Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Sowell: 'Empathy' vs. Law

The brilliant Thomas Sowell brings us a cautionary tale of what happens when a nation abandons the rule of law in favor of touchy-feely emotions like 'empathy':

Those people who just accept soothing words from politicians they like are gambling with the future of a nation. If you were German, would you be in favor of a law “to relieve the distress of the German people and nation”? That was the law that gave Hitler dictatorial power.

He was just another German chancellor at the time. He was not elected on a platform of war, dictatorship, or genocide. He got the power to do those things because of a law “to relieve the distress of the German people.”

When you buy words, you had better know what you are buying.
Sowell isn't the first person to note the parallels between the US today and Weimar Germany, and I fear he won't be the last either.

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