Rightwords... Prudent Conservatism

The Socialist Platform of 1928

Extracted from “The Conscience of a Conservative”, Barry Goldwater, Appendix A.

A brief summary of Appendix A shows that: 1) many socialist objectives had been achieved by 1972; and that 2) the ideas of the Socialist Party have not died since 1972, but are quite well and alive in the current Administration and Congress. We can expect to see these kinds of policies and legislation rearing their heads again; in fact, they already have.

1. Nationalization of natural resources…(Dams, others)
2. Public ownership of power systems…(TVA, others)
3. National ownership of railroads and other means of communication and transportation…(AMTRAC, FCC, etc)
4. A national program for flood control, reforestation, irrigation and reclamation..( US Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies)
5. Government relief of the unemployed by public works programs…(unionized wage laws for public employees)
6. Loans to states and municipalities without interest, and grants in aid…(huge grants in aid)
7. Unemployment insurance…(part of Social Security)
8. A network of public employment agencies…(US Employment Service)
9. A system of health and accident insurance and old age pensions…(Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid)
10, Shortening the workday…(wage and hours laws)
11. An anti-child labor law…(achieved in various acts)
12. Abolition of the exploitation of convicts…(partly achieved)
13. Increase of taxation on high incomes, corporations, and inheritances…(was achieved)
14. Appropriation by taxation of all lands held for speculation..(not achieved)

While a few of these programs may not be purely socialistic, in sum the direction is indeed Socialistic. It would seem that the current Administration is borrowing ideas from the Socialist Party Platform, with their control over large financial institutions, the automobile industry, heavy stimulus funding being handed out, and the general direction that was precursed in 1928.

Labels: Liberalism, Socialism, Stimulus

# posted by Mannning @ 3:13 PM