Posted on 09/02/2012 12:14:00 PM PDT by Innovative
The myth of a democratic socialist society funded by capitalism is finished.
Whatever the outcome of the American presidential election, one thing is certain: the fighting of it will be the most significant political event of the decade. Last week's Republican national convention sharpened what had been until then only a vague, inchoate theme: this campaign is going to consist of the debate that all Western democratic countries should be engaging in, but which only the United States has the nerve to undertake.
What is being challenged is nothing less than the most basic premise of the politics of the centre ground: that you can have free market economics and a democratic socialist welfare system at the same time. The magic formula in which the wealth produced by the market economy is redistributed by the state - from those who produce it to those whom the government believes deserve it - has gone bust.
It (the message) was just a reassertion of the basic values of American political culture: self-determination, individual aspiration and genuine community, as opposed to belief in the state as the fount of all social virtue. Romney caught this rather nicely in his acceptance speech, with the comment that the US was built on the idea of "a system that is dedicated to creating tomorrow's prosperity rather than trying to redistribute today's." Or as Marco Rubio put it in his speech, Obama is "trying ideas that people came to America to get away from".
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
It has become apparent to anyone with a grip on economic reality that free markets simply cannot produce enough wealth to support the sort of universal entitlement programmes which the populations of democratic countries have been led to expect. The fantasy may be sustained for a while by the relentless production of phoney money to fund benefits and job-creation projects, until the economy is turned into a meaningless internal recycling mechanism in the style of the old Soviet Union.
It may also be sustained by infusions of outside cash, if there is an "outside" that can afford it. If there isn't, then we all go down together.
Or as Marco Rubio put it in his speech, Obama is trying ideas that people came to America to get away from.
Killer line, and true. BTT.
“Col. Suharto was antidotal in Indonesia, Col. Pinochet in Chile. “
You know that we put both of those into power.
Interestingly enough,
A man shown at a party with Obama Sr (Nachmanoff) ended up being involved in the Chile Mess and Obama’s stepfather ended up being involved in the Suharto mess.
Of course, you and God want to have Obama reelected — well, at least you do.
Darned if she hasn’t put her finger right on what this election is about.
Some of the best articles are from across the lake, over in Britain.
on August 24, 1963, Khrushchev remarked in his speech in Yugoslavia
“I once said, ‘We will bury you,’ and I got into trouble with it. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you”
Chris Hitchens went to his grave still calling for the head of Henry the K, over Chile. Hmmmm, wonder why he never called for an international show trial for Dean Rusk? He was SecState under LBJ when Indonesia broomed the PKI into the Java and Andaman Seas.
Obama’s stepfather ended up being involved in the Suharto mess.
Do tell. Lolo was a Suharto-ite? No wonder his red-diaper wife dumped him.
Several people have noticed Fleet Street's willingness to cover several issues that are under active suppression by the comrades of the Stateside QuislingStream Media.
In the 80's and 90's we had the spectacle of slow recoveries attended by massive F&A hiring aimed IMHO at stopping the trickles, and concentrating capital in overseas opportunities.
It was even evident in mutual-fund and pension-fund investing, when "diversification" internationally became a long-running vogue. No pension fund in the country would have thought, in 1950, of buying rafts of foreign shares and debt.
Great article, thanks for the post.
“Obamas stepfather ended up being involved in the Suharto mess.
You have to read between the lines. East West Center trained operatives for the CIA. There was a program in place similar to Operation Phoenix for Indonesia. In 1965 William Colby was in charge of Indonesia.
Lolo got called back from East West Center right about the time the mess started in Indonesia. The Ambassador for Indonesia left and became Head of East West Center
It’s always fascinated me that Obama’s mother was teaching arts and crafts and then suddenly goes back to Indonesia right as the East Timor Massacre is set to take place with the help of the US.
Obama’s mentor and advisor is the one that kept the information about East Timor from coming out under Carter.
CIA and other intelligence agencies have long used anthropology as covers.
Ping. Excellent article, but weak close.
The Democratic Welfare state is doomed, but we can run it more efficiently with vouchers. Duh.
Exactly right, Balding!
The Founders were brilliant, thoughtful men who understood the evil that tempts all of humanity. They devised a system that pitted one group against the other (checks and balances) and spread power to several distant places (federalism). They knew that dictatorship was the norm in human affairs, given the chance.
But the ultimate power rested with the people and the Second Amendment was the purest possible embodiment of that power. When the people can wage war (after a fashion) then they are NEVER mere subjects and you had BETTER LISTEN to what they say!
Bozo was multi-mentored. Which one was this? Vernon Jordan? Prince Waleed? Soros?
More likely, someone was turning the CIA inside-out like a rubber glove ..... and after the Church hearings, Wm. Colby was the last man standing.
But that still doesn't have anything to do with that little CPUSA cell that was the Dunham family.
Or as Marco Rubio put it in his speech, Obama is “trying ideas that people came to America to get away from”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People are funny, they come to get away from tyranny, etc, and at the same time they like getting free education, free medical, and all kinds of governmental benefits.
Sorta like eating your cake and having it too.
God bless and help America!
One way of looking at this election
It matters not who wins in November. I say this because the Blue Social Model (as Walter Russell Mead puts it) is going away. The model of government/society we have had for the last 100 years is on its last legs. See the various State budget crises around the country, around the world see the RU, China...etc. and we see the old way is dying.
Now if Mitt Romney wins we have a shot (just a shot) at making a translation “relatively” painlessly. If Obama wins...is going to be bad, very very bad, maybe not in his 2nd term but shortly after,
But make no mistake change is coming...and sooner rather than later.
Well then, The Economist magazine should just cease publication. :)
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.