I was driving by Willy’s Sports Bar and noticed a bumper sticker, “Question Authority.” It reminded me of the rest of the story to last week’s column, “Thank You Governor Bradford.”

I had continued to research the Plymouth Colony and found that it collapsed and Governor Bradford died a rich man while the colonists lived in squalor . How did this happen?

Bradford was a Pilgrim who, in order to maintain power pronounced his Pilgrim church to be a state church funded with taxes. He and his cronies passed laws against non-attendance to church, denial of scripture and criticism of the laws of Plymouth. Fines and whippings were commonplace.

Quakers were particularly targeted as they refused to take oaths or have any hierarchy, believing that their relationship with God was paramount and too personal for such pomp.

Although Bradford accomplished so much in privatizing enterprise in the colony, the power went to his head and he couldn’t get enough. People had tasted freedom and when they were deprived of it they resisted being part of the community.

This is a familiar scenario. The Catholic Bishop of Buffalo, New York just resigned after covering up abuse of authority regarding treatment of children. Jim Jones had a loyal following of believers who didn’t question authority at Jonestown in Guyana.

Beyond that, I read in the paper today that President Trump is considering sending an additional 14,000 U.S. troops to the Middle East to “deter the Iran threat.” Really, Iran threatens the United States? It seems to me it is the other way around. Has Iran imposed sanctions on us? What country has Iran attacked? It is the epitome of sanctimoniousness to claim our moral superiority dictates that we prevent Iran from having nukes when we are the only country who has actually used them. Where are the patriotic Americans who should be questioning our government’s authority here?

It is interesting to see the hoopla generated by a threat to withhold aid to Ukraine as some kind of big deal when any aid “we” give to Ukraine could never be considered constitutionally authorized.

Any foreign conflict we choose sides in creates more enemies and that creates more business. It is a perpetual motion machine, a never ending drain on the American people.

We started out as a community failing for lack of incentive, then we found that incentive when we were allowed to enjoy the rewards of work. Then those who couldn’t find a useful skill or product to trade for a living made enemies of potential trading partners.

It may look like rising prices and low wages but it is waste from a misused and abused welfare/warfare state..

Trump campaigned on a promise to exit the Middle East wars. It is being proven before our eyes that there are other forces at work and there’s nothing he can do about it.

The incentive The Founders had in seceding from England was one of self reliance that has been turned into dependence; a nation of unquestioning sheep.

On another note: Do you enjoy music? Bob Dorr has a great rock and roll history show on Iowa Public Radio. I did a guest appearance playing some of my own records there. The show is on 2 until 5, Saturday December 14 (and every other Saturday, BTW). I will be on the middle hour at 3. In our area 90.9 or 91.5, streaming:

https://www.iowapublicradio.org/#stream/0 . Check it out. The worst that can happen is you shut it off.