Just a Thought On a Day With Too Much Coffee (And Way Too Much Snow)

Here’s the measure of an honest politician: When he claims the government is spending too much money, he then shows you a list of laws he’d like to repeal.

Government never, in any single instance I can think of, ever saved any money by passing a law. Quite the opposite. In fact, if you look back through American history, about the only time government ever did any good is when it stopped doing something. Usually, something heinous and awful and bad. I’ve even prepared a few examples.

With the Bill of Rights, the government lost the ability to stop people from speaking out, from assembling freely, from owning guns, from violating homes and papers, from bossing around the states, etc.

After the Civil War, the government stopped telling some people that they were the property of other people. The government didn’t free the slaves — it finally recognized that all men are already free.

With the passage of the 19th Amendment, the government finally stopped telling women their votes weren’t welcome.

With the Civil Rights movement, the state governments finally lost the ability to tell some people that they couldn’t go places other people could already go.

Eventually, perhaps the government will even get out of the marriage business. And any two people who want to get married will be able to do so, and any other people who don’t want to recognize that marriage, won’t have to.

I could go on, but you get the point. Every advance in liberty is met with — isn’t possible without — a proportionate retreat in government power.

And none of it costs a dime in taxpayer money.

So if you’re lucky enough to ever find one of these honest politicians, give him your vote.