A Modest Proposal to End Socialism

10

September 9, 2009 by Ron Madson

(Satire Alert/  Poe’s Law in Effect)

A MODEST PROPOSAL TO END THE

EVIL OF SOCIALISM

‘If principles are correct they can be applied to any specific

proposal with confidence.”  Ezra Taft Benson

Socialism is just plain evil!  From coast to coast courageous voices from the “tea-baggers” to Glenn Beck to religious leaders are warning us that the march to socialism will be the ruination of our country.   Frederick Bastiat in his seminal essay, “The Law,” understood that socialism occurs when an individual is conscripted into a community and, thereby, has his freedoms limited.  What socialists will never comprehend can be found in the words of Friedman: “profit and self-interest is capable of solving all economic problems”

So now our nation faces a national “Health Care Debate.”  To be a socialist nation or remain free!  Here we draw the line!  Every single first world nation has given into the seduction of one form of socialized medicine or another while we remain the only nation that still clings to the eternal principles of self-interest and profit motive when it comes to health care.  Free enterprise in the form of private insurers is the foundation of our health system.  It is obvious that it is the profit motive that has made our health care the envy of the world.  So where do we go from here?  We take the offensive!  We must pre-emptively strike against all forms of socialism—take the battle to the enemy.  Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson (1953-61) understood that there is no form of socialism that is good and what we must not only stem the tide, but also reverse the onslaught:

“In reply to the argument that a little bit of socialism is good so long as it doesn’t go too far, it is tempting to say that, in like fashion, just a little bit of theft or a little bit of cancer is all right, too.

This brings up the next question:  How is it possible to cut out the various welfare-state features of our government which have fastened themselves like cancer cells onto the body politic?  Isn’t drastic surgery already necessary, and can it be performed without endangering the patient?  In answer, it is obvious that drastic measures are called for.  No half-way or compromise actions will suffice.  Like all surgery, it will not be without discomfort and perhaps scar tissue for some time to come.  But it must be done if the patient is to be saved.” (Agricultural Secretary United States, Ezra Taft Benson “Proper Role of Government”).

Having that standard of liberty raised we can not fail.  So rather then capitulate, we should take the free enterprise model that is the engine of our health care, and replicate it to overcome the socialism that already afflicts us in many other areas  such as education and safety.

Socialized education is an easy target.  Education, some could argue, is even less critical than health care, so why would we take money from one person by government fiat and pay for the education of another, or for that matter guarantee an education for everyone?  Private, profit run education schools should be the gold standard.  Take any community and if the family does not have the cash to pay for their children’s education, then we should allow the creation of such companies as Cigna or Blue Cross Education Insurers to offer private policies that each citizen can choose OR not choose to pay.  Your premium would reflect the number of children you already have that need to be educated– or the children you might have.  The beauty is that the older you are the less likely you would have to pay—reverse of health care!   If you are too old to have children, choose to be single, or have a vasectomy then there would be no need to buy an Education insurance policy.  Let those that need it pay for it themselves as God intended.  Insurance companies having the profit motive in mind could require each family to fill out an application for education coverage.   Families would be required to disclose their religion (Catholics and Mormons would understandably be in a higher risk category).  Why should any of us have to pay for those whose religious zeal requires them to multiply and replenish the earth?  Families can purchase different levels of education depending on their ability to pay.  Premium policies that include Liberal arts, sports, extra-curricular activities for those who can afford it all the way down to vocational school and cafeteria/janitorial training for those on a limited budget.  If a child shows special aptitude in music, art, science or some other area of study, then they could apply to have special advanced placement classes if the insurance companies deem such classes reasonable and necessary—knowing that they would primarily be concerned about the welfare of your child rather then their companies bottom line.

Special needs children create a grossly disproportionate drag on the cost of education for a school that must show a profit for their stockholders. The identified mentally handicapped, autistic, learning disabled children would be excluded from educational coverage as a pre-existing condition, and if such conditions are later discovered, then premiums would be exponentially increased to cover the costs to make their parents either pay for the extra burden they are creating or get out of the program—but the reality is that such children have little hope of producing as much as they are taking so there would be no real net loss to our nation’s economy if they are not educated.  And if a fourth of our children’s parents can’t afford any education, then we could move them into the job market much earlier, thereby, creating a permanent underclass to cut our lawns and man our fast foods chains.

But since socialism is  inherently wrong (to take money from one party to pay for benefits of another) then why stop at education?  Police and fire departments should also be privatized.  Why should I have to pay for a fire that my dumb neighbor has started by being absent-minded and forgetting to turn off his stove?  Why should I have to pay for a domestic dispute that erupts across the street or if your house is broken in because you failed to invest in a private security system?  Private fire corporations could advertise respond time to your home or business and not incur the added expense of covering the uninsured.  Private Police and fire forces could provide law enforcement and fire respond times based on the type of policy you purchase.  The police when responding to a crime would simply need to check not only your driver’s license but also confirm your insurance coverage before arresting a criminal or putting out that fire.  The quality of care for those individuals or home owner associations would improve dramatically while those of us who are insured would not be required to give up our hard earned money to protect communities or individuals that could not afford to pay for protection. Think of the employment opportunities for local enterprising youth (scary tattoos included for effect) or specially trained families who could make an offer of protection for small businesses for a small fee on an as needed basis.  Why should we all contribute for police and fire protection when only some in our community might feel a need for it?  It is simply immoral to do so and such socialism is a slippery slope to communism.

So where does it end?   The total eradication of the evil of socialism in our country is our spiritual destiny.  Never should one person be required to give up one cent to the community involuntarily. The list of pesky socialist programs FDA (don’t blame someone else if you can’t protect your children from poisonous food) EPA (if you don’t like strip mining or air pollution then buy up all surrounding land); National Parks (Redwoods make great flooring and will turn a big profit) Interstate roads (get an 4W SUV—why should I worry if your little foreign car can’t get through potholes).  Let the natural urges of self interest and profit direct all our community relations, and we will then become a light on the hill that we can export to the whole world with private, profit run military sponsored by Haliburton Global Insurance company. Of course, Blackwater United would be allowed to bid for our protection just to insure competition.  And while speaking of the military when are we finally going to get rid of the socialistic Veteran’s Affairs office?  After all, if a veteran got his leg blown off —well, he/she was the one that volunteered to join the Marines.  It was VOLUNTARY.  Why should I have to pay for his/her stupidity ?  Socialism is just inherently and obviously evil and leads to the ruination of nations.

So what about health care?  Forget any change— we must stamp out any current care that involves any form of socialism.  My 89 year old mother and her three friends at the Senior Living facility are part of the Greatest Generation. They get it.  They have learned from enlightened political philosophers that socialized medicine is awful and will lead to death panels.   I told them that I would do everything I can to save them from socialized medicine.  The first step would be to get them off Medicare and then they can walk proudly into the hospital and pay cash.  Then when their money runs out they can have their children and not some government bureaucrat hold their first “death panel” meeting.  Their children can then pool their money and decide how much they are willing to spend or what care they should receive.  Surely they would be willing to spend to their last dime to provide Mom with the greatest of care no matter the cost.

So the health care reform debate continues. We must be men and women of vision and ideologically pure on this point and never compromise and given in to any form of socialism and begin to eradicate every cancer cell that plagues our society even if it kills the patient.

Ron Madson