War on Freedom Targets Yard Sales, Lemonade Stands, Fuel Cells

War on Freedom Targets Yard Sales, Lemonade Stands, Fuel Cells: "A form of totalitarianism is developing in Washington, as federal bureaucrats turn the screws on private citizens and job providers to obtain compliance with rules and mandates.

As higher taxes and more intrusive regulations take hold (while the dollar continues to sink), more and more Americans are turning to barter and other forms of private commerce between individuals. CraigsList, for example, is reporting an 80% jump in bartering activity by private citizens. And there has been a surge of interest in sites such as Barterquest.com as well.

Of course, the rise of the 'black market' (i.e. the free market) is one consequence of political rules and mandates which are largely responsible for crippling our economy. But instead of letting the market work, politicians and bureaucrats are gearing up to meddle in unprecedented ways.

Overreaching regulation isn't a new phenomenon, but what's noteworthy is the increasingly thuggish edge on government enforcement actions against citizens found in non compliance with even the pettiest of rules."