Fairness Folly

"Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."
--Morpheus (The Matrix)

The Judge observes that in his 'Teddy Roosevelt' speech a couple days ago in Kansas, President Obama sought to justify the heavy handed role of government, forcefully taking from some and giving to others, in the name of 'fairness.'

Fairness is a favorite positive substitute symbol for propogandists, as it evokes warm feelings from people while the underlying meaning of the word is gradually changed. Thus, spending is  said to be 'investing.' And mob rule is said to be 'democracy.'

Now, the president seeks to frame the taking of resources from people at the point of a gun (commonly defined as robbery) as 'fairness.'

As the Judge notes, it is the responsibility of government to treat all people fairly--a.k.a. equal treatment under the law, or the rule of law. This is Jefferson's 'all men are created equal' statement. All are naturally born to be treated equally under the law. None are born to be treated favorably.

What the president is espousing is unequal treatment under the law--a.k.a. discretionary rule or the rule of man. The rule of man is arbitrary, and subject to personal discretion. My definition of fairness may be different from yours. But if I am in power then I can force my definition of fairness on you.

Will the American people slurp the latest version of fairness blather down? History would suggest yes, as precedents go back to Teddy R himself. The numbers are also favorable, as the majority of people like to employ the concept of fairness to rationalize why they should be permitted to forcefully take liberty and property from minorities in the name of 'democracy.'

Like the Judge, I am hopeful that enough people are waking up to these thinly veiled attempts seeking to alienate us from our natural right to freedom.