Column
2018-8 (12/3/18)
The
headlines are filled with reports of individuals ready, even eager,
to resort to violence against anyone who so much as dares to express
a conflicting idea. Even more troubling, this opposition to free
expression permeates universities that were supposedly places to
express and debate conflicting ideas in the search for truth.
Now
we see individuals banding together around what they claim is an
unassailable truth that they discovered last week. It is so painful
to these individuals to hear their truth challenged that all contrary
expression must be squelched. One might ask, if this truth is so
obviously unassailable, Why is it so fragile that it can’t stand up
to being challenged?
These
unassailable truths aren't usually about mere opinions. Red is the
most beautiful color. Broccoli is the world’s best vegetable.
Cotton is the best cloth. Usually the “truth” in question is one
its advocates want to impose on everyone else. Challenges to that
great “truth” may make the ignorant masses reluctant to jump on
the band wagon.
In
reality the advocates for the great ”truth” are bullies who want
to force their will onto everyone else. The function of government
is to force the will of the powerful on to others. It is simply, do
it my way or I will hurt you. Thus, it is inevitable that the
battles over “truth” will be in the political arena. We already
see the battle to redefine free speech as the freedom to say only
what the definers want you to say.
The
advocates for a great “truth” try to cloak their emotional appeal
with the mantle of science. Their actions involve little more than
the shouting of slogans. Most of those threatened by the great
“truth” respond with slogans of their own. The shouting soon
reaches the point where the hot heads turn to violence.
What
can we do to turn away from the senseless swamp of endless
destructive strife? The only answer that will work is, remove the
cause of the strife. Stifling speech is like trying to plug a
volcano. Sooner or later it will blow up.
The
strife we see about us is the inevitable product of our slide into
majority rule democracy. Keep in mind the key word is majority.
Thoughtful people long ago figured out that majority rule leads to a
war of everybody against everybody. In the end there are no winners.
Under
pure majority rule 50 percent plus one can do as they please to 50
percent minus one. We aren’t quite there yet. We are close enough
to reek havoc.
As
long as government interferes with almost every choice, the war with
each other will rage on. If we are to preserve civilization, we must
dial back government intervention in everyone’s choices. So long
as we try to use government to control each other, the strife will
rage on.
Two
common desires are in conflict. Most people want to live their lives
and make their choices as they see fit. Many also desire to force
choices on to others. When government enacts a law it says to
everyone, do it my way or we will hurt you.
The
more laws we have, the more conflicts we will have between the
backers of the laws and their victims. The only way to dial down the
strife is to shrink government to where it isn’t constantly in
everyone's face. Those who want people to quit using plastic straws
should use persuasion, not the strong arm of the law.
If
we insist on using majority rule democracy to run each other's lives,
the war of everyone against everyone is inevitable.
*
* * * *
*
* * *
*
* *
*
*
*
Copyright
2018
Albert
D. McCallum
No comments:
Post a Comment