Monday, September 21, 2009

Killing in the Name Of

When we say that the government should do this or that: is it worth killing someone over? Because, in the end, that's what we're talking about. That is what we're always talking about when we say the government should or should not do something. If you don't comply, you die. As George Washington said, government is not reason, it is force.

Another way of thinking about it: what actions can another take that you can legitimately kill them over? If someone tries to murder, rape, or steal from you, you can kill them, and you will find few who think you can't. But should you be able to kill me if I refuse to help you help someone else? Yet, we agree to let out governments act that way.

If Baucus' bill passes, I would get a fine if I didn't buy insurance (I currently am uninsured). Now, if I didn't have the money to either buy insurance or pay the fine -- or if I justly refused to pay the fine -- then what? Defenders of his plan have to agree that the government can then come and arrest and threaten to kill me in my own home, in front of my wife and children, because I don't want to buy insurance -- or because I can't. To support something like that is evil. Pure and simple.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I really liked this piece. It's a nice rehash of PJ O'Rourke's "Would you kill your grandmother for a four lane highway?"

What I liked even better was your response to burk on Econlog.

http://hodakvalue.com/blog/

Troy Camplin said...

Thanks. I noticed that there was no response to it at all. Which tells me it was effective.

I.J. said...

It's ironic that Leviathan would make our compassion compulsory, when it's incapable of feelings of its own.

Think it might could be a bit of a stretch to rhetorically jump from mandate to killing, though. It may be a slippery 45 degree slope, and has been crossed easily enough in the past, but it exists nonetheless.

Joyce Jr. said...

Congrats on the baby! (I'm on the other end of it as I am close to being an empty nester). Enjoy your posts. The newer version of Obamacare threatens jail time if you don't buy insurance.
http://bellatorprolibertas.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Congratulations on the new baby. I see you state that you currently have no health insurance. Does that mean your children also have no insurance? Having a baby is very expensive how can you afford the hospital bills with no insurance?

Troy Camplin said...

Thanks. Actually, my wife has insurance through work, and the children are covered by it. We can't afford to put me on the insurance plan as well, though.