Pre corona most of the country was against any political candidate who promoted socialist values as his plateform such as Bernie Sanders. His followers were younger voters who assumed they would benefit from social programs such as free tuition etc. [you know the story]
Well today the country has made a surprising shift in social benefits. Everybody wants free money and those who aren't getting free money are a tad irritated to say the least. Somebody posted about a family member who won't get free money as her job was a worker in a bar that is shut down. The implication was she should get money the same as everybody else.
Very interesting to see how our values shift when it is your or my ox being gored. I read some place [no confirmation which is a bit impossible] that free money has approx 62% of the work force not very anxious to return to work. I can believe that number and what free money or socialism does to individual initiative
Not one person has mentioned Venuzuala as an example of socialism in the post corona days and yet Venezuala was all we heard pre corona days
Will the free money end some day and that is what makes us different from Venuzuala??
What kind of reaction will you get from people who lost a 100,000 job or a family income of plus 200,000 and are forced to live on welfare as the benefits and savings slowly dwindle, as most people think many jobs are gone for a very long time. Heck even family incomes of 50,000 won't be happy with welfare cheques.
Any guesses what the 2020 election might be all about?? More free money wouldn't be an election issue would it???
And yet some how we aren't Venuzuala, which is rather confusing, considering all the social programs [ trillions of free money] that seems some what like socialism to me. If the Fed ever decides to buy equities,[which seems to be the next step in their tool box] is that not nationalism
here are a few random thoughts about your issue...
there may some farmers who claim to be against socialism, but will still take the money if the govt is giving out farm subsidies.
a corporate head may claim to be against more govt intrusion, but a corporation will still take a govt handout. they will even pay a lobbyist to push their agenda to get handouts from congress.
the current govt handout scheme is really dumb in many ways. i know people who will receive the handout, but do Not need the handout. my daughter lost her job in a bar, and could use the handout , but has not gotten one. this does not mean i am in favor of handouts. it is simply a recognition that govt policies are often really stupid, and do not always accomplish what you want them to accomplish.
i have bees. i am against farm subsidies. but in the early 90's (when we still had honey subsidies), yes i did get a honey subsidy. (it was about enough to buy 2 tanks of gas in my pickup. thats it.)
i will vote for a politician who wants lower taxes, less bureaucracy, fiscal restraint, etc. but... if the govt offers me a tax break, (credit,loophole,etc), yes, i will take advantage of it.
personally, i am fine with the idea that there is NO honey subsidy today. if it were up to me, i cut more farm programs. i'd cut the ACA. i'd cut most things at the federal level.
Good points! Thanks.