It just amazes me, when I come to a site such as this, how plainly and simply the truth can be put (and is). Then I hop over to another site, and I read from people who believe in socialism. Is history that difficult to read for some? I have enjoyed it, even when I had to swallow hard and drown the socialist idealism in truth. It hurt a little, even as a teen. It was a more mature thing, but along the lines of realizing there is no Santa Clause.
I try to discuss this, but it really is like trying to speak to the deaf. Whether they make themselves unable to hear, or whether they are lesser and unable to understand, I may never know. Well, I will not know it while I yet draw breath.
Thanks for offering a place to sort out and store up for the next wave of lunacy. You know, I think there are enough of us, and we are the stronger of the lot, that at the moment, we are not quite behind the eightball... I think, hope?
I think most people are simply unable to grasp the idea that ALL governments, including Hitler's, Amin's, Stalin's, et al, were conceived with benevolent intent. EVERY ONE OF THEM had as its goal the maximization of security and prosperity for its citizenry.
In the same way, I think it can be safely said that the Inquisition was created and run by good hearted, pious men who truly believed they were doing God's work and were deeply concerned for the souls of those with whom they interacted.
I fully sympathize with those who wish to give absolute power to a charismatic idealist, so his power to do good things will be unlimited. And I would be wholeheartedly behind the idea were it not for the fact that by doing so, you make certain that charismatic idealist's absolute power will be delegated to people subject to all the same selfishness, short-sightedness, opportunism and just plain old meanness as the rest of us poor mortals.
The ideology is attractive. It's the way things *should* be. And it really does make a lot of sense, too.... as long as you don't factor in little inconveniences like "common sense" and "life in the real world."
Note:
All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost;
references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>
JS-Kit/Echo comments for article at http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2008/05/quote-of-week.html (2 comments)
Tentative mapping of comments to original article, corrections solicited.
It just amazes me, when I come to a site such as this, how plainly and simply the truth can be put (and is). Then I hop over to another site, and I read from people who believe in socialism. Is history that difficult to read for some? I have enjoyed it, even when I had to swallow hard and drown the socialist idealism in truth. It hurt a little, even as a teen. It was a more mature thing, but along the lines of realizing there is no Santa Clause.
I try to discuss this, but it really is like trying to speak to the deaf. Whether they make themselves unable to hear, or whether they are lesser and unable to understand, I may never know. Well, I will not know it while I yet draw breath.
Thanks for offering a place to sort out and store up for the next wave of lunacy. You know, I think there are enough of us, and we are the stronger of the lot, that at the moment, we are not quite behind the eightball... I think, hope?
I think most people are simply unable to grasp the idea that ALL governments, including Hitler's, Amin's, Stalin's, et al, were conceived with benevolent intent. EVERY ONE OF THEM had as its goal the maximization of security and prosperity for its citizenry.
In the same way, I think it can be safely said that the Inquisition was created and run by good hearted, pious men who truly believed they were doing God's work and were deeply concerned for the souls of those with whom they interacted.
I fully sympathize with those who wish to give absolute power to a charismatic idealist, so his power to do good things will be unlimited. And I would be wholeheartedly behind the idea were it not for the fact that by doing so, you make certain that charismatic idealist's absolute power will be delegated to people subject to all the same selfishness, short-sightedness, opportunism and just plain old meanness as the rest of us poor mortals.
The ideology is attractive. It's the way things *should* be. And it really does make a lot of sense, too.... as long as you don't factor in little inconveniences like "common sense" and "life in the real world."
Note: All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost; references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>