There is this multi-million dollar industry based on the growing, selling, and refinement of a certain kind of weed that grows profusely in the North-western United states.

On a side note, I'd love to see the movement for the State of Jefferson actually turn into a movement for a "Country of Jefferson"!

(although, I'd personally choose a different name, I think).

I personally don't believe it's the "purpose" of government, but when you see some of the public things the FBI, CIA, ICE are doing in airports, on border patrols, and then look at the things Congress has been instituting since 9/11, it's really not hard to come to the conclusion that surveillance of citizens is on the government's agenda. (...and when you take it to the obvious further conclusion, that's just the stuff that we know about!)

I also believe that anyone who arbitrarily decides that coming to this conclusion is a "lunatic idea" is 1) completely narcissistic and out of touch with current events, and/or 2) drinking the mass media cool-aide.

...and to be prejudiced for a moment...probably Republican.

Viva La Revolution!

Right. If you can't get a bill passed that allows you (the gov't) to suppress the web at will (read: SOPA), then you start a campaign to take down one of the largest, most powerful and vocal proponents of a free Internet. Works for foreign governments, too... Can't control the leadership so you have control of the country's resources? No problem, send in the military (under the excuse of national security) and remove the old government and replace with trained leaders loyal to you. (read: Iraq)

Try "Put your data on a U.S.-based cloud, they warn, and you WILL put it in the hands of the U.S. government."

With the government, including the judicial branch, taking away our rights left and right, what makes you think the courts will continue to uphold the constitution? After all, those judges are people, and ones that are appointed by the politically driven idiots in the administrative branch. Short version: trust nothing when it comes to the government.

It keeps them in control of the dollar as U.S. currency. This way, when all hell breaks loose, they can present the Amero [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amero] as the new money, valued to get everyone on the same level, but still control the exchange rate (from USD to Amero). Those who maketh the money, control the money.

That's only the half of it... You also have the clergy subtly teaching the congregation to trust the authority figures and what they say (preach), thus ingraining a sheeple mentality, not only into the congregation, but into society at large too. This is why the majority of the normal folk in the USA thinks:

[terrorist threats are everywhere*] = [gov't can be excluded from law to "protect us"]

( * Interestingly, this also comes from the gov't...)

So when the gov't starts to erode laws that protect the people's freedom(s), the sheeple look the other way, (heck, they'll support the gov't in doing it!) rather than carrying on.

(IMO) Religion is one of the top reasons critical thinking is less evident in the general population... (another being television, specifically news media)