Dear Editor:

It’s been repeated many times, “men who ignore history will repeat its mistakes.”

Looking at history, I think of the great Roman Empire, the United Soviet Socialist Republic (now Russia), the National Socialist German Workers Party (was Nazi), the British Empire, and most recently Venezuela. There are many more.

Every one of these countries, under conservative values, grew to great prosperity, power and influence, only to slip into insignificance when they adopted socialism.

Men and women who understand the allure of socialism seek political office and have taken advantage of that allure by offering free stuff to buy your vote and the offer easy way out of the problems we all face in life. The problem is the hook puts the ones in power who understand the allure of free stuff, and then they put us — the citizens — into poverty and servitude.

When those in office take money from productive citizens and give it to other citizens, some of whom are not productive citizens, everyone loses. The receivers lose their will to take care of themselves, and the ones being taxed to pay for the exchange, lose not only the extra tax, but also the will to continue to be productive.

If you doubt this statement in any way, just look at the employment problem in Warsaw and the nation. Some are refusing to be productive, and practically every employer is unable to get enough help to run their business. Some employers have given up and closed their doors.

Many of us have received checks from the government recently. In turn we have received the cost of inflation, which is many times the value of the checks.

In a conversation with a political candidate running now for the prosecutor’s office in Kosciusko County, the candidate said, “a little socialism is good for everyone.”

His statement is so shortsighted, focusing on some immediate situation. The problem being, first of all, a small handout brings the reaction of wanting more. So, I ask, how is it reasonable and just, taking from one and giving to another? This is especially true when the goal is to solidify power by buying more votes with your money.

I am an old man and am able to remember back as long as 75 years. As a young person, I witnessed a conservative God-fearing country with its many faults. I now have the comparison of a country headed toward socialism.

The faults of yesteryear pale in comparison to the destruction being placed on every one of us by social mandates. The respect for each other’s views, the trust we had in each other, is no longer with us.

The socialist leaders seek only wealth and power for themselves, and their actions speak louder than anything they promise.

If you want to follow the socialist agenda, take a long look at Russia, and decide when you vote, if you want your country to eventually fall into the hell on earth the Russian socialist leaders are inflicting on their own countrymen and neighbors.

Please do not vote the party line blindly, and remember, a political candidate’s promises are of little value. What a candidate does defines whether or not that candidate is worthy of your vote.

Richard L. Goshert
Winona Lake