Kindergarten Principle #1 — Johnny, share your crayons, NOW

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To be liberal is to be giving, generous and compassionate.  At least that’s the generally accepted understanding of the word.  To be a liberal is, well…not necessarily the same thing.  How is it that liberals are far less “liberal” in their charitable giving than the average conservative?1

Oh, liberals preach compassion and generosity, all right — but they’re usually talking about the giving of other people’s money (as in higher taxes and more social programs via big government).  Often when liberals see a need, they quickly respond by covering their own assets and compelling others to give from theirs. 

They are abundantly generous, caring, over-flowing with sympathy in their own minds, but when it comes to actual giving, they tend to be Scrooges (“Are there no prisons?  And the Union workhouses — are they still in operation?”   Read:  “Are there no welfare programs?  And the government assistance programs — are they still in operation?”)

What a profound paradox — miserly generosity.  Or perhaps, liberal stinginess.  Confiscate wealth from those who earned it, and distribute to those who haven’t.

Generosity by proxy, if you will.

In the recent election, Obama (like all Democrats before him) played the age-old class envy card perfectly, promising to the middle class and the poor that we’ll get even with those nasty, greedy rich people by making them pay their “fair share” (which translates to: tax the evil money-makers heavily, unemployment will soar, and the poor will be poorer than ever.  Result:  lots more people reaching for handouts, lots more “need” for bailouts, programs and assistance and — hooray! — more excuses for government to suck money from its only source of revenue, the evil money-makers — you and me.)

With the passing of the so-called ’stimulus’ bill, we now see the concept being put into full-blown practice — the producers (workers, taxpayers, employers)  being asked (compelled, obligated, forced) to foot the bill for the unfortunate ones (CEO’s who have mismanaged their company’s financial matters, homeowners who bit off more than they could possibly chew.)

Liberals are demanding that the producers bail out the failures. 

Never before in our nation’s history have we seen such a blatant display of liberal Democrat economic philosophy.  This recession has become their golden opportunity.  As Rahm Emanuel put it, we can’t let this economic crisis go to waste. 

What’s the origin of this twisted mindset?  I think by now we all know it reflects the essence of socialism.  But where in the world did so many Americans learn to participate in this practice — this idea of forced sharing — and why are they going along with it?

I suggest they learned it in kindergarten.  Most of the principles under which liberals operate are variations of the simple lessons taught in pre-schools everywhere.  In a nutshell, liberals view the world as a great big kindergarten. 

Try this: begin viewing political events, speeches, press conferences and news reports within the framework of that premise.  You’ll notice that nearly without exception liberals apply simple kindergarten principles to grown-up situations.  Foreign policy, elections, national defense, the economy, the complex interactions of nations and ideologies — you name it, liberals approach every issue with the midset of good little kindergarteners: sharing, caring, playing well with others, respecting everyone’s feelings and, oh yes — whining about name-calling and bullies and how this and that just isn’t fair.

As a practical matter, most of these precious pre-school lessons don’t readily apply to the real world, if your intention is to actually be a grown-up.  And political correctness, after all, is really just the way to remain in kindergarten your whole adult life.

Now to the topic at hand — the basic kindergarten concept of sharing: “Johnny, you have lots of crayons.  Suzie only has a few.  Why don’t you share your crayons with her?”

Seems reasonable.  We don’t want our children to be selfish and possessive.  And sure, Johnny can share his crayons if he wants to.  But maybe he doesn’t want to.  Maybe his mother told him not to pass them around.  Maybe they’re special crayons, given to him by his favorite grandma.  Whatever the reason, he doesn’t really have to share them.  But does he know that?  He weighs his options, to the extent that a 5-year-old is able to weigh options.  If he says “No, they’re my crayons,” why, he’s selfish, he’s mean, he’s not a good classmate, he’s embarrassed in front of the class (surely not by his teacher…?)

He’s not being — dare I say it? — liberal with his crayons. 

On the other hand, if he wants to avoid all that and shares his crayons with a reluctant “okay,” then voila! — an invaluable early lesson in forced compliance.  The valid option of “they’re my crayons, I don’t want to share them” is removed from the equation.

Essentially, some of Johnny’s crayons have been confiscated and given to Suzie.

An exaggeration?  Maybe a little.  Of course, this isn’t about crayons.  It’s about the principle of forced giving.  What does Johnny learn in kindergarten about “having to share” and what will he be made to share when he’s an adult?

Kindergarten Principle #1 — Forced Sharing. What you own is not really yours. Someone bigger than you has the right to make you give it up against your will.

Learn it well, boys and girls.  That way when you grow up, you won’t put up a fuss when your government makes you hand over your hard-earned money. 

You might even join the chorus of grown-up kindergarteners who cry, “Hey, he has more money than me!  Get it from him, Uncle Sam!”

 

1 See “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism – Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters” by Arthur C. Brooks

(Be sure to read the whole series, beginning with The Kindergarten Principles – Introduction)

Coming Soon: Kindergarten Principle #2 — Change, Just for the Sake of Change

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