Posts in "Power"

By Matthew Malkus at 8:28PM

Jun 22, 2010

Why the Worst Get on Top

Throughout the course of modern history, the cyclical nature of government has always been to expand itself, corrupt itself, and to subsequently be replaced by a new regime or government which makes the same predictable mistakes as the last. Corruption and immorality, while rampant in government today, are hardly new: The Emperor Nero of Rome and Cleopatra of Egypt were noted for assassinations of family members, for instance.

However, it is generally thought by most in society that corruption need not be a direct function of power, but rather an unfortunate coincidence of these systems of power over a period of time. As part of his best-selling Road to Serfdom (which has gained renewed interest in light of its recent feature on television pundit Glenn Beck’s show), Nobel Prize winner F.A. Hayek sought to discredit this notion of coincidence in a chapter he entitled “Why the Worst Get on Top.” In his own words, Hayek initiates the discussion in this way:

It is the belief that the most repellant features of the totalitarian regimes are due to the historical accident that they were established by groups of blackguards and thugs … Why should it not be possible that the same sort of system, if it be necessary to achieve important ends, be run by decent people for the good of the community as a whole? … [Yet] There are strong reasons for believing that what to us appear the worst features of the existing totalitarian systems are not accidental by-products but phenomena which totalitarianism is certain sooner or later to produce.

Those “strong reasons” were the substance of a chapter whose message can give pause to even the most well-intentioned of progressives in today’s political climate: Perhaps the expansion and concentration of power attracts those who would plunder the population and take advantage of the weak in society, rather than those who would use such power for any perceived benefit.

Leaving Aside Sorba, the Whole Panel Was Rotten

In addition to that YAF Creep, most of the rest "Two Minute Activist" panel in which he participated was also awful. And with the exception of SFL's Alexander McCobin, none of them challenged the drone neocon component of the audience to the slightest. I'm not saying these other guys aren't independent thinkers -- I don't know them -- but they certainly didn't exhibit any independent thought through the panel.

Particularly funny was how anti-liberty the panel's message was. I could point to so many ridiculous examples, but I will here mention I counted four speakers telling teens to promote their career by running for office under the now-meaningless platitude of "conservativism." A real "conservative" would never become a parasite unless he is doing it of principle, not self-advancement!

Also shocking was the hokey MC's description of these kids at the end. She said something along the lines of: "Later in life these people will rule the world, and we can say we knew them." After this, the neocons in the crowd clapped raw -- as if the thought of conventional politicos "ruling" us is desirable!

Power, not principle, is what much of modern conservativism is about.

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By Bonnie Kristian at 5:44PM

Jan 10, 2010

Want a better quality of life? Try more responsibility and less government.

Here's a recent video from the 10th Amendment Center:

Many of us, after years of indoctrination at our government schools, were left with a sense that there is a great government force working hard every day to protect us and look after our best interest. We were told that government standards keep us safe from disease, that government highway regulations keep us safe from car accidents, that federal agencies make sure that the food we eat will be healthy.

The result of all of this? Americans everywhere drive more carelessly, do not research what they put on their plate and take medications that leave them sicker, rather than healthier.

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