Tom Finch – 4/11/05

This page was last updated on April 14, 2005.

The ‘W’ stands for ‘worst’; Tom Finch; Beaver County Times; April 11, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“In response to M.D. Olshanski’s pompous diatribe (‘Out of the Marxist handbook,’ April 1):

“She lambasted other writers for submitting ‘nonsensical, fact-devoid letters’ and then spouted Republican, right-wing drivel like she’s a member of Bush’s propaganda team.

“And if you are a letter writer from Beaver Falls or Aliquippa, she labels you as having an entitlement mentality.”

[RWC] Does the Times still publish multiple editions? I ask because at no point in the letter published on the Times web site did M. D. Olshanski even mention Aliquippa or Beaver Falls, though Olshanski did mention some authors by name.

“FDR and the Democrats gave us Social Security and health care. Democrats who voted pro-life are what kept Bush in the White House, but what good did it do? Republicans like to talk pro-life just to get your vote, but they don’t plan on actually doing anything about it.”

[RWC] “FDR and the Democrats gave us … health care?” I shouldn’t have to point this out, but healthcare has existed for thousands of years, long before “FDR and the Democrats.” Regarding Socialist Security, “FDR and the Democrats” didn’t give us anything; they took hard-earned money out of our paychecks to fund a Ponzi scheme. In case Mr. Finch missed it, 12.4% of our paychecks fund Socialist Security.

The “Republicans don’t do anything regarding pro-life issues” claim again. This is recycled from pre-election anti-Bush/anti-Republican letters. See the Todorich letter for my critique.

“‘There is no right to health care’ is an outlandish remark coming from a pro-life, Moral Majority Republican. Talk is cheap if you have a good job with good health care benefits, and you are healthy enough not to need them.”

[RWC] If Mr. Finch believes healthcare is a right, perhaps he can point it out in either the U.S. or Pennsylvania Constitutions. FYI, I pay for my own healthcare and always have.

Does Mr. Finch believe he has the right to demand that his neighbor pay for his healthcare if Mr. Finch can’t pay his own way? That’s what Mr. Finch’s letter implies.

“But what about the people who don’t? Are we just supposed to let them die because they can’t pay for their care?”

[RWC] In general, the answer is no. That doesn’t mean government must provide a healthcare “entitlement.” I have no doubt private charities would take care of the healthcare for people who couldn’t afford healthcare through no fault of their own. The key to this, however, is to get government out of the healthcare business.

“Many people resist going to the doctor/hospital even if it kills them because they know they can’t afford it.”

[RWC] Mr. Finch wants us to believe the poor don’t receive healthcare. In general, that’s not true though there will always be exceptions. In case Mr. Finch missed it, “Many people resist going to the doctor/hospital even if it kills them” and it has nothing to do with ability to pay.

“And as the economic climate under Bush continues to deteriorate, their numbers continue to grow. How pro-life is that?”

[RWC] I don’t know if Mr. Finch is lying or is just misinformed. The U.S. economy has been outgrowing most of the industrialized world for at least several years – especially those socialist darlings France and Germany – and there are millions more persons employed today than when President Bush took office. Don’t take my word for it; check the Bureau of Labor Statistics web site.

The most recent unemployment rate dropped to 5.2%. During the Clinton administration, CNN referred to 5.6% as “already low.”

“As far as propaganda goes, the current administration is the master of it. Anyone who disagrees with their policies is an ‘obstructionist-Democrat-liberal-Marxist.’

[RWC] So is Mr. Finch trying to tell us Democrats/liberals/Marxists don’t disagree with the Bush administration and are supporting his agenda? If you have no proposals of your own and simply say “no, no, no” to everything, isn’t that obstructionism?

“Brainwashed drones like Ms. Olshanski love to blame Democrats and liberals for every evil in the world - and every opinion that differs from their own is out of the ‘Marxist handbook.’”

[RWC] I wondered when Mr. Finch would resort to name-calling.

“Her letter reeks of being from the ‘Joseph Goebbels handbook’ - the Fatherland above all else; the Fuhrer is never wrong.”

[RWC] It never ceases to amaze when liberals compare Republicans to Nazis over and over again.

Mr. Finch apparently doesn’t realize the Nazis were on his end – the left end – of the political spectrum. You see, Nazi is shorthand for Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers’ Party). Yes, Hitler and his Nazi cronies were socialists (liberals/progressives). Despite that, I would never equate American liberals with Nazis. Mao (communist), Marx (communist), Mussolini (fascist), and Stalin (communist) were also on the left end of the political spectrum.

When a liberal wants to demonize a conservative, he compares the conservative to the worst leftists in history, like Hitler et al. The idea is to make us believe these men were conservatives, not the liberals they were. If conservatives are so evil, why can’t liberals find a bad historical conservative figure anywhere near as evil as the worst leftists in history?

“Supporting bad leadership is not patriotism. The ‘W’ stands for ‘worst president ever.’ Consider the high price you’re paying for gasoline as campaign contributions to the big oil companies!”

[RWC] Who claimed supporting bad leadership is patriotism? If he believes President Bush is the “worst president ever,” Mr. Finch either has a short memory or his history classes were lacking. I don’t know if you can call Jimmy Carter the “worst president ever,” but his record makes President Bush look like one of the best.

Perhaps Mr. Finch can explain what he meant by “Consider the high price you’re paying for gasoline as campaign contributions to the big oil companies!” If he believes Republicans are somehow responsible for high oil prices, Mr. Finch would be more credible if he provided supporting evidence.