Getting a driver's License is a rite of passage to adulthood for many teenagers. It's a big thing. Being able to drive a car represents independence and power; it represents trust. In essence the whole affair seems overly simple. Get the teenager to learn how to drive and set him/her free. Simple right? Well… no. Let's analyze the typical steps required to reach this point in the current system:
- Pay for the written driver's test
- Pass the written driver's test
- Drive as student with severe limitations
- Pay for the first practical driver's test
- Pass the first practical driver's test
- Drive as student with large limitations
- Pay for the second practical driver's test
- Pass the second practical driver's test
- Pay for your driver's license
- Get your driver's license
- Find (potential) used car
- Pay for the (potential) used car safety certification
- Get the (potential) used car certified for safety
- If it fails, pay for the safety repairs
- If repaired, pay for the safety re–certification
- Buy the car
- Pay for a car license
- Get a car license
- Pay for car insurance
- Get car insurance
- Pay to test for emission standards
- Test your car for emission standards
- If it fails, pay for the emission repairs
- If repaired, pay for the emission re–certification
- Drive car
Let's take a look at the statistics:
We have 25 steps.
- 22 of them are Government mandated
- 8 of them are Government mandated payments
- 4 of them are Government mandated payments for fixes if the car fails tests
- 8 of them are types of Licenses
- 3 are necessary in a Free Market
Let's take a look at the equivalent Free Market steps and statistics
- Teach person to drive
- Find (potential) used car
- Buy the car
- Drive the car
Yup! You only got 4. The rest is all optional.
Let's compare again: 22 Steps versus 4 Steps.
Now, do we get anything extra for those extra 18 steps? Not really. The basics (learn to drive, buy a car and drive) are already covered. Result: 18 useless steps.
Do we pay more for those 18 extra steps? Absolutely: 8 Licenses.
Conclusion: we pay money for 18 extra useless steps!!
And why do we do this? Because if don't do it the people with badges and guns will throw you into jail. The argument of force: do it… or else!
There you have it. Government in action in all its glory.
How can the Government do this "legally"? Because you don't owe the car; actually you cannot ever truly own any car. This is so because you can never get your hands on the allodial title of any car (see You Don't Own The Government The Government Owns You).
And why do we need to pay for "Licenses"? Because a License is a permit (i.e. a privilege) given to us to be able to do something that would otherwise be illegal. And what is this thing that would otherwise be illegal without car–related Licenses? Simple. It would be illegal to:
- Rent your car from the Government
- Drive the car you rented from the Government
- Use the roads that you paid for with taxes and that now belong to the Government
How does this work in an Absolute Austro–Libertarian system?
Simple: you buy a car, you own a car, you drive a car.
No fuss, no mess, no buts, no complications. The rest is all optional.
In the end, if you owe a car it is your right to drive it, not a privilege.
The Government has perverted this process by abrogating (i.e. stealing) your property and renting it back to you! The Government, this entity which has no rights but only privileges which were granted to it by you is dictating to you what you may or may not do with your property! How sick and perverted is this?
Driving (same as owning) a car is your right, not a privilege!
Don't let any Government apparatchik try to convince you otherwise.
Or not. Your choice…but then, you already know where this kind of thinking leads to… are you enjoying the trip so far?
Note: please see the Glossary if you are unfamiliar with certain words.
