Maybe It’s Our Constitution, Capitalism, and Judeo-Christian Values

In the Travel section of today’s Seattle Times, there’s an article entitled “A life-changing journey – now on to change the world”, written by Haley Edwards, a 23-year-old writer. The article is the final installment of an ongoing series describing Ms. Edwards’ travels through the Middle East and Asia.

The articles are well-written, articulate, and thoughtful. However, in this final installment, Ms. Edwards falls into a common trap.

Ms. Edwards starts her article with:

I'm back in the United States and, man, does it feel good to have a shower. After nearly 120 days of sleeping in a different hostel every night, I've come to appreciate the small things: indoor plumbing; clean sheets; crosswalks; toilet paper.

She then says:

When I first came back, I was almost paralyzed by these constant comparisons between America and the developing world. Why should I have a washer/dryer when those kids don't even have clothes? Why should I have the choice between Blue C Sushi and Dick's when a family I stayed with not a week before was probably not eating at all?

Why indeed? I’ll answer her question at the end of this post.

Here is what comes next:

Now that I've seen the poverty, disease and terrorism that haunt the rest of the world, don't I have an obligation to do something about it?

She does and so do we.

But what can we do?

Ms. Edwards cites examples of giving money to UNICEF and Oxfam, and of choosing to send $50 to feed a starving child instead of buying a pair of Hush Puppies, although she does admit that “I could send my $50 to India and that kid would still die.”

I’d like to add another idea to the mix.

Doing something about world poverty doesn’t necessarily mean shipping truckloads of wheat to less-developed countries. Instead, let’s think about changing the backwards ideas and culture of the less-developed nations.

In the article, Ms. Edwards briefly mentions Kashmir, which is the territory between Pakistan and India that both nations claim belongs to them. Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country, whereas India is Hindu with a strict class-oriented society. In both cases, certain members of society are repressed. In the Muslim nation of Pakistan, women do not enjoy the same rights as men. In India, what class you are born into affects what opportunities you will have in life.

Perhaps the reason why Americans have “the choice between Blue C Sushi and Dick’s” (and Kashmiris don’t) has something to do with how our society is structured.

Our society is based on the U.S. Constitution which, in the Bill of Rights, provides:
- Freedom of religion
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom against unlawful search and seizure
- Right to a fair trial

Our Judeo-Christian values led to the establishment of the idea that “all men are created equal” (although our enactment of this belief has been imperfect and slow).

These ideas led to the concept of private ownership of property and means of production (capitalism), which led to a technological revolution that still continues today. Currently, even communist China is reaping the benefits of its tentative embrace of capitalism.

All of these contribute to a robust, healthy and prosperous society, which among other things, produces Dick’s drive-ins, sushi restaurants, Starbucks coffee joints, laptop computers, iPods, Boeing airplanes, and yes, indoor plumbing and toilet paper.

I am not saying that our society is perfect, because it isn’t. Capitalism isn’t perfect. But what we have accomplished in the United States is the best experiment in individual dignity and freedom that the world has ever seen.

So maybe we shouldn’t send money abroad to help those less fortunate than us. Instead, let’s send the seeds of change – the ideas that all men (and women) are created equal and should be given the right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” and help those in need enact these ideas in their own societies.

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Original link to this post:
http://thephantomrepublican.blogspot.com/2006/09/maybe-its-our-constitution-capitalism.html