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I agree with the tone of what you're saying, but not the entire point. I think that prosperity offers those with the ability the time and tools necessary to affect change. In times of hunger the atmosphere is ripe for revolt, true- but the aim of the revolt at that point is not to gain liberty. I think that it is only during times of plenty that the members of any society who have the requisite talent can produce the fruits of that talent, whether it be art, poetry, or liberty. The only thing lacking in times of prosperity is a clear and common focus.

How would good focus change anything? By and large the rules we live by are those of the bureaucracy; few of the really rediculous laws were passed by real lawmakers. The bureaucrats work to justify their existance (and increase their "importance") by passing more and more rules. Furthermore, they can't even be fired, so we get an increasing powerbase of self-justifying rules-makers.

What happens when you start to chip away at the powerbase of these faceless bureaucrats? They start fighting back, of course. Look at what's happening in the war on drugs -- as soon as you publically challenge it you're tarred as being "soft on crime". Try to reduce the volume of rules for, say, the highway safety administration, and you're tagged as voting in favor of vehicle rollovers. The cycle continues.

I would suggest that it doesn't matter how focused you are because of the stupidity of the populace. They don't want to think through the war on drugs -- they just want to know that Senator Bubba is working to keep thier chilluns safe. Sure, the price of cars is going up, but Congressman Joe-bob is telling them he's working to keep the highways safe.

How do you root out stuff like that?

I think that prosperity offers those with the ability the time and tools necessary to affect change.

I disagree. Prosperity hints that change isn't necessary. During times of prosperity, things work. People are satisfied. Nobody's going to risk a full belly, a comfortable lifestyle, and a bright future over fighting arcane and negligable law like the type this article mentions---over something that seems academic. All that rubbish is middle class blues at best, and the middle class blues is real luxury to most people.
Change---especially revolutionary change---only comes when the result of doing nothing is more starvation. Revolutionary change occurs when people are desperate. Well-fed, well-clothed, well-apportioned people are not desperate.