Once upon a time, Americans went to grocery stores to get toilet paper. When the toilet paper shelves were empty, they wondered what happened? Once upon a time, Americans went online to order kitchen appliances. When the picture on the website noted: “Out of stock,” Americans wondered what happened? Once upon a time, Americans relied on China for low-priced products. When ships and shipping containers backed up in West Coast ports and could not deliver those products, Americans wondered what happened?

Wonder No More! Makers are Hobbled

Wonder no more, my fellow Americans. What happened was bigger government hobbling the makers. What happens when you are hobbled? You can’t move as fast. You can’t get as much done. 

All of the wonderful products, foods, fuels, electronics, and pharmaceuticals we consume didn’t just “happen” – as if by magic. They were made. Who made them? The farmers, refinery workers, chip designers, and pharmaceutical factory technicians. 

Enter big government with bureaucratic regulations that hobbled the manufacturing, making, and transporting capacity of these workers. When half of the trucking fleet in the US is not allowed into California ports because of California’s byzantine emissions requirements, then there aren’t enough trucks to transport the stacked-up shipping containers. The result is the flow of products is bottlenecked in California. This results in fewer products to meet consumer demand. When 30+% of your factory time is spent on government requirements, you have less time to make stuff.

Enter the friend of the big brother government⏤the Wuhan virus. Then big government dictatorial healthcare apparatchiks like Fauci and Biden can loftily decree vaccine mandates. Get jabbed or lose your job!

The result is a significant percentage of workers refuse the jab and lose their jobs (including, incredibly, healthcare workers like nurses and doctors – the very people we need to treat those sick with the Wuhan virus). Result: fewer makers on the job making food, fuels, electronics, and medicines. The downstream result is less food, fuel, electronics, and medicines. 

This is so simple to understand: Fewer Makers = Fewer Things Made

Americans have created and enjoyed the most prosperous economy on the planet. We have never had to worry about shortages of toilet paper, gasoline, and hospital beds. Now we do.

Why? Because most of us never see “behind the curtain” – how things are made and who makes them. We take it for granted that the toilet paper will be on the shelf. We take it for granted that when we push the “buy” button on our smartphone app, a package will magically appear on our doorstep the next day. 

Instead, the current crop of Marxist political activists and politicians denigrate, mock, and look down on the working class – those very makers who make the food we eat, the products we use, and the technology we enjoy. For a refresher on this elitist arrogance and its consequences, I offer my updated version of a classic children’s tale: The Little Red Hen. There are several updated versions, all called “The Modern Little Red Hen.” 

The Modern Little Red Hen 

Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. 

She called her neighbors and said, “If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?” Not I,” said the cow. Not I,” said the duck. Not I,” said the pig. Not I,” said the goose. “Then I will,” said the little red hen. 

And she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. 

“Who will help me reap my wheat?” asked the little red hen. “Not I,” said the duck. “It’s racist to expect me to do farm work,” said the pig. “I’d lose my SNAP card,” said the cow. “I’d lose my unemployment compensation,” said the goose. “Then I will,” said the little red hen, and she did. 

At last, it came time to bake the bread. “Who will help me bake the bread?” asked the little red hen. “That would be overtime for me,” said the cow. “I’d lose my welfare benefits,” said the duck. “I’m a dropout and never learned how,” said the pig. “If I’m to be the only helper, that’s discrimination,” said the goose. “Then I will,” said the little red hen. 

She baked five loaves and held them up for her neighbors to see. They all wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, “No, I planted the wheat, reaped the wheat and then baked the bread. I can eat the five loaves myself.” 

“Chicken supremacist!” cried the cow. “Capitalist leech!” screamed the duck. “I demand equal rights!” yelled the goose. And the pig cried “Where is the equity for non-chickens?” And they painted “unfair” picket signs and marched round and round the little red hen, shouting obscenities. 

When the government agent came, he said to the little red hen, “You must not be greedy.” 

“But I earned the bread,” said the little red hen. 

“Exactly,” said the agent. “That is our wonderful Marxist version of the free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, those who work must give part of the fruits of their labor to the idle who screech for social justice. You must comply.” 

The little red hen smiled and clucked, “I will comply.” Her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread. And they all lived hungry ever after. 

The Moral of the Story for Makers

Don’t believe anyone who calls you greedy for wanting to keep what you make. Socialist Bureaucrats want you to feel guilty for making more than others who don’t bother to work. Be proud of your hard work and productivity. And don’t vote in any more Socialist Politicians.