The crazy things progressives believe... I heard this on NPR (I listen so you don't have to) while on the road to get some tractor parts. I needed hydraulic couplers for my new log splitter, and I listened to the Diane Rehm show on the way up.
I wasn't on long enough to catch the name of her guest, but I did hear him expound on a notion I'd not heard before. From Ms. Rehm's responses, I could tell this was something she thought of as obviously true. The notion: that competition and altruism were in direct opposition. In other words, that one could not behave in an altruistic manner and still succeed in a competitive environment.
I'd never heard this notion stated baldly like this before. The ultimate altruistic society would be socialist (or Communist), in the theoretical sense – not how any socialist or Communist state as actually been implemented. In such states, there would be no competition. All that is old hat, standard progressive fare. What's new to me here is the assertion that competition must be eliminated in order to have altruistic behavior.
Ms. Rehm's guest expounded on this at some length. He believes, for example, that children should be shielded from competitive pressures – and then they would “naturally” grow up to exhibit altruistic behavior. In other words, perfect little socialists.
This notion is also a wonderful way to demonize capitalists. If you're a capitalist, you are by definition competitive – and therefore you're a selfish oaf and the enemy of the perfect altruistic state.
These sorts of things leave me speechless. I cannot imagine the profound naivete and self-ignorance required to actually believe such utter balderdash.
And these people vote. And they'll likely vote for either Hillary or Bernie. And these thoughts make me feel the doom is approaching...
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