https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-announces-expansion-trumprx-600-new-generic-drugs

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/mamdani-touts-first-city-owned-grocery-store

OK, let’s take a step back from the geopolitical situation which pushes the Iran war to the forefront and condemns us to continual nervous anticipation as to what will happen next. The two articles linked above are related to each other in a way that most people will not immediately see, but the connection is there.

Question: What is the difference between a government which promises to push drug prices down by starting up and managing State-operated venues and a government which promises to push grocery prices down by starting up and managing State-operated venues?

Answer: Not much, only its size.

Donald Trump–“We’re going to drive drug prices lower by forcing manufacturers and suppliers to cut their prices by getting with the program. That way more people can buy the drugs they need at a fraction of the price they would have to pay if I didn’t stand up for them. I did that!” [Fabricated quote. Yeah, I know, I’m putting words into his mouth, but he would have said something like that if someone had asked him.]

Zohran Mamdani–“We are going to use the power of government to lower prices and make it easier for New Yorkers to put food on the table,” [actual quote]

This, of course, is socialism from both the Left and the Right. Both stem from the same delusion, i.e., that intervention in the marketplace of supply and demand by government regulation and force will cause the average consumer to catch a better deal, saving him more money than if the market had been left alone in the first place. Both programs will eventually be scrapped for one reason or another, either from running out of supply due to producers being unable to meet their expenses and realize a profit for their trouble, or from running out of money which has been thrown into a losing venture. Remember that saying of Margaret Thatcher years ago,

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

The problem with all of this is that we have forgotten or never learned another famous saying, “Laissez-faire, laissez-passer”, which basically means, “Let it alone.” Or, we might expand that a little further to say, “Leave us alone.” When governments come calling with the message that they are here to help, this ought to be our first thought and the first words out of our mouths, with the second being, “Get off my property! Right now!” But we don’t. Instead we ask them in for a cup of coffee and invite them to sell us on their wares which any right-thinking person would discard as unworkable, but because we want to get something for nothing and make our neighbors pay for it, we swallow the line and demand the product. Because human nature tends to focus on the present and discount the future, we see the immediate benefit, but do not understand that there is a price to pay sometime down the road.

Laissez faire, telle devrait être la devise de toute puissance publique, depuis que le monde est civilisé […]. Détestable principe que celui de ne vouloir grandir que par l’abaissement de nos voisins ! Il n’y a que la méchanceté et la malignité du cœur de satisfaites dans ce principe, et l’intérêt y est opposé. Laissez faire, morbleu ! Laissez faire !!

Let go, which should be the motto of all public power, since the world was civilized […]. [It is] a detestable principle of those that want to enlarge [themselves] but by the abasement of our neighbours. There is but the wicked and the malignant heart[s] [who are] satisfied by this principle and [its] interest is opposed. Let go, for God’s sake! Let go!! – René Louis de Voyer de Paulmy d’Argenson [Quote taken from Wikipedia]

Mamdani’s venture into retail groceries will almost certainly fail before Trump’s foray into pharmaceutical marketing for one reason–New York City doesn’t have as much money as Washington, D.C., and the federal government can print up as much money as it wants while cities and states cannot. Trump can play this game until all the other players have gone broke.

What is the difference between federal socialism and local socialism? Only the scale and scope. The principle is the same, but even size will not protect the federal government from going broke. Sooner or later. Eventually.