Socialism: The Snake Slithering in the Grass
By Kevin Probst, 30th May 2012 | Follow this author
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Americans are slowly discovering that the stealthy snake in the grass that has crept upon us unaware is socialism. Like a slow twisting boa, we have been constricted by a powerful ideology that is just beginning to squeeze the life from us.
Socialism: The Snake Slithering in the Grass
A nation once known for the liberty it provided for its citizens is now known for the burden of debt it has saddled on its citizens. The massive, incomprehensible figure of $15 trillion dollars is a number we like to ignore but it is the number imprinted on the debt- shackles we have clamped on our children and grandchildren. This national failure is unprecedented and this behavior is immoral.
What family would intentionally max out all their credit cards and then apply for another credit card in order to pay the interest on their previous cards? Imagine having so much credit card debt that your entire income must be used just to pay the interest on the debt leaving no money for food, or transportation or the mortgage. This is insanity redefined. No one in their right mind would allow themselves to get into such a situation but that is exactly what our government has done.
Americans are slowly discovering that the stealthy snake in the grass that has crept upon us unaware is socialism. The ideas of socialism and Marxism are no longer just threats, they are upon us. Like a slow twisting boa, we have been constricted by a powerful ideology that is just beginning to squeeze the life from us. The sleeping giant that could save us from this slow death of our liberties and freedoms is the church but Christians have fallen asleep at the wheel.
It is time for American Christians to awaken. Isaiah warned an apathetic people; "Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength." (Isa. 52:1) "Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger." (Isa. 51:17) Americans are drunk on their desire for pleasure and wealth and leisure. We must awaken before it's too late.
The brilliant British journalist, Malcomb Muggeridge, once addressed the plight of western society. He illustrated the slow decline by telling how a frog, placed in a bowl of boiling water will immediately leap out in fear of boiling to death. When placed in a bowl of lukewarm water the same frog will adapt to the increased temperature of the water and will eventually be boiled to death because he was too comfortable to remove himself from danger.
Muggeridge postulated on the dilemma of western man by saying: "Since the beginning of the Second World War, Western Society has experienced a complete abandonment of its sense of good and evil. The true crisis of our time has nothing to do with monetary troubles, unemployment, or nuclear weapons. The true crisis has to do with the fact that Western man has lost his way." (1)
The next election may be our country's most important election. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), grievously declared that President Obama and his administration continually sees the "government as a solution to everything.” (2) This is in direct contrast to the opinion of former President Reagan who believed, "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." (3)
The constant interference and intrusion of government in our lives has become a huge problem for concerned Americans. The present day "Government is the solution" ideology has accumulated for us $15.4 trillion in debt. Many fear a strategy for a Marxist takeover. George Will recently said, "There are more Marxists on the Harvard faculty than in all of eastern Europe." (4)
President Obama is applying Marxist principles in his attempt to solve our economic crisis. He has attempted to stifle capitalist innovation by placing an increased economic burden on American entrepreneurs. He is changing the very structure of government by writing new rules along the way and by appointing zsars that do not represent the voting public. His former first Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel is famous for saying, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” (5) The president is attempting to use our economic catastrophe to reach into the pockets of hard working Americans with the intent of redistributing their wealth to those who have not been so diligent. Saul Alinsky would be so proud of his disciples.
Christ calls Christians to be the “light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden”. (6) We are instructed to be the “salt of the earth.” (7) But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Christians must not become apathetic. We are instructed to “occupy until I come.” (8) We are to stay involved and stay busy preserving the gifts of liberty and freedom granted to us by a Sovereign God. Yet, of the 60 million evangelical Christians in America, only 15 million of them vote. (9)
Americans are becoming more and more dependent on their government. The government encourages this because greater dependency creates more power. The government grubs for power by attempting to control and manipulate Americans in the areas of health, energy and education.
Many Americans are horrified when they realize that the government is using their tax contributions to murder innocent unborn babies here and abroad. Some Americans are disturbed about forced taxation to support s system of education that teaches a set of values contrary to their Christian beliefs.
One reason our country continues its decline toward defeat, decline and despair is because Christians are asleep. We have built upon the sand. We have compromised our values so that we might adapt to the politically correct expectations of our culture. We have become obsessed with pleasing others and we’ve forgotten that the chief end of man is to bring glory to God.
