There’s been a lot of press coverage and commentary lately about the absurdly disastrous Keystone Cops rollout of Obamacare. Its proponents keep trying to assure us that it’s all a “glitch” 
– a $630,000,000 “glitch”! – and once it’s operational we’ll all love it. And never forget: according to Obama, “if you like your healthcare plan, you’ll be able to keep it” anyway.
Well… are you ready for sticker shock?
Over the last 2 years – since the enactment of Obamacare and during its phasing in – my Medicare Advantage plan premium has increased from $0/month to $28/month (this year) to $85/month next year, in addition to $105/month for basic Medicare (which has gone up from about $80/month). That’s a 230% increase in two short years.
Meanwhile, my Social Security COLA increase for next year will be about $30/month, so I’m going backwards about $70/month.
My max out-of-pocket has gone from $3500/year to $6700/year, my office visit charge has gone from $30 to $50, my co-pay has gone from 15% to 20%, and many previously covered services have been severely limited or terminated.
Fortunately, I do now have pregnancy and pre-natal care. Of course, since I’m a guy in my mid-60s, this isn’t very useful.
So, Obama’s right. I DID get to keep my health insurance. Unfortunately, like Cinderella’s carriage, it turned into a pumpkin.
A VERY expensive and ugly pumpkin, at that.
One other thing. Often when I discuss this issue, there’s some Dem/socialist who cleverly points out that I’m a hypocrite for criticizing government interference in healthcare when I’m a recipient of government “benefits” myself.
I’d like to point out that I am, indeed, a recipient of those benefits. But not by any choice of my own. I was forced, at the figurative point of a government gun, to participate in these programs, and had “contributions” withheld from my paycheck for almost half a century. I’m simply getting back what I already bought and paid for.
But I have a standing offer to the government: reimburse me for all my involuntary “contributions” into Social Security and Medicare, including monetary inflation and all the interest I would have earned had I been able to keep and invest that money myself, and I’ll sign a waiver releasing any and all claims to any such benefits.
I figure that check should be well north of a million bucks. Easily.
© Brian Baker 2013
The View from the Island 
Like you Brian, I would be glad to sign a waiver releasing the federal government from any and all claims to Social Security and Medicare benefits, if they would reimburse me for my “involuntary contributions” to these programs during my life. (In my case, these started in 1965 when I was just 14 years old.)
I just wonder if the Obama supporters are still trying to put lipstick on the pig. The “horror” stories I am hearing in Mississippi are pretty bad about the increased costs of medical coverage. I am lucky in that my wife is still teaching school and we have medical coverage through the State of Mississippi. But two engineering firms in the state (that I know the principals of personally) just lost their coverage and are scrambling to find new policies.
I am afraid that all this will get worse before it gets better.
Looks like we both started working the same year, 1965, except I was a year older.
Yeah, as far as I can tell, the Obozoites still have the lipstick out, in 5 gallon buckets.
It’ll be really interesting to see how it plays out over the next year, as more and more people are whacked in the wallet with the costs. This could REALLY hurt Dems at the ballot box — one of the reasons so many are now trying to run away from it like it’s the plague — but then there’s always the problem of the GOP’s uncanny knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Make that three of us who drew our first “real” pay in ’65. I was only 13, but got field work harvesting musk melons and citrus, then later worked at the packing plant – all family owned, so no violation of child labor laws. That was when I first learned about taxes being taken before I ever saw a check.
Another “oldster” who used to do the “work Americans won’t do”.
How the HELL did this country ever get along before we got flooded by illegal aliens, huh?
When I signed up for my SS @ age 62 I told the lady I didn’t want the medicare. Best I remember she said I didn’t have to take it but I had to pay for it either way.
Yeah, Buck, that’s the way it works. Ain’t that a kick in the head? It’s deducted from your SS benefits whether or not you take it.
In fact, if I’m not mistaken, if you DON’T take it when you’re eligible, you actually get stuck with a permanent penalty when you actually do enroll.
They get you coming and going.
Excellent post. The wheels are FLYING off the “signature accomplishment” pretty quickly. All by design. They figured out the short-cut to single-payer.
Thanks, Clyde.
Yep, the wheels arer flying off. That’s what happens when you design something with square wheels.
Whenever government solves a problem, BrianR, the solution is an even-bigger problem. The ACA is attempt at the ultimate government solution, so, by definition, will be the ultimate problem.
