The Freedom to Coerce

I realized I didn't have a picture of the Salt Lake's Farmer's Market nor did I have pictures of the Saltair Concert Hall. News reports said there would be pro-FLDS rally at the City County building. So I decided to throw that in the day's tour as well.

I was pleased with the crowd at the Farmer's Market. For that matter, the crowd near the fresh produce was so thick, I wasn't able to get any really good shots. I couldn't see the crowd for the people. I have the exact same problem when I visit forests.

I also really enjoyed the trip out to the Saltair. Sadly the day was hazy and I did not get great shots of the lake.

The FLDS rally was interesting as well. This meeting actually got national press, but almost no local attendance. The GLBT community hate polygamists because they are not PC. The Mormons hate them because they are an embarrassment. Libertarian groups aren't that enamored with the polygamists for reasons that I will get to later.

The main theme of this rally was that the children in Utah's polygamous families are subject to a great deal of ridicule and prejudice. Apparently, this group of polygamists does a good job educating girls and claims that the girls are free to decide who they marry. Several of the young women said that they were going to college.

NOTE, I personally have met women raised by polygamists who've had essentially no education and were basically non-functional outside their clan.

Several young women talked about their various aspirations and the challenges of the prejudices they face. I feel for these young women and wish them happy lives.

The rally also let some of the young males speak. The young males are scary. Joseph Smith promised his adherents that they would become Gods if they followed him blindly. Sadly, there is a large number of Mormon males who still believe it. Being Gods on earth, as Gods they transcend the laws of the land.

The young males tried to give rousing speeches based on libertarian rhetoric. One of the young polygamist male blabbered about how, as a God on earth, he did not have to ask the mortals on the plant to take multiple wives. As a God on earth, he is here to take what is his right.

Libertarianism really isn't about a "right to take" things. The philosphy is a little more subtle than that.

The Mormon polygamist culture has this social political model with a few extraordinarily powerful men at the center who coerce the people around them. The small number of powerful people love to spout libertarian sounding rhetoric as they demand the freedom to coerce and manipulate the people under their thumbs.

The Libertarian model does not recognize a "freedom to coerce." The "freedom to coerce" is just one of the many manifestations of the reflexive paradox. The reflexive paradox exists in most complex logical models.

The Libertarian model has each individual's freedom stopping where others freedom begin. The Libertarian model invariably clashes with the political models established by Joseph Smith. The Seer Revelator and Prophet was seeking to dominate his adherents and to use the political force of his adherents to dominate the society around him.

Plural marriage is somewhat a problem for the Libertarian minded. These women should be able to chose what they want. The children should not be subject to the ridicule they face in life. The problem comes with the clans with clan leaders suppressing the freedom of the people unfortunate enough to be born in the polygamist clan.