I found this perspective fascinating. It touches on a few topics discussed here. One such topic is that of "unintended consequences". It without a doubt speaks to that with regards to Obama policies. Another has to do with what happens without a culture-wide Judeo-Christian influence in our society.
Of course, the author is making predictions. His remarks are entirely speculative. But he does draw on a variety of sources to get to his conclusions. And those of us with eyes to see have understood the points he is making. The question would be how to get the opposition to understand such obvious points.
Consider that there is a growing segment of our society that has never even seen the inside of a church, much less have a belief in God. Whether or not that segment is evidence of what the author above is saying, or if it is a separate but equally troublesome phenomena is less a concern than how the two fit together to bring about what can't be less than an entirely undesirable future for our nation.
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Mark Steyn has an excellent cover story in the upcoming National Review, on how the U.S. is becoming more European in its statism. Paul Krugman wrote that, in requiring shorter workweeks, Europe traded higher pay for more quality time with the family, but Steyn retorts that Europe is cratering demographically.
He continues:
These “family friendly” policies certainly give you “more time.” For what? High-school soccer and 4-H at the county fair? No. As we’ve seen, kids not called Muhammad are thin on the ground. God? No. When you worship the state-as-church, you don’t need to bother showing up to Mass anymore.
Civic volunteerism? No. All but extinct on the Continent. So what do Europeans do with all that time? Do they paint, write, make movies? Not so’s you’d notice. Not compared with 40 years ago... “Give people plenty and security, and they will fall into spiritual torpor,” wrote Charles Murray in In Our Hands. “When life becomes an extended picnic, with nothing of importance to do, ideas of greatness become an irritant. Such is the nature of the Europe syndrome.”
The key word here is “give.” When the state “gives” you plenty — when it takes care of your health, takes cares of your kids, takes care of your elderly parents, takes care of every primary responsibility of adulthood — it’s not surprising that the citizenry cease to function as adults.
The whole article's worth reading, for those who subscribe.
The point is, those who promote a social welfare state do not seem to consider the possible -- in my opinion, inevitable -- negative consequences that it has on the individual's relationships.
The relationship with the state becomes twisted, as the citizen becomes a ward.
The relationship with one's neighbors becomes twisted, as your neighbor becomes either your dependent or your coerced benefactor.
And, arguably, the relationship with God becomes twisted as you come to rely on the secular state rather than the provident Creator.
It as I once said. Communism (and Obama's idea of government is decidedly Communistic)is necessarily atheistic.
The state is God. In Obama's case, he wants us to worship him as God. Just like a typical narcissist.
I mean, in an Obama run Government, the state is God.
Steyn has expounded on this before. His points mirror those of Wilcox in the downside of such a system.
Mark,
Careful, lest you get another lesson in definitions. As far as I'm concerned, from center left all the way to hard Marxist fascism, it's all shades of the same bad idea to me.
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