Editorial:
Left and Right; Anarchy and Transcendency
Carlton L. Johnson
Did something rub you the wrong way about "Ec 10" -- your basic intro course on economics? Could not appreciate having a bunch of very questionable assumptions shoved at you, assumptions which you could not accept as absolute, nor could you refute, at such an early stage of the academic game?
Especially: Cost/Benefit Analysis, based on "my" cost and "my" benefit. Somehow, this idea seems essentially exploitative. Did you stop to consider that Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed--all enlightened ensigns demonstrated some higher standard?
Not until the movie "Beautiful Mind" came out--highlighting the theory for which mathmatician John Nash won a Nobel Prize--did most of us find suitable elocution of sound yet, at the same time, inclusive principles of economic theory. Principles articulated by Nash may enamor Ec-10 "sceptics" to an alternative ideal--one that may enable us to 'create wealth' without having to exploit others.
Nash explained: Adam Smith was wrong: The greatest good comes not from pursuing a cost-benefit analysis based on my cost and my benefit, alone; but based on what is best for me AND for the WHOLE... (not a verbatim quote)
Socialism of the Left and Socialism of the Right?
Left-wing and Right-wing Meet at Head-wing
The Divine Principle speaks of
a "Socialistic Society on Heaven's side"...
The Ideals of Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity,
and Universally Shared Values; versus Communism
http://www.unification.net/dp96/dp96-2-4.html#Sec7_2_7
The merit of the age in God's providence of restoration has furthered the development of man's original nature, which had not been manifested due to Satan's grip on human life. Responding to the promptings of their inmost hearts, people everywhere have ardently aspired to the world of God's ideal where the purpose of creation is fulfilled. In seeking for a socialistic society on Heaven's side, their original mind has drawn them to the ideals of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values. The world in which these ideals will finally be realized is none other than the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, under the leadership of the returning Christ.
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The "ideals of interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universally shared values" -- a most reasonable expression of Headwing Economics.
Can "socialism" be a neutral term?
"The aspirations to socialism--on both sides (Right/Left)--have arisen in Heaven and Earth's providential striving to realize a society based on a truly democratic economic system."
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DP / continuing from above:
http://www.unification.net/dp96/dp96-2-4.html#Sec7_2_7
Since Satan mimics God's providence in advance, the satanic side has advocated "scientific socialism" based on the theories of dialectical and historical materialism and has built the communist world. The theory of historical materialism asserts that human history began as a primitive collective society and will be consummated with the creation of an ideal communist society. The evident errors of this theory are due to the fact that it does not take into account the fundamental cause of historical progress. After creating human beings, God promised to realize the Kingdom of Heaven. However, because Satan had formed kinship relations with people before God did, God had to permit him to construct an unprincipled world through fallen people in a distorted imitation of the ideal society which God intends to accomplish on the earth. The communist world is this unprincipled world built by Satan.
Democracies of two types arose with the purpose of dismantling absolute monarchy and transferring sovereignty to the people. Likewise, movements to further the ideals of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values arose on God's side, while communism was born on Satan's side, in order to demolish economic systems which concentrated a society's wealth in the hands of a privileged few. Each of these movements has sought to establish a system which would distribute wealth more equally among people. The aspirations to socialism on both sides have arisen in their providential striving to realize a society based on a truly democratic economic system.
It was explained earlier that in the history of Western Europe as steered by the providence of restoration, the three aspects of religion, politics, and economy have progressed separately through their own paths of development. How can they come together at one point at the consummation of providential history to lay the foundation for the Second Advent of Christ? A fundamental cause of this separate development was the divergence of religion and science, which are endeavors to overcome humanity's spiritual and physical ignorance. For the paths of religion, politics and economy to converge and realize God's ideal, a new expression of truth must emerge which can completely integrate religion and science. The religion founded upon this truth will lead all of humanity to become one with God in heart. Such people will build an economy in accordance with the divine ideal. These will be the foundations for a new political order which can realize the ideal of creation. This will be the messianic kingdom built on the principles of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universally shared values.
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Key thesis:
The paths of religion, politics and economy must converge in order to realize God's ideal; "a new expression of truth must emerge which can completely integrate religion and science." And all of humanity must become one with God in heart.
Some other, helpful constructs:
How about a list comparing where the Left is Bad and where the Right is Bad; and where there Right is Good and the Left is Good?
Towards that list; some generalizations unavoidable, at first:
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Bad:
Left--class struggle inevitable
Right--might makes right
Left--equality in mediocrity
Right--Eugenics, Survival of the fittest
Left--state supreme arbitor of distribution
Right--Elitist (racially, economically, academically)
Left--inability to relate to heart of elitist hopes
Right--inability to relate to heart of exploited peoples
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Good:
Left--Cooperation, co-prosperity, and common cause
Right--Fiscal responsibility (minus Enronitis)
Left--equal opportunity, brotherhood of man
Right--moral responsibility before God (ideally)
Left--secularism (as far as it protects; Church/State)
Right--Pluralism (as far as it encourages wholesomeness)
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And finally:
Many people blame Religion, en total, as a major cause for strife and war. That is like saying that a razor's edge is responsible for all murder committed with knives. Knives are tools. Philosophy and Religion, as disciplines--in and of themselves--are merely tools. How we wield them is dependent upon the artistry and sanity of those doing the wielding.
That say, surely too much wrong has been done in the name of religion.
For example--and not meaning to belittle Christianity, at all--the following indictment from DP (intro) is key to issuing a new wake-up call to Christianity and providing a warning to Islam--of what to avoid as we create that new economy:
Excerpt:
Exposition of the Divine Principle, Intro
Medieval feudal society buried Christianity alive. Even though the Reformation raised high the torch of new life, its flame could not turn back the sweeping tide of darkness.
When ecclesiastic love waned, when waves of capitalistic greed surged across Christian Europe, when starving masses cried out bitterly in the slums, the promise of their salvation came not from heaven but from the earth. Its name was communism. Christianity, though it professed the love of God, had degenerated into a dead body of clergy trailing empty slogans. It was then only natural that a banner of rebellion would be raised, arguing that a merciless God who would allow such suffering could not exist. Hence, modern materialism was born. Western society became a hotbed of materialism; it was the fertile soil in which communism flourished.
... Christianity lost the ability to equal the successes of either communism or materialism and failed to present the truth that could conquer their theories. Christians watched helplessly as these ideologies budded and thrived in their midst and expanded their influence all over the world. What a pity this is! What is more, although Christian doctrine teaches that all humanity descended from the same parents, many citizens of Christian nations who profess this doctrine will not even sit together with their brothers and sisters of different skin colors. This illustrates the actual situation of today's Christianity, which has lost much of the power to put the words of Jesus into practice. It has become a house of lifeless rituals, a whitewashed tomb.
There may come a day when human efforts bring an end to such social evils, but there is one social vice that human efforts alone can never eradicate. That is sexual immorality. Christian doctrine regards this as a cardinal sin. What a tragedy that today's Christian society cannot block this path of ruin down which so many people are rushing blindly! Christianity today has fallen victim to confusion and division, and it can only watch helplessly while countless lives are sucked into the maelstrom of immorality. This is evidence that conventional Christianity stands powerless to carry on God's providence to save humanity in this present age. Unless... (?)
Complete text and:
Intro
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