There are also those in our country who believe America is the source of many of the world's problems. They believe America is a nation of greed, pride, excess and selfishness. These people advocate a nation in which government assumes the responsibility to care for and support the nation, because individuals are not good enough to maintain this responsibility for themselves and their neighbors. They believe that free enterprise and personal liberty can only end in selfishness and greed. They believe that the state must step in to override the greed of people. They believe that people are inherently bad, and that an inherently good government is the antitode to human frailty. They believe that the system upon which our nation was founded is flawed, that the experiment has failed, and that its time to "fundamentally change" America.
We've had these two groups of people in our nation throughout its history, and we undoubtedly always will.
Please take a few minutes to watch this cartoon produced in 1948 by Harding College.
As you viewed this cartoon clip, I'm sure many things jumped out at you as they did at me. Let me share just a few of my observations about this, then I'd love to hear some of your comments.
- This was produced in 1948. The battle we're facing is not new. But today we are much more vulnerable than we have been in previous decades. Never before has our society been so spiritually bereft and estranged from God. This makes us much more susceptible to the guiles of those peddling "isms" as the way to salvation. Those who espouse the philosophy of change are much more deeply entrenched in positions of power and influence today than at any point in our history. The executive branch and the myriad of advisors, counselers, ministers and czars are more radical in their belief that America should change than ever before. This brings us closer to the cliff's edge than we've ever been. If we reach the tipping point and go over the edge, we will land on the hard surface of socialism. With the state of government and society in this day, what was once considered a potential danger has today become nothing less than looming catastrophe.
- There are three principle groups in this clip. One group represents the voice of change, wanting America to discard the current system and adopt a new system characterized by "isms" (socialism, statism, communism, fascism. . . its all fundamentally the same). He promises that change to a new system will solve everyone's problems because the state (government) will take care of everything.. Sound familiar??? A snake oil salesman if ever there was one. The second group is the American public. Each is concerned with his personal interests, but they really just want to live their lives and be happy. The third group is represented by John Q Public. This is the voice of understanding. The voice who knows what America is all about and the evil the "isms" represent. Which group do each of us fall into?
- The peddler wants speed and urgency in making changes. No time to read the documents (sound familiar???) The voice of reason wants things to slow down and the implicatons of change to be understood. How relevant is this in a day of thousand page bills that will fundamentally change the fabric of our nation, but there is no time to even read the contents.
- Many of those forming part of the general public don't want to give up their freedom, but don't realize what they are flirting with. They need someone to help them see things as they really are. If John Q. Public had not been there to help others awaken to the danger, the worst could have happened. If each of us understand the reality of dangers we are facing, are we continuing to sit on the park bench, or are we standing up and helping awaken others, before its too late?
Well, there's much more that can be derived from this highly relevant cartoon clip, but I'd rather hear thoughts from the rest of you. Please, please, please click on the comments link below and share your impressions. There are 260 people viewing this blog, let them know your thoughts and positions on this important matter.
Thanks,
Richard
2 comments:
There is so much that could be said in regards to this post. I'm afraid I'd be taking up quite a bit of pen room. Yes, there are things that aren't perfect or great about America but if it continues in the way it is headed there is going to be a whole lot worse. Example:
My sister just recently received a bill in the mail from an ER visit that she took her son to months ago. The bill was for the full cost of the visit and said that it was late and needed to be paid in full.
My sister was furious. She called the insurance company and asked them why they had not paid the bill and here is what they told her. When my sister took her son to the ER it was an ER that was out of state.
She walked up to the registration and asked them if that ER took her insurance. They assured her that they did and so they proceeded to register her son. Her son was taken care of and my sister didn't think anything more of the visit until the bill came. Apparently, the ER took her insurance......but the doctor who saw her son didn't!
And there isn't a thing my sister can do about it. Getting a lawyer would cost far more than the five hundred dollars bill she needs to pay.
Are there things wrong with our medical system? You bet!!! But if things go the way Obama wants it to.......it is going to be a whole lot worse.
One of the things that has worried me for a long time is education. No one seems to ask questions anymore. We want easy peasy street. We want things and we want them now. We all fall under this category to some degree or another but I see it with literature. The literature that is out now that our youth is reading is so "talked down". Entertain me. I don't want to have to think. And as the literature becomes more "dumb down" the minds of the readers are becoming more "dumb".......
I'm worried that the generations that are up and coming are so used to having things handed to them and quick that they are not going to take the time to ask questions because it is foreign to them. Take the time to analyze a situation. They don't know how.
There's so much more I could continue to say but frankly when imaginations are shut down we are turning out little wooden soldiers that we take a key, wind up in their backs, and send out fighting a cause they've no idea what the cause is or what they are fighting for....."Hitler's Youth".......
Great clip.
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