In a Sept. 2 letter, “Middle class surrenders,” Raymond Smith thinks Republicans hate the type of government our Founding Fathers adopted, and that Democrats do not. Why, then, does President Obama, a Democrat, talk so much about “transforming” our nation and show no qualms about circumventing the Constitution to achieve his partisan policy objectives (such as Obamacare)? In contrast, Republicans revere the Constitution and want our nation to remain what the Founders originally intended — a constitutionally-limited republic, in which the rights of the minority are protected from the tyranny of the majority, which is always a risk in a true democracy.
Smith is wrong about Republicans’ wanting a society dominated by ruthless corporations that exploit their workers. Corporations play an important role in capital formation and have helped us achieve a standard of living that is the envy of the world. Child labor, dangerous working conditions, and other abuses were outlawed decades ago. If Smith wants to see a society free of corporate “evil,” I respectfully suggest he visit Cuba, North Korea, or some other “workers’ paradise.” He might appreciate more what we have here.
John Bala
Vancouver
