Progressive, Heal Thyself

Once again, race riots plague America, this time in Charlotte, a relatively prosperous and quiet city in North Carolina.  Not a good sign.  What can I say that hasn’t already been said?  Volumes.

My main work as a writer at this point is to discover, analyze and expose the various mindsets that have us trapped in problems, unable to grasp some very obvious and sensible solutions to those problems.  I spent forty years trying to change things through the political process and by writing hundreds of articles that, in my opinion, diagnosed problems and proposed workable solutions.  The response, not only to my modest efforts but to the whole liberty movement, was a yawn.  People did not listen.  They did not want to hear it.

One of the hallmarks of a true theory is the ability to predict the future.  In fact, I did predict all this inProgressivism on page 17: “The constant scapegoating of white people for problems caused by progressivism has heightened racial tensions that increase the risk of civil unrest in the near future.”

I hope I have shown that we can’t fully understand why America is in a melt-down mode without understanding the dominant political mindsets that determine public policy and our response to policy failures.  Progressives particularly need to acknowledge their role in creating this mess.  I am not optimistic as they are extremely bullheaded—it’s part of the syndrome.

While waiting for progressives to come to their senses, I do have two practical proposals that will help immediately.  Let’s abolish or scale back the two programs that lead to the largest number of hostile encounters between the police and minorities: the war on drugs (invented by progressives) and the use of traffic tickets not to promote safety but as a form of portable tax collection (to pay for progressive programs).  (Note: this article was written BEFORE the police informed the public that Keith Scott came to their attention because of marijuana possession.  Once again, keep in mind that the hallmark of a true theory is the ability to predict the future.)

A final word to progressives: you are a huge part of the problem in another sense.  Every one of your policies, programs or proposals requires a cop with a gun to enforce it.  The police are out there enforcing the policies you favor.  The explosion of new laws and regulations has led to a sharp increase in hostile contacts between citizens and the police. (I learned after this column was written that the war on guns also contributed to the tragedy in Charlotte.)  The abuse of this power is the natural consequence of the policies you favor.  Who is to blame for this crisis?  Take a look in the mirror.

Reprinted with the author’s permission.

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