Re: American Consequences 2020 Remember public schools and roads? That’s socialism going all the way back to our beginnings in the 1600s. – Betty C. P.J. O’Rourke comment: Betty, let us open up our big, fat Webster’s Third International Dictionary ... “ Socialism : Any of various theories or social and political movements advocating or aiming at collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and control of the distribution of goods.” That’s a bit more than public schools and roads. That’s getting right down to the collectively owned pair of shoes and government-issued socks that you wear to walk down the road to get to the school. Socialism is for lazy, good for nothing people! It doesn’t work and never did, if it was a good system, the people wouldn’t run to capitalist countries! – Maria M. P.J. O’Rourke comment: You put it bluntly, Maria. But you’re in good company. I consult The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics edited by David R. Henderson and find the article on “Socialism.” It was written by the late Robert Heilbroner, a self-described “left centrist” who was for many years a professor of economics at the very liberal New School for Social Research. Prof. Heilbroner begins by saying, “Socialism – defined as a centrally planned economy in which the government controls all means of production – was the
address social issues often identified with modern conservatism.” IPR is as level-headed as the level land of the Midwest where it’s from. I was born and raised in the Midwest, and (honorary Baltimoron aside) I remain a Midwesterner. I’ve often had Coastal Elites ask me, “Why’s the Midwest so flat ?” I say, “So we can see you coming.” Re: PatriotismVersus Nationalism The “nice” distinction that is real is entirely lost on the wahoos now in control everywhere. It is quite clear the “patriotism” is, for these dummies, white nationalism. “Send her back” is their rally cry – though all of those included in his tweets are Americans. – Phil S. P.J. O’Rourke comment: They sure are, Phil! I may disagree with Ilhan Omar, but I detest white nationalism. And of course Ms. Omar is an American. She got to the United States when she was 10. George Washington didn’t get to the United States until he was 44, in 1776. (Before that he was in Great Britain.) All sorts of people poured into this nation from all over the world, starting with Paleolithic hunter-gatherers from Siberia at least 19,000 years ago. Everybody’s an immigrant. Some are of various tones and hues. Some are white. Or, in the case of the Irish, due to unaccustomed sunshine, bright pink. Note that nobody advocates “Painful, Blistered, Peeling Nationalism.”
American Consequences
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