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"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" - The Socialism Thread

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  • "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" - The Socialism Thread

    In the history of the world the government systems that have most abridged liberty and committed genocide--indeed, pioneered totalitarianism and genocide--have been theocratic or had the word socialism or socialist in the names by which they identified themselves. How a politician can today call himself a socialist and be viable really shows historical amnesia. But that is what Bernie Sanders calls himself. We also have here in Seattle a city council member who is proud to call herself a socialist. Truth can be so elusive, but one thing that ought to be indisputable is socialism's total ineffectiveness in solving the economic problem, its total lack of credibility. And here's a rule of thumb: socialism--a centralized or planned economy--is the economic side of totalitarianism. But it's back!

    Now, today, The New York Times reminds us of this sobering history:

    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...ol-left-region

    "The 'first wave' [of democracy] began with the American and French revolutions, and 29 countries became democracies in the period up to 1922. That number shrank to 12 with the rise of Communism, Fascism and Nazism. . . ." And so on; thereafter it has ebbed and flowed. So, it took us humans 200,000 years (since behaviorally and anatomically modern humans have existed) to first achieve democracy (albeit in the United States form with black slavery and disenfranchised women and the French form which wound up with an Emperor in about a decade following many beheadings), and it still ebbs, is ebbing now.
    When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.

    --Jonathan Swift

  • #2
    The UK Labour Party is now led by a man who is proud to call himself a socialist.

    In a war of words that heralds a new phase in the hitherto relatively polite Democratic primary campaign, Sanders was reportedly criticised over his backing of Corbyn – the leftwing socialist who came from nowhere to win a landslide victory in the Labour leadership contest on Saturday – by Correct the Record, a so-called Super Pac that raises unlimited sums from wealthy donors to support Clinton.
    http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...mment-59572751
    When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.

    --Jonathan Swift

    Comment


    • #3
      Blah, blah, blah. Stick to attacking orthodoxy that's what you're good at.

      Comment


      • #4
        Recently the Wall Street Journal had an article that stated that if Bernie Sanders were to implement his plans for America he would have to raise government revenues by a staggering $18 trillion over a decade.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by New Mexican Disaster View Post
          Blah, blah, blah. Stick to attacking orthodoxy that's what you're good at.
          If you don't think I'm doing that you don't know much about where I live.
          When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.

          --Jonathan Swift

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by New Mexican Disaster View Post
            Blah, blah, blah. Stick to attacking orthodoxy that's what you're good at.
            So you and JL are against political blathering?

            By the way, Seattle is spot on in many of these observations.
            "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein."

            Upon rejecting the Beatles, Dick Rowe told Brian Epstein of the January 1, 1962 audition for Decca, which signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes instead.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Topper View Post
              So you and JL are against political blathering?
              WTH?
              "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
              "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
              "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                WTH?
                This is pretty much my response to all of Topper's comments.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by imanihonjin View Post
                  Recently the Wall Street Journal had an article that stated that if Bernie Sanders were to implement his plans for America he would have to raise government revenues by a staggering $18 trillion over a decade.
                  I'm convinced some people don't think money is real, as long as its the Fed spending it. Arguments like this do not move them. We will never have to pay the piper.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by SeattleUte View Post
                    If you don't think I'm doing that you don't know much about where I live.
                    Fair point. I should have said religious orthodoxy. It's pretty disingenuous to state that the name of parties has anything to do with drawing comparisons to their governing style or ideology. Surely you know better than that.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by New Mexican Disaster View Post
                      Fair point. I should have said religious orthodoxy. It's pretty disingenuous to state that the name of parties has anything to do with drawing comparisons to their governing style or ideology. Surely you know better than that.
                      Where did I say anything about the name of a party? I simply identified individuals who have called themselves socialists.
                      When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.

                      --Jonathan Swift

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        SU is right. Socialism is evil -- that's one thing ETB had right.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by SeattleUte View Post
                          Where did I say anything about the name of a party? .
                          The first paragraph.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by New Mexican Disaster View Post
                            The first paragraph.
                            The UK Labour Party? It's a fact that Jeremy Corbin calls himself a socialist. I didn't say democrat or republican in any of my posts.
                            When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.

                            --Jonathan Swift

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by New Mexican Disaster View Post
                              The first paragraph.
                              SMACKDOWN!!!!
                              Fitter. Happier. More Productive.

                              sigpic

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