I found this comment at Free The Animal. I have reblogged, perhaps only to give myself the chance to reread it occasionally.
Amy Haines
I’m looking forward to the Commie dissection tomorrow. I find it
interesting that people who are pro-socialism/collectivism assume that
those who are anti-collectivism, or individualist, libertarian,
minarchists, whatever you want to call them, are just selfish assholes.
Ultimately, the collectivists are the selfish ones, desiring to live a
life of safety and security and at a level of comfort that they could
not provide for themselves, so they attach themselves like parasites to a
wealthier, healthier host in order to suck the wealth from the
productive ones.
I am selfish. Selfish enough to breed, so MY genes are furthered along. Selfish enough to be certain we have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and love in our home. Selfish enough to want my parents and siblings and their kids, my aunts and uncles, my surviving grandparent, and my friends to have the same comforts I have. But I will refer back to my belief in the correctness of Dunbar’s number theory: we are only capable of supporting and nurturing so many people. We may feel compassion or sympathy for others on an emotional level, but there is little we can do to directly affect their lives unless we make a choice to take away from our families and give to others – and that is the crux of collectivism. What are you taking from you and yours so that others can have the same or better treatment? What are you taking from productive people so that others who are unproductive can have better lives?
America is far from a poor nation. When welfare recipients have iPhones, internet connections, EBT cards, cars, money for alcohol and drugs, and housing all at the expense of the taxpayer, I cannot say there is real “poverty” here. Not that some might not live in outright poverty, but at some point, where does their selfishness for other people’s money end and their own hand in their fates begin?
But even the need to be altruistic or to help improve another person’s life is ultimately selfish: the hubris that you can make a difference and the dopamine rush you get from being thanked for your kindness is something you feel good about – SELFISH. Some people do good works and don’t expect to be thanked, but they still have the satisfaction of going to bed at night feeling good about their mission – SELFISH. If it is in your own self-interest to be altruistic, that is fine, but don’t pretend altruism is always 100% all about the other guy. People help others because they get a genuine good feeling from it – if it isn’t forced.
And the coercive force of taxation prevents me from feeling good about the altruistic intent of our welfare system, et. al. I have gladly helped poor people get educations (that they did not want and spat in my face over it, in an inner-city school where I lasted two years), get food at soup kitchens and food pantries, and get clothing for job interviews and their kids when I volunteered to distribute goods at a local charity. I give toys to local churches and civic organizations for poor kids at Christmas time. I get a good feeling from those things. I don’t get a warm fuzzy from seeing 30% of my husband’s income go to taxes to feed the local welfare queens and their thugs-in-training and provide medical care for people who have no desire to keep themselves healthy and out of harm’s way.
Sorry, Richard. Your blog, not my place to rant. But it feels sooooo good – SELFISH!
I am selfish. Selfish enough to breed, so MY genes are furthered along. Selfish enough to be certain we have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and love in our home. Selfish enough to want my parents and siblings and their kids, my aunts and uncles, my surviving grandparent, and my friends to have the same comforts I have. But I will refer back to my belief in the correctness of Dunbar’s number theory: we are only capable of supporting and nurturing so many people. We may feel compassion or sympathy for others on an emotional level, but there is little we can do to directly affect their lives unless we make a choice to take away from our families and give to others – and that is the crux of collectivism. What are you taking from you and yours so that others can have the same or better treatment? What are you taking from productive people so that others who are unproductive can have better lives?
America is far from a poor nation. When welfare recipients have iPhones, internet connections, EBT cards, cars, money for alcohol and drugs, and housing all at the expense of the taxpayer, I cannot say there is real “poverty” here. Not that some might not live in outright poverty, but at some point, where does their selfishness for other people’s money end and their own hand in their fates begin?
But even the need to be altruistic or to help improve another person’s life is ultimately selfish: the hubris that you can make a difference and the dopamine rush you get from being thanked for your kindness is something you feel good about – SELFISH. Some people do good works and don’t expect to be thanked, but they still have the satisfaction of going to bed at night feeling good about their mission – SELFISH. If it is in your own self-interest to be altruistic, that is fine, but don’t pretend altruism is always 100% all about the other guy. People help others because they get a genuine good feeling from it – if it isn’t forced.
And the coercive force of taxation prevents me from feeling good about the altruistic intent of our welfare system, et. al. I have gladly helped poor people get educations (that they did not want and spat in my face over it, in an inner-city school where I lasted two years), get food at soup kitchens and food pantries, and get clothing for job interviews and their kids when I volunteered to distribute goods at a local charity. I give toys to local churches and civic organizations for poor kids at Christmas time. I get a good feeling from those things. I don’t get a warm fuzzy from seeing 30% of my husband’s income go to taxes to feed the local welfare queens and their thugs-in-training and provide medical care for people who have no desire to keep themselves healthy and out of harm’s way.
Sorry, Richard. Your blog, not my place to rant. But it feels sooooo good – SELFISH!
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