PoCG # 4: The Protection Of Human Life

Continuing on the theme of Civil Government, I was going to write today’s post on Property, when something in the news from Bangalore made me decide to write instead on Life, which comes before property. The news said that a traffic policeman on his motorcycle was knocked down and killed. I doubt whether you would get such news from anywhere else in the world.

Yes, it is true. Our cities are horribly unsafe. Whenever we go out on our pot-holed streets, we risk our lives. Our highways are a shame.

A Civil Government is established with the primary purpose of ensuring the protection of Life – and, secondly, the produce of life, which is Property. But Life comes first – that is, Human Life.

Since such a government is based on the bazaaroo culture, it follows the First Law of MacDonald’s: Thou Shalt Not Shoot The Customer. It is a culture of peaceful voluntary exchanges.

A bazaaroo culture does not go to war. The success of the culture, and the markets upon which it is based, depends entirely upon adding more and more “friendly strangers” to the overall catallaxy. This is how “economic growth” happens. In the bazaars, no one cares whether you are a Muslim or a Dalit: you are first and foremost The Customer – and you are always right. The bazaar seeks to include more and more customers within its fold. This includes foreigners.

Indeed, such an order does not only seek more customers, it also seeks more and more sellers of goods and services within it, because whenever anyone sells something he possesses the means to buy all other goods and services being offered on the market: Say's Law.

The bazaaroo culture seeks economic freedom for all comers, including foreigners – because this is how the market cattalaxy acquires energy. If the dancing ladies of Bombay are allowed to perform, the energy in the markets of Bombay increases. Every other businessman in Bombay prospers when this is so. The fact that foreign goods add to catallactic energy was visible every time we passed a smuggler's shop in the old days. Foreign cars, TVs, music systems, mobile phones, clothes, watches, cosmetics etc. have added to the energy in Indian markets. Kamal Nutt is an "uncivil" politician.

The core concerns of the bazaaroo culture are: Peace, and the peaceful inclusion of all friendly strangers within the urban market order. No one is to be excluded. All are welcome. There is no question of War; there is no question of discrimination. There is no “population problem”: indeed, the maxim is “the more the merrier.” Shopkeepers are happy when the markets are crowded. Buyers are happy when there are lots of shops, and all their shelves are overflowing with goods from all over the world.

This happens when the civil government follows Principles and protects all human Life, including foreigners; when the market order is inclusive.

Note how all the political parties contesting elections are silent on roads and road safety. None are talking about their duty of protecting Human Life within India, within our cities and towns, on our streets and highways. Over 100,000 people die on our unsafe roads every year. That is, more than 300 every day. More people die on Indian roads every day than were killed in the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai.

This would be a disgrace to any “civil government.”

If the political parties do talk about “security” it is to do with matters that strengthen the coercive powers of The State. They "play politics" with security - and this is the politics of a very "uncivil government." A good example is Advani's insistence on fencing the border with Bangladesh. It is good for the BSF and those who will get to build the fence. It is bad for India's urban catallaxies. Bangladeshis are friendly strangers. They are consumers. They are cheap labour. They are good for India.

The bazaaroo culture, which seeks to protect Life, is based on Peace – both internal and external – and the consequent extension of the market order. Its primary duties are to protect Life and Property.

Thus, the Congress talking of “protecting the poor” with cheap rice etc. is hogwash.

And as for the BJP, they are fomenting internal wars by making Varun Gandhi their mascot. Recall that Varun’s father, Sanjay Gandhi, did not approve of Human Life. And his mother, Meneka Gandhi prefers animal life.

So Don’t vote. Think!

In the meantime, here’s a quote from a Mises Institute scholar in a ToI story on the gold standard:

Robert Murphy, Adjunct Scholar at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Alabama, USA, says, "A gold standard is essential today because it would force central banks to raise interest rates to their correct levels. In fact, it would work as a very good safety precaution, since it places a firm limit on how much inflation the central bank can create. Also, it's an excellent option for emerging economies like India, since any country with 100% gold backing for its currency would see its own currency appreciating against others, and more capital would begin flowing there.”

So we do not need money supplied by The State.

We need a Civil Government to protect Life & Property sincerely.

Safety, Property and Liberty – and Roads.

And Peace – internal as well as external.

I will continue this series tomorrow. Stay tuned.