Posted on 12/23/2007 6:44:53 PM PST by AmericanMade1776
The signal-to-noise ratio on this thread is quite low, but you are one of the few voices of reason.
Yeah, I noticed. The MSM is soundbites: “America GOING Fascist”. There’s no explanation of what is meant by that. In my book, Big Government IS fascism. So, any movement toward Big Government is moving toward fascism. I don’t think there is much disagreement around Free Republic that Big Government is getting bigger and more intrusive. Look at this “Energy Bill”, orders car companies how they are going to build their cars and what kind of cars they’re going to build. It outlaws incandescent light bulbs (I understand). If this isn’t movement toward fascism, what is?
Full disclosure, I voted for Ron Paul in ‘88. This time, I’m voting for Hunter or Thompson.
I can guarantee to you that Ron Paul has read Hayek’s “The Road to Serfdom”.
The hyperbole of this statement is dangerous in that it blinds us to the real and genuine dangers we face, which are creeping socialism.
First, thanks for your post, lots of good info.
I'll just disagree to the extent that big corporations do more than cheerlead. Let's take the recent NBC Networks "Green Week". NBC gave global warming and other eco-nonsense millions and millions of dollars of free publicity. Was it cheerleading? Was it ideology? Was it an attempt to propagandize the American People? Was it a corporate scam for more money and profits?
The answer is YES, all of the above. NBC is owned by GE. GE is making a huge push to get governments, including the US government, to impose environmental regulations that can only be met through the purchase of GE products. GE is promoting fascism in order to increase its own profits. Of course, this can only be successful in the short term and will lead to demands for higher taxes on corporations, including GE, but that's the successor's problems.
I was in the drug industry and heard high level executives brag about how they were pushing the Prescription Drug Act, which would force taxpayers to buy Rx drugs and give them to other people. Many corporations are in the business of living off taxpayers. They don't produce for the market, they produce according to governmental dictates.
That my friend is fascism. It is easier to influence (control) a few government employees than it is to produce for millions of consumers, making their individual decisions. Corporations don't 'control' this system, but they sure as hell have tremendous influence. And they are more than reluctantly cheerleading, they are leading the way into this future.
But if you look at the Declaration of Independence, you could argue that it makes a conspiracy theory:
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
The Declaration goes on to make a case that George III was the head conspirator. They had evidence and they made their case. Conspiracies do exist after all, but you have to have evidence and make your case. Conspiracy theories of the type that the 'jews run the media' or 'free masons control the government' are nonsensical and pernicious.
What is extremely sad is that if Ron Paul had the “right” stance on Iraq he would be the one FR is championing.
But since he’s not “right” on Iraq, and I guess American hegemony in general, any method must be used to neutralize him and his supporters.
Someone mentioned above that elections are no longer about Demvs Repub. They are about globalists/collectivists vs nationalists/individualists.
Let’s see:
1) Giuliani - globalist/collectivist
2) Romney - globalist collectivist
3) Huckabee - globalist/collectivist
4) Clinton - globalist/collectivist
5) Obama - globalist/collectivist
6) Edwards - globalist/collectivist
7) Paul - nationalist/individualist
8) Thompson - nationalist/individualist
9) Hunter - nationalist/individualist
I put Thompson under the nationalist/individualist label becuase I think he leans more in that direction than the other. But clearly the only candidates in the race who would truly be in America’s best interests are Hunter and Paul with Thompson coming in at third.
I have spoken to a number of people who find Paul’s views attractive, which surprised me given how little coverage he gets of his actual opinions.
The media’s effort to demonize him says to me there is some desire/bias to make sure that one little voice openly criticizing almost every aspect of the system has their name become synonymous with crazy, nutty, whatever.
Re NBC/GE, you always have to follow the money, especially with this conglomo in particular given that they produce or sell almost everything you could want. Occasionally they do put their foot in their mouth (the GM side fuel tanks pickup issue) in a way the parent company doesn’t seem to benefit from....
“It outlaws incandescent light bulbs (I understand).”
I looked this up, and apparently it does, by a certain year. No idea when they will actually vanish from shelves though.
Somehow, I don't think Jeff Skilling and Andy Fastow would agree with that statement.
Paul and Huck continue to be fed enough rope from which to hang themselves.
For the record, I am a Fredhead. It is my opinion that the fight for the nomination will go to the convention.
Took 34 posts to state the obvious.
" Capitalism is where the government's role in the economy is as a judge to interpret and enforce contracts made between free people. Communism is where the government owns the means of production, think the post office or public schools. Fascism is the original third way, where government doesn't own the means of production, but where the government regulates the means of production."
Since the above does not fit on a bumper sticker, it is not allowed to be a part of the political discussion.
I would rank them as you did, if trancredo was still in I’d have put him ahead of Thompson.
Belly Laugh!
ping
I have a dear friend who worked at a fairly high level in the last Administration. She says, "People who don't believe in conspiracy theories have never worked in government!"
bump
bump
So, the idea the libertarians won't take ideas from Lefties is wrong. The standard has to be, whether the concept is correct, not where it came from. I do know Kolko or Williams repudiated the use that libertarians made of their work. They didn't like the Free Market types using their analysis for their own purposes.
Yes, good flick.
And I agree with you that any conspiracy needs to be proven to be taken seriously.
But anyone who has worked in government to get anything done, needs to understand that when you're the one doing it, you don't call it "a conspiracy", you call it "a coalition" or "a consensus" or something else seemingly innocuous. Only others are guilty of conspiracies, never you!
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