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Prohibition Failed—Again!
What IS the Lesson of History?
Ask the Right Question[1]—REDUX
by Dennis Lee Wilson
[email protected]

Special to The Libertarian Enterprise*

Arizona politicians, reacting in part [1] to tales of trespass and violence on private lands near the border with Mexico, (see explanation by Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen[2] HERE) have responded by taking upon themselves the very same brutal, tyrannical powers of the Federal police state that caused the problem in the first place.

What Arizona politicians have conveniently ignored is that the Federal government's UN-constitutional[3]—and therefore illegal—action of putting armed guards and gates at the established border crossings several decades ago (and gradually "tightening" entry requirements) has been the CAUSE of people crossing at other places along the border—repeating the historical experience of "The Wall" between East & West Berlin.

Furthermore, the Federal government's UN-constitutional—and therefore illegal—War Against (some) Drugs has created a lucrative black market accompanied by violence—repeating the violent historical experience of the "Roaring Twenties" War Against Alcohol.

Alcohol? Drugs? Travel? Guns? Tobacco? Gambling? Sex? Salt? Sugar? Soda Pop? The target of government prohibition does not matter. PROHIBITION has NEVER worked! But the (unintended?[4]) consequence has ALWAYS been violence and "black" markets where none existed before.

The proper solution to Arizona's border violence is REPEAL of the un-constitutional, Federally imposed prohibitions on both travel and drugs. And THAT is what Arizona politicians have failed to identify and rectify. I REMEMBER when the current problems DID NOT EXIST. I remember forty years ago when the border crossings were not so heavily Federalized and the government prohibition on (some) drugs was still in its infancy. The increase in violence came with the increase in prohibition.

When the government prohibition on alcohol was repealed, the violence and black markets ceased immediately!

Protect Our Youth! Save our Children! Stamp Out Prohibition!

Our grandparents admitted their mistake and resolved this problem in their time! What part of that history lesson has the government school system successfully eradicated from the minds of Arizona's politicians—and the voters who keep them in office?

Wake up Arizona! Prohibiting government from violating individual rights has ALSO failed! The lesson of history is that no form of political governance may be relied upon to secure the individual rights of life, liberty and property![5] It is folly to create a political system (a government) that empowers SOME people to exercise control over other people. Such a system ALWAYS becomes abusive of individual rights. Government—at ALL levels—is an unnecessary evil, a deadly, ever-growing cancer posing as its own cure!

There ARE other ways to establish and "organize" social structures without resorting to a hierarchy of power. But as long as a person continues to embrace the idea of prohibition by use of government decree and power, that person will not seek out literature on better, non-intrusive social structures. As long as an individual seeks to employ a system of government to control the behavior of other individuals, that individual will not himself be free.

Dennis Lee Wilson
Signatory: Covenant of Unanimous Consent ( http://dennisleewilson.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=7.0 )

Post Script to my would-be detractors :
Yes, unlike Federal Attorney General Eric Holder, I did read the Arizona bill at http://www.azleg.gov/alispdfs/council/SB1070-HB2162.PDF before I wrote this article. Have you read the Constititution and my published analysis of it[1] [3] regarding this issue?

Notes

[1] "Ask the Right Question" addresses the problem of "protecting" the government welfare, hospital and school systems from non-citizens, along with other issues long before they were mentioned by Senator Allen. Expanded version with supporting material is available at [this link]

[2] Explanation by Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen
Ironically, her final sentence contains a plea for "...respecting and upholding the Constitution the law of our land..." while she herself—like so many others—ignores what it actually contains. (See [3] below).

[3] "Immigration control is UN-Constitutional!" addresses the UN-Constitutionality of Federal immigration acts. REALLY! Its TRUE! The US Constitution does NOT AUTHORIZE immigration control! P.S., that goes for EXIT control also!! Expanded version with supporting material is available at [this link]

[4] Are the consequences of government's actions really "unintended"? Larken Rose makes the following point in "In Defense of Bigots":

What those in "government" have done in the name of improving "race relations" was designed to forever divide the races, and to keep both sides forever begging "government" for its blessings and preferential treatment. The result is perpetual strife among the citizenry, and increased power for politicians.

[5] From the preamble of the Covenant of Unanimous Consent.

Mr. Wilson is a 49 year resident of Arizona. He has watched Arizona grow from benevolent Goldwater "conservatism" to intolerant "Bomber" McCain Madness and is disgusted, but no longer surprised by the intolerant bigotry of Arizona's "white" newcomers; intolerant bigotry that keeps Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in office, intolerant bigotry that has driven-out Hispanic and other businesses and labor, and intolerant bigotry that has contributed in large measure to the more than $3.3 Billion Arizona government deficit. He tolerates bigots who exclude Mexicans from their (the bigot's) own private property, but does NOT tolerate their attempts to exclude invited Mexicans, Canadians and other guests from HIS property.

* Originally published at Mr. Wilson's forum/blog

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