McGovern Defends Wal-Mart

In a striking op-ed today over at the LA Times, sad old socialist George McGovern says that Wal-Mart is not the source of all evil. I’m shocked and amazed. He displays a modicum of understanding of economics when he discusses profit margins and worker pay. Of course, he then turns around and blows it all to shit by saying the government should provide all kinds of nice goodies instead of companies.

Mr. McGovern understands that the financial resources of companies are limited. Yet he can’t seem to see that the government’s are as well. Ultimately, he fails to see what socialists have always failed to see: somebody always pays. The costs of all these generous entitlement program he supports are always borne by someone. (I will also note that I am unaware of any broad-based entitlement that has not exceeded every initial estimate of its cost by a considerable amount.) Who pays? Ultimately, we all do. Everything government does is a cost that is imposed on all of us. We pay the straight dollars and we pay the opportunity costs. Why people don’t get this simple fact continues to elude me. I guess in Mr. McGovern’s case, when you’ve spent your entire adult life advocating for more government, it’s hard to change.