Every Road a Dead End

I live on a one-way street that's also a dead end.

I'm not sure how I got there.

-        Steven Wright

I have been thinking about writing something on the situation in Southeast Oregon.  I have been reading accounts of the situation as well as views of different writers (from the very broadly-defined libertarian world).  I have been trying to organize my thoughts: federal subsidies to farmers and ranchers on the one hand, encroachments by federal agents on the other (far larger) hand; struggling with why I feel as if there is something different (in principle and/or practice, I am not sure) in this situation than in the VW diesel situation (there is a connection, but this isn’t for today).

If you can’t tell by now, I do not feel ready to write anything of value.  Within the broadly-defined libertarian world I have read some very good things – the post by Justin Raimondo is (so far) at the top of this list; I have read some not-so-good things as well – this post at FEE (a re-post from Cato) is about bottom-of-the-barrel.

There are a couple of thoughts rumbling around in my head.  First and foremost, I pray no one resorts to violence.  The government actors can certainly just afford to wait.

The quote at the top of this post (as well as the title of the post) captures the second.  At the FEE post referenced above I found a comment that perfectly captured my thoughts (albeit with a minarchist bent) – fully formed by the author while I am still struggling to form a puff.

Michael Shurtleff [in response to the FEE/Cato author]

It all sounds very well and good from your point of view. What goes unsaid is everything that really matters. The situation is unacceptable in that the federal government has methodically eroded states rights and private property rights through fraud and bribery.

What are a People to do when the cards are stacked against them? Corruption in the courtroom, judicial misconduct, jury tampering, fraud upon the court, all these things I have witnessed via transcripts and personal appearances. When does it stop?

The ballot box is broken. The jury box is being tampered with. So now we have Americans who are at a loss for the "politically correct" alternative. When the group that runs the world owns the politicians and their legal teams where do the People turn?

I don't advocate violence, however civil disobedience is our strongest hand at this point. The People need unification and the silent majority, which is questionably present in America, need to stand up, speak up, and act out against this government encroachment of human rights. We have a right to transparent government, equitable justice, and private property as well as the right to keep and bear arms.

We have law that protects the right to representative government that doesn't manipulate the media to foster war on our neighbors yet our government violates that law by frauds such as the 14th amendment. Why don't you talk about that while your expounding on virtue?

The government refuses to hear our grievances in general so where do we go oh wise one?

From the opening paragraph: “What goes unsaid is everything that really matters.”  What a powerfully succinct line, well-defended via the remainder of the comment. 

“What goes unsaid is everything that really matters.”  This is always the case for allowable discourse; it is almost always the case at many think-tank pseudo-libertarian organizations.

I may have no reason to write anything else on this topic.  Michael Shurtleff has placed a high hurdle – I will have to come up with something both different than his comment and at least as meaningful.

In the meantime, pray that cool heads prevail on all sides.