They Got A Problem

I was just reading about some of the backlash by people upset with the recent passage of the health care bill. It reminded me of something I have read many times. To paraphrase, No government exists except by consent of the governed. On the surface, that might seem untrue. Many people will point to brutal dictatorships that exist currently or have existed in the past and say they exist through the use of force and not because of consent. But do they? Certainly they use force, but can force alone subdue all of the people all of the time? I think not. So long as enough people are reasonably satisfied with their circumstances, even the most brutal governments can hold on, but there comes a time when enough people are unhappy and they will demand and bring a change. If the people have confidence in the process, the change can be peaceful. Unfortunately for the powers that be, times are sort of rough for a lot of people right now. Couple that with the government passing laws that are unpopular with a significant portion if not a majority of the people and it creates a dangerous situation. Our government officials may not be in eminent danger of being voted out of office or worse yet being lynched, but I think they got a problem.