Thesis
Collectivism poses a threat to America's constitutional and unalienable rights
The global shift towards collectivism and political consensus will limit America's freedom of speech by restricting dissent and discouraging individualism. The rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence are inherent and not granted by the government.
The signers and framers of the Declaration of Independence believed in natural law, but their interpretation was not based on Catholic Social Doctrine, but rather on the Protestant tradition of individual ethics. The founders of the emerging American identity established a form of government that valued the principle that "all men are created equal," which allows individuals to follow their conscience instead of a nation governed by the Common Good, which can be seen as communitarian and tyrannical.
There is a growing trend towards limiting speech by left-leaning, politically correct progressives. The only rights progressives believe in are the ones they make up to suit their agenda of social justice. All other rights, especially natural ones, are to be trampled into the dust. Human beings are not all "atoms" or individuals with equally intrinsic rights, but unequal cogs in a hierarchy of social-justice groupings, to be managed by the state. (Holmes 2022). Modern progressive ideology aligns with cultural Marxism, deconstructionism, and race theory. The intellectual forerunners of the contemporary progressive ideology are Nietzche, Gramsci, and other Marxists.
Human rights are derived from natural rights and natural law, allowing people to make moral choices. Since the end of the last century, human rights have deteriorated. For example, religious liberty is relegated to be less important than political concerns, which produces cognitive dissonance. The United Nation’s universal declaration of human rights of 1948 was patterned after the Declaration of the Rights of man and the Citizen, which was adopted in France after the French Revolution in 1791. Both these human rights declarations differ from our United States Bill of Rights which reinforces and guarantees that our human rights are unalienable natural rights provided by our Creator, not a bureaucracy.
At the beginning of a new millennium and century, the United States faced the tragic events of the September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. This led to the country's involvement in foreign wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As the country united behind a nationalistic and patriotic fervor to avenge the devastating effects of the fatal morning in the late summer of 2001, a collective American esprit de corps swept through our country. Then, on January 20, 2005, in his second inaugural address George W. Bush said: “America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world and to all the inhabitants thereof.” (Garrison, Holston, xi). This ushered in a new era of global democracy through intervention and liberation. Our current leaders, with their idealistic unrestrained power, have changed our constitutional republic to a post-constitutional form of government with global aspirations that is ignorant of our cultural foundations which formerly supported our historical institutions.
It is not difficult to understand how John Adams once said that our nation was established with "a government of laws not of men," but we recognize that individual human rights are what distinguished our form of governance from all other previous ones. As previously mentioned, the framers of the Declaration of Independence believed in natural law based on the Protestant tradition of individual ethics. On the other hand, the concept of the Common Good, a collective principle, is central to Roman Catholic Social Doctrine, which is focused on the importance of the group, the community, and diminishes the preeminence of the individual. For example, workers who live in a collectivist culture might strive to sacrifice their own happiness for the greater good of the group. Those from individualistic cultures, on the other hand, may feel that their own well-being and goals carry greater weight. (Cherry, 2022). According to research people from a collectivist culture are less likely to share their emotions and are more apt to conform to the popular culture. In individualistic cultures greater emphasis is placed on assertiveness and independence.
It is hard to understand how we arrived at a time when the group is considered more important than the individual. The desire for world government has been a consistent goal since the establishment of the League of Nations after World War I. The aim of uniting the world to achieve peace and coexistence was accomplished when the United Nations was established in 1947-1948. Collectivism emphasizes the importance of social harmony and group needs over individual needs. The countercultural communal living pattern of the Hippie Culture, the adoption of Eastern Philosophy, and the focus on the Common Good brought about a drift away from capitalism towards Communism. Marx called for the creation of a newly formed collective based on communal sharing and collective goals that curtails excessive individualism. (Kim, 9). The United Nations with its successive global concepts starting in 1992 with the Agenda 21, then followed by the Millenium Development Goals in 2000, finally the Agenda 2030, has imposed universal mandates that in many aspects challenge America’s sovereignty and its fundamental freedoms.
