Chuck the Statist

Unfortunately, Charles Burris misinterpreted my call for adherence to the principles of liberty rather than to enthusiasm for particular rulers as an ad hominem assault. He then responded in kind. Perhaps I didn’t articulate my point clearly enough—but many of you did when responding to our blogs. Ergo, I’ll let LRC’s talented readers explain why lovers of liberty never trust politicians, no matter how “fresh” and pretty they may appear.

Lee Olson observes,

I see Charles has chosen to attack your blog post. I’m sending this message to you for the purpose of asking that you stand by your post. Why? Because it’s spot on. We don’t need to be ruled. That’s violates our Creator endowed birthright of sovereignty. How does it do that? The ruling class usurps our sovereignty for itself, at gunpoint I might add, and then tells us what we can and cannot do or say. 

Another gentleman appreciates

your biblical and constitutional response to the Kristi Noem cult.  

It is impossible for those of an other-than-biblical approach to life to understand the biblical position. (1 Corinthians 1 – 2)  

The reference to Senator Hatfield, friend of Robert Byrd and Ted Kennedy, makes your point very well.

Indeed. This extended review of the late Senator’s “achievements” illustrates Lord Acton’s observation on power and corruption. Meanwhile, Senator Hatfield’s son, Mark, has “held senior management positions with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2002 to 2015, most recently serving as Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)…”

Of course, fathers aren’t responsible for their children’s crimes. But what of the senior Hatfield’s influence on that Marxist dystopia of Oregon? I’m not sure it’s fair to blame him entirely for the state’s lurch to the left; on the other hand, “No one has had a more profound impact on Oregon in the last half century than Mark Hatfield,” said a dude who should know, then-Governor John Kitzhaber. He added that the state “will forever bear the imprint of his caring and his commitment.” Which implies that we can lay the current mess in Portland at Hatfield’s door.

Between that and his wayward son, this pol’s struck out twice.

Back to our correspondent:

I watched as much of Kristi Noem’s CPAC speech as I could handle (not very much).  She is very problematic for conservative Christians for many reasons, including Isaiah 3:12.  

One other thing.  My beloved grandmother, a bitter non-Christian by all indications, however, I believe, possessing experiential wisdom that comes with many years of life on earth, taught me never to trust female politicians.  She used to say, “Where is her husband?”  

I couldn’t agree more. And I say that as a woman, in case you didn’t know.

That is not to say that we should trust male politicians like Mark Hatfield.  

Amen and amen!

Mark Carroll is disappointed I didn’t continue listing Noem’s evils:

You stopped too soon. Noem was also complimentary of Reagan, who was the phoniest conservative of all. A socialist masquerading as a conservative; doing what he had done for years – just getting paid by Washington instead of Hollywood.

David considers my “criticism of this woman” “appropriate” and adds,

she also openly said that the people of S.D. had made a huge mistake in voting to fully legalize cannabis in the state in Nov.  She had her team argued (successfully) before the state supreme court that the initiative violated the state constitution.  Meanwhile medical cannabis passed as well (and was allowed), but she clearly does NOT support freedom in S.D.  Just another statist POS.

Mr. Anonymous writes,

I’m with you. EVERY politician is suspect. Noem stands out merely because she diverges gently from the stupendous psychopathy of most of her fellow governors. This doesn’t make her the last hope of mankind. Though we all at times hunger for a glimpse of an earthly savior. She’s certainly no Ron Paul. Solutions to our problems must come from US as individuals in small groups.

Hear, hear! This idea is central to our belief in freedom. 

Solutions will never be donated to us by political “leaders”. The very aspiration to the office of the unduly powerful presidency is itself an indication of ill intent.

Our forbears in the 18th century understood that truth; it’s a warning we must resurrect. Any man craving to rule others proves he’s unfitted to the task by that very lust.

Mr. Anonymous II laments, 

that many libertarians are deluded by the rhetoric and guile of Republican politicians.  It is a wonder how many times they can expend their energy in praise of the appealing, charismatic, and often stunningly attractive candidates for office, ignoring the track records of other clones who have gone before.  Befuddling and counterproductive to the destruction of the state.  Do they not see Nixon’s quick turnaround to initiate numerous state spending projects – including an executive order for the EPA ?  How about Bush I’s “no new taxes ?  Or Reagan’s aggressive use of asset forfeiture, or his idiotic war on Grenada ? Or Bush II’s wars in the middle east ?  Or Trump’s promises to end the Afghan and Iraq Occupations, or his reluctance to stop any of the Covid nonsense (which started under his watch !) keeping Dr Fauci employed the entire time. And these are only a few examples of the constant despotism during the terms of office.   It could almost make one wax nostalgic about the Clinton administration, where state spending was actually less in real terms than in most of these Republican administrations.   And then they appeal to the authority of economists who have gone before, such as Friedman and Rothbard, in endorsing a Republican for President, making the same mistake those economists made in ignoring the clone-like behavior of Republicans once in office.  They are seeking the lesser of two evils when they wind up getting the evil of two lessers.  And that is inevitable until the state tree is destroyed by trunk, branch and root. 

And R R Schoettker rounds out our unflattering picture of Hatfield:

I concur with your judgement in this regard and as the following comments (extracted from Wikipedia) on the squeaky-clean “Saint Mark” reveal, even Rothbard’s ‘faith’ in politicians was misplaced. Being the least wicked among a group of the totally evil is nothing any person should be admired for!

In 1991, it was also revealed that Hatfield had failed to report a number of expensive gifts from the president of the University of South Carolina, James B. Holderman. Again, he apologized. But the Senate’s Ethics Committee rebuked Hatfield for the latter act. Hatfield received another rebuke from the Senate after the Ethics Committee investigated two gifts that he had received in the form of forgiven loans from a former congressman and a California businessman. During his tenure he gained billions of dollars in the form of federal appropriations for projects in Oregon.”

As you said…….“At day’s end, she is still a politician who favors many ‘initiatives’ that are never any business of Leviathan’s.” Keep calling these ‘rulers’ out!

I will. That’s why I’ve belabored this topic despite the good news from Texas and New York (where the execrable Cuomo is going down!!!). Nor do I wish to pick on Hatfield, Noem or even Charles Burris; any politician by the nature of politics cannot withstand scrutiny. Believing one extraordinary man can rise above the filth of his profession is as silly as believing an abortionist can be a decent person.

Let none of us ever forget that it is liberty—not a person and especially not a politician—for which we’re fighting. 

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1:50 pm on March 3, 2021