Missing the Point About Santorum
January 21, 2012
Some people have missed my point about Sick Rantorum and his claim that happiness means doing what is moral. That’s not all that he said. The key point here is that Rantorum also said that this means “doing what you are ordered to do” by the state. The Newt Gingriches, Bill Clintons, and Sick Rantorums will define for us what is moral, and then use the state’s powers of imprisonment, taxation, execution, torture, etc. to force us to live like they want us to live. In other words, some of the most immoral people in society, who have gotten to where they are by being masterful liars, connivers, and manipulators, will force us to live our lives in their image. Quoting ancient Catholic theologians or founding generation politicians on the subject of happiness is therefore irrelevant unless they, too, were totalitarians like Rantorum. He said this in the context of running for office to become the most powerful politician in the world, after all, not the College of Cardinals. Only the state can force you to live in a cage for ten years for smoking a joint; the Catholic Church can only urge you to quit smoking. That’s why he cited the war on drugs as how he differs from Ron Paul; he would like to put all pot smokers in prison.
Rantorum gave an interview to a major news network to describe the story about bringing his deceased infant home, presumably to boost his image as a right to life candidate. He went on and on in the interview about how this really, really proved his bona fides as a “pro-life candidate.” It was a political stunt, in other words. This is why the story is worth mentioning — it speaks volumes about the character of this man who wants to have his finger on the nuclear button, and in the name of being “pro-life” is just itching to murder thousands of innocent Iranians (for starters).
Collateral Damage