13-01-2015, 04:19 PM
Drew Phipps Wrote:Funny thing about Rand, when he talks about the things that have gone wrong, he makes perfect sense. But when he talks about fixing the problems, his ideas scare me. He is an elitist, probably a racist, and at minimum a "social Darwinist" of the highest order.
He sees the problem of injustice in our country as "lawless police vs. lawless welfare recipients." He sees poverty and a lack of education, not as problems to be fixed, but a symptom of excessive government (never mind that poverty and a lack of education existed long before FDR). His ideas seem to be to be totally devoid of the human compassion and tolerance which, fortunately, seem to be abundant in the younger generations. "Trouble" is after all, only "Opportunity in work clothes." We should take advantage of these opportunities to make people's lives better.
It seems to me that Paul, by framing the debate as "the 1%" against "cradle to grave welfare recipients" is attempting to pit both ends against each other. Although he decries revolution as one dictator replacing another, that seems to be what he is suggesting: replace the current government with one of his choosing. I have no doubt that his policies would lead to more domestic unrest as people begin to go hungry; and abroad, a return to "Fortress America" would only exacerbate the growing influence of both trans-national corporations and trans-national terrorist organizations.
Paul says that "enlightenemt" is, basically, the same thing as "getting a job." I say that enlightenment means realizing that people need more than a paycheck. Paul smells "progress." I smell "BS."
Absolutely! A lot more than a paycheque! A balanced person needs sustenance on many different levels.
I know little about Ron Paul, but I also couldn't avoid noticing his hate the wealthy guiding elite - hate the poor free-loaders of society - which seems to be almost like intellectual schizophrenia on his part. And it also struck me that this divisiveness in his thinking would mean that any solutions he brought to the table would be dangerous - and as bad as the political disease he hopes to cure. It's the musings of the one-eyed king, I think.
I have exactly the same reservations about Lyndon LaRouche, who also plays the same sort of card game with Washington's political insiders - but then attends Washington political functions with them and goes into quiet whisper-huddles with the likes of Dick Cheney.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Carl Jung - Aion (1951). CW 9, Part II: P.14