XPost: alt.anarchism, alt.politics.socialism, alt.philosophy.objectivism   
   From: pub?@?li.us   
      
   In the recent Biden interview, anti-social Faux News anchor Barbara West   
   quoted Karl Marx   
   and asked, "You may recognize this famous quote. From each according to his   
   abilities, to   
   each according to his needs. That's from Karl Marx. How is Sen. Obama not   
   being a Marxist   
   if he intends to spread the wealth around?"   
      
   This continuous drone in an effort to vilify natural social tendencies of   
   humans betrays   
   the selfish, greedy worldview of a few twisted minds.   
      
   What they don't want you to know is that this concept of community   
   responsibility wasn't   
   born with Marx.  Greater men then him articulated the principle, including the   
   most   
   intellectual of the USA 'founding fathers', Benjamin Franklin.   
      
   No rugged individualist such as Bill Gates could earn $54 Billion in a few   
   years, no   
   matter how genius, absent the rules made and enforced by government as agents   
   of the land   
   lords.   The obscene wealth being transferred to a handful of the 'opulent   
   minority'   
   doesn't speak to the wonderful 'American Dream' but rather it exposes how   
   ill-founded and   
   anti-social the rules are that enabled this aberration.   
      
   Franklin noted that all wealth is the creation of society, community.  And as   
   such, those   
   holding immense wealth are indebted to society - 'From each according to his   
   abilities, to   
   each according to his needs.'..."down to the last farthing"! - Not as charity,   
   but as   
   repayment of a debt to society.   
      
   "Superfluous Property is the Creature of Society. Simple and mild Laws were   
   sufficient to   
   guard the Property that was merely necessary. The Savage’s Bow, his Hatchet,   
   and his Coat   
   of Skins, were sufficiently secured without Law by the Fear of personal   
   Resentment and   
   Retaliation. When by virtue of the first Laws Part of the Society accumulated   
   Wealth and   
   grew Powerful, they enacted others more severe, and would protect their   
   Property at the   
   Expence of Humanity. This was abusing their Powers, and commencing a Tyranny."   
     - - Benjamin Franklin   
      
   "...the Accumulation therefore of Property in such a Society, and its Security   
   to   
   Individuals in every Society must be an Effect of the Protection afforded to   
   it by the   
   joint Strength of the Society, in the Execution of its Laws; private Property   
   therefore is   
   a Creature of Society and is subject to the Calls of that Society whenever its   
   Necessities   
   shall require it, even to its last Farthing; its Contributions therefore to   
   the public   
   Exigencies are not to be considered as conferring a Benefit on the Public,   
   entitling the   
   Contributors to the Distinctions of Honour and Power; but as the Return of an   
   Obligation   
   previously received or the Payment of a just Debt."   
    - - Benjamin Franklin   
      
   As great a mind Franklin was, the concepts imbedded in his words were not   
   novel.  They are   
   ancient.  In fact it should be clear that what he wrote and Marx's famous   
   mantra 'From   
   each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.' were merely   
   restatements   
   of the principles espoused by others such as Gerrard Winstanley and the   
   Diggers of the   
   1600's.   
      
   "Seeing the common people of England by joynt consent of person and purse have   
   caste out   
   Charles our Norman oppressour, wee have by this victory recovered ourselves   
   from under his   
   Norman yoake."  "..."in the beginning of time God made the earth. Not one word   
   was spoken   
   at the beginning that one branch of mankind should rule over another, but   
   selfish   
   imaginations did set up one man to teach and rule over another."   
    - - Gerrard Winstanley   
      
   "The power of enclosing land and owning property was brought into the creation   
   by your   
   ancestors by the sword; which first did murder their fellow creatures, men,   
   and after   
   plunder or steal away their land, and left this land successively to you,   
   their children.   
   And therefore, though you did not kill or thieve, yet you hold that cursed   
   thing in your   
   hand by the power of the sword; and so you justify the wicked deeds of your   
   fathers, and   
   that sin of your fathers shall be visited upon the head of you and your   
   children to the   
   third and fourth generation, and longer too, till your bloody and thieving   
   power be rooted   
   out of the land."   
    - - Gerrard Winstanley   
      
   And just where did Winstanley get this 'brainstorm'?  From the actual   
   'compassionate   
   conservatives', the true evangelical Christians, the disciples of Jesus   
   himself:   
      
   One origin of such fundamental Christian Communism can be traced to the Book   
   of Acts,   
   chapter 2:   
      
       32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any   
   of his   
   possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great   
   power the   
   apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much   
   grace was   
   upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to   
   time those who   
   owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put   
   it at the   
   apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36 Joseph, a   
   Levite from   
   Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement),   
   37 sold a   
   field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.   
   ***   
       44 And all that believed were together, and had all things in common; 45   
   And sold   
   their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.   
      
   So one might ask, when Marx penned his famous line, 'From each according to   
   his abilities,   
   to each according to his needs.' - did he give credit to the Christian source?   
      
   --   
   Said American [Indian] Chieftain Acuera in reply to   
   the invader de Soto's demand for submission to   
   the king and the church so as to 'enjoy the benefits   
   of 'civilization' and service:   
      
   "I have long since learned who you [European Christians] are,   
   through others of you who came years ago to my land;   
   and I already know very well what your customs and   
   behavior are like.  To me you are professional   
   vagabonds who wander from place to place,   
   gaining your livelihood by robbing, sacking and   
   murdering people who have given you no offense.   
    ... Accordingly, I and all of my people have vowed   
   to die a hundred deaths to maintain the freedom   
   of our land.  This is our answer, both   
   for the present and forevermore."   
    -- "Florida of the Inca" (1591)   
       by El Inca [aka Garcilaso de la Vega]   
     - First American Author to be published.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)