It's Opposite Day

It’s becoming impossible to exaggerate the degree to which government in America is mostly like having a fire department that sends a crew around in a big red truck to light things on fire.

We have a Border Patrol to make sure the border is open, and Texas is defying federal authority by securing it. “General Patton, we’re sending you to North Africa. Protect Rommel’s flanks, and make sure he has plenty of fuel for his tanks.”

The news media exists to control information, pharmaceutical regulators exist to protect the ability of pharmaceutical companies to market dangerous and ineffective products, and local governments exist to pay rioters and arsonists for burning down cities.

There are a bunch of things happening at Eagle Pass that merit analysis, like the much-repeated but factually incorrect claim that Texas is “defying federal authorities” by placing razor wire at the border, but at the moment I find the idea of analyzing any of it ridiculous. The people who run formally declared sanctuary states and sanctuary cities are very very upset that state and local officials are refusing to acknowledge the federal government’s supremacy in matters of immigration and border security. It’s too stupid to honor by pretending to think about it carefully.

The Border Patrol exists to make sure the border is open. That’s it. That’s the current condition of American institutions, neatly summarized.

“Police! Drop the gun!” (short pause) “We brought you a better one.”

Our government institutions aren’t failing to prevent harm to us; they’re actively working to cause us harm, unambiguously and persistently.