OPINION:
The riots in Europe should be a warning to all Americans: Do not let socialists, communists and any others who believe in unlimited migration without assimilation run your country.
The chaos in countries such as France, Italy and Spain is a byproduct of the “red-green alliance” now emerging worldwide.
In theory, the protests began with a focus on cost-of-living issues. France has one of the highest minimum wages in the world. It also has some of the most generous benefits in the world, including universal healthcare, five weeks of paid vacation annually, comprehensive family and medical leave, child and family grants, rent assistance, and a 35-hour workweek.
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Government spending in France is nearly 60% of gross domestic product. Not surprisingly, France has some of the highest taxes in the world.
In other words, France has most of the things being pushed by democratic socialists here in the United States — yet we are seeing thousands of people protesting and rioting in the streets.
Two things come to mind. First, it is never enough. The radicals will always push for more because their “protests” are not about changing policies. Rather, they are about politics and power. They need issues such as this to stir up voters.
The other reason is driven by the red-green alliance. Islamist groups are pushing migration to conquer Western civilization and people who do not share their extremist views. It is sadly ironic that so many on the radical left — who profess to be standing up for women and tolerance — are aligned with those who treat women as inferior to men and those who do not share their beliefs as inferior to those who do.
A Fox News Digital investigation has identified 101 organizations across 13 countries involved in coordinating, organizing or amplifying the protests and riots in Europe. Although the demonstrations have been labeled student protests, only one-third of the groups involved in the demonstrations are actually led by students.
These concerns are not new. During a nationally televised address on Oct. 27, 1964 — later known as “A Time for Choosing” — Ronald Reagan warned of what we face today when he said:
“In this vote-harvesting time, they use terms like the ’Great Society,’ or as we were told a few days ago by the President, we must accept a greater government activity in the affairs of the people. But they’ve been a little more explicit in the past and among themselves; and all of the things I now will quote have appeared in print. These are not Republican accusations.
“For example, they have voices that say, ’The Cold War will end through our acceptance of a not undemocratic socialism.’ Another voice says, ’The profit motive has become outmoded. It must be replaced by the incentives of the welfare state.’ Or, ’Our traditional system of individual freedom is incapable of solving the complex problems of the 20th century.’
“Senator Fulbright has said at Stanford University that the Constitution is outmoded. He referred to the President as ’our moral teacher and our leader,’ and he says he is ’hobbled in his task by the restrictions of power imposed on him by this antiquated document.’ He must ’be freed,’ so that he ’can do for us’ what he knows ’is best.’ And Senator Clark of Pennsylvania, another articulate spokesman, defines liberalism as ’meeting the material needs of the masses through the full power of centralized government.’
“Well, I, for one, resent it when a representative of the people refers to you and me, the free men and women of this country, as ’the masses.’ This is a term we haven’t applied to ourselves in America. But beyond that, ’the full power of centralized government’ — this was the very thing the Founding Fathers sought to minimize. They knew that governments don’t control things. A government can’t control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy.”
One of the wonderful things about being connected to President Reagan’s legacy at Young America’s Foundation is that so many of his commentaries are timeless. He warned us decades ago that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
Thankfully, we have overcome these challenges before in our history. In the late 1970s, some thought that Soviet-style communism offered a better economic and governing model than America’s. Reagan forcefully made the case for freedom and free enterprise. His vision helped us restore prosperity to the American people and brought down communism and the Soviet Empire.
We must teach the next generation how to successfully defend freedom and fight socialism. Our future depends on it.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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