You see, our offspring have long ago become adults, in every sense of the word. And now we have grandchildren who are in the process of being raised to become adults. If they turn out like their parents (and we have every reason to believe they will) they will be quite different from a huge percentage of the population of this country right now.
In other words, they will not be "children grown large." They will understand things in an adult way. Unlike a huge number of voters in recent elections, they won't be fooled into believing the childish notions which are regularly foisted upon them by a childish media and the politicians they support.
At least that's my hope. A hope based on experiential evidence, not the slogans of image spinners trying to get ideological cronies elected to the highest offices of the land.
The supporters of huge spending government programs and giveaways are a lot like my toddler grandchildren in that they make no connection between what they want and how it is provided. At least the toddlers have an excuse.
I've never been very keen on the blame game, so I'm not sure precisely how so many adults stayed so childish in their thinking. I suspect that overly indulgent parents and an abundant society had something to do with it, but I forgot to get a sociology degree with cheap education loans and government grants so I'll leave that to someone who did.
But I did pick up some common sense notions of my own from my parents and adult mentors so I will opine freely about some of the childish notions that I think must be discarded soon if we hope to save this country (and by extension the world) from imminent financial and moral collapse. Many may be insulted by this piece but I'm insulted by having government treat me like a child so let's call it even.
So all you adult children out there, here are a few things you will resent being told, but it's clear that you just don't "get."
1. The notion that government has money of its own is childish. An adult knows that government has to take money from people in order to do anything it does. If you get something from government, it had to be taken by force from some other person. Shame on you for not remembering that, even for a frivolous second.
2. The notion that companies pay taxes is childish. Adults know that businesses aren't people. They are accounting creations. They exist only to make money. Any taxes the businesses pay are passed along to actual people. Some are employees, some are business owners, some are customers.
3. "Rich people don't pay enough in taxes" is another childish notion. Adults know that the so called "rich" pay so much more of the total income taxes on a percentage basis than the rest of us do that only a child could buy in to that notion. Many dozens of studies which childish people ignore clearly show that. Closing your eyes and covering your ears won't change that. Neither will watching only certain TV news shows that ignore it.
4. Another childish idea is that people who have succeeded in making lots of money somehow "owe" a debt to people who haven't. (for whatever reason) Or that if taxes are raised on "rich" people, the budget can be balanced without actually cutting what government spends. Simple math shows that even if the government confiscated 100% of the earnings of the millionaires and billionaires the gap cannot be closed. If you don't believe that just watch the video on the sidebar of this blog. (Title: Dear President Obama, please watch this video) Don't worry, it's presented in a way that even a child can understand it.
5. Only a child would believe that the US Constitution is old and irrelevant. It mattered then and it matters now. It's the rule book for government. You couldn't play any sport without a rule book. What makes you think you could live in a country without one?
If you don't like the rules, there is a way to change them. But it's not by ignoring them or appointing judges to pretend they say what some people want them to say instead of what they were written to mean. And you don't need to be a lawyer to know what that was, only an adult.
There are many more childish notions that people have, but those five are a good start on the path from adolescence to adulthood. Children aren't stupid, they are just living in a childish world of wanting things but being in denial about where they come from.
The good news of the bad times we are living in is that we are now faced with only adult choices and the abundance of the past is no longer a hiding place in a child's game.
An election is coming. It's past time to graduate from school and become a grownup. We cannot afford to live in a tooth fairy world anymore. Time is running out and it's our only real hope.
8 comments:
I'M NOT SURE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SAID ANY CLEARER OR TO THE POINT. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BE ANY PROUDER OF YOU THEN I AM AFTER READING THIS BLOG. YOUR BRO TODD
Thanks, that means a lot to me.
You always liked Todd better.loaus
This is a great piece and as you say, ties in well with my socialism piece/Reason.tv video, too. Mind a weekend cross post to get this to the LCR audience?
Dang, Grant. This is a piece of art. I have thought about this childish behavior amongst especially the liberals for a long time. But I was never able to put it into words. But you did it perfectly. I have got to borrow this post. It's too good not to share.
Thanks for writing this piece.
Thanks for the kind words.
I'm not a child of privilege, nor did I have a spoiled childhood. My father and mother dropped out of high school to have me and worked hard and watched every penny to raise me and my three brothers. Yet, I am not what you consider a grownup. I am fully aware where the government gets the money it spends. I question the choice of words "by force" that you used to describe how it gets the money. Any civilized society must have a means of enforcing codes for transactions and conducting business as well as providing avenues of redress for violations of such codes. Even the most ardent free market advocates must recognize that government provides the environment for such market activity to thrive and taxes are the means to pay for it. Concentrated wealth leads to public discontent and can bring upheaval that results in radical redistribution such as we see in Venezuela and has occurred in the past. It is also responsible for the sublimation of the individual when new ideas threaten that concentrated wealth. I can't see any true Libertarian who would condone the suppression of individual liberty. Yet extremism in the form of anti-taxation could do exactly that. So some taxes to ensure a level playing field are surely supportable. Therefore, paying taxes is sometimes in the best interest of individuals and they would willingly pay them to protect a free society. So, of course the real argument always comes down to how much and what for. This is a time honored debate in our society and here I may be a grownup because I often agree that the use and appropriation of taxes collected can be very flawed. I believe taxes should be fair and spent wisely. I truly believe most Americans share a fairly middle of the road mindset about that. Unfortunately the tone of that debate has become muddied by so many peripheral issues that nothing gets done to right the economic ship. I believe in the ability of government to succeed in providing an environment for success but it takes an ever-vigilant and educated ctizenry to rein in it's potential excesses. But I also believe some redistribution of wealth is desirable to contain the excesses that can arise from the exercise of such economic power. So, call me a liberal, but treat me like an adult.
We can't treat you like an adult. Adults are realists. You don't come close.
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