Posted on 03/08/2003 9:29:27 AM PST by forest
[NOTE: This text was first published in the March 7, 1997 newsletter. It was an important message in 1997, but seems even more important today.]
Last week we gave Rep. Ron Paul's toll-free Legislative Update number (1-888-322-1414) and suggested that readers listen to his message "The Coming Police State." We were told by a lot of people that they missed it.
Originally, that message was part of a one hour speech Rep. Paul made on the floor of the House. And, thanks to Jeff in Michigan, we have the complete text. Below is the shortened version of Rep. Paul's speech recorded as the "Legislative Update:"
Centralizing power and consistently expanding the role of the Government requires an army of bureaucrats and a taxing authority upon which a police state thrives. There are over 100 laws on the books permitting private property seizure without due process of law. We have made it easy to seize any property by absurdly claiming the property itself committed the crime. The RICO mentality relating to law enforcement permits even the casual bystander to suffer severely from the police state mentality.
The drug war hysteria and the war on gun ownership started by Roosevelt in 1934 have expanded Federal police power to the point that more than 10 percent of all of our police are Federal. The Constitution names but three Federal crimes, so where is the justification? Talk about swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. We have hovering over us daily the Federal police from the EPA, OSHA, FBI, CIA, DEA, EEOC, ADA, F&WL, INS, BATF, and worst of all, the IRS. Even criticizing the IRS makes me cringe that it might precipitate an audit. It seems that all administrations, to some degree, used the power of the agencies to reward or punish financial backers or political enemies.
So much [of] that had its origin in the 1930's, it was then that the FBI's role changed from friendly investigator helping local authorities to that of national police force.
We live in an age where the fear of an IRS registered letter bearing news of an audit surpasses the fear of a street mugging. The police are supposed to be our friend and the Federal Government the guarantor of our liberties. Ask the blacks in the inner city of Los Angeles if they trust the police and revere the FBI and the CIA. We should not have to cringe when a Federal agent appears at the door of our business. We should not even see them there.
A Congress sworn to uphold the Constitution ought to be protecting our right to our property, not confiscating it. Congress ought to protect our right to own a weapon of self-defense, not systematically and viciously attacking that right.
Congress ought to guarantee all voluntary association, not regulate and dictate every economic transaction. We should not allow Congress to give credence to inane politically correct rules generated by egalitarian misfits. Setting quotas ought to insult each of us.
We need no more centralized police efforts. We need no more wiretaps that have become epidemic in this last decade. We have had enough Wacos and Ruby Ridges.
Is there anything that your government would do, that would cause you to question it?
Uh, I don't the government removed those posts, OWK.
By denying their right to make their own laws to govern their own society. Libertarians on FR also claim that our society has no rights.
2, I was referring to soliciting a prostitute, which is a minor offense.
"A law" becomes "minor infraction."
Interesting thread ... disintegrated rapidly though.
I agree with your concerns over the US A[nti-]Patriot Act (and all it's bastard children). Unfortunately, (or fortunately, if you're a Republican), we're in the minority and our dissenting views are viewed in the same light as, and with the same disgust and revulsion, as we view those of Marx, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, et al.
The problem here is that the article is clearly critical of Republican policies. This is not the place to be critical of Republicans, or their policies.
Everyone knows that a Republican police state would be benign, loving, free of ambition, greed and error. Constitutional restrictions on power don't apply to Republicans because they always have the best interests of their subjects at heart and would never consider abuse of power. In fact, the expression: "Republican Police State" is an oxymoron. The Republican party is the epitome of goodness, completely above reproach.
Disclaimer: In no way should the above statements be construed as critical of Republican policies.
It's long on hyperbolic accusations, short on facts. Mr. Paul is becoming more and more Libertarian.
In light of recent legislation, I'd be inclined to call it prophetic. Power corrupts.
David Hume, author of Hume's Law, that an "ought" cannot be derived from an "is".
This is the law that you keep denying over and over again with circumlocutions and dodges.
Hey OP, did you ever figure out whether or not it was OK to allow voluntarily contracted cannibalism in your perfect libertarian society? You already admitted that you have no problem with simulated child pornography being displayed in your next-door-neighbor's yard.
You seem frightfully unable to admit that your positions are preposertous.
Another one comes out for cannibalism!
Sufficient safeguards against cannibalism? How could you possibly do that in a libertarian society? What, I couldn't voluntarily contract my body out? What are you, a tyrant?
Ah, you had never heard of the famous L.P. Shun List? Apparently for those who care about such things, people will be free to carry around a complete book of perverts and consensual criminals in order to decide if they will do any business with them, or shun the shameless to death with shame. Just who will collect the list, and maintain it, and how much graft would be required to be removed from (or added to) the Shun List has never been publicly declared yet.
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