George Rebane
Proto-socialists on parade. I noticed in the 14jun19 Union’s lead op-ed another example of a good-hearted, light-thinker wailing about our country’s unequal distribution of wealth, and its pitifully inadequately small government. A Ms Becky Goodwin laments that no “millionaire” attended her kids’ college graduations to pay off their student loans, and why should such largess be a sometime thing instead of a universal benefit across the land. She gives no evidence of understanding how such inequalities contribute to the overall wealth and weal of a nation. As a devoted leftist, she eschews private charities and wants all such benefits to come from a much larger government that gets such monies from taxing the bejeezus out of rich folks who just happened to belong to what was known as the middle class (more here). The country is chock full of these proto-socialist Beckys who deny the label but would eagerly vote for every Bernie, AOC, and Green New Deal that comes their way.
Growing populism and middle-class anger. If there’s any hope for liberal governments, then it may well begin with what VDH summarizes in his ‘Why Are the Western Middle Classes So Angry?’ He outlines six “gripes” that are also part of RR’s mantra –
- Illegal immigration and open borders have caused institutional chaos and cultural compromises – e.g. multicultural identity politics.
- Globalization that has enriched Western elites who have “outsourced, offshored, and ignored their own industries and manufacturing.”
- The viral explosion of unelected bureaucrats at all levels of government consisting of sinecured, feedback-proof regulators, planners, auditors, inspectors, and adjustors.
- The global lamestream media reaching and indoctrinating billions rather than practicing what was known as ethical journalism.
- The post-educational academia that now functions as a “shrill agent of cultural transformation … charging more for less learning.”
- “Utopian social planning”, a la Agenda21, that has “increased housing, energy, and transportation costs.”
VDH concludes that “because elites have no answers to popular furor, the anger directed at them will only increase until they give up—or finally succeed in their grand agenda of a non-democratic, all-powerful Orwellian state.”
Who ‘Deserves’ to Go to Harvard?, asks our favorite Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute (see also here). This paragon of academia, that enjoys a $39,000,000,000 endowment made possible only through the largess of western capitalism, is now teaching its students that, in fact, capitalism contains “systemic inequities”, and the “capitalist ethos” is false because it teaches that “we deserve to win because of our skill, our hard work, and our contributions.” Not at all, maintains Dean Rakesh Khurana, because in reality capitalism is a zero-sum game that rewards its players simply on the roll of Fortuna’s dice – remember “you didn’t build that”. Khurana most recently disseminated this blather at Harvard’s commencement in a speech which pointedly ignored that his “parents emigrated to the U.S. from India, one of the events leading him to conclude that at least 85% of his current status is due to circumstances beyond his control. His parents presumably came to the U.S. because they saw opportunity, not “systemic inequities.” That opportunity arises from Western civilization’s accomplishments: the rule of law, property rights, freedom of expression and inquiry, and the relative absence of corruption—all matters about which Mr. Khurana was silent. This civilizational inheritance allows social mobility and wealth creation unimaginable in most of the non-Western world.” Read MacDonald’s article for the full story. (H/T to correspondent)
‘Socialist’ Nordics are moving toward private healthcare – what a revoltin’ development! As we have reported for years, free healthcare is unsustainable, and its dive into the mud is slowed only by providing fewer and slower services. The answer to it is – seatbelts please – private healthcare funded through private health insurance. Daily Signal reports that quiet trend has been going on for years with increases in such insurance purchases by 7% of Norwegians, 4% of Swedes, and leading the way, 22% of Danes who have been able to augment their ‘free’ healthcare. A good piece, that covers what is offered to whom, when, and for how much in various countries our socialists are trying to emulate, is detailed here.
[17jun19 update] Our broken Constitution and legal system. SCOTUS upheld the cynical double jeopardy provision that our Constitution specifically prohibits. The Daily Caller reports, “The Fifth Amendment’s double jeopardy clause prohibits multiple prosecutions for the same offense. An exception to this rule called the separate sovereigns doctrine allows state and federal governments to bring successive prosecutions for the same crime. Monday’s decision leaves the doctrine in place, meaning any person Trump pardons remains exposed to state prosecutions.” The only reasonable conclusion here is that our Constitution does not apply equally to the federal government and those of the several states. The ‘separate sovereigns doctrine’ and the entire quagmire of a sub-rosa administrative law legal system give continued evidence that our legal system is both broken and corrupt.
Cap & Trade slush fund. Years ago when CO2 cap & trade was first proposed, I and my fellow climate change skeptics predicted that such monies would soon be used for all kinds of other progressive vote-buying give-aways by Sacramento. Well, that day has arrived (more here). The scumbags in the state legislature, who have claimed CA is flush with cash, can’t hide the truth any longer and have to go after money wherever they can find to fund their follies, or just to keep minimal government services going. RR readers, of course, know what the response of the local lefties was to such predictions. (H/T to reader)
[20jun19 update] My new favorite communist is Umair Haque. I have reported on his virulently anti-American essays before. This prolific, yet amazingly ignorant, ultra-left ideologue is published regularly on Medium.com which is an outlet primarily by and for Millennials, and therefore deserves a regular look-see by those seeking to keep up on their thought and sentiments. Umair’s (that’s how he signs himself) latest mind bending contributions are ‘(Why) There Was No Jackpot at the End of Capitalism’s Rainbow’, ‘The Pattern of the 21st Century is Predatory Collapse’, and ‘The Soviet Union of Capitalism’. Enjoy your visit.
rebanesruminations.com 
Leave a comment