The Power of Crime
Some quotes are entertaining, some are instructional, yet others quotes are inspirational. Every once in a while a quote so profoundly captures an idea that it sends a chill down the spine.
“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws.” — Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged
Each tiny step toward criminalizing the population has been justified by some reasonable explanation. Each justification contains an element of truth. Often this “truth†comes in the form of a very persuasive pledge to protect some part of society. For example, recreational drugs are dangerous and addiction has terrible personal and societal consequences. Seat-belts and helmets save lives and failure use them places an unfair burden on society to pay for the associated medical costs. Smoking is dangerous to the smoker and offensive (or even dangerous) to others.
However, if number of drug users has not diminished and the availability of street drugs has not decreased, manufacturing an entire criminal subculture through drug legislation must bring greater social and economic costs than drug use alone. The last time people murdered each other for the right to distribute alcohol (a drug) was during prohibition.
Moreover, alcohol is arguably the most dangerous drug based on the number of alcohol related deaths, traffic accidents, crimes and number of addicts, yet it remains legal and widely available.
Maybe, just maybe, these laws are designed not to protect but to control society.
Discuss smaller government, lower taxes and personal freedom at a path less traveled .
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