Archive: Opinions

We didn't need the National Weather Service to tell us it's been raining profusely and abundantly. Seems almost non-stop up until the hours as I write this. Over thirteen inches of rain in our area since the beginning of the year. That would be over twelve feet of snow, but that's silly to contemplate, isn't it?? Suffice to say that I have joined the thousands who are desperately trying to get some of that grass mowed in the sunny intervals this past week. I swear I could actually hear the grass growing, I really mean HEAR it. A couple of hungry goats would have been just as effective as me sloshing through the low spots. Low spots? It looked like a southeast Asia rice paddy out there last week.

So, the thoughts may be short and more focused.this week while I fire up the lawn mower and mount water wings on it to replace the clippings bag.

I see Cuba is in such dire straits now that the 'people's' government has again started rationing basic food stuffs. Can you imagine being told that our government has decided to ration eggs, cooking oil, chicken, sausage and soap?? Widespread shortages and panic buying are again being reported in Havana and elsewhere on that island paradise. Of course, the Cuban government controls practically everything, so since Venezuela has been unable to keep up cheap oil exports (more on that in a moment) to Cuba, they (Cuba's governing junta) cannot resell the practically free Venezuelan oil and cannot in turn import basic foodstuffs. An island paradise corrupted and broken by communism.

Cuba's government has acknowledged that they had failed to meet 'production targets' for eggs and pork, and would put limits on how much chicken could be purchased (this in addition to basic rationing cards which are issued by the military to individuals and families). Imagine that, dear Americans: a government who controls the 'means of production' as well as a diminishing supply of capital (worthless pesos and a diminishing supply of remitted American dollars sent by relatives) and it puts its burdened people on a tighter rationed diet.

This is the type of governmental control (and warped economic sense) that destroyed the former Soviet Union, brought the Berlin Wall down and continues to starve and enslave North Korea and Venezuela. And who do they blame? Not the corrupt and collapsing communist system. Oh no, it's the Great Satan America who is causing all of their economic and social ills. America caused this? Try this on as a little bit of economic fact that most of us understand (Sanders, Harris, O'Rourke, Occasio-Cortez among others the most obvious exceptions to this understanding): Cuba spends $2 billion a year on food imports (that's all they can afford when the government owns everything, you know) that actually make up two thirds of its total edible goods in a year's time. The ruling communist junta actually is barely able to produce another billion dollars of basic commodities for its suffering masses. It's capitalism that's the real evil, though, isn't it Mr. Castro?

Venezuela's communist experiment under Chavez and Maduro contributed 22% of Cuba's economy in 2013. Mainly from the world's largest proven oil reserves. Venezuela's contribution to Cuba's economy is now 8% or so (and dropping), mainly because Venezuela's communist government (another people's revolutionary success) can no longer produce as much oil, as its infrastructure collapses and its technicians flee to countries that actually produce food and medicine. But that's America's fault, too, right?

Cuba is once again experiencing close to catastrophic social and economic consequences akin to the end of Soviet subsidies in 1991 which kept Fidel's grand revolution of 1959 propped up. The end of rubles caused near starvation in Cuba in the 90's.

North Korea is starving, Cuba reports crackdowns on dissidents while long lines form to buy food. Venezuelans are leaving their country (if not demonstrating against the military) in droves, no medicine, no food, no hope.

And all of these governments (not citizens, bless them all, they are victims of disaster we can't even comprehend) have one thing in common: governments set up as 'people's' revolution charades meant merely to keep the military, revolutionary intellectuals and communist dictators in power.

Are there other countries and peoples suffering in the world? No doubt. But, funny thing about North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela (a little less so, but still relevant about Nicaragua, VietNam and certain 'democratic republics' in Africa). These governments have their admirers and close adherents right here in the United States. Those who espouse government control over banks, interest rates, social media, medicine and health care. Those holding office and aspire to, advocating for an end to private health insurance, government control of many industries. Those who have called capitalism 'evil' in their speeches and writings, call socialism 'good' and 'appropriate', with the disguise of 'progressive-ism', as they misuse the concept. Those who would advocate a seizure of the means of production and seize the multi-trillion dollar economic miracle we call America, for the 'people'.

When Ronald Reagan died, the Economist magazine placed him on their front cover with the headline "The Man Who Defeated Communism". Well, that certainly seemed true when he passed on, but as I look at the rise of this so-called 'socialism' in our politics and the plethora of candidates who espouse it, I have begun to think that George Keenan was correct when he stated that the best thing we can hope for is to contain communism, because it may not be defeatable. By its many names, it would seem to be a zombie presence, rising again from its own grave (underneath the Berlin Wall) to haunt, once again, peoples and countries which are told that revolution is necessary to distribute the 'goods' of society, when the proof of economic miracle is really and truly seen right here, right now, in our own generous and blossoming country which depended on hard work and reaping the harvest of capitalism. Is it perfect? Of course not; we're humans, after all. But, communism's failures continue to prove the bankruptcy of socialist thinking, while certain public figures continue to sing it's corrupt and people-defeating praises.

Aren't we an amazing country to allow, tolerate and encourage these socialist advocates to speak out, thrive and run for office? They really are fortunate they're thriving here; in more than a few countries just mentioned, they'd be thriving in jail, starving, or both.

But, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe some of those believers in socialism and its myriad forms of government control would be living high on the hog, as leaders of the revolutionary forces, far and away from the streets, the empty markets, the starving masses. Don't let these demagogues fool you. Some of them want us to emulate Venezuela and Cuba. My question is simple: "Quo bene?"

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