Redneck Review
No. 84 11/28/2016
Wow! Recent news truly leaves me baffled! Daily news articles and evening TV shows inform us that a disgruntled group, unhappy with the vote count naming Trump our next president, wants a recount in three of the larger states! In Michigan, the current Trump lead exceeds 10,000 votes, in Wisconsin, it is over 22,000, and in Pennsylvania it about 310,000. Vote experts comment that a recount will not significantly change the outcome of the popular vote, and thus will not cause an electoral switch to Clinton.
One can understand, however, the frustration of Hillary supporters when they hear that the national popular vote is running around two million more votes for their candidate. This frustration fuels the recount request as well as a growing demand that the electoral system be abandoned, and that elections should be decided by the popular vote alone.
It is this issue that I admit baffles me! This election definitely proved to be a defeat for the growing acceptance of socialist type governments, made popular this year by the presidential run of Bernie Sanders, a self declared socialist who won the hearts of many voters, especially the young, by urging cost free education, medical care, and other free benefits. Most agreed to by Hillary along with the huge tax increases on the rich! So why am I baffled? Simply, because it does not work! Common sense and history tell us that experiments of that type do not last, and always end in poverty and disaster!
Think about it! How can a system that punishes the most productive people in a country, then hands over the fruit of their labor to the least productive not be destined to end in a disaster? The Common Storehouse system tried initially in Jamestown and discussed at length in RNR 76 led to a "starving time" there, as people who sat back and "took what was needed" from the storehouse without any effort to fill it, caused the shortages which doomed it. Only when the colony switched to a private ownership system where all who provided for themselves and could sell the excess, did the colony begin to thrive!
What about the research of the ancient historian Alexander Tyler who studied dozens of democracies which seemingly ended in about 250 years, as demands of voters forced the give-away government into debt and bankruptcy. Details of the cycle such nations always go through can be found easily by an internet search, and were listed here in Review #16.
How about a quick study of East Germany, and the wall they had to build after WWII to keep their people from leaving the proclaimed "workers paradise" where socialism was given a valid chance to succeed. Or Cuba, whose several decade experience under Marxist Fidel Castro, led to the poverty status of the people there who just recently can be seen rejoicing at his death. Once hailed as the "George Washington of Cuba" by liberals in this country, Castro slaughtered his own people who rebelled against him at the "Bay of Pigs!"
Other historical examples abound! Hong Kong, free from Communist China for over 100years by reason of an earlier treaty, became one of the richest areas in the world, only to fall back under Chinese Communist influence in the 1990's. Today it is being punished for the same freedoms which were basic to their success! It's in the news! And don't forget the horrible conditions in Venezuela, experimenting with socialism for just a few decades!
So why am I baffled? Just why would any sane individual want more of the same here?
Jake Wren

From the Editor,
To the anonymous letter writer: I will not print your letter because it was not signed. As for the content of your letter, no one is forcing you or anyone to read Jake Wren’s “Redneck Review.”
I personally don’t agree with a lot of what Jake has to say but feel he has the right to say it. In fact it’s probably informative to those who don’t lean quite so far right to keep tabs on how the opposition thinks.
If I was printing a similar column from a liberal I have a feeling I would be getting similar letters, maybe more. 
In fact I would welcome an opposing view anytime.
Greg Wherry
Chronicle editor

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