Injustice Still Bothers

The more I think about the six-pack-a-day man whose license was revoked, the more I'm bothered. If the HIPAA includes exemptions when state laws require some group or other to have access to a person's medical records, even absent his authorization or even knowledge, what use is it? It protects a person's privacy against private infringement but gives leeway to the states. How does this make any sense? The State (big "S") is the greatest threat to our liberties, much greater a threat than private corporations and individuals, who do not have direct legal power to enforce their wills. The states, however, have executives for enforcement, and they can force you to do something if they declare it to be so. Thus, on the one hand we have private individuals and corporations with no executive power, no police, and no direct authority to exert their will through the courts; on the other hand, we have the states, who have the power to force their citizens to do something and can only be stopped through lengthy, costly litigation in federal courts, an inconvenience the states can bear much more than a private individual. Given all these facts, HIPAA puts greater restrictions on...the private sector. Absolutely incredible. The state is the real threat to liberty and to privacy, and this federal legislation was written with a loophole for the state.

This is a theme, though. You know how big tobacco forced kids to smoke? How did they do that, exactly? Well, they certainly didn't have armies and law enforcement officers and courts; no, only governments have those. Bafflingly, people are more concerned about being "forced" to do something by organizations with no legal authority than about the real threats to liberty. Of course, our government only looks out for our own good, so they couldn't possibly be doing anything wrong. It's only the nasty, evil corporations that need to be watched.

To all the morons who share this mindset, I can only offer my thanks that you are dragging my liberties down with yours, even though you barely understand them and consider them nearly worthless, and I understand and appreciate what freedom is.

I love democracy.

-Vernunft