The Faux Tyrant

The financial crisis of late has me thinking of that supposedly inevitable end of 'democracy.' One of the problems that freedom minded people have is that there are categories of behavior we just don't believe in. These types of problems are caused by the government- you can check out what Russel Roberts dug up if you need to. The corporate world deserves much blame, but we have to remember their dear old dad (the government) told them it was okay to play with the scissors.

In any case, what do I see? No one outside of a narrowly defined group understanding what's going on here. I read their blogs, and I agree with them, but I can't find a single whisper of reality outside of the group. We can shout louder, but chances are, we are only talking to ourselves.

That's why I sometimes find the idea of a monarchy attractive. People seem to need a focal point of power- it seems to be some sort of psychological need. I think I run into some of this with the 'voting is sacred' crowd. They don't actually like their choices, but either choice seems to be more acceptable than no choice. Are people really educable on this issue?

Or would we have to construct a situation in which we provide the psychological reassurance that a tyrant provides to the masses, while instituting processes that ensure freedom? For most of us, such a plan sounds much too duplicitous. Unfortunately, those in power don't have any such qualms, and they will install a real tyrant.