It's not just the statist policies that have discredited the Democrats. It is their mindset, and Thomas Friedman is exhibit A for why we should pry their grimy mitts from the levers of power.
Citizen of the world Thomas Friedman writes breezily about sipping tea with third world potentates at his country manor, while advocating that we the unwashed be divested of our suburban homes to be herded into crowded city centers, all in the name of enviro-statism.
Regularly extoling the virtues of totalitarian regimes like China, this New York Times sophist represents the very worst America has to offer. Last week, he posed a typical stupid question:
Can China balance Freedom and Prosperity?
(Friedman - NY Times)
It's a nonsensical question. You can't balance one against the other. History shows they are inseparable. Freedom and prosperity sit at the same end of the teeter totter. What China is really trying to do is to balance these noble aspirations against state-sponsored tyranny.
Progressives long for the Strong Man
Like too many progressives, Friedman displays an unabashed admiration of dictatorial power and statist governments. Since the early 20th Century, progressives in this country have a long and enduring love affair with strong men and strong governments, personal liberties be damned.
Tom Friedman and his ilk are anti-American, and the mellifluous BS that flows from his pen is a threat to our nation and our way of life.
Strong Government = Weak People
Thanks to the Long March of Progressivism in this nation, many of us have forgotten that with freedom comes responsibility, and personal prosperity is not a birthright. It is something one earns through virtue and hard work.
Joel Kotkin, one of my favorite on-line professors, explodes Friedman's statist stupidity by pointing out that ...
...it’s fashionable today in some circles to toast autocracy – particularly among our growing ranks of Sinophiles on both right and left. But the Legatum study suggests that democracy, not top-down dictatorship, remains the surest way to build a prosperous society.
The Legatum Prosperity Index found that all the more prosperous places – not only by income, but by quality of life, environment, education and health care – almost exclusively are democratic states. “Prosperity,” the report concludes, “is found in entrepreneurial democracies that have strong social fabrics.” (Forbes - Joel Kotkin)Reason magazine does humanity a great service by regularly publishing cogent rebuttals to this one-world, statist's bumper sticker philosophy. You can inoculate yourself here: Reason - Thomas Freidman
5 comments:
If we implemented what he espouses, Thomas Friedman would not be a Freed Man.
I once sat at dinner with a self-described Marxist who believed citizens should all be paid equally so everybody would be equal.
He had a 20 room home with three garages filled with a Beemer, Rolls Royce and Jag.
"Somebody has to be in charge," he asserted in defense of his own wealth.
You know the worst part of all this, he is not the only that believes this stupidity.
I cannot believe how people would trade their freedom to be under a dictatorship.
I see what you're saying, SR. But I'm not entirely sure that it's such a partisan thing. Republican Presidents (from Lincoln to Nixon to Bush 2) have often pushed the limits of executive power; expanding the role of government, limiting civil liberties, etc.. Now, granted, FDR and LBJ were probably worse (with Obama apparently heading in that direction) than them but, still, there seems to be more than blame to go around here.
I agree, Will.
My favorite Hayek Quote:
To the socialists of all parties
Every time a liberal opens their mouth,all you get are dry empty cranium farts.
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