by Jack » Tue 21 Jun 2005, 05:49:02
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'D')ID HELL FREEZE OVER?!?!
2 people in a row agree with me.....

And now, yet another person agrees with you.
I can understand why you point to liberals as a cause; but I think there is something deeper. We've gone from being a nation of risk takers to being deeply risk averse. Liberals are associated with such things as national health care, social security, welfare, and so forth - but notice that these are all intended to mitigate personal risk.
For example...consider the original settlers. They would set out in a wagon, with minimal armaments, a modest amount of supplies, and little else but hope and determination. Some died, some made it - but despite death and hardship, they went on. Parents who took children on such a trek would have their children taken away by the State; yet, less than 150 years ago, it was common.
Or, consider smallpox vaccinations. The old vaccine had a small (one in a million, as I recall) chance of a deadly reaction. Severe side effects were one in a hundred thousand. Once, everyone got those shots. Now, you cannot get them unless you're a health worker (or one of a few other designated groups), and most of them decline to get the shot. The risks involved in providing the shot to the general population is regarded as unacceptable.
So, how does risk aversion work? Well, we all want excellent medical care, right? Except, we might not be able to pay for it. So, we want health insurance. But when we shift the risk to an insurance company, we give them control. I believe you'll find that in area after area, we've transferred control to a corporate or governmental entity because we want to get money from them or transfer risk to them.
Guns are another case in point. We (as a society) don't want the risks of criminals owning powerful firearms. Therefore, the populace itself demands more gun control. You and I may see things differently, but our neighbors
want more gun control in many instances. Our views, and our toys, are something they regard as a threat to their safety.
The airlines are another example. If people truly objected to TSA, they would simply quit flying. They do not. They would rather be strip searched so they can
feel safe.
Unless and until we see a change of values - i.e., from being risk averse to being risk-takers, I think we will continue to see a curtailment of our freedoms.
Peak Oil will cause interesting developments. It will begin with people huddling together, demanding that they be taken care of; someone will hearken to the call and do so. Ultimately, the care takers will prove unable to deliver; that will, perhaps, force society to reconsider the bargain.