I want to take some examples of these talking points, classic and modern, and give my explanation as to why I disagree. This will be a new running series.

Inaugural Talking Point #1: The problem with Liberalism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.

This one is a modern classic. Let’s deconstruct what this talking point implies.

The very first part of the statement is “The problem with Liberalism…”. This implies is that liberalism is a problem or has many problems. Either way, it condemns the opposite view point and comforts those who share the view point. It is simply divisive, and it creates the “you’re either with us, or against us” mentality.

The second part of the statement is “…is that you eventually run out other people’s money.” The key to this statement is “other people’s money.” The purpose of this statement is to make people feel that their money is being stolen from them. What is the mechanism used by the government to “take” your money? It is taxation, of course. This is an anti-tax and anti-social program statement.

From what I understand, there are 2 common objections to taxation. The first is a moral objection, and the second is an economic objection.

The moral objection comes from the view point that the government is spending money on initiatives or programs that they do not approve of. The most frequent cited example is the religious conservative who does not want their money to go towards paying for an abortion. Another common example is any type of governmental assistance for illegal immigrants. It appears that nearly all of the moral anger is fixated on social programs.

I am thoroughly of the mind that many of the people who condemn social programs are suffering from a severe lack of empathy. How many moral objectors have ever faced some of the dire circumstances that many of these social programs help to remedy? I definitely agree that some social programs either need to be overhauled, scrapped, or simply administrated more effectively, but I don’t agree that they should be scrapped entirely. A discussion of solutions will have to wait for another post.

Free market advocates are often the proponents of the economic objection. They believe that taxation is equivalent to theft and that it is the free market that should guide spending. Let me explain the problems with capitalism and why markets may not be as rational as free market advocates think.

In an ideal Ayn Randian world, capitalism and individualism are king. However, any of us who have read Ayn Rand know that her romantic view of capitalism is not the reality we live in. The 20th century has turned into a perversion of capitalism. Capitalism is good because it promotes growth and competition. It is survival of the fittest. The individuals or groups individuals that offer superior goods or services get to make money as long as they stay innovative and competitive. Those that fall behind fail. It sounds great! However, capitalism has its flaws (like any economic system, be it socialism, communism, fascism, insert-ism). After a certain point, some individuals or groups of individuals (let’s call them huge mega corporate conglomerates!) can grow so powerful that they use their capital to exploit rather than innovate. Monopolies can become impossible to break. Workers can be paid less than a living wage, forced to work long hours, and their safety can be ignored. Politicians can be bought to change the “rules of the game” to perpetuate the capitalists’ power. Eventually, all of the money flows to the top.

Markets are not always rational because people are not rational.

September 2003 – Moved to school
April 2004 – Moved back home
September 2004 – Moved back to school
April 2005 – Moved back home
August 2005 – Moved my parents into a new house – It was the hottest day of the year for extra misery
September 2005 – Moved back to school
April 2006 – Moved home (only 2 weeks)
May 2006 – Moved to sublet near school
August 2006 – Moved to an off campus apartment
August 2007 – Moved back into a dorm at school
December 2007 – Moved back home
October 2008 – Moved into new apartment/moved parents into new place

In the summer of 2006 I had to move my brother twice, and I had to help him quite a few other times. I also helped my girlfriend move a few weeks ago, and I’ve helped my friends when they’ve asked. I’m glad I was able to help, but for my sanity, please, nobody move for at least a year. Can we have a year long moving moratorium? It will be like when the Supreme Court ended the death penalty in the late 1970s, but only better.

Needless to say, I hope this is the last move I’ll have to make for a little while.

Last year, I did a 10 day free trial because I wanted to see what this game was all about. I first thought it was kind of dumb, but I got hooked into it because there was so many people and places to interact with. Thank God it was only a 10 day trial. I wasn’t going to pay $15 a month to have my life sucked away.

Let’s flash forward to this year. A couple of weeks ago, Andrew told me that he started playing World of Warcraft. I groaned to myself.

I asked him, “Did you really sign up for that? You’re paying and everything?”

He said, “No dude, there are free servers to play it on.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

About half an hour later, he installed everything on my computer and I was playing. Andrew was the dealer, and I’m the user. The game is seriously like crack. An hour or two would pass before I even realized. My guitar was neglected for a few days.

I made a few characters. There is the Night-Elf, Delgore. Then there is the Blood-Elf, Serialius. Last of all, there is the Dwarf, Nostramo. I went on quests to kill weird goblins and rats. I ventured with Andrew into some cave where I got slaughtered by these weird ugly creatures. I spent a lot of time wandering around. Why do I have to wait until level 30 to get a damn horse?

Finally, a few nights ago, as I was traveling through the Searing Gorge as my Dwarf, I was killed by this giant monster thing. I decided to go on to this other part of the world. After traveling for about 45 minutes in the world to get to “Elwynn Forest”, I thought to myself, “What the hell am I doing with this game? I just traveled miles in this fantasy game. What a waste! I’m not going to achieve anything meaningful playing this game.”

I logged off and deleted the game from my computer.

I feel much better now.

Lisa asked herself, “What is that song about?”

On the surface, there is no doubt that “Bicycle Race” could be one of the dumbest songs ever written. If you examine it a little closer, well, it’s still pretty dumb, but let’s think about it.

Lisa told me the story I just told, and then she asked me, “What do you think it means?”

I thought about it. During the verses, there are a lot of pop culture references and the lyrics state that the subject of the song (whom is probably Freddie Mercury himself) does not care about what’s going on in popular culture. Instead, he just wants to “ride his bicycle” all day long. I would think that the song talks about a simpler time and how we all sometimes long for that.

Lisa asked Andy the same question.

“Dude, it’s totally about him being a bisexual. He likes to ‘ride it wherever he likes’ and doesn’t care what everyone else thinks.”

I said, “Oh.”

I imagine the conversation would have went something like this:

Old Self: Dude, I’m so punk.

Me: No, you’re not.

OS: Punk is a lifestyle, man. Anarchy.

Me: No, its not.

OS: Shut up, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Me: Yeah, I do.

OS: Whatever.

Me: Let me ask you this, why do you want to be a “punk” so bad?

OS: Because it’s cool, and I believe in it.

Me: What do you believe in?

OS: You know, being yourself and stuff.

Me: So, “being yourself” is a punk ideal? And wearing a steel ball necklace with a skull on it, a wallet chain, baggy clothes, band t-shirts, listening to the Ramones, and styling your spiky hair that you won’t dye an outrageous color even though you want to fit in with that lifestyle but won’t because your parents won’t let you, is punk?

OS: What?

Me: Well, I still have spiky hair, wear band t-shirts, listen to the Ramones on occasion, but I don’t feel like I have to identify with being a “punker”. I know you are searching for an identity, but a lot of the things you like you can just like and be yourself. Plus, anarchy is pretty stupid. Wait until you start following politics, you’ll understand.

OS: Politics is gay.

Me: Sometimes.

(pause)

Me: Did you know you’re going to love Johnny Cash in a few years?

OS: You’re lying, he’s…country!