Deserving

To me, a part of the dog-eat-dog, rugged individualism, non-compassionate, so-called ‘conservative’ ideology, is the idea of deserving—of deserving to be healthy, wealthy and wise. 

The non-deserving, people who for varying reasons such as sin, corruption, laziness and poverty, are actually being treated fairly when they suffer; it’s punishment for their wickedness.

These men, women and children don’t deserve the support of the community of descent, well-behaved, hard-working, law-abiding citizens. They chose their path, cut corners, chiseled, and broke the law so they deserve their fates. Unlike the big banks, corporations and so-called ‘job creators’ who do the same things but deserve our support no matter what they do. The wicked, sinful, poor, lazy and corrupt individuals and their families deserve their fates; they made their beds, let them lie in them!

Never mind that some of these flesh and blood men, women and children were abused as children, born autistic, have cancer or a mental illness, were wounded in battle and have PTSD. That’s too bad for them.  They are not our concern, because they are undeserving. We have enough to deal with just taking care of our deserving selves, friends and neighbors. Besides, God himself has put the mark of Cain on these people. Who are we to intervene?

Bush the second made a pretense of concern for the undeserving by tacking ‘compassionate’ in front of his so-called ‘conservatism.’ The current Republican brand doesn’t bother with that pabulum, and more and more clearly articulates that the undeserving are in fact clearly and obviously undeserving and should be left to their just deserts.