Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Liberty or Security?

"Finally, when the going gets rough, we mustn't rush to Washington and ask Big Brother to take care of us through price controls, rent controls, guaranteed jobs and wages. [I add to this list: subsidies, social security, health care, or any other promise from the government that should be ours to acquire.] Any government powerful enough to give the people all that they want is also powerful enough to take from the people all that they have. And it is even possible that some of the government manipulators who have brought us into this economic crisis are hoping that, in panic, we, the American people, literally will plead with them to take our liberties in exchange for the false promise of "security." (Ezra Taft Benson, "Gold and the Balance of Payments")


I see some incredible similarities today. For instance, with the war on terror, we were--and continue to--hand over our liberties to the government in return for security. Just think about what we've done with allowing the passage of Patriot Acts I & II.


“Today the devil as a wolf in a supposedly new suit of sheep's clothing is enticing some men, both in and out of the Church, to parrot his line by advocating planned government guaranteed security programs at the expense of our liberties. Latter-day Saints should be reminded how and why they voted as they did in heaven. If some have decided to change their vote they should...throw their support on the side of freedom -- and cease promoting this subversion.”(Ezra Taft Benson Conference Report, October 1961)

1 comment:

Glenn Ostlund said...

Tim -- I want to address this question to Collin if you don't mind.

Now aside from the sensational background music and zoom-in, zoom-out photos of historical figures in this video, what don't you like about what Ron Paul is saying in his clips?

We had this discussion last year in Osaka. I have always felt that it is strange for members of the church to support a war of agression, of invasion. That was the beginning of the end for the nephites in the book of mormon narrative, so I have never understood how mormons support that kind of invasion in Iraq -- especially looking at the prideful statements surrounding it -- I can't think of a good example, but you know the redneck bumper-sicker mentality I am thinking of (part of why I liked that Borat interview where he tried to make the patriotic woman say that Kazakhstan was number one country in world because of world's biggest goat -- US number five!)

Anyway -- what part of Ron Paul's words in this video clip do you not like? I didn't understand it in Osaka, and I don't understand it now.