"The Ugly Americans" - Vol 3 No 3

The Ugly Americans

"What are some of the big issues in the world today that come immediately to mind?"  roused the professor.

"World hunger! " one man called out immediately.

"Yes, it's the 'haves' and the 'have nots,'" others chimed in.

"The 'have nots' must rise up and take from the 'haves' to bring about and effectuate economic justice."

"It's not right that America should have so much when others have so little.

The professor remarked, "It proves our selfishness that we would rather have really nice cars in our garage than assure that somebody across the seas would have food enough to eat."

"It's not right that America should have so much when others have so little," chimed in another successful Marxist proselyte.

The professor remarked, "It proves our selfishness that we would rather have really nice cars in our garage than assure that somebody across the seas would have food enough to eat."

One young girl agreed.  "Yeah, we know that it's selfishness that causes world hunger, and it is the governments' failure that's causing people to go hungry, both here and abroad."

"And what country do you think is the most to blame?" the professor maneuvered.

The students were ready.  The indoctrination is working.  

"America. We think we're so great.  We brag and push around these other countries because we have more.  We are imperialistic."

"Yeah, that's right.  Oh yeah.'"  

Of course, the class was in agreement.

Socialism vs. Free Market Capitalism

"So, what is the solution?" the professor offered.

"There needs to be a political solution," a young woman spoke up. "The government must step in to make sure there is economic justice."  

Mike spoke out grinning broadly." Yes!  I agree!  Our government must assure that we adhere to a free market economy!"

The class went quiet for a moment.  They were actually a little stunned.  That was definitely a twist from the "Ugly American" rhetoric. 

"Free Market?  Capitalism?   No way!"  

The cry went up!

"What a pile of s***!  We all know that capitalism is the problem.  The government has got to take from the wealthy and give to the poor because the wealthy will never give it up themselves. The greedy b******* will never help unless forced to.  Taking from them is the only way it will work," preached one fellow.

"Oh, like in Venezuela?"  Mike raised his eyebrows.  "How is that working for them?  If you look at a map of the world and identify what I call 'systemic hunger', you will overwhelmingly find it in countries that practice socialism.  Socialism creates a wide divide between the rich and the poor and erases the middle class.  Look at places like Venezuela, communist China, and Russia and you will find the elite who have and the poor who do not.  No middle class.  That is what you find in countries that do not have a free-market economy.   In a free-market economy, people are able to work to gain personal property, and wealth and well-being, no matter who they are."

The professor was angry.  He looked as though he had been caught.  He was definitely not anticipating that anybody was going to pin world hunger on socialism, his baby.  

Mike didn't let up.   "America is one of the most generous nations in the world. We supply billions of dollars in aid to numerous countries, not to mention the generosity of the private sector.  And I'd like to point out, that people are leaving Venezuela to come here, as are Guatemalans and countless others.  We aren't fleeing to them!  Why are they coming here?  Because they know that if they can settle here where we enjoy a free market economy, they can work and have opportunity that they will never have under their socialist governments."

The Real Problem

Realizing that he was not getting the best of this argument, the professor put Mike on the spot.  

"Well then, Mike, what would you say the main problem in the world is?"

"Sin," Mike said calmly and without hesitation.

The class burst out laughing.  

"Lots of luck with solving that!"  one guy blurted out while laughing uproariously.

"I don't need luck."  Mike said calmly.  "I have the Lord Jesus Christ who has taken away my sin on a personal level.  But there's plenty of sin in the world that is going to stay the way it is until people learn about Christ, repent and turn away from their sins and start living the way Christ modeled for us." 

The professor countered with his postmodern bias, "So you would take away our freedom.  Freedom is not being locked into your metanarrative of sin and shame."

"You all have been complaining about this metanarrative of sin which you have called world hunger" said Mike.  "The solution is freedom from the enslavement to sin through Jesus Christ.  Men behave badly and selfishly because they are evil from the heart.  Christ dealt with the problem of evil by living a perfect life and then exchanging that perfect life for the sin of those who have faith in Him.  Being freed from sin, we are then free to love our neighbor from the heart as He commands and as He modeled.   He teaches us in Mark 12:31 that we are to be loving and caring for others.  We shouldn't be forced by a government.  As we submit to Christ and follow His example, our giving should come from the heart, out of a desire to please and honor God and out of love for our neighbor."

"That's right. I believe that!" chimed in one girl. "Preach it, Pastor Mike!"  she laughed.   She was definitely in the minority though. 

The class ended, and they all went their separate ways.  But for once, the postmodern and socialist agenda had been challenged, and now, there are seeds planted for Holy Spirit to water and nurture.  May it be.

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