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A Further Perspective

The Liberals’ Reality Problem

By on 8.23.11 @ 6:08AM

A primer in the politics of denial.

A basic problem for liberals is their rejection of and discomfort with reality. That attitude, unfortunately, creates a number of problems for them as well as for the rest of us.

There is, for example, much about human nature that bothers liberals. They do not like the fact that self-interest is the prime motivator in human decision making. This is at the root of why they speak so disdainfully of profits. The profit motive makes them cringe. For liberals “profits” is a four letter word. They would prefer people to be motivated strictly by charitable impulses and altruism. Rather than recognizing that being motivated by self-interest is a necessary survival tool, liberals conflate self-interest with greed and then blame greed for many of society’s ills.

Part of the genius of Adam Smith was his non-judgmental acceptance of human nature. He recognized that self-interest is the primary motivator in human behavior. Rather than wasting his time denying or lamenting that, he explained how a market economy does the best job of bridling that force and can actually lead to beneficial outcomes for society in general. He wrote, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages.”

There are a number of features of a market economy liberals do not like, and they do everything they can to suppress or eliminate them. In their minds a market economy leads to an unacceptable level of inequality. In a market economy, some people get extremely wealthy. Liberals simply cannot abide that. It irritates them beyond belief. Because it results in an unequal distribution of wealth, liberals are willing to essentially scuttle the entire market economy. Their attitude is essentially, “Stop the economy! I want to get off.”

A critical component of the market is competition. Competition results in winners and losers, but liberals don’t want anyone to lose. Of course, competition isn’t unique to the market; it occurs almost everywhere and bestows profound benefits. Competition is quite literally a fact of life. As Darwin made clear, it’s a key component in the process of evolution. The late economist George Stigler called competition “the patron saint of consumers.” It’s difficult, perhaps impossible, to like reality if you don’t like competition.

Because intentions govern their policies, liberals show no interest in looking at evidence. Their denial and disregard of evidence is another reflection of their dislike of reality. Evidence is about reality; intentions are about fantasizing and self-indulgence.

Another clear example of the liberal rejection of reality is their absolute dislike of budgets. Budgets are one of the clearest instances where reality meets the road. Living within a budget is a form of living in reality. Liberal Democrats in Washington and various state capitals do everything they can to delay passing budgets or living within them once they’re passed. Deficits as far as the eye can see are the unfortunate result.

Humanity is another part of reality that liberals aren’t particularly happy about. They’re convinced that humans should be far less plentiful. In terms of global population, the smaller the better. Many of them feel that in most instances an abortion is preferable to a live birth. A variation of liberalism is environmentalism. Environmentalists consider humans to be much more a curse than a blessing.

The problem with the liberal dislike of reality is how it’s affecting the rest of us. If you don’t like reality one response is to deny that it exists. Denial is a frequent cause of individual and societal problems. From a practical standpoint, this means behaving as if consequences don’t exist or don’t matter. We will be dealing with the damage done by their ill-considered good intentions for many years to come.

About the Author

Ron Ross Ph.D. is an economist who lives in Arcata, California. He is the author of The Unbeatable Market. Reach him at rossecon@gmail.com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (118) |

Robbins Mitchell| 8.23.11 @ 6:28AM

Slight correction if I may....liberals hate the profit motive in others...especially those on the other side of the political aisle..while they themselves will grub to pocket every last dollar they possibly can...especially if the source of those dollars is the taxpayer instead of the marketplace

Edward White| 8.23.11 @ 10:08AM

THE WILLFUL IGNORANCE OF THE RIGHT

Yes, we liberals think that overpopulation is the cause of many of society's woes, and we also believe that overpopulation is harming the environment, which will have--and is already having-- devastating effects on the quality of our lives .

You extreme right-wing fanatics are the ones who don't face the reality of the harmful effects of overpopulation and environmental degradation.

Your willful ignorance is exasperating.

Gung Ho Waffle| 8.23.11 @ 10:25AM

Stalin must be your hero. He killed tens of millions.

DKEN| 8.23.11 @ 6:12PM

That would be Hundreds of millions.

Quartermaster| 8.23.11 @ 6:44PM

According to demographic studies in the 80s, something like 100 million people were missing in Russia. Most of the cause of the lack of the people that would have raised those people were killed as a result of Stalin's actions.

LSinAZ| 8.23.11 @ 10:58AM

Mr. White, I then must assume that you, in good liberal fashion, did not breed any little humans.

As a conservative, I made the choice not to breed, but it was due to calculated, intentional self interest, not environmental concerns.

Al Adab| 8.23.11 @ 2:30PM

Lack of population growth is why we need the illegals don't ya know?

PolishKnight| 8.23.11 @ 3:07PM

Indeed! Like all claimed leftist goals, they go out the window when it comes to attaining or retaining political power. They would happily pump the planet full of 20 billion people if they all voted Democrat.

Regarding Stalin: Once elections are meaningless, they have no more need for a welfare state and simply kill off economically unviable people.

Regarding the left supposedly believing in social cooperation and selflessness. It's laughable since most leftist voters are doing so for selfish reasons: Government unions, race and gender entitlements, or being a member of some other special interest group.

That leaves the few leftists who don't fall into those categories. White male leftist believers. They're like Shakers or Heavens Gate believers who haven't figured out yet that they're just going through the motions.

calvin | 8.23.11 @ 11:08AM

EW;
You neglect to add that in free countries with a capitalist market unfetterred by too much govt control, that the rise in family wealth invariably is followed by a fall in the birth rate. If you want to see a decline in population growth, encourage freedom in the third world.
I also note that you worship the creation and not the Creator, which I suspect is the real source of your despair.

