Fun and Fashion

Sir Thomas Moore starts out the book "Utopia" with a list of grievances against the elites of his day. He complained about those who raise sheep rather than farm because they used so little labor and put people out of work. The ending was about how he dreamed we could have a Utopian society. He claimed it is our Christian duty to lay aside pride and live simple lives. Numerous social engineers have said the same things and had the same vision of a Utopian society. But theories always have the luxury of being ideal. Reality has a way of dispelling them. If people wanted to live in a communal society they would voluntarily do so. Why can't everyone see the benefits? Let's look at a few reasons.
Fredric Bastiat explained it well in his book "The Law" in 1850.  He saw the mistakes made during the French revolutions and pointed them out. When we get down to basics, every person is an individual with his own talents, ambitions, passions and wants. We naturally want to use them to the best of our abilities and also naturally want to keep the rewards we earn with our diligence. Due to our nature of efficiency, we want the most reward for the least amount of effort. To some people, this becomes the vice we call greed, consequently they take it to extremes and become takers. Greed isn't confined to the wealthy; anyone who thinks it right to receive unearned benefits is greedy. The only reason to have laws is to protect ourselves from those who want to plunder what we have rightfully earned. Bastiat felt that government easily becomes a vehicle for these same greedy people to plunder but in a different way. He called it legal plunder.
Mr Bastiat had a good way of explaining social engineering. He wrote about the professors in that day that thought they knew what is best for society, much like Sir Thomas and his Utopia. He addressed the condescending attitude people like that have while they have no consideration of individual hopes and dreams. The fact is, we human beings are not a garden for others to tend. Those who are satisfied with the mundane have no right to demand it of everyone else especially by the force of the law. Every individual has the right to dictate where he will grow and what he will do with his own life. Laws exists to protect societies' rights to enjoy fashion, art, and ambition; all that is best about being human.  Using the term "Pursuit of Happiness" as a right wasn't a mistake in the Declaration of Independence. So we as we look at the best structure for a government, we can separate Utopian thought from what is practical and right.