Opinion Forum

Harry Reid: A True Statist?

December 9th, 2009

An insult was in order for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid after reading this lead story in Politics Daily, but why stoop to name calling? Harry Reid is what he is, and that is someone who either truly believes that the country is better off with a free market that has been subverted by people who do not understand economics or American history or he is a man who wants to twist truth and reality because he hates America as it is. No one but Harry Reid knows for sure.

Recently, Senator Reid went on the floor of the Senate to add some “historical perspective” to what the Democratic majority is proposing as a “reform” to America’s health care system.

He began:

“It amazes me that the Minority Leader rejects that what we’re doing is truly historic,” Reid said, referring to Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “I am confident that history will prove the Republican leader wrong.”

OK, that’s how he feels about the Democratic proposals — they’re “historic,” and probably few Americans would disagree with that. But then Reid went on to prove his ignorance on the topic by comparing the Republican opposition to the Democratic attack on the free market to the opponents of slavery and suffrage:

“If you think you’ve heard these excuses before, you’re right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said, ‘Slow down, it’s too early, things aren’t bad enough.'” Reid added the women’s suffrage movement and the fight for civil rights to the list of fights that overcame even the staunchest opposition. “History is repeating itself before our eyes…. If not now when?” Reid asked rhetorically.

Reid’s grasp of history is quite as flawed as his grasp of reality. There is no legitimate comparison between slavery or suffrage or the civil rights struggle, true evils arising out of greed and/or ignorance, and the economic system that turned this country from a primitive frontier to the economic giant it was — was, that is, before our government, under both Republican and Democratic leadership, began to destroy its economy. Also, there is no valid comparison between the slavers, bigots, and cavemen who opposed suffrage and those who oppose a bloated government.

Now Reid and company want to put the finishing touches on our economic destruction — not just with health care but with cap-and-trade and out-of-control spending.

So, a) I’m a hysterical reactionary who has terribly misjudged a benign effort to bring America back from the brink; or b) Harry Reid is just a true believer in statism who innocently believes that government control is the best alternative for America; or c) Reid, and the rest of the Obama administration, so dislike the concept of American Exceptionalism that they are intentionally out to level the international playing field by bringing the U.S. down to the level of the rest of the world.

Yes, I know, time will tell, but if the answer is either b or c, time may be in very short supply.

(This article was also posted at My View from the Center.)

Articles written by Harvey Grund
Tags: Harry Reid, health care, Obama, Statist
Categories: Economics, History, Politics | Comments (8) | Home

8 Responses to “Harry Reid: A True Statist?”

larry | December 9th, 2009 at 4:22 am

Harvey

C beyond a doubt!

Foxwood | December 9th, 2009 at 6:54 am

All economic systems are pron to corruption.
Socialism and Communism more so.
Capitalism is still the best thing out there.

http://animal-farm.us/change/the-free-market-and-darwinism-807

Brianna | December 9th, 2009 at 10:33 am

I dare anyone who hates capitalism or thinks it’s a corrupt system to look at the skyline of NYC or Chicago and tell themselves that capitalism is an evil system which creates misery and unhappiness.

Oh, wait, I forgot. Lots of people these days think that money is the root of all evil and that altering the environment is bad. Certainly both activities are much worse than letting people go cold from skyrocketing energy prices, go hungry because of increased food prices, and die of a heart condition at the age of 40 because we’ve regulated modern health care out of existence. Guess capitalism stinks after all.

Tom | December 11th, 2009 at 6:00 am

Harvey, I always believed you’re a moderate conservative, based on your views on a variety of issues. But this article puts that belief to the test.

First paragraph: “Harry Reid is … someone who either truly believes that the country is better off with a free market that has been subverted by people who do not understand economics or American history or he is a man who wants to twist truth and reality because he hates America as it is.” That’s it? Those are the only possibilities?

Further down: “…by comparing the Republican opposition to the Democratic attack on the free market to the opponents of slavery and suffrage.” It’s not even possible that Democrats, or at least some of them, don’t intend to attack the free market but rather believe that their preferred policies will be better for the country?

Penultimate paragraph: If a, b, and c are the only alternatives you’re going to offer, then I’ll go with a. Or, you could add another alternative to the effect that Reid and the Democrats are patriotic Americans who love their country and want to do what’s best for its people, even though some of us disagree with their policy preferences. In that case, I would go with the new alternative.

These are classic cases of the logical fallacy of false choice. That causes open-minded readers to discount your argument and creates an impression of extremism. A little more balance and objectivity would go a long way.

Harvey | December 12th, 2009 at 7:25 am

Tom,

You may not have noticed but I have no “Fair and Balanced” motto on my blog or on my posts. I say what I believe and what I believe is what I say in my posts. Hopefully everyone understands that “the opinions expressed are my own . . . etc.”

I truly believe: It’s impossible for anyone who can be considered a patriotic American to make the choices that Obama, Reid and Pelosi have made. I truly believe that they dislike and disrespect this country, have no concern for our history and have no understanding of the Free Market. I truly believe that this not only makes them stupid and dangerous, it makes them my enemies. That’s MY OPINION and this IS an “Opinion Forum!”

Readers can discount my arguments all they want and express their own opinions — all comments are always welcome — that however will not likely change my opinion (possibly but not likely) or my admittedly harsh and skewed rhetoric. Readers with an “open mind” will be open to the possibility that I am right; others will reject my opinions outright in favor of their own — that does not make them wrong or make me wrong.

Final point, I simply refuse to be objective when it comes to what I truly believe is a headlong push, by the Obama administration, toward — call it what you will — statism, communism, marxism, socialism or any of the other atrocious philosophies that have ruined societies around the globe. “The only “ism” I believe in is American patriotism. Balance and objectivity” in this situation is, I believe, a dangerous option.

No Tom, I am not Fox News!

Tom | December 12th, 2009 at 7:46 am

I didn’t mean that you have to be “fair and balanced.” That’s certainly no requirement for opinions presented here. If it were, many articles, including some of my own, would never be published.

My point — take it or leave it — was that presenting false alternatives detracts from the force of an argument. It’s more effective to present objective argument that accurately reflects the views of those you oppose, then tears those views down with logic.

It’s self-evidently obvious that people who disagree with you (or me), including politicians, aren’t evil ogres who hate America and are intent on denigrating or even destroying the country. If democracy means anything, it means that all views should be considered fairly and objectively, with each side respecting the opinions of the other, and the majority opinion ultimately prevailing.

Brianna | December 12th, 2009 at 11:55 am

Harvey – Objectivity is far from dangerous; on the contrary, an objective worldview is the only way to survive. That said, what typically passes for objectivity these days is indeed destructive, and the clue to why can be found in your addition of the word “balance.”

These days, people tend to equate an “objective” worldview with one that makes no judgments and forms no conclusions, and they tend to view these actions as “balanced”. This is indeed a dangerous position to hold, because it allows you to pass off crime and injustice as just part of someone’s culture, or religion, or they were just doing it to help others, or it needs to be looked at as part of a “bigger picture”, etc.

By all means be objective and fair. But remember that looking at things objectively doesn’t mean that you are not allowed to come to any conclusions based on what you see, and that being fair does not compute with being “balanced” and it doesn’t mean you are not allowed to pass judgment.

Terri | December 12th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

Harvey- Your opinion is yours and yes you have every right to it, that is why we live in American we are suppose to have freedoms to speak our mind. Lately, I have seen a few different opinions on what we can say. This is why we have “opinion forum” you are correct in that statement. We all should agree to disagree. If everyone reading and commenting on forums agreed then there would be no need to have them. Keep you opinions coming I for one enjoy reading them.