], and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows or with both.”

Yes, there is Hope, lots and lots of Hope. Beyond Hope, is it reasonable to believe this new administration will permanently change the “exact measure of injustice and wrong” the Government has already imposed on us? Will different demands be imposed? Or, as a ‘frog’, are you resolved to resist “with either words or blows or with both”?

We better be - or we shall surely croak!

Thanks for reading this far!

BW