Special to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Come out, come out, wherever you are.

Tomorrow is what was known in the village as The Saturday of Hallelujah. Sunday is Easter. Passover night was between the eighth and the 9th. Even though we’ll be pounded with snow this weekend, the year is turning to life and light.

And we’re stuck inside, the American economy in ruins, by the orders of our “betters” following those infallible computer models they’re so fond of. We’re subjected, every day, to more ridiculous, job-killing, wealth-destroying dictates from our lords and masters.

The latest insanity is that seeds aren’t essential, and nurseries and even the garden section of the local home improvement stores need to be closed.

Not ESSENTIAL in whose estimation? Not essential by whose decision? Nurseries, like many other small businesses live on a tight margin, and in this case are HIGHLY seasonal. They won’t be there next year, if they’re shut this year. Not that this matters, right? Because our betters know they’re “not essential.”

In a year when farmers are being hampered in planting (yes, I know the farmers are in the fields. DUH. If I had fields I also would be trying to save some embers from the blaze of ruin. But farming isn’t the simple endeavor people like Bloomberg think it is. You don’t just poke seeds from last year into the ground, and voila, crop. That’s not how any of this works. There are soil improvements that are needed, fertilizers, there are parts for machinery. Seeds need to be obtained and obtained in a timely manner. More importantly, planting and harvesting need to happen at regular times. Oh, and your animals? They need fodder at regular times too. And if someone has decided fodder doesn’t need to be transported or isn’t essential…. well, hello losing most of your dairy herd.

Some of the stories already filtering out, despite the media doing their best to squelch them are that milk is being dumped for lack of a filter needed to sell the milk commercially. Some of us have already seen milk getting really expensive/rationed in certain areas of the country. And in California, produce are rotting in the fields.

Now, this being the soon to be independent (ah!) Glorious Bear Flag People’s Republic of California under Leader For Life Gary Noisome, that could be because they’re not letting farmers get to the fields. Or it could be because our leftists and the press (BIRM) did such a great psy-ops campaign in their attempt to crash the economy so they could win the election (worked in 08) that they convinced a lot of illegal farm laborers they were all going to die if they stayed in the US. They stoked the fire enough that Mexico closed their border for fear we’d come back and infect them. A situation—given the disparity of our medical systems—that by itself should have told people in the US how much bullshit was being piled on us. But it didn’t. And people read uncritically stories of Mexicans defending their border against Americans trying to escape there. (Rolls eyes.) Guys, who in hell escapes to MEXICO? I bet you anything those “Americans” were illegals repatriating. So, that might very well be why produce are rotting in the fields in California. (And another failure of the internationalist open borders crowd who set unrealistic goals for minimum wage and other worker compensation, and then paid illegals almost nothing, while they kept natives in idleness on welfare.)

However, be that as it may, considering California is our main food producing region, such as it is, despite its best attempt to turn itself into a desert, that’s bad news. But there are others: for decades now, a lot of our food has come from abroad. How many of the vegetables in the store are stamped with “produce of Mexico”? With the disruption of international trade caused by this insanity, things were always going to be tight.

So, what sense does it make for them to ban the sale of SEEDS as non-essential? In any sane society, they’d be looking at what’s coming down the pike and going “Plant a victory garden. Hell, we’ll give seeds and fertilizers to anyone who wants them and promises to plant a victory garden. Any HOA preventing you from plowing your lawn under and planting food is working against the best interests of the country and their powers are suspended.” Because you know, winter will inevitably come. And this winter a lot of people, if they don’t outright starve, are going to come close enough to see it. Plus those of us with restricted dietary needs will either have to forget it, and know we’re shortening our lives or just starve. (So, diabetes or starvation, say. Yeah.)

So, why are they doing the other way? Well, maybe they’re really really stupid and unable to think through third order effects. Which is possible. Or maybe they’re malevolent and trying to accomplish “green agenda” goals by other means. How long have they wanted to drastically reduce population in the US?

In support of that later, there’s the fact they’re touting how great it is we’re “reducing emissions” and the fact they want to push the Green New Way of Starving Deal into any relief package passed. (BTW, no real reductions in carbon, as measured, because, well…. humans don’t contribute that much. Except maybe China, which is open for business again.)

