“Anyone who was not a liberal at 20 years of age had no heart, while anyone who was still a liberal at 40 had no head.” – Winston Churchill. You know, when I was young I used to use this quote. Now I understand why Churchill was wrong. Perhaps not as much during his time but certainly in our world today.
You see, the older you get, the more you should appreciate life. You should also understand human suffering at some point and ultimately realize that human existence is but a fleeting glimpse. At that point, the humility should teach you that empathy, compassion, mercy, and basically all the virtues are what matter most. Those are the ways of the liberal, the “bleeding-heart”. Churchill was wrong. Being a liberal at 20 means you have a heart. Being a liberal at 40 means your head has caught up to your heart with a deeper appreciation of why.
I certainly understand the reasoning behind the quote. Churchill was highlighting the importance of self-reliance in society. However, especially these days, the correct formula is a system that places the highest value on human life. It is a system of government that is born of humanity. Those forms of government evolved in Europe in the aftermath of World War II. The people had witness so much human suffering that they chose forms of government that were more humane and made things like healthcare and education a right. That means systems that is socially liberal, which directly equates to individual freedoms. It is also a system that is a fiscally conservative as possible, given the first priority. It really is that simple. Most of the governments of Europe adhere to this principle of putting human life and individual liberties above all else.
– Rondym Kiefe