How to avoid a Revolution

This is in response to Andrew Smith’s article in last week’s Royal Purple, titled “Revolution: to be, or not to be?”

Revolutions being bloody conflicts that we can agree should be averted if at all possible, it behooves us to attempt to resolve the issues we face today through the legal process if at all possible.

A plutocratic elite that leaches off the wealth of the proletariat is certainly not a spectacle we would care to witness.

The French nobility and clergy were indeed being unjust by living off the feudalists’ labor, but to state that our circumstances are quite so dire is to exaggerate.

An important distinction between their time and ours is that the rich in our country generally must actually work to obtain their fortunes and cannot count on serfs to produce it for them.

“Off with their heads” is clearly not an appropriate slogan for our situation.

Yet Mr. Smith seems discontent with our income tax structure, stating his disappointment with its failure to redistribute wealth.

First, as Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises noted, the progressive income tax can actually be counterproductive by placing the monetary elite beyond the scope of smaller competition, who have their capital taxed away from them at higher and higher rates the more they produce.

But more to the point is the question as to whether inequality, as such, is a state to be avoided at all costs.
It is if this inequality is the result of government taking wealth from some people and giving it to others—but it is of no concern at all in a society where wealth can only be obtained by honest work.

This is not to say that complaints against our monetary elite are entirely unjustified.

Government subsidies and tax loopholes are unjust in that they benefit certain businessmen and corporations at the expense of the rest of society.

But it is equally unjust to demand that the rich must pay more taxes than anyone else simply because they are the rich.

To ask one to do penance for their ability, to bemoan our slavery to the American dollar—the symbol of wealth produced by voluntary trade and association—and to ask one to work for the “common good,” as opposed to their own self-interest, is to ask one to sacrifice their freedoms and individuality for the sake of what ultimately amounts to a Marxist communist state.

These actions are not consistent with the ideology of an American republic.

The true answer to our current issues, then, is not to invoke a workers’ revolution by committing ourselves to a collectivist political structure.

It is instead to take away the government’s powers to do special favors for anyone, rich or poor—which are the causes of the issues that Mr. Smith proposes to solve by instituting more of the same.

-Jeffrey Newholm
Freshman

College mom and proud of it

I would like to give my compliments to Alyssa Skiba who wrote “College Mom.” That was a great article and it really hit close to home because I, too, am a college mom.

I felt like I was reading about my life.

There were many similarities between the article and my life. Not only are we both college moms but I also am 23, a senior, work part time, live with my boyfriend, rely on family, and try to have a social life.

Like her, I’m up multiple times at night with my son, hoping to catch naps in the afternoon, and try to do homework in between.

I first found out I was pregnant during finals week of the spring semester of last year and gave birth about a week after finals of the fall semester. My son, Jordan Jonathan Keough, was born on December 27, 2010.

In three short weeks, I was back to school. He is now 2 months old and I’m back to work.

It has not been the easiest path and at times, I break down and cry because I’m so stressed out but then take one look at my son and know that I have to go to school, not just for me but for him.

I want him to have a good life and be able to provide for him and also, set an example.

It sucks being away from him but I would rather go to school now while he’s still little and can’t remember that mommy wasn’t there all the time.

Reading this article made me realize that I’m not the only one and that there are other “college moms” out there.
It was reassuring to find out that her and I are having the same struggles.

I’ve been trying to find others in the same situation as I but have had no luck, it seems as though, nobody else really knows where I’m coming from.

Thank you for printing this article. I was really surprised to read an article that I connected with as much as I did.

A tired, but happy college mom.

-Ashley Arneson
Senior