Posts Tagged ‘liberalism’

 Imagination is a wonderful and useful tool, or an awful and wicked weapon, depending upon how and why it is employed. Every act of every man, woman, boy or girl takes place first in the imagination. Sobering, wouldn’t you agree? I don’t believe we could “imagine” a more powerful and significant concept than imagination.

So how does imagination apply to the body politic? The answer is simple: imagination is a factory. Notice that it is not the raw materials but the place where these inputs are built into a product. Next we have to consider the process and it goes something like this. Observations about the current state of affairs are measured against the “way things ought to be.”

Stop right there, don’t gloss over that sentence!

Thoughtful observation yields empirical evidence, objective facts, if you will, most everyone agrees upon. But the word “ought” presents a serious problem, namely, inescapable subjectivity. Appeals to “the way things ought to be” necessarily demand an accepted standard. That’s precisely where it gets sticky, personal and political.

The standard of what ought to be can find origin in only one of two places. Either it is external transcending mankind and is objective, or it is man-made, synthesized and quite subjective. This presents special problems for the so called Liberal as they find themselves on the horns of a dilemma.

The mission and reason for existence of the Liberal is to “liberate” mankind from outside, transcendent values and behavioral standards. But then they must imagine a system which administers this absence of objective truth as, well, an objective truth. The horns of the dilemma are long and Liberal thinking is wholly skewered upon them. Let’s embark upon a thought experiment that will help our understanding.

Imagine a society where everyone does what is “good” (whatever that might mean) for their neighbor, where everyone willingly shares and everyone gives their best efforts regardless of who will benefit from the work. In short, imagine a complete reversal of the observably verifiable nature of mankind. Now imagine the best way to administer such a utopia and, voila, you arrive, more or less, at the core concepts of modern Liberalism. This is the “ought to be” in the Liberal imagination factory. The obvious fallacy is starting with a false view of mankind.

Imagine, instead, a society where we observe man’s natural tendency towards self-interest and then begin to devise a systemic solution that harnesses that selfishness to serve the desires of the society at large. Knowing that selfishness fully applies to those who govern or administer power is kept in check to avoid despotic tyranny. Placing power and faith in a system safe guards our freedom. This is the “ought to be” of the Conservative imagination factory.

To put it in other words and more succinctly, Liberals start with a fictitious view of mankind as an input in their factory. Conservatives begin with observable objective fact as a raw material for their factory.

Like it or not appeals to what “ought” to be imply a transcendent standard of “good.” The standard either comes from outside man, reflected in words like “…we hold these truths to be self-evident, that men are CREATED equal and are endowed by their CREATOR…” or the standard is synthesized by man, reflected in notions such as a “living constitution.” One is systemic and objective; the other is despotic, developed and applied subjectively.

What do you think?

If you plan to rob someone odds are the intended victim will not cooperate. You’re going to need to persuade them to hand over their property. You are going to need…a weapon!

Sticks, stones, knives and guns have been successfully employed to redistribute wealth, but they do have a downside. These items can prove dangerous to use and often turn a simple robbery into something far uglier. Besides, weapons like these work just as well for the intended prey as they do for the hopeful robber.

But criminals take heart, there is a better way!

Today’s sophisticated and savvy miscreants make use of a more subtle and effective weapon in the crusade to relieve owners of their lawfully earned property. The weapon of choice for the smart thief is the politician!

Not just any brand of politician will do, however. Those who know choose the political brand which has consistently delivered the “goods.” Yes, only one brand has made wealth confiscation their reason for existence and turned this “redistribution” into an art form. So if you’re seeking a simple transfer payment, or you want an elaborate take-over of a major portion of the nation’s economy…

Look For The LIBERAL Label!

Of course, if you prefer to earn your own living there‘s a place for you too! We call it the “uninformed voter” category. All you need to do is just keep working and pay no attention to anything which doesn’t directly affect your internet service or your television remote control. After all, criminals need victims and someone has to earn the money.

