Rightist Road to Ruin

"That way madness lies." -- Shakespeare

   There is more danger to freedom and democracy from the extreme right than from leftist liberals.
   Examples from the 20th Century include right-wing dictators such as Francisco Franco in Spain, Juan Peron in Argentina, or Benito Mussolini in Italy, as well as others.
   Soviet Communism, however, was a perversion of Marxism. It was doomed to failure as it attempted to impose democratic principles on a feudal society that was not ready for it. Karl Marx himself was opposed to any move to bring socialist principles to a society that had not yet evolved to a capitalist society. Capitalism, Marx maintained, had within it the seeds of its own destruction, and would topple from its own imbalance. Russia, he added, was still a feudal society, and therefore could not move directly to socialism, thus bypassing capitalism.
   Moreover, Marx wrote that a social welfare society would build first in Germany or England, where capitalism was well entrenched and was abusing those of the working class. And no less a solid capitalist-oriented publication as The Economist pointed out that in many ways, "Marx was right."
   However, while Marx called for workers of the world to unite, he did not foresee their success in getting capitalist managers to agree to demands for a living wage and better working conditions. Therefore, labor union successes in negotiating -- despite opposition from management -- reasonable benefits, prevented the violent overthrow that Marx predicted.
   Because of these successes, many Western nations have undergone changes as the rise of labor unions, cooperation from management and sympathy from government brought on higher wages, fairer treatment and a range of social welfare benefits to more people, not just to the privileged elite few.
   In contrast, there are still many among the wealthy one percent who fear what they believe would be an erosion of their power, influence and wealth. They would rather keep workers "in their place," continuing to "do what they're told" by those who believe themselves to be their "betters."
   But are they? The larger reality, as stated in the American Declaration of Independence, is that all "are created equal," and all are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights." These are rights that all are born with; they are not granted by any government, and therefore cannot be taken away. Indeed, government is prohibited by the Constitution from abridging these rights.
   However, the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," as noted in the Declaration of Independence, are too often delayed or trimmed by those consumed by their self-interest, and any attempts to build on these rights are opposed.
   That is not the type of democracy that the American founders envisioned in 1776.
   In trying to preserve their "betterness," those of the self-perceived elite manipulate the fears and emotions of others in order to reinforce their own power positions. And as stated by George F. Baer, president of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in 1902, "The rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for, not by the labor agitators, but by the Christian men of property to whom God has given control of the property rights of the country."
   
   Currently, right-wing extremists again invoke fear of The Other to maintain the already widening income gap. They warn of incursions by outsiders who, they claim, will erode what few benefits workers have. But the reality is that these ultra-conservatives ignore the rights of the many, as stipulated in the founding documents of American democracy, to reinforce their own elitist power grabs.
   Social welfare programs such as old age pensions, unemployment aid, health care and education are important pillars of a democratic society. To take them away or even reduce them by transforming them to the vagaries of the profit-oriented private sector is to start them on the road to oblivion and dictatorship by the few are the expense of the many.
   Under the guise of patriotism, right-wing extremists will warn of treason and danger to the established system, using this as a cover to erode those very social benefits that people have worked so hard to acquire. But to oppose such an unfair and undemocratic strategy is not treason, but duty to a democratic society.
   And as Patrick Henry famously said, "If this be treason, make the most of it."