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Socialism’s just Around the Corner

John Amendall

    We see them here. We see them there. We see those socialists everywhere.
    Socialism advocates that production, distribution, exchanges of services and
products should be owned or regulated by the state.
    Capitalism advocates that a country’s trade and industry should be controlled by private owners for profit rather than by the state.
    Saul Alinsky (1909-1972) was a communist/Marxist from the University of Chicago. In his book
Rules for Radicals he identified levels of control necessary to convert a capitalistic society into a socialist one. The most important rule involved health care. Control health care and you control the masses.
    Upon assuming office in 2008 in the face of a burgeoning national debt, Barak Obama ignored this problem, gifting Americans with the largest federal social program since LBJ’s Great Society. Obama reassured the public that there would be no appreciable increased cost in insurance premiums. In addition by executive order he mandated a penalty tax for being uninsured. As Obamacare was implemented a lot of people were effected.
    The average individual deduction for 2016 was almost $5800 (Independent Women’s Forum). For a family plan the deduction was $11,601. These deductibles are more than 40% higher than what was typically available in the available market before health reform. (Kaiser Family foundation).
    Of the 23 health care co-ops formed with billions of dollars of tax payers funding
just 6 were still in business. Leaving 800,000 people to find coverage at reasonable cost.
    In view of promises to lower the average family premium by $2500, family plans have become more expensive. The average yearly family premium was $13,770 in 2010, the year the bill became law. Today the average family pays $18,142 meaning yearly family premiums have increased by more than $4300.
    According to DHHS the average premium increased 25% in 2017, more than triple the increase for 2016. All this in view of Obama’s reassurances. Obamacare
continues to challenge the nation with dogged supporters and equally dogged dissenters.
    Before the vote on Obamacare no less a personage than congress woman Nancy Pelosi said: “ Let’s pass the bill (1100 pages) then we will find out what’s in it.” Did any authoritative official read the bill? Where was the responsibility and discipline for passing such a massive economic issue? Supporters considered Obamacare the high water mark of his presidency.
    Another Alinsky Control. Increase the poverty level as high as possible. Poor people are easier to control and will not fight back as long as the state provides. About 45 million Americans do not pay taxes. This unfortunately qualifies them below poverty guidelines. This figure hasn’t appreciably changed since 2010. Obamas’s tenure was 2008 to 2016. Obama once opined he’d welcome the opportunity to a third term if it was allowed. Would it have been more of the same?
    Six contradictions of socialism in the U.S. include:
    America is capitalistic and greedy- yet 45 million are subsidized.
    The subsidized fraction thinks they’re victims. Yet their representatives run the
Government.
    Even though their representatives run the Government, the poor keep getting poorer.
    Even though the poor keep getting poorer they have many other things that people in other countries only dream about.
    Yet they want America to be more like other countries.
    Ironically even morally superior, socialistic Canada considers U.S. citizens a bunch of dummies because only in America could rich people who pay 86% of all income taxes be accused of not paying their “fair share” by people who do not pay any taxes at all. And still Warren and Sanders want to scorch the rich some more. Be careful what you wish for. They qualify as Haves and may burn their own feet.
    Another Alinsky Control. Increase the national debt to an unsustainable level.
    That way you can increase taxes producing more poverty. The national debt was $20 trillion in 2008. But Obama beat that increasing the debt to $30 trillion by 2016. This modest problem was dismissed as insignificant by Obama eagerly pursuing his legacy of Obamacare. There has been no remission of this threatening debt in the Trump Administration.
    More Alinsky. Take control of every aspect of their lives (food health, housing, education...). While an affluent nation should take care (welfare) of citizens mentally and physically unable to care of themselves, there has to be adequate accountability that these are legitimate indigents.
    Food Stamps Program ranged from $30 billion in 2008 to $70 billion in 2015. After Obama’s re-election, within several weeks by executive order he poured billions of dollars into the above Program. Almost 2.3 times greater during this period. Food stamps were originally designated for food staples (meat, chicken, vegetables, dairy products). Now they can be exchanged for a variety of materials (electronic toys, DVDs, . The original intent of the program has been seriously compromised. Over the years the Government sold its soul to lobbyists seeking to enlarge the range of original products covered by the Food Stamps Program. A conservative estimate by the Government was that there was at least $1 billion per year of fraud associated with the Program.
    Student loans ranged from $100 million in 2008 to over $900 million in 2015, almost 9 times greater during this period. While student loans are a sensible federal investment for the nation defaulting payments have increased accordingly. The program requires regular control and sensible accountability. Some presidential socialist candidates, social democrats or democratic socialists, espoused free education or out right cancellation of student debts. Socialists sing the praises of “free stuff” while denouncing capitalists free market economics. You can’t have it both ways.
    Another Alinsky Dictum. Engage in class warfare. Divide the people into the wealthy (Haves) and the poor (Have Nots). This will cause more discontent and it will be easier to tax the wealthy with the support of the poor. Since 45 million Americans are considered below the poverty line the rest of us are Haves. Compared to whom? Billionaires. Millionaires. I don’t think so. All Haves including the middle class become the enemy of the Have Nots.
    During Obama’s first run for the presidency he demonized Mitt Romney as an unrepentant rich man pitting him as a Have against the Have Nots. Playing to the latter, rich people are inherently bad. Coincidentally he named John Kerry one of the wealthier members of congress as Secretary of State.
    The parallel path between Alinsky’s control levels and the attitude, decisions and actions of Obama is unmistakable. During one of his many tirades TV commentator Chris Mathews indignantly denounced any criticism of Obama’s presidency as a socialist. Matthews was wrong. If the above arguments are not persuasive, we know Obama was an Alinsky disciple as he cited the latter in his own writings. Finally if this isn’t enough, Obama repeatedly and publicly opined that he wanted the United States to be a bigger version of England.

