On What is Unseen

Frederic Bastiat’s principle that we mustn’t look at only what is seen, but also what is unseen, applies as much to politics as it does to economics. The State of Utah had it’s ban on same-sex marriage overturned by a Federal judge yesterday. Previous to this, a Federal judge also overturned Utah’s ban on polygamous cohabitation. While both rulings seemingly mean more liberty for those directly involved, what is seen, they also mean greater power is being centralized in Washington, a less accountable and more imperialistic entity than the individual States that comprise the USA. What is unseen is the theft, murder, and corruption that will likely result from a large state obtaining a higher degree of perceived legitimacy from its subjects. The largest and most intrusive states deserve the greatest scorn from voluntaryists and libertarians, yet, in the case of these rulings, the Federal government has been made into, unfortunately for liberty overall, the hero. And that’s today’s two cents.

Skyler.