“Many of the attitudes and behaviors of psychopaths have a distinct predatory quality to them.” — Psychopathy: An Important Forensic Concept for the 21st Century

In this Age of War where anything that runs against the dominant narrative is considered mis- or disinformation, if not an outright lie, those promoting Austrian economic and political theory might find they’re wearing a bullseye on their backs.  With J6 already established as the State in action, dissent, especially of a fundamental nature, becomes a declaration of war to the psychopaths in DC.  Imagine the nightmare of a SWAT raid on the Mises Institute in Auburn, with instructions per Mar-a-Lago to use deadly force if necessary. The 5-Ingredient Cookb... Kelly, Benjamin Best Price: $8.98 Buy New $9.26 (as of 11:44 UTC - Details)

With the mainstream media already an Orwellian Ministry of Truth, it would be a routine matter to lock away anyone perceived as a threat to state edicts.  Is there anything published or broadcast on Mises.org that couldn’t be interpreted as a threat?  The masthead of LRC reads “anti-state•anti-war•pro-market”and currently gets almost a million visits per month.  To the state this is open-and-shut and says come and get us.  That they haven’t so far is not a reflection of state magnanimity.  Psychopaths are not magnanimous.  The ideas of peace, prosperity, and individual rights do not go over well in the halls of power, especially if they’re summoned in a public critique of state actions or proposed legislation.

Consider the state response to the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol, according to Axios.  It was a feast of criminality if the media is to be believed: More than 1,100 people have been charged with a crime, including President Trump.  The charges and number of defendants include:

— Entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds  — 967.  Of these, “104 have been charged with ‘entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon,’ per the U.S. Attorney’s office for D.C.”

— Assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employees  — 372.

— Corruptly obstructing, influencing or impeding an official proceeding or attempting to do so — 310.

— Destruction of government property — 64.

— Theft of government property — 51.

— Conspiracy — 42.

— Assaulting a member of the media or destroying their equipment —11.

In addition, “About 140 police officers were assaulted during the Capitol riot,” though none died in the line of duty.  No mention of Ashley Babbitt whose never-prosecuted murderer claimed later that in shooting her he saved countless lives.

Trump of course was blamed for the riot, but why was his request for 10,000 National Guard troops turned down?

And this from the US Attorney’s Office in DC: “Citizens from around the country have provided invaluable assistance in identifying individuals in connection with the Jan. 6 attack.”  See step two of C.S. Lewis’s “How to Recognize and Resist Oppression.”

A hallmark of tyranny is the drafting of citizens to help identify dissidents — Nazi Germany had over 150,000 informants by April, 1933, in an effort to “cleanse” society of riffraff.  Dissidents “spoiled the mirage of voluntary unanimity that the Soviet regime took pains to construct . . . [and because of their dedication and bravery] the democratic facade of the Soviet Union was discredited and the ideological nature of the East-West confrontation became impossible to conceal.”

But Republican persistence in J6 was not dead.  “In a move that Democrats and left-leaning groups have called a threat to security,” House Republicans posted 90 hours of footage from J6 on November 17, 2023 in the CHA Subcommittee Reading Room.  “Eventually, around 95 percent of the 44,000 hours of tape will eventually be made available.”  How comforting is that to the 378 defendants locked up (listed here), while some “are being subject to solitary confinement, a lack of required medical care, and restricted access to defense counsel.”

I sampled some of the security videos, and the closest I could find that suggested disorder, let alone a riot, was this one, with security officers wearing heavy protective gear and shoving camera-armed Trump supporters back after they had gone forward in some hallway of the Capitol.

It turns out there is one video that trumps (sorry) all the others.  It’s from the Committee on House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight – GOP, Chairman Barry Loudermilk  (GA-11).  According to the committee, “Since January 6, 2021, Nancy Pelosi spent 3+ years and nearly $20 million creating a narrative to blame Donald Trump.  New footage, taken by Alexandra Pelosi [Nancy’s daughter], shows on January 6, Pelosi admitted: “’I take responsibility.’” Liberalism’s Las... Yadav, Vikash Best Price: $12.96 Buy New $29.80 (as of 11:44 UTC - Details)

Conclusion

People fighting for a reduced or extinguished state will never have many allies, but we can never quit.  Someday voters might believe Emma Goldman or Mark Twain who were on the same page in saying states allow cosmetic changes only.  It’s fantasy thinking but imagine the entire electorate boycotting an election.  Political enemies might finally agree that government of an involuntary nature doesn’t work — for either side.

The UN is calling for the UK to “adopt comprehensive measures to discourage and combat racist hate speech and xenophobic discourse by political and public figures.”  In practice it means if the government doesn’t like what you’re saying it will define your words as violating the law and prosecute you.

Let’s fight to make sure Austrian economics stays free from government’s  “comprehensive measures.”  And the way to do that, I believe, is to make sure your words, whether written or spoken, are truthful and reach out to the general public.

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