Politicians and the people charged with enforcing politicians’ directives really can be like the pigs in George Orwell’s book Animal Farm.
The pigs’ express commandment for governing became, over time, “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal to others.” The “more equal” animals were the pigs in charge for whom the rules they imposed on other animals did not necessarily apply.
For examples of this commandment in practice, we can consider haircuts during the government-mandated closing of “nonessential” businesses, including salons and barber shops, in the name of fighting coronavirus. No professional haircut is allowed for the regular person in many parts of America. But, for politicians and cops, the rules may not apply.
Reading Ludwig von Mises Institute President Jeff Deist’s Monday article “All Crises are Local,” I was struck by a mention that “some sheriffs too have stood bravely against impositions of soft martial law” in the name of countering coronavirus.
The link in that passage from Deist’s article is to a Megan Fox article at PJ Media concerning Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols announcing his decision to exercise restraint regarding enforcement of Maine Governor Janet T. Mills’ order, purportedly to fight coronavirus, imposing limitations on the exercise of individual rights.
Governors across America have been flying their tyrant flag high in the name of fighting coronavirus, imposing a multitude of orders, including orders mandating that so-called nonessential businesses close and that people who have recently arrived in state be subjected to quarantine.
According to a Friday USA Today article by Marco della Cava, most state governments in their coronavirus crackdowns have imposed stay-at-home orders on people statewide, while in a few more states such orders are in effect in parts of the states. Such orders require people to stay home unless they are out for a limited number of permitted activities, such as to purchase food.
Over the last few weeks, politicians at the local, state, and national levels of government have been increasingly asserting extraordinary power in the name of fighting coronavirus. As the power exercise continues to ramp up, and as the time people suffer lost liberty and lost income runs on, expect the crackdown to increasingly involve physical violence.
The longer the crackdown continues at its present or an increased intensity, the more the situation will look like a war between the enforcers of the mandates and the people who refuse to give up for so long so much of what gives life meaning.
What does former United States House of Representatives member and three-time presidential candidate Ron Paul think about the coronavirus and actions governments have taken in the name of fighting it? The prominent libertarian communicator discusses these matters in-depth in a new interview at CrossPolitic.
Continue readingIn August and November I wrote about the strangeness of United States House of Representatives member and then 2020 Democratic presidential nomination candidate Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) regularly playing up her 16-plus years and counting employment in the United States military, and other Americans’ service in the US military as well, as a virtue while she at the same time makes opposing major actions of that military, including the carrying out of certain wars, a focus of her congressional work and campaign.
Continue readingTraveling freely, visiting friends and family, and continuing operating a business or working at a job are all being prevented by coronavirus fear and the government crackdowns pursued in the name of countering coronavirus. Also apparently being prevented by the same factors is the ability of Americans to vote in elections this year on ballot measures that would roll back aspects of the drug war.
Continue readingOn Saturday, I wrote about Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo adopting a set of draconian orders in the name of countering coronavirus. In particular, I wrote about her orders targeting people who have entered Rhode Island from other states or countries. Included among these mandates was Raimondo’s direction to state police to pull over cars with New York license plates and order the people inside to quarantine for 14 days if they intend to stay in Rhode Island.
Here is an update on the order regarding cars with New York license plates. Raimondo has repealed that order. But, before you cheer a victory for liberty, consider the rest of the story. Tom Moroney reports at Bloomberg that Raimondo replaced that order with a new order that applies the same policy toward all out-of-state licensed vehicles. In other words, she massively expanded the police action.
Military abuses, including house-to-house searches, were among the primary reasons Americans offered to explain why they sought to secede from Great Britain in the 1700s. Now, an American governor is sending national guard forces house-to-house in the name of countering coronavirus.
Continue readingThe freedom of business owners to operate their businesses and of employees to continue working at their jobs is under attack in America in the name of fighting coronavirus. Run afoul of the many restrictions on businesses found in the proliferating crackdowns on commerce justified to counter coronavirus and you can find yourself and your business facing extreme consequences.
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