My wish this Christmas would be
for things that can never be. There are the usual “Peace on Earth, good will
towards all” hopes, but they are tempered by the knowledge that mankind really
does not seek this. So what are my
wishes?
I wish for an understanding of
the poor and how to help break the circle that entraps so many. The
ideal of charity has been replaced now with the notion of public welfare. In Charles
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol we see his
criticism of the state of social welfare and charity in Victorian England. In
the end, Scrooge is brought to understand the interdependence of all in a
society, but even Dickens did not foresee the shift from private charity to
public welfare.
We have had varying degrees of federal
welfare in the US now for 70 years, beginning with the introduction of the Emergency Relief and Construction Act of 1932[1].
In 1935, The Social Security Act, expanded
the payments given to the states to provide old-age assistance, aid for
dependent children, and support for the blind.
These are all important things, and it would seem society is better for
doing it, but how do we determine when good intentions are flawed and lead to
destruction? As in analogy, it is with
good intentions we build dams to capture water for drinking, control flooding,
provide hydro-electrical power, and perhaps a center for recreation, but what
happens if that dam fails and the communities down stream are suddenly swept
away?
As we look back on the last 70
years have we used our tax dollars to appreciably improve the lives of those we
have invested in, or have we enslaved them to the very cycle of poverty we’ve
attempted to cure? This issue is now a
political chip, used by both sides to demean and vilify the opposition in their
quest for power, influence, and personal gain, but who has an answer? Perhaps it is an unfortunate consequence of
being human that not all are equal and some succeed while others fail. If so,
then what should be the role of the government in comforting those who fail? Where
in this discussion is the recognition that family seems to be critical to
success and if the state destroys the family it destroys the individual. Do we
learn any lessons from the last seventy years, or is this just another
Sisyphean task the impoverished and we are bound together in?
I wish for leaders who are
confident, honest, and forthright. I hope for men and woman who answer
questions based on their beliefs, not what their advisors recommend as the
politically correct thing to say. I am tired of the gamesmanship, the sniping
or the worship of those who seek political office. It would be refreshing to
just once hear them speak candidly. I know this is a false hope, I doubt
politicians ever speak candidly, except to their most intimate acquaintances or
supporters. With spies being used by both the Democrats and Republicans it
seems increasingly unlikely that even these conversations will persist. The
lessons from Mr. Romney’s speech about the 47% who are dependent on government
will not be lost on the future candidates.
Finally, I wish for universal
acceptance of independent thought. I see an ever-contracting circle of
independent ideas. Today, if anyone questions the popular opinions they are
immediately beat down by the groups they have offended. We have become a nation of the easily
offended where only our own views are acceptable. We can’t listen to someone we
disagree with and just walk away, turn the channel, or ignore them, we have to
shove our opinions in their face, criticize their foolishness, and make them see the error of their way.
[1] http://www.socialwelfarehistory.com/programs/origins-of-the-state-federal-public-welfare-programs/
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