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Ted Hinds wrote "we need help from common-sense Democrats ... Democrats have put at least seven of the 10 points of the Communist Manifesto into law and are now hard at work on the other three.".
I investigated this. The following points are not law: the abolition of land ownership with all rents going to public purpose, abolition of all right of inheritance, confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels, centralization of all credit into the hands of the state, centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state, factory ownership by the state and all farming done in accordance with a common plan, equal liability of all to labor, and the combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries with population distribution to abolish the distinction between town and country. These are points one, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine, respectively.
Perhaps he believes the existence of property tax, inheritance tax, the Federal Reserve and taxpayer-funded roads fulfill the requirements of points one, three, five and six. He would be wrong. The Communist Manifesto requires complete control of these things, not simple taxation or regulation. The Federal Reserve Bank does control the supply of currency, but banks are private companies, a nearly universal practice among nations. Even Washington and Hamilton advocated a national bank.
The Federal Reserve system was passed during a Democratic administration and Republican President Richard Nixon completely converted the dollar to fiat currency. Our present system may need reform, though.
Points two and 10 have basically happened. Point two is a heavy progressive income tax. The tax bracket jumps 10 percent on income above $34,000, after that there are three jumps of 3 to 5 percent. It's barely progressive and hardest on the working class.
The income tax was passed by a Republican president. Interestingly, capitalist economist Adam Smith of "Wealth of Nations" fame advocated a progressive income tax.
The deficit is too big to keep all the Bush tax cuts. The working class needs relief. How is it a bad thing that Obama wants to let the tax cuts expire on incomes over $200,000 but not on those making less? Also, wages over $106,800 are not subject to Social Security tax, basically canceling the income tax jump. How is it communist or bad to give only those making less than $200,000 a tax break?
Point 10 is free education for all school-aged children and the abolition of child labor. If this one is bad, call me and Thomas Jefferson comrade. Jefferson believed education should be under government control, free from religious biases and available to all people.
Two and not seven of the points have been made law and point 10 is a keeper. Obama isn't calling for the remaining points to be made into law. He even opted out of more direct control over banks. Why is so much misinformation about Obama and the Democrats being spread and believed?
Mr. Hinds is right about one thing: We need help from common-sense Democrats. Let's support them.
Brandon Givens
Gainesville