The Socialization of America (Left wing Analysis)

Social Decline The U.S. has social problems that are growing rather than diminishing. The administration expects that private initiatives will resolve the problems.

(1) Relations with the world community - American philosophy of "preventive war" and military excursions have alienated many nations from the United States. Trade agreements in the European Union and South East Asian countries (directed by China) are depriving America of markets. Iran, Sudan, Angola and Venezuela are inviting investments that exclude the United States and which will eventually deprive America of valuable resources. In Latin America, America's principal sphere of influence, several countries (Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and Uruguay) are considered mildly socialist and prepared to discard American influence. Meanwhile, China is investing heavily in Latin America.

China's President Hu Jintao visited Argentina, Brazil and Chile in November—and promised to lay out tens of billions of dollars on improving the region's infrastructure. He also vowed that China's imports from Latin America—already showing an impressive rise —would grow even faster; and he added Argentina and Brazil to China's list of approved tourist destinations. Dec 29th 2004 | BUENOS AIRES, From The Economist print edition

(2) Social Security - While analysts predict a bankrupt social security system in mid-century, no adequate solution, except a private rescue plan, is being offered. (3) Health care - Health care costs grew by 14 percent in 2003 and are expected to continue growing. Medicare costs are escalating and agency officials have stated they plans to charge seniors 15 percent more for premiums next year and pay doctors about 4 percent less for service. In the private sector, manufacturers are shifting the health care and retiree benefits to their employees. (4) Pension Plans - According to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp (PBGC), the percentage of workers who have pensions that guarantee a specific monthly income has decreased from 78% in 1980 to 50% in 2005. The PBGC, which insures pension funds and assumes pension obligations from failed pension plans and bankrupt corporations, claims there are 31,000 pension plans run by American businesses and these plans have an estimated collective shortfall of $450 billion, a record figure.

Political Decline The political trend finds a common ground at what is considered the center of the political spectrum. The two major parties recite differences but due to their commitment to the public center have similar programs. Bold social initiatives have become relics of the past. The status quo is maintained and domestic policies are left to the private sector.

Environmental Decline The United States has refused to join the Kyoto Protocol that limits emissions of greenhouse gases and combats global warming. Why? Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says that joining the Kyoto Protocol would hurt the U.S. economy - which means lowering corporate profits. Global warming could greatly harm the American people, as well as the rest of the world, but that doesn't seem to matter.

The Socialization of America The rapid growth of the mixed economies of China, India and Russia demonstrate that a measure of control over currency exchange rates, wages, prices, production facilities, health care expenditures and pension plans give a nation a competitive edge in the global economy. These nations have a long way to go before their productivity peaks. Meanwhile, they can maintain wages low, increase them only as productivity increases and therefore maintain prices at a steady level.

America will not adopt the political and economic features of the mixed economies. However, the huge trade deficit, government deficits, decline in manufacturing, shifts to outsourcing to become competitive and loss of value of the dollar show that private industry cannot counter the aggressive competition of the partially socialized nations. The United States has no choice but to become more social and align government and industry in common goals that will correct the deleterious trends.

Cooperation between government and industry rather than free-wheeling economics will enable more rational decisions and predictable operations. Changes in life style that conserve energy (smaller cars, smaller houses) will lower energy prices, assist in the balance of payments and direct spending to domestic products. Distribution of wealth will increase spending on vital goods and reduce spending of superfluous goods. It will also bring citizens closer together, increase faith in the system and ameliorate social problems; eg.: crime, poverty, drugs. Ending of military adventures will reduce military spending, reduce the deficit and allow re-direction of wasteful military programs to more beneficial social programs. A National Pension plan, properly prepared of course, will resolve the Social Security and pension crises. A National Health plan, properly prepared of course and similar to those in other western nations, will resolve the Health crisis. Agreements on "outsourcing" will limit job losses. Participation in the Kyoto Protocol will enable a more serious challenge to the global warming threat. Government assistance will revive manufacturing. Improved regulation of immigration will preserve jobs for American citizens and prevent competition for wages. The world firmly rejected the extreme socialist economies that limited prosperity. However, emerging nations have not embraced the free-wheeling capitalist adventures identified with the current American administration - and for good reason - concentration of wealth, misuse of limited resources, and intense competition for markets that can lead to war, are the eventual results of a world system that totally embraces rugged individualism. The global economy has been pioneered by the United States but has not been a perfect fit for the pioneering nation. In order to provide prosperity for its people, the United States must implement policies that offset the deleterious effects of globalism. American history shows that private industry has never been the sole source of solutions to recurrent economic problems. Only changes in life style and a return to the social awareness that characterized the Roosevelt era can solve the economic, social, political and environmental declines predicted for America's future

Remarkable. They correctly analyze that a free market in wages and prices cannot compete with command economies which don't play by the same rules, and can distort the market to benefit themselves.

