Lessons From Chairman Mao »
Posted By RTHTGakaRoland 2 months, 1 week ago in Political OpinionThere is something tragic in man’s nature that an ideology which has been the scourge of the 20th century, inflicting misery and death upon hundreds of millions, still has so many adherents. China recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Communist Party. Although communism’s horror show continues to enslave a large portion the world’s population, many in our county are still sympathetic to this cancer. Its track record bears repeating, particularly to students, whose naïveté and inexperience leave them susceptible to dangerous belief systems.
Also in need of a primer on communism’s track record are those in the United States Congress who continue to support and appease communist dictators and tyrants like Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. For example, in April of 2009, key representatives of the Congressional Black Caucus met with Castro. “It was almost like listening to an old friend,” said Rep. Rush (D-Ill.). According to Representative Richardson (D-Long Beach), Castro knew her name and district. “He looked right into my eyes and he said, ‘How can we help? How can we help President Obama?’” On second thought, these minds have already been irreversibly poisoned. It’s better their constituents should hear the story of Communist China.
The People’s Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949 and the charismatic Mao Zedong, exposed to Marxism as a student at Peking University, was its leader. Mao’s cult of personality produced slavish devotion and enabled him to be seen as a visionary. Mao sought to fundamentally remake Chinese society. Dutiful to communist dogma, he needed someone to blame for society’s problems, and fomented cl*******red. Mao insisted that the peasants were kept poor because landowners and small farmers had taken what was rightfully theirs. Mao demonized those farmers who held more land than he deemed acceptable. He confiscated the land and promised it to the peasants. Part of Mao’s plan for “land reform” was to select at least one landlord, and usually several, in virtually every village for public execution. Political opponents were at first ridiculed, then simply eliminated. So far, Mao’s strategy was akin to his Soviet counterparts but Mao took it a step further. Not only did he confiscate the land; he actually made the people property of the state. Family life and traditions, personal property, privacy, personal initiative and individual freedom, were utterly destroyed for around one-seventh of mankind.
One fundamental and misguided belief that lies at the root of not only communism, but also its more acceptable cousins, socialism and progressivism, is that the state knows what is best for us. Hence President Obama’s ongoing narrative about what he can do to help us. Progressives, having learned that the private sector is the creator of wealth, do not want to eliminate it. Rather they just want to control it, and redistribute it.
Yet the very notion of redistribution of wealth—a common theme among many of the President’s Czars and other advisors—is a fallacy. When wealth is redistributed, it is largely destroyed. In fact, if we just transferred all the wealth from the private sector to the Government, the Government wouldn’t be “rich” for very long. The wealth would evaporate as it moved from the productive, innovative, and efficient private sector to the unproductive, stagnant, and wasteful public sector.
And what should we make of our United Stated Congress Representatives so enthralled with Castro and those in academia that still idolize Che Guevara? Or a White House where a senior staff members identifies Mao as one her favorite ‘philosophers?’
Each generation is susceptible to the disease of the mind called communism and its various strains. We need to guard against it like we guard against each new strain of flu. Many young people are attracted to new incarnations of the false promise of utopia. Some see appeal in the calls for “social justice” or “environmental justice”. A rose by any other name is still a rose and, branding aside, the goals of state control and redistribution vary little from Mao’s.
Historically speaking, what is truly new and fresh and revolutionary is the notion of limited government—strong enough to defend against enemies, protect its citizens and administer justice, but largely on the side of people’s lives. It is still an experiment whose odds are greatly stacked against it. The economist, Milton Freidman said in the 1970s that collectivism and tyranny is the natural state of man and that the US in the nineteenth century represented a brief respite from this sorry state. We are now back on the path towards ever increasing government power.
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RTHTGakaRoland
“…man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law ...
