Is Democracy Really A "Peaceful" Transfer of Power?

By Chris Rossini

When government's indoctrination "schools" are in session, millions of kids get the ideas of democracy drilled into their innocent little minds. They supposedly have a "sacred" right to vote and a chance to "make their voices heard". They're told that democracy is the "peaceful transfer of power." And to top it off, by age 18, a vast majority have been trained to believe the ultimate myth that "we" are the government.

Of course, none of it is true.

Even the widely read hyper-statist Matthew Yglesias is willing to admit:

Voting, after all, isn’t really an instrumentally rational thing to do — the odds that your vote will be decisive are miniscule. People vote because they would like to be part of some kind of collective action that they can feel good about.

This is one of the few times that a libertarian can agree with Yglesias. Voting isn't rational. The politician that you're voting for doesn't know you, will have no idea that you or anyone else (specifically) voted for him or her, and is not legally bound to do anything that was promised while campaigning. 

That's why politicians lie repeatedly while campaigning. There are absolutely no consequences for doing so. Lies are an asset to the politician. They get people to pull that lever.

But let's putting aside the "we are the government" and "making your voice heard" silliness for a moment. Let's focus on the "democracy is the peaceful transfer of power" line.

It has been reported that both the FBI and Homeland Security chiefs are preparing for violence at this year's political conventions. 

Well isn't that interesting...

Why would anyone resort to violence? Why are Republican bullies and Democratic bullies now beating each other up? 

Could it be that the U.S. government has become so intrusive, so perverted, and so violent that even the veneer of democracy is starting to wear off?

After all, government has a monopoly to use violent force, which is a very peculiar idea in and of itself. But that's what enough people still believe should exist, so it exists. 

Now, the libertarian says that if you permit such an institution to exist, it better be very limited as to when it unleashes its violence. The moment that this institution creeps into various aspects of life, the more incentive everyone has to get that violence to work in their favor. 

Logically, if government violence is used to favor one, it's also used at the expense of another. This creates resentment and a desire for revenge for those on the receiving end of the violence.

Libertarians preach for the peaceful road to be taken instead of this. 

People should deal with one another on a voluntary basis. No single individual (or group of individuals) are allowed to initiate violence against another. Only defensive force is permitted to ward off and defend against those who choose to break this principle.

We're far from living in such a free and peaceful society. We're far from liberty, no matter what the words of the "national anthem" say.

We instead live under the biggest welfare state and biggest military empire in the history of the world! Is it any wonder that people are losing their minds? Everything centers around getting in control of government violence so that it can be used to benefit you at the expense of everyone else.

It's time to plant some better seeds into American minds, seeds that will produce peace and liberty. We've been on the wrong path for quite awhile now and that wrong path has been legalized and institutionalized.

This is a bad philosophy, and it's reaping very bad results.

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