Political Fashion Statements

Time magazine recently published its list of the Top Ten Political Fashion Statements. Here they are:

10. Rick Santorum's sweater vests

9. Fidel Castro's tracksuits

8. Every Male in American Politics, Ever (dark blue suit, white shirt, red or blue tie, flag pin on lapel)

7. Kim Jong Il's Khaki Safari Suits and Sunglasses

6. Jimmy Carter's Cardigan

5. Mao Zedong's Suits

4. Jawaharlal Nehru's Jackets

3. Muammar Gaddafi's Everything

2. Hillary Clinton's Pantsuits

1. Sarah Palin's Glasses

I don't know if those were supposed to be in any particular order - it's hard to imagine Sarah Palin's glasses being a stronger fashion statement than the Nehru jacket. (And I'll never understand how Rick Santorum's sweaters managed to beat out Che Guevara's beret). No matter, it's still a pretty impressive list. But on more than one occasion I've seen Time magazine take a more charitable view of government than I do, and I think that attitude is reflected in the list they've compiled here. Whether they're talking about some anonymous bureaucrats, political lightweights, or mass-murdering dictators, it seems that just about anyone in the public sector has something to offer Time's world of fashion.

But since we're talking specifically about political fashion statements, I've come up with my own list of government-inspired garb, haberdashery, and accoutrement which I feel more accurately reflects the importance of the state in our lives (as seen through the prism of fashion). Here it is – let me know if I've left anything out:

10. A badge

9. Riot Gear

8. Handcuffs

7. Combat fatigues

6. Black robes

5. Mirrored sunglasses

4. Orange prison jumpsuits

3. Hangman's noose

2. A boot (stamping on a human face)

And last but not least, the sine qua non of government fashion, the absolutely, positively, don't-leave-home-without-it, must-have government accessory of this (and every) season has to be…

1. Guns, guns, and more guns!

"Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom." - Ludwig von Mises