The Back Alley Archives

It would appear that the more liberty we lose, the less people are able to imagine how liberty might work. It is a fascinating thing to behold.

* People can no longer imagine a world in which we could be secure without massive invasions of our privacy at every step, and even being strip-searched before boarding airplanes, even though private institutions manage much greater security without any invasions of human rights;
* People can no longer remember how a true free market in medical care would work, even though all the problems of the current system were created by government interventions in the first place;
* People imagine that we need 700 military bases around the world, and endless wars in the Middle East, for "security," though safe Switzerland doesn’t;
* People think it is insane to think of life without central banks, even though they are modern inventions that have destroyed currency after currency;
* Even meddlesome agencies like the Consumer Products Safety Commission or the Federal Trade Commission strike most people as absolutely essential, even though it is not they who catch the thieves and frauds, but private institutions;
* The idea of privatizing roads or water supplies sounds outlandish, even though we have a long history of both;
* People even wonder how anyone would be educated in the absence of public schools, as if markets themselves didn't create in America the world's most literate society in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This list could go on and on. But the problem is that the capacity to imagine freedom – the very source of life for civilization and humanity itself – is being eroded in our society and culture. The less freedom we have, the less people are able to imagine what freedom feels like, and therefore the less they are willing to fight for its restoration.
{. . .}
What they knew is the great secret of the ages: society contains within itself the capacity for self-management, and there is nothing that government can do to improve on the results of the voluntary association, exchange, creativity, and choices of every member of the human family.

I'm not going to blast you 95, but human life is much more valuable than that of animals...

And I also agree that people are lazy and would rather someone else take care of this for them.

But overall, I agree with that article...people just really think that freedom is overrated these days...I've actually heard people say that! It's horrifying to me. Personally this one is my favorite because it applies to my job...

* Even meddlesome agencies like the Consumer Products Safety Commission or the Federal Trade Commission strike most people as absolutely essential, even though it is not they who catch the thieves and frauds, but private institutions;

If all companies self-regulated like Disney did, we would be much better off...of course, the attorney generals in each state would be very busy!

I'm not going to blast you 95, but human life is much more valuable than that of animals...but that's my belief from a spiritual standpoint...so yeah, I think we SHOULD spare no expense in saving human lives. But you are spot on with the cost of technology and advancements.

And I also agree that people are lazy and would rather someone else take care of this for them.

But overall, I agree with that article...people just really think that freedom is overrated these days...I've actually heard people say that! It's horrifying to me. Personally this one is my favorite because it applies to my job...

* Even meddlesome agencies like the Consumer Products Safety Commission or the Federal Trade Commission strike most people as absolutely essential, even though it is not they who catch the thieves and frauds, but private institutions;

If all companies self-regulated like Disney did, we would be much better off...of course, the attorney generals in each state would be very busy!

Problem is people are lazy. Most would rather have the gov't handle it all so they don't have to think about it. As long as they have their twitter accounts and latest cell phones, etc., all is good.

Schools could certainly be private and work. I won't even get you started on banks. And HC advancements have been a blessing and a curse. Back in the day, a doctor's visit wouldn't break the bank because the costs for the technology was low and there was little gov't regulation. Now, better care comes at a price, development of the new meds and technological advancements in equipment and procedures are not cheap. The problem is that everyone expects access to all of those advancements for free, or at least for much less than their value/cost.
I'll probably get blasted for this but I often want to relate it back to how most folks deal with sick pets. Some will spend every last dollar to try to remedy an illness, others make the decision that life has been good and decide to let them die peacefully, usually with the aid of drugs that make it painless. Now flip that to a human life and we don't have either of those options. The doctor is required to take all reasonable measures regardless of cost and we don't have to option to make it a quick and painless affair.