Hell Hath No Fury Like An Angered Populace

I cringe every time I hear that Homeland Security is still stockpiling ammunition.  Far more than needed to fight an entire war.  I cringe every time I hear about government abuses ranging from the IRS episode with 501c4 organizations to the amout of information gathering being done by the NSA.

I worry when a Justice of the Supreme Court thinks the second amendment should be changed and when high level officials lie to us without a blink of an eye.  I've formed opinions as to where all this might lead. I was stunned to hear it from others far more attuned to the political landscape than am I.

Consider the turmoil in every place from Syria to the Ukraine.  Egypt.  Iran.  Venezuela. And how many others?  The people are angry with  governments who have forgotten their place and overstepped their bounds.  The people.  The populace.  They found the only way to get the attention of insulated governments is to take to the streets, no matter how many sacrifices of life and limb are made.  They're mad as hell and they aren't going to take it any more.  I heard one young Ukrainian state he was beyond being scared. He and his compatriots just want their country back.

We watch this from across vast amounts of land and ocean feeling smugly safe within our own borders.  But are we?  When a host asked panel members if the actions of the citizenry overseas could portend things to come in this country, what stunned me was their answer.

Their answer, to a person, was it is definitely possible.  This was a panel made up of members of both parties though not office holders.  What they see is an intensification of anger.  And what worries them  is it's no longer directed at just Democrats or just Republicans or specific people like Reid or Boehner or Obama, but rather the government as a whole.   The anger is becoming palpable as we watch Washington playing their game - politics, while the rest of us are screaming for coherent policies.

We've seen inklings that  mass demonstrations could happen. Look at the numbers that have turned out when the tea party was just getting started or the pro life rallies.  It can happen.  Try changing the second amendment and see what happens.  Or some other topic that hits all of us - something connected with the ACA could well trigger demonstrations.

What would happen then?  Would the government rally the police to crack a few dozen heads or would they call out the military or National Guard or Homeland Security to maintain order?  Would Americans really fire upon their fellow Americans?

Not to worry.  It would never happen here.  But when non-partisan pundits are uncomfortable with the direction our anger is taking so am I. People can only be pushed so far before they say, "No more.  We're beyond being scared.  We just want our country back."