Victor Hugo, in his classic novel
Les Miserables states,
"Society is guilty in not providing universal free education, and it must answer for the night it produces. If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness".
I wonder who or what Mr. Hugo would say today? Why does crime, violence and inequality still exist? Could it be that he was WRONG? Clearly, he was desperate for answers. But all the philosophizing in the world won't turn falsehood into truth.
I liked the book, but I didn't like the idea of socialism as the answer to the Great Debate. Personal and community liberality answers his question. If government is "of the people, by the people, and for the people" then it can't bestow power that we don't give it. And we can't give power we don't possess ourselves.
When my neighbor can't afford groceries, I should liberally share when I have a little extra. I like my neighbor :)
Sure, I could give a hundred bucks to the government to give to my neighbor but what is their cut and how long would it take? How 'bout while I'm at it, I dig through your wallet and give it to the neighbor - oops, I'd end up in jail. So following that line of logic, do I have power to tell government that they can get into your wallet and give it to the needy neighbor?
I can't give power to the government I don't have.Now go read the Constitution.
