Well said

An astute summary of why 'conservatives' have failed to stop the growth of Leviathan:

I've observed that conservatives generally agree with liberals on three points: (1) The collective, called Society, comes first in order of importance, whereas the individual comes second; (2) That the oracle of Society is the State, which determines when and where the individual must be subordinated or even sacrificed to the collective; (3) That the only possible alternative to this arrangement is to give over the community to moral anarchy, slavery, or even extinction.

The Right and the Left contest the definition of the first point: e.g., is the almighty collective the American Nation State or the World State? They argue bitterly over the application of the second: e.g., who is to be sacrificed to the Moloch of the prison industry, the dope smoker or the business owner? They tacitly agree on the third: e.g., if the State is not obeyed, we all shall be destroyed by Islamofascism/Global Warming. Fundamentally, they are both collectivist ideologies. That is why conservatives do not instinctively defend private property against the State, and why their movement has failed to stop the expansion of government power in America.

I just finished reading "Liberal Fascism." The entire book was an engaging read, though often dismaying for showing just how ingrained into our society fascist ways of thinking have become. The pleasant surprise at the end of the book was the last chapter/afterword: "The tempting of conservatism," which rightfully takes to task the so-called conservative movement in this country which is just as given over to seeking government solutions to all problems as their alleged opponents. As another chapter in the book summarizes: "We are all fascists now."

Well, maybe not all of us. There seems to be a growing number willing to say that all they really want from their government is to leave them alone. But few governments have ever relinquished power willingly or peacefully. That's why it's so important never to let them assume so much in the first place.