The Left not only doesn’t trust the masses it is fearful of us. They understand that Freedom to choose by others is an existential threat both to their top-down order and to their inner selves as well.
One of the great scientific truths of the “invisible hand” is that the participants do not have to grasp (in fact cannot grasp) the overall operation of the system but are guided only by their own private interests in particular contexts. But it may very well be the case that while we don’t have to understand the spontaneous order of the free-market economy in order to benefit from it, a significant portion of the general public might need to grasp the basic scientific principles and the aesthetic beauty of the “invisible hand” in order for it to be sustained in the face of ordinary political pressures for expediency
-Pete Boettke (Fearing Freedom: The Intellectual and Spiritual Challenge to Liberalism)
Indeed!
“HOW can they love Freedom? They’ll make all kinds of mistakes if they are allowed to have them! We’ll never reach our Utopia if we allowed that!”.
It is Control that they seek and Freedom is anathema to that. It takes their apple and orange and banana and watermelon carts and turns them upside down and inside out. They are like a Mother never wanting to let their child go – but without the good intentions. Instead, Govt Dad comes out with Socialisms pointed stick to use with these Freedom obsessed wayward children (did I ever mention that this is how they perceive the rest of us – children, that must be made to Obey? I guess that’s why they are co-sojourners with radical Muslims as Islam means to submit – exactly what the Left wants as well).
Self-interest – there’s nothing wrong with it at all and the Left that calls it selfishness is being even MORE selfish by demanding and then holding Control. It is in THEIR self-interest to do so – but they will never recognize or admit that they are imbued with the same emotion and outlook (for Power).
As Boettke says, as well as others, it is Culture that allows Freedom – and we see the Left trying to CRUSH it for their own means and purposes. It is in THEIR self-interest that we don’t know history, don’t know economics, that we are to reject self-control, self-restraint, delayed gratification,Science and Reasoning and to be left only with Emotion.
For that is the only thing that they can control.
The only thing in which they have Faith is faith in themselves – and they don’t even trust themselves with that.
(H/T: Cafe Hayek)
