I’ve often wondered at the curious conceit that would attempt to determine tastes and ideas by decree.
- Paul Scofield’s character, German Colonel Franz Von Waldheim; from the film The Train
Today a nice juxtaposition between a Ronald Reagan speech, The Myth of the Great Society, from ‘65, and a Naomi Wolfe column of Sep. 10th, this year, Opening Boxes from 2019 (please read after the Reagan speech). I guarantee these are worth your while.
I confess to not knowing nor caring much about Ms. Wolfe or her writing - I’ve heard of her, of course, and was not ignoring her whether from spite or malice; I knew she harbored on the Left and I just don’t bother with those folks. But, she seems to be going through an epiphany, or epiphanies, of sorts, and I almost (almost) feel sorry for her at her sudden realization that many (if not most) of her liberal former-friends weren’t really friends at all. (It has to do with their reaction to her realization that Covid “vaccines” and related-actions were far removed from good-faith efforts - as manifested overwhelmingly by the Left).
Prior to watching the Reagan speech, and subsequently reading Ms. Wolfe’s column, I’d like to provide a slight exposition of a few of Reagan’s points. The speech is so apropos to our times - it is almost spooky. I hope each reader will make time for these items above - they are well worth it - and I hope my profiling of these are shared far and wide.
A friend called my attention to the Reagan speech on YouTube. When you have time, please, please invest 42 minutes. (You can jump to the 6-minute mark if you wish to skip Reagan’s brief intro remarks).
Couple things to note, either before and/or after viewing, and this is hardly comprehensive:
1. All quotes are Reagan (except where noted): “Only government is capable of tyranny.” Indeed.
2. Reagan quotes Alexis de Tocqueville: “The end of freedom comes when the party in power learns it can perpetuate itself through taxation.”
3. “Well, what does happen to freedom when the Executive Branch of government can use the money taken from the people in order to coerce the people?”
4. When he speaks of “artificial coins,” he is referencing the end of silver coins in 1964 as replaced in 1965 by what were referred to colloquially as “clad” coins (no silver content - what we live with today).
5. “…serious discussion is given by men in high places in government to the idea that there is no longer any necessity to connect work with income…”.
6. “Today, for every 10,000 of us it only takes 12 doctors to keep us well and healthy; it only takes 40 mechanics and oil station attendants… to keep our automobiles running; 37 telephone employees to keep the vast network of telephones running in this country – but it takes 130 Federal employees for every 10,000 to administer the affairs of state.” (You can imagine the widening gulf for figures such as these – if anyone knows modern stats, please post them, but Reagan nails the point in ‘65).
7. “Federal employees outnumber State employees in 30 out of the 50 states. I don’t know about yours but it’s true in California and that’s not easy.”
8. When Reagan references annual incomes of $11,000 and $12,000, it’s helpful to understand these figures in 2022 dollars: $98,296 and $107,232 respectively. For other figures referenced, you can use this site to make conversions from ‘65 to 2022. (And this comes in handy when watching old films and contextualizing costs, payoffs, bribes, thefts, etc. - such as the 1974 original film “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” (superior to the remake): The One Million Dollar payoff is more than six million dollars today and makes for a nice context).
9. Pay close attention to his recitation of government regulation of the outdoors.
10. This statement is succinct, prescient, and therefore amazing (and the lead up to it, regarding Federal control): “Education is the bulwark of freedom, but if you remove it too far from the parents and the community, it becomes the tool of tyranny.”
11. On taxation and results: “Sometimes when you look at the problem you think that government is like a baby: It’s an alimentary canal with an appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility on the other.”
He has a provocative question for Democrats: It’s around the 36 minute mark (as prefaced by: “The leadership of that party has long-since abandoned you”).
“…we will not erect a ceiling above which no citizen can fly without being penalized due to his initiative and his effort.” Particularly timely given Kamala Harris’ recent remarks concerning “equity,” a rancid concept in any context, and particularly in light of equity’s unConstitutional penalization of people for being, in particular, Asian.
On machinating differences within party (Republicans): “You’ll have to tell your children what you found to be more important than freedom; they’ll wanna know.”
Nailed it again Dave.