It is interesting that (so-called) intellectuals on our college campuses still defend communism and socialism even after the unbelievable human misery created by communist governments has been exposed... These 'intellectuals' say that communism is good in principle, but difficult to practice because human nature is flawed. The 'flaw' is that people tend to do what they are rewarded to do.
The 'intellectuals' however believe that people should be self-sacrificial. They must also believe that Mother Nature herself is flawed or they fail to recognize an immutable fact of nature, which is that everything that is alive must act in its self-interest or die. A lion must hunt or starve. A deer must run from the hunter or be eaten. Man must obtain food or perish.
Our most basic choice is either to act in our self-interest or die (or to barely survive in abject poverty in a hell-hole like North Korea).
The comment comes from the CEO of one of America's ten largest banks, John Allison, in his introduction to Edwin Locke's book The Prime Movers. (I've edited it slightly.)Naturally, astute Not PC readers will realise that Allison's observation relates to our recent discussion on the starting point on morality. Like me, and like Ayn Rand, Allison places the starting point of morality on an"immutable fact of nature, which is that everything that is alive must act in its self-interest or die." With this starting point -- that is to say, with a morality in which life is the standard -- it's entirely correct to point out that communism and socialism are neither good in principle nor in practice:they aren't good in practice precisely because they are immoral in principle.
LINKS: Introduction to The Prime Movers: Traits of the Great Wealth Creators - John Allison, Capitalism Magazine
The Prime Movers: Traits of the Great Wealth Creators, by Edwin Locke
- Amazon.ComIs-ought? Not a problem. - Not PC
RELATED: Ethics, Politics, Socialism, Objectivism, History
Thanks a lot for that, peter. I will have to look for that book. it seems well worth reading.
ReplyDeleteCommunism is good in principle, but is difficult to practice because IT is flawed, in theory and in practice.
ReplyDeleteCommunism makes assumptions about human nature; that we would be happy being the same as everyone, and overlooks the human desires of competition, personal pride and achieving potential.
It is for these reasons that physical force and brutality was used, at least during Mao's reign; to instigate fear of being different, of having the bourgeousie trait of trying to be better than others.