Letter to the Wall Street Journal re: the British Riots

Re: "The Barbarians Inside Britain's Gates" and "Notable & Quotable"

Dear Sirs:
Theodore Dalrymple and the editors of the London Telegraph are just the latest to observe that government interventions cause the OPPOSITE of their intended goals. Ludwig von Mises, for one, explained the phenomenon decades ago. The more extensive the intervention and the longer the time frame involved, the worse will be the outcome. In Britain's case, government has been contravening traditional legal principles for decades, making it almost illegal for citizens to defend themselves. This might work to some extent if Britain were Singapore, where the police and the courts do not tolerate anti-social behavior. But Britain does the opposite. Furthermore, its welfare policies have so corrupted its youth that millions are incapable of contributing to the economic system, becoming mere parasites upon society. So, in its desire for a more peaceful and prosperous society, British interventions into traditional legal principles of justice and protection of property rights have accomplished the opposite--civil strife and public bankruptcy.

Patrick Barron