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Controlling money controls power By Steven Saslow Jul 07, 2019 08:00 AM A A Senators Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., talked at the first Democratic Party debate about free health care (including abortions), free tuition, reparation payments, and so on, but all those are simply examples of redistributing the country’s wealth. Yes, there are tax implications, but they aren’t the big danger. If I control wealth distribution — that is, whether you get housing, food, clothing, a car — I control you. All true socialists and communists know this (just read Karl Marx’s “Communist Manifesto”). So what kind of people lead socialist/communist nations? Are they kind, courteous, witty, generous, tolerant, humble sorts? Here’s the list, decide for yourself: Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Ho Chi Minh, Pol Pot, Nicolas Maduro, Nicolae Ceausescu ... even Adolf Hitler (national socialism). No, they were brutal butchers responsible for the deaths of 10s of millions (and with a fraction of the military power and wealth of the U.S.). You wouldn’t think of letting any of them control your family’s health care, safety or freedom — much less the world’s. Please note: an acknowledgment that socialized medicine has worked in some countries like Canada and France (depending on who you talk to) but both countries are quickly coming around to supplemental private insurance. Of course, Bernie and Kamala aren’t Stalin or Mao. So we’re safe; right? Not a chance. Stalin, Mao and the others started with people like Bernie and Kamala preaching the progressive “good news” of socialism. (Stalin referred to them as “useful fools”). Once they served their purpose, they were seized and killed — often along with their family and friends — regardless of their continued ideological support. Many conservative authors have written about the connection between an economic system and freedom. In “Capitalism and Freedom” Milton Friedman wrote, “A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither.” Friedman also warned (the) “Power to do good is also the power to do harm; those who control today may not tomorrow.” The recent Democratic debates were two nights of “useful fools.” Elect the extremists of the party and we will lose our freedom, then soon after our standard of living. And no one on the planet will be safe. Everyone needs to understand, especially vulnerable voters who have no idea of the economics involved in the Democratic candidates’ utopian proposals or where it ultimately leads America. Money in the hands of government is never a good thing, but there are programs that should work. And, each generation experiments with socialist ideas, Social Security being the obvious example. How’s that working in the hands of government? How will our children feel when there is no money left to fund their social security checks? Food stamps, renamed SNAP, saw a huge spike in help during the Barack Obama presidency. This entitlement program as with others was swollen past the point of reasonability and is now being curtailed. And because health care has sky-rocketed beyond most people’s affordability, Medicare, expanded to all, is becoming increasingly popular as a concept. If we do that there needs to be a line held at those who qualify now, versus “everyone.” Community colleges, city and even state colleges were practically free or at least affordable 40 years ago. Why not dial back the tuition to those institutions, and, in a very capitalist way, force private universities to get more competitive with their credit-pricing models? Government making promises is easy, but enacting them with an economic model that works is a different matter. Taxing the rich, the theme of the Democratic Party is a non-starter. Take all the money from the rich (whatever that means) and you can’t dent the cost of the Green Deal and other socialist absurdities. I’m open to hearing from you if you see any of these ideas as doable. from the publisher