I am constantly amazed at the parallels between socialism/liberalism and Christian religiosity. It's all the more curious since hard core socialists and liberals seek to destroy religiosity (and Christianity in particular). As if Christians haven't done a good enough job all by themselves.
All good theologians, priests and pastors should be reminding the flock that we, the children of the Kingdom of Heaven, are in this world but not of this world. We are of God, children of God, whose job it is to bring to this world, here and now, as much of the Kingdom as we can - to do his will on Earth as it is in Heaven. So too for the progressives, so alienated from America as to feel
themselves in it but not of it. Politically their sensibilities lay with European or Canadian socialists much more than with middle America. In their hearts they believe America can be redeemed, not by Jesus mind you, but by socialism via a nanny-state government.
So convinced of their mission, seeing themselves as saintly, pious and anointed they alone stand between all that is righteous and the very nexus of evil - the conservatives, the patriots and the capitalists in Red State America. Since ordinary people cannot be allowed to think and act in their own best interest it is up to the progressives to lay out (and insist on) the course for your life. In order to complete the progressive kingdom of heaven on earth they, the progressive elites, must control where you live, what you do, what you eat, what you drive, what you earn and particularly what you say, lest you say something politically incorrect. Remember, they do this all for your own good.
On top of all that they absolutely need to control what you think. Honestly it's just best that you don't think - let them do the thinking for you it's easier that way. Because if you stopped to think about what they "do" for you then you might start to realize that what they actually do is destroy what is good. Good intentions aside, their solutions, their antidotes, their plans don't work. They never work. And that's the rub, it doesn't matter what the results are. Results are in the past, the past doesn't matter - only the future matters!
Reasonable people have known for eons, that humanity consists of dual natured beings, with good and evil coexisting in each of us. The progressives, however, believe that society with its individualism, capitalism, class-ism, sexism and racism is what's evil and the people by nature are inherently good. When they start with this faulty premise they are denying human nature itself. All their good intentions and righteousness fall flat when the results of their "works" destroy what is good and leave wreckage in its wake. What it means is that they end up hurting the very people they claim to be helping. As if by making society and the culture perfectly equal people will be equal too.
Religion or Christianity if you will, knows that mankind is flawed, fallen, consisting of dual natures. It also wants people to fly right, just like the progressives do. Full of good intentions as well, the Church offers help, spiritual as well as physical help. The Church knows what you should do and how you should act for a good life here on Earth and more importantly for your eternal salvation. The Church also screws up to be sure, however, religion is wholly voluntary and voluntarily funded (in America). Not so for the progressive utopia. It is funded by you and me and a ton of debt. It is also not in the least bit voluntary. We are forced by the power of the state - which they control - to comply with the progressive vision of utopia regardless if it works or not.
Oh, it's not as bad as all that, you say. Oh, but it is. Just look at two areas dominated by liberal/progressive ideology - education K through university and social welfare.
No one can possibly argue that progressives do not control every aspect of the education landscape in the U.S. They have a literal stranglehold on funding and mandates. It dominates all local budgets. In the case of post-secondary education and the complete and utter take-over of the student loan program by the federal government the debt being piled on the next generation is soul crushing - and unsustainable.
Public education in America is in terrible shape, almost no one argues with that. Public school teachers send their own kids to private schools at a far higher rate than the average parent. Why? They know public schools fail children. And it's not the lack of money - it's a lack of real education. Self esteem, ecology and social justice issues dominate the classes were history and critical thinking are taught. At university liberal ideology dominates everything. Any ideas not straight down the socialist line are shouted down, often by the students themselves, so indoctrinated by this stage in their education. An open forum for differing ideas is not welcome on most campuses.
However the most damaging aspect of the public schools is not necessarily the curriculum, as bad as that is, it's that the kids and their parents are held accountable to nothing - not much is expected of them. Not even that they graduate. This is the crux of the problem as well with social welfare and public aid. Nothing what so ever is expected of them. Yet the recipients of social welfare expect that check, that EBT card the rent subsidy etc etc without them having to lift a finger. In the 90's welfare reform swept the nation and for a while things got better. It has now slid back. The real issue is the generation over generation trap such government welfare programs set. By extending it to the children of the children of the children it creates a perpetual dependency that ultimately serves society very poorly.
What drives socialism and the liberally minded? Is it the desire to help the less fortunate, save people from poverty, further social justice? Perhaps, for some of them. The fact of the matter it's about control and power. For 1400 years it was about control and power for the Christian religion too. For the last few hundred years there has been a changing of the guard. The Church is slowly returning to a pre-Constantine Jesus centered paradigm. Socialism is gradually grabbing control of every consequential organization and bending it to serve it's cause - a cause of simple domination.
In the wake of all this so-called care for social justice is human destruction. Many public schools as previously mentioned are terrible, pouring out millions of uneducated pre-adults. The urban black community is in shambles as a result of the very welfare state created to "help" them. City, state and federal budgets are busted by social spending (including corporate welfare). The baby boom generation set to retire will drain every dime of the nation's wealth because the social security systems were poorly handled and the money spent faster than it came in. The causes of environmentalism, unionism, incentivism, crony capitalism and over-regulation - all backed by liberals and socialists - have helped drive the wealth builders overseas depriving Americans decent jobs and driving them right into the arms of socialism's handout parade.
Unlike the Church's works of charity and it's voluntary social welfare system, government socialism pays for it by taking from those who earn it, filtering through government systems that are designed to perpetuate the poverty and then hand out the rest to those who do nothing - whether or not they can work.
Socialism is a religion where the elites are the gods. Having such a low opinion of the masses forces them to take control for the good of society. Some are actually sincere, they actually care, but don't trust the rubes enough to make good decisions. Others just want the power to control and find it easier through the avenues of government than the world of business. The multinational capitalists with their Cheshire grins play both sides against the middle, placating each just enough to rake in their billions.
In the end there seems to be no escape from socialist domination of the world. The Church is retreating, for better or for worse. The real blame is laid on the loyal opposition in every country socialism dominates, in particular here in America. The Republicans and conservatives cannot seem to articulate, well, well, anything. As Michael Walsh said in a recent article over at Unexplained Premises on PJMedia.com:
Any party that cannot successfully sell freedom and personal liberty
doesn’t deserve power. The trick will be to explain — by word and deed —
that the Democrats’ Manichean choice (Big Brother or the orphanage) is a
false one, that less can be more, and that the restoration of a
Republic of self-reliant citizens will benefit all Americans — not
simply the government class and its clients.
That pretty much sums it up.
Ugh
1 comment:
VERY good post, Craig! You hit the nail on the head here.
It is interesting that Islam was a Christian heresy which used the power of redistribution of wealth to promote its spread. Liberalism is likewise a Christian heresy, one that removes Christ entirely. That explains why the Left is so enamoured of Islam, which should be the very thing they despise. Each sees in the other a kindred spirit.
Tim
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