THE CAPITALIST THREAT - by George Soros (1997)

Atlantic Monthly ^ | February 1997 | George Soros

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[The Westerner]

"...we ought to recognize that reason has its limitations." And wherever men have recognized this...philosopher-kings like you have told them what to do. Recent examples, Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Castro...Get the point? Jefferson was quite emphatic that reason must be the guide to men's actions in a civil society.

[squidly]

Although I have made a fortune in the financial markets, I now fear that the untrammeled intensification of laissez-faire capitalism and the spread of market values into all areas of life is endangering our open and democratic society.

I didn't see any need to read more than this. Classic limousine liberal, I mean classic.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for posting this article ! ...

The Soros Threat

The Capitalist Threat
(1997 article by Soros)

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[Dan from Michigan]

BTTT

[CGVet58]

No, he hasn't forgotten what he never learned in the first place. Fascism and Communism are kissing cousins; both totalitarian, anti-individual, anti-God... both claimed the State as the ultimate arbiter of destiny; both sought to grab their children's minds and indoctrinate them in "the faith" from the very beginning. Both claimed the ultimate truth for themselves, but like two competing viruses sought to destroy the other for the purposes of controlling brutal and solitary power.

Uncle Joe Stalin, that master of propaganda, used the big lie to identify the fascists as being from the right; but only after Hitler attacked Russia, and only after a nice, cozy, "we are brothers" approach as they raped Poland.

The left in this country, or anywhere on the planet, took this new characterization as holy writ, and today's modern left comfortably calls us "fascists".

Ironic, isn't it? they deny God, then proceed to worship their leaders as god-like figures themselves. This is the telling mark of totalitarianism; first deny God, then call your leader God, and certainly - as you go about the struggle against the fascist right wing - subscribe to your potential leaders the god-like quality of the saviour.

Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, the NK Kims... nor do we have to look beyond our shores for examples. The Kennedy's (think of these memes and how they were associated with that family; "Camelot", "American Royalty"... or how else to explain the absolute insanity that is a sitting Senator in Mass who was guilty at the least of manslaughter?); Clinton as the first "black" president (playing off an oppressed group against the establishment is always good for points), up to the current, fervent hopes that Hillary will manage to mount her ample buttocks upon the white stallion and "rescue" the nation.

Soros classically fits this picture - he is convinced that we are fascist. The danger is not so much in his economic power, nor even that other, powerful individuals hold similar beliefs. I am more mindful of what our apathy can do to harm our Nation... by not voting, not fighting them every day, or by losing faith because of the enormity of the task before us. And we cannot lose faith; we must walk this walk daily, pray for God's blessing, and never give up.


I fear we are in the midst of a civil war for our nation's soul. I pray God we have the strength to overcome.

respectfully,

CGVet58

[CGVet58]

We may be the current and sole superpower, but we are not omnipotent - and cannot be everywhere in sufficient force to win confrontations with the enemy.

More's the pity.

[Paul Ross]

Ironic, isn't it? they deny God, then proceed to worship their leaders as god-like figures themselves. This is the telling mark of totalitarianism; first deny God, then call your leader God, and certainly - as you go about the struggle against the fascist right wing - subscribe to your potential leaders the god-like quality of the saviour. Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, the NK Kims... nor do we have to look beyond our shores for examples. The Kennedy's (think of these memes and how they were associated with that family; "Camelot", "American Royalty"... or how else to explain the absolute insanity that is a sitting Senator in Mass who was guilty at the least of manslaughter?); Clinton as the first "black" president (playing off an oppressed group against the establishment is always good for points), up to the current, fervent hopes that Hillary will manage to mount her ample buttocks upon the white stallion and "rescue" the nation. Soros classically fits this picture - he is convinced that we are fascist. The danger is not so much in his economic power, nor even that other, powerful individuals hold similar beliefs. I am more mindful of what our apathy can do to harm our Nation... by not voting, not fighting them every day, or by losing faith because of the enormity of the task before us. And we cannot lose faith; we must walk this walk daily, pray for God's blessing, and never give up. I fear we are in the midst of a civil war for our nation's soul. I pray God we have the strength to overcome.

Bump! Excellent analysis.

[Alamo-Girl]

Indeed. Thank you for the ping!

No surrender. No retreat. Remember the Alamo!

[chilepepper]

This is a great article, brilliant in some places, full of shyte in others. It shows how Soros thinks.

Unfortunately, it consists of a bunch of straw men lined up by Soros so he can knock them down.

Eric Hoffer in The True Believer teaches that one should always be leary of taking anything as *THE TRUTH*. I have always assumed this is true, but it doesn't mean you cannot believe ANYTHING, you must take something as a rough guide at some level, and LF is good enough for me, taken with an adequate amount of salt.

Now, in his scree against laissez-faire capitalism, Soros leaves out something very important...

There ain't no such thing in the world today!

Government regulation of commerce and industry mean, in general, there is no LF capitalism left.

It seems to me that the closest we have is... drumroll... buying things on the internet where you can pretty much select things from anywhere in the world. but even on the internet there is a lot of local regulation hidden away.

I find it interesting that Soros laments that people now believe "what is more expensive is best". I for one believe no such thing, rather "what is of highest quality for the lowest price is best", and i think this is closer to the typical. with free information, everyone can now research what something is worth and so, vote via the market on what is valuable.

as for individualism, and the difference of "words and action", Soros is a hypocrite since *HIS* individualism caused a great deal of grief in England when he manipulated Sterling. Is he going to blame HIS actions of LF then turn around and bemoan the lack of social responsability? give me a break!

I think his attack on unbridled individualism make the typical elitist mistake of looking a people as objects (again, Soros has not absorbed Heisenberg), rather than conscious, sentient beings who react to and change their environment. In "A Brilliant Mind", the John Nash character notes that it is not pure individualism that gets laid, rather a mixture of individualism and group advancement that wins. I think this is the way we have acted since we were a tribe of cavemen -- that is what altruism, barn raising, and cooperation (and open source!) is all about.

Soros thinks there is too much LF in the world??? where??? the problem is government interference, not LF. How can Soros with a straight face claim LF is the enemy of an "Open" and presumably "Free" society when Soros is in favor of a EU bureaucrat micromanaging *EVERYTHING*??

Soros needs to lose all his money and maybe he'll learn something...

[Tilly]

bookmark

[Dan from Michigan]

BTTT

[Beckwith]

Although I have made a fortune in the financial markets, I now fear that the untrammeled intensification of laissez-faire capitalism and the spread of market values into all areas of life is endangering our open and democratic society.

In other words, I got mine, screw you, now do what I say.