Posted on 12/16/2008 10:57:43 AM PST by rvoitier
During the collapse of the Soviet Empire, Mikhail Gorbachev promoted the so-called "Third Way" as an alternative to free markets. This new way of governing would be neither capitalist nor communist, but something in between. In a similar vein, President Clinton said in his 1998 State of the Union address, "We have moved past the sterile debate between those who say government is the enemy and those who say government is the answer. My fellow Americans, we have found a Third Way." This Third Way calls for business and government to join hands as "partners." As Clinton told the Economic Club of Detroit in February 2002, "We are working with business to use technology, research and market incentives to meet national goals. Some have called this political philosophy the Third Way." In short, Big Business would own the economy (as under capitalism), while Big Government would run it (as under socialism). Corporations would be persuaded to comply with government directives through subsidies, tax breaks, customized legislation, and other special privileges.
I think a better third way would be to recognize that neither the economy, nor the government, is sustainable, and that both must considerably contract, until “quality” and “durability” catches up with “quantity” and “expendability”.
It makes a lot of sense out West, where cities sprang up in just a few decades, yet buildings were close to biodegradable and not expected to last more than a decade or two. Art, architecture and design equally transitory. The only buildings built to last a hundred years were built a hundred years ago.
As far as the government goes, it means a return to constitutional government, an end to the more than half the government that is little more than largesse and overreaching to the point of overarching. And just because it is technically possible for government to do, does not mean it is desirable in any way.
Economically, it means an end to easy credit, with people, corporations and government returning to the idea of only purchasing what can be afforded, saving for the future and our posterity, and rewards based on performance, not extravagance.
Many of the excesses we know today will end, like enormous, diploma mill universities putting students deeply in debt for dubious degrees of little bearing to their future employment. Public education itself will need to be radically improved, so that at a fraction of the cost, it will provide a multiple of proficiency. Children will learn by computer, because it is better and faster.
American agribusiness, one of our great national strengths, will also provide much of our energy with algae biodiesel, ending the grievous drain on our capital to pay for imported fuel. Otherwise, small but more numerous nuclear power plants will provide energy to a less vulnerable electrical grid.
Importantly, all of this will be done with the idea of providing more and better to our society; not the crippled philosophy that sees a future of only despair, shortage, and higher prices.
It was a Commie love-fest...the principle is that everything is structured like Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac...subject to do-gooder Liberal government policies and backstopped by taxpayer dollars...
And when the hundreds of millions are taken by senior management and board members when the whole gig goes tits up, the taxpayer re-funds the entire project again.
Like Bermuda grass, it slowly takes over the yard by choking the roots....roots being business and entrepreneurship.
If you go too far right, you reach the Front Door of Fascism. If you go too far left, you reach the back door of Fascism.
Most people recognize the Front door. Most people don’t recognize the Backdoor, until they’ve been inside the house for awhile.
The 'third way' is facism, and it's time everyone got this clear:
"...to pave a third way between liberal capitalism and state socialism..." Holocaust and Genocide Studies
"...intention was to find an alternative third way in politics ..." Mussolini and Italian Fascism
"Mussolini's fascism was marketed as a "Third Way" between socialism and capitalism." Blackshirts in 1922: Mussolini and Fascist
"Italian Fascism indeed is, compared with Capitalism and Communism, an appealing third way. Mussolini ..." Benito Mussolini - Catholic Answers
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