As RedState reported last night, Ron DeSantis’ speech at NatCon 2022 set the left into a tizzy. Specifically, his assertion that the government was “wrong” about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines put the hysterics into motion.

But it wasn’t just the left who responded negatively to the governor’s speech. Some on the right, specifically those of the more libertarian mold, were incensed by his comments on big business. One writer from Reason made a series of posts that were cited by other accounts to condemn DeSantis.

“Some of these big companies are now exercising quasi-public power,” DeSantis says. Latest example of a trend in which conservatives conflate private actions with government coercion.

— (Stephanie) Slade (@sladesr) September 12, 2022

Wow. DeSantis says large businesses aren’t really private, and thus don’t have First Amendment rights, because they’re doing the bidding of “the regime.”

— (Stephanie) Slade (@sladesr) September 12, 2022

To be clear, the above paraphrases of DeSantis’ comments aren’t wholly accurate. The governor is not just, out of the blue, suggesting that large businesses aren’t private and don’t have First Amendment rights. What he’s referring to is the disturbing trend of mega-corporations being influenced by the federal government (often through back-channel means) to take actions to suppress rights that otherwise can’t gain popular support.

Contrary to the gnashing of teeth, that is actually illegal. Private corporations are not allowed to act as proxies for actions sought by the federal government. Exploring the depth of such collusion would be necessary, but DeSantis is not wrong or crazy for putting the option on the table.

For example, how gullible must a person be to believe this recent move by major credit card companies is just a coincidence?

open collusion between democrats and credit card companies restricting gun rights. no reason to pass laws if financial institutions carry out your agenda for you. pic.twitter.com/cFRExUbRJF

— Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) September 11, 2022

Do you know what it’s called when private companies are influenced and tacitly controlled by the federal government? That’s called fascism, and last I checked, fascism is bad. It is no more acceptable for rights to be crushed by major corporations working hand in hand with Democrats than it is for rights to be crushed directly by the government.

Of course, there are many other examples, including the collusion between the government and private businesses to push vaccine mandates. DeSantis mentioned that as well, again drawing criticism.

“An individual has a right to participate in society,” says DeSantis, defending his ban on even private companies asking for proof of vaccination. Needless to say, this is the same argument the bake-the-cake-ers make.

— (Stephanie) Slade (@sladesr) September 12, 2022

That is not actually the argument that “bake-the-cake-ers” make. The argument that they make is that carve-outs for religious liberty are unconstitutional and discriminatory. Those carve-outs exist, though. A Christian bakery being willing to sell a cake to a gay couple but not attend their wedding on religious grounds is not at all the same as a secular corporation demanding vaccine status from private individuals to enter a building. Had the baker simply refused to allow the gay couple into the door, that would have been illegal.

Wrapping up, libertarians may be content to make drug legalization their top priority, but DeSantis knows what time it is, and he sees where all this is going. If that’s unacceptable to our libertarian friends, then I have a suggestion: Go vote for Libertarians.

For our part, conservatives are not going to sit idly by while oligarchic corporations ally with far-left officials to create a society where you can’t walk into a Wal-Mart without having a vaccine that has no effect on other people (i.e. transmission). We also aren’t going to watch our Second Amendment rights crushed by credit card companies taking their cues from Elizabeth Warren. If that’s too icky for libertarians, then they’ve got other options. Feel free to take them.