Craig Carmoney’s BLOG

By Craig Carmoney

There’s a curious thing happening in American politics right now. On one side, we hear constant condemnation of “socialism” — the rallying cry that government should keep its hands off the free market, that success and failure should belong to the individual, and that hard work, not government intervention, should determine who wins and who loses. But on the other side of those same mouths comes a very different tune when the people or industries they care about are the ones in need.

Take farmers, for instance. In times of economic stress — whether caused by natural disasters, trade wars, or market collapse — the federal government has repeatedly stepped in with billions in aid and subsidies. These bailouts are designed to soften the blow, keep farms afloat, and prevent entire communities from collapsing under financial strain. Few dispute the importance of agriculture to our country, but make no mistake: these bailouts are taxpayer-funded lifelines. They are, by any other name, government redistribution of wealth.

Now compare that with the conversation around student loan forgiveness. A generation of young people saddled with crushing debt — often incurred while chasing the very education society told them they needed to succeed — is asking for relief. To them, the argument is simple: if farmers can be rescued from forces beyond their control, why can’t students be rescued from an education system that has spiraled into predatory lending and skyrocketing costs?

Here’s where the irony really sets in. Many of the loudest voices defending farm bailouts are the same voices condemning student loan forgiveness. They’ll call one “essential support” and the other “socialism.” But from a practical standpoint, they are two sides of the same coin: targeted relief for Americans struggling under financial burdens.

So what’s the difference? Politics, mostly. Farmers are often romanticized as the backbone of America — hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people who deserve a safety net when things go wrong. Students, on the other hand, are caricatured as entitled millennials who “should’ve known better” than to borrow so much. That narrative is not only unfair, it’s inconsistent.

If we oppose socialism in principle, then bailouts for farmers should be just as unacceptable as forgiveness for students. And if we accept that sometimes people need help — whether they’re growing our food or pursuing higher education — then we should admit that government intervention isn’t always a dirty word.

The truth is, many who claim to despise socialism don’t actually hate it. They just hate it when it helps someone else. When it benefits them, their family, their industry, their community — suddenly, it’s not socialism at all. It’s “common sense.” It’s “protection.” It’s “keeping America strong.”

That’s the irony we’re living with. And until we confront it honestly, we’ll keep pretending we’re a nation that despises government handouts — while quietly cashing the checks when they land in our own mailbox.