Posted on 04/27/2003 3:37:13 PM PDT by Lando Lincoln
Neo-Socialism
A Decomposition of the Liberal Mind
By Gary Schneider
To attempt and understand the many varied positions and policies embraced, or otherwise represented by the Left, we must assume that, at some base level, they are founded in a semblance of logic and purpose. Though extremely difficult, the challenge then is to establish what that logic and purpose may be and from where it is derived. If this is established, an understanding can be developed that begins to decode their seeming day to day defiance of logic, history and common sense thereby mitigating, albeit just a little, the extreme and frustrating befuddlement most mainstream Americans inherently feel when confronted with the illogical output of a Liberal mind. You see, to the Left, history, fact and logic are secondary to the defense and promotion of its philosophy A philosophy that is rooted in Socialism. Given the historical irrelevance that has befallen Socialism (and Socialist policy) in all its manifestations, the Left must effectively reverse engineer nearly all forms of reality in order for it to conform or lend justification to, its core set of beliefs. Socialism (and its younger cousin Liberalism) has in effect become a religion thats has been proven false by virtually any objective means, and the followers of this religion must necessarily either be dupes or duplicitous in their allegiance to the faith. It has devolved into being a belief system sustained by emotion not cognition, but one that nevertheless seeks cognitive validation. So the requirement for the illogical to become logical and for fiction to become fact (or fact-fiction) has indeed become a high priority for the keepers and purveyors of this faith. Once you accept this, well, then Liberalism makes perfect sense.
Philosophy Versus Reality
The Left attempts to maintain that Socialist ideals and policy are relevant in todays market of ideas by marketing a few key notions which, they contend, provide proof of the need for their agenda. Now, many suggest that Liberalism is not Socialism; However, I submit that Liberalism is Socialism by other means. So, in order to understand the Liberal mindset, you must understand Socialism.
Socialism, at its base level, means the complete discarding of the institution of private property by transforming it to public property. The resulting public income is to be, then, equally and indiscriminately distributed to the population (Liberals strive toward this end through the levying of taxes and tight governmental controls). In Socialism, private property is anathema to this objective.
The main tenets of Socialism are:
1. Abolition of private property
2. Equality of income (From each according to his ability, to each according to his need Karl Marx)
3. Class interests oppose each other (class struggle)
4. Government is, or should be the progressive representation of the interests of the working class.
Furthermore, Socialists believe that Socialism is an evolutionary process that will manifest itself in the later stages of Capitalism. Capitalism, they contend, will eventually run out of property to privatize and land to appropriate due to population increases and other variables resulting in the need to rent or lease property. Due to this, a group of haves and have nots arises leading to the creation a class hierarchy where there is an upper class (non working parasites), middle class (employers and managers) and worker class (proletariat). In this paradigm, the rich get richer and the worker class is exploited to further support the luxuries demanded by the upper class while getting poorer. The belief is that such societies then become unproductive and unable to sustain a requisite level of employment and quality of life for its people. It is at this stage where Socialism is believed to arise against the Capitalist system. Only rich and poor now exist, Inequality becomes unbearable and the government has to intervene and redistribute the wealth via many means, but primarily through the levy of multiple forms of taxation.
Modern Socialism contends, then, that capitalism must be exported to where new land can be appropriated and workers exploited to sustain its insatiable gluttony.
The problem for the Left is that the doctrine they hold dear has all been proven false by history and reality and they dont want to let go. After a century and a half of tyranny and economic failures, along with the inarguable benefits to the human condition wrought by Capitalism, the Left is now forced to re-package their convictions, revise history, identify new victims and champion new causes in order to sustain the faith. As Daniel Flynn establishes, in his book Why the Left Hates America, the Left has substituted their hysterics regarding the evils of Capitalism, with the new hysterics of racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, etc., etc. However, the enemy remains the same. America, as the globes preeminent cultural, political (Democratic), economic (Capitalist) and military power, is now decried as culturally oppressive .breading inequality both inside and outside of its borders. Government is now, also, to be the final distributor of cultural equality as well as economic equality. Liberal causes collectively rally around the banner of this nefarious new notion of American repressive cultural hegemony that is proliferated by intolerant rednecks and imposed by American military and economic might. Nearly all contemporary liberal causes and policy can now be traced back to any one or more of these (and/or the aforementioned) basic tenets of Socialism, or Neo-Socialism.
