Posted on 01/25/2011 10:56:36 PM PST by Greg Swann
Here's the political issue that matters: Government is crime.
When your local City Hall tells you which trees you must plant in your yard, that's a crime against you.
When your state taxes your income in order to give your money to people who did not earn it, that's a crime against you.
When the federal government dictates the specifications of the products you can buy and the tariffs you must pay to obtain products you want still more, that's a crime against you.
We are not a family composed of 300 million strangers, we are each one of us individual human beings, each with our own minds, our own lives, our own families, our own hopes, dreams, wishes and plans. When the government impedes your life in any way -- that's a crime against you.
We don't need to reduce this or reform that, we need to rid our civilization of this systemic criminality.
That is the message we should be hearing from the newly-elected presumptive friends of human liberty. If the new Congress is not committed to individual rights, then it’s just more Collectivism-on-the-Cheap: All the intrusiveness but even less satisfying!
Nobody is going to change anything overnight, nor very dramatically very soon. But if we don't start making dramatic changes in the way we govern ourselves, we will succeed only in enslaving ourselves and our children.
That is what we need to focus on: Ridding our society of all criminal intrusions into the lives of individuals innocent of all wrong-doing.
So-called technological and economic "miracles" will result, of course, but that's irrelevant. It is wrong to prey upon individual human beings, no matter what the nature of the predator. It is no less an abomination to be enslaved by a democracy than by an aristocracy or a dictatorship. It was freedom from all forms of tyranny that the American patriots fought to win for themselves and their children.
If you want freedom, demand freedom -- which can only mean individual freedom. Demand that your governments stop committing crimes against you and your neighbors.
If you're not willing to do this, you and the people you elect to represent you in government, then you might as well stand down. Individual liberty is the only just political philosophy, and if you won't fight for it now, then collectivist tyranny will complete its conquest of the once-free world in due course.
Usually not. Government was ordained by God. Scripture refers to government as ministers of God. Somalia is what happens when you don't have a government. Don't throw the baby out with the wash. Fix government so it works better.
"When your local City Hall tells you which trees you must plant in your yard, that's a crime against you."
Maybe. But when you move into a community that already has laws about which trees you must plant, then you have no excuse. Your example is an extreme example though. What about building codes. Practically every community the U.S. thinks its wise and votes to have building codes. You probably think thats a crime too. But your neighbors put those laws in place to keep people like you from bringing their property values down. So they got carried away and issued a stupid tree order. Fight against the tree order but not all government.
"When your state taxes your income in order to give your money to people who did not earn it, that's a crime against you."
Our founding fathers didn't think so. Research the poor laws sometime. The care of orphans and indigents was considered a state responsibility and state judges of the colonies devoted much time to making sure all communities beared their share of the burden.
"When the federal government dictates the specifications of the products you can buy and the tariffs you must pay to obtain products you want still more, that's a crime against you."
Again, overkill. Our founding fathers put tariffs in place right from the start. They didn't consider it a crime. In fact, one could argue, we wouldn't be seeing 10-20% unemployment if we had better tariffs. There's some products like insurance, that I'm glad are state regulated. Because I really don't want to have to get a law degree to figure out what they heck they are saying in their contracts.
"When the government impedes your life in any way -- that's a crime against you."
BS. Your rights stop where mine starts. Most of the time when the government impedes your life, they are protecting someone elses rights.
"We don't need to reduce this or reform that, we need to rid our civilization of this systemic criminality."
You wouldn't have any freedom very long if the government wasn't protecting your rights. We'd be overrun by nazi's that would shoot your but for even thinking this stuff.
I'm not saying that there aren't abuses, and excessive spending. But no government? Again that's the Somali model. As Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the other forms of government." And that my friend definitely includes "no government."
Usually not. Government was ordained by God. Scripture refers to government as ministers of God. Somalia is what happens when you don't have a government. Don't throw the baby out with the wash. Fix government so it works better.
"When your local City Hall tells you which trees you must plant in your yard, that's a crime against you."
