How the British government protects its subjects
January 24, 2008 – 10:33 pm by JohnBy shielding them from the dangers of watching TV without paying an unjust and exorbitant fee to the State, of course. I happened across this web page about one Briton’s experience with the TV licensing arm of the State, and the first thing it brought to mind was, of course, a very astute quote:
Government interference always means either violent action or the threat of such action. Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.
—Ludwig von Mises
It is fortunate for him and his fellow countrymen that all the threats and harassment in the letters he received from the BBC/TVL were empty threats, but that doesn’t weaken my point because if he were actually breaking the law by not paying their inane fee when he had cable, then beating and imprisoning would be the exact measures the State would resort to. But it’s a good thing, as so many of our friends are wont to remind us, that we have an ultimate legal authority in society that makes the rules we all have to follow so that, by definition, it doesn’t have to follow them.
Here was my favorite part of this guy’s web page:
The second half of the letter gives me a number of options, for example, informing them if I do not have a TV, paying for a licence, or facing prosecution. The option of my right to disassociate is not included.
This concludes my first year of being unlicensed. I thought it would be relevant to compare BBC/TVL’s attitude to that of another company. Here is a letter I received from British Gas when I ceased using their services:
A greater contrast with BBC/TVL could scarcely be imagined:
- British Gas expresses regret that I am no longer their customer
- They offer to put right anything that has caused me to leave
- British Gas says that, if they do not hear from me, they will ensure my transition is conducted smoothly
- They thank me for being their customer
No such courtesy from the British Broadcasting Corporation. Not once has the BBC sought to win back my custom by offering something positive; not once has it tried to understand why I no longer wish to pay for the BBC product. It is capable only of sending out letters that threaten and harrass.
I imagine British Gas is a government-run or at least government-created utility monopoly, so apparently bureaucrats who answer to no one are capable of being nice.
One Response to “How the British government protects its subjects”
According to Wikipedia, British Gas was a government run monopoly that was privatized in 1986. This makes sense – unlike you, I found it very hard to believe that a government sanctioned monopoly could ever be capable of politeness, since they have the monopoly of force on their side.
By Kel on Jan 24, 2008