I agree, DrP. It’s the “ultimate solution” the socialists have been slavering over for literally decades.
A million bucks? Brother, if the gov’t kept their booger hooks off of my money, I’d ALREADY be retired and chilling out. The amount of money they pull out of my check for SS is criminal.
Yep, Gunny, “criminal” is the word I’d use, too.
I watch what it does to my kids. Each year as their earnings increase, the government bite stays ahead of them, making it impossible for them to really pull ahead.
Absolutely 100% true, Brian!! And, to my surprise, even the liberals are saying that Obama has lied and lied all the time he was pushing Obamacare and that it’s a complete disaster! Well, duh!
Linda! Well… thanks for commenting here!
That’s the part that REALLY amazes me: leftists admitting that Obozo flat-out lied.
Of course, I’m also reading drivel several of them have written saying the lies were actually JUSTIFIED. Just goes to show that Dem/socialists live in a moral and ethical vacuum.
There is no more pain, BrianR, for yours truly. And I am not numb either. I am disgusted beyond words and angry that my country has finally fallen for the ultimate hoax. The hoax that is going to doom future generations to a life of misery by their own permission.
Well, this very well may be the point that determines the future. The Dems own this thing lock, stock and barrel. If they CAN manage to avoid any consequences for their arrogant and completely unpopular actions on this matter, then the Fat Lady may very well have sung for the future of the country.
And if the GOP doesn’t WISE UP and start acting like a REAL “opposition party”, they’re going to be just as much at fault as the Dems.
That’s the way I see it, anyway.
Good rant Brian and one that many of us geezers can identify with. I can remember when I started programming one of the things that we had to change annually was the FICA percent (the base also changed annually). In 1968, the maximum SS tax taken from an employee was $343.20. In 2013 it is $7,049.40. Gone up a wee bit, huh? And I can remember when Dubya tried to get changes to the social security law passed to allow personal control, the leftists had a hissy fit. And now we have them controlling us via our health care insurance – the more they get their hands on, the worse off we all are.
Thanks, Garnet.
Absolutely right; I couldn’t agree more. We’re actually seeing lives out, in HD and full color, the truth of Maggie Thatcher’s dictum that “The biggest problem with socialism is that ultimately it always runs out of other peoples’ money”.
Oh boy! Where do I start? We here knew the P3D3 was a MFing failure from the get-go and we knew this would pave the way to serfdom and single payer. When Ocare passed my premium increased 32% and I canceled the policy because I could not squeeze another dime out of my budget. 2012 it went up even more to 100% increase. I could have paid for it but my principles didn’t let me. 2013 would have cost me 1590/mo- no rx coverage, a 7500 deductible, 60 bucks per copay and 350 for ER!! Add on the RX’s and we’re at 1990./mo. THAT is another mortgage payment.
If one more friggin’ left minded person dares to tell me I should be happy that I can now get Ocare, I’m gonna go postal on their ass. (with stamps, of course!) They have accused me of lying about my premiums even when I am self-employed and not eligible for subsidies. They also tell me The P3D3 wasn’t lying that I should use more context!!! Are YOU effin’ kidding me?? Wow. I am going cash only because it’s what I got. Remember, the info you divulge on the website is no longer yours to protect. The gov’t has a disclaimer that says it can do what it wants with what you share. No. No. and No. This is not okay!!!
Who the hell gives a rat’s ass about the people? I am sick and tired of being given the finger by the Pied Piper and Co.
Yep, Nee, there you have it.
This whole thing has been based on lies from Day One. That’s exactly why they delayed it until 2014: they were facing the mid-term elections at the time and didn’t want it as an issue. Of course, at SOME point it was going to become an issue anyway, and we’re now at that point, but they were simply kicking the can down the road at the time.
Now it’s time to pay the piper.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. Too bad their opponents are mostly Establishment GOP hacks. But let’s see if, just this once, they can actually manage to snatch victory from the jaws of victory.
Brian, you know full-well that librels (intentionally misspelled), who destroyed NIXON by accusing him of justifying any illegal, immoral or unethical means to an end, believe lying in due course, is just a necessary tactic employed for to achieve a greater good. No problemo man! No God, No conscience, no harm, no foul.
Yeah, Shocky, their hypocrisy is breathtaking to watch in all its full glory.
