The 3/4 Compromise
Many on the right love to harangue endlessly on the opinion that “values” are something that people to the left of this administration do not possess,couldn’t codify if their lives depended on it, and wouldn’t get behind to create a unified position.
Wrong-o. They’re right here. And though they present a tough problem for me, I subscribe to enough to firmly call myself a liberal.
It’s been out in the blogosphere awhile. This list, however, shows me that I still have work to do before I can subscribe completely to Liberal Values.
I believe wholehartedly in
2.Autonomy of the Individual
3.Respect for civil liberties
4.The Rule of Law with the Consent of the Governed.
And I would add a fifth.
5. The absolute importance of frequent critical thinking about one’s life.
If you’re not self-aware you can’t move up out and away from those things that propel you toward the Dark Side. It has zero to do with education or intelligence and *everything to do* with knowing why you behave as you do.
But then there’s that pesky number 1.
“People are inherently good.”
All respect to Hume and all….
I think most people struggle for and aspire to the “good” mentioned in number 1.
But then there’s that crossroads moment that so many fail at…when adversity just has too much of a load and the fulcrum breaks, and people head into despair, abuse, addiction, fanaticism or crime of many stripes, self absorption, or greed. I think more than 50 percent of the population are touched by the seductive lure of the above, which would mean that we as a people are more often *bad* than good.
Which is why we so desperately need Part 4. Part 4. limits the damage that the *bad* half can do to the rest of us. Whilst people engage in bad behaviour, the rule of law gives redress to the victims and a (admittedly shrinking) chance of safety.
Civil Liberty is the reward for being *good* and the redemptive hope of those who are “bad.”
Those who are “bad” often have moments of clarity when they recognize what they could do to turn their life into a “good” experience. Without the autonomy of the individual and the rule of law with the consent of the governed, they wouldn’t have the mechanics to try to transform their life from bad into good.
So I guess I’m saying that while I believe people to be inherently bad, still the rough primate who would as soon conk you on the head as look at you, the rule of law, with civil liberty as the icing on the cake makes good citizens possible.
Midlife And Treachery 
