Comment on Glenn Beck calling Government evil

[RandomThoughts]

He said look at the fruits, and commented on how rich people give. And he defended his argument with what seemed to be a religious based argument.

(The thread seemed to disappear so I re posted my comment here.)

As far as wealthy people giving to charity, see the story of the widow who gave 2 cents.

And since Bill Gates, regardless of how good he is, is not 10,000 better then an average person, his worth does not define his salary, an economic system does, he does not earn his money. And since that economic system is top heavy, taxation on the top is used to equalize that failure of the system.

Jesus also said to take care of the poor, something capitalism is geared not to do. Specifically, it is the legal obligation for a ceo to make as much money for its shareholders.

CEOs have testified that they are not there for any social reason, there obligation is to make money for owners of a company.

The only defense of capitalism is the belief that people in positions of wealth are blessed, and therefore deserve it because they are special. Literally the fault in his reason is a belief in some people being worthy, others not. It is really common, and I think you can see it between the lines of his comments.

Lets look at the good fruit and bad fruit.

Capitalism gave us.
Children unable to go to school
Child labor
Sweat shops
debtor prisons
death and suffering from black lung in mines
old people working till they died, or in poverty at old age.
Destruction of earth (pollution is more profitable)
gangs of kids stealing food on the streets(old England)
rotten or spoiled food in in food processing,
Ability to form monopolies and rule people by threatening starvation.
Rational and social acceptance of greed motive by claiming it is some blessed divine right to be the rich class.

Socialism gave us (or a mix of social programs with capitalism, which is socialism)New Deal for instance
Laws against child labor
Laws allowing miners to negotiate for wages
Laws to protect people from death at work
Rehabilitation at prions keeping some from returning to crime
Health care for elderly
Some food for poor, so they don't have to steal it
Safety in products and food shipped out to people.
Ability to evaluate food for safety
Rules to protect environment and people living down water from industrial plants.
Regulation to maintain competition in business.
Regulation to keep the greed motive in check
More capable people getting educations, and being upward mobile, able to find cures, innovate, and succeed for the good of all in society.


There is one argument for capitalism, it causes strife and challenge, making people stronger and even more productive. It creates an adversary for parts of society, by threat of poverty or less means, and makes people have to work harder. And I agree that challenges can build character. But if your role is to defend the mechanism that causes suffering to build character. Then your defense is to side with the force that causes suffering, more often the name attached to the evil you mentioned.

And who is to say that a capitalist who makes alot of money gets to decide which organizations get the donations. What makes the 'bad fruit' pure capitalist worthy? Only a claim to be worthy. Maybe people in government that do good works, Romans 13, are blessed and that is why systems exist to tax and give them resources to help the lesser among us.

Also society without government has been modeled many times, a criminal organization is a good example of a society without governmental control. And those societies rule with intimidation and violence in many cases. Since there is not a governmental social contract, the contract is individual respect, many times from fear, not from a common set of accepted rules. In capitalism without government, then stealing becomes another way to make a profit for shareholders, and lawlessness ensues. But since morality is not a component of capitalism, it does not matter. However many Capitalist can be moral, but it is not part of the inherent system, money, or capital acquisition is the defining characteristic of capitalism.

Governments defining characteristic is creating a better more comfortable more secure life for as many people in society as possible, paid for by those that get paid by the economic system of capitalism, not only by their value of work.

[provis99]

1. good post, good examples.

So Glenn Beck thinks government is evil? Well I think Glenn Beck is evil. Plus he's also less amusing than government.