That Social Insecurity plan has been seen before. Now where was it………
Ah, yes…The American Tradition Party Platform 2008!!!!!!!!
End Social InSecurity Fairly: There is absolutely no reason for the government to be running a Ponzi scheme as a mandatory governmental retirement program. A 1% return on that kind of investment is horrid. The people of America should be in charge of their own money. They can do better for themselves. Our plan would end this fiasco, but in a way that is fair to all who have put in their money over the years. Anybody who is currently receiving benefits would have the choice of staying in the program or getting the remainder of what they paid in to the system returned to them. In Year One, American citizens who are aged 57 and above would receive refunds for every penny they have ever put in, with interest from the time it got put in. Year Two would see refunds for folks 49 and up. Year Three would have citizens 40 and above investing their own money. Year Four has the 30 and older citizens rejoicing. Year Five has all remaining citizens getting their money back. These ages could be adjusted after more studies to make the impact on our budget even across the years. Note that non-citizens don’t get anything. Oh well, that’s another bonus for being a real American.
Yep, Craw, a Ponzi scheme it is. And like all such schemes, it’s collapsing under its own flawed structure.
The BIG problem is, it’s going to drag our economy down with it, and there’s absolutely NO will in either major party to end it. Again, another example of how the failure of the GOP to mount any kind of effective opposition to rampant socialism makes them almost as guilty as the Dem/socialists.
A good read…
http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/10/31/the-positive-side-of-obamacare-that-fox-news-doesnt-want-you-to-see/comment-page-2/#comment-60055
That was a VERY good read, Nee… Hilarious.
Thanks for the link.
Brian;
We have said this often, and now it’s confirmed.
“It’s come to this: Obama knocked on incompetence by…Jimmy Carter
A damning indictment, considering the source. The man who presided over gas lines, stagflation, the Iranian hostage crisis, and America’s “malaise” ought to be considered an expert on failure. Behold, his candid Obamacare assessment:
On how he would evaluate the Obama presidency so far:
JC: “He’s done the best he could under the circumstances. His major accomplishment was Obamacare, and the implementation of it now is questionable at best.”
BTW tried to go to TH to find you and then go to WordPress no luck at all.
had to do a search and found you.
BHO what a loser.
Hahahahaha!
When the FORMER “Worst President In American History” criticizes you, ya know you’re in deep kimchee.
Yeah, the TH blogs are finally completely closed now. I’m going to remove my link to my own former blog there.
Brian;
Thought that’s what we had?
“Rasmussen: Public evenly split on whether zombies would do a better job running the government
They’d certainly be more “hands on”!
I’m sorry. That was awful.
It’s not exactly a vote of confidence in the powers that be: A sizable number of Americans think the undead would do a better job than the brain dead in Washington, D.C.
Thirty-seven percent (37%) of American Adults believe the federal government would do a better job than zombies running the country today. But the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that most Americans don’t share that view, with just as many (37%) who feel zombies would do a better job running the country and another 26% who can’t decide between the two.”
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2013/10/31/rasmussen-public-evenly-split-on-whether-zombies-would-do-a-better-job-running-the-government/
26% can’t decide, that really speaks to the great educational system we have.
Did I miss something?
I thought zombies WERE running the government. Actual humans with a living brain couldn’t possibly screw this thing up this bad.
Time to end the entitlement era and bring back the Galveston Plan.
There’s a lot to be said for that, though Galveston has problems, too.
But this is the real world, after all, and anything devised by humans will have flaws. At least with Galveston, you get to directly enjoy the rewards of your own labor and time.
But that’s why it’ll never be enacted. Social Security was always the first step down the road of socialism, in that case through wealth redistribution. It’s not dependent on people making their own choices and being directly responsible for the outcome thereof. That’s not the case with Galveston. Therefore, since we seem to have reached a point in history when government is busy indemnifying everyone from their own bad decisions, it has about zero chance of going anywhere.
Brian, have you seen this one? http://news.newsmax.com/?mKOvXTwX-04BVc0549bInn.ZvXbfbfUBm&ns_mail_uid=81005349&ns_mail_job=1544393_11032013
Great link, Shocky. Which of those stories are you specifically referring to? I thought the lead was especially important. Reminds me of the BS during the LBJ years, when he almost completely politicized the military.
Absolutely the lead is the most frightening, combining that with normal attrition rates and turnover among regular armed forces, we are seeing the potential for a military loyal NOT TO US, NOT TO AMERICA, but to their dear-leader, dictator for life
.