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RTHTGakaRoland2 months, 1 week ago
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These few lines warrant repeating:
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"Historically speaking, what is truly new and fresh and revolutionary is the notion of limited government—...It is still an experiment whose odds are greatly stacked against it. The economist, Milton Freidman said in the 1970s that collectivism and tyranny is the natural state of man and that the US in the nineteenth century represented a brief respite from this sorry state. We are now back on the path towards ever increasing government power." -
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avoth2 months, 1 week ago
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"And what should we make of our United Stated Congress Representatives so enthralled with Castro and those in academia that still idolize Che Guevara? Or a White House where a senior staff members identifies Mao as one her favorite ‘philosophers?’"
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And what should we make of ourselves who allowed this situation to occur?
The answer is "nothing" because it does no good to dwell on our mistakes. As Conservatives, we must obviously learn from our history, admit our errors in allowing it to occur, and resolve not to make the same mistake again.
Perhaps we have been too preoccupied with working hard, providing for our families, participating in our houses of worship, and generally trying to live the American dream. We must now get involved to set America on the right path again. -
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wtagg2 months, 1 week ago
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"is that the state knows what is best for us."
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The issue is that most republicans cannot move away from this comment any more than the democrats. The only difference is in small distinctions of what they want the government to control.
It is laughable to target only Obama in this accusation. He has been in power for not even 9 months. The issues you rail against have been with us for much longer than that have have been supported by those that you have voted for. If you want to move away from the ideologies that worry you, you need to walk the talk. Supporting democrats or republicans is only making you an enabler of our government. -
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Striker1012 months, 1 week ago
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A great article. I rue that it is even necessary to be dealing with the communist issue, but just look at the Droppers on this thread... it's necessary. There was something to be said for Joe McCarthy!
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Communism rejects the morality of your right to life. Remember how horribly that worked in both China and Russia. -
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epiphannyy2 months, 1 week ago
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I see where this "appeasement" of communist countries like China, etc, is all on Obama's head now, but I wonder if you all felt the same about YOUR heroes when they were doing it?
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Like, for example, when George H. W. Bush opened the door to communist China during his presidency....was THAT vilified or feared by you?
We'd have no communication with China if not for the dedicated efforts of George H. W. Bush.
I realize that recognizing this isn't something that blame is entirely partisan doesn't really fit your partisan agenda, but it doesn't change the facts that history proves true. The "appeasement" of communist countries didn't start with Obama. It just became "wrong" with Obama. -
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icono12 months, 1 week ago
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Good article Roland.
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What Conservatives, Liberals, Independents and others need to understand is what Communism is actually about at the individual level, not what the kool aid sellers want you to believe it is all about that is as a fix all for societies social ills and inequities.
So the thing to do is for each American to research what Communism/Socialism is really all about; ie study not only the theory but also the reality of Communism/Socialism
To truly appreciate the appeal to the uninitiated of 'real life' Communism, one has to only read The Communist Manifesto by Marx to see its relative intellectual appeal along the lines of the simplification of individual responsibility via the embracing of a total 'group think and control' of daily living and decision making for the individual. (Also for Marx his enemies were simply people that owned land and or business that, according to him, exploited the working masses by grossly and unjustly profiting from their labors.)
As group think becomes more established, then the wants and needs of the individual are subjugated to the dictates and policies of the masses or, as in the case of reality, 'a huge and extremely controlling central govt' that manages every facet of daily living for it's subjects.
Good post Roland.-
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RTHTGakaRoland2 months, 1 week ago
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Thanks.
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Your point about understanding the appeal to too many of Communism/Socialism is a significant hurdle for those of us who see no appeal. Even the Utopian fantasy propaganda version holds no appeal to those with a strong sense of themselves as a competent individual and an appreciation for the value of and rights of individuals. The reality of Communism/Socialism is of course truly horrifying to these same, and they/we clearly recognize it as a cumulative poison with no known safe dosage.
While most proponents of Communism/Socialism have, as you note, simply succumb to its false appeal; we have to be fully aware that some few of them know and desire it in its true form and are forcing it on us in drips and drops working up to eventually a full terminal dose.
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