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| Dr. Jonathan Gruber - technocrat. |
Our country is based on a unique concept that all men are created
equal. All humans – man, woman, gay straight, black, white, all colors, all
genders, all races – are equal in the eyes of God.
This fundamentally important concept is enshrined in our
Declaration of Independence.
We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the Pursuit of Happiness.
Everyone is familiar with that part. But equally important
is the next:
That to secure these rights, Governments
are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed
Let’s stop to think what this means.
In the American ideal, no other person is your better. This
is a great departure from European monarchies, where rulers derived their authority
by the divine right of kings. In a monarchy, the rulers are your betters and
you are but a subject. The (hopefully) kind, benevolent, and wise ruler directs
you on how to live your life.
But in our system of government, the young Latina working at
Starbucks is every bit the equal of the governor of Massachusetts. Or of the
President of the United States. Or of Jonathan Gruber. As citizens, all are equal
in the eyes of God.
Which is why Dr. Gruber’s attitude is so outrageous.
In a revealing sequence of videos, Dr. Gruber, an MIT
economist and contracted architect of the Affordable Care Act, pretty much informed
us of his view of the electorate.
That the ACA was passed only due to the “stupidity of the American
voter” and intentional obfuscation which created a lack of transparency. That it would never have passed if we had only
known the truth.
And the president joined in: if you like your plan you can
keep it; if you like your doctor, you can keep her. And that costs would be
contained. Dear reader, we personally can attest that none of these are true.
But the details do not matter – it is the attitudes that do.
Dr. Gruber, President Obama, and a plethora of other politicians
and technocrats, share this belief: that they are your betters, that they know
what is good for you, that they can force you to comply (for your own good, of course).
Michael Bloomberg, for instance, as the mayor of New York, attempted to ban the
sale of soft drinks in excess of 16 ounces. (The New York Court of Appeals,
however, disagreed, and the ban was lifted).
A term for this is a technocracy, where government control
of society is based on an elite of politicians and scientists, engineers and psychologists,
and various other experts. And they all know how you should live your life. Makes
one feel much like a lab rat.
And it’s easy to see how this has come to pass. Science is fabulous
and has created many wonders. Technology
is powerful, recently turning North America into a net energy producer. Atheism
has swept the land, pushing religion out of the public sphere (Happy Holidays).
As technocrats come to believe less in a common creator, it is easier for them
to believe that they are our superiors.
Is it possible that large sugary drinks are bad? Is it
possible that universal healthcare is good? Absolutely. But to impose mandates and bans is not the
American way. Because the do-gooders who strive to do good are not your
betters, they are your equals. Your choice to follow their advice should be
just that: a choice.
The do-gooders should advise, should educate. And you should
make reasoned decisions whether to eschew sugar, or wear a seatbelt, or buy
health insurance. Your choice, informed and educated. But not compelled.
We are all equals. The brainiacs do not rule us.
That way lies tyranny.
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