If 51 percent of the time people did the wrong thing, would your choice of government change?
How about if 99 percent of the time people did the right thing? Would you choose the same institution of government to be in charge?
These questions boil what is perceived to be a political debate down to that of a debate of the morality of humans.
I would wager to say that if you believed that 90 percent of the time people did the wrong thing, you would be opposed to a socialist government.
If people did what was right 100 percent of the time, would there be any reason socialism is a bad choice?
My belief is that it is incredibly difficult for those in power to remain good. Looking Biblically, we see that David, a man after God’s own heart, when he was put in a place of power committed an atrocity of a sin. Committing adultery with another man’s wife and then murdering that same man.
This is something that he potentially never would have done without the power he had. Why? Because he wouldn’t have been in a place to be able to get away with it without severe consequences.
If David, a man after God’s own heart, can be corrupted by power, I think it’s natural to assume that everyone is susceptible to being corrupted.
At the most fundamental level, that is why I take issue with a socialist government. I don’t come from the belief that “people are mostly good, they’re just put in circumstances that make them choose the wrong thing.” People, given enough power and left to their own devices, will always do the wrong thing.
Let’s say for a moment that you agree with this. You may not, which is fine, but say you did.
If that were true, what would be the best government system?
What would provide the best quality of life for the most people if humans, left to their own devices, always did the wrong thing?
It seems crazy to me to believe that if you hold this view you could also believe socialism is a good idea. This would mean that you have one person or one system with power over the lives of all of the other people in the nation.
If they start doing the wrong thing, good luck. They’re in control of your money, your laws and your lives. You are completely subject to their authority.
On the other hand, if you take this same approach on the morality of man, how would it look in a libertarian government? Or an extremely limited government? People still might do the wrong thing, but the effect of their wrong actions would harm only themselves and potentially their family.
If everyone is in it for #1 (which most people are) then this would still work. Everyone would be responsible for themselves, not owing it to anyone to help them.
You might think this would make all the disabled population and people in need fresh out of hope, but there have been numerous studies that have shown that those who are not required to give (required to give = stealing [I.e. taxes]) give much more generously than those who are required.
Let’s turn the table though.
What if humans did the right thing 99 percent of the time? What would be the best system of government? Would it be libertarian? People making their own utopias? Would it be socialism? A system that was truly only focused on the betterment of others?
I ask you to consider what you believe about people.
How good are people?
If your answer isn’t what you were thinking, should you reconsider your political beliefs?
Should you reconsider other beliefs?