The Absurdity of Cultural Patrimony

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, some South Africans are demanding the return of “The Great Star of Africa” diamond, one of the world’s largest.  They are falsely claiming the diamond was removed from South Africa when it was under colonial rule, and therefore, was not acquired legitimately.  They are claiming the diamond is part of their nations “natural heritage” and should not reside in any other nation. 

This whole concept of cultural patrimony, or natural heritage, is ridiculous and an absurd attempt to equate normal practices of the past with the current morals of some. It is also an attempt by certain countries to acquire objects which were legitimately sold or given to others according to the agreements of the time.

Whether we care to admit it or not, every nation on earth was created as the result of conquest. Initially, stronger clans and tribes of people drove out or assimilated with weaker groups and asserted their dominance. Over time, tribes were replaced by nations and religions, each of whom increased their dominions through conquest. And every time a given group was conquered, their goods (and often, their people) were taken, sometimes through legitimate trade, but more often, through plunder.

Colonialism was one of the more recent forms of conquest. There were certainly elements of colonialism which are considered unacceptable by current standards. But if one were to look at the total historical record, colonialism, as a form of conquest, was far more humane than prior (and in many instances, subsequent) forms of conquest. If one were to carefully look at the events in many post-colonial countries, their governments and actions were far less enlightened than when they were ruled by their prior colonial masters. And almost none of these post-colonial nations are ruled by their original indigenous populations. They just happen to be ruled by groups who engaged in their own forms of conquest, either before or after colonialism.

One of the primary purposed of colonialism was to acquire the resources of the conquered areas. In fact, prior to the advent of mercantilism, and later, capitalism, conquest was the dominant method of gaining access to riches and resources from other nations. Based upon the mores of the times, colonialism was a legitimate method of accessing resources, and those resources were sometimes even accessed through relatively fair trade.

Current “national heritage laws” are a cynical attempt to deny the real history of the past and a way for certain nations to fleece the possessions of others by claiming cultural patrimony rights. Aided by the United Nations, these countries are attempting to secure riches and artifacts, many of doubtful provenance, by claiming they are part of the nation’s historical heritage.

“The Great Star of Africa” diamond was acquired by Great Britain legitimately, according to the customs and laws of the time. It is disingenuous to claim that changes in customs should also require that property be surrendered just because someone claims it to be part of their heritage. Suppose at some point, free trade is later to be found in opposition to futural morals. Should all American couples be forced to surrender engagement rings, because almost all diamonds originated in Africa?

One of the most absurd claims of cultural patrimony involves coins. By their very nature, coins were created to be freely traded as an essential component of commerce. They were meant to circulate across national borders. To now claim that an item created for the sole purpose of circulating throughout the world is part of a specific nation’s “heritage,” and should be returned to that nation, defies belief. Yet, many countries claim any coin minted, or circulated in their geography should be the property of that nation. Even worse, countries that should know better are fleecing their own citizens and forcing them to return these instruments of commerce to their supposed nations of origin, even though these coins were intended to circulate widely.

Acceptable morals change over time, and in specific timeframes, are not even universally agreed upon. There is no need to upend society, and trade, just because certain groups of people or nations claim victimization from events which occurred long before their lifetimes. If an item was legally acquired at the time it was actually acquired, it is the property of the owner. Subsequent changes in laws or morals shouldn’t negate those property rights. Just because someone claims to be a victim, does not necessarily mean they are.

Trump’s Despotic Rhetoric

Donald Trump is now calling for the execution of drug dealers and human traffickers.  This is stupid and dangerous rhetoric, and is the antithesis of his supposed desire to “Make America Great Again.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1571294011293564928

First of all, the state should not be in the business of taking the lives of its citizens.  Capital punishment is applied arbitrarily and has sometimes taken the lives of innocent people.  If a criminal penalty cannot be cancelled when evidence of innocence is uncovered, it should not be used.  If even one innocent person has been executed by the state (in fact, there have been many), the use of capital punishment must be abolished.  Regardless of popular opinion, the state has no right to deny any citizen his or her right to life.  The death penalty is merely a means of creating populist retribution and is the ultimate tool of tyrants.

Secondly, when there is a demand for a product or service, people will provide them, and others will consume them, regardless of their legality.  There is, and has always been, a demand for drugs ruled illegal by the United States Congress.  Despite the so-called “War on Drugs,” demand and consumption has not changed because drugs are illegal.  Not only has consumption not changed, but crime has increased solely due to the illegality of the substances.

In a free society, any adult should be permitted to consume any substance he or she wishes.  Naturally, that person must also be held responsible for the consequences of his or her actions.  Government should not be engaging is social engineering in order to create a society deemed palatable by a group of elites or a mob.  Rather than ramping up the rhetoric to execute drug dealers, government should instead lift all its prohibitions of specific substances.

The same holds true for prostitution.  Prostitution is said to be the “world’s oldest profession.”  Despite its illegality in most jurisdictions, the practice of selling sexual favors for money persists.  Social engineers have tried to reinforce the validity of making prostitution illegal by claiming most prostitutes are unwilling victims of “human traffickers.”  Although this rhetoric is certainly exaggerated, exploitation of women and forced prostitution is a result of prostitution’s illegality, not its presence.  In the few jurisdictions in which prostitution is legal in the United States, prostitutes voluntarily participate and are not the victims of pimps or traffickers.  Pimps and human traffickers only exist because prostitution is illegal.

Just as any adult should be permitted to consume anything he or she wishes, any adult should also be permitted to voluntarily sell or purchase any service, including sex.  Puritan attitudes and elite social engineering experiments are not sufficient reasons to prohibit the sale or consumption of sexual favors by consenting adults.

When crime ensues in the drug trade or around prostitution, that crime is caused by the illegality of the product or service, not the product or service itself.  Drug dealers compete, often violently, for territory, and consumers sometimes steal because prices are artificially inflated due to their illegal nature.  Although the incidence of human trafficking has been exaggerated, exploitation of sex workers is a result of laws prohibiting prostitution, rather than prostitution itself.  The primary dangers of the profession are caused by its prohibition, not the act of selling or buying sex.

