Serve the Joneses

Can we have individual liberty and social equality? That’s the question at the heart of our national debate regarding capitalism and socialism. We’re being asked to choose between individual liberty, that’s afforded by capitalism, or social equality, that’s provided by socialism. Here’s another way to frame the debate. Do we want a society based on trying to “keep up with the Joneses,” or do we want a society based on trying to “take from the Joneses”? Seems both are untenable. Do we want a culture that promotes the selfish sin of greed, or a culture that satisfies the ugly sin of envy? Neither one’s a good option. There is a third way. How about a society based on trying to serve the Joneses – a culture that encourages the righteous act of loving our neighbor as ourselves?