David Sussman forwards this:

Morgan K. Freeberg:

"The liberal says "freedom comes with responsibilities" and the conservative says "rights come with responsibilities."

The liberal isn't really talking about freedom. He isn't talking about rights, either, or about responsibilities. To the liberal, "freedom" is a stand-in word for "permission." Genuine freedom would mean you don't need the permission.

Imagine a dog in a yard constrained to a peg by a six foot chain. To a liberal, "freedom" means adding more links to the chain so it's ten feet. It comes with responsibilities! Don't bite anyone now, Fido, or we'll take you back down to six feet. This is what liberals are saying to ordinary people when they say "freedom comes with responsibilities." They're pretending to understand how society can function, but they really haven't got a clue. They'll never admit to it, but the dog has to consent to being chained. Illegal immigrants, convicted felons, fugitives and homeless people are not subject to any of the constraints, they don't live on the chain. Why don't they? They simply prefer not to be chained.

To a conservative, you don't get to use the F-word until such time that the chain is entirely removed. You have a RIGHT not to be chained. The right comes with the responsibility of not biting anyone...except, of course, for burglars and other people who need biting.

The liberal seeks to build a perfect new society without trusting anyone who lives in it.

The conservative seeks to make our present society work better...not make it perfect, but incrementally improve it, the way you do with all successful projects in which you take pride. It' an incremental improvement; the conservatives are the true progressives. And they trust the people in it, not because they're particularly inclined to, but because they know that's the only way it can work.

Freedom doesn't come with responsibilities, because it's the natural state. We are born free. Before that, we don't have the chance to agree to anything.

Rights come with responsibilities.

Mortals do not chain up other mortals to stakes in the yard. Because, in order to do that, you have to find a mortal worthy of constraining other mortals in such a way; a mortal who can appropriately deny other mortals of freedom without due process. We're all descended from Adam who ate of the fruit, so there isn't anybody suitable.”

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 12:51 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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