{"id":20941,"date":"2024-10-14T15:11:58","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T19:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jimbovard.com\/blog\/?p=20941"},"modified":"2024-10-14T15:54:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T19:54:48","slug":"will-politicians-toxify-freedom-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimbovard.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/14\/will-politicians-toxify-freedom-forever\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Politicians Toxify Freedom Forever?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"text-4xl font-crimson text-misesGreyDark [text-wrap:balance] md:text-5xl lg:text-6xl mb-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mises.org\/mises-wire\/will-politicians-toxify-freedom-forever\">Will Politicians Toxify Freedom Forever?<\/a><\/h1>\n<section class=\"relative w-full clear-both\">\n<div class=\"lg:mr-5 mb-6 lg:float-left lg:max-w-[240px] relative z-[1] print:hidden\">\n<div class=\"border-t-8 border-misesBlue mb-2 max-w-full bg-misesGreyBlue\">\n<div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mises.org\/styles\/responsive_4_3_650w\/s3\/images\/2024-10\/AdobeStock_Freedom%20is%20slavery.jpeg.webp?itok=aD3CfjJG\" alt=\"Freedom is slavery\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mises.org\/styles\/responsive_4_3_650w\/s3\/images\/2024-10\/AdobeStock_Freedom%20is%20slavery.jpeg.webp?itok=aD3CfjJG 650w,\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_4_3_870w\/s3\/images\/2024-10\/AdobeStock_Freedom%20is%20slavery.jpeg.webp?itok=q2HMs3In 870w,\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_4_3_1090w\/s3\/images\/2024-10\/AdobeStock_Freedom%20is%20slavery.jpeg.webp?itok=q83Foy1n 1090w,\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_4_3_1310w\/s3\/images\/2024-10\/AdobeStock_Freedom%20is%20slavery.jpeg.webp?itok=4foRh23_ 1310w,\/s3\/files\/styles\/responsive_4_3_1530w\/s3\/images\/2024-10\/AdobeStock_Freedom%20is%20slavery.jpeg.webp?itok=8r16WiEm 1530w\" data-multiplier=\"1x\" data-lqp=\"1\" data-ratio=\"4:3\" data-once=\"easy-responsive-image\" data-observed=\"1\" data-loaded=\"1\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative w-full\">\n<h3 class=\"article-tags flex flex-row flex-wrap items-center gap-x-2 my-1.5\" data-component-id=\"mises:element-article-tags\"><time datetime=\"2024-10-14T14:00:00Z\">10\/14\/2024<\/time> <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2022<\/span> <span class=\"mises-link\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/mises.org\/mises-wire\" hreflang=\"en\">Mises Institute Wire<\/a> <\/span> <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2022<\/span> <span class=\"mises-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mises.org\/profile\/james-bovard\" hreflang=\"en\">James Bovard<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"prose max-w-none prose-headings:text-misesBlueDark first:prose-p:mt-0 first:prose-ol:mt-0 first:prose-ul:mt-0 first:prose-h2:mt-0 first:prose-h3:mt-0 first:prose-figure:mt-0 prose-th:font-bold prose-figure:my-1 prose-img:my-1 hover:prose-a:no-underline article-body\" data-component-id=\"mises:atom-body-copy\">\n<div>\n<p><strong>The official theme song of the Kamala Harris presidential campaign is \u201cFreedom\u201d by Beyonce. But a more accurate theme would be the Rolling Stones classic, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aGRnokznTF0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Under my Thumb<\/a>. Vice President Harris is seeking the presidency as the greatest champion of freedom in modern times. But Kamala-style freedom will only unleash the government, not private citizens.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The original Bill of Rights created a row of bulwarks for citizens to prevent government oppression. In the era of the American Revolution, it was a common saying: \u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jimbovard.com\/Bovard_Lost_Rights_Introduction.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restraint of Government<\/a> is the True Liberty and Freedom of the People.\u201d But Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, are offering a \u201cfreedom,\u201d seemingly inspired by Yugoslavian communist dictator <strong>Tito: \u201cThe more powerful the State, the more freedom.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Harris begins by tacitly presuming that politicians must forcibly save humanity. Harris seeks to vastly expand government intervention to supposedly give people true freedom in daily life. Harris\u2019s \u201cfreedom\u201d presumes government is irrevocably benevolent\u2014unless you are a bad person who deserves punishment or subjugation or overtaxing. But the definition of \u201cbad\u201d can be endlessly expanded to include anyone who howls about being fleeced, locked down, or muzzled.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Harris-Walz Freedom requires maximum government interference in daily life<\/strong>. Harris called for a merciless crackdown on misinformation, including punishing social media companies that fail to kowtow to Washington. Walz is emphatic that there is no freedom of speech for \u201cmisinformation\u201d\u2014a vague notion which can include any statement disapproved by officialdom. <strong>When did America\u2019s most distrusted occupation\u2014politicians\u2014become entitled to define truth and to forcibly suppress and punish what they label \u201cmisinformation\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Under the Harris-Walz standard, Americans will only have the freedom to say anything that the government approves.<\/strong> Walz endorsed a 1919 Supreme Court case that upheld <a href=\"https:\/\/sutherlandinstitute.org\/the-history-behind-shouting-fire-in-a-crowded-theater-and-other-free-speech-phrases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">imprisoning anyone<\/a> who criticized military conscription during World War One. The Biden administration was condemned by federal judges for suppressing millions of comments and jokes by Americans about Covid mandates and shutdowns. <strong>But according to liberals, that wasn\u2019t censorship because only reactionaries or deplorables complained about pandemic policies. Plus, Fauci is still a saint.