In promoting the Welfarism begun under President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) declared a “War Against Poverty”. Subsequently, Conservative political activist, Bill Buckley (1925-2008), opined, “Poverty won!”
“He that giveth to the poor shall not lack;
But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” -Proverbs 28:27
Excerpt from the novel, Inescapable Consequences:
Charity connotes voluntary giving. What happens when voluntary giving becomes involuntary taking via governmental taxation of the productive in the name of “humanitarianism and social justice”? What happens when the recipients are not only the deserving poor in true need who are suffering helplessly and hopelessly but the undeserving poor and worthless swindlers? Does not charity then become something else — something evil called “Welfarism”?
The extent to which one is responsible for the welfare of another is an age-old question. Totally responsible? Not responsible, at all? Somewhat responsible? If somewhat, how much?
“From each according to his ability to each according to his needs.” -attributed to Karl Marx(1818-1883)
Means are limited. Needs are endless. Ah, but whence comes the funding? Whatever the case, funding is not inexhaustible.
“The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” -Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)
humanitarianism n.: Concern for human welfare. –Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
A definition reflecting a noble sentiment, indeed. The question arises, however, What form does that “concern” take in terms of actual behavior? To what extent is it fair to the productive community and just to the productive individuals therein to rob them at gunpoint of the fruits of their labors in order to meet the insatiable needs of the unproductive?
These United States had been founded upon the solid bedrock of individual responsibility capped by a thin layer of the shifting gravel of collective responsibility. Over the years as the democratic republic devolved into a republican democracy, the balance reversed. Progressively, voters raided the public treasury via the balloting box in the name of “humanitarianism and social justice”. It was Socialism! By any other name, it would smell as rotten.
The burden of financing the Welfare State was alleviated after World War Two with America being the only financial power remaining. As described in the novel, Retribution Fever, that context created a state of satiation whereby Americans could spend recklessly and irresponsibly. By 1980, the nation had gone from the largest creditor-nation to the largest debtor-nation.
Even today while recognizing our ruinous debt, we continue economic profligacy that will lead only to disaster. The profligacy is similar under Democrats and Republicans. The politicians recognize that the consequence of their adopting sound economic programs and policies is automatic defeat at the next election. The paradigm is called “behavioral contrast”, and it runs across species.
“Where my gubmint check?”
Take, for example, Mr. Rat in a Skinner-box. He is pressing a lever for pellets of food on a fixed ratio schedule of positive reïnforcement of FR50; i.e., he receives, in this case, ½-pellet for every 50 presses of a lever. Say that, temporarily, the programmer then enriches the reïnforcement to 1-pellet. Does the enrichment elicit an ecstatic emotional response in Mr. Rat? Probably, given that rats, too, have emotional responses. After several days, the programmer thins the reïnforcement back to ½-pellet for every 50 presses of the lever. What is the behavioral response of Mr. Rat? Correct! He stops pressing the lever and likely seeks revenge. So it goes with humans on welfare, only more so.
Revenge? Take two pigeons in adjacent Skinner-boxes, Pigeon A and Pigeon B, separated by a sliding, clear plastic barrier. Each pecks for food at its respective disk on the wall of its box. Suddenly, the programmer stops entirely presenting reïnforcement of Pigeon A but continues it for Pigeon B. Pigeon A witnesses the discrepancy. It elicits an emotional response of rage. Lift the barrier. What is the associated behavioral response? Correct! Pigeon A attacks Pigeon B.
So it goes with humans. Deprived of welfare, the human voter receiving welfare punishes the withholding politician at the next election by voting for his opponent. The Achilles-heel of democracy.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can exist only until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury.” -Alexander Tyler (1747-1813)
Well, a majority has. Fifty percent of Americans pay no income-tax. Sixty percent of those paying income tax receive more out of government than they pay into it. The consequence of Welfarism is economic instability. It is an evil malady that spells disaster for America.
Is there a remedy that most Americans might accept for this malady? Yes, however, only when the resulting situation becomes dire. What is that remedy?
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” -Matthew 7:7
As described in detail in Retribution Fever, it is a remedy based upon Biobehavioral Science. Upon what?
https://www.nationonfire.com/biobehavioral-science-2/ .
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