WUI (Writing under the influence)

More scaremongering to fool us into believing that FDR had a right idea and that only Obama's socialist ideas can get us out of this mess. The author of this ridiculous piece of revisionist history is, surprise, surprise, university professor. And emeritus to boot. He asks us to be patient and keep any misgivings to ourselves.

The piece was published in our paper and this is my reply.

No, Professor Emeritus Dondero, we will not give President Obama enough time to repeat some of FDR’s worst mistakes that, according to all honest economists, and yes, even some university professors, only prolonged the recession of 1929 and turned it into the Great Depression.

We will indeed be critical of Obama and his Democratic minions as they attempt to turn this country into another socialist paradise. The country where I was born and raised, People's Republic of Poland , was ruled by leftists with the same good intentions now on display in the White House and in the U.S. Congress. For some reason, I and countless others left the moment we had a chance. I came to the US because of its founding ideals. For the sake of my children, and to preserve America 's orignal promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of hapiness (and not fairness or equal outcome), I’m staying and I’m ready to fight.

And please, as a so-called professor, at least pretend to be less biased. You say that Reagan didn’t face criticism from the press? On the contrary, the same vicious attacks by the deranged left we experienced for the last eight years were exactly what Reagan had to face throughout his presidency.

Also, you conveniently omit from your list of culprits the people most responsible for our current problems. Jimmy Carter, arguably, the worst American president, and Chicago community organizers (sounds familiar?) created the Community Reinvestment Act that over the years forced banks to loan money to people who couldn’t possible pay it back. The problem was compounded when Bill Clinton forced Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy those risky loans so more banks could loan even more money to so called underrepresented classes. And even when it became apparent that the scheme was not sustainable and could cause an economic collapse, such Democrats as Barney Frank and Chris Dodd declined to even acknowledge there was a problem.

And if you resent the richest 10 percent and want them to pay even greater share of taxes, please know that some of us resent those who don’t pay anything. The richest 10 percent already pay 66 percent of federal income taxes while the bottom 40 percent pay nothing.

Our corporations have the second-highest tax rate in the world at 35 percent. But this apparently is not enough for you. We have the most expensive K-12 education in the world. But teachers unions are never satiated.

Yes, our health care is expensive but it is also overregulated by the government and overburdened with constant threats from predatory, ambulance-chasing lawyers. Call your dogs off, professor, before you start taxing and regulating more. What’s next? Carbon dioxide regulated as a pollutant?

All those programs, starting with the New Deal, continuing with the Great Society and the Community Reinvestment Act (and other so called "affordable" housing schemes) were supposed to improve the lives of the bottom 10 percent. It’s hard to say if they have, but it’s obvious that their ruinous cost far outweighs any benefits.

We’ve been worrying about the bottom 10 percent for the past 80 years and now 90 percent of us and our children will pay for it. But this is just the beginning. If not completely reformed, Social Security and Medicare will bankrupt this country unless, of course, Obama does it first by spending more on government pet projects, by taxing the most successful members of our society while rewarding the least productive and most irresponsible, and by killing private markets with strangulating over-regulation.

So no, professor, we will not sit idly while Democrats continue ruining this country with more taxes, more regulation and more class envy. And we will not listen to university professors whose understanding of economy is as inane as yours is, and whose attempts at revising history are simply shameless.

Lastly, I hope, professor, you will at least agree with another closet socialist named Howard Zinn who said in the height of his opposition to the Bush regime that dissent was the highest form of patriotism.

Or has this notion also undergone some revision after the last election? Or maybe this right is reserved for Democrats while Republicans can only show their patriotism by paying higher taxes and keeping their mouths shut.