If you have ever been the victim of a scam, a street thief or a car accident you will know that there is a sudden, horrible moment when you realize what has happened, and wish you could go back in time and stop yourself from making the mistake that did the damage. The people of America are about to have one of those moments. If they’re lucky. Of course, the perfect crime is to perpetuate the scam and no one ever catches on.
Guns Against the Government
The fraud in question can be exposed by a little knowledge of history. I mean, we all know about the Dark Ages, right? When the structured society of the Roman Empire dissolved, and the guys with the most swords ruled. They became known, ironically enough, as Nobles.
And then, as the economy improved and the power of the middle class grew, people started forming themselves together to curb the power of these bullies. And they called these organizations governments.
That’s right, folks. Governments were formed to protect the common people from the guys with the swords. They collected money from everyone and used it to hire policemen (and teachers and garbage collectors and even doctors) to make our lives what they are today. And the bullies with swords hated governments, and kept trying to find ways to keep their power.
The “Uh-oh!” Moment
And now, in the United States, the same bullies still hate government, but now they have guns. And they keep saying that they are fighting for the freedom of everyone. But that’s the scam. They aren’t fighting for your freedom. They’re fighting for their own freedom to do what they like. Which is bully everyone else. That’s why they like to stroll around with guns. It makes people afraid of them. And of course they hate government, because government stops them. And the terrible part of it is that, because people don’t enjoy anyone telling them what to do (and charging them money for it), there are many willing to buy into the idea that government is a bad idea. So they’re happy to let the fox guard the henhouse. He must be a great guard; look at all those sharp teeth.
Some day you will reach the turning point, where you walk down the street with your kid, and you see a guy with an AK-47, and you don’t say, “Look, Johnny, we’re being protected,” but you say, “Holy crap, Johnnie, look at that idiot. Let’s hide.”
Oh. You already feel that way? f your reaction is, “I’ve gotta get me a gun, too,” then you’re part of the problem. If you’re reaction is, “It’s time to do something about this,” then you could help with the answer. And if your reaction is to duck your head and turn the other way and do nothing, then you’re part of the problem, because the fearful tacit approval of the silent majority is what allows the bullies to prosper.
Political Perspective: It Ain’t That Easy
It’s pretty obvious which side the Republican Party is on. It would be wonderful if you could just vote them out, destroy their power, and all would be well. But there’s a catch.
As Bernie Sanders (and a lot of other people) keep telling everyone, the government is no longer protecting the people. A few of the sword-wielders were smart. Instead of getting guns, they got money. And they used their money to get into government, and used their political influence for the same objective as the simple thugs use their guns: keeping themselves on top and keeping the little people in line. And we have a terrible suspicion that there are a lot of them in the Democratic Party as well.
That is Hillary Clinton’s problem. People have been listening to The Who for about 40 years, and they wonder if the new boss will be the same as the old boss, and if the party on the left is now the party on the right. And they don’t want to get fooled again.
I don’t think there’s much doubt that Hillary is going to win the coming election, mostly by default. But if she’s going to win the one in four years’ time, her task is to persuade the people – the little people, the ones who need the government to protect them – that she is the one to do that job. That she is trying to make the government the protector of the people again.
Because otherwise, she’s part of the problem, too.