TIN POT TYRANNIES AND THE MEN WHO LET THEM HAPPEN

I've been thinking about the methods of government pushing people around and getting away with it.  Probably what I am going to tell you is what is happening in your town.  It may be happening to you personally.  And to let you know I have some historical perspective, right off the bat I will tell you the situation I will describe is nothing more than Tammany Hall or the Chicago mob.  This may seem like venting on my part, but I want to tell you my perspective from here.

I have four businessmen friends.  One is an architect.  One is a builder of warehouses and a landlord.  One is in the pest control business.  And one is a housing developer / builder.  

Let's start with the architect.  He is toward the end of his career, owning a business with 6 or so people, and has done well.  He has concentrated on government contracts for buildings for his livelihood.  He is smart. He has lived here all of his life.  He knows everyone in town and is connected.  I admire him for a lot of reasons.  He has witnessed the oncoming train of horrific regulations that have made his business more difficult by the year.  He used to have twice as many employees, but over time during the last 4 years has had to let half of them go due to the cost of doing business.  He did what I did.  He decided to research the source of his industry's horrific turn for the worse and he landed on Agenda 21, i.e. Sustainable Development.  In his case, the research led to the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) which led him to the UN.  He thrashes around at night with concerns about how government at all levels is destroying his industry.  Because his business thrives on government building contracts, he has kept his head down and his mouth shut.  He refuses to publicly speak out for fear of being blackballed by government employees who would shut him out of bidding on contracts.  So even though he knows and sees what is going on, he worries about the livelihoods of his employees and will not jeopardize their jobs.  

Second, I'll go the housing developer's story.  I don't know him as well, but have mutual friends with him.  He has indicated he also has felt the brunt of the government regulations and the economic crash because of the Agenda 21 policies.  I contacted him to see if he would be interested in stepping up to the plate to fight back.  He told me he used to have 40 employees, but is also down to 3.  He is hoping to build the business back up.  But no, he said he would not publicly speak out.  He told me he would not put himself on the line, but rather try to adapt and survive.  He told me in so many words he would not take the chance to have his business trashed by the local and regional powers because he knew they would go after him if he spoke up.

Friend number 3 is the builder of warehouses and a landlord. He is in business as a self-made man, pretty much.  The sort of guy who has worked his tail off all of his life to make a living.  He is also very smart and has done the research.  He knows Agenda 21 and how it is working its way in through federal, state, and local government.  He sits on the planning board locally as the ONLY conservative voice for small government.  Which at this point seems  a ridiculous waste of his time because he is outnumbered and nothing is achieved by his being there except he learns what is coming at him faster than the rest.  He also tells me he will not speak out publicly from fear of losing that "insider" position and from fear of retribution from the powers-that-be here.  But he hasn't been able to stop any of the government strangulation from happening.

Friend number 4 is the guy with the pest control business.  He has also lived here all of his life and knows everyone.  He also has worked his tail off to make a living and conduct a very professional business.  He has employees, but I'm not sure how many.....I think at least 12, maybe more.  He has also had government contracts to treat government property for pest control.  He swears he is a freedom loving American and is upset about what he sees going on.  In fact, he has been very upset to see how badly our city government is run and he ran for office last year, but lost.  However, when it comes to speaking out against the government powers here against the tyranny our Council has brought upon us, he will not do it.  Scared to death to lose business or suffer the retributions of those government officials.  

These are 4, very nice, family men who will bravely express to me all of their angst against the power brokers and the force of government wrecking their businesses and our nation, but when push comes to shove, they will not shove back.  They each have experienced the pain of losing employees and losing business because of what government is doing to them.  I cherish their friendships, but letting this girl fight their fights is becoming a bit overwhelming.  They will not fight back.

So what's a girl to do?  I've begged.  I've pleaded.  I've explained.  I've put my own nose out there.  And every time I do they pat me on the back and say, "You go girl."  But when I ask them to speak up, they will not. 

So now you know how tin pot tyrannies get put in place without any opposition.  These good men have only their voices as leverage.  They won't dare.  Their voices go silent.  The cat's got their tongues.  They are rendered helpless against tin pot local dictators.  They are terrified of offending someone.  They pretend they will get something done behind the scenes by talking to people.  But no...I've been waiting for that to happen for over 4 years now.  Nothing has happened. 

The "Regional Consortium" I am fighting has wooed and won the local Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce with promises of "economic development" and horse manure about cleaning the environment with their policies.  The song and dance evidently is very seductive.  My 4 friends know it is all a crock and financial black hole that will do more harm than good.  Yet, they just can't muster up the fight.

So, when all of you guys out there are talking tough about fighting back with guns against the tyrannical government, I'd like to know how you plan to do that when you can't even step up to peacefully protest?  Sitting on the sidelines, protecting your wallets, but letting the noose tighten around all of our necks is not convincing me that there are men here who really will step up.   If my dear friends are any indication, this nation is done.  I love you guys, but really...what are you doing?