Powerful Words of Resistance Against Tyranny...
from the desk of:
Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
Perhaps the most insightful and powerful words I've read in quite some time.
A highly recommended read for all individuals who cherish freedom and love liberty. Something statists like Obama and Romney, et all wish to deny future generations. In the entitlement driven society of the 21st century there can be no independent thinkers and doers.
Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny
Perhaps the most insightful and powerful words I've read in quite some time.
Utopianism substitutes glorious predictions and unachievable promises for knowledge, science, and reason, while laying claim to them all. Yet there is nothing new in deception disguised as hope and nothing original in abstraction framed as progress. A heavenly society is said to be within reach if only the individual surrenders more of his liberty and for the general good, meaning the good as prescribed by the state. If he refuses, he will be tormented and ultimately coerced into compliance, for conforming is essential. Indeed, nothing good can come of self interest, which is condemned as morally indefensible and empty. Through persuasion, deceit, and coercion, the individual must be stripped of his identity and subordinated to the state. He must abandon his own ambitions for the ambitions of the state. His first duty must be to the state-not family, community, and faith, all of which challenges the authority of the state. Once dispirited, the individual can be molded by the state with endless social experiments and lifestyle calibrations.
Especially threatening, therefore, are the industrious, independent, and successful, for they demonstrate what is actually possible under current societal conditions- achievement, happiness, and fulfillment-thereby contradicting and endangering the utopian campaign against what was or is. They must be either co-opted and turned into useful contributors to or advocates for the state, or neutralized through sabotage or other means. Indeed, the individual's contribution tok society must be downplayed, dismissed, or denounced, unless the contribution isdirected by the state andinvolves self-sacrifice for the utopian cause. (Ameritopia - Chapter 1, page 5)
A highly recommended read for all individuals who cherish freedom and love liberty. Something statists like Obama and Romney, et all wish to deny future generations. In the entitlement driven society of the 21st century there can be no independent thinkers and doers.
It would matter if there was some communist Utopia plot out there ready to spring up and conquer us all. Since that is utterly ridiculous - not just silly, but insane - what's Levin's point?
ReplyDeleteNothing.
JMJ
More Yada, Yada, Yada from the peanut gallery of anti-intellectualism.
DeleteAnother bomb jmj. Great going!
Nobody mentioned communism, Jersey. Another dirty-conscience-induced Freudian slip...
ReplyDeleteLevin's review of Plato's Utopia is quite apt. He's a brilliant man, although I find his writing style cloying. Hayek explores the same themes and just naturally writes about them with an easier style. Regardless, I love Levin and he is providing a patriotic and essential service.