Socialized Healthcare, Evil, Freedom Destroying, by Ezra Taft Benson

Ezra Taft Benson was Dwight D. Eisenhower's Secretary of Agriculture. He was predicted by the press to be the first casualty of the Eisenhower cabinet, unable to stay in because of his severe, intense anti-New Deal, anti-Socialist policies. The New American Magazine, writing of this, stated that Benson being asked into the cabinet is one of the greatest political mysteries of the 20th century. Indeed it is. And the press was somehow wrong, for it was Ezra Taft Benson, that for some reason was kept in the cabinet the full 8 years.

LDS Church Apostle, Gordon B. Hinckley at the funeral of Ezra Taft Benson stated:

"His crowning patriotic service was his response to a call from the president of the United States to serve as secretary of agriculture. He served the entire eight years of President Eisenhowers presidency.

"He was constantly within the glare of the spotlight of public scrutiny. He was absolutely fearless in speaking out against what he regarded as oppressive programs that shackled the farmer and did injury to him while masquerading as his protector and benefactor. His picture appeared on the covers of the leading national news magazines. Editorialists and commentators denounced him. But without fear or favor, without political or personal consideration, he spoke his mind and won the plaudits of millions across this nation. Even those who disagreed with his policies were forced to respect his logic, his wisdom, and his convictions. They came to know that he knew whereof he spoke. He had once been a dirt-digging, hands-on, sweating farmer. He spoke out of that experience. But he spoke also with the skill and refinement of an educated mind, with the skill of a trained debater, and out of a conviction deep and intense that came of a love for freedom to live ones own life and direct ones own affairs." (Gordon B. Hinckley, Farewell to a Prophet, Ensign, Jul 1994, 3740)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Ezra
• Taft
• Benson
• Freedom
• obamacare
• healthcare

[jnjnelson]

@brendos444 Joseph Stiglitz has been proven right - because he continues to learn and adapt his political and economic paradigm. However, I see no evidence that Hayek has been proven wrong. I don't understand there to be a significant difference in principle between the current ideology of "Stiglitz and co" and the legacy left by Friedrich Hayek.

[brendos444]

@jnjnelson those guys provide very good critiques of the notion that all you have to do is leave the market to itself. And the GFC is another reminder of this. In other words Stiglitz and co have been proven right. Hayek was proven wrong

[brendos444]

@krikster1 of course there are some ghettos and crime, but nothing that could compete with South Central or Harlem. The huge underclass in the US is unparalled in advanced countries. It's a disgrace

[brendos444]

@NortonGreg1830 how presumptuous and arrogant of you! You admit you know nothing about my country (and probably all others too). then you dismiss us as an "oligarchy". No that is what your country is and helped to create in Russia too. Our country is great and far more civilized than yours. We are not perfect. Our treatment of indigenous peoples was disgraceful, but at least our citizens have the assurance of health care - whether or not they can afford it.

[brendos444]

@jnjnelson This is silliness. All talk, no proof as usual. Just like how we're still waiting for Sweden to become serfs ala Hayek. Nonsense! You can say that these technological innovations would have been developed faster in the private sector, but they just simply haven't. In the US private enterprize has all the opportunity to whatever they like. These innovations couldn't have been developed in the private sector - the scale is simply too big. The required govt - and govt delivered.

[krikster1]

@brendos444 Dude that is a lie...I know someone that lives and was born in your country and there is ghettos and crime there in Aussieland.

[jnjnelson]

@brendos444 Perhaps you should check your premise. What makes you think I haven't read papers by those individuals? What difference would it make if I had not? Why change the subject to be about whether I have read something or not?

I agree that no human institution is perfect, but I completely disagree with the premise that the ideal economic model is one where the market is mixes with government. The only proper role of government in the market is to protect freedom.

[jnjnelson]

@brendos444 Those are all examples of how government officials see something someone is succeeding at doing, then those government officials decide to make it part of government. Agriculture, telecommunications, and the Internet would have developed more quickly and much more effectively if these government had not wasted tax dollars on making the developments and innovations less effective.

[brendos444]

@jnjnelson.. Look at the history of big technological progress in your country. Agriculture - funded by government. Telecommunications technology - funded by govt. The internet - funded by govt... and so on and so forth. Which private company would have had the ability to absorb the huge upfront R&D expenditure to development any of these technologies. This is an example of a market failure. The mkt doesn't provide sufficient R&D. There are many other mkt failures too.

[brendos444]

@jnjnelson lol perhaps you should read some papers by stiglitz, sen, akerlof, shiller etc who demonstrate that markets can and do fail. No human institution is perfect. That's why a mix of govt and markets is most desireable.