Yeah. But the drawback to that idea for the socialists is that the military life just doesn’t attract that many lefties. It’s still dominated by conservatives. So you end up getting some of the mid- and upper-level “management” types — officers — promoting this crap while further down the line it doesn’t actually sell. That’s because the higher you go in the service, the more “political” things get. Again, we saw this during the Vietnam era, when the upper level officer corps became a batch of whores, basically.
That’s why I’m praying that when push comes to shove and martial law is declared that the captains and majors will remember their oath and tell the perfumed princes to go butt a stump.
Amen.
Brian, I tried twice yesterday to post a comment, the second time, because the first did not register in the usual way with the statement waiting for moderation, I received a message that I had already posted the same reply. Very strange says I. Today I return and no trace that I ever posted a reply to your last reply to me. I will sum up my reply in a sentence. There are active duty and reserve, near 2.4 million US troops. A mere 10 percent loyal to Obama would be one hell of ready force under a command loyal to the CINC.
Shocky, sorry about that. I don’t know what happened; your comments never showed up at all. Obviously, as I always approve them.
Bro, I understand what you’re saying, but this is a discussion I’ve had with others. Here are the problems for the socialists. Let’s say your 10% is the given. First of all, that’s a force outnumbered 9:1. Secondly, you haven’t factored in those of us who are no longer in either force, but are veterans. That’s several more million right there. That’s a major force multiplier.
Then there are the constraints on the Obama troops caused by political reality: clearly, they can’t be destructive of the civilian populace or infrastructure. That limits them tremendously. They can’t use air, arty, chem weaps, or anything along those lines that could cause “collateral damage” for fear of causing a civilian uprising (if that hadn’t already happened). Basically, they’d be reduced and limited to small-unit infantry tactics. But they’d be so outnumbered they wouldn’t stand a chance.
Then there’s the reality that that 10% isn’t even concentrated in one place in effective fighting units. It would be spread throughout the military in little groups here and there.
No, I just don’t see that as an issue.
CENTCOM is under suspect control at this time Brian, and who knows how troops will be positioned in the next 3 years. Obama shows as much constitutional and statutory restraint as would any third world dictator. I’m with you Bro, I will defend our nation according to oath and believe that we necessary can prevail with superior loyal force, Our situation is politically FUBAR and that said, I really do believe this may well come down to us v. them. I’m not hopeful of a politically acceptable outcome will ever come.
Well, who knows? It may come down to Us V. Them. In which case “They” lose. Clearly. Think about the strategic and tactical issues I just raised.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that CENTCOM or CIC-CONUS somehow or another manages to identify and position ALL the suppressive troops into cohesive units. What then? You’d have a very small force concentrated in one locale. What are they going to do? Our current active-duty troop strength is about 1.5 million (I believe), so based on your 10%, that’s 150,000, or about ten divisions. BUT… they’re scattered all over the place, and include ALL “military”, including Coast Guard, etc. Don’t you think such troop movements would set off alarm bells somewhere?
This actually was very effectively addressed back in the 60s in an excellent novel called “Seven Days In May”, which was subsequently turned into a very enjoyable movie starring Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster.
The ONE good thing that would come out of it? PROVING the wisdom of the Second Amendment.
I think the purge story should be setting off alarms, but it’s not a topic at the top of anyone’s discussion. You’re probably correct,I realize I’m way off the reservation with this one. BHO is in my opinion mentally unhinged and needs an impeachment trial..
The big problem with impeaching The Chosen One is his replacement. Jeez, who wants THAT loon in there?
I agree with much of what you say but I fear your numbers might be deceiving.
Just as the bundle of sticks cannot be broken but individually they snap like dry twigs. Sure there are many folks who are armed and would dislike an armed takeover of the people but how many of them would be ready to, individually, stand in the street, ready to die? Not so many, I fear. There are many who feel as do you but, once again, you have no communication. There are NO Minute Men. There is no likes of communication, organization nor plans to establish such. The small number of willing police, military, etc compared to the number of armed American citizens has the advantage of communication, organization and arms, armor and armament. It would be their choice of when and where to hit. It would most likely begin at 2:00 a.m. and at individuals’ houses. Those not raided would wake up to find friends and associates in jail or dead. Then the fear of being next would set in. Try to start such a militia and you would end up as did the militia in…where was it, Michigan? Wisconsin?/
Are you prepared for a guerrilla action? Are you ready to leave your home? Our founding fathers had it easier than we would have it inasmuch as they had the benefit of organization. Organization that would bring about arrest within minutes today. There is no organization. There are no leaders. Only a large body of people dissatisfied but powerless.
