Rush’s Morning Update: Freedom!
April 21, 2009
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While speaking at a business forum in China, the action-movie star Jackie Chan questioned whether freedom is beneficial for the people of China.
“I’m not sure if it’s good to have freedom or not,”he said. “I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled,” or “we’ll just do what we want.” He said having freedoms in Hong Kong and Taiwan has made both of those societies “chaotic.” The reaction was swift:Hong Kong and Taiwan leaders condemnedhis remarks.
I bring this up not to pick apart an actor,but his comments doecho the ideological struggle taking place right herein America. Our own government is in the hands of those who believe that virtually every aspect of our lives needs to be “controlled.” Government officials believe they can choose winners and losers better than the free market can. Our financial institutions, auto, housing, healthcare, and energy sectorsare all facing increasing government control — because allowing failed banks to close, or foreclosures to be expedited,would be too “chaotic”.So government– not the marketplace– is to be trusted, according to this view… even though government’s “good-management” track record is: zip, zero, nada.
The ultimate result: diminished liberty for everybody. It is not an exaggeration to say that the very notion of freedom is under assault in some quarters of our society. Not only is freedom worth defending,it
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