Collectivism has long history of failure Re: “Capitalism is all about living off another’s sweat,” Letters, June 16
Johnny Panic (nom de plume?) asks: “How can one justify a financial system that requires a majority of us to toil for the bosses’ gain, or else starve without medical care?” This is juvenile thought. Allow me to ask some adult questions:
Can one man build enough automobiles, refrigerators, airplanes, houses, hospitals, etc. and produce enough food to serve his community and also earn a living for himself and his family?
Can one man educate and entertain himself while building the transportation systems needed to get that which he produces by himself to those who need those products?
Corporations exist for the same reason government does: to do collectively for the people that which they cannot do for themselves individually. On the other hand, collectivism, which Mr. Panic seems to favor, has a long history of failure, resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of people by starvation, exposure and disease.
Darrel Salisbury
Lorton
Infiltration of Islamic law in U.S. courts is real threat
Re: “Survey finds most mosques promote violent voices,” June 11
Recent opinion pieces nationwide have downplayed the threat of Shariah in America, variously calling the idea that Islamic law is infiltrating U.S. courts a “myth” and “McCarthyism.” Unfortunately for the writers of such pieces, the truth about Shariah is much scarier.
The World Public Opinion survey found the majority or near-majority in so-called “moderate” Muslim countries want a rejection of Western values, an al Qaeda-like form of Shariah imposed, and a caliphate to replace national sovereignty. Following this survey, Pew conducted its own poll in 2010 among “moderate” Muslim countries and found that most people favored Shariah’s criminal punishments, including death for those who exercise freedom of worship by leaving Islam (i.e., apostasy).
Ironically, writers who opine on the innocuousness of Shariah and liken bills aimed at banning it to “witch hunts” and the “Red Scare” have the privilege of exercising their First Amendment right. In a Shariah world, they’d simply be dead.
David Yerushalmi
Washington
Prince George’s residents would be shut out by PLA
Re: “P.G. labor agreement bill would favor unions,” June 5
A number of independent studies conducted across the county have proved that project labor agreements increase the cost of construction. So Prince George’s County Councilwoman Karen Toles’ bill (CB-16) to require project labor agreements on county contracts exceeding $1 million would be a direct hit to county funding of other much-needed projects, especially in the area of police, fire and libraries.
The county is already experiencing a tremendous strain on its available resources, and to arbitrarily increase the cost of construction based purely on labor affiliation is a road we can’t afford to go down.
Currently, over 90 percent of the Maryland construction work force has chosen not to join a union. CB-16 would exclude this vast majority of the industry from participating on projects funded by taxpayer dollars.
This would hurt both local businesses and Prince George’s residents employed by these companies because contractors who agree to sign collective bargaining agreements would have to draw on hiring halls outside of Prince George’s and the state of Maryland to complete all county construction projects as proposed in this legislation.
John P. Lynch
Associated Builders and Contractors
Annapolis
