Living in California, this issue has been particularly pressing to myself and my closest associates in recent months.  Our state, one of the biggest economies in the world, is on the verge of bankruptcy because of this basic self-defeating desire to have our cake and eat it too.

It’s very easy to be a snide armchair politician (I should know).  What’s much more difficult is to actually overcome this essential problem of living in a capitalist democracy; that we will ultimately get the government and the industry that we deserve.

It’s worth noting here that I’m an ardent proponent of capitalism.  Those who are confused by my recent defenses of socialism need to do some homework.  I would suggest starting with The Wealth of Nations, considered by many to be the first modern work on economics, written by Adam Smith, considered by many to be the father of modern capitalism, and an advocate of progressive taxation, estate taxes (”death tax”, if you’re one of those easily-propagandized types) and many other “liberal” and “socialist” causes.

But the basic problem referred to above, that we want it both ways, is an undeniable pitfall associated with both capitalism and democracy.   Because both are rooted in the advancement of liberty, they rely heavily on the essential goodness of people, and their willingness to take responsibility for their actions.

We as a society, and as a fiscal collective, are failing because we have lost sight of the fact that rights and responsibilities go hand in hand.  You do not get to demand total health care coverage while demanding the liberty to do whatever you please to your body, while whining about the nanny-state.  You cannot assert your absolute right to gun ownership while complaining that there aren’t enough police and policies to protect us, and then chafe against gun control laws.  If you believe that national security is of utmost importance, do not be surprised when you have to take your shoes off at the airport and the government becomes increasingly opaque in its machinations.

So before you go talking to anyone about a balanced budget again, it’s your turn to try your hand at the National Budget Simulator.  The numbers are a few years off now, but it gives you an excellent idea of just how difficult it really is to make your ideologies fit into the cold hard matrix of reality.

For more on the necessity of reconciling the problem of rights and responsibilities, check out Why People Hate Capitalism, a great article which could serve as an excellent wake-up call to all the posers wearing t-shirts with Che Guevara on them that were made in a Guatemalan sweat-shop and sold at Walmart.

Thanks for your patience.

Won’t you please check out his collection at This is Historic Times, so he doesn’t kill me for reblogging his cartoon?