Topic: Liberty
Threatening Hope Beware the Prophets who promise the deliverance of the way things AUGHT to be.by Jeremy Keller
(libertarian)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The essential argument to be made against any and all movements by a society towards collectivism is that once that direction is affected, reversing back towards individual freedom and liberty becomes an extremely difficult task. It requires radical change. Even though a majority may become convinced of its essential correctness, they will not support it in practice until they are suffering severely and can no longer see the tunnel, let alone the light. In this sense, hope is the enemy. It is only when this false prophet has been exposed that we may decide to become Free Men again, and become willing to climb towards and live in the rarified air of liberty.
Freedom is to be found at altitude.
Liberty lives in the high country.
When a people, every so often in the course of human events, successfully reject the tyranny of their day, they quickly and invariably discover that the real work lies in keeping what they have captured. It is as if human civilization has unconsciously (and unwisely) chosen water as its mentor. The force of gravity by which water is relentlessly pulled to the lowest unobstructed point, is matched by the force which relentlessly pulls Man from his heights. Though He bled and sacrificed to summit, He quickly tires of the view and the effort required to keep His own counsel on matters political and economic. He then begins his inevitable descent towards the lowest common denominator. His collectivist, socialist nature knows no opposition save His will, His force of intellect, and the intensity of His integrity.
On His way down, the attraction of the valley becomes overwhelming as it comes into view. The promise of the prophets becomes all that is heard. In the abbreviated words of Rudyard Kipling, "and as soon as the brave new world begins, when all men are paid for existing, and no man must pay for his sins.."
The Free Man strives to make clear that a better world can only be achieved by understanding the fundamentals of human nature. He calls these fundamentals "The way things ARE". Once thoroughly understood, then the possibility emerges to create a world for Man in the template of the "The way things COULD BE". All the while He fights with the full fury of His intellect those who would promise a brave new world taking the form of "The way things AUGHT TO BE". He knows these fantasies for what they are.
They are the Dreams of Dragons.
During His descent, individuals repeatedly discover the collective mistake and choose to reverse their personal directions, but the greater body remains unaware until it is well past the point of no "easy" return.
Perhaps it is in fact "Hope" that is just another word for nothing left to lose.
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