Being responsible is a virtue, but can also be incredibly selfish when it is no more than a means to an end. Personal responsibility used to be a necessity. Failing to provide for oneself could result in discomfort and even death. However, with modern “progress” as we know it the necessity of personal responsibility has become more optional and with that even those that practice it do so with a great degree of misunderstanding of its purpose. Much like a modern yuppy running on a treadmill or pumping iron on some fancy piece of modern “fitness furniture” rather than doing actual productive work, those practicing fiscal responsibility today have engaged in a very synthetic process.
For thousands of years society was family and community based. A person’s retirement plan was often their children. To our modern sensibilities this sounds presumptuous, perhaps even exploitative. Yet to modern sensibilities few – even no – children are plenty. “Be fruitful and multiply” comes right from the first chapter of Genesis. From the very beginning our progeny was our physical priority. So as mankind devolves it is a foregone conclusion that children will take a back seat to “the pride of life.”
Synthetic processes are what define modern living. We exercise through synthetic processes, we socialize via synthetic processes, we learn through synthetic processes, many even succeed through synthetic processes. So why not plan for our future via synthetic processes too? The government is all for it, offering tax deductions for money set aside to spend on oneself after 69.5 years old. As if 69.5 is not synthetic enough, realize that the government will raise that number if it decides to synthesize a different result. We have been socially engineered into creatures that would not survive long without wires and pipes connected to our homes that we must pay someone else for. Of course part of that social engineering included some philosophical programming to make us believe that we’re more independent than ever. Yeah, sure, independent so long as we have wires and pipes and police and grocery stores… It seems to me a rational being would say we’re the most dependent of any society ever.
We’re well beyond the cusp of worshiping our own technology and sacrificing our fertility – among other things – on the alter of self-indulgence…
Face it, we’ve been hoodwinked. Society’s prime came and went and we are now something more akin to the fictional Borg from Star Trek than the “Declaration of Independence” types we began as. Yet, as though it’s not enough to spend our lives dependent on synthetic processes such as stocks and mutual funds while turning our noses up to natural processes such as reproduction for our long term hope; we not only accept such things, we celebrate them. We’re well beyond the cusp of worshiping our own technology and sacrificing our fertility – among other things – on the alter of self-indulgence (think the pill, abortion, and “snip-snip”). When it’s all said and done, that synthetic retirement plan and all of the laws and rules that pigeonholed us into it in the first place really only results in determining how many trips to tropical islands, how large a Winnebago, how many rounds of golf, or how many toys for a spoiled grandchild (if one exists) one can buy. That number, whatever it may be, is also in the hands of your synthetic regulators. Those people we are led to believe that we “vote” for. Given all of the above it’s no surprise why so much of what today’s politician campaigns about wasn’t even considered 50 years ago. It’s no surprise how many politicians win on promises not to upset the house of cards we have built. Promises that can only be kept for so long.
All that being said, I’m one of the above. I suspect, to some degree, we all are. I have a retirement plan. I put money in it to keep the government from taking it from me. Like a good little robot, I obey the instructions programmed into me via our laws. On the bright side I can’t say that I care much what my wife and I are doing when our kids are off on their own. I suspect a couple of rocking chairs would be as nice as any tropical vacation. Maybe I haven’t overdosed on the Kool-Aid yet?
I just hope that my retirement is never my goal or purpose. I’m determined that my children remain a source of hope and that Jesus – not the government – remains my savior. I pray that my grandchildren, children, and I will recognize when society’s programming has gone too far and that we’d not be deceived into entirely surrendering our souls to bureaucrats that will sacrifice themselves and us to win an election.
Being responsible is a virtue, but it’s wasted when we only accept responsibility for ourselves. We were made with the capacity for parenthood, for extending our own personal responsibilities to young humans. A true parent can never be synthesized. That capacity is a gift from God, a gift worth every bit of the effort required. I hope this helps, even just the man in the mirror, to snap out of the self indulgent slavery of modern society and consider more seriously the legacy we leave behind.
The next time I read a website, I expect that it doesnt
disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my pick to read, but I actually thought youd have something fascinating to say.
All I hear is a bunch of whining about something which
you could repair if you werent overly busy looking for focus.
Nice post. It’ll always be stimulating to read content from other writers. I’d prefer to use some with the content on my site if you do’t mind. Natually I’ll give you a link on your web site. Thanks for sharing.