Another pithy observation for today. The defining trait of a leftist is scorn for civil society and the urge to hijack government violence to re-make society rather than merely defend it. The defining trait of a conservative is personal freedom nourished by personal responsibility, asking only that government protect us rather than improve us (an end not justified by government's brutish means, and which always fails when tried anyway).
It's safe to say that all "mainstream" political discourse today is leftist, no less among Republicans than among Democrats. Both sides take it as a given that "to govern" means to manipulate society, whether here or abroad, in the pursuit of an idealistic vision. Neither side sees government as a neutral referee whose goal is simply to apply the rules equally to everyone regardless of differing skills, fortunes, or outcomes. Their debate with each other is a sham, a sideshow to capture the hearts, minds, and energies of the vast majority of people and make them believe they are making a difference. They're not. All they're doing is feeding a parasitic monster while living out a fantasy, much like the Matrix.
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