Ron Paul Has a Brave New Theory on Government

Here's a pop quiz. I tried not to make it too difficult.

1. Have you driven on a road (federal/state/county) in the last 24 hours that you didn't build yourself?

2. Have you used a cell phone in the last 24 hours?

3. Have you, by chance, used the Internet in the last 24 hours? If not, how are you reading this?

4. Did you send/receive any Valentine's Day cards in the mail?

5. Does your home have electricity?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, you have utilized a government service. Unsuspectingly perhaps?

It's understandable that many of us don't realize how often, or how much we rely on government to provide something to us. Our daily habits and mobility are so ingrained that we forget just how supportive government actually is. It's not like we wake up in the morning thanking our politicians for the hot water or the lights. But chances are, your electricity is being supplied by government services that originated during FDR's 12 years in office. Whether or not it's a local co-op or a private company supplying the energy, the government is the one who paid to build the grid, i.e., with tax dollars.

This is not a post to celebrate government in any way whatsoever. We all know government is too intrusive and cumbersome for most of our daily lives. But that doesn't mean there are many things government does and does well. So well, in fact, we don't even realize it's government doing it.

So to read that the Republican Representative from Texas, Ron Paul, fresh off his Republican CPAC straw poll victory, has a bold new plan that encourages people to "opt out" of government is really, well, stupid.

His plan goes like this. People pay a 10% tax of their total income to the government in exchange for promising not to ask the government for anything. "You take care of yourself," stated Paul.

Really? You pay 10% of your income and you get nothing in exchange? You can't drive on the roads? You can't use the Internet? No postal service? That sounds like an even worse deal than trading The Babe to the Yankees. Obviously Ron Paul, who somehow gets labeled a libertarian even though he isn't one, is meaning you don't utilize welfare programs like food stamps, pell grants, Social Security, Medicare, farm subsidies and whatnot. Those programs have always been a thorn in the side of Republicans. And Paul with his Republican supporters are trying to portray that government services are all welfare related, thus are a drain on those of us who feel like we don't use them.

As we can see from the quiz above. We do use government services every day whether wing nuts like Ron Paul want to admit it or not.  Not to mention, paying a 10% tax of all your income to not use any of them is what some would call ignorant. Since it's a Republican saying this, we have to call it Very Serious and Smart or be forced to defend our own worth as an American.

*Update:

I'll sometimes take a peek at the self-proclaimed Libertarian blog of Lew Rockwell. I thought it would be interesting to see what Lew had to say about Ron Paul offering people the chance to opt out of government services.  I actually thought Lew just might try to bring Paul back down to earth and try to guide the debate toward a more sensible approach like, oh I don't know, not paying 10% of your income to the government in exchange for nothing.

Alas, though, the only mention I could find from Lew Rockwell was the chastising of someone at Forbes for not worshiping every word of Paul's.

Rick Ungar, a Forbes columnist, denounces Ron Paul for telling young people that they have the right to live their own lives as they see fit, and to keep their own money, rather than serving as drones for the regime. The notion that young people should have the chance to opt out of the State, its monstrous impositions and its “benefits,” is “financial crack,” he says. Actually, it’s the sweet smell of freedom.

No, Lew, that's not at all what Ron Paul said. He very clearly said in exchange for 10% of your income the government will leave you alone.

For most of the Paul supporters, 10% of their income is more than they pay to the government anyway.  I'm willing to bet most don't pay taxes, or if they do, don't pay enough to pay for all the benefits they receive.  He was not at all suggesting people keep more of their own money.  He was, without a doubt, suggesting people should pay 10% of it to the government and not to receive any of it back.  That's not the sweet smell of freedom.  That's the sour smell of getting ripped off.