Guest guest Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 > >> >> What is socialism? >> by Walter Williams >> http://www.WorldNetDaily.com >> 7/28/2004 >> >> (excerpts): >> >> We miss the boat if we say it's the agenda of left-wingers and >> Democrats. >> >> According to Marxist doctrine, socialism is a stage of society >> between capitalism and communism where private ownership and control >> over property are eliminated. >> >> The essence of socialism is the attenuation and ultimate abolition >> of private property rights. >> >> Attacks on private property include, but are not limited to, >> confiscating the rightful property of one person and giving it to >> another to whom it doesn't belong. >> >> When this is done privately, we call it theft. >> >> When it's done collectively, we use euphemisms: income transfers or >> redistribution. >> >> It's not just left-wingers and Democrats who call for and admire >> socialism, but right-wingers and Republicans as well. >> >> Republicans and right-wingers support taking the earnings of one >> American and giving them to farmers, banks, airlines and other >> failing businesses. >> >> Democrats and left-wingers support taking the earnings of one >> American and giving them to poor people, cities and artists. >> >> Both agree on taking one American's earnings to give to another; >> they simply differ on the recipients. >> >> This kind of congressional activity constitutes at least two-thirds >> of the federal budget. >> >> Regardless of the purpose, such behavior is immoral. >> >> It's a reduced form of slavery. After all, what is the essence of >> slavery? >> >> It's the forceful use of one person to serve the purposes of another >> person. >> >> When Congress, through the tax code, takes the earnings of one >> person and turns around to give it to another person in the forms of >> prescription drugs, Social Security, food stamps, farm subsidies or >> airline bailouts, it is forcibly using one person to serve the >> purposes of another. >> >> The moral question stands out in starker relief when we acknowledge >> that those spending programs coming out of Congress do not represent >> lawmakers reaching into their own pockets and sending out the money. >> >> Moreover, there's no tooth fairy or Santa Claus giving them the >> money. >> >> The fact that government has no resources of its very own forces us >> to acknowledge that the only way government can give one American a >> dollar is to first -- through intimidation, threats and coercion -- >> take that dollar from some other American. >> >> Some might rejoin that all of this is a result of a democratic >> process and it's legal. >> >> Legality alone is no guide for a moral people. >> >> There are many things in this world that have been, or are, legal >> but are clearly immoral. Slavery was legal. Did that make it moral? >> South Africa's apartheid, Nazi persecution of Jews, and Stalinist >> and Maoist purges were all legal, but did that make them moral? >> >> Can a moral case be made for taking the rightful property of one >> American and giving it to another to whom it does not belong? I >> think not. That's why socialism is evil. It uses evil means >> (coercion) to achieve what are seen as good ends (helping people). >> >> We might also note that an act that is inherently evil does not >> become moral simply because there's a majority consensus. >> >> An argument against legalized theft should not be construed as an >> argument against helping one's fellow man in need. >> >> Charity is a noble instinct, [while] theft -- legal or illegal -- is >> despicable. >> >> Or, put another way: Reaching into one's own pocket to assist his >> fellow man is noble and worthy of praise. >> >> Reaching into another person's pocket to assist one's fellow man is >> despicable and worthy of condemnation >> >> ________________________ >> >> harry mobley >> >> iconoclast57 >> >> thirtythirddegreeburn >> >> Tired of disinformation? >> Join me in REALITY: >> Reality_101/ >> http://ca.reality101_redux/ >> <nonwopyramid.gif> <no_BS.jpg> >> WHEN YOU LET PEOPLE DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WOODSTOCK. >> WHEN YOU LET GOVERNMENTS DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WACO. >> ______________________________\ _______________________________ >> <imstp_pets_cat1_en.gif> >> >> > > _____________ > Gasification mailing list > Gasification > http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/gasification_listserv.repp.org > http://gasifiers.bioenergylists.org > http://info.bioenergylists.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.