We’ve long heard about voting restrictions like voter ID as being “a threat to our democracy.” Today is the anniversary of the January 6th Capitol riots, “a threat to our democracy” like no other. The Capitol being the home of Congress would make it the cathedral of U.S.democracy, where the will of the (majority of the) people is codified.

I learned about the word “codified” regarding Roe v Wade possibly being made into a law or code rather than a judicial proclamation, in order to protect it from the whims of an unelected body like a court or government agency.

Ever since Nixon expanded the power of the federal government through unelected rule-making agencies like the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), Congress has appeared to be unnecessary. Maybe the reason “our democracy” is so fervently defended is to keep two fronts active in the war against individual rights.

The distinction between a republic and a democracy is not addressed in the Constitution. Democracy is not mentioned at all. Maybe the Founders never imagined that theft could be codified and thus legal in their new collection of states. British Common Law from which our system is modeled, was intended to protect individuals from the aggression of their fellow citizens even if those fellow citizens represent a majority.

We hear “a right to healthcare,” “a right to an education” as if those things would not involve violating the rights of someone to finance them. It’s like a civic lobotomy, removing the part of the truth that’s standing in the way of the stuff we want for free.

It took a few years and many mistakes and successes that brought the Founders to write what they did in guiding our young country. They knew early on that when thievery is accepted practice there will be resentment and envy leading to social disturbance.

I think it’s pretty sick to say healthcare or education are so important that the state should be authorized to steal to provide them. If that’s the case then where do we draw the line? When we all are equally destitute? If we bring down a tiny minority of rich people to make them equal with a huge majority of the not so rich, that doesn’t just detract from the wealth of the rich, it eliminates everyone’s future benefits that could have been realized from their ambitions.

It is the wealthy, who earned their wealth through superior skill who provide the human and financial capital for innovation and progress that makes life better for all of us. That is an important fact overlooked by the democracy advocates who seem to think the voting booth is the source of all progress. No! When the rich, skilled, and ambitious are bled dry we will all suffer.

A statistic that isn’t counted is how often one of these exceptional people decide their tax bill has stifled their desire to go on. Rather than research a wonder drug or cleaner energy they buy a yacht or new mansion. It happens. There is no way to know what the rest of us are missing as a result of these penalties imposed by democracy.

Democracy is not freedom, it’s freedom to steal.