The rise in crime when the 18th Amendment outlawed alcohol in the United States led to the rise of bootleggers and crime.  Alcoholic beverages were still in demand, but criminals, instead of legitimate traders, provided the product.  Bootlegging aided the creation and rise of organized crime, and caused significant crime as the newly defined criminals fought for territory.  Like drugs and sex, alcoholic drinks were still wanted by a significant portion of the population.  Prohibition does not end the demand for the product or service it outlaws; it merely drives the industries underground.  In a free society, no product or service should be denied to consenting adults.

Donald Trump is following the populist tendency to deliver dangerous rhetoric to appeal to the basest emotions of people, not their reason.  Trump’s balderdash negates his supposed desire to “make America great again.”  The United States was founded upon the principle of individual liberty, not governmental overreach and control.  Although many people may find drug use, prostitution, or even alcohol distasteful, true freedom protects goods and activities that others despise.  Trump would be far better served by studying the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the documents created during the founding of our nation than by riling up the emotions of frustrated and angry citizens.  If Trump truly wanted to “make America great again,” he would embrace liberty and the founding values of our nation.  Instead, like every other populist, he is creating an empty cult of personality that preys upon the fears of others.  Unfortunately for our nation, cults of personality almost always result in despotism.

Government will not function correctly, nor will it regain credibility, by embracing social engineering schemes and then instituting harsh penalties against those who defy such schemes.  Trump’s call to execute drug dealers and human traffickers is not only exaggerated, nonsensical blather, it is also the antithesis of truly “making America great again.”  The prohibition of any substances and services desired by the populace should be repealed.  The so-called “War on Drugs” has been a failure, and so have attempts to suppress prostitution.  Making certain substances and services illegal does not extinguish demand.  Instead, it just drives demand underground.  If Trump truly wants to “make America great again,” he should be demanding more freedom, instead of more governmental control and repression.

The Democratic Embrace of Tyranny

The erosion in the belief of individual freedom among the public, particularly the Democrats, is very concerning.  According to the Rasmussen Poll, half or more of Democratic voters believe Americans should be fined or imprisoned for questioning or disagreeing with their dogma.  Not only do they deny others the right to their own freedoms and opinions, these voters want to criminalize those speaking or taking action against governmental narratives.

According to Rasmussen, “Nearly half (48%) of Democratic voters think federal and state governments should be able to fine or imprison individuals who publicly question the efficacy of the existing COVID-19 vaccines on social media, television, radio, or in online or digital publications.”

Take note of this.  Almost half of Democratic voters think people who question governmental policy should be fined or imprisoned.  The primary purpose of the free speech clause in the First Amendment is to allow, if not encourage, people to question and challenge governmental policy.  This ensures the people remain free and that government, which is supposed to be, in Lincoln’s words, “of the people,” remains responsive and subservient to the people. 

Yet now, we have a large group of people ignorant or disdainful of individual liberty and who believe an autocratic government of elites should dictate policy to all Americans.  In the minds of these statist sycophants, and deviation, or even questioning, of governmental policy should result in a fine or jail time.  The totalitarian regimes of the 1930’s could not have asked for a better group of authoritarian bootlickers.

Even worse is the poll’s finding that, “Forty-five percent (45%) of Democrats would favor governments requiring citizens to temporarily live in designated facilities or locations if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine.”

In addition, “Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Democratic voters would support temporarily removing parents’ custody of their children if parents refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Just a few years ago, either of these options would be laughed off the table.  But now we have almost half of Democratic voters supporting the relocation of unvaccinated people into concentration camps, and more than a quarter of these voters want their family’s to be ripped apart if they deviate from governmental dictates.  It must be noted that these are the same people who decry putting people who violate in our immigration laws in “cages,” yet support the use of the same cages against American citizens who disagree with extra-Constitutional governmental overreach.

Instead of indoctrinating our citizens into historically oppressive and anti-American ideologies like Marxism, we should redouble teaching our schoolchildren and citizens the rationale for individual liberty and the reasoning for our Constitution.  It seems the memories of the totalitarian dictatorships of the 1920’s through the 1940’s (and beyond) has been forgotten, and the events that led to the Second World War are being ignored.  As a nation, we have tolerated attacks on free-enterprise, individual liberty, and limited government for too long.  As a result, we have far too many people who not only believe that America is irredeemably evil, but that the only solution to our problems is to adopt a totalitarian, authoritarian, and despotic dictatorship of elites.  We have somehow sanctioned the abandonment of personal choice and responsibility in favor of a collectivist dictatorship run by a select few.

Contrary to the beliefs of some (and far too many Democrats), the “common good” does not exist.  Instead, those using the term, the “common good,” are engaging in propaganda designed to obscure their primary goal – implementing, by force, their personal preferences on others.  Appealing to the “common good” has been the watchword of tyrants throughout history, and they have been allowed to rule because of the fearful compliance of their populations.  The goal of these tyrants has never been the good of their subjects.  It has always been about the power they can wield over their subjects.

It is shameful that so many Americans are so ignorant of the lessons of history that they willingly embrace any charismatic individual making appealing promises.  It is appalling that these same Americans are so willing to deny the opposition a voice, and that these Americans are willing to imprison those with differing opinions or priorities.  This not only points to a major deficiency in understanding the purpose of our nation’s values, but also demonstrates a callous disregard for the freedoms and choices naturally held by every human.

The Futility of COVID Mandates

In light of the pervasiveness of the omicron variant, we seem to be back to mandates for mask wearing and/or proofs of vaccinations – with some even calling for renewed lockdowns.  It will all be for our own good, of course.

It’s about time we recognize that these mandates are little more than posturing by politicians who are responding to demands they “do something” about COVID and an opportunity for elitist do-gooders to demonstrate their moral superiority and inclination to butt into other peoples’ business.  If these mandates were truly effective, they would have arrested the pandemic when they were first tried two years ago.

Omicron seems to be the most contagious variant of COVID, with estimates that as many as 150 million Americans may catch it.  That’s about 46% of the population.  It also seems to evade vaccinations better than other variants, although the vaccinated appear to have fewer symptoms than the unvaccinated.

The omicron variant also appears to be less virulent than other variants, with symptoms similar to a head cold or moderate case of the flu.  Yes, some will suffer more severe cases, and there will even be some deaths caused by this new variety of COVID.  However, the incidence of severity and fatality more closely correlates with common influenzas than previous iterations of COVID.

