This is the 374th commentary published as part of No Force, No Fraud, over a period of exactly 20 months. I authored the bulk of them, tapping away on an old PC in my Richfield apartment. Others have told me that my writing is easy reading, to which I respond that it isn't easy writing. I write, read what I've written, grimace, rewrite, rearrange, reread, cuss, and rewrite, until I'm either satisfied or sick of trying. Yep, there are days when I'm not satisfied but publish anyway. I'm sure that regular readers can easily spot those days.

I've mentioned before that I have a strong emotional attitude about justice. Since I write political commentary, it's usually emotional for me. My young friend Chris Basten, who used to write for NFNF regularly, found it quite depressing and had to stop for self-protection. I often have the same problem, but I've developed some tricks to manage my emotional reaction to my subject. I know that other commentary writers share those problems. Like the rest of you, I would much rather be involved in more pleasant activities than to force myself to stay aware of the multitude of painful results coming from our government. I really dislike being the bearer of bad news.

Why do I choose to spend most of my days doing something I dislike? It earns me no income, and gets little recognition. That about 500 people each day read what I write is gratifying, and also a responsibility. Occasionally, I'll hear "You're THAT Bob Smith?" It's nice to see links from quite literally around the world pointing to articles I've written, and there are frequently kind comments, but it surely doesn't qualify as an "ego trip". My articles on eminent domain abuse earned me an interview and several quotations in a recent book, Abuse of Power, and I have made some delightful acquaintances with readers... people I would never have otherwise encountered.

My reason for writing is the presumptuous idea that what I write may have a small positive effect on the course of our nation, and I care very much about that.

The refusal to initiate force against others is the root of libertarian belief, and I have no doubt that such is the necessary linchpin of any peaceful, prosperous society. I write to illustrate how that is true and how that position relates to what happens around us; often about government action, which is all about force, and which means that almost all government actions have a strong element of destructiveness.

I write in hopes of illustrating how initiated force is destructive, not only to those against whom it is used, but to all of us... even to those who initiate it. That I should write to try to convince others is libertarianism in action, because, to a libertarian, it is the only legitimate way to get others to do something. I will not, in any way, try to force others to take my position, not only because that force (or fraud) would be immoral, but also because it just won't work. The only way to truly bring you to agree with me is to convince you that it's in your own best interest. If I were able to trick you, baffle you, coerce you, or even just out-persist you, I may succeed temporarily, but it will not last, and when you fully realize how I have "won", you will justifiably be resentful and refuse to even listen to me from that point on. Neither of us will have "won" anything. Force and fraud inevitably backfire.

That our government, in our names, is attempting to force democracy on the nation of Iraq is an extreme example of how immoral, stupid, and horribly destructive force can be. The only way for the people of a nation to become free is for enough of them to want it enough to be willing to demand it for themselves, and fight for it if necessary. Another nation cannot impose it on them, and any such attempt is doomed to disaster. In the case of U.S. and Iraq, the attempt is particularly monstrous: a nation that supposedly values individual liberty and free choice is using brutal military force, killing thousands of innocents, in the name of freeing them. Is it not crystal clear that our "leaders" have no understanding of what liberty even means? They've taken the position that "I'll make you free whether you like it or not, even if I have to kill you in the process". It is the ultimate absurdity.

Even if the U.S. could manage to force the Iraqis to vote and elect officials who then established a democratic government (none of which is likely), they will be left with a nation of citizens who can only feel that the resulting government is not of their own choosing, but is a system that was shoved down their throats with brutal force. Such a system, with no appreciation by the citizenry, has no possibility of lasting, for a free society can ONLY survive as long as the people are willing to work and fight to KEEP it free.

Freedom is simple, and it works wonderfully, but it does require constant vigilance against those who would grab power and use force to take advantage of a people who let down their guard. Vigilance and courageous resistance are the prices that must be paid for the enormous value of individual liberty. It's a small price to pay, but there is no way to avoid paying it if we want to be free.

Americans have not been vigilant and courageous enough to prevent our own relentless loss of liberty. Yes, we've prospered economically, but our negligence has allowed the growth of a massive, out-of-control government. We have been sweet-talked by political power-mongers into dropping our constitutional shorts, and millions of us have suffered the inevitable thrust of government force. For those of us who haven't, it's only a matter of time... unless more of us wake up and take action.

If we as a people wish to even maintain the liberties we still have, more of us must actively participate in the tasks of vigilance and resistance. Certainly, reading in order to stay informed is important, but being informed does little good if you don't take some action to help. As I wrote about in Thanks to our precious watchdogs, there are thousands of individuals and organizations working hard to keep us informed and forewarned. One of them pointed out that I should have included myself in the list. Those efforts, our efforts, will be for naught if the rest of us are only readers and not doers. If you can help by volunteering time, that's great. If not, they can ALL make good use of your financial assistance. Believe me, it IS in your self-interest. It's an investment in our future.