All true, Buck. That’s always the risk. And if you’ll recall, I’ve NEVER advocated an armed uprising, raising many of those same issues myself. What I wrote was in response to Shocky’s hypothetical.
Flip side of the coin: remember the Rodney King riots out here in LA? That was a VERY small percentage of the local populace, unarmed, and for several days the cops and the National Guard didn’t even TRY to enter the riot zone. There are 300 million people in this country. If even a paltry one percent push back, that’s 3 million people, far outnumbering any force Obozo can deploy.
Again. Look at the participants in the Rodney King riots. Folks out for freebies, mostly. 99% didn’t give a damn about Rodney King they just saw a chance for mayhem and took it. The rioters, looters and pillagers in the Rodney King riots are not the kind of folk I’d want watching my six.
Every day I listen to the gripes and groans of folks I consider of a conservative bent but even so I have no illusions of enough of them standing up to the tyranny of unconstitutional police actions, martial law or just door to door gun grabs. Outside the few folks I follow on conservative blogs I find very few in the real world who understand the Constitution. Even more distressing I find so many who consider themselves conservative but when the Constitution is referred to immediately fall back on the leftist inspired misdirections of the intent of the Bill of Rights.
Well, it doesn’t matter what “type” of people the rioters were. I’m using them as an example to illustrate my point. In fact, if such losers could do what they did, imagine what would happen if people with training — vets, cops, etc. — and guns were involved.
And again, all it would take would be ONE percent to make it a huge number. Also, look at the context of this discussion. I’m not talking about some spontaneous uprising over political differences. We’re talking specifically here about what would happen if Obozo or some other leftist tried to use the military to suppress the population. That’s a very specific type of action.
Right there. I don’t worry as much about the military as I do the local PD’s.
They are already on the scene and overarmed for what their duties should be.
Again, vastly outnumbered. Rodney King riots. The cops stood around with their thumbs up their butts for days.
More importantly, I’d guess most of them wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Maybe the political hacks in the upper ranks. But the rank-and-file guys are people just like us, at least the ones I know.
The cop in the patrol car, maybe. The ones who like to dress up in military style camos or black jump suits and ski masks to take down some lowlevel druggie are not folks I’d want to have a beer with Friday evening.
True, but again, in this hypothetical we’re talking about which faction outnumbers the other. This is where the Second Amendment earns its money.
Buck even the cop in the patrol car is likely not a person you’d want to have a beer with nowadays. I have a number of facts that may make a good post, speaking to the contrary. I’m with Brian, the 2nd amendment is all important to the ongoing maintenance of individual liberty. Just hope we don’t hear soon BHO uttering the words “if ya like your guns then you can keep ’em” as Rush Limbaugh suggested mockingly. It will be patrol officers right at your door to confiscate.
Municipalities aren’t hiring a lot of men and women that grew up admiring police as heroes and that “always wanted” to be police officers. They are tending towards men and women that have always wanted to be authoritarians, and that’s downright scary.
Yeah, the “Barney Fife Syndrome”.
Barney Fife had a heart and could be reasoned with if not just outwitted. The ones we’re gonna face are hardened and are willing to be ruthless..
Well, again, they have no more training or experience — and in most cases a lot less — than the millions of guys just like me who are already combat vets. I’ve been shot at on more than one occasion, and I’m still here to talk about it, which is more than the other guys can say.
Further, again, the ones who would participate are going to be vastly outnumbered.
As I keep saying, Rodney King riots, right here in LA, when the cops and National Guard troops stood around for DAYS doing absolutely nothing, and they were only faced with a crowd of unarmed amateurs.
I don’t believe the final push will come before massive confiscation. Starting with folks who have used plastic at the gun store or even WalMart to purchase guns and/or ammunition. These plastic transactions are ‘out there’ and betting those records are already in government files. First will go out the announcement to turn ’em in, followed in a few moths by a letter to bring ’em in, followed by an unannounced 2:00 a.m. battering down of your door, a ‘whiz-bang’ and jump suited, ski masked alphabet troops will storm in taking your guns and either you or your life. As this will happen on a one at a time and unannounced raid there can be no planning, no militia, for no matter how long a group can remain assembled the alphabets can out wait ’em.
