The society we’ve chosen

Published by marco on

“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”

Comment on 'The travesty of liberalism' by Frank Wilhoit in 03.22.18 (Crooked Timber)

We have chosen this because we all think we’re in the in-group, or that we will soon be in the in-group. We do not care about the out-group because we all egotistically and absolutely immorally believe that we are only “temporarily embarrassed” out-groupers (to steal part of a quote from John Steinbeck[1]).

[1]

The quote is here, but it’s disputed and seems to have been a paraphrase of a very similar phrase from an article.

“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”

Wikiquote

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