Social Media Disturbances

There were a couple of messages on social media that caught my attention this week for all the wrong reasons. According to a message I received through LinkedIn, I am uninformed because I do not accept the communist ideas as expounded by Marx. On the other side (actually much of the same side), according to someone on Facebook, a person whom I have personally met on numerous occasions, I am a Nazi because I do not support socialized medicine. Essentially, they are both communistic idealists.

First, let’s address the LinkedIn blather. I received this in my inbox and, while I don’t mind being picked for funds , this one is a train wreck:

“Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar (Alliance against poverty) is a pressure group in favour of distribution of wealth in a fairer society. We advocate and give voice to anyone who needs our support on a number of social issues that can include education, minimum wage, basic income for everyone and their fair economic adjustment in view of inflation, purchasing power and cost of living, precarious employment, third age pensioners, disabled persons, health, single parents, the unemployed, and, social housing.

“The Alliance against Poverty is not subject to any political or religious bias, and, its members are determined to work collectively towards a social and overall well-being, as a basic fundamental right, in order to live a satisfactory and decent life, whether they are living within poverty lines or not….

“…Karl Marx - economist and sociologist ( born in 1818 ) among others mentioned the need to have a system to take care that the work earn enough money to have to eat , and for Marx this basic need was part of patter that prescribed that wealth should be distributed equally amongst the members of society.

“Unfortunately as sometimes happens even today the day , the politicians did not implement the communism based on principles of solidarity alone, and countries using a communist ideology such as Russia and Cuba seem to have suppressed their notable communist policies in view of the rise of civil wars and the intentional or non-intentional use of the inappropriate political model to support the original philosophy that favours equality in wealth distribution. Wealth distribution remains highly unfair towards the poorer members of society even in modern times, with the increasing numbers of unemployed persons during the double dip (2008).”

The last paragraph should have read something along the lines of “Unfortunately, as sometimes happens even to this day, politicians pander to the people and feel the need to implement government run programs that sap the motivation and incentive from a society. While hiding under the cover of ‘equality’ they hinder the individuality of the people and quash any means to better themselves in the best way that would benefit themselves, their families, and society as a whole.” Equal distribution is not a means to utopia, it is a way to ensure conformity. That is not a tool that should be applied to any society which ascribes to the practice of freedom.

In looking at the profile of this person, I am left with a great sadness for this misguided young person. Too many of those in the younger demographic fall prey to such doctrine. With that said, Facebook quickly reminded me that this is an epidemic that is not just limited to ill informed youths.   

Soon after this Marxist tidbit was read, I went over to Facebook to check on a few messages. In my stream I was confronted with the following post by someone who shall not be named (and no it was not Tom Riddle): “Personal opinion: I believe that the anti-Obamacare crowd is whacked beyond the Nazis. To paraphrase the eminent historian John Lukacs, the Nazis had their half-truths. The tea-partiers don't have diddly-squat!” Needless to say, we have a winner for the WTF Award for the week (also a strong contender for the annual prize).

Don’t get me wrong, I am not calling this person a communist or a socialist. Rather, it is the vulgarity of what they see as a societal norm which brings me to draw the comparison with the previously mentioned message. Essentially, their message is that because I am against the a federally run healthcare system (because we know the federal government is efficient, always on budget, and knows how to shop around for the best deal) I am both a member of the Tea Party and a Nazi. While at first I was shocked by this assertion, I quickly realized that it really isn’t surprising. They are simply regurgitating the messaging that is found on a weekly basis spewed on many of the unbiased news liberal editorial channels.

So, because I don’t fall in line and goose step with that crowd I am the bad guy? Frankly, I would rather have my own opinion based on my own personal experiences and study of the subject rather than simply believing in a program that had to be passed before anyone was told what was in it. This doesn’t mean that all social programs are bad, some are necessary to the health and well being of society, but some are grandiose schemes put in motion by intellectual and societal dictators that live in their own utopian minds with little contact here in the real world.

We can be a self sustaining people if others would get out of the way and let us live. If you would take the time to embrace what you have rather than focusing on what the Jones’ have we would all be in a better place and a better state of mind. Maybe then we could actually work on the problems of our ‘modern’ society rather than encouraging strife and burdening this and future generations with ‘solutions’ that cause more problems than they solve.

I know that won’t happen any time soon and maybe that makes me the idealist in this situation. While I adamantly disagree with the fudge that is smeared on these social media sites, it is their opinion and I believe that is a freedom that needs to be protected even those they don’t support the freedoms that I enjoy and feel should be protected. All I can really do is feel sorry for the state of the people and hope that we return to a time when we can live up to the aspirations that the founders had for this country and for us as a people.  

What Does Your Last Name Mean To You?

Having spent countless hours working on my family genealogy I am always reevaluating what my name really means to me. What does it mean to my family? What weight does it carry and how do the actions and experiences of our ancestors influence who we are today?

It was with these thoughts and questions running through my mind that I watched the documentary “Hitler’s Children”. If you never thought about how the actions of your ancestors influence who you are this is the movie you need to watch. It demonstrates how powerful our name is in shaping who we are and how our genealogy can shape our lives.

The documentary explores the lives of the descendants of prominent Nazi’s and how they cope with the burden of the past. For those who live with the last names of Himmler, Frank, Goering, Hoess their name ties them with genocide. They have a direct connection to the death camps; their family legacy is that of extermination. While some families may have skeletons, these people have monsters in their closet.

It is an interesting contradiction to the emotional ties that many people have and the associations that their last names carry. One’s surname can invoke prominent thoughts of their ancestry and a strong bond with their heritage: Irish, English, Italian, Spanish, Native American, Eastern European, Asian and even many positive German connections. Imagine the absence of pride; think of the horror of being so closely tied to the abominations of the Nazi regime.

All of the descendants in this film wrestle with knowing. There is no mystery. They know their name and the power it carries. They know the terror that their names still invokes in the people and decedents of the Holocaust. I can’t fathom the immense burden they these people live with every day of their lives... I can’t grasp the fear of having some part of those monsters inside me. The strength that these people have is immeasurable. These people are the generation that offers hope and they need to be remembered as much as their heinous ancestors.  

I take pride in the names and generations of my family. I accept the good and the bad. Regardless, I look forward to knowing more about the people in my tree, the lives they lived, and the places from which we came. I don’t know if I would be able to handle knowing of such monsters in my families past and knowing the same tainted blood was running through my veins. I am German; I am Irish; I am Native American; I am English; I am many things, all of which I am proud.

Watch and think about your own family. Appreciate what you have and look to find out more. Whether you realize it or not, your name is a big part of what makes you who you are and the more you know about it the more you will find out about yourself.