Friday, September 14, 2012

Why Do We Do This?

Over at the HQ this morning, commenter Truman North asked this: "What makes us do this? What makes us follow this stuff so compelling, when it makes us so mad?"

And I responded:
Actually, I've thought about this, and I can't answer for you, but I'll answer for me.

Really, there are 3 things.

1- An obsessive personality (really). I'm going to be fixated on or addicted to something, so it might as well be something significant.

2- An understanding of what is really at stake. I never remember going through the Liberal phase most kids go through. I never recall ever thinking, "Well, if we just did this the world would be better and everyone would love everyone else, and it would be perfect!" Maybe that's because, reared as a member of the Church of Christ, I always understood the fallen state of man and that human perfectibility is impossible.

So, when I look at what people like Mike Bloomberg or TFG, the SCOAMT, are doing, I understand that they're demanding a price (my Liberty) for which I will get no benefit in return- the benefit they're promising is impossible. I don't particularly like getting bilked out of things, especially my Liberty, so I watch it like a hawk.

3- Empowerment. With the rise of the Blogosphere, my voice can finally be heard. Between comments here (which generate results on Google and Bing), and my own Blog (yes, I have one), people are finally hearing what I have to say. They're finally hearing my viewpoint.

Because of Twitter, Facebook (no, I don't have an account, but it's still out there), and Blogs, we finally have weapons that normal people can use that give us a chance in the Media/Culture war.

And I wanted to expand on that.  Well, on numbers 2 and 3.

I think a lot of people don't really understand what's at stake.  That's what's behind my posts like "Hey, This Matters" over at the Axiom Report, and "Don't Tread On Me" here.  It's easy to think of tyranny as this big machine marching inexorably down the street.  It's easy to imagine it as something big, that everyone would notice.  Usually it isn't.  Usually tyranny is little.  Usually tyranny is subtle.

That's why things like New York City's ban on sugary drinks over 16oz is important.  That's why ObamaCare is so important.  That's why it's important to realize that the current problems in the Middle East were not caused by a movie. 

The Political Left hates Liberty.  Liberty is messy.  Liberty means that sometimes people hurt each other.  Sometimes its even completely innocent.  No matter the cause, however, the Left hates it when people exercise Liberty, because that takes them further from their goal of complete control "for the greater good."

The empowerment piece, however, is probably what puts it over the top.  I've known that Liberals wanted to control, rather than to govern, for a long time.  It wasn't until recently, however, that I had anything I could do about it.  Letters to my Representatives were met with no response, or form letters.  People with money "on my side" tended to stay silent, partially out of fear, and partially because Conservatives tend to keep our opinions to ourselves.  People "on their side" with money (like Convicted Felon and Nazi Collaborator George Soros) went to a great deal of trouble to push their agenda.

Now, much of that has changed.  I get responses from my Representatives which indicate they actually read my correspondence.  The "Army of Davids" is making it so that my position is being heard, despite the best efforts of the Media to drown it out.  People with money "on my side" have started spending money to defend themselves and, as a side effect, me.  People "on their side" with money have had to become more circumspect in how they spend it.

I, alone, don't make much difference.  I, in combination with you, and everyone else who refuses to remain silent, are beginning to make a huge difference.

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