Monday, January 22, 2018

Government Shutdowns, If Only it Was True: The Tribal and Collectivist Posturing

Richard Ebeling emails:

Dear Bob,

My latest article on the website of the Future of Freedom Foundation is on, “Government Shutdowns, If Only It Was True.”

The seemingly short-lived federal government “shutdown,” was in fact nothing of the sort. All the similar episodes over the last few decades have been nothing but smoke and mirrors, with virtually all aspects of the government continuing to operate: “national security” and the military; the entitlement programs; and the regulatory state. And Congressmen, of course, keep getting their salaries.

It is all political positioning by Republicans, Democrats and whoever is occupying the White House to play to their, respective, special interest groups and ideological supporters.

In this instance, it is all part of the game, this time focused “immigration policy”: who is deserving to be allowed into the country and with what hoped-for political biases to gain votes from future immigrant voters if and when they become citizens. Both Democrats and Republicans pursue policies based on their own, respective, “race consciousness” concerning which racial and ethic groups are more likely to vote their way.

Once more lost in the debate is the idea of thinking of people as individuals, whether citizen or not, and why government should be concerned with protecting each person’s right to life, liberty and honestly acquired property, and not counting heads based on tribal and collectivist categories and classifications.

 https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/government-shutdowns-true/

Best,

Richard

1 comment:

  1. --- Democrats want more in – more of the “right kind,” of course – to assure what they see as election victories-to-come from an increasing mass of “non-white” voters. Republicans want to keep out the “wrong kind,” meaning those who they fear will never vote Republican in great numbers, which means primarily “people of color.” ---

    People will still come to the United States as Market demand for foreign labor exists, Richard, whether the Republicans want it or not and regardless of Democratic plans for the future. Even if the Dems believe that these newcomers will vote Democratic some time in the future, the idea of an "open border" --open to commerce, to the free flow of goods, services, capital and, yes, labor-- is much more consistent with personal liberty than the restrictionist policies the hard-core anti-immigration zealots want to impose, which include a series of so-called border protection measures that stamp on people's rights on a daily basis, citizens and foreigners alike, not only pursuing the 'enforcement of the law' but also continuing an expensive and tragic war on drugs that has meant the misery of millions, here and abroad.

    The above should suggest that the political motivations of the Democratic party are irrelevant if their advocacy furthers the cause of liberty, even unwittingly. It would be much easier to limit immigrants access to the voting booth than it is to stem a flow of ingenious minds wih a will, so why consider that the Dems' motives are on equal level of immorality that the authoritarian and illiberal policies the Republicans seem to favor?

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