Government more deadly virus

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 25, 2020)

Do you know what I'd rather not think about? The coronavirus panic. Do you know what it seems no one, including me, is thinking about? Anything other than the coronapocalypse.

People think about the things which catch their attention. That's normal. The changes which have been forced on society over the past couple of weeks are huge. It's no wonder people can't stop thinking about this.

It's wise to take things seriously, but not to let them cause panic.

Here are some other things which might be important to learn from this:

- If you're sick, stay home!

- If you are waiting to see if government can save you, you're barking up the wrong flag pole. You have the most influence over your own life and health. Use it.

- Don't stay submerged in coronavirus hysteria. You can leave the cell phone in your pocket and take a walk. Let the sunlight and fresh air work their healthy magic.

- The time to stockpile supplies is before a crisis occurs. Otherwise you help cause shortages and increase the possibility of violence. Maybe less so here than in urban areas, but it's a danger everywhere.

- There's no such thing as "price gouging". Higher prices during greater demand make sure the stores don't run out. Government's unwise intervention, imposing socialist economic policies, guarantees empty shelves, whether it happens in America or Venezuela. I'd rather pay a higher price for something I need than to not be able to get it at any price because stores weren't allowed to charge higher prices during increased demand.

- When government bungles the response-- often by responding at all-- and then tries to cover up the bungling with heavy-handed police state tactics as is happening now, things get worse than they otherwise would.

This is also an opportunity for personal growth.

There are people in high-risk groups who probably shouldn't be going into public to shop. If you aren't in this group, why not ask them what they need, and go get it for them? Compete with your friends and see who can help the most people. Make it a sport.

No one knows what the coming weeks will bring. I believe the virus itself is less dangerous than the social effects of the panic and the anti-social power-grabs by various governments.

You will suffer in the coming months. It's not going to be the fault of any biological virus, but of an institutional one. Political government is the deadly virus most in need of extinction.

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Understanding statism

Libertarians understand statists (and their positions) better than statists understand libertarians (and better than statists understand statists). I believe that's always going to be the case.

If you pay any attention and have any familiarity with libertarians and statists and their interactions, you're going to see it, too.

Partly, it's because we may have once had statist leanings ourselves, and also because we are constantly exposed to and immersed in statist ideology (and superstition). We can't escape it. We have no "silo" to hide in. Not that most of us would want to hide since exposing and ridiculing statism is so much fun-- although little vacations into such a silo could be relaxing.

It's also because libertarians are simply better, more clear thinkers than statists. It sounds arrogant and rude to say so, but that doesn't alter the facts. That doesn't mean we are never wrong; just that we are wrong much less often, and in smaller ways, than statists.

Statists are just wrong piled on top of wrong; they are usually even wrong about where/how they might be wrong. They simply don't understand at all, even while imagining they do.

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