These is no need for mask mandates and proof of vaccination or “vaccination passports” are just examples of empty political theater.  In controlled laboratory conditions, masks have been found to be able to reduce, but not eliminate, the respiration of molecules the size of the coronavirus.  However, in the real world, previous mask mandates have done nothing to stem the tide of COVID.  COVID has waxed or waned depending upon the season, rather than because of any attempted mitigation tactics.

Regardless of what society does, or fails to do, COVID will continue to spread until it runs its course.  The omicron variant may actually be a bit of a blessing.  It will spread widely and rapidly, and will infect a large portion of the population.  In fact, it may spread so completely that there will be little to no time for any mutations to develop and take hold.  If enough of the population catches the virus, it may play itself out through a form of herd immunity. 

One has to wonder if the mitigation mandates of the past two years has prolonged the pandemic, by causing infections to be delayed and giving the virus time to mutate into more contagious and virulent varieties.  If omicron continues to run through the nation like wildfire, it will probably drive out other variants and then die out itself.

Vaccinations and boosters appear to lesson the symptoms of omicron, even if they don’t provide complete protection against it.  Masks and social distancing are more questionable strategies.  Although masks may filter out a certain quantity of viral particles, they don’t filter out all, and that’s a best-case scenario if the masks are handled and worn properly.  There is no empirical data supporting social distancing.  The two-meter (six feet) recommendation is completely arbitrary and is based upon the likely distance droplets may travel.  Since most COVID infections are caused by inhalation of the aerosolized particles, the six feet distance is meaningless.  Both mask wearing and social distancing act more as social placebos than as meaningful protective measures.

The best protection against serious coronavirus cases continues to be vaccinations.  Yet, for various reasons, some still prefer to remain unvaccinated.  That’s their prerogative.  They can choose not to accept vaccines, but they also must recognize the risks they assume and be responsible for their own choices.  There should not be a necessity for society to accept more mandates solely to protect those who choose to remain unvaccinated.

Masks, vaccination passports, and even social distancing mandates make no sense.  First of all, omicron is so contagious, it is likely to tear through the population regardless of any precautions people take.  Most people who contract omicron will experience mild to moderate symptoms, which they may very well mistake for other maladies.

Secondly, mask mandates and the like will only be feel-good measures in which the illusion of protection trumps actual protection.  If individuals are vaccinated, chances are that they will avoid catching COVID, or will only develop mild symptoms to an infection.  If persons go unvaccinated, they have already demonstrated their willingness to accept the risk of infection, so masks are again of limited use.  It is unlikely that an unvaccinated person would be able to render substantial harm on to a vaccinated individual.  And a vaccinated person would be less likely to carry a viral load substantial enough to hurt an unvaccinated individual.  Mask and other mandates wouldn’t materially alter this equation.

Besides the obvious questions of liberty surrounding the issue, vaccination, masking, and other COVID-related mandates are ineffective.  Some will choose to remain unvaccinated, whether or not it’s a good idea.  Others will choose more protection – namely staying up to date on vaccinations and boosters.  Masks won’t change these facts, nor will masks have any significant impact on arresting the ultimate spread of the virus.  We will have to endure the omicron variant and hope it continues to cause minimal symptoms as it spreads.  Artificial mitigation attempts will be a waste of time, and will most likely cause more damage to businesses and schools in our nation.

Trump and the “Slow-Moving Coup”

The same media that created Trump is now aghast he has supporters. What did they expect when they gave Trump hours of free airtime every night back in 2016? The media ignored fifteen other Republican candidates in order to gain ratings by airing whichever rants Trump chose to utter that day.

Even now, the media are giving Trump far more airtime, and in spite of themselves, more credibility by being utterly consumed by everything he does. Now they are concerned about a “slow-moving coup?”

This will be the narrative of the next few months, and will, once again, give Trump the airtime and attention he craves.  Mainstream media has no credibility among many Trump supporters.  But, as one of the cardinal rules of politics attests, any coverage, even negative, is preferable to no coverage.

Trump lost the 2020 election, plain and simple. I know there are far too many who believe he actually won, and the election was somehow stolen from him. Indeed, this is the portrayal Eric Trump is trying to advance in order to keep his father relevant and in the news. But the truth is that Trump, in his arrogance and hubris, ran an awful campaign.

Because he didn’t get the kind of unlimited and uncritical airtime he enjoyed in 2016, he had to actually run a campaign in 2020. He failed to do that, and he lost.

Even those believing some sort of conspiracy “stole” the election from Trump have failed to read the Constitution. Article II, Section 1, clearly states, “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.”

Note that the Constitution does not require a popular election for president. If it so desires, any of the states could just appoint electors of their choosing (and that was the original intent of this passage of the Constitution). Once the states approved their presidential electors, they completed their obligations according to the Constitution. Even if Trump actually did win the states his supporters claim were “stolen,” it doesn’t matter according to the Constitution. All the states had to do was appoint electors. Constitutionally, it doesn’t matter if the electors reflected the votes each presidential candidate received.

Personally, I always thought Trump was an idiot who ran a populist campaign designed to appeal to the grievances of many middle-class Americans (indeed, he stole his techniques from the tactics used by the left for decades). He has virtually no knowledge of government, and even less of the Constitution (of course, that critique can be applied to far too many members of Congress, as well).

I won’t deny the nation was better off with Trump as president than it is under Biden, but that’s a very low bar to clear. Biden has given the Bernie Sanders’ “progressive” wing of the Democratic party far too much power, and, in fact, many Democrats are attempting to govern to the left of Sanders. Considering the current state of the Democrats, anyone that even sounds remotely reasonable would be a better choice. Even confirmed liberals, like Senators Joe Manchin, (West Virginia), and Kyrsten Sinema, (Arizona), seem moderate by comparison.

Both major political parties are a mess. If the Democrats continue on their unitary national government, socialist path, there won’t be a need for a “slow-moving” coup. There will be a need for a full-scale revolution to reinstate federal government according to the principles of the Constitution.  This revolution won’t be led by Trump.  Instead, it would be conducted by those who actually read, understand, and revere the Constitution.  That doesn’t describe Trump.

There will always be those who are attracted to charismatic populists, and who believe they see their own images in populist candidates.  However, populists rarely make good representatives and leaders because of the narrow and shallow focus of their beliefs and their inherent narcissism.  Instead of holding any recognizable political philosophy, populists rely solely upon their own charisma.  Although Trump is a charismatic individual to many, and even though he has the ability to make people think he cares about them, Trump was less than a success as president.  Even though some of his instincts were correct, he lacked the power and ability to create long-standing change.  Indeed, his actions actually further emboldened the socialistic left.

