Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/675768
AnewHarvardUniversity survey shows that 51 percent of young Americans don't support capitalism —which goes to show you that higher education can't fix stupid — especially when it's flowing from the mouths of anti-cap- italist educators who, when you're listening to them, make you envious of every deaf person you've ever met. These educators take ad- vantage of their captive au- diences, rambling on with their vast "knowledge," mis- taking the blank stares and half-smiles in the room as "interest," having no idea that if they heard themselves in playback, they'd probably stab themselves with their pointing sticks. So, before all you anti-cap- italists jump on the social- ism bandwagon, why not first take a look at what's happening in Venezuela, that pitiful place on the globe where it takes a wheel barrel full of cash to buy a hot dog. Literally. I know, American so- cialists are far above eat- ing hot dogs, and probably prefer munching on exotic tree bark, but if a hot dog is what's available thanks to your beloved socialism, need- ing a wheel barrel full of cash to buy one is a bit much, wouldn't you say? To be frustrated with the free market system is fair, but it's unreasonable to be- lieve that the temporary eco- nomic downswing in 2008 makes the case for ditching capitalism altogether. To fur- ther suggest that socialism is a viable alternative to capi- talism is ludicrous. Obviously, some students be- lieve this, based on the Har- vard survey. But don't blame the students, blame the edu- cators who say what they say more out of necessity than con- viction. Just like everything else in life, follow the money and you'll find the motive. Like parasitic leeches which attach themselves to a host for survival, public univer- sities (and private ones like Harvard through grants), re- ceive large portions of their funding from federal and state governments. Cut off that lifeblood and the subsidized ivory tow- ers come crashing down, al- lowing those who have little to no experience in the free market — but slander it any- how — to experience the real world, vis-a-vis poor Venezu- elans suffering at the hands of big government anti-capi- talists like them. Irony. It happens, like the "Walk-Ins Welcome" sign I saw planted in front of a cemetery. Or the "Prophecy class cancelled due to un- foreseen circumstances" mes- sage a church once posted. Or, in the case of our ivory tower educators, Venezuela happened — amidst their at- tempts to paint a rosy picture of socialism, omitting from their lectures historical facts about the collapse of commu- nism in the Eastern bloc. Allow me to describe what socialism looks like in 2016: In the first years of the Hugo Chavez' regime, personal free- doms decreased when Chavez enacted democratic social- ist economic policies, includ- ing redistribution of wealth, strict business policies, expro- priations and expensive social programs the oil-rich country couldn't afford. Now Venezuela has a short- age of over 75 percent of ba- sic necessities like medicine, food, toilet paper and hy- giene items, forcing Venezu- elans to forage for food (tree bark comes in handy) and wait in ration lines. Citizens are required to use "finger- print cards" for purchases in government-run supermar- kets where individual con- sumption is rationed along with government rationing of water, electricity and gas- oline. To no surprise, politi- cally-related arrests, killings and executions are prevalent. Experts fear famine is next because the government can- not afford to import goods. It can't even afford to pay for the worthless money it con- tracted out to be printed last year. The government blamed food and toilet paper short- ages on Venezuelans, accus- ing them of overeating. The International Mone- tary Fund says this year Ven- ezuela's inflation rate will rise to 500 percent, while other experts predict 700 percent. That's why you need wheel barrels loaded with worthless cash to buy hot dogs. Venezuela's run out of other people's money as well as its own, making the case that capitalism's not so bad after all. SusanStamperBrownSusan lives in Alaska and writes about culture, politics and current events. Contact her by Facebook or at writestamper@ gmail.com. SusanStamperBrown Calling all anti- capitalists and ivory tower educators To be frustrated with the free market system is fair, but it's unreasonable to believe that the temporary economic downswing in 2008 makes the case for ditching capitalism altogether. Coachleaveslastinglegacy Editor: Recently I've learned that Red Bluff High School has cho- sen to find a new varsity girls' basketball coach, replacing Kathy Brandt. The reason or rationale for this hasn't been explained, but I can not think of a reason as to why. Many rumors have circulated, from players disagreeing with her coaching habits to the fact that she is undeniably one of the most passionate and competitive people I have met. Under coach Brandt, the team has experienced both great suc- cesses and those years which we would all like to forget, but ev- ery high school athletics team goes through that. The morale of the players, including my sis- ter who played on this team last year under coach Brandt, has al- ways been excellent. As a team, they played well together with a chemistry that is obvious. As stu- dents, the team again excelled, with an emphasis placed on grades top-down, starting with coach Brandt to the players. Beyond that, the players have been excellent members of the community. How many other sports can say that they haven't had a player suspended, pun- ished or caught in possession of drugs, alcohol or other miscon- duct? In the four years I've spent at Red Bluff, I haven't heard of a member of the varsity girls team in those circumstances, which is a testament to the type of person that coach Brandt has continu- ally put forth as representative of Red Bluff as the team travelled around the state. While many sports focus on competing well as a team, coach Brandt has continually led and taught these girls both how to become better players and better members of society. While the school has made it clear she will not be returning as a coach, the standards that she imprinted on her athletes during her tenure will forever follow and guide them in life. — Joseph Mills, Corning Trump responding to lack of representation Editor: As a lifetime conservative, who believes in self responsibil- ity, smaller government, avoid- ing debt, self determined charity through tithing, and jobs growth through decreasing welfare, I de- spise Trump's lack of kindness, but he will be my choice if he is the last Republican standing. I'm not in the lower middle class, because I chose to self fund Catholic high school and college education through about 20,000 hours of class, commuting to col- lege, and study time over a 19- year period. In addition, I missed my family on many hundreds of weekend and weekdays, during a 47-year