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A large swath of the local population in Miami, Florida, seem to believe that a victory in November for Biden/Harris is either a victory for the Communist Party itself, the Socialist Party or the gestation of a communist takeover of the United States sure to present itself in the future. This Post will explain why there is no serious threat of Communism or genuine socialism taking hold in the United States at any point in the near future, why similar fears in the past, have risen and ultimately disappeared, and how the United States Constitution protects you from this.
Fear of Communism is nothing new. From 1953 to 1955 Senator Joseph McCarthy, conducted a series of hearings in the United States Senate, the purpose of which was to root out and expose a bevy of alleged actual communists working inside the United States Government. McCarthy’s accusations, which were never proven, destroyed the lives of many of its targets and was particularly effective in ruining in the lives of many prominent artists, actors and filmmakers in Hollywood. Ultimately, Senator McCarthy was discredited as the witch hunt/communist baiting that he advanced ultimately yielded nothing substantive.
Whether you realize it or not, there are, and have been since the early 20th Century in the United States, actual communists living and working here. These folks have also been running for President since the 1920’s. None of them have ever gotten more than 1% of the vote. That’s right, 1%. (The last communist party candidate, Gus Hall, received .4% of the vote in 1984).
Nonetheless, the real threat you believe is not the actual violent overthrow of the United States Government, or an electoral victory by communists at the polls in November, it is the slow march to the left by the Biden/Harris team that you believe should concern us. Joe Biden did not emerge from the Jungle, fronted by Guerillas, wearing a Red Beret. Joe Biden was first elected to Congress forty-eight years ago. If Joe Biden is marching slowly towards Communism, that has to be the slowest march in history.
First, as we all know, the easiest way to reallocate wealth is through taxes and social programs. Federal tax policy, however, is decided by the Congress with the endorsement of the President. While taxes rise and fall based on the composition of the Congress, tax policy in a democracy is not generally recognized as a method of accomplishing a communist takeover. There are, and always have been, plenty of tax breaks available for investment and the wealthiest Americans. Where communism appears is usually as the result of a violent government take over followed by property expropriation in the name of the government.
The United States Constitution clearly protects against the government seizing your property without due process of law and “without just compensation”. This is called the “Takings Clause.” Wasn’t the problem of the communist takeover in Cuba not only that the government seized the property of private citizens in the name of the revolution but also that it did not provide “just compensation.” The Takings Clause of the United States Constitution was enacted to prevent that.
There is something in the United States called eminent domain, which is when the government decides they need to run a highway right where your house is located. The rub is they have to give you “just compensation”. They don’t get to just take it from you without a legal proceeding.
Similarly, the government has the right to make you “forfeit” your property if you are doing something illegal like running a meth lab in your basement. Otherwise, the government’s power is constitutionally limited. And that is in the Constitution so if the President, or the Congress decides to take your property without compensation, there are Article III Federal Judges, appointed for life, and sworn to uphold the Constitution, who will stop them.
If you don’t believe me, ask President Harry Truman (okay, he’s dead so just might have to look it up on Google). Anyway, while the Korean Conflict was in full swing in 1952, various American steel companies decided to go on strike. This ticked Harry off because he believed that the United States needed the steel in order for the United States to defend the South Koreans from… you guessed it, the communists. So, he issued an Executive Presidential Order “seizing” the steel companies and ordering them to keep running (ironically, this is something that real communists do). As you can imagine, the steel companies did not like that much. So, they sued the President claiming that his action in seizing the steel companies was unconstitutional. And the steel companies won. Truman had to give the steel companies back. The point is that the President of the United States cannot unilaterally decide to just take something that you own away from you unless there is some type of credible national emergency.
Modern communist governments, as in China, North Korea and Cuba, are able to thrive because there is no constitution. These are totalitarian dictatorships that either never hold elections or hold phony elections. Our system of government is called a “democracy” which means we elect our leaders – if we don’t like them, we get to throw them out. In a totalitarian dictatorship, if they don’t like you, they get to throw you out (or put you in jail, or just kill you).
There is no chance that Joe Biden, if elected, is going to impose a communist dictatorship on the United States. You can rest easy, you can sleep at night, this is not going to happen. And, if Joe Biden loses the election, he will slink away into the night like Al Gore did. That is what separates a Constitutional Democracy from a totalitarian Communist dictatorship.
What will happen if Trump loses ? Do you expect Trump to graciously and seamlessly cede power to Biden/Harris ? Many commentators anticipate that we are in for a long, contentious, unhappy, litigious and potentially violent post-election season when Trump challenges the election results and refuses to engage in an orderly transition of power.
Then we are going to see who the real Communists are.
Next Week: Why Donald Trump is Anti-American