Supply chain disruptions were one aspect of the post-COVID chaos the world was subjected to. Politicians were gobsmacked to learn that shutting down the global economy caused markets to function erratically. They believed that markets operate at their pleasure. By the snap of a finger or wink of an eye they could shut down the global economy and by the same wink or snap markets would restart uninterrupted. One might call this the King Louis XVI syndrome, defined as the irrational belief by political elites that establishing unclever policies will result in predictable, poignant, popular outcomes. Their inevitable response to the unpopular outcome is the classic retort attributed to Marie Antionette, “let them eat cake.”

We live in an era in which American government has been grown into a monster that devours the treasure and liberty of its people. If the government is of, by, and for the people, political factions have trained the monster to consume itself. Sadly, many subscribe to the notion that no problem, existent or imagined, is too big or small for the government to solve. An analyst at a conservative news outlet seemed disappointed that Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, didn’t snap his fingers to solve the supply chain crisis. The supply chain crisis was a result of poor government policy. Why would anyone look to the government to solve it?

Government action to correct a problem often makes the problem worse or creates new problems. For instance, the supply chain crisis was a symptom of the COVID virus which likely, “originated in a Chinese government-controlled lab.” To make matters worse the leaky lab received funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH). But wait, there’s more! On May 16^th Dr. Lawrence Tabak admitted the NIH funded gain of function research at the same leaky Chinese lab. Virology Blog explains, “Gain of function (GoF) research gives an organism a new property or enhances an existing one.” While attempting to improve the health of Americans, the NIH gave a leaky Chinese lab tax dollars to make a harmless virus lethal. As a result, millions may have died, billions were sickened, and trillions were spent by governments globally. The NIH contributed to the Wuhan Institute of Virology:

1. to improve the health of Americans.
2. to fund the Chinese Communist Party’s development of biological weapons.
3. because it had so much money it tossed hundreds of thousands of dollars to a leaky lab in China.
4. All the above.

Funding GoF research in a substandard lab wasn’t enough to placate the NIH. Based on the science du jour, the government forced ineffective vaccines and masks on people. The NIH worked to “take down” scientists and doctors who offered viable medical alternatives to the government’s official policy. Government scientists then engaged in a strategy of denial and obfuscation to cover their tracks.

There is no other entity on the planet that can toss huge amounts of money around as frivolously as the government of the United States. In 2010 the Obama Administration decided the federal government could more efficiently administer student loans than banks. By doing this the government would save taxpayers billions of dollars, “for college affordability and deficit reduction.” NPR reported in 2022, “From 1997 to 2021, the Education Department estimated that payments from federal direct student loans would generate $114 billion for the government. But the GAO found that, as of 2021, the program has actually cost the government an estimated $197 billion.”

Like Obama, Biden has no business acumen, but he does know how to win elections. He has held federal office for 47 of the last 51 years. In 2022 he thought it would be good politics to forgive the same student loans Obama placed under federal control. This action would cost the taxpayers $400 billion. Biden’s electoral strategy was reversed by the Supreme Court in June of 2023 when they ruled 6-3 to strike down Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. The President should have listened to Speaker Nancy Pelosi who said in 2021, “People think that the President of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness. He does not. He can postpone. He can delay. But he does not have that power. That has to be an act of Congress." For some odd reason Pelosi thought Biden should follow the Constitution, which says, “All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.” Biden was unperturbed. He immediately developed another ruse to bail out student loans in July of 2023 which will cost taxpayers $475 billion. In April of 2024 he hatched yet another scheme that will cost taxpayers an additional $84 billion forgiving a total of $559 billion of student loans. What’s the point of being President if you can’t buy a few votes?

Americans are taught that there are three coequal branches of the federal government. The current leader of the executive branch (and by proclamation the free world) thumbed his nose at the legislative and judicial branches by forgiving student loan loans three times after the Speaker of the House said he shouldn’t and twice after the Supreme Court said he couldn’t.

Sometimes legislation flies in the face of constitutional authority. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was enacted in 1978 to authorize electronic surveillance and other extraordinary methods of obtaining information related to foreign actors. FISA was expanded in the aftermath of 9/11 to include the tremendous amount of data available from phone and internet communication. When government agencies use technology to gather information related to millions of conversations related to foreign entities, they inevitably capture private information belonging to Americans. The Fourth Amendment protects us against such infringement, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The FBI used the FISA court to illegally obtain warrants to spy on Carter Page in an effort to dig up dirt on Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign. Benjamin Franklin advised, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

The American Revolution was fought to assure the people enjoyed the God-given right of liberty. The purpose of government is to protect the people’s rights, not usurp them. The government has become a bloated bureaucratic behemoth more intent on protecting its own agency than serving the people. Political factions use the government to obtain and consolidate power. They use this power to defy the Constitution and trample the rights of the people. Franklin warned us, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” We must draw on the virtue of our national character, reject the machinations of political faction and the expectation that government can solve our problems. It’s time for the people to solve the problems the government has wrought on our nation.

Image: Goya