If the country is to move to the correct course, it needs a president who understands their job is to execute the laws passed by Congress, not one who unilaterally attempts to create law anytime he thinks Congress has failed.

We need a Congress whose members actually understand federalism, and who recognize the states, not the federal government, are invested with the majority of sovereignty by the Constitution.  Members of Congress must recognize the powers of the federal government are limited by design, and this design is appropriate.  They must also recognize they shouldn’t have the power to spend other people’s money anytime they have a constituency with a grievance or an opportunity presents itself to buy votes with government spending.  Representatives should use the upmost discretion every time they seek to spend a dollar, and they must use fiscal sense so as not to extort too much money from wage earners or saddle future generations with massive debt.

Trump is not the answer, and the election was not stolen from him.  The Democrats, as they are now constituted, are not the answer either. 

Both parties must carefully assess their beliefs and goals, and develop appealing candidates consistent with those beliefs and goals.  If they continue to fail to do so, another party may rise up to supplant one or both of the current major parties.  And if the situation appears too extreme, we might actually see the genesis of a new political revolution, and not merely a “slow-moving coup.”

The Real Danger of Facebook

The real problem with Facebook is not that they fail to censor enough posts. The real danger is their practice of using analytics to segment users into identity groups.

As a result of a 60 Minutes report, the media is all over Facebook – decrying what former employee Frances Haugen called an emphasis of “profit over safety.”

No kidding!

Of course, Facebook chooses “profit over safety.”  They exist to sell advertising and to turn a profit.  They are not, and should not, be in the business of ensuring safety – whatever that really means.

Facebook has been under attack for virtually any kind of post made by its users.  If someone posts an opinion questioning the current orthodoxy, it’s labeled misinformation.  If a user believes in American exceptionalism and cultural superiority, he or she is branded as an unrepentant racist and white supremacist.  If an individual questions the “settled science” of climate change, that person is called a science denier.  People must even ensure they use the accepted nomenclature to refer to gender.  Women can no longer be called women – they are “menstruating persons” or “people who give birth.”

Community Standards and Censorship

In order to placate the opponents of free speech, Facebook has created so-called “community standards,” which are ever-changing and worded similarly to the Democratic party platform.  Any deviation from these so-called standards may subject a user to a permanent ban from Facebook, particularly if a user creates posts containing a conservative point-of-view.  Although private companies are not required to follow the Bill of Rights, Facebook selectively chooses which types of speech violates their “community standards” and often uses technology, rather than real people, rendering the context of posts irrelevant to their decisions to suspend or ban a person.  Indeed, Facebook often seems intent on appeasing the 40% of millennials who believe so-called hate speech should be outlawed.

In spite of Facebook’s efforts, critics demand even more censorship of user content by the social media giant.

The content of posts found on Facebook is not the problem, and censorship often results in valid content and opinions being suppressed.  For example, Facebook would routinely remove posts claiming COVID-19 was man-made or escaped from a Chinese laboratory.  Users were even permanently banned from Facebook if they continued to voice these opinions.  In another example of Facebook’s defiance of constitutional norms, there is no appeal to their decisions, even if those decisions are made using incorrect assumptions and information.  In May 2021, Facebook reversed course as evidence was uncovered demonstrating the possibility of the virus escaping from a Wuhan laboratory due to an accidental leak.  Once the general media entertained the idea such a conclusion was credible, if not likely, Facebook stopped censoring posts asserting COVID-19 was created by humans.  Yet it did nothing to remedy the damage done to users it disabled or suspended for previously expressing the view that COVID may have originated or escaped from a laboratory.

The Case Against Censorship

The content of posts is not the problem with Facebook.  There is a good reason why the United States guarantees free speech in the First Amendment of the Constitution.  Today’s “crackpot ideas” may be tomorrow’s revelations.  Posts that challenge the moral tenor of the times one year may reflect common sentiment another year.  Most importantly, any kind of censorship involves the suppression of ideas, even if many consider certain ideas reprehensible.  Ideas are far less likely to cause a problem than the selective censorship of certain ideas.  Currently, some are so invested with the dogma of so-called progressivism that they consider any opposing viewpoint as not only wrong, but as evil.

The remedy of misinformation, crackpot ideas, and reprehensive ideas has always been the truth and a free marketplace of ideas in which opposing viewpoints are not only permitted, but encouraged.  This is where Facebook fails.  Rather than presenting multiple viewpoints to its users, Facebook categorizes users into groups of commonality, so they may be better targeted by Facebook’s advertisers.  Because Facebook has found it profitable to divide users up into political, social, and racial identity groups, users are rarely confronted with perspectives that differ from their own.  Indeed, Facebook users often find themselves in echo chambers in which every user they see expresses similar opinions.

The Real Danger of Facebook

Why is the practice of segmenting users into identity groups dangerous?

Facebook employs algorithms which segment users by age, political views, socio-economic characteristics, education, and likely even race.  This is useful for advertisers who seek to craft their message to appeal to specific demographics.  Yet it is disastrous for both free speech and the truth.

In normal society, everyone has the freedom to voice their own opinions.  Yet, voicing specific opinions are not without consequence.  If people spout misinformation, others can use facts to publicly correct them.  If someone uses socially unacceptable language or engages in discriminatory speech, that person may be shunned or embarrassed by others.  When speech is totally unfettered, so is the right and likelihood of rebuttal.  In a totally free marketplace of ideas, true, good, and acceptable ideas tend to rise to the top.  Discriminatory ideas, misinformation, and profanity is usually squelched or rendered impotent by those offering rebuttals.

Because of Facebook’s algorithms, however, users with similar ideas are placed together.  This includes users spouting misinformation, discriminatory ideas, crackpot ideas, conspiracy theories and the like.  Rather than being challenged, as they would in a free marketplace of ideas, bad ideas are amplified, and purveyors of stupid ideas believe they are in the right, because everyone with whom they interact agrees with their assessments.  In Facebook’s balkanized environment, users are only presented with ideas that mirror their own.  Contrary opinions and facts, which might change one’s perspective, are rare.  Instead, bad and dangerous ideas are reinforced in Facebook, rather than subjected to counter-arguments from others.

