There is an old joke about marketing that says that a really good marketer can sell you a trip to Hell and make you look forward to the trip.
Similarly, I have been impressed by the skill of President Obama in making atrocious ideas sounds really good.
The latest is his State of the Union address, of which he has sent out a “preview”. (read about it here)
Obama sums up “the central mission we have as a country, and my central focus as president … and that’s rebuilding an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded—and an America where everybody gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules,” he said.
This all sounds pretty good, but like most scams and Ponzi schemes, you have to watch out for the “catch”. The “catch” in this case is very simple. It’s a trade, not a gift. The trade is that Mr. Obama wants only to be given the power to decide what “fair” is, and who is “responsible”, what a “fair shot” is, and what a “fair share” is.
That’s all.
If you trust Mr. Obama and his administration and the enormous bureaucracy that the US government has become, and those who will hold all these offices in the future, then you have nothing to worry about. The decisions will be made wisely, and we will all be better off.
If you are a student of history, you are more likely to be skeptical of this trade. You would understand that such power is an irresistable temptation. You would know that the abuse of such power is as certain as death and taxes. You would understand that such abuse would lead to a corrupt and vicious government. Students of history can name the times and places where this has been tried, especially in the last 100 years, and describe the disastrous results.
A key phrase from the preview should be particularly familiar:
AMERICAN VALUES: The president will call for “a return to American Values of fairness for all and responsibility from all.”
They would recognize a different version, and would recognize the author:
From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!
The author is Karl Marx. (see here)
