revenuers

rev•e•nu•er (ˈrɛv ənˌyu ər, -əˌnu-)

n.
an agent of the U.S. Treasury Department, esp. one responsible for enforcing laws against illegal distilling or bootlegging of alcohol.
[1875–80, Amer.]

In the dark ages, elites in the District of Criminals banned beverages with any alcoholic content, that is fermented beverages that had been utilized by humans for centuries. This, mysteriously, made the world a better place… better for organized crime, anyway… both private and public sector.

People in The Roaring 20s were not stupid enough to think this was about public safety. They called the agents harassing home brewers “revenuers”. Their profession was forcibly extracting revenue from people who had been minding their own business, doing what came naturally.

I have driven dump trucks, motorhomes, sedans and race cars. As incredible as it may seem, the safe operation of one is not exactly the same as the others. My cement mixer truck liked really slow ascents and cornering while my ’56 Porsche Speedster could triple the mixer truck’s cornering speed well within the limits of safety and prudence.

But the LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS do not give a rip about safety and prudence. IF they can produce evidence that you exceeded some arbitrary numerical speed limit, you forfeit a hundred dollars and do not advance to the next square.

Happy Memorial Day … the LEOs are out in force harvesting hundred dollar bills from people who endanger nobody; driving safely, but in excess of limits prescribed for the lowest common denominator.

AND we pay them to do this… not voluntarily, mind you.

Sigh.

The enforcers ramp this up on the weekend where we memorialize lower class citizens who took available jobs with the military industrial complex and died for their employer.

Oh yeah, “fighting for freedom” they called it.

It appears we lost.