Posted on 10/04/2009 12:43:44 PM PDT by Zakeet
“Altruism … “The doctrine that the welfare of society is the proper goal of an individual’s actions.”
Socialism doesn’t seek to do what is best for individuals OR the public interest. It seeks to make all members equal which is good for nobody. You have proven my point for me.
“Socialism doesn’t seek to do what is best for individuals OR the public interest. It seeks to make all members equal which is good for nobody. You have proven my point for me.”
My post 40 definitions for altruism and socialism come from Webster, and - as you might someday realize - neither is good: socialism is altruism in action.
altruism 1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altruism
That is the definition I got from Websters.
Doesn’t sound very much like socialism to me. It does sound alot like religious charity. The original point was that you compared the morality of religion to the morality of socialism. One gives, sometimes sacrifically, while the other takes from one and gives to the other. One is voluntary and one is mandatory. Your comparison was asinine, the real definition of altruism notwithstanding.
“as you might someday realize”
First could you be any more condescending?
I realize perfectly well what the DEFINITION is. I think that putting the welfare of others above myself is a good thing. I don’t think that the government demanding that I put other’s welfare above my own is a good thing.
For example, I give time, money, and resources to a crisis pregnancy center here in my town. Would I want the government to take money or resources from me to give to them? No, even though I believe in the cause, it should be done of free will. Two different things. Actually they are just different things, they are completely OPPOSITE things.
That's also in my Websters, along with my choice: definition number 2.
Regarding your ... "unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others" ... "Doesn’t sound very much like socialism to me" ... I think it's safe to say that government enforced socialism is government enforced altruism.
“Regarding your ... “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others” ... “Doesn’t sound very much like socialism to me” ... I think it’s safe to say that government enforced socialism is government enforced altruism.”
Unselfishness cannot be forced by anyone. I don’t require my children to share their toys to teach them unselfishness because it isn’t unselfishness if it is forced. All that teached them is that someone bigger than you can take your things and give it to another if they want to. I teach my children that it is nice to share and when they give a toy to someone else it is because they have taken my lesson to heart and applied it in real life. Would it be unselfish of you to lend your lawnmower to your neigbor who didn’t have one? Yes. Would it be unselfish if the government took it from you and gave it to your neighbor to use? No.
“Would it be unselfish if the government took it from you and gave it to your neighbor to use? No.”
Would it be evil if the if the government took it from you and gave it to your neighbor to use? Yes.
Therein lies the revelation that socialism is evil.
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