well said and spot on.momma always said to make my choices wisely,they will come back to bite you,and as I,ve found out,they do. Mom bless her heart,one smart woman.

I see freedom as the right to be wrong.

or stupid.

As a parent of three children I was faced with one of the choices you mentioned -- making sure my children got a quality education.

You know something. When it comes to what is best for your kids, the money becomes secondary. We paid twice in order to see that our kids got the education they needed without thinking twice.

It meant we drove (and drive) 15-year-old cars, skip the plasma TV, and have stay-at-home (or driving) vacations, but it was worth it.

JT, always enjoy your posts but this one is one of the best. Very good job. Cannot see a disagreeable thing in it. Thanks. ww

Progressives are authoritarians in denial.
=======================================

Jay... Awesome post. Love it, love it, love it.

Bravo. It reminds me of a recent discussion point I bantered around with students in my Business Ethics class: Why is it ok for Planned Parenthood to allow my child to have an abortion without my consent or knowledge, but if the high school gives the same kid an Advil for a headache, the earth stops spinning on it's axis?

I'm still pissed that Massachusetts let the voters choose NOT to wear seatbelts some years back, then decided we were much too foolish to make our own choices, and they passed a law overriding our vote.

as a general rule, the Democrats don't want the people to choose -- unless it's in a way that doesn't really matter.

This is close, Jay, but not quite on target IMO. I'd rather say that Democrats want people to choose -- but only from a list of choices that they, the Democratic leadership, have previously approved. From their point of view they're only giving us the benefit of their intelligence and experience, and it would be inherently wrong to not do so. The idea that a normal individual might find a way that's better than theirs is anathema to them.

Kim, that's only true of today's "progressives" -- which is a tragedy, because the original "progressives" of a century ago were rebels against authoritarianism. The entire liberal movement has been hijacked and perverted over the last forty-odd years, from classic American anti-authority liberalism to a replica of the diseased postmodernist thought that swept Europe after WW2. Europe never shook off the concept of a ruling elite -- it simply replaced the hereditary elitism of the old aristocracy with the intellectual elitism of the socialists. Whether by blood or by education, it's still elitism, and it still has the concept of a ruling class who Knows Better Than You Do. And that's where the Democrats are today.

You call your self a libertarians, but how much of a libertarian are you?

You all say you want to be responsible for your own choices without government interference and the government's hand in your pocket to pay for programs that you can do without, but do you?

I think you're all socialists. It's just the degree you do or do not recognize it.

Ask yourself, which services provided by government agencies would you be willing to give up to maintain your liberty?

Let's list a few, and you can tell us all how much of your liberty you are willing to give up?

IRS, FBI, FDA, FDIC, FAA, NTSB, Interstate Highway System, state, county, and local highway departments, city water supply, city sewage system, local zoning board,
public schools, public colleges, state police, local police, fire department, EMTs, 911 phone system, NPS, state and local park systems, ...?

I think you're all socialists. It's just the degree you do or do not recognize it.

So, you're an anarchist?

Sex is probably the best of all things anyway, but driving my motor scooter with no seatbelts probably comes in a close second.

My dad did pretty good with his union membership. For a mere $30 a month in union dues he got health care paid for by the union for the family, earned a $1,700 a month retirement pension paid for by the union, and earned enough wages to buy three homes. There's a term for anyone who wouldn't want such a deal for a mere $30 a month in union dues like this: damn fool.

"So, you're an anarchist?"

Les,

No, I'm a Socialist, like the rest of you. I just recognize it. I also, unlike many, recognize the limits of Socialism.

Rance - everything you list with the exception of the IRS, NPS, state and local park systems all fall under normal gov functions. They are all related to public safety in one form or another or interstate commerce.

Believe it or not that is the primary function of the gov.

Better gin up another list, 'cause that one stinks.

marc,

You've become so used to them that you consider them "normal government functions". They are all the result of a group banding together to provide services for the common good that they could not provide for themselves. Most of these services could be provided by the private sector, at a price, if we were willing to deal with the fallout of them being privatized.

Honsoon:

Sex is probably the best of all things anyway, but driving my motor scooter with no seatbelts probably comes in a close second.

Was it close second when a wheel bearing went ka-bluie!

There's a term for anyone who wouldn't want such a deal for a mere $30 a month in union dues like this: damn fool.

Really? A damn fool?

A damn fool is one who accepts the union offer to NOT give you the $1 raise promised and forced you to accept .50 with the "carrot" of "well the .50 cents goes to pay for your health care.

In other words, it ain't free and not only that it takes your choice away. With that .50 per hour plus all the other giveaways by the union would pay for your own insurance, with the company and doctor you choose.

A damn fool is one who pays those union dues, that ARE NOT OPTIONAL, to see a vary large part of it funneled into political campaigns of people you are the direct opposite of politically.

You hit the nail right upon the head, Jay... It all boils down to nothing more than simple, honest control, and that is something the Democratic party desires in heaps and spades. Of course, the American public is not only permitting this Nanny State to be constructed around them, they are demanding it... Something tells me this will escape their attention when they finally realize just what, exactly, they have allowed to happen.

You can never legislate away basic human stupidity... especially since that is one of the most basic, primary natural rights we have.

In other news, methinks someone is a wee bit confuzzled as to the definition of socialism, in either little-s or big-S contexts...

Rance, there are government institutions which protect us from those who would do us harm. The FDA for harmful foods and drugs, the FAA for safe flight, law enforcement for general safety from those who would do us bodily harm or steal from us, etc. We argue against some like the government's control of the school system hand in hand with unions, and other such institutions, the IRS's confiscatory practices with little say from "the people" on how it's spent, etc.

