Posted by
Bryn T. Jones on Monday, November 10, 2008 9:55:13 PM
A little known fact about Pinocchio: he didn't go to Pleasure Island, he went to the United States of Fun and Games. That was the official title in the original Italian manuscript. It was a not so subtle indictment on what the author felt America represented. Keep in mind, immigrants from all over were leaving the Old World and heading to the great promise of the New World, America. To those who stayed behind it was foolishness to leave the certainty of the economic system that had served them so well for so long and embark on the land of a great experiment of Capitalism and opportunity.
Throughout our history we have endured assaults from those resentful of our audacity. Woodrow Wilson tried to convert our country to the old way of socialist policies. He failed to enact much change, but Franklin Roosevelt, a cabinet member got much farther. Remember, he was the reason we enacted term limits for the President. He tried to stack the Supreme Court to get his reforms through. He felt that needy people were not truly free. Freedom, to Roosevelt, was contingent upon having all needs met (personally or by government). This idea was and is anathema to the American ideal: To each is endowed the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Nowhere does it say we have the right to be 'happy.' We do, however, have the right to pursue happiness. This is the essence of Capitalism. Once we achieve happiness, no one should take that away from us. Or spread it around.
Interestingly, with the onslaught of FDR, then LBJ and the not-so-Great Society and now President elect Barak Obama, we are fulfilling the snide fear of Pleasure Island. With cuts in defense we will have no cops. With government programs to meet everyone's needs we have folks thinking that they won't have to pay to fill their tanks or pay their mortgage. Why not have candy for dinner and stay up all night, too? It doesn't matter anymore. This truly is the starry-eyed vision of the United States of Fun and Games.
Another similarity comes to mind. Spending too long in such a place turned all the boys into donkeys. As one might recall, Pinocchio had to finally listen to his conscience, Jiminey Cricket, and leave the false promise of Pleasure Island before he, too, turned into a donkey.
If America is smart, it will listen to its conscience and flee the false policy promises of the Democrats before we all end up braying and enslaved.