Virginia ranked 6th least socialist state
By Ken Falkenstein | Monday, July 4th, 2011 | Virginia
Mainstreet.com has prepared a ranking of the most and least socialist states based on state expenditures as a percentage of the state’s gross domestic(“GDP”). Virginia was ranked the 6th least socialist, with 9.7% expenditures as a percentage of GDP. Interestingly, the most socialist state in the union was . . . West Virginia, with 32.1% expenditures as a percentage of GDP. (Unsurprisingly, libertarian-leaning Nevada was the least socialist state, with 6.6% expenditures as a percentage of GDP.)
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About the author
Ken Falkenstein has been a staffer in the United States Senate and the Virginia House of Delegates. He has managed political campaigns. He was a military intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army in West Germany during the Cold War. He is currently the Vice President of the Down Syndrome Association of Hampton Roads and practices as a civil litigation attorney with the law firm of Poole Mahoney PC in Virginia Beach. His concern for his kids' future is what most informs his writing.
Comments
7 Responses to "Virginia ranked 6th least socialist state"
Spending levels have little to do with socialism.
Socialism is about the ownership of the means of production and the labor matrix.
The fringe right is doing to the word “socialism” what White racists have done to the Confederate battle flag.
Henry: While you are absolutely right, I suspect that you will be a lone voice howling into a hurricane wind here on this particular issue.
Ah, just for kicks…Ken, during World War II, U.S. spending was 42% of GDP and debt was 100% of GDP..did that make the U.S. a Socialist country at that point?
@Steve- In those days, the federal government was literally nationalizing industrial plants, so yes, we did indeed become at least a quasi-socialist country during that time period. But if ever there was a justification for such government actions, it was WWII, where a genocidal maniac was literally trying to take over the world and was making progress in those ambitions. And (surprisingly), after we won the war, the federal government reprivatized the businesses that it had nationalized during the war.
All of that said, I happen to agree with both of you that Mainstreet.com’s formulation is oversimplistic. Nevertheless, I thought it was interesting. And here’s a little something for both of you to enjoy: Obama’s Illinois ranked as the 2nd least socialist state in this ranking, which I found shocking.
Hmmmm, since I doubt that Illinois has particularly low spending on social programs, which seems to be what drove Mainstreet’s rankings, that suggests they have a hell of GDP.
Blame the Founders; we are the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Big deal, Agenda 21 will ruin it all together.
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