“Society cannot exist, unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere; and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.” (Edmund Burke)
The above quotation was not written about America, but it could have been. Or any other country in human history because it is a general, eternal truth which is a cornerstone of conservative thought, and is certainly concomitant with the thinking of the men who founded our country. Burke’s statement above, if consistently practiced by all, would produce true freedom and societal stability. Such, however, is directly contrary to modern Leftist philosophy.
Burke’s 18th century English is a bit peculiar to modern readers. Let me examine what he said and try to simplify.
1. “Society cannot exist, unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere.” There can be no civilization (“society”) unless men are restrained from brutalizing one another. Without such restraint, we have barbarism, and an ordered society—and freedom—cannot exist. Thus, there must be some “controlling power upon will and appetite,” something that restricts humans from harming themselves and one another. No restraints, no civilization. That is the first step.
2. “And the less of it there is within, the more there must be without.” Either citizens voluntarily restrain themselves (from “within”, i.e., self-discipline, virtue) or external coercion (from “without”, i.e., by government force) will be necessary. Those are the only two options. “Society cannot exist” otherwise. If people do not control themselves, and if the government doesn’t do it, civilization ceases.
To illustrate, look at the hellholes Democratic-run cities have become nowadays. Chicago, San Francisco, St. Louis, etc.—these cities barely qualify as “civilized” any more, and for the very reason Burke elucidates: the barbarians in those places are certainly not practicing any self-restraint, and the local Democratic governments are not restricting their barbarism, either. Hence, no true “civilization.” To have advancement, men’s baser appetites must be limited, either from “within” or “without.” When there are no such limitations, savagery such as seen in Democratic cities becomes common. Chicago. San Francisco. Detroit. Biden country. People in those cities live in fear, not freedom.
Burke wrote from a conservative, freedom-loving perspective, not a Leftist, government-oriented one. It is critical to understand that societal chaos is exactly what the Leftists want because with more chaos comes the cry for greater government controls. And if the Democrat Leftists want anything, they want more government. With power in their hands, of course. The bedlam in their big cities is deliberate. Peace is the last thing they desire.
3. “It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.” Remember, Burke is speaking of a civilized society. Freedom’s source is God, not government, and can only be truly enjoyed in harmony with obedience to His laws, i.e., people FREELY choosing to do the right things, freely choosing not to violate other people’s rights. These eternal principles were established by the Almighty to govern the conduct of humanity. When people refuse to submit to these laws, then, in order to protect themselves and have a civilized “free” society, others will band together and force those of “intemperate minds” to surrender their freedoms. The evil have abused their God-given liberty and, until they prove they will control their vile desires and actions, will lose their freedom—“men of intemperate minds [those who refuse to discipline themselves] cannot be free.” Freedom-loving, property-protecting civilized men will see to that.
But lost freedom is entirely the fault of those who reject virtue, who insist on discarding self-control: “their passions forge their fetters.” Their own absence of virtue will require others to remove them from society for the protection of the general populace. That is the way a “civilized” society functions—the only way. When people choose to do evil, choose to practice licentiousness, choose to harm others, it is their own deliberate failings that cause them to be taken out of circulation, i.e., civilized people deny them freedom.
Thus, to have a civilized, free society, there must be restrictions on the baser actions of humans. The best way to do this is by personal self-control, people “freely” choosing to honor the laws of God and respect the rights of others. That is what Burke, and conservatives from time immemorial (including America’s Founders) have argued for. Those in a society who repudiate voluntary obedience to the wise laws of God must be forced into compliance by a government created for that purpose.
But, but, but...how to control the government and protect citizens from ITS abuses? We must give the government power to force barbarians to obey, but the greater the government power, the greater the possibility for misuse of that power—and less freedom for all. And that is the goal of Leftist tyrants, who see benefits from societal chaos, and will often even encourage it. George Floyd becomes the hero, not a criminal. If Floyd and Jordan Neely had listened to Burke rather than Leftist lies, they would be alive today. But that would hardly suit the Left’s purpose. People have to die for the revolution. Tyrants will use laws they create to restrain (rarely) the lawbreakers, but (mainly) the law-abiding, especially their vocal opponents. For example, gun control. Very few gun owners in America abuse their ownership. But because hoodlums do, the Leftist tyrants, rather than punish the guilty, call for the restriction of freedoms for the guiltless. Barbarism gives tyrants the rationale they seek to deny freedoms to innocent citizens, and thus gain the totalitarian control they crave. Therein is the modern, government-worshiping Democratic Party in America.
True liberty can only be ensured by a God-fearing people of virtue and self-discipline. That is Burke’s message. It is the Left’s nightmare and abomination.
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