W.W.A.R.D.- What Would Ayn Rand Do?
Just when you thought the country was safe for things like volunteering and apple pie, someone comes and throws you a curve ball. This is old news but.... The Ayn Rand Institute
The Center for the Advancement of Objectivism has come out strongly with it's moral opposition to volunteerism. I don't think I could make up stuff crazier than this.
Read about their Anti-Volunteerism Program
"Since the Presidents' summit on volunteerism in April 1997, the Ayn Rand Institute has been the sole voice of moral opposition to volunteerism. Volunteerism is designed to turn Americans into guilt-ridden indentured servants -- a program morality more appropriate to a dictatorship than to a nation founded on independence and freedom."
Volunteering Is Immoral!!!!!
"The Clinton-Bush Summit is immoral. The Founding Fathers wrote a declaration of independence, not a declaration of servitude," says Dr. Michael Berliner, ARI's executive director. "The proposals for national service are an inversion of the principles on which this country was established: an individual's right to his own life, liberty and pursuit of happiness."
5 comments:
Yeah, sooooo What!!!!
Not everyone lives in your world of little islands onto themselves. Being part of something bigger than yourself requires responsibility. Call it "collectivism", I don't care. Life "forces" us to do many things we may not want to at the time, like going to work. Parents "force" children to take medicine. "Volunteering" is just good medicine. Schools of ever kind have requirements. Many require students to report to their gulog for cumpulsory lecturing. Sorry that's life.
CATO:
To be honest with you, you are correct that compulsory "volunteerism" is not volunteering. I do understand your point. However, in practical terms, we
all need a kick in the butt once in a while to do what we know we should.
I think it would be a good thing to require our youngsters to do some kind of community service, even if it isn't voluntary.
Of all the ills in the world, I think it's silly for the ARI to speak out against this idea.
I am anticipating your predictable answer about limiting liberty.
BTW, the link to your little flash animation was interesting. However I reject it because I do not accept the premise at the begining.
Now you've touched on something that really irks me. This objectivist notion of sacrifice. You are asking me to accept your definition that sacrifice is giving up somthing of value for something of less value.
It's non-sense in the commonly accepted understanding of sacrifice.
It only makes sense when YOU are the center of the universe, which is what you believe.
A mother sacrifices her time for the good of her children.
A soldiers sacrifices his life for his country many volunteerly so.
One sacrifices something one values for a greater value to others.
Even young children know that it is
good to do something for others. Yet you with all your knowledge can't figure that out?
Your little cartoon, implies that if we accept objectivism all wars will end and we will live a utopian existence. I can't understand how you can believe that billions of competing egos could produce such a result. That takes much more faith than to believe in the miracles of Jesus.
"I highly doubt you get that warm and fuzzy feeling when you pay your taxes though."
No, I get the Warm Fuzzy feeling when I see young people from our community go on to do commendable things, which is made possible in part by the taxes I pay.
I'd hate to be your sibling.
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