OT...re miserliness/altruism side topic
I hate Altruism, and consider it the major scourge of the 20th century. Altruism, (the sacrifice of the individual for the good of the group), ...
LB, please, please do not confuse "altruism" with "fundamentalism"!
altruism \Al"tru*ism\, n. [F. altruisme (a word of Comte's), It. altrui of or to others, fr. L. alter another.] Regard for others, both natural and moral; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; -- opposed to egoism or selfishness. [Recent] --J. S. Mill.
and definition of fundamentalism, also as used by Lester C. Thurow in his excellent book "The Future of Capitalism":
Main Entry: fun·da·men·tal·ism
Pronunciation: -t&l-"i-z&m
Function: noun
Date: 1922
1 a often capitalized : a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to
Christian life and teaching b : the beliefs of this movement c : adherence to such beliefs
2 : a movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles
...caused Dachau, Buchenwald, the killing fields of Cambodia, and the slave pens of Eastern Europe and Asia. Hitler stood on the podium in 1934 and screamed, "Du bist nicht, die Völker sind alles!" and the Germans loved him.
It was widespread poverty in post WWI Germany that set the stage for Hitler's anti-democratic, xenophobic fundamentalism. Which raises a sailent point: "devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness" does not make you a Socialist! On the contrary, wide-spread financial prosperity is IMO precisely the strongest weapon against fundamentalism we have.
I'm sure we can agree there is a difference between Hitler's "die Völker sind alles" rant and JFK's "Ask what you can do for your country" speech...
I totally understand the guy who says," My favorite Charity is me!" He has made it on his own, paid his taxes, watch the Government waste Billions in an attempt to end poverty, and is sick of seeing the panhandlers on the Freeway off ramps.
I agree the Feds feed relentlessly at the trough. Bringing home the bacon for local constituency is paramount. And aggressive panhandling is a crime, I agree. OTOH all that doesn't exempt me from contributing to church, charity, and trying to touch others in a positive way. "He who dies with the most toys is still dead." |
