Big government

The top Google search term for today is “Big Government” so I’m going to address this, even though it will probably get me in trouble. Here’s my take: I appreciate having enough government to keep us connected as “united” states, to have highways, national defense (not world domination), and whatever social programs are necessary to provide a decent shot at life for all and that cannot be handled by the private sector, states, and local communities. That much government allows people to keep most of their hard-earned money to use, invest, and donate as they see fit. It also gives people the incredible gift of autonomy, the God-given right to start from where they find themselves and create a life they’re proud of.

There was a letter that first appeared last month in Investors Business Daily from a woman who emigrated here from the former Soviet Union in 1980. I realize that to even remotely suggest that in any way our country could even head slightly in the direction of the former USSR is to invite a mountain of ridicule. Please take this in the spirit in which it is intended. This woman experienced one of the biggest experiments in “big government” in the history of the world. Now she’s been here nearly 30 years and this is what she sees and what she says. She at least deserves a listen:

“In the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, I was taught to believe individual pursuits are selfish and sacrificing for the collective good is noble….

In the USSR, economic equality was achieved by redistributing wealth, ensuring that everyone remained poor, with the exception of those doing the redistributing. Only the ruling class of communist leaders had access to special stores, medicine and accommodations that could compare to those in the West….

Those who left Russia found a different set of values in America: freedom of religion, speech, individual pursuits, the right to private property and free enterprise. The majority of those immigrants achieved a better life for themselves and their children in this capitalist land.

These opportunities let the average immigrant live a better life than many elites in the Soviet Communist Party. The freedom to pursue personal self-interest led to prosperity. Prosperity generated charity, benefiting the collective good.

The descendants of those immigrants are now supporting policies that move America away from the values that gave so many immigrants the chance of a better life. Policies such as nationalized medicine, high tax rates and government intrusion into free enterprise are being sold to us under the socialistic motto of collective salvation.

Socialism has bankrupted and failed every society, while capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than any other system.

There is no perfect society. There are no perfect people. Critics say that greed is the driving force of capitalism. My answer is that envy is the driving force of socialism. Change to socialism is not an improvement on the imperfections of the current system.

The slogans of “fairness and equality” sound better than the slogans of capitalism. But unlike at the beginning of the 20th century, when these slogans and ideas were yet to be tested, we have accumulated history and reality.

Today we can define the better system not by slogans, but by looking at the accumulated facts. We can compare which ideology leads to the most oppression and which brings the most opportunity.

When I came to America in 1980 and experienced life in this country, I thought it was fortunate that those living in the USSR did not know how unfortunate they were.

Now in 2009, I realize how unfortunate it is that many Americans do not understand how fortunate they are. They vote to give government more and more power without understanding the consequences.”

The writer is Svetlana Kunin, a retired software developer who had been a civil engineer in her native country. I say, “Thanks for your observations, Svetlana. They gave me some food for thought.”

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