November 21, 2002
Who would have thought it?
You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream - the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order - or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity or their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, "The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits."
Who said that? Astoundingly enough, Ronald Reagan, in 1964.
I'm not entirely sure what conclusion to draw from this about Reagan himself, who managed to lead the country through unprecedented expansions of the state's power. However, the speech itself is really neat.
Posted by Perry E. Metzger at November 21, 2002 12:22 AM | TrackBackComments
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