Topic: Economics
Why Socialism?

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What's behind the drive to socialism? What's missing in laissez-faire capitalism that leaves America open to socialistic influences?

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by Lou Poumakis
(libertarian)
Friday, May 29, 2009

We seem to be transitioning pell-mell into a more and more socialistic society.  The Liberals applaud while the conservatives moan and groan.  But nobody, and I mean not a single soul as far as I can see, ever asks why.  Why is our nation so polarized as to leave virtually no middle ground?  As a libertarian I can see the dangers associated with the direction we are now embarked on.  If we continue, both freedom and prosperity will be compromised very seriously.  But there are many people of other more liberal persuasions that disagree with this conclusion.  While they probably would accept that some compromises would be incurred, they still believe that more socialism would be a change for the better.  Is there something wrong with these people or do they have a point that we've missed?

I recently spent several hours in intense discussion with two such individuals and, while they certainly did not convert me to liberalism, I did gain a better appreciation for their point of view.  The key word that broke the impasse in our discussion was "humane."  They felt that capitalism does not treat the average person in a humane manner.  They see the injustices of a system that rewards the very wealthy by a factor of more than a thousand to one above the common man and then to top it off gives the wealthy a lower tax rate.  My argument, that even so the lower and middle classes are still far better off than they would be in a socialistic economy, fell on deaf ears.  Not because they didn't believe me but because they were outraged by a system that permits such injustices.  

Universal medical care has many advocates, even in income brackets where insurance costs are really no problem.  Again because these people feel in their hearts that everyone should be entitled to the best of care.  Their conclusions are wrong of course but still they are a major voting block and are dragging us all down with them.  But there is at least a grain of truth in what they're saying.  Freedom in this country has in great measure become license.  It is the super-rich that are promoting the socialist program; the greatest benefactors of free enterprise are the very people that are doing the most to undermine the system that gave them their wealth and power to begin with.  Why?  Because in their view the perpetuation of their assets is best served in such a system, a system that through the use of force can prevent the rise of any serious competition.  This is a self-serving, elitist point of view.  There is no concern here for the freedom or welfare of the general population, there is only a desire to keep them under control and to maximize and secure their own position of dominance.

This is not where America started, although the seeds of this problem were certainly there to begin with.  We started with God's law as the original premise.  That law, as expressed in the Bible, was to be the foundation of all our laws.  It offered the greatest degree of freedom possible to any human society but it depended on universal or near universal obedience. The Bible is very much pro-free enterprise; it places no restrictions on how much wealth a person may acquire and taxation is almost non-existent.  Civil government is tiny and almost invisible, no standing armies or social programs whatever.  The tenets of God's law are really quite simple.  It provided near total freedom with two restrictions: first to love God and second to love one's neighbor.  It is this second provision that is missing today.  Without it free enterprise leads to and becomes a dog-eat-dog world wherein the strongest, the shrewdest and the wisest dominate the remainder and use them as work animals, cannon fodder or in any other way they choose to satisfy their personal desires.  This is where we are today.  How many millions of lives have been wasted in unnecessary wars to satisfy the desires of the rich and powerful moguls that profit therefrom?  How long have we been burdened with heavy taxes and inflation to fill the pockets of corrupt politicians?  The list of offences could go on and on but we need to realize that freedom without the premises of God's law operating in society always leads to license.  So we see that socialism (or big government) is driven from two directions: first, an outcry against injustice by its victims and second, the attempt of the most venal perpetrators of injustice to increase their ability to be even more unjust.  

Lord Acton said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Well no one has absolute power (yet) but as that extreme is approached, corruption increases.  And there is no remedy for it other than for us all to love our neighbors.  Yes, this goes against the grain of human nature and we're ready to say, "no way, it will never happen here."  But there is a way, a return to the Christian faith, not the kind of faith many so-called Christians practice today but one that truly recognizes God, and not self, as god, that loves God and obeys him.  This kind of Christianity is what is needed in America today and Christians need to recognize the important role they must play to bring about sorely needed changes.  They must get out from under the idea that the world belongs to Satan and that it must necessarily get worse and worse until the Lord finally returns.  They need to recognize that God's law is not just for them, it is for the whole of humanity and their responsibility is to uphold that law and to teach and apply it to all of society.  When that begins to happen, then and only then will we begin to see positive, constructive, sustainable freedom developing in America.  Without it all that looms ahead is the dread specter of totalitarian government and deplorable living conditions for most people.   

©2009 Lou Poumakis, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Friday, May 29, 2009
Last modified: Friday, May 29, 2009

The views expressed in this article are those of Lou Poumakis only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Lou Poumakis is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.

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