We are not punished for our sins, but by them. Liberty means responsibility. – Michael Cloud (tweeted here)

Liberty means responsibility.

Let that sink in for a moment.

I hate to say it, but as much as I love the libertarian notion, I don’t think it will ever happen in this country because it requires people to be responsible.

The growth of our Nanny State has demonstrated people can’t and won’t take responsibility — for themselves, for those they are supposed to care for (e.g. their children), their finances, their situation in life, whatever. Or is it the other way around? Because people don’t want to be responsible, because they’d rather leech off someone else, because they’d rather be lazy yet still receive their check, because you do nothing yet still receive reward, if you don’t give a shit about X then someone else will pick it up… then we’ve started to create a Nanny State to pick up after them because they won’t pick up after themselves. Chicken or egg, they feed each other and keep the cycle going.

And so… our liberties slowly wither.

We’d rather give up liberty than encourage — nay, demand — responsibility. How infantile! How sad.

You want to see liberty return? Be responsible, take responsibility, teach others how to be responsible, encourage responsibility.