Why is compromise in Washington no longer possible? Consider this: There are at play in America two diametrically opposed systems of morality.
The Catholic Church traditionally has taught that the morality of human acts depends on the "goodness" of (a) the object chosen, (b) the intention and (c) the circumstances. It holds that neither the "goodness" of the object nor the intention (for example, helping one's neighbor) justifies using means that are evil, such as lying, demonizing your neighbor or stealing. The church teaches that "the end does not justify the means," and that "one may not do evil so that good may result from it."
The opposing system, which is perhaps best described by Saul Alinsky, teaches that if the "end" is good, the morality of the "means" chosen to achieve that end is not a matter worthy of consideration. All that matters is that the means chosen will work.
In his book, Rules for Radicals, Alinsky devotes his second chapter to a discussion of means and ends. He writes:
"The second rule of the ethics of 'means and ends' is that the judgment of the ethics of 'means' is dependent upon the political position of those sitting in judgment. If you actively opposed the Nazi occupation and joined the underground Resistance, then you adopted the means of assassination, terror, property destruction, the bombing of tunnels and trains, kidnapping, and the willingness to sacrifice innocent hostages to the end of defeating the Nazis.Those who opposed the Nazi conquerors regarded the Resistance as a secret army of selfless, patriotic idealists, courageous beyond expectation and willing to sacrifice their lives to their moral convictions. To the occupation authorities, however, these people were lawless terrorists, murderers, saboteurs, assassins, who believed that the end justified the means, and were utterly unethical according to the mystical rules of war. Any foreign occupation would so ethically judge its opposition. However, in such conflict, neither protagonist is concerned with any value except victory. It is life or death."
Alinsky would no doubt see universal health care as a matter of "life and death." As such, he would place the "have nots" in the shoes of the Resistance, fighting the Nazi occupation, and those who oppose universal health care, in the shoes of the Nazi occupiers. For that reason, an Alinsky-ite would ask only what means he would work? Fair and truthful political argument? Lying? Demonizing your opponents? Destroying his reputation? Calling him a racist? Bribing reluctant supporters? Punishing political opponents?
Alinsky has written, "Life and how you live it is the story of means and ends. The 'end' is what you want, and the 'means' is how you get it. Whenever we think about social change, the question of means and ends arises. The man of action views the issue of means and ends in pragmatic and strategic terms. He has no other problem; he thinks only of his actual resources and the possibilities of various choices of action. He asks of ends only whether they are achievable and worth the cost; of means, only whether they will work. To say that corrupt means corrupt the ends is to believe in the immaculate conception of ends and principles. The real arena is corrupt and bloody. ... he who fears corruption fears life."
Once the Alinsky-ite decides that the end is achievable, and worth the cost, his only other question is whether the means chosen will work. Therefore if lies will work, lying is a permissible means. If destroying your opponents reputation will work, that is permissible. And, at the extreme, if assassinating your opponent works, do it! And if by controlling the press you can stifle all outcry, that too is an acceptable means.
For the Alinsky-ite, the individual cannot stand the way of the good of the masses: "The practical revolutionary will understand Goethe's 'conscience is the virtue of observers and not of agents of action;' in action, one does not always enjoy the luxury of a decision that is consistent both with one's individual conscience and the good of mankind. The choice must always be for the latter. Action is for mass salvation and not for the individual's personal salvation. He who sacrifices the mass good for his personal conscience has a peculiar conception of 'personal salvation'; he doesn't care enough for people to be 'corrupted' for them."
The church teaches otherwise: "Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man. The person represents the ultimate end of society, which is ordered to him. Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature.These rights are prior to society and must be recognized by it. They are the basis of the moral legitimacy of every authority: by flouting them, or refusing to recognize them in its positive legislation, a society undermines its own moral legitimacy. If it does not respect them, authority can rely only on force or violence to obtain obedience from its subjects."
The great problem, of course, with Alinsky's view of ends and means is that if you and your friends can assassinate me (politically or actually) to achieve political or economic mass good, then why can't I and my friends employ like means against you to achieve our notions of mass good? What sort of society do you have when everybody and every political faction lies, bribes and blackmails in support of what they believe to be "social justice?"
Alinsky's equating the struggle between the "have-nots" and the "haves" to war and Nazi occupation turns civilian life into war. But war is the absence of morality and the rule of law. "War is Hell." Is that what we want for ourselves and our children?
So, why is compromise becoming impossible in Washington? How do you compromise when the other side lies about you and the issues? Who vilifies and demonizes you? Who calls you a racist?
Alinsky's notion that the individual and his conscience must be sacrificed for the mass good scares the hell out of me. His paradise looks too much like a new and unimproved version of Stalin's USSR, or Hitler's Germany. If the government -- on behalf of the masses -- determines that the ends are achievable and worth the cost, what prevents the despoilment, destruction or enslavement of the minority "haves?"
John Donald O'Shea of Moline is a retired circuit court judge.
Posted Online: Dec. 05, 2013, 12:00 am - Quad-Cities Online
by John Donald O'Shea
Copyright 2013
John Donald O'Shea
No comments:
Post a Comment