From a simple perspective, the communist ethos is supposedly based on equitable distribution of resources. It is a situation where resources are supposedly allocated without consideration for individual gaps in productivity. It automatically involves taking from the ‘haves’ to give to the ‘have nots’, such that nobody is in lack and nobody boasts of a surplus. This seems to be an appropriate way to bridge the poverty gap where a few live in obscene opulence and others – usually in the majority – in abject deprivation.
Welfarism is based on the premise that all men are created equal and there is no reason why any man should go to bed hungry when there are resources in a collective to prevent that from happening. On the surface and by its spiritual conceptualization in God’s concern for the poor, this would appear a perfect arrangement, that is until human nature kicks in. Greed, avarice, complacency, laziness hiding under the cover of collectivity to truncate the productivity process.
This system was however never designed to perpetuate any of these vices.
In Deut. 15, God took the people into the land with the expectation that a time would come when none of them, all factors being in place, would be poor. But because of the human factors of avarice and greed that lead to the hoarding of resources to the advantage of a few who now lord it over others, He also prepared them for the reality of the poor not ceasing from the land, not because there was not enough for every man’s need but because there wasn’t enough for every man’s greed. How can I claim to be happy and well fed while a neighbor of mine to my knowledge goes to bed hungry and his misfortune which I have done nothing about becomes the very platform of my testimonies of thanksgiving? In Joshua 1, Joshua reminds the three tribes who felt they could settle because they had come to their place of comfort that they still had to provide logistic support to the other nine tribes until those ones also possessed their own land. The lesson? There is no rest until you settle the rest!
Even the gathering of manna was predicated on the equitable principle. Even those who tried to hoard their ration till the next day had only worms and lots of stench to deal with! When reserves are in a rut, they begin to rot! Simple economic sense! But it is important to note that EVERYONE was involved in the gathering process. The capacity for gathering was definitely not the same and could have been affected by many factors. Old, very young, or people with health challenges or people with some other limitations would definitely not have the capacity to gather as much as the young and the strong but all hands were on deck in the productivity process.
In a society where justice rules, tax rates are subject to income levels, but the benefits are the same to all. There is no special road for the rich or the poor. No special tap water. Ajoje ko dun bi enikan ko ni!
Even when God prescribed the atonement offering in Exodus 30, everyone still had to bring something to the table before there could be a commonwealth.
Welfarism poses a huge challenge when some refuse to work or contribute anything to the pool while expecting to get the same thing as the person who literally bankrupts himself working to produce resources for the same pool. It happens in every community. Those who don’t pay the monthly security dues complain the most about security lapses in the community! People who don’t pay tax complain most about the collapse of infrastructure.
This imbalance has been the major cause of conflicts worldwide.
Every society must have the internal dynamics to cater for its vulnerable. There are different categories of poor people viz; those who are temporarily out of work, the educationally disadvantaged with limited opportunities, those who have not mastered any skills to make them relevant, the racially disadvantaged, widows or orphans who have lost a breadwinner, the pathologically lazy, victims of natural disasters, those who have suffered significant economic reversal, people with a deviant, dependency lifestyle – drugs, alcohol and people who constantly live above their income because they cannot delay gratification. Some found themselves in poverty by circumstances beyond their control and some designed it for themselves by their actions
The scriptures clearly specify that to have access to the commonwealth, everyone must be making contribution to it through work, taxes etc. Those who don’t work should not eat!
Even widows below sixty are not supposed to be dependent on the system!
When all resources are controlled and allocated by the centre, without consideration for the collective productive capacity, it always leads to conflict and underdevelopment arising from a lack of stakeholdership mindset. Resources are warehoused by a few who control the factors of production, determine engagement terms and see no reason why they should share the benefits with others. This results in the tyranny of the few. Nigeria seems to be going through this right now, hence the various agitations for regionalism, resource control etc.
As a Pastor of many years, I can authoritatively say that less than 20 per cent of church membership actually CONTRIBUTE time, services and funds to keep the church running!
Many leave Nigeria with such ease because they felt the country was not giving them what they thought they deserved even when they were contributing NOTHING to it! I engage a lot of Nigerians in diaspora in discussion and they tell stories of woes about Nigeria. They know all that is wrong even when they are not willing to be part of the solution. I have had cause to give a few of them the caustic side of my tongue!
Symbiosis only happens when all parties involved are of mutual benefit one to the other. Parasitism on the other hand may look rewarding on the short run but it is ultimately SELF-DESTRUCTING for the parasite! If you doubt it, ask the cancer cell!
2017 must not be a year of anything that still draws attention and focus on YOU. Make it your year of OPEN DOORS, not for consumption, greed, or avarice but of OPPORTUNITIES for CONTRIBUTION to the collective. If you are not putting anything in, you have no right to complain about the pittance you get as a product of convenient benevolence. You cannot be collecting free medication from your relation who steals them from the General Hospital Pharmacy and turn round to complain about the lack of drugs in the public hospital system!
For the nation to make progress, all of us must put in more than we are willing to take out. You have no moral right to run down or expect sustenance from a system you are doing NOTHING to help build. If you keep fouling up the waters in which we are ALL supposed to be swimming or drinking from, you have lost every right to give us swimming lessons!
On the other hand, if all you do is think of how you can corner what belongs to ALL simply because you believe that you contributed so much and have earned the right to ascribe pittances of privileges to the rest of us, – the focus of unbridled capitalism – you need to have a rethink!
God is not in either arrangement!
Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!
and then