We’re All Socialists Now, Except for Libertarians

We’re All Socialists Now, Except for Libertarians por Jacob G. Hornberger:

The Sunday edition of the New York Times published an interesting article that is certain to make some Americans who read it uncomfortable. Why is that? Because the article, which is entitled, “What’s a Socialist?” makes a point that many ordinary Americans hate hearing: that by adopting the welfare state, Americans in principle became socialists, just like Europeans.

.. conservatives and Republicans quickly threw in the towel and began competing with liberals and Democrats over who was the bigger, more enthusiastic supporter of welfare-state programs.

Thus, the fact is that Americans are all socialists now — except for us libertarians. We libertarians are the only ones continuing to hew to America’s founding principles of free markets, private property, limited government, voluntary charity, and individual responsibility.

.. while conservative and liberal statists continue to compete over which reform plan should be adopted to address the ever-growing crises associated with statism, both conservatives and liberals continue to support Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, farm subsidies, foreign aid, bailouts, and the overall paternalistic philosophy of the welfare state — all of which libertarians would repeal without hesitation, immediately.

We libertarians confront Americans with the truth and with reality, which is undoubtedly why statists wish we would just go away or at least remain silent ..

After all, the reality is that statism has brought nothing but conflict, envy, discord, impoverishment, bankruptcy, chaos, monetary debasement, and political plunder to our land. The truth is that economic liberty would restore peace, harmony, prosperity, responsibility, charity, and moral principles to America.