A staunch conservative grapples with realization that The People are no longer Boss---that the federal leviathan we call our government is no longer our friend, but an out-of-control monstrosity.

::::::::

But, I Thought We Were Friends

by

Rand Clifford


(Paraphrased from a barroom discussion, this basic monologue is by Darin, an educated, staunch conservative who should not have stopped taking his meds-they warned him!)

Arbor Day, near midnight....

All our lives we've heard how government works for us. Liberty and Justice for all, right on! We People are the Boss, doncha know. Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness-ours, pretty important to the government, supposed to be tops. Sure, President Bush tangles up in words once in a while, like when he said, "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." That was at the signing of the Defense Bill for 2005. A little Freudian slip, so what?

Continuous reassurances of the benign...that's a good word they live up to, benign; so combine all the benign with everybody's desire to be protected from a mean world full of kooks jealous over all the freedoms and democracy government gives us, and it's no wonder so many Americans really feel like trusting our government. It's a tradition. Think of if they weren't trustworthy, all the things they might pull off. Christ, we give 'em all our money, we gotta trust 'em. Did you check out those tears on the President's cheeks a few weeks back, when the Congressional Medal of Honor was being awarded to a hero who threw himself on a grenade to save his buddies? Those kinda tears can't be faked, not like in the movies.

Probably a main reason so many people think the country's way off course is because there's so much bad mouthing of government. False flag...are we really supposed to believe our own government attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon? Killed all those Americans just so we could declare war on terror and attack Iraq for oil? We've got plenty of our own oil, environmentalists just won't let us drill for it. And you gotta consider, over 70% of us knew...believed Saddam did 9-11, so fair's fair. They started it. I even read where people with pretty big names are saying our own government is intentionally running America into the ground, to make way for the New World Order. That's like parents killing their own kids, it just doesn't happen....

And how about all this conspiracy blather about FEMA? Tons of stuff circulates out there about the FEMA budget being mostly black-op stuff, things like building huge underground installations for continuity of government, in case big-time civil unrest breaks out. Luxury bunkers like self-contained cities. That equates to government bleeding us to death in taxes that are used to fight us, ward us off if we have grievances. Hardly benign, that's mortal enemy stuff. Gotta be bullshit. Where did all the money come from that they spent gettin' New Orleans back on its feet after Katrina? And are we supposed to believe all the concentration camps we've paid for around the country-billions and billions for more than 800 camps...we supposed to believe they're for locking up Americans after martial law is declared? If they declare martial law you can bet they got good reasons. Besides, doesn't it make more sense that these camps are for terrorists?

All the bashing of Halliburton, the Vice President's own damn company! And get this...that closed-door session of the House of Representative last month? Only the fourth time in 200 years the House closed its doors to the public-so how likely is it they've got some big conspiracy goin' on behind closed doors? Congressmen were discussing new surveillance provisions over Americans that'll help catch terrorists. If you're not doing anything wrong, why should a little extra surveillance worry you? Why worry if you don't have anything to hide? Would another 9-11 be better? And of course now we're hearing that there was a whole helluva lot more to the session-tons more. Are we supposed believe that what they talked about was really this? (Darin hustled a yellow stickynote pad from his suit pocket):

1) imminent collapse of our economy to occur by September, 2008

2) imminent collapse of federal government finances by February 2009

3) possibility of civil war as a result of the collapse

4) advance roundups of insurgents...meaning US citizens against the New World Order

5) detention of those rounded up at "REX 84" forced labor camps already standing staffed and ready around the country

6) possibility of retaliation against members of Congress over the collapses, etc.

7) location of "safe facilities" for members of Congress and their families to hide from expected massive civil unrest

8) imminent merger of the United States with Canada and Mexico for corporate plunder of natural resources and cheap labor (the North American Union)

9) The Amero-a new currency issued in all three merged nations as a solution to the imminent economic meltdown

It was all supposed to be Ultra Top Secret, heavy gag orders. Word is that some congressmen were so pissed off about this alleged future of the Nation, information has been leaking. Should we believe every leak we hear? Anyone ever heard of crying wolf?

(Change of demeanor started settling over Darin like swimmer's itch-just in time for another round of Crown Royal doubles, neat)....

Been lots of rhetoric about this North American Union thing...a lot from reliable sources. Like, we want Canada for their energy, and Mexico for cheap labor. I was listening to Phyllis Schlafly.... S'pose...maybe there are some things going on to be pretty concerned about. All this biz about the Amero, certainly doesn't sound very good. What's the matter with dollars? Greenbacks. Make an honest buck. No doubt...beyond a doubt, government is complicated as hell. You know what they say about watching government, and watching sausage being made. Today I heard about American gunboats firing on an Iranian vessel. Perfect way to start a war. We can't do war with Iran, at least not with so many irons in the fire already. Besides, The People don't want war with Iran. They don't even want war with Iraq. And if we go ahead and attack Iran-sure, Iran's pretty evil, all the terror stuff, and wantin' to wipe Israel off the map. This El Sadr guy...I mean Ahmadinejad, just look at him. And just listen to General Petraeous about Iranians already fighting a proxy war with us in Iraq. But if we attack Iran, lotsa people are gonna die. Lotsa people are gonna see it as our government not wanting to be our friend anymore, startin' to push us around like the big playground bully....

Right now...I been thinkin' about goin' back on the meds. They warned me to never stop on my own. Been two weeks, and maybe I oughta start writing to representatives about whether or not government is still our friend.

Authors Bio:
Rand Clifford lives in Spokane, Washington. His novels and earlier essays can be found at http://www.starchiefpress.com/