Phillips asks...
Is totalitarianism the natural end of all forms of government, or are men capable of ruling themselves? Without the foundation of Locke, do American children have the philosophical foundation necessary to understand what is truly evil about Stalin and Marx and conversely, what is good and unique about America?Many libertarian thinkers, and historical evidence, point to a definitive conclusion that, yes, totalitarianism is the natural end of all forms of government. Good governance that protects liberty requires a constant struggle between the government and the governed. There is no stasis. It is a constant tug of war.
One Evil Leads to Another
As Hayek and others have observed, if we merely say Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini were evil and leave it at that, we learn nothing. For Hitler, Stalin and Mao were particularly evil not because of their totalitarianism, but because of the over 100 million human beings they murdered.
But what drove them to it?
They had a plan, like all central-planning statists do, and they needed for everyone to follow it. When all else fails, try brutality.
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false-face for the urge to rule it.Obama is not a murderous Stalin, and the Democrats are not the Chinese Poltburo purging society for a great leap forward. They and do-gooders like them are not cruel or genocidal. They want to improve society, remake it in their image, and that is their sin: No man has a right to remake another in his image. No person or group has the right to forcefully impose their narrow vision on others, no matter how wonderful or well-meaning it may be.
-- H.L Menckin
Questions for Obama and the Democrats
You want everyone to cooperate with your plans. What will you do if incentives and bribery fail to sway the citizenry? Will you throw the carrots away and reach for the stick of legislative coercion?
If we still fail to comply, then what? This is where things get ugly.
Further, what empirical evidence can these statist busybodies point to showing that a collectivist, centrally-planned society is superior to one of free people where each determines his or her own future?
Our Right Come From Nature
Our rights must come from God (or nature if you prefer), a source that transcends mankind. The alternative is too horrible to bear.
Rights do not come from a ruling body or a document. We possess certain natural rights by virtue of our humanness. To believe otherwise is the ultimate human rights abuse. If our rights come from a document, then whatever that document says is valid: Slavery, rape, genocide... Whatever the drafters have written, shall be done.
No, you say? Then to what authority do you appeal with your objections to the ruling document? Another human being? What if she reaffirms what the document says, then what?
For this reason, our human rights of life, liberty and property must be an untouchable bedrock, inviolable.
The Founders knew it and they enshrined this ideal in the Declaration of Independence, but more importantly, in The US Constitution.
10 comments:
Silver, Good post.
I took special interest in this part,,,
"They had a plan, like all central-planning statists do, and they needed for everyone to follow it. When all else fails, try brutality",,,
,,,"Obama is not a murderous Stalin, and the Democrats are not the Chinese Poltburo purging society for a great leap forward. They and do-gooders like them are not cruel or genocidal. They want to improve society, remake it in their image, and that is their sin: No man has a right to remake another in his image".
We have debated back-and-forth in the past as whether or not to describe the current regime and their accomplices in congress socialists or facsists, me on the pro side and you on the con.
I have stated in my arguement in the past that 'leaders' such as you enumerate here "did not start out as muderers" and believe you have just made my point crystal clear.
We are dealing with socialists hell bent on control and are using facsist manuevers in all facets of the economy to achieve it. When the people utimately reject this do you think they will say "OK, We give, have a nice day"?
Agreed Chris, great post SF and this stuck out to me
"No person or group has the right to forcefully impose their narrow vision on others, no matter how wonderful or well-meaning it may be."
That's all liberals do, they 'know best' for everyone else. They think.
And when one doesn't agree they try and force them to eventually. Like San Fran nan today threatening to investigate Mosque opponents.
I am fairly certain that the response you would get from the 18 to 35 year old demographic would be that John Locke is the half/good/half evil character in ABC's recently cancelled but popular series 'Lost.'
Ironically, when 'Lost's John Locke was killed, his coffin had Locke's body within identified as 'Jeremy Bentham.'
The Founders knew it and they enshrined this ideal in the Declaration of Independence, but more importantly, in The US Constitution.
..amen Silver!
I don’t agree that Obama and the Congress are not very dangerous institutions right now. I do believe that the Progressives in congress are Marxists and are pursuing a communist agenda. This is no over reaction, and I am reminded of the axiom that the best trick Satan ever pulled on human kind was to convince them he didn’t exist. As for inalienable rights … since they are gifts of God, no government can take them away; except, governments do take away rights all the time. Each time they pass a law to tax/punish you, they remove your right to decide for yourself. I hate this. I really do. If that makes me libertarian, so be it.
Semper Fi
I would like to take credit for the observations, Chris, but Hayek beat me to it.
You, Mustang and Ray point to a continuum, and that's what I am writing about.
It all starts with the best of intentions, but what if those you are "helping" won't cooperate?
As you observe, Chris, I doubt they will simply say "my bad," and fade into obscurity.
Fredd, that was an awesome observation, and sadly true...
And that is the distinction. Obama and the Dems are not there. Yet. We all agree that eternal vigilance is required.
Progressives are manipulators. Pretending to have halos but really carrying pitchforks.
It's an old trick and good thing there are many of us who can see right through that transparency,not to mention the many who are having voters remorse.
May we never forget this time as to never return to it.
@Lisa:
"Pretending to have halos but really carrying pitchforks."
I like it!
Yup Lisa that's a characteristic both our enemies utilize, and that's of course the Liberals and the Muslims.
Both make lives out of and based on lies. It's their core principle, tell every uneducated dolt that'll listen what they wanna hear to get what they want.
tell every uneducated dolt that'll listen what they wanna hear to get what they want"
Yes while demonizing those who are onto them.
What a creepy cast of characters.
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