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Comment by koolba | Hacker News Reader

Power is rarely given up by direct request, if ever. Every inch that is given is one that must be fought tooth and nail to be reclaimed.

The silver lining of the past two years of incredible government overreach is an awakening in the minds of the common man of what’s possible if not for the push back of the determined. I’m not sure how this will all end, but I don’t see anymore widespread lockdowns or a total surveillance State taking control. At least not in the USA. There’s enough of us to reject that outright.

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Except the thing that got everyone riled up is common sense activities like wearing masks and getting vaccinated. Where were those people at when bush was taking away their civil liberties? Waving their flags. I can at least get behind the folks like you who have a consistent view, but I definitely don't think that's 95% and I definitely think you are very mistaken that people are suddenly going to start trying to stop the other parts of the surveillance state (aka the actual bad parts, not the wear a mask part).

Exactly this. I had the misfortune of experiencing TSA security recently and it's still 99% bullshit security theatre from the 9/11 era. Covid stuff was just a sideshow.

This is been a really depressing reality check for me.

People are happy to let their important rights and liberties be taken away, as long as it's not too overt or sudden. But don't you dare make me wear a mask indoors during a respiratory virus pandemic!!

What's even more frustrating is that these people generally aren't "stupid".

That’s not where the line should be drawn. There is a small group dismayed at every erosion of liberties and drumming for foreign war, and then there are two large groups who take turns eroding the liberties spending munitions and using the other party as the excuse to have their turn doing it.

There's something to this. All too many people are okay with government overreach, and even tyranny, as long as it's in the name of some cause that they personally favour. It's only when this power is used in opposition to their views that it gets to be a problem. That goes for both wings of the American Demopublican Uniparty.

Masks are an undue burden at this point and it's reasonable to oppose them. I'm personally going to choose the state I move to based on opposition to masks, maybe Florida or Texas.

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