If a dystopian nightmare of the totalitarian state finally arrives in the United States, it will be the result of a compromise, and there will be people around until the very end who will insist that we should be grateful because it could be much worse. This kind of strategizing also works as a cover for selling your soul. The temptation to do this is very great indeed. FULL ARTICLE
Source link: http://blog.mises.org/9105/dont-cave/
Don’t Cave
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The lesser of evils argument is the lifeblood of the two-party system, and the results thereof are manifest on every ballot.
As a minnesota resident, we gave a significant number of votes to a third party senate candidate, leaving the two large-government liberal candidates–nominally from different parties–to fight over a few hundred votes. Might give the parties something to mull over before they dig to the bottom of the barrel for their candidates in the next election cycle.
The key here is to not become insular. We need to reach out to other people not familiar with the ideas of liberty and aggressively defend our liberties. Do not stray away from sites that have views you don’t agree with. Rather, go there and leave links back to appropriate articles.
Also, this blog is great for reaching lots of like minded people – but try starting your own blogs as well to spread these ideas. I do that at riseuprochester.org, featuring a Mises article every now and then or just boiling it down to something even more simple. This battle is won one mind at a time.
Andrew, good encouragement. I despair of being able to write anything that is not simply a diluted regurgitation of great ideas already presented here.
On the other hand, the more web sites that have it, the more poeple will see it, and they may be persuaded that the ideas are more widely held when they see them in multiple places.
I do spend some time expressing these ideas in the blogs of local newspapers, but I want to invest in a more permanent record of my writings on my own website, and will be doing so shortly.
Mr. Rockwell,
I recall an article not so long ago seeming to back the Democrats as better than the Republicans (taking the anti-war stance) and by all impressions seemed to be taking the “lesser of two evils” approach. I did my best to find it but couldn’t. Anyway, which is it?
Andrew,
Right on!
Mark,
The Nazi’s believed that telling lies, if it were big enough, and told often enough, it would be believed. One can only hope telling the truth often enough will have an even bigger effect. I guess the idea, in trying not be insular, is to reach out to those who all this would be new to, and hold the praxeology just now. I think real champions of liberty do make some headway. If you speak truthfully and without bias I think people will listen. I guess we just need to hammer the message so often where ever we can (time allowing) that it makes people listen.
I do understand it is tougher when telling the truth than it is to lie, jingoism us much easier to do with fiction and it settles easier on weak minds. It just means we need to be doubly more on point. I can only hope now that there is both the medium (the internet) and the predispostion of people looking for something else. They can either turn to religions involving spaceships or just maybe to elemental individualism and uncoerced cooperative efforts.
It really takes my breath away. Some one saying, “You had better support this legislation or the stock market will tank.” Of course, implied threats over the economy are even more common.
It’s like giving into a bully, the more you yield, the more they will likely take. The sooner you draw the line, the better off you will be.
Lew,
Sorry, those folks that you’re outing aren’t “free-marketers”. It’s just a stolen moniker (hey, they’re stealing now, whoa!) that they use on the countless talk shows, radio programs and newspaper clippings. I really doubt that these “sell-outs” were truly free-market proponents. They’re really just pro-corporatist, Keynesian thugs.
Lastly, I think the cause of liberty has really started to take flight. Once the dollar collapses and we’re in total economic ruin (regardless if Detroit gets their spoils), I think they’ll be a renewed support for folks like Dr. Ron Paul and other elected officials who are the true champions of liberty. All these preemptive wars, theft via fiat currency, death, destruction (both physical and economic) and general chaos might serve as a great launching pad for liberty’s crusaders in the forthcoming elections.
Lew, I agree that libertarians who compromise their principles are unwittingly selling out liberty, freedom and unhampered capitalism. Of course we are all human and it is easy to succumb to weakness.
I have an affirmation that I repeat several times a day. It helps me avoid some of the mistakes I previously made.
“I possess impeccable integrity. I live by my values and beliefs–without compromise.”
Robert A. Meyer
Lew, I agree that libertarians who compromise their principles are unwittingly selling out liberty, freedom and unhampered capitalism. Of course we are all human and it is easy to succumb to weakness.
I have an affirmation that I repeat several times a day. It helps me avoid some of the mistakes I previously made.
“I possess impeccable integrity. I live by my values and beliefs–without compromise.”
Robert A. Meyer
I second Michael’s point: the way to determine a person’s true self is during a moment of crisis. And clearly, those people showed their true colors.
I second Pat seconding Michael. The practical conclusion of the point made is holding these dissidents carrots or giving them a good hit with the stick, depending on what is most effective for the person in question. These people are not lost for freedom, they’re just confused and/or misguided in these turbulent times, which is human.
December 15, 2008
Car Czar And The Second Amendment!
This czar will be a czar! How can we expect to nationalize an industry without an authority figure with an appropriate ‘Soviet’ name.
Do you think that Putin ever allowed some pesky legislature to interfere with his fascist plans? Nor will the unConstitutional coup permit that here in the U.S.
The difference between Russia and the U.S. is that Putin is now the power behind the Russian puppet Head of State whereas in the U.S. the inner circle of the unConstitutional coup is the power behind the puppet Head of State.
