The Eurpeanisation of America

If Barack Obama wins the election, he will most likely be the most liberal public policy president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, says National Center for Policy Analysis chairman Pete DuPont.

Most people have declining confidence in America's economic and financial system. Gallup reports that just 7 per cent of voters are satisfied with the way things are going, and many think it's time for a change, regardless of what kind of change takes place. So where would a new Obama Administration likely take us?

The U.S. military will withdraw from Iraq quickly and substantially, regardless of conditions on the ground or the consequence of emboldening terrorists around the globe.

Free trade agreements will be reduced and limited.

Income taxes will rise on middle- and upper-income people and businesses in an effort to "spread the wealth around."

Federal government spending will increase substantially by an estimated $300 billion annually for education, health care, energy, environment and many other programmes.

Additionally:

Federal regulation of the economy will expand, on everything from financial management companies to electricity generation and personal energy use.

The power of labour unions will substantially increase, beginning with the repeal of secret ballot voting to decide on union representation.

Free speech will be curtailed through the re-imposition of the Fairness Doctrine to limit the conservative talk radio that so irritates the liberal establishment.

These policy changes will be the beginning of the Europeanisation of America. There will be many more public policy changes with similar goals – nationalised health care, Kyoto-like global warming policies, and increase education regulation and spending.

These are just Obama's plans. With congressional Democrats expected to gain seats in the House and Senate, they will likely increase spending for their own interests and favourite programmes.

Source: Pete DuPont, The Europeanization of America, Wall Street Journal, October 27, 2008.

For text: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122504438328069963.html

For more on Government Issues: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=33

FMF Policy Bulletin 04 November 2008