{Editor’s Note: This is the 26th installment of a series of articles attempting to address the 32 questions posed by Ron Paul in his recent farewell speech given in front of Congress. Check out the previous installment, “Why Do Some Members Defend Civil Liberties But Not Free Markets?”}
If you’ve been following our series of articles attempting to answer all of Ron Paul’s 32 questions, by now you’ve probably noticed a few common themes. This is no coincidence, just as it was no coincidence that Ron Paul asked some very pointed questions in his farewell speech in order to point out logical inconsistencies in the way the role of government is viewed in our society. One prevailing theme is the acceptance of government monopoly on violence, and how this has caused many of the problems we see in our society today.
This monopoly on violence allows the State to chip away at both the personal and economic liberty of individuals through passage of legislation which ignores individual rights in favor of the “greater good” of the collective of society. Of course, when they say “society”, what they really mean is “The State”. There is no such single entity known in the world known as “society”. Society is just a collection of individuals, but the State has hijacked the word to represent itself. And virtually all politicians, sans Ron Paul, are Statists.
Don’t like paying taxes? “Well it’s your duty to society”, the Statists cry. Not a fan of wars? “Well you need to support the troops anyway, Anarchist. They are fighting for your freedom,….society’s freedom!” These are common Statist arguments, along with my favorites “Who will build the roads???” and “Well then why don’t you go live in Somalia if you hate government so much??”.
No matter which illogical argument used by the Statist, they are all ultimately saying the same thing: the liberty of you, the individual, is a secondary concern if it’s any concern at all. Sure, you’ll get some Republicans acting like they believe in free markets, some Democrats acting like they believe in civil liberties, and yet rarely if ever will anyone advocate for both.
So, Why Don’t More Defend Both Economic Liberty And Personal Liberty?
We’ve discussed before how changing the party in power never changes policy. This is by design. The actors in the Republican vs. Democrat play are there to simply play their roles, and make their audience “root” for one side or the other. Those that lean one way will see their side as the “good guys” and the other side as the “bad guys”. If you’re into free markets, the Republicans are your heroes. If you’re all for perceived civil liberties like gay marriage and abortion, the Democrats are your homies.
Just like with professional wrestling, it doesn’t really matter if the “good guy” or the “bad guy” wins. All that matters is that is that the fans show up and have an emotional reaction. This emotion is what keeps “butts in the seats” and keeps the money flowing. Politics isn’t much different. The emotional reactions elicited by the grand “debate” between both sides keep voters coming to the booth, keeps the charade going, and keeps the money flowing to all of the special interests that have their tentacles embedded in every layer of government.
The left vs. right charade must continue; it is at the heart of the State’s Grand Deception. While each side picks and chooses which “liberties” to rhetorically defend, government continues to grow, and liberty at large continues to be lost. When an exception to the rule manages to work it’s way through the cracks, as in the case of Ron Paul, the entire system turns against it for it’s own survival. Only someone that defends both economic and personal liberty could draw the ire of both far right neocon Republicans and far left progressive Democrats at the same time.
Most politicians do not defend both economic and personal liberty because most politicians are not concerned with any liberty. They are actors in mythical tale of The State. The sooner everyone realizes this the sooner we can get to a place where people understand that it is liberty itself which must be defended, and that politicians are the last people we should expect to defend it.
( This is an article from our friends at Lions Of Liberty. Please check them out at: www.LionsOfLiberty.com )
Speak Your Mind