Licensing - The Pernicious Tentacle

It appears so innocuous. Just a little piece of bureaucracy to ensure everything is kept orderly and under control.

Licensing reverses the relationship between citizen and government. Subtly converting rights (absolute and unalienable) into privileges (revoked at a moment's notice) as it permeates every aspect of life.

Free movement, for example, is a fundamental liberty. As with any other liberty any extension of our ability to move freely (e.g. vehicle, remote controlled device) is an extension of that same right and subject to the same qualification regarding respecting others rights. If you infringe other's rights (e.g. by harming them) then you are liable to legal sanction. If not then you should not and would not be punished in a society that respects and upholds those rights (i.e. enables you to enforce them simply in a court of law).

“Did you really think we want those laws observed? We want them to be broken. ... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt.” - Ayn Rand (a quote from a character in Atlas Shrugged)

[30 Nov 2017]

We need a license to ask for permission to criticize the State for it's inability to allow us to criticize the State. Can you see what 'licenses' and 'permits' are really all about?