Maybe we should be socialists?

John Adams once explained that “our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

It is clear and well documented in history that the free market capitalist system is far and away the best system for economic progress and social happiness. I’ve written several posts explaining particular aspects of this observation, and it remains true.

However, as Benjamin Franklin warned, “only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” If a people cannot govern themselves in an acceptable manner, they must be governed.

It leaves me to ponder, where are we now? Our nation continues to decline morally, despite the fight of many good people. So at what point are we no longer moral and disciplined enough to govern ourselves?

We’re not there yet. There are far too many good people in our nation to put such chains on their, and our nation’s, progress. But we are getting closer and closer, and one can see why so many people are indeed hopeful for such a system. Their individual moral systems have failed them, and they have become poor stewards of themselves. Thus they look to be governed. Total government, after all, would likely be a better system than an immoral anarchy. For anarchy ends in terror rule, where the strongest and most fearsome prey on the weak.

If our moral decline continues, there are only three possible outcomes. We could convert to a nanny state to maintain moral order. We might fall to anarchy and terror rule. Or we may end in revolution causing a national division, where the moral self-governors break off from the morally weak and create an independent free state again capable of individual self-government.

Obviously the best option is to break the moral decline and return to strong core values. Only this can preserve our nation and its liberty as it was designed. Otherwise we are doomed to destruction one way or another.