What is Truth!?

That question, posed over two thousand years ago by Pontius Pilot to Jesus, still reverberates with monumental relevance for us today. America cannot, as Pilot did, ask rhetorically. His subsequent actions betrayed how little he cared about truth. I wonder how future generations will judge our concern regarding truth?

Truth is approached in our nation primarily from two very separate, distinct and disparate vantage points often referred to as Liberal and Conservative. But the labels are themselves misleading. Liberals believe in surrendering liberty to state control and the individual freedom advocated by so called conservatives is, historically speaking, quite radical! I choose to employ terms which are more accurately descriptive of the ideas behind the two groups; Statist for liberals and Individualist for conservative.

If you carry away nothing more than what I write in the next sentence I will consider my efforts a success. Truth is always a radical proposition! We will consider three topics universal in scope yet very personal and practical in application in order to demonstrate the radical nature of truth.

The Truth About Human Nature.

Men and women are by nature and by choice selfish. We all tend to work diligently at those things we believe beneficial to us and our families. This situation obviously puts some at a disadvantage. The weakest and most helpless members of our society are subject to oppression and cruelty.

Individualists recognize the truth of human nature as well as the absolute futility of attempting to change or circumvent that nature. One practical outworking of this reality is the understanding that equality of outcomes is impossible. People are too unique to guarantee this kind of “equality.” Even if it were possible the individualist would not do it because the price in human dignity is just too high. Because the individualist values personal freedom and personal responsibility he turns to government to protect the rights of the citizen. A free market is the natural consequence of free people engaging in transactions absent force and coercion.

Statists find the human condition unacceptable and believe “change” can and must occur to achieve equality of outcomes. Practically speaking this means taking from those who earn and giving to those who do not. There must be a mechanism for this confiscation and transfer of wealth so the statist turns to nameless, faceless government. Only a powerful, centralized government has the means necessary to accomplish the goal. Basically, the statist ignores the truth about human nature and attempts to circumvent it by relying on coercion and force.

The Truth About Human History

The history of mankind is a sordid and sorry tale about the abuse of power. The weak and poor have ever been dominated, oppressed and even enslaved by those in power. Centralized political power has almost always been the means to create and sustain the tyranny.

The Individualist acknowledges the regrettable reality of human history and proposes an altogether radical solution; Self government by responsibly individuals. The primary, immediate and only legitimate role and activity of government is the protection of the individual from outside powers and from criminals inside the nation. It boils down to life, liberty and property. That’s it!

The Statist finds human history an inconvenient truth and prefers to believe that we are more enlightened and somehow able to avoid the problems which have perpetually plagued mankind. Rather than dealing squarely with the truth about human history the statist simply rewrites it. This offers double advantage to the statist by avoiding embarrassing facts as well as providing propaganda with which to “educate” the unlearned and young. (I am constrained here to point out the intent of deception has ever been, and can only be, maniacal.) Summarizing, the statist avoids and denies the truth about human history.

The Truth About Human Existance

Now we enter the bloodiest of battles and the crux of all other issues. What is the nature of human existence? What does it mean to be human and what are the implications of our answers?

Metaphysical is the term used to describe intangible reality. Emotion, willpower and desire are quite real and yet quite intangible. They represent reality outside and apart from the physical realm. Metaphysical reality forces men and women to face uncomfortable possibilities.

The Individualist understands the question to be whether man is meat or spirit. Can personality arise from nonperson? Individualists acknowledge the immaterial part of man as valid and worthy of examination and exploration. From such explorations have come the ideas of human dignity and human rights. These are ideas worth protecting and defending.

The Statist finds it difficult to broach metaphysical reality because of where the implications lead. “What is the Source of human dignity and human rights?” If the Source is transcendent then the statist is obliged to seek for the Source. Stated bluntly, if the Source is anything other than man or the state then the statist has no moral high ground from which to force and coerce. Ultimately, in order to deal with the truth about human existence, the statist is forced to invent a new religion whose only tenant is Tolerance; Tolerance of and for virtually anything…well…anything but an Individualist.

