Monday, August 24, 2009
Happy Birthday...
William Wilberforce!!! Today marks the birth of one of the most influential leaders in the cause of freedom ever. Take a moment to learn about Wilberforce if you're uninformed. You'll be floored.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I am a Centrist
Yeah. It's true. I'm in the middle.
But it's not what you think. You see, for years, people have misunderstood the whole left-wing right-wing centrist depiction of the political landscape.
In reality...
On the left wing is Socialism: government control over every aspect of life. Rather than a specific political system separate from other left-wing institutions, socialism is the foundation on which the ideologies of Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Liberalism and Fascism are built. USSR, Nazi Germany, Italy, and present-day North Korea, Cuba, China, and Venezuela are all left-wing states. Rather than being "right-wing fanatics," Mussolini and Hitler were as left-wing as they come. If you think about it, what exactly was the difference between them and Stalin? All followed the ten planks of the Communist Manifesto, whether or not they were willing to admit it. The problem with Socialism is that it eliminates progress because it eliminates incentive to produce.
On the right wing is Anarchy: the lack of government control over anything. France during the Revolution and present-day Somalia and areas of the Middle East and Africa are perfect examples of right wing ideology in practice. There really are no "right-wing" leaders or ideologies, as the term itself would be oxymoronic, although libertarianism is center-right. There are a couple of problems with anarchy: (1) It is a vacuum that leads to tyranny, since leaders will always rise in a void (2) there is no law and order, thus might makes right and violence and thievery abound.
In the center is Conservatism: the balance between too much government control and too little. The early United States and Founding Fathers were the leading proponents of centrist policies. As the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers attest, the Framers of the Constitution wrestled with what the perfectly balanced government is. Today, the defenders and champions of conservatism are NOT the Republican party, which is simply slightly less left than the Democrats (making our present political battles somewhat laughable). Rather, they are men like Rush Limbaugh, William F. Buckley, Thomas Sowell, Michael Medved, and a whole host of others. Conservatism works because it allows enough government control to protect people without crushing them. It's the perfect balance between freedom and liberty. But that's another blog post.
But it's not what you think. You see, for years, people have misunderstood the whole left-wing right-wing centrist depiction of the political landscape.
In reality...
On the left wing is Socialism: government control over every aspect of life. Rather than a specific political system separate from other left-wing institutions, socialism is the foundation on which the ideologies of Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Liberalism and Fascism are built. USSR, Nazi Germany, Italy, and present-day North Korea, Cuba, China, and Venezuela are all left-wing states. Rather than being "right-wing fanatics," Mussolini and Hitler were as left-wing as they come. If you think about it, what exactly was the difference between them and Stalin? All followed the ten planks of the Communist Manifesto, whether or not they were willing to admit it. The problem with Socialism is that it eliminates progress because it eliminates incentive to produce.
On the right wing is Anarchy: the lack of government control over anything. France during the Revolution and present-day Somalia and areas of the Middle East and Africa are perfect examples of right wing ideology in practice. There really are no "right-wing" leaders or ideologies, as the term itself would be oxymoronic, although libertarianism is center-right. There are a couple of problems with anarchy: (1) It is a vacuum that leads to tyranny, since leaders will always rise in a void (2) there is no law and order, thus might makes right and violence and thievery abound.
In the center is Conservatism: the balance between too much government control and too little. The early United States and Founding Fathers were the leading proponents of centrist policies. As the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers attest, the Framers of the Constitution wrestled with what the perfectly balanced government is. Today, the defenders and champions of conservatism are NOT the Republican party, which is simply slightly less left than the Democrats (making our present political battles somewhat laughable). Rather, they are men like Rush Limbaugh, William F. Buckley, Thomas Sowell, Michael Medved, and a whole host of others. Conservatism works because it allows enough government control to protect people without crushing them. It's the perfect balance between freedom and liberty. But that's another blog post.
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