Collins Report

By Bruce Karlson

From FDR’s self serving “New Deal” through the 1960s, there was a legitimate debate about the role of government, particularly the Federal Government, in our lives. Was there an implicit mandate long hidden in our Constitution that sanctioned government redistributing benefits to one group at the expense of another? Even absent a Constitutional “penumbra”, was the need so dire and the disparity so obnoxious that the government should step in anyway?

In the thirties and forties, many extremely bright and well educated persons became liberals, socialists, or Communists as part of their belief that government could and should be the arbiter of the distribution of goods and services among the peoples of the world. The private sector and a free market were simply too harsh and left too many out “in the cold”. The wisest among them were, they were convinced, better able to determine which person or group should be rewarded and which punished.

Leftist solutions do have a great appeal in general: They seem to offer immediate relief to whichever group is suffering and that relief requires supporters to do nothing.
This slothful and self absorbed approach might be OK if it actually had long term benefits to the recipients. One does not have to look long or hard at the “War on Poverty”, welfare, or racial preference laws, however, to see the damage caused. Overbearing government does have long term benefits, but only to those making a living from the “extortion”/ “payoff” paradigm. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Barrack Obama, Harry Reid, and LBJ come to mind, but the list is endless. It is likely that without the ability to coerce, using the force of government, none of the above, nor legions of lesser known parasites, could have prospered.

To the point: The mid century honest intellectual who had supported over weaning government as a solution, became increasingly dismayed as the fruits of that approach soured. They saw the wreckage and could no longer defend their beliefs. Many became conservatives and all were wary of bigger government. They had intellectual integrity.

The balance became the current Left in the US, entirely void of integrity. They refuse to engage in serious debate regarding its basic “program.” When government forces something, by definition, must reduce personal freedom. It simply cannot be otherwise. Some specifics: The real issue in abortion rests in the Constitutional rights (or lack thereof) of an unborn child; the issue in health care is who should control access; the issue in taxation is how much do governments need, not how can the code be used to punish/reward individuals (and fill campaign and personal bank accounts). The current breed of “Leftists” cannot sustain its side in the above issues so they are simply avoided. That has worked well for them for generations. To wit: Two of the three counties with the highest per capita income in the nation abut Washington DC.

Their gravy train is finally being derailed by a voting public that suddenly understands limits, is appalled by corruption, and concerned about its responsibility to the nation and the next generation. It has been too long in coming but the left is about to be shown the door and not a moment too soon.

The nation would be better served by a vibrant and HONEST left/right debate. That helps keep both sides engaged and honest but, with this current bunch in DC, it will not happen…

About Bruce Karlson: Born New Jersey, enlisted in the Navy 1960, discharged in 1964, Kean College – BA, Fordham University – MBA. Sold computers in NYC’s financial district, retired 1992. Divorced, two high school aged children. Interests include bridge, history, politics and cooking.

What have you done to defend America freedoms today?

Source:

http://despardes.com/?p=10001

This day in history December 26

1776: George Washington defeated the Hessians at Trenton.

Comments on this or any other Collins Report essay can be sent to kcoachc “at” gmail.com