FLORIDA’S ANDREW GILLUM POSES A THREAT TO CAPITALISM AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

While the media is busy covering Ron DeSantis and overreacting to a completely innocent statement that he made, Floridians (and others around the country) have something more significant to think about.

On the same day that Mr. DeSantis won the Republican primary for governor, Andrew Gillum also won the Democratic nomination. While DeSantis is a Trump-endorsed Republican, Mr. Gillum “is campaigning as a member of the Sanders–Ocasio-Cortez wing of the party.” In doing so, Gillum appears to be aligning with a socialist agenda, which could have significant impacts at the state and national level.

According to an article in the National Review, Gillum opposes gun rights and supports a ban on “assault weapons” and measures to crack down on private gun sales. He has also endorsed proposals to restrict the Second Amendment rights of people who have not been convicted of crimes.

In addition, he wants more government (state and federal) involvement with respect to health care, supports a “Medicare for all” plan and says he would expand Medicaid in Florida. Moreover, “[he] wants to abolish ICE, raise the minimum wage to $15, pass single-payer health care, and increase taxes across the board.”


Gillium’s progressive policies are problematic and should be rejected. Still, some people, including millennials, find them appealing. This is likely due to the fact that many millennials (and others) don’t fully understand socialism, it risks, and how it differs from capitalism.

Mark Levin provided a very good comparison between the two systems. Per Levin, capitalism is the most humane economic system of all. In a capitalistic society, the people are in charge because capitalism respects individuality and empowers individuals to work together. According to Levin, capitalism is compatible with constitutionalism and is a necessary element of freedom. Capitalism allows for the right to private property and the right to defend property through due process.

Stated another way, with capitalism, people are encouraged to work hard and to reap the benefits of their hard work. There is economic freedom, and success is directly related to effort. Inevitably, with this system, some are left on the sidelines.

On the other hand, Levin asserts that socialism is an essential element of totalitarianism. While it is promoted as a system that is fair and that creates social justice, socialism is like a police state that spreads poverty through redistribution. Per Levin, in a socialistic society, the state is the master and decision making is exercised by a few people who are not concerned with the rights of the individual but on the equality of distribution. Socialism is completely incompatible with constitutionalism.

Generally speaking, with socialism, the government controls the system, people are kept at similar economic levels (through redistribution, heavily taxing those who choose to work hard and succeed, etc.), and people generally do not work as hard to succeed because they do not personally prosper/benefit from their hard work. For these reasons (among others), many people try to come to the United States from different socialist countries in search of capitalism.

A simple example can offer some guidance as to why socialism is problematic. Suppose that Jon and Mary are married and that they have one child together. Both parents work very hard and the family lives a modest lifestyle. One day, Mary gets very ill and eventually becomes disabled. Given that Mary can no longer work, Jon has to take care of his wife and their one child.

Suppose, however, that Jon decides that he does not want to take care of them and instead wants the government to take the reigns? In theory, that sounds great! The problem with Jon’s approach, however, is that other people might not want to work as hard to care for Mary than they would to care for their own family.

This is a direct result of socialism! If Jon knows that others will take care of him and his family, why would he want to work? He could simply sit back and enjoy the fruit of everyone’s labor. However, if everyone begins to think like Jon, nobody is going to work and/or strive to succeed. The problems with this approach become...Read More HERE