See what I mean about truth being radical?

Last week the city I currently call home made the national news. And, while I think this small eastern NC town could use the notoriety, I am not proud of how it made the headlines. It seems Forbes Magazine has included Rocky Mount in its list of the most impoverished cities in America.

Forbes, which included Rocky Mount’s metro area (suggesting Rocky Mount has a metro areais like suggesting John Heder has a large following) focused on median income, income of the bottom fifth, percent of people below the federal poverty line, percentage on food stamps, unemployment rate, and national health care enrollees. (I am curious how the last figure will be adjusted with the passage of Obamacare.). Regardless, here’s a little hometown insight, although admittedly slanted to the right. 

Rocky Mount had a per capita annual income of $22,662, and income of the bottom one-fifth of residents was $7,840. About 7.8 percent of people earned below 50 percent of the poverty line, and 17 percent received food stamps.

More than 28,000 people received public health care, and the unemployment was 8.7 percent. Since the survey was taken, the unemployment rate has risen to 13.8 percent.

Obviously the all the previous numbers are indictative of the last; no job, no money, no health insurance. So why is the unemployment rate so high, uh, no employers. Although, Mayor David Combs disagrees, Rocky Mount area is not a place that attracts new businesses. 

Mayor David Combs said Wednesday that there is no denying that the city has had its economic struggles, but he questions whether the statistics are a fair assessment of the city.

“There are also ongoing efforts to recruit new industry and new businesses to the city,” he said.

Major efforts, both state and local, like raising state corporate income tax, now the second highest in the southeast, or changing the local property tax; Edgecombe County has the fifth highest in NC. Efforts like increasing employer overhead, Rocky Mount utilities are also among the highest in the state.  

[City Councilman Reuben Blackwell IV ] “We can’t pretend that the numbers aren’t real. We can’t pretend that the realities that exist don’t exist. We just have to now mobilize ourselves, create a plan and work the plan together as a region.”

Create a plan to increase government and work the plan to provide entitlements for the residents. Rocky Mount is the perfect picture of how liberal, err- progressive policies fail; jobless numbers continue to rise, because employers are closing or leaving. With few employers, residents lean on the government for support, and as government support increases so do the taxes, and the cycle continues.

From WRAL

cross posted at ConservativeNC

Forsooth!

Now there’s a perfectly good English word with a clear, concise meaning. When was the last time you heard it used in everyday conversation? No doubt you recognize the term as one which people once used but the definition is insignificant. The word no longer conveys anything that matters. With a heavy heart I submit two more words which fit the category “Meaningless.” Democrat and Republican have ceased to convey anything meaningful! Their replacements are and ought to be respectively Liberal and Conservative.

Whatever Democrat used to mean clearly no longer matters and the same goes for Republican. These once venerable terms have degenerated into nothing more than a cloak behind which political parasites regularly and systematically hide. Ah, but the solution is simple in conception and implementation! The polarizing point is our very own founding document, the Constitution.

The people of this great nation must demand all holders and seekers of public office declare regarding their stance on the Constitution. Liberal or Conservative?

Liberal: Viewing the Constitution as a “living” document, subject to interpretation and changeable outside the established provisions for amendment and ratification by the states.

Conservative: Viewing the Constitution as being a “literal” document to be followed and enforced. Changes are to follow the established procedure of amendment and ratification by the states.

Remember…the Constitution places no constraint on the citizen, only on the government. In effect we are demanding our representatives to declare whether they believe the citizen is free and sovereign or does the governing authority have final say? Did the founding Fathers forge a guide for the nation or merely a suggestion? I confess my great fear to be that words like “freedom, civility and sovereignty” are becoming themselves “meaningless words.”

I pray not!