“Sing in me Muse, and through me tell the story…”
-Homer, The Odyssey
Dearest Perses,
Thanks for indulging me in these reflections of mine. They are not cornerstones of my faith but feathers strewn upon the capricious winds. How they dance!
Something in me finds noxious the lack of resilience of the modern American and the debate over healthcare has intensified the bile. This great country was built with the sweat and the blood of his fathers who, I think, understood better the toil which is man's natural lot than his children in this generation do. They have forgotten, or were never taught, that work molds a man and suffering sanctifies him.
Nature does not guarantee many rights to man beyond the chance to live in freedom or slavery, hardship or leisure, according to his wiles and the blessings of Providence. On the other hand we are not barbarians- charity moves us to pity our fellow travelers who are in need and we are bound as men of eternal destiny or simply human virtue to help them. Charity is an act of the free will which also sanctifies us and should not be given over to another lest we lose the means of Grace. Again, neither nature nor the Constitution declare man as having a right to life free of suffering- government run or otherwise- merely the right to make one's way unimpeded by internal tyrants or foreign enemies. (You may disagree with the President but the Constitution gives him the power to commit troops to war and we, if opposed, have the right to vote him out of office- or change the Constitution.)
You say you are unhappy with our two-party system. I admit to its flaws but prefer them to the 'peace' that a one-party system would provide. I certainly reject the proposition of a Philosopher King (other than the Divine Christ) who could govern me better than I do myself. William F. Buckley was fond of saying he would rather be ruled by the first one hundred names in the Boston phone book than by the faculty at Harvard. This is the wisdom of the founders.
I've never had a class in government but I must take issue with your definition of representative democracy as 'giving the majority what they ask for'. This sounds closer to mob rule than rule of law and was the cancer that ate the belly of Rome. Again, I plead a certain ignorance but I thought our republic was predicated not on strict representative democracy but a system of checks and balances to thwart not only the power of government but also the fickle will of the people. The Constitution guarantees the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Liberty (the jewel in her crown) insures that I can live or die on my own merits without the 'safety net' (or snare) of Government. As to people being "mislead" by deceitful rhetoricians – this is Politics; the second oldest profession. Cain and Able were the first politicians and the process hasn't improved.
On to another point, and again I beg your indulgence, I'm not a hard man but I want to examine the first principles of our discussion, namely, 'is health care a right or privilege?' I maintain that it is indeed a privilege, since no man can have a right to that which belongs to another. A physician is to be paid for his services by the one who receives treatment. If the recipient cannot pay that is between the doctor and patient- and if it comes to it, the courts. The Hippocratic oath is for the virtue of the doctor and the good of man but does not bind the rest of society.
In the scenario you present your man elects not to buy insurance and an accident leaves him with a lifelong crushing debt. He exercised his right not to pay the premium and his decision was foolhardy. I can give you examples from the great teachers from Hesiod to Confucius to Christ who warn their disciples to prepare the barn against the day of famine. Your welfare is your personal responsibility and you must not presume upon the charity of strangers. One need not be educated to understand this so I won't entertain any arguments of having to provide for the ignorant masses, who have managed quite well throughout history. Now, the feeble minded and the infirm are another matter- they are the children of Zeus who's cries invoke his wrath and we cannot neglect them without losing our humanity. I'm speaking of the one who neglects his own house and then cries to Justice for reparation- she will not hear him.
You mention how one man born into wealth does not suffer the afflictions of another who is born to poverty. I would answer that Envy is a troublesome mistress. Do not begrudge your neighbor his wealth, for wealth is his burden and poverty yours and neither one guarantees happiness. Peace comes with the virtues well attended. See to your own happiness and let your brother attend to his.
