The week in Review September 3-September 10

The story of the week ... the aftermath of Katrina ... government totally fails not only to 'protect' the citizens and provide 'security' and rescue, but actively obstructs private charities and citizens, and ends the week by forcibly (but supposedly gently) evacuating residents from undamaged homes ... and confiscating guns. Yes, here in America. Look at the video of gun confiscation .... and tell me that the final line hasn't been crossed.

The contrast between the efforts of private citizens, rescuing the stranded, forming 'tribes' in the affected areas to survive, giving help in a 'tremenous outpouring' of donations and volunteerism, is apparent not only to libertarians, but to thinking people of ALL poilitical persuasions .... note that I say "thinking" people ... there are many, on the left and right, who STILL believe that government is the solution ... either "more money", "more power", "better people in charge" .... anyone who believes that after these past 2 weeks is, I'm afraid, beyond hope. Mark their words now, and remember who they are.

Ah, but the bright spots ... 'just plain folks', stripped of the illusion of security provided by the gov't react nobly, courageously, and efficiently ... "individual persons operating together in harmony based on freely reached agreements concluded between individual members and groups of a society", as Mark Roberts puts it in his excellent essay "Defining anarchy' ... yes, of course there were those who reacted poorly and paniced and looted (though not as many as news reports indicated) ... but chaos in New Orleans was caused BY the gov't ... not by the lack of it. Remember that, too, when the spin doctors try to spin away your brain and make New Orleans into a plea for "more gov't, more money, more troops".

And what now? In last week's update, I noted that "it will be up to US to make sure the important message of Katrina, that the gov't was the problem in the first place and made matters even worse stays alive, and spreads" .... and that is now even more important, the politicians of all persuasions scramble to hold on to their illusory power and the colunists and pundits and think tank heads toady up to their favorite branch of the Boot on your Neck Party .... watch for "we need more money, FEMA needs more money, we need power to confiscate, evacuate, lock up the looters" from both branches of the BOYN... watch for "this proves that 'limited gov't' is baaad, we need moooore gov't" and "just get rid of Bush and all will be well" from the left boot, and, 'the Bush administration wasn't really at fault, it's the local gov't, the welfare folks looting ' and "it's not really that bad, after all we got rid of all those nasty public housing projects and maybe TBE will now be Republican once all those black folk are gone" and "there aren't really THAT many dead" from the right boot..... Mark their words now, and remember who they are.

For now ... continue to educate, note who says what and remember who they are (statist lackey or freedom lover) And, of course, make sure that you and your family are prepared for disaster ... and that you have unregistered weapons, stashed safely, as well as your month's supply of food,clothing and water and your 'bug out' bag ready for action. And, for charitable donations and volunteer work that actually gets TO the victims, with an excellent "empowerment" method of involving the victims in the rescue efforts, may I again suggest "Food not Bombs" .

Til next week

For freedom

Mary lou