Maybe. But when you move into a community that already has laws about which trees you must plant, then you have no excuse. Your example is an extreme example though. What about building codes. Practically every community the U.S. thinks its wise and votes to have building codes. You probably think thats a crime too. But your neighbors put those laws in place to keep people like you from bringing their property values down. So they got carried away and issued a stupid tree order. Fight against the tree order but not all government.
"When your state taxes your income in order to give your money to people who did not earn it, that's a crime against you."
Our founding fathers didn't think so. Research the poor laws sometime. The care of orphans and indigents was considered a state responsibility and state judges of the colonies devoted much time to making sure all communities beared their share of the burden.
"When the federal government dictates the specifications of the products you can buy and the tariffs you must pay to obtain products you want still more, that's a crime against you."
Again, overkill. Our founding fathers put tariffs in place right from the start. They didn't consider it a crime. In fact, one could argue, we wouldn't be seeing 10-20% unemployment if we had better tariffs. There's some products like insurance, that I'm glad are state regulated. Because I really don't want to have to get a law degree to figure out what they heck they are saying in their contracts.
"When the government impedes your life in any way -- that's a crime against you."
BS. Your rights stop where mine starts. Most of the time when the government impedes your life, they are protecting someone elses rights.
"We don't need to reduce this or reform that, we need to rid our civilization of this systemic criminality."
You wouldn't have any freedom very long if the government wasn't protecting your rights. We'd be overrun by nazi's that would shoot your but for even thinking this stuff.
I'm not saying that there aren't abuses, and excessive spending. But no government? Again that's the Somali model. As Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the other forms of government." And that my friend definitely includes "no government."
“When your state taxes your income in order to give your money to people who did not earn it, that’s a crime against you.”
Here’s a couple of relevent quotes from Jefferson:
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” [Note - he’s not talking about invalids and orphans.]
Thomas Jefferson
“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.”
Thomas Jefferson
Spoken like it takes a village supporter. It is not anyone's responsibility to keep up their neighbor's house prices. The rest of your screed was almost as bad. Just damn!
HUH?
This line is particularly foolish. Do you really believe this?
Maybe you should hug a tree in China Danny and find some idiots to agree with you.
“sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas” - each one must so use his own as not to injure his neighbor. All individual rights are circumscribed by this maxim. The police powers of government authorize regulations upon individual action to protect the general public from substantial injury to their health and safety (and morals.) This is not a crime. This is the nature of government. Government is also authorized to promote the general public benefit through the construction of such civilized things as schools, public buildings, roads, water, sewer and sanitation facilities. This is usually funded by a tax assessment on property values.
You sound like an anarchist, or you have no understanding of the core functions of government in America.
My neighbors never put the laws into place but the liberal city council did and my neighbors never voted for the people on the council to begin with and the people that vote these people in office “OWN” nothing because no property owner in America wants to be told what to do.This is a control issue and I’ll plant my tree’s where I see fit.PERIOD!Thank you!
Maybe you could help with the windmills and the solar energy with obama and kennedy and gather some more manure for this site
to be powered by your diarrhea.
This line is particularly foolish. Do you really believe this?
I think I get the meaning. The point is that laws created by the government are there to protect us all, and that usually means that it will impede someones wish to do something, but protect another.
Like shooting at people. The government frowns on it and has laws which spell out it's disapproval, which impedes the shooter's life.
The initial post reads like the Anarchist's Bible. I personally have no problem with government for the most part. I sleep well knowing that I am safe in my home.
Yeah, actually I do. We tend to focus on the abuses, not what government does well. And we all get annoyed at authority even when that authority is in our best interests.
It is our duty to point out and rail against the abuses. But this article was completely anti-government, and that's just not right.
Ignore the tribalists, great article.
Hillary Clinton should be your mentor. You know-”It Takes A Village”.
Your writing is not that of any kind of conservative.
Maybe DU is the right place for you. I think FR is not going to be to your liking.
Thanks for you insightful and measured response to my post. I find your response to the subject matter intelligent and compelling...Not.
You probably need to up your medication. That way you can concentrate on the subject matter of the article, and provide a coherent response to that instead of just attacking any responders that you disagree with.
I don't think I will take your recommendation. This used to be a nice website where people could disagree without getting personal. I wonder how you got here?
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