Communism, Socialism, Terrorism, & Liberalism vs Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness

This is a topic that will probably frequent this blog. So I will create a foundation here for later discussions.

In the last post The Role of Government I discussed that the 3 major roles should be the protection of freedom and liberties, the protection of life, and the protection of property. I didn't mention, and this is probably because it seems so obvious to me at times, that in order for the government to perform these tasks it must first and foremost protect its sovereignty at all costs. In other words a few fundamental roles of any government should be:

1. National Defense (protects sovereignty, life, property, and freedoms)
2. Law and Order (Supreme Law in the US is the Constitution which guides and provides the principles needed for a foundation, protects life, property, and freedoms)

Welfare is not the responsibility of the government. By God's law we the people are held accountable for that as individuals. We must not delegate welfare to the State. King Mosiah in his address taught plainly that even persons in positions of power must serve one another. In Mosiah 2:14:

And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.

If only our own politicians had these standards today.

In contrast to liberty we have terrorism. Radical groups of people for various reasons that call America and its citizens evil for its founding ideals. They threaten our country, our families, and our freedoms. These are fanatical groups and individuals that cannot be reasoned with, they believe that they are in the right. Should we sit idly by as some in Washington feel we should cower like so much of Europe has already? Should we disarm and disband? Should we fall back from the front and retreat? What would the message be to the terrorists and the rest of the world if we did? George Washington stated:

"There is a rank due the United States among the nations that will be totally lost by the reputation of weakness. If we would avoid insult we must be able to repel it, if we would secure the peace it must be known that we are at all times ready for war."

David O McKay in Gospel Ideals wrote:

"Force rules in the world today, consequently, our government must keep armies abroad, build navies and air squadrons, create atom bombs to protect itself from the threatened aggression of a nation which seems to listen to no other appeal than compulsion."

The forces of good and evil on this earth have been at war since the Council in Heaven. We need to keep up the good fight.

Another enemy that we find rampant in the world is communism and other forms of socialism. This is the welfare state. This is the government that controls the people. This is the kind of government that is promoted by liberalism. Liberals want to tell you how to live your life and force you to live their lifestyle. They want to tell you that the terrorists are simply misunderstood and not evil, rather that it was our fault. Liberals think they are smarter than you and I, that if we give them more money in the form of taxes they can spend it better. They can help the needy better. This is just socialism - welfare, state run health care, environmental watchdogs, etc. It doesn't matter how right the cause is, or how badly people need the help, it is evil to remove freedoms. It is Satan's counterfeit plan. And it is destroying liberties at a rapid pace. In the 1920s through the 1970s the leaders of the LDS Church such as David O McKay, Ezra Taft Benson, and Bruce R McConkie spoke out against communism and socialism. They stated that they were secret combinations and that no LDS person should have any part in them.

What are your views on socialism? Do you agree that liberalism is just another form of socialism?