Actually they believe in both, bizarrely enough. Robert Bork has chronicled this in his book Slouching Towards Gomorrah. The left is simultaneously radically egalitarian and radically individualistic. It's been awhile since I've read it so I may be mischaracterizing it a bit.
They believe in the primacy of the state in the life of the individual; but they also insist that the individual should be completely free to engage in any kind of perversion or culturally suicidal behavior. They demand that the state encourage this and quash dissenting views, which is why secularism is rigidly enforced in the schools.
No, your memory is accurate. It's a fabulous book.
They believe in the primacy of the state in the life of the individual; but they also insist that the individual should be completely free to engage in any kind of perversion or culturally suicidal behavior. They demand that the state encourage this and quash dissenting views, which is why secularism is rigidly enforced in the schools.
Correct again. But what is worse, our society tells people, "Go ahead and do what you want, but when things go wrong, we'll save you from the consequences of your own actions!" That's an outrage. To force the hardworking to support the lazy is a slap in the face of the hardworking and encourages laziness. To force the moral to support the immoral is a slap in the face of the moral and encourages immorality.
If people want to do what they want, let them suffer the consequences of their actions. Don't go crying to the government.