Burke and Obama by Thomas Sowell

[Maggie]

I thought this was an interesting article:

http://townhall.com/Columnists/ThomasSowell/2009/05/29/burke_and_obama

[RoyalShock]

18th century?

It's outdated and of no use to us today.

[RoyalShock]

But seriously, the last paragraph is my favorite:

Burke had something to say about things like that as well: "There is no safety for honest men, but by believing all possible evil of evil men, and by acting with promptitude, decision, and steadiness on that belief." Acting -- not talking.

A person is naive if they don't think there are evil men in the highest levels of our government or among others who have great influence on those men.

[Maggie]

18th century?

It's outdated and of no use to us today.

Sorry. You are right. Ed Burke is just some random dead guy, plus he was not even an American – please ignore anything he had to say.

[RoyalShock]

18th century?

It's outdated and of no use to us today.

Sorry. You are right. Ed Burke is just some random dead guy, plus he was not even an American – please ignore anything thing he had to say.

Yep. Just like the writings of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and a few others.

[Maggie]

But seriously, the last paragraph is my favorite:

Burke had something to say about things like that as well: "There is no safety for honest men, but by believing all possible evil of evil men, and by acting with promptitude, decision, and steadiness on that belief." Acting -- not talking.

A person is naive if they don't think there are evil men in the highest levels of our government or among others who have great influence on those men.

Or my favorite passage:

He (Burke) also warned that “those who attempt to level, never equalise.” What they end up doing is concentrating power in their own hands — and Burke saw such new powers as dangerous, even if they were used only sparingly at first.

He said, “the true danger is, when liberty is nibbled away, for expedients and by parts.” He also said: “It is by lying dormant a long time, or being at first very rarely exercised, that arbitrary power steals upon a people.”

I think I wrote once before that you can't immanentize the eschaton. Ever. Those societies who become entranced by leaders that make such promises, in the name of the public good and unity, often end up regretting they were ever born.

[RoyalShock]

I believe the world will someday install just such a leader.

My biblical view notwithstanding, look at the trend toward global everything.