When I began my work 25 years ago, my vision for fixing our poor, broken communities was driven by my belief in America and what made it successful.
It’s what I call the 3 C’s: the principles of Christianity, the virtues of capitalism and the rule of law outlined in our Constitution.
After the civil rights movement, big government was deemed necessary to turn poor communities around.
When then-President Johnson affixed his signature to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the given assumption was that, although there was new law protecting freedom — civil rights — for all, low-income Black Americans were not prepared to be free and capable of being free.
A new era of big government ushered welfare-state socialism into these communities.
Despite tens of trillions of federal expenditures targeted toward these communities since the 1960s, poverty rates are practically unchanged. But major new problems were created — mainly the decimation of families. Single-parent homes and out-of-wedlock births have tripled.
Today’s Democrats want to blame racism for the persistence of problems in low-income communities. In some respect, they are right. It is their own racism that refused and refuses to accept that low-income Americans can and must be free.
Now, today, President Biden and his party aspire to the opposite of what I have fought for.
Instead of wanting to bring the capitalism of the healthy parts of America to the broken parts of the country, they want to bring the failed welfare-state socialism of the broken parts of the country to the rest of the country.
The $6 trillion spending blowout of the first 100 days of the Biden administration, sold under the guise of COVID-19 recovery, has been about using the COVID-19 crisis to sell a new era of welfare-state big-government socialism that will fundamentally change our country forever.
The U.S. economy was already well underway to recovery in the latter half of last year, and in the first quarter of 2021, it surged 6.4%, taking our gross domestic product almost to where it was pre-COVID-19.
Contrary to the president’s rhetoric, the case for the connection between prosperity and freedom is about facts, not ideology.
Each year, the Fraser Institute publishes its Economic Freedom of the World report, which consistently shows that nations with more economic freedom — smaller government, lower taxes, less regulation — have the highest incomes and lowest poverty rates.
In his address to Congress, the president assured the American people that he can finance all this big government by getting the wealthy and big corporations to pay their “fair share.”
But facts about who foots the tax bill tell a different story than the president’s ideology-colored stories.
According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, which used the latest data available from the IRS, in 2018, the top 1% of all taxpayers paid 40.1% of all taxes. The top 50% of taxpayers paid 97.1% of all federal taxes. And the bottom 50% paid the remaining 2.9%.
What about corporations? Again, facts tell a different story.
Corporate income taxes simply punish labor with lower wages and punish customers with higher prices. Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff estimates that a zero percent corporate tax rate, which would focus taxes only on individuals, would increase wages 12%.
Giving the nation a civics lesson worthy of one of our failing public schools, President Biden used in his address the opening words of the preamble to the Constitution — “We the People …” — to justify big government.
But that preamble says that the Constitution was established to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
Sen. Tim Scott, in his response to the president, noted what he experiences, and what I have experienced all my working life: that Blacks who speak about freedom and biblical values are met with derision and ridicule from the left.
Scott spoke truth. America is about freedom under God. Achieving this is today’s great challenge.
Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
As always Star Parker is right on the button.
“Instead of wanting to bring the capitalism of the healthy parts of America to the broken parts of the country, they want to bring the failed welfare-state socialism of the broken parts of the country to the rest of the country.
The $6 trillion spending blowout of the first 100 days of the Biden administration, sold under the guise of COVID-19 recovery, has been about using the COVID-19 crisis to sell a new era of welfare-state -Democrat Party- Big-government socialism that will fundamentally change our country forever.”
The “Socialist Democrat Party State” political officers, Gestapo, Woke and Cancel Culture are just getting started. You will obey, be loyal and support the “Socialist Democrat Party State” or you will be classified as
“Enemies of the State”.
24 Aug. 2020 – Monday on MSNBC’s “Live,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
referred to President Donald Trump and his Republican allies as “domestic enemies” and “enemies of the State”.
If We the People do not destroy this currant Socialist Democrat Party,
We the People will become servants, slaves and wards of this Socialist Democrat Party.
There’s been very few articles of hers, that have NOT been awesome to read.
Star Parker, Excellent commentary on the evils of socialism and dependence and how it destroyed the black family unit.
Vote R.E.D…Remove Every Democrat!
Better red than dead.
The Democrat Party’s Era of Big Government is the death knell for Americans and our wonderful country. Capitalism is what made America the land of opportunity where anyone could work hard to achieve their own personal goals and fortune in life. The People were free to pursue their own happiness and fortune. It was a Government Of the People, By the People and For the People — that was the attraction. The current administration wants to make this a Government of the Elitists, to Buy the Vote and power, In no way For the People. Their goal is to make the People subject to the whims of the government. We’re going back to the Middle Ages where serfdom and poverty were the. lot in life for everyone except the elitists who lived behind walls and did not have to mingle with the bereft citizenry. That is Biden’s Era of Big Government. It’s the Revolutionary War all over agains, but instead of fighting a tyrant King we are fighting a tyrant Government.
I forgot who said it but in a MOCKU of the ‘pledge’, he had an “Al-shaprton” look a like saying ‘WE the democrat-communists of america hearby pledge, to form a more perfect union of US in power while everyone becomes our tax slaves. We wear this, OF those of us, BY those of us and FOR those of us in power.. SCREW everyone else!”
One of the defining aspects of communism is government control of the economy. This requires a huge number of complex laws and rules and regulations so those in power can and do dictate policy on every tiny issue.
The Democrats love big government so they can “help people” with every tiny issue and dictate policy.
Democrat leadership is entirely in step with the communist manifesto and all of its dictatorial intentions which strip away all personal freedoms.
They seem to LOVE creating the problem, then ‘Swooping in’, to APPEAR to save the day, but not actually FIX A DAMN THING.
In the medical community/fire community, that is often something CRIMINALLY INSANE FOLK DO.. Such as setting fire to a place, then beeing the hero that helps put it out. OR making someone sick, only to then swoop in to save them.