revel wrote:I think the whole argument of 'neo left' is screwed up from the get go anyway.
I think the whole argument of left versus right, and the whole argument of liberal versus conservative are screwed up.
There are actions whose consequences limit what people accomplish, and their are actions whose consequences enhance what people accomplish. I have so far arbitrarily chosen to call those people whose actions generally limit what others accomplish neo-leftists, and those people whose actions generally enhance what people accomplish neo-rightists.
Call them what you like--I actually prefer
limitersversus
enhancersmyself--the human conflict that matters now is between those people who, regardless of their motives, take actions that limit what people can accomplish and those people regardless of their motives that take actions that enhance what people can accomplish.
Limiters do not necessarily seek to limit people and may in fact often seek to enable them. However, what limiters actually accomplish is the limitation of human accomplishment. For example, limiting school choice for some parents leads to the growth of adults who as parents limit the accomplishments of their own children (e.g., criminals breeding criminals).
Enhancers do not necessarily seek to enhance people and may in fact often seek to limit them. However, what enhancers actually accomplish is the enhancement of human accomplishment. For example, taking actions which enhancing one's own accomplishments without regard to what others accomplish can nonetheless present others greater opportunity to accomplish more (e.g., an entrepreneur, an entrepreneur's employees, an entrepreneur's customers, and an entrepreneur's competitors).
I think limiting liberty of innocent people limits what they can accomplish, and enhancing the liberty of innocent people enhances what they can accomplish.
Requiring people to give away some of the fruits of their actions to others, limits the liberty of both those who are forced to give and those who receive what others have been forced to give.
People who call themselves liberal democrats favor a government that limits liberty and thereby actually hurts the common workers and people that work in factories and shift like jobs. People who call themselves conservative republicans favor a government that enhances liberty and thereby actually helps the common workers and people that work in factories and shift like jobs get better jobs and job rewards.
People wo call themselves liberal democrats favor programs to help those that need it but succeed mainly in entrapping such people in generation after generation of dependency on the preferences of others. People who call themselves conservative republicans favor a government that secures everyone's liberty and thereby frees people to depend on themselves and not be subjected to the preferences of others.
Much of the tax money that goes into government goes into the pockets of government employees or is used by politicians to buy votes. Only a relatively small portion goes into the national defense system, the civil and criminal justice systems, and the
collision avoidance systems.
Saddam and Al Qaeda constitute a group of
limiters. George Bush and his administration constitute a group of
enhancers.