Anyone get Newsweek...?

[Caveman_Nick]

Nice cover!

[Furd]

This doesn't apply to Nick, but I'm pretty sure that more than 95% of the people throwing the term "socialism" around don't have much of a clue what they are talking about.

[isleseeya]

i get Newsweek but i only look at the pictures

[Caveman_Nick]

This doesn't apply to Nick, but I'm pretty sure that more than 95% of the people throwing the term "socialism" around don't have much of a clue what they are talking about.

 

I am not sure about the number, but I agree with the sentiment.

 

The article (which I have not yet read) apparently talks about the start of the move towards socialistic policies under the Bush Admin. I am not sure of the content, but did get that bit from the Newsweek.com site.

[Ursa Majoris]

This doesn't apply to Nick, but I'm pretty sure that more than 95% of the people throwing the term "socialism" around don't have much of a clue what they are talking about.

+1. We are a heck of a long way from socialism, even the mild European version.

[westvirginia]

+1. We are a heck of a long way from socialism, even the mild European version.

 

Well, yes and no.

 

Fedgov doesn't own any industries yet, whoops, "we" now own part of the financial sector.

 

At least they can't tell companies how much they pay employees, um,

 

Well, at least we don't have socialized medicine... Yet.

 

Well, at least you don't have to get any federal ID number like in Europe. Unless you want to work, or get the tax deduction for your kid, or drive legally.

 

Pretty slippery slope if you ask me, and we don't seem to be all that far away. Especially since we're right on the precipice of having over half of the country living off the fruits produced by the minority, at least where fedgov is concerned. But don't worry, I'm sure that those in the "net receiver" status won't just keep voting to give themselves more stuff from the evil rich people they envy...

 

Yeah, we're nowhere near the rights of the minority being trampled by the majority.

[millerx]

No, no, no... say it with me...the term is Socialist Republic...

[millerx]

Yeah, we're nowhere near the rights of the minority being trampled by the majority.

Naw, that will never happen

 

Pretty slippery slope if you ask me, and we don't seem to be all that far away. Especially since we're right on the precipice of having over half of the country living off the fruits produced by the minority, at least where fedgov is concerned. But don't worry, I'm sure that those in the "net receiver" status won't just keep voting to give themselves more stuff from the evil rich people they envy...

This only makes since if put yourself in their shoes.

[Ursa Majoris]

Well, yes and no.

 

Fedgov doesn't own any industries yet, whoops, "we" now own part of the financial sector.

The other options were either do nothing or give the money away. Since no-one thought doing nothing at that point was a good idea, buying in beats the crap out of giving in.

At least they can't tell companies how much they pay employees, um,

 

Well, at least we don't have socialized medicine... Yet.

No - theirs is a heck of a lot less costly. The only difference in the running of the two systems is that one massively expensive bureaucracy is private while the other less massively expensive bureaucracy is public.

Well, at least you don't have to get any federal ID number like in Europe. Unless you want to work, or get the tax deduction for your kid, or drive legally.

Your idea of socialism is to require people to have a unique identifying number?

Pretty slippery slope if you ask me, and we don't seem to be all that far away. Especially since we're right on the precipice of having over half of the country living off the fruits produced by the minority, at least where fedgov is concerned. But don't worry, I'm sure that those in the "net receiver" status won't just keep voting to give themselves more stuff from the evil rich people they envy...

 

Yeah, we're nowhere near the rights of the minority being trampled by the majority. What does this have to do with socialism?

We're not even close, WV, not even remotely close.

[westvirginia]

We're not even close, WV, not even remotely close.

 

The other options were either do nothing or give the money away. Since no-one thought doing nothing at that point was a good idea, buying in beats the crap out of giving in.

 

Ahh, the old hand-wringing, "we must do something" argument. The idea that action, however misdirected and foolish, is better than letting things take their course.

 

No - theirs is a heck of a lot less costly. The only difference in the running of the two systems is that one massively expensive bureaucracy is private while the other less massively expensive bureaucracy is public.

 

Theirs is lest costly because they RATION! How good you feeling about that stimulus bill this morning with the healthcare stuff stuck in there, btw?

 

Your idea of socialism is to require people to have a unique identifying number?

 

Government is force, period. To exert the absolute control needed by socialism, you first need to tag all your cattle. Once that's done, they become much easier to track, administer, and cull when necessary.

 

What does this have to do with socialism?

 

The root of socialism is "from each...gifts, to each...needs" Think of an economy like a sports team. You have superstars, and role players. The superstars make the most money, but they do the most for the team. The role players, which typically make up the bulk of the team, make comparatively pedestrian amounts. They perform critical roles, but just aren't worth that much individually due to supply and demand. When you create a system of "you will fill this superstar position but for a role-players money", you trample on their rights. Since the superstars are in the minority, the government coercion of these superstars is subjecting the rights of the minority to the envy of the majority.

[Azazello1313]

+1. We are a heck of a long way from socialism, even the mild European version.

 

true, but it seems like we are doing everything in our power to close that gap as quickly as possible. that's the concerning part.

[Perchoutofwater]

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equal opportunities for all individuals with a fair or egalitarian method of compensation. Modern socialism originated in the late nineteenth-century working class political movement and the intellectual movement of that period which criticized the effects of industrialization and private ownership on society. Karl Marx posited that socialism would be achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution and would represent the transitional stage between capitalism and communism.

 

We are getting there pretty fast.

 

Pretty slippery slope if you ask me, and we don't seem to be all that far away. Especially since we're right on the precipice of having over half of the country living off the fruits produced by the minority, at least where fedgov is concerned. But don't worry, I'm sure that those in the "net receiver" status won't just keep voting to give themselves more stuff from the evil rich people they envy...

 

If something isn't done to change this we will be past the point of no return pretty soon. What percentage of population currently pays no income tax, or is net taker instead of a net payer? It will be interesting to see what happens as that percentage continues to grow under the current administration. What will happen during the next election cycle, and if those of us that are net payers will continue to pay or if there will be some form of a tax payer revolt, or mass exodus.

 

Some interesting info on number of tax payers, and who is and who isn't paying.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Perchoutofwater

[dmarc117]

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equal opportunities for all individuals with a fair or egalitarian method of compensation. Modern socialism originated in the late nineteenth-century working class political movement and the intellectual movement of that period which criticized the effects of industrialization and private ownership on society. Karl Marx posited that socialism would be achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution and would represent the transitional stage between capitalism and communism.

 

We are getting there pretty fast.

 

 

 

If something isn't done to change this we will be past the point of no return pretty soon. What percentage of population currently pays no income tax, or is net taker instead of a net payer? It will be interesting to see what happens as that percentage continues to grow under the current administration. What will happen during the next election cycle, and if those of us that are net payers will continue to pay or if there will be some form of a tax payer revolt, or mass exodus.

 

i dont see a revolt or exodus. where are we going to go? everywhere else is just as bad if not worse. and the only people that revolt are those that have nothing to lose. tax payers have something to lose.