A Noble Lie (#1): Giving with a Gun to Your Back

Plato wrote a most wonderful work that you can read with your children called, The Republic. That is of course complete hyperbole and purposefully placed sarcasm. Research The Republic and see for yourself some of the more adult themed topics discussed. This book is where the noble lie originated. The Republic is a Utopian-minded progressive's dream of a "perfect" society controlled by an "elect" of intellectuals. These "philosophers" control all facets of life including providing for each individual in the society. It's not voluntary but coerced. The Republic was anti-individual and pro-collective. Of course, what Utopian society upholds the individual? A socialist-Utopian style of government whether Fascist or Communist, strips the individual of his/her humanity and individual desires, and replaces it with a dehumanized collectivist body. The collective becomes more important than the individual. You become a number or object for use by the Central government. Coercion or force becomes the "necessary" and "noble" tool to force the individual to cooperate and help the collective whole.

In order to control the individual and coerce them to do what they want, the government tends to rely not only on force but also on a lie-not just any lie but a noble lie. In short, a noble lie is a myth manufactured by the ruling elite to convince the people that what they are being coerced to do is just. The myth is that the collective whole will be better off if everyone is forced to take care of the collective whole.

Rob Peter to pay Paul.

This article is the first in a series about various noble lies that our government have been manufacturing.

Welfare and other entitlement programs have been enforced by the barrel of a gun along with promoting them with a noble lie. This compassion that comes at the barrel of a gun is a complete contradiction that ends with undesirable unintended consequences. For a great article that goes into depth on this issue check out this link http://studentsforliberty.org/blog/when-compassion-comes-at-the-barrel-of-a-gun/.

Again, the lie is that if you don't subsidize activity for the collective whole then you are a selfish barbarian who contributes to the problem and creates success off the backs of the other less fortunate. As Bastiate explains in The Law:

When we oppose subsidies, we are charged with opposing the very thing that it was proposed to subsidize and of being the enemies of all kinds of activity, because we want these activities to be voluntary and to seek their proper reward in themselves. Thus, if we ask that the state not intervene, by taxation, in religious matters, we are atheists. If we ask that the state not intervene, by taxation, in education, then we hate enlightenment. If we say that the state should not give, by taxation, an artificial value to land or to some branch of industry, then we are the enemies of property and of labor. If we think that the state should not subsidize artists, we are barbarians who judge the arts useless.

 This is also the logic fallacy of "zero sum." If someone is creating success on their own, then someone else is losing. If you create wealth then it is being taken away from someone else. This is wrong and an utter fallacy of reason. Milton Friedman, one of the greatest economists of the 20th century, spoke and wrote dispelling this myth of zero sum. Here is a short clip of him discussing this fallacy, Milton Friedman on Slavery and Colonization . Thomas Sowell, another brilliant economist, wrote Economic Facts and Fallacies and began with the "four core fallacies;" which, zero sum is one of the them. He pointed to the opposite and correct logical conclusion that "voluntary economic arrangements are 'positive-sum.'" Let me give you an example. And I will use the Ipod, since most people today know and can relate. Apple may spend $50 for the parts (just an estimate for the example, not an accurate one). The Ipod is then available for purchase at $200. You the consumer or purchaser voluntarily enters into a transaction for the Ipod. Now, you estimate the total value of the Ipod based on your entertainment and overall time and enjoyment of the product at $500. This involves all the time you are going to spend on it with downloading music, apps, and other entertaining things. You purchase the product for $200 while profiting $300. Simultaneously, Apple profited $150 off the purchase. Apple did not increase wealth while someone decreased and made a loss. It was a positive-sum. 

The noble lie in regards to force used to facilitate compassion and giving is a perfect example of the anti-liberty and anti-reason activities of Big Government. Basic economics proof that there is no zero sum and in fact there is a positive sum with voluntary transactions. No wealth is gained while someone else loses. Hence, the noble lie of forcing people to give money to redistribute to others that are losing while those whose money is taken have made their wealth off their backs is just that, a lie. This lie does not accomplish anything good. The premise is flawed and also the conclusion that compassion is created through force is equally flawed. Compassion and giving is true and better when voluntary through individual choice. The poor will always be with us as the Bible, economics, and common reason tells us. Furthermore, the poor are not created by those who create wealth. And you can't force compassion with the barrel of a gun. The end result is more poverty, resentment, less liberty, bigger government, and dehumanization of the individual to form the collective whole. 


Watch this ten minute clip of the Robber Baron Myth by Milton Friedman and you will be enlightened. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmzZ8lCLhlk&feature=relmfu