Class Warfare is Hopeless
In the past few days, the Occupy Wall Street Protests have started to get violent and ugly, especially in Oakland. It appears that President Obama has finally gotten the class warfare that he wanted so bad and that he desperately so needs for his re-election. For the first time in my almost 50 years on this planet, I have begun to think that a large majority of this country wants to attack the wealthy. Have we become the France of the late 18th Century or the Russia of 1917? Have we become the class society that we have always avoided thus far?
As you all know, I am a Republican. As such, I believe in Free Enterprise and the power of the individual. I do not believe in the State. In lots of ways, I feel the same as Herman Cain. Your successes and failures in your life are based upon your own accomplishments or faults. You should not blame the government or anyone else if you have not been able to succeed. Now, I am far from rich and based upon current United States statistics, I am middle class. I have worked my way from an Italian Blue Collar immigrant family, to a white-collar position. I am able to support myself and am able to have a certain amount of discretionary income. However, I do not blame or envy the rich for what they have. I strive for what they have because that is the American spirit. I know that with a little luck and hard work, I may be able to achieve what they have as well.
President Obama is trying to take this American Spirit and drive for success away and is actively trying to turn us into a nanny state. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would say what he really wants is central planning, and we all know how successful that was in Soviet Russia. He will not be satisfied until everyone in this country is dependent on the government either directly for their jobs or indirectly through unemployment extensions, welfare and the two biggies; social security and medicare; the very things that are bankrupting us as we speak.
Occupy Wall Street started a few months ago and initially sounded very much like the Tea Party. They were upset about the bailouts and the power of big business over the government. Now, they have become a mob bent on attacking the wealth in America. Please review our article, “Chase CEO Dimon Targeted by The Mob.” Essentially that means they are attacking the American Dream. The want to take all of the entrepreneurial spirit away from us. Without that, what are we? We are, at best, Western Europe and at worst, Eastern Europe before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. If you destroy the incentive to achieve from human beings, you are left with empty food shelves and a subsistence lifestyle. But, everyone will be equally poor.
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Is that what American Exceptionalism has come to? Is that what the whiners and protesters in Occupy Wall Street want? They want forgiveness of mortgage debt. The want forgiveness of student loans. They want medical insurance for everyone. The list goes on and on (assuming that they even know what they want as there is still no coherent manifesto from the protesters). I only have one question to ask these people: Who is going to pay for this all? Where is the money going to come from? Are you going to tax the rich until they are no longer rich? Are you going to eliminate the wealthy and make everyone the same? Then, we will have nothing! Our country will be gone. Because as Margaret Thatcher has been oftly quoted, “The only thing wrong with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
The country has some serious problems right now. We all agree on that. There are no easy solutions. In fact, things may have to get worse before they get better. But, by attacking the rich and taking the incentive to succeed away from us, we are guaranteeing things will never get better. In fact, things will just continue to get worse until American Exceptionalism becomes a thing of the past and this great experiment in democracy and freedom has failed.
So, do not attack or blame the rich. Strive for what they have. Do what is necessary yourself to achieve you goals. The government will never be able to do it for you.
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Thank you Frank for putting into words exactly what I have been thinking and feeling. Earlier this year, I read Atlas Shrugged. While reading, I tried to digest what Ayn Rand had penned about America. She had great foresight, because those words from over 50 years ago are quickly becoming a reality.
Nothing is wrong with being rich. But material wealth can only be “defended” if acquired and managed within the tenants of “principled capitalism.” Some things speak to us so elegantly and we are so tone deaf.
“You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they will not do for themselves.”
These were written in 1916 by the Rev. William J. H. Boetcker, a Presbyterian clergyman and pamphlet writer.
What is wrong is “not knowing” the difference between what I “need” and what I “want.” It is the difference between being happy or in despair. When if ever will we learn that being rich in spirit, in family, in Ayn Rands’ individualism/egoism, a simple, or elegant natural lifestyle; enjoying nature and beauty of things modest and humble, the fruits and rewards of my own labor. And leaving this world satisfied that we have done our best to “make it better” for the future. This far outstrips the meaning, substance or consequences of materially “being rich.”
“Occupy Wall-Street” sends many messages, some so encrypted their code will never be broken, all are entangled in the proper or progressive interpretation of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness. These are “Rights”, not “Entitlements.”
“Rights”, “not to be separated, given away, or taken away; inalienable: “All of them . . . claim unalienable dignity as individuals” (Garrison Keillor).
“Entitlements” in this case, a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group; also: funds supporting or distributed by such a program.” Thus they can be manipulated, given, taken away for purposes, some never intended by our Constitution.
We have already forgotten John F. Kennedy’s immortal words “…the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.” “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.
And in applying any concept, hurting other people is “bad”, helping is “good.” Evil and “Free Will” exists! The American Code is,
Based on honest labor and neighborly charity.
NOT Tolerating cowardice or narcissism, which is compromise that erodes “fundamentals.”
There must always be a balance between passion of heart and reason in the mind. “put reason firmly in her seat” and proceed.
Does America stand for or against “liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion; the liberation of the human body from the dominion of property; liberation from shackles and restraint of government. It stands for social order based on the free grouping of individuals” – Emma Goldman. This is a common thread in all radical revolutions, justified or not. It is also the basis of Anarchy.
It is almost a shame to have to “defend”: being “rich” through the products of one’s own honest efforts. But the Achilles’ heel of Capitalism is unprincipled capitalism, and the dishonest interpretation, and exclusion of Christian Faith, Hope and Charity…..this is the road to chaos, perdition, structured by Cloward, Piven and Alinsky, financed by the George Soros’ of the world.
This isn’t Bible thumping; it is the wisdom of Thomas Pain’s “Crisis” applied to “Mutually Assured Economic Destruction”
“This is our situation, and who will may know it. By perseverance and fortitude we have the prospect of a glorious issue; by cowardice and submission, the sad choice of a variety of evils — a ravaged country — a depopulated city — habitations without safety, and slavery without hope — our homes turned into barracks and bawdy-houses for Hessians, and a future race to provide for, whose fathers we shall doubt of. Look on this picture and weep over it! and if there yet remains one thoughtless wretch who believes it not, let him suffer it unlamented.”
Thus are we witness to a Republic, glorious in principled capitalism or destroyed by anarchy. Choose!