{"id":19249,"date":"2010-11-17T13:37:29","date_gmt":"2010-11-17T20:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=19249"},"modified":"2010-11-17T13:37:29","modified_gmt":"2010-11-17T20:37:29","slug":"bryan-fischer-is-a-dolt-redistributionist-sinners-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/11\/17\/bryan-fischer-is-a-dolt-redistributionist-sinners-edition.html","title":{"rendered":"Bryan Fischer is a dolt: Redistributionist Sinners Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Bryan Fischer leaps onto Dr. Donald Berwick<\/a>, the new chief of Medicare, on what he has said about health care.<\/p>\n

Donald Berwick: \u201cExcellent health care is by nature redistributional.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bible: \u201cYou shall not steal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donald Berwick: “Any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized, and humane must, must redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and less fortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bible: \u201cYou shall not covet…anything that is your neighbor\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donald Berwick, the new head of Medicare, makes his first appearance before Congress today, testifying before the Senate Finance Committee.<\/p>\n

His approach to health care reform obviously involves taking from the rich and giving to the poor. This is nothing more than legalized theft, plunder under the color of law.<\/p>\n

And it is predicated, as all of liberalism is, on an envy of the wealthy and productive. There is a seething resentment among liberals that some in our culture have while others do not, a resentment that finds expression in the forcible taking of the assets of the productive and its transfer to the unproductive. That is nothing more than ugly greed. Thus liberalism, and ObamaCare in particular, is predicated on a gross, deliberate violation of two of God\u2019s Ten Commandments.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Got that?\u00a0 Health care for all, providing a basic level of helping the sick (and, even better, preserving health before it fails) isn’t motivated by care, compassion, a sense of decency, a civilized attitude, a desire to help, a feeling of societal duty, or even religiously-driven love of one’s fellow man.<\/p>\n

No, Bryan knows the ugly secret.\u00a0 It’s all about envy, plunder, greed, envy, and a gross deliberate (deliberate!) desire to violate two of God’s Ten Commandments.<\/p>\n

How he gets that from Dr. Berwick’s statements surpasseth all understanding, of course, but I’m sure his animus toward Obama, liberalism, or … um, guys named Berwick have nothing do with it.<\/p>\n

It is not as if the Bible does not believe in the transfer of wealth, for it surely does. But what the Bible teaches is that such a transfer must be voluntary.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Actually, the Bible seems perfectly fine with taxation. It’s not discussed in the Old Testament much, but one assumes the Kingdom of Israel had taxes.\u00a0 In the New Testament, Jesus himself okays it<\/a> and (just) tax collectors<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n

And, of course, in our political system, taxation is, in fact, voluntary — voluntary in that we have representation to reflect the volition of the majority, an amendable Constitution that allows for taxation, and, of course, the freedom to leave any time you don’t like it.<\/p>\n

Any of those can be abused, of course — but that’s true of any act of majoritarian rule.<\/p>\n

The early church had no needy among them, not because the heavy hand of government took from some at the point of a sword and gave to others, but because generous individuals willingly brought of their wealth, \u201claid it at the apostles; feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need\u201d (Acts 4:35).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And if those who were without health care (and food, and clothing, and shelter, and work) were, in fact, provided for by the voluntary donations of the rest of society, there would be no problem, and no need for the government (of the people) to be involved in such things.\u00a0 Perhaps Bryan would be better off encouraging modern-churchgoers to give more generously.<\/p>\n

Capitalism is grounded on the biblical principles of hard work, self-reliance, compassion and generosity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Capitalism has nothing to do with compassion and generosity.Technically speaking, capitalism is:<\/p>\n

… an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for a private profit; decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and investments are made by private actors in the market; profit is distributed to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers employed by businesses and companies.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don’t see anything about compassion or generosity there, or any place those virtues would reside. Capitalism can be highly effective in a variety of ways, and those ways can benefit a lot of people — but it’s no more Biblical than, say, a helicopter, or an alarm clock.<\/p>\n

Arguably, capitalism in the modern US (at least so far as, let’s say, the health care and health insurance industries, since we’re discussing health care) has little to do with self-reliance, and only marginally to do with hard work.<\/p>\n

Socialism, on the other hand, is rooted in the thoroughly unbiblical principles of theft, greed, class warfare, envy, and the punishment of the productive. Such principles are not just unbiblical, they are evil and socially destructive.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First, it’s worth nothing that “ObamaCare” is not socialism, except in such a way as to extend the definition far past the breaking point.<\/p>\n

Secondly, um … “sez you.”\u00a0 That little diatribe is so emotional that it’s impossible to challenge any factual assertion because there are so few facts asserted, only “Socialism is a bunch of doo-doo heads.”<\/p>\n

Command control of economies and handling of all wealth by autocrats is, in fact, not something I believe is either efficient or just.\u00a0 But that’s hardly what we have in this country — at least so far as its government is concerned.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: the involuntary transfer of wealth is fundamentally immoral. The voluntary transfer of wealth, on the other hand, is noble and compassionate. Donald Berwick of involuntary transfer infamy is promoting a profoundly wrongheaded and un-American political philosophy, and deserves every last bit of grilling he might get today.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Government is, ultimately, the joint transfer of wealth to causes directed by the powers of government (who are, in theory, us, through our elected representatives) (remember that whole “no taxation without representation?”).\u00a0 Everything the government does, involving money, seems to represent what Bryan would consider an “involuntary transfer of wealth,” which he would then consider “fundamentally immoral.”<\/p>\n