Although Facebook may mouth fidelity to whatever types of diversity are currently in vogue, they fail to ensure users are exposed to a diversity of ideas.  Instead, they enhance division and polarity by dividing users by certain characteristics and assigning them into electronic ghettos populated solely by like-minded individuals.  There is no debate, no give and take, and no free marketplace of ideas in Facebook.  Instead, there are hundreds of echo chambers, each populated by people of similar characteristics, similar interests, and similar opinions.  Not only are Facebook users not presented with differing perspectives – the Facebook algorithm prohibits this from occurring.  Instead, users are just grouped into categories of like-minded individuals.  There is no diversity of thought and ideas, and there is little opportunity for one’s views to be assessed and challenged.

As with any other type of social construct, organic freedom always results in greater progress and lifestyle than dictatorship.  When a person, company, or government seeks to censor and suppress certain ideas, they are doing so solely for their own perceived self-interest, not the interest of the citizenry as a whole.  When a free and diverse exchange of ideas exists, great ideas rise to the top and reprehensible ideas are consigned to the dustbin in the normal course of human interaction.  The danger of Facebook is not that they fail to censor enough ideas or remove enough posts.  The real danger is that Facebook actively works to prevent users from being exposed to different ideas.

What does the Biden Administration and the Venezuelan Dictatorship Have in Common?

What does Venezuela’s desire to adopt a totally cashless society and the Biden administration’s plan to require banks to report all transactions over $600 to the IRS have in common?  They are both about establishing government control over our finances and diminishing personal privacy.

The Biden administration believes that requiring banks to report all transactions over $600 to the government would reduce income tax evasion.  However, the IRS can already gather all the financial information it may need for an audit without adding this cumbersome requirement.  If instituted, the compliance costs to report all transactions over $600 will be enormous and the reporting process will be a bureaucratic nightmare.

In addition to the compliance costs, which would drive up the fees charged by banking institutions, the privacy implications are alarming.  The IRS would have access to information about any banking transaction exceeding $600.  If you’re withdrawing a few thousand dollars to purchase a used car, the government will know about it.  If you received a thousand dollars in wedding gifts, the government will know about it (and try to tax it).  If you spend $600 to attend a protest event, the government will know about it.  Even if you move money from one account to another, not only will the government know about it, it would also likely trigger an IRS audit. There is no telling what the government will ultimately do with the information they collect about individual spending, saving, and earning habits.

It is all but certain the reporting of transactions over $600 will be reported electronically.  Not only will the government have unconstrained access to most people’s financial activities, but so will hackers and other nefarious actors.  Considering the increasing number of data breeches against supposedly secure credit card transaction and personal information, it is inevitable that individual financial data will be leaked.  This data provides a treasure trove of information that may be used by criminals.  Under this proposal, not only will bureaucrats in Washington have access to your private information, but so will criminals in China, Russia, and the rest of Eastern Europe. 

This idea seems to always turn up like a bad penny anytime Democrats engage in a federal spending binge.  In 2010, as part of the so-called Affordable Care Act, Democrats wanted small business owners to submit a 1099 form to any vendor with whom they spent $600 or more in a calendar year.  This would have meant, for example, that a company which ordered a few cases of printer paper and pencils from Staples would have to send them a 1099 form at the end of the year.  Companies whose employees stayed at a Sheraton Hotel on a business trip would have had to send Sheraton a 1099 form (for each separate location).  The list goes on and on.

Had a few sane legislators not noticed this insertion into a massive spending bill, and had not small business owners lobbied against this, every small business owner would have been saddled with huge paperwork requirements and thousands of dollars in additional accounting costs.  The costs to comply with the proposed dictates would have dwarfed the small amount of additional taxes collected by the IRS as a result of these requirements.

Democrats seem to have a fixation with the $600 number.  That was their preference in 2010, and it has appeared again this year.  They believe that infringing upon the financial privacy of Americans is a small price to pay in order to fund their vote-buying programs.  They also totally ignore the costs of maintaining compliance, and the fact that such costs will be passed down to all users of banking services.  If inflation wasn’t already bad enough with gasoline prices more than a dollar per gallon expensive than it was a year ago, this bill will surely send inflation spiraling out of control.

What does this have to do with Venezuela?  Ever since the Venezuelans elected a socialist government, which shortly became a dictatorship, inflation has skyrocketed.  Even their currency could not keep up with the rate of inflation.  Before Hugo Chávez became president, the Venezuelan bolivar typically traded at 3 to 4 bolivars to one United States dollar.  Even after several currency reevaluations, it now takes 4,146,022 bolivars to purchase a single U.S. dollar.

Venezuela can not print currency fast enough to keep up with their rate of inflation.  Their largest denomination bank note, 50,000 bolivars, is now only worth a couple of cents in United States currency.  Bank notes are often obsolete even before they enter circulation.  Because of the huge inflation rate, bank notes are rarely used in commerce, and coins have completely disappeared from circulation.

In light of this, Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has announced plans to abolish physical cash and go to an entirely cashless society.  In a cashless society, all transactions are electronically recorded and available to the government upon request.  This allows the government to track the finances and transactions of specific individuals and to limit the places in which money may be spent.  If, for example, an opposition party is attempting to raise funds to challenge the incumbent government, the dictatorship could prevent any funds from being used for this purpose.  It will be impossible to purchase books, artwork, newspapers, or anything else not approved by the government.  Electronic records of all financial transactions is the secret police force’s best friend.

Will the proposed reporting requirements in the United States be as intrusive as those used by Venezuela?  Not immediately.  However, we must remember the Patriot Act was ostensibly created to thwart international terrorists.  Yet, its use of secret warrants and indictments has been employed more often to prosecute crimes within the United States, rather than foreign terrorists.  The Internal Revenue Service has been used, not only to collect taxes, but to target political organizations opposing the incumbent administration.  And while the FBI has not yet become as much of a political secret police force as Venezuela’s Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional, it has many times exceeded its authority to achieve political aims.  Granting the government another excuse to spy upon its citizens’ economic transactions does not bode well for the future of liberty.

Will those determined to evade United States taxation be thwarted by the bank reporting requirements?  For the most part, no.  Those with large resources will begin conducting transactions using unregulated cyber currencies, tangible metals (silver and gold), and sophisticated barter systems.  They will remove themselves from the United States fiat currency system.  In fact, the bank reporting requirements may result in a reduction to tax collection by driving many economic transactions underground.

