Billy Goats Gruff and Political Thought

As is our habit, we take Nick to the library each week for a number of books to read. Over the last number of weeks he has enjoyed The Billy Goats Gruff. And the edition which we borrowed was a ready to read book, which means he was able to read it all by himself. And since he enjoys showing off his reading, he has read this book to us almost every night that we have had it. Of course, hearing this story so many times sets my mind wandering.

I have come to the realization that The Billy Goats Gruff is the perfect story to represent the basic political arguments of liberal and conservative in the United States. In the conservative version the goats represent the people who seek a better life and are thwarted by the troll who represents government. This government can not be reasoned with and cares more for its own stomach than it does for its people. If you don't play by its rules and stay where it tells you, it will gobble you up. Thus the only impediment to the bounty of the land is the government who have consolidated its control over the only bridge. And once the government is removed, the people are able to flourish in a free meadow.

The Liberal version has some of the same ideas and players but the story is wholly different. Here the goats represent greedy corporations and the wealthy. They have exhausted all of the resources in the meadow in which they are living. They have been poor stewards of what they have had, they have had more than enough and now they want more. The troll, again government, is doing everything it can to prevent the mistakes of the past from being thrust upon the new meadow. And even the scary appearance of the troll is not enough to dissuade the greedy from attempting to cross. In fact, the threat of destruction fails to quell the desire of the corporations. And when the first tricks the troll into letting him cross, he shows his moral bankruptcy by offering up is brothers to death just so he can get more. In the end, the greedy corporations trick the government and eviscerate its attempt to maintain the proper balance through trickery and violence. And once the government, the protector, is removed the greedy corporations race over to gorge themselves in a new field, ignoring their responsibilities to the old field.

Can you tell my mind has wandered.