The Modern Red Hen by Ronald Reagan

Contact Your Elected Officials

The Modern Red Hen or The Incredible Bread Machine radio message was given by Ronald Reagan in 1976. Reagan gave the story a modern economic spin. It is as relevant today as it was in 1976.

A modern day little red hen may not sound like or appear to be a quotable authority on economics but then some authorities arenโ€™t worth quoting. Iโ€™ll be right back.

About a year ago I imposed a little poetry on you. It was called โ€œThe Incredible Bread Machineโ€ and made a lot of sense with reference to matters economic. You didnโ€™t object too much so having gotten away with it once Iโ€™m going to try again. This is a little treatise on basic economics called โ€œThe Modern little Red Hen.โ€

Once upon a time there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her neighbors and said โ€˜If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?โ€™

โ€œNot I, โ€œsaid the cow.

โ€œNot I,โ€ said the duck.

โ€œNot I,โ€ said the pig.

โ€œNot I,โ€ said the goose.

โ€œThen I will,โ€ said the little red hen. And she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. โ€œWho will help me reap my wheat?โ€ asked the little red hen.

โ€œNot I,โ€ said the duck.

โ€œOut of my classification,โ€ said the pig.

โ€œIโ€™d lose my seniority,โ€ said the cow.

โ€œIโ€™d lose my unemployment compensation,โ€ said the goose.

โ€œThen I will,โ€ said the little red hen, and she did.

At last the time came to bake the bread. โ€œWho will help me bake bread?โ€ asked the little red hen.

โ€œThat would be overtime for me,โ€ said the cow.

โ€œIโ€™d lose my welfare benefits,โ€ said the duck.

โ€œIโ€™m a dropout and never learned how,โ€ said the pig.

โ€œIf Iโ€™m to be the only helper, thatโ€™s discrimination,โ€ said the goose.

โ€œThen I will,โ€ said the little red hen.

She baked five loaves and held them up for the neighbors to see.

They all wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, โ€œNo, I can eat the five loaves myself.โ€

โ€œExcess profits,โ€ cried the cow.

โ€œCapitalist leech,โ€ screamed the duck.

โ€œI demand equal rights,โ€ yelled the goose.

And the pig just grunted.

And they painted โ€œunfairโ€ picket signs and marched round and around the little red hen shouting obscenities.

When the government agent came, he said to the little red hen, โ€œYou must not be greedy.โ€

โ€œBut I earned the bread,โ€ said the little red hen.

โ€œExactly,โ€ said the agent. โ€œThatโ€™s the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations productive workers must divide their products with the idle.โ€

And they lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, โ€œI am grateful, I am grateful.โ€ But her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread.

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Rise by the Conspiracy Theory, Fall by the Conspiracy Theory

The uproar in the MAGA world over the failure to release the Jeffrey Epstein client list should be a cause for serious concern for President Trump.

Liberal Democrat Content Creators are Despicable Defamationers

What should Christian conservatives do when confronted with false information to the point of bearing false witness against someone like President Trump?

Ben Shapiro Warning Me Not to Listen to InfoWars Makes Me Want to Listen 10x Harder

This rant from Ben Shapiro reveals more about him and his low opinion of his audience to whom he peddles his slop than it does about its target, Alex Jones.

Epsteinโ€™s Aftermath: Planes, Blames, and Autocrats

There are so many real, honest great journalists reporting the news on the internet these days that some really good content gets overlooked.

Why the Trump Administration is Sitting on the Epstein Files

President Trump, AG Bondi, and FBI Dir. Patel have the advantage over us in that they see the big overall picture when it comes to the Epstein List.

Americaโ€™s Biggest Medical Facility for Transgender Youth Is Shutting Down

Childrenโ€™s Hospital Los Angeles, the nationโ€™s largest provider of gender procedures for youth identifying as transgender will shut down its program.

More Than 1 Million Illegal Immigrants Have Self-Deported, Says Senior White House Official

More than 1 million illegal immigrants have self-deported since President Donald Trump took office according to Stephen Miller.

Trump Admin Places Sanctions on Leader of Venezuelan Gang Tren de Arauga

The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday said it placed sanctions on the leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and five other members.

TSMC Accelerates US Production to Meet AI and High-Performance Computing Demand

TSMC is accelerating production at its Arizona semiconductor facility, driven by โ€œexplosive growthโ€ for AI from U.S. and global customers.

Trump Undergoes Medical Exam After Swelling in Legs

President Trump underwent a medical evaluation after swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his hands but is in good health, according to physician.

Top HHS Nominee Opposes Transgender Treatments for Children

President Trumpโ€™s nominee for a top post at HHS told senators he opposes giving drugs such as puberty blockers to children experiencing gender dysphoria.

Trump Says US Very Close to Trade Agreement With India, EU Deal Possible

President Trump said that the United States is โ€œvery closeโ€ to reaching a trade agreement with India, adding that a deal with EU is also possible.

European Energy Giants Sign Deals to Buy American LNG

Italian energy company Eni has inked an agreement to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, the company said in a July 16 statement.
spot_img

Related Articles