OPINION:
Socialism, progressivism and communism are closely related members of the political family known as leftists. The chief difference between them — and it is a very thin one — can be seen in how far each will go to achieve dominance over the people.
Socialism is the iron fist in a velvet glove (think FDR or Sen. Bernie Sanders). Progressivism is the same iron fist, but in an elegant, designer leather glove (think Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris). Communism is just the iron fist (think Barack Obama and his pen).
The fundamental idea that lies at the heart of each of these philosophies is simple yet breathtaking in its boldness: Undo more than two centuries of the people of the United States holding the bulk of the political power and the federal government being a government of limited power. Under any of these “isms,” the federal government would dominate and the people would have no choice but to do as they were told. Life would go on, but elections would be choreographed, with the government’s candidate always winning. No other candidates would be allowed. The methods to force compliance would run from the mild (“re-education”) to the harshest (a gulag or execution after a show trial).
The goal is to make our Constitution mean the opposite of what its words say. The left can only achieve this if we, the people, give them a license to rip our freedoms and individual liberty from us. Those three words — freedom, individual and liberty — are the kryptonite of the left. So use them liberally.
MAJ. JAMES M. DORN
Special Forces, U.S. Army Reserves (retired)
Chino Hills, Calif.
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