The real victims of the proposed reporting requirements will likely be middle-class wage earners and small-business owners.  The government will use the data collected to harass (often innocent) citizens through intrusive audits and civil forfeiture provisions.  Even citizens who innocently moved money from one account to another may find themselves bullied by zealous IRS agents or local police forces hungry for the proceeds of civil forfeiture. 

And all this damage is being done so the Democratic administration can attempt to buy votes by dramatically expanding social and spending programs.  It’s hardly a good bargain.

The Nation was Devastated to Keep People from Inhaling the Spit of Others

The CDC, who, as we all remember, strongly discouraged the wearing of masks by the general public until they decided everyone should wear masks, is now saying coronavirus “does not spread easily from touching surfaces or objects.”

The geniuses at the CDC are now saying the virus spreads from person to person in the following four ways:

  1. “Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
  2. “Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.”
  3. “These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.”
  4. “COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.”

I think the CDC just needed to fill up a lot of screen space so they wouldn’t have to admit they don’t much about the spread of the virus at all. This list doesn’t describe four ways the virus spreads. Number 1 doesn’t describe how the virus spreads; it just describes the typical distance you can catch or transmit the virus. Numbers 2 and 3 are saying the same thing. And, number 4 says the CDC doesn’t know whether or not the virus can be spread by asymptomatic people, as evidenced by the use of the qualifier, “may.”

In basic terms, the CDC is saying COVID-19 spreads by inhaling the spit of other people.

This was the basis of shutting down virtually the entire country – to prevent people from breathing in the spit of others!

Because the CDC didn’t know what they were doing, the government condemned millions to joblessness, destroyed hundreds of thousands of small businesses, and depleted the retirement savings of almost everybody.

Rather than assess whether lockdowns were truly effective at limiting the spread of the virus, states prevented people from being treated for other medical conditions, increased poverty, created more stress, intensified mental illness – causing increased mortality from all these conditions.

Why?

They didn’t know why. Governments reacted to panicked people by implementing policies not supported by any empirical evidence. No one even bothered to assess the potential consequences of lockdown policies or determine if these policies caused more damage than they were designed to address.

Ultimately, it was all to prevent people from inhaling the spit of other people.

I could have figured out how to avoid that without condemning millions to economic, physical, and mental health devastation. It all boils down to the things people should do to avoid any illness.

  • Stay away from sick people and stay home if you’re sick.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes.
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Don’t stick your fingers in your mouth or nose.

We didn’t need to put everyone under house arrest to accomplish the above.

1968 Strong – 2020 Soft

Anatomy of Fear and Panic

The 1968-1969 Hong Kong Flu pandemic killed one to four million people worldwide, and over 100,000 in the United States.  Most of the American victims were over 65. 

Adjusted for population, this would have been the equivalent of almost 164,000 deaths in the United States today.

Despite the lethality of the Hong Kong Flu, it didn’t create the kind of panic found today over the coronavirus, nor were any economy-killing lockdowns instituted, or even proposed.  By and large, people took the Hong Kong Flu in stride – taking sensible precautions, but not making any substantial changes in routines.  Schools and stores remained open, sporting events were held, and people went to restaurants and movies.  A full presidential campaign was conducted in 1968, and the large Woodstock concert was held in 1969.  No one gave any thought to closing down society in order to “flatten the curve.”  People recognized a terrible virus was circulating, as viruses are wont to do from time to time.  They did not panic, they did not demand government “do something,” and they did not try to force the entire population to cloister at home.  The population of the late 1960’s recognized the reality of the virus, took sensible precautions if they felt vulnerable, but continued to go about their lives.

In terms of infections and fatalities, the Hong Kong Flu pandemic appears very similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.  In light of this, why did the public react very differently in 1968 than they do now?

First, we have to look at the constitution and characteristics of the people influencing society and making policy in the late 1960’s.  These individuals lived through the Great Depression and defeated the Axis in World War II.  They knew true deprivation firsthand, and learned to cope with the challenges and risks of life.  They were self-sufficient and reluctant to lean on anyone else for assistance of any kind.  Hard work, saving for a rainy day, personal accountability, and personal accountability were still considered moral virtues.  Communism and socialism were the enemy; they were not something to emulate and implement.

Secondly, there were real challenges and hardships in society in the late 1960’s.  The civil rights movement was still very active, and Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated early that year.  The Vietnam War was raging.  Anti-war protests were breaking out on college campuses.  Cities were devastated by urban riots.  Political assassinations became all-too common.  The Cold War was still raging with people living under the constant threat of global nuclear annihilation.  Worry about a virus took a backseat to the more pressing problems of the day.

Compare that to those in positions of authority today.  Today’s leaders and influencers were raised in the most prosperous time in American history.  By and large, our nation has been at peace, with a small number of volunteer professional soldiers addressing any violent outbreaks.  Employment is plentiful, and technology not even conceivable a generation ago is available to virtually everyone, including those below the poverty line.  There are very few people alive today who have weathered the adversity common to the Greatest Generation.  Self-sufficiency and individual responsibility are increasingly considered quaint traits – those raised by helicopter parents now expect the state to provide them similar security.  Much of society has demanded government become in loco parentis – providing protection from bad individual decisions and socializing personal responsibility, accountability, and initiative.  The collective has become paramount over the individual.

Whereas the Greatest Generation developed character though hardship and adversity, much of today’s population seek “safe spaces” from “triggering” comments and events.  A 24/7 media trades in sensationalism, emotionalism, and fear, moving seamlessly from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis.  Much of the population no longer wishes to confront challenges head-on – they want and expect someone else to do it for them.  The skills of critical thinking and balancing options with risks have degenerated into blind fealty to comforting authoritarianism.  Planning for the future and making wise choices is no longer important because someone in the government will always bail them out.  Rather than be hardened by adversity, the current crop of leaders has grown soft from prosperity. 

Let’s look again at the biggest issues and concerns of 1968 – 1969.  They included civil rights and equality of all races, the draft and the Vietnam War, the raging Cold War, riots which forever altered communities, violent protests, demonstrations, and political assassinations.  Each and all of these real events were consuming the thoughts of the population.

Contrast that with some of today’s biggest issues.  Worry about which restrooms transgendered individuals should use and debates over whether taxpayers should pay the student loans of individuals having difficulty obtaining gainful employment from their Gender Studies degrees. 

