“When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” — Benjamin Franklin
When it comes right down to it, there are two, and only two basic ways to organize society: Individualism or Collectivism.
Needless to say, America was a country founded on Individualism, meaning: the individual was viewed as having inalienable rights and the government existed solely to protect those rights (namely the rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness).
The original American system was based on a moral principle — the principle of individual rights.
By contrast, under collectivism, the individual is seen as simply a part of a larger organism, such as the “community,” “society,” or the nation.” Any “rights” that he may have are not inalienable under this system — they are granted by the government and may be taken away whenever those in power decide that it is in the “interests of society” to do so.
The organizing principle of collectivist societies is need rather than right. Collectivist societies have different variations (socialist, fascist, communist, welfare states and religious tribalism), but the common premise is: the individual can and should be sacrificed to the group when it’s “needed.”
Who decides when it’s needed? Those who hold power of course. In other words, in a collectivist society, you live at the pleasure of your masters.
In the original American system, the government was only permitted to use force for the purpose of protecting the life and property of the individual. In our current collectivist society, the government uses force routinely in order to take the property of productive individuals and redistribute it to those in “need.”
Once we abandon the moral principle of individual rights and allow the government to do this, we are on the road to a collectivist state. Sadly, we have abandoned that principle and we are on that road right now… at frightening speed.
In order to save this country before it’s too late, we must start upholding the principle of Individual Rights in all circumstances and insist that government be limited to its original Constitutional purpose.
Maybe you don’t have a problem with the government taking your money through taxation and giving it to “the poor.”
Do you have a problem with the government taking your money and giving it to General Motors? How about Bank of America and Citigroup?
Do you have a problem with them taking your money and using it to pay for your neighbor’s mortgage? Your neighbor’s health care?
If you have a problem with the latter examples, but not the first example, then you don’t have a leg to stand on. You have already conceded that the government has a right to take your money without your consent and use it at their whim.
This is why we are in the mess we are in — Americans have not opposed government redistribution and the growth of the state in principle.
If we did, we wouldn’t need to think twice about all of the ridiculous bailouts and subsidies of the past year, we would have opposed them all on principle — the principle that it is not the function of government to rob Peter in order to pay Paul, no matter what Paul’s alleged need is.
Why? Because doing so is a violation of individual rights. It is not only immoral, it is also impractical (it doesn’t work). Redistribution of wealth by politicians, even for allegedly good reasons, is not allowed in a truly free society.
This is something our Founders understood completely.
In 1794, when Congress appropriated $15,000 for relief of French refugees who fled from insurrection in San Domingo to Baltimore and Philadelphia, James Madison stood on the floor of the House to object saying…
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”
– James Madison, 4 Annals of congress 179 (1794)
So what do you think? Was Mr. Madison heartless and mean? Did he have something against French refugees? Or did he understand that charity must be left as a private matter, because he knew what would happen if government was allowed to use its power of force to redistribute property and violate rights based on “need.”
But now, we pay no heed to Mr. Madison or the other Founders, and so, to our everlasting shame, we have elected a collectivist demagogue to the Presidency. And with the multi-trillion dollar “Generational Theft Act of 2009″ a done deal, politicians have gone from stealing from us to stealing from our children and grandchildren.
As history has proven time and time again, not only does socialism not help those in need, it turns everyone into those in need.
Now that our government has gone so far as to threaten the futures of our children, will Americans wake up and start upholding our founding principles?
We shall see….
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