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Some on the left might actually believe that they are doing good things, though they have a bad habit of ignoring the fact that much of the left's policies have failed miserably. The radical leftists are well aware that their policies are actually designed to do the opposite of what they claim. Most of the useful idiots believe the professors and other lefties who preach benevolence and tolerance, though they rarely practice it.
California is just one example of how the left tends to destroy what it claims it wants to help. They implement their policies and instead of problems being solved, things get worse. And yet they continue on with the same policies because their intentions are good. It's about how it makes them feel, not about what actually works. It explains why things are still being done the same way in Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans and other places where decades of liberal policies have destroyed the quality of life.
"The Righteousness Fallacy
The anecdote is a perfect illustration of the righteousness fallacy, which Barry Brownstein noted is rampant in modern politics and a key driver of democratic socialism.
The Righteousness Fallacy (also known as the fallacy of good intentions) is described by author Dr. Bo Bennett as the idea that one is correct because their intentions are pure.
It recently occurred to me that California is a perfect example of this fallacy. Consider these three facts about the Golden State:
That politicians would persist with harmful policies should come as little surprise. The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman once observed the uncanny proclivity of politicians “to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.”
In his book Capitalism and Freedom, Friedman described the danger of such thinking.
[The threat comes] … from men of good intentions and good will who wish to reform us. Impatient with the slowness of persuasion and example to achieve the great social changes they envision, they’re anxious to use the power of the state to achieve their ends and confident in their ability to do so. Yet… Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.
I don’t doubt that California lawmakers, like the physician who was removing healthy gall bladders, believe they are doing the right thing. Yet they, like the physician, need to wake up to reality and realize they aren’t making people better."
3 Facts That Prove California Politicians Don’t Care about the Results of Their Policies | Jon Miltimore
California is just one example of how the left tends to destroy what it claims it wants to help. They implement their policies and instead of problems being solved, things get worse. And yet they continue on with the same policies because their intentions are good. It's about how it makes them feel, not about what actually works. It explains why things are still being done the same way in Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans and other places where decades of liberal policies have destroyed the quality of life.
"The Righteousness Fallacy
The anecdote is a perfect illustration of the righteousness fallacy, which Barry Brownstein noted is rampant in modern politics and a key driver of democratic socialism.
The Righteousness Fallacy (also known as the fallacy of good intentions) is described by author Dr. Bo Bennett as the idea that one is correct because their intentions are pure.
It recently occurred to me that California is a perfect example of this fallacy. Consider these three facts about the Golden State:
- California spends about $98.5 billion annually on welfare—the most in the US—but has the highest poverty rate in America.
- California has the highest income tax rate in the US, at 13.3 percent, but the fourth greatest income inequality of the 50 states.
- California has one of the most regulated housing markets in America, yet it has the highest homeless population in American and ranks 49th (per capita) in housing supply.
That politicians would persist with harmful policies should come as little surprise. The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman once observed the uncanny proclivity of politicians “to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.”
In his book Capitalism and Freedom, Friedman described the danger of such thinking.
[The threat comes] … from men of good intentions and good will who wish to reform us. Impatient with the slowness of persuasion and example to achieve the great social changes they envision, they’re anxious to use the power of the state to achieve their ends and confident in their ability to do so. Yet… Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.
I don’t doubt that California lawmakers, like the physician who was removing healthy gall bladders, believe they are doing the right thing. Yet they, like the physician, need to wake up to reality and realize they aren’t making people better."
3 Facts That Prove California Politicians Don’t Care about the Results of Their Policies | Jon Miltimore
