Everybody Is Dependent On Taxpayers

This article is dedicated to Matt Walsh, who on 3/30/2025 posted the following on X — formally known as Twitter:

How to fix America in four easy steps:

-You must speak English fluently to vote

-You must be a US citizen and only a US citizen to vote

-You must pass a 5th grade level civics test to vote

-You must not be on any form of welfare to vote

One can discuss the morality of each of these on their own, but that is not really the point of this article. I will note that, given education is controlled by state and local governments primarily, what counts as a “5th grade level civics test,” is going to depend heavily on where the person is at any given time. Fifth grade in California looks different than fifth grade in Texas, and given Trump’s recent crusade against the Department of Education, it is easy to imagine states only getting more divided on this aspect as time goes on. Similarly, what exactly counts as a “fluent” understanding of English — how advanced does your understanding of the language have to be for Matt to view it as okay for you to vote?

I have moral objections to the other two points raised, but at least they are tangible concepts that could realistically be implemented. Essentially, I see no reason for…