One thing that is fun to see as candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination jockey for position is how many ways they are trying to buy votes by offering, bribing, voters with stuff. Things like raises and free college and health care to student loan forgiveness, even a universal basic income. None of these things are the purpose of government. It’s an easy trap to fall into, however.

Consider this: It’s human nature to want to depend on someone. As kids, we depended on our parents. As a husband, Lord knows I depend on my good wife. But that’s where it ends: we cannot depend on our government to take care of us. That’s our responsibility. All we should require of our government is to provide for our liberty, to ensure that the 24-hours we have every day – the only commodity every human is issued in equal measure – our ours to do with as we choose.

None of these things are in the interest of a free people. You want a raise, find a job that pays what you want and put yourself in a position to go and get it. Don’t depend on a minimum wage increase because businesses will merely raise prices, meaning your spending power hasn’t changed at all. Free college? No, a college must be subject to the same free market demands as every other business. If you want to go to college, go and earn it. It’s the same with doctors and health insurers: the government must butt out: we depend on the free market to provide food, clothing, shelter, and video games, we should allow it to provide medical care, too.

If you find yourself chatting with a Democratic presidential hopeful and they start in on how many things they want to give you show them a palm and ask them what they are going to do about stopping our perpetual wars and getting our national spending under control. For added hilarity, mention that you feel these to issues will, if not attended to, will destroy our country, perhaps before this half-century is out and see what they say.

Thank you for reading,
Gaylon