WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY

In the future, Volition Magazine will be providing coverage and commentary on many current events.  However, as we are at the point of inauguration of Volition, a letter arrived from a liberal.  Not just an average Democratic Party voter, mind you, but a liberal who I would fairly say advocates for the implementation of socialism in America and an end to capitalistic free enterprise.  

I will not name this person, but rather say that he represents a mindset which is increasingly common, and one which must be confronted.  Not to his detriment, but to insure the future he desires cannot come to pass, not only for his own good, but for the good of all.

For those of you reading this of a more conservative persuasion, you may ask yourself, what motivates such a person?  Are they insane? Well, I’d say it is closer to the point to say they care deeply about their fellow man.  They want to insure, as do we all,  that people get enough to eat, have a place to live and the means to support themselves and their families.

They see sinister forces allying against this in the forms of oligarchy and privilege.  They have been told of a super-wealthy "1% percent" who would hoard wealth, and are doing so as we speak, while others suffer for lack of basic items.  Their solution? Frankly, to take it from those who have it, by force if necessary.

A few excerpts from this letter that was received are telling:

"There has been a steady erosion of democratic process and quality of life due the resurgence of "neo-liberal" economic philosophy and the conservative movement…..you should be fighting against the conservative movement because it is fundamentally content with impoverishing everyone so that a few people can be super rich."

"I do hope you realize that the conservative vision of economic prosperity which you advocate, or at
least defend, protects only a few people, the most competitive people, the most talented, and the previously privileged. It says that if you are ordinary you only deserve poverty. Why is comfort and well being to
be reserved for the wealthy? Why should the rest of us live in desperation? What about not being super ambitious makes us deserving of ill health, insecurity and poor education?”

The issue is not the writer.  I understand exactly how he feels.  I think it is fair to say that all of us, even the most libertarian, have felt the pangs of envy toward those more economically fortunate.  In some cases, our needs were very, very real and heartfelt.

The problem is the leaders of these people.  Those who take short, concise concepts, what I like to “bumper sticker logic”, such as “The top 1% control 90% of the wealth”, and spread them amongst their supporters.  These ideas can seem logical to the uninformed.  In the example above, it is a simple observation of mathematics to understand that the top portion of anything, which must exist in any economic model, will control the lions share of resources.  This was true in the days of Ancient Rome, in Victorian England, in Colonial America and is true today.  Despite the grand plans and schemes of despots through history, it will remain true for all the days to come…any alternative has never been explained to me in the efficacy of its execution.

In the hopes that this response will address the points made by the liberal who took time to write the quotes above, I’ll pose two questions, first…what makes you think people are badly off today, and second, are there better ways to run a nation than we do today?

I’ll answer the first by asking this additional question:  How much do the “1%” actually make? Who are they?  In America, in 2014, the Top 10% Wage Earners make $114, 000, according to the IRS.  The Top 1% make $380,000 per year.  So, who are these people?  In the top 10 are our pharmacists, our doctors, our school principals, our local bankers, attorneys, the people in our communities, our brothers and sisters who keep local charities in business.  They are not sinister mystery-men from the shadows.  Even socialist Senator Bernie Sanders makes $193,000 per year, not including contributions….Sanders IS the one percent.

Certainly, we would all like to live better, but even of those in poverty, the majority in America enjoy color television, the Internet, emergency medical care, year round fresh fruits and vegetables,  and many other amenities.  A generation or two ago, hey would have thought we lived like kings and emperors.

Could we change our society and make it better, of course we could, and with luck, we will.  We could re-dedicate ourselves to exceptionialism, to achievement, to encouraging people to do well for themselves and not try to shame them with accusations of privilege or unfair advantage.  We could build a government that facilitates, rather than stifles innovation and initiative.  Imagine a world where one could start one’s own business with a vision and hard work, rather than  needing a battery of lawyers and a wealthy uncle?

To be a bit more specific, we could change how we tax.  As has been suggested by both liberal Bill Gates and conservative Steve Forbes, we could tax consumption, and leave each man’s income and earning alone, to encourage savings and thrift.

But none of this will change until our minds do.  We must realize that we already know how to make America the most prosperous nation on the face of the Earth, because we have already done it.  The greatest threat, to paraphrase cartoonist Walt Kelly, is that, we have met the enemy, and forgotten that he is us.