When one man speaks out that it is unfair, another responds, "But I'm OK with them taking from me because I enjoy what they give back! So you should, too!" Wait. I should? I should like what you like? I should want and need what you want and need? What happened to diversity and fairness?
Socialism appeals to the masses. It appeals to our need for security. It promises heaven "but we're all going to have to work together and make sacrifices in order to get there!" The slogans are rousing. They touch our deepest desires and fears. We want connection so bad, we are willing to give up our autonomy and our very individuality! It is doubly appealing because it offers an escape from responsibility! If you were born into a bad situation or you just don't have great ideas or you just don't want to go through the pain to grow or change, you don't have to. Natural consequences are removed from the equation. Who can refuse that deal? People who are not suckers. Too late it is realized the word responsibility is made up of "response" and "ability"; power. Remember the saying that power and responsibility go hand in hand? Ah but socialism attacks the equation from both ends. When all men are responsible for other men, they need not be responsible for themselves. And on the other end they demonize power. Instead of distinguishing between power-with and power-over, they lump it all into one idea; that to have or want power is bad or wrong. Our very nature, which is to be powerful and have power with our environment and each other; that nature is demonized. Labels like "greedy" and "selfish" are used. Who wants to admit they have been brainwashed? Raise your hands! No takers? How about a shiny gift?
Socialism claims Wishes and Emotion as its champions while showing disdain for reason and knowledge. It chants of unity and sacrifice without realizing it stimulates men to have hate and envy for their brothers and sisters. It breeds distrust. If I am responsible for you then you damn well better eat right and stop smoking! It discourages creativity. Creativity is to bring into being something that did not exist before. But if we are responsible for everyone, then shouldn't we check with everyone before adding something to the world? Hello bureaucracy! Hello another drain on our energy. Hello more chains to prevent our synergy.
Socialism discourages any act that might allow one to shine with power because that raises you, which must mean it puts someone else down, right? Never mind logic. So, since one person growing means another person is being forced to fail or lose in some way, they obviously can not allow the growing! But how do they stop it? How do they control so many? They believe they know the right way for us all to live and we are just ignorant so they are justified in doing anything they need to do in order to get us to that place they know will be perfect and lovely and safe for everyone! Eventually. With hope, too. Emotionally stirring promises. We lap it up.
Socialism ignores the reality that challenge, pain, and darkness are as natural and necessary as ease, pleasure, and light. Human beings need challenges, suffering, and failures in order to grow and find compassion! They would have us reject all "negative" aspects of reality, which must be mastered and removed. A person suffered! We can't let that ever happen again! Make a change. Use force. Make it global! Make a law! More restriction. More control. There is no opt-out. You are part of the collective.
"It's not been working? That just means we didn't do enough of it! Certainly it doesn't mean our guiding principles (ends justify means) are wrong! It just means we didn't restrict enough, we didn't control enough!" BUT what if? What if the suffering experienced by a person was a path for them that led to greatness? Sometimes it is. No one can know for sure. No one can calculate and predict another person's path. They can guess. But they can never know. When a group believes they know how to fix people and it involves stealing from some other group in order to do it, that is a double dose of destruction.
If you think about it, you can see that the ends do not justify the means, when those means involve violating the body rights or property rights of another person.
By Scott Swain
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