Comments on: Freedom From The State

By: Club Troppo » Missing Link Daily

Club Troppo » Missing Link Daily — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:29:15 +0000

[...] rather than actually invading is the solution to situations like Burma, and reminisces about the golden age of British freedom circa [...]

By: P.M.Lawrence

P.M.Lawrence — Sat, 24 May 2008 08:06:11 +0000

“Prior to the Peel laws, policing wasn’t considered a vital part of the state, with the position of constable entirely voluntary”.

Oh no it wasn’t. Serving as a constable was organised on the same compulsory basis as serving as a juror; there was a pool of the wealthier sort, i.e. householders, who were tapped for each of these.

By: Brendan Halfweeg

Brendan Halfweeg — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:33:02 +0000

Pre-WWI, it wasn’t uncommon for an Englishman to go about his business armed with a pistol for self-defense. Prior to the Peel laws, policing wasn’t considered a vital part of the state, with the position of constable entirely voluntary. Anyone was capable of arresting and detaining a wrongdoer. By contracting out our civil law enforcement and defence, we have become dependent on the state and subject to its whims.

Not having a professional police force didn’t stop England rounding up enough Irish troublemakers and English thieves to send to Botany Bay!

By: nicholas gray

nicholas gray — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:59:55 +0000

I’ve often wondered at the effect of geography on politics. For example, all those Europeans who were doing military service were doing so because geography did not naturally protect their homelands. Britons, not just Englanders, were protected by the sea. And what a difference that has made! If there were a land bridge between Calais and Dover, so that the British Isles were the British Peninsula, they would have had a totally different philosophy!
This does not mean that Geography is National Destiny, but it must be a component.
We Australians, on an island, should guard our freedoms carefully.

By: Fleeced

Fleeced — Tue, 20 May 2008 04:26:22 +0000

“…for example, women still didn’t have the vote”

Must… resist… temptation…

By: P.M.Lawrence

P.M.Lawrence — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:57:27 +0000

"The age before WW1 was called the Victorian Age" - that ended in 1901, to be followed by the Edwardian Era with materially different cultural norms. "He could live where he liked and as he liked Unless he went to the wrong school or had the wrong accent" - no, unless he didn't have enough money. See Barney Barnato for someone with money but not the other two.

By: pommygranate

pommygranate — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:32:06 +0000

David

I wasn’t inferring that life was perfect before WWI for example, women still didn’t have the vote, and people were prevented from succeeding in life by virtue of their background rather than their ability.

But folk were a lot less dependent on the state back then – and i loved the first line.

By: DavidLeyonhjelm

DavidLeyonhjelm — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:00:20 +0000

The implication that life was freer in the 'good old days' may be true overall, but it certainly is not true in all the examples given. He could live where he liked and as he liked. Unless he went to the wrong school or had the wrong accent. He had no official number or identity card. Still doesn't as far as I know. He could travel abroad or leave his country forever without a passport or any sort of official permission. Except for the passport, he still can. But the freedom to visit other countries has increased dramatically. He could exchange his money for any other currency without restriction or limit. Except there were very few currencies that were exchangeable. Most countries did not allow it then. He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. But he couldn't import and sell them. Professional guilds and exclusive franchises were invented by the English. a foreigner could spend his life in this country without permit and without informing the police. I understand residents of EU countries can do that now. the state did not require its citizens to perform military service Still doesn't. The Englishman paid taxes on a modest scale I'll concede that one. All this changed by the impact of the Great War The war merely accelerated an existing tendency. Europe was still overcoming feudal traditions and found social levelling theories fascinating. Bolshevism was one outcome, but the ideas spread to England too. The war just amplified perceptions of inequality and made welfare more acceptable. I think you need to go back to the 19th and perhaps the 18th century to find an environment in which individuals barely noticed the state. Imagine getting married and simply recording it in the back of the bible. Or the birth of a child.

By: nicholas gray

nicholas gray — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:20:17 +0000

The age before WW1 was called the Victorian Age. I wonder if you could call a party the Pro-Victorian Party, practicing Pro-Victorianism, trying to highlight the good parts of the Victorian Age, before the State became so overwhelming? the party symbol could be the “V” sign, which you reverse when you come across statists.