“Never look a gift horse in the mouth,” is an old adage reminding a person to be thankful for the bounty received through the generosity of others. Honestly giving thanks is certainly proper, but true charity does not exist in the political arena so no thanks are required, actually it should be discouraged. The ruling class can only offers freebies after first stealing it from someone else. Therefore, they should occupy a spot on the societal ladder several rungs below horse thieves; something to consider when you judge President Obama’s new round of community college giveaways. Promising two years free tuition to students maintaining a 2.5 GPA sounds wonderful and elicits very predictable responses from all involved. College students, Democrats and the media are so mesmerized by free stuff, they praise the president for his generosity, but the GOP reflexively asks “How are you going to pay for this?”

The Democrats counter with their text book answer, “Why are you against poor people getting a college education?” This statement instantly triggers the erroneous argument of Democrats being for poor people while greedy Republicans are only for the rich. Shortly after the president’s announcement, we can expect to see Sunday talk shows scheduling one Democrat and one Republican facing each other across a table. Each will be nonchalantly fingering the handle of a souvenir, network, coffee cup filled with water—a stage gimmick I have noticed after appearing on a couple shows.

The professional interviewer launches the assault with the thought provoking question, “Why do Republicans hate poor people?” Starting the debate at the lowest possible level guarantees the exchange will quickly collapse into garbled nonsense with each guest screaming over the top of the other. It makes great television, which doesn’t say much for people who actually watch television. After a couple weeks of broadcasting this circus on nearly every network, the GOP leadership will compromise and pass a program of one year’s free tuition at all community colleges. So you don’t miss the obvious, bipartisanship actually means taxpayers get screwed both coming and going and this brings me to my point.

Both sides have completely missed the argument. It is not a question of freebies, fairness, and finances, it’s a question as to the proper role of government. In a constitutional republic founded on the principles of limited government, it is wrong for the ruling class to involve itself in things such as higher education, TANF, Obamacare, Medicaid, Medicare, prescription drug benefits, pre-K day care, or retirement. When the unwashed is left to their own desires and ambitions most will work, scrimp, save, risk and educate themselves into true prosperity and when they do, America thrives. However, a nation awash in government free-stuff, is a country where the ruling class has hopelessly trapped the unwashed in dependency and debt. To be stuck at the bottom is miserable enough, but for the ruling class to think you are there for your own benefit is absolutely revolting. Wise patriots should look every government gift horse directly in the mouth because there is no free.