I just came across an article from the American Thinker that I just had to pass on. It’s too long to post here so here is the link:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/08/this_will_never_be_a_eurosocia.html
Europe was a breeding ground for Socialism and Communism because they have a long, long history of the people being subject to the government. They were/are more accepting of having the government run their lives because that is the historical precedent for them. Serfs served kings and queens. Germans and Italians willingly subjected themselves to Hitler and Mussolini. Eastern Europeans suffered under Communism for decades after WWII, which they ultimately rejected but many became comfortable with it. It was just the way things were.
The United States was founded by people who rejected the notion of one man rule. In it’s historical context and even today, The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were/are radical documents. The idea that man’s rights came from God and not man was a radical departure from most of the world’s concept of governance. The founders stated that government’s role should be to make sure that we are free to exercise our God given rights. This was, and still is in many cases, totally foreign to European tradition.
America was also founded on the concept of individualism. Some say this is selfish. This is not true. The freedom to improve one’s self ultimately leads to that person becoming concerned not with self but with other people and their well-being. If you can come to understand yourself you are better able to understand others. With this understanding, instead of seeing only “what’s in it for me” you come to realize that others have needs as well. Understanding yourself makes you reach out to others in compassion because you know what they are going through.
Collectivism, on the other hand, says that its about helping the little guy but actually promotes greed and selfishness. Leaders collect goods for themselves while telling everyone to sacrifice for the “common good.” Soviet leaders had nice houses and never went without food or the nice things in life while their people waited in long lines for common items like toilet paper. Soviet leaders had fancy cars while the average citizen, if they could afford it, would have to wait years to buy a poorly made Trabant. European monarchies have/had a ruling class which lives entirely apart from the people they govern, surrounded by wealth and opulence. Monarchies promote strict caste systems where upward mobility is determined by which family you were born to. If you were born to a poor family, that was your lot in life. Too bad. This government enforced inequality creates a poverty mentality amongst the populace who, naturally go into survival mode. In survival mode, you cannot think beyond your own needs thus fostering the traits of greed and selfishness.
The average person’s ability to better themselves is either severely limited or done away with entirely. Without the hope of bettering their own condition, the average person will simply give up and look towards garnering what little he or she can for his or her self. They become fatalistic. “Whatever happens to me is beyond my control so I should just accept it.” Fatalism is, from my own experiences in Chile, very much part of Hispanic culture. The expression “Si Dios quiere” (If God wills it) is an all too common expression. For that reason, Spain and South America are also fertile grounds for Socialism and Communism. In Arab countries, there is a similar phrase “Insha’Allah” or “God willing.” Arab countries as well are fertile ground for collectivism albeit in the form of religious collectivism.
In the US, the American Dream says anyone can become anything they desire to be and this has attracted the masses from around the world for over 200 years. And when someone comes to this country and makes of him or herself what they desire, legitimately, then the natural result of their success is a desire to extend that same chance to others. That is the hope and change that we all want and have wanted since the founding of this country. Not European Collectivism. We have too long a tradition of being free to accept government control of our lives and the strong protests around the country against Obamacare, etc. are proof of that. I agree and applaud the author of this article! Well done and well said!
I have missed something?