The Common Goodness
First, a word of caution: this is not written to be amusing but, rather, to get you to think.
René Descartes (1596 - 1650) felt skepticism was not only healthy but necessary to better understand the world and society in which we live.
John Locke (1632 - 1704) included in his arguments the concept that the rights of all minorities must be protected for a government to be truly representative of the people it governed.
Jean-Jaques Rousseau (1712 - 1758) believed that people are inherently good, fair, and moral. These “natural” traits are corrupted, he thought, by bad government. He wrote, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” A just and fair society and government, he thought, would help man break those chains.
These philosophers were only a few of the people who wrote extensively during the Enlightenment period on the roles of the individual and the government and how the two must interact to create a just and sustainable society. The men who acted as the driving forces behind our revolution against England were very familiar with the teachings and philosophies of the Enlightenment.
Today, we have people who know nothing about these philosophers, their teachings, or how they influenced the thinking of the founders of our nation and yet make a lot of speeches claiming to know what the Founding Fathers really meant when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. (They also often get these two documents confused, citing the ideas of one and attributing them to the other.)
Although the philosophers of the Enlightenment often disagreed on how a government should be structured, they did agree for the most part on two very important concepts: It is up to the individual to be educated in what is going on in the society of which he or she is a part and it is up to the government of that society to protect and insure the rights and liberties of all its citizens.
That’s a pretty basic concept and one that is easy to understand. So, why do so many politicians today fail to understand it? Why do so many of them think it is government’s job to secure the power, and protect the investments, of corporations at the expense of the health and well being of not only the people they are supposed to represent but, also, the nation they claim to love?
If I’m wrong in believing too many elected officials (and those seeking election) owe their allegiance to those who invest in their campaigns and offer them future employment and/or remuneration, how else do you explain their support of laws that harm the quality of our food, water, and air, or oppose laws that would ensure the quality of our lives? How else do you explain laws that reward corporations that fire employees here and outsource their jobs to companies in other countries where the labor laws are more lax and the salaries and cost of benefits are lower? How else do you explain their support of laws that make it more difficult for certain sectors of our society to even vote? Many members of Congress still refuse to even consider eliminating tax subsidies to corporations that make more profit in one year than the gross national product of many countries.
A couple of years ago, I heard one of the most influential national radio show hosts encourage his listeners to not listen to President Obama’s State of the Union address. He said he will tell them what the president said and what it really meant. In other words, “Don’t think for yourself. Don’t get the facts and try to understand them. It’s much easier if you let me tell you what you should think.” He’s the same person who, before the 2008 Democratic National Convention, said he wants to see riots in the streets, cars overturned and in flames in the hope that this violence will prevent the Democratic candidate from winning the election. He referred to this as “Operation Chaos”. Did the politicians he supported speak out against him or even his call for violence? No. Did they insist he issue an apology to the people of Denver or the Democratic National Committee? Again, no.
Another conservative radio show host stated more recently, “If we don’t win with ballots, we’ll win with bullets.”
I don’t remember hearing any politicians supported by this radio show hostess denounce her statement.
As Thomas Paine said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Today, we have to decide if we are for the improvement of the lives of all Americans or higher profits for the corporations, many of which aren’t even registered in the US.
(Thanks to AT for reminding me of the importance of copyright notices.)
This was very well written. It happens far too often that the very people who speak out are the ones who are most oblivious to the way things are truly working. I feel this post should do exactly what you wanted it to, and make people think.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jeremy. There's an old expression, "G-d gave us two ears and one mouth. We should use them in that proportion." A newer expression is, "Engage brain before operating mouth." For too many people, it's a lot easier to repeat some catchphrase than to think about what they are saying. Research a topic before you voice an opinion? Why bother when someone on the radio already told you what to think and what to say.
DeleteDad - very good blog. Yes, our elected officials and those seeking election) owe their allegiance to those who invest in their campaigns, etc. It's the very nature of the dirty game called politics. I would argue that it's more prevalent in our country because we only have a two party system. When our country was much younger, people would leave their farms, etc. to serve in public office for 2-4 years. They did it for their country not for the lifetime benefits that politicians get now.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of reasons why companies outsource jobs to other countries. I believe that as a country we have become complacent. Why would a company not want to open a facility in India compared to the US? What is not to like about a more educated and skilled workforce that costs less than workers in the US? Frivolous lawsuits cost corporations billions of dollars a year not to mention an uncompetitive tax code. Should we be surprised at all that jobs have fled this country like it was the plague?
Laws do not protect men..they enslave them.
I agree 100% with your statement, "It's the very nature of the dirty game called politics. I would argue that it's more prevalent in our country because we only have a two party system. When our country was much younger, people would leave their farms, etc. to serve in public office for 2-4 years. They did it for their country not for the lifetime benefits that politicians get now." When politics becomes a lifetime profession, and not a "calling", we're in trouble. The immediate movement from government to a lobbying firm must be stopped. It's ridiculous that a country of our size has only two political parties from which to choose a leader. If money were the only consideration, I would agree it makes sense for a company to go overseas. Should money be the only consideration? What about a sense of responsibility to your own country as well as your stockholders? Why is the workforce of other countries better educated and better trained? Why aren't we putting more money and effort into our nation's infrastructure and educating our people and training them for the current and future jobs instead of into subsidies for companies that are making record profits?
DeleteCheck out www.getmoneyout.com and sign the petition.
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