Jacques-Louis David
by Kevin Ryan
I just read “Why Didn’t Socrates Like Democracy.” And as it turns out, I don’t like Democracy, either.
Basically, Democracy means we can rule on anything we like, as long as 50% of people say we can. That is about as dangerous a rule as I’ve ever heard. If you can get 51% to agree that government can ban meat, it’s gone. If you get 51% to say everyone leave their house with no pants on, it’s done.
We’ve become increasingly controlling and controlled as a society. In Vermont, specifically, no more incandescent OR fluorescent light bulbs. No more plastic bags or straws. No more food in the trash. No more menthol cigarettes, gasoline powered cars or oil-heated homes coming up next.
These things are none of other people’s business.
But, hey, goes the wisdom…isn’t controlling these things a benefit to society? Maybe. Who cares? What is going to happen next, I assure you, is that enforcement agents will need to be hired to ensure that people comply with all these new bans and rules….and that will all cost money. That money will come from you. Eventually, the enforcement agents will find that YOU did something wrong…then, God help you. This is how wars start and governments destabilize.
Instead, I like Republics. In Republics, no matter how good an idea sounds to control your behavior, they’re not Nike. They can’t just do it.
Wouldn’t it be better if people weren’t allowed to say untrue things anymore ? Yet before you know it, your neighbors will let La Policia know you’re using bad words….you know, like, “The King is a Fink.” This is why we have a First Amendment.
The issue with being “Moderate” politically, is we say, “Well, I mean, a little control is okay, right? After all, we don’t want anyone using foul language or spreading misinformation, do we ?” Next we’re trying to figure out if you get to stay in college if you say that men can’t have babies, or you need to be kicked out and go sweep floors for a living.
Standing in the middle of the road, figuring out what virtues you hold, after you figure out what’s going to be popular with the 51%, inspires nobody.
I suppose you could persuade people to vote for the lesser of two evils once a year by doing so, but I will tell you now, no one will bother to get out of a chair and knock on doors for you, unless they believe that you really believe what you’re talking about, down in your soul.
That takes passion. Passion is not found in the middle, the easy ground.
I like apple pie and puppies, just like you. Tell someone you like apple pie and puppies, they might smile, grunt and go back to what they were doing.
Boring.
Now, try telling someone we need to end public schools. One of two things is going to happen. They will either walk up to you, shake your hand with a big grin and say, “Thank God someone else gets it!” or, their head will spin around and they will try to punch you in the face.
The first guy will walk through a fire for you. The second guy might, I say might, start to think about whether or not public schools are effective for his kids, and if they decide they aren’t so much, may eventually join you and your new-found friend.
That’s how you win. Break people’s patterns of thinking, show them an alternative in a language they already understand and you can now change their way of thinking.
This is what political liberals, or despots do best. Conserve energy…. smart idea, right ? Well, you can do that by turning down your thermostat. Good plan. But why turn it down? In the morning, the toilet seat will be cold.
Well, if we don’t conserve energy, the carbon will build up, heat up the Earth, the cities will flood, and children will die! Why aren’t you turning down your thermostat, Citizen?? It’s time to put a digital monitor in your home to make sure you turn the thermostat down, and if you don’t, off to the gulag !
Oh, and we have 51% support to do this. I hate Democracy.
