No U-Turns

I came across this quote which reminded me of an analogy Miss Laura had used in describing the country as a car which needs to be slowed from its current direction so that it can finally stop and turn around.

We have crossed the boundary that lies between Republic and Empire. If you ask when, the answer is that you cannot make a single stroke between day and night. The precise moment does not matter. There was no painted sign to say, "You now are entering Imperium." Yet it was a very old road and the voice of history was saying: "Whether you know it or not, the act of crossing may be irreversible." And now, not far ahead, is a sign that reads: "No U Turns."

If you say there were no frightening omens, that is true. The political foundations did not quake; the graves of the Fathers did not fly open; the Constitution did not tear itself up. If you say people did not will it, that also is true. But if you say therefore it has not happened, then you have been so long bemused by words that your mind will not believe what the eye can see, even as in the jungle the terrified primitive, on meeting the lion, importunes magic by saying to himself, "He is not there." – Garet Garrett

Comments

[Laura]

So, if we've crossed the boundary (and we may have--I still like to think that we haven't quite--even though we're nudging right up next to it, perhaps sticking one foot over--or is it like a touch down in football-you just have to break the plane of the goal line for it to count, even if you're pushed back by the defense??) is there any turning back? Are the borders now closed?

If we've crossed the line, and there's no turning back, short, I suppose of a revolution--then where do we go from here? I'm not confident that citizens--even armed citizens--stand much of a chance against the people who control laser guided conventional and nuclear weapons. If we can't hope for a political revolution that will change the direction that we're going, oughtn't we just give in and accept the will of our masters?

[Brutus]

Who knows whether or not we've reached that point? If so, it means we move forward with any attempt to peaceably stop what is happening with little or no success. Time will tell. If it is truly beyond the point of repair, then there is nothing left to do but to watch the whole thing crumble someday from its own weight; sort of like the USSR. That is, if we live long enough.

If we haven't moved beyond that point then we should start to see some success moving forward. I sincerely hope we see some success.