The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Tyranny disguised as Virtue and Compassion

Modern Progressives and Leftists often want to make decisions for you. Health Care, Environmental Regulations, and Gun Ownership are some of the litanies of decisions they wish to control (refer to my Observations on “Entitlements”, “Environmental Impacts”, and “Gun Control” for more information). They often do this in the name of virtue or compassion.

Virtue. i.e. “Save the Earth”, “Do what’s in the best interests for all” or Compassion i.e. “helping those in need”, or “rectifying past discriminations”, is often the reasons why they justify their actions. However, these are not reasons but excuses to control your actions. Control that is in reality tyranny. Tyranny - dominance through threats of punishment and violence – are the means necessary to accomplish their goals. Those that claim their social policy is virtuous or compassionate often need to utilize tyrannical methods to achieve their goals. If you don’t do what they want they will punish or prosecute you, tax you, pillory you, and even assault you.

They not only want to control what you do but they also want to control what you say. Hate Speech regulation in which they determine what is hate speech, politically correct speech in which they determine what is correct and verbal or violent disruptions of speakers with they disagree with are common tactics of Modern Progressives and Leftists. Destroying your reputation, livelihood, and family life if you disagree with them is another tactic. In the past, this was called Fascism and it is still fascist.

This new form of tyranny is often label Democratic Socialism and is often accompanied by lashes out on Capitalism (see my article “Socialism and Capitalism” and “Modern American Fascism” for more information).

I have no problem with Government or Activist trying to convince you to do what they believe is right, but I am opposed to Government or Activist mandating you do what they think as right. Mandates require coercion and compulsion by Government which is a form of tyranny.

In the past there were Governmental and Activists campaigns that encouraged, but not mandate, what Americans should do i.e. Forrest Fires (“Only You can Prevent Forrest Fires”), Littering (“Keep America Beautiful”), Seat Belts (“Buckle Up for Safety, Buckle up for Fun”). Eventually, they became mandates after most of the American people agreed it was good social policy.

However, the Federal Law on Incandescent Light Bulbs, and local and State restrictions on Water Consumption, are examples of mandates without agreement by the American people. They may be good social policy, but the American people need to agree that they are good social policy before they become mandates. Otherwise, you have the government imposing its will on the American people, which is tyrannical.

What’s next – regulating heating & cooling temperatures in your home comes to mind in order to reduce energy consumption to save the world. Requiring that you must utilize public transportation under various circumstances, or what type of vehicle you may purchase and how it is to be utilized (i.e. miles per gallon, miles allowed per year, type and size of the vehicle, etc.)? Perhaps regulation of how much food, and what kind of food you eat, as a means of establishing a healthy population within governmental health care coverage. Or perhaps mandating how much, what kind and the frequency of exercising all Americans must engage in for health care purposes.

Far too often in human history, once tyranny is established it recognizes no boundaries. Not only is there tyranny of the government upon its people but the tyranny of the majority on the minority. You need to be wary of both forms of tyranny. Government mandated social policy is fraught with tyrannical implications and consequences (see my article “Social Policy” for more information). Government social policy should not be mandated without the consent of the governed, and that consent should be by a vast majority of the American people. With the vast majority in support of a social policy you may mandate what they should do, but under no circumstances should you mandate what they say. And under no circumstance may you violate the Human and Constitution rights of any person. Governmental laws and regulations that say, “I’ll decide what’s best for you and you will do what I mandate” without vast majority consent, or that violate the Human or Constitutional rights of any person, is in effect “Tyranny”.