Basically, there are two factions that exist in the world, when it comes to metaphysics and epistemology. The basic premises they maintain are at odds and determine how they conduct their lives and the conclusions they come to when it involves moral and political issues. They see reality differently—one hundred eighty degrees of difference. This is an attempt to verbalize those reality differences. Reality will dictate the outcome of the battle and a battle it is—an ideological battle. The lists below represent a general list of what most of the groups believe. However, it stands to reason that one cannot predict the beliefs of any one individual of the group. I will call one group Non-Statists or Limited Statists and the other group Statists-Collectivists. It should be quite evident that these opposite ideas demonstrate why there can never be compromise between them.
In reality, the two groups should be divided between Anarchists and Statists but I have used a more general dividing line to give the Limited Statists the benefit of the doubt by categorizing them with the Non-Statists (Anarchists)
Non-Statists and Limited Statists
1. Contradictions do not exist in reality
2. Many things are absolute
3. Some things are impossible
4. Theft is the taking of property without the consent of the owner
5. All opinions are not equally valid
6. The law of supply and demand is an absolute, a Natural Law of Human Action
7. Wishing, hoping, praying and a positive attitude cannot accomplish most things
8. The knowledge of basic principles is paramount in order to solve problems on a consistent basis
9. One man’s need does not constitute a moral obligation upon the actions of another
10. One man’s need does not constitute a right to the property of another
11. Truth exists
12. The ends do not justify the means
13. Like all things, Man has a Nature, which must be considered when trying to manipulate him
14. Natural law cannot be violated without impunity
15. Evil does exist
16. Profit is good and necessary for a thriving nation
17. The needs of the individual must never be sacrificed to the needs of the many
18. There is nothing immoral about a person who has much abundance and wants more
19. Taxation is theft
20. Calling slavery by another name will not change the meaning— will not make it freedom
21. Calling theft by another name will not change the meaning—it is still theft
22. Reality is an absolute and cannot be molded according to anyone’s desires
23. According to the courts, the paying of income taxes is voluntary
25. Production is the engine that creates jobs and prosperity
26. Government handouts is not the way to end poverty
27. Heroes: Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Ford, Rockefeller, Gates, Jefferson, Paine, Washington, Hayek, Von Mises, Bastiat, Rothbard, Rand, Galambos, Snelson, Pugsley, Paterson, Reagan, Newton, Faraday, Bell, Tesla, Westinghouse, Whitney, Fulton
28. Freedom is a primary and necessary goal towards attaining a lasting, prosperous, secure civilization
Statists-Collectivists
- Contradictions do exist in reality
- Everything is relative
- Nothing is impossible
- Involuntary redistribution of another’s property is not theft
- All opinions are equally valid
- The law of supply and demand is an artificial construct
- Wishing, hoping, praying, and a positive attitude can accomplish most things
- The knowledge of basic principles is a waste of time and can be discarded with impunity
- One man’s need constitutes a moral obligation upon the actions of another
- One man’s need constitutes a right to the property of another
- There is no such thing as truth.
- The ends justify the means
- Man has no Nature. He can be manipulated without negative consequences
- Natural law can be violated without impunity
- One man’s evil is another man’s good
- Most profit is evil and must be regulated
- The needs of the individual must be sacrificed to the needs of the many
- Any person who has much abundance and desires more is greedy and/or evil
- Taxation is the coercive taking of property, but it is not theft. It is simply the necessary redistribution of wealth
- Calling slavery by another name will make it non-slavery
- Calling theft by another name will make it non-theft.
- Consistency does not matter
- Reality is not an absolute and can be molded according to one’s desires. One way of molding reality is by changing the names given to concepts
- According to the courts, the paying of taxes is voluntary but you must pay it
- Government is the engine that creates jobs and prosperity
- Government handouts is the way to end poverty
- Heroes: Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Black Panthers, New Black Panthers, Sinclair Lewis, Charles Dickens, George Bernard Shaw, Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Chavez, FDR, Pelosi, Obama, Schumer, Holder, Reid, FDR, Lyndon Johnson, Clinton
- Freedom is an arbitrary construct made up by those who have, and want to manipulate those who have not. It should be ignored. It is an unworthy goal.
- Equality is the primary goal of a civilization
The Republicans, conservatives and limited statists preach items 1-28 but betray those principles when it comes to practice. That makes them inconsistent hypocrites.
The Democrats, liberals and progressives preach items 29-57 (Communo-Fascist ideas) and actually live them through their legislative preferences. That makes them consistent enslavers.
Note: It is evident that there cannot be compromise between the two factions. Both sides believe that compromise would eventually spell the end of civilization. Since all opinions are NOT equally valid, you decide which side is correct.
Pingback: Two Realities by Norman Imberman « Libertopia Festival 2012 – Oct 11-14 San Diego
Pingback: Two Realities by Norman Imberman « Libertopia Festival 2012 – Oct 11-14 San Diego
I’m reminded of the movie ‘War Games’ and the line that goes “The only way to win is not to play”.
“Wishing, hoping, praying and a positive attitude cannot accomplish most things”
Such a blanket statement is meaningless. Wishing, hoping and praying can all be utter nonsense or deeply meaningful, depending on the person involved – and TO that person, whether or not they are meaningful to anyone else. Any or all of those may, or may not be part of a “positive attitude.”
These can be powerful things when internalized by those with a clear grasp of reality and the laws of nature. They are at best useless, or at worst destructive when substituted for that reality. And the very real benefits of a positive attitude can’t be realized at all by force or fraud.
Do you think that only statists value a positive attitude? I’m wishing and hoping it won’t freeze tonight. Does that make me a statist? 🙂