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mindy Kaling, an actress and emcee for the third night of the Democratic National Convention, invoked \u201cthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ArmhreqR2AI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">freedom to work<\/a> one job and afford your rent.\u201d The Biden administration floated proposals for nationwide rent control and\u00a0Harris is championing proposals to stop \u201cprice gouging.\u201d <strong>To achieve true freedom, bureaucrats would commandeer veto power over any contract dealing with housing or food. And when federal price controls caused devastating shortages, that would simply prove that politicians need even more power over daily life.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At the Democratic National Convention, a Harris campaign video pledged that she would deliver \u201cfreedom from extremism<strong>.\u201d But that would provide a blank check to suppress any ideas of which politicians disapprove.<\/strong> <em>Newsweek<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/2023\/10\/13\/exclusive-fbi-targets-trump-followers-as-2024-election-nears-1831836.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a> last year that the FBI created\u00a0\u201ca new category of extremists that it seeks to track and counter: Donald Trump\u2019s army of MAGA followers.\u201d<strong> To permit politicians to define extremism is to let them preemptively vilify their most dangerous critics<\/strong>. Two years ago, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/white-house-shrugs-off-biden-211948644.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">asserted<\/a>, \u201cWhen you are not with what majority of Americans are, then you know, that is extreme. That is an extreme way of thinking.\u201d<strong> This is a definition of extremism that could put the federal crosshairs on most people who visit this website.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFreedom from fear\u201d is another Harris-Walz promise. <strong>Pledging \u201cfreedom from fear\u201d entitles politicians to seize power over anything that frightens anyone. People who sound the alarm about excessive government power will be guilty of subverting freedom from fear. Giving politicians more power based on people\u2019s fears is like giving firemen pay raises based on how many false alarms are reported.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Harris promises the \u201cfreedom to be safe from gun violence.\u201d Harris previously supported <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/kamala-harriss-previous-support-for-a-ban-on-handguns-highlights-the-gun-control-movements-broader-aims\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">banning private<\/a> ownership of pistols, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/kamala-harris-once-said-police-133749431.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">warrantless searches<\/a> of people\u2019s homes to inspect their firearms, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nraila.org\/articles\/20240729\/kamala-harris-is-an-existential-threat-to-the-second-amendment-and-supports-gun-confiscation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">confiscating the<\/a> most popular rifle in America. <strong>Freedom from fear of guns will justify politicians confiscating any firearm that frightens any liberal in the land.<\/strong> <strong>Disarming Americans will leave them in total dependency on the same politicians who lied to confiscate their guns in the first place.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Walz declared that he and Kamala were devoted to safeguarding \u201cthe freedom for children to go to school without worrying if they\u2019ll be shot in the halls.\u201d But what about children\u2019s freedom not to be forcibly <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/04\/14\/the-corrupted-science-behind-bidens-covid-vax-mandates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">injected with experimental vaccines<\/a>? Liberal Democratic governors in California and New York pushed hard to make Covid vaccines mandatory for school kids. California is also safeguarding the \u201cfreedom\u201d to mastermind using drugs or other interventions to assist kids to change their gender while keeping the treatment secret from parents.<\/p>\n<p>Harris <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KamalaHarris\/status\/1837221764000272786\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">champions<\/a> \u201cthe fundamental freedom of a woman to be able to make decisions about her own body.\u201d But vast numbers of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/opinion\/2022\/01\/07\/biden-vaccine-mandate-nurses\/9093551002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nurses were fired<\/a> for refusing to get the Covid vaccine that Biden mandated for all health care workers. Biden sought to compel tens of millions to get those injections despite their <a href=\"https:\/\/sph.unc.edu\/sph-news\/study-shows-effectiveness-of-updated-covid-19-vaccines-wanes-moderately-over-time-is-lower-against-currently-circulating-variants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dismal failure<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/09\/14\/the-real-data-behind-the-new-covid-vaccines-the-white-house-is-pushing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prevent Covid<\/a> infections or transmission. The Supreme Court blocked Biden\u2019s mandate for private employees but perversely allowed it for health care workers (even though many of them had natural immunity after recovering from Covid infections). That court decision did not prevent liberal governors and mayors from imposing vaccine passport restrictions that effectively sought to banish the unvaccinated from society.