- Wednesday, August 28, 2024

CNN has won the privilege of conducting the first interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on Thursday night, beating the promised “end of the month” deadline she had set.

The Harris campaign had reportedly been “shopping” networks to assess which one they believed would be most favorable to her. Given her — and his — recently changed positions, CNN has an obligation to prove them wrong by asking tough questions about their policies and which ones they are proposing today.

One question should be about her proposed tax increases. The New York Times reported last week that Ms. Harris’ tax increases would amount to $5 trillion over the next decade. The newspaper said that they “may not ultimately be enough to cover the cost of her and other Democrats’ ambitions next year.”

Notice there are no proposals to cut spending. For Democrats, it’s always more spending, and taxes are never high enough.

Former President Donald Trump has labeled Ms. Harris a socialist and suggested that some of her economic proposals resemble those of communist regimes.

CNN and other reporters might ask about her father’s influence on her economic worldview if they get the chance and she does more interviews and even a news conference or two before the election.

Her father, Donald J. Harris, is a retired Stanford University economics professor. He wrote a book (which he dedicated to Ms. Harris and her sister) that is no longer available at Amazon.com. Conspiracy theorists, take note.

Fortunately, the book — “Capital Accumulation and Income Distribution” (1978) — is available on the Stanford website in PDF form. While it is a scholarly work written in a way that only people with a degree in economics are likely to fully understand, there is enough for the average reader to ask Ms. Harris if she agrees with her father’s apparent empathy for, if not his embrace of, the economic policies of Karl Marx. In his analysis of capitalism vs. Marxism, it is fair to say that capitalism is not his preferred economic philosophy. Does his daughter agree, and can she explain why if she prefers capitalism?

Other possible interview questions might include:

You want to raise the top tax rate to more than 39%. In some states — notably California, New York and Illinois — some residents are already paying more than half their earned income to federal, state and local governments. Is that fair?

In reporting on your economic plan, The New York Times says your proposed tax increases won’t cover all your proposed spending plans. Would that mean even higher taxes, and is there a limit? Would you go as high as 90%, as the rate was between 1944 and 1963?

Democrats never appear to favor spending cuts, even for outmoded or ineffective government programs. Are there any programs and agencies you would eliminate?

Social Security and Medicare are projected to run out of money by 2036. There have been many proposals for reforming these programs that would protect current retirees and those nearing the age of retirement. Are you willing to let these costly entitlement programs go bankrupt, or could you favor a public-private scheme that would allow younger people to choose private investments?

Your father wrote a book comparing capitalism with Marxism. Karl Marx said: “Capitalism is a social system based on the exploitation of the majority by a minority for their private profit.” Do you agree with that statement and if not, why do you and other Democrats constantly criticize “the rich” and “big corporations,” which seems to imply none worked hard to attain their success?

Marx also said his philosophy was “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” How does your high tax and spending plan differ from his?

Let’s see if CNN interviewer Dana Bash will try to redeem the media’s credibility after its love fest for Ms. Harris by asking tough questions. Curious voters want to know.

• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).

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