    Who said this?
    “We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”
    “It’s time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few and for the few ... and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity.”
    “We can’t just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people.”
    “We have to build a political consensus that requires people to give up a little bit of their own in order to create this common ground.”
    “I certainly think the free market has failed.”
    “I think it’s time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable
sector in the entire economy that they are being watched.”
    Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, Lenin, Nikita Krushev, Boris Yeltsin, Mao Tse Dung, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jong Un, Pinochet, Vladimir Putin, Saul Alinsky.
    None of the above. Then whom? Hilliary Clinton did her senior college paper on Saul Alinsky and then corresponded with him many years after. From 2013 to 2015 Clinton garnered about $13 million for 56 paid lunch speeches. These were very expensive lunches.
    From 2008 to 2016 the nation was headed by Obama, an acknowledged socialist. Waiting in the wings Clinton the presumed heir apparent would have extended this socialist tenure. Would the nation have benefited from a legacy similar to Obama’s?
    Prior to writing this account democrats had identified 20 presidential candidates. Before finishing it, the number was 23. They’re multiplying like rabbits. Since it’s too early to determine the proposed platforms of all 23 candidates, we do know that AOC, Warren and Sanders identified themselves as socialists, social democrats or democratic socialists. Warren and Sanders have offered seductive platforms of free education, Medicare for all, cancelling student debts which the younger generation has obviously responded to.
    Both people promise to seek legislation to tax the rich/Haves to pay for these entitlements which really aren’t entitlements because they weren’t earned. Something like Carter who extended social security to illegal immigrants over 65 who had never contributed to the system. One democratic candidate, Pete Buttigieg, opined that capitalism has let a lot of people down. To this I submit that capitalism with all its warts,
wattles, and wrinkles (reduce national debt, close tax loop holes, reduce government spending) has raised a lot of people up.
    Welfare is a sore point for many Americans. Many nations have willingly relinquished the process of managing their own lives to a greater power, the state which of course knows what’s best for them. In the U.S. people are very wary granting such authority to the state. Moreover, they are very wary of people who can work, taking advantage of tax supported programs designed for people, who are unable to work and productively function in society. During Obama’s tenure the former group significantly increased as he removed the work requirement for everyone to be eligible for welfare.
    Socialist nations proudly hail the generosity and humanitarian mode of their welfare state coincidentally criticizing capitalist nations for resisting their model. Socialist nations weren’t shy accepting capitalistic aid through the Marshall Plan rebuilding Europe after WWII and America’s financial suport in NATO. Capitalism may never solve all its problems and limitations but it has successfully gone its own way.
    Over the years generous individuals, major foundations and trusts have donated hundreds of billions of dollars to the needy. TV and Hollywood celebrities regularly support the Have Nots with a variety of presentations and performances to the same purpose. Professional athletic organizations (NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, LPGA...) annually contribute to the poor. In addition, individual teams in these leagues make contributions, and individual players from these teams have their own trusts to aid the Have Nots. For example, the PGA along with the LPGA provide millions of dollars to
local charities as the years golf schedule travels through the U.S. The St Jude Golf Classic annually provides funding for children’s serious diseases for those who can’t afford it. Twenty two Shriners Hospitals located all over the U.S. do the same thing.
    On a smaller and more modest scale thousands of local service organizations (Rotary, Lions, Elk, Moose, Veterans of Foreign Wars...) raise money and contribute services to local needs. Meals on Wheels would not be possible without thousands of docents and volunteers daily delivering warm and complete meals to shut ins or people unable of preparing their own meals. I know this because my wife has been delivering for years.
    In our small town, population 1700, there is an annual garden fair which has been conducted for the last 60 to 70 years. Proceeds from the fair support education. Students nominated from local high schools receive support to attend college. Recipients must maintain certain grade levels to retain scholarships. This activity is not unique. Similar activities like these are conducted all over the U.S. Multiply all the activities and donations by 50 other states with similar efforts and you have some measure of the generosity from the greedy capitalistic nation. This activity generates billions of dollars a year produced by American citizens for needy American citizens independent of public funding. Is philanthropy for Have Nots generated by capitalists less noble or worthy than funding provided by socialistic welfare countries?
    Socialism is not a panacea for government. In terms of size and population some smaller countries (Denmark, Netherlands, Ireland) have maintained sustainability. And it works for them. Fine. But don’t bag on us. Other socialist countries have floundered (Greece, Venezuela) struggling for economic solvency. An iconic socialist nation, England, still has to come to grips with the Brexit initiative.
    In 2020 the nation will elect a new president or re-elect a standing one. Other than appointing two Supreme Court Justices at this writing Trump’s Administration has not passed much of the agenda he proposed. Still, this capitalistic system which stresses opportunities and competition by the people and not the state maintains itself among world leaders. With all the available candidates let’s choose wisely. American socialists expectantly anticipate sharing crypto-socialists Clinton’s lunch money and proceeds from acknowledged socialist Sanders’s books and Obama’s book(s) and contract with Netflix. It’s apparently acceptable for Warren, Sanders, Obama and Clinton to encourage socialism in the U.S. for the masses but coincidentally it’s acceptable for them to hustle for the capitalistic dollar. It calls to mind a character from Orwell’s
Animal Farm, Napoleon, the smartest pig in the barnyard. He was a little more equal than the other animals he conned. Let’s elect a capitalist democrat or republican.
    Perhaps this piece should have been: entitled
Socialism has Arrived
or better yet citing Walt Kelley’s philosopher possum Pogo:
“I’ve seen the enemy and they is us.”

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