Kevin M. Ingraham: Political differences – Vallejo Times Herald

This letter is in response to Ed Rosenbacks letter of April 13, responding to a letter of mine. Had Mr. Rosenback ended his letter with the first paragraph with the agreement to disagree, no further response would have felt necessary. However, to characterize my political views as Marxist and then go on to defend the crackpot philosophy of Any Rand is going too far.

First of all, as I am sure Mr. Rosenback is aware, I place myself more in the camp of Bernie Sanders i.e. a Democratic socialist, who believes in democracy, freedom and civil rights, but also believes there is a role for government in protecting those rights, as well as helping provide for the health and welfare of its citizens.

I would prefer our tax money goes toward providing health care, education, infrastructure etc. rather that starting and continuing unjust wars, prosecuting people for victimless crimes, spying on the populace at large, etc. As for Tolstoy, who became a Christian Anarchist in later life and didnt believe in the private ownership of property or the institution of marriage, I find this a puzzling choice for Mr. Rosenbacks philosopher of choice, given his other views.

I had mentioned in a previous letter Ayn Rands pernicious Social Darwinism ( and thats putting it lightly) as I had thought I caught a whiff of this in some of Mr. Rosenbacks previous correspondence. I myself went through a phase in, I believe junior high school, in Florida, where I also thought Rand was the cats meow. Of, course I also thought at the time that blacks were inferior and racism OK. I did spend time (too much time!) in the South. Thankfully, that was over 50 years ago and by the time I graduated from high school, all of this nonsense was a distant memory.

It is fairly common knowledge that Rand is the darling of the far right. Two strong adherents are Paul Ryan, who has indicated a wish to turn Social Security over to the Wall Street casino, (and who lately had no qualms about depriving 24 million people of health care) and Ted Cruz, about whom the less said the better. Exalting selfishness, greed and lack of empathy for other people to some kind of virtue is something I find repugnant.

One of Rands most famous quotes is from Atlas Shrugged a seemingly unending novel that I plowed through in early adolescence. To love money is to know and love the fact that money is the creation of the best power within you ... Another quote from The Virtue of Selfishness is If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject. And this is what we should be following? A love of money, rejecting good works that dont promise some kind of payoff? I certainly hope not. I also find it ironic that Mr. Rosenback, obviously a man of faith who refers to ... gift ... of our Maker goes to such lengths to defend Rand, an outspoken atheist who had nothing but contempt for religion.

As for Thoreau, who lived in a very different time, he didnt deny a role for government, but believed in a just government. He went to jail for refusing to pay poll taxes to support the Mexican-American War and was also against slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act, the law of the land at the time. To somehow imply that he was a philosopher largely concerned with the size of government is inaccurate.

As for Mr. Rosenbacks last paragraph, if he is to pine for the days of uninspected food and medicine, no penalties for poisoning the air and water and the good old days of the Robber Barons, hes welcome to do that. Im not going along for that kind of ride.

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I am fully content to leave this little colloquy as is and have us agree to disagree and end this tennis match if Mr. Rosenback agrees, but wont sit idly by if he continues to misunderstand my views and otherwise wishes to continue this. People must think by now that Ed and I hate each other. Not true. We both have and share a good sense of humor and both serve on a board dedicated to promoting good music in the area. I had previously even thought he was maybe apolitical. Guess I was wrong and we certainly should not discuss politics face to face.

Kevin M. Ingraham/Vallejo

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Kevin M. Ingraham: Political differences - Vallejo Times Herald