Mike Huckabee: The GOP Needs to Be Conservative and Support the Working Class at the Same Time - Here's How
It feels as if Americans are slowly waking from a coma induced by too much CNN (trust me, that can happen), looking around at what the left is doing to their beloved nation and finally rousing themselves to fight back.
Like this black man, whose epic takedown of racist critical race theory at an Illinois school board meeting went viral.
And as Americans shake off that coma, they’re starting to realize just how much of what they’ve been fed over the past few years by big government, Big Tech, big media and big business was a big load of bull droppings. Now, we have even more examples.
Remember how all last year, we were told (and some people are still pushing this) that it was necessary to shut down 95 percent of businesses to stop the spread of the deadly virus. If you objected, you were branded as “anti-science” or as caring more about capitalism than human life.
Many of us argued that the shutdown cure was worse than the disease: It was destroying not only our economy but also countless peoples’ lives and dreams, causing tragic side effects such as delays in needed medical treatment, drug abuse, depression, suicide and loss of schooling — and all for no good reason.
Why in the world was it considered “safe” for big stores like Walmart or supermarkets to stay open while small businesses that were willing to follow the exact same safety rules were forced to close?
Well, here’s more proof of just how tragically wrong those policies were:
A new study by USC and the RAND Corporation using data from 43 nations and all 50 states found that lockdown policies not only failed to save lives but may also have had lethal unintended consequences. Nations and states that implemented lockdowns earlier or longer had no lower excess death rates than those that didn’t. However, across all nations, a one-week increase in lockdowns corresponded to 2.7 more excess deaths per 100,000 people.
As for the notion that opponents of lockdowns care more about capitalism than people: First of all, those small businesses represented people, people who had poured their lives, their work and all their resources into launching their dream, only to have it crushed by power-mad bureaucrats.
We know that at least 60 percent of America’s small businesses that had to shut down during the pandemic are now permanently closed due the lockdowns, which were largely imposed by “progressive” Democrats who love to yammer on about “income inequality” and how it’s unfair that billionaires exist. But while their policies killed the middle class, who did they greatly enrich? The already rich.
The Democrats’ endless, heartless lockdown policies robbed American workers of $3.7 trillion in lost earnings, with women and Gen Z workers hardest hit. They also represented a massive transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy, who became $5 trillion richer. Nearly 500 people joined the billionaire class thanks to the government forcibly shutting down competitors to mega-corporations like Walmart and Amazon.
So when you hear a “progressive” fulminating against a “rigged” system that transfers wealth from the middle class to well-connected billionaires, remind them that they put that system on steroids.
Be sure to read this RedState article because it also includes a much-needed reality check for Republicans who still think that all big businesses should be protected in the name of free markets. Here’s an excerpt:
“No longer should the GOP knee-jerk defend everyone with a yacht and a private jet as some next level of patriot. Rather, someone who promotes crony capitalism should be treated with the same skepticism and scorn as someone who promotes socialism. Free markets should actually be free, and that includes freedom from the government picking winners and losers at the behest of the mega-rich.
“If Republicans want a working-class message that doesn’t actually violate conservative principles, it exists, and it’s just waiting to be embraced. Stop worrying about corporate tax rates for the umpteenth time and start worrying about making the system fair for the full spectrum of those involved, including those who aren’t privileged enough to have their senator’s private number saved in their phone.”
That’s pretty much what I was saying when I first ran for president in 2008. For that, some establishment Republicans accused me of being a socialist. I’m about as much of a socialist as I am a ballet dancer.
Let’s hope they’re finally coming out of their comas and waking up to the reality that many of today’s billionaires are more likely to promote socialism than to contribute to the GOP.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
