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We Are All Socialists Now: As boomers age and spending grows, we will become even more French
Newsweek ^ | February 7, 2009 | Jon Meacham and Evan Thomas

Posted on 02/07/2009 6:25:13 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

The interview was nearly over. on the Fox News Channel last Wednesday evening, Sean Hannity was coming to the end of a segment with Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, the chair of the House Republican Conference and a vociferous foe of President Obama's nearly $1 trillion stimulus bill. How, Pence had asked rhetorically, was $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts going to put people back to work in Indiana? How would $20 million for "fish passage barriers" (a provision to pay for the removal of barriers in rivers and streams so that fish could migrate freely) help create jobs? Hannity could not have agreed more. "It is … the European Socialist Act of 2009," the host said, signing off. "We're counting on you to stop it. Thank you, congressman."

There it was, just before the commercial: the S word, a favorite among conservatives since John McCain began using it during the presidential campaign. (Remember Joe the Plumber? Sadly, so do we.) But it seems strangely beside the point. The U.S. government has already—under a conservative Republican administration—effectively nationalized the banking and mortgage industries. That seems a stronger sign of socialism than $50 million for art. Whether we want to admit it or not—and many, especially Congressman Pence and Hannity, do not—the America of 2009 is moving toward a modern European state.

We remain a center-right nation in many ways—particularly culturally, and our instinct, once the crisis passes, will be to try to revert to a more free-market style of capitalism—but it was, again, under a conservative GOP administration that we enacted the largest expansion of the welfare state in 30 years: prescription drugs for the elderly.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: babyboomers; bailout; bho2009; bho44; congress; neomarxism; obama; porkulus; socialism; socialistagenda; stimulus
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Do you agree?
1 posted on 02/07/2009 6:25:13 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Not only NO, but Hell NO!

Lock & Load


2 posted on 02/07/2009 6:27:42 PM PST by Texas Fossil
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The country is breaking it’s backbone. American idol is projected as reality. The repercussions will be deadly IMO.


3 posted on 02/07/2009 6:28:13 PM PST by allmost
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

And for you Frenchies.

“Serrure et Charge”


4 posted on 02/07/2009 6:31:19 PM PST by Texas Fossil
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I thought to become French a man had to first be castrated.


5 posted on 02/07/2009 6:31:45 PM PST by MIchaelTArchangel
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Nope i still use deodorant


6 posted on 02/07/2009 6:33:00 PM PST by al baby (Hi mom. I love sarcasim)
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To: MIchaelTArchangel

What I want to know is WHERE is Teddy? Thought they were flying him in last night. When is he going to make his grand appearance.


7 posted on 02/07/2009 6:33:25 PM PST by acoulterfan
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

A fine article asserting European socialism, from Evan Thomas whose grandfather was a big socialist and the repeat Socialist Party candidate for President of the U.S.A. in the 30’s and 40’s.


8 posted on 02/07/2009 6:34:50 PM PST by angkor
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Just thought of the ‘10 elections. Should we eject the loons, a sane congress can simply turn off the programs. Following that, we can start the real trials.


10 posted on 02/07/2009 6:35:21 PM PST by Da Coyote
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To: angkor

When I said “A fine article asserting European socialism” above, I should have said:

“A fine article asserting European socialism” /sarc


11 posted on 02/07/2009 6:35:57 PM PST by angkor
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

...not all Baby Boomers. I’m one of the younger Baby Boomers who admits that we were wrong. May the consequences of our rebellion against the morality of our fathers run its full course quickly.


12 posted on 02/07/2009 6:35:58 PM PST by familyop (As painful as the global laxative might be, maybe our "one world" needs a good cleaning.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

You forgot the “MEGAHURL ALERT”

America wasn’t put on this earth to be like Europe. America was meant to be the last best hope of man on earth, and Socialism fails and will fail wherever it is tried. I believe it was Jefferson who said that the moment the public realizes that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury, the Republic will end. When the majority of people don’t pay taxes and receive welfare, and vote for people who keep them on welfare, the less than 49% of those that DO pay taxes will in effect be the slaves of those who don’t pay taxes. It will be taxation without representation all over again. And we know what happened the first time that was tried in this country.


13 posted on 02/07/2009 6:36:24 PM PST by Jeb21 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaE98w1KZ-c)
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To: MIchaelTArchangel

Not necessary anymore, they are born that way.

Le Féminin


14 posted on 02/07/2009 6:36:30 PM PST by Texas Fossil
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Evan Thomas is the grandson of Norman Thomas. Remember him?


15 posted on 02/07/2009 6:37:35 PM PST by bilhosty (Welcome to Eat the Press)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
effectively nationalized the banking and mortgage industries. That seems a stronger sign of socialism than $50 million for art

It's not $50 M for art, dimwit. It's 100's of BILLIONS for things like art.

who laid the foundations for the world Obama now rules is George W. Bush, who moved to bail out the financial sector last autumn with $700 billion.

No because technically that "bailout" is a loan at 4% interest. Obama's is a permanent welfare state with more to come with his global warming and socialized medicine initiatives.

in the long run, an aging population and global warming and higher energy costs will demand more government taxing and spending. The catch is that more government intrusion in the economy will almost surely limit growth

Well, he's got that right at least.

16 posted on 02/07/2009 6:41:54 PM PST by what's up
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To: bilhosty
Norman Thomas was a 6-time Presidental candidate for the socialist party.

Is it any wonder that his grandson writes for Newsweak?

17 posted on 02/07/2009 6:44:57 PM PST by what's up
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The issue is bound to be part of the Democrat strategy, anyway. Time to have a little talk with those legions of Obama hipster younguns about the how they’re going to bankroll generous boomer benefits when their guy Obama gets his way.


18 posted on 02/07/2009 6:46:20 PM PST by dr_who
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The issue is bound to be part of the Democrat strategy, anyway. Time to have a little talk with those legions of Obama hipster younguns about the how they’re going to bankroll generous boomer benefits when their guy Obama gets his way.


19 posted on 02/07/2009 6:47:45 PM PST by dr_who
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Chin up folks. This doesn’t have to be the start of a new dark age. The Obama administration is shaping up as a replay of the 1970’s. We were all socialists in the 1970’s. The idea that socialism was synonymous with modernity ended with double digit inflation combined with double digit unemployment d during the Carter years. Our unionized auto and steel industries could no longer compete with the Japanese. But people got smart and elected Reagan whose lower taxes made possible the outburst of technological creativity that gave us the great economic boom of the 80’s and 90’s.


20 posted on 02/07/2009 6:54:48 PM PST by haroldeveryman
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