As a former Connecticut resident, I’m ashamed that my home state, which used to be a success story with no income tax, has now morphed into a high-tax welfare state that is now increasingly infamous for the outflow of productive people and taxable income.
And even though I left several decades ago, I also feel vaguely guilty that my former state produces politicians such as Senator Chris Murphy.
Most people have never heard of him since he’s never accomplished anything in Washington. Though I would argue that’s a good thing since he’s a knee-jerk statist.
But I gather that Senator Murphy no longer wants to be in the shadows. Here’s a tweet he issued yesterday that has received a lot of publicity.
Wow, this is an astounding display of statolatry. The kind of statement one might expect from a functionary from a totalitarian regime.
Or maybe a line from George Orwell’s 1984. Just think of the implications:
- Are you afraid of spiders? Hey, government can help!
- Are there dandelions in your yard? Don’t worry, Big Brother to the rescue!
- Did McDonald’s forget to include a toy in your Happy Meal? Time for political action!
While his views are reprehensible, I’m actually glad Senator Murphy inadvertently revealed his statism.
If nothing else, it’s produced some clever humor. The folks at Twitchy have been sharing this tweet, which came from a parody account for a North Korean news service.
By the way, if you’re like me and are not familiar with “Juche,” it’s apparently a North Korean twist on Marxism.
In other words, take the traditional horror of communism and then add a layer of autarky to ensure even greater misery.
And here’s another amusing take, juxtaposing Murphy’s statolatry with Reagan’s wisdom (see last video from this collection). And they even demoted him to Representative rather than Senator.
But we shouldn’t merely mock Murphy.
His views truly are reprehensible because they imply there is no element of human existence that is independent of government. The state is everything.
And if that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you know something about economics, philosophy, and history. The most evil people in world history have expressed the same sentiment.
Such as the leader of Germany’s National Socialist Workers Party.
And the first dictator of the Soviet Union.
Though if I had to pick the quote that is closest to Murphy’s, it would be this awful statement from Mussolini.
Senator Murphy obviously doesn’t share the horrid ideology of either national socialism or international socialism, so his version of statolatry is far more benign.
Sort of like this cartoon instead of gulags and concentration camps.
But I still think his views are reprehensible. We’re not children and the government is not our parents. America’s Founding Fathers strictly limited the powers of the federal government because they understood the risks of a coercive state dictating our lives. Even if it’s benign statism rather than totalitarian statism.
[…] P.S. You could say we’re becoming less like Liberland and more like Senator Murphy’s dystopia. […]
[…] P.S. You could say we’re becoming less like Liberland and more like Senator Murphy’s dystopia. […]
[…] Senator Chris Murphy and the All-Encompassing State […]
Dan- that whole region is tainted. Just look at the wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing named Susan Collins who disguises herself as a republican so she can sneak up on us. We all know that she could not be elected in Maine were she not a closet liberal.
it’s an interesting idea…………… that 21st century socialism and capitalism have morphed into “participatory fascism”… in a way… it explains the likes of Murphy and McCain…
” Socialism Is Dead; Participatory Fascism Has Triumphed”
Read more at: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/socialism-dead-participatory-fascism-has-triumphed © IntellectualTakeout.org
Statolatry, statophilia, statophobia.
As a “progressive” (anything but progress in statism, but that’s another story) would say: “Hey! What’s your problem? Are you statophobic?
I have lived under depressing dictatorships.
But I must say that I find democratic totalitarianism even more depressing — albeit more utilitarian compared to dictatorships.
The reason is that in a dictatorship the oppression is more remote. Your neighbors, friends, and relatives are all co-sufferers of the same more distant tyranny. There’s almost a common understanding and solidarity amongst the oppressed.
By contrast, in democratic totalitarianism (i.e. Living amongst a statolatric voter-lemming majority) you have to live amongst your rapists. Your neighbors, friends, and relatives are all primary supporters of your oppression. You see them every morning, you work with them, they even come to your dinner table. You can’t get away from them.
STATOLATRY … new word for me. Nice … and awful.
If Murphy doesn’t share Mussolini’s ideology, maybe it’s a case of NOT YET.
He a prick who does not give a fuck about anyone but his own pocket, but will step over people to do wrong to folks to prove them wrong even when they are correct, he has played the gun battle to death trying to end everyone 2nd amendments because of Sandy Hook, he is their heros and is over trying to make his point to get ahead, and must be stopped at all costs!