By Cal Thomas
CNN has won the “privilege” of conducting the first interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz on Thursday night, beating the promised “end of the month” deadline she had set.
The Harris team had reportedly been “shopping” networks to assess what they believe would be the most favorable one to her. CNN now has an obligation to prove them wrong by asking tough questions about their policies and which ones they are proposing today, given her – and his — recently changed positions.
One question should be about her proposed tax hikes. The New York Times reported last week that Harris’ tax increases would amount to $5 trillion over the next decade. The newspaper acknowledged the tax hikes “may not ultimately be enough to cover the cost of her and other Democrats’ ambitions next year.”
Notice there are no proposals to cut spending. For Democrats, it’s always more spending and taxes are never high enough.
Former President Donald Trump has labeled Harris a socialist and suggested some of her economic proposals resemble those of communist regimes.
CNN and other reporters, if they get the chance and she does more interviews and even a news conference or two before the election, might ask about her father’s influence on her economic worldview.
Donald J. Harris was an economics professor at Stanford University. He wrote a book (which he dedicated to Kamala and her sister) that is no longer available on Amazon.com. The website says “Currently unavailable. We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.” Conspiracy theorists take note.
Fortunately, the book — “Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution” (1978) — is available on the Stanford website in PDF form. While it is a scholarly work written in a way that only people with a degree in economics are likely to fully understand, there is enough for the average reader to ask Kamala Harris if she agrees with her father’s apparent empathy for, if not his embrace of, the economic policies of Karl Marx. In his analysis of capitalism vs. Marxism, it is fair to say that capitalism seems not to be his preferred economic philosophy. Does his daughter agree and if she prefers capitalism, can she explain why?
Other possible interview questions might include:
- You want to raise the top tax rate to more than 39%. In some states — notably California, New York and Illinois — some residents are already paying more than half their earned income to federal, state and local governments. Is that fair?
- In reporting on your economic plan, The New York Times says your proposed tax increases won’t cover all your proposed spending plans. Would that mean even higher taxes and is there a limit? Would you go as high as 90%, as the rate was between 1944 and 1963?
- Democrats never appear to favor spending cuts, even for outmoded or ineffective government programs. Are there any programs and agencies you would eliminate?
- Social Security and Medicare are projected to run out of money by 2036. There have been many proposals for reforming these programs that would protect current retirees and those nearing the age of retirement. Are you willing to let these costly entitlement programs go bankrupt, or could you favor a public-private scheme that would allow younger people to choose private investments?
- Your father wrote a book comparing capitalism with Marxism. Karl Marx said: “Capitalism is a social system based on the exploitation of the majority by a minority for their private profit.” Do you agree with that statement and if not, why do you and other Democrats constantly criticize “the rich” and “big corporations,” which seems to imply none worked hard to attain their success?
- Karl Marx also said his philosophy was “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” How does your high tax and spending plan differ from his?
Let’s see if CNN interviewer Dana Bash will try to redeem the media’s credibility after its love fest for Harris by asking tough questions. Curious voters want to know.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at [email protected]. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