Drunken Sailor| 8.23.11 @ 11:33AM

"we liberals think that overpopulation is the cause of many of society's woes, and we also believe that overpopulation is harming the environme"

So why are you still using up air? Why have you, a committed liberal, not ended your existence? Because of exactly what the author pointed out. SELF INTEREST.

Al Adab| 8.23.11 @ 12:01PM

What our friend Mr. White so clearly demonstrates is that "liberals", actually the Statist Left, believe is that outcomes and centralization are higher priorities than is Liberty. They perceive the purpose of government as to control for result while Conservatives view government as established to preserve rights and freedom. "Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house...".

Boar Hunter| 8.23.11 @ 2:54PM

Well said my friend.

play nice| 8.23.11 @ 1:48PM

ur right dude - cull da herd
clean out the prisons, gangbangers, welfare parasites, foodstamp losers, Section 8, homeless, single moms, homos with AIDS, kill'em outright - take'em out and shoot'em
add in the liars, the stupid, the obese, the sluts, the mutts, the sick and the otherwise useless
smoke'em all, especially the liars
If you got ammo left, kill the bureaucrats then kill yourself

Mary Mayes | 8.23.11 @ 5:09PM

Well put!!

skip| 8.23.11 @ 2:25PM

If your mommy hadn't been such a willfully ignorant human she could have aborted you and saved us all from the exasperation of having to put up with the harmful effects of reading your stupid idiotic drivel.

Texas Hillbilly| 8.23.11 @ 2:35PM

I got 9 youngins, and Ron Paul helps out by getting me gubmint checks.

Boar Hunter| 8.23.11 @ 2:49PM

Edward, I wanted to take the time to personally thank you for illustrating the truth of Mr. Ron Ross' excellent article.

In typical liberal fashion, you have singlehandedly illustrated the willful and aggressive ignorance of the liberal mind. You and your liberal compatriots continuously equate thinking with knowledge. You actually "feel" your views on overpopulation are correct and prove your own thesis by looking around and discovering "gasp" you can see other people. Eddie, did you know the population of the entire planet can find standing room in the state of New York?

I recently had occasion to drive across the entire state of Texas. While traveling at a high rate of speed for hours on end, I realized that if any of you overpopulation loons were simply dropped on foot, a-la survivor man, into most Texas ranches, you might never find your way back to civilization. Unfortunately, if you did find your way to a road, someone (probably one of those extreme right-wing fanatics) would pick you up, cause people in Texas are nice.

The only fanatics in this game are the liberals. Our society has devolved into one where people too stupid to feed themselves are protected by law from literally everything, whether real or imagined. Sorry, I for one have lost my tolerance for idiots like you Edward. We share no common ground. Google Obama inhaling as it pertains to his use of marijuana. You will find him on YouTube bragging how he did so frequently, stating, "I thought that was the point." Laughably the last time I referenced this the liberals called me a liar. I ask you. If these insufferable vermin in the locust class you represent can’t admit a small thing like this, what is the point of having any dialog with you?

You and the liberal vermin you represent must be defeated for America to survive. It is the liberals, who are aggressively and willfully ignorant of the truth. They are liars and lovers of lies. They are simply the fleas on the dog. I wish I could have had this debate with you in a tavern, a few hundred years ago. I think that rather than launching into an insulting tirade, it might just be possible that you would have learned a thing or two about polite and manly discourse. Oh, don't bother responding Eddie. As previously stated, I don't talk to liberals. I only used you as a literary device, sorry if that was unfair.

TexasMom2012| 8.23.11 @ 2:53PM

I have a proposal. Since the Libs are the ones insisting that we need to reduce the human population and impact on the planet, I suggest the libs volunteer to be euthanized. It could reduce environmental impact and make the rest of us happy to not have to listen to their pathetic rhetoric. Everyone wins! Oh, you prefer to kill "others"? Not willing to sacrifice your life or your comforts? Then stop preaching to the rest of us! Bless your heart!

Stan Redmond| 8.23.11 @ 4:59PM

We're all doomed.

Global warming in the '90s and '00s. Ozone depletion in the '80s. Global cooling in the '70s. Population bomb of the '60s. Deforestation. Dead oceans and oceanic acidification... I've outlived planetary extinction several times already. Wow. I guess I'm pretty lucky.

Nancy in NC| 8.23.11 @ 5:28PM

I agree with you on one thing, White. The world would be a much better place without the likes of you.

Dennis Miller summed it up for me perfectly. If the earth can't stand a few billion people, SUVS, riding lawnmowers, and Big Macs then it needs to put on a cup.

Skippy| 8.23.11 @ 6:48PM

Ed,
Have the courage of your convictions and kill your family and friends.
But first, kill yourself, so they can see your total commitment.

Brubaker| 8.23.11 @ 6:56PM

If overpopulation is such a huge problem, and you're so deeply concerned about it, why don't you make a direct contribution to the solution by ending your own life?

Or is it just other people's lives that you want to end?

Barbara Allen| 8.23.11 @ 10:00PM

The enviroment is having a devastating effect on my life.
If your worried about overpopulation, please do the rest of us a favor and put your head between your legs and kiss your sweet arse GOODBYE!

Negro X| 8.24.11 @ 2:07AM

Set the example, start a trend, kill yourself and your family and save the planet you moron.

Cosmo| 8.24.11 @ 3:10AM

Liberals don't like competition...That's why public
schools are such a disaster area...

Sotto Voce| 8.30.11 @ 5:20PM

Eugenicists (dare we call them "murderers"?) like Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot had nifty solutions for that evil overpopulation problem. And today, China's "one child" mandate is working out very well: Families use abortion to ensure they have the coveted male child, but this has resulted in a lack of females to bear the babies which has definitely impacted their population "problem". The Nazis shared your high regard for the environment over the primacy of humans, enacting the Reich Nature Protection Act in 1935. Is that a model we should follow?

