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To: benwood who wrote (89912)	11/7/2008 12:28:10 PM
From: Oblomov	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

I don't think it is a desire for control so much as a desire for the liberty to live according to one's values, and not to be forced to live according to what some writer for American Prospect might call "happiness". To say this is a desire for control is a materialist perspective that excludes philosophical and spiritual considerations. And it is these aspects that might make one's life not just long and prosperous, but worth living. An example: I know some Christian fundamentalists (note: I am not one myself) who are terrified of Obama because he expressed support for laws that would restrict or ban homeschooling. They would go to jail if they have to, to defend what they consider their God-given right. From the standpoint of a rationalist liberal, these parents want excessive "control" over their children's education. On the other hand, having talked with the children myself, I can assure you that they are miles ahead of their peers in the public or private schools, both intellectually and emotionally. These kids (12-15 years old) can talk about Federalist No. 10, the Cross of Gold speech, differential equations, and cantilever construction. They are more conscientious than most adults I know. They would be bored silly in a class full of other-directed adolescents texting one another while the day care worker...um, I mean teacher prattles through the de rigeur multiculti and esteem-booster BS. They are already "off the grid" in a cultural sense, and have no interest in being hooked up to it. It is not coincidental that many of the founders of the US were people just like them with their exact set of priorities.