The Civil Rights Act of 1964, claiming it restricts individual liberties and allows for coercive government actions, rather than promoting true freedom. The author references key thinkers and contemporary commentators to support this perspective.
1. Argument Against Expansion: Lew Rockwell, in his 1995 article "Repeal '64," criticized extending the Civil Rights Act to new groups. He claims that civil rights laws infringe upon basic rights like freedom of association, contract, and expression, rather than protecting them.
2. Government Growth: The act is portrayed as a catalyst for increasing government power under the guise of enforcing civil rights. The Trump administration's use of civil rights investigations against opponents illustrates how both political sides manipulate civil rights law.
3. Civil Rights Bureaucracy: The article highlights that the civil rights bureaucracy serves both political parties to justify expanding federal power, making civil rights a false justification for government control.
4. Constitutional Concerns: The author compares the Constitution to a powerless entity under the Civil Rights Act's enforcement, stating that it does not protect citizens from the tyranny of civil rights legislation.
5. Freedom of Choice: The article emphasizes that "discrimination" involves making choices, and when the government regulates these choices through anti-discrimination laws, it effectively attempts to control people's thoughts and decisions.
6. Progressive and Conservative Attitudes: Progressives are portrayed as indifferent to the implications of such laws as long as they believe in the righteousness of their intentions. Conversely, conservatives are described as naive, thinking they can use civil rights laws for their agenda without acknowledging the overarching issue of coercion.
7. Call for Repeal: Rockwell advocates for the complete repeal of anti-discrimination laws, arguing that true individual liberty allows individuals to choose their associations and contracts without government interference.
8. Merit-Based Opportunities: Replacing civil rights policies with merit-based systems is seen as an ineffective solution, as it still relies on government intervention.
9. Fairness and Legal Neutrality: The article concludes that a truly fair system would exist without anti-discrimination laws, fostering an environment where businesses could operate freely without fear of lawsuits, thereby restoring the value of credit ratings and university functions.
The article asserts that the Civil Rights Act undermines individual liberties by imposing government control over personal choices and associations. It calls for a reevaluation and repeal of the act to return to a system that respects true freedom and individual merit.
https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-we-should-repeal-civil-rights-act
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