The triumph of capitalism over democracy pretty much happened over the past 30 years, kicked off by Ronald Reagan and continued by every administration since. I wasn't naive enough to think that Obama could reverse the trend, which really hit full steam under GW Bush, but I didn't think he would embrace it so completely. But, hey, Paul Volcker, Larry Summers, Tim Geithner--these guys are all in on the scam.
Would that Obama's agenda were liberal. It's not. It's corporatist. They've won, they own us, and we're all fucked.
But it's handy, naive and meaningless shorthand to call it "socialist," pretty much bandied about by people who don't have the first fucking clue what socialism is.
I cannot believe I am saying this, but I yearn for the days when all we (ok, I) worried about is a big fat splooge on some Gap dress that belonged to an intern. Sigh.
@momof3wildkids: I have a serious question for you: why do you read/post on Gawker? Is the notion to educate the heathens? Because I think you are spitting in the wind, you know?
I think you have your stealth socialist. US now has significant ownership in banks, auto industry, insurance, etc.. Other than dropping the ball on gays in the military (which should totes be allowed, btw), what promised socialist scheme has Obama failed to do in his short time in office?
@momof3wildkids: Well, we kinda took over the banks when Bush was president, but whatever. What I like about Obama is how he created the conditions that caused the banks and automakers to fail so that they would desperately need federal money. Ingenious!
So if you read the Washington Times, we've elected Marx but if you read the New York Times, we've elected Hayek. Glad we're all coming together in these post-partisan days.
@I Love New Jersey: Of course! Because Al Capone gave money to his worthless cronies and started insane fights with people who hadn't attacked him out of paranoia and fear, just like Obama!
Wait, not Obama, the other guy. Bush. That was him.
I kind of like the tax holiday idea. The Fed can borrow more cheaply than average Americans and most non-rich (the "bottom 95%") would use the cut to liquefy debt. Seems like a decent swap to me - it's a direct way of doing what a bank stimulus is supposed to do. Combine that with insured deposits and you can let the banks fail.
The truly rich 5% would either spend the cash or invest it with the surviving banks in the surviving industries. I don't know if that produces the magical land of wind turbines and switchgrass or whatever it is politicians are saying while scientists hang their heads today. But hey, if we're all just going to take wild shots in the dark and accuse each other of pork barreling...
@ADismalScience: So what you're saying is, if Nadya Suleman is supporting herself and her 14 kids "on student loans," why can't the federal government do the same thing? It's weirdly brilliant, in a Bernie Madoff-Tom Petters-Carlos Ponzi way.
I actually think Obama chose door #3: Sit back, go about his business and watch to see if Newt Gingrich is really stupid enough step in and attempt to prevent a corpulent, pill-popping shock-jock from siccing his legions of mouth-breathing, sad-sack followers upon the assorted minstrels and clowns that constitute elected GOP leadership.
His air control plan is a doozy: magical space satellites will allow them to axe 7,000 air-controller jobs and increase air traffic over busy vectors. Why do Republicans hate safety so much?
@Baroness: It costs money, and since not everyone benefits from it (i.e., only people on airplanes, or directly beneath them), then not everyone should have to pay for it.
The Amnesiac Newt Comeback Tour played the Warfield last September. Place was fucking craaazy. They had to shut down the venue for 10 minutes in the middle of the set because the band refused to play a venue with union labor.
06/08/09
Would that Obama's agenda were liberal. It's not. It's corporatist. They've won, they own us, and we're all fucked.
06/08/09
But it's handy, naive and meaningless shorthand to call it "socialist," pretty much bandied about by people who don't have the first fucking clue what socialism is.
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I'm not rooting for his failure like some other conservatives as our country cannot afford for him to be wrong. But middle of the road? Please.
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Or was that Bush? Whatever.
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I am just pointing out that this man has accomplished a fair bit of his very left leaning agenda in short order.
Bush created this economic disaster on his own? He was a lousy President but he had a lot of help from Congress.
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Somebody check my math here.
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Wait, not Obama, the other guy. Bush. That was him.
03/02/09
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The truly rich 5% would either spend the cash or invest it with the surviving banks in the surviving industries. I don't know if that produces the magical land of wind turbines and switchgrass or whatever it is politicians are saying while scientists hang their heads today. But hey, if we're all just going to take wild shots in the dark and accuse each other of pork barreling...
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I'm saying you essentially swap consumer debt for Federal debt. I mean, we all still pay, but at lower rates.
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