Why we're a divided nation

BY Walter Williams
Published: January 22, 2011

Some Americans have strong, sometimes unyielding preferences for Mac computers, while most others have similarly strong preferences for PCs and wouldn't be caught dead using a Mac. Some Americans love classical music and hate rock 'n' roll. Others have opposite preferences, loving rock and roll and consider classical music as hoity-toity junk. Then there are those among us who love football and Western movies, and find golf and cooking shows to be less than manly.

Despite these, and many other strong preferences, there's little or no conflict. When's the last time you heard of rock 'n' roll lovers in conflict with classical music lovers, or Mac lovers in conflict with PC lovers, or football lovers in conflict with golf lovers? It seldom if ever happens. When there's market allocation of resources and peaceable, voluntary exchange, people have their preferences satisfied and are able to live in peace with one another.

Think what might be the case if it were a political decision of whether there'd be football or golf watched on TV, whether we used Macs or PCs and whether we listened to classical music or rock. Everyone had to comply with the politically made decision or suffer the pain of fines or imprisonment. Football lovers would be lined up against golf lovers, Mac lovers against PC lovers and rock 'n' rollers against classical music lovers. People who previously lived in peace with one another would now be in conflict.

Why? If, for example, classical music lovers got what they wanted, rock lovers wouldn't. Conflict would emerge solely because the decision was made in the political arena. The lesson here is that the prime feature of political decision-making is that it's a zero-sum game. One person's gain is of necessity another person's loss.

As such, political allocation of resources is conflict-enhancing, while market allocation is conflict-reducing. The greater the number of decisions made in the political arena, the greater the potential for conflict. It would not be unreasonable to predict that if Mac lovers won, and only Macs could be legally used, there would be considerable PC-lover hate toward Mac lovers.

Most of the issues that divide our nation, and give rise to conflict, are those best described as a zero-sum game where one person's or group's gain is of necessity another's loss. Examples are: racial preferences, school prayers, trade restrictions, welfare, Obamacare and a host of other government policies that benefit one American at the expense of another American.

That's why political action committees, private donors and companies spend billions of dollars lobbying. Their goal is to get politicians and government officials to use the coercive power of their offices to take what belongs to one American and give it to another or create a favor or special privilege for one American that comes at the expense of some other American.

You might be tempted to think that the brutal domestic conflict seen in other countries can't happen here. That's nonsense. Americans are not super-humans; we possess the same frailties of other people.

The best thing the president and Congress can do to reduce the potential for conflict and violence is reduce the impact of government on our lives. Doing so will not only produce a less-divided country and greater economic efficiency, but bear greater faith and allegiance to the vision of America held by our Founders — a country of limited government. Our Founders, in the words of Thomas Paine, recognized that, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”

http://newsok.com/why-were-a-divided-nation/article/3534292#ixzz1Bm3DWFeT

Haves and have nots.......

Ya see, the problem is that the government sees 'haves' and seeks to make them 'have nots'.

We, the people, sought to change that with the last election.

It has yet to take hold.

I, for one, have faith that it shall come to fruition.

As George Patton was once quoted, when asked if he read the bible........
'Yes, every Godamned day'.

And there were many other memorable quotes from the General......
"Better to die for something rather than to live for nothing."

George S. Patton.... Long may you keep us safe. And damn the bastards that would have it otherwise.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

BTW....another great quote.
Churchill.......

"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it."

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Thank GOD the USA is a Divided Nation. For I do not want to associate with many and Thank GOD they do not want to associate with me.

iWorm 'em.

Thank GOD the USA is a Divided Nation. For I do not want to associate with many and Thank GOD they do not want to associate with me.

iWorm 'em.

I certainly don't......

Worm you.

Ya know, this has gotten kinda old......my friend.

Wanna drop it?

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

I was not directing my post to you at all Mr. Kittyman. I am stating my feelings about division in this nation. I am all for division. Thank GOD for it.

I am sure many people could comment about how old certain postings can become.

I seem to see many many many of the same comments over and over and over again.

Would appreciate you not turning another thread not started by you, about you.

Thanks. And that is not a flame. Just stating what is a fact.

iWorm 'em.

I was not directing my post to you at all Mr. Kittyman. I am stating my feelings about division in this nation. I am all for division. Thank GOD for it.

I am sure many people could comment about how old certain postings can become.

I seem to see many many many of the same comments over and over and over again.

Would appreciate you not turning another thread not started by you, about you.

Thanks. And that is not a flame. Just stating what is a fact.

iWorm 'em.

Then I suspect I will no longer see any more of your thinly veiled comments directed towards me?

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

mark I dont think hes point you out in general. Heck I know I wouldnt want to meet even the people I like on the boards let alone the ones I don't quite honestly I'm a fairly harsh judge of people and its better if they just stay away from me

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

I suspect the suspicions will continue. It is a part and parcel of divisiveness.

Any olive branch offered would contain some rotten fruit. So no, I don't expect you will see what you want.

Whether it is truely there or a figment of imagination. I can't control another's mind.

It is interesting the few posts so far have shown a little proof of the message of the thread.

And it is not a Divided Nation, it is a Divided World.

iWorm 'em.

It is interesting the few posts so far have shown a little proof of the message of the thread.

And it is not a Divided Nation, it is a Divided World.

iWorm 'em.

Once again, if it happens in the US then it must be everywhere.

DW thinks this thread is a cross section of world opinion but fails to realize that every post (until this one) is from an American.

I will give America credit for being the best at being the worst when it comes to political discourse.

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Some posters not from USA seem to be obsessed with The USA. It is all they post about. Always to the bad.

Some posters also assume a great deal.

I see the little flaggie thingees. I see USAers were the only posters before the different than USA little flaggie thingee.

I have lived in other countries. Besides that the WWW, TV and books display a little bit of info on The World.

Stated again: It is a Divided World. Praise GOD for it.

iWorm 'em.

Robert, we are certainly not the most polite of countries.

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Janice

it is a divided world, and an over populated world

:(

nothing good can come it

:(