SAW THIS IMAGE ON FACEBOOK, first noted by Brian Stetten, proudly posted on FB’s Pro Liberty page [https://www.facebook.com/ProLiberty]. What an unmitigated crock. This cartoon is an infamy and a lie. An intellectual insult. Shame on the libertarians who, still wallowing in their Randian cocoon of selfishness, typically cheer for more of the same antisocial policies.
This cartoon is a coarser rendition of the popular notion that if you “…give a man a fish today you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish you feed him for life.” Or something to that effect. Which is true as far as it goes, which is not much in a complicated macrosociety of 300 million where the fix is in. (1)
Click on the image to enlarge it.
In any case, when confronted with such Randian nonsense, ask the libertarians and the horde of uber individualists who keep dishonestly claiming that the “free market” was never given a fair try if they ever read Dickens or Hugo or Balzac or Flaubert, among the many chroniclers and commentators on Laissez-faire capitalism. After all, Laissez-faire is not called “laissez faire” for nothing. It contextually means let the rich and powerful do as they damn please. And let the government only use its powers to enforce the lopsided social order to protect private property…and contracts. How typical.
Considering such fact, it should not surprise us that libertarian—the native choir of capitalist true believers— a de facto cult, should not only be disingenuous in marshaling such views (anachronistic, too), but completely and conveniently uninterested in history. Yea, sweep all that embarrassing history under the rug, fellas, where the masses won’t see them so the Big Lie about the system may go on capturing the naive and the ignorant. The confused, the many.
One and one thing alone may save some libertarians from burning in the eternal hell reserved for those who assist in the construction of unnecessary suffering in this world, and I gladly give them that: it’s their seemingly principled opposition to imperialist wars. May they not falter in that pursuit, at least.
—Patrice Greanville
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(1) Some folks at Yahoo had a bit of fun with this pseudo parable. An innocent soul asked if it came from the Bible.
What verse in the bible says this:
“Give a man to fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime…”
I know its in there. I need it for my bible study group
tj3f3rsn
Best Answer – Chosen by Voters
Your quote is not in the bible because it is a very non-christian sentiment.
What Jesus taught about how to get a fish was:
Matthew 7:7: Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Loosely translated: Teach a man to pray and he will starve to death waiting for god to give him a fish.
Source(s):
http://godisimaginary.com/i1.htm
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I love that clarification of “teach a man to fish”! Terrific!