post 1960 college career traveling to every state and doz- ens of countries for my employ- ers. Moving from near poverty as the seventh in a family of 13 to the top quarter of income does not mean, that my wife, our chil- dren, and I were represented by Presidents or Congress. As school choice children, par- ents, and grandparents, no one protected us from being denied use of our education tax, that was half of our state income, property, and sales taxes. No one in Washington pro- tected us from the loss of one- third of our lifetime savings from President Obama's and the Fed's decision to print low interest Treasury bonds, re- placing high interest munici- pal bonds that were recalled by school boards, and other city agencies, under the program called Quantitative Easing. The net result was our lad- dered portfolio of 6 percent mu- nicipal bonds were called by the city issuers and replaced with low interest 3 percent bonds, that were worth less than the retiree average 7 percent inflation rate. No one protected retirees from President Obama's deci- sion to eliminate inflation ad- justment of 2016 Social Security pensions, even though private sector retirees face an inflation rate double that of most employ- ees because of high service and medical costs. No one in Washington, through responsible border con- trol, protected taxpayers from the high cost of providing a one million dollar cost from birth to age 18, for the typical three chil- dren born to an illegal border crossing couple. No one in Washington, pro- tected those who oppose abor- tion from being forced to pay taxes for the costs of abortion. Too few in Washington op- posed the politicizing of the Su- preme Court and it's support of gay marriage. I could add a dozen more rea- sons why so many who lost pro- tection of their rights are sup- porting candidate Mr. Trump, even though we abhor his cam- paign methods. Washington is out of control in spending and growth, and we are loos- ing rights as citizens. As citizens we are angry. We hope a con- servative or moderate candidate comes forward that Democrats and Republicans can support, but that is unlikely. — Joseph Neff, Corning Obama has destroyed the economy Editor: President Obama has de- stroyed the economy of our na- tion, forcing foreclosures on millions of homes and pushing many Americans into bank- ruptcy. Twenty seven million Amer- icans are unemployed. This is his legacy. He has destroyed Medicare, first taking $716 billion to pay for his Obamacare. Medicare is not a charity, it is a fund paid for by the monthly premiums taken from our pensions just like insur- ance premiums. The premiums are not cheap. Many young peo- ple are not aware that the fund is paid for by all our senior citizens. Your tax dollars do not pay for the expense of Medicare. Our inept, incompetent Su- preme Court Justices have ruled that our Social Security is not to be paid as long as any left wing politician thinks that the seniors have no right to it. Our American workers have been paying every payday into the Social Security Trust Fund since the beginning when Social Security became law. Apparently the justices of the Supreme Court are placed there by the greedy presidents and pol- iticians to take advantage of a fund they can steal from to pay for any crackpot scheme or scam that they want. Many of the justices feel they can do as they choose. Ignore the Constitution, our Bill of Rights, our Declaration of In- dependence, the laws leagaly passed and all our military per- sonnel's sacrifices and tours of duty just as long as they carry out the left wing, un-American wishes of those that appointed them. Their oath of office has no meaning to them. — Jean Clayton, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama website, Decoration Day is "an annual observance at many privately owned Southern graveyards, during which families gather to clean up the graveyard, reconnect with family and honor the memories of their ancestors." Although people also put out fresh flowers at public cemeter- ies and honor the deceased in other parts of the country, yes, the weeks around Mother's Day and Memorial Day have traditionally been a big deal here in the South. Of course the events aren't re- ally for the benefit of the de- ceased. Unless you think they have nothing better to do in the Great Beyond than look down to make observations like, "See! I told you he'd spring for the cheap flowers from Dollar Tree! Pay up! Oops. Gambling again. Guess I'm being relocated to the OTHER place..." No, the events are to help us get in touch with our roots, ease our consciences, listen to sol- emn speeches and maybe engage in a little healthy competition, as in "A single wreath? Guess I love my family more than you love y — Junior! Quit urinating in the urn. Get your stupid butt in the car with your sister, What's-Her- Name." It's amazing the bonds that can be formed over the years at Decoration Day ceremonies. Looking at tombstones going back 150 or 200 years can be a so- bering experience. Of course a pot of coffee and a cold shower can be a sobering experience, too — without having to face poi- son oak, rattlesnakes and the guy coming around for donations. Spending time at the graves helps us ponder eternity — espe- cially on Game Day, when some- one is meticulously fine-tuning the chrysanthemums and roses. We must cherish the tradi- tions while they last. Don't think that politically correct meddlers won't mess with a sacred spot like a country cemetery. One of your ancestors may have carved a crescent moon instead of a rain- bow symbol on his outhouse door. Watch out or your racist great- great-grandpa could be replaced with Harriet Tubman. Individuals buried beneath time-weathered tombstones be- come more and more abstract as generations come and go. It's im- portant for adults to explain to the youngsters, "Why is the per- son buried here so important? Without them you wouldn't have your weak chin, your beady eyes, your susceptibility to diabetes, your deep and abiding fear of Yankees...Uh, on second thought, you can set down the rake and go back to your video game." As families move away or dis- cover new distractions, it be- comes increasingly difficult to maintain a continuity of enthusi- asm for decoration days. Mainte- nance of the tiny family cemetery that my father, my brother and I used to mow was long ago taken over by the city. We must keep the younger generation motivated so that someday their grandchildren will honor those who went before. Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol.com. Danny Tyree Decoration day — yes, that's still a thing GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIAL BOARD How to have your say: Letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 545 Diamond Ave., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS By Danny Tyree By Susan Stamper Brown OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, May 5, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6