Ideals didn’t change, Americans did
(My Clovis News Journal column for June 6, 2014)
How did the ideals America was founded upon- even if they were always imperfectly implemented- become so misunderstood and reviled by the majority of Americans? How did these principles become "radical", "extreme", and frightening? Or even "terrorism"?
How did false safety and socialistic collectivism become the default position of both the left and the right, and how did self reliance become suspicious?
The ideals didn't change; Americans did. One individual at a time. Through intentional mis-education, fear mongering, scapegoating, and more.
There isn't anything libertarians advocate which would have been foreign or antithetical to Thomas Jefferson or Ben Franklin, yet people who believe themselves to be honoring the memories of those men recoil in horror at some of the ideas and opinions presented. Does that not seem strange?
The root of those horrifying ideas is that identical human rights abide in every single person, everywhere on the planet, from birth. Those rights did not come from government, but pre-existed even the very first government ever imagined, and are independent of government approval, citizenship, or culture. Those rights trump any rules, ordinances, or "laws" ever made up. Legislation- the name for those made up "laws"- is not Law, but is often in direct opposition to Natural Law.
No official position or "job" can grant extra rights, carve out exceptions to the fundamental human rights of any opponent, nor grant a license to violate even the most "minor" right of the "least important" person you may encounter.
A demand or a requirement that violates those rights is null and void. You may still find it safer to comply in the face of armed enforcers, but the demand is never legitimate; you have been violated by common thugs with uncommon immunity from consequences.
As have we all.
Whistle-blower Edward Snowden recently said something that could have come straight from the writings of any of the most heroic of America's founders: "Sometimes to do the right thing, you have to break a law." He's right, and unfortunately, it's getting even more true with every passing day. Yet, those who pretend to revere the founders of America are those most likely to want to see Snowden's head on a pike. He exposed those who are the real enemies of liberty, but has become a Rorschach test to winnow the collectivists and nationalists from the lovers of liberty.
My only complaint is that he, like so many others, worked for the wrong side before realizing it was a mistake and turning around.
America's founders would approve of his actions, since they did similarly "illegal", but right, things in pursuit of liberty and in opposition to tyrants. Does that frighten you?
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Tuesday, July 08, 2014
Well-meaning thieves
Some people I love have government "jobs". It saddens me that they are thieves.
Even if they work for the money and do nothing wrong as part of their "job"- they aren't passing or enforcing counterfeit rules, nor directly violating anyone's Rightful Liberty- the money they are paid is still stolen property.
I have had people argue that they aren't thieves because they work for their money... they don't believe it is work to mug people in the park, or to break into houses and carry out all the valuables? Not only is it "work", it is dangerous "work". Do they believe those thieves should be compensated for the hard work they do?
Well, a mugger's "job" isn't wanted by me- and neither is the government school teacher's position, nor the cop's, nor the bureaucrat's. I willingly pay for what I want, but when I am forced to pay for what I don't want and would prefer to do without, I am being robbed. And so are you.
Please, if you work for government in any capacity, stop being dishonest and quit your government "job"*.
*The one exception I would make is if you use your government "job" to monkeywrench and foul up government's plans and save its victims. And still, unless you are able to do a huge amount of damage, internally, to government schemes, and save a huge number of people from its clutches, it's probably not worth it. You can't have 10 victims for every person saved and think you are doing good.
.
Even if they work for the money and do nothing wrong as part of their "job"- they aren't passing or enforcing counterfeit rules, nor directly violating anyone's Rightful Liberty- the money they are paid is still stolen property.
I have had people argue that they aren't thieves because they work for their money... they don't believe it is work to mug people in the park, or to break into houses and carry out all the valuables? Not only is it "work", it is dangerous "work". Do they believe those thieves should be compensated for the hard work they do?
Well, a mugger's "job" isn't wanted by me- and neither is the government school teacher's position, nor the cop's, nor the bureaucrat's. I willingly pay for what I want, but when I am forced to pay for what I don't want and would prefer to do without, I am being robbed. And so are you.
Please, if you work for government in any capacity, stop being dishonest and quit your government "job"*.
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*The one exception I would make is if you use your government "job" to monkeywrench and foul up government's plans and save its victims. And still, unless you are able to do a huge amount of damage, internally, to government schemes, and save a huge number of people from its clutches, it's probably not worth it. You can't have 10 victims for every person saved and think you are doing good.
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