Tipping point for socialism
Democratic hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders vie with each other in promising free health care, free college education, etc. Who will pay for all this is less obvious, in view of our gigantic deficit – and our shrinking middle class.
– News report
The problem here is too many takers, not enough givers.
– Irish cab driver, quoted by Larry Elder
Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people’s money.
– Margaret Thatcher
In 2008 we had strong suspicions of what an Obama administration might do. But now we know. If we allow the Democrats to retain control of the presidency, we will be saying, “We like what you’re doing − do more.”
A strong nation can tolerate some citizens who do not share its fundamental values. But then a time comes where there are just too many of them for lovers of freedom to counterbalance. Then the balance tips. The nation spirals downward. And people say, “This is when things went wrong.” No. Things went wrong long before:
● Things went wrong when recipients of “entitlements” increased faster than productive citizens.
● Things went wrong when the number of lawyers exceeded the number of doctors.
● Things went wrong when we stopped rewarding entrepreneurs and innovators, and began rewarding paper shufflers and theorizers.
● Things went wrong when we lost interest in wealth creation, and became obsessed with wealth redistribution.
● Things went wrong when bankers regarded themselves not as custodians of their clients’ money, but as casino managers maximizing their “take.”
● Things went wrong when financial regulators saw themselves as responsible not to depositors and investors, but to the banks they were presumed to be overseeing.
● Things went wrong when corporate officers believed their job was not to assure the long-term health of the company for the sake of stockholders and employees, but to maximize short-term profits and exit in “golden parachutes” before the roof fell in.
● Things went wrong when Internal Revenue officials believed their job was not to collect taxes, but to intimidate political opponents of the administration.
● Things went wrong when we stopped electing people like us to carry out our wishes, and began electing self-anointed elitists who believe they are entitled to rule us ignorant “common” people.
● Things went wrong when clergy believed their role was not to help their congregants do good and save their souls, but to help them feel good and “save the planet.”
● Things went wrong when “intellectuals” proclaimed that there are no permanent ethical principles, and many people began acting as if this were true.
●Things went wrong when “legal scholars” proclaimed that the Constitution has no fixed meaning, and many politicians began acting as if this were true.
● Things went wrong when we became so afraid of intolerance that we tolerated anything − even the intolerable.
● Things went wrong when we became so afraid of super-patriots that we tried to produce no patriots at all.
● Things went wrong when we forgot “E Pluribus Unum” and became obsessed with “diversity.”
● Things went wrong when a generation grew up watching movies that showed our leaders as evil schemers, our military as bloodthirsty lunatics, and our veterans as unstable losers. Then we were shocked − shocked! − when we produced “Taliban” John Walker Lindh, “Al Qaeda” Adam Gadahn, and “ISIS” Syed Farook. These people were born in America, but they were very far from being Americans. We gave them nothing that evoked their loyalty, so they filled the void with whatever poison they could find.
● Things went wrong when a university replaced its Minuteman mascot as “too violent.” The Minutemen fought for freedom, which is now considered less important than political correctness – a euphemism for “Don’t say anything that might offend leftists.”
● Things went wrong when leftist teachers and professors saw young people not as students to be educated, but as subjects to be indoctrinated.
● Things went wrong when San Francisco refused a gift of the battleship USS Iowa as a museum. The ship had carried President Roosevelt, but it was “too warlike.”
● Things went wrong when positive aspects of our history were downplayed in schools, and teachers belittled our country and its founders.
● Things went wrong when many schools of education and journalism were taken over by leftists. The teachers and journalists the schools turned out have spread leftist ideas for a generation.
● Things went wrong when we allowed a generation to view their country with shame and their flag with disrespect. But Johnny Cash saw things differently.
● Things went wrong when we taught young people to think not what was right, but what was legal – that is, what they could get away with.
● Things went wrong when we told kids to think of themselves not as Americans, but as members of racial, gender, or economic groups. We forgot “E Pluribus Unum” and replaced it with “multiculturalism.” Then we were shocked – shocked! – when social cohesion broke down.
● Things went wrong when “pro-child” people ignored nearly a million American babies aborted every year, and they voted for Barack Obama, who three times rejected medical care for babies who survived “failed” abortions.
● Things went wrong when many people see nothing wrong with cutting off care for the elderly and the disabled − even veterans. They view the elderly and the disabled as “useless eaters” who are a “drain on the Fatherland.”
● Things went wrong when we exaggerate the number of returning veterans who have mental disorders. The alleged purpose is to increase awareness of PTSD, but this is likely to subject veterans to suspicion and job discrimination.
● Things went wrong when we abandoned Judeo-Christian values. Contrast the response to two men born without arms: One played the guitar with his feet for Pope John Paul II. The pope stepped down from the platform and kissed him on the forehead. The other tried to cash a check. The bank refused because he could not give a thumbprint. Our response to the disabled reveals a great deal about us.
● Things went wrong when we taught a generation to have self-esteem not because they are unique individuals created in God’s image, not because they are proud bearers of America’s heritage of freedom, and not because of their own accomplishments − but merely for breathing. We forgot that unearned self-esteem is narcissism, so we raised a generation of narcissists.
● Things went wrong when people became so accustomed to living on credit cards that they see nothing wrong with the government running gigantic deficits.
● Things went wrong when astronomical amounts like “trillion” are no longer associated with our space program and are now associated with our debt.
● Things went wrong when people stopped thinking of themselves as independent adults, and instead see the government not as their representatives but as their parents.
● Things went wrong when we forgot that government programs and handouts are addicting. Like drugs, they reduce recipients to passive users, increasingly dependent on the drug dealer − the government.
● Things went wrong when we forgot that the federal government has only the powers that the Constitution gives it, but not the power to control our health care − and even tell us what talk radio to listen to; and what light bulbs, toilets, and dishwasher detergent to use; and even what to feed our children for lunch.
● Things went wrong when global capitalists became indistinguishable from global socialists in their lust to increase their power by reducing our freedoms.
● Things went really wrong when then-Speaker Pelosi was asked whether nationalized health care is constitutional, and she replied, “Are you serious?” − while giggling. Our Constitution survived the Civil War, two World Wars, and 9/11, but it cannot survive the contempt of our highest officials.
When people can no longer deny that things have gone wrong, it’s too late. The time to reverse the trend is before the tipping point, not after. That’s the time for regret.
No one can predict when the damage will become irreparable. The answer will be clear only in retrospect. But once control of large segments of the economy becomes solidified, and once control of our health care − and therefore our lives − becomes entrenched, it will be difficult or impossible to reverse the trend. The time to act is now, before the addiction becomes too deep-rooted.
We need rehab for addiction to big government. We need an intervention.
No one can be sure where the tipping point for America will be, but I fear that this is it. We may not get another chance. And if we don’t use this one, we won’t deserve another. Consider this carefully when you vote for president.
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Contact: dstol@prodigy.net. You are welcome to publish or post these articles, provided that you cite the author and website.
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