North Carolina’s new $300 billion state budget contains a provision that gives extraordinary investigative powers to a partisan oversight committee co-chaired by Senate Leader Phil Berger (R) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R). The Joint Legislative Committee on Government Operations — or Gov Ops for short — is empowered to seize “any document or system of record” from anyone who works in or with state and local government during its investigations. The rule applies to contractors, subcontractors, and any other non-state entity “receiving, directly and indirectly, public funds,” including charities and state universities.
Can we stop referring to them as libertarians yet?
There is nothing liberatory about secret police with nearly unlimited scope, or subsidizing oligarchs, or letting the rich and powerful exploit labor and get away without paying taxes. There is nothing horizontal about the organization of an authoritarian state. There is no consent when you are told how to speak, think, dress, act, eat, behave.
Libertarianism is radical: From the beginning it meant anarchy and indicated horizontal power structures, it’s supposed to empower rather than trap, it’s supposed to put the powers of social maintenance back in the hands of the members of society. It is inherently anti-fascist, opposing both corporations and captured/vertical governance. Disagree with it all you want, but it has nothing in common with the American right-wing. Classical libertarianism - anarchy - is arguably as far left as you can get. These two ideologies are natural enemies.
The whole world needs less secret police and more liberation, imo. This headline is a rather scary development.