Speaking of a different Marx

How close are all nations to Communism?  About 33% according to Gary North.

Three of the tenets from the Communist Manifesto:

"2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc. "

As Mr. North comments:

"How is it that virtually the whole world has adopted one-third of a program that was so revolutionary in early 1848 that Marx and Engels did not put their names on the original German edition of their famous manifesto? One word: power."

Lord Acton said

" Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Regardless of party, politicians will agree that it's always the other guy whose power corrupts.

And so as the current wave of change in power arises this election season, I agree with Mr. North in his observation:

"When the Tea Party breaks publicly with points 2, 5, and 10 of the Communist Manifesto, I will be impressed. Until then, I remain an amused bystander."