Your willful ignorance is exasperating.

RCV| 8.23.11 @ 1:47PM

Yes, right, all those liberals in Silicon Valley, along with Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, et al. "hate the profit motive.' That's why they're doing so poorly in life. Talk about denying reality!

Reprobate Charlatan Vomitus| 8.23.11 @ 2:30PM

I don't bother with silly denials of reality, as a sanctimonious hypocrite, who abhors tea party conservatives for being wholly lacking in intelligence, real Christian love, compassion, education, and beneficial policies, not to mention belonging at least to a party that cares about human beings AFTER they're born, on being so stupid, and such an idiot, I sanctimoniously espouse about denying reality matters.

Boar Hunter| 8.23.11 @ 2:57PM

?...Oh, I get it your smoking weed.

TexasMom2012| 8.23.11 @ 3:06PM

You are not grounded in reality. Haven't you seen the studies showing that Tea Party folks give vastly more to charity than libs. You know, the kinds of charities that help people, not whales. I put my IQ up against yours any time, or SAT scores, whatever. No, I do not formally belong to the Tea Party but I believe the government has plenty of tax revenue. They need to prioritize. Why should tax money go for Cowboy poetry in Nevada? Studies be done on Chinese prostitutes? Until Congress stops the foolishness and frivolous spending, no new tax revenues should be given them. The federal budget is double what it was 10 years ago but yet they cannot seem to cut 1% off the real budget, instead they want to increase the budget by 7-8% annually and merely cut some of the increase. Any business man knows that 1% can easily be cut. During these down times everyone but the Feds has seen the necessity of cutbacks but not the Fed government.
And by the way, charity is not done with tax dollars... It seems your charity is actually forcing others via government to fund your charitable desires.

Reprobate Charlatan Vomitus| 8.23.11 @ 4:35PM

I don't bother with silly not understanding that I post in mockery of RCV, and that the initials RCV really stand for:

Robespierre Che VonDouchebagge,

but that I use them to stand for:

Reprobate (morally unprincipled)
Charlatan (fraudulent deceiver)
Vomitus (ejecting excrement),

for the obviously self-evident reason that his posts are the posts of a morally unprincipled person fraudulently deceiving with continuous ejections of disgusting excrement that is the basis of his posted statements;

and that I post this way because of quotations, archived by 'American Spectator', such as this post, revealing the true level of his intellectual honesty:

"I abhor sanctimonious conservatism of the tea party brand, an ideology wholly lacking in intelligence or a shred of real Christian love and compassion. It espouses policies dangerous, damaging, and detrimental to our country and it's future. It will have a lifespan much like its forebearer, Know-Nothingism."
(RCV | 10.23.10 @ 9:30PM);

and this post, revealing the true level of his intellectual honesty:

"The strength of the tea party, in contrast, is in those economically depressed red states where the education level is low, and where people believe the birthism and other right-wing nonsense"
(RCV | 4.28.11 @ 1:02PM);

and this gem, revealing the true level of his intellectual honesty:

"I supported Obama from the beginning"
(RCV | 8.6.11 @ 1:11PM);

or, this nugget, revealing the true level of his intellectual honesty:

"At least, Skippie, I belong to a party that cares about human beings AFTER they're born."
(RCV | 12.7.10 @ 6:27PM);

not to mention all the quotations of posts, revealing the true level of his intellectual honesty, that sanctimoniously espouse his lifelong study and 'expertise' of both the Bible and the Constitution;

or the post, lacking any intellectual honesty, that is used as the prototype for all the other posts of thoroughly deserved and thoroughly earned mockery:

"I don't sign silly petitions on science matters"
(RCV | 12.10.10 @ 7:06PM),

which was posted, lacking any intellectual honesty, in response to the petition, at petitionproject.com, that provides the peer reviewed research that debunks manmade global warming that is signed by 31,487 legitimate scientists, and that is not signed by any, not even one, sanctimonious hypocrite;

on mocking the reprobate charlatan vomitus for continually posting, over, and over, and over, his pathetic, and despicable, and stupid, lying idiotic drivel, espoused in such a truly disgusting, sanctimonious, hypocritical, manner matters.

RCV| 8.23.11 @ 4:29PM

Man up, Skip. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

Reprobate Charlatan Vomitus| 8.23.11 @ 6:03PM

I don't bother with silly pondering the over / under on how many readers think there has been more 'z's than there has been 'legal' brutal murders of innocent, defenseless Americans, in reply to posts mocking me, deservedly, for all my disgusting sanctimonious hypocrisy, pathetic and despicable idiocy, and stupid lies denying reality, on pondering the intellectual honesty required to post approximately 54 million 'z's, and counting, in response to being mocked, deservedly, for all my disgusting sanctimonious hypocrisy, pathetic and despicable idiocy, and stupid lies denying reality, instead of just ceasing to post disgusting sanctimonious hypocrisy, pathetic and despicable idiocy, and stupid lies denying reality, in an intellectually honest manner, matters.

Barbara Allen| 8.23.11 @ 10:03PM

Oh you are so berry schmart! Your intellectual abilities are so berry frwightning.

Alan Brooks| 8.23.11 @ 8:32PM

Compassionate conservatism is (was) based on self-interest:
gaining votes for Repuglicans.

Barbara Allen| 8.23.11 @ 10:05PM

Hey Al, self-interest is the motor of our econony. Without it you and your friends could no longer get Welfare money.

Alan Brooks| 8.24.11 @ 12:43AM

Without his Dad, Bush was NOTHING- less than a bum.

