The Economic Record Of Socialism -- Cuba And Latin America

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  • With a radical far-leftist in serious contention for the presidency in our upcoming election, it is worthwhile to check in on the record of leftism and socialism in other countries.

  • It so happens that pretty much every country to our South in the Western Hemisphere has a long history of some variety of leftist/socialist politics. With a few exceptions here and there, when there has been an election in Latin America in my lifetime, the winning strategy has been to run against the “Yanqui imperialists” and advance a program of “social justice” and redistribution.

  • Particular policies vary from country to country, but the usual playbook includes such things as massive government intervention in the economy, government ownership of major companies (starting with the energy industry), central planning, requirements of multiple licenses and permits to start any business, and many more such.

  • Recent elections have continued or returned leftists to power in all but one of the most important countries — Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile.

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Where Does Kamala Stand?

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  • In the aftermath of Tuesday’s debate, it’s appropriate to try to figure out where the candidates stand on some of the important issues.

  • With Trump, that’s not very hard: he has a limited number of themes that are mostly quite specific, and he repeats them endlessly.

  • But with Harris, it’s remarkably difficult. Many of her positions today seem to be different from, if not the opposite of, where she stood when last she articulated a list of positions, which was during her brief campaign for the Democratic nomination in 2019. In the current campaign, she rarely addresses a significant issue directly. During the debate, when asked to address some issues, she resorted to carefully scripted talking points that could be subject to multiple interpretations.

  • But then we have the actual record of the Biden/Harris administration to use to interpret any intentionally ambiguous statements. Actions speak much louder than words.

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Don't Be Fooled: Kamala Is A Zero-Carbon Green Radical

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  • What is Kamala Harris’s position on any important policy issue? It’s not so easy to figure out.

  • She studiously avoids interviews and reporters’ questions. Go to Harris’s official campaign website, and it’s almost entirely about raising money, without a word about what she stands for.

  • Back when she was in the Senate (January 2017-January 2021), and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2019-20, she made many definitive statements on various subjects (all in accord with the radical left wing of the Democratic Party). Now, it’s silence. Unidentified campaign spokespeople imply that her previous positions are no longer operative; but what is the new position?

  • One example of this phenomenon that has received some attention this past week is Harris’s position on “fracking,” that is, drilling for oil and gas in solid rock formations via the hydraulic fracturing process.

  • As reported in Forbes on August 30, back in 2019, at a CNN town hall, Harris stated rather unequivocally, “[T]here’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking.”

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