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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

HoBgoBlinS

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed -- and hence clamorous to be led to safety -- by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." I'm not a big fan of Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956), but he seems to have gotten that right. Viewing with cynicism in 1920, how would he view politics in the 21st century? If politicians can't find a problem to save us from, they'll create one.

I also like this quote of his: "The ideal Government of all reflective men, from Aristotle onward, is one which lets the individual alone—one which barely escapes being no government at all." Oh, for less government!

3 comments:

clinch64 said...

The best government is surely less government. beaurocracy abounds like never before. It seems that the two party system of government has outlived its usefulness.

Neil

Anonymous said...

The colonies revolt against England was over taxation. They even went so far as to dump all that precious tea in the harbour....How revolting!

It is true, however, We are being legislated into submission and we are being taxed to death. When will the revolt come?

The government solution to just about everything is another tax, and that is not only true in American, but also in Canada.

Originally laws were intended to maintain good order in a civilized society, but it has gone well beyond that, I fear.

We see what happens in a local church when the pastor becomes a dictator, and a few people take "ownership" of the local church...absolute ruin and chaos.

We end up with things like political correctness, which has destroyed the English language, and multiculturism, which deprives a people to give to another..that is not equity.

Why even in England it is now wrong to bake a gingerbreadman!!!!

Cheers,

Jim

clinch64 said...

I'm glad you brought up the area of multiculturalism. this is really a misnomer. Aren't we all multicultural? In researching my geaneology, I found that there is German,Dutch,Scotch-Irish, and Native-American in my line.

Neil