The Liberal Paradigm

Great column by John Steele Gordon over at the Wall Street Journal this morning, "Obama and the Liberal Paradigm." It's a nice introduction to the liberal mind set which goes something like this:

a) The majority of Americans are dumb-stoopid! They are sheep and need to be led and protected.

b) Corporations, business people, financiers...you know "Wall Street," are the wolves who want to prey upon the sheep.

c) Liberals are the shepherds who protect the sheep from the wolves. Because of this they are an enlightened lot, pure and wise and all who would be against them must be dumb-stoopid!

This paradigm, as Gordon observes, worked well from the 1890's through the FDR administration. But times have changed and their paradigm has not.

While I agree with Gordon's analysis, I think it falls a little short. Specifically, this paradigm, this mindset, allows them to forgive all forms of malfeasance and misgovernment. Corruption by a liberal? Necessary! The Enlightened cannot be held to the same standard as the sheep. Accountability? Not Necessary! The Enlightened cannot lead the sheep if someone expects results - after all, you never know where the evil wolves will strike next.

I would add that there is a crucial disconnect in the concept of freedom between the sheep and the Enlightened liberal. The liberal views freedom as something that he provides to the sheep - by providing them with redistributive goodies from the state, the sheep are free to graze and enjoy themselves free of consequences. The real meaning of freedom in the American sense is the freedom to choose what we bloody well want to do with the understanding that with this freedom comes the responsibility to be a good citizen and that life has consequences.