More Problems With Socialism

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/16/iowa-senator-says-aig-executives-resign-commit-suicide/

A few disjointed thoughts on socialism.

Whatever happened to the shared dream Americans had of personal freedom? Liberty? Personal responsiblity? Hope? Have we so soon forsaken what made us a nation in the first place and what brought our great nation so many immigrants wishing to share in the dream? Apparently so.

It's been a long time coming really. Perhaps the start of it was the "New Deal", but regardless, the process has certainly been sped up in recent times under the Obamanation. We continue to add social programs that have been proven time and again to do little good and much bad (like causing dependency). They become entitlements (and if you don't believe me, just read or watch a little news and you'll see story after story of individuals looking to the government for a handout). Personally, I find it offensive that many among us can't see past the title of "government" and realize their entitlements are coming from taxpayers like me! Or, worse yet, they do understand that and just don't care.

The conundrum, for me, is that I do believe in helping people in need...I just don't want it to come from entitlement programs from our government. I want it to come from charitable organizations. I want it to come from "the church." One theory says that if taxes were cut then people would be more willing to give to charities. Maybe so. But, I also think that basic greed gets in the way of people giving to charitable organizations and the church has to step up efforts of meeting the needs of the "fatherless and the widow" (James 1:27). This is not an indictment of any local church or organization, but rather the entire "church world." I'm just as guilty as the next person, no doubt.

Then, there's the issue of the bailouts. Since when has failure not been an option in America? It's a staple of our economic system. The strongest survive. It's called competition and it has a long track record of producing results. Nobody likes to see companies go under and nobody likes to see jobs lost. But, let me ask, is the artifiical propping up of companies using taxpayers money only delaying the inevitable? If not, it's putting lipstick on a REALLY ugly pig (i.e. Detroit). The problem with propping these companies up is that the government now holds a stake in these corporations and have (see link above - notice it's a Republican this time) begun to exert control over those that have accepted the bailout money. And, we all know how great the governement is at efficiently managing programs don't we? Thank God for Ford and their refusal to take tainted bailout money. I hope when it all clears they are the one auto manufacturer still standing.

Margaret Thatcher supposedly once said "The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other peoples' money." Truer words have ever been spoken. Socialism is a downward spiral toward the abyss that removes personal choice, personal responsiblity, and freedom as we know it. We're well down that staircase and picking up steam under the Obamanation we elected to bring us into the depths of hopelessness. God save us.