one of the central claims of modern progressivism, that wealth is created not by entrepreneurs and workers but rather by society, and therefore the proceeds can be allocated by the state according to its perceived benefits to society. Of course, if the premise is not true, then the conclusion doesn't follow, and the progressive redistributive project is built on a fallacy. Therefore progressives like Obama are very keen to inform entrepreneurs, "You didn't build that." Obama's explicit claim is that "society did it" and the implicit suggestion is that "society could have done it without you." Interestingly there is a confinement center corollary to the idea that "society did it." It is the idea, sometimes heard among the criminal class, that "society did it to me." Or, to put it a bit differently, "society made me do it." These two ideas-attributing wealth creation or criminal behavior to society in general-seem to be based on the undeniable truth that the outcomes of our actions depend on many factors outside ourselves. "Society" becomes a stand-in for the innumerable, sometimes untraceable influences that contribute to our choices and the results of those choices. The two ideas have something else in common: they both subtract from the idea of personal responsibility. In one case the businessman or entrepreneur doesn't get the credit; in the other the criminal or wrongdoer doesn't take the blame. A closer look can help us see the dangers inherent in granting to society outcomes that would never have occurred without specific individuals freely undertaking specific courses of action.
( Dinesh D'Souza )
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