Re: The problem of playing politics with our constitutional rights

[nospam-seesignature@ceddec.com]

On Fri, 12 Sep 1997, David H Dennis wrote:

> all this.  Crypto restrictions are natural to oppose in a Libertarian
> world, due to our fundemental distrust of government.  Where do they
> fit in a Liberal one?

Because of the infinitely recursive controls necessary to implement
liberal policy. 

Example: farm subsidies.

We must set a limit on the number of farmers and what they can produce.
Farmers keep records.  We need GAK to insure the farmers (or their buyers,
etc) can't cheat and grow and sell more grain than their quota.  They pass
laws on farmers, then the wholesalers, then the grocery stores, and
finally need to track your purchases (to prevent you from going to a
roadside market).

Example: Government paid-for health care

Your patient records should be confidential, but the government might
require a physical to pay for an office visit, or say one is redundant, so
they must be able to see what you are being treated for.  Your doctor
(maybe with your cooperation) may be attempting to defraud the system.

Liberalism (or socialism and faschism to avoid confusion) is the use of
government force to obtain economic ends.  When a freely done trade
becomes a crime, they need enforcement powers to track down criminals.

Even in the milder form where they simply tax everyone into poverty and
then give subsidies to make those they choose rich, they need enforcement
powers to prevent people from avoiding the government imposed poverty.

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