Federal oversight of subways proposed What in the constitution gives the Federal government authority to regulate intrastate travel? How long until we have to get travel approval from the federal Department of Transportation? Sometimes I wonder if this is still America. The unending regulation is amazing. Apparently everybody in America except for the government are children and we need to be protected from ourselves.
Although the circumstances that prompted this quote are suspect, the crux of it is far too true..."A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." --Edward Abbey
It seems like every day there is something else in the news about how the government is going to intrude even more on your private life. One of the best I have seen lately is a new proposal in the Netherlands to install GPS devices in every car so they can tax people per kilometer they drive. Big Brother is going to come in through the back door and we wont even realize it until it is too late.
I think that illustrates how the eco-movement and socialism are joined at the hip. The problem that socialists must address is this: how can control of the individual over his/her own life be shifted into the hands of the government? The answer is to sell a message to the public that such a shift is in the people's best interest. The eco-movement must address the question of how a radical change in consumer behavior can be thrust upon the masses in the quickest way possible. Not surprisingly, it is done through government action.
Ironically, I am reading Richard Overy's The Dictators right now and in it he analyzes the ways in which both Hitler and Stalin came to power and why they were so successful at controlling there population. Very interesting, yet scary stuff and also applicable today. It is almost like a list of what to watch out for. Both Stalin and Hitler were popular in their day, popularity does not necessarily mean you have the best interests of your constituents at heart though.
I think that illustrates how the eco-movement and socialism are joined at the hip. The problem that socialists must address is this: how can control of the individual over his/her own life be shifted into the hands of the government? The answer is to sell a message to the public that such a shift is in the people's best interest. The eco-movement must address the question of how a radical change in consumer behavior can be thrust upon the masses in the quickest way possible. Not surprisingly, it is done through government action.
I have long since thought that the issue of global warming was a treasure trove for liberals because a bunch of liberal causes could be furthered under the guise of combating GW. Here's one:UN: Fight climate change with free condomsNormally, one might think that the imposition of certain western values on people of the Third World is somewhat patronizing (even "imperialistic"?), especially when the wealthy SUV driving westerner makes a judgment from his leather chair in his large house about how millions of poor Africans ought to live their lives. But for liberals, this is apparently a good idea. Note that this is not the only cause that liberals try to tack on to the GW issue - abortion, going "vegan", socialism in general.... This is why I think that GW is such a huge issue that has ramifications beyond the mere science of whether the earth is warming due to man or not. It is, in a sense, an ideological Vietnam.
Third World couldn't be turned to birth control to end starvation and poverty... nor HIV / AIDS... they'll all wrap that rascal * for global warming though... yeah right.*apologies to Doonesbury.