tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post6136074138737512619..comments2024-03-27T03:19:11.216-04:00Comments on Assistant Village Idiot: Authoritarian CountriesAssistant Village Idiothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01978011985085795099noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-25956325721259814012017-02-01T21:50:54.409-05:002017-02-01T21:50:54.409-05:00A friend of mine tells of living in Switzerland, a...A friend of mine tells of living in Switzerland, and one day having his door knocked upon by an irate neighbor. Couldn't he move his car? "But I thought I put it quite out of the way," he objected. <br /><br />"Oh, it's out of the way," the neighbor replied. "It's just facing the opposite direction of everyone else's."Grimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07543082562999855432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19305198.post-83204082921825774062017-01-31T22:38:29.265-05:002017-01-31T22:38:29.265-05:00I wonder how he'd characterize American govern...I wonder how he'd characterize American government from 1789 to today. People here have always wanted order and been willing to restrict their freedom to get it. When was it unambiguously true that they could effect political change through an election? It's always possible to deny that change is real change, as long as there's any continuity, and voters generally want a good bit of continuity. Much of the freaking out we're seeing this week is a reaction against a break in continuity. I'm hearing the word "unprecedented" thrown around a lot.<br /><br />Over our lifetimes, has there really been a trend toward statism or toward individual freedom? I'd say both, but in different areas of life.Texan99https://www.blogger.com/profile/10479561573903660086noreply@blogger.com