If you’ve never read any of Thomas Sowell’s columns or books, you owe it to yourself to learn the ideas of one of the most exceptional minds of our time. Though he is an economist, he is a common sense and serious observer of people and organizations, governments and both liberal (left) and conservative (right) politics.
In a recent article, “The Left’s Central Delusion”, he is especially succinct. “The fundamental problem of the political left seems to be the real world does not fit their preconceptions. Therefore, they see the real world as what is wrong, and what needs to be changed, since apparently their preconceptions cannot be wrong.”
He goes on to look at 18th century France, where the concept of the left originated. “The French Revolution was their chance to show what they could do when they got the power they sought. In contrast to what they promised – “liberty, equality, fraternity” – what they actually produced were food shortages, mob violence and dictatorial powers that included arbitrary executions, extending even to their own leaders, such as Robespierre, who died under the guillotine.”
Looking at the end of the 20th century, “… even socialist and communist governments began abandoning central planning and allowing more market competition. Yet this quiet capitulation to inescapable realities did not end the noisy claims of the left. In the United States, those claims and policies have reached new heights, epitomized by government takeovers of whole sectors of the economy and unprecedented intrusions into the lives of Americans….”
I don’t pretend to be anywhere near the level of Mr. Sowell’s intelligence, but even a country bumpkin such as I can ascertain the liberal thought of today is not only illogical, but evil at its very core. All you have to do to be a liberal (recently changed to “progressive”) is confess about any subject how you “feel” about it. Thinking is not part of the equation. Any group that has to change their name to relieve themselves of negative connotations isn’t one with which you want to associate. Any group opposed to liberals is attacked vehemently so as to besmirch and discredit their thinking and stated goals.
Look at the Tea Party. No leadership, no known leaders, just people knowing things are wrong and wanting to influence government to do the right things, such as low taxation, protect rights of all Americans, and smaller federal and more state government control.
Of course, politicians agreeing with the Tea Party and glom onto the “Tea Party” moniker in their political advertising are attacked with fervor. The Tea Party isn’t a party at all, but is an attempt to get Remocrats (those already in Congress declaring themselves “Republican”) to revisit and practice conservative principles and provide opposing leadership in contrast to Democrat liberals instead of trying to go along to get along. Giving Americans bold bright colors instead of pastels, a party that isn’t afraid of its own shadow and boldly espousing conservative ideas based on thought instead of feelings.
Liberalism is a sickness, where suspending reality in lieu of fantasy, inviting evil instead of good into lives destined to mire in unfulfilled and frustrated existence. Does providing everything for people able bodied to provide for themselves help people and government remain free, strong and economically viable? Liberals know so much that isn’t so.
Do you really know the extent of all the free handouts the federal government provides people that most previously provided for themselves? You owe it to yourself to research and understand what, how, and why government is doing this. It comes down to power and control – simple as that.
Government is the liberal’s place of worship. For Conservatives, government can be good or evil, and for some time, it has been more evil for the future of the country than good. The strong federal government was the nightmare in many of the founders’ nights, knowing a great and powerful government ruling over them is why they formed the United States in place of English government. We are doing the same things we abhorred in the British.
Funny how that works, history repeats itself!
Freedom and liberty are the things that made this country great, people from all walks of life calling themselves Americans, working hard together. Without freedom and liberty, we are another second rate country. It was not diversity (the categorizing of people by ethnicity and/or skin color, religion, etc.), big government, high taxes, welfare and handouts. Used to be people worked or they didn’t eat. Now they don’t work at all because the government will give them unlimited welfare and unemployment or disability payments. Everything that is wrong with America now is a direct cause and effect of government and excessive intervention in the lives of Americans.
Sowell wrote in the essay to which you refer, that the Left’s “… claims and policies have reached new heights, epitomized by government takeovers of whole sectors of the economy and unprecedented intrusions into the lives of Americans, of which Obamacare has been only the most obvious example.” Well, tell you what RR, if you think the insurance sector corporations across the American economy were “taken over” by government as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, well then you have even less of a clue about such things than one might give you credit. Regulatory overhaul? You bet. Government takeover? I wish.