I'll add a poll later asking if you agree with this hypothetical
moral argument, but I'd like a chance to develop it to a greater level of detail first, which may require more than one post / edit. And this is 100% hypothetical: I have never intentionally committed "
Welfare" or any other
fraud, government or otherwise, nor do I intend to, nor do I advocate it for others, I am merely bringing this up as a
thought experiment.
The moral argument is initially based on an analogy of a "slave" (or any other person wrongfully deprived of Right to Liberty) attempting to escape. In order for this analogy to work, the hypothetical real-world person participating in Welfare fraud must also consider himself to be oppressed, and have no simple and direct means of escaping oppression. Since this is a forum for a radio show whose hosts' views range from fairly radical Minarchism to Anarcho-Capitalism and dabbling in tax resistance, it is probably safe to assume that the notion of the government being an oppressive entity would not be met with much shock and disbelief here. Others might say "but you're free to leave the country any time", which is true (though you still have to jump through many government hoops), but this isn't the same as escaping the government. Renouncing your citizenship isn't easy and requires obtaining citizenship with some other oppressive government, and you're liable for taxes to your old "master" until you do. And governments are everywhere, and they compete (or, as of late, cooperate) with each-other to colonize any patch of earth that might be without one. The reach of the United Nations expands into
high seas and even
outer space, and there is no reason to believe they would ever limit themselves from expanding their power as much as possible to whatever gulch we can try to hide in. In other words, if you do not accept the "divine right" of governments to rule you, then your situation is comparable to a "slave" who doesn't accept his master's property rights to himself! The mere privilege to vote (even Nazi "death camps" had elected representatives) or petition to be transfered to a different plantation might be beneficial, but it does not make a slave free!
Most people would agree that a "slave" has a moral right to escape, as per the Right to "Free Exit", but.... By what means? The plantation "slave" in our analogy has no property of his own to fight with, except the self-proclaimed ownership of his mind and body, which no one else recognizes, and he is kept chained up under lock and key. Even if he can:
does a "slave" have the moral right to break the chains that bind him? Those chains are the rightful property of the plantation owner, and for anyone else to steal or damage them would constitute a crime. After breaking the chains, can the "slave" run into the kitchen to get a knife for self-defense, and some other supplies needed to make his escape attempt less futile? But all of this is theft! The plantation owner would have to work his (remaining) "slaves" a bit harder to have the money to buy a new knife, a new set of chains, etc - unless of course they start breaking their chains and making a run for it as well, in which case the plantation will eventually go bankrupt!
If it is morally justified to break your chains and even steal other things in order to gain your freedom, what else is justified? I won't even mention murder (except I just did), but is it justified to lie and cheat to escape? Can you lie to your "master" when he asks if those chains are strong enough to hold you?
Where do you draw the line? And, in the modern world, does that moral line stop short of Welfare fraud?
Committing Welfare fraud is just an inch away from other things one might have to do to keep oneself out of prison for tax resistance (in some cases it might be easier than not to!), and it has other advantages as well. Being able to use your enemy's weapons against him will help make his plantation less profitable, and free money from the government would mean you'll need to spend less time earning a living (and thus "feeding the beast") and more time for covert pro-liberty education and activism!
Perhaps you could donate your whole Welfare check to AMP! Oh man, you could cut the irony with a knife!
Discuss.
The Free Talk Live BBS
Poll
8 (38.1%)
Author
Topic: Moral AnCap Arguments For Welfare Fraud (Read 7689 times)