L.A. Liberty

Privatization Ruffles Feathers (or, rather, Rankles Pork Rind)

At the farmer’s market today, LAPD had a large booth and trailer to - I guess - show that they’re a part of the community too. (They proved how they’re just like us by parking their squad cruisers along the red-curbed street where anyone else would get ticketed).

Anyway, I wore my Hoppe “Privatize Everything” t-shirt today.

Once the cops clocked it and, after a few minutes, processed the implications - I was showered with dirty looks. It was actually pretty funny how I was being watched at all times. At one point, I was in the petting zoo area with my daughters and two of them spent a few minutes leaning over the fence to stare right at me. Surprisingly I was not approached, though it looked like a few of them were thinking about it. I almost wish they had; I’m happy to have the privatization conversation with anyone.

What is it about believing in the virtues of peaceful, consensual, and mutually beneficial exchange that gets people all worked up? Don’t most people recognize the undesirability of monopolies and initiating aggression? Why must anyone believe that a properly functioning society requires guns pointed at the heads of peaceful people?*

On the flip side, the old man who plays the banjo on the street corner recognized the shirt and said he loved von Mises, that the Institute does good work, and he’s always happy to meet “other smart libertarians.” It’s nice to know that his approval of my Ron Paul t-shirt back in the spring wasn’t superficial.

*These were rhetorical questions. Obviously, many police would typically be against privatization as it would put an end to their gravy train - no more unnecessary OT, no more unlimited pensions, no more acting with impunity, no more property seizures and harassment of people who have committed “victimless crimes,” etc.

Posted July 29, 2012 at 1:46pm in ∆ cops libertarian | comments || home