How Big Government Made You the Patsy—And Still Took Your Money

Panic Is the Gateway Drug to Government Expansion

When fear surges, freedom falters. That’s the lesson from every economic panic, every foreign entanglement, and every public health “emergency” in recent memory. And yet, Americans keep forgetting it. “Don’t be a panican,” we’re told—initially by a truth-posting former president—but the real message seems to be: “Don’t question us.” And that’s where the real danger lies.

Tariffs, Trust, and the Sudden Amnesia of Free Market Advocates

In April 2025, a fresh wave of market volatility hit after a theatrical rollout of tariff threats dressed up as economic liberation. These pseudo-tariffs were calculated using suspect metrics—a sleight-of-hand that made it look like the U.S. was finally playing hardball. But the policy was a mess: contradictory statements from the administration, clumsy implementation, and a mad scramble from conservative pundits to square this economic circle. Instead of calling it what it was—government manipulation wrapped in nationalist garb—many simply parroted the party line.

Markets reacted violently. Investors panicked. Yet loyalists responded with religious zeal: “Trust the plan,” they said, even as the details kept shifting. The problem isn’t that some people still believe in tariffs as a negotiating tool. The problem is how quickly foundational values—like free trade and small government—were abandoned to justify a partisan play.

The COVID Blueprint: Panic, Obedience, and Censorship

This isn’t unique to tariffs or trade. It’s the same script we saw during COVID: media panic, medical authoritarianism, censorship, and mass compliance under threat of public shaming or professional ruin. Americans were bombarded with images of masked isolation and death tickers. Compliance wasn’t requested—it was demanded. And when dissent emerged, it was throttled.

Populist Health Policy: Same Tools, Different Hands

Now, in a stunning twist, many of the same skeptics who rejected pandemic-era health mandates are cheering for new public health crusaders to "clean up" food production, regulate what goes into baby formula, and remove “poisons” from grocery shelves. The same logic they condemned when it came from Fauci’s pulpit is now repackaged with populist flair—and suddenly acceptable. Once again, panic is the driver. The face has changed. The mechanism hasn’t.

Fear Is Bipartisan—And So Is Authoritarian Drift

This cycle—fear, overreach, blind trust, and betrayal—is how the state grows. And it transcends partisan lines. Just as COVID hysteria birthed a generation of anti-authoritarian skeptics, it also fertilized the ground for the next wave of government intrusion—dressed not in lab coats but in flags and slogans. What used to be called “public safety” is now relabeled “economic justice” or “cultural renewal.” Same lever, different labels.

It’s not just the Left. Today’s Right is doing some of the same mental gymnastics. Demanding accountability from bureaucrats one day, begging them to intervene the next. Applauding executive action when it serves their goals, denouncing it when it doesn’t. They justify it by pointing to short-term wins, forgetting that centralization always has a cost: liberty.

Resistance Isn’t Rebellion—It’s Patriotism

Thomas Jefferson warned us clearly—resistance to government is not just permissible, it is essential. Even if imperfect. Even if inconvenient. And especially when it's your side holding the reins. If our response to every crisis is to trade one form of tyranny for another, we’re not reforming the system—we’re reinforcing it.

Trump, to his credit, has taken real action against the bloated federal apparatus: sunsetting regulations, challenging globalist trade schemes, and trying to reassert national sovereignty. But even a promising policy must withstand scrutiny. Accountability is not betrayal—it’s the bedrock of a functioning republic.

Don’t Be a Panican. Don’t Be a Patsy. Be Prepared.

So, no—don’t be a panican. But don’t be a loyal foot soldier for any regime that says, “Trust me, it’s for your own good.” Because panic isn’t just an emotion. It’s a strategy. And those who wield it—whether waving a syringe or a tariff—do so to keep you compliant and afraid.

If you’re tired of panic being weaponized to strip you of autonomy, it’s time to get smart. Download Bill Brocius’ FREE guide, “7 Steps to Protect Your Account from Bank Failure”, and get the tools you need to survive the next crisis.

Or take it further—buy Bill’s book, The End of Banking As You Know It, and subscribe to the Inner Circle Newsletter for just $19.95. Because real independence starts when you stop trusting the system to save you.