PrintFebruary 27, 2010
Noblesse Oblige: Why the Left Has It All Wrong
Chances are that if one has lived any length of time or achieved a modest success of character, humility, or enterprise, then he is at least unconsciously aware of the concept of noblesse oblige. The term of French origins is defined as "the inferred obligation of people of high rank or social position to behave nobly or kindly toward others." While the concept itself likely conjures images of royalty or aristocratic obligations to help the poor during the knighted era, the idea is in fact ancient and stands as a pillar of Western civilization.When the Israelites left the bondage of Egypt, they were immediately commanded in Exodus 23:9 "to not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." Suddenly, at this epoch in civilization and for perhaps the first time, freedom came not with license to oppress or exploit others, but with grave responsibility and obligations to God and man. No limousine liberal...(Read Full Article)
