From libertarian Michael A. LaFerrara:
A socialist government program is not about the general welfare. It is about the welfare of some at the expense of others, and the power of the few over the lives of the many. The only thing “general” about socialist welfare state programs is the chains that bind all together and leave none with their rights. After all, rights can be boiled down to this: the freedom to say no, and go one’s separate way if one chooses. This freedom doesn’t protect the rich and powerful. It primarily protects the weakest among us—each of us as individuals. Under the American system, the rich have no power to coerce even the poorest individual, until and unless the government hands them that power by failing to protect the individual’s inalienable rights. In Rothman’s reactionary conception, no one has the right to say “no” to his neighbor or his government.
The American system embodied in the principles of the Declaration of Independence, which has come to be known as laissez-faire, or “let us alone”, capitalism, is designed to protect the life and liberty of the common person from mob and government alike. Rothman responds “Wrong! The American System is not about individualism. It is about collectivism, in which all are chained and enslaved to all, and dependent on all, via omnipotent government.” The fact that most of us are already partially chained via one government program or another shows how far the social statists—who disingenuously label themselves “Progressives”—have repudiated everything America stands for.
To wrap the rise of socialist tyranny in the American Flag: What can be more disingenuous than that!
How are Randroids NOT a cult? How “rational” is it to howl such lunacy like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, public education, etc are “socialist tyranny”?
Come to think of it, is it not totalitarian oppression when the government tells us which side of the road to drive on? WE paid for BOTH sides of the road, dammit!
”Paul Ryan wants to destroy America’s social safety net, not just Obamacare”. The hyperbole of that patently false statement—modern Republicans are welfare statists—is nothing new
Rothman is correct about Ryan. Does the following sentence make any sense? What am I missing here?
Where does the money for these programs come from? You got it, the very Americans—the productive Americans themselves—whose earnings are confiscated to fund the programs.
That money comes from every American worker, of course. Many of whom get laid off or are injured and need those benefits.
Most Americans don’t need these programs so long as they could keep their own money. (For those who do need them, there is always private charity.)
Um, wrong. Most Americans want and need Social Security and Medicare. “Always private charity”. Right. Compassionate white conservatives always step up to man the food kitchens and health clinics in poor minority neighborhoods.
a government limited to protecting individual rights, not mob “rights.”
Are not “mobs” composed of individuals? What’s that phrase in our Constitution? “Right of the people”. Did our Randroid substitute the word “mob” for “people”?
A socialist government program is not about the general welfare. It is about the welfare of some at the expense of others
He’s got a point. Those damn kids in public schools are parasites. Let those sick people die in liberty! And why should I pay taxes for fire departments if my house isn’t on fire? Why should I pay taxes for police if I’m not a crime victim? Waahhhh! It’s not fair!
Under the American system, the rich have no power to coerce even the poorest individual, until and unless the government hands them that power by failing to protect the individual’s inalienable rights.
The poor rich. They only get to buy politicians and write laws and put their cronies in regulatory positions. None of which have any effect on the poor, amirite?
The “General Welfare” clause refers to the maintenance of the social conditions of liberty that enables people to flourish by their own efforts
Yes! Let’s demand our liberty in poverty and disease. Let’s demand our liberty in stripping public education from the people. Let’s demand our liberty in breathing foul air and drinking lead in the water.
This is the American Way as the founders intended. Except for the “Constitutional tyranny” of socialized general welfare, taxes and regulation of commerce.
Why did the founders hate America?
“A socialist government program is not about the general welfare. It is about the welfare of some at the expense of others, and the power of the few over the lives of the many.”
This could possibly, almost be true if those “others” Mr. LaFerrara worries about could never utilized the same “socialist government program”. Even Ayn Rand had “socialist government programs” available to her in her time of need.
“The American system embodied in the principles of the Declaration of Independence, which has come to be known as laissez-faire, or “let us alone”, capitalism, is designed to protect the life and liberty of the common person from mob and government alike.”
There is no mention of economics or an economic system in the Declaration of Independence. I mean… you can look up the text of the Declaration online. It takes five minutes to read. This isn’t even hard to confirm before making this claim. The Declaration isn’t even very ambiguous about what it’s about or its context. It’s pretty cut and dry. No economic policy. No capitalism. Lots about tyranny and how awful the King was to the Colonies.
“”Paul Ryan wants to destroy America’s social safety net, not just Obamacare”. The hyperbole of that patently false statement—modern Republicans are welfare statists—is nothing new
Rothman is correct about Ryan. Does the following sentence make any sense? What am I missing here?” — DD
Mr. Laferrara is wrong. Paul Ryan literally said that “Entitlements” were next after the tax cuts. I mean in the article that Mr. LaFerrara references, the Congressman explains that Mr. Ryan’s latest plan to end Obamacare was to end Medicare and Medicaid Guarenteed Payments… so I’d question Mr. LaFerrara’s reading comprehension.
“…always private charity”
Says a person clearly never reliant on it.
“And why should I pay taxes for fire departments if my house isn’t on fire? Why should I pay taxes for police if I’m not a crime victim? Waahhhh! It’s not fair!”
Right? Pave your own damn roads. Ensure the quality of your own damn food. Your own fuel. Your own water! Do all this while still being productive members of society and building your own wealth. Get sick? Call Catholic Charities. They might help. No legal requirement they have to, though.