Progressives are regressive

(JNS) — Progressives claim to represent the forces of change, reform and social justice. They say they care for the well-being of the voters. They allege that those who believe in the Constitution and Bill of Rights are cruel, and call them dangerous racists.

Yet they forget some of the most important words in the Declaration of Independence that framed our national mission:

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

With those words in mind, let’s take a quick look at key progressive policies, that actually embody Marxist, Socialist, Communist, authoritarian, atheist and anarchist ideas. These are policies that have consistently failed wherever they have been tried. Moreover, the “progressive” rulers of the Soviet Union and China killed nearly 100 million of their own people over the past century in the name of such ideology.

And then, let’s take a look at the reality.

Life

1. They say: Defunding the police is necessary to protect minority communities from racist policemen.

Reality: Defunding the police is pure racism, because minorities suffer the most when gangs and drug lords take over.

2. They say: “Medicare for all” benefits everyone.

Reality: Medicare is a grossly underfunded program. Bringing in more beneficiaries will reduce access to service for everyone and will hasten the bankruptcy of the entire program.

3. They say: The economy must be shut down until a coronavirus vaccine is FDA approved. Joe Biden said, “Let me be clear, I trust vaccines. I trust scientists. But I don’t trust Donald Trump, and at this moment, the American people can’t either.” Kamala Harris said, “I would not trust Donald Trump [if a vaccine was approved] and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he’s talking about. I will not take his word for it.”

Reality: The FDA would not approve a vaccine that is not safe. Moreover, no major pharmaceutical company would be willing to rush an unsafe product to market.

Liberty

1. They say: The majority of the U.S. population is “systemically racist” and believe in “white privilege.”

Reality: Though not perfect, America is one of the least racist societies in the world.

2. They say: The United States can be dramatically improved with progressive/socialist identity politics and “social justice.”

Reality: America is built on the equality of opportunity. Social justice is simply government-imposed equality of misery and poverty for all.

3. They say: Political correctness protects everyone from offensive language.

Reality: Political correctness is a violation of freedom of speech, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. It is an effort to control the expressions of free thought, based on the theory that everyone has a non-existent right not to be offended.

Pursuit of happiness

1. They say: White policemen are always guilty, whether or not they injure a black suspect during an arrest.

Reality: Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, including both the suspect and the arresting officer, regardless of the color of their skin.

2. They say: Huge tax increases on the rich are good for society and satisfy the need for “social justice.”

Reality: Huge private-sector tax increases take resources from the productive private sector, thereby reducing both private innovation and job growth.

3. They say: Elementary-school reopenings must be delayed due to COVID-19.

Reality: The risk of infection, hospitalization and death for young students is similar to that of the flu, and kids must maintain their educational pace and be allowed to benefit from socialization. There is some extra risk to the teachers, particularly if elderly, but the extra risk is not high enough to prohibit classroom learning throughout the educational system.

4. They say: Climate change is an existential threat to all life on our planet, largely due to our indiscriminate use of fossil fuels.

Reality: No one knows and no one can dictate nature’s behavior. Fossil fuel consumption in the United States is a relatively modest contributing factor (the U.S. produces only 15 percent of the world’s emissions of CO2), which is moderated by the increasing efficiency of the system. Technology continues to develop newer and better ways to harness energy and use it more efficiently so that it produces less pollution, and American emissions have been dropping. Moreover, the demand for climate and energy control is simply an excuse for canceling the industries (like coal and fracking) that the progressives don’t like. It’s a way to build up the government’s power.

In reality, the so-called “progressives“ are nothing but “regressives,” taking us backwards instead of forward. It is they who present the number one existential threat to our land of opportunity. Our country is based on equal protection under the law, as codified under the Constitution and Bill of Rights. These regressives want to take us back in time when immoral despots ruled. No way! Let’s move forward, not backward.

Ken Abramowitz is the president and founder of SaveTheWest.