On Liberty

Image courtesy of "Friends of the American Revolution"

I am reading John Stewart Mill this week, It's an interesting read to be sure. Mill has several beliefs that I have a hard time reconciling (like the idea that only "elite" nations can provide the necessary credentials for a non-despotic government) but there are definitely things that I like in his writings as well. LIke, for example, his perfect construction of a libertarian Government. Says Mill:
"the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number is self-protection"
 to make that a little more approachable; John says, "if it's not going to hurt you, or the country, let people do what they please--it is none of the government's concern." Wow, suddenly I love mr. Mill's perception of the world. I think that we all to often loose our way in trying to legislate our morality upon other people. We forget that the foundation of this country is to let all me do as they please--I espouse this in my religion, which teaches us to  "let [others] worship how, who or what they may"(number 11) and in my daily life, by working as a conservative to decrease the size of government, yet sometimes my habits are outside of the beliefs that I profess when I call for government intervention in the public sector for things that harm no one but the people who made bad choices.
Whatever the case, I think it is important to remember that government is a necessary evil. we choose to live under governments because of the protections they offer, but their power must be carefully limited. We would do well to carefully consider the effects of all legislation we support, remembering that when we give government power to assert our will over a minority, when our day as a minority comes, we will be unable to defend ourselves from the powers a new majority chooses to assert over us through those governmental powers.
This is a lesson that Conservatives are facing in all it's splendor, let's hope we have the good sense to fix our mistakes and return to a limited governance when, or if, we are able to return to governing.
Image courtesy of wimpactlab.com