Prickly City by Scott Stantis for July 04, 2019

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time

John Adams

Anyone who repeats the tired old cliché of “Progressive policies means getting “FREE STUFF” or “Liberalism is great, until you run out of other people’s money” simply demonstrates utter and complete CLUELESSNESS about what liberalism means, how it works, or its role in the world today.

Progressive policies are NOT about using “other people’s money” or expecting “FREE STUFF” any more than you expect law enforcement, emergency first responders or “free” public schools to be provided by “other people’s money.” 

We all contribute and we all benefit.

As was recently noted on The Last word with Lawrence O’Donnell:

There is good “socialism” (not really true socialism) and bad “socialism.”

.

Good “socialism” (helping those who actually need it):

• Universal comprehensive no-fee health care

• Universal tuition-free public education through college

• Guaranteed secure retirement program

• Job training, job placement

• Proactive social services to PREVENT crime

• Infrastructure

• Law enforcement, firefighting, disaster relief

.

Bad “socialism” (giveaways — the real “free stuff” — to the few richest elites who already have the most):

• Corporate welfare (socialism for the rich)

• Socialized professional sports (all benefit goes to people that are very rich)

• Tax exemptions for churches that non-believers have to make up for (socialized religion)

.

• Example of worst kind of bad socialism (cited by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez): Trump has a country club / golf course in her district. It was developed with public funds, but HE gets to keep all the revenue.

I a SO TIRED of people using “FREE STUFF” to characterize the idea that the taxes that WE PAY should be go to things that people use.

Of course we’ll get free stuff.

After they’ve seized all the stuff we have now.

It may turn out that both Mr. Sanders and Mr. Biden will turn out to have gone past their “sell by” dates. As a famous man often says when he can’t think of anything else to say; “We’ll see.” Hopefully, he will turn out to be past his “sell by” date.

Scott, I’m pretty sure your analysis skills are better than depicted in this particular strip.

Are you really hostile toward Medicare?

Free law enforcement?

I don’t have the figures handy, but i was always impressed by the logical statement that if health care were free, more people would take advantage of it, and thus be healthier overall. That would mean less financial loss for businesses which pay for poor health through lost manpower and/or higher insurance premiums. I’d rather put my money into production than insurance. Then there are the many who don’t get “sick pay”. If they can’t work, they don’t get paid. Or, if they’re not really “that sick”, they go to work (can’t afford not to), and share their illness with coworkers. I like healthy. Healthy is good, and I don’t mind chipping in a few bucks.

…Cities may be rebuilt, and a People reduced to Poverty, may acquire fresh Property: But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever. When the People once surrendered their share in the Legislature, and their Right of defending the Limitations upon the Government, and of resisting every Encroachment upon them, they can never regain it.

-John Adams

Stantis keeps spare straw men on hand, just in case.