This morning a major media publication posted an online report accusing a well-known Major League baseball player of using anabolic steroids more than six years ago. The report says “four sources have independently” confirmed that the player was one of 104 on a list of players who tested positive for one or more steroids in 2003. The testing and the list were part of a confidential survey conducted by Major League Baseball and the union representing baseball players.
The federal government has the list as part of its unconstitutional investigation into steroid use. The publication says two of its sources are “familiar with the evidence that the government has gathered,” but no further information is given because, “All four sources spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the evidence.”
I have not named the publication or the player. Obviously, you can easily find it all over the internet now, but as far as I’m concerned, this is a false report spread by a publication actively aiding and abetting the federal government’s crimes against innocent people.
There is a strong likelihood that some or all of the publication’s sources are individuals who violated their own duty to keep the alleged list of players confidential. Remember, the pro-state press justifies its steroid witch hunt on the grounds that players who use these substances are “cheaters” who must be exposed. Yet when other individuals — such as prosecutors — cheat by selectively leaking confidential information under the protection of anonymous sourcing, that is celebrated as an exercise of “First Amendment” rights. And once again, the government’s entire anti-steroid policy is “cheating” on the Constitution that supposedly limits state power.
Already, I have seen a number of columns declaring the publication’s report true without any verification of the allegations. Unless the sources are identified, such verification is obviously impossible. We’re not talking about anonymous pamphleteers challenging government orthodoxy — these publications and writers are active participants in a criminal conspiracy to deprive individuals of their liberty and property. As neoconservatives might say, these media members are “enemy combatants,” and libertarians need to treat them as such.
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I wouldn’t say that these publications are trying to deprive individuals of their liberty, I think it is more just about the publicity.
As for the issue, the MLB, the player and the player’s association have both denied to comment so far, so I am hoping it is false because as a baseball fan, I hate to see player’s using performance enhancing drugs and as an American, I hate to see our government get involved in this “witch hunt.”
As posted on the lewrockwell site recently: Stasi Britain.
Good call, Marc Sheffner. Scandal is the lifeblood of the mass media and that is one reason for their symbiotic relationship to the state; after all, somebody has to have the power to tie the witches to the stakes.
“I wouldn’t say that these publications are trying to deprive individuals of their liberty, I think it is more just about the publicity.”
With due respect, Miraj, that’s exactly the wrong mindset to have in today’s climate. This publication either fabricated its story or expressly disregarded the confidentiality of a private drug test. Either way, I’m not willing to write that off as merely seeking publicity. It’s a threat to everyone’s liberty regardless of what the publication may have intended.
36 members of Congress have been accused of spousal abuse
7 arrested for fraud
19 accused of bad checkes
117 have bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assualt
71 cannot obtain credit cards due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug charges
84 have been arrested for drunk driving…in the last year
Does this not taint the honor of this “game”? Does this not set poor examples for the childerns? Does this mean I can put an asterik next to all of their legislation (and selectively choose which ones are legitemate)?
The hypocracy is mind boggling.
@S.M. Olivia I agree that they have deprived these individuals of their right to confidentiality, but what I am saying is that that was not their reason for doing it. There reason was because of their publicity and being the first ones to break the story.
In your piece you said, “these publications and writers are active participants in a criminal conspiracy to deprive individuals of their liberty and property.” and what I am saying is that they aren’t trying to deprive individuals of liberty, as that is not their goal. It is just a side-effect of their main goal. I know, in the end the individual still loses the right, but I wouldn’t say their intentions are to deprive liberties.
“I know, in the end the individual still loses the right, but I wouldn’t say their intentions are to deprive liberties.”
I respectfully disagree, because most of the writers and broadcasters who criticize steroid use itself speak in expressly ethical terms — that using certain drugs is immoral and needs to be punished. To me that proves intent to deprive a person of their liberty.
This definitely makes perfect sense to me
Terrific writing..
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