Alan Brooks| 8.24.11 @ 12:46AM

and women such as yourself, Barb, are completely protected by their husbands.

beebop| 8.24.11 @ 6:13AM

Get some facts.

Unmarried women live longer than their married counterparts. Married men, however, live longer than unmarried men.

So. Who "protects" who?

Alan Brooks| 8.24.11 @ 8:51PM

How many women serve in actual combat?

Clint Brooks| 8.24.11 @ 2:12AM

My brother alan is correct, only liberals care. That is why we both are on the phone the welfare doesn't arrive on time. We care that tha post office does it job in a timely and efficent manner.

Alan Brooks| 8.24.11 @ 8:52PM

"We care that tha post office does it job in a timely and efficent manner."

So you are a statist after all, Clint?

Should have impeached| 8.23.11 @ 9:39PM

"Slight correction if I may....liberals hate the profit motive in others...especially those on the other side of the political aisle..while they themselves will grub to pocket every last dollar they possibly can...especially if the source of those dollars is the taxpayer instead of the marketplace"

Yes, the SECOND reason liberals aren't fit to govern the United States. (The first being their absolutely undeniable denial of reality.)

Cecelia| 8.31.11 @ 3:13PM

The unfounded, nonsensical generalizations in this post are offensive. This must have been written under the assumption that readers are stupid, or at least blinded enough by hate and fear to not think rationally (that seems to be the assumption of this entire site).

No one should take this seriously or even bother reading past the first line where this guy went as far as to lump all liberals together. I love how George Bush and his profit loving thugs put the United States into deep debt and now liberal leaders are being blamed for deficit. Ha ha.

If this joker can generalize and say that "A basic problem for liberals is their rejection of and discomfort with reality." Than I can definitely say that "A basic problem for conservatives is their hateful approach to all that is not like them, their paralyzing ignorance, and their lone-ranger approach to existing that is responsible for the deterioration of our society and the planet. "

Thanks for the awful article, feel free to stop sending irrational hate out into our public space.

MainelyDoc| 8.23.11 @ 6:49AM

Liberals don't dislike profit. They simply don't like it that OTHERS make a profit. In Maine, one of our very liberal Congresswomen, Chellie Pingree, is wealthy, independently, because of her family's fortune and, wealthier now because she married hedge fund trader, Donald Sussman, another wealthy liberal. They're archetype liberals. They're wealthy beyond any need, yet they decry profit and work to impair others from becoming wealthy. Self-interest is what motivates all of us to do the best we can and that, collectively, moves civilization forward.

Sam Vaughn| 8.23.11 @ 10:13AM

Yes, MDoc very true. She is the epitomy of a wealthy liberal. I suspect their good intentions are nothing more than making the sure that common people have no shot at "joining the club"

Nancy in NC| 8.23.11 @ 5:34PM

They're just so much smarter than us peasants.

Heck, you can even teach a monkey to use the correct fork.

This is America. We don't have the class system. Last time I checked my Smith and Wesson doesn't recognize pedigrees.

These liberal pukes can't survive without their cell phones and twitter accounts. When the Sh** hits the fan they will be so helpless!

It's called thinning the herd.

Don L| 8.23.11 @ 7:05AM

They would prefer people to be motivated strictly by charitable impulses and altruism. "'

Sure, that's why they love abortion -it's that unselfish charitable towards others attitude!

R V| 8.23.11 @ 10:12AM

Don L,

Your little love affair with the fetus is soooo tedious . . . and suspect.

If only you could show some compassion for the millions of children who live in extreme poverty, malnutrion, neglect, abuse (physical and emotional), and so on . . . and on . . .

Sam Vaughn| 8.23.11 @ 10:16AM

yawn,,, you mean like the liberals who started the war on poverty 50 years ago, and all they have show for it is the destruction of millions of families, nominalization of fatherhood and millions of teenage pregnancies.

Dan Hirsch| 8.23.11 @ 12:23PM

You betcha!!

Far better that we slaughter those children in their unloving mothers' wombs than we give them a shot at life and an opportunity to make something of themselves....now that's real compassion. Better off dead, than broke. Let's just kill the poor now and save the trouble.

Not very bright are you, Recreational Vehicle, not very bright at all.

Think again...

play nice| 8.23.11 @ 2:32PM

The shit of which you speak is a "black thang".
White America no longer gives a rat's ass about Black degeneration.

Paris Hilton| 8.23.11 @ 2:38PM

Better to slice'em and dice'em, I say. That is truly the humain thing to do. Just do go trying that on your dog or goldfish - that would be really cruel.

Mary Mayes | 8.23.11 @ 5:21PM

RV -- you're probably one of those San Franciscans who want to criminalize circumcision - you can slaughter a full-term fetus ten minutes before birth by crushing his skull, but don't DARE circumcise him ten minutes after birth! Makes total sense in your world I'm sure.

Nancy in NC| 8.23.11 @ 5:41PM

And where the heck is that? All this extreme poverty and cell phones?

The true poverty is creating shells of humans with absolutely no self worth as they have never accomplished one thing in their sorry, miserable lives except figure out how to game the system.

True cruelty is making able, healthy adults act like total helpless freaks with no hope for tomorrow.

We spent $14 trillion and poverty is at the same percentage level as when the War on Poverty began. Unfortunately we have many more losers in society...breeding more losers. Where is the compassion in that? You liberals have destroyed generations of people and the culture. When will you ever learn there isn't enough money to fix some people? To steal the benefits of ones labor to care for the lazy is a crime...to both the giver and the recipient.

Sometimes the poor needs to get a little hungry.

Nancy in NC| 8.23.11 @ 5:44PM

I bet RV gets all weepy about a little water boarding of the most vile among us, but not a twinge on executing the most innocent.

