tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post6218628686507936541..comments2023-08-20T11:07:28.396+01:00Comments on Freeborn John: Tales from ProhibitionPeter Risdonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792275403997179926noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-37620645866279034862008-10-03T14:38:00.000+01:002008-10-03T14:38:00.000+01:00H.L. Mencken summed it up succinctly:“Five years o...H.L. Mencken summed it up succinctly:<BR/>“Five years of Prohibition have had, at least, this one benign effect: they have completely disposed of all the favorite arguments of the Prohibitionists. None of the great boons and usufructs that were to follow the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment has come to pass. There is not less drunkenness in the Republic, but more. There is not less crime, but more. There is not less insanity, but more. The cost of government is not smaller, but vastly greater. Respect for law has not increased, but diminished.”Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-5557646577796935932008-10-03T14:13:00.000+01:002008-10-03T14:13:00.000+01:00Very interesting.Prohibition is surely an excellen...Very interesting.<BR/>Prohibition is surely an excellent example of the problem with democracy, of which socialism is simply an advanced form,in that power tends to be hijacked by a political elite who justify any infringement of personal freedom on the grounds that it's for your own good, whilst ensuring that power is concentrated in their own hands and the hands of people who share their prejudices.<BR/><BR/>The problem is the conflation of democracy with freedom.It is the rule of law which guarantees individual freedom and not democracy. In his speech from the scaffold King Charles said<BR/><BR/>"For the people. And truly I desire their Liberty and Freedom as much as any Body whomsoever. But I must tell you, That their Liberty and Freedom, consists in having of Government; those Laws, by which their Life and their Gods may be most their own. It is not for having share in government (Sir) that is nothing pertaining to them. A subject and a soveraign are clean different things, and therefore until they do that, I mean, that you do put the people in that liberty as I say, certainly they will never enjoy themselves."<BR/><BR/>I think he was right. Monarchy tempered by an entrenched aristocracy is certainly better for individual freedom than democracy, though personally I'd prefer a nightwatchman state as existed in Cowperthwaite's Hong Kong.<BR/><BR/>When the Queen's speech runs along the following lines:<BR/>"Lords, ladies and Gentleman, other than actions necessary for the proper maintenance of the rule of law, my government will be taking no action whatsoever during this session of parliament. Ehrrm... that's it. Drinks anyone? My round."<BR/>then we'll know we're free.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com