Which programs should be limited?

This is in response to the letter from James A. Wagner "Limited Government is the only solution." I note that the proponents of limited government never specify what programs that they want to limit.

Let me specify some: let's start with national parks, public libraries, subsidies to oil, gas, tobacco, and agriculture industries, and finally Medicare, Social Security, and the Postal Service.

All the foregoing are socialist programs. Let's not cherry pick. Let's eliminate all of them.

Would that satisfy Mr. Wagner's desire for limited government? Further, he confuses the concepts of socialism (an economic system) and democracy (a political system).

They are not mutually exclusive. For example, the Scandinavian countries are all socialist democracies and, in many measurements, are better off then we are.

Finally, Mr. Wagner would do all of us a great service if he could name the communists and Maoists working "in and for the current occupant of the White House."

Michael D. Lee

Wheeling