Then they come to the wrong conclusion by asserting that the United States must simply give up, and adopt the same rules that the cheaters use.

The truth is that you don't play the game with cheaters. You penalize them. That is precisely what trade tariffs and limited quotas are about: calling them 'protectionist' is merely inverting the intent. The reality is that what you are doing is rewarding those who play by open competitive rules, and penalizing those who do not.

The answer is not socialism. It's level playing fields, with enforced rules. And if you are to remain a nation state, to some extent you have to start with a bias towards your own nation, to the exclusion of others. How much of an exclusion that is, is open for debate.

But again, the answer is not socialism with bureaucratized economies.

The rise of social dysfunction is directly proportional to the decrease in the percentage of practising Christians.

When this nation was overwhelmingly and unabashedly Christian crime was a fraction of what it is today. The worst behaviour in schools were bubble gum chewing and running in the hallways. Guns were much more freely accessible yet crimes with guns were practically non-existent compared to todays crime rate.

We no longer have real men. We have undisciplined effetes.

We are experiencing today the results from the attacks on Christianity by the socialists with their multicultural egalitarianism and their non-judgmentalism.

It's time for Christians to re-assert themselves and stop being so defensive.

Take back the government and the schools. Return this nation to a nation of Christian values.

Vote ONLY for men who put Christ first in their lives. Nobody else is acceptable. We see the results firsthand.

(2) Social Security - While analysts predict a bankrupt social security system in mid-century, no adequate solution, except a private rescue plan, is being offered.
[snip]

Bold social initiatives have become relics of the past.

Are they saying that SS privatization is an adequate solution. I think the socialists need a new copy editor because I'm sure they didn't mean to speak the truth.

Also, notice the closest the Bush administration has come to a bold initiative, SS reform, was immediately poopooed by the left. I just wish the President had been bold enough to actually make a specific proposal instead of just broad outlines.

"Only changes in life style and a return to the social awareness that characterized the Roosevelt era can solve the economic, social, political and environmental declines predicted for America's future." Collectivism as our salvation. You wonder how old the people are at 'Alternative Insight'. They constantly dote on FDR and the New Deal."Collectivism as our salvation. You wonder how old the people are at 'Alternative Insight'. They constantly dote on FDR and the New Deal.

Maybe the author of this piece ought to read this.

My, My, we are upset that things are not going well, that this country is on its knees, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. For some, well, they got their wish, for others, well, they have just gone on with their lives, making adjustments to changes, setbacks, losses, the whole magilla. Shall we define free trade? How about fair trade, like dollar for dollar? Start this ball rolling and a whole lot of world attitude would change quickly. I am sure the starving billions in China would take to having more food on the table than more tanks and nukes.

Nope, the old Americans need to step back and take a look at this mess, both internationally and domestically. Let's face it: people don't like us! Should we care?

America is made up of resourceful people, and I don't care if you are any color, any political persuasion, any religion or whatever identifies you. Challenge Americans and get out of the way! Stop paying people to live in poverty, stop crying to others that you don't know what you are going to do in your old age because you did not save anything for your retirement. Stop complaining that there are no high-paying, low skill level jobs. Stop complaining that our jails are overcrowded, that it is not safe, that you worry for your children and their futures.

Nope, it all falls back on the individual, not the government, not a handful of flat-chested do-gooders. It takes personal responsibility to get the job done. There is no such thing as a program,paid for by tax dollars that will take the place of personal responsibility.

'It takes a family' is the title of a new book by Rick Santorum. It has always taken a family to get things done in life. Not welfare, not handouts, not vote buying, not rich liberals that know better than you what is good for your family.

Sure, this is going to be hard, but like I said earlier, Americans are resourceful people. Those that won't take personal responsibility for their lives will have to be taken care of by those that have done well, worked hard and have a little extra to spare. That is called 'Charity' and it begins at home and spreads from there. I would just like to see people stop complaining and get on with their lives. If we all did that,there would be no problems.

You know, if we abolished welfare and social security we could fund national health care? Now that really fits in with the written words of the constitution as the necessity of a Federal Government: to defend the nation and provide for the general welfare. All this other crap that has been developed has taken us farther and farther away from the original intent of having a government in the first place.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.