Opinion: Liberty always the civilized choice

If you don’t understand, love, or want liberty -- fine.

If you’d prefer having powerful governments take most of your money, tell you what you are allowed to do, and watch your every move, go for it. It’s not my place to deprive you of what you want.

I draw the line when you don’t return the consideration. When you say I am required to live under your conditions when I don’t place the same constraints on you. When you are willing to throw people in a cage for preferring liberty over authoritarian government and acting on their preference.

I wouldn’t do the same to you because it would violate my principles.

This is why liberty will always be the civilized choice.

I envision a world where you are free to form silly little clubs whose members take turns governing each other to their hearts’ content. Where all your arbitrary rules apply only to those who explicitly join your club and agree to play by whatever rules are dreamed up. Arguing over how much each member must pay to fund this year’s club leadership’s pet projects. Where you can fight other clubs without involving anyone else.

A world where no one would be in danger for ignoring your clubs and the quirks of the club members.

I wouldn’t join, but I’d leave you alone to play your club’s games by your club’s rules. I would expect your club to stay out of my life completely.

If your club makes you feel like someone is taking care of you and keeping you safe, I understand. If your club leaders want to steal operating funds from the members and call this “taxation,” fine. Just leave those of us who don’t swallow the lies -- about the legitimacy of government through the “consent of the governed” -- out of it.

If your excuse for pretending your club should control my life involves a social contract, I would point out that a social contract can’t impose an anti-social institution on those who haven’t seen, read, or signed it. If it were a true social contract it would read “Don’t hurt people and don’t take their stuff,” not something anti-social like: “You will let me hurt people and take their stuff if enough others agree and no one stops me.”

You are free to establish your club, but not to impose it on everyone who lives where you think your club should rule.

Farwell’s Kent McManigal champions liberty. Contact him at:

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