That would seem to me to mean, not just “ObamaCare,” but Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Food Stamps and other Welfare, unemployment insurance, the VA, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and National Guard, the space program, customs, roads, schools, air traffic control, the salaries of every government worker, the police, fire departments, the Centers for Disease Control, customs inspectors, food inspectors, building inspectors, national \/ state \/ county \/ local parks, sewage systems, water systems, flood systems, libraries, road signs …<\/p>\n

Pretty much the entire government.<\/p>\n

Instead, Bryan seems to think (or at least be arguing, since I don’t think he really believes it) that we will all get along in harmony by being charitable to one another, giving as we see morally fit (as directed by orthodox Christian churches, no doubt, in Bryan’s view) to those causes we feel are worthwhile, and all will be magically well — all will be fed, sheltered, clothed, free, and holy.\u00a0 And if they’re not … well, I’m sure there’s some sinfulness somewhere that will be responsible for it.\u00a0 Probably the Muslims. Or the Gays. Or the Liberals.<\/p>\n

But if some dies because they couldn’t afford medicine, or food, or a decent place to live … well, better that than that one person be compelled to have their wealth “redistributed.” Because the Bible clearly says so.<\/p>\n

Personally, I’d call that<\/em> “profoundly wrongheaded and un-American,” not to mention “fundamentally immoral.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bryan Fischer leaps onto Dr. Donald Berwick, the new chief of Medicare, on what he has said about health care. Donald Berwick: \u201cExcellent health care is by nature redistributional.\u201d Bible: \u201cYou shall not steal.\u201d Donald Berwick: “Any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized, and humane must, must redistribute wealth from the richer … Continue reading “Bryan Fischer is a dolt: Redistributionist Sinners Edition”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics-law","category-religion"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25839,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2012\/01\/31\/bryan-fischer-is-a-dolt-decrease-the-surplus-population-edition.html","url_meta":{"origin":19249,"position":0},"title":"Bryan Fischer is a Dolt (Decrease the Surplus Population Edition)","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 31-Jan-12 7:20am","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the more laughable oddities of the GOP's response to health care reform and lack of insurance coverage by many in the US, was the idea that, no, everyone in the US can get medical care if critically necessary by going to the emergency room, since US law requires\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":131275,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/08\/15\/bryan-fischer-is-a-dolt-presidential-distaff-edition.html","url_meta":{"origin":19249,"position":1},"title":"Bryan Fischer Is a Dolt (Presidential Distaff Edition)","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 15-Aug-16 3:40am","format":false,"excerpt":"Everyone's favorite Conservative Christian Pundit, Bryan Fischer (former Director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association, and blogger and radio host in AFA media) is back, declaring the real reason why you and everyone else should be voting for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.http:\/\/www.rightwingwatch.org\/content\/bryan-fischer-i-dont-believe-women-should-be-entrusted-high-political-office'\"That's always the pattern in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25073,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2012\/01\/04\/bryan-fischer-is-a-dolt-amateur-virologist-edition.html","url_meta":{"origin":19249,"position":2},"title":"Bryan Fischer is a Dolt (Amateur Virologist Edition)","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 4-Jan-12 2:39pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, Bryan, that's right, it's all a huge conspiracy between money-grubbing research scientists and drug-abusing gays. I'm sure there are also some Muslims you can blame for AIDS, too, if you set your mind to it. Dolt. #ddtbReshared post from +David BadashSick. And, dangerous. Playing with lives. Totally irresponsible. Embedded\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43564,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/07\/14\/immigration-policy-is-complex-bryan-fischer-is-not.html","url_meta":{"origin":19249,"position":3},"title":"Immigration policy is complex. Bryan Fischer is not","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 14-Jul-14 3:17pm","format":false,"excerpt":"There are reasons why borders are where they are at any given point in time, and arguments as to how hard or porous they should\u00a0be. With all due respect to Bryan-buddy-buddy, though, I'm pretty confident it's not because God has a cosmic map upon which He's scribbled\u00a0them in and declared\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":133914,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2017\/07\/20\/donald-trump-really-doesnt-understand-health-insurance.html","url_meta":{"origin":19249,"position":4},"title":"Donald Trump really doesn't understand health insurance","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 20-Jul-17 3:06pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in the past there have been amusing moments when Presidents were reality checked about Real Life Prices. I seem to recall George H. W. Bush being clueless as to milk prices. And folk got a laugh, and a few people chided the guy who was supposed to be helping\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31452,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2012\/11\/21\/bryan-fischer-pushes-for-eyewitness-testimony-for-miracles.html","url_meta":{"origin":19249,"position":5},"title":"Bryan Fischer pushes for eyewitness testimony for miracles","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 21-Nov-12 8:35am","format":false,"excerpt":"Unfortunately, he's willing to take the Book of Genesis as eyewitness testimony from God as to what happened at the creation of the Earth. \u00a0Convenient, that.(So who swears God in when He testifies ... and on what does He swear an oath?)Not to put too fine a point on it,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19249\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}