I cannot help it! A letter to the editor in the Journal, published July 8th, was titled, “The Socialist Threat Is Real.” the letter says it succinctly; however the letter writer overlooks its true origin.
“The Democratic Party’s current socialism didn’t emerge in a vacuum. It is the logical extension of the ‘New Deal’ and ‘Great Society,’ which transformed the federal government from a relatively limited constitutional republic, into the nation’s primary provider of income.
“Once Americans are taught that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are not government programs but inalienable rights, the philosophical foundation for socialism has already been laid. If retirement income and medical care are rights guaranteed by Washington, why shouldn’t housing, college tuition, child care and a guaranteed income be rights as well? Democratic socialists, merely carry this premise to its logical conclusion.
“The debate has shifted from whether the government should redistribute wealth, to how much redistribution is enough? Democratic socialists, simply argue that if the government can tax one group to finance benefits for another, then even higher taxes on upper-income Americans and greater government control over private property are justified, in the name of the “common good.”
“Those who wish to halt the advance of socialism must challenge its intellectual roots, not merely its latest manifestations.”
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The ‘roots’ of socialism were planted by FDR, who began his residence in the White House in March, 1933. Socialistic government has grown by leaps and bounds ever since. Before FDR, the federal government had 572,000 employees, and 270,000 were in the post office department. Today, there are 2.69 million federal employees. When FDR took office, there were the State, Treasury, War, Navy, Interior, and Agriculture departments. Today, they’re literally un-countable. All paid for with your ever decreasing value bad money, to ‘help,’ ‘aid,’ ‘provide,’ ‘equalize,’ ‘subsidize,’ etc.
As I wrote 35 years ago in ‘I Hold These Truths,’ “Taxation is the most common device, socialists use, and regulation is second. Only achievement can be regulated. When something is taxed you get less of it, namely achievement and prosperity. Socialism is taking from the haves and giving it to the have-nots. Socialism is government stealing from you with inflation, and taking everyone down to the poverty level. Socialism takes away choice, freedom, happiness, productivity wealth, health and prosperity. Socialism is government of the failures by the failures, and for the failures.”
In 1607, Jamestown had 500 settlers from Britain, who decided to try socialism by having everyone place their food into a ‘pool.’ Within three years only 60 were left. The rest basically starved to death. The 60 decided to leave and return to England, but were stopped by Lord De La War, who with the 60, plus more, returned to Jamestown with law, order, and freedom to keep what they grew, not deposit it in a pool, and capitalism was born. Lord De Ls War eventually was one of the founders of Delaware.
Democrat socialist Graham Platner, who seemed to be typical of the left wing of the Democrats, probably woke up a few with their absurd choice, and that, so far, has crippled their chance to capture the Senate in November. Hopefully.
-Don Stott don@coloradogold.com