In the recent Biden interview, anti-social Faux News anchor Barbara West
quoted Karl Marx
and asked, "You may recognize this famous quote. From each according to
his abilities, to
each according to his needs. That's from Karl Marx. How is Sen. Obama not
being a Marxist
if he intends to spread the wealth around?"
This continuous drone in an effort to vilify natural social tendencies of
humans betrays
the selfish, greedy worldview of a few twisted minds.
What they don't want you to know is that this concept of community
responsibility wasn't
born with Marx. Greater men then him articulated the principle, including
the most
intellectual of the USA 'founding fathers', Benjamin Franklin.
No rugged individualist such as Bill Gates could earn $54 Billion in a few
years, no
matter how genius, absent the rules made and enforced by government as
agents of the land
lords. The obscene wealth being transferred to a handful of the 'opulent
minority'
doesn't speak to the wonderful 'American Dream' but rather it exposes how
ill-founded and
anti-social the rules are that enabled this aberration.
Franklin noted that all wealth is the creation of society, community. And
as such, those
holding immense wealth are indebted to society - 'From each according to
his abilities, to
each according to his needs.'..."down to the last farthing"! - Not as
charity, but as
repayment of a debt to society.
"Superfluous Property is the Creature of Society. Simple and mild Laws
were sufficient to
guard the Property that was merely necessary. The Savage’s Bow, his
Hatchet, and his Coat
of Skins, were sufficiently secured without Law by the Fear of personal
Resentment and
Retaliation. When by virtue of the first Laws Part of the Society
ac***ulated Wealth and
grew Powerful, they enacted others more severe, and would protect their
Property at the
Expence of Humanity. This was abusing their Powers, and commencing a
Tyranny."
- - Benjamin Franklin
"...the Ac***ulation therefore of Property in such a Society, and its
Security to
Individuals in every Society must be an Effect of the Protection afforded
to it by the
joint Strength of the Society, in the Execution of its Laws; private
Property therefore is
a Creature of Society and is subject to the Calls of that Society whenever
its Necessities
shall require it, even to its last Farthing; its Contributions therefore
to the public
Exigencies are not to be considered as conferring a Benefit on the Public,
entitling the
Contributors to the Distinctions of Honour and Power; but as the Return of
an Obligation
previously received or the Payment of a just Debt."
- - Benjamin Franklin
As great a mind Franklin was, the concepts imbedded in his words were not
novel. They are
ancient. In fact it should be clear that what he wrote and Marx's famous
mantra 'From
each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.' were
merely restatements
of the principles espoused by others such as Gerrard Winstanley and the
Diggers of the
1600's.
"Seeing the common people of England by joynt consent of person and purse
have caste out
Charles our Norman oppressour, wee have by this victory recovered
ourselves from under his
Norman yoake." "..."in the beginning of time God made the earth. Not one
word was spoken
at the beginning that one branch of mankind should rule over another, but
selfish
imaginations did set up one man to teach and rule over another."
- - Gerrard Winstanley
"The power of enclosing land and owning property was brought into the
creation by your
ancestors by the sword; which first did murder their fellow creatures,
men, and after
plunder or steal away their land, and left this land successively to you,
their children.
And therefore, though you did not kill or thieve, yet you hold that cursed
thing in your
hand by the power of the sword; and so you justify the wicked deeds of
your fathers, and
that sin of your fathers shall be visited upon the head of you and your
children to the
third and fourth generation, and longer too, till your bloody and thieving
power be rooted
out of the land."
- - Gerrard Winstanley
And just where did Winstanley get this 'brainstorm'? From the actual
'compassionate
conservatives', the true evangelical Christians, the disciples of Jesus
himself:
One origin of such fundamental Christian Communism can be traced to the
Book of Acts,
chapter 2:
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that
any of his
possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With
great power the
apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and
much grace was
upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to
time those who
owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and
put it at the
apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36
Joseph, a Levite from
Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of
Encouragement), 37 sold a
field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
***
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things in common;
45 And sold
their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had
need.
So one might ask, when Marx penned his famous line, 'From each according
to his abilities,
to each according to his needs.' - did he give credit to the Christian
source?
--
Said American [Indian] Chieftain Acuera in reply to
the invader de Soto's demand for submission to
the king and the church so as to 'enjoy the benefits
of 'civilization' and service:
"I have long since learned who you [European Christians] are,
through others of you who came years ago to my land;
and I already know very well what your customs and
behavior are like. To me you are professional
vagabonds who wander from place to place,
gaining your livelihood by robbing, sacking and
murdering people who have given you no offense.
... Accordingly, I and all of my people have vowed
to die a hundred deaths to maintain the freedom
of our land. This is our answer, both
for the present and forevermore."
-- "Florida of the Inca" (1591)
by El Inca [aka Garcilaso de la Vega]
- First American Author to be published.
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