We’ve all heard it before: the government is supposed to work for us. That’s the principle on which the United States was founded. But ask yourself this: Do we still believe that’s true? Or have we, the people, somehow become the employees of the government, working tirelessly under its ever-expanding control?

To understand this, let’s rewind to a pivotal moment in American history—the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, American colonists threw 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor. Their anger wasn’t just about tea; it was about the overreach of the British government. The tax on tea was 1%, but that tiny tax represented something much bigger—”taxation without representation.” That protest ignited a revolution because people knew that giving up freedom, even in small increments, leads to tyranny.

But what if I told you that the spirit of that revolution was quietly suffocated in 1871, when the Constitution may have been reinterpreted to turn the United States into a corporate entity? What if, from that point on, government was no longer about limiting power and ensuring freedom but about expanding control and consolidating authority over every aspect of our lives?

Consider this: Congress, which was meant to be the voice of the people, now seems to wield power over every corner of human life. The president, originally intended to balance that power, has arguably morphed into a term-limited monarch, free to interpret laws as they see fit. We see presidents declare wars, bypass Congress, and act as if their authority is above reproach.

Have you ever wondered why the president can interrupt your favorite TV show with a special message? Or why they can declare wars or spy on your emails, texts, and financial transactions without a warrant? For example, did you know that the IRS monitors any deposit over $600? They say it’s to ensure tax compliance, but is this just another step toward ultimate control?

And what about the judicial branch? The Supreme Court was designed to protect our constitutional rights, but today, justices often lean on precedent set by their predecessors rather than the original text of the Constitution itself. Could the Founding Fathers even recognize the rights they fought for today? Or have those rights been stretched and twisted beyond recognition?

Here’s another thought: What if the states are no longer the sovereign entities they were meant to be? Once equals in a united federation, states may now resemble mere provinces under a fully centralized government. Need a license to speak your mind? Assemble with your peers? Protest against the government? What happens when those permits are denied? What if speaking out without permission leads to arrest—or worse?

Could the government really have the power to rewrite the rules about your right to bear arms, your right to a jury trial, or your right to property? And what if they don’t like your stance on an issue—could they label you a domestic terrorist to silence your voice? Think it’s far-fetched? Imagine a world where torture, coercion, and intimidation become tools to make you comply with the government’s narrative. Could the government use your children against you? Could your innocence mean nothing if it suits their agenda?

Consider the political landscape: Corrupt politicians enrich themselves by passing laws for the highest bidder while the people grow poorer. Take the American prison system as another example. Did you know that the U.S. has the largest prison population in the world? Many of those prisoners have harmed no one. They’re there to fill quotas in privately owned prisons that profit from incarceration. Is this the land of the free?

And let’s talk about taxes. What if the income tax is unconstitutional? What if the government can prohibit you from using substances that have been around since before the country was founded? If our votes don’t seem to matter anymore, and both political parties seem to serve the interests of big government rather than the people, do we really have a choice?

It’s time to ask ourselves some hard questions. Has the government overstepped its bounds? Could it be that the very existence of government as we know it today is why we no longer have the true freedom our Constitution promised? Is it possible that the system is rigged in such a way that we are no longer in control of our own destiny?

Thomas Jefferson once said, “That government is best which governs least.” But in a world where government appears to be expanding its reach into every aspect of our lives, is it dangerous to be right when the government is wrong? Is it better to fight for freedom, even at great personal cost, than to live as slaves under a system that no longer serves us?

The hour of danger may be now, but so is the hour of awakening. It’s time to reflect, question, and decide: Do we still govern ourselves, or have we become mere cogs in the government’s ever-spinning machine?