COVID-19, like the Hong Kong Flu before it, can have devastating consequences, including a large number of deaths.  Yet we did not destroy our economy during the Hong Kong Flu pandemic and did not subject millions to joblessness and poverty because of a virus.  We did not prevent individuals with other health issues from accessing their doctors.  We did not force our population into a form of house arrest in order to placate the panic and fear of some. 

In 1968 – 1969, we still thought and we still considered things from the perspective of reason.  In 2020, far too many of us relinquish our thinking to others and operate solely from the perspective of raw hysteria and emotion.

Why Must we Surrender our Rights during times of Perceived Crises?

Once again, our nation surrendered its liberties – our natural rights endowed upon us by our Creator – because of fear and panic.  We did not sacrifice our rights to some “greater cause,” for there is no cause greater than the natural state of freedom that makes us all human.  Instead, we compliantly surrendered that which makes us human, that which makes us American, to scare-mongering “experts” who conned us into believing their priorities, preferences, and judgements were somehow superior to everyone else’s.  We willingly relinquished our own powers of critical thinking and allowed our emotions, particularly our fears, to limit our own judgements.  We allowed a small cabal of so-called experts and politicians to strip us of our right to free will and choice, in exchange for being serfs to their own choices.

The United States of America was founded upon the principle that all humans were granted natural rights by our Creator.  These rights are not abstractions that a benevolent or despotic government can freely grant or deny.  They are an extension of the free will provided to us by our Lord – a recognition that such free will, choice, and liberty is the natural state of every human.  Legitimate governments strive, at all times, to preserve and protect individual liberty.  Despotic governments seek to control humanity by infringing upon these natural rights.

Anatomy of Despotism

During the coronavirus pandemic, governmental officials, usually governors and members of the federal and state executive branches, abandoned any pretext of protecting individual rights and, instead, chose to rule by dictate and decree.  Most of the nation’s governors chose to put their own citizens under various forms of house arrest, through “stay at home” or “lockdown” orders.  They arbitrarily closed businesses they deemed “nonessential” with little thought given to the real impact this would have on the business owners, their employees, their suppliers, and the communities they serve.  When confronted with a perceived crisis, these supposed leaders reflexively resorted to the most intrusive and excessively coercive mechanisms of governmental power, rather than trusting their citizens to independently make the choices right for them.

This was partially caused by mass hysteria driven by the sensationalist and alarmist pronouncements of the media and by opportunistic “experts” seeking personal publicity or the raw exercise of power.  The so-called “experts” were granted levels of influence and power far beyond their areas of expertise, and the public eagerly and willingly acquiesced to even the most draconian recommendations of these individuals.  It is a sad reality of human nature that when given an opportunity to exercise power over others, most people will gladly wield that power to their own ends.  Far too often, the public meekly complies.

Whether you choose to call the technique “gaslighting”, or as Hitler termed it, “the Big Lie,” when something is repeated often enough and with enough conviction, the public will eventually believe, and then, embrace the lie.  The panic and raw emotional reactions to the perceived threat of COVID-19 was a classic example of this phenomenon.

The Path to Dictatorship

Initially, most Americans, including most politicians, believed COVID-19 would not cause much trouble, and even branded those who disagreed as racists against the Chinese.  It was not uncommon to see mayors and other political figures tour Chinatowns in their cities and encourage people to visit their restaurants and businesses.

That all changed in late February and early March of 2020.  The news media seized upon the worst aspects of the outbreak in Europe, particularly in Italy and quickly sensationalized their coverage in a desperate search for ratings and readers.  Then, on March 16, Imperial College in Britain published a model which predicted that half a million people in Britain would die from COVID-19, and two million from the United States.  Even though the authors of the Imperial College model quickly walked back their predictions, the press, and swiftly afterwards, the public and the politicians, seized upon these alarmist predictions and repeated them like a mantra.

Driven by public demand to “do something!,” California’s governor issued the first “stay at home” order on March 19, 2020.  All but seven states quickly followed.  These “stay at home” orders closed businesses deemed nonessential by the state governors, prohibited elective surgeries in hospitals, limited gatherings of more than a handful of people, and often closed public parks, beaches, and other outdoor recreation venues.  Some restrictions, such as those imposed by Michigan Governor Whitmer, were more arbitrary and draconian than others, including forbidding lawn service companies from cutting lawns, preventing residents from purchasing plants and seeds from shops already open, and banning motorboats on waterways, but permitting non-motorized watercraft.  Clearly, all these restrictions violated the rights to free exercise of religion, the right of the people to peaceably assemble, the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, the right to not being denied liberty or property without due process of law, the right to not have excess fines imposed, and a host of other Constitutionally-enumerated rights.

Few governors gave thought to the health and economic consequences of their decisions, and often imposed restrictions in spite of the lack of empirical evidence supporting them.  The initial justification was that the restrictions were necessary to “flatten the curve” and later, to limit new cases of coronavirus. When it became obvious COVID-19 was still spreading in spite of stay at home orders, governors opted for new requirements, like mandating masks in public, even though the value of the public wearing homemade masks is questionable.  Instead of admitting their policies were little more than ineffective political theater and abandoning their overreaching dictates, pot-committed governors often doubled down by extending existing restrictions and even imposing new ones.

The Myth of “Killing Grandma”

Those who questioned and protested the governmental dictates were attacked as being selfish, anti-science, and even racist.  Those who protested the infringement of their liberties were even accused of wanting to “kill grandma.”

In many states, these lockdowns, which often weren’t even voted upon by state legislatures, still exist, despite statistical evidence stay at home orders have no impact on coronavirus infection or fatality rates.  In fact, nationwide, over 1/3 of all coronavirus cases and fatalities occur in long-term care facilities like nursing homes and assisted living communities.  The fatality rate predictably rises by age, with those under 65 unlikely to perish from the disease unless other comorbidity factors already exist.  Transmission of COVID-19 is very rare during fleeting contacts, such as passing an infected person in a store.  Even governmental officials are implicitly recognizing this, by limiting contact tracing to persons with close and constant contact with infected persons.

