Liberalism: Rebellion Disguised as Compassion

Liberalism: Rebellion Disguised as Compassion
Frank Turek
Thursday, March 11, 2010

When I did something stupid as a teenager, my parents would say, “You know better!” They were right. In most cases it wasn’t that I didn’t know the right thing to do; it was that I was in rebellion because I wanted to do my own thing. Intelligence wasn’t the issue.

The liberals who currently lead our government are intelligent people. Barack Obama and Harry Reid, for example, both have advanced academic degrees from prestigious institutions of higher learning. So why are these intelligent people supporting policies that they know are based on false premises?

On Health Care:

Why are liberals relentlessly pushing for the ultimate government takeover of health care when they know that socialized medicine—as with socialized anything—increases cost and reduces quality and access wherever it’s tried? And why are they claiming their program will save money when they know their cost estimates are based on accounting gimmicks (such as ten years of taxes for six years of benefits) that hide the true ballooning cost of another unaffordable entitlement program?

On the Debt:

Why do liberals claim that we must “spend our way out of bankruptcy” (a Joe Biden assertion) when they know that a $1.6 trillion deficit—that’s spending $50,000 every second this year more than we have —creates an avalanche of debt that will bury future generations? It’s nothing short of immoral. In fact, it’s fiscal child abuse of our children and grandchildren.

On Taxes, Jobs and the Economy:

Why do liberals decry “tax cuts for the rich” when they know that tax rate reductions across the board, including “the rich,” have the undeniable history of spurring economic growth, creating jobs, and increasing revenue to the government? They also know the poor don’t pay taxes, so their rhetoric is nothing but divisive class warfare.

On the Poor:

Why do liberals attempt to “help” the poor through socialist policies when they know that the only way to alleviate poverty is to create more wealth which only capitalism can do? Socialism can’t create wealth, only dependency and mediocrity. In fact, socialism doesn’t end poverty—it perpetuates poverty.

On Education:

Why do liberals trap our children in a failing education monopoly when they know that school choice improves academic outcomes wherever it is tried? School choice was even working in Washington, D.C. schools until liberals under Obama’s leadership ended that success, much to the dismay of poor parents and their kids.

On Islam:

Why do liberals refuse to acknowledge radical Islam as a threat to America when they know we are fighting Islamists who are committed to our deaths and usurping our Constitution with Islamic law? Liberals know, for example, that the Fort Hood shooter briefed others about his belief in Jihad and then yelled “Allahu Akbar!” (God is the greatest) before opening fire. They also know that Al Qaida is now praising Major Hasan as an “ideal role model” for Muslims. How do liberals respond? Nothing to see here people, nothing to see—Major Hasan merely had pre-post-tramatic stress syndrome.

On National Security:

Why do liberals think they can negotiate with jihadists who they know fund suicide terrorists, believe that infidels (that’s us) should be lied to and ultimately killed, and who say 9-11 was a “big fabrication?” Do liberals really think we could trust a negotiated agreement reached with such people?

On Abortion:

Why do liberals fight every restriction on abortion— and even demand that taxpayers finance abortions—when they know that human beings are being killed in the process? Liberals obscure the truth with the word “choice,” but ultra-sound technology and photos of aborted babies don’t lie. Even without such pictures, does anyone have any real doubt about the true humanity of the unborn? What do liberals think is in a pregnant woman’s womb prior to birth—a squirrel?

So why do intelligent liberals support all these policies when they can’t help but know they are built on false premises?

Since the answer can’t be a matter of the mind, it must be a matter of the will. In other words, liberals know better but they are in rebellion. They are in rebellion against the majority of Americans who don’t want their policies. They are in rebellion against the outcome of history, which proves the failure of their policies. And they are in rebellion against the founding principles of this country, which contradict their policies.

Our unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness all require a limited government. Liberals are statists who want to further entangle the tentacles of an already overreaching government into the lives of free Americans. The more government grows, the more power liberals have and the less freedom you have.

How do liberals disguise this rebellion—the coup intended to keep liberals perpetually in charge? Compassion. Oh, liberals care. According to their allies in the media, liberals are far more compassionate than those greedy conservatives who care nothing for the little guy.

Never mind that the exact opposite is true. It’s the conservatives who support policies that actually improve health care, reduce debt, create jobs, elevate the poor, better educate children, defend the nation and protect the littlest among us.

Liberals just pretend to do those things. In fact, there’s only one thing worse than outright contempt, and that is false compassion. False compassion gives everyone the illusion that you care, while the policies you support actually hurt those you claim to be helping. Liberalism’s false compassion is wonderful as long as we don’t look at the results.

If liberals really cared, they would abandon their false and failed ideas, and acknowledge what history and common sense tell us—liberalism hurts everyone but those in government. We need to remind voters that our government exists to secure the rights of the people, not to secure the future of liberals in government. The people are masters of the government, not the other way around. If Americans are going to remain free, we need to get back to a government that governs least.

That’s why conservatives need to lead a rebellion of their own this November. They can forget about educating liberals. Most liberals already know the truth, but they are unwilling to live by it. Government’s rebellious liberals don’t need to be educated. They need to be defeated.