Illustration of a chaotic political debate in a government setting, with an American flag and intense discussions.

If You Allow Government to Break Laws During Emergencies...

December 21, 2024

Let’s be real. Government’s supposed to work for us, right? We pay tax after tax—on goods, services, property, even death. Yet somehow, the system feels stale, like an old loaf of bread left on the counter of 2024 America. Our hard-earned money? Feels like it’s going everywhere but back to the taxpayers. The more we get into midlife, the more this affects us, so we pay closer attention.

Take a look around—border crises, endless wars, and foreign aid funneling into countries that either hate us or laugh at our ignorance while their leaders live like royalty. Bills in America bounce back and forth endlessly, drowning in drama and media spin. But send billions to Ukraine? Done in an instant, no votes, no debate—just a blank check signed without a second thought. Meanwhile, headlines scream “government shutdown” if lawmakers can’t get their act together. And when do they vote on these bills? Right before the holidays—when we’re busy with friends and family, trying to tune out the noise.

Sure, a third of these bills might actually cover things we need to keep this country running. Disaster relief, support for farmers—fine. But then you stumble across funds for “female crash dummies in the name of female equality” or "studying crab sexuality" or "molasses viscosity tests" and you can’t help but wonder—how the hell did we get here? Oh, and don’t forget pay raises for lawmakers. Because, you know, millionaires need to keep up with inflation, too. Never mind the insider trading and lobbyist side hustles that pad their pockets.

Look, I get it. Presidents and lawmakers need tools to handle emergencies. Sometimes things spiral, and fast action is necessary. But history’s a funny thing—give the government tools to fix things, and suddenly those tools start dismantling democracy.

COVID. Weapons of mass destruction. Whatever headline-grabber comes next. Since 1976, the National Emergency Act has been invoked 58 times—31 of those emergencies are still active. That’s not a left or right thing. That’s just fact. And while both sides play tug-of-war, the real action happens behind the scenes.

The point? If you allow government to break laws during emergencies, don’t be surprised when emergencies start showing up like clockwork.

Is there a solution? Beats me. But wearing the "If You Allow Government to Break Laws" t-shirt sure as hell makes a statement. It’s not about the left or the right—it’s about keeping your eyes open.

Buy the shirt. Start the conversation. And remember, the only thing worse than a government that breaks the rules is one that convinces you it’s for your own good.