Socialism is on the rise in the United States. And with the stock market plummeting in the wake of the coronavirus threat, more and more Americans might be tempted to look to the federal government to provide for their needs.
But no matter what happens to the economy, we must remember that Washington, D.C., can't fix anything by controlling our every decision.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst understands this truth from firsthand experience. She had the opportunity to visit the Soviet Union in 1989, and she recounted to The Daily Signal what the experience taught her about freedom and government control:
When I was at Iowa State University during the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I had the opportunity to attend an Ag exchange in the Soviet Union.
And so, I was with a family in the Soviet Union living on a collective farm and was able to get to know the host family, the members of the community.
There were a number of us Iowa students that were there. … We got together in the evening, and [were] just going through the experience of living on that collective and how they lived. No running water, no refrigeration, no telephone, no automobile. They shared one bicycle in the whole family.
Going through that on a daily basis—their farming was done by horses and wagons. This is 1989, OK? So going through that experience …
But in the evening the community members had the opportunity to get together with us students and they would ask questions. And the first thing they asked was, “What is it like to be an American?”
I mean, they hungered for the freedoms that we have in the United States. So for those that are seeking socialism, I would say all you have to do is look around this world and see where socialism has failed and how people that live in those countries so long to be free.[...]
Just for example, using health care. Having that free health care, and they describe it as “Medicare for All.” It’s socialized medicine, let’s just get beyond that nice phrase of “Medicare.” Let’s talk about socialized medicine.
It means quality of care will go down. The length of waiting times will shoot far out there. Folks will be waiting for procedures. It’s rationed care.
If that’s what they think is great, well, by all means, you can move to other countries and get rationed care. But that’s not how we operate here in the United States.
I would say the same of any other free opportunity that exists out there. They really need to scrutinize it and understand, one, it’s not free. It comes at significant cost. But then the quality and the type of care goes down.
Unfortunately, socialism will always be a threat as long as the federal government maintains its stranglehold over the daily lives of the American people. The Supreme Court has misinterpreted the Constitution to allow Congress to legislate on virtually any issue, which means the constitutional protections against socialism are almost non-existent.
All that socialist politicians require is a majority in Congress and control of the White House. Then, they'll be able to make all their big-government dreams come true.
We need a firewall against this kind of government takeover, and we can put one in place with Article V of the Constitution.
Article V allows the states to call a Convention of States for the purpose of limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government. These amendments can clarify the Founders' original vision of a small, limited national government -- one that cannot legally control issues like healthcare, business, or education.
With these amendments in place, socialist politicians will have no power to enact their agendas, and America will be saved from the continual threat of a big-government takeover.
Four million Americans and 15 states have already joined the fight. Will you be next? Sign the petition below!
