Reality, 2: Libertarianism, 0

In reality, Libertarianism NEVER works, because it is an overly simplistic theology, based on the erroneous assumption that we all have completely free choices at all times, free of any constraints. The ideas sometimes sound reasonable, but always fall apart when subjected to even the most cursory of examinations. Two examples today, since we haven’t time to write about them all:

Number A: cell phone usage on airplanes, currently not allowed. The policy is under review and in a public comments period (go here to weigh in with your opinion). A discussion erupted yesterday between those who are for and against, because, hey, Americans argue. The pro-loud-cellphone-user-everywhere Libertarians said, in brief, “tough s***, don’t fly. My right to dominate the space around me by bellowing into my Shoephone outweighs your right to sleep, concentrate, work, etc. ” When reasonable, rational adults attempted to point out that not everyone can just choose not to fly, the Libertarians kept saying “you chose this job, this family, this location to live, so AMFYOYO. Make different choices. Government should not be allowed to control my behavior.”

Letter 2: Libertarians think that men should not have to pay child support , since men have “no right to make reproductive choices”. This bit of twaddle is an offshoot of the “men’s rights” movement, which Libertarians love. They are demanding the ability to choose to default on their obligations because they assume that the women they impregnate have the free choice to raise or not raise the baby, get an abortion or not, etcetera. The idea that these are easy choices available to every woman, everywhere, at all times is obvious nitwittery, of course, but Libertarians hold onto it nonetheless. (They also ignore the fact that men DO have the right to make choices: we can wear condoms, get our tubes tied, or just not f*** with someone who can get pregnant.)

These are but two examples of the obvious bankruptcy of Libertarian theology (you can claim it’s not a religion, but is sure as Hell acts like one). There are many others, like certain Bitcoin adherents, regulatory opposition, preeves who want to be able to marry their daughters and so on. Their argument is always “freedom” and is predicated on the idea that we all have unlimited freedom of choice because we have no limitations placed upon us by external factors. That assumption is, of course, composed of very high-grade fertilizer (anyone here ever take Econ 101? Big takeaway: “resources are scarce”) and like all concentrated fertilizer, it blows up when subjected to pressure.

Real life for real people is fraught with resource scarcity and limited choices. That is why businesses exist, governments exist, houses and clothing exist, medicine exists, and so on. Hell, it’s why cellphones exist, ferchrissakes. We do not live in an ideal world, and our solutions to the imperfections that surround us are likewise imperfect and full of restrictions. That, Gentle Reader, is what we in the Reality-Based Community call “Life”. Real Life.

Libertarians can try all they want to make reality fit into their ideology, but they will fail; just like the Flat-Earthers, Birthers, Truthers, and Science Deniers. Reality will always win in the end, no matter how hard you fight against it.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

When Taking a Stand Gets You Slammed – Why so Many People Don’t Stand Up

Mr. Blunt and Cranky is fortunate enough to be re-blogged now and again, and sometimes even has his writings posted in unexpected places on the Intertube-ish Thingie: for this he is very grateful, and flattered into the bargain. That’s the thing about writing – we shoot our verbal arrows in the air, and they come down we know not where. Sometimes, what happens when they land is very surprising indeed. And we neither know who will take exception to our words, nor why they may take such exception.

A recent post about the Steubenville Rape Crew, their disgusting behavior, and the “adults” who helped those sleazebucket kids to commit and get away with their crimes is a good example. The post said, in essence, that having daughters made the writer even angrier than he would be otherwise, and indeed, much anger was vented in the post. Not fair or balanced, but then, this blog has never pretended to neutrality or impartiality. And the Cranky One fully expected to be bashed for his judgmental and frankly Old Testament views on what should be done with the perpetrators and enablers.

He did not expect to be bashed for being insufficiently concerned about the victims of crime. Yes, that is correct: in spite of the loudly and fiercely stated support for the victim and denunciations of the criminals, an “inference” was made that if Mr. C’s son had been raped, tortured, and abused, that he wouldn’t care. Of all the stupid f***ing notions. Nowhere in the blog post is there even a hint of such an attitude. Evidently if these fools can’t find something to be outraged about, they’ll just conjure grounds for outrage out of thin air.

It was heartening to see other people on the message board involved calling “bulls***” on this ridiculous idea. Appreciation is hereby expressed to them. But the Grand High Judges of Ideological Purity and Perfection were unmoved. Never mind that the sentiment expressed in the blog was entirely pro-victim and anti-criminal: no, this blogger is evidently a sexist swine, said attitude oh-so-cleverly deduced by the fact that he mentioned his daughters.

News flash: the post was written about a girl who was viciously abused by a criminal gang and then left for dead; and after that, abandoned once again by the “adults” who should have protected her. It is natural for a parent to think about their daughter when someone else’s daughter has been harmed in such a manner. And failing to mention sons, fathers, mothers, cousins, aunts, uncles or the rest of the free world in each and every sentence of each and every blog post does not imply a lack of concern for their welfare.

This brings to mind a larger problem in our nation: the pursuit of unattainable perfection to such an extent as to demonize the merely good. Obama gives the Left more victories than they have had since the 1940’s, but the Left craps all over him because he hasn’t done enough. Cops save dozens of lives in a mass shooting, but people crap all over them for not saving each and every life. A good Samaritan can stop to render assistance and get sued for…well, something. But damn it, that good Samaritan should have done something more, something amazing, something supernatural, something beyond perfect. A blogger writes about crime and is bashed for not being perfect enough.

Let’s all pay a brief visit to Planet Reality for a moment, shall we? People aren’t perfect. Not a single one of us, not ever. We are flawed human beings who muddle along as best we can. And bashing each other when we are giving our best effort to render aid and assistance (perhaps especially then), is a really stupid thing to do. It does not encourage civic responsibility, engagement in society, volunteerism or contributions of any sort to the greater good.

In fact, people who find themselves treated in such a manner will frequently throw up their hands and stop trying to help at all, because what they get instead of appreciation or constructive criticism is kicks and crap from self-appointed social vigilantes’ when they fall short of their unwritten, unrealistic and unfair expectations.

This writer has no intention of being bullied by some self-appointed Purity Police Posse and will keep on writing as he has. And he knows full well that the blinkered jackasses who dumped on him (and not even on his own blog site: nooooooo, the cowardly poltroons did it on another site where he most likely wouldn’t even see it – my, how brave they are) will not be moved if they read this post. Because, after all, they are the guardians and arbiters of Truth, Rightness and Virtue, and thus above any sort of need for self-reflection or possible self-improvement.

But since everyone is not as contentious and stubborn as your humble correspondent, let’s all take a moment before opening a can of ideological whoop-ass on someone who is trying to do the right thing. We need more people to step up and help each other, and we get more people by being supportive than by being abusive. Anyone who doubts this needs look only at China’s Cultural Revolution and the Gang of Four to see how a focus on purity and perfection can have horrible consequences, and how it can cause people to stop taking stands, stepping up, or helping out.

Mr. B & C

Tomorrow: further ranting on the stupidity of perfection and purity.