Political parties often drift left and right. Savvy candidates and political advisors know that it is in the center you win most often. Yet, within the parties there is a natural push by the extremes (ideologues) within it to push it further to the edge. The Republicans to the right, the Democrats to the left. They are often beaten back, though as we noted yesterday it does occur sometimes. We cited 1964 (to the right) and 1972 (to the left) as examples. Generally though the parties drift to the edges slowly and over time.
Today, however, we see a Democratic party that seems to daily take leaps to the left. It’s almost like the candidates are thinking up a far more, what they call “progressive” position. Just look at this month and where they have gone:
A wealth tax on accumulated savings.
A 70, 80 or 90% tax on earnings.
Medicaid for all. Private health insurance companies go out of business.
A Green Deal, that changes every aspect of everyone’s life.
Guaranteed pay for all, even if you don’t want to work.
Free college for all.
We pay off everyone’s college debt.
Allow convicted terrorists and others to vote from prison.
Legalize drugs.
Hire ex convicted drug dealers to be legal dealers (Harris yesterday).
You can add to this list but it just illustrates the leaps they are taking to prove they are the most progressive person. How you pay for this is always answered the same way. “Tax the wealthy”. They don’t have anywhere the money to pay for this.
So let’s see, the Democratic party has now leapt all the way to socialism plus. Is this where America is today?
The America I grew up in was, you were free to become whatever you wished. You could achieve anything. You work to build a better life and a better country for the future generations. Where in any proposal above are the candidates rewarding individual initiative, drive and effort? They are all about taking from these people to give to those who don’t do the same.
When our parents and grandparents, who won WW2 and came home, they didn’t ask for a handout. All they wanted was a chance to go to work, build a family and a future. If anyone was entitled it was them. As the ceremonies unfold this year of what happened 75 years ago on D-Day, The Battle of The Bulge and Okinawa, look at the price they paid and what they wanted back. Then look at today.
Finally, running as a “progressive” used to mean certain defeat. It was a term candidates ran away from. The twenty Democratic candidates today cannot say progressive enough, and as outlined above are trying to out progressive the next person as best they can. With free everything the basic premise that drove American ingenuity allowing us to become the country we are is being challenged.