I have had the gist of the following in my mind for years but I put it into words and more succulently after reading a comment by Windy Wilson.
A pattern I notice with progressives/totalitarians/communists is they express things in terms of what sort of activities/possessions people should be “allowed”.
Most people think in terms of what sort of activities/possessions should be made illegal.
A liberty orientated person thinks, and our government constitutions is, in terms of what sort of things the government should be allowed to do.
That which is not forbidden, is allowed. Society deems a limited number of actions out of bounds, and they’re forbidden.
The other side believes that which is not allowed, is forbidden. First problem, a small number of people feel it’s proper to hand down from on high a limited freedom of movements. Second, you can’t legislate against every single societal ill. Problems that aren’t legal in origin cannot be solved with legislation. You try, and we get what we got here today.
” you can’t legislate against every single societal ill.”
Admit it. You stole that line from Jerry Brown.
Is Jerry Brown a communist/totalitarian/progressive?
Well hey, a stopped clock is right at least once a day, you know.
Nope, and yes.
Besides considering things illegal by default they also often have a thing about making things mandatory.
I listened to a Mark Steyn interview yesterday. He had a row with National Review over his quoting an old Bob Hope joke: I just went to California, where thet just made gay marriage legal. Figured I’d better leave before they make it mandatory. Simple, funny, and prescient. NRO wasn’t amused.
Government should be allowed to wither and perish, oh happy day.