Is American heading for socialism?

On Feb. 4, The Examiner printed a letter from Michael Pound (“Reject policies that made the current economic mess”). Seems he resents a small portion of our citizens earning more than $250,000 and would increase the taxes on them. Why should we penalize success in order to solve our present problems?

Seems that he ignores the fact that they already pay more taxes than all of the rest of us combined. Has he fallen victim to the hate media? Hatred of anything that poses a threat to socialism. Does he include the small business community, where the bulk of our economy is generated, in his condemnation?

He seems to be ignoring the fact that they, the so-called rich, help all of us through their investments in the marketplace. They do not hoard their wealth. They provide capital for promotion of new business, incentives for new scientific and technological advancements that help everyone. I wonder if he would refuse an opportunity to become rich himself if he had the chance, by honest means, to do so? He can do it, but it takes lots of hard work. Blaming our present situation on the rich alone is just what the liberal left socialists want.

His views of the war we are now engaged in seem to be limited by the propaganda spewed by ABC, NBC, MSNBC, The New York Times and other newspapers. He and the liberal media have forgotten that war was declared on us more than 30 years ago, when Iran invaded our embassy, which is as much American soil as Independence, and held American citizens captive for more than 400 days. We are not fighting two wars, we are fighting one war, which is against the radical elements of Islam.

I think his views relating to taxation are flawed. The idea about taking my money and doling it back to me with things that I do not need nor want seems ridiculous. The idea that a bureaucrat knows better than we how to spend our money is lunacy.

Our problems cannot be resolved solely by dumping more tax money on them is exemplified by the Kansas City and St. Louis public school districts’ dilemma. Years ago it was revealed that more than $1 billion of our taxes was given to each and all it bought was non-accreditation. What a waste. Now then, if you want to pay more taxes, be my guest, but I don’t want my money wasted on things that we could do better by ourselves. And I also feel tax refunds to those who do not pay taxes is obscene, that is my money, too.

The principle reason for the housing market collapse was due to meddling efforts by government to redistribute the wealth. Rep. Frank, Sen. Dodd, Robert Rubens, the treasury secretary and others in Congress cajoled the lending institutions into making loans to people who obviously could not meet mortgage payments. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, etc. are examples, not to mention big banks.

The market crash was in part due to the above and SEC’s failure to enforce existing trading rules. We do in fact need to overhaul the tax system, but what we do not need are socialistic reasons for it.

The market place can correct itself without a bailout filled with nonessential (pork) spending. I’m deeply concerned about our rapid drift toward socialism. I fear that I may be witnessing the beginning of the end of our republic as I have known it.

Chalmes W. Snyder lives in Independence.