However, the government takes it all a step too far when, along with protecting us from others' practices which could result in harm against us, they want to protect us from ourselves. This results in people feeling they don't need to take responsibility for their own actions and those who do take responsibility are left holding the bill for those who don't.

We are social creatures. Can't deny that. But it doesn't necessarily equate to being "socialists". You're twisting the meaning of the word by simplifying it beyond it's true definition.

Progressives are authoritarians in denial.

quote of the day... and so early too.

"However, the government takes it all a step too far when, along with protecting us from others' practices which could result in harm against us, they want to protect us from ourselves."

The phrase "protect us from ourselves" is interesting. Because we are "all in this together", protecting you from yourself, may also be protecting me from the fallout of your bad decisions.

We are free to choose anything the government allows us to choose.

Marc, I'm not going to ask you how many homes you personally currently own or your net worth, but my father did very well with his union membership. I never witnessed anything negative as a result of his union membership, only great benefits in exchange for his small dues. When my father died of a sudden stroke in late July, he left my mother in good financial position, largely because of the good union job he held since he was 16 years old for 45 years until his knees were too worn out to continue after several knee surgeries, otherwise he would probably have worked until he was 78 like my grandmother did.

As far as my August 2, motor scooter accident, I unfortunately hit some potholes on an extremely poor street because you could not avoid them all. With the smaller diameter tires on the motor scooter the wheel bearing was damaged and I got thrown off at 25mph. I've added about $1 worth of new hardware to the front steering and have had no problems since. I avoid streets with poorer conditions and stick more with the 30-40mph streets now, which are in far better condition. There's also a lot of speed bumps and other hazzards for a suspension in my neighborhood. I broke a leafspring on my V8 Gremlin on a speed bump a couple years ago, despite driving at a slower speed over it for example. Poor street conditions can harm any vehicle, car, truck or motorbike.

For all those above who bemoan their lack of choices, go find a private island for yourself &/or your immediate family and build your own personal society where you may have all the choices and responsibilities totally the way you would have it.

Live in a society w/ all the myriad possibilities that are resultant & STFU about having your own personal choice to lead the sort of self-centered existence that you want, regardless of the nature and structure of that complex society that requires mutual cooperation.

The problem for you so-called Libertarians is that you live a few thousand years yoo late, long since past the knuckle-walking cave-dwelling era of "Freedom" that would have permitted you to indulge all the choices you want w/ no conflicting input beyond the immediate family tribe..

how does ff write the kind of crap he just wrote and at the same time complain that the Bush Admin is taking away our civil liberties? Maybe he should take his own advice and..."STFU about having your own personal choice to lead the sort of self-centered existence that you want, regardless of the nature and structure of that complex society that requires mutual cooperation." Mutual cooperation such as collecting intel on terrorists that you and the other libs deem unconstitutional. Intel that no doubt makes our society a safer place.

Demacrats as amatter of rule want more rules so they can break every one of them

Well, at least they got the sex part right. I took a political personality quiz and scored as a Libertarian.

Great article, Jay.

Amen! Jay T.

Very well said and so very true!

Rance-"Private sector"-can you image what the interstate system look like if this were the case.
I see 'grubble could not come up with anything to say other then to sound negative. Par for the corase.
Fast food--who the hell are you to tell us how to lead our lives?

OK Fries, I get your point.

But can you see why some of us on the right are a wee bit wary of having our choices taken away by a political movement that thinks of us the way y'all do?

Until you guys can eliminate all this stupid election stuff, you still have to persuade us that your ideas of more government authority are really better for all of us. And you're not doing too well at present.

The usual dopey liberal hemorrhoids that post here seem VERY, VERY confused...I am sensing many synapse missfirings. The ol' tin colander on the noggin should do the trick.

'mutual cooperation'...
...like working people supporting those who do not.

FreedomFries, why don't you and your liberal socialists go to an island and everyone can be free, peave love and happiness in HappyLand. The rest of us who live in reality will stay where we are, thanks.

Paul H.,

I just have to respond to you regarding Union dues. You appear to be incredibly ignorant regarding very basic economic matters.

You keep saying how great Unions are due to all the extra perks your father got for just $30 a month. By what you describe they are great. However, you seem to be missing a very very obvious basic rule of economics. All those perks he got (ie $1700 retirement pension)...big drum roll here...the money he got had to come from somewhere! It was not created out of thin air.

There are not too many companies offering pension plans like that anymore and that is because they are not sustanible in the long run. Pensions look great on paper and are really good for the first generation or so of workers than get in on them. The reason being is they have a lot of workers putting in $30 every month and not so many taking out $1700 a month. People are living much longer now. People are retiring and still living 20+ years. What happens when you have as many retirees collecting $1700 a month compared to as many active workers?

Thats why myself and a ton of other people see the current Social Security situation as a big problem. What do we do when we get to the point of the ratio of people paying into S.S. compared to how many people are collecting it gets too far out of balance? Something needs to be done here and anybody with even an ounce of understanding in basic math and economics can see it. I personally dont have or know of a perfect fix regarding S.S., but I do recognize the current system cant keep working as is indefinately.

Matchu

BG2K,

Yer darn tootin' I'm against Euthanasia.

Any knucklehead who argues he shouldn't be forced to wear a helmet or seatbelt doesn't deserve a choice. Kinda like a 2 year old doesn't get lots of choices either - but a 2 year old would probably know better.

"Any knucklehead who argues he shouldn't be forced to wear a helmet or seatbelt doesn't deserve a choice."

The arrogance of the loony left on display.

I give you JFO.