socialism

Chris Knight's avatar

Years ago when I was a Cub Scout, there was a cartoon in Boys Life showing a kid, obviously over-zealous with carpentry tools, telling his dog that he was there to give him a new doghouse. It was a parable about working with plans (which the lad decided for whatever reason that he didn’t need). In the first panel after the kid announces his intentions, the dog thinks “Oh no, spare me this!”

That was the first thing that popped into mind this morning when I read that President Obama might push through a vote on national “health care reform”, that it’s going to cost at least $1.5 TRILLION and to fund it Congress is looking at a 5.4 percent additional tax on the richest Americans.

Much like the dog in that cartoon: “Dear God, PLEASE spare us this!”

Lemme tell you what is going to happen if ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

This blog commented about the issue a little over four months ago: how some of the families of passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 were petitioning the federal government (and then-President George W. Bush in particular) to seize private property by eminent domain so as to have a memorial to those who died in the 9/11 attack.

Well, those families are getting what they wanted: the federal government is about to CONDEMN land from seven owners so as to build a 2,200 acre “memorial site”, and it’s planning to rush the proceedings through so that the thing can be ready in time for the tenth anniversary of the hijackings.

I’ll probably draw some flack for asking this aloud, but: what the HELL did those innocent people who died on United 93 actually DIE for, if the American government is now STEALING private property?

This is an act of ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Just over fifty years ago, Harding College produced a series of films “to create a deeper understanding” of American culture. This one, Make Mine Freedom, has been “re-discovered” in recent days and is making the rounds quite a bit across the Internet. Personally, I found it to be uncannily prophetic about the country we are living in today. Perhaps we should begin considering the wisdom of the past.

Here is Make Mine Freedom…

...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Remember how years ago we used to laugh at Pravda, the government-run newspaper of the Soviet Union? It would only print whatever news that the state deemed fit… and only with whatever spin that the Communist Party wanted it to have.

Here’s one more reason why the United States will soon have to owe the old Soviets an apology: there’s now a bill in Congress to “bail out” the struggling newspaper industry. If it becomes legislation, print news companies that accept government aid will be restructured as nonprofit, and will be banned from making political endorsements (very much like how churches are granted nonprofit status so long as their ministers don’t endorse candidates).

What the hell is happening to this country? I mean… government-managed newspapers?!?

Hey, I’ve worked in the newspaper industry. As a reporter. Twice. And there are a lot of reasons why newspapers are dying. And almost ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Can we call it “national socialism” now?

In the name of preventing damage to “the broader economy”, President Obama and his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are now seeking power to seize a wider array of businesses, and not necessarily banking/finance-related firms either.

I was afraid this would happen.

The regulation pendulum has been swinging wildly between both far ends of the spectrum. During the administration of George W. Bush there was a lot less regulation of such businesses, and that’s a big reason why we’re in our current economic mess. Now the Obama gang, exploiting public outrage like that about the AIG bonuses, is going to drive us toward too much regulation.

When the American government begins seriously talking about nationalizing businesses, start worrying. One way or another, if Obama and his bunch gets this kind of “authority”, it ain’t gonna end well....

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Chris Knight's avatar

Many of the families of passengers who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93 want George W. Bush to approve a seizure by the federal government of the field where the ill-fated flight crashed on the morning of the 9/11 attacks. The families want to turn the field into a memorial.

In other words, these people want to implement socialism to commemorate freedom.

I have never liked “eminent domain” uses like this, which is what the United 93 families are trying to call the seizure. But this isn’t for something needed like a highway or whatever. In this case it boils down to taking privately-held property (owned by Svonavec Inc.) by force of government, for benefit of a very few people.

Look, I think that what the passengers on United 93 did was courage personified. And their example is certainly something that all people can look to as an act of ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

You would think that common sense might be prevailing enough. I mean, c’mon… would you buy a car from a company owned by the same federal government that has so brilliantly managed Social Security and Amtrak?

So yesterday before the House of Representatives came the Honorable (so rarely do I get to use that term and the person I’m speaking of actually merit it) Ron Paul, and he laid down the smack bigtime on how positively wrong the notion of this “bailout” is. Paul has the brass ones to call this what it really is: socialism, and nationalizing an entire domestic industry. Dr. Paul references not just the Constitution, but a lot of good history.

Here it is: a lone voice of sanity in Washington D.C.

Listening to this, I have no doubt: if the Republican Party leadership (a bunch that I have absolutely no respect for at all) had ...

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