Capital Commerce

Spencer Bachus and the '17 Socialists' in Congress

By James Pethokoukis

Posted: April 10, 2009

OK, so Rep. Spencer Bachus, an Alabama Republican, told a Birmingham paper that there were 17 socialists in Congress. Of course, Newsweek has proclaimed "We're All Socialists Now." And a new Rasmussen poll found that just 53 percent of Americans thought "capitalism" was better than "socialism." I dunno, maybe the s-word isn't so negative an epithet anymore here in America. Liberal blogger Matthew Yglesias thanks Obama for that:

I think it reflects the fact that on a basic level “socialism” is good branding. The whole idea is that we should put society first rather than capital, or money. That sounds good! But in the United States we never had a Socialist Party so “socialism” was primarily associated with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which was not at all good. But to people under 30, there’s less of that old resonance. And saying that Obama, who’s popular, is a “socialist” may simply tend to make people have warmer feelings toward the word “socialism.”

Capitalism & Socialism

NO, we can certainly not have capitalism AND socialism. You have been reading too much Robin Hood. The rich provide jobs for the poor. If there are no rich to provide those jobs (which socialism does away with)where will the poor, the middle class etc... get their jobs? Look at the Soviet Union--failure. Look at Zimbabwe--failure. Look at Venezuala--failure.On the other hand look at once failing Ireland who has CUT capital gains taxes so that the rich could afford to treat their employees well--they are thriving now with one of the best economies in the world. Lastly, I leave you with this...written by a Russian man who has seen this all before:

American capitalism gone with a whimper . . . . .

"It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us (Russia) about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blinds the foolish...

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more than ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.

Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

So it should be no surprise that the American president has followed this up with a "bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

Stanislav Mishin

Misti Wells of AL @ Jul 16, 2009 23:57:54 PM

Capitalism vs. socialism

The difference between the government and a corporation is the power to threaten and use physical force.

There is something wrong with you moral code if you think that good comes out of the barrel of a gun.

And there is something wrong with your logic if you think that taking loot by force, from people who earned it, to give it to people who didn't earn it doesn't do any harm. This is nothing less than a reward for non-productivity and a punishment for productivity.

Put it another way. Let's say you work 40 hours/week as a physician. You could work another 4 hours (call it late office hours one day a week). If the marginal tax rate--the rate you will pay on the marginal income you get from this--is 60% after federal taxes, FICA and other payroll taxes, state taxes, and if you're unlucky enough city taxes, would you consider working until 9pm on Thursday? Why??

Or another way. Let's say you have accumulated $1M through hard work, taking risk, and 15 years. You can invest this in a startup that promises to make telecommunications much more effective. The risk the company will fail is 80%. If it succeeds, you may get a 1000% return. At what tax rate does this proposition become a loser.

Bearster of NY @ Apr 13, 2009 21:41:38 PM

Capitalism

2 points. Look at the industries of America. All of them. Notice what a piece of crap Enron was and the handful of the other companies that screwed their employees. Then look at the vastly greater majority of companies that provide goods and services and earn a profit all while keeping their employees happy. Keyword: Profit. point 2. Look at our government. Please name, besides defense, what our government does well. I will wait.

Our Gov't does nothing well. They do not profit. They take money from us, make laws that benefit them and their friends and we get the shaft in return! Anything run by gov't will fail. Notice, Russia brad of socailism failed. China on the other hand as started to embrace capitalism and the, clearly, are not failing. Putting limits on human achievement (which is what gov't does exceedingly well), only stifles basic human want and desire. You want a Lexus? Go out and earn a Lexus! You want a big house? Either go out and big the thing yourself or earn it! If you want to live on the streets, that completely fine, also.

When did the ideas of great men and revolutionaries such as the founder of this country, become the bane of disdain and hatred?

Will Mosley of GA @ Apr 13, 2009 00:40:00 AM

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Capital Commerce

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U.S. News business reporter Matthew Bandyk examines the issues, people, and debates that shape the nexus of political and economic life in the nation's capital.

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