"Luckiest" People

Some people in history appear to be have been lucky but when you examine the political forces around them--and their connection to those forces--it often appears that they had more than "luck" on their side.

Sometimes just looking at who profits most from decisions, helps uncover at least potential corruption. One such historical case may be to ask the question

"Who profited most from 1920s alcohol prohibition in the US?"

In 1915, Al Capone joined the Five Points gang--an organized crime ring with 1500 paid thugs--which ruled over New York City, the foremost city in the US. He had joined the top gang in the top city.

Just 4 years later, an amendment to the US Constitution was ratified which prohibited the legal sale of alcohol--leaving the organized crime rings with a criminal monopoly over alcohol sales.

Evidence suggests Capone had politicians on his payroll, so that he could exercise at least some personal influence over whether the Prohibition amendment got repealed or not.

In 1961, Ayn Rand wrote For the New Intellectual, where she outlined how history shows two power centers caricatured as Attila and The Witch Doctor. Attila rules your body and The Witch Doctor rules your mind. Ayn Rand referred to the first as Mystics of Muscle and to the second as Mystics of Spirit.

When these general powers work together, they get you to adopt rules which progressively enslave you to special interests. While unproven, it may be true that American gangsters worked behind the scenes to alter US law so that it unjustly favors them.

Even the possibility of unjust law favoring special interests means we should limit power and authority--and view all regulation as a potential weapon in that regulations constitute an "initiation of force" which forces people into behavior patterns often to the personal benefit of evil people.

If alcohol is to be expressly prohibited, it may not be because of purity or sanctity--but for something much worse.

If a Keystone Pipeline is to be prohibited, it may not be for environmental reasons--but for something much worse. If a Green New Deal is offered, it may not be to save the planet--but for something much worse. If Universal Health Care is offered, it may not be for human health--but for something much worse.

The list goes on forever, with all initiations of force (all regimentation of human behavior) as a potential weapon for unjust accrual of power and wealth.

Image Attribution

Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlCaponemugshotCPD.jpg

Attribution: United States Bureau of Prisons [Public domain]