Just as the massive refusal to pay income tax would bring down the entire tax system, selective arrests and prosecution keeps the entire tax paying population in line and fearful of the power of the IRS.
Even though I agree that massive confiscation would be NECESSARY, that can’t happen without actually triggering a revolt. The SCOTUS decisions in the Heller and McDonald cases assure that, as both decisions confirmed gun ownership as an inherent right. There’s just no way around them.
But who would you revolt AGAINST? The alphabet agencies will come out late at night and by day will be cloaked in their anonymity.
HOW would they do that? There are a hundred million gun owners in this country. HOW are they going to “come out late at night” and scoop up everyone’s guns in one night? You don’t think anyone will notice? Are they gonna be cloaked as ninjas? The next day it’s just business as usual? They wouldn’t have to identify themselves as some form of “official” authority? Where would they get that many people to carry such a thing out? And 100% of the personnel of the “alphabet agencies” would go along with it? None would protest? None would let the cat out of the bag? They could maintain that level of secrecy?
If so, that would be the first time in the history of the world.
It won’t be one night. Or one year. Nor would it be a secret but openly, on the 6 o’clock news and advertised that another criminal law breakin gun nut had been taken down. And each time someone is ‘raided’ and jailed and sent to prison for unlawful possession of a firearm the public will be in more fear. So many will willingly turn in their weapons. Look at Australia. They passed a law and honest folk willingly turned in their weapons. Lots of folk here will. Lots of folk who proclaim, “From my cold, dead hand, etc,” will give them up. Hell, every premise for another gun law has been inaccurate yet for over 70 years the public has sat silently by and allowed each encroachment on the most precious amendment. Now we are just a few years away from total confiscation. I have no confidence in 99.8% of the country in any kind of resistance. It has been bred out of most.
Australia doesn’t have a Constitution like ours, nor a Second Amendment, nor SCOTUS rulings like Heller and McDonald. They also are much more “British” than we are culturally, meaning they have a lot more faith and trust in their government. That’s the weakness in the “criminal law breaking gun nut” approach. You actually have to be able to DEFINE a law that’s actually been broken.
Your scenario simply doesn’t work, Buck. You wouldn’t see people “cowering in fear”. As soon as something like that started — especially on a piecemeal basis, one at a time, or in small numbers — you’d see people howl in outrage. You’d see all kinds of court actions started immediately, with emergency injunctions being issued left and right, and various “authorities” being called on the carpet to explain their actions, if not defend themselves from outright criminal charges.
AGAIN, all I have to do is point at the Rodney King riots.
No, that won’t happen. Nor will it necessarily need to. As I’ve always maintained, the biggest threat to this country isn’t overt government suppression. It’s the people simply “voting” their rights away by allowing Big Government to slowly take over and stifle all individual rights by whittling them away a piece at a time, like boiling a frog.
Your argument comes down to mine. The people are allowing Big Government to slowly take over and stifle all individual rights by whittling them away a piece at a time, like boiling a frog. I agree.
Where was the outrage when Zimmerman was charged with murder for defending himself?
Where is the outrage over the college students being put on probation for dissuading a would be burglar with a gun?
Where is the outrage every day of infringements on the Second?
Why is there no discourse on the right to carry vs the necessity to obtain state permission?
The people are not voting their rights away. They are allowing them to fall into default simply by NOT voting or voting for more for less and free cheese.
No, I’m not talking about McCain or Romney. The reason we were saddled with those choices is because we, as a people, have not paid attention to what was going on. For way, too many years. Now I fear the Ship of State may have reached that degree of list where self righting is no longer possible.
“Your argument comes down to mine. The people are allowing Big Government to slowly take over and stifle all individual rights by whittling them away a piece at a time, like boiling a frog. I agree.”
Well, yeah. But that’s not what we were originally discussing. We were talking about some government agency storming around and confiscating people’s guns. That won’t happen. It won’t need to happen. The government won’t ever need to confiscate anyone’s guns at all if no one ever does anything with them. I’ve written about this before, in my “Bread and Circuses” essay, among others.
The Roman Empire wasn’t “disarmed” when it fell. It simply fell apart, rotted from within.