Libertarian/Republican:
Half right, half moral
Libertarianism is grounded in the Virtue
of Selfishness of Any Rand. It has three principal tenets: laissez-faire
economics, small government, and individual freedom. They all contain half
truths and, consequently, are half moral.
Laissez-faire capitalism is half
true in its recognition of the value of incentives and human desire to
accumulate wealth. But even Adam Smith, the 18th century author of
this idea, warned us to beware of capitalists gathered behind closed doors.
Their one objective will be to abuse and take advantage of the rest of us. What
is completely absent from this theory is concern for the disadvantaged and
compassion for the helpless. Community driven capitalism is a far better idea.
Small government is workable when
societies and nations are small. It was workable for the first one hundred years
of our nation’s history. But population grew; society became more complex, and
our role in the international community increased. Size of government should be
dictated by the needs of the society it serves. Efficiency and effectiveness
should be the guiding requirements, not an abstract, impersonal idea or concept
of “size.”
Individual freedom that honors the
dignity and worth of each and every one of us should be preserved. But
individual, egotistical, license that denies or ignores our responsibility for
others is moral decay. It ignores the ethics of Jesus of Nazareth and the
principles and benefits of the Judaeo-Christian tradition to western
civilization and the world.
We have just witnessed the parade of
moral midgets at CPAC. They are smart, intelligent people---Rand Paul, Marco
Rubio, Ann Coulter, Paul Ryan, etc. They are also morally deficient, guided
only by the virtues of selfishness whether it is education, healthcare,
children’s programs, immigration, etc. That combination is cause for concern!
IQ is important but EI (emotional intelligence) is far more desirable.
Marcus Borg described the Roman
empire of the first century CE as politically oppressive, economically
exploitative, chronically violent, and religiously sanctioned. This is precisely
the platform of CPAC, Libertarians, and contemporary Republicans. They are
intent on imposing American hegemony on the world, exploiting the earth and
world resources to the abuse of others, chronically enforcing military
domination, and all the while sanctioning their efforts with a claim of
fundamentalist Christianity. [Remember the mental gymnastics they went through
to justify support of a Mormon candidate?!]
Double speak was the order of the
day at CPAC as all the pretty candidates tap danced across the stage. If this
is our alternative for 2016 and, God forbid they win, we are in for dark days.
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