America's Privileged Classes

By Chris Rossini

America's Founders tried (and sadly failed) to chain their federal government creation down with a constitution. If there's one thing that the U.S. Constitution has proved, it's that you can't write rules down for government and expect them to be obeyed...at least over the long term. 

Sure, at first a constitution will be respected, much like an individual who sets a New Year's resolution to go to the gym everyday. It'll last for a little while.

If there's one thing about the human mind, it is infinitely creative and it can be used for the creation of good as well as evil. 

Telling the federal government that it cannot do a certain thing acts as a dare for them to figure out ways to do the opposite. After all, people foolishly gave these individuals power. They want to use it!

The same principle works on the side of liberty as well. Even though government forever tries to squash liberty wherever it exists, people always find a way to dodge the government's demands. Government may "ban" a certain thing, but a "black market" (i.e. a free market) immediately forms to facilitate transactions anyway.

No one has the ability to box in the human mind. There's always a way. There's always a loophole. The loopholes exist for good, as well as evil.

Loopholes that work to the advantage of liberty are a good thing. If government could completely squash liberty, it surely would have been accomplished by now, and humanity would've been dead meat.

Loopholes that work to the advantage of power are not a good thing. Once government breaks out of its constitutional chains, a gradual and relentless cancer begins to overtake society. 

No one seems to notice at first. Tyranny is rarely imposed all at once. Instead it's a gradual ratchet effect that takes generations. Every new generation is taught (in government schools) to believe that "this is just the way it is" as new links get added to their heavy chains.

In America today, we get to witness a time when the U.S. federal government is the biggest in the history of the world. Never has there been such a sprawling global power.

The U.S. government has gone through a solid century of almost perpetual war. There have been but a few token breaks in the warfare. The list of military adventures, if you have the patience to scroll through them all, is quite stunning.

Those who drafted the Declaration of Independence would no doubt be shocked. Their idea of a "land of the free"  exists in rhetoric alone. Freedom and liberty have been relegated to abstractions that are sung in government songs before sporting events. 

Those who drafted the Constitution would be equally as stunned. They would surely get nauseous at the thought of each U.S. President still "swearing" to obey and uphold the U.S. Constitution. Never has a President actually done such a thing.

America is now graduating to the level of privileged classes. Certain individuals are above the law, and not goofy laws that should never exist, but the big ones that have repercussions on everyone in society.

We're witnessing different sets of rules for different sets of individuals. Those who wield power and who are close to power have become the privileged.

Because humans seek to avoid pain and are rooted in self-preservation, a race to get close to power ensues. ​Battles to get some kind of connection with those who wield political force become top priority. Washington DC is overflowing with people trying to cozy up to power. They're not there for liberty. They're trying to gain access to political privilege.

Satisfying consumer desires takes a backseat to getting laws passed that secure an advantage from the state. Service gets tossed aside. 

Instead it's all politics, all the time. Whether it be on magazine covers, or on TV, or the Internet, or the constant barrage of troops, and troops, and troops...The American mind has become conditioned to look to government for everything.

Earning an honest living becomes anachronistic; an avenue for suckers. Instead, the desire is to "know someone" who can "do something for you".

This bifurcation is not limited to the federal government alone, but has trickled down to state and local governments as well.

Want to start a business? Watch out for crony competitors that may get wind of it, and who may not want you around. Their politician or one the countless government "agencies" will find a way to "shut you down" for not filling out the proper forms, or not "passing inspection".

Barriers to entry have reached the level of the lemonade stand. 

Do you have a permit, a license, or any other special dispensation from government?

Is government making healthcare a "right"? Well, you better get to know and befriend some doctors then, lest you find yourself at the back of the queue with everyone else.

Did government raise its absurd "minimum wage"? You better have the skills to earn that wage or you're out of luck and forced into unemployment. You better know somebody that's willing to pay you under the table.

This is how the government cancer spreads through every part and parcel of society. It turns civilization into the privileged few who wield force (and their friends) and everyone else.

If people truly believe that a government (i.e., a monopoly to use violent force) must exist, then it better be as tiny and toothless as can be imagined. It's only natural that the worst of humanity will be attracted to this monopoly of violence. History (and current events) have proven that in spades.

You can't give a single inch over to power. America's Founders tried it, and they obviously provided enough room for the creation of a worldwide empire. ​Little tumors never stay little.

Fortunately, an eternal truth is always by our side. A parasite can never outlive its host. Once the host has been totally exhausted, the parasite's time is up.

Life always goes on. However, the road back to reality is never an easy one. In the advanced stages of government control, the people tend to worship, yearn for, and believe that they can't live without their parasite. It's a warped spectacle to look at. They're passionate about their parasite for sure.

Those who understand the ideas of liberty will always have an edge on everyone else. Living by the principles of voluntary interactions, respect for everyone else's life and property, and never using aggressive force against others, puts you on the side of the angels.

Let the privileged classes engorge themselves and worship themselves to their own failure. That's their choice.

A renaissance will follow as it always has in the past. It'll be a rewarding experience for those who hold the ideas of liberty in their minds.