PORTERVILLE POST | The Right News at the Right Time

| The Road to Rediscovering America’s Identity - XX
BORN RIGHT^© - Jul 11, 2025
with Josh Allen Flowers : josh@portervillepost.com

~ The Rise of the Compliant Citizen ~
~ How America Traded Liberty for Permission ~

There was a time in this country when the phrase “Land of the Free” meant something.
When Americans didn’t ask for permission to speak, to worship, to start a business, or to defend themselves.
Now? We ask the government for everything:

• Permission to build on our own land
• Permission to collect rainwater
• Permission to run a business
• Permission to defend our homes
• Permission to keep our jobs during a so-called “public health emergency”

We’ve gone from citizens to subjects—and most people didn’t even notice the shift. But here’s the kicker: free men don’t ask permission. Slaves do.

FREEDOM Is a Default, Not a FAVOR

The entire founding premise of America was that our rights come from God—not from government.
That means you are born free. You don’t need approval to exist, to think, or to act. The government’s only job was supposed to be protecting those rights—not regulating them like a controlling parent.
But something changed.
The moment we allowed government to “grant” us rights, it stopped protecting them and started rationing them.
And it was never supposed to be this way.

The Slow March Toward Permission Culture

Tyranny doesn’t come all at once—it shows up in increments, dressed as safety, fairness, or the “greater good.” Here’s how it works:

1️. Create fear – Whether it’s a virus, a school shooting, or “misinformation,” the state whips the public into panic.
2️. Offer safety—in exchange for freedom – “Sure, you can have your rights… just follow these new rules.”
3️. Normalize dependency – The more you obey, the more you’re trained to ask for permission the next time.

And before long, we start to believe that freedom must be earned—that we have to qualify for it, behave for it, or vote correctly to deserve it.
It’s a complete reversal of American principles.

Evidence of the Shift: When Rights Became Regulated

Still not convinced? Look at how basic freedoms have been converted into government-administered privileges:

↪ Free speech → Now filtered through terms of service, fact-checkers, and “community standards.” Say the wrong thing, and you’re deplatformed.
↪ Freedom of worship → In 2020, churches were shut down while strip clubs and liquor stores stayed open. Apparently faith isn’t “essential.”
↪ Right to self-defense → In some states, the hope is to legally own a firearm are harder to jump through than a felony trial.
↪ Property rights → Try making a change to your home without permits, inspections, and approvals. You own nothing without the govt’s sign-off.
↪ Medical freedom → You now need permission to work, travel, or even attend school unless you accept state-mandated medical procedures.

This is not freedom. This is a velvet-gloved tyranny—soft, subtle, and enforced by bureaucrats who genuinely believe they know better than you.

How Did Americans Get So Compliant?

The answer is equal parts propaganda and convenience. The state sold us fear—and comfort—in equal measure.
“Let us protect you from the scary stuff, and we’ll take care of everything.”
“We’ll feed you, house you, educate your kids, keep you safe—just don’t rock the boat.”
And most people said yes. Why? Because comfort is addictive. And slowly, freedom began to look like a burden rather than a blessing.
Think about it: freedom is risky. It requires responsibility, self-control, and courage. Control is easy. It requires obedience, compliance, and fear. And we’ve been trained—especially in the last 20 years—to choose comfort over character.

The Compliance Industrial Complex

Compliance isn’t just a personal habit anymore—it’s a full-blown industry. Entire sectors of the economy now exist to ensure you don’t step out of line:
⧐ HR departments that train employees in “sensitivity” instead of skill
⧐ Diversity bureaucrats that monitor speech and culture
⧐ Surveillance tech that tracks what you say, post, and buy
⧐ Health dept's that decide whether your business is allowed to operate

And all of it is justified with buzzwords like “equity,” “safety,” “sustainability,” and “public good.” Translation? Shut up and comply.
Meanwhile, the people making the rules never live under them.
They go to dinner maskless while you’re locked down.
They own guns while trying to ban yours.
They violate ethics while regulating your behavior.
Because for them, freedom is a luxury. For you, it’s a threat.

The Cultural Side of Compliance: Schools, Media & Shame

It’s not just the government training people to obey—it’s the culture.
✓ Schools no longer teach civics or critical thinking. They teach obedience.
✓ Media no longer holds power accountable. It defends it.
✓ Entertainment no longer inspires heroism. It ridicules it.
Instead of raising citizens, we’re manufacturing compliant consumers who follow trends, obey orders, and apologize for offending anyone.
The goal is simple: make people too soft to resist and too confused to realize they should.

How Do We Restore the Mindset of Liberty?

If we want to rediscover America’s identity, we have to rewire our thinking. Freedom doesn’t start in Congress—it starts in the heart of the individual.
✓ Stop asking permission. If it’s your God-given right, you don’t need approval. Act like it.
✓ Break your addiction to comfort. Start choosing responsibility over convenience.
✓ Teach your kids to disobey tyranny. Let them question everything. Especially authority.
✓ Localize power. Replace compliance culture with local accountability. Build systems that serve your community—not central planners.
This isn’t about being reckless. It’s about being resolute. A nation of people who know their rights, defend them, and refuse to trade them for hollow promises.

Because Free Men Don’t Ask Permission

The American spirit isn’t submissive. It isn’t compliant. And it sure as hell doesn’t ask for approval to exist.
We were meant to be a nation of builders, rebels, pioneers, and protectors.
Not codependents with QR codes and booster schedules.
The road back to freedom doesn’t run through a ballot box alone. It runs through the daily decisions we make to reject control and reclaim responsibility.
Because freedom isn’t granted by government. It’s inherited from the Creator—and preserved by people who are willing to live like it.

What you are not changing, you are choosing.

BORN RIGHT^© ... With Josh Allen Flowers