For those who read this blog and Ditzy Democrats' Monstrosity, you know that I am a student at George Mason University. To give a little more background, I am Treasurer of the GMU Economic Society, a young group that is hoping to have a great year in attracting more students to economics. I am majoring in Economics and have grown to enjoy the writings of the Austrian economists who have fought hard to preach on the good of Capitalism.
I say this today because I wanted to address an issue that I see reoccuring. Today upon leaving one building I saw, in chalk, the words, "Don't Trust Governmnt". Yes it was misspelled without the e in nice print. All across the blogosphere there appears to be a rise upon blogs, podcasts, even grafitti proclaiming that you can not trust government. Perhaps some view me as not trusting government, but I don't view myself in that manner. I distrust people not institutions.
It is people that are corruptible not the government. If we were to distrust the government, then we could also claim that you can not trust religions. Many have already come across that view as well, but tell the faithful that you can not trust their religion... their faith holds strong keeping them from faltering their trust in their religion. The Catholics with all the news upon the molesting priests continue to hold onto their faith. The same Catholics have the history in their church of long corruption, power hungry Cardinals, and outcries that there has been a female Pope, yet they relentlessly support their Church. Why does their trust in their religion not falter?
I am not trying to overthrow government, but tame it from becoming this massive beast that controls our lives. For this reason many lose their faith upon the government, but this same massive beast when tamed is a Godsend as it upholds our given rights so intently defined by many philosophical writers from Aristotle to Locke. The government helps the communities live together in a unity that increases our own gain while shielding us from others who wish to control us. It is not government that should not be trusted but those who run it, control it; those who hold the reigns to Leviathan. We all grew up watching Mr Smith Goes to Washington in civics class with an understanding of what politicians are meant to do. The goodness residing in their hearts only wishing to make the country a better place.
I distrust many politicians, as their empty promises are just antics to receive my vote, but there are those that I feel I can trust. Trust is given and can be taken away with swift ease. The Catholics who have not faltered throughout all the discourse may have it right, we have to keep having the faith. Faith that there are good willed politicians. Faith that those we elect will do the right thing. Faith that our elected will not abuse their power in financially supporting their friends and family with tax payers money. It is as Bon Jovi says we have to "Keep the Faith".
*The actual writing on the wall said "Never Trust Governmnt" not as I had recalled earlier Don't Trust Governmnt.*
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4 comments:
You are a college student? Wow, I thought you were in your 50s! But to the point, this is one of your best posts. I typically would say I hate our government. But you have opened my eyes that it is not government that should be hated, it is the unfit people who run it. As you said, I do remember watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, I do believe that there are some people out there who want to make the world better, I just wish we could find them.
Haha not too far off with 50, ok 25 but if you multiply it by 2 you get 50.
Thank you Mary for your kind response. And just to inform you I want to sound older in the blog as who would really believes the words of a student?? Hope I can continue opening eyes though sometimes it may be you all who open mine. Thanks again.
This is a very interesting post. It's a different way to look at things, "never trust government" it's just a phrase. People say it haphazardly. What's the point of it, quite bluntly they hate their government, but is it structure they should hate? As you said government isn't to blame, it's the people who run for office, the people who may have started out wanting to help, to change the world. But somewhere along the way forgot it and opened their hearts up to corruption. Is their such a thing as an un corruptible man? Quite famously, Maximilien Robespierre was referred to as just that. However, was this accurate? As it is well known it is not. After the French Revolution during the Reign of Terror he became so paranoid that he killed off people he dearly trusted. And therefore his own killing machine, the guillotine, was used to end his life. My point is then, can we ever have a government that isn't corrupt?
Julia,
Great comment and questions. So can we ever have an incorruptible government? Can man ever not be corrupted? Therefore the question we are led to ask is how do we reduce the amount of corruption??
Also, there have been many leaders who did not let themselves be overcome with corruption. Not that they are incorruptible, but that they did not let the corruption take over them at a point in time. i.e. my post upon Family Men of Power. George Washington, Gandhi, and many others.
Difference between they and Robespierre is that Washington did not wish to rule the country, even though the people wanted him to be their King. He stepped down after two years creating a tradition for Presidents to follow. Gandhi took away alot of pleasures he could have experienced in life in order to understand his people enough to lead them. I'll write more in a post rather than a comment. Thanks for the idea on the post Julia!
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