Boar Hunter| 8.23.11 @ 6:02PM

So sorry to hear that your mother didn't share your belief's.

DKEN| 8.23.11 @ 6:33PM

My love affair with "the fetus" started at my own conception, pal. It went right on with loving the fetuses in my wife's womb. It actually continues with all of the poor murdered you don't care a bit for. Each one of those helpless waifs you wail about in your post have the chance to succeed in life because they HAVE LIFE.
"Liberals love humanity, it's just people they hate."
Sorry, I don't know the author.

TrueBlue| 8.23.11 @ 7:06PM

Better idea, use contraceptives if you're not ready for a kid instead of killing a child because you screwed up... or better yet, DON'T HAVE SEX.

William L. Gensert| 8.23.11 @ 7:18AM

Capitalism is the only organizational structure for society that succeeds because it takes into account man’s greed, his inherent selfishness. It is a system whereby everything improves as individuals do what’s best for them. They act in their own self-interest and by doing so they make everyone’s life better. For socialism to succeed, we must all work our hardest to improve the lives of others. Like it or not, the majority of people are not going to do that. The one inescapable reality of life is its brevity, to work your hardest and not reap the benefits of your toil, is against human nature.

Have you considered| 8.23.11 @ 11:01AM

William, Well Put !!

Boar Hunter| 8.23.11 @ 2:59PM

Outstanding sir! Our founding fathers proved all of these principals.

Von Mises Jr.| 8.23.11 @ 7:24AM

By rejecting reality, liberals reject logic and reason. "Capitalism" is not the existance of "competition" and "planned economy" devoid "competition."
We see Blankfein, Immelt, Buffet, Stern Trumka "compete" for government favors daily through crony capitalism and syndicalism.
What they actually reject is "independence" and "integrity." They will boot lick and bribe for political outcomes, but refuse to "compete" fairly and ethically based on merit.

Gary B| 8.23.11 @ 7:37AM

Milton Friedman said something like, "There are two groups of people who hate the free market... college professors and corporate presidents."

Oldefarte| 8.23.11 @ 10:50AM

I would slightly disagree with Friedman, in saying that it's college professors and ....COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS!!!!

DKEN| 8.23.11 @ 6:36PM

He was a professor.

Gary B| 8.23.11 @ 7:34AM

You would think that with all of these unrealistic attributes liberalism would be a tough sell.

Well, there is one huge benefit that sweeps all of that away. It's the siren song of "something for nothing," managed by the all-caring elite that shakes down productive citizens to pay for it all.

Now, the day has finally come when the liberal establishment has come up short. Their "benefactors" are OUT OF MONEY. So it's reality time for everyone. Are we having fun yet?

Alky| 8.23.11 @ 10:32AM

Exactly, it's the old saying... "Socialism works till you run out of other people's money"

idalily| 8.23.11 @ 4:40PM

Well said, Gary B. And the "gimme" class is the reason why every child in the world should be given Harry Browne's wonderful essay, "A Gift For My Daughter" as soon as they know how to read.

beebop| 8.24.11 @ 6:19AM

Perhaps someone could read it to them? Have you spent much time in the company of the product of a "public" school education? The teaching of gay heroes must be limiting the time spent on readin', writin' and 'rithematic ...'

Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 8.23.11 @ 8:22AM

If Liberals actually got their way, and tried to make all things fair to all people, everything we love about America would come to an abrupt end. Inflation would rein, production would drop, crime would explode, Businesses would close, and despite their claims to the contrary, the environment would actually get worse (kind of like what's going on right now).

Whatever Liberals try to fix, gets broke, whatever Liberals try to make better, becomes worse, and the only good way to run the Country is to basically do the exact opposite of what Liberals believe in. They're all Nuts!! Crazy!! Lunatics!! Retarded Communists!! And the only way to deal with them is to not listen to them, undo everything they've put in place, and stand ready to fight them every single day for the rest of our lives, because as we all know well, they never stop coming up with even more stupid ideas (call it their Superpower if you will, even if it's a retarded Superpower!!).

But you've got to give it to them, they certainly are dedicated to America's destruction!! It's the Democratic Party's fault People, about what's wrong with America, it's always been the Democratic Party's fault!!

Oldefarte| 8.23.11 @ 10:51AM

Amen to that, LLL......'nough said!!!!

Petronius| 8.23.11 @ 8:44AM

Thanks everybody
Now I can work on my novel.

Anthony| 8.23.11 @ 8:47AM

All you need to know about leftists is everything they espouse is always for the other guy to do, not them.

Gary B| 8.23.11 @ 2:51PM

Exactly. One of the things they hate most is their neighbors' freedom.

Oldefarte| 8.23.11 @ 5:03PM

And what they covet is their neighbor's INCOME!!!!

