Posted on 12/13/2001 7:37:16 AM PST by John SBM
Socialism is still a dirty word in American politics. But, like an obese person who looks in the mirror and see a thin reflection denying they are fat, America is in a state of denial. If we look the evidence is there, but rather than admit it we refuse to acknowledge the word. Does evasion of the fact change the reality?
Every major historic period can be categorized by the dominant philosophy of the time. We know them. The Dark Ages, The Renaissance, The Enlightenment. And we know what each label represented as the dominant, generally accepted ideas of the time. These labels are attached however, not during the period, but after, when we can see them in the context of history. Whether we label our current period as Post-Modern or whatever, in historic context it could be labeled as The Altruist Evasion.
Altruism is the dominant, generally accepted idea underlying all of our political and cultural discourse, and it permeates both political parties. The ideas that economic rights are the basic rights of all Americans, that the government exists to promote the welfare of some at the expense of others, that we owe “service” and must “give back” to society – these are the basic premises of every issue. And Pragmatism rules every action – action for the sake of the emotional benefit of action rather than the result. Altruism demands pragmatic approaches, because it is based on emotional arguments and collapses when faced with principled challenges. Altruism is the underlying support for socialism, where group rights are primary, individual rights are disposable.
Take a look. The tax code exists to transfer wealth; the total tax burden exceeds 50% and is the single biggest expense for most working Americans. Politicians gain power through the give and take of economic rights and benefits – look at the economic stimulus debate. We talk of the right to housing, to health care, to prescription drugs, to guaranteed retirement, without ever asking “at whose expense?”
Ayn Rand summarized this very simply – when you abandon one set of principles you adopt another. We have abandoned the principles of individual rights and accepted those of economic rights – the degree of socialization doesn’t change that fact. We can evade the word “Socialism”, but that doesn’t change the reality.
...never thought of it that way before. I still think I'd prefer property tax levied by a local gov, than income tax levied by the feds.
"Social correctness" is not compatible with biblical Christianity. True Christians are guided by absolute moral principles espoused by Jesus Christ. The truth doesn't change- social norms do.
You have it backwards - it is society (sick culture) that is driving uncommitted Christians into buying its poison.
There is nothing that could happen in the Churches that isn't internal. Ministers, in many cases, preach a social gospel. They do not discipline Church members. Ministers themselves act like unsaved people. What is happening in the Churches is a lack of leadership to guide the Christians who need someone to guide them. That is the job of pastors.
It troubles me more because if feeds big government, which, in my opinion, is Constitutionally given very limited powers. Those powers continue to usurp the freedoms of the people, taking them from rulers of the government and government being our servants to government ruling us and we being the servants.
There is nothing at all wrong with nationalism as long as that passion does not blind us into doing the very things that will destroy our traditional Constitutional form of government
YES.And Atlas Shrugged sure helps me understand what is going on today. Ayn Rand left us a roadmap to follow to see just how bad/big the socialism is in USA.
Whew.....
I was afraid that I was the only one......
Thanks !!
Actually, it's well on the way to being a *fascist* country.
Which is to say that they are deliberately murky. This allows for situational ethics followed immediately by selective amnesia: a very effective and characteristically fascist tactic.
Sheep are easily mislead - that is why the bible compares people to sheep. Sheep are stupid and so are people. It is only be becoming familiar with the Truth that one can recnogize a lie. You are right that many ministers are preaching heresy and political correctness - when they should be teaching their flocks to love Jesus Christ AND OBEY HIS COMMANDS. Many mainline churches are essentially apostate there is no question about that. Going to church does not make one a Christian any more than going to Germany makes one a German.
Touche!
I have made this connection to every liberal I encounter. That true compassion starts and ends with Jesus. That this compassion is part of our culture. After all, he is the one who gave us the principal of "the good Samaratan(sp)". This tends to gall the left, because compassion by Christianity has moral accountability of the giver and receiver.
This is incorrect. The problem is that sick culture (an external influence) is being brought in the churches by corrupt leaders. You can't possibly believe that the churches thought up this stuff (pro-homosexuality, feminism, etc.) on their own.
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