When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong …
— From “The Rose”, written by Gordon Mills
© Universal Music Publishing Group
Sung by Bette Midler in the movie of the same title
After decades of indoctrination, far too many Americans believe that the free market “is only for the lucky and the strong”. Libertarians know – or should know – otherwise. It is The State’s interference in the economy – born of bribes, whether direct or in the form of campaign contributions – that favors the already-powerful and grinds everyone else into increasing impoverishment and despair.
But until a plurality of Americans knows this, also, we won’t win many converts, and those of us involved in politics won’t win many elections. We will, instead, be dismissed as callous and as apologists for Big Business. We simply must educate our fellow Americans that politicians are not their friends, bureaucrats are not their hope, The State is not their refuge – that, rather, as Nock made clear, their enemy is The State.
We will not do it by allowing ourselves to be seen as friends of corporations and of corporatism. We will not do it by merely decrying the evils of coercion, although that evil we must ever oppose, nor by merely bemoaning the inefficiency and ineptitude of regulations and social programs in working for their alleged goals. This is because many voters are willing to accept coercion and willing to tolerate inefficiency and ineptitude, believing that the alleged goals are the actual goals of regulations and social programs.
Let us go forth among both voters and those who currently see no purpose in voting – and spread the message that it is The State which has stacked the deck for the purpose of aggrandizing the giant corporations, motivated by the lavish rewards heaped by grateful plutocrats upon the politicians which nominate and confirm the managers of the mis-named welfare state. Let us point out that the regulations and programs that they have been told are for their benefit are in truth for the benefit of “the lucky and the strong”, and inform them that most corporate donations to foundations and think tanks and politicians go to those advocating more, not less, political control of the economy. Let us note that only Libertarians will Unstack The Deck.
Libertarians! Show your fellow Americans how much better off they would be with reduced or eliminated taxes, with a government that does not tilt the economic playing field toward Big Business, with a rolled-back bureaucracy.
Not everyone can be lucky. Not everyone can be strong. But every honest American can benefit from a de-stacked deck.
