Scrooge a Liberal???

Michael M. Bates analyzes Charles Dicken's legendary literary character:

Readers infer that he denied his clerk coal with which to stay warm because he was parsimonious. That’s a bad rap.

In truth, Mr. Scrooge was in the vanguard of the environmental movement. He sensed the dangers of burning fossil fuels and its impact on global warming. If he were around today, he’d probably have a lead in Al Gore’s movie.

Another indicator of how well Scrooge would fit into today’s society is his awareness of how best to help the disadvantaged. When do-gooders ask him for money "to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth," his instant rejoinder is to look to the government rather than private charity for a solution.

Aren’t the prisons still in operation? he asks. The Union workhouses? Are the Treadmill and the Poor Law still in force? He’s already paying for those programs. It’s the government’s responsibility to care for the needy, not his.

Faith Based Programs? Bah Humbug!