Since When Do Politicians Believe That Americans Should Have Personal Freedom? By Laurence M. Vance
(2023-05-12 at 00:48:52 )

Since When Do Politicians Believe That Americans Should Have Personal Freedom? By Laurence M. Vance

In his announcement that he would be running for president again, Joe Biden maintained that "MAGA extremists" want to take on Americans bedrock freedoms, dictate what healthcare decisions women can make, ban books, and tell people whom they can love. "Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans, there is nothing more important, nothing more sacred," said Biden in his video announcement.

I agree strongly with what the president said about personal freedom.

The problem is that Joe Biden, the vast majority of Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and most politicians throughout the country, of either party, whether they are progressives or conservatives, do not believe for a minute that United States of Americans should have personal freedom!

Governments throughout history, at every level, have always tried to prevent people from engaging in private, consensual, voluntary, peaceful activity that they deemed to be bad, dangerous, addictive, inappropriate, offensive, discriminatory, sinful, immoral, or wrong.

And governments have always sought to fine, imprison, or kill people for doing so. The conflict of the ages has always been between individuals who want to do something and governments that do not want them to do it.

What if Americans want to gamble at home or at unlicensed casinos?

What if Americans want to distill their own spirits?

What if people want to sell the beer they brew or the wine they make?

What if they want to serve alcohol to their adult children under 21?

What if Americans want to sell things for much more than they paid for them?

What if Americans want to raise their prices during a natural disaster?

What if Americans want to engage in prostitution?

What if Americans want to pay for sex?

What if Americans want to purchase alcohol on a Sunday?

What if Americans want to purchase alcohol in the morning?

What if Americans want to have a garage sale without getting a permit?

What if Americans want to discriminate against people on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or physical appearance?

What if Americans want to travel to Cuba?

What if Americans want to smoke marijuana, swallow pills, snort cocaine, shoot up heroin, drop acid, eat magic mushrooms, consume crystal meth, use bath salts, or experiment with fentanyl?

What if Americans want to grow their own marijuana?

What if Americans want to not wear a mask?

What if Americans want to not get the Covid shot?

What if Americans want to not recycle?

What if Americans want to open their businesses on a Sunday?

What if Americans want to sell one of their kidneys?

What if Americans want to hire an "illegal immigrant?"

What if Americans want to sell a concert ticket for much more than the face value of the ticket?

What if Americans want to not wear a seatbelt or helmet?

What if Americans want to freely buy and sell alcohol?

What if Americans want to advertise tobacco products?

What if Americans want to allow smoking in their bar or restaurant?

What if Americans want to charge high interest rates on loans?

What if Americans want to pay high interest rates in order to take out a loan?

What if Americans want to provide a service without getting a government license?

What if Americans want to purchase a service from an unlicensed service provider?

What if Americans want to work for less than the minimum wage and not receive any benefits?

Depending on where one lives, most or all of these things are illegal, and will result in fines and-or imprisonment.

So much for the "land of the free."

Government should never penalize or punish individuals for engaging in private, consensual, voluntary, peaceful activity that does not aggress against the person or property of others. As H. L. Mencken put it, "Let people do whatever they please, so long as they do not invade the right and freedom of other persons to do the same."

Reprinted here with the permission of Mr. Laurence M. Vance and the Future of Freedom Foundation!! Please visit "Mr. Vances blog" at Lewrockwell.com and please visit his website "Vance Publications"!!