Check out this blog article about voting and the 10 cannots
Bayou Renaissance Man: Thoughts before the election #1
A number of readers have
e-mailed me, asking why I'm not providing more thoughts on the election
and who I support for President.
The answer's simple. I don't
believe I have the right to try to persuade anyone to vote according to
my view of the world. I have my own convictions (centrist, with a
conservative angle in terms of morality and an emphasis on the
individual versus the collective), but I don't want to impose them on
anyone else.
I've therefore decided to share, over a few posts,
some of the thinkers whom I find valuable in evaluating the candidates
for office (whether the Presidency, Senate, Congress, or temporary
acting honorary assistant deputy dog-catcher). What I do is to take the
ideas of such thinkers and use them as a yardstick to evaluate the
candidates. How do they measure up? How well will they implement these
ideas or principles? If they don't and/or won't, I can't in good
conscience vote for them, irrespective of their political party or
philosophy, or their track record.
Today I'd like to introduce you to William J. H. Boetcker
(1873-1962). He was a Presbyterian minister, renowned for his
motivational public speaking, and had the knack of putting important
truths into concise, easily-grasped points.
Among his most
famous ideas are the 'Ten Cannots', dating from 1916. They're often
attributed - mistakenly - to Abraham Lincoln.
I
think the 'Ten Cannots' say a great deal about our present society,
particularly its emphasis on 'big government' and 'handouts' and
'welfare' and suchlike. I don't believe in any of them. If a given
candidate (or political party) has a position that contradicts most of
the 'Ten Cannots', the odds are that I can't support them. If the
positions of all candidates (or parties) contradict the 'Ten Cannots',
I'll have to vote for the person or party who contradicts the fewest of
them, on the principle of choosing the lesser of the evils confronting
me.
Boetcker also coined the 'Seven National Crimes':
These
may or may not apply to our politicians, but they sure apply to us as
voters! We should be asking ourselves whether we're guilty of any of
these attitudes: and, if so, we should try to change that.
In
the days ahead I'll write about a few more thinkers who've influenced
me, and helped to shape my outlook. I hope you find them as interesting
as I do - and helpful, in this election season.
Peter
Bayou Renaissance Man: Thoughts before the election #1
Thoughts before the election #1
A number of readers have
e-mailed me, asking why I'm not providing more thoughts on the election
and who I support for President.
The answer's simple. I don't
believe I have the right to try to persuade anyone to vote according to
my view of the world. I have my own convictions (centrist, with a
conservative angle in terms of morality and an emphasis on the
individual versus the collective), but I don't want to impose them on
anyone else.
I've therefore decided to share, over a few posts,
some of the thinkers whom I find valuable in evaluating the candidates
for office (whether the Presidency, Senate, Congress, or temporary
acting honorary assistant deputy dog-catcher). What I do is to take the
ideas of such thinkers and use them as a yardstick to evaluate the
candidates. How do they measure up? How well will they implement these
ideas or principles? If they don't and/or won't, I can't in good
conscience vote for them, irrespective of their political party or
philosophy, or their track record.
Today I'd like to introduce you to William J. H. Boetcker
(1873-1962). He was a Presbyterian minister, renowned for his
motivational public speaking, and had the knack of putting important
truths into concise, easily-grasped points.
Among his most
famous ideas are the 'Ten Cannots', dating from 1916. They're often
attributed - mistakenly - to Abraham Lincoln.
- You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
- You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
- You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
- You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
- You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
- You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
- You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
- You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
- You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
- You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
I
think the 'Ten Cannots' say a great deal about our present society,
particularly its emphasis on 'big government' and 'handouts' and
'welfare' and suchlike. I don't believe in any of them. If a given
candidate (or political party) has a position that contradicts most of
the 'Ten Cannots', the odds are that I can't support them. If the
positions of all candidates (or parties) contradict the 'Ten Cannots',
I'll have to vote for the person or party who contradicts the fewest of
them, on the principle of choosing the lesser of the evils confronting
me.
Boetcker also coined the 'Seven National Crimes':
- I don’t think.
- I don’t know.
- I don’t care.
- I am too busy.
- I leave well enough alone.
- I have no time to read and find out.
- I am not interested.
These
may or may not apply to our politicians, but they sure apply to us as
voters! We should be asking ourselves whether we're guilty of any of
these attitudes: and, if so, we should try to change that.
In
the days ahead I'll write about a few more thinkers who've influenced
me, and helped to shape my outlook. I hope you find them as interesting
as I do - and helpful, in this election season.
Peter
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