Take Me Back

One of the nice things about several of my friends is that they send me stuff that I usually wouldn't find on my own. Today I got a really novel list of things that differ between America in 1905 and 2005. While much of it focuses upon how (relatively) underdeveloped America was in 1905 (i.e. technology, infrastructure, etc.), there were a few things that were just too good to pass up commenting upon:

"Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason."

Oh for shame! Imagine anyone wanting to keep their country affluent and reasonably crime-free. Imagine anyone wanting to preserve a common culture and not throw the doors open to any vagrant who just happens to wander in. Imagine not wanting your provided social services to become overburdened. Aren't you really glad we don't think that way today .... especially along our southern border?

"Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores."

Wow ... and you mean life went on without the Imperial Federal Government wasting billions of dollars fighting a War on Drugs (a.k.a. The War on the Bill of Rights)? Impossible.

"Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help."

Cool. That means people who had limited job skills could still support themselves even without flipping burgers. Moreover, it means 18% of US households could afford domestic help.

"There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day."

Now that's hitting below the belt! No Hallmark Holidays to guilt people into spending money for schlock and kitsch? Astounding!

"With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union."

What a pleasant thought. A state of California without the fruits, nuts, and massive government that they just can't stop themselves from exporting at every opportunity. How did the nation survive?

Of course, no list is complete, and so I'd like to add 5 things that were right about 1905 but may seem shocking and alien today:

1. There was no income tax. That's right -- none. Every dollar you earned was yours by right.
2. The federal government was, especially by today's standards, tiny. It also followed the Constitution much more closely than it does today, although Teddy Roosevelt was starting to ignore it when it suited his purposes.
3. Federalism still existed. States were different, laws were different, and if you didn't like the way one state ran its affairs you were free to move on to another one that suited your tastes.
4. People were held accountable for their actions. If you were too stupid to be safe, it was your problem. If you invested unwisely, none of your neighbors were forced to subsidize your poor judgement.
5. Private property meant "private property". It was yours by right, not because the government graciously allowed you to use it as long as they didn't decide to take it. [BTW -- a pox those 5 Supreme Court justices who ruled today that municipalities can use eminent domain to seize private property so that private developers can build better tax-producing projects. Our founders are no doubt spinning in their graves.]

To be honest, though, 1905 was too close to the beginning of the end of liberty in America (a.k.a. the FDR years) to be really appealing. Given the opportunity, I'd rather go back to 1805. That would have really been the time to address the bad things about America (i.e. slavery, racism, excessive reliance on religion) while keeping the good.

If anyone develops a time travel system, please let me know. I'm not too busy these days .....