by Joe Siano
This past week King James was roundly excoriated for coddling
the successors to Chairman Mao.
I am no fan of Communism and neither is the King. What Beijing is doing in Hong Kong has
nothing to to do with Communism and everything to do with Statism.
What the People's Republic of China is doing to its most
prosperous city is nothing different than what King George did to his
rebellious Colonies and what President Lincoln did to the seceding Southerners.
Britain’s thirteen American Colonies had enjoyed over a century
and a half of self-government when the King and Parliament endeavored to meddle
in America’s affaires. Until then,
Parliament had neither legislated for nor taxed the Colonies. When they did, the colonials chaffed and
resisted. The British pushed back. This led to more resistance, more pushing and
ultimately war and bloodshed.
Edmund
Burke recognized that the Colonies had evolved their own culture,
traditions and modes of governance. They
deserved independence if they wanted it, he maintained. The King saw things differently. He was jealous of his domain and waged eight years
of war killing tens of thousands to hold onto what he believed was rightfully his.
The beloved Abe Lincoln was a sectional president. He won 40% of the popular vote and carried no
Southern States. As President, Lincoln pursued
the interest-based policies of his party.
His government imposed tariffs which disproportionately fell on the
South. The tariffs paid for public investments
which typically benefited the North.
Southerners saw the writing on on the wall. Demographics were destiny. The sparsely populated agrarian South would
never defeat the densely populated industrial North is a national
election. Thus, the Southern states were
doomed to unending Northern exploitation.
The handed in their resignation. They would shake hands with the North, agree
to disagree and go their separate ways as friends.
The South had its own economy, culture and traditions. The Constitution was widely regarded as a voluntary
compact among independent nation states from which any member may voluntarily
withdraw. Many
abolitionists agitated for Northern secession.
Honest Abe did not agree.
Southern
taxes were central his program of Northern improvement. So like King George before him, Lincoln went
to war, killing 620,000 of his countrymen to maintain Washington’s revenue
stream.
And so it is with Hong Kong.
Milton Friedman tells the story of the miracle of Hong Kong – a
island considered to be worthless, that became a commercial juggernaut.
Like the American Colonies and the Southern states, Hong
Kong also had its own economy, traditions and culture apart from the Mainland.
Like King George in yesteryear, Beijing is tightening the screws. Like the American colonists, Hong Kong is resisting
and one thing is leading to another. It
has nothing to do with Communism. It has
everything to do tyrants – be they kings, presidents or dictators – protecting what
they see as theirs.
The story is as old as the Bible. Pharaoh hated the Israelites living in Egypt,
but he refused to let go. The Hebrews were cheap labor that he could not
give up. One thing led to another. Pharaoh finally relented after the Slaughter
of Firstborn. The he recanted and sent his army to
recapture the escaped slaves. (That army would
drown in the Red Sea. Score one for the
good guys.)
So, returning to LeBron, and his friends at the NBA at Nike.
He is no Communist. Nor is he a friend
of liberty. Good King James is just
another crony capitalist who stands with liberty when it pays and with
oppression when it pays better.
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