[Southack]

"They don't necessarily enact a law that says "you are not allowed to own an automobile" or you only get 17 gallons of water a day per person, but when they coerce local and state governments to go against all reason and encourage them not to protect individual rights but to enact collectivist anti-car housing policies, the outcome is the same. Freedoms are lost."

I agree. My focus was on national rights, however. At the national level, and in Red States, we've grown progressively more free (e.g. negating Jim Crow laws, enacting CCW laws, national repeal of the old firearms restrictions against commercial airline pilots, legalizing gold and alcohol ownerships again, repeal of the national 55 mph speed limit, etc.).

In contrast, what's happened in California and Massachusetts should serve as examples of what the rest of the world should strive to avoid or overturn, but 3rd Party activists aren't going to enact change in those Blue areas, anyway.

Likewise, the leftists aren't going to get such nonsense past very many Red state Republicans, either.

[hedgetrimmer]

At the national level, and in Red States, we've grown progressively more free

When it comes to water rights and property rights, I'd say you're wishfully thinking.

The red states are clearly affected by the federal government abuses of property rights and the land grabs that have ocurred because of the ESA and other environmental laws and regulations. You can have a taking you know, with out actually booting the owner off his land. All you have to do is put so many restrictions on him he can't use his land for economic purposes or otherwise, and saddle him with a huge tax liabilty and the deed is done.

[hedgetrimmer]

Is Orrin Hatch a red state republican? Just curious.

[Dan Evans]

I agree. My focus was on national rights, however. At the national level, and in Red States, we've grown progressively more free (e.g. negating Jim Crow laws, enacting CCW laws, national repeal of the old firearms restrictions against commercial airline pilots, legalizing gold and alcohol ownerships again, repeal of the national 55 mph speed limit, etc.).

You keep mentioning these same things while dozens of other abuses are being pointed out by other people here. I'm trying to an optimist. Don't you have anything else?