Motus Mentis

5 Comments

1. Fred says

   “laws and regulations” don’t produce anything except loss of productivity and theft of earned gain.

   Society is a common people, with a common language, history, and culture. A very successful society will have national aspirations that drive a united ideal or object worthy of attainment. It’s these things that produce a high trust society, generally called “civilized”. Of course IQ and predispositions of some races toward large scale cooperation matter as well. As far as morality goes, it’s clear that a common religion matters. In the west, for better or worse Christianity is our history and our religion and plays a large part. We were a better nation when we at least admitted it. Like it or not, believe in Christ or not, almost everybody knew that we were great because we were good.

   Moral relativism and multiculturalism lead to the necessity for laws and regulations because the one is immoral and the other unnatural. Both are willfully destructive.

   The notion that society is held together at gunpoint (by force of ‘law and regulation’) is absurd on its face. History teaches us just the opposite. The more laws and regulations the faster society deteriorates. Cultural norms are society, not rules by rule-makers. Anthropology and History and God matter.

   (Ps. “What kind of restrictions should be placed on automobile ownership?” Oh, it’s coming. Bet the farm on it. Wait until the self driving cars have a far superior driving record. Only the very wealthy will be able to afford car insurance then.)

   Posted March 7, 2018 at 10:32 pm | Permalink
2. Malcolm says

   Well said, Fred. There can be exceptions — Singapore, for example, is a well-functioning place that is multiethnic and multilingual — but they are usually limited to port cities, or require tight top-down control (or both). (Such places do well enough in prosperous times, and are of course stimulating for those who enjoy that sort of environment, but when things break down, and tribal tensions rise, they do so quickly and explosively.) As I’ve argued elsewhere, multiculturalism necessarily diminishes perceived liberty — and ultimately, a multiculture is really no culture at all.

   Posted March 7, 2018 at 11:42 pm | Permalink
3. Fred says

   Interesting that you should mention Singapore. It crossed my mind when I was typing the comment above but I thought to leave this exception out.

   I’ve been to Singapore a couple of times. It’s consistently in the top few international transshipment ports. And you’re right, if that money dried up overnight even Singapore would go sideways in an ugly way. Also, Singapore has areas where the pavement ends. Sure it’s all glimmer and sheen and politeness…until you get a little inland.

   Posted March 8, 2018 at 5:37 pm | Permalink
4. chedolf says

   Not to slight Walter Williams, but Judge Learned Hand said it better:

   “I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.”

   Posted March 9, 2018 at 3:17 am | Permalink
5. Whitewall says

   Thomas Sowell has written many articles like this one as well. All nicely done and well received by those who are receptive. Not one word of any of them however, has penetrated the hearts and minds of those who need to take heed for their own good…be they perpetrator or manipulator.

   Posted March 9, 2018 at 7:48 am | Permalink