Environmentalism
Environmentalists contend that U.S. industry (big business) is indiscriminately exploiting the land and people for economic gain, and that this evil is being exported. This subscribes to their belief that US has had to export capitalist hegemony to sustain growth on the detriment of the environment, and on the backs of the underclass. Environmentalists are, however conspicuous in their selective criticism. It is almost exclusively targeted at the U.S. thereby exposing their political, rather than environmental agenda.
Relativism/Multi-Culturalism/ Racism/ Homophobia/ Xenophobia
These class-isms allow for the invention of multiple victim classes that can be established as the new proletariat. By fostering, contriving, or otherwise promoting notions of injustice and inequality the Left can progress their Socialist doctrine of the new class struggle allowing them to cling to the original foundations their faith. This fact is perhaps most obviously represented by the group International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). The name evokes racism as an issue, yet the organization is a known front group for the World Workers Party, a Marxist-Leninist political party.
Anti-Business/Anti-Prosperity
This too, is rooted in the Socialist/Marxist notion of exploitation of the worker and their opposition to private ownership with their desire to redistribute the wealth. Business owners, though they create jobs and wealth, are vilified as greedy parasites taking advantage of the underclass. Sound familiar? Wealth to the left is inherently bad or unfair and should be redistributed to others in the form of taxes and government programs.
Anti-Globalization
Again, the Left resists the globalization of economies as it represents the exportation of Capitalism and all the evils that that implies. It appears, to the die hard Left, that they would rather see equally applied poverty rather than unequally applied prosperity.
Anti (Judeo-Christian) Religion-ism
Atheism has deep roots in Socialism (as religion is regarded as a threat to Socialist evolution) and its remnants clearly exist in modern day liberalism. The examples are ever increasing and undeniable. These tendencies manifest themselves in anti-religion, (with particular animus toward Christianity) speech, discrimination, legislation and other repressive actions. Pro-abortion advocacy is also partially rooted in anti religion sentiments as much as it is about the expressed sentiments of freedom and choice. Abortion has been politicized for use as tool to promote the notion of women as an oppressed class. The oppressor class is then presumed to be men and people of faith. The Left can then promote legislation to restrict the freedoms of religion in the name of protecting this oppressed class. In other words, they seek the oppression of religion in the name of freedom while presuming to take the moral high ground.
Peace Activism All of the above
It is a reality that the American governmental and economic system has improved the lives of its people and those around the world to a level unparalleled in human history. Its profound and positive contributions to culture, science, medicine and democracy are undeniable to any reasonably objective and discerning mind. No past or present Socialist venture can even remotely claim to have achieved the levels of economic prosperity (at all stratums of society), racial equality, womens rights and equal protections for all its citizens regardless of sex, faith, cultural, racial, or social background. A quick check of your Encyclopedia Britannica will bear this out. These truths are a testament to the success and inherent morality of this great and successful American experiment. Is America perfect? No. Do we have many historical shames and societal ills that need to be resolved? Of course. But what country doesnt? Furthermore, there exists no other country that is as willing or capable of identifying and fairly addressing problems with which it is confronted.
Oppression
Not a Single Socialist or Communist state has ever existed that has been popularly elected or otherwise sustained by the will of its people. Socialist-Communist regimes have, throughout history, maintained power solely through the strict imposition of intellectual martial law. The media, schools, the arts and literature have all been strictly controlled to manage thought and freedom of ideas. It should be no surprise then that the liberal establishment maintains a covetous and disproportionate control over our educational institutions, media (with the exception of radio) and the arts. The packaging may be slightly different, but the tactics are largely the same and quite plain to see. You need only look at many civil rights groups, anti-war organizations, the ACLU, Teachers Unions and the curricula of our institutions of higher learning (indoctrination?) to quickly assess that our most basic American freedoms are at risk from the Left. Oppression (factual, intellectual, or otherwise) is the only means by which the Socialist agenda can succeed.
So, the next time you bear witness to the mindless sloganeering, claims of injustice and inequality, hysterics regarding business, the environment, anti-war, abortion, anti-religion and the blame America crowd
know where theyre coming from and where they want to go.
We might make some progress by calling them "socialists" rather than "liberals." The strange mixture of libertine hedonism and totalitarian statism that comes out of the mouth of the average liberal certainly challenges the capacity of logic. It would seem doubtful that the average Democrat has any realization of just how illogical, absurd, and deranged the whole enterprise is.
The flip side of liberty is responsibility. They won't work without each other.
Liberals don't want liberty but rather liberality. Permissiveness not freedom. A velvet glove on an iron fist.
Very well and succinctly stated.
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