Podcast Notes from 11/5/19 - Listen at this link. )
Today we talked about several headlines found in the news over the last few days.
We started with Trump losing the appeal to keep his tax returns away from the public's eyes.
I, for one, simply do not care what comes out in Trump's tax returns. He could have been dodging taxation his whole life and my response would be "Good for him. I wish I could do that, too." I can't help but think that this is yet another witch hunt focused on finding ways to demonize the president before next years election. If it were say, Barack Obama, I doubt those on the left would be raising such a fuss about the president not wanting to disclose his tax returns. Likewise, it's important that we remain principled. What would republicans be saying if Obama were refusing to disclose his tax returns? I doubt they would be fighting for Obama's privacy in the matter.
Also mentioned were two stories: One noting Oklahoma's release of nearly 500 prisoners that had been previously convicted of drug crimes, and another mentioning the recent raid in California resulting in the the finding of $1.5 billion in illegal marijuana grows.
First off, good for Oklahoma. Similar to Alcohol, Caffeine, Nicotine, and Sugar, drugs are bad. However, that does not automatically mean that the government has any business in dictating what people can and cannot do to their own bodies. If you are truly free, then surely that freedom extends to your right to harm your own body. I doubt that putting drug addicted citizens in prison is the best course for rehabilitation.
Second, let's talk about this seizure of illegally grown marijuana in California. It's interesting to me that it's now legal to smoke in California, yet you still have to garner a license from the government to be allowed to grow. Unfortunately, if you think state legalization means an end to the failed drug war, then you will be sorely disappointed. The drug war is still on, only now the war is focused on those growing plants without the governments permission.
Now we land on Krispy Kreme. Last week, Krispy Kreme ordered a man to "cease" and "desist" his operation, in which he would drive four hours to the closest Krispy Kreme location, and bring upwards of 100 boxes of sugary goodness to the people of his community for resale. The man was using the money to pay for his college education.
Like many others, I was upset with Krispy Kreme for telling the man to stop reselling the donuts. He purchased them at full-price from the store. Where's the problem? The people were aware that they were paying a higher rate for the donuts, and I'm fairly certain they were also aware that they were not in fact purchasing them at a Krispy Kreme location.
Luckily, the free market moves faster than the government. After social media backlash, Krispy Kreme reversed their stance and also donated 500 donuts to the young entrepreneur. Can you imagine the government moving this quickly? No. It would have taken years, if ever. That's the beauty of free market capitalism in the era of social media.
Thanks for listening to the podcast. If you'd like to listen to the episode, click here. ) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/goodmorningliberty/support) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices)