Give Me Liberty

Chicago Tribune readers were treated to a rare commentary on liberty Sunday morning (October 26). John Kass, (who does excellent work exposing Illinois corruption) wrote a great column exposing how we baby boomers, the anti-establishment movement of the ’60s, have fallen hook, line and sinker for the siren song of big government. It’s a great story, read it here. His analogy to wild pigs is entertaining and appropriate, although probably too kind for We the Sheeple. As Benjamin Franklin said, “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Global warming is not the problem, and facism is not the solution.

Here’s a simple quiz that might be a real eye-opener for those of us who don’t often consider the question.

1. Do you believe that education is extremely important, both for our children and for “society”?

I certainly do (and in the interest of full disclosure, I attended government schools exclusively, including several state universities).

2. Do you believe that socialism/communism/facism offers a viable economic system for any society?

Some folks apparently do, although the 20th century (or as I like to call it, the Century of Socialism) certainly saw such systems fail categorically, across cultures, nationalities and socio-economic circumstances. And that’s not to mention the over 100 million souls murdered for the “greater good”.

3. Finally, based on your answers to 1. and 2. above, please explain (in 2 words or less) how it is that the largest and most successful economy in the world, based on free market capitalism, insists on educating its children in schools owned by the government (pure socialism), funded on the basis of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” (pure communism), and enforced by compulsory attendance (pure facism).

I can’t.