When The Mega-Rich Turn

By, Chris Rossini

Yesterday, news came out that Ukrainian billionaires were turning on their President for refusing to sign an agreement with the EU.

I thought to myself (and I wish I would have tweeted it) that this was it for Ukraine's President Yanukovych. Once the government loses the rich guys, they're toast.

Well, lo and behold, just one day later we read that Ukraine and the EU have agreed to workout a roadmap for an association deal.

That was quick. Always watch the rich guys.

You know who lost the rich guys way back when?

King George III

The names of the American Revolution: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Robert Morris, etc.....These were not poor fellows. They were the wealthy folks in America. When they turned on the King, that was it.

Where are the wealthy guys today in America? They're as silent as little lambs. TSA genital grabbing and NSA spying on every movement is not enough to stick their necks out. It's understandable. They still live very comfortable lives.

Why rock the boat? Even if a billionaire knows that what the government is doing is terrible, no one likes to be the only one...the first domino. Let someone else be the first domino, and jump on board later.

In addition, lining your pockets as a professional crony is still hip. Even Warren Buffet celebrates it. He once said: "This has been a tremendous economic system. It’s a system that showers rewards on my particular skill set."

However, someday it may not be so comfortable for the mega-rich. Leviathan shows mercy to no man. It spreads like a cancer and eventually swallows up everyone, including the rulers themselves. Even the Soviet ruling elites knew that the time was up. There was nothing left for them to expropriate.

Sadly, in the U.S., we'll most likely have to wait for it to be "bad enough" and for the dollar to be "worthless enough" for the rich to get off their behinds. Government can do a lot of damage between now and then. The latest idea floating around is a "guaranteed universal income". If that doesn't show you how far along we are, nothing will.

So the rest of us will have to bear the brunt as Leviathan marches on and the mega-rich (with very few exception) keep their mouths shut. At the same time, we libertarians can't keep our mouths shut. We have the hard work of creating a favorable intellectual environment. There is a ton of educational work to do, with not a moment to spare.

If someday, enough minds are changed, and enough mega-rich Americans decide to finally open their mouths, the ideas of liberty could flourish once again.