Live and let live, or KYFHO revisited


Another principle of liberty
I've been recapping basic libertarian ideas over the past few weeks. I've discussed individual compassion, the freedom to choose without coercion, the Zero Aggression Principle, and that the only group identity that gives rights is humanity.

Today I want to talk about the keystone, the one thing that everything else is built on. It's the one thing that undermines every single statist assumption. It's one of the oldest ideas behind our civilization and yet one of the least observed.

It's called many things. "Live and let live" is one of the most succinct. I've covered aspects of it before in my KYFHO FAQ, the most popular page on this blog. You and only you have the right of choice. No matter what the justification, there is no "public good" that morally can override your choice with your person or property.

That is an important idea and an extremely fine line for the state. The only reason a free state exists is to protect the property and person of it's citizens. So the state can act to keep John Smith from taking Jane Doe's car, but it can not do one thing to prevent John Smith from slicing his own leg off. John Smith is the only person who owns John Smith and the only person who can choose.

That means that no government or government agency can decide if John Smith eats too much or too little, has sex with the right people, worships the right god, drives the right car, uses the right drugs, wears the right clothes, or even to live.

But John Smith is not allowed to rape Jane Doe's cat because that infringes on Jane Doe's right to choose. Jane Doe is not allowed to require John Smith to turn vegan.

You have the natural right to do as you wish as long as you do not interfere with the freedom of others. That defines both liberty and responsibility.

Think about the implications for just a moment.

So much of American government fails because it attacks that liberty.

Same sex marriage. Public schools. Illegal drugs. Welfare. Gasoline prices. Almost every "modern" function of government assumes that Government Knows Best For You. Even with the power of the state and overwhelming force, the average American knows that is wrong and drags their feet when government power attacks their freedom.

It's hard to argue against higher taxes when the money goes to single mothers. It's less hard when it goes to multimillion dollar bridges that only a few hundred people will use. But it is the same assumption.

Government Knows Best For You.

I say KYFHO.

There is no moral difference between government taking my money for job training or for corporate welfare.

Government is not your friend.

Theft is theft, whether it is done at the point of a gun or justified by an unjust law.

If it is done for the "public good" or "my own good," it is still wrong.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Sun - May 27, 2007 at 02:11 PM  Tag


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