July 12, 2008
Nanny State, Government Power
Blog sister Dagny hits one of my favorite topics in a comment below: all government power is enforced at the point of the gun. I almost posted this video last week because Drew Carey does such a good job with that. If you sell fries with trans-fats, you get a fine; don't pay the fine, you get a summons; don't show up for the summons, they'll come get you. No matter how small the infraction, it is always enforced at gunpoint. Take it away, big man:
We're from the government, and here to help.
Posted by jk at July 12, 2008 11:08 AM
Indeed. And it's not just at the barrel of a gun, but ultimately with the threat of government *killing* you. Walter Williams wrote in 1999, in the foreword to "Your Money or Your Life: Why We Must Abolish the Income Tax" by my friend Sheldon Richman:
"Some might consider Richman's title to be hyperbole, but it accurately describes what is at stake. We can readily see this by asking, What is the endgame of the following scenario? Suppose an American told the U.S. Congress, 'I am an emancipated adult. I wish to be left alone to tend to my own retirement needs. If I fail to do so adequately, let me either depend on charity or suffer the consequences; however, I refuse to pay into the government's Social Security retirement program.' If that person refused to fork over part of his earnings as Social Security 'contributions,' the IRS would fine him. If that person rightfully concluded that he has not harmed or initiated violence against another and therefore refused to pay an unjust fine, he would be threatened with property confiscation or imprisonment. Suppose he then decided to use his natural or God-given rights to defend both his physical property against confiscation and his person against aggression? More than likely, he would suffer death at the hands of the U.S. government. The moral question Americans ought to ask is whether they can produce a moral argument that justifies a citizen's being subject to death by his government when that citizen has initiated violence against no one and simply wants to privately care for his own retirement needs? I know of no standard of morality that yields an affirmative answer."
I mentioned that on my own blog (A tale of two thieves), but I incorrectly attributed Williams' writing to Richard Ebeling. I was blogging on vacation and didn't have the book with me, and Richard is one of those remarkable people whose writings on freedom could easily be confused with Williams'.
Indeed. And it's not just at the barrel of a gun, but ultimately with the threat of government *killing* you. Walter Williams wrote in 1999, in the foreword to "Your Money or Your Life: Why We Must Abolish the Income Tax" by my friend Sheldon Richman:
"Some might consider Richman's title to be hyperbole, but it accurately describes what is at stake. We can readily see this by asking, What is the endgame of the following scenario? Suppose an American told the U.S. Congress, 'I am an emancipated adult. I wish to be left alone to tend to my own retirement needs. If I fail to do so adequately, let me either depend on charity or suffer the consequences; however, I refuse to pay into the government's Social Security retirement program.' If that person refused to fork over part of his earnings as Social Security 'contributions,' the IRS would fine him. If that person rightfully concluded that he has not harmed or initiated violence against another and therefore refused to pay an unjust fine, he would be threatened with property confiscation or imprisonment. Suppose he then decided to use his natural or God-given rights to defend both his physical property against confiscation and his person against aggression? More than likely, he would suffer death at the hands of the U.S. government. The moral question Americans ought to ask is whether they can produce a moral argument that justifies a citizen's being subject to death by his government when that citizen has initiated violence against no one and simply wants to privately care for his own retirement needs? I know of no standard of morality that yields an affirmative answer."
I mentioned that on my own blog (A tale of two thieves), but I incorrectly attributed Williams' writing to Richard Ebeling. I was blogging on vacation and didn't have the book with me, and Richard is one of those remarkable people whose writings on freedom could easily be confused with Williams'.
Posted by: Perry Eidelbus at July 12, 2008 11:53 AMjohngalt knows of "a standard of morality that yields an affirmative answer" to Williams' question: Marxist-Leninist morality.
Williams surely knows this too. I think he meant to write, "I know of no standard of morality consistent with 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' that yields an affirmative answer."
Posted by: johngalt at July 13, 2008 12:47 PMYou're splitting hairs again. Perhaps WW's wording can be more precise, but the intimation is that we're talking about *true* standards of morality. Sure, collectivism has standards of "morality," however incorrect. It's "right" to serve the state, "wrong" to live for yourself. But we know what WW is talking about.
"Moral" is a word that cannot be used in a relative sense. It has deep implications that something "moral" is correct and just, and there's no room for opinion. So a Marxist-Leninist may argue his own "moral" perspective, but it will never be true "morality" no matter how much force he applies.
Posted by: Perry Eidelbus at July 14, 2008 3:29 PM | What do you think? [3]