I’m tired of being agitated
by news accounts of government waste, mismanagement, and abuse,
politicians’ contempt for their constituents, scandals after government
scandals. I’m tired of supporting newspapers and the media moguls
who use such fodder simply to sell their product. I’m tired of
learning of the excesses on a daily basis only to then have the same
media endorse the status quo when citizens take the abuses to heart and
try to improve the situation.
Day after day, month after
month the reports are emblazoned across the headlines: exposés
sell newspapers. Readers become angry, as is no doubt the marketing
intent. And what for? Nothing changes, which seems fine with the
media. The publishing elite don’t want the situation to improve;
they want to sell their product, and scandal sells. They reliably
endorse more of the same when elections roll around. Of course they do.
I’ve watched this
ritualistic dance play out for some two decades of flat-out activism.
It always concludes on the same note. Nothing changes. The
media exposes, complains, then solidly endorses the status quo.
I’m not going to let it get to me any more; I don’t even want to know
about it. I’ve gotten beyond that now. Ignorance is bliss.
It’s time to tune out, turn
off, and drop out.
If I apply my working
knowledge of such abuses and mismanagement with half the vigor I’ve
exercised trying to weed it out, I should be able to take advantage
of it, live off big and growing bigger government’s generous largesse
myself – with a whole lot less stress, aggravation and certainly my own
time and effort. This should last as long as there are more
providers than takers, as I’ll become. I think this balance is
close to tottering, if it hasn’t tipped already as the past election
seems to indicate. There should still be enough time for me to get
mine too, especially in the coming Obamafied Nation.
Resistance is apparently
futile – it’s only a game to benefit the media. News reports need
some sort of conflict, even if not fairly reported, to claim
subscribers. We’ve seen as never before that most of the media has
an agenda of its own, even beyond profit.
Voters themselves are a big
part of the problem as well. They buy into the game.
Everyone’s outraged with each report or claims to be. But when the
rubber meets the road the majority consistently votes for more of the
same, or worse. The media intimidates them consistently, bows them
in the end.
It’s time to tune out, turn
off, and drop out.
“Voters get the government
they deserve,” it’s been said. True, but I’m tired of getting the
same government the voting majority deserves. I want “change”!
After all those years of
ceaseless effort, it appears the time has come to run up the white flag
and climb aboard the gravy train, ride it as long and for as far as the
tracks stretching to the horizon. If that voting majority wants to
support me and so many others, who am I to deny them their pleasure?
So I guess the smart plan
is to start by collecting unemployment insurance, food stamps, health
care, and whatever else I can claim from government, while I work on
writing a self-help book in my new leisure time: “How to Take
Government for a Ride.”
It seems that the future
for us providers is, “If you can’t beat’em, join them.”
Chip Ford is the
director of operations for Citizens for Limited Taxation.
