Those who advance this line of criticism are perfectly correct on one point: if there is to be an increase in political spending, there must be a consequent decrease in private spending; some people must do without. The well-being of individual persons in any society varies inversely with the money at the disposal of the political class. All money spent by the governing group is taken from private citizens – who otherwise would spend it quite differently on goods of their choice. The state lives on taxes, and taxes are a charge against the economically productive part of society."Americans squander their income on themselves while public needs are neglected."
The Opulent State, fancied by levelers who criticize the Affluent Society, cannot exist except as a result of massive interference with free choice. To establish it, a society of freely choosing individuals must yield to a society in which the lives of the many are collectively planned and controlled by the few.
The state, in our Affluent Society, already deprives us of one-third and more of our substance. Not enough! say the critics. How much then? Fifty per cent? A hundred? Enough, at any rate, so that no life shall go unplanned if they can help it. This is the ancient error of authoritarianism. The intellectual, from time immemorial, has dreamed up ethical and esthetic standards for the rest of mankind - only to have them ignored. His ideas may be ever so sound, but his efforts to persuade people to embrace them meet with scant success. The masses are too ignorant to know what is good for them, so why not impose the right ideas on them by direct political action? The State is too weak and poor? Well, make it strong and rich, he urges; and it is done. But when the State is strong and rich, it devours the intellectual together with his defenseless ethical and esthetic standards. The State acts from political and power motives, as by its nature it must. It cannot possibly be the means for realizing the dreams of spiritual advance.
HINT: "Americans" (the squanderers) are human beings living in America. "Public needs" is simply a (liberal's) way to refer to OTHER Americans. Are they being neglected by their parents? No. "Neglected" means that they are not as clever as a common grifter, and so the Government (Obama's) will step in and rectify their ineptitude! (Isn't that sweet???)
Alias Barack Obama: a lie is born: The greatest identity fraud in history Paperback – July 10, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment