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OK, I see how you fit paranoia into the need for control, but again, that is not always the driving force. I will cite one example that is fairly typical of the thinking I have encountered.

My liberal friend is a fire protection engineer, just as I am and we tend to see risk differently than other people. But his liberalism is rooted in a statement he made: “government should take care of ITS people.” He sincerely believes that and if we give government control, it will take care of its people. Your compilation of “some evil monsters” is a good list and a few of those would appear on his list, but not as evil. He thinks those on his list are just backwards, unenlightened and an obstacle to real progress. He doesn't fear them, he just doesn't like them or doesn't agree with them.

But note the use of the possessive pronoun in my friend's statement of philosophy. That is the Achilles heal of his liberal philosophy and in conflict with his Christianity. He was "red" when I first met him and now he is "pink", so I am making some progress but it sure is slow and with occasional relapses.

I'm have not finished reading your essays but I will try to get to them all over the next several evenings.

Your compilation of “some evil monsters” is a good list and a few of those would appear on his list, but not as evil. He thinks those on his list are just backwards, unenlightened and an obstacle to real progress. He doesn't fear them, he just doesn't like them or doesn't agree with them.

I mean it rhetorically, for the most part. (That is just a small list - I have literally hundreds of examples of "monsters" throughout the essays.) The idea is that liberals see the things on that list as opposed to utopia. And they fear anything that may halt utopia and stop all of the bad things happening in society. The issue is whether a person wants to direct their own life and let others direct their own lives with the attendant risks that involves, or does a person want the government to make everything safe for everyone (utopia), even if that means taking away everyone's individual liberty.

He was "red" when I first met him and now he is "pink", so I am making some progress but it sure is slow and with occasional relapses.

Glad to hear it. Hope my essays can help you.

I'm have not finished reading your essays but I will try to get to them all over the next several evenings.

Don't bother rushing. There are over 1,000 300-word pages plus hundreds of source links. My advice is to begin with essay #1 and read them in order. However, if something in an essay down the line catches your fancy read it right away to satisfy your interest. Have fun. :-)