Does your politics define your morality? There have been numerous studies done on just that question. These studies were done by the educated folks, those with advanced degrees. Millions of dollars spent in grant money to study the question. The results are a mixed bag just as one would expect. Well, that's simply because it is all a matter of opinion. The greatest scholars in the world can't really answer that question, all they can do is offer some speculation about motives. That is really what drives us, motive.
The founding fathers made certain that religious beliefs did not govern the nation. That doesn't indicate that they advocated for the absence of morality, indeed, there feelings were quite the opposite. All men of high ideals in their time, ideals that were foundational to a revolution. Men that believed in hard work, that what is the best for the country is the primary purpose of government. Yes, individual rights were to be preserved, that's the reason for the ten amendments, but the original document, the constitution, outlined how governance should be conducted. It was not concerned with providing moral guidance, just ethical practices.
The bill of rights was added to limit the power of government. There was a genuine concern regarding that. That concern should be with all of us still. We are to be a government of the people, for the people and by the people as Lincoln so eloquently stated. That means all the people. The means to attain that is what politics are really all about. What is the goal of government?
Some studies show that political ideology likely shapes moral judgement. Other studies suggest that moral judgement will kick in at a certain point and kill that political ideology. I'm certainly no scholar, I have no letters after my name, no "sheepskin" in the game but it seems to me that political ideology will win out in the end. It is that that has caused the collapse of every great society in history. The reason is quite basic, it's always easier to just go along with the crowd, the popular opinion than to stand by your principles. The politicians will give the masses what they want, dismiss their moral failures, indeed insist that those moral failures are the normal thing in their efforts to retain power.
Morality is related to power. Those that believe in a more concentrated power structure believe that will best serve the needs of everyone. Think of it as a strong family. A family in which the elders wield the most influence. It is their experience that is valued the most. It is an acknowledgment that in the end someone has to make a decision. That decision will not please everyone but will be the best decision for the family as a whole. Those that would distribute the power hold no such belief. They are more concerned with the individuals needs or wants. They decisions are designed to placate as many people as possible, even to the detriment of the whole. Dismissive of morality, they prefer political power. The retention of that power is the goal.
What is the goal of government? In my way of thinking safety and security is the goal of government. I believe that prosperity is linked to hard work. I believe you get out just about what you put in. Others believe the purpose of government is to provide well-being and happiness. Those people tend to believe in the redistribution of wealth, access to health care, education and public transportation regardless of their contributions to that society. They proclaim that as the moral high ground whereas the same claim is made by the opposite view. I do believe that the goal of government is safety and security. We gather in groups, in nations for those very reasons, safety and security. You do have to earn your way.
In the 1960's the "communal" experiments took place with the hippies. I wasn't one of those as I didn't follow the political ideology of the times. Yes, to some I just wasn't cool. But as we all saw that didn't work out so well at all. Some worked hard and others just partied all day depending upon the others for their wants and needs. It all led to friction and the eventual collapse of the system. Yes, that was an experiment in socialism. Political ideology. It wasn't morality that defeated that system however, it was the lack of morality that did so. Those unwilling to work, to contribute lacking the moral fortitude to stick to the "ideal." Sounded like a good idea at the time anyway. And that is what we all need to be aware of all the time. These "good" ideas. The question should always be, just who is it good for?
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