Trash Trash ‘Joe the Plumber’

Elections 2008,Left-Liberalism,Political Philosophy,Taxation

The trashing of “Joe the Plumber” by the Left is uncanny. The defense Republicans offer of Joe is hopeless (like the defense offered up by the woman with the worst voice on TV and radio: Laura Ingraham.) When you have no first principles you are powerless to coherently defend a man’s right to his property.

Of course, proponents of natural rights suffer no such debilities.

Smear #1: “He’s not licensed”

State licensing is a guild system deployed to restrict entry into a trade, so as to keep the wages of a protected group artificially high. Licensing is ludicrous, especially in the case of trades.

Joe, who represents everything that’s good about America, says he doesn’t need a license to make a living. Unlike the ponces in politics, he is not forcing anyone to employ him. That’s the spirit. Don’t you hate those fat cats who want to control Joe’s destiny with meaningless stamps of officialdom?

Obama says no plumber earns so much as to worry about his tax plan. Hogwash. A plumber can look forward to earning a lot of money; they are never outsourced and are always in demand.

Smear #2: “His name isn’t even Joe!”

His name is Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher. I believe that in some parts of the US, people go by their middle names. Even if he were not “Joe,” why would that make him the object of derision and smears from parasites—politicians who’ve never done an honest day of work in their lives, and who live off others?

Smear #3: “He owes taxes”

The IRS is the criminal entity in the business of taking what is not theirs to take. In the process of preying on Americans, it has destroyed many lives. The 16th Amendment ought to be repealed. If generic Joe has taken on the IRS, he’s a hero. If he has held on to what is his for a little longer, well, then, he will soon be forced to hand it over.

The idea that a politician would make fun of his employer—Joe Citizen—is repulsive. Pitchforks anyone?

One more thing: The Republicans are grandstanding about Obama’s tax plans amounting to socialism. For the edification of GOP grandstanders, progressive taxation is socialism. In case Republicans don’t know it, we have a steep taxation system that distributes income. (Russia, I believe, has a flat tax.)

Although they could have lessened the socialism, they have not–life under the Republicans has seen a “slouching toward socialism,” perhaps not in direct taxation, but in borrowing and money printing. That’s how Republicans have funded their orgiastic spending. These stealth-like means are no different to taxation. One might argue that they are more destructive because more clandestine, allowing a greater increase in the national debt and deficit spending. The proof is in the Republicans’ record spending.


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written by Ilana Mercer on 10.18.08 @ 7:49 pm | 12 Comments

Lew Rockwell’s new article eloquently defends Joe.

www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/joe-the-outlaw.html

By Andrew T. on 10.18.08 8:06 pm

John McCain thanked Joe Wurzelbacher. He asked Joe Wurzelbacher why he didn’t call when the Constitution was attacked. Joe Wurzelbacher said he had a long night and was flying to New York that evening for a sit-down interview with Mike Huckabee on Pravda. They then began kissing.

By Shimmy on 10.18.08 9:00 pm

OBAMA + DEM CONG = USA RIP

By Ted on 10.18.08 9:05 pm

{Smear#1} Absolutely agree about no need to license a plumber – plumbers can voluntarily claim to be certified by XYZ guild if they like. The most absurd licensing is that of teachers where complete cretins who take “education courses” are certified to teach physics but I (Ph.D., 12 semesters of teaching) am not. {Smear#2} Thomas WOODROW Wilson, John CALVIN Coolidge, Steven GROVER Cleveland, Hiram ULYSSES Grant… – and CBS reporter Mike Wallace was born Myron! {Smear #3} Not a 16th Amendment issue — However, there were not even Ohio income taxes in 1970 – nowadays, a blue collar “unlicensed” single father employee-plumber owes $ 1200 in state income taxes – weren’t income taxes to be just on “the rich”? The state put a lien on his property – so much for foreclosure relief. {Who is better on taxes?} Sadly, probably the Democrats! It is better to pay up front Democrat-style, which causes pain and resistance to expanding government, rather than to debase the currency and enslave future generations (with compound interest!) like the Republicans. However, Republicans have not been “slouching” towards socialism – they have been charging double-time towards socialism beyond anything the Democrats would have dared to try.

By Myron Pauli on 10.18.08 9:38 pm

I’m about to complete my M.B.A. with an emphasis in Finance. Considering everything, I probably should have been a plumber.

By Jamie on 10.18.08 9:40 pm

Ms Mercer: Devastatingly reasoned argument. A think of beauty. You are correct: The Republicans are hapless — at BEST. (Sad to say: I am a Republican.) [You are probably a republican, not a Republican.--IM]

By gunjam on 10.18.08 9:52 pm

One final comment before I go: While we are repealing rotten Amendments to the Constitution, can we also PLEASE repeal the 17th (which replaced the following — far wiser — original wording of Article 1, Section 3: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.”

By gunjam on 10.18.08 10:03 pm

Yeah for Plumber Joe! Apparently the number of rules and regulations inflicted by self-interested busy-bodies has reached a point where massive disobedience will result. Who can keep up with the innumerable attempts to limit liberty? Perhaps the whole mass will topple over soon.

By Steve Stip on 10.19.08 6:42 am

Off topic, but the news shows are clogged with Colin Powell’s endorsement of Obama. I never was terribly impressed with Colin. He might have character but he seems pretty much a conventional thinker. He should have withheld any endorsement. Now he’ll go down with Obama, especially if Obama wins.

Ron Paul has both character and the correct ideas. Both are essential.

[Colin Clown, the man who conjured non-existent WMD at the UN, has character? Are not the words Colin Powell and "thinker" oxymoronic?--IM]

By Steve Stip on 10.19.08 7:20 am

I dont think we are going to get anywhere trying to appeal Ammendments to the Constitution – it requires a lot of work, especially considering the fact that most Americans do not think like us.

The best thing to advocate is secession. It gives us the ability to ‘start over’ with regards to establishing our own Constitution.

I worry, however, about that… I abandoned market anarchism because I thought it wouldn’t work. Despite believing in true liberalism, I don’t think that the State stays small and confined.

I think America is a good example of a runaway state.

By Alex on 10.19.08 10:05 am

“Colin Clown, the man who conjured non-existent WMD at the UN, has character? ” Ilana

Well, my excuse is I don’t have the stomach to watch much of what passes as leadership in our country. Shoes and TV screens are expensive.

I thank God you have a strong stomach spacer

By Steve Stip on 10.19.08 12:37 pm

What makes people like Colin Powell or Condi Rice or Dick Cheney or Joe Biden “experts”?? Pointing out a satellite image of a warehouse and saying it might store anthrax (unless it was a hyperspectral image and you found chemical tracer lines, it could be a warehouse of plumbing parts for Joe) was hooey back in 2003. If they had a good track record, that might be one thing. And Paul Krugman is not only an expert but a Nobel laureate! And if you are correct – like Ron Paul – then you are a “nut” and out of the beloved “mainstream”.

By Myron Pauli on 10.20.08 6:38 am

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