Common Good Versus Tyranny of the Majority

Obama's defenders often point out that those opposing his policies are really opposing the common good. They claim that those that resist higher taxes, government run corporations, and climate legislation are merely selfish, evil, or sinful (yes, those words were all used!)

"Common good" should raise a red flag among freedom loving individuals. On one hand, this phrase evokes an image of individuals banding together to perform great acts of work or sacrifice that benefit almost everyone. A such thing as the "common good" does exist. You see it in the actions of churches around this nation. The most effective and positive actions for the common good come from private and individual action. From time to time the government asks the people to sacrifice for something that can benefit the common good, such as the interstate highway system. It both stimulated the economy and promoted national security.

The idea of the "common good" also cloaks proposals from authorities that benefit fewer people, have less positive impact, but require sacrifices from the people. That is why we as free citizens must scrutinize every proposal that asks us to sacrifice for the common good involuntarily. The government uses high sounding phrases to mask the fact that they want to take your money, freedom, or both.

It is not that many of them do not truly believe it is for the common good. The problem is that we cannot afford to let anyone, especially the Left, define the common good for us in every situation. To many of them, the common good means that they choose what we eat, how often we exercise, and what our kids learn in school and at home.

America has seen many cases where the common good has been a mask for outright oppression. In the 1940s, most felt the common good was served by black Americans being unable to vote, mingle with whites socially, or even fighting alongside whites during World War II. As late as the 1960s several Senate Democrats launched a fillibuster to preserve their interpretation of " the common good" from Republicans and northern Democrats seeking to respect the rights of blacks.

Today those that seek to promote the common good want your money and to force you to purchase a product that you may or may not want. All of this flies in the face of national tradition. Be careful and watch your wallet every time a leftist talks about "the common good."