Bob Bennett’s Defeat Shows Extremism in Politics

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The centrally planned economy is dead and buried for good. I'm glad of it. But one thing we've learned over the past thirty years is that neither pure communism nor pure capitalism work. They both are based on absolutist dogmas which bear little resemblance to reality. Only a mixed economy will bring the most optimal living standards to the most people. Germany, Sweden, Canada and even the UK had greater average living standards in many ways than the US. US living standards owe as much to government as to the private sector. Without trillions in government spending over the years we'd have chronic double digit unemployment, fully a third of the US population would have absolutely NO access to health care of any kind and we wouldn't have the trained and educated workforce to develop the various technological and other advances we have that have contributed to our high standard of living. Furthermore, highly developed countries like Chile, the UK, the US and Israel that have gone from a Mixed economy or Keynesian welfare state to free market capitalism since 1980 have seen a rapid decline in their middle classes, a rise in average poverty and unemployment rates and an increase in various sorts of social problems in general. And as we should all realize, it was the trade union movements in the US and elsewhere that build the middle classes and created the effective demand to sustain a three decade long era of economic growth immediately after WWII.
We can't revert to the way things were but only move forward. In doing so, we can develop a social democratic agenda to restore stability, equality, security and an economy that works for everyone.

steve of IL 6:04PM July 15, 2010

I hope we never see what you are pushing . It has never worked , anywhere .
I know you progressives think you're so smart and can get it right , so did the people that tried it , people don't want it .

Hunter of WI 6:17AM July 15, 2010

Hunter, I see my contribution to America's greatness as being based on promoting the current political debate on the chronic stagnation of late capitalism. My goal is to foster a debate and eventual political movement for democratic socialism based somewhat on the Swedish model. It was quite successful for a while but the world economic slowdown brought it to an end in the 1990s. Further, Sweden had the advantage of big export markets for consumer durables immediately after the war. Plus, they have a small population. American socialism would work very well if designed correctly. People need to lose their fear of "the S word" in order for the movement to take hold.
American socialism should consist of these basic goals.
*Massive public investment for full employment.
*Renewable energy development and green jobs.
*Steep progressive taxation.
*Support for union rights and higher incomes to rebuild the middle class.
*Massive public investment in a new economy consisting of jobs that can't be outsourced such as mass transit, infrastructure repair and development, alternative energy development, health care including the construction of new hospitals and clinics, education expansion and high tech research and development.
*Strict financial reregulation limiting the size of banks and reducing the overall size of the financial sector. Interest rate controls and a financial transaction surcharge and a steep tax on short term speculative investments.
*Universal, Single payer health care system perhaps in the form of expanding Medicare for all.
*Free Public education and more investment in education in poor neighborhoods.
This is only a start but a good one. I think it would make America a better place for more people.

steve of IL 9:39PM July 14, 2010

Thanks for the insult , love it , keep them comming you self rightous pinhead .

Hunter of WI 7:59PM July 13, 2010

You alienate the youth and cause them to drop out of society.

steve of IL 7:12PM July 13, 2010

Steve of Ill. Sorry steve , America IS GREAT !! Get out you sorry A--...

Hunter of WI 10:12PM July 12, 2010

People do have the right to struggle for the political ideals they believe in. I don't like yours or the teabaggers but I suppose you have every right to fight for your beliefs. Socialism is not an alien belief in America. It all depends what you define it as. I don't take as a model dictatorial but democratic versions of this system. It includes all the basic features I described. Public investment for full employment, universal single payer pensions and health care, progressive taxation on the very rich, industrial and financial regulation, a social safety net and some public ownership of basic infrastructure such as utilities. Many people in our country's modern history have advocated these things. They were well supported and considered good Americans. What is clear to me is that we need this agenda again. My idea of democratic socialism is a mixed economy, not a centrally planned one. Those have failed, not the other variety. There are many countries with more "socialized" systems than we have that have better average standards of living than we do here.
The US is not the only place on earth. Innovation comes from all over the world. There many countries that have better overall health, education and living standards. The US is different than it was 50 years ago. Today, only the rich have it good and enjoy security. For most of the others life is more and more insecure. There are many problems here. We do some things well but some things not. Most countries don't want to emulate us or they would. You believe many angry myths. People come here because our borders are more open than other places. If other places were as open, more people would go to those places.
It has been estimated in 2005 by the UN that more than three percent of the world's population lives outside the country in which they were born (186,579,300). Canada absorbs more immigrants per capita than most other countries, including the US. The US only takes a small portion of the global total a year, roughly 20.5%.
http://www.how2immigrate.net/canada/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_immigrant_population
Hunter, you seem to believe in the arrogant myth of "American exceptionalism." This is foolish and belligerent.

steve of IL 4:32PM July 12, 2010

Thanks for being honest about your political beliefs . Instead of trying to change the greatest country on earth , a country that has saved half the world , changed inovation , promoted and fought for freedom , a country that half the world would like to be like , a country that people come from all over the world to live in because it's so much better than where they live , WHY DON"T YOU JUST MOVE , OR CHANGE PLACES WITH ONE OF THEM ? LEAVE US ALONE . There is plenty of countries that fit your needs , granted , not many are working very well , but they are out there ..

Hunter of WI 5:00PM July 10, 2010

Hunter, I only vote for the Democrats because I hate and fear the GOP (and with good reason). I wish a third party were just as strong and that we had a parliamentary system. I'd vote socialist so that they rule in a coalition with the left wing of the Democratic Party. Then we'd get fiscal stimulus, universal single payer health care, jobs, union rights, full employment investment by the government, free education and the banks would be reduced to their proper role as a public utility financing productive businesses as opposed to casinos for speculation. That is Democratic Socialism and it does work.

steve of IL 1:47PM July 10, 2010

They are democrats . They are the least democratic bunch on the planet . They like to call themselves democratic , it would be nice if they were . Sounds like more BS to me . Like everything else from the left , say it enough , people might fall for it . Call yourselves what you want , I like , progressive liberal party .

Hunter of WI 8:22PM July 09, 2010