Morning Sun columnist Joy Leeper has perfectly encapsulated the Leftist mindset in just one dreadful column describing everything she would change if she ran the world. A quick read-through should help remind everyone why the Founders were so concerned about concentrated power.
She writes: “Our main guiding principle would be to provide the greatest good to everyone. Humans have been on earth long enough that we have quite a body of evidence about what works best.” Now, knowing she’s a Leftist, you already know what her “body of evidence” includes. Spotty and questionable research that supports socialist talking points while ignoring the horrendous history of such ideas being implemented in real life.
“Reason tells us that in a country as rich as ours no one should be hungry or homeless. What is going wrong? We know some countries are faring better than we are — performing better at protecting their environment and providing a better life to their citizens. We need to face the truth: We have big problems in this country.”
She neglects to mention just how few people — just a couple percent — actually fall under the world’s standard of “poverty” in this country anymore. Or that the average poor household in 2018 has two televisions and more than enough food. Or that no amount of government can ever prevent bad decisions. Society has let a lot of people down, but no nation in the history of the world has come close to dedicating the resources this one does to help its citizens.
Leeper offers a way to deal with income inequality that sounds like a junior high school essay:
There are many ways to value our workers, such as on site daycare and other perks, or just paying better. Some businesses work on a ratio model — the CEO never earns more than some multiple of what the janitor earns — say 10-1, for example. The ratio can be adjusted to the ideal number for each company. As the business grows, everyone’s profits grow. It is not the best operating model for a few people at the top to earn outrageous wages based on the suffering of slave labor below them. History has shown us this eventually leads to revolution.
Doesn’t that just say it all? Slave labor.
Joy: If you can quit your job, you’re not a slave.
Creating an arbitrary ratio to keep CEO salaries low betrays her lack of understanding that the Law of Supply and Demand also applies to labor. CEOs have unique skills and experience that makes them attractive, so companies offer that high pay to lure them in. If they don’t work hard and show results, they get fired. If they don’t want to work for less pay, they will take different jobs.
Take away that ability to lure people, and watch how many companies fail because they can’t get competent leadership.
She continues: “Careful planning must be done for the future work force. As production jobs decline they need to be replaced by other work. New positions in serving the aging population is one possibility. Infrastructure jobs are also sorely needed.”
Careful planning? She means central planning.
The fact is that people will seek whatever education and whatever career they choose based on interest or necessity. That’s where the market steps in and makes corrections. You can’t simply create jobs that are not based on the market. Workers will seek the skills to fill the opportunities that arise, or create new opportunities. It’s the kind of thing that happens on its own when the government doesn’t try to shape the future.
Leeper’s vision is typical utopianism. She believes things would be better for all mankind if the right people just had overwhelming power. Everything is about control, particularly controlling people’s decisions.
And this is your ordinary, everyday Leftist. Outlining all the ways she’d control your entire life if given the opportunity.
Is it any wonder so many of us oppose them so vehemently?
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