Posted by
ET1 United States Navy on Monday, November 19, 2007 11:13:19 PM
Some Context:
Does the left know how old their arguments are? They must have developed their world view from this easy to follow script:
From Utopia, by Thomas More
UTOPIA
BOOK ONE
"These Achorians once made war in their king's quarrel to get him another kingdom, which he laid claim unto, and proclaimed himself rightful heir to the crown thereof, by the title of an old alliance. At last, when they had gotten it, they saw that they had quite as much vexation and trouble in keeping it as they had in getting it, and that either their new conquered subjects on sundry pretexts were making daily insurrections to rebel against, or else that other countries were continually with divers inroads and foragings invading them, and never could break up their camps. They saw themselves in the meantime despoiled and impoverished, their money carried out of the realm, their own men killed to maintain the glory of another nation. When they had no war, peace was no better than war, because their people in war had inured themselves to corrupt and wicked manners and had delight and pleasure in robbing and stealing. Through manslaughter they had gathered boldness for mischief, their laws were held in contempt, and nothing esteemed or regarded. Their king, being troubled with the charge and governance of two kingdoms, could not nor was able perfectly to discharge his office towards them both. Seeing again that all these evils and troubles were endless, they at last laid their heads together, and like faithful and loving subjects gave to their king free choice and liberty to keep whichever of these two kingdoms he would, alleging that he could not keep both, and that they were more than could well be governed by a king. For no man would be content to take him for his muleteer who kept another man's mules besides his. So this good prince was compelled to be content with his old kingdom and to surrender the new to one of his friends, who shortly after was violently driven out.
"If, furthermore, I should declare unto them that all this busy preparation for war, whereby many nations for his sake would be brought into a troublesome hurly-burly, all his coffers emptied, his treasures wasted, and his people destroyed, should at length through some mischance turn out to be vain and ineffectual; and that therefore it were best for him to content himself with his own kingdom of France, as his forefathers and predecessors did before him; to make much of it, to enrich it, and to make it as flourishing as he could; to exert himself to love his subjects, and again to be beloved of them, willingly to live with them, peaceably to govern them, and not to meddle with other kingdoms, seeing that which he has already is even enough for him, yea, and more than he can well turn his attention to: this my advice, Master More, how think you it would be heard and taken?"
"So God help me, not very thankfully," quoth I.
"Well, let us proceed then," quoth he. "Suppose that some king and his council were together whetting their wits and devising what subtle craft they might invent to enrich the king with great treasures of money.
First one counsels to raise and enhance the valuation of money when the king must pay any; and again to reduce the value of coin to less than it is worth when he must receive or collect any. For thus great sums shall be paid with little money, and where little is due much shall be received.
Another advises to make a feint at waging war, so that when under the color and pretense the king has gathered great abundance of money, he may, when it shall please him, make peace with great solemnity and holy ceremonies, to blind the eyes of the poor commonalty, as if he were taking pity and compassion, God wot, upon man's blood, like a loving and merciful prince.
Another puts the king in remembrance of certain old moth-eaten laws, that for a long time have not been put in execution, which, because no man can remember that they were made, every man has transgressed. He counsels the king to exact fines for breaking these laws, for there is no way so profitable or more honorable than that which has a show and color of justice.
Another advises him to forbid many things under great penalties and fines, specially such things as it is for the people's profit not to have practiced, and afterward to compensate with money those who by this prohibition sustain loss and damage. For by this means the favor of the people is won, and profit arises two ways: first by taking forfeits from them whom covetousness of gain has brought in danger under this statute, and, again, by selling privileges and licenses, which the better the prince is, forsooth the dearer he sells them, as one who is loath to grant to any private person anything that is against the profit of his people. And therefore he may sell none but at an exceedingly dear price.
"Another gives the king counsel to bring under his jurisdiction the judges of the realm, that he may have them ever on his side, and they must in every matter dispute and reason for the king's right. And they must be called into the king's palace and be told to argue and discuss his matters in his own presence. So there shall be no case of his so openly and wrongly unjust, but that one or other of them, either because he will have something to allege and object, or because he is ashamed to say that which is said already, or else in order to seek favor with his prince, will not find some hole open to set a snare in, wherewith to trip up the other side. Thus while the judges cannot agree among themselves, reasoning and arguing of that which is plain enough, and bringing the manifest truth into doubt, meantime the king may seize the occasion to understand the law that shall most make for his advantage, unto which all others for shame or for fear will agree. Then the judges may be bold to pronounce for the king's side. For he that gives sentence for the king cannot be without a good excuse. For it shall be sufficient for him to have equity on his side, or the bare words of the law, or a twisted and distorted understanding of the same, or else (that which with good and just judges is of greater force than all the laws) the king's indisputable prerogative.
"To conclude, all the councilors agree and consent together with the rich Crassus that no abundance of gold can be sufficient for a prince, who must keep and maintain an army; furthermore that a king, even though he would, can do nothing unjustly. For all that all men have, yea also the men themselves are all his. And every man has as much of his own, as the king's gentleness has not taken from him. And it shall be most for the king's advantage that his subjects have very little or nothing in their possession, for his safeguard consists in this, that his people do not wax wanton and wealthy through riches and liberty, because where these things are, there men are not accustomed patiently to obey hard, unjust, and unlawful commandments..."
If you cut and paste, More fits right over the leftist view of reality.