Another look at Reganomics

Socialism never solves any problem. Socialism is designed to either create a problem where none formally existed, or to take an existing problem and aggrivate it. It's purpose then, is to provide for government an inroad to manage the problem, and hence the population, who is detrimentally affected by it.

As the problem continues to worsen, government will always produce new ideas to counter the trend. All of these ideas, when implemented, will always cost more money and often result in a larger bureaucracy — more government, more control.

When the previous "solutions" fail to deliver the necessary results, the excuse will be that we are not spending enough. Thus, the taxpayers will be expected to cough up more of their hard-earned dollars to feed a beast which is ever-expanding in size and power. And the problem — which was the original excuse for the worthless, money-consuming bureaucracy — reaches the level of crisis. This crisis then provides more fuel for governmental proposals which will cost more money, and be just as ineffective. So goes the spiral of socialism. It continues to seek more power and more revenue until those who live under its heavy burden can no longer sustain it, without lowering their standard of living. Even then, it will continue unabated until the ultimate end is universal poverty.

Former U.S. President, Ronald Reagan truthfully said:

"The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away."

He also said:

"No government voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs once launched, never disappear. Actually, a goverment bureau is the closest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on earth."

Ronald Reagan knew well the subject of which he spoke. Under his "leadership", the U.S. national debt went from eight-hundred, forty-five billion ($845,116,000,000) on December 31, 1979 — before Reagan took office — to more than $2.6 Trillion ($2,602,337,712,041) on September 30, 1988, near the end of his presidency.

And the trend continued to shoot upwards during Reagan's successor, George Herbert Walker Bush. On his watch, the debt nearly doubled, reaching over $4 Trillion ($4,064,620,655,521) on September 30th of 1992.

The Limbaughs and Hannitys of the world would quickly point out that the Congress was controlled by Democrats during both administrations. However, that doesn't negate the fact that many of the spending initiatives were proposed at the executive level, then approved by the Congress. Perhaps, that is why there were so many "Reagan-Democrats" who were said to have voted for George Bush. Reagan had demonstrated that a Republican president could work well with a Democratically-controlled Congress. While articulately denouncing big government in his speeches, Reagan helped to increase its size and debt, mortgaging the future of America's children.

Socialism never solves any problem. It only creates more problems, and ultimately leads to poverty for every country who engages in it.

Or as Ronald Reagan put it, "We must not look to government to solve our problems. Government is the problem."

And he should know. He was part of the problem.