11-11-2009
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Michael Caine
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Subject: Principles? What Principles?
Back in April of this year, Michael Caine spoke out,
taking a very strong position against massive
tax increases in the UK. He said:
"The Government has taken tax up to 50 per cent, and if it goes
to 51 I will be back in America. We've got 3.5 million layabouts
on benefits, and I'm 76, getting up at 6am to go to work to keep
them. Let's get everybody back to work so we can save a couple
of billion and cut tax, not keep sticking it up."
Sir Michael seems to think that he deserves to keep the product of
his considerable labors, and decries the mooching "layabouts on
benefits" that he is forced to support. I cheered when he made
this pronouncement, thinking that it was about time that more public
figures stood up for themselves and used their access to the press
to make a principled case to the general public in support of
individual rights.
However, I guess I didn't really understand Mr. Caine's actual
position. Today, in response to the level of violence currently being
witnessed in the UK, he began to channel Rahm Emanuel, coming out in
favor of the British government imposing a national
service requirement upon all youth in the UK.
""It would create a sense of belonging rather than a sense
of violence, I'm just saying put them in the army for six
months."
"There should be a great plan to re-educate these youngsters.
It's such a waste they all feel society has let them down."
Do the youths of Britain have a right to their own lives? No!
According to Mr. Caine, their lives are at the disposal of the
government, to do with as the government sees fit — just so
long as it doesn't "let them down". And it is not just
their lives, but in proper Orwellian fashion, their minds as well,
which, are available for a dose of that good old-fashion
re-education.
Where I see the principle of individual rights being applicable in
both of these situations, Mr. Caine appears to treat them as unrelated
and applies his unique brand of pragmatic problem solving to each.
In the case of taking his money, apparently that's wrong because he
doesn't like it. In the case of conscripting youths into national
service, that's just fine because he thinks it would be good for them.
Or stating it another way, it is perfectly fine for the government to
control your body and mind in service of achieving societies goals,
but keep your @#$%^& hands off of my money, you @#$%^&!
Like so many other misguided people, Sir Michael Caine thinks
that he is the only clear-headed thinker, surrounded by a sea of
idiots. And he knows with unflinching certainty that he has the
one-size-fits-all solution to problems which needs to be forced
upon everyone else for their own good.
Why?
Well, because it's obvious, you snotty-faced heap of parrot droppings!
Shut your festering gob, you tit! Your type really makes me puke,
you vacuous, coffee-nosed, maloderous, pervert!!!*
* From Monty Python's The Argument
sketch.
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