Were the title, "Communism: Legalized Evil," many of the good men would readily agree. But they fail to realize that communism and socialism are basically one and the same!
What socialism is? Here is its double barreled definition:
Government ownership and/or control of the means of production: THE PLANNED ECONOMY.
Government ownership and/or control of the results of production: THE WELFARESTATE.
They are good men in the limited realm of what they know to be good. All of us have our limited realm. Good men, in order to do something rather than nothing, must know what socialism is.
Why is it that millions of good men do nothing about the triumph of this particular evil -- socialism? In the first place, they do not know what socialism is and, secondly, even if they did know, they would not regard it as evil, so highly is socialism praised in our day and age.
Unless this fault be corrected, beginning with a few examplars, the free society is not possible, for no society can be both free and intolerant. The remedy? An acknowledgment of an incontrovertible fact: Mortal man possesses only infinitesimal grains of wisdom -- regardless of how far up the ladder.
Were such intolerance warranted, then those on higher steps are equally warranted in being justas intolerant of me; and those on still higher steps intolerant of them. A world full of intolerance and barren of example!
Assuredly the first step is to realize how far even the best of us is from Infinite Wisdom. Visualize a ladder extending infinitely into space -- no ending. If I have advanced, say to the third step, the tendency is to be intolerant to those on the first and second steps -- the know-nothings!
For anyone to be intolerant of others is to assess himself as the infallible I,the authorityin rendering final judgments. Such authoritarianism is the very opposite of the freedom one avowedly stands for.
Unless this fault be corrected, beginning with a few examplars, the free society is not possible, for no society can be both free and intolerant. The remedy? An acknowledgment of an incontrovertible fact: Mortal man possesses only infinitesimal grains of wisdom -- regardless of how far up the ladder.
If we wish others to be tolerant, neither you nor I can do much about it except to set a right example. As Burke wrote, "Example is the school of mankind. They will learn at no other."
We anticipate a time when the love of truth shall have come up to our love of liberty, and men shall be cordially tolerant and earnest believers both at once.
The only true spirit of tolerance consists in our conscientious toleration of each other's intolerance.
A majority of our citizens deplore -- even despise -- the freedom way of life. These are people who haven't the slightest idea of the miracles that flow from the self-responsibility that limited government assures. Indeed, they are quite content to live off others and barely tolerate the idea that each should attend to his own life and livelihood.
Now reflect on the few instances where a people's government has been limited to invoking a common justice and keeping the peace. These free societies have survived for relatively short periods. But what about the people in these rare circumstances? Limited governments leave them self-responsible and, as a result, they prosper economically, intellectually, morally, spiritually.
The historical record gives the unhappy answer loud and clear: all-out governments! Despotism is the rule -- pun intended! Under dictatorship, how do the people fare? The answer is -- poorly.
That free societies are better fitted to survive than closed societies is obvious. However, we must distinguish between what does and does not survive. Is it societies -- the people -- or governments of the dictatorial brand?
On the other hand, there are numerous wishy-washy types who are barren of any ideological ideas, who will tolerate this or that something, be it socialism or freedom.
Thus, we have examples of both intolerance and tolerance -- and both wrong!
Nearly everyone feels strongly about something. Reflect on the millions who believe in socialism -- something -- and have no tolerance whatsoever for freedom. And there are those who believe in freedom -- an opposite something -- who are intolerant of any individual who does not agree with them.
Letus displace the do-as-I-say way of life with hard work at self-improvement if we would know and enjoy the blessings of freedom.
Untold millions in today's world are making it their business to keep civilizations from going to the dogs. By self-improvement? Unfortunately precisely the opposite.
