Thinking out loud

February 5, 2013 — 2 Comments

(Posted from my iPhone)

I’m a former one percentor, and I’d like to make a brief point about redistribution.

But first, an extraordinarily sad fact about America. 146 million Americans are in the poor but working class. Their incomes do not cover basic needs: food, clothing, housing, transportation, child care and health care. On the potentially grotesque flip side, the top 50 employers of low-wage workers pay their top executives an average of $9.4 million a year.

This is disconcerting, perhaps shameful to some degree. But under no circumstances do I want the government to attempt to right or solve this disparity. Time and time again, they’ve demonstrated their bureaucratic incompetence and lust for power.

Compassion and fairness to those in need has to emanate from individuals within society. Those folks must change society’s mindset as well. Redistribution yes, a concern for neighbor absolutely, but freely offered and never coerced by a government.

My gosh, one out of four Americans now earns less than $10 an hour.

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  • Ann

    I agree wholeheartedly. It is up to each of us to help in every way as individuals in our community.

  • Pamela

    I was just telling my husband this very thing about 4 days ago. Few people are more Conservative than I, and I absolutely do NOT want the government involved, but too many people on the conservative side scream bloody murder when they hear what Blessed Pope John Paul II said about ‘the evils of the excesses of capitalism’ and call it ‘proof’ that the Church is a socialist cabal. Ugh…Too many defend large corporations while the employee is barely making rent. I’ve seen people online defending greed as a ‘conservative’ value. I don’t get it. I think they need to supplement their Ayn Rand with some Holy Scripture. The Founding Fathers understood it, that our system would only work for ‘a moral and religious people.’

    I’ve been attacked as a ‘liberal’ for saying that Capitalism is the best economic system for freedom and increased wealth for all, but only if it is fettered with the principals found in Christianity, and sadly, the powers that be in this country have done their damnedest to quash those principals, taking God out of our schools and public arena; Hollywood and celebrities pushing wanton values and denigrating people of faith so that many of the younger generations are leaving in droves because it’s so ‘uncool’. So we are left with unfettered capitalism, as you have described and that gives the leftists ammunition to foment the discord and class envy in people who do not have Faith and so see nothing wrong with ‘sticking it to the evil rich man’.

    I can’t help but think things are going to get very ugly. Our nation has lost it’s way. God have mercy.

    Sorry for the massive rant. Your post just really struck a nerve and it was so good to read something that is so like how I feel (though far more eloquent and brief than I could write it, obviously!).

    I found your site a few weeks ago, through something linked on Spiritdaily and have really enjoyed your writings. God bless you.