Big Fitz
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- Nov 23, 2009
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Everything has a price, and your "economic freedom" carries the price of massive debt, environmental degredation, and economic disparities.
Total false choice. No it doesn't.
We are one of the most advanced societies in the world. If we had fiscally responsible government, which we haven't had since 1995ish thanks to Newt's republican revolution, things would be far better off. Instead you have asshat idiots trying to make government pay for and do things they are not charged with and saying "bill me".
We are one of the cleanest nations on earth thanks to capitalism allowing us to become more efficient and afford cleaner technologies. To say otherwise is to be a fucking liar. Besides, we are to be good stewards of the earth, not it's servants. We rule, it obeys mankind. If you want to worship it, fine, go get in a grass hut somewhere and freeze or starve to death if disease doesn't get you first. I will not be joining your luddite insanity.
Economic disparity is not a bad thing, ever. The economy is not a zero sum game except in a snapshot that views the resources available at a single moment. What matters is equality of rules not equality of outcome. If you work hard and take advantage of opportunities that come by, you should be able to become the richest man in the world. Even if it's by luck they come to you. You should not be penalized if you are ethical and honest in your labor. But if you want to be a lazy bastard, not work hard, let opportunities slip away... you have no right to be rich. What have you done to deserve it? Nothing. No one owes you even a living wage, you must work for it. And if starvation isn't a good enough motivator, well, is it a loss to society that you die?
This is why one side must win. Conservatives/Libertarians believe in people doing for themselves, helping those they want, and having government make sure everyone plays fair and protects their rights and freedom. They don't believe anyone has the right to say they earned too much or aren't living the 'right' way.
Your either/or statement: You want state control, we want individual freedom -- is a fallacy.
The founding fathers didn't see it that way. Why else did they hamstring the federal government and it took 150 years for the elitists to finally break through and twist the constitution out of shape. You cannot have individual freedom and state control. Either the individual has the right to keep the government out, or the government owns you.
There is a lot of room between the two extremes.
Beyond creating/enforcing rules in which society can operate smoothly and minimize infringement on our personal and property rights, you have very little the government should be doing. Which should be supreme, my rights as an individual or the government's rights to rule? One must be supreme. Therefore, one vision must ultimately defeat the other.