To me Rand’s expresses a more LAW OF NATURE approach.
SImply put, only the strong survive. It is up to you to survive if you don’t you die.
Functions in nature perfectly but as to it functioning in society it is extreme. Extreme because what separates us from animals is our compassion and our ability to reason.
But I do feel that a system that rewards laziness is self defeating, a system that wants total fairness and equality is a system that rewards the weak and punishes the strong. Socialism to me is a method of nothing but control and is one that is self defeating.
Capitalism to me reflects more closely to the ways of nature than any other system. We modify this to allow some forms of socialism based on our compassion. But sometimes because we create a buffer from the threat we further damage the motivation to make one move forward.
Example. Welfare. The concept is a compassionate idea. The reality is it has become all consuming for many and hinders many from being motivated from moving forward.
Compassion for criminals has gotten ridiculous. Many criminals eat better, get a free education, free gym membership, free cable tv, and other “luxuries” than many working families that struggle with poverty. The one thing the criminal gives up is their freedom. Is this rehabilitation or is this reward for bad behavior? Well is the threat of jail that fearful that crime is down or is crime on the rise?
If someone refuses to work and sits around the house being a drug addict is there a threat to make them stop and move forward with their lives? Not really. In fact many drug programs will offer even better drugs then they can get on the streets and this is all paid for by people who chose to actually work and pay taxes.
Is any system fair? No. Is there such thing as total fairness? Never. Should there be? No.
Imagine watching a sporting event where no one loses and everyone gets the smae amount of points not matter how well they perform. One team scores, award the points to both temas because that is the “fair” thing to do.
No the reality is that people are selfish. That is the primal driver to survive. The “survival instinct” you could say. If society went back completely to the laws of nature it would be a very aggressive and brutal society. SO instead we use our reasoning and our compassion to regulate society in a way that would be more “civil”.
In the end though people look out for themselves and their interests first and foremost and that will never change. That is why you can never have world peace, society without want, no crime. YOu cna;t because there has to be a balance and what balances people is threat.
Threat of losing your job. Threat of losing a loved one. Threat of losing your life. Threat of losing your freedom. Threat of starving, freezing, etc.
We are a society that although we preach compassion and civility we actually use Threats to govern and regulate society. It is the fear that motivates people to “do the right thing” more than compassion or civility.
An example. IF you had a child that was molested and you met the molester and the molester was a person who was strung out on drugs and didn’t want to work nor change his ways at all would you feel compassion and pity for him and try to help get off of drugs, give him a bed to sleep in, share your food with him, take the time to try to teach the errors in his ways and rehabilitate him
or
Would wish you could blow his brains out without fear of judgment or jail time? THe threat of losing everything and going to jail would be the only thing stopping you. Not your compassion but rather a Threat that was more harming to you than having to live with the horror of what he did to your child.
We humans talk and talk about nice things, glorious things, compassionate things, but in the end our first and foremost concerns our ourselves and our loved ones and friends. We put them in a class that gets a higher priority than others. We give them standing above a complete stranger, and yet when it happens in society the complaints of not being fair are loud and long.
You can only strive for and achieve a balance in life. Each person’s balance is different. Working together can achieve so much but I am working to achieve my own goals, if ours are similar I don not mind helping along the way but I am in it for me not for a noble idea that cannot be attained.
As for me well I may seem harsh but if I see a lazy person I feel no compassion. Sorry. Starve. I don’t care. If I see a person that DESERVES compassion then I will literally give them the shirt off my back. The first time someone demands my assistance because it is my “duty” I would walk away and let them starve. Compassion and charity is much different then perpetual slavery based on guilt.
Drug addict? No welfare, no assistance. Either sober up or die. Criminal. THe penalty should reflect the crime not reflect how much money their attorney can use to purchase compassion.
Frivolous lawsuits? Simple If the person suing loses they have to pay %25 of what they were asking to a social program.
Capitalism?
My opinion. I liked Greenspan. I think he did a great job. I find it odd that many people never complained about how he was making everyone money until the house of cards fell. Was it all Greenspans fault? No. But we blame him? Of course?
He was our best buddy as long as he was making US money. But when we lose OUR money in market we helped build we could never take responsiblity for that. Nope Blame someone else. It helps ela the wounds.
Should a 3rd grade art teacher make as much money as a Nuclear physicist?
Should a rookie police officer make as much as detective that has put in twenty years?
Should a 19 year old kid cooking fries in Burger King make as much money and have as much social standing as a Professor at a University?
Nope. Simply put the system that works best is very simple.
You are rewarded for your hard work and in doing so put yourself in a better position to protect yourself from threats. Better income = Better Options. Better house = lower crime, better car = better safety, better healthcare = better health, better education = better job, Better Job = Better Options for your family.
The list goes on and when one obtains that they have a better standing in society. Their words carry more weight. Their actions impact more people.
Now currenlty we have a system that is designed to PUNISH one who does better in ay situations.
Better Job = Higher Taxes. Better Healthcare = Higher Costs and illegibility for “free” services. Better income = No College assistance for your kids.
The harder you work the harder you will have to work to give MORE to social programs than one who doesn’t work and yet receives all the goodies society can throw at them for no other reason than laziness. Because if they worked harder they couldn’t get everything for free. The system rewards failure and forces success to have to have FURTHER increase their success extensively in order to receive what is theirs.
We each strive to get further ahead in life. We each use reasoning in our decisions. We each have met at least one worthless person in life. We each have felt some resentment towards worthlessness.
Its the law of nature pure and simple.
We we differ is using our compassion and reason to alter the natural urges and instead work together.
But never be fooled into thinking the world can b a utopia. Without some form of threat and fear what would stop us from ignoring reason and compassion and give into the primal urge to move forward at all costs?
THat would bring me back to
Lord of the Flies…
(What if Atlas Yawned instead of shrugging?)
)
