What Compassion is Not

I apologize ahead of time for stating the obvious.  But sometimes false memes get repeated so often that stating the obvious is needful.

And in the aftermath of the U. K. elections, we are hearing again and again lefty laments that the U. K. electorate is so lacking in compassion as actually to vote Tory.  Oh the humanity!  What about the poor!  Giles Fraser is among those so wailing (which is sad because the man is capable of intelligence on occasion).

So the obvious begs to be reasserted: taking by force from someone else to give to the perceived needy is not compassion.  We can have a healthy debate as to when such taking by force is justified, but compassion it is not.  When you give of your own substance to help the needy, that is compassion, not when you send government to take from someone else.

The Good Samaritan did not mug someone to provide for the gentleman he assisted.  He provided for the gentleman with his own efforts and money.

I will try to exercise some restraint and compassion and not say anymore.