How inspiring it would be to hear a modern day politician echo George Washington’s words in his farewell address: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness.” (10)
1. http://www.choicesforliving.com/spirit/part4/america6.htm
2. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/senator-rand-paul-obama-and-democrats-still-see- government-solution-everything
3. http://www.hark.com/clips/jrnppndgms-government-is-the-problem
4. http://www.cato.org/pubs/catosletter/catosletterv4n3.pdf
5. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122721278056345271.html
6. Matthew 5:14
7. Mathew 5:13
8. Luke 19:13
9. http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/ChurchAndMinistry/ChurchHistory/David_Barton2.aspx?
10. http://federalintercessors.net/founders-quotations
Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.
Comments
31st May 2012 (#)
Frankly, I am far more concerned that America has been bought and paid for by the very business interests that you praise and urge use to let have a free hand to rule use. Socialism?
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31st May 2012 (#)
I suspect you may want to delete this response, but I cannot let this article go without comment. I would ask: Where have you been lately. On another planet? Any discerning individual can see that socialism is not the problem, that we are in fact - far from living in a socialist state, living in a corporate state. All of the politicians, including Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, are bought and paid for by the corporate interests. In my opinion you should be far more concerned with the fact that over the past three decades, since Ronald Reagan offered that quote you so admire, the gap between rich and poor has become greater in this country than in any other industrialized nation. Wealth has moved away from the middle and lower economic classes to the very top, and that movement keeps on increasing. Unfettered free market capitalism, which I assume you admire, is the most grotesque, inhumane economic system ever devised. It is not poor "lazy" Americans expecting a free ride that are pulling this country down into a financial abyss, it's corporate bankers - the worst freeloaders of all time - getting trillions of dollars of our money given to them gratis by the government they, and not we, own. Welfare for the one percent. So if you want to rail about the country sinking into deep debt, you need to understand where that comes from and who causes it. You'll find, if you look objectively, it comes straight from Wall Street.
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31st May 2012 (#)
I certainly agree that we are falling into a pit of corporate corruption. But socialism is not the answer. The U.S. has been the greatest, most powerful, wealthiest country in history. The standard of living for the average U.S. citizen has been off the charts when compared to other countries. What brought us to a point of such success, it wasn't socialism, it was a capitalist system, a free enterprise system that successfully motivated people to work hard and strive for economic success and in doing so pulling up others with them by providing jobs and opportunities to less innovative people. We don't have to dig too deeply to find corruption in big corporation but is it not foolish to be an advocate for big government and entertain a fantasy that government, unlike corporations, will be a pure as the wind driven snow. Embracing socialism doesn't reduce corruption, it simply transfers it. The root problem is greed and greed is rooted in the hearts of men, corporate hearts and political hearts. Capitalism has worked quite well for us. Socialism has proven a failure for many others. If I have to pick my poison, I would rather deal with corrupt corporations, they are far more limited in their power than a corrupt, power grubbing government. Thanks for your comment. Dissenting opinions are always welcome.
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1st Jun 2012 (#)
I respect your viewpoint, but I must point out that our current financial mess is not the result of socialism, but the unmitigated greed that capitalism seems to unleash when it is allowed complete free reign under the free market philosophy. When Glass-Steagall was in effect, it regulated banking excesses and our country was relatively financially stable. As soon as it was repealed we got CD's, credit default swaps and all the other tricks that made the investment bankers rich and most of the rest of us poor. And I can't disagree more with your contention that you would rather deal with corrupt corporations than a corrupt, power grubbing government. The corporations own the politicians, who are their pawns. Politicians do what the corporations bid them to do. They are the true source of our troubles, not the their lackey politicians. Thus they dwarf the politicians when it comes to power grubbing. If you made corporate financing of campaigns illegal and took the money out of politics, there would be an enormous change for the better. As for capitalism working quite well for us - yes and no. It is still a predatory system, and by nature it produces few winners and lots of losers. In places like Denmark, where there is what might be called a mix of socialism and capitalism, polls show people are happier and more satisfied with their lives than they are here. I would invite you to check out my articles "Capitalism, the Most Grotesque Economic System Ever Devised," and "Wars are Fought for One Reason Only: Money."
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