It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world....

There sure are a lot of mad people in the United States right now. Some of them have been mad for a long time, and some of them got even more mad when the latest government health care bill passed through congress.

Some people got so mad they started threatening violence against the congressmen and congresswomen that voted for the bill. Of course, that made the people who supported the bill mad at everybody that didn't support the bill, which in turn made the people who didn't support the bill, but who didn't make any threats, mad at the people who lumped them in with the people that did make the threats. Whew.

I guess that is why there are so many mad people out there now.

Now, I do understand why people would be so upset about this latest government intervention. I'm kind of upset about it myself. And I can certainly understand that someone could get upset if they were threatened with violence. Being a Libertarian, I'm a strong proponent of the Zero Aggression Principle, (ZAP), which condemns the initiation of force or violence.

What I don't understand is why the supporters of the newest government health care bill believe it is alright for them to initiate violence. The government will force everyone to buy insurance. If a person doesn't buy insurance, he will be fined. If he doesn't submit to the fine, he will be arrested. If he doesn't submit to being arrested, he will be shot.

That's pretty violent, I think.

George Washington said that "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." Despite his faults and shortcomings, I think old George pretty well got that one right.

I've pointed out many times how government relies on the threat of force and violence to make sure people comply with everything from taxes, to seat belt laws, to fishing, to barbering.

When I point it out to people that like a lot of government, for some reason it seems to make them mad.