The United Nations, Sustainable Development, and Collectivism
At the United Nation’s Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992, 178 countries adopted Agenda 21, to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve the quality of human lives and preserve the environment. In September of 2000 at the United Nations in New York, at the Millenium Summitt, the Millennium Development Goals were approved to reduce world poverty by 2015. Finally, in New York City at the United Nation Sustainable Development Summitt in September 2015, the Agenda 2030 was adopted. Agenda 2030 consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that should be achieved by the year 2030, and those idealistic global objectives are: 1. No poverty; 2. Zero hunger; 3. Good health and well-being; 4. Quality education; 5. Gender equality; 6. Clean water and sanitation; 7. Affordable and clean energy; 8. Decent work and economic growth; 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure; 10. Reduced inequalities; 11. Sustainable cities and communities; 12. Responsible consumption and production; 13. Climate action; 14. Life below water; 15. Life and land; 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions; 17. Partnership for the goals.
The United Nations' 2030 Goals are viewed as unrealistic and imposed by unelected foreign bureaucrats, leading to concerns about their feasibility and lack of representation of the American population. Furthermore, the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a global document that outlines the rights and freedoms that should protect every individual on the planet. It was the first agreement among countries to ensure that everyone can live their lives freely, equally, and with dignity. While many of those objectives may be appropriate for preindustrial nations, they should not be imposed on the United States. The Declaration of Independence guarantees American freedoms and should not be replaced by outside influences. The United Nations' universal aims will have several consequences. These include lower American living standards, higher taxes, increased access to personal financial information by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), restrictions on businesses, funding for migrant sheltering, and financing the transition to clean energy. Take time to read Agenda 2030 and the Financing for Development Outcome Document in full and form your own opinion. While the goals may seem all fine and good, we’re all familiar with the phrase, “No good deed goes unpunished.” (Arden, 2021).
Individualism is mainly associated with independence, self-orientation, and self-confidence, whereas collectivism is primarily characterized by interdependence, other-orientation, and harmony [17]. Individualists prioritize personal motives, goals, and desires [18,19]. (Cho, Jung, 2023). Collectivism gives the group priority over the individual. Collectivism also promotes environmental protection and sustainable consumption as part of its emphasis on responsible behavior. People with an elevated level of environmental awareness are more likely to change their consumption behavior since they are more willing to help others and tend to focus on collective goals rather than individual ones.
Conflict between Collectivism and American values and attitudes
In America, government derives its power by our consent for the purpose of securing liberty and justice for all. Each person is free to live their lives independently, in any way they choose, so long as they do not violate the rights of others; government may do nothing except what it is permitted under our laws and Constitution. (Salzman, 2021). There are many who think that people's lives, freedom, and possessions are not intrinsic rights but rather privileges granted by the government, which can be taken away or limited for the benefit of the common good. We realize that individualism is the fundamental principle of the United States Constitution because it emphasizes that every person is inherently valuable and has the right to think and act based on their own beliefs and interests. The collectivist syndrome includes the following symptoms: defining the self as interdependent, giving precedence to in-group goals, expecting norms rather than attitudes to guide behavior, and engaging in communal rather than exchange relationships. Individualism is defined by the opposite set of symptoms. (Conway, et al, p.2). People may have different opinions on laws and may choose to follow them or not, but they must coexist with them and their effects on their lives. The United States has a long history of individual freedom and laissez-faire, while Europe has a shorter history of republican government. Eastern Europe has only experienced freedom since 1990. Europeans are more likely to accept collectivism, while Americans are resistant to it.
The thrust of collectivism is to merge all men into a common mass. For it is only by ignoring or lopping off all that is unique in the individual and dealing with that which is com-mon to all men that collectivism can be justified. (Carson, 1962). There is a potential danger of a large group using its size to manipulate and force others into accepting their opinions. The United States Constitution was created with the intention of safeguarding the nation's freedom by preventing coalitions or collectives from posing a threat to individual liberty. Churches limit individual liberty when they can use the powers of the state to enact their morals or enforce their goals on society. (Carson, 1962). A shift from individualism to collectivism occurred when groups were officially recognized, the federal government started advocating on behalf of factions, and the constitutional restrictions against such actions started to weaken.
Collectivism and its threat to free speech and religious liberty
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prevents congress form establishing a religion, or prohibiting its free exercise, plus it guarantees free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government for a resolution of complaints. Protestant values and speech, reflecting the religion of most Americans, permeate all of society.
