by Walter E. Block, Ph.D.
The Daily Bell
In the bad old medieval days there were masters, journeymen and apprentices. This guild system controlled many occupations. If you wanted to enter any of them you had to be approved of by the powers that were.
The same sort of thing took place in bad old India under British rule. There was that scene in the movie “Gandhi” in which numerous of his followers were brutalized as they approached the sea. What was that all about? The colonial powers had reserved salt-making for the crown. Gandhi did not quite buy into this prohibition. His supporters were attempting to violate this stricture and were subjected to ruthless beatings to quell their protest.