And what are the politicians promising? Things like government-managed retirements, otherwise known as Social Security. This program takes people’s before-tax revenue, and then eventually dribbles it back to them later in small amounts – and even then requires the recipients to pay income taxes on those payments. [Imagine how much more those same private investments would have yielded instead!] And public education. This almost always costs much more than private schooling, which is competitive and thus almost universally better. And government-managed healthcare. It costs more to run that system, and it also costs people more for what they receive – after one considers taxes, premiums, deductibles and co-pays. [In fact, P. J. O’Rourke had it right when he said “If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it’s free.”] So this entire approach of reliance upon government has failed us all. Instead we should get the government out of these areas, trust the free market, and address the problems of poverty straightforwardly by a system of negative income tax. What would this system be like? Stay tuned for next week’s column.
Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)
2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice
President, along with Governor
Gary Johnson as the candidate for President
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History is a curious and fickle thing. There are many people who actually displayed little fiber or courage and actually accomplished little who are acclaimed in history books, while others who demonstrated great fiber and courage and did a great deal of good are often ignored. One of the latter who stood resolutely for the sanctity of the Fourth Amendment’s protections against illegal warrantless wiretapping was a man named James Lawrence Fly. Although barely recognized today, he was the chair of the Federal Communications Commission and the Defense Communications Board from 1940 through the end of World War II. 
Last time I looked, Barack Obama is the current President of the United States. Candidly, I am not a fan of President Obama, and I certainly never voted for him. But it is the task – if not the Constitutional duty – of a president to submit nominations to the U.S. Senate for federal judicial vacancies. And it is the Senate’s Constitutional duty to receive and vote upon them based upon merit judicial temperament and judicial philosophy. I agree that it is not expressly written that the Senate must hold hearings and vote in a timely fashion, but I feel strongly that this can and should be inferred by the express duties that are set forth. Thus for the “leaders” in the Senate to say in advance that they will not even consider any of the President’s nominees for the vacancy left by the death of Justice Scalia – without even knowing who that nominee will be – is a direct abdication of the Senate’s duty!
Three paragraphs for this edition: one for the presidential candidates for each viable political party in the upcoming election!
We just returned from a vacation to Egypt, and I must say that it was a staggering experience to see the historical places that I had heard and had read about all my life. For example, I stood about three feet away from the exposed face and feet of the mummified body of Ramses II at the Cairo Museum. Just imagine, this famous and highly successful pharaoh reigned over 3300 years ago – and he himself was Right Here! And, although our tour included an armed guard on our bus and often a police escort, we never felt that this security was actually necessary. Our comfort was increased by numerous Egyptians who thanked us for being there, and fervently made me promise to pass along the word that Egypt is a wonderful and safe place to visit. (I am fulfilling my promise in part by writing this column.)
It was not just a word, or just a slogan! To our Founding Fathers, Liberty was something for which they risked their treasure and even their lives. Thomas Jefferson often stated his concern that there is a natural progress of government to gain ground and Liberty to yield it. Benjamin Franklin famously warned that anyone who would trade a little less Liberty for a little more security deserves neither. And Thomas Paine notoriously cried out to give him Liberty or give him death! And there are similar striking quotes from Madison, Adams, Washington, Hamilton, Morris and all the others.
I am elated to tell you that there is a budding movement that will be spreading the country called the Grat Network. This is an internet connection where anyone can register a “gratitude vote” for someone else who has beneficially affected that person. Watch for it – soon. It is an increasingly proven fact that people who feel and express gratitude to others for kindnesses, leadership, friendship, etc. are much happier, and even live longer. In fact, in that regard, please watch this clip: 
A recent 2 Paragraphs column discussed government protectionism by requiring people to be licensed before they may engage in such practices as teeth-whitening, hair braiding, selling of coffins or child care. The result of this protectionism is to restrain people, mostly those newly entering the work force, from competing with more established interests, such as licensed dentists, barbers, morticians and child-care centers. Then the column went on to state that the more appropriate system is to allow anyone to enter those fields, as long as they are privately bonded. These bonding/insurance companies would enforce minimum standards and competency levels, and insure that resources would be available in the event of malpractice. Of course, the more established interests would be free to advertise about their “superior training and abilities,” etc., but this approach would leave the customer to choose whose services to engage, and what price to pay.
