Julian Rappaport is only one of dozens of modern scholars who try to breathe life into the morabund socialist ideals of the nineteenth century. Such high-brow, quasi-psychological terminology to justify repressive government intervention in the daily life of Americans.In the insular environment of a university or safe networks like CNN and MSNBC, his ideas will likely go unchallenged. In an open marketplace for ideas, I hope someone has the courage to call this guy out.
From the wording of his "Empowerment Theory," he clearly wants the government to empower the poor. He does not talk in specifics. He counts on an information-poor public to accept his pie-in-the-sky ideas as a foretaste of his charitable government-heaven. I just say, let him create this utopia in his own backyard! Let the benevolent hand of government-empress level his playing-field.
The old tripe about taking from the rich to give to the poor. Sounds simple enough, but the poor aren't the real winners in his scheme. Governmental power is the ultimate winner. It assumes the role of equalizer. It sends its empowered personnel out to level the playing field on behalf of the poor.
I just wonder why Rappaport and others have to do this to our country? It is one of the few nations in the world that pays its bills, and the bills of many other nations. All of the other nations are just U.N. client nations, with dictatorial rulers, corrupt police, and a non-existent business community.
"Overused buzzword" does not describe the problem with "Empowerment" as a political term. What bothers me is that "Empowerment" conceals the real intent of people like Julian Rappaport--using government force to take power away from private citizens who won it legally to give to poor citizens, to give them artificial equality--and to conceal the real intent, to dish out payback, rather than get back-pay!
"Overused buzzwords" just means more buzzing than words--a way to deafen ears to any concerted study of what Rappaport really offers.
The emphasis on the collective over the individual should inform a sensible person about Rappaport's intentions--the typical one-size-fits-all mentality of socialism. He aims to help everyone, whether they want his help or not. His ideas, like the ideas of every socialist who has ever lived, thrive only in an environment of ignorance. Put him under the light of reasoned study, and he doesn't stand a chance.
"Access to resources" sounds like a self-justifying way of saying "take what does not belong to you." I wonder what Rappaport plans to do when his mob wants to take what belongs to him? He wants to raise everyone's consciousness about the fact that the rich are taking advantage of you. Well, I doubt seriously he himself is poor. Where does he stash his own stuff, in another country?
Really, someone needs to call this guy out. He is bad news for the country.