As things get less rational, people become less kind. As people become less kind to one another, the calls for mandated or obligatory “empathy” become more shrill.
As mandated empathy becomes more prevalent, the scope and authority of government grows.
“People are selfish. They won’t wear masks. So we’re going to MAKE them wear masks.”
Or: “People are selfish. They won’t think of the planet. So we’re going to outlaw heat, ac, affordable gas, fossil fuels and MAKE them think of the planet.”
Or: “People are selfish and mean. They are racist and transgenderphobic. So we’re going to MAKE them think the way we believe they must think.”
Through it all, the world becomes a meaner and more intolerant place. Irrationality and excessive control make people nasty and angry. It become a vicious cycle. The meaner, more unkind and nastier people become, the more controls are put on us — to supposedly make us nice.
Look at the mask mandates and lockdowns — diminishing in some states, but staying on in more states. People are suspicious. They “tell” on each other, like the most obnoxious of schoolchildren. They mistrust each other. They won’t look each other in the eyes and now regularly experience the dehumanization of wearing masks — not for health, but for obedience. Police are made impotent, after being told they’re incapable of justice. So we end up with the military occupying the streets of our once friendly, vibrant cities.
It’s a myth that rationality is cold and indifferent, while blind allegiance to feelings makes people nice. Just the opposite is true. Reason and rationality give us truth, confidence, purpose, competence and results. These qualities lead to prosperity. A rational, prosperous culture, full of knowledge and confidence, leads to the generosity associated with free republics. America, at its peak, was a heck of a lot more generous than Venezuela or Cuba; that’s because Venezuela and Cuba have nothing to give. You can’t be generous when you’re oppressed, impoverished and controlled into submission.
It’s so heartbreaking, and frightening, to watch Americans learn these truths the hard way. The leftists I know are incurably irrational, and they will never learn. It’s too bad the rest of us — and the future of the entire world — must pay the price for their ignorance.
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