"The free market-place of ideas that American society emphasizes naturally benefits the majority Protestant religion and its values," two researchers recently observed. 177 (Peck, 1154). Are some religions more individualistic or collectivist than others? Cohen and colleagues (2005) theorized that in the United States, American Jews and Catholics as well as other groups are relatively more likely to subscribe to collectivistic instantiations of religion, while American Protestants, and perhaps other groups as well, were particularly likely to subscribe to individualistic forms of religion. (Cohen, et al, 2016). In Western religious practices, focusing on religion for social interaction diminishes the importance of individual experiences between an individual and God.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” ... Preamble of the Declaration of Independence. The phrase "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" from the Declaration of Independence highlights three unalienable rights given to all humans by their Creator, which governments are meant to protect.
Climate Change and the focus on the Common Good
Recently, the issue of Climate Change has become extremely important in the world and individualism has been considered selfish or irresponsible considering the environmental crisis our planet faces. As previously mentioned, the Common Good is fundamental in Catholic Social Doctrine. The common good is reached when we work together to improve the wellbeing of people in our society and the wider world. In line with Catholic Social Teaching, the rights of the individual to personal possessions and community resources must be balanced with the needs of the disadvantaged and dispossessed. (Caritas Australia, 2024). In 2015, the Holy See issued an encyclical called “Laudato Si, Care for Our Common Home,” calling for immediate international action to address Climate Change. On October 23, 2023, on the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Vatican published an apostolic letter called “Laudate Deum”, adding urgency to its 2015 Encyclical Laudato Si.
"We believe and pray that the Vatican will proceed with the call of Laudate Deum and still bring a strong message to state parties to mitigate the climate crisis through binding commitments to phase out of fossil fuels," she told EarthBeat. (Roewe, 2023). The Vatican's call for a complete phase out of fossil fuels is seen as a violation of the US Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from favoring or promoting any religion. "Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion." The Vatican's proposals for the planet's Common Good or wellbeing are not legally enforceable in the United States due to its status as a sovereign nation. The United States is not obligated to follow the directives of kings or popes, as stated in the Declaration of Independence.
Conclusion
The global shift towards collectivism and political consensus will limit America's freedom of speech by restricting dissent and discouraging individualism. The rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence are inherent and not granted by the government.
As we see the United Nations and the Vatican calling for rapid action to halt “the climate emergency,” we can discern that America’s sovereignty and the United States Constitution will eventually be violated when the U.S. follows directives of foreign, unelected entities who will dictate measures this country must undertake. The pope's "frustration at global inaction for climate justice at anything like the scale that is needed is palpable," Dutton said in an email, "and his message is clear: we need strong commitments that will keep average global warming below 1.5 [degrees] C and these must be binding." (Roewe, 2023). We can foresee a time when individuals that do not conform with the “status quo” (Climate Crisis, or other issue), will be considered “persona non grata,” and will eventually be prosecuted if they do not conform and change their minds. With all the global agendas overshadowing the American lifestyle we can foresee that a totalitarian, Machiavellian, draconian global government will replace the unalienable rights that the United States of America has upheld since its founding in 1776.
Reference List
• Holmes KR. The fallacies of the common good. New Criteri on. 2022;40(5):13-19. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=2d9afb95- 18af-33fc-adb9-807db5f0daf6 .
• Rhodes, Aaron, actor. The Debasement of Human Rights : How Pol. Narrated by Aaron Rhodes2018. https://policycommons.net/, www.cato.org/multimedia/events/debasementhuman-rights-how-politics-sabotage-ideal-freedom. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.
• Garrison, Justin D., and Ryan R. Holston. "The Historical Mind : Humanistic Renewal in a Post-Constitutional Age." , edited by Justin D. Garrison, SUNY Press, 2020. https://research.ebsco.com/c/jt3u4x/search/details/rhsvzwo6qj?limiters=FT1%253AY%2 52CRV%253AY&q=Collectivism%20poses%20a%20threat%20to%20America%27s%2 0constitutional%20and%20unalienable%20rights%20%20. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
• Cherry, Kendra. "What Is a Collectivist Culture?" verywell mind, edited by Amy Morin, Dotdash Media, Inc, 8 Nov. 2022, www.verywellmind.com/what-are-collectivisticcultures-2794962.
• Miller, Timothy. “The Roots of the 1960s Communal Revival.” American Studies, vol. 33, no. 2, 1992, pp. 73–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40642473. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.