The scale of magnitude between the two is very great. To grasp the difference just look at the omnipresence of the dollar versus the lowly ruble. But don’t think that world monetary hegemony is inert! Both of these ‘emperors’ lust after monetary hegemony.
These two socialistic and fascist systems are trudging along parallel to one another. What will Russia do when the monetary system held together by the fraudulent dollar collapses?
Now you know why the Second Amendment is so valuable. Ultimately it will prevent the U.S. from being invaded when our country is bankrupt and dependent on others for vital resources.
Thanks Pat and Arend. “They” could also be pragmatists with inherently nebulous principles. But to your point Arend; Brad mentioned it in an earlier post – just repeat the same lies, over and over and over, and then they metamorphose into the truth.
“The lies the government and media tell are amplifications of the lies we tell ourselves. To stop being conned, stop conning yourself.” – Mr. James Wolcott
Mr Koerber, did you download today’s LewRockwell.com podcast?
Thank you Michael.
I listened and learned about another leading voice in the cause for liberty. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.
I very much liked Mr Rockwell’s article and I fully support the key tenets. However, letting car makers go bust is one thing. But what about major banks? Are there infact companies so big and systemically important that we cannot ‘afford’ to let them go bankrupt? I’m a great supporter of Austrian economic thought, but I think there is also a case for the government preventing systemic collapse. In the banking crisis of the Scandinavian countries in the 1990s this seemed to have worked rather well. I wouldn’t mind if somebody could convince me of the opposite.
Well, the way I see it, the problem with a bailout in general is that it might lead to the problem being fixed temporarily. For one thing, the major banks might not fixed their own mistakes, especially if every time they get in trouble, they can simply count on a bailout to solve their problem. Why would you prevent a disease if you can get a vaccine?
But another thing, in fact the most important thing, is that the bailout requires some capital to be taken out from elsewhere. The government will have to figure out a way to finance those banks through either taxes or money printing (I might have forgotten another one, so feel free to correct me). Naturally, those funds which could have been used elsewhere, let alone for better use, would be diverted. This would mean that the cost of saving the banks might be a crisis in another industry (Assuming it even prevents bank failures). Regarding the crisis of the Scandinavian countries in the 1990s, I don’t have much of a response. It might simply mean the banks might have done more than simply getting a bailout (e.g.: changing their credit lending policies).
I was so pleased to read the ‘Don’t Cave’ article and the various comments about it, because it’s always nice to know that you are not alone in thinking the way you think.
The main problem with politicians is that they assume that you have voted them in to do something. As they always like to say ‘doing nothing is not an option’. Well, I couldn’t disagree more. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and they are driving all of us along that road right now. They want us to think that they are doing everything they can to save us – well, at least to save bankrupt businesses from going bankrupt and bankrupt homeowners from being evicted ( prudent savers can go to hell!) – but all that they are doing is prolonging the agony. Those bankrupt businesses will still go bankrupt (or be nationalized) eventually, and bankrupt homeowners will still be evicted eventually. It will just take a lot longer than it would have done if money was being priced correctly. The banks are all desperate for cash, companies are desperate for cash, surely the law of supply and demand should mean that interest rates should be a lot higher, not a lot lower. Yes, that would mean a lot of short term pain, but a recovery would be much more likely to happen a lot sooner. The U.S.A. (and the rest of the world) has to go through a painful period of deleveraging one way or another. The actions of governments around the world, with the possible exception of Germany, mean that this process will take a very long time.
Great article, and I totally and completely agree with everything in it.
You know a problem I have, though? I’m not able to stand up for what I believe in when I know I should. For example, yesterday I drove my wife to the doctor with our 3 week old baby, and while she was seeing the doctor a young woman wanted to see the baby, made some nice comments, and we got to talking about kids and stuff, then the conversation turned to the economy here in Michigan.
She commented how scary it is that the bailout hasn’t happened yet and how if it doesn’t happen it will affect all of us and everyone will suffer, that it will be a huge catastrophe.
I so badly wanted to say that I don’t support the bailout, but that would have entailed getting into a larger discussion and trying to teach her about economics, and why it’s bad that the government wants to force consumers to support those companies even though we already voted with our dollars not to. Much more would have to be explained, of course, because like so many others she just goes along with whatever she’s taught from the media.
I didn’t say anything though, just kind of shook my head, not wanting to even bother. Sometimes it just feels like a lost cause. I don’t think anything that I could have said would have changed her mind anyways.
I hate to sound negative, but I really think that Atlas Shrugged is coming to life and it’s going to destroy this country.
I’ll say this about Detroit: the Lions need a talent bailout.
One other thing I want to mention about this article, or a question I have, actually.
When Rockwell states “”Wicked unions have thoroughly looted the capital stock of these companies, and the workers themselves are wholly focused on their own well-being rather than that of the company and the consumer.” What is his proof, or what is he referring to when he talks about the unions looting the capital stock of the companies?
People opposed to the free market would say this isn’t true, and would ask such things as “What’s your proof that they’ve looted the stock of the companies?”
I really think that should be elaborated on more, or a referring article should be given for that aspect or something.
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