By Ted Belman
I was fascinated by Social Justice and Fair Taxes in AMERICAN THINKER.
This article questioned the unquestionable. How do we define social justice or fairness? Why is it considered fair to level the playing field, to have progressive taxation, to have affirmative action, to take from the rich and give to the poor, etc? What is fair about it? What is just about it? Law was always about protecting private property. In socialist countries it was about redistributing wealth for the greater good which in essence negates private property.
Many years ago Obama made a speech in which he said he was unhappy with the Supreme Court ruling during the civil rights fight in the sixties becuse it only upheld the right of blacks to sit at the same counter. The American Constitution he said was all about protecting the individual from government tyrrany and overreach. Instead he argued that it should be about protecting the entitlement of the individual to share in the wealth of the Nation. He wanted a Bill of Entitlements like a Bill of Rights. It should not be about protecting your freedoms but about providing for your wants. This is the transformation he is talking about. This is the transformation Palin is fighting.
The most distinguishing element between communism and capitalism is the right to private property. Ownership of property is synonymous with the pursuit of happiness. The desire for personal gain is the engine for prosperity. Snuff it out at your peril.
This is Palin’s philosophy. Liberate this desire for the betterment of all.
Having said all that, I do not believe that conservatives will ignore the needs of the poor. It will be interesting to hear as we get closer to 2012 just how the conservatives intend to provide for the needy.
I recently had a discussion with a leftist who said she admired collectivism which in essence confiscates property for the good of all. I pointed out that she thus supports totalitarianism or at least statism. In her world the state would decide what you are entitled to or not. The individual would have no right to keep but would have a right to get.
I pointed out that many years ago China instituted a one child policy. At the time she thought that it was a limitation of a woman’s rights. But I argued it was for the good of society. I also pointed out that when the Chinese government killed 2000 students in Tiananmen Square they justified it as being for the greater good. She failed to respond to both of these points which obviously left her uncomfortable.
In the end, it is all about diminishing the individual and his rights and enlarging the state and its rights. No thank you. I’ll vote for Palin.
Max, you denigrate our Canadian-American society by labeling it a fascist state and put it on par with the old Stalin communist state.
What do you mean by fascist? Contrasted to what? Surely you would agree that Hitler’s Nazi state was fascist. Are you suggesting that the Canadian American democratic society fills some definition in part or in whole of Nazi type fascism?
Are you against capitalism? Do you believe the EU’s social welfare democratic states provide a better political model over our current society?
Are you in favor of a social welfare state?
Assuming our governments’ and all our citizens’ strings are being pulled and manipulated by some nefarious superclass, just how do you propose that we and our governments regain control over our own lives and destinies?
Your post no. 1 is confusing, both in terms of trying to understand exactly what you are for and what you are against. Thus my reading of your missive only raised many questions to be summed up with the umbrella question, what are you talking about?
Re Keelie #6: Keelie wrote, “Which people?”
That is a very complicated question!
Among the Jews – Biblical tradition of tithes; story of Joseph and Egyptian land confiscation; public works as described in Talmud Bavli, e.g. Moed Katan, Shul membership, Knesset, etc.
Among Americans – Congress
Among Russians – What can be squeezed from the oligarchs and middle class
People, Keelie! It’s a moving target, but we can take a snapshot of “people” at a given moment. If you have another definition, let’s hear it.
Which people?
The problem of private property is that it is a human invention. Like law, private property ideas developed to eliminate conflict. The Talmud deals admirably with the concept of private property by proposing a simple rule: “The person who takes something from someone else needs to prove that it is his.” That is he must appear in court and present some sort of documentation. While this rule solves nothing, it clarifies everything. It relies on society to define private property. If people decide that they owe the government as much as it asks for, then that is what they owe. If people decide that they owe the government nothing, then that is what they owe. We define private property and then the courts apply the rules. Where the Talmud differs from other “isms” is that it assumes that the same rules apply to everyone. That is called justice.
Yes – definitely with Ted and Laura. I’m not a great supporter of the “Politics of Envy”.
The other day I read that in Europe, 50% of the population pay no taxes, and the other 50% essentially support them… assuming that the former are all not stinking rich and can afford teams of accountants to help them avoid taxes… I don’t mind helping support people in genuine distress, but not those who live by free lunches and a general sense of entitlement.
Someone I know left school at the age of 15 to help support her family while her father was very sick. Later, after living very modestly for many years, this lady became very wealthy basically through hard work and enormous talent. The Politics of Envy decrees that the very fact that she has money means that she owes it to “those who don’t have enough”. Some people would say she doesn’t deserve her money because she must have stolen it…
Max – by all means throw out the crooks and spinmeisters in all areas of the system, political, financial, etc., but don’t suggest we throw out the “baby with the bathwater,” to use a well-worn cliché, by suggesting that people with money should have it confiscated. Where does this nonsense stop? Will people come and demand that I share my house (or give my house) to those who happen to believe that they, not I, deserve it? Oh – and calling people fascist doesn’t mean they actually are… I presume you are a supporter of “fascist Israel”?
