I once rejected the notion of Martin Luther King as a great American because of his politics, which leaned toward socialism. No more. Socialism is an obvious contradiction of America’s individualist ideals--the very ideals that, as it turned out, King embraced. As I came to understand, thanks to Objectivism, that fundamental philosophical principles drive politics rather than the other way around, I came to realize that King’s politics pale next to his unabashed belief in America’s Founding ideals. The right ideas--if embraced widely--will ultimately lead to the right politics. King is an ally in the battle to spread those right ideas.
My tribute to this great American, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Fundamental Principle of America, has been published at The Objective Standard Blog.
2 comments:
Fundamental philosophical principles drive politics, but King mis-applied them if he came up with socialism. Plus, I think he, as an exponent of the right ideas, wouldn't like what he'd see today in the 'civil rights' scene if he came back to life to see it. That MIGHT make him check his socialist premises.
I see THIS, in the 'civil rights' scene, today: Blacks, women & all the others are getting more of their rights now, but many of them are also getting privileges in this 'mixed economy'. AND, white males are being ever more trashed out, not just by everybody else, but also by themselves. They're losing rights, and whatever benefits of human relations they manage to secure or keep are more and more by privilege than right.
I assume King wouldn't approve of this, and would more clearly see privileges being posed against rights in this 'mixed economy' and re-examin the whole field of politics.
Correction: I said, above, "...but King mis-applied...". I should've said, "...but, given that King was an exponent of the right ideas, he mis-applied...". There, that's better.
Now, if King would be a paragon of the 2nd. Amentment, that might give him still more reason to check his sosialist premises.
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