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SyndicateIs It Too Late?, Part VII – Are We Headed for a Dictatorship?
By Robert Ringer - Sunday, October 26, 2008
In Part VI of this article, I discussed the Muddle Through Solution with regard to the question: Is it too late for Western civilization to be saved from the onset of a dictatorship? The conclusion I arrived at is that muddling through is not really a solution at all, but, rather, an escape from reality. So let’s take a look at two more possibilities:
The High Tech Solution
When the High Tech Solution emerged years ago, the theory behind it was that mankind was on the threshold of scientific and technological advances so enormous in scope that the producers of the Western world would soon be able to fulfill the desires of even the most GAVEC-prone non producers.
Geniuses in electronics, medicine, ocean floor farming, and many other cutting-edge technologies were (and still are) hard at work on projects that had the potential to dramatically upgrade our way of life. Ultimately, the theory went, there would be such an abundance of food, housing, medicines, and even the luxuries of life that they could be made available to everyone — including non-producers.
While such talk is capable of fostering hope in the most pessimistic of minds, experience tempts me to refer to the High Tech Solution as the High Tech Pollyanna Solution. I have the utmost faith in science and technology, but it’s human nature that dampens my optimism.
The success or failure of this alternative boils down to the answers to two questions:
- Will the everything-for-everybody world arrive before the onset of a dictatorship, a dictatorship that would drastically retard the rate of scientific and technological advancement?
- Human nature being what it is, will non-producers ever be satisfied, regardless of how many inexpensive (or free) goods and services they receive as a result of widespread technology? (The hopeful side of me wants to answer yes, but my knowledge of history and first-hand experience with human nature tells me otherwise.)
As with the Muddle Through Solution, the High Tech Solution skirts the central issue, because it promises only to be a super buy off of the masses. It does nothing whatsoever to help forge a new and sound moral structure for Western civilization. On the contrary, it merely whets the appetite for unlimited wealth without work.
The Selfish Gene Solution
The Selfish Gene Solution is discussed only behind closed doors. Richard Dawkins, in his book The Selfish Gene, explains why, from an evolutionary point of view, the socialist’s fantasy of achieving a truly altruistic society is futile.
Basing his argument on the science of genetics, he dissects the reason why it is literally impossible for any living organism to act altruistically. Benevolent rhetoric aside, the fact is that the process of natural selection assures that an organism is programmed to act “selfishly” in order to survive. (Yes, that includes noble individuals such as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, but that’s another article for another time.)
This does not mean that the organism must harm others in the process (although most living creatures do so). It does, however, mean that every living thing will act in its own best interest at all times. Fortunately, it is possible for the most advanced living organism — Homo sapiens — to do this without committing aggression.
Without realizing it, I believe that many people are relying on the human “selfish gene” to save Western civilization. I say that because I have heard so many statements like, “When things get out of control, the power structure, no matter how liberal its public rhetoric may be, will come down on the side of law and order, property rights, and a free market.”
The belief is that when push comes to shove, the masses will be repressed instead of bribed, because the financial power structure will never allow a left wing dictatorship to be implemented. At the moment of truth, so such thinking goes, they will do whatever is necessary to assure their own survival.
In fairness to those who believe in this “solution,” one must admit that there have been a handful of right wing dictatorships that have worked out reasonably well for producers — but not so well for dissenters. Which is why I, and I believe most Americans, would not favor any kind of dictatorship, be it from the right or the left.
Aside from the obvious immorality of dictatorial repression, the Selfish Gene Solution, like the Muddle-Through Solution and the High-Tech Solution, does nothing to resolve the destructive and immoral desires and emotions of the masses. It merely represses their feelings, allowing them to quietly smolder and await a charismatic leader to come along and exploit them in an effort to gain power. Hello: Is anyone listening?
In Part VIII of this series, we’ll take a look at what I believe to be the only real solution to the continuing demise of Western civilization.
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Copyright © 2012 Robert Ringer
ROBERT RINGER is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of the highly acclaimed Liberty Education Interview Series, which features interviews with top political, economic, and social leaders. He has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, The Tonight Show, Today, The Dennis Miller Show, Good Morning America, The Lars Larson Show, ABC Nightline, and The Charlie Rose Show, and has been the subject of feature articles in such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, and The New York Times.
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4 Responses to “Is It Too Late?, Part VII – Are We Headed for a Dictatorship?”
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Mr. Ringer,
Obama is a socialist bent on dictatorship? Nonsense and double nonsense.
And the Pentagon fudged pictures of the hijacked plane crashing into the building so that a more dictatorial government could be justified? And George Bush cut a secret deal with big oil?…ladida with conspiratorial theories.
