Conservative Collectivists

The term "collectivist" or "collectivism" is usually reserved for communist, socialist or leftist politicians and their policies. It is true that collectivism is generally a left wing obsession, but not entirely. Conservatives, by that term I mean neoconservatives, monarchists, and power hungry right wing bureaucrats, are also collectivists. They truly hate indivdual liberty. One of their heroes, Edmund Burke, viewed society as "organic" and advocated the principle that the "swinish multitude", should follow the traditions of their forebearers. This anti-intellectual ideal, which bears no resemblence to the 18th century libertarian revolutionary tradition, has infected the modern Republican Party and those who call themselves conservatives. Conservatives here in the Bush era are the sworn enemies of liberty, individualism, and independent thought.

Ever since the 9/11 attacks America has devolved into a abyss of fear, aggression and despair. War in Iraq, invasions of civil liberties here at home, outright lying by our political leaders, and overt propaganda, have created a climate of fear that has allowed, what I call the Conservative Collectivist to arise. These collectivists are as dangerous as their leftists opponents, if not more so, since they hold the reins of power. Let's examine what the Conservative Collectivist stands for:

1) Blind Obedience to the Federal Government ( mostly meaning the President and the military)
2) Rabid 500% Patriotism, which means hatred of anyone who opposes the Iraq War, or disagrees with the President's policies
3) Worship of the Military
4) Glorification of War and the whipping up hatred for America's "enemies"
5)The passage of more and more laws that restrict the liberty and freedom of consenting adults within their personal lives ( abortion, marriage, drug use, etc)
6) A massive increase in public debt ( the National Debt is close to 8.2 TRILLION dollars)
7) The granting of government funds to religious groups in direct violation of the First Amendment, ie: Bush's Office of Faith Based Charity
8) Violating the Constitution by approving illegal and criminal wiretaps without probable cause, congressional oversight and keeping such activities secret from the American people

These are just a few of the crimes of the Conservative Collectivists that are running the USA.

Collectivism has two wings so to speak. One wing is left, the other right. Let's start with some examples of left wing collectivism:

Nazi Germany, USSR, Communist China, The Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, Vietnam, Cuba,North Korea, etc. In these nations the state becomes the all powerful and omnipotent organism. It creates secret police, political speech codes, massive standing armies, nationalized health care ( that provides shoddy or no care), mass poverty( except for the ruling class of oligarchs of the ruling political party), and abject slavery of the masses by prohibiting all private property.

Right Wing collectivists generally consist of dictators of the military or religious kind. Some examples include Iran, Syria, Pakistan, most Central American and South American nations, Russia,many African nations, Haiti, etc. In these nations the ruling elite also rules through secret police, military tribunals, labor and detention camps, government owned media, corporate-government alliances and complexes where corporations assist the despot in enslaving the people. The state is supreme and it's leader absolute.

What do these types of collectivism have in common? EVERYTHING. Domination, fear, aggression, death, slavery, and tyranny are the results of both sides of the collectivist coin.

It is sad to the see the USA falling into a combination of the two. Nationalized health care, the miltary industrial complex, high taxes, War, the chilling of free speech, and violence are sweeping across the United States. I have remarked in some of my other essays what will happen to the cause of liberty in the world if the USA is transformed into a full blown dictatorship. If this happens the world will be plunged into darkness.

We must stop the conservative collectivists here at home or the complete death of individual liberty will be ensured.

Collectivism's Cancerous Spread

Collectivism has spread rapidly throughout American society since the end of WWII and the victory of the military industrial complex over the libertarian impulses of our revolutionary tradition. Since the end of the Cold War we have seen conservatives replace their leftist rivals as the promotors of unlimited government. The fanatical religious wing of the Republican Party is consistantly calling for the "banning" of everything: Gay marriage, assisted suicide, abortion, women's rights, etc. These causes are then followed up with calls for the criminalization of adultery, making divorce more difficult, continuing the failed War on Drugs, supporting a "war of civilizations" against the Islamic world, a new form of the old Crusades, and repeated calls for placing Christianity in public schools. All of these "conservative" causes are a form of collectivism. In these causes the tribe, that is the religious tribe, is supreme. Their values are supreme. Individuals are irrelevant, and their ideas should be submerged into the collective. Assisting these religious conservatives are the neoconservatives. These men and women are very, very dangerous. They repeatedly call for the United States to "conquer" the Middle East, promote the interests of transnational corporations, establish military bases across the globe for "strategic dominance", and engage the USA in a war without end for "national greatness". These "conservative" collectivists are destroying the revolutionary ideals of America. The libertarian tradition of free trade, individual rights, personal liberty,privacy, and constitutional government is dying at the hands of these pyschopaths. Power, dominance,aggression, and greed will be promoted through the propaganda of TV, Right Wing Hate radio, and fanaticical religion. This is collectivism at it's finest. Hate, war, strong central government, and eventual slavery will be the outcome.


My dear reader, I leave you with this chilling remark from O' Brien, the fictional torturer of Winston Smith in George Orwell's book 1984: " Winston would you like to know what the future looks like? Imagine a boot stamping on a human face...forever."

Is this what YOU want?

Harry Browne, A Great Man

On March 1st, 2006 the great libertarian activist and prolific writer, Harry Browne died at the age of 72 from ALS. To me, Harry Browne was a colossus of liberty. Browne was a man of great intellect, soft spoken, kind and generous. He was always calm, cool and collected when debating any opponent, even such vile fascists as Sean Hannity. I can honestly say that Harry Browne was the one man who caused me to open my mind to new, and more increasingly radical ideas. His books like " How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World", "Why Government Doesn't Work" and "The Great Libertarian Offer" hold a special place in my book collection. Browne worked steadfastly for freedom, and in my humble opinion was one of it's most articulate and ardent proponents. To his wife Pamela and daughter Summer, I must say that I grieve with you. Your loss has touched my heart. I hope that Harry is spreading his message of liberty on the "other side".

Harry, you will be missed.