[Rhodes22-list] Politics: Socialism - a response to Rik

[Robert Skinner]

Rik Sandberg wrote:
> ... What I see though is they do tend to promote the
> idea that it's OK to be a victim.  I see this as a
> huge problem in our country these days. People seem
> to think that their problems are somehow special and
> therefore some special treatment should be offered
> for them...

Rik, I have to agree that there is a growing culture of 
victimhood.  And yes, it is a social sickness in that it 
is the extreme opposite if responsibility for dealing 
with life as it comes.

On the other hand, doodoo occurs and we can all use a 
hand or a bit of good luck now and then.  I moved from
the D.C. area back to Maine in part because of its 
strong ethic of self-reliance, and in part because of
its history of mutual support in hard times.

The balance of responsibility and compassion in Maine 
was and is a lot healthier in my opinion than the (and 
here I quote a recent D.C. mayor) "Get used to it, 
whitey!" attitude about 3rd generation fatherless 
families living in the tax-subsidized projects.

> This to me is as good as promoting socialism.

But here we part company, only because of the way that
statement is phrased.  While irresponsibility is a 
problem, so is a position that institutionalized 
compassion (socialism) is a bad thing.

We who think about such things have a responsibility
to navigate a course between the Scylla of extreme 
socialism and the Charybdis of rock-hard capitalism. 
 
Either extreme sinks the ship of state.

Jai Bhagwan
/Bob

Yes, I did reverse the roles of Scylla and Charybdis 
for the sake of alliteration.
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/s/scylla.html