Every Thanksgiving for at least the last few years I try to make it a point to watch Frank Capra's classic "It's A Wonderful Life". This year, while allowing my turkey and stuffing to properly digest I sat down with my girlfriend to begin watching this timeless classic. The movie, was entertaining as always, however, it made me start to think.
I began pondering how this movie relates today. The character of George Bailey played by Jimmy Stewart can be see as both the general citizen who is hurting from this economic crisis, or even can be seen as an auto company or financial institution (after all he was the Executive Officer of the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan) looking to the government or the cranky, wealthy old man Mr. Potter who is played by Lionel Barrymore, (yes Drew Barrymore's grandfather) to bail him out.
Sure George Bailey is an upstanding citizen who just got caught in a pickle, just an accident that could end up in a jail sentence for misappropriating $8,000, which was a lot back then. However, as I was thinking about whether or not he could be compared to the auto companies asking the government for a bailout which as I mentioned he did go ask the mean old Mr. Potter for some help, who crankily turned his back on poor George Bailey, he even called the police to have them issue a warrant for his arrest.
With nowhere left to turn, George Bailey considers suicide, only to be shown what the world would look like with George Bailey. It looked horrible in his eyes. I am sure that the auto companies think the world would be horrible without them too, however the nation would get over it and a new one would come along.
In the end however, (I hope I am not spoiling the movie, if you haven't seen it you must be living in North Korea) George Bailey is not saved by the government, or the wealthy Mr. Potter, he is saved by his friends. His friends give/loan him the money needed to pay the lost amount of money.
The end of this movie epitomizes what capitalism and conservatism are truly about. Friends, neighbors, fellow citizens help out the man in need. Throughout the movie George Bailey is always lending a helping hand, even loaning out his own wedding money during the depression. It wasn't the government that came in and fixed the problems; the neighbors did.
Conservatives don't think that a single mom with children shouldn't be helped out, we just don't think that government should be doing it. Wouldn't it be great, if instead of going on welfare or going on unemployment when one lost his job, his neighbors would invite his family over for a meal or two. Or the community pitched in to help supplement the bills. That is what conservatism is about, allowing for people to do the work.
As Clarence the Guardian Angel inscribed in Tom Sawyer in the end of the movie "No man is a failure who has friends". Helping out fellow man is what we are supposed to do and we are supposed to actually do it, not be lazy and let the government throw a check and some government cheese at him; we are supposed to help out - with however much or little we can.
2 comments:
Beautiful point.
Another strong point. Of course political decisions have strong ties to some moral code of behavior, but the underlying fact is that the point to life is to help people out. Not some government that man has created, but genuine care about the people around you. Their happiness is all that matters in life, but do not forget, their happiness leads to your happiness. With that being said, do not allow self interest to motivate you, do not help others for the happiness you will feel. You have to help others because that is the right thing to do, plain and simple. This account of what we ought to do in life has a strong tie to what political view better fits a practical means of action as a citizen of this great country.
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