CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATIONS
#twill #tcot #sbalich #maga #leadright #socialism
There is a lot of hand wringing about the possibility of a Socialist candidate for President and his popularity with younger generations of voters. Many commentators issue stern warnings about America becoming Venezuela or any of a number of failed socialist states. None really explain why Socialism is out of the question for our Constitutional Republic. Miss Constitution herself has stated that it is a philosophy in conflict with America’s political and economic system. A Socialist/Communist as President of the United States, if attempts were made by him or her to implement Socialism/Communism in America, would have the effect of amending the federal Constitution out of existence. In the next several columns Miss Constitution will explain why this is so.
First, as economic theory, Socialism is a preliminary stage towards an authoritarian Communistic state and the elimination of the private sector. This stepping-stone is outlined clearly in Marx’s writings beginning in 1847 and is the major philosophical opponent of America’s version of Capitalism. It should be noted that America’s version of Capitalism has changed since 1847 just as Marxism has changed and morphed depending upon the society that embraces it, but the basic distinctions remain the same.
Here are some of those distinctions and the implications of each:
- To promote social justice for all, America promotes the development of the person; Socialism/Communism promotes the development of the group
- To promote social justice for all, America emphasizes a fair and impartial process; Socialism/Communism promotes a pre-determined outcome
- To promote social justice for all, America’s engine of prosperity is the private sector; Socialism/Communism’s is the public or governmental sector
Note that we start, relative to both philosophies, with social justice. In the United States Constitution our Preamble, or mission statement, states clearly that We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union (this refers to the union of Scotland and England not our federal union), establish Justice. . .and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States. Thrown in there, as well, is the promotion of the general welfare, provision for the common defense, and the assurance of domestic tranquility. This Preamble tells us what the main value of our system is, and that main value is personal Liberty. This is the Liberty each of us has to develop individually, even if unevenly, within a system of laws we call the Rule of Law.
Social justice in America means an impartial system that lets the individual person have the liberty to go as far as he or she can go given the talents of each person and social justice in Socialist/Communist societies means forcing as equal an outcome as possible for each person regardless of individual effort and regardless of individual talent. A perfect example of the stark difference between these two alternatives is the decision made by the leader of the Pilgrims to America in 1620, William Bradford, relative to the critical issue of food production. Bradford came with his little flock hoping to establish a commune based on socialist principles of equal outcome as the undergirding of social justice. Communal gardens were planted, and the idea was that all persons in the commune would share the results equally. By 1623 they were still nearly starving to death with the prospect of being unable to feed the many shiploads of new arrivals who showed up in rags with no provisions and no tools to help. He made a momentous decision and it is that decision that still resonates with Americans today. Bradford abandoned the communal garden and encouraged each family to plant their own, feed their brood, and share only the excess with other members of the community. They never starved again. The strong impulse within the human breast to take care of one’s self and one’s responsibilities first and then reach out the charitable hand to others assured the survival of the colony. Nothing has changed in the human heart.
Our system is based on the reality of human nature and its patterns over time immemorial.
It is also counter-intuitive in some respects. How does self-interest morph into communal interest? How does personal liberty partner with obedience to the Rule of Law? Aren’t many of the Founding principles contradictory? With so many safety nets aren’t we a Socialist country now? How are social and economic issues supposed to be addressed in our system? These questions and more will be answered in the coming weeks.
Young people of all eras love the concept of social justice. Bernie Sanders and others see the pathway to social justice as Socialism/Communism. Our experience in America has the pathway to social justice as beginning with the person and moving to the group. If no one explains this difference, if no one explains why the original Pilgrim model did not work and cannot work, young voters will not have the information they need to make an informed decision. Why we are not teaching basic economics to our children and young adults baffles Miss Constitution, but she is going to spend the next several columns explaining its relatively simple premises and why America’s model, ironically, in partnership with the Constitution of the United States, has produced the most true social justice, through prosperity, in the history of the world. Stay tuned!
Copyright©2020 by M.E. Boyd, Esq., “Miss Constitution”
APPLES OF GOLD—Voices from the Past that Speak to us Now by M.E. Boyd is available at www.amazon.com
