FREE CHOICE

WHY NOT JUST BOYCOTT THE MOVIE , "THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE?" WALT DISNEY STUDIOS IS TICKING SOME PEOPLE OFF WITH THEIR HYPOCRITICAL ADVERTISING. HOW FAR DISNEY HAS FALLEN SINCE FANTASIA. THEY ARE AFFIRMING THE POSITIVE RELIGIOUSITY OF THE FILM IN MARKETING TO CHRISTIANS WHO WILL MAKE THEM MONEY AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY NEGATE THE CHRISTIAN OVERTONES TO PLACATE NON-CHRISTIANS AND ANTI-CHRISTIANS WHO ARE THEIR FRIENDS. A BOYCOTT, HOWEVER, WOULD BE SHOOTING ONESELF IN THE FOOT AS A NONSENSICAL CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTIONISM. IT MIGHT DEPRIVE YOU OF A MEANINGFUL MOVIE EXPERIENCE. THIS POINT ABOUT FREE CHOICE IS MOOT.

WE AMERICANS, THANKING OUR GOD WHO IS LITIGATED EVERY DAY, ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF FREE CHOICE. IF I LEARNED A LARGE LESSON FROM MY PAST RETAILING EXPERIENCES, IT IS THAT THE CUSTOMER'S CHOICES COME FIRST. BEFORE HIM THE SELLER MUST STAND AND COURTEOUSLY DELIVER WHATEVER GOODS OR SERVICES THE CUSTOMER CHOOSES. SHOULD THIS SITUATION BE REVERSED? I THINK NOT. COLLECTIVISM AND SOCIALISM REQUIRE THE CUSTOMER TO ACCEPT WHAT IS GOOD FOR HIM; HIS CHOICES GET DUSTED OFF IF THEY ARE NOT BENEFICIAL FOR THE COMMON GOOD. EMPTY SHELVES IN COMMUNISTIC SOVIET RUSSIA COME TO MIND. IN CONTRAST, AMERICA'S FREE MARKETS HAVE CREATED MILLIONS OF WAL-MART AND TARGET SHOPPERS AND THOUSANDS OF NEIMAN MARCUS PATRONS. THEY HAVE CREATED DELERIOUS RUNS ON CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS, SONY PLAY STATIONS, iPODS AND XBOXES

THE HIGHLY RESPECTED LATE POPE JOHN PAUL II WROTE IN AN ENCYCLICAL THAT "SO WIDESPREAD IS THE PHENOMENON (OF WORLD HUNGER) THAT IT BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE FINANCIAL, MONETARY, PRODUCTION, AND COMMERCIAL MECHANISMS THAT, RESTING ON VARIOUS POLITICAL PRESSURES, SUPPORT THE WORLD ECONOMY." THIS READS LIKE TYPICAL, EUPHEMISTIC RHETORIC DESIGNED TO OBFUSCATE AN ISSUE. THE SUBJECT HERE - WORLD HUNGER - REMINDS US ABOUT FREE CHOICES. THE POPE ASKS US TO QUESTION THE ORIGINS OF WORLD HUNGER. HE SAYS THAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF MONEY - FREE ENTERPRISE OR CAPITALISM - SUPPORTS THE WORLD ECONOMY. DOES HE ALSO SAY THAT THE WORLD ECONOMY IS SUBJECT TO POLITICAL PRESSURES? IF SO, THIS IS A PROBLEM. NOT TO PLAY ONE UPSMANSHIP ON THE LATE HOLY FATHER, BUT IF TRADE AND MONEY GRABBING IS GIVEN A FREE, FAIR AND DEMOCRATIC REIN, WHY SHOULD IT REST ON POLITICAL PRESSURES? SUPPLY AND DEMAND, TRUE CAPITALISM, THE GOOFY, UNHEALTHY, RECKLESS, WASTEFUL OR FICKLE WISHES OF THE CONSUMER MUST BE ALLOWED TO RUN THEIR COURSES. THE REDISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES TO CORRECT SOCIAL INJUSTICES AND INEQUITIES IS AN APPEALING ALTERNATIVE BUT A WRONG ONE. HUNGER CANNOT BE SOLVED BY LEVELING INCOMES IN AMERICA OR TAKING FROM SOME AND GIVING TO OTHERS. IT CAN BE SOLVED BY FREE ENTERPRISE. THE SAD TRUTH, HOWEVER, IS THAT INEPT, CORRUPT OR DICTATORIAL LEADERSHIPS MAKE HUNGER AND DISEASE POSSIBLE AND PROBABLE, BY THEIR REPRESSIONS OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS.

GIVEN A CHOICE, AMERICANS WILL CHOOSE A GOVERNMENT PAYMENT OF A UTILITY BILL, AN EXPENSIVE CIGARETTE, AN UNNECESSARY RESTAURANT MEAL OR A WARMER HOME OVER MORE SENSIBLE MEANS TO HAPPINESS. BUT THE LESS FORTUNATE IN OTHER LANDS, TRANSPOSED INTO THE UNITED STATES, WOULD OFTEN MAKE THESE SAME CHOICES. SO IT IS ALL ABOUT CHOICES. HURRAH FOR OURS THAT ARE FREE . HAVING ABANDONED FILMS FOR BOOKS LONG AGO, I WON'T CHOOSE TO WATCH THE CHILDREN OF NARNIA, BUT MY CHOICE TO HAVE READ ABOUT THEM WAS WELL REWARDED.