Quotes Of Interest
By omb on Apr 1, 2009 in Global Warming, liberty
“The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave themselves.”
“A truth’s initial commotion is directly proportional to how deeply the lie was believed. It wasn’t the world being round that agitated people, but that the world wasn’t flat. When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic.”
I found these two quotes attributed to someone named Dresden James. Although I have no idea of who Dresden James is, whether or not he actually said this or in what context it was said, I like the quotes so I’m posting them for your consideration.
-OMB
Talk show host Marc Levin refers to the ‘soft tyranny’ that is slowly enveloping us. I would add that, just the way children grow, it’s not a smooth process, there are growth spurts. Like a one third increase in the size of the federal government with the stroke of a pen.
In my opinion, we allow this to happen because the overwhelming majority of people do not pay sufficient, or any, attention to politics or self governance. Remember, only half of us vote. The changes are gradual and incremental but when, to Dresden James’ point, they find out their homes and 401(k)s ain’t what they used to be, the shock and anger leads them to look for someone to blame. The political class and their buddies in the media are only too happy to point to finger at the ‘rich’ (read: the most productive members of our society and the source of our standard of living) and deflect the blame from themselves, who are the root cause. We then willingly accept the supposed quick and easy solution of letting the government solve our problems, little considering or understanding the ramifications, while we go back to our cocoons and watch American f’ing Idol. The process is incredibly difficult to reverse. Look at Europe. They’re TRYING to reverse the process and get riots in response. When we do start to pay attention, as some now are, it’s too late.
The Libinator | Apr 1, 2009 | Reply
Libinator,
I agree with your sentiments. Note that the protests that we see in Europe are typically over something that was promised by the government bureaucrats – 35 hour work week in France, etc.- just wait until they find out that their government pensions can’t be paid without printing money to do so.
-OMB
omb | Apr 1, 2009 | Reply
The top paragraph hits it on the head. We as a people have allowed our government to continue on a path of destructive behavior. We are the enablers. In voting for people who continue to expand the federal government, and watching in silence as it then reaches into not only our pocketbooks but our LIVES.
pj | Apr 2, 2009 | Reply
Here are a few more along the same line:
One of the shrewdest ways for human predators to conquer their
stronger victims is to steadily convince them with propaganda
that they’re still free…
— Dr. N.A. Scott
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe
they are free.
— Johann Von Goethe
It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.
— Voltaire
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the
price of chains and slavery?
— Patrick Henry
pj | Apr 2, 2009 | Reply
pj
You should read that article that I posted from Paul Craig Roberts. We are no more free than medieval serfs.
-OMB
omb | Apr 2, 2009 | Reply