Regarding your use of the term of 'developed countries' I would substitute the more accurate, if vulgar term, 'prosperous'- for one may be 'developed' in many ways but prosperity is prosperity. Whether our good fortune is from the gods, toil, resource, or luck it is not a blessing alone but also a curse. Too much prosperity has turned America into a land of entitlement as well as opportunity. Many of her free born citizens are closer to narcissistic Paris than valiant Achilles. The wealthy (and there are princes aplenty) have turned from teaching their children the pursuit of honor to tending to the 'business of business'. We have become a slave to the dollar rather than its master precisely because prosperity has lulled us into quiet submission to our possessions (iPods, plasma televisions, cellular phones, internet...) and our passions. In the words of a recently deceased friend of mine, Bruce Behling, who was at one time vice president of a major capital management firm, "a luxury once tried soon becomes a necessity."
Of the world’s prosperous countries I believe ours is the longest surviving under a continuous system of government and- more to the point- economic system, namely Free Market Capitalism. While she may have her faults the goddess Capitalism has proven to have remarkable resilience, and as anyone who has tried to bed her can attest, a mind of her own. She is at once a tawdry seductress, devoted wife and strict mother. She is like the hand of God who ‘giveth’ and ‘taketh away’ and any attempts to rein her in chances disruption of the whole system and the Diva’s wrath. Ronald Regan, under the inspiration of Milton Friedman said it best, “Government is not the solution; government is the problem.” Let the oracles read the signs and she will hand out punishments and rewards as only the divine goddess can.
It isn’t technology or medicine or a political party that I rail against, Perses, but the attitude that assumes a 'right' that neither nature nor the Constitution allows. Prudence, Temperance, Valor, Justice, and Charity built this nation- Envy, Greed, and Sloth may be her undoing. That is my opinion. If I am wrong I will be judged by the One who stands above human history and culture, who judges intentions and actions with omniscient clarity, and not by the shifting winds of passing convention.
I’m sorry if I let the Muses control me, Dear Perses, but your youthful zeal also inspires me. I wish I had more time to revise these murmurings but the nature of the medium is what it is. I do hope I did not offend- that is the last thing I want to do. You are a very good, intelligent and honest young man and I applaud your charity and righteousness. May the gods smile upon your way.
Thanks for indulging me in these reflections of mine. They are not cornerstones of my faith but feathers strewn upon the capricious winds. How they dance!
Something in me finds noxious the lack of resilience of the modern American and the debate over healthcare has intensified the bile. This great country was built with the sweat and the blood of his fathers who, I think, understood better the toil which is man's natural lot than his children in this generation do. They have forgotten, or were never taught, that work molds a man and suffering sanctifies him.
Nature does not guarantee many rights to man beyond the chance to live in freedom or slavery, hardship or leisure, according to his wiles and the blessings of Providence. On the other hand we are not barbarians- charity moves us to pity our fellow travelers who are in need and we are bound as men of eternal destiny or simply human virtue to help them. Charity is an act of the free will which also sanctifies us and should not be given over to another lest we lose the means of Grace. Again, neither nature nor the Constitution declare man as having a right to life free of suffering- government run or otherwise- merely the right to make one's way unimpeded by internal tyrants or foreign enemies. (You may disagree with the President but the Constitution gives him the power to commit troops to war and we, if opposed, have the right to vote him out of office- or change the Constitution.)
You say you are unhappy with our two-party system. I admit to its flaws but prefer them to the 'peace' that a one-party system would provide. I certainly reject the proposition of a Philosopher King (other than the Divine Christ) who could govern me better than I do myself. William F. Buckley was fond of saying he would rather be ruled by the first one hundred names in the Boston phone book than by the faculty at Harvard. This is the wisdom of the founders.
I've never had a class in government but I must take issue with your definition of representative democracy as 'giving the majority what they ask for'. This sounds closer to mob rule than rule of law and was the cancer that ate the belly of Rome. Again, I plead a certain ignorance but I thought our republic was predicated not on strict representative democracy but a system of checks and balances to thwart not only the power of government but also the fickle will of the people. The Constitution guarantees the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Liberty (the jewel in her crown) insures that I can live or die on my own merits without the 'safety net' (or snare) of Government. As to people being "mislead" by deceitful rhetoricians – this is Politics; the second oldest profession. Cain and Able were the first politicians and the process hasn't improved.
