Personal Identity Theft is Theft of Property

Citizens who steal from fellow citizens provide job protection for millions of regulators, bureaucrats, and government paper pushers.

Dear Readers of Liberty Lyceum:

My most recent posts have focused on the contrast between a regime of liberty — where citizens trust each other because they are virtuous and trustworthy — versus a regime of regulations, control, and mutual civic distrust.

Today, I had planned to continue that theme with an exploration of what I call the German Connection — the German origins of the modern progressive regulatory state, central planning, and social engineering.

I was actually excited about this essay because I think many of you will enjoy the learning experience.

I’ve been distracted, however. My attention has been diverted by my bank. Someone (or some number of people) have obtained my personal information, accessed my back accounts, and stolen what belongs to me, not to them.

Now I am burning up hours dealing with comprised security of my bank accounts rather than sketching out for you the German influence ushered into America by people such as Edward Everett (of Gettysburg fame), Francis Lieber, Charles Merriam, Frank Goodnow, Woodrow Wilson, and many others.

Let’s be clear: What we call “identity theft” in our digital age is a form of theft. Someone is stealing someone else’s information, money, and time. Identity theft is a violation of private property rights.

I don’t know if the people who first stole my identity and then my money are fellow Americans or not. I do know this: When some Americans prey upon and violate the rights of fellow citizens, many citizens reach for more government power and control because they assume that power and control will result in increased safety and security for vulnerable individuals.

Who most benefits will United States citizens are untrustworthy and violate the rights of fellow citizens? Answer: Those who are part of the modern progressive regulatory state. The more we become scared of each other — the more citizens distrust each other — the more power those in government exercise over all of us.

This afternoon I am going to be speaking, so I likely will not publish my piece on the German Connection today. I ask for your patience. I will send it out as soon as possible.

What will I be speaking about? I’m glad you asked [chuckling to myself].

I will be addressing about 75 professionals from many different backgrounds — law, medicine, journalism, education, politics — on what the idea of property meant in the American Founding, and the myriad violations of private property within our modern, German-esque, progressive regulatory regime.

There’s some irony, eh? I’m talking about the importance of private property as my private property is being stolen.

Enjoy the rest of your day. Be safe. Double-check the security of your online accounts. And thank you, again, for subscribing to and reading my Substack, Liberty Lyceum: Zetetic Questions for the (oh-so-German) Zeitgeist.

Cheers,

Thomas L. Krannawitter, Ph.D.