Capitalism wins…barely

#tcot

This Rasmussen poll illustrates just how far we’ve shifted toward giving up the ideals that allowed the US to become the world’s strongest and most powerful nation in a little less than 200 years.

Only 53% of Americans prefer a capitalist economic system to socialism, while 20% desire the change to the latter.  Perhaps even more disturbing is the 27% who aren’t sure.  How can you not be sure?  Do these 20% not understand the difference between the two?  Has our educational system failed so miserably that nearly a third of all Americans don’t have a clue what differences exist in our country and that of Cuba?

Thank God a majority, albeit a small one, still believes that hard work, productivity, and responsibility should be rewarded in our society.  The 20% who actually prefer socialism doesn’t surprise me, or worry me, but the fact that 27% are sitting on the fence leads me to believe the massive, prolonged assaults by the media, education, and entertainment industries are making real inroads that threaten to completely erode the values and principles upon which this great country was built.

On its face, socialism sounds like a grand idea…but so did Sir Thomas More’s Utopia.  “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”  Share and share alike, everyone has plenty and all enjoy a comfortable standard of living.  The problem–this idealistic dream is as achievable as the aforementioned dreamworld in More’s book.

The most glaring examples of its failures are the former Soviet Union and its satellites.  Many point to the socialist governments in western Europe as examples of success, but fail to point out their success has largely been due to the security provided by the US.  While they transitioned, we blocked the path of Soviet expansion into their territories.  We saved their butts twice in the last century and have maintained a military presence there ever since to prevent having to do it again.

The real weakness of Socialism, which also happens to be the greatest strength of Capitalism, is human nature.  If a man is twice as productive as his neighbor, but receives the same compensation, rarely (if ever) does the latter become more productive.  The former eventually realizes that he can be less productive and enjoy the same fruits.  So productivity is stifled, rather than encouraged.  On the other hand, when a more productive worker is rewarded, this not only maintains or improves that productivity, but in most cases encourages the less productive to strive to improve so that he can enjoy a higher standard of living.

The Soviet Union sought to overcome this weakness by forcing citizens into labor camps where they were starved, tormented, and murdered to boost productivity.  If you don’t believe this, you haven’t read Solzhenitsyn.  Only the naive believe the same can’t happen here.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would sacrifice liberty in the name of safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”  Giving government control of private property (banks and corporations) and/or our health care system is precisely sacrificing liberty in the name of safety!  Those who want the government to take over our financial institutions should look at the stock prices of FNM and FRE since the government stepped in on their behalf.  Our government–Democrats and Republicans–encouraged, even coerced these private corporations to make bad loans, loans they knew would go bad, then seized them and blamed the free-market system when they capsized, after they refused to listen to warnings of their questionable lending practices.

The simple fact is that government can’t run companies efficiently, it can’t even run its own programs efficiently.  If you don’t believe that, you haven’t seen the National Debt Clock, which shows we’re each (every single American citizen) on the hook for over $36,000+ of government debt.

There was a time in this country when Americans took pride in making it on their own.  Now it appears only 53% of Americans fall into that category.  The others want to be taken care of, or at least be taken care of if they fail to make it as well as everyone else.  If this trend worsens, we may well slip into the abyss from which there is no return. 

The spirit that made America great is dying, supplanted by that which made Europe fall from greatness. It’s time to revive America.

Message to RNC: Listen and Learn

We haven’t had a true conservative in the White House since Reagan, and there was no chance of having one in November.

For too long, the RNC and Republican politicians have failed to recognize this is the reason for the decline of the party. Instead they have constantly shifted to the left, particularly in the areas of big government and fiscal policy, in an effort to draw in Democratic voters. The results of this failed strategy culminated in the election last November.

The Oba-Messiah’s victory didn’t signify a massive shift to the left by the American electorate, so much as it emphasized the lack of a true conservative opponent. Why vote for a Republican to get a liberal president? Bush I was limited to one term because of his appeasement of liberals and failure to stand for the same conservative principles as his predecessor. Few doubt that the Trade Center Attacks kept Bush II in office in 2004, otherwise he’d likely have been ousted for letting the Democratic minority and their liberal Republican allies in Congress stifle any attempts to enact conservative legislation, and even pass bills like McCain’s Campaign Finance Reform Act. How long did it take him to find his veto stamp?

The Tax Day Tea Party movement was largely ignored by the Republican establishment, until now. Now that it’s grown and garnered substantial media coverage, suddenly the RNC wants to use it as their platform.

This movement is truly spawned of grassroots conservatives who are sick and tired of having no representation in the federal government and it’s time the RNC and Republicans in Congress listen to them. That’s why Eric Odom, organizer of the Chicago Tea Party refused to offer RNC Chairman Michael Steele a spot on the stage but extended an invitation to come and listen–listen to true conservatives who are disgusted with the lack of conservative candidates and elected officials who wear the GOP brand.

I truly hope Chairman Steele will steer our party back to its conservative roots and make it competitive again, but Mr. Odom got it right–it’s time for the GOP to listen to its constituency!