Recently my wife and I saw two movies: “Spotlight” and “Concussion.” Both are hard-hitting movies that focus upon perceived large-scale damages being perpetrated upon many people by two large and powerful institutions: the Catholic Church and the National Football League. Whether the facts depicted in these movies are true, recklessly false or true-but-exaggerated I leave to your conclusions and our various laws covering libel and defamation. But the ability for movie makers – or any of us – freely to publish arguments like these is fundamental to Liberty.
Most people feel that the government protects them from being sold inferior services by requiring the providers to be licensed. That may have been the original intent, but the actual practice has strayed far from that result. Instead many vested interests have used government licensing requirements simply to protect themselves from competition from others. And frequently those being restrained are young people just trying to get started in the business world. Examples of this are rampant, such as in braiding hair, selling caskets, providing childcare or teeth-whitening services and many more.
Liberty requires the right to unrestricted foreign travel, so our government generally should have no right to impede that travel. It does have the right to place somereasonable conditions upon that right – but only in those rare occasions in which that travel is for the purpose of causing material harm to our national safety or interests. So today if we want to travel to North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Venezuela or virtually anywhere else, as free people we should have the right to do so without any restrictions, much less sanctions.
As I have said before in this column, Henry Ford was socially not my favorite person in the world, but one of his quotes should be emblazoned upon the thoughts of every American: “Anyone who feels they can thrive by relying upon the government should talk to the American Indian.” In other words, the “Victim Mentality” doesn’t work. And unfortunately, it gets people down and keeps them there.
Please don’t get me wrong, the drought in California is serious, and we must all do more than our part to conserve water. In addition, I believe that I am “one of the good guys,” to the degree that long ago I turned off our sprinklers, and only hand water our yard less than once per week. Nevertheless, in my opinion, neither the water districts nor any city governments have any authority whatsoever to order us not to water on certain days, or to control in any way how we actually use the water that is sold to us!
There is an increasing movement on university campuses to require express and sometimes even written consent before parties engage in sexual activities – at each step of the way. This is another example of trying to address every problem by passing yet another law. Of course rapes and sexual batteries are serious matters, and they are rightfully criminal violations. So when they occur, call the police! But the present laws on the books are sufficient protection without universities taking the form of government and nosing even further into our bedrooms and private lives.
Disturbingly, there is a movement spreading around some of our universities and elsewhere to promote having a “Freedom from Speech,” otherwise known as a freedom from having your feelings hurt by “insensitive” speech. This has resulted in so-called “safety zones” in which people are shielded from discomforting thoughts. To this end, students and others have received lowered grades or otherwise been censored for using phrases like “the most qualified person should get the job,” or “America is a melting pot,” or for calling people who do not have white skin “People of Color.” (As to that last issue, when I was in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, it was common for a male with Chinese ancestry to be called “Chino,” a Black “Negro,” someone who was thin “Flaco,” or a North American like me “Gringo.” Using these names was simply descriptive and not at all disparaging, and I look forward to the day that this will be true in our communities as well.)
A good friend of mine who regularly participates in our weekly “2 Paragraphs” discussions recently forwarded to me some comments from a friend of his about the fact that the benefits for Veterans are weighted in favor of those who have less money. So the issue of fairness was raised, because his friend was arguing that all Veterans should receive the same benefits regardless of their economic condition. And he certainly has a point, because service is service. But, as I frequently reminded my children as they were growing up (Just ask them!), “Who says life is fair?” In fact it obviously isn’t, because some people were lucky to be born to supportive parents in the United States instead of being born to a single mother in Nigeria who is a narcotics addict with AIDS.
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