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09-21-2009

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Subject: Don't Say You Didn't See it Coming!

One of the most pernicious laws on the books is the mandatory automotive seat belt law. What is so wrong about this law is that it steps over the boundary line of establishing laws that protect each of us from the harmful actions of others, and instead acts to protect us from ourselves! When these laws were first being proposed, I argued that they were extremely dangerous to our personal freedom, because they granted to the government the right to decide for us what was in our own best interest. As I argued in my previous post, there is no middle ground when it comes to the principle of deciding who make the decisions about how best to pursue one's own life. Either you have absolute authority over those decisions, or you don't. And if you give over even a small piece of that right to the government, then you have no principle remaining to which you may appeal as the control over your life which you retain is steadily eroded.

The seat belt laws were a small breach into our personal autonomy that opened the door the today's call for mandatory national service. I would hope that everyone reading this could see the progression taking place as we march further along the path towards slavery. Still don't believe me? Well, let's take a look at an article published today from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, entitled: "Community service needed for seat belt offenders"

Quoting sections from that article:
    "Drivers and passengers in vehicles who fail to use seat belts should be slapped with community service along with the maximum RM300 fine to raise awareness on the seat belt ruling."

    "For example, seat belt offenders should be asked to do 20 hours of community service before being let off."

    "[Road Safety Department director, Rano Aylwino Akat] said the majority of drivers and passengers used seat belts out of fear of being summoned and not for their safety."

What is the real intent behind all of this? Do you actually thing that people who make these proposals are really benevolent souls with only your best interest at heart, or do you think that it is more likely that the people agitating for these ever increasing laws are really much more interested in exercising power and control over you life?

"Yea, but come on, this is Malaysia we're talking about, not the United States!" I say that anyone prepared to make that naive argument deserves everything they get. And you will get it!
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