Economic Slavery

While most of us might answer this question by means of a well-oiled tirade against oppressive politicians, bureaucrats, and other low types - and be correct in doing so - there is another consideration.

For example, the sympathies of a twelve-man jury in a civil trial would ordinarily lie with the victim of a burglary and against the burglar - unless the victim also turned out to be a burglar. Regardless of the details of law, most people would agree that a burglar, as a result of his thievery, gives up his claim to sympathy when he, too, is burglarized. If I am mugged on a city street by a thug who steals my wallet, I do not gain the right to replace my loss by mugging someone else. If I become a mugger, I forfeit my right to property protection - and, of course, even my right to physical freedom if I am caught.

Most farmers are bitterly opposed to government agencies that are taking their property through regulations, taxes, fees, and confiscations. Yet, many of these same farmers are paid government subsidies with money taken in taxes by force or threat of force from other citizens who have earned that money by honest work. Since these farmers are accepting a share of the loot obtained by denying other citizens their property rights, they have lost the moral right to complain of their own losses to government thievery.

Recently, a local farmer complained to me about the new government regulations, fees, and potential fines that are destroying his property right to maintain a gravel dam necessary to irrigate his farm. When I suggested that he just ignore the bureaucrats and repair his dam in the same way that it has been maintained for over 100 years by owners of his farm, he replied, "I wouldn't want to make them mad. They are considering my request for a government subsidy to put in a sprinkler system. Then I can sell the farm for a higher price.'' It is an astonishing and very sad fact that many American industries support and encourage the taking of property from other Ameri-cans through governmental means in order to enhance their own prospects. Yet, they whine about their own suffering under the same sort of oppression. Much of our energy industry engages in these activities. In fact, a large part of the American utility industry has traded away most of its freedom in return for government-assured monopoly markets and guaranteed profits from utility commissions.

If all Americans and American corporations were to honestly audit all of their own sources of income and other market advantages and terminate all activities that involve the improper taking of the property of others, the benefits to the free market and to technological progress would be spectacular indeed. Imagine our government with no customers except for those involved in national defense, the maintenance of an honest judiciary, and minimal national housekeeping!

Free enterprise, science, and technology cannot thrive in an atmosphere of economic slavery. Each human being has a self-evident right to freedom, except for those people who make their way by destroying the freedoms of others. Those people deserve to be slaves.