I wish I could tell you that the comic above is not true, but sadly, the first panel is completely true. It is an actual quote from a billionaire named, yes, Tom Perkins, from the last couple of days. While Republican are upset that someone dares to raise the minimum wage for those employees over whom he has certain legal rights, at least one conservative billionaire publically says that the effort to stop “trickle-up” economics is equivalent to the Nazi persecution of Jews.
If we follow his reasoning, this would mean that rich people are the true chosen people. This makes a certain kind of sense if one believes in a particular type of Calvinism, popular in America, which appears to say that outward riches and wealth, coupled with church-going and some charity-giving, are marks of God’s blessing and election. This particular version of Calvinism replaces justice, fair weights, good wages for your employees (see the Book of James, in particular) with some give-away money rather than with a structural employee remuneration scheme that would ensure a consistent pay scheme that would supply for those same employees.
In case you are wondering to what I refer with the last few words, think of the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. At the beginning of the book, Ebenezer Scrooge has trouble giving Bob Cratchitt even one day off, though he finally gives it grudgingly as something that is somewhat expected of him. By the end of the book, as he becomes a reformed (and truly Christian) individual, he has redone Bob Cratchitt’s remuneration scheme (wages and benefits), he provides medical benefits for his family (Tiny Tim), and he begins to give money to charity at a closer-to-Biblical rate of tithe and offerings. Tom Perkins, the billionaire mentioned in the first panel, is more like Ebenezer Scrooge before he converted.
Sadly, all too many American Christians do not understand the lessons found in A Christmas Carol. And so, all too many American Christians would not see the problem with what Tom Perkins said. For those Americans, I would recommend that you read a little more Apostle James, a little more Pope Francis, and a little more Charles Dickens. Lest you think I am mistaken about all too many American Christians, go to the Forbes website where they actually write an article supporting Tom Perkins and writing that he is correct to worry about this possibility and the possibility of the rich being persecuted and illegally arrested.
As one who studies Reformed Theology in great detail I am at a loss to identify a particular Calvinist group which espouses the things mentioned here. Not saying it doesn’t exist, just that I am not aware of any group of Presbyterian, Reformed, or Calvinist Evangelical churches who are saying such things. Rather, I would think that the “health, wealth & prosperity” theology folks, in many ways anathema to Calvinism as they lean more in an Arminian and Holiness direction, would be closer to the the sentiments mentioned here.
John Calvin is credited by many historians as the father or inspiration behind both western capitalism and democracy. In truth he never intended to create either system. However, his method for dealing with the refugee crisis in Geneva included encouraging wealthier refugees to establish businesses and hire and train the unemployed so that they would then be able to do the same for others in need. Such a practice proved to be tremendously successful in 16th century Geneva and subsequently throughout Europe and America.
That many wealthy people used their wealth and power to oppress the poor can be attributed to the “total depravity” condition of our human nature which can only be remedied by God’s intervening grace and subsequent faith and repentance on the part of the elect.
The opposite of capitalism, collectivism, proved to be even greater fodder for the depraved human heart. For in that case the party apparatchiks wield absolute power and oppress everyone who stands in their way.
Many would argue that a European style socialist democracy is the happy medium in this spectrum. Perhaps so. But I am not yet convinced. Regardless, without a change of heart which can only be made effective by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit no economic or political system will make a difference to improve the plight of the poor.
Of course, the American Evangelical line that without a change of heart “no economic or political system will make a difference to improve the plight of the poor,” is a quite convenient line to prevent change. However, there were many “good” church people in Charles Dickens’ time but we all now recognize that Industrial Revolution England and America treated working people terribly.and the laws did not protect them. Pope Francis is not the only church leader who is saying that change is, again, needed.
FROM A CALIFORNIA ORTHODOX RESIDENT WHO WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS:
San Francisco is filling up with tech workers – who are paid more than secretaries and bookstore clerks on scales of 3x – 10x. more than those parties, depending on the techie. One 24 year old known to me makes between 1/4 – 1/2 a mil a year. Naturally this level of increased income compacted in a town drives up prices. Prices drive out people who can’t afford them. But this being San Francisco, there are protests and fights and graffiti and destruction of property.
Thing is: no one here owns anything: we all rent. It takes 8 of us in one house to afford the rent. Or 3 – 4 people in a two bedroom apartment. It’s kinda tight.
So when the barricades go up on the street (yes, they do) and there’s a protest: it’s young urban hipsters fighting against young urban hipsters. Meanwhile, the Landlords of the world are getting rich off both parties in the skirmish.
Your post reminded me that, in a lot of ways, both sides of the battle are being called Nazis by the other. Your Amway party … is just doing the same thing. We are quick to use that language. But it is the protestors who are acting rather Krystalnacht like, breaking windows, throwing paint, getting into fights. Of course: the reality is the “Divide And Conquer” mentality that played Poor Gentile Germans against Poor Jewish Germans is, exactly the Nazi mode… being used by the Landlords of SF to get rich from both parts of the whole.