Ok, no politics, but it seems to me that the only way to win is not to play. Cut the strings, find another path. It may be too late for some.

I determined long ago that I would find a way to keep one step ahead. I would do whatever I had to do within the limits of the law and my ethics to make sure I stayed ahead of the curve.

I found something I could do very well, that had a constantly increasing demand in the market, and that was portable. I did it better than anyone else, and my pay has steadily increased in the past 20 years ahead of inflation, even today. I make three times more than I did a decade ago, and it will continue to increase. I have worked with the government on occasion, when it suited my needs. When it didn't I quit working for them and found work in the private sector that paid even better.

Nobody has to work for the government. It is a choice, which carries it's perils just as any other career path does.

The rat race sucks. It still works, but it has pitfalls you have to be mindful of. When the rat race starts failing, I will pursue other opportunities that will keep me ahead of the curve.

It is that simple. It is not easy, but it is not complicated either. I started life in a garage, struggled through school, and worked three jobs at once in my twenties before I got married, all minimum wage, just to keep my head above water.

Choices are easy. Consequences, not so much.