Election musings. I was once a registered Democrat, tend to think like a Libertarian, but usually vote Republican. The Democratic Party left me behind years before I was called deplorable or a smelly Wal-Mart shopper. The issues are complex. I don’t hate either Trump or Biden, and along with many, it comes down to a choice between the lesser of two evils. In my opinion, socialism is the greater evil. I resist.
Socialism leads to tyranny and loss of individual freedom. It
does not fulfill its promise of equality, only equality in poverty. While the
elites retain and amass power and wealth, most live in declining standards. Dissent is eliminated. In places where
socialism appears successful, it is sustained by a wealth of natural resources
and underlying capitalism. To use public roads, schools, libraries & such as
examples of accepting socialism is incorrect and disingenuous. These are examples
of local government services, not economic takeovers. These services exist in the private sector as
well as public. And just to be fair, I acknowledge that there are flaws in the
capitalist system as well, but they pale in comparison to the flaws of
socialism. I am not against more generous public programs for our own
citizens. I am not against the ACA, just
fix its flaws and keep your hands off my private insurance.
The second issue for me is the violence I watched come
across my news feed almost daily for months. It was sickening and it must stop. Law and order must be restored. I lived
through the Freddie Gray riots in Baltimore. No one felt safe until law &
order was restored by the National Guard. If I lived or had a business in one
of those cites/states that have not lifted a finger to restore law & order,
I would relocate. Immediately. And take my business & my patronage elsewhere.
I defend the right to peaceful protest.
Even the kneeling by NFL players. Taking a knee in sports has a specific
meaning, which was not lost on me as it applied to the reason for the protest. “When
one of us is down, we take a knee until they get up”. But nothing good comes
from Antifa. Ever. Their aim is not the common good, but to destroy. This leads
again to the issue of socialism. Freedom is not license.
Surprisingly, coronavirus is third. It is what it is – a novel virus with no
prior data & inconsistent emerging data & lack of transparency coming from
pundits instead of scientists. How is one supposed to “follow the science” when
it changed so rapidly and sometimes dramatically in its recommendations. A lot of good has been done to mitigate this disease,
some opportunities have been missed, and some states/areas mismanaged. People
just need to use common sense for the common good. Masks are mandatory in Maryland. Yet people wear them under their nose. Everywhere. Even at medical facilities. The
virus is still there, people are still contracting it, but far fewer are dying
from it. Treatment is much improved. Full recovery rates are phenomenal. Even
when a vaccine is available, there will be people who refuse it. I am high risk
& will take the necessary precautions - wear a mask, wash/sanitize my hands, maintain social distance - so that I can live a full life. I
also recognize that it is not all about me. The economic impact of the lockdowns
cannot be ignored. I was not hurt economically, but many were. Recovery from this
pandemic must carefully balance both public health and the economy. Freedom and responsibility are two sides of
the same coin.
I would like to vote Libertarian; however, others have warned
that this might swing the pendulum away from the direction I would like. I have no animus toward Trump or Biden
personally. There are things I like and things I dislike about each. It is the socialist ideology of the far left
that I object to as the antithesis of Libertarianism. Though Biden disavows this
ideology, he is indebted to it, and does not have the physical, mental, or emotional
acumen to go against their bidding. Ultra-right-wing ideology is also detrimental
to a free society when it fails to recognize its own culpability and barriers
to individual liberty.
I do not believe that some hybrid form of socialism can be
implemented without trampling on the great freedoms – freedom of speech,
freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and freedom of religion. I resist.
