San Francisco, CA – The Shutdown is like the days of Prohibition. The government has chosen to outlaw or severely restrict day to day activity. Namely, the Shutdown of businesses and consumer’s ability to use those businesses. What is the result? A prohibition like black market economy.
We are not going to lie here. There has been some useful information on the New York Times and NPR lately. We’re convinced it’s because we’ve called out the lamestream media enough [sarcasm]. They’ve been forced to produce one or two articles a week that don’t reek of bull manure. If you want to read our criticisms of the media, click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Today’s article does come from NPR. They did a pretty good job of showing how the Shutdown has created a black market economy. It also hints that citizens are willing to break the law to get the service they want or need. They even went as far as to discuss some basic economic principles. All Nine Circles must have frozen over or something.
The crux of the NPR article is how the author’s friend, a resident of uber-liberal San Francisco, California, has uncovered an underground economy. This was by accident when she went to a business meeting, and security wouldn’t let her bring in her bag because of COVID (yeah, we don’t get it either). She was forced to find a place to store her bag quickly and found a gym that was open but “not really open” by pure coincidence.
Upon finding the gym that was open, but not really open – just in case the government was listening, she found out her small gym, where she was a member, was open (but not open as well). In fact, her small gym was over-run by new “members” who used the gym, because their corporate gyms had shut down due to the Shutdown.
The Shutdown is like the days of Prohibition.
From NPR:
Christina knew the gym was ignoring state orders. But, she says, “one of the few things that keeps me sane is going to the gym.” She had tried to buy equipment for home, but she found it was either too expensive or impossible to obtain because everything was back-ordered. She’s in her mid-thirties and fit and doesn’t interact with high-risk populations, so she decided she was willing to take the risk and go back.
Greg Rosalsky, Secret Gyms And The Economics Of Prohibition, NPR, August 11, 2020
Yes, NPR, the free market, and free will always prevail over prohibitions. There was a high demand for exercise equipment, and that drove up prices. When that wasn’t an option, people found a way (somewhat illegally) to get the services that they needed. Much like booze during Prohibition.
We also need to recognize from “Christina’s” quote that she was willing to accept the risk. Yes, she has free will, is an adult, and can make adult decisions, WITHOUT the government telling her what to do. This is freedom, this is rebelling against the “Nanny State,” this is AMERICAN!
What is even more shocking about this NPR article, is they interviewed a Harvard economist professor. The Professor seems to understand free-market economics instead of the usual Marxism we see out the Ivy League crowd. The Professor’s name is Jeffrey Miron.
Here is what Miron had to say about government prohibitions:
Governments can legislate all they want, but prohibiting stuff with eager buyers and sellers is super hard, says Jeffrey Miron, an economist at Harvard University who has spent three decades studying prohibitions. Miron, who these days is legally working out in his basement, says there’s a simple lesson that emerges from his studies: “Prohibitions don’t eliminate things. They drive them underground.” And that comes with a whole host of unintended consequences.
Greg Rosalsky, Secret Gyms And The Economics Of Prohibition, NPR, August 11, 2020
Exactly, Professor Miron. Prohibitions do come with unintended consequences. For governments, and this is not mentioned in the article, it is the loss of tax revenue. They have less of our money to spend. Governments with these shutdowns are just hurting themselves. Just deserts, as far as we are concerned.
The Shutdown is like the days of Prohibition.
More unintended consequences from Miron:
Higher prices are another classic unintended consequence of Prohibition. With less competition and higher risks in black markets, entrepreneurs can charge extra. The money-making opportunities of black markets lead to other classic side effects of Prohibition: violence and corruption. “Disputes tend to be resolved violently because the participants in an underground market can’t sue each other in state or federal courts,” Miron says. Mobs and gangs function as quasi-governments that use violence to keep order and enforce property rights. But it’s hard to imagine illegal gym operators turning to Tommy Guns and gang warfare to resolve their business disputes.
Greg Rosalsky, Secret Gyms And The Economics Of Prohibition, NPR, August 11, 2020
Prohibitions turn us into savages, maybe this is why Democrats finally started buying guns this year [funny but not funny]. We can’t wait for the gym mob wars; we think Miron is wrong in his prediction [humor]. If you’ve been wondering why prices have gone up on everyday items, look no further than the lockdowns.
Miron’s final parting shot from NPR: “Miron’s research shows that the longer a prohibition goes on, the less effective it is.” Yes, we agree. When are citizens who are NOT ANTIFA and BLM going to stop complying with these mandates? There has to be regular citizens out there willing to rebel!
The Shutdown is like the days of Prohibition. We are ready to burn our masks in effigy and re-open this country. Are you?
What do you think? Is the liberal media finally coming around to doing their job? Are you surprised that businesses and consumers are not complying with the shutdowns? Is it time to move on from this Corona Health Scare? Write your comments below and on social media!
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