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Facts and Philosophy 

by Gordon Francis Corbett

          If we depend exclusively on facts when we argue, each arguer will cite his facts and sources, and will decry his opponent's.  Only frustration and futility can result.

          If, instead, we let facts illustrate our philosophy, we can win.

          The philosophic study called ethics covers right and wrong.  Ethics spawns politics.  Politics studies the sanctioned use of force.

          Our philosophic opponent is collectivism, which comprises socialism and fascism.  Socialism advocates that government own the means of production, distribution, and exchange.  Fascism recommends that government control them.

          How can they justify that from the standpoint of ethics?

          Philosophic arguments begin with basic assumptions, called "premises."

          Collectivist theory asserts that only the collective has rights, and that government should enforce them.  Hitler's collective was the German "Volk" (pronounced "folk"), or racial group.  Marx's was the poor.

          Theoretically, Hitler wanted to abolish private property and have his National Socialist German Workers' Party run Germany dictatorially to benefit Aryans.  Marx wanted to abolish private property and have government run countries dictatorially to make everyone economically equal.

          In both situations, theoretically, government would eliminate injustice (racial for Hitler, social for Marx), and thereby create justice.

          Democratic collectivism is cleverer than the dictatorial variety.  Because a dictator seizes power by force, few support him willingly.  A "democratic" leader, though, often uses electoral tricks to legitimate his "winning" and ruling.

          In both cases, one's participation in the economy depends on one's pleasing the bosses.

          Collectivism is bosh.  Although groups' individual members have rights, the groups themselves have none.  Therefore, individual's rights give rise to all proper governmental power, and constitute the antidote to collectivism.

          Individual's rights founded our Republic.  Our Constitution and its Bill of Rights protect those rights.

          No wonder our opponents want to ignore it!