Sponsored Content
« Mid-Morning Art Thread | Main | World's Biggest Sufferer of Small Man's Disease, the "Pirate" Rick Wilson, Demonstrates His NeverTrump Principles by Wishing the Chinese Flu on the First Lady »
March 19, 2020

The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition

punk-monkey.jpg

The mad rush by governors and mayors to be the most draconian in their probably-not-legal restrictions of our liberties is a fine catalyst to examine the differences between a free republic and the more coercive and restrictive countries around the world.

Were we to adopt an authoritarian stance we could easily flatten the peak point of infection. Order total separation, and shoot violators. Segregate those who are already infected at remote installations, and escapees are executed.

But freedom entails a degree of chaos that many -- perhaps most -- people around the world are uncomfortable with. American Exceptionalism means many things to many people, but one of its core tenets is the innate sense that we know what is best for ourselves, and that government cannot manage the entirety of our lives.

Does that mean that more people will die? Perhaps, although American Exceptionalism has also created a wealthy and robust health care delivery system (even with its current significant flaws) that is probably the best in the world. I don't think we are going to run out of medical equipment on a large scale (local shortages excepted). We will not be Italy.

With freedom and liberty must come some acceptance of the reality that the state is not everything to all people; that it cannot and should not try to do everything to protect us (it will fail at that anyway). Yes, the risk is there, but a free people must guard their freedoms as zealously as they guard their health.

We should chafe at the jack-booted thugs of government telling us what to do, how to behave, where to go and how many people we can have in our homes.

Does that mean I am going to go visit my 89-year-old mother? No...I am not a fool, and neither are most Americans. But we must accept the undeniable fact that with freedom and liberty comes a degree of risk that we have accepted for the entirety of our existence as a constitutional republic, and even before that, since the antecedents of our great country were exactly that drive for autonomy and freedom from overweaning and overbearing government.


&topic=world_news">digg this
posted by CBD at 11:00 AM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
Joe Biden: "My balance is shot. ..."

Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) [/b][/i][/s][/u]: "[i] Liberty Balance[/i] Liberty Valance, Fen ..."

Reuben Hick: "[i]But they don’t know how to get both parti ..."

davidt: "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a masterpiece. ..."

vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion: "Shaolin Soccer is a fun action comedy movie ..."

Skip : "Haven't looked at Matt Walsh's What is a Woman vid ..."

vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion: "Princess Bride is family friendly Men in Tights i ..."

Count de Monet: "Local news headline: "Biden set to sign debt ceil ..."

Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) [/b][/i][/s][/u]: " I watched "What is a Woman?" A credible and ..."

Lizzy[/i]: ">>Jemele Hill is out at Spotify after daring the c ..."

FenelonSpoke: "by: Lizzy at June 03, 2023 08:49 AM (mo/ Husban ..."

Reuben Hick: "[i]Jemele Hill is out at Spotify after daring the ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64