|
What we REALLY
need is separation of society and State!
By:
Claude A. Bohn (9-10-01)
“This
is the gravest danger that today threatens civilization: State
intervention, the absorption of all spontaneous social effort by the
State; that is to say, of spontaneous historical action, which in the long
run sustains, nourishes and impels human destinies.” – Jose Ortega Y
Gasset
The
following article, by Charles Levendosky, was carried in Sunday's (9/2/01)
Courier-Journal
"Forum" section. It is, in my opinion, an excellent article,
which points out the dangers inherent in President Bush's
"faith-based initiative" scheme.
You may read the article here: http://w3.trib.com/FACT/1st.lev.faithb
asedshenan.html
[Got it here:http://w3.trib.com/FACT/]
It occurred to me however, while reading the article and Mr.
Levendosky's reasoned arguments against government involvement with
religious institutions through these so-called "faith -based
initiatives," that the same
arguments apply to nearly every aspect of the government's involvement in
the social sphere. For instance, Mr. Levendosky quotes from a letter to
Edward Livingston from James Madison, where Madison says, "Religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of
Government." This is true; but, as I said, couldn't the same be
said for nearly every aspect of our society in general?
In his 1776 essay, entitled "Common Sense," author,
Thomas Paine wrote:
"Some writers have so
confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction
between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different
origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our
wickedness; the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our
affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one
encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a
patron, the last a punisher."
While I can't speak personally of "some writers" from the
18th century, it should be readily apparent to all how much we have today
"confounded society with government," so "as to leave
little or no distinction between them." With literally
millions of laws and regulations “on the books” today, it is
exceedingly difficult to imagine any aspect of our personal lives that is not affected by “government.”
And
where does government get such power over our lives and fortunes? Quite
simply, from the only source from which it can, from us!
Every time a new law is passed or a new regulation is placed in effect, we
lose that much more power and control over our own lives and fortunes.
There simply is no other place from which government can obtain this
power. And, for the most part, we have surrendered this power to the
government willingly and even gladly, so that the government (The State)
could do things FOR us. But, as Barry Goldwater’s famous - if not original - quote
points out, “A government big enough and powerful enough to do things FOR
you is big enough and powerful enough to do things TO
you” as well. Keep that thought in mind as I quote again from “Common
Sense.”
“Society in every state is
a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil;
in its worst state an intolerable one; for when
we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government,
which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity
is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer.”
Or, as the cartoon character Pogo said” “We have met the enemy
and he is us!”
“The
measure of a civilization is the degree to which cooperative intelligence
replaces brute force.” – President Bill Clinton
“Government
is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is force. Like fire it
is
a dangerous servant and a fearful master." –
President George Washington
|
