Do it the USSR way

“Because in the United States of America, we are greater together than we are on our own (Applause). We’re better off when we keep that basic American promise that if you work hard, you can do well — you can raise a family, you can own a home, send your kids to college, put a little away for retirement — and that that promise is open to everybody. If you’re born into tough circumstances, we’re going to give you ladders to climb up into that middle class. And if you’re in that middle class, then we’re going to make sure that you’ve got the tools to, even in a changing world, have some security and some stability in your life.

That’s what we’re fighting for. That’s the choice in this election.” Obama in a campaign speech this week

Work as hard as you want making buggy whips or transcribing 11th century Latin poetry into Gaelic, and you still won’t make it financially in capitalist, free-market-decides America, but you just might scrape up enough to barely get by if Obama gives you enough government programs to feed, clothe, shelter, insure and provide walking around money. Meanwhile, his income varies between $2-$4 million annually because of book sales (with some pressure for government offices to sell them), real estate investments (the Chicago way) and other investments in capitalist enterprises.

To the poor he promises ladders, and to the middle class tools, security and stability. But nothing beyond that, because that would require taking risks, doing without, finding people who want to back you with venture capital or loans, and postponing expensive entertainments. A woman who doesn't speak English just dropped the newspaper at my door. Perhaps she has a kid in high school or college and wants him to have extra spending money. Or maybe she is wealthy beyond her wildest dreams back home where because she was a minority or a woman she couldn't even go to school, and she sends money home to her parents. She has a car; she's probably sharing an apartment with another family of her religious or ethnic group; she may even be using a few government programs, but she's got hustle, so if there were no programs, she'd still make it. I've seen her kind before. She will make it in America. And it won't be because of transfer of wealth.