yes. All of it enforced/administered by mediocrities who know nothing higher than mediocracy itself - that's being generous at this point.
that's the part that gets under my skin.
What scares me is (as you pointed out earlier); where are the the "exceptions" on the bell curve that have the capacity to resist authority and assert themselves when put in the crucible?
My son recently had the pleasure of visiting the paragon of worse-than-useless mediocrity known as the California DMV for the first time.
After finally escaping, he said he could not envision a more depressing, soul-crushing place to "work" and described the "workers" he interacted with as "humorless semi-autonomous zombies".
My fatherly pride brimmeth over.
These are the people our progressive friends want to put in charge of our health care and every other aspect of our lives.
The fact that so few of us object to this is indeed astonishing and depressing.
"The champions of socialism call themselves progressives, but they recommend a system which is characterized by rigid observance of routine and by a resistance to every kind of improvement. They call themselves liberals, but they are intent upon abolishing liberty. They call themselves democrats, but they yearn for dictatorship. They call themselves revolutionaries, but they want to make the government omnipotent. They promise the blessings of the Garden of Eden, but they plan to transform the world into a gigantic post office. Every man but one a subordinate clerk in a bureau. What an alluring utopia! What a noble cause to fight!"
I can empathize with your son. I grew up and lived in CA until 08'. His description of the DMV is exactly how I felt 15 years ago. You can smell the proto-totalitarianism.
If they could they would coat this country in a never ending truck stops of beige, boring, bureaucratic buildings to house the bovine/canine/beelzebub chimera's that bark orders at you because their masters might let them off the leash to get a treat and a mismatched pair of shoes next Tuesday.
"Such bureaucrats can neither be hurried in their deliberations nor made to see common sense. Indeed, the very absurdity or pedantry of these deliberations is for them the guarantee of their own fair-mindedness impartiality, and disinterest. To treat all people with equal
contempt and indifference is the bureaucrat's idea of equity"
*nods* True.
1. Greed
2. Fear
3. That Feeling Lazy, Envious, Untalented People Get When They Want Other People's Stuff
*rereads* It's thorough but doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. But I like where this is going.
Agreed. There may be a better, more fluid word than 'covetousness', but it escapes me at the moment.
Certainly open to suggestions...
Envy.
indifference---->apathy----->bondage
the road always taken. we're at a fork.
Imagine having 40-60% of everything you make stolen by one parasite government or another and thinking you are free, instead of a slave.
Land of the FreeтДв my ass.
Yep. I have paid on the order of $40k in tax already just through the end of April. Federal, property, sales, etc. It's pure theft.
yes. All of it enforced/administered by mediocrities who know nothing higher than mediocracy itself - that's being generous at this point.
that's the part that gets under my skin.
What scares me is (as you pointed out earlier); where are the the "exceptions" on the bell curve that have the capacity to resist authority and assert themselves when put in the crucible?
I thought there were more of us.
My son recently had the pleasure of visiting the paragon of worse-than-useless mediocrity known as the California DMV for the first time.
After finally escaping, he said he could not envision a more depressing, soul-crushing place to "work" and described the "workers" he interacted with as "humorless semi-autonomous zombies".
My fatherly pride brimmeth over.
These are the people our progressive friends want to put in charge of our health care and every other aspect of our lives.
The fact that so few of us object to this is indeed astonishing and depressing.
"The champions of socialism call themselves progressives, but they recommend a system which is characterized by rigid observance of routine and by a resistance to every kind of improvement. They call themselves liberals, but they are intent upon abolishing liberty. They call themselves democrats, but they yearn for dictatorship. They call themselves revolutionaries, but they want to make the government omnipotent. They promise the blessings of the Garden of Eden, but they plan to transform the world into a gigantic post office. Every man but one a subordinate clerk in a bureau. What an alluring utopia! What a noble cause to fight!"
~ Ludwig von Mises, Bureaucracy
Wow. Excellent quote.
I can empathize with your son. I grew up and lived in CA until 08'. His description of the DMV is exactly how I felt 15 years ago. You can smell the proto-totalitarianism.
If they could they would coat this country in a never ending truck stops of beige, boring, bureaucratic buildings to house the bovine/canine/beelzebub chimera's that bark orders at you because their masters might let them off the leash to get a treat and a mismatched pair of shoes next Tuesday.
"Such bureaucrats can neither be hurried in their deliberations nor made to see common sense. Indeed, the very absurdity or pedantry of these deliberations is for them the guarantee of their own fair-mindedness impartiality, and disinterest. To treat all people with equal
contempt and indifference is the bureaucrat's idea of equity"
- Theodore Dalrymple
Y'all dropped some fine quotes in this here thread. Thank you!
Nice. Dalrymple rules.
Land of the Freeish, for a Nominal FeeтДв