You indeed have some perceptive insights that I would agree with, even though we would disagree about the solution.

Capitalism, without the restraint of people with a conscience or morals, would be a very cruel system. Unfortunately, not every one will do the right thing. And that’s where the law comes in.

To give an example: the mining industry. If they had made the safety of their workers their top priority and if they had been good stewards of the environment, the government would not have had to step in and make some rules.

I also think (and this is probably where we part company) that some things should be done for the good of the whole country. Things like education, health care, and caring for the elderly and the disabled. I’m much more socialistic when it comes to these kind of things because I think it shows our commitment toward caring for all, irregardless of their status in life.

For example, without going into detail, I do favor a Medicare type health coverage for all Americans, financed by taxes, but administered by the private sector, with strict cost controls. I would willingly pay more taxes if it means providing medical coverage for all Americans.

I’m much more “communally” minded. I care more for the greater good of the many than the “darwinian” capitalism that says “I’ve got mine. To heck with everyone else”.

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On the one hand conservatives think that a capitalistic economic system, and a representative government is the solution to poverty and oppression. On the other hand it appears that the liberals think that a socialist government is the solution – even though that experiment has failed many times over.

While I think the conservatives solution is closer to the mark (socialism doesn’t produce anything, and therefore no one gets rich) I think that the current problems stem more from moral decay than anything else.

If marriage was still held sacred by our society, or at least by Christians, I think much of our problems would be solved. I think our 50% divorce rate contributes a great deal to the problems described by Anlir. Unlike Anlir, I don’t see a political process or a government as the solution. I see service to a good merciful God as the solution. In this service, men would love their wives and sacrifice their life for them, instead of abandoning them to poverty as single mothers. In this service women would respect their husbands and honor them. Children would honor their parents. Mothers and Fathers would create a stable loving environment for their children. In this service men would take care of their employees, and employees would give a fair days work for a days wage.

This is what Christians should fight for. Homosexual marriage doesn’t threaten our society as much as infidelity in heterosexual marriages. The family unit is in big trouble due to no fault divorce.

The moral aspect is just one facet of our society that is breaking down, and it seems to me to revolve around the the postmodern dilemma. People do not believe in universal truth anymore – even so called Christians. If there is no universal truth as defined by God, even worse, if there is no God, then of course we have no universal moral code. Any moral system that is relative is doomed from the outset. I see the failure to recognize truth, at the root of most of our arguments here.

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In one system, government enforces rules so people play fair while earning wealth. In the other system, government redistributes wealth based on rules of “fairness” in accord with some social agenda.

Which system is more fair? Well, it depends on who you ask.

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I believe we are often on the side of the poor, the marginalized, and the outcast. I just don’t think the government is the best answer to any of their problems.

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I’m speaking generally, not to you personally on this stuff. The way I see it, conservative Christians have so completely sold themselves to the Republican Party that they can no longer bring themselves to defend the poor. Instead they’ve become part of the power structure in the Republican Party, which requires them to advocate for big business, the wealthy, and the policies that do harm to the poor. It’s a stunning reversal for a religion that was at one time on the side of the poor, the marginalized, the outcasts.

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This idea that you have that we are somehow fundamentally different is simply wrong. We work hard, pay our taxes, and hope that nothing bad happens that will take away what little we have, too. I wonder, though, if our versions of “just enough to live on” are different. I don’t mean how much we make, I mean the way we choose to spend our money.

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Just about everyone around me is a college graduate. They are working in a field they didn’t study for, for a lot less money than they were led to believe. The idea that there are all of these high paying, wonderful jobs just sitting there waiting for people to claim them is not real. It’s like telling a kid he can make it in the NBA. Yes, a few people will make it and make big bucks. But the odds of any ne person making it to that level are astronomical.

Tell me this Kyle: even if we were to somehow turn every American into a college graduate, where will all those high paying, high skilled jobs come from? The fact is, there are not enough jobs for all of the college graduates we have now. Many of them are forced to take lower paying, lower skilled jobs.

Also, there are certain jobs that will always have to be done in this country, no matter how high tech we become. Hotel rooms will still need to be cleaned. The garbage will still need to be picked up. Someone will still have to plunge the commode and clean up the mess on the floor. Those are the people who work the hardest, yet get paid the least. In my mind, there’s something wrong with that.

*****

As a matter of fact Cameron, I’m a lifelong member of the “working class” that conservative Christians so disdain. I’ve worked in carpet mills and other factories, been a janitor, worked in restaurants, and delivered newspapers in the middle of the night. I’ve worked hard all my life. Yes, I do have a “desk job” now after a lot of hard work. The pay is just enough to live on and save a little for retirement. If I get sick or disabled, there is no “safety net”. My medical bills have nearly bankrupted me. I help my family and the people around me when I can. And there are millions of Americans just like me. We represent that backbone that keeps this country running. We work hard, pay our taxes, and hold our breaths that nothing bad will happen that takes away what little we have.

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Why does anyone expect to make a living doing the kind of jobs you listed, anyway? That just doesn’t make sense. When I was in college I worked at Burger King. A middle-aged lady who worked there urged all the teens to go to college or vocational school. She explained that you cannot raise a family on minimum wage. Those teens are the ones that those jobs exist for.

Just last night I encouraged my niece, who works as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant at a nursing home, to go to college and become at least an LVN, if not an RN.

It’s about choice and ambition and hard work and responsibility.

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