Seems some of our politicians may have been doing a little reading

[stoneaxe]

http://www.surfersvillage.com/surfing/38983/news.htm

[Admin]

'The owners of 'capital' will stimulate the working class so that they purchase more and more consumer goods, houses, and technology, causing them to owe each time more and more, until their debt becomes insurmountable.  The inability to pay the debt will drive the banks into bankruptcy, which will cause them to be nationalized and the State will direct the economy.'

Karl Marx, en El Capital, 1867

What's next, the "dictatorship of the proletariat"?

[bigdom]

all power to the soviets !

 

[Weasels wake]

Do I really want to weigh in on this?  I usually leave my politics to other forums, but because it was brought up by somebody else,,,,,,,,, here goes~

A Few Pages From History~~
Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 to December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.

The Socialist Party candidate for President of the U.S. , Norman Thomas, said this in a 1944 speech:
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism.  But, under the name of "liberalism," they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day  America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."
He went on to say: "I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party.  The Democrat Party has adopted our platform."
****

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."
~~Margaret Thatcher~~

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who are not. 
~~Thomas Jefferson~~

Okay, I'm done, back to the surf, at least that can't be taken away from me. 

[Chan]

Wow, amazingly prescient analysis. Although a creative genius, Marx’s predictions on the success of communism, at least to date, have been wrong.  Ironically, his analytical errors were nearly identical to Alan Greenspan’s.  Same problem –ignoring important fundamental aspects of human nature: power and greed.  These influences, if left unregulated, are corrosive to the ordered social/capital systems.  This applies to communism, capitalism, socialism, Dems, Republicans and the in-between.  I’d say the past eight years of Republican leadership make it a bit hard to buy the argument that it’s the Commie loving, baby hating, Satan worshipping Dem’s that are solely to blame for the current crisis.

[Admin]

No party gets to shirk the blame on this one.  My favorite exchange between Chris Wallace and John McCain from the recent election:

WALLACE: But, Senator, you voted for the $700-billion bailout that's being used partially to nationalize American banks. Isn't that socialism?

MCCAIN: That is reacting to a crisis that's due to greed and excess in Washington. And what this administration is doing wrong, and what Paulson is doing wrong, is not going out and buying up home loan mortgages, home mortgages, and giving people new mortgages at the new value of their home so they can stay in their home. They're bailing out the banks. They're bailing out these institutions.

WALLACE: But you voted for that.

MCCAIN: Of course. It was a package that had to be enacted because the economy was about to go into the tank.... That's the reason why we have governments, to help those who need help, who can't help themselves, and when time of crisis to step in and do what's necessary to preserve the lives and futures of innocent people. It wasn't Main Street America that caused this. It was Washington and Wall Street.

[stoneaxe]

I actually wish I hadn't posted this...the zone is too much fun for depressing conversation like this. The last 8 years have been horrible but I also think they have set us up for even worse changes to this country. I'm concerned for the country my kids will inherit.

I think the core of the problem is that all either party cares about is maintaining power for themselves and to hell with the consequences of their actions. I'm so angry with the lack of rational leadership in this country. On the one hand we have unregulated bankers...on the other we have requirements to give mortgages to people that have no ability to pay them back. Now we have to bailout people that have been making millions for years and subsidize $500,000 houses for people making $30,000/year. I simply don't see any rational leaders...just two extremes fighting for power. It's like that on almost every issue. Very few if any rational solutions.

[Bolt Upright]

I think we should be asking ourselves...
What would Reagan do?

Our greatest president of the 20th century and one of my heroes.
A man of great integrity, and one who understood the complexities of human nature and the wisdom of the framers of the constitution.

I cannot think of any current politicians on either side who I would call wise.
We sure could use someone with the wisdom of President Reagan now.