Hi Mama and Mac, thanks for the warm (and candid) welcome.
Mama, thanks for all the information and the encouragement to visit. I think that's a really good idea, and obviously a good first step. It would be long trip for us since we don't fly but I'm sure it would be a lot of fun, and we haven't taken a real vacation in forever.
Mac, I appreciate your candidness. It reassures me that I've come to the right place...
"Hello, my name is Patrick, and I work for the government." The first step is admitting that you have a problem
Yes, I basically for the government. No, I am not very happy about it. I feel like I am helping to build the Death Star. What I do, in isolation, isn't objectionable, but I am basically building the Death Star... I work for a "private" university, but I am paid through government grants (unfortunately, just like 99% of people who work at universities... not that that makes it okay, it's not).
I've had libertarian leanings for a while, but I only really became "radicalized" in grad school (I graduated 2 years ago). That was when I began to realize that the degree I was working toward would be pretty much useless if I didn't work for the government in some manner. They don't tell you this in the nice, shiny grad school brochures, but virtually all of the major employers of engineering PhDs are either (1) Government labs (DOE-funded national labs, DoD labs, etc), or... (2) Are extensions of the government (e.g., General Electric, Raytheon, etc.), or... (3) Are located in places like the People's Republic of California (semiconductor manufacturers), or... (4) Are nominally "private" engineering R&D firms that in reality are mostly supported by government contracts. It's been a disappointing learning experience to say the least..
That said... and I am not making excuses... We all have to pay taxes, which means we all work for the government. I drive my car on government roads and use government money to buy things. I wish it weren't so but it is. If I could change it all in an instant I would. I would be happy to stop working for the government. However, I am not one to make rash decisions, so I'm not yet ready to totally bail out on what I'm doing. I need to weigh the options and figure out the best course of action. BTW, I am happy to hear that your libertarian friend is a Chicago cop. My wife is from Chicago and I think she will really appreciate the irony.
Well, anyway, please forgive me for being part of the "machine." I will take a look around the forum and see what I can learn about FSW. In the meantime, I welcome more advice and suggestions.