Thursday, May 7, 2015

It Is All About Individuals

Column for week of May 4, 2015

     Some people, especially politicians, wax elegant about
the need for individuals to sacrifice for the good of society, or
the common good.  They are either liars or ignoramuses, or at
least twisting words.

     Only individuals enjoy satisfaction and suffer
dissatisfaction.  Whenever any individual sacrifices his
satisfaction, the sacrifice either benefits other individuals, or no
one.  Those who claim individuals should sacrifice for the
common good in reality advocate that some should, at their
own expense, serve others.

     In addition, only individuals can act.  Everything we
have is either the product of nature or of the efforts of one or
more individuals.  Most of what we have is the fruits of nature
greatly enhanced by the efforts of individuals.  The sum of the
fruits of individual actions equal everything we have.  Some of
those individual actions are negative.  Such actions make us
poorer rather than richer.

     Those negative acts include theft, destruction, and
interfering with the productivity of others.  It might be argued
that individuals sacrificing for society only means that
individuals should sacrifice their negative actions.  That is,
individuals should quit stealing, destroying and interfering.

     It doesn't take much thought to see that this in not the
sacrifice that politicians demand.  Most of the negative actions
are perpetrated, or at least sanctioned, by government.  Anyone
in favor of reducing negative actions would be for shrinking
government by eliminating its actions that have negative
impacts on the productivity and satisfaction of individuals.

     That which is negative to one may be positive to
another.  Certainly the thief may gain satisfaction from his loot. 
When government takes from some to give to others it follows
the game plan of the common thief.  When government keeps
part of the loot, usually most of it, government employees and
other accomplices benefit from the sacrifice they impose on the
victims.

     Some claim that government must take from some to
help the poor and needy.  Considering how little of the loot
trickles through to the poor, I defy anyone to make an honest
and convincing argument that the poor are better off relying on
government rather than private, voluntary charity.

     The case grows far weaker for corporate welfare to
Hollywood, sports stadiums, banks, manufacturers, etc.  The
claim that such welfare is essential to create jobs is bogus. 
Most of the jobs promised to result from corporate welfare
never materialize.

     The few jobs created are insignificant compared to the
millions of new jobs created every year by the private sector. 
It takes millions of new jobs every year just to replace the jobs
lost in the changing economy.

     Government is run by an elite, and usually exploitive,
ruling class.  The members pursue their satisfaction, not yours. 
Government is so vast and so opaque that voters have almost
no impact on it beyond a few hot button issues.  How can any
voter possibly keep track of the tens of thousands of
government actions?

     If the voters simply demand that the politicians shrink
government, the ruling class's response is predictable.  They
will, with straight faces and voices dripping with sincerity, say
that the only thing they can cut is whatever the voters want the
most.

     For so long as voters can be conned into sacrificing for
the wealthy ruling class, be sure that the ruling class will
demand and accept the sacrifice.  False gods always demand
sacrifices.

     Our only way out is to recognize and defend the rights
of individuals to live their lives free from the "Sacrifice to us,
or we will hurt you" demands of the ruling class.  The only
greater enemies we face are those among us who are blind to
the reality that government is controlled by a deeply and firmly
entrenched ruling class.  The quarrels between Republicans and
Democrats are nothing more than family squabbles.  Neither
has any intention of saving us from the other.

aldmccallum@gmail.com
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Copyright 2015
Albert D. McCallum

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