Liberals’ fatal conceit
By Congressman Paul Ryan
If the average American can’t handle complexity in his or her own life, and only government experts can … then government must direct the average American about how to live his or her life. Freedom becomes a diminishing good. But there’s a major flaw in this “progressive’” argument, and it’s this. It assumes there must be someone or some few who do have all the knowledge and information. We just have to find, train, and hire them to run the government’s agencies.
Friedrich Hayek called this collectivism’s “fatal conceit.” The idea that a few bureaucrats know what’s best for all of society, or possess more information about human wants and needs than millions of free individuals interacting in a free market is both false and arrogant. It has guided collectivists for two centuries down the road to serfdom — and the road is littered with their wrecked utopias. The plan always fails!
Expect the smearing to ensue from all contingents of the left. Ryan is awesome. Ryan is smart, Ryan is faithful, Ryan has it going on. Therefore Ryan is a threat. A big one. Awesome, smart and faithful DRIVES THEM NUTS. Toss into the mix that he’s happy and happily married and it will bring the bleating derangement of Ryan hatred to a shrill fever pitch. Just watch.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid you’re too accurate.
I am thrilled with the selection of Paul Ryan’s selection as Vice President. (I have to say, I think he is by far the most intelligent and genuinely honest of the candidates in the race).
But I have to confess, the reason for writing this comment was the inclusion of Friederich Hayek in this post. I read several of his books when I was a sophomore in college – it was a requirement for a basic course in economics.
What prompted me to write was that I wonder how many of those who will vote this November have ever heard of this man – let alone know what he said.
I wish more knew who he was, and if not him, then at least Milton Friedman.
To get rid of the national debt, major cuts are needed across the board. We can’t recoup the money spent on two long wars, so we will have to cut elsehwere. It’s going to be up to the church and other charitable organizations to step up to take up the slack when welfare (such as Medicare / Medicaid) gets cut.
An overhaul of welfare has been needed for a long time. Unfortunately, we waited too long and now it’s not going to be pretty.
I agree with pretty much everything in this comment. Always good to find common ground with philosophical opponents.