Collectivism

By Douglas V. Gibbs

In the end, all of the problems we are experiencing in the United States in the political realm can be narrowed down to the constant battle between collectivism and individualism.  Collectivism is based on the concept that the group is more important than the individual.  The village as an overall group has more rights, and the rights that a ruling elite believes to be due to the group are more important, than that of the individual.  

The needs of the many, in the mind of the collectivist, are more important than the needs of the few, and the definition of what those needs are will be established by those that support the communal society of collectivism.  And if any individuals stand in the way of the collective, or dare to oppose the overall collective reasoning of those in charge, then those individuals may be restrained by the body politic, and sacrificed in order to protect the "common good."

Collectivism requires an authoritarian system to carry out its will, which always leads to coercion, and ultimately, in order to fully silence the opposition, leads to violence.  You are free to be free, as long as your freedom agrees with the policies and mandates of the ruling class, which we are told are determined by what the ruling elite believes to be for the good of the overall community.

In such a system, individualism is labeled as being greedy, selfish, and uncooperative.  Eventually, other labels begin to enter the argument in order to disarm the argument supporting individualism.  These labels may include "racists", "bigots", and "extremists".

Historically, however, the collectivist way of doing things harms the community, separating society into two classes, the ruling elite, and the peasantry.  Individuals become slaves to the state, expected to obey without having any argument to the contrary.  But in societies where individualism is championed, free markets emerge, and the freedoms that accompany such a system leads to innovation, and prosperity.  The community, with the rise of a few individuals, benefits.  In other words, everyone benefits when members of the community do well as individuals, because as in a bay, as the tide rises, all of the boats rise with it.

For example, if a business owner does well, he provides more product for the community to purchase, and jobs to members of the community in order to produce those products.  His success, and his attainment of wealth, also benefits others that join in with him as partners, consumers, or employees.

The way to destroy communities, and relegate them down to nothing more than a plantation where the inhabitants merely obey the masters in charge, is through collectivism. . . the kind of system pursued by the liberal left Democrats, and the establishment Republicans that refuse to stand against them.

The United States Constitution encourages individuality, and the freedom of choice.  The Constitution's principles call for limiting the authorities of the central government, and leaving local issues to local governments, as well as to individual organizations and individual persons.  The philosophies of the Constitution are primarily grounded in Judeo-Christian values, which teach us to, as individuals, treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves.  Jesus taught us to seek to care for our neighbors as individuals.  That includes benefiting the community through individual growth and success, and giving back through volunteerism and through individual acts of charity.  Let government handle the things government must take care of, such as common defense, but leave the local issues to the local communities, and charity to those who have succeeded, and private organizations that have emerged with that kind of community giving as their mission.

Even the idea of Salvation carries with it those ideas.  Unlike a conversion to Islam, in Christianity the choice to accept Christ is voluntary, and expected to be a personal decision as an individual.  The sincerity of the decision is between the individual, and God.  The outward appearance of that faith with the community will be determined by the group based on the individual fruit that the person has provided.  By the fruit of the individual you will know the faith of the individual.  And as an individual, it is up to that person to decide where to take their faith, and how to use their God-given talents to help spread the good news of Christ, so that the group (Christian Church) may ultimately benefit from their individual and personal actions, and witness.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary