The 2016 Republican National Convention brought the radical, left-wing fringe out in Cleveland, and some of the groups’ ideas were downright ridiculous.
1. State-Run Media
In something that looked like an excerpt from Orwell’s “1984,” the constitution of the Communist Revolutionary Party called for the establishment of government-run media.
The group called in its constitution for “the ownership and use of the major media” to “be in the hands of the government and under its ultimate direction.”
In the “New Socialist Republic in North America,” an Orwellian-sounding “Executive Council” would license private media. The group did make a provision for “independent” outlets, which could receive funding from the government. In essence, direct control or likely funding with strings attached.
But, could you imagine? Publicly funded media acting under the pretense of objectivity.
Using the government to keep media afloat would likely cost an outrageous amount, in addition to the billions that would need to be spent on other communist policies. PBS, a government-funded news outlet, recommended in 2009 that the U.S. spend $30 billion per year to help the dying news industry.
2. A ‘Right to Water for All’
What exactly does this mean? It wasn’t clear by looking at the website of the group, End Poverty Now!, which made this demand. In 2003, the World Health Organization declared access to water a “human right” that the government had to fulfill.
Assuming End Poverty Now! agreed with that stance, it was unclear how that demand would be satisfied. Would the U.S. government need to pay for pipes, sinks and filters? How much money would that cost? Would American taxpayers have to pay to ship water to the desert? Makes liberal desires for a global Robin Hood tax more understanding.
This was yet another fist-pumping, yet vague and potentially very expensive demand made by a left-wing group.
3. Legalized Theft... Ahem... Taking Property ‘Without Compensation’
Communism wouldn’t be a party without a gift exchange. Except in the Communist Revolutionary Party, the gifting would be mandatory.
The group’s constitution called for the state seizure of “capital and wealth” from the what the group referred to as the“capitalist-imperialist ruling class.”
“Means of production, and other private capital and wealth of the former capitalist-imperialist ruling class of the United States of America, shall be expropriated, without compensation, and converted into state/public property,” the group’s constitution read.
4. Universal Health Care
Even after Obamacare caused so many problems, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called for more government involvement in the form of universal health care. End Poverty Now! made the same demand on its website.
The group called for “universal health care,” but again did not give very much detail. Assuming it is the same as Sanders plan to make the federal government the single-payer in health care, it would likely cost tens of trillions of dollars.
Not to mention all of the new taxes and regulation on industry that would likely follow.
Forbes writer and Manhattan Institute scholar Avik Roy estimated Sanders’ plan would cost at least $28 trillion. In his December 6, 2015 article for Forbes, Roy said that Sanders’ plan would attempt to pay for that with $13.9 trillion in new taxes.
If you thought your health care costs a lot now, just wait till it’s “free.”
