Where Property Rights and Politics Collide

Matt Welch | September 3, 2008

At my morning coffee joint here in St. Paul, there is no love lost for the "anarchists" who are protesting and getting arrested (and being accused of fantastical plots) all over town. Why? Because on Monday a handful of them came in and tore the sink out of the wall inside the coffeehouse's same-sex bathroom. This vandalism, coupled with the same sharp decline in customers I'm hearing reported in every convention-adjacent business I patronize, has led to the baristas getting as close to surly as Minnesotans are able (i.e., not much at all).

Still, the owner said, he might find some forgiveness in his heart. "They could tear out one of my sinks every day this week," he said, "if that means the Democrats win in November, and we get universal health care."

Comments

Eric Dondero|9.3.08 @ 2:35PM|#

But, of course. With universal health care which would cover him and his employees, he'll have much more money to get all the sinks he wants.

Of course, he and his employees will be waiting on long, long lines all day long to see a doctor to treat their hang nails.

|9.3.08 @ 2:44PM|#

It is not unusual to hear people advocate violence to other people's property in return for some goodies, but it is strange to hear someone advocating violence to his own property!

|9.3.08 @ 2:45PM|#

You mean baristas at St. Paul coffee bars might lose the house call, concierge-level health care they have now?

|9.3.08 @ 2:49PM|#

I agree with Eric. The guy should have wanted to vote for Ron Paul or somebody.

Naga Sadow|9.3.08 @ 2:54PM|#

Must . . . resist . . . agreeing . . . with . . . Dondero.

|9.3.08 @ 2:58PM|#

Universal health care?
Shit, why not go all the way, and add universal public funding of funerals as part of the cradle to grave health care system.

|9.3.08 @ 3:00PM|#

Shit, why not go all the way, and add universal public funding of funerals as part of the cradle to grave health care system.

The fluids and nutrients of the dead belong to everyone, Malto. Why should death stop collectivism?

|9.3.08 @ 3:02PM|#

"The violent protesters are all Obama supporters, do they're okay..."

|9.3.08 @ 3:03PM|#

The fluids and nutrients of the dead belong to everyone, Malto. Why should death stop collectivism?

Well, Soylent Green is people.

|9.3.08 @ 3:06PM|#

What we really need is universal free coffee each monring. It would pay for itself in increased attention and enegry for american workers.

|9.3.08 @ 3:06PM|#

Walter Williams used to ask why there wasn't a government program to bake casseroles for the families of the newly deceased. This is something traditionally provided by friends and neighbors, but why leave it to spontaneous volunteerism when we can have the government provide that service? It would be very cheap to do, a mere pennies per month tax on the living.

|9.3.08 @ 3:10PM|#

There are a lot of protests out in Crawford where the President's ranch. But somehow the anarchists never show up. They always go to places like Seattle or St. Paul where people tolerate their bullshit and are more easily bullied. I wish they would ever show up at some redneck bar in Waco or Wichita or somewhere. They are just scum. I would give anything to watch them get the shit kicked out of them.

|9.3.08 @ 3:12PM|#

There are plenty of surly socialists in Minnesota. Just mention that you don't care much for unions or universal health care and they'll bleed from the woodwork and attack you like the undead.

Potts|9.3.08 @ 3:21PM|#

Shit, why not go all the way, and add universal public funding of funerals as part of the cradle to grave health care system.

Hey, and while we're at it, how about universal public funding for useless wars of conquest?

kinnath|9.3.08 @ 3:28PM|#

Shit, why not go all the way, and add universal public funding of funerals as part of the cradle to grave health care system.

Get the feds to underwrite conception, and you got everything covered.

Warty|9.3.08 @ 3:37PM|#

We should stop calling them anarchists, and start calling them fucking dickheads.

|9.3.08 @ 4:04PM|#

useless wars of conquest

I wonder what the average number of posts is before a straw man gets propped up?

We should stop calling them anarchists, and start calling them fucking dickheads.

But then how could we tell them from the delegates?

Mad props for the Dreamline Bathroom of Your Dreams auto-ad, BTW.

|9.3.08 @ 4:35PM|#

We should stop calling them anarchists, and start calling them fucking dickheads.

I'd use somewhat more derogatory language. Something like childish, goat cock sucking, smegma brained sociopathic, syphilitic twats, but yeah.

I despise vandals.

|9.3.08 @ 4:54PM|#

Why all the hate on the anarchists? Doesn't disliking government automatically come with no moral compass whatsoever? The world would be way better off if we could all just hurt each other and destroy each other's shit, no?

Anonymous|9.3.08 @ 4:59PM|#

The world would be way better off if we could all just hurt each other and destroy each other's shit, no?

There's the rub. When weapons are outlawed, only outlaws brandish weapons. And police selectively enforce the maze of laws attacking self-defence so as to make them a blanket for corruption.

Our society's fear of the actions of responsible citizens is allows the vandals and the police, each escalating with different tools and tactics, to destroy all of us.

tarran|9.3.08 @ 7:06PM|#

Robbie,

there are two sorts of anarchists:

One sort is polite, decent, respects other people's property, produce more than they consume and make good neighbors.

The other sort likes to lounge around demanding that people give them stuff, occasionally marching around and smashing things. Oh and yes, even though they are opposed to the state, many of them want it to pay for their medical care...

Guess which group gets all the attention?

Rational Anarchist|9.4.08 @ 1:22PM|#

Must be a bunch of Bakuninites