That is a sweeping generality. If it were blank true, then absolute dictatorships would work great. N. Korea would be far richer and its people better off to take an extreme example.
I see the Left as the problem. People and business aren't fleeing red states, they're flocking to them. Blue states with massive government, lots of regulation, high taxes, and generally intrusive and oppressive government are seeing their economies slowly collapse.
The monarchy was exactly what caused the wealth disparity. That disparity didn't happen on its own. Oppressive, heavy handed, controlling government was the issue. The same thing was true of the Soviet Union. China shifted to fascism from communism to give people at least some control over the economy.
No, the US thrived because people could do largely as they pleased. Land was available for anyone to own. What and how you produced wasn't strangled by regulations.
Government is the problem and the Left are the ones that will fuck you because history shows that is ALWAYS the case. The Left will strangle the life out of a society and economy with their 'Dictatorship of Virtue.'
“If government were the problem, dictatorships would work great. North Korea would be rich.”
Fact check:
This is a
false equivalence.
Authoritarian states fail not because “government exists,” but because:
- They suppress markets
- They suppress information
- They suppress innovation
- They suppress mobility
- They suppress accountability
Economic research:
- North Korea’s GDP per capita is ~$1,300 (World Bank estimates).
- South Korea’s is ~$33,000.The divergence is due to institutions, not “amount of government.”
Correct principle: It’s not “government vs. no government.”It’s
effective institutions vs. extractive institutions (Acemoglu & Robinson,
Why Nations Fail).
“People and businesses are fleeing blue states and flocking to red states.”
Fact check:
Partially true, but oversimplified.
Population trends (Census Bureau):
- California, New York, Illinois → net outflow
- Texas, Florida → net inflow
But:
- Many “red” states (Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia) are losing population.
- Many “blue” states (Washington, Colorado, Massachusetts) are gaining population.
Drivers identified by economists:
- Housing costs
- Climate
- Job opportunities
- Remote work
- Tax structure (a factor, but not the only one)
Conclusion: Migration is
multifactor, not a simple “red good, blue bad.”
“Monarchy caused wealth disparity. Heavy-handed government was the issue.”
Fact check:
Historically accurate in part, but incomplete.
Monarchies
did create extractive systems — feudalism, aristocratic land monopolies, mercantilist monopolies.
But:
- Some monarchies (UK, Netherlands) transitioned into constitutional systems and became wealthy.
- Some non-monarchies (Somalia, Haiti) remained poor due to weak institutions.
Conclusion: Wealth disparity correlates with
institutional design, not monarchy alone.
“The Soviet Union collapsed because of oppressive government.”
Fact check:
Partially true, but simplistic.
Mainstream scholarship cites:
- Central planning inefficiency
- Low productivity
- Arms race spending
- Political stagnation
- Lack of innovation incentives
Oppression contributed, but
economic structure was the primary failure.
“China shifted to fascism from communism.”
Fact check:
Incorrect.
China shifted to
state capitalism, not fascism.Key features:
- Market reforms (Deng Xiaoping)
- Private enterprise allowed
- State-owned enterprises remain dominant
- One-party authoritarian rule continues
Political scientists classify China as:
- “Authoritarian capitalist”
- “State capitalist”
- “Leninist market economy”
Not fascist.
“The US thrived because people could do as they pleased. No regulations.”
Fact check:
Historically false.
The U.S. economic rise (1865–1945) included:
- Massive federal land programs (Homestead Act)
- Massive federal infrastructure (railroad subsidies)
- Massive federal tariffs (avg. 40–50%)
- Massive federal banking regulation (National Banking Acts)
- Massive federal industrial policy (WWII mobilization)
The “no regulation frontier paradise” is a
mythologized version of U.S. history.
“Government is the problem and the Left will strangle society.”
Fact check:
This is
ideological rhetoric, not a factual claim.
There is no historical dataset showing:
- “Left governments always destroy economies”
- “Right governments always grow economies”
Examples contradicting the claim:
- Scandinavian countries (left‑leaning) → high GDP, high quality of life
- Pinochet’s Chile (right‑wing authoritarian) → severe inequality, economic volatility
- Postwar U.S. (high taxes, strong unions) → fastest growth in U.S. history
This is
political framing, not evidence.
Bias Analysis
T.A. Gardner’s argument uses:
- Cherry-picking (selecting only blue states that are struggling)
- False dichotomy (“government good” vs. “government bad”)
- Historical oversimplification
- Ideological projection (“Left always destroys society”)
- Mythologized U.S. history
- Incorrect political science terminology (“China = fascist”)
It’s not an evidence-based argument — it’s a
narrative.
Did Biden or Obama commit “four acts of treason”?
