Todd Akin must not have had a lot going on last week. Thursday, speaking in an empty House chamber, Akin delivered a 50+ minute lecture on the history of the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving. Uploaded in 10 parts to his official YouTube channel, he spoke at length about the Pilgrims' journey, the First Thanksgiving and the evils of socialism. Specifically, Akin reflecting on how socialism was "unbiblical" and "in violation of God's law."
Here's part 9 of the series:
And part 10:
The other eight parts may be found here.
Here's a partial transcript, from the Congressional Record:
Governor Bradford knew that socialism was un-Biblical. He knew it was a bad idea. It wasn't going to work. Eventually they were forced to throw it out because they're going to starve to death if they kept working, trying to make socialism work. So these are words from Governor Bradford's diary. After much debate of things, the Governor, with the advice of the chiefest among them, gave way that they should set corn to every man to his own particular, and in that regard, trust to themselves...
Governor Bradford had studied his Bible, as he had been instructed by their Pastor Robinson, and realized that socialism was un-Biblical. It was a form of theft, and it was not a good system for this community. It was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. It went on to say that people who, before, they had to almost whip them to get them into going to the cornfield, now went willingly and happily forward to grow the corn. The corn, again, was traded for the beaver skins and all...
Governor Bradford knew his Bible well enough to know that socialism was in violation of God's law. God's law says, "Thou shalt not steal."' It allows for the ownership of private property, and it never gives the government the right to take something that belongs rightfully to one person and redistribute it to someone else. Governor Bradford understood that far better than the pastors of our churches in America do today. They rejected socialism.
Presumably, Akin is discussing socialism at such length because he's so upset about the proposed health care reform legislation. He has famously described the rights to health care, food, an education and shelter as communist ideals, and any taxes used to fund such government programs as akin to theft (see above). I'm somewhat hesitant to put words in Akin's mouth, but if I understand his logic correctly, public schools, Social Security, Medicare, a public option, etc. are similarly "unbiblical" and "in violation of God's law."
