by Ann Azbill

Created on: August 23, 2009

History shows what happened when various governments took over the free market economy. During the Great Depression, Germany had a 25% unemployment rate. Hitler made joining the military mandatory, and ultimately created a zero unemployment rate. This paved the way for him to brainwash the Germans into thinking he was improving the economy. Nazism was born.
Mussolini became popular in Italy in the 1920's because he expanded public works and services; a ploy to brainwash the people. He dissolved the government already in place. Fascism was born.

After the 1917 revolution and the civil wars that followed, Russia's economy was broken; unemployment was high. Lenin led the way in establishing a combination of capitalistic and socialist government and eventually, established a dictatorship. Communism was born.

One of the main factors keeping the U.S from becoming a dictatorship is free enterprise; the right to own your own business. A free market creates a spirit of competitiveness and keeps prices stable. A delicate balance of supply and demand is maintained.


Governments don't start out right away taking over businesses, either. It's done over a slow period of time. Hitler started in the 1930s and gradually took over Germany. Stalin started out in the low positions of government, working his way up to eventually take over Lenin's position as dictator of Russia.


Little by little, if not checked, a government can take away a population's freedoms. Our government, for instance, uses the IRS to collect taxes. If we don't pay our taxes, the IRS has the power to take away our home or garnish our wages. Some might say that isn't a problem if you pay your taxes. That's true, except when taxes are excessive, as they are now. The average working man in 2009 worked until August 12 to pay his taxes!


So what does the IRS have to do with the free market economy? The power given to the IRS is only a shadow of what would happen if our government took over the free market. First of all, small businesses would probably go under because they couldn't stand up to the regulations that would no doubt be set up by our government. Think about all the government run programs that are currently available and you realize what a disaster it would be if our government took over free enterprise:


FEMA; people waited months for temporary housing after Hurricane Katrina. After Hurricane Ike, a year later, there are still many houses and roofs that have not been repaired. Social Security Administration; it's getting more and more probable that the younger workforce in place right now is not going to get social security. The funds won't be there. Food and Drug Administration; many medications are put on the market before proper clinical trials and they wind up creating fatal side affects.


One final point must be brought up. Our congress is made up of attorneys, former attorneys, actors, and comedians. Do we really want these people running our businesses?

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