Posted by
Bryn T. Jones on Friday, November 21, 2008 1:48:25 PM
Once I offered these as the only explanation for someone's far leftist views: They are either stupid, naive, or evil. Such a blunt, and arguably partisan comment never fails to solicit a response. But I see no other way to explain the far left. This statement doesn't apply to someone who is moderate. Moderates, though succumbing to some liberal ideology, will, in the end, acknowledge certain facts and will sometimes place their liberal ideology over the facts in a conscious manner for what they perceive as a common good (which rules out the stupid and evil categories, but doesn't entirely vet them from the naive bucket).
Breaking this down, we have Barak Obama insisting that an economy grows from the ground up, not the top down. This is classic consumer-side economics and it has never worked. The idea that giving money to consumers rather than producers will give rise to more opportunity is silly. It has some effect on sales, but not enough to catapult businesses into further job production. The reason is simple: to 'pay' for the consumer cash, government places a higher burden on the producers. In short, they take from one end, give it to the other and hope it all works out. Which it never has. Consumers will spend on frivolous things and producers will tighten their belts in light of higher taxes, or leave the country for greener pastures.
On the other hand, letting producers keep their profits (rather than calling them obscene and confiscating the 'excess') the producers will invest in expanding their business to make greater profit. This action gives rise to more jobs and more buying power on the consumers (without government getting involved). Basically, letting the free market work allows for greater income for consumers and greater expansion for producers. It becomes a win-win.
Stupid people fail to grasp the concepts of basic economics. Now, stupidity comes in a variety of forms. Some don't care and don't learn. They default to this category by their ambivalence. They also probably don't know and don't care about any politician's economic plan. If a man says he'll cut their taxes, they think that's good, even if they currently don't pay any. Others refuse to understand economics because they'd rather side with a particular party. They don't wish to be confused with the facts or details.
Naive folks are those who see hurting people, poor people and those who suffer hard times. Their hearts go out to them and they think there should be something, in a great country as ours, to balm the pain and cover the costs of such less fortunate people. Their spirit is admirable and their compassion laudable. But they don't realize that there are better ways to solve the problems of poverty than to create a bloated government agency filled with fat cat bureaucrats.
Then there are those who are simply evil. They see the free market and know how it works. They understand that taxing the rich and giving to the poor has never succeeded wherever it has been tried. These are the Hugo Chaveses of the world. They give lip-service to the things that naive people and the ambivalent folks will find appealing, but in reality they simply want to grab power. Once in power, they silence all opposition and drive through their agendas with little regard for those who suffer. They seek to control the media and public perception so that all appears well. These are the ones who use propaganda to display a victorious facade over a crumbling empire. So long as they can stay on top of the rubble-heap, they're happy. Basically, this category is comprised of thugs, authoritarians. They offer 'protection' services to those naive enough to believe them, or ambivalent enough not to care. The rest they beat up and silence until there is no further opposition.
The three categories, while somewhat tongue-in-cheek, is meant as a warning: We need to be ever vigilant in our children's education. Teach them why they should care about math and economics. Why they should care about logic and provable facts. The basic tenants of education are crucial for a successful society. And these things are being driven from our schools in favor of social engineering. The only place left in our control so far is our home. Use that place of instruction well.