There is also the fact that in the name of COVID-19 preparedness they emptied hospitals. Suddenly, things like heart surgery and cancer treatment are “elective.” The hospitals, btw, sit empty, because Winnie the Flu hit well below even the bed occupancy at peak flu season (except for a couple of places.) Which means…. Well, who was it who wanted to send granny home with an aspirin? Mission accomplished.

The execrable Pope—great time to have an Argentinian Communist in power, people. Aren’t Communists excommunicated by the by—who ain’t too bright and has more trouble than his fellow leftists keeping his mouth shut, has already given the game away by saying the virus is Gaia’s revenge or some similar rot. Somehow, yeah, China’s dereliction comes from “Global warming.” (Rolls eyes.)

And yesterday—rumor, or not? The source was highly credible—we got word that home improvement stores will be closing their garden section (I really, really , really didn’t want to spend 2k in everything I need for the summer work on the house) and that the only paint considered essential is contractors grade in grey or white.

Oh, hello socialism and command economy. Since when do they get to tell us what types of paint are essential? Also, who in heavens name doesn’t realize that closing that kind of production means you probably can’t restart it for years? AND WHY? Do other colors increase your chance of getting sick? Does the virus love pink? WHAT SENSE DOES THIS MAKE?

None. Absolutely none. This is all a cosplay cross between what was done to combat the flu in 1918 (most of which measures did nothing, btw) and a crazed attempt to recreat WWII rationing. Only this virus is not nearly as lethal as the flu of 1918, (and importantly not to the same demographics) and there is no “war production” because there is no war to produce for. Sure, okay, yeah, we need to bring a lot of stuff that used to be made in China back home. BUT that has bloody zero to do with restricting what paint can be made, particularly the COLORS. I mean, yeah, I can see grey. We’re going to need to paint all those injectors to fight Winnie the Flu.

Has everyone gone utterly insane?

The disconnect between all these “urgent measures” (Attention Citizens!) and the actual “emergency” such as it is has become so mind boggling that there are crazed conspiracy theories criss crossing all over. The most common is that this is SOMEHOW connected to 5G. My favorite is that we’re all locked in the house because the Earth is going to be hit by an asteroid. There’s nothing we can do, and this will prevent panic. No, I don’t believe it, but holy hell, it’s more plausible than the stated reason.

Oh, but don’t worry, the President is starting a task force to reopen the economy. I have two questions: Who is holding what over the president’s head to make him act like a moron who never ran a business? and Will it be a five year plan?

The way to reopen the economy is to reopen it. The way to reopen the economy is to get in front of the cameras and explain, “Yeah, infections are going to continue, and there will be a surge after we open up. That’s because this was all designed to slow the rate of infections. Turns out we have way more medical capacity than we thought, and, sorry, we can’t save people from a virus. That’s not a legitimate function of government, unless it’s the type of virus that can be traced and contained. This one can’t. We’re taking measures not to do business with nations that will hide this type of outbreak in the future. In the meantime, it’s going to hurt, though not as much as the highly manipulated numbers seem to show. But we’re Americans and we’ve survived far worse. Hiding in your house for fear of a virus might be the most stupid thing we’ve ever done, dumber than sending American young men to die in WWI in a dispute that truly had nothing to do with us, but it’s time to end it. Go back to work tomorrow morning.”

That’s what the president should say, but he won’t. The political risk seems to him too high. Partly because the loud mass media has silenced everyone else.

And the governors are having so much fun implementing socialism that they won’t. EVER. They’re sure you’ll love it, if you just get to try it. They finally see their opening to put their boots on your neck forever. I mean, normally if they said you couldn’t buy seeds, you’d hit the road, and go find your local organic co-op and buy them, right? If they said you couldn’t buy paint of a certain color, a million backyard paint mixing operations would start. But ah, you need papers to travel, and hey, they convinced everyone you’ll die if you talk to a stranger or buy anything from them. So now they can control you, reduce the population with an “unavoidable” famine due to the virus, get Americans used to bread lines, tell you where you can travel (such a carbon reduction) and what work is essential and what isn’t. They can postpone your wedding (no more than ten people), make sure you have no babies (well, what are you going to feed them), deny you medical treatment, shame you when you complain. And you’ll take it.

They’re wrong of course. You’ll take it for a time, but not forever. But they don’t get that.

