Why do so many people fear the freedom of classical liberalism (commonly known today as conservatism)? Perhaps it is because they have learned to do so. The human/animal nexus of behavior is everywhere. We see similarities of the self-segregation of animal species in herding behavior similar to patterns of human choices of associations and even where we live and work. There is animalistic violence in our society driven by base instincts – among them are survival, rage, domination and fear. Were it not for this recidivism to our natural state, there would be no murders, we would be free of wars and likely free of a great deal of marital infidelity caused by our primal mating instincts. The commonalities expressed in human behavior to those of nature are sometimes startling. Take for example the similarities of government policies directed to influence human behavior and the canine responses noted by Anton Pavlov as his experiments developed a strong tie between stimulus and response through the programmed withholding or rewarding of food until a certain desired action was completed. Lest anyone assumes that I am intentionally debasing the “poor”, let me state that there are also close associations between Pavlov’s dogs and the reward strategies employed by many companies to incentivize positive behaviors. Much of modern motivational theory is based on the stimulus/reward methodology that was derived from Pavlov’s research. The “scientific management” theories of Fredrick Taylor are also loosely based on the same theories. We are all equally subject to these natural laws, they are non-discriminatory. While humans have become domesticated, to think that our larger brain capacity and opposable thumbs insulate us from the immutable laws of nature is folly. Our continually growing welfare state, much like a zoo, is growing a segment of our population that is dependent on their handlers for the basic necessities of life. Food, clothing and shelter is provided and since it is at a level slightly above subsistence, there is not as much incentive to leave it behind for prosperity as there would be if the level was less – dependence is created. We fund massive entitlement and welfare programs to “take care” of the “poor” and lament that we can’t lift people from poverty through the doling out of benefits – all the while ignoring that these programs are stripping the people they are meant to help of the skills necessary to survive on their own. We bemoan the destruction of the family in our less fortunate population of the inner cities yet we know from observation and research that in the natural world, captivity destroys the generational parenting skills necessary for a family unit to succeed and reproduce. We create and fund massive entitlements to “take care” of this segment of society, blind to the fact that it only feeds the dependency that these programs purport to end. In the early days of the environmental/animal rights movements when animals were released into the wild after a life of captivity, these “re-introductions” rarely went well and many of the animals were quickly killed by predators or were oblivious to hazards posed by roadways or automobiles that they were simply hit and killed. A 2008 study by the University of Exeter in England looked at over 2,000 captive animals (all carnivores) that were released and found that less than a third of them survived even the first 6 months. It also found that not only do the offspring of captive animals lose their ability to hunt and forage for themselves, they also lose the ability over time to even care for their own offspring. The animal family had dependent on a third party for individual survival and for the survival of their offspring. In the early days of the environmental/animal rights movements when animals were released into the wild after a life of captivity, these “re-introductions” rarely went well and many of the animals were quickly killed by predators or were oblivious to hazards posed by roadways or automobiles that they were simply hit and killed. The welfare state is the equivalent of a federal zoo. The welfare/nanny state does as much damage to the human survival skills as any zoo does to any animal. The overwhelming evil is that we are destroying a class of Americans in an idiotic and misguided attempt to save them…and progressivism has taught generation after generation to fear being released from captivity. The answer to economic sanity and reduced government spending is this - the reentry of people mired in the welfare state is exactly like the reintroduction of captive animals to the wild. We need to teach those who have lost the ability to hunt again and then release them into the wild of the free enterprise economy.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 03:41:51 +0000
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