Timothy L. Pennell| 8.23.11 @ 8:59AM

Reality. It's like the TRUTH, or, Beauty. In the Liberal's mind, it's all "In the eye of the beholder".
What is Truth? Who is to say, what is real? I Contemplate, while I'm waiting for my Government stipend, therefore I am.
Let me see if I can help you out, a little, with the Liberal's mindset.
They're NOT against Profit. George Soros has BILLIONS, and they LOVE him. Warren Buffet is the Richest Guy in the country. Spielberg, Hanks, Immelt, everyone dancing, barefoot, in the Rose Garden, at Obama's Birthday Party, and everyone hanging out on the Beach, in Martha's Vineyard, has LOTS of money. They're MILLIONAIRES and BILLIONAIRES, and they don't even go to the MAILBOX, without their PRIVATE JET.
They love people who make PROFIT. The more, the better. As long as they GET THEIR CUT. They like it when PROFIT becomes another, so-called, four letter word. When it becomes "MINE".
They ardently believe in "Self Interest", when it's THEIR OWN Self Interest. ie: Madison, Wisconsin. Their only sense of "Charitable Altruism, is their impulse to RAISE TAXES on everyone who EARNS Money, but neglects to give any to THEM.
George Soros? He's a compassionate Philanthropist, who just happens to be the JEW, who helped the NAZIS, in their Quest to EXTERMINATE the Jews.
When asked, by a reporter, about those days, he replied: "It was the BEST TIME OF MY LIFE".
But, he's O.K. He's a GOOD GUY.
The Koch Brothers?
"They should be KILLED!"
And, as far as being "Non-Judgemental"? They are, as long as you're a FREAK! A Heroin Addict. A PIMP or a WHORE. If you KILL full term BABIES, by pulling them out, by their feet, until just their head is still inside the womb, and slice open the base of their Skull, and SUCK OUT THERE BRAIN, before throwing their LIFELESS body on to a pile? No problem. Let him without sin, cast the first stone.
But, if you go to CHURCH every Sunday? If you LOVE this Country? If you Fly the American Flag. Love our Founding Documents. And want to keep our way of life, INTACT?
You're gonna find yourself on a Janet Napolitano WATCH LIST.
There was a Study done, not too long ago. It was determined that roughly 20% of Americans suffer from a Mental Disorder.
Gallup tells us that roughly 20% of American Voters consider themselves LIBERAL.
And, in the 2008 Presidential Election, this THING, in the White House, bye way of INDONESIA, got, roughly, the votes of 20% of the American People.
Liberalism is nothing more than a state of DIMENSIA. It's a DISEASE. It's a MENTAL DISORDER.
And. it's KILLING this Country.

Boar Hunter| 8.23.11 @ 6:18PM

These liberals don't realize how many of their values mimic those of the Nazis and the rest of the totalitarian fascists throughout history. They never seem to grasp that no matter what the despot tells them before taking power, once in power the elitist party leaders lived in splendor while the masses beg crumbs. Hey, kind of like Obama.

hardcard| 8.23.11 @ 9:00AM

the problem with liberals is: obama,clinton 2x,algore,pelosi,reid,schummer,bfrank, dwschultz,rangel,durbin,bloomberg, etc etc etc

Bill| 8.23.11 @ 9:20AM

One important aspect of this phenomenon that's missing from the commentary is that those who favor the view that people are naturally altruistic (or, more accurately, inclined toward being altruistic), when they achieve political power, also believe that it is the role of government to educate the unenlightened into achieving the goal of becoming altruistic, seek total power to achieve that end, and, to the extent that people don't adopt altruism, put them in prisons and labor camps, murder them, and place them in resettlement camps where they can be taught.

DaveD| 8.23.11 @ 4:27PM

My friend, do not confuse altruism with government largess - they're apple and oranges. Altruism is an act by me, of my own volition, to help someone less fortunate. Liberals, through government, exercise their faux altruism by taking money out of your and my pockets to help someone less fortunate. Their is a big difference between a liberal and conservative on this issue. One way is altruism, the other is akin to theft.

Bill| 8.24.11 @ 9:28AM

That's not how the government sees it -- and they're the ones with a large supply of 19-year-olds armed with M-16s.

Hillel| 8.23.11 @ 9:31AM

As an ex-city treasurer I know "the romance of budgeting." Unless it's budgeted it's just talk" I tell people to read their checkbook stubs to find out their real priorities. The fact that the current regime hasn't submitted a budget in 3 years , shows their unfitness.

Al Adab| 8.23.11 @ 12:45PM

Absolutely on point Rabbi. The Left just can't understand fiscal limits to their "generosity" with other people's money. What we cannot afford we cannot do but that never occurred to them. The promises just keep on coming in order to buy votes.

Bill| 8.23.11 @ 3:31PM

When the government doesn't have a budget, it makes it easy to (1) overspend, and (2) avoid blame for overspending.

C. S. P. Schofield| 8.23.11 @ 9:31AM

What the Liberals who hate the market hate is that it doesn't reward the right people for the right reasons. These people - call them Liberal Intellectual Radical Progressives, or LIRPs, to distinguish them from people who lean that way politically but don't exhibit their vices - are a self selected elite. Like other such elites (the Medieval Aristocracy, and the 19th century Social Darwinists spring to mind) they have a complicated theology that revolves around the idea that they were placed on Earth by Divine Providence to tell other people what to do. Any of life's rewards that land in their lap are a sign of their Divine Right. And of life's rewards that accrues to anyone else is a MISTAKE that must be corrected.

They make me think longingly of the Guillotine.

Dan Hirsch| 8.23.11 @ 9:52AM

Mr. Ross;

You write:
"Competition results in winners and losers, but liberals don't want anyone to lose."

Au contraire my friend, they absolutely want conservatives with their uncomfortable ideas to lose.

I say what they don't like is having to compete. Their 'superior' and 'altruistic' intentions should exempt them from the drudgery of competing. That's why they will never stay on top of anything-somebody else will come along and work a little harder than they do and best them. Their response, "Quit it!"

Ever notice how they try to squeeze the competitive spirit out of everything and everyone else?

Don't tread on me...

PS

They will work real hard every four years to attempt to "steal" elections so they can play golf for the next three...DH

Pete| 8.23.11 @ 9:54AM

"They would prefer people to be motivated strictly by charitable impulses and altruism."

That is giving them WAY too much credit. The liberal thinks he knows best and wishes most fervently to control the unwashed masses, making them do his bidding "for their own good." That way, the liberal may get/stay rich and powerful, while feeling smug that he has used his superiority to enhance the lives of lesser beings. He would prefer people not have wills or minds of their own, because that makes them harder to control. He could care less about altruism or charity because he can force that once in power. Big difference.

cwbois| 8.23.11 @ 9:56AM

I believe your wrong in that they dont believe what they say but instead want others to be motivated by charitable impulses and altruism while they are actually motivated by self-interest and greed.