<\/p>\n<p>All that matters is that the latest Covid booster is government-approved\u2014so forcing people to get injected is no violation of individual freedom, which includes freedom to obey your superiors. <strong>The same standard could justify imposing endless vaccine mandates for future plagues that escape from federally-funded labs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Harris pledges to give Americans \u201cthe freedom to breathe clean air, and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis.\u201d Since the 1970s, federal legislation has sharply curbed pollution of air and water. And how would Harris define this new \u201cfreedom\u201d? Parts per billion or parts per trillion of contaminants? To achieve Harris\u2019s vague standards, federal regulators would be entitled to ban gasoline-powered cars and gas stoves. Harris would also entitle bureaucrats to inflict endless restrictions on development to satisfy the latest green fetish.<\/p>\n<p>Harris-Walz freedom is a circus shell game in which constitutional restraints vanish and politicians always win. Once politicians invoke the new freedoms to stretch their power, it will not matter whether they deliver the bounties they promise. Citizens will be left muzzled and disarmed and at the mercy of officialdom.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign video pledged that Harris would give Americans \u201cfreedom from control.\u201d A more honest Harris-Walz campaign slogan would be: \u201cFor your own good.\u201d Or maybe promise Americans the \u201cfreedom to be what the government approves<strong>\u201d? Perhaps the Harris-Walz art team could create an icon portraying an iron fist as the new, improved symbol of freedom. Adding a smiley face atop the fist would harmonize with the Harris \u201cjoy\u201d and \u201cpositive vibes\u201d campaign theme.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Redefining boundless arbitrary power as freedom is the death knell for government under the law<\/strong>. The Harris-Walz delusions on freedom stem in part from the Democratic Party\u2019s perverse notion of the proper role of government. The perverse redefinition of freedom parallels the attempt to portray politicians as literal saviors.\u00a0At the Democratic National Convention, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Grisham hailed Harris: \u201cWe need a president who can be Consoler-in-Chief. We need a president capable of holding us in a great big hug.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not me. I have enough shams in my life without some politician pretending to be my friend.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Instead of vesting blind trust in Harris and Walz, Americans should heed Thomas Jefferson\u2019s 1798 warning: \u201cIn questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.\u201d <strong>Those constitutional chains will come in damn handy no matter who wins the election next month.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Is there as much confusion in America on the meaning of freedom as there is on the benefits of tariffs?<\/strong> For almost half a century, prevailing opinion in this nation recognized the folly of permitting politicians to recklessly blockade our own ports with heavy taxes on imports. But both parties are now portraying tariffs as economic magic wands.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, Americans for generations had an instinctive recognition of the danger of unleashing politicians and letting government officials wantonly intrude into their lives. The Supreme Court declared in 1934, \u201cA general, roving&#8230; investigation, conducted by a commission without any allegations&#8230; is unknown to our Constitution and laws; and such an inquisition would be destructive of the rights of the citizen, and an intolerable tyranny.\u201d But this is practically the recipe for Harris-Walz freedom as well as some of Donald Trump\u2019s interventionist schemes. <strong>Regardless of the election outcome, Americans must beware of Trojan horse definitions of freedom that allow bureaucrats to clamor out and take over everyone\u2019s lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Will Politicians Toxify Freedom Forever? 10\/14\/2024 \u2022 Mises Institute Wire \u2022 James Bovard The official theme song of the Kamala Harris presidential campaign is \u201cFreedom\u201d by Beyonce. But a more accurate theme would be the Rolling Stones classic, Under my Thumb. Vice President Harris is seeking the presidency as the greatest champion of freedom in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[110,391,2349,753,476,4376,182,2516,2021,4377,4375,3660,3137,932,4374,316,24,443,4326,4373,4378,3019],"class_list":["post-20941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-arbitrary-power","tag-censorship","tag-covid","tag-donald-trump","tag-extremism","tag-freedom-from-fear","tag-guns","tag-iron-fist","tag-kamala-harris","tag-michelle-grisham","tag-mindy-kaling","tag-misinformation","tag-nurses","tag-presidential-election","tag-rolling-stones","tag-second-amendment","tag-supreme-court","tag-tariffs","tag-tim-walz","tag-tito","tag-trojan-horse","tag-vaccines"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Will Politicians Toxify Freedom Forever? 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The Wall Street Journal called Bovard \\\"the roving inspector general of the modern state\\\" and Washington Post columnist George Will called him a \\\"one-man truth squad.\\\" His 1994 book, Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty, received the Free Press Association\u2019s Mencken Award as Book of the Year. His Terrorism &amp; Tyranny won the Lysander Spooner \\\"Best Book on Liberty in 2003\\\" award. He received the Thomas Szasz Award for Civil Liberties work, awarded by the Center for Independent Thought and the Freedom Fund Award from the Firearms Civil Rights Defense Fund of the National Rifle Association. 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