A Call To Action

Moral Imperative

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”    ~ Edmund Burke

  America is one of the most diverse nations the world has ever known.  Our history has manifested itself in the anthropological blink-of-an-eye.  Immigrants from around the world have built our culture by taking the values and traditions of their custom, and refining them through the expectation of a more ideal life in their new home.  As in the natural world, diversity results in competitive advantage.  That advantage became a tsunami of innovation and production, dominating the world stage for over a century.  We have been riding the momentum of that wave for decades and as the waters recede we are faced with the stark reality that our advantage has disappeared.  The diversity of our populace, which once formed a rich tapestry, now seems more like a sinuous web, straining itself more with each passing day.  No longer a melting pot, compartmentalization has become the new norm.  Purveyors of vitriol, calling themselves journalists and politicians, exaggerate divisive issues and stoke animosity, manufacturing conflict whenever possible.  These puppets scramble to drown out or censor the idea that we have more common interests than antagonistic ones.  We are losing the battle against oppression: as we squabble about birth control our system of fundamental rights is being eviscerated.  We are losing the battle against evil: Christians and atheists look down their noses at one another, each extolling his moral superiority while relishing the unfounded hatred of those who may not agree.  How did it come to this?  Where is the thread of commonality that ran through the peoples of this once-proud nation?  As we seek to advance American culture and the human race as a whole, every individual has the responsibility to reject the paradigm of hatred and fear toward our brothers and sisters.  Let us not succumb to this tribalism, hiding behind the façade of political party or social class.

 

                Common sense morality is the keystone of every legitimate religion and the foundation of every great society.  This moral code, also called the natural law, is universal.  It doesn’t need to be translated because it exists on a higher plane than our language operates.  It has not been altered since man transcended the cognition of beasts.  Every person believes him or herself to be a champion of this cause, however justified.  Every government claims justification by this measure, though their actions rarely confirm their rhetoric.  People have settled into the lackadaisical notion that moral responsibility can be delegated to the government, the church, or to some grandstanding individual or group who strikes a chord with them.  Pay your taxes and the government will propagate freedom and self-governance with a fleet of drones and the threat of a nuclear arsenal.  It sounds contradictory because it is.  Give 10% of your income to the church and they will not only feed, clothe, and shelter the indigent, they will also grant you an eternity in paradise.  It sounds too good to be true because it is.  Most church-goers will gladly give large sums of money, but when it comes to actually spending time, they are satisfied having spent only 1 hour a week in observance.  Most grandstanders (union bosses, party leaders, and other activists) are happy to take your money and your time.  They will not ask you to use your brain, only to place your body here or there, maybe hold a sign or chant a slogan.   Well, the old adage is true, if you want something done right you have to do it yourself.  These measures result in a diluted sense of satisfaction.  If you remain insulated, no perspective is gained.  Strap on the yoke of initiative, form a personal relationship with the causes that are important to you and make them a part of your world.

 

                We are, as a whole, a moral people.  Our government, despite all its inadequacies, generally succeeds in propagating that morality and good will domestically and internationally.  The only problem with this reality is that it exists only in the selective memory of the general public.  We are living in an age of denial. Environmentalist charge the government with protecting the environment, a worthy cause.   They readily overlook the fact that environmental protection agencies are run by the biggest polluters, always exempting themselves, never achieving their stated goals.  Regular environmental catastrophes are swept under the rug or ignored entirely. Animal rights activists lament poor treatment and inhumane treatment of animals while the institutionalized torture and degradation of human beings at the hands of the American government goes unchallenged.  Christian activists expect the government to encourage the spread of their religious values, supposedly: Peace, Love, and Forgiveness.  Meanwhile they spew hate and fear at anybody who does not align with their core beliefs.  They expect the government to rescue unborn babies from would-be abortionists, while cheering the bombing and economic sanctions that have killed countless children around the world.  Statists think it is our government’s job to spread liberty and freedom to backwards savages living around the globe, whether they like it or not.  Then they expect peace to emerge from a bomb.  We bomb to install dictators, when their usefulness has expired, we bomb again and put in a new guy.  These actions are generally accepted by the American public, always ignoring reality, rationalizing facts, never wavering. 

 

                At this period in our history we are experiencing an advent of unbridled socialism.  While capitalism has been adulterated beyond recognition the past few decades, we have at least paid lip service to its virtues.  Things have changed.  Successful individuals are demonized as lecherous parasites as if every affluent person has obtained his wealth by some sleight of hand, taking advantage of the working man.  The only moral function of this wealth is to benefit the collective.  In reality, there are countless flaws in collectivist logic.  I challenge everybody to actually read Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto and defend it.  These arguments and ideals have not changed since its publication, nor has their senselessness.  Socialism seeks to distribute wealth evenly but only succeeds in making everybody equally impoverished.  Collectivists believe that the will of the individual is subservient to the good of the collective.  This is how social engineers justify atrocities inflicted on our fellow human beings who stood in the way of the greater good, or maybe they were just trying to stand up for their individual rights.  This is the great, inevitable fallacy of collectivism: when individual rights are contingent on the will of social engineers, everybody’s rights, all rights, including the right to life, are subjective. 

 

                We all have a duty, at this moment in our history, to put aside our petty differences, to stand up together, and demand our core rights be respected.  With all the good people in this country, it is inexcusable that our representative form of government behaves in this manner.  Whether you are a progressive or a conservative, we can all agree that an out-of-control Federal government isn’t good for anybody but the politically connected.  If we think that watching network news and showing up to vote fulfills our duty as citizens, that’s probably because most of us went to public school.  If we try to ignore what’s going on today or to blame our state of affairs on “the other guys”, we will continue down this road to serfdom.  If we count on others to take political action, our rights will disappear and ultimately we will only have ourselves to blame.  We must open our eyes FULLY to the present situation and take REAL steps toward a better future. 

 

                Depending on how you see it, human consciousness is either the most advanced product of evolution or the greatest gift from God.  Our senses, our emotions, and our morality are those gifts which define us as human.  To ignore parts of reality because they are unsettling is to suppress your humanity.  You cannot know Love without compassion and you cannot know compassion without pain.  Embrace these emotions, however negative: THEY ARE A CALL TO ACTION. Fight for the rights of your neighbors, across the street AND across the ocean.  We are lucky to have the freedom of expression in this country (for now) and we have an absolute moral imperative to use our gifts to stand up to the dismal tide of authoritarianism.