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More Liberal 'Reasoning' Will Lead To Economic Ruin

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JOHN NASH

Of Cabbages and Kings

Published: March 21, 2009

The first opinion column, published under this scribbler's name, ran in a Georgia paper about 35 years back. It was a commentary countering a continually popular, liberal-belief that large segments of the population need government financial assistance to merely exist.

Apparently I failed to convert many liberals, because that rotten plank in their dangerous, socialistic platform still exists. For example, the lead editorial, in a recent St. Pete Pravda, attempted to convince readers that unemployed workers (are you "working" if you're unemployed?) need more than the $1,000-plus/month, which they are generally handed in unemployment payments, so that they can pay for continued health insurance.

Trouble is, the entire editorial bases its flawed argument on the dangerous, socialistic concept of cradle-to-grave security provided by the government. When, last I checked, this wasn't yet a socialistic nation. Unemployment is hardly a new phenomenon. My parents lived through the Great Depression; I was then young, but still able to remember the times and how families coped with lost jobs without any significant government handout.

Anyone and everyone capable of walking without help found some sort of work. Some sold apples from upended crates set up on a street corner; others washed greasy pots and pans in restaurants or cleaned streets — but they worked!

Almost none (not even the relatively well-off) had any sort of health insurance (which wasn't really developed until years later).

Somehow, we managed to survive — although the richest, who usually lost fortunes in the destroyed stock market, often took to diving out of windows of posh offices on Wall Street.

What a difference a couple generations have made. Thanks to several infectious periods of liberal government, we've come to expect that our government will care for everything: national security, education, unemployment payments, retirement protection and now even medical insurance.

In the 1940s, intelligent, responsible families understood that it was necessary to save money while one was earning it, so that, when and if an emergency (such as unemployment) occurred, they could dip into those savings to pay for food, housing and, yes, medical care.

Today, few families have any savings at all. That's not because they haven't been able to put aside significant amounts of their earnings; rather in that they squandered everything earned on luxuries — cell phones, cable TV, meals out, new big trucks/SUV's, unaffordable houses, $100 sneakers, vacation cruises and tickets to useless, meaningless sports events or other entertainment, because they felt protected by an increasingly socialistic government, which would care for them in an emergency.

The Pravda editorial based its argument for increased payments to the unemployed on observing that it costs more to insure a family's medical care than they are paid in unemployment insurance; therefore, families can't live on what is currently provided.

Of course, that argument gives no consideration to the undeniable fact that, had those families saved for a "rainy day," as they should have, they'd have sufficient funds to help them through a short period, which is minimal because the bread-winner tries as hard as he can to obtain work of whatever type.

The answer — the only answer — to provision of such as medical care during economic hard times is for individuals — not the government — to be responsible for themselves. Personal saving for emergencies has been a cornerstone of our economy and national strength for more than three centuries. We need to reinstate its importance, but won't do so by adding even more government handouts to the unemployed.

It may be a hard lesson to learn, but it must be taught: Socialism is not a reasonable option to any of our current financial problems. It is a one-way street to national economic ruin.

John Nash is a regular columnist for Hernando Today.

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