OPINION:
Vice President J.D. Vance, in an interview on Fox News, told host Will Cain the way to stop socialism is not by “throwing slogans at people about the free market,” but rather “by making people’s lives better.” And then he added, “And that’s what we’re trying to do every single day.”
All due respect to Vance — but “making people’s lives better” is kind of a slogan in itself.
Besides, if socialists sell their narrative by promising people free stuff — and in so doing, foster dependency upon the government — then what’s the difference with Vance’s view that “making people’s lives better” is the rightful role of government?
Either way, government is painted as the source, as the provider and as the key element of a successful society. That’s just not the American way.
Here are his full comments, from The Hill: “Our response to that [the growth of socialism in America] can’t just be to ignore the economic concerns that I think are feeding this rising interest in socialism,” he said.
He added: “You as an American citizen deserve to have a good life in this country, and you deserve to have a government that is making it easier for you to start a family, for you to afford to get a good education, for you to have a good job, for you to afford a home.”
Deserve is a funny word; it can almost be read as “entitled.” And once something becomes an entitlement, power-hungry politicians can turn that into a right, and then demand taxpayers provide the funding for all to enjoy that same right. Voila, Obamacare.
In America, the only rights of citizens are those that are granted by God, and they’ve already been concisely spelled out as life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. In that vein, governments have only been instituted among Americans as a means of preserving and protecting those God-given rights and liberties. That’s entirely different from the language of “good life,” and the accompanying definition of good life as “good education,” “good job,” affordable home, and so on.
Words matter.
“My warning,” Vance went on, “to my fellow Republicans would be if we don’t get this right, don’t blame young people for being sympathetic to socialism. We’ve got to blame ourselves. You don’t stop socialism by throwing slogans at people about the free market. As much as I love the free market, you stop socialism by making people’s lives better, and that’s what we’re trying to do every single day.”
Actually, socialism is the outward consequence of hearts and minds that have been corrupted by evil ideas — i.e., jealousy, anger, greed, all leading to a victimhood mentality. Socialism is a sickness of the soul. And it’s this sickness that’s exploited by controlling, power-lusting, wicked wanna-be leaders who think they know better than the average individual how to manage individuals’ lives — who think they know better than God. There’s a reason socialist and communist societies typically turn away from God and demand separation of church and state: it’s because socialists and communists want the worship of the people. They want to become the gods of the people.
If that’s the root of the darkness of socialism, then the way to stop socialism is through the churches and through the culture. American citizens who know their rights and liberties come from God and that politicians only serve to protect what’s endowed at birth to the individual — that politicians are the lowly and humble servant class — well, American citizens who know that are entirely incapable of accepting socialism. They shudder at collectivism. They understand that “for the good of the people” communist principles are abhorrent. They are fully aware that God gave them a mission in life, and certain talents to accomplish that mission, and that socialism seeks to strip them of that mission and simply make them part of the collective, with a new mission to serve the interests of society as determined by government.
The real way to stop socialism is to fire up the churches to stand up to government intrusion; to educate the youth about the pitfalls of government handouts, while inspiring them to dare to dream; and to be so charitable on an individual basis — whether through volunteer service or financial donations — that government becomes as unnecessary to the function of society as possible.
In the end, stopping socialism means returning to a God-centered society. Americans can’t have God-given rights and liberties if government is allowed to assume the role of “making people’s lives better” — and then defining whatever that means.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.
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