There is no disputing COVID-19 is more contagious and more serious than typical strains of influenza.  Worldwide, the fatality rate appears to be about 1.3% for those with symptomatic cases of coronavirus.  The vast majority of people who contract coronavirus recover, including a majority of the most vulnerable patients (those over the age of 85).  In addition, it is estimated that 25% to 50% of all coronavirus cases are asymptomatic. Although the risk of coronavirus should not be understated, it need not be exaggerated either.  Although the raw numbers of cases and deaths may appear alarming, the chance of contracting COVID-19 and having a bad final outcome is still statistically minimal.

Humans are naturally social animals.  They create family units, extended clans, communities, and entire civilizations though voluntary interactions.  These voluntary interactions and socialization are essential to the success of the species.  The United States has developed the most advanced nation in the world through its principles, which are eloquently documented in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  The inevitable advancement of our nation was never hindered by the temporary challenges of disease, war, financial depressions, or any other perceived crisis.  Indeed, it is the values of individual liberty that allowed us to weather these challenges.  We are not weakened by our rights and our liberties; we are weakened when we surrender our rights and our liberties.

There are risks throughout life, and each person has the natural right to determine how best to navigate through these risks.  Some may choose to avoid most risks by sequestering themselves in safe environments and avoiding any activities that may potentially be dangerous.  Others may choose to embrace risks, feeling they experience life best while risking it.  Most people fall somewhere in the middle, prudently avoiding likely risks, attempting to mitigate serious, but unlikely outcomes, and living normal lives.  Everyone has the right to determine how they each, individually, wish to balance life’s risks with actually living their lives.

By instituting policies, particularly one-size-fits-all policies, in an attempt to slow the progressions of coronavirus, those holding governmental power have not only implemented ineffective “solutions” that have likely generated more problems than they solved, they have also denied people the natural right to determine their own fates.  The individuals possessing the coercive power of government have determined they alone, not the people themselves, possess the unerring wisdom to dictate the preferences, priorities, and risks each individual may hold.  They have failed to consider that every policy decision has trade-offs, which are often negative.  While responding to the unbridled panic of the public by infringing upon individual liberties, these pandering politicians have failed to address the social and health costs of deferred medical care, the loss of jobs and income, the loss of life savings and businesses that took a lifetime to build, and the ensuing stress, anxiety, and depression tied to these factors.  Most importantly, these smug “leaders” have denied the nation’s citizens their inherent rights to choose their own actions, their own tolerance for risk, and their own paths in life.

Individuals should not be subjected to the whims and preferences of governmental officials and “experts,” especially when those whims directly infringe upon the liberties of the citizens.  Each person has a right to determine the actions he or she wishes to take as it pertains to COVID-19.  A younger adult, in good health who has invested her life savings in a small business may legitimately arrive at the conclusion that the risk of contracting coronavirus, and the risk of permanent adverse impacts, is much less than the risk of losing her business and life savings.  A senior citizen with high blood pressure and diabetes may decide sheltering at home is the safer alternative.  When people decide they have more important priorities than hiding from a virus, particularly if the virus is unlikely to cause them significant harm, no one has the right to prevent them from engaging in the activities of their choice.  Likewise, a person who may be at high risk of adverse outcomes is free to choose to shelter at home until the threat abates. 

Nobody will be “killing grandma.”  If grandma feels she is at risk for adverse outcomes, she is welcome to shelter in place until the viral threat subsides.  Grandma, however, does not have the right to demand everyone else put their lives on hold.

We’re Not “All in This Together”

It is always troubling when someone pretentiously announces “we’re all in this together,” and “everyone must make a sacrifice for the common good.”  There is no common good; there are only tradeoffs inherent in any policy that may benefit some and disadvantage others.  Those demanding “sacrifice” are usually only demanding others sacrifice their liberties to those most fearful in society.  They, themselves, are the last to truly sacrifice anything.  Those who most loudly demand government solutions to somehow manage a natural phenomenon are viewing government as in parentis loco.  In other words, they are plaintively begging their mommies to tell them everything will turn out all right.

Things won’t turn out all right.  COVID-19 is a very contagious disease with a higher-than-average fatality rate.  Although the odds of any one person dying is statistically remote, particularly those in their younger years, millions of people will contract the virus and hundreds of thousands or more will die from it.  Unless an effective vaccine is developed in record time, or the virus unexpectedly mutates into a less potent form, the virus will likely be with us for several years to come.  We can hunker down, destroy our society and economy in the hope the virus will pass us by, or we can live our lives, with each of us taking the precautions we each feel are necessary to avoid or mitigate the impact of the virus.  This is not a decision that should be dictated from above.  It’s a decision that rightfully belongs to each and every individual.

An old adage says, “When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” 

Similarly, when politicians are asked to address a problem, their only tool is the blatant exercise of coercive governmental power, usually resulting in the infringement of people’s rights.  Why do we, as a citizenry, compliantly accept the dictates of those wielding political power, especially when those dictates involve an unconstitutional infringement of individual rights?   Why shouldn’t we demand that our representatives figure out ways to address problems (if they really should be involved in the first place) that don’t involve the diminution of our natural and constitutional rights? Why should every response to perceived crises first involve dictatorship and infringement of our liberties?

The media and politicians thrive on creating, exaggerating, and fueling perceived crises.  Addressing crises gives them purpose, drives reader and viewership, and wins them votes.  Unfortunately, crises are also used to instill emotional reactions in the populace, usually fear.  When the population is driven by emotions, particularly panic and fear, they are often willing to surrender their individual rights and sovereignty to whomever promises them security, whether that security really exists or not.  As citizens, we must use reason, rather than emotion, to address the validity and severity of alleged crises, and demand that any governmental actions not involve dictatorship or the deprivation of liberties.

The Romans lost their republic when they voluntarily ceded their rights and self-representation to magistrates granted dictatorial powers to respond to crises or “emergencies.”  Over time, these crises and emergencies grew so frequent that Rome was constantly ruled by dictators, rather than their own Senators.  It did not take long for the Roman Republic to be replaced by the autocratic Roman Empire.

Every time Americans were required to surrender their liberties in response to some perceived crisis, it was later concluded that such actions were unnecessary and an example of governmental overreach or abuse of power.  In spite of this historical reality, we are constantly told it is selfish to resist the dictates of the state, for those dictates are for our own good.  Instead of compliantly submitting to regular governmental dictates to surrender our rights, we should be demanding government respect and protect our rights, and seek out solutions to any emergencies that don’t infringe upon individual choice or liberty.