Oldefarte| 8.23.11 @ 10:56AM

Speaking of LIBERALS, some of you may get a laugh out of the following passage from the current book 365 Ways to Argue With Liberals:

'...... 365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy Facebook Page. 235 No. 235 of 365
Start a rumor:
Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security has decided to revise its color code warning system.

If a small-scale terrorist attack—fewer than 100 expected dead—is imminent, Ms. Napolitano will describe the situation as "calm"—Color Code: Turquoise

If a larger scale terrorist attack—in the league of 9/11—is imminent, Ms. Napolitano will describe the situation as "relaxed"—Color Code: Ecru.

If Al Qaeda is about to destroy New York and Los Angeles simultaneously with a selection of strategically positioned nuclear devices, like in 24 only way worse—Ms. Napolitano will describe the situation as "vibrant"—Color Code: Taupe.

All of this is intended to show the Muslim world that the Obama administration will not "overreact" to terrorism the way the bad old Bush administration did.....'

Pete| 8.23.11 @ 11:07AM

I like it. But by far #1 on the list should be to insist that something, anything, is right or wrong. Absolute truths make them writhe.

DKEN| 8.23.11 @ 6:46PM

Tea partier with sign.......code red, shoot on sight.

Skippy| 8.23.11 @ 7:26PM

Bad idea.
They shoot back.

David Morrison| 8.23.11 @ 10:56AM

"There are a number of features of a market economy liberals do not like, and they do everything they can to suppress or eliminate them. In their minds a market economy leads to an unacceptable level of inequality. In a market economy, some people get extremely wealthy. Liberals simply cannot abide that. It irritates them beyond belief. Because it results in an unequal distribution of wealth, liberals are willing to essentially scuttle the entire market economy."

I will note throughout history that societies with extremes of inequality of income or wealth for long periods of time have not proven sustainable. It is in the interest of everyone to make sure that rising tides really do lift all boats. My criticism of many who carry the conservative label is that so often their economic attitude appears to be "I've got mine, the rest of you lot can go to the devil." This may not have much of an impact at the level of a few individuals, but when it becomes the guiding philosophy of a society that portends deep social and economic instability. Remember, in a market economy, the bulk of the lower income earners have to earn something to allow them to buy the goods the wealthier classes want to sell.

Wayne | 8.23.11 @ 11:40AM

People need to start somewhere, and what better way to get experience than in a low wage job. If that person at some point feels underpaid, then he is free to go to a better paying job or form his own business and compete. That is how, in a free market, people from the low wage tiers move up. It is how my parents went from poor 8 grade drop-outs to produce children and grandchildren with graduate degrees.
It has nothing to do with government.

Dan Hirsch| 8.23.11 @ 11:52AM

David:

You write:
"My criticism of many who carry the conservative label is that so often their economic attitude appears to be "I've got mine, the rest of you lot can go to the devil.""

Please show me an example of your imagined conservative thought in action. I find your statement is particularly pejorative. And distinctly counterfactual.

Look here:

http://www.realclearpolitics.c.....l_giv.html

Don't just make up facts and then assail people for your imaginings.

Our little President does that quite often. He says it like this: "Some say that I am Satan re-incarnate," or some other such ridiculous thing. Then he goes on to say, "Well, you can clearly see that I am not." impugning the unnamed some, who his listeners understand to be his political opponents.

Thus, without it ever having happened, the little President creates the imaginary 'fact' that his opponents say he is Satan re-incarnate, and they are unreasonable for thinking so. Voila - insto-smear of his opponents and they never even once brought up Satan.

So David, knock it off. You imaginings tell more about you than about others. Your lack of reason which you cloak in reasonable sounding phrases is apparent once we listen to you carefully.

Don't tread on me...

PS
NOTE: I never said that our little President is Satan re-incarnate. That would be an insult to Satan as Mr. Obama exhibits no understanding of human nature that Satan uses so effectively...DH

Oh yeah and another thing.

Please show me one single instance of advanced civilization where there is not a disparity of wealth. You can't, except in fiction...It doesn't and has not existed. You are chasing an imaginary utopia - one that could not possibly be populated by living, breathing human beings.

Just because two things happen at the same time or in the same place does not mean one causes the other. It is more likely that the disparity of individual wealth creates advanced civilization than the disparity destroys it.

Think about it- a civilization in which no one has anything does nothing to promote efforts to get anything, especially if the minute you do, the rest of the civilization takes it from you. Sounds lik "Tax the rich!" to me. Dolts!!! Wake up!

TexasMom2012| 8.23.11 @ 7:32PM

I was a conservative when I first voted for Reagan, on a salary of $14K a year (full time job) while attending college classes in the evenings. It took me 8years to get through college but I did it. I earned it without grants only a single $2K loan. So don't ever tell me that people are conservative because they have already "gotten theirs", that is hogwash! I am a conservative because all I want is the opportunity to EARN mine. I do not want it "given" to me.

calvin | 8.23.11 @ 11:13AM

DM;
You set up a straw man argument with your "many countries" argument. Which countries exactly are you referring to?
Do you mean post-war Europe with its' wealth redistribution and over-regulation? Or Russia, with its' corrupt leadership? Or China, with its' intolerance of dissent and religion?
Which?

Wayne | 8.23.11 @ 11:36AM

Liberals are not a cause, but rather a symptom. They are the result of a society that separates authority and responsibility. Merge the two, and we get rid of liberals.
But since we allow the two to be separated, the liberals will grab the authority every time, leaving the conservatives with the responsibility. We just must quit dancing to their music. We must repeal all laws that move authority to the federal government and hold each person responsibility for running his own life.

