I’ve just finished reading David Days very engaging and interesting biography of Curtin. It’s an enjoyable, easy, long read.
Early on I ran into the ten commandments of socialism. These were taught at socialist Sunday schools just after the turn of the twentieth century.
Na¯ve they were, and they share something in common with various cults of the time like theosophy, but their earnest, overweening good intentions warm the hearts of some of us.
1 Love your school fellows, who will be your fellow workmen in life.
2 Love learning, which is the food of the mind. Be grateful to your teachers as to your parents.
3 Make every day holy by good and useful deeds, and kindly actions.
4 Honour good men, be courteous to all me, bow down to none.
5 Do not hate or speak evil of anyone, do not be revengeful, but stand up for your rights and resist oppression.
6 Do not be cowardly. Be a friend to the weak, and love justice.
7 Remember that all good things of the earth are produced by labour, whoever enjoys them without working for them is stealing the bread of the workers.
8 Observe and think in order to discover the truth; do not believe what is contrary to reason and never deceive yourself or others.
9 Do not think that he who loves his own country must hate or despise other nations, or wish for war, which is a remnant of barbarism.
10 Look forward to the day when all men will be free citizens of one fatherland, and live together as brothers in peach and righteousness.
Bill and Ted said the same thing in less words.
There’s a contradiction between commandments nine and ten. If you love your country (nine) why would you look forward to its abolition and replacement with one global fatherland (ten)?
Apart from some gender bias, I would have thought that most right wingers could accept all of these except for #7.
I am shocked at this blatant attempt at subliminal advertising!
I’m a bit shocked to. But damn good thought – might do more of it. (Should have put in a hyperlink though – good for Google rankings!)
And as to your point, I was thinking the same thing, it’s a pretty liberal list isn’t it. And as (I think ) Rafe would argue, the question is not what we want on which there can be at least broad agreement, but how best to get it.