Mask fine theft by government
(My Eastern New Mexico News column for July 8, 2020)
When a politician makes a mistake and makes a problem worse (or creates a problem out of thin air), they rarely change course. Instead, they double down. It's hard for them to admit they did the wrong thing and so easy to claim it was the right thing but didn't go far enough.
Welcome to Political Shut-Down Theater, Part Two.
The first shut-down was a terrible idea. I'd be willing to forgive those responsible since it was done in ignorance. No one knew how dangerous the virus might be, and sketchy reports from other countries scared some people into over-reacting. However, now we know. To shut the economy down again-- to shut down society-- isn't ignorant, it is an intentional act of sabotage. Those responsible should be held accountable. Personally, not by shifting the burdening onto their tax victims.
As one reader pointed out to me, all businesses are essential to their customers. I would add that they are also essential to the owners, their employees, and to the general economic health of society. He correctly pointed out that this is people control, not virus control.
I'm not automatically against shutting some things down. I would favor letting all government agencies and facilities close until all danger, from everything, has passed. This is as far as government authority goes, though. They have no legitimate authority over anything in the private sector-- they only pretend they do.
To allow politicians to make any decision for you-- backed by the violence of government-- is irresponsible. It's foolish to allow politics to infest society.
This foolishness is compounded if politicians are allowed to impose a fine for the non-crime of not wearing a mask.
A fine is simply another way for government to steal money for itself. I'm never in favor of fines. A fine is used to punish people while coercing them into doing what the state wants. Regardless of whether the state is correct.
I'm in favor of choice; letting people make their own decisions (and mistakes) about the things which affect them. If you don't want to take the risk of opening your business or leaving your home, no one should force you to do so.
If you feel safer wearing a mask, I encourage you to wear one. Do whatever you can to make yourself feel better, without forcing your choices on anyone else. No one should dictate your choices to you, nor should your choices be imposed on others.
I feel like a SHTF event is imminent. Notice I don't say I think it is, rather it's just a feeling. Possibly triggered by the upcoming election.
I don't have a crystal ball. I'm almost definitely wrong.
If you can see it coming, it's not going to happen. That's almost a guarantee.
Just like the Coronapocalypse came at us out of nowhere, triggered by unexpected government overreactions to a fairly normal virus, a more serious event will also be a surprise. Consider the Coronapanic a practice run. It should have shown you the holes in your preps if you were paying attention.
I lucked out with the panicdemic because I was ready. Well, maybe it wasn't completely luck; I've prepped for years "just in case", and it finally paid off. I was pretty sure I wouldn't see it coming when it finally happened, and I didn't. But it didn't matter because I stay ready all the time-- and I have done so since well before the Y2K fizzle. I intend to be just as ready, if not more ready, the next time something ...
Sometimes it's good to just listen to people's stories without interrupting, even when you know the stories are nonsense.
My 2nd wife used to tell of a ghost that lived in her house when she was a kid. It was an interesting story even though I didn't believe it. I learned quickly that her family was very prone to believe anything as long as it fit with their magical worldview.
Other people tell me stories about beneficial things political government can do. These stories are no more true-- in the sense of being objective reality-- than ghost stories, but they can still be informative if you want to know which particular superstitions a person is living under.
Interrupt and you'll never hear the whole tale. Listen and you might be entertained by some fantastical tales of magical realms. Just don't bet your life on them being true.
My nature is such that I simply can't see government as a solution to anything. This puts me at odds with most of the rest of my species.
Yes, I think "social media" has become a horror. This doesn't mean I want government to regulate it; it means I think people who don't like it (or are too dumb to know not to take it at face value) should probably stop using it.
The same is true of so many other things I don't like.
Litter/pollution, scammers, sexual predators, abortion, animal cruelty, Hillary Clinton, poverty, drug abuse, pandemics, crime, and all manner of awful things.
I may hate them, but that doesn't mean I want government to step in. Look how often that has the opposite effect anyway; making the original problem worse-- or at least not solving it-- while also creating a host of new problems that never would have existed otherwise (anti-gun legislation being a perfect example).
And even if government intervention doesn't make this specific problem worse this particular ...
