Home of Today's Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald October 26, 2008

It is just a few days and we will have a new President and some new members of Congress. Early voting has now started.

In my earlier columns I described indications of socialist trends they now seem to be supported.

The real attitudes and points of view are becoming well enough defined that even the casual observer can see it.

According to the media we are in the midst of a world financial crisis.

The crisis has been only moderately painful to a lot of “Seasoned Citizens” like us, who have seen our 401K investments drop off in value to the point that we can not count on it to support our way of life.

At the same time local taxes show every indication of moving higher based on the new appraisements of our property rising ever higher. I would hope however, because of declining prices on current  housing sales there will be a decline the values and taxes will go down as well; but really doubt it will.

In reading Frank Yturia’s excellent analysis of the reasons the crunch came, in last week’s Opinions section of the Brownsville Herald, and his perspective as to the future,I feel I have more clarity as to the criteria to use with my political choices.

The presidential election began in my mind as a historical opportunity for change, being opposed by by a candidate with more of the same with possibly  a skillful prosecution of the remainder of the war.

I had been considering Barak Obana seriously as my selection because of his cool studied approach to the issues. It seemed then that both Parties were more or less following the big government approach,

Now the Republicans are showing me the prospect of more government interference than ever before; and the Democrats are pushing loudly for even more increases in Socialism.

In fact a number of the recent circumstances have begun to concern me.

Since the 1930’s there has been a gradual increase in the size of government and its direct influence on our private lives. Socialist governance has been proven untenable in every past experience.

Socialism is most often described as:

“Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.”

This general goal would include centralization of money and credit in the hands of the state through a national bank with state capital, and the suppression of all private banks and bankers.

Some of the goals of socialism call for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources: A definition I found in Wikipedia, described that these things may be achieved by the limitation of private property through progressive taxation, heavy inheritance taxes, and forced loans, etc., The use of seizure of property for the public good, using eminent domain, may also be used to further discourage private property.

Where have we seen this?

The momentum began during the depression of the 1930s to protect the folks from themselves. This government control has increased gradually and has led to the current circumstance where the government controlled financial institutions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac protected by a number of Congresspersons who’s goal has been to provide housing for folks who do not currently have adequate means to meet the obligations. These same public officials have also provided funding to Acorn, an organization involved in social organization, who are reported by the media to have intimidated banking institutions into providing the credit.

The resulting catastrophe has provided the rationale for the government to come to the rescue by buying up the mortgages, guaranteeing credit, and purchasing ownership in some of the larger banks. Now we have the Republocrats pushing to control banks.

The media has called attention to many cases of questionable instances around the country, of eminent domain being used to convert private property to public use for Malls and other uses not strictly needed for community use.

Another goal to achieve socialism is the education of all children, from the moment they can leave their mother’s care, in national establishments at national cost.

Is this not what we have today and when someone suggests the use of vouchers in an attempt to rescue our children from institutions that use government payments to require that local schools teach what the government wants and how it wants. Are we just lemmings that follow into government subservience.

Recently, the Republocrats have made assertions that Candidate Obama has been associated with Acorn and assisted in funding them in a program of education that was designed by Bill Ayer. A man whose educational philosophy called for infusing students and their parents with a radical political commitment, and which downplayed achievement tests in favor of activism.

The socialist label was brought out when “Joe the Plumber” asked a question as to why some should be taxed in order to give the money to others. Mr. Obama said it was only fair that money should be moved around. Our “Plumber” said he would like to determine who should receive his money and not have the government make that determination.

The Republicans have continually increased the size of government, and most recently became owners of banks which could vastly increase the opportunity for government control. They also supported government payments to schools if they followed the edicts of the Federal government and Senator McCaine gave us the national mandate “No child left behind” that withholds payments if the criteria are not followed.

It is only the Libertarians that aggressive fight for liberty and freedom.

According to the National Platform, Libertarians seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.

They believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized.

Consequently, Libertarians defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world they seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power.

In summary when voting I must now look at the Republicans who appear to be moderately socialist in direction and the Democrats who now seem to be even more socialist nearly Marxist in direction than I thought.

I for one will follow the news a little longer to determine which of the three I can live four years worth. Bob Barr the Libertarian, is growing in my estimation though he may not have the public exposure to assure election. Every vote would tell the winner should there be one that all “The Folks” are not in the basket and the mandate to lead must be won every day.

John McCaine, because of his lack of determination to investigate the public officials that were responsible for the lack of oversight, seems to be just beginning in the area of an early socialist direction, where Barak Obama seems to be the fully developed socialist .Too much quacking not to be a duck.