Oldefarte| 8.23.11 @ 5:10PM

Liberals teach [via governmental control] an exclusive emphasis on RIGHTS, and an exclusion of [the corresponding] RESPONSIBILITY. In order to re-educate the equation of the two, a control of government is necessary!!!!

Drunken Sailor| 8.23.11 @ 11:41AM

Liberals want the results, regardless of sucess, to be fair.

Conservatives want the opportunites to succed, to be fair. The results are up to the individual to maximize.

I can give a man a meal and feed him for a day or I can teach him to provide for himself and feed him for a lifetime.
Liberals would give the man a meal, pat themselves on the back for their good deeds and forget about him.
Conservatives will show him how to feed himself, give him his dignity and allow him to feed himself and enjoy his freedom.

Pecos Pete| 8.23.11 @ 11:48AM

DS: Exactly!

Bess | 8.23.11 @ 11:50AM

I really really hate it when the Washington DC farmers market runs out of organic tuscan kale. And have you seen the price of arugula lately? And private school tuitions just keep going up and up. This, of course, is why people should not go into the business world and should instead grow a vegetable garden in the lead-laden DC soil.

Al Adab| 8.23.11 @ 11:56AM

The Utopian ideology of The Left is finally revealed for the empty falsehood it is. We no longer need to engage these people as though they offered a viable alternative view of government. "all our dreams of yesterday are one with Nineveh and Tyre." There is only one road to freedom and prosperity and it is called Liberty.

Joe D.| 8.23.11 @ 1:22PM

Ron Ross, I can agree with your thinking on liberal thought for the market economy. However, I think they are no different than we are about self love and looking out for me first. What they have is a blind spot for this view and an arrogance toward others, that they know best.

JimH| 8.23.11 @ 2:48PM

Conservatives and libertarians view man as imperfect and subject to error. Progressives tend to think of man as either perfect in a state of nature and corrupted by society, or if originally flawed, subject to improvement by purported scientific methods. As a result the Right tends to be leery of concentrating power to any group or institution whereas the Left thinks that if only the proper people were in charge we would usher in the new millennium. Also, political philosophy on the Right focuses on the individual rather than some group or collective as is often seen on the Left. The view of the Right is often because of explicit religious belief. Even when not, the moral underpinnings derive from Western religious and philosophical traditions.

Bill| 8.23.11 @ 3:34PM

Which leads us to the reason why it's better to believe in religion as the moral arbiter than it is to put your faith in government as the dispenser of morality: when religion tells us we have to do A in order to be better, those who don't want to do A can say that religion deals in the spiritual not the material and those who aren't spiritual in the same way ought not to have to do A, and their argument is seen as credible and plausible by most. But when government says we have to do A, we can't make the same spiritual-material distinction.

Bill| 8.23.11 @ 3:35PM

Plus government has the 19-year-olds in cammies with the M-16s.

PolishKnight| 8.23.11 @ 3:49PM

JimH, it's simpler than that. Their supposed ideology is a smokescreen.

They're simply in love with big government as a form of God. They're in awe of it's ability to take any single individual and do whatever they like with them. To control masses of people and make them believe in things that are apparently crazy.

Religion, by itself, cannot do so without being part of a theocracy which of course is a form of government. Leftism is merely a form of atheistic theocracy.

To their credit, they have a point. As a god, it's a pretty big one. Even conservatives agree on the necessity of a government. So a leftist merely need only play as a devil in the details.

Oldefarte| 8.23.11 @ 5:19PM

Liberalism reformulates government as a religion that is dependent upon the sacrament of STUPIDITY!!!!

Mary Mayes | 8.23.11 @ 5:36PM

I have never forgotten Krushchev's words: We will bury you. I'm afraid they have done it, from the inside.

DKEN| 8.23.11 @ 6:50PM

They have not done it, yet. It is not over till it's over. The fat lady has not sung. The chickens have not begun to roost. We have not met our Waterloo. C'mon, buck up, Pilgrim!! We are now, officially, the underdog. Let's pick up the pace. If we lose heart, we lose all.

TE| 8.23.11 @ 9:52PM

Liberals are like 2 year olds....everything is a natural reaction to them not getting there way. An example of that is when the s(*t their pants....the parents(conservatives) are there as usual to clean up the mess that they didn't know they left....it's all very rudimentary

POST American| 8.23.11 @ 11:36PM

-------------------BOTTOM LINE----------------------

Speaking of reality checks, as the RC TREASON
OP unfolds here, and as the greatest
world nuclear disaster in history, Fukishima, bubbles away mixing fallout with our already CHEM-trailed skies -----WHO'S going to be the first to mention that 1.5 quadrilion in FAKE USURY derivatives debt?

Fly| 8.24.11 @ 2:39PM

As a conservative, I made the choice not to breed, but it was due to calculated, intentional self interest, not environmental concerns.
http://www.wholesalesunglassesbrands.com

Vincent Caggiano| 1.28.12 @ 12:49PM

This article is an enormous, steaming pile of horse manure. Liberals don't begrudge success, nor do they disparage the "profit seeker". What they do insist upon is that one plays by the rules and shows some sense of human dignity along the path to prosperity.

Do you conservatives believe it is fine for a company like Apple who have 100 billion in cash reserves, no debt and a $400.00 stock price, all while they: a) Sold out the American worker by transferring investment and jobs overseas b) Contract with suppliers who treat their workers like animals.

The founder of Forbes magazine once stated that" a man who wins millions at the expense of his own conscience is a failure".

So many of you conservatives fit this definition of a failure, or even worse, shill for those who do.

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