The world is not coming to an end. The financial markets will recover. Our flawed economic platforms will recreate themselves and new winners and losers will emerge.
Robert, if you are so smart, then why don’t you throw your level-headedness into making your Libertarian beliefs more palatable to the mainstream?
Your reality and perception is no less skewed than all those you nay say. If you are as fabulously wealthy as you claim, then it was your one-armed pushups under the capitalist system as it stood which made your success possible.
Your value in the world is to stimulate thinking by the majority of brain dead people loitering this planet. In that respect, you are valuable to a few and could be valuable to many more with a spritz of humility.
But your “My way or the highway” high-handedness is every bit as arbitrary and pigheaded as the politicians and system administrators you turn your nose up at.
Methinks you are twisted and torn by the things you say. Conspiracies and evil intent are rare, and you know that. Controversy sells.
Most people are just trying to be noticed by sounding intelligent. They don’t believe in perfect worlds or socialist states just because they show a caring, feminine side.
In a world where 4 out of 5 people are living at or below the poverty level, business as usual will bring more of the same. The Ayn Rand fans believe that the losers are lazy and the winners are following the Protestant ethic.
This is a true principle once the playing field of life is more level. But no leader of a competitive, capitalist nation will ever admit that we are our brother’s keeper. It’s political suicide…until, that is, Mr. Obama hinted at such a notion.
Opportunity alone without the basics – education, decent housing, and nutritious food on a daily basis – will accentuate the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
Grow up, sir. Be real and stop talking like another intellectual snubber, the late William F. Buckley. He – like you do – looked down on the “morons” that can’t understand six-syllable words and haven’t read Joyce’s Ullysses three times in Swahili.
Here’s to overcoming your need to impress.
Richard Posner
With the passage of the “Patriot Act”, financial
bailouts, our foreign policy to keep us “free”, the
unopposed intrusion of all levels of government into
the daily lives of every American, and the fact that
for every three dollars earned we give up one for all
the above named maladies, I think it’s a little late
to be asking if we can become a dictatorship. All
the historical despots would be proud in the name of
patriotism.
Regards,
Dwight Kothmann
(quote)It does, however, mean that every living thing will act in its own best interest at all times.(quote)
You must be kidding! Being falling down drunk is in your best interest? Drug addiction is in your best interest? Beating up your wife is in you best interest? Letting your husband beat you up is in your best interest? I think not!
I also disagree with Mr. Posner that (quote)The Ayn Rand fans believe that the losers are lazy and the winners are following the Protestant ethic.(quote)
Hi ‘sushitune’
you could have added HAARP /DEW /drjudywoods.com to your arguement… I am not so fooled by ‘Lord of the Rings’ CGI (or ‘planes crashing’)… :-p
In regards to what you say:
“Robert, if you are so smart, then why don’t you throw your level-headedness into making your Libertarian beliefs more palatable to the mainstream?”
This goes against what is ‘right’, assuming that most people are ‘not the smartest’ as far as economics goes… when the majority of people seem to live for ‘entitlements’… The “brain dead people loitering this planet” as you yourself says.
Buckley was a moron – in it’s truest definition (thinks as a 12 year old)… who hit people when he didn’t get his way. For example, when chatting to Chomsky – it sounded like Chomsky was more of a non-interventialist/’splended isolationist’ that the ‘police the world’ Buckley.
Communism has already come to the USA – as even the K GBspy Bezmenov came out to warn people in the 1970s or 80s (look up his interview on youtube even).
Compare (there is much) and contrast (there is little) US laws to ‘the 10 planks’ – ‘a measure of communi sm’… I am sure that someone out there has given a few examples of US laws to these ’10 planks’.
“Opportunity alone without the basics – education, decent housing, and nutritious food on a daily basis – will accentuate the gap between the haves and the have-nots.”
- I am guessing that ‘tall “poor” people’ could not have grown so tall if they were malnourished… compare people’s heights from 50 years ago, or 100, or 10000…
Compare also the ‘gap’ between rich and poor (or ‘gini co-effienct’ from 1000 years ago) to now… I believe that the gap is relatively small compared to peasants and ‘God Endowed’ Kings. Even JKRowling (who had a reason to bother to live, to grow out of poverty) is on paper richer than the Queen of the Commonwealth (‘The Empire’ before WW1 and WW2 was manufactured to destroy kings, queens and Empires).
I don’t know all that much about Ayn Rand (I have read such things as The Law, by Frederic Bastiat; rather than Fountainhead) – but did she sing the praises of the ‘Protestant Work Ethic’ (TM) when she was jewish? *confused* That seems odd.
Hmmm, I might find some links for you all, maybe someone might read some of the stuff:
http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html
http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/brainwashing/2007/bezmenov.htm – where is the .to prefix located??? Tovulu?