Dear Editor
This is a big thanks to St. Mary's/Clearwater Valley Hospitals for their "Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19" info ad. I saw it in the March 19 Clearwater Progress and it was probably in other local papers too.
 I had listened much on TV and read many articles in the paper about the virus and still had questions. In a few short, easy to understand sentences they clearly spelled out everything I wanted to know. Good job!
Lucky Brandt
Kooskia

To the Editor,
When I read Jake Wren's incorrect version of Bernie Sanders style of Socialism, I had to respond.  Jake is saying Bernie is a Socialist, which is untrue.  He has never said that, he has said hundreds of times that he is a Democratic Socialist, which is a different philosophy altogether.  There are many Democratic Socialist countries around the world and they are among the most successful countries in the history of the planet.  These include Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Iceland, France, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand and more.
Democratic Socialism is simply defined as a community that decides to put their resources together (both monetary and labor) for a common goal, without government ownership. Examples are fire departments, police departments, libraries, road building, or things like your Medicare and Social Security benefits.  The government does not own any of those organizations, Americans do.  Do you get a check from Social Security?  Wow, you are a Democratic Socialist.  You paid into a money collection and saving system and at a certain age, you get paid back. It's that simple. When people come together and agree to spend their money, give their time and labor, without the government owning their money or labor, that is Democratic Socialism. When you get a paycheck and your boss takes money out for Social Security, it is something that Americans agreed to do decades ago under the leadership of FDR.  He was a Democratic Socialist.
That is what Bernie Sanders is too.  Regular Socialism is different.  Get it straight Jake.  I suggest you take a course in Political Science since you clearly don't know what socialism actually is, or at least Google it before giving your opinion in public.  Google is amazing, you can find out what the facts are before stating your opinion.  Or just keep opining as you will, as you say we all get to have our own opinion, even if it is blatently wrong.
Allan Kearney

To the Editor
Dear Sir:
In 1944, during the Second World War, F.A.Hayek wrote the book The Road To Serfdom.  In the book is the following statement: “No matter what rhetoric they employ, politicians and bureaucracies over which they preside love power, and power is never easily surrendered once the danger, if there ever was one, has passed.”
The advent of the corona virus has placed us all, for all intents and purposes, under martial law.  We are quick to do what is asked even though we may heartily disagree.
But, there is a great danger, once this virus has passed, to keep the government we have, with the end result being a larger government.  Do we want more socialism? We shall have it. 
We must be vigilant to insure that we reclaim our government once the danger has passed.  
Plus, our government has agreed to support the workers with vast payments that have the real danger of leading to more inflation.
Who knows how this will end, but just the same we need to be sure it does not lead to more socialism.
Thanks so much.
Jim Hollingsworth
Hayden, ID

Redneck Review!
No. 256 - 3/23/2020
Enough!  Definitely time to move on!  The last three RNR's have concentrated on a small example forcing anyone to agree that the individual who makes an extra effort to come up with a time and labor saving device that others are happy to trade for will only get ahead and improve his standard of living if, and this is a big IF, the others who freely negotiate with him agree that their standard of living is improved also!  SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THAT EVERY FREELY ENTERED TRADE,  where no coercion is present, will only be made IF both parties profit! Thus the  example given illustrates that Household A cannot ask for 5 or more hours a day from each of the others in order to get free use of his water nor would he be willing to give it away free, or even take just 1 hour from each of the others!  This example should put to rest the ridiculous charge you hear all the time from  socialist/Marxists, that the rich gouge poor all the time!  If the society honors free trade, it is impossible or highly improbable that any person is going to freely enter an agreement when that person is clearly worse off! So what would you think of the mentality of the other three households in this example if they agree to work 7 or 8 hours a day for A just to rid themselves of 6 hours a day hauling necessary water!
Recall that B, C, and D refused to help A in digging the water ditch from the spring on the mountain, temporarily forcing A to INVEST an extra 2 hrs/day in getting the job done! So the magic word here is still INVESTMENT!  In the Free Enterprise system that has made America the wealthiest country not only on earth today, but in history. Those who have come up with a time or labor saving device, have not only accumulated wealth for themselves, but ONLY if the others see themselves better off when they agree to buy or use the product! Witness the many wealthy millionaires today from whom the average citizen hastens to do business with and buy their product!  Facebook,  Microsoft,  Apple, and Amazon, are just a few of many examples!
So, let us all recognize the value of the INVESTMENT some in our country make to provide a solution to any problem facing us,  And for all who are up to date on the rapidly changing conditions of life in America, and in fact in the entire world, can it not be safely said that the word CORONAVIRUS is more on our minds than any thing else at this particular time? Just this morning having a cup of coffee in our local town,  I was told that one local grocery store that just last week was short only toilet paper, now all of a sudden was low or out of milk, eggs, bread, and other items, and that customers were told they could purchase only one of any item! So what has happened, and could it have been prevented?  Well, declared here is a possible better INVESTMENT that could have been made in the past by all of us to prevent what is now threatening all of us! Following please find direct quotes from RNR 205, dated 4/1/19!
"Well, the clock is still ticking! Whatever is going to happen...in the future is one week closer! ...Whether those ticks will result in a happy ending, or a sudden new tragic event, leaving us shocked and stunned, only more time will tell!... Look not here for the answer!  The next event could happen next week, or maybe 50... or more years from today!
"But make no mistake! Conditions today (4/1/19) like discussed last week... do send a clear message that a day of reckoning could be on the horizon! The big question is... can a single individual do anything to impact the future?  Well, the answer is a resounding YES!  Prayer for starters! It can be found (in the Bible) that prayer 'with sufficient faith' can 'move mountains!' So why not each of us resolve to increase our prayer life...during the rest of the days of Lent?" 
Now it might be asked, could have a better response to that suggestion a year ago prevented what is happening today?  Or could increased prayer effort now bring a quicker solution today?
Jake Wren

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