• Kim, Uichol. "Individualism and Collectivism." DiVA portal, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 1995, www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:842739/FULLTEXT01.pdf.
• "THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development." THE 17 GOALS, United Nations, https://sdgs.un.org/goals. (Image).
• "UN Sustainable Development Goals." IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, www.iucn.org/our-work/informing-policy/internationalpolicy/un-sustainable-development-goals .
• "UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS." , Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/universal-declaration-of-humanrights/#:~:text=All%20human%20beings%20are%20born%20free%20and%20equal.&te xt=Everyone%20is%20equal%20regardless%20of,or%20where%20t.
• Anderson, Elizabeth. "The Truth about the UNs Agenda 2030 — What You Need to Know." My Patriot Supply, My Patriot Supply, 15 July 2015, www.mypatriotsupply.com/blogs/scout/the-truth-about-the-uns-agenda-2030-what-youneed-to-know.
• Cho SY, Jung J. Effects of Individualism, Collectivism, Materialism, and Willingness to Pay for Environmental Protection on Environmental Consciousness and Pro- Environmental Consumption Behavior in Korea. Sustainability. 2023; 15(9):7596. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097596. • Salzman, Larry. "America’s individualist Constitution." Pacific Legal Foundation, Pacific Legal Foundation, 27 Feb. 2021, https://pacificlegal.org/americas-individualistconstitution/ . Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.
• Conway, Lucian G., et al. "COLLECTIVISM AND GOVERNMENTALLY INITIATED RESTRICTIONS A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis Across Nations and Within a Nation." JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, vol. 37, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2006, pp. 1-23, https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022105282293. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.
• Carson, Clarence B. "Individual Liberty In the Crucible Of History: 5. The Road to Collectivism." Foundation for Economic Education, Foundation for Economic Education, 1 Sept. 1962, https://fee.org/articles/individual-liberty-in-the-crucible-of-history-5-theroad-to-collectivism/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.
• Peck, Robert S. "The Threat to the American Idea of Religious Liberty." Mercer Law Review, vol. 46, no. 3, May 1995, p. 1154, https://digitalcommons.law.mercer.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1520&context=jour_ mlr. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
• Cohen, Adam, et al. "Religion and Culture: Individualism and Collectivism in the East and West." JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, vol. 47, no. 9, Oct. 2016, pp. 1236-49, https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022116667895. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
• Douarin, Elodie, and Tim Hinks. "Individualism, universalism and climate change." Journal of Institutional Economics, vol. 20, no. 17, 20 Feb. 2024, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/S174413742400002X, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-institutionaleconomics/article/individualism-universalism-and-climatechange/1FB0B32CF0974680DADD2DFB2F03F51E. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
• "Catholic Social Teaching: The Common Good." Caritas Australia, 2024, www.caritas.org.au/learn/cst-toolkit/the-commongood/#:~:text=The%20common%20good%20is%20reached,of%20the%20disadvantaged %20and%20dispossessed.
• Rice, Christopher. "Best Laudato Si’ summary." Laudato Si’ Movement , Laudato Si’ Movement, 5 May 2022, https://laudatosimovement.org/news/whats-the-best-2-pagesummary-youve-seen-of-laudato-si/.
• Vatican, News. "“Laudate Deum”: the Pope’s cry for a response to the climate crisis." Vatican News, Dicasterium pro Communicatione , www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/laudate-deum-pope-francis-climate-crisislaudato-si.html.
• Roewe, Brian. "Catholics at COP28 vow to carry ill pope's call for action on climate change." EARTHBEAT, National Catholic Reporter , 30 Nov. 2023, www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/politics/catholics-cop28-vow-carry-ill-popes-call-action
• Rhodes, Aaron, actor. The Debasement of Human Rights : How Pol. Narrated by Aaron Rhodes2018. https://policycommons.net/, www.cato.org/multimedia/events/debasementhuman-rights-how-politics-sabotage-ideal-freedom. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.
