The political actors change, but the script remains essentially the same. Over time, different individuals occupy the stage, but the principles upon which they act remain consistent.
Consider the policies supported by Obama, Trump, and Biden. Obama imposed controls and restrictions on energy producers in an attempt to foster “renewable” energy. He did not hesitate to use the coercive power of government to dictate how individuals can act. For his part, Trump wielded the government club against manufacturers in an attempt to stimulate job growth in the United States. He did not hesitate to use the coercive power of government to dictate how individuals can act. Biden has continued Obama’s policies.
While Trump’s policies differed from Obama and Biden in terms of details, the principles underlying them were identical. All three Presidents have embraced the notion that individuals should be forced to put aside their self-interest in order to promote the “public interest.” The difference between the three men is what they consider to be the “public interest.”
To Obama and Biden, the “public interest” is found in helping the poor and “people of color.” For Trump, creating jobs for blue collar workers served the “public interest.” All three have declared that one group or another represents the “public interest.” In the meantime, the individuals who comprise the public are forced to sacrifice for others.
While the actors change, one group or another is used as the standard for government policy. This is true of both Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and Progressives. The individual, they all argue, must sacrifice for others. They only disagree on who should sacrifice and who should benefit.
The solution to this orgy of sacrifice is to reject the group as the standard. In its place, we must embrace a standard that enables the individual—every individual—to live a flourishing life. That standard is individual rights.