the future is not hopeless

Harry Browne makes a point i've made repeatedly:

People decide for themselves what interests them. And given the difficulty of making ends meet in a high-tax society, it’s not surprising that some people pay little attention when we talk about the future of America — and focus instead on the need to feed their families and send their children to college. That's not apathy; it's self-interest.

The personal tasks facing them are difficult and all-consuming. Taxes and big government may be the reasons the tasks are so difficult, but most people don’t make the connection. It’s our job to awaken their interest and help them connect the dots, so they can see how much better their lives would be without big government.

that point being that the majority of people are too busy working to stay afloat to pay attention to the whys behind their efforts - questions such as "why do i have to work so hard just to get by?" and "why does it seem i have less to spend each year, even though i'm getting raises?"