Maggie's Farm

I bundled up tonight in my old, green, moth-holed wool hunting sweater, and went out after dinner and sat on a frosty lawn chair by the tarp-covered pool, southwest of good old Hartford, with the river chortling in the cool, dim Yankee distance, with the hoot owls hooting far, far off over the hill (What owl, Bird Dog? Hoo, hoo, hoo), and drank a very tall, straight-up, weather-cooled Laphroaig while smoking a delicious Cohiba (sorry, Fidel-haters - I hate him too but I am a sucker for an illegal cigar). Only about a balmy 34 degrees outside. Paradise.

Maybe it's my age that led my thoughts to Social Security - not that it will make any difference in my personal life. But it dawned on me why the Dems are so fiercely opposed to private investment of personal Social Security accounts - even as little as 5%.

Of course, we know there is no such thing as personal SS accounts - there is no money there. And of course, the Dems do not want to do anything to risk their Ponzi scheme which would be illegal if any private enterprise tried to build it. But what I realized was this: Even a tiny % of SS investment would make it possible for all Americans, voluntarily, to become  investors. Every household could have a stake in the free markets! God forbid - the pathetic Great Unwashed McDonalds-eaters we care so much about - in our markets? The proletariat, become filthy capitalists? No, no, no: they should know their place.

The US is well above 50% financial market investors already. Anything higher would create a solid majority with a stake in a capitalist economy, beyond their participation in their daily work. That is the Socialist's nightmare. They cannot tolerate the notion of the proletariat, who are supposed to be on their plantation, checking the price of their GE, Exxon, Apple - and their Heinz.

Why? Because how can government take from private enterprise, and over-regulate private enterprise, when a strong majority of folks are invested in it?

The Left cannot tolerate wealth-building amongst the proletariat, because it reduces their dependency on the State. Same reason they support death taxes. (They tolerate it quite well amongst themselves, however - but they are different, because "they care".)

That's my insight. Blame it on the Laphroaig. Or on Mr. Moon. Good night, moon.

Editor's comment:  See comments, but this is the all-American Mr. Great Horned Owl. Typically 3-5 deep hoots. A wonderful creature and a terrifying predator, if you are a weak small animal. Known to take skunks, cats, and young raccoons. Often heard, rarely seen.