Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Obama in Albuquerque: a stranger to reality

Obama in Albuquerque: a stranger to reality

Obama was in Albuquerque, telling lies and demonstrating how completely out of touch with reality he truly is. His worshipers didn't seem to notice, which reflects more poorly on them than on him. I generally ignore him, and was shocked by the gross ignorance his comments illustrated. I'll loan you my shovel before the fertilizer buries you.

First of all, he calls for a "long-term plan" for the economy; completely ignorant (?) of the fact that planned economies always fail. The farther away from the free market (completely unplanned, unregulated trade between individuals with no government oversight or red tape) we get, the worse our economy gets. And we are far from a free market now, and have been for the past century or so. The recent problems were not caused by too little government and too few "laws" but by too much of both. Anyone who tries to tell you different is lying to you. Want to fix the economy? Stop trying to plan it!

He compounded his lie by encouraging small businesses to take advantage of "breaks" the government allows. Small businesses don't need breaks, they need to be left alone. Their owners need to keep ALL the money they bring in- to be re-invested in the business, or spent by its rightful owner, to the benefit of society; not stolen by parasites in government to the detriment of human civilization.

After making a fool of himself by talking about one thing he has no understanding of (the economy), he moved along to another subject that is apparently just as mysterious to him: education. Yes, Obama, education is critical. But that is why your "solution"- helping "public schools"- is the opposite of what should be done. Education is much too important to let imbeciles and tyrants like yourself anywhere near children. If you can't bring yourself to call for closing the "public schools", releasing their prisoners (the children and tax slaves alike), and bulldozing those shameful indoctrination camps to the ground, at least sell off the buildings and let them find a more honorable use in the next life.

Now he's gone from Albuquerque, I suppose, so I will go back to ignoring him. At least Obama's verbal flatulence and its lingering stench do have one useful side-effect: it reminds me what is at the putrid core of statism. And it isn't pretty.

The myths of statism

The myths of statism

The news in Albuquerque has been strangely quiet the past few days. I suppose the appearance of "The Annointed One" has distracted his mindless worshipers, and his mindless opponents, enough that they have stopped committing their regularly scheduled aggression, theft, and fraud while they watch to learn how the Master does it.

In the meantime I'll offer some philosophical thoughts.

People have a powerful desire to believe myths- whether religious, political, or philosophical. I'm not talking about useful tales that teach a valuable lesson here, but harmful lies that form a false foundation for cultural beliefs. If it makes them feel better they follow it and refuse to accept the truth, any truth, that discredits their myth.

It is a myth that coercion is necessary in order to force people to get along together, but it is a persistent myth because it feeds a desire many people have. That desire is to be able to justify hurting people who have done nothing other than offend them in some way.

This is the foundation of "conservatism" and "liberalism/progressivism". It is why they reject voluntaryism of any sort without giving it any real consideration at all. It is why they invariably must fall back on the same tired old retorts: "How cute. Now grow up!" - "No government based on that has ever been successfully established anywhere in the world, ever!" - "Government is necessary to keep people from selfishly stomping on everyone who gets in their way." - or whatever other completely silly and empty insult or "argument" they can dredge up. All those objections have been tried before, though, and they are no more true now than they were years ago. (And soon I'll address the claims that libertarianism is "childish" and "selfish".)

There is a comfort in being "conservative" or "liberal" that those of us beyond that simplistic view don't have. It is the comfort found in large numbers. The comfort of the herd. Large numbers of mindless drones or bleating sheep. But we do have the comfort of being right in the face of seemingly overwhelming opposition. That is enough for me. I can do without the myths.