Laura your right on and BHO wants to tear it down. I am beginning to believe the liberals in our country are dumb.
How is it they can’t see the direction this clown is taking the country. Government take over, class warfare, socialism and it’s as plain as the noses on their faces.
Wake up folks before it’s too late.
I’m with Ted. What right does the state have to take private property from individuals and redistribute it? What right does the state have to decide what constitutes too much wealth and redistribute it and to whom?
Capitalism made America the most prosperous, wealthiest and most abundant nation in the history of the world. It’s the difference between having grocery stores shelves fully stocked and waiting on line for toilet paper.
In other words Palin is going to support the wealth of the Superclass fascists, the people cannot have ownership of private property when the superclass own it all. In communism the wealth is taken from the rich and given to the state, But in Capitalism we can take the wealth from the fascist rich and redistribute it in the population and restore Capitalism.
The propaganda that the Superclass put out is that this is Communism, but this is in fact destroying fascism and restoring Capitalism.
In the current situation there is not a prayer that 99.5 percent of the population will have or continue to have private property (not even a house or a hat). The fascist superclass is using all their wealth and power to take tao alt control. This is not just and ascending trend, it is an accelerating trend.
The dream is a lie, The dream of private ownership is only for the Superclass and their political Mandarins like Palin.
For democracy and Capitalism to work – all personal and economic ties must be severed between the Superclass and The political class. Complete openness and inspection must be demanded by the public. They must not be allowed to make alliances of power in secret.The superclass must be broken up and have their fascist power base destroyed, Their wealth must be taken form them and restored to the population , not to the state. There must be limits put on personal wealth, and limits put on combination organizations.
There is no little difference between old style Stalinist communism and the Current CanAmerican Fascist State. In both situations a very small group owns all the power and all the wealth, and all the politicians. In both cases the elite rules, does what they want and are untouchable. In both cases a propaganda system assaults the population with lies and tells them they have the best possible system and they should fight to the death to protect the ones that own them as slaves. In both cases the populations has no share of the wealth, no control of their future and lives with nothing lives of hopelessness with no future.
And lastly the most significant similarity here between Stalinism and North American Fascism that that both stems use dead idealism as their rallying cry while practicing just the opposite. The Stalinists honoured all the heroes of the revolution (which if they hadn’t died they shot them themselves to get rid of them and here in this propaganda piece we have the same thing – we have Palin and the Superclass spokespeople extolling the virtues of private ownership and “equality of ownership for for all” when in fact they are cementing the final walls of a fascist state and today they don’t have to shoot reformers and idealists – they just have to flick a computer switch and exile them from the system (and write an article somewhere “honouring” their values.
And lets speak of Canada Eh?
The Tories just announced something of their new budget. Guess what – there will be less taxes on the corporations of the rich – because they don’t want to interfere with their money making – oh that would be bad if that was interfered with! – but as for health care and old age pensions – all that will have to be cut because the poor cupboard is dry. (well of course it is dry – the Superclass robbed it all and they are using it to make more and enslave us more).
And don’t forget, when Harper and his cronies (and the same for the Liberals and all Establishment politic ans) – when they retire from politics they will all have jobs as CEO’s in the corporate boardrooms (money bedrooms) of the Power elite.
So of course the politicians self-censor and don’t do anything that would offend the Superclass because they all sleep in the same bed – yeah they would like to help the poor and all that – just so long as it doesn’t interfere with their priorities like making money and owning everything that everybody else touches or uses.
So in effect the Establishment Politicians serve the Superclass because those are their people – ordinary people the 99.5 percent of Canadians are not their people – they are the things that they use to be what they are.
So they make the rich not just richer but rich to totalitarianism and help them to murder the weak, the sick the poor and the aged.
And every Government in the Western world under the direction of a loose (or organized? – who knows?) association of Superclass elites is doing the same thing – killing off the sick poor and the elderly poor and the poor. Take a look around – maybe it’s less that 20 , 15 years to the WFU (World Fascist Union).
Forget the hypocritical talk of the poor – we are already dead every hour is a bonus.
Evil is as evil does.
Of course you need Palin to save you form Obama and the Islamolunatics, but who will save you from Palin and the Superclass?
It’s amazing to me how the incredible power of propaganda, the whole population is like somnambulists – there could be nothing more obvious that they are ruled by economic fascists who spin a web of lies and deceits and yet they cannot and refuse to see it.
Oh, by the way,I told you so, I said it a year ago, we’ve gone past the tipping point – the economic crisis was a triumph for the rich, they don’t intend for a return to “previous’ – they are going to fast track it to absolute control. When I say “I told you so” for the last time – you will be too distressed to care. So I tell you now for later to remember as you are dying.