Here’s the thing, though, the way things are RIGHT NOW, you can rebel now or rebel later. You can rebel now, and go back to your life, or you can rebel later, when you’ll have to shoot anyone asking you for papers or keeping you from growing beans.

If you don’t assert your rights now, you’ll have to assert them in blood, when you’re starving and sick, cold and broken in winter, when the lights go out (we’ve already been having brownouts and blackouts) when your cars are not working, when getting factories back in a state to produce anything is almost impossible, when airplanes have been taken to “graveyards” in the desert forever, when your local hospital has shut its doors and has no money to reopen.

It’s time. It’s enough. If you let them they’ll pile on restrictions forever, and the “reopening plan” will cause more damage, because NO ONE CAN PLAN AN ECONOMY. Attempts to do it always end in poverty, misery and death.

And if you think I’m exaggerating this is the kind of innumerates we have trying to “plan” the economy.

This is the kind of power-addicted lunatics we have trying to CONTROL you and me:

This has nothing to do with controlling any virus. It has to do with power and control. And every time—EVERY TIME—a nation locks down and imposes curfews, it’s never about what it says it is. It’s always about the rulers being afraid of the people.

As they should be. Because unless we massively disobey now, we’re going to have to kill them. And a lot of innocents besides. And blight our national wealth and life for GENERATIONS in the process.

It’s time to get back to work. Start planning now. See what loopholes there are to allow you back to work. Yes, I know, a lot of the stores and factories you work at will be closed. The economy is very interlinked, which is why it can’t be planned.

It doesn’t matter. If your job no longer exists, if your boss won’t re-open the store, the factory, the restaurant, start looking around at needs. All famines in the modern era have been failures of transportation, for instance, not of production. Figure out which places have produce rotting in the field. For a fee, can you pick them? Drive them back? Can you arrange to sell them to friends and family, very loosely defined? (Hey, people on craigslist are part of this American family.)

I don’t know what you can do, because I’m not you. And unlike our demented elites, I neither think I know what you can do, nor what you see in your area (physical and expertise.)

However I do know that following the American non-plan and getting to work doing what you can RIGHT NOW is the only thing that can save us.

Ignore the government at all levels. Yes, even the policemen trying to arrest you for playing ball with your kid. Point out to the idiots the courts are closed. Then point out to them you’re taking their name and badge number and bringing a lawsuit for violating your rights as soon as the courts reopen. “Orders are orders” didn’t work so well last time.

GO BACK TO WORK. INVENT NEW WORK IF YOU HAVE TO. Even if you were retired, find something you can do, some need you can fulfill. GO work.
Yes, I will be writing, but I’m also trying to figure out what other needs there will be, and what I can do. I have a new computer being built since three of mine died (yes, great time!) and once that’s up I’ll start putting books up. I don’t know if that helps anyone, but I’ve been keeping myself sane with reading and audio books, and I can’t be alone.

After that, my abilities are limited, but I’m going to see what I can do.

Build under, build over, build around. Ignore their plans. Their plans are not for our good.

The goal is to have everyone out of the house and doing the most productive thing they can by May 1st.

May First (Yes, I know, stealing the commies holiday is grand) is now National Hit the Streets Day. If you can get out of the house and work, do so. Open your shop, serve coffee on our front lawn, I don’t care. Be outside. Do something productive. And if you can’t do something productive AT LEAST BE OUTSIDE. Out in the street. Out in the park. Both of which are paid for by your taxes, btw.

May 1st, get out. Wear SOMETHING yellow (Hong Kong, the gillets jeunes, which though not like us also are fighting attempts at tyranny.) Snek optional.

Because we’re Americans. They govern by the consent of the governed. We don’t need their consent to exercise our natural rights.

They’re ACTING out this article, but it’s not OUR constitution (it’s Chapter 7, Article 39 of the constitution of the USSR.)

This would be the only thing that would give them the right to do what they’re doing. BUT IT IS NOT THE LAW OF THE LAND.

All they have on their side is force. But there’s way more of us than of them.

And they can’t arrest us all.

Start now. On Monday, go to work or plan how to go to work.

May first we’ll have obeyed our last “shelter in place” illegal proclamation. Olly olly Oxen Free. Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Make it go viral. The sort of viral they don’t like.

 

Reprinted from According to Hoyt for April 10, 2020