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ideological culture

Continental Divide

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Today’s ideological impasse is not well understood.

To be a modern “liberal” or “progressive” means generally to favor governmental ways of accomplishing things over private ways, especially over voluntary economic transactions.

Programs such as Arizona’s “Clean Elections” law, discussed yesterday like similar ideas elsewhere — are designed to make “things better” by preventing certain types of voluntary behavior and distributing taxpayer money (forcefully extracted money, mind you) to people who play by certain established rules.

This seems like “justice” and “fairness” to progressives. It seems more like tyranny and bullying and grand theft to me.

The biggest division — the ideological analog of a continental divide — may be the very picture we have of government. Whatever good intent there is, I see government as Force Institutionalized. So, of course I want it limited, by constitutions and whatnot, its scope reduced so that voluntary (non-governmental) interactions can take center stage in our social life.

I believe that paper constitutions are not enough, though, and that government must be checked by Joe and Jill Citizen, who have to live under it, pay taxes to support it, and in good conscience assent (or at least adapt) to its presence in their lives.

Progressives prefer not to look at the “naked force” aspect of government, and see only what they think it can do “for us.” I worry what it will do “to us.” As Tom Paine once wrote, “It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from his government.”

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

5 replies on “Continental Divide”

First off, the radical left is always changing the language to rewrite history. It’s time we do the same. They call themselves PROgressives, when no progress in humanity can be found in any of their policies. Whatever it is that they are proposing, it is actually REgressive. For God’s sake, they want us to go back to using WINDMILLS. So, let’s change the language as they are so adept at doing and call them what they are……REGRESSIVES!

Liberty and freedom are dangerous for the weak. They have to depend on the largesse of their community and also to ask for help with the acknowlegment that they are not capable. And their community may always choose to ask for or expect something in return.

But even more dangerous for the inept and the lazy. Because their community may insist that they also contribute or even find that they do not need the free lunch to which they have become accustomeed.

http://dissembler.blogtownhall.com

Government is dangerous when looked at as the answer for all problems. It is proven that uncontrolled government leads to chaos. It seems that people are being elected on the basis of what can u do for me. That is the beginning of the end if this mindset continues

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