Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Almost Offended

The Apostle Paul told the believers in Thessalonica, "He that does not work shall not eat."

Here we are in 2016 with a candidate for president who labels himself a democratic socialist. A socialist is a socialist is a socialist. A social is one who wants to remove the means of production from individuals (or corporations which are treated like individuals) and put it all into the hands of the state. A socialist is one who wants individualism subjective to collective thinking. A socialist is one who wants to take the fruit of your labor and give it to those who have not earned it or deserved it.

I am appalled and offended by educational systems and institutions without sufficient interest in teaching history, government, and economics. Oh, you'll find those subjects in the curricula but what they teach is an interpretation of history filtered through the philosophy of evolution, dialectic, and humanism. Today even prominent political candidates can't define the difference between a Democrat and a Socialist.

Taking what God provides through creativity, hard work, and the desire to provide a product or service for others and give it to those who want others to provide for them is theft! Stealing is misappropriating property belonging to another.

Do not misunderstand me. I believe in helping those who cannot help themselves or, who through no fault of their own, are unable to provide for themselves. Such generosity, however, should not be forced or coerced whether by taxation or confiscation. Christians understand they pay taxes, and it is right to do so. Christians also dig deep into their pockets to build hospitals, schools, shelters, provide food, medicine, and helping hands to those truly in need.

I am offended by college football players who want to form unions to extract more money from the schools providing them with scholarships, books, and fees for an education worth multiple thousands of dollars. I would have paid to play football on a good team. As it was, I got $25 a semester to play for Norfolk (NE) Junior College.

I am offended by ignorant young people who think wealthy people do not pay their fair share of taxes. The reality is that the so-called 1 percent pay 90 percent of the taxes in this country. Granted, there may be too many loopholes but you solve the loophole problem with an appropriate tax code not confiscation. A person earning $1 million a year could pay anywhere from $600,000 to $900,000 in taxes.

I am offended by people who do not learn from the lessons of history. Too many today consider the past as irrelevant. In reality, the past defines the present and projects the future. For those who advocate socialism, history reveals the socialistic system has never worked. It works only until the socialists run out of other people's money. The Soviet Union's fall and institution of market capitalism was no accident. The fact China abandoned its brand of socialism for a market economy, albeit highly subsidized, is a reality.

I am offended by people who refuse to take responsibility for themselves, take charge of their lives, and make something of themselves.

I am offended by people who see everything through theoretical eyes and no sense of reality and how things really work. They parrot the old liberal mantra which says "if you know what is right, you will do right."

I return to where I started. Get up, take charge, work hard, and contribute..."he that will not work shall not eat."