Ultra-“progressive” Kamala Harris embraces policy of Richard Nixon
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It just shows how much different the political alignment in the United States was (not that long ago) that today’s ultra-progressive Kamala Harris, the top half of the most progressive presidential ticket in our lifetimes, has embraced a policy most recently advocated for by disgraced Republican Richard Nixon.
I’m referring to her plans for price controls. We don’t know the exact contours of Harris’ plan. Like most of her policy agenda she has either reversed course from the 2019 campaign or made only vague statements about her plans if elected. But we DO know what Nixon did and it wasn’t pretty. Here’s an article from the libertarian Cato Institute which describes the situation and how Nixon (acting on his executive authority alone) imposed a “Price Board.”
The controls continued on gasoline, causing artificial shortages (as price controls usually do) symbolized by gas lines during the 1970s. Only when President Reagan finally lifted the controls on oil and gasoline in 1981 did the specter of short supplies finally disappear. (The 10 percent import surcharge did prove to be temporary, lasting only until the end of 1971.)
I wonder if the folks young and old considering voting for Kamala Harris are aware of her embrace of the discredited policies of a discredited president from over 50 years ago.