Posted by
voice_of_reason on Thursday, July 19, 2007 3:58:44 PM
I don't knock Mother Theresa and Gandhi for their individual choices and actions. Within the context of their chosen philosophies, they were exemplary and consistent practitioners.
I do, however, question the validity of altruism-based philosophies in general - without distinction as to whether they derive from Catholicism (e.g. Mother Theresa) or Hinduism (e.g. Gandhi) - as being either fair or efficacious.
Incidentally, I have the same problem with non-religious altruism. So, this isn't an anti-religious position, but a consistently anti-altruism position. This is important, because many religious people believe (incorrectly) that altruism lies solely within their province. Political ideologies such as Socialism (and its big brother Communism) are also based on perverse altruistic principles.
FAIRNESS
Why is Altruism unfair?
Because it makes victims and slaves of one segment of the population while making parasites of the rest. We saw this 'divide' in Soviet Russia - until the time when the slaves revolted and the entire system collapsed.
What if people are voluntarily altruistic?
That is not necessarily a problem, but if everyone dropped out of profit-making enterprises and went off to 'help the poor', there would be a lot more poor people!
On our planet, nothing is handed to us for consumption; even low-hanging fruit have to be plucked before they can be eaten. And, humans will only work for themselves - otherwise Socialism would've been a great hit! Altruism can only exist if there are productive, selfish people around somewhere to provide 'funds' behind the blank check of altruistic people.
Personal note: in the 1980s, I had the opportunity to visit Calcutta, India - the city in which Mother Theresa spent most of her life (from the 1940s through the 1990s).
As a visitor, I was struck by the unimaginable level of poverty and disease in Calcutta. It is far more visible in Calcutta than in the rest of India.
Not to take away from Mother Theresa's remarkable achievements (in the toughest of all possible environments), but semi-socialist India's policies outpaced her healing touch. The 'system' ground out millions more poor people every year than even Mother Theresa could heal.
However, Mother Theresa deserves full credit for trying to help the victims of Socialism.
EFFICACY
The salubrious effects of Capitalism on a city/state/country are tangible, particularly in a poor country like India. I haven't had a chance to visit India in recent times, but I've heard from people who have visited industrial areas such as Bangalore, a city in Southern India. I understand that it compares quite favorably with Calcutta (now called Kolkata), which is just a few hundred miles away!
An interesting side-note: Bill Gates (in his selfish, Capitalist, dollar-chasing incarnation, not as a philanthropist) has done a lot more for more people in India than Mother Theresa. Although that wasn't his primary motive, surely he too deserves credit for helping the victims of Socialism?
Despite all the fluff that surrounds the 'ideal' of altruism, it:
(a) doesn't accomplish very much
(b) relies on non-altruists to keep it afloat
So, why do so many people support an ideal that is unfair and inefficient?
I realize that It is almost blasphemous to speak ill of great people such as Gandhi and Mother Theresa - but it is worth noting the following:
* Gandhi (and his ideological followers such as Nehru, the first Prime Minister of free India) were proponents of Socialism.
* Sadly, Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. But India adopted a Socialist model from 1947 to 1991. This was a direct consequence of the ideological beliefs of Gandhi and his well-intentioned followers
* Poverty levels increased during that period, despite ambitious-sounding Five Year Plans (a hallmark of all Socialist countries)
One could make a connection between Gandhi's altruistic principles and the poverty that Mother Theresa fought altruistically with so much personal courage. The sad fact is that Socialism leads to poverty, which increases the need for people like Mother Theresa.
Beginning in 1991 (the post-Soviet era) however, India began to adopt semi-Capitalist policies. A decade later, India appears to be gaining momentum and could become an economic powerhouse in the decades to come..
It is interesting to note however, that the Communist Party is still the dominant political party in Bengal, the state within which Kolkata lies. Any economic improvements in Mother Theresa's adopted city would have to come in spite of their local government!