• Garrison, Justin D., and Ryan R. Holston. "The Historical Mind : Humanistic Renewal in a Post-Constitutional Age." , edited by Justin D. Garrison, SUNY Press, 2020. https://research.ebsco.com/c/jt3u4x/search/details/rhsvzwo6qj?limiters=FT1%253AY%2 52CRV%253AY&q=Collectivism%20poses%20a%20threat%20to%20America%27s%2 0constitutional%20and%20unalienable%20rights%20%20. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
• Cherry, Kendra. "What Is a Collectivist Culture?" verywell mind, edited by Amy Morin, Dotdash Media, Inc, 8 Nov. 2022, www.verywellmind.com/what-are-collectivisticcultures-2794962.
• Miller, Timothy. “The Roots of the 1960s Communal Revival.” American Studies, vol. 33, no. 2, 1992, pp. 73–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40642473. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.
• Kim, Uichol. "Individualism and Collectivism." DiVA portal, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 1995, www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:842739/FULLTEXT01.pdf.
• "THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development." THE 17 GOALS, United Nations, https://sdgs.un.org/goals. (Image).
• "UN Sustainable Development Goals." IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, www.iucn.org/our-work/informing-policy/internationalpolicy/un-sustainable-development-goals .
• "UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS." , Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/universal-declaration-of-humanrights/#:~:text=All%20human%20beings%20are%20born%20free%20and%20equal.&te xt=Everyone%20is%20equal%20regardless%20of,or%20where%20t.
• Anderson, Elizabeth. "The Truth about the UNs Agenda 2030 — What You Need to Know." My Patriot Supply, My Patriot Supply, 15 July 2015, www.mypatriotsupply.com/blogs/scout/the-truth-about-the-uns-agenda-2030-what-youneed-to-know.
• Cho SY, Jung J. Effects of Individualism, Collectivism, Materialism, and Willingness to Pay for Environmental Protection on Environmental Consciousness and Pro- Environmental Consumption Behavior in Korea. Sustainability. 2023; 15(9):7596. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097596. • Salzman, Larry. "America’s individualist Constitution." Pacific Legal Foundation, Pacific Legal Foundation, 27 Feb. 2021, https://pacificlegal.org/americas-individualistconstitution/ . Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.
• Conway, Lucian G., et al. "COLLECTIVISM AND GOVERNMENTALLY INITIATED RESTRICTIONS A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis Across Nations and Within a Nation." JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, vol. 37, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2006, pp. 1-23, https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022105282293. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.
• Carson, Clarence B. "Individual Liberty In the Crucible Of History: 5. The Road to Collectivism." Foundation for Economic Education, Foundation for Economic Education, 1 Sept. 1962, https://fee.org/articles/individual-liberty-in-the-crucible-of-history-5-theroad-to-collectivism/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.
• Peck, Robert S. "The Threat to the American Idea of Religious Liberty." Mercer Law Review, vol. 46, no. 3, May 1995, p. 1154, https://digitalcommons.law.mercer.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1520&context=jour_ mlr. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
• Cohen, Adam, et al. "Religion and Culture: Individualism and Collectivism in the East and West." JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, vol. 47, no. 9, Oct. 2016, pp. 1236-49, https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022116667895. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
• Douarin, Elodie, and Tim Hinks. "Individualism, universalism and climate change." Journal of Institutional Economics, vol. 20, no. 17, 20 Feb. 2024, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/S174413742400002X, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-institutionaleconomics/article/individualism-universalism-and-climatechange/1FB0B32CF0974680DADD2DFB2F03F51E. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.
• "Catholic Social Teaching: The Common Good." Caritas Australia, 2024, www.caritas.org.au/learn/cst-toolkit/the-commongood/#:~:text=The%20common%20good%20is%20reached,of%20the%20disadvantaged %20and%20dispossessed.
• Rice, Christopher. "Best Laudato Si’ summary." Laudato Si’ Movement , Laudato Si’ Movement, 5 May 2022, https://laudatosimovement.org/news/whats-the-best-2-pagesummary-youve-seen-of-laudato-si/.
• Vatican, News. "“Laudate Deum”: the Pope’s cry for a response to the climate crisis." Vatican News, Dicasterium pro Communicatione , www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/laudate-deum-pope-francis-climate-crisislaudato-si.html.
• Roewe, Brian. "Catholics at COP28 vow to carry ill pope's call for action on climate change." EARTHBEAT, National Catholic Reporter , 30 Nov. 2023, www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/politics/catholics-cop28-vow-carry-ill-popes-call-action
Arsenio A. Lembert Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment