Greed VS Giving

In watching a lot of the political posturing and posing lately, it seems that there is a real aversion to the idea that collective action by countries or even smaller communities is somehow wrong---even immoral. Yet aggressive selfishness and greed is in some way laudable. I am sort of in awe of this disgusting turn of events. How do people think most of the advances in civilization happened? Through individuals acting alone and only in there own interests? This Randian fantasy, advanced by Paul Ryan and his Tea Party cohorts, is ludicrous. Our country came forth from the COLLECTIVE efforts of our Founding Fathers, acting to serve a greater good than their own self interest. We are at our finest not when we grab and hoard resources for our own benefit, but when we give to those in need and hold out our hand to those who suffer.

Even Ayn Rand availed herself of Medicare and Social Security when lung cancer took hold of her (after years of heavy smoking). She certainly wasn't denied it, even though she apparently thought it was immoral. Why can't we all admit the value of collective help for everyone, and see that altruism, far from being the evil Rand called it, is a virtue that buoys the spirit of our society and gives us all hope?

By sharing the resources of our world and our economy, we all have more than we began with. It is in that generosity of spirit that we are given a life worth living.