Fusion May 2010
Hello America, and Happy May Day! That's right. May 1, also known as May Day, is a time to leisurely bask in the sun and take a welcomed rest as children run 'round the May Pole in a celebration of solidarity among working men and women, unified in the goal of happiness and prosperity for all people. NOT! I can't believe that this bizarre May Day myth still gets peddled throughout so much of the world.Â
The truth is, instead of "May Day," we should be calling it "Mayday" after the internationally recognized distress call that means, "come help me!" Yup, May Day is inextricably linked to Communism. You know, the little system still favored by our pals over in China, and there's a lot looming over our heads that could have us shouting Mayday! if we don't wake up soon. If you really want to celebrate May 1, start by taking notice of what's happening overseas and what it could mean to life right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
First, a little history: May Day is also known as International Workers Day. This day is the socialist and communist recognition of the erosion of individual rights, the exaltation of the good of "the state" being far and above that of the citizen, and a rejection of a little idea called Capitalism. May Day is a Communist favorite usually associated with the rise of the Communist Party of China (CCP) led by Mao Zedong (a.k.a. Chairman Mao).
In October 1949, Mao's Communists gained control of most of Mainland China, and they established the People's Republic of China as a Socialist State headed by a "Democratic Dictatorship" with their CCP as the only legal political party. In the years that followed, not too many of Mao's Chinese celebrated May Day due to the fact that they were all starving to death (famine can be such a party pooper). But here's the thing—sure, the old drab uniforms and Little Red Books of Mao and his pals have been replaced with the tailor-made suits and Wall Street Journals of today's Chinese Communist elite, but don't be fooled. Almost 61 years later, China is still closer to Mao than now.
Last year, China held a huge parade complete with tanks and missiles and rockets (oh my!), and we all heard about the dramatically dictatorial approach they took to their happy little "don't miss a step or you'll never be heard from again" opening to the Beijing Olympics. And their human rights record, well, let's just say it makes Iran seem not so horrible. Don't believe the hype—China is still mired in the old ways, but staying red has put them in the black. They've overtaken our role in the manufacturing sector, and while they try to internationalize their own Yuan currency, they're trying to discredit our own financial systems. China holds over $1 trillion of our debt—they're our biggest creditor—so what they do impacts America in a huge way.
Now the rest of the world is looking to China to see how they maintain such a robust economy. The answer to that is simple—you can do unbelievable things when you strip individuals of their rights and use Communist methods to control the marketplace and the people whose labor fuels it. By contrast, the American free market system and the Capitalist ideal has always been the envy of the planet because it achieves success not at the expense of freedom, but because of it. Sure, we took a hit and the current administration isn't exactly getting out of the way so the American entrepreneurial spirit can get back to work, but America can and will return to the front of the line. The Obama/Marxist model of redistributing wealth just won't work because it can't, and it never has.
It's time to wake up and realize that China's system is not the answer. Yes, they could use their methods to take the place as the world's lone superpower, but that would have to mean that Americans would throw up their hands, concede defeat, and stop applying the common sense and uncommon courage to solve not just our problems, but those facing so many around the world. Now does that sound like us? I don't think so either.
So enjoy your May 1, but never mind the May Day. Instead, try to get in the mindset of Americans back in 1958 who decided that the first of May did deserve recognition — that's why they declared it Loyalty Day. Amen to that.
