Do Not Register with the Do Not Call Registry

Today I was sent an email from a relative of mine explaining that I should register with the Do Not Call Registry for cell phones. Apparently cell phone numbers are going "public" tomorrow. I was not aware they were secrets. Basically, people are registering their cell phones with the Do Not Call Registry before the numbers go public tomorrow and telemarketers can begin calling peoples' cell phones. Here is the problem with the Do Not Call Registry. The government, specifically the Federal Trade Commission, in accordance with an act from Congress has created a registry that people can sign. This registry is a list of numbers telemarketers are not allowed to call. If a telemarketer calls someone on the Do Not Call Registry the telemarketer can be fined by a federal court. I have chosen not to register for the Do Not Call Registry because I would be giving the government permission to initiate force against someone who has initiated no force against me. No one ever has the right to initiate force because all initiations of force or threats of violence are threats of murder, and no one has the right to illegitimately violate an individual's natural right to life. This is the fundamental problem going on here. By registering with the Do Not Call Registry one gives the government permission to violate an individual's natural right to life. Here is a clear explanation. You have signed the Do Not Call Registry, but a telemarketer calls you so you complain to the FTC. The FTC investigates brings the telemarketer to court and a fine is established. In other words, someone has to pay the government money, in addition to his taxes, because he called you.

This telemarketer has initiated no force. He has not violated any of your natural rights. He called you on the phone. This is equivalent to someone speaking to you on the street, or even more similar your neighbor down the street, whom you have never met, calling you on the phone. It is the same thing; however, for telemarketers it is now a crime, but it is not a crime for them to speak to you on the street or for some stranger in your neighborhood to call you. However, this is not the major problem. In this hypothetical situation the telemarketer does not pay the fine. There is no reason for him to pay a fine. He has not violated any one's natural rights. He does not nothing to warrant any use of force against him. So he does not pay the fines. He will probably receive a few letters until the police arrive to investigate. Aside from the blue uniforms, the badge, and the guns the police are just people to use force against those that have used force against others. That is what the police are for; the legitimate use of violence.

However, this individual has not initiated any force. The police should not be looking for him. In other words, these men are strangers trying to kidnap him. If he had initiated force it would be arrest, but he initiated no force so it is kidnapping because the police are initiating the force. It is the police who are using force illegitimately in this case. Consequently, this innocent individuals resists and tries to escape. The police try to subdue him. The individual fights back. Violence continues to escalate. The individual is trying to kill the police now because the police are trying to beat him or kill him. Remember every use of violence or force is the threat of murder. The individual is not at fault. He is being completely logical. Strange men are using force against him, possibly trying to severely injure him or kill him, so he is trying to kill them. He is using force legitimately as a counter to the initiation of force. Eventually the police shoot and kill this man because this man is rationally trying to kill them. A man is killed because he made a phone call. By registering with the Do Not Call Registry you give permission to the government to kill certain people who call you. Firstly, you do not have the right to give anyone the permission to initiate force against anyone else. No one has that right, but Congress gave that authority to you. This is not a reason to use it. To use it is irrational. Anyone registering with the Do Not Call Registry has not considered what it means.

The Congressional Representatives who voted for this bill should be voted out for creating such an evil power for the people. However, this is still not the larger problem. Everything so far is certainly a problem and a very severe one at that, but there is a bigger more disgusting issue at work. The people being called by telemarketers are claiming to be victims. This is incredibly perverse. People who receive calls from telemarketers claim to be victims even though no one has violated their natural rights. It is like saying I am a victim because a stranger spoke to me on the street or someone I do not know called me. Even more disturbing is that the telemarketers are the actual victims; they are the ones who must pay cause their is a gun to their head. The telemarketers are the ones who are having their rights violated, but the people they call are the ones claiming to be victims. This would be like if I shot a man I don not know who talked to me on the street or called me on the phone, and then I claimed to be the victim. The whole situation is incredibly perverse, and the most disturbing thing is that this is not an isolated case. In different forms the government and people are making the same mistakes. I cannot claim that what I have just argued is completely my own. I originally heard this argument made by Stefan Molyneux on Freedomain Radio about a similar set of circumstances for a completely different issue.

There is a serious problem with the way the government operates. Unlike Stefan Molyneux I am not an Anarcho-Capitalist; I believe some incredibly limited form of government is necessary, but American government has been perverted. The reason for this perversion is utter irrationality. People are not using their reason. People are choosing to be ignorant, one of the greatest vice. In order to correct one's logical fallacies I would recommend listening to Freedomain Radio available as a free podcast. Stefan Molynuex also has several books, which I have not yet read, but from his radio show I would recommend them. I would also recommend Ayn Rand's Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged. In order to live happier lives, which involves correcting and limiting the government, one must live consciously. The mediums I recommended will help in understanding how to live consciously.