Commentary by Samuel Strait – April 1, 2022

Most would say the point at which the population began to doubt the
motives of those that lead them are when there is eroding faith and
trust in that government to do what is best for the majority.  On the
reverse side of the equation, is that when the majority feels like the
loudest voices, mostly in the special interest minorities, and I don’t
mean race, are the only voices being heard.  While this may seem like a
rather simplistic description of what happens, it is the beginning of
what will become a major rift between those that rule and those that
don’t. No longer will that growing majority feel like the governing
class, for that is what it has become, will continue to speak for most
of the people.

That may be the start of the split, but what does it take to provoke
action and eventual change?  Normally that comes about at least
historically when government becomes “too” expensive, and the population
feels like they are being bled dry by a few government elites.  Granted
laws and regulation are a part of the equation, but only if they begin
to affect a person’s livelihood. Most are willing to stand for some
reduction in their standard of living by government, but only to a
certain point.  Previously populations that sought regime change were
quite often stirred to physical violence rather than orderly discourse. 
In the United States, the founding fathers recognized that government
could and would become too unwieldy and require course correction to
return it back to its intended task.

Over the course of the last few decades, legislative power at the
Federal, State, and local levels have failed to continue to offer a
sufficient measure of trust with the population.  Leadership at all
levels has become partisan and hardly recognizable as “leadership”.  Our
judicial system has reverted to becoming political and rules in too many
cases, not by rule of law, but by political association.  Three co-equal
branches of government, supposedly separate from one another, yet not so
much any more. Leadership influenced not by their constituents, but by
bureaucracies and moneyed special interests.  A failing of the most
common bond of trust between representative government and those that
are to be represented.  No longer beneficial to those they represent and
complete failure to justify the enormous wealth being freely given them
to guarantee that benefit.

Once the cost of governing becomes too great and moves into the
extravagant, the constituents in greater numbers begin to notice that
phenomena.  It starts with a small group who have awakened to the growing
problem of out of control and costly government. Their opposition is
muted at first by a compliant government controlled media, until it can
no longer disguise the facts.  As the message circulates within local
communities the discontent grows, until it can no longer be suppressed
by media first, then government second.   At that point, in modern
society, government is supposed to correct itself to the satisfaction of
the population.  This hasn’t happened.  The next step is currently in
the works with a call for a “Convention of States” a mechanism to reign
in out of control government.  Nineteen of the thirty four states have
passed resolutions becoming part of the call for that convention.

Where do we go from here?  Clearly government isn’t listening to the
growing concern over their policies and continues to make choices not in
the best interests of the Country.  This will likely spur increased
efforts to bring fifteen additional states to the table of a Convention
of States.  Will that convention restore reason to the Country’s
leadership?  One can hope, for the next phase could be armed rebellion,
not a pretty picture, particularly for those currently in charge…