From the end of World War II until the Iron Curtain collapsed, two generations of Americans were raised in fear that we may be attacked by a nuclear weapon from the Soviet Union. Some of us were taught how to position ourselves under our desks at school. I never really understood how hiding under one's desk would protect us from an atomic bomb; but we all learned how to effectively get under our desk.
During the 1950's, the left in America coined the phrase, "Better red than dead." This was the ultimate pacifist motto. In the early part of that decade, we witnessed many treasonous acts, and a growing membership in the Communist Party USA. President Eisenhower was vigilant, and we prevailed over Communism in the 1950's. As we moved into the 1960's, President John Kennedy stood up to the Communists of the Soviet Union as they attempted to establish a beachhead in Cuba with the help of their new leader, Fidel Castro.
Kennedy's successor, Lyndon Baines Johnson, sent over a half million Americans 8,000 miles from our shores to fight the Communist threat, resulting in over 58,000 American deaths, and an estimated 3-4,000,000 Vietnamese casualties. Five years later, a dedicated anti-Communist president, Richard Nixon, attempted to reduce the tension between the United States and world Communism by breaking bread with Mao Zedung and Zhou Enlai of Communist China.
A decade later, President Ronald Reagan stood firm against all aggression against the Soviet Union, inisting that the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev "tear down the wall" between East and West Germany. That action would free more than a dozen countries that lived under the tyranny of people like Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev for four decades. It is no wonder that the countries formerly under the influence of the Soviet Empire and its Communist system - countries like Poland, Ukraine, Georgia and Romania - are the most anti-Communist nations on earth, and are so enamored with freedom.
Sure enough, shortly after President Reagan left office, the Berlin Wall came tumbling down; and a new breath of peace and freedom engulfed Eastern and Central Europe, and the world. Exactly what was it that our presidents from Truman to Reagan were working so hard to conquer? Was it just a war of words? Was it Us against Them on the world stage? No, we fought for freedom, liberty and free markets. They were protecting the rights that Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and all of the 18th Century American heroes established for the citizens of the United States. They also provided hope and a shining model for the rest of the world.
Eight presidents from both political parties protected our precious system of government that provides the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Included in those rights is the right to individually own property. One of the primary purposes of the government is to protect an owner's right to consume, sell, mortgage, transfer and exchange his or her property, whether that be real property or personal property. These rights have their origins in both morality and natural law.
We paid a tremendous price - both in people and treasure - to preserve our freedom-oriented system of government. After all of that sacrifice, we now have one of our country's major political parties wanting to implement the very system we fought so very hard to avoid. Taking advantage of difficult financial times, the Democrat Party now wants to fundamentally change our system of government in order to "spread the wealth around."
The United States was founded on the private enterprise system where all resources are privately owned. Adam Smith, in his book "The Wealth of Nations," indicated that private interests would promote the social interest. For over two hundred years, the United States has created more wealth than any other country by organizing and allocating economic resources based on free markets and individual property rights. Not only has this system provided an exceptional lifestyle for Americans; but it has also enabled us to feed much of the world, and provide an improved standard of living for every person on earth.
Conversely, Communism is a socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian and classless society based on common ownership of the means of production and property. In other words, government does everything in its power to "level the playing field." The government will decide how much one should earn, take from those above a certain level, and "spread the wealth around." This is exactly what both the Democrat candidate for president, Barack Obama, and the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, have advocated in 2008.
Senator Barack Obama's policies are communist, pure and simple. Recently, he has advocated his version of the Karl Marx Communist Manifesto of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." With the collusion of the media, history has demonstrated that these communist societies have led to totalitarian states. Senator Obama is doing everything to assure that as well by training, funding and working closely with organizations like ACORN. He has called for a national citizen military force. He has sent government agents to intimidate American citizens who have said they don't agree with him, and to those will not vote for him. He also tried to use the offices of state Attorneys General to silence any opposition or dissent. This sounds remarkably like Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union.
This tendency should not be a surprise since from the time he was a teenager, Barack Obama has consorted with Communists, socialists, terrorists and anti-Americans. His entire life has been surrounded by anti-American radicals, from the early days of his first mentor, Communist Party USA member Frank Marshall Davis, to the kickoff of his political career in the living room of the homegrown terrorist, William Ayers. His spiritual advisor for twenty years was a racist, anti-American, black supremacist bigot by the name of Reverend Jeremiah Wright. As soon as he moved to Chicago, Barack Obama immersed himself into the philosophy of Saul Alinsky, who wrote the book, "Rules for Radicals."
That is his past, but what about right now. On the stump in 2008, he has told crowds that as president, "we'll ensure that 'economic justice' is served; that is what this election is about." Economic justice simply means punishing the successful and redistributing their wealth by government fiat. It's a euphemism for the communist branch of socialism.
Here are just a few of his communistic proposals:
* Universal guaranteed health care
* Free college tuition
* Universal national service similar to what is practiced in Cuba
* Wage Insurance where dislocated workers will be supplemented by the government to their old levels
* Free Child care and universal preschool
* Increased earned income tax credit for the working poor
Normally, an American Congress would block most, if not all, of these efforts. However, with expected Democrat gains in the upcoming November elections, the US Congress will be led by Nancy Pelosi, who will be empowered by the election results. Congresswoman Pelosi has suggested a Windfall Tax on retirement income. She has recommended a Windfall Tax on all stock market profits, including pensions, 401K plans and mutual funds.
Nancy Pelosi has said, "We need to work toward the goal of equalizing income in our country, and at the same time limiting the amount the rich can invest." When asked how these new tax dollars would be spent, she replied, "We need to raise the standard of living of our poor, unemployed and minorities. For example, we have an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in our country who need our help along with millions of unemployed minorities. Stock market windfall profits taxes could go a long way to guarantee these people the standard of living they would like to have as Americans." This is classic Marxism.
We may be facing the first democratically elected Communist government in world history. If you think it can't happen here, what gives you that sense of confidence? Adolf Hitler was elected as a nationalist Socialist candidate after financial calamity occurred in Germany. Barack Obama has consistently referred to our current financial crisis as the worst since that Hitler Era. Desperate times cause desperate people to reach for desperate measures. Just because Communism has failed everywhere else does not mean that George Soros, MoveOn.org, Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi won't attempt to implement it in the United States. Pay close attention to their current words and their past history.
Richard Geno has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and also has a master’s degree and a Ph.D. He is a life coach, and author of the books, “The Balanced Life Experience: A Roadmap for Having It All” and “Running Around the World: an MDRT Member’s Journey to Balance.” He is president of The Conservative Forum of Silicon Valley.
