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| Bill Walz |
Whenever someone advocates overcoming some inequity or abuse in our social and economic system by advocating governmental involvement as the solution, as with proposing that we adopt government-paid universal health care, there is sure to be shrill condemnation of ìSOCIALISM!î by those of libertarian or right-wing persuasions, attempting to stir fears of totalitarian Stalinism. These voices are certain that the American system guarantees its citizens (and corporations) the right to expand private wealth and to exploit the benefits of this great land free of government interference. These voices can be counted on to shout down anyone who asks the American people, as directed by the nationís founders in a time known as ìThe Age of Enlightenment,î to look to their government as a way to seek a ìmore perfect unionî that benefits ìthe general welfare.î
In its greatness, America has struggled beyond many inequities that the
privileged have held to be their inalienable rights, the worst being
slavery, followed by unfettered racism, sexism, classism and
exploitation of workers and the countryís natural resources. The
instrument our founders gave the people to level the playing field in
this struggle with the forces of wealth, power and privilege was a
government dedicated to democracy, that is, the investment of
counterbalancing power in the collective hands of the people, however
shaky that balance remains to this day.
These struggles continue over issues like protection of the
environment, the erosion of workerís rights, access to healthcare,
education and social support systems for the less well off, and even
the waging of wars that benefit the moneyed at the expense in blood and
treasury of the common people. It involves the survival of democracy
itself, as those with wealth and power would corrupt that democracy,
manipulating the institutions of government and society for their own
agendas and benefit ó sometimes at the loss of liberty and protection
for those whom they disagree with or consider to be unfit or
undeserving.
Right-wing and libertarian voices have taken to overwhelming the
national political discourse with inflammatory, divisive, and
misleading rhetoric. The corporate establishment drums a subtler, yet
more dangerous, beat, monopolizing the mainstream outlets of
information promoting corporate consumer materialism and political
superficiality and conformity. In this atmosphere, it should be highly
instructive to remind ourselves of the words used by the nationís
founders to describe their intent in the forging of this government in
the preamble to the Constitution of the United States:
ìWe the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect
union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general Welfare, and ensure the Blessings
of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish the
Constitution of the United States of America.î
Note the emphasis and use of the plural and collective phrasing: ìWe
the peopleî, ìto form a more perfect unionî, ìprovide for the common
defenseî, ìpromote the general Welfareî, ìensure the Blessings of
Liberty to ourselves and to our Posterity.î There are no words in this
founding document elevating capitalism or corporations. There are no
words about any inherent freedom to exploit our fellow citizens or the
nationís resources, to amass obscene wealth while many suffer and
future generations face possible catastrophe. There are no words
elevating any political, economic or religious philosophy over all
others.
Importantly, while the Constitution outlines checks, balances, and
injunctions against government abuses, there are no words banishing
government involvement in the citizensí lives or the regulation of
commerce and wealth accumulation. On the contrary, it is a declaration
to form a government specifically for the purpose of creating a more
perfect union through a careful balance of government activism and
limits, of private ownership, but with government regulation and
protections. Government economic and social engineering is not
government-ownership socialism. In its decidedly democratic form, as we
find among our closest cultural allies, Western Europe and Canada, it
promotes economic prosperity coexisting nicely with greater social
fairness and cultural and environmental preservation.
If we are to enter a new Age of Enlightenment, to emerge from the
darkness of an age marked by greed and abusive power that undermines
the general welfare and threatens our posterity, we must again join
together, through the instrument of a democratic government, to
confront and limit the forces of power, wealth and prejudice who would
have this nationís benefits for themselves at the expense of a more
perfect union. Without quality healthcare, education, jobs, housing,
minimum income, civil rights and a clean environment FOR ALL, there can
be no ìunalienable Rights (to) Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness... for which Governments are instituted among Menî (The
Declaration of Independence). As Americans, we are supposed to ìhold
these truths to be self-evident,î but it seems many in their rush to
claim and hold this landís riches for themselves have forgotten it.
ï
Bill Walz is a UNC Asheville adjunct faculty member and a private
practice teacher of mindfulness, personal growth and consciousness.
Contact at bill.walz-at-worldnet.att.net or 258-3241.
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