Hillary's Vast Family Wealth
December 24, 2015
by William P. Meyers

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Hard Working Hillary Clinton has a heart

"When I was growing up, my father owned a small business. And when I say small, I mean small: It was my father and an occasional day laborer. My mother, brothers, and I would help do the silkscreen printing on the drapery fabrics he sold. We were an all-hands-on-deck operation, guided by my father’s belief that if you worked hard and did what you were supposed to do, opportunities would be there for you." — Hillary Clinton "Four Ways to Jump Start Small Business"

Politicians are notorious for exaggerating about how poor their upbringings were, so as to identify better with less affluent voters. But Hillary's story checks out. Hillary Clinton was born in Chicago on October 26, 1947. This was great timing. For the most part every nation in the world had most of its factories blown to bits during World War II. For a couple of decades America would be the main source of manufactured goods in the world, ensuring prosperity for most Americans. Later, Unions, leftists and liberals would attribute that prosperity to the New Deal programs and unionization of the workforce. Conservatives would attribute it to the wisdom of business leaders and American exceptionalism.

Despite just running a micro business, Hillary's family moved to suburban Park Ridge when she was three. She attended public schools there, and was raised a Republican. She had a good mind for academics, was a top (but not the top) student, in addition to working for her father. She was also an honors student in Political Science at an elite college, Wellesley College.

No one would deny that Hillary had a head-start in life compared to most working-class Americans of her era. Yet her family was not in the elite, either. Her father had a college degree in Physical Education (he was a football player) which was of no particular use in his business. But he was successful enough at his small business, which he started by making window shades to order, eventually also adding a small fabric printing shop.

Hard working Hillary went on to Yale Law School, where she became interested in childhood development. She interned at a small law firm run by two former Communists. She switched parties and campaigned for George McGovern in 1972. She became known as an early fighter for children's rights and served as staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund. And yes, she married future President Bill Clinton.

I don't agree with everything Hillary has said and done in her life, much less what her husband said and did as President. But all of the evidence points to Hillary being a hard worker, including doing the intellectual work necessary for sound decision making.

I suspect Hillary's heart is to the left of where she is positioning herself for the 2016 election. But she is not an infantile leftist.

Infantile leftism asserts that people do not have to work hard, and that includes intellectual work. Infantile leftists may deride Republicans who can't bother to understand evolution or global warming, but they tend to quote ideas from the 19th century that just are not working out in the 21st century.

Bill and Hillary Clinton have made quite a bit of money in their lifetimes, but they made it themselves, they did not inherit it. Probably some of their money-making work did not meet my particular ethical standards. But I don't believe Bernie Sanders' relative poverty deserves a merit badge either. He's been one of the political bosses of Vermont for over 30 years, but he has never had the state of Vermont implement any of his rhetoric. He's been content with his Senate salary of $174,000 per year and perks. But most people would be, so there is no merit in that. [Bernie's father Eli was also a small business person, a paint seller. Sanders also has a bachelors degree in Political Science from the private, elite University of Chicago.]

Bernie loudly proclaims how he voted against the (second) Iraq War. He tried so leave out that he voted for war with Afghanistan, which was the enabler of all the other wars the U.S. has fought since then.

In her work for women, children, minorities, seniors, and working class people Hillary has shown she has a heart. I believe the system is complicated, making change hard, but that Hillary Clinton is better equiped to make good changes than anyone else available.

As a radical, I still hope a workers' revolution gets organized somehow. As a practical person whose worked in many political campaigns, both issue-oriented and for elected officials, I would recommend electing Hillary. If Bernie gets the nomination, or Martin O'Malley (who in many ways would be a better candidate than either Bernie or Hillary, but who has not gotten any traction), I will recommend whichever. On the Republican side I like Rand Paul's foreign policy but not his domestic policy, but he also is not getting traction. Of the other Republicans I imagine Jeb Bush and Chris Christie would be the least harmful. And if it looks like the Republicans are being badly beaten, I'll vote for the Green Party nominee, whoever that may be.

Agree? Disagree? You can comment on this post at Natural Liberation Blog at blogspot.com