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It takes a special kind of stupid to be a Leftist meme creator, because it takes a special kind of stupid to be a Leftist. We are not referring to garden-variety Democrats or other people of good will who happen to be left of center. A Leftist is a virulent species, pretending to be clever and reasonable, appealing to our better natures with veiled agendas, and being entirely convinced of their own superiority.
We want to examine two Leftist memes lifted from a Socialist Faceborg page. The first is a lame and ignorant attempt to suggest that the Bible teaches Socialism. Let's blow that one up first. Then we'll get to second one, an incoherent criticism of capitalism.
As an aside, it seems mildly intimidating to include "armed" in the name of a Leftist group, since Leftists are not opposed to physical violence to accomplish their aim of the Proletariat overthrowing the Bourgeois.
Leftists make a lot of noise about Democracy, unless Democracy doesn't provide the correct results. Then they go to the courts to overturn these results. If the courts don't give them what they want, the go to the streets, burning down businesses, attempting to breach government buildings, intimidating judges, and appropriating entire city blocks. Modern-day Leftists are perhaps a little less inclined to violence than their predecessors, but they are not opposed to bloodshed if it furthers The Agenda, i.e., the overthrow of the system.
So the thought of a gun in the hand of a Leftist radical activist carries a bit of baggage, justifiably so.
THE FIRST VERSE - ACTS 11:29
Ac. 11:29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. (NIV)
The most obvious thing about Leftists interpreting the Bible is that they are picking and choosing verses based on their political disposition. Therefore, leftists ignore both the greater themes of the Bible as well as the local context. Let's quote an extended portion of the text:
Ac. 11:27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (NIV)
Barnabas and Saul (Paul) had spent a year in Antioch teaching the local believers. Some time during this year some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem, predicting famine. The believers in Antioch responded by putting together resources on behalf of the Jewish believers in Judea. Barnabas and Saul took the offering to the elders in Judea.
Notice several things:
- It was a supernatural event that caused the Antioch believers to act
- They did so voluntarily
- They chose how much to give
- They chose the men who would deliver the gift
- It was delivered directly to another church to help church people
No government was involved. No one was coerced. No taxation occurred. No one voted regarding how much to take from each person. It was simply voluntary giving. Leftists can make none of these claims.
Verdict: The first half of the meme is false and intentionally deceptive.
THE SECOND VERSE, ACTS 4:35
...and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. (NIV)
It is interesting that the meme actually quotes more of the context, but omits verse 33, probably because it mentions Jesus:
Ac. 4:32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No-one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
So the profit from the sale of valuable owned assets was put at the feet of the apostles. Notice the Bible does not tell us the apostles went around and demanded people sell their property.
We shall now permit the "Armed Leftist Alliance of Montana" to refute themselves with another of their memes:
Socialists make a pointed distinction between kinds of property. The line is drawn in various places, but the point is that certain kinds of property you're "allowed" to keep under Socialism, while other kinds of property are to be taken from you and redistributed. In the ideal Socialist world, that property is redistributed to the poor, and everyone is equal and happy, but in actual practice it always ends up in the pockets of bureaucrats and the politically connected.
The problem is the determination as to what you're allowed to own. Someone else, not you, draws that line. "You get to keep this, but not that." Someone with power over you decides what you can have or not have. And that can change at a whim, because, again, power.
"The fruits of your labor," for example, is something one can keep as "personal property." However, if you earn too much they will take the excess and redistribute it, which is our current progressive income tax system. They, not you, decide what you can keep.
And it most certainly can end up being zero.
And again, the Bible's clear that people chose to part with their own wealth out of compassion. No one with power over them confiscated it from them.
Ann Barnhart writes an interesting perspective,
Ann Barnhart writes an interesting perspective,
Forcibly confiscating the property of one person unjustly and giving it unjustly to another person is an act of violence and human degradation – utterly denying and disregarding the humanity of the one (the “rich”), presumably in favor of the other (the “poor”)...Socialism and unrestrained capitalism are basically the same thing: the two arms of the torus touch. Marxist-socialist-communist systems forcibly steal the property of the underclass and deliver it into the insatiably greedy hands of the minuscule oligarch class. Unrestrained capitalism does EXACTLY the same thing. A minuscule cadre of what are today called banksters, but used to be called robber barons, forcibly confiscate, in simple terms STEAL, the property of the underclass and hoard it for themselves. It is the same thing. This is why these banksters, who one would at first blush think of as capitalists, are always found in bed with Marxist politicians. Marxism and unrestrained capitalism are essentially the same thing: theft and looting of the underclasses by a cadre of super-rich oligarchs, with zero rule of law, only the brutal rule of men from the barrel of a gun.
The extreme ends of the political spectrum, occupied by on the Left by Socialists and on the Right by anarchists, lead to the same result, with the wealth simply ending up in the hands of a select powerful few.
Verdict: The second half of the meme is false and intentionally deceptive.
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MEME #2
This is a particularly vapid meme, replete with bumper sticker logic and false equivalencies. We don't wish to spend a lot of time on this because of its sheer stupidity, but we will make some observations:
- First, the world isn't even close to being capitalist. People die under every sort of political system.
- Second, if these deaths are easily preventable, then prevent them. Where are the Leftist hospitals being built in malaria-infested areas? Where are the Leftist food drives? Can someone point out a Leftist charity? Where are the teams of Leftists digging wells for people? Why don't we see Leftists getting out their checkbooks?
- Third, there is no one who examines the profit potential of giving away free food and medical care. That simply doesn't happen. Charitable endeavors are based on individual human compassion and generosity. Caring people, usually Christians, give sacrificially of their time, resources, and expertise to help people all over the world.
Leftists don't do that.
- Fourth, capitalism hasn't killed anyone, because capitalism isn't a system. Capitalism is human behavior, the natural inclination to engage in the free exchange of value. Voluntary exchange vs. people dying is a Category Error.
- Lastly, "communism" hasn't killed anyone either. People kill people. People with power who are Socialist/communist have a demonstrated propensity to kill people rather prolifically. This is variously known as mass murder, genocide, or holocaust. Communists are unique in their proficiency in this area.
As we mentioned, the Left thinks they are clever. They are smarter than everyone else. But their memes betray their lack of thinking skills, as we have demonstrated.
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