On to another point, and again I beg your indulgence, I'm not a hard man but I want to examine the first principles of our discussion, namely, 'is health care a right or privilege?' I maintain that it is indeed a privilege, since no man can have a right to that which belongs to another. A physician is to be paid for his services by the one who receives treatment. If the recipient cannot pay that is between the doctor and patient- and if it comes to it, the courts. The Hippocratic oath is for the virtue of the doctor and the good of man but does not bind the rest of society.
In the scenario you present your man elects not to buy insurance and an accident leaves him with a lifelong crushing debt. He exercised his right not to pay the premium and his decision was foolhardy. I can give you examples from the great teachers from Hesiod to Confucius to Christ who warn their disciples to prepare the barn against the day of famine. Your welfare is your personal responsibility and you must not presume upon the charity of strangers. One need not be educated to understand this so I won't entertain any arguments of having to provide for the ignorant masses, who have managed quite well throughout history. Now, the feeble minded and the infirm are another matter- they are the children of Zeus who's cries invoke his wrath and we cannot neglect them without losing our humanity. I'm speaking of the one who neglects his own house and then cries to Justice for reparation- she will not hear him.
You mention how one man born into wealth does not suffer the afflictions of another who is born to poverty. I would answer that Envy is a troublesome mistress. Do not begrudge your neighbor his wealth, for wealth is his burden and poverty yours and neither one guarantees happiness. Peace comes with the virtues well attended. See to your own happiness and let your brother attend to his.
Regarding your use of the term of 'developed countries' I would substitute the more accurate, if vulgar term, 'prosperous'- for one may be 'developed' in many ways but prosperity is prosperity. Whether our good fortune is from the gods, toil, resource, or luck it is not a blessing alone but also a curse. Too much prosperity has turned America into a land of entitlement as well as opportunity. Many of her free born citizens are closer to narcissistic Paris than valiant Achilles. The wealthy (and there are princes aplenty) have turned from teaching their children the pursuit of honor to tending to the 'business of business'. We have become a slave to the dollar rather than its master precisely because prosperity has lulled us into quiet submission to our possessions (iPods, plasma televisions, cellular phones, internet...) and our passions. In the words of a recently deceased friend of mine, Bruce Behling, who was at one time vice president of a major capital management firm, "a luxury once tried soon becomes a necessity."
Of the world’s prosperous countries I believe ours is the longest surviving under a continuous system of government and- more to the point- economic system, namely Free Market Capitalism. While she may have her faults the goddess Capitalism has proven to have remarkable resilience, and as anyone who has tried to bed her can attest, a mind of her own. She is at once a tawdry seductress, devoted wife and strict mother. She is like the hand of God who ‘giveth’ and ‘taketh away’ and any attempts to rein her in chances disruption of the whole system and the Diva’s wrath. Ronald Regan, under the inspiration of Milton Friedman said it best, “Government is not the solution; government is the problem.” Let the oracles read the signs and she will hand out punishments and rewards as only the divine goddess can.
It isn’t technology or medicine or a political party that I rail against, Perses, but the attitude that assumes a 'right' that neither nature nor the Constitution allows. Prudence, Temperance, Valor, Justice, and Charity built this nation- Envy, Greed, and Sloth may be her undoing. That is my opinion. If I am wrong I will be judged by the One who stands above human history and culture, who judges intentions and actions with omniscient clarity, and not by the shifting winds of passing convention.
I’m sorry if I let the Muses control me, Dear Perses, but your youthful zeal also inspires me. I wish I had more time to revise these murmurings but the nature of the medium is what it is. I do hope I did not offend- that is the last thing I want to do. You are a very good, intelligent and honest young man and I applaud your charity and righteousness. May the gods smile upon your way.
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