Piracy
Orrin over at First Principles has a very comprehensive piece on the looming piracy issue. He makes a good point:
The proper role of government can be understood as an umbrella. In order to maximize individual freedom, the government must protect us from other individuals who might wish to curtail that freedom. This is how being tough on crime and having a strong national defense are conservative in the tradition of protecting individual liberties. (While the proper balance is admittedly never easy to strike, liberals and many libertarians tend to ignore completely the freedom-enhancing value of being able to live your life free from fear of crime or death-by-terrorist, as if government were the only entity capable of restricting your freedom.)
No where does this principle apply more than with protecting commerce from direct, physical attack.
Imagine I make a product, and want to sell it across town to my friend who wants to buy it. He needs my product in his business, I need his money to grow my own business (and get a sweet car). But if I am attacked and lose my product every time I try to transport it to my friend, my production becomes pointless, and my profit is lost. In those circumstances, can I truly be said to be free to pursue my rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness? Not in the least. I starve, or am reduced to subsistence. Same with him.
In a global economy, international piracy works to strangle freedom and liberty in exactly the same way. It is a scourge to our most fundamental rights.
Undermining these economic liberties is far more dangerous than limiting the growth of some CEO’s retirement fund. It is a direct threat to our civilization.
Agreed. That is why this libertarian accepts the notion of limited government and is not quite an anarchist. I recommend the article and his prescription for a solution. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Obama to act decisively, however. He and his handlers are pretty invested in diplomacy, and it just wouldn’t do for him to come out swinging. We will have to wait to see whether he is an appeaser. I suspect he will be. â—„Daveâ–º
