Here grows the tyranny.

Related posts [1],[2],[3],[4]

Dear Don Boudreaux,

I have heard a lot about you, though never actually read anything you wrote, economics not being my cup of tea exactly. Anyhow, I was rather piqued by one of your not so recent posts in which you expressed utmost horror and disgust at the idea that any honest and upright citizen would even consider joining politics.

Now I don't think that it is anyone case that politics is some place where angels and saints would venture, as mired by greed, pettiness and ego as this arena of human endeavor is. However I have a big issue with people who consider themselves "too good for politics".

The simple question is whether politics has a utility or not. As it turns out it has. As an institution body politic enables the dissemination of ideas and ensures their implementation in form of policies. Thus it is beyond absurd to imagine that it is possible to have competitive policies without backed by a sound polity.

Further while I can understand the argument for a minimal state, the truth is owing to problem of coordination, asymmetry in spread of information as well as motivation ( for ideally defined governance is (almost ?) altruist), it is imperative that concerned citizens participate in politics.

To continue the above argument even if somehow this dream of libertarian utopia were to become a reality, with a state which while not quite withered nevertheless has been reduced to enforcement of law the fact remains that it still will be a monopoly. How wise then it is to leave this enterprise in the hands of incompetent. In fact to digress even more, it is this reality that we are genetically attuned to selfishness and altruism means that it is impossible to form a society based solely on rational self-interest as envisaged by libertarians.

And lastly this line of argument is dangerously close to the argument put forward by socialists who indict the capitalism for all the misdeeds of Enron.

In conclusion I just want to repeat what some Greek dude said a long time back, One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics, is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. Or what some Indian dude is saying now. The flower of liberty is delicate, one which demands utmost attention and care, in absence of which it is a certainty that it will wither away . However it takes nothing more than indifference of people who should have known better for tyranny to take route and flourish. So do reevaluate your judgment.