Over the years friends and family have sent me both Republican and Democratic leaning information/propaganda. I have decided that when time allows I will respond. I like to rant, but I typically stick to sharing my opinions with those with similar views. However, if we have not already reached that tipping point upon which our country will never recover from the ferocious sucking sound that is the US government, it is time to speak out and be another small voice shouting, not from the wilderness, but the repudiated (by some) small town. Most recently I received an email that contained an opinion piece written by Deepak Chopra, a person whose books I have read and admired. In the past I have generally tended to agree with what he teaches. Here is a link to the article to which I respond today: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/obama-and-the-palin-effec_b_123943.html?page=2.
I find it interesting that those who most exhort that we can create our own lives feel so compelled to have the government constantly interfere in our lives. Those people (Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen) typically support the Socialist agenda. Socialism, at its core, denies that each person is and should be free and that each person has the ability to create a new and better life. Socialism denies the ability of the human spirit to rise up and of its own accord give and share with others, or even be willing to give and share with others because socialism trusts no one – no individual, that is. Socialists believe that the government knows better than you or I how best to care for ourselves and how best to choose when and how to spread one’s charity. In other words, Socialism denies allowing us to live the life we were supposed to live with all of its bumps and bruises, ups and downs, successes and failures, joys and sorrows. Life here and now is all about learning. We learn from successes. We learn from failures. We learn from the consequences of our actions. We learn from our own guilt and shame when we make poor decisions. We learn from the joy and gladness we feel when we make wise decisions. We learn from selfish acts and we learn from charitable acts. If the government, rather than I, is in charge of my charity I am enslaved. I am a prisoner of another man. I have no choice in my charity or lack thereof. When the government is in charge I do not have to think about how to use my resources. I become a robot working for the state.
Obama is a socialist. He and those like him desire to enslave us all to their will. And when that happens, the human experience shall be all for naught. You may not agree with Palin’s social conservatism, but if we pause to consider on what path her social conservatism might possibly lead, there is little to fear. For example, she does not believe in abortion. If it turned out that she actually had some ability to affect the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the abortion decision just reverts power back to the states which is the way it should be anyway.
As to Chopra’s list – “Look at what she stands for:”
DC: Small town values — a denial of America’s global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
First, the definition of parochialism is : the quality or state of being parochial; especially : selfish pettiness or narrowness (as of interests, opinions, or views) (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parochialism). So what you are saying is “a return to petty, small-minded petty small-mindedness.” A double insult, I assume, for those who love small towns. I can’t begin to guess at your reasoning for believing that people who love small towns are petty and small-minded. Perhaps a more thorough description would help us all to understand. Most of us who live in small towns (it has been my experience) are proud of America’s global role. We delight in the fact that America time and again has stood up to oppressors such as Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Kaiser Wilhelm II. Most of us are delighted that we have long stood for freedom and liberty. In an individual’s life one tends to make mistakes. A country is no different. We have not been perfect. Our country allowed the abomination of slavery and for a long time believed that women were inferior. When I was a small child I believed in Santa Claus. When I grew up I believed differently. It is beyond me how the people who established our country could actually believe that enslavement of any human was acceptable. And yet, today, people like Deepak Chopra still believe it is acceptable if it fits with his social agenda.
Karl Marx wanted everyone to live in industrial areas. I love the small town – I love small town values. Whoever said that small town values have anything to do with petty small mindedness has no understanding of true small town values.
DC: Ignorance of world affairs — a repudiation of the need to repair America’s image abroad.
Our reputation is tarnished with socialist societies and the only way to mend that is to also become socialist. Our reputation with nations where we have caused harm should be fixed by getting out of their business, and yet, again and again, we are called to act. You want us not to interfere with other countries, but you do want to interfere with an individual’s rights. You can’t have it both ways.
DC: Family values — a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don’t need to be heeded.
What is a claim for social justice? Demanding at the point of a gun that I act the way you want me to act? That I support causes that you want me to support? If I take care of my family and friend and you take care of yours, the web is held and there are no strangers. By the way, small town people tend to be very friendly, open, and welcoming to visitors/strangers, as well as friends and family.
DC: Rigid stands on guns and abortion — a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.
How do you negotiate with a government who will itself enslave you to its laws at the point of a gun? The laws continue to pile one upon another. Humankind will become sheep ruled by the wolf who will consume more and more, never satiated, never tired of finding a new way to “make us safe, make us healthy, make us bow to your every whim.”
DC: Patriotism — the usual fallback in a failed war.
Patriotism is commonly defined as love of and/or devotion to one’s country. The word comes from the Latin patria, and Greek patris, πατρίς.[1]
Excuse me, but what exactly is wrong with patriotism?
DC: ‘Reform’ — an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn’t fit your ideology.
Why do you repudiate reform? What if McCain and Palin actually did reform Washington? Would that be such a crime? Spending is out of control on both sides of the aisle. I want less spending and less government interference in my life. I don’t want more government. If you’re so fond of the government taking your money and giving it to others – give all your money to the government and get all of your friends to do the same, and then I’ll know that you speak the truth. Then I will know that you sincerely care about those who have less than you do and that you trust this government more than you trust yourself to take care of others’ welfare.
I am a social liberal and an economic conservative. In this political system I am forced to choose between economic liberalism (socialism) on the one side and economic conservatism on the other; social liberalism on the one side and social conservatism on the other. I by far choose economic conservatism/social conservatism.
The dilemma for me is this: As a Libertarian I disagree with both parties. Where there is a possibility of electing a Libertarian, I will do so. I don’t know what I will do this election. I want to make a statement – stand up for what I believe despite the consequences, but sometimes one also has to pick those things that best serve and push for small bits of progress where one can. The biggest problem we face is our huge federal government that has its hands in everything we do. The second problem is special interests – environmentalists, mothers against drunk drivers, prochoice, prolife, animal rights, etc., the third is the state and local governments who take up where the Federal government leaves off. When there is no choice, I must put the candidates on a mental scale and decide what weighs more heavily. Because both Republicans and Democrats now promote socialist policies – i.e., government bailouts, corporate and individual welfare programs, etc., it is quite difficult to determine who will work to reduce the size of government and its interference in my life. The first time George W. Bush ran for office he promised lower taxes, less government spending, etc. I believed him, and here he is spending, spending, spending. Of course, he has a congress with a Democratic majority so it is not all on his shoulders.
In my mind economic enslavement is a greater evil than a bent toward social enslavement because the more people are economically free, the more avenues they have to information and education which provides them with the opportunity to think for themselves and gain wisdom/common sense. If people have economic freedom they tend to have a certain measure of responsibility. Those who feel responsible for themselves tend to not need to have others take care of them, but they also tend to lend a helping hand when someone is in need. I believe that it is almost impossible to socially enslave people if they can’t be economically enslaved. When it comes down to it then, I will continue to lean toward the Republican side when given only the two choices because if the person isn’t just a wolf in sheep’s clothing, there is at least some small chance that the politician truly believes and acts on the belief that the individual rather than the government should choose how and where to spend his or her own money.
