Do you believe government authority is legitimate, legality has any bearing on morality, or virtue is attained through obedience?
It seems to me that my own opinion of government is irrelevant in that it is a fact that all the nations of the world are governed by them and their regulations and actions. Morality is the distraction for the masses who get bogged down in moral debates. Morality has arguably never played a role in the political arena, it has been and is geopolitical interests that are being played on the world stage.
The moralistic statements of politicians have probably always been made for propaganda purposes and are currently being made for propaganda purposes as well. If the economy is doing badly at home, the politicians at the top fear that their economic and foreign policies could lead to unrest at home if the masses cannot be brought into line.
Here in our country, we can see this quite clearly at the moment, that the exaggeration of one's own importance in the world has led to the forces regrouping and the tightening that our government is imposing on its own people, which does not go unnoticed by those who do not want to abide by these rules.
The change in the law you describe on the possession of weapons or the distribution of instructions for weapon modifications should, like presumably many other regulations from the USA, make it clear to your people what they will face if they openly revolt.
Ultimately, it must be said that the individual can do absolutely nothing to prevent actual political decisions from being made.
For me, however, this does not mean that I have to despair or worry all the time. But I do realise that the way we have been living here in my country has never been a guaranteed standard and that former prosperity can turn into its opposite. When push comes to shove, people in a country eventually become lawbreakers because they have no other choice.
My family grew up in a foreign land and my father taught my brothers how to steal. As we were poor, they stole sacks of wheat and the like. People will learn to steal and to cover up their actions when it comes to survival. They will adapt to circumstances, a very valuable characteristic of man.
For me, virtue is not a value based on obedience. It is rather the achievement of serenity and not panicking in situations that are difficult to deal with, but remaining calm. It is easy to practise serenity in easy times, but it is naturally put to the test in those very times when the going gets rough.
seeking personal growth is the best, and perhaps only, way I can effect real change in the world.
I agree with that.
I would argue that every instance of government overstepping its alleged bounds is one more proof of its illegitimacy. The more we point it out, the less credibility they have in the public eye next time. It is the lack of morality in government which we must tirelessly point out to a people steeped in the religion of democracy.
What exactly does "the exaggeration of one's own importance in the world" mean? I agree that "Ultimately, it must be said that the individual can do absolutely nothing to prevent actual political decisions from being made." This does not contradict the principle of individual liberty. Trespass does not negate the concept.
The court system seems to have impeded the ATF's bump stock ban, and their regulatory overreach against forced reset triggers is likely to be overturned as well, not that I have a lot of faith in the "justice" system as a whole. Meanwhile, armed citizens have prevented mass shootings and government aggression. I suspect that is why they continue to push for our disarmament before enough people see through their facade of legitimacy.
Bad laws should be broken, and that was one of the principles of the founders who rebelled against England in the 1770s. Government cannot prevent "illegal" immigration or "illegal" drugs, and they can't stop "illegal" guns. HIVE is also a tool we can use to undermine any efforts to quash "illegal ideas."