print“To get a Democrat to admit to practicing socialism is a lot like frisking a wet seal.
To get Republicans to confess to their role in socializing America is an equally slippery affair.
The latter have been grandstanding about the plan of the wily pitch-man Obama to plunder taxpayers (the minority) so as to pay tax consumers (the majority). For the edification of GOP grandstanders, America has a tax system that energetically distributes income.
The progressive income tax is a good example of Karl Marx’s maxim, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” It is socialism by any other name.
Obama is an adherent of this socialism; as is McCain. And so is George Bush, who, as a campaign ploy, had promised to reform America’s steep tax system, but decided to stick with Karl.
Indeed, America, the cradle of capitalism, clings to Karl. Russia, the cradle of communism, has abandoned him in favor of a flat—and very low—tax on income. …”
Read the complete column, “GOP Sticks With Karl (Marx)“, on WND.com
I don’t think the mass of Americans are in favor of socialism but they are mindful of the periodic destruction our dishonest (fractional reserve) banking system inflicts on us. One of the consequences of the boom/bust cycle caused by fractional reserve banking is a cry for more social spending during the bust. This is understandable since even hardworking people can lose their jobs as in the Great Depression when the unemployment rate reached 25%.
It is time for monetary reform of the sort Ron Paul proposes. Maybe by 2012 the country will be ready for an honest banking system.
Ilana, You are right on, as usual!
I have just recently discovered you and very much enjoy your wit, intellect, sharp mind and your entertaining use of the English language.
You have nailed how I feel about our country. But, I have felt powerless to do anything about the direction our “leaders” are taking us.
I have been in libertarian Limbo for some time, not agreeing with all their precepts. I have been appalled by how the “military-media-congressional- industrial complex” has totally mishandled the kidnapping of the 400+ children, has demonized Michael Vick and now is bailing out our wealthy.
What can one voice do in such a tyrannical society?
They silenced Aaron Russo, Ron Paul and others. I pray you remain free to espouse your opinions.
Ilana:
You are once again, no pun intended, Right on the mark. I’ve been saying that our choices every four years are between Karl and Marx.
Where is the Politician who believes in the principals on which this country was founded?
We have a two party system, but not as it once was.
Instead of a (D) or an (R) they should put a (W) or a (U) by politician names..
Two parties: Washington and Us. And The (U)’s are losing.
( 1 ) Republicans are even more odious than the slightly more honest neo-Marxist neo-Mussolini Democrats and deserve to lose.
( 2 ) As you state, direct taxation is better than borrowing/inflating which enslaves future generations at compound interest. Real-time taxation causes more resistance to spending than living on a counterfeit credit card. Ironically, Democrats are better than “compassionate conservatives” on this.
( 3 ) Nevertheless, the focus must be on the BEAST – government – itself. Local, state, federal, and bailouts – consuming $6 Trillion/year comes out to $ 20,000 / person and ONLY an income tax can do it – there just is not enough money from plumbers, waiters, and nurses to pay that loot. One must KILL THE SPENDING to kill the income tax.
( 4 ) Impoverishing 80% of the population into further dependency on government to fork up the $ 6 trillion certainly will not cut it. Until we SLAY THE BEAST – stadium owners, ethanol hucksters, and bank CEO’s will have to pay the progressive taxation to support their own looting.
( 5 ) Does that make me a “Obama Marxist libertarian”?? Sad world we inhabit!
The underlying problem is that the American electorate is rather fond of old Karl. Back in the Sixties, when Bill Clinton was just another draft dodger, we had a “Civil Rights Revolution” during which the franchise was extended to anyone who can breathe. (By the way, the 24th Amendment, ratified in December of 1964, did away with state poll taxes as a qualification for voting.) Consequently, people who live on the government’s dole, or would like to, have as much right to vote as any taxpaying conservative. I’m afraid that the former group already constitute an overwhelming majority. Your eloquent prose might convice them to change their ways, but first someone would need to teach them to read. There doesn’t seem to be a democratic solution to this problem.
Dear Ms. Mercer,
Every time I look at that photo of Karl Marx I can’t help but get the feeling that that’s the way St. Paul (sans beard) must have looked like. Both men had quite a bit in common, both came from a rabbinical background, both were men of enormous vitality and passionate intensity, both were men of physical and moral courage and both founded a messianic religion.
It is said that Marx, when in his cups, was quite a mean brawler. There is a story, that in one of his London pub-crawls Marx overheard someone make a disparaging remark about Russia. Thinking he heard ‘Prussia’ (patriotism being a disease that strikes reasonable people only abroad) Marx challenged that man. Words were exchanged, followed by fists, bottles & glasses and soon the boozer was in shambles. Just as things got interesting, the peelers barged in and hauled Marx off to the local cop-shop where he spent the night in a cell to appear the following morning in a magistrate’s court where the beak bound him over to keep the peace and mulcted him of a considerable amount of cash; likely as not, friend Engels paid the fine.
E. David Litvak
To Gringo-Malo: The franchise for the poor was extended around the time of Andy Jackson – the 1960’s just added blacks to the mix. Trouble with your analysis is that the two wealthiest counties in the USA are Loudon and Fairfax VA – hard working moochers of the Welfare-Warfare state like me. Add all the old folks on SS/Medicare, investors in federally owned banks, etc. and, as Pogo says: “We have met the enemy and it is us”. The whole idea of socialism is to make us ALL into dependents and addicts. They just have more educated and wealthier dependents in Fairfax, VA.
Memo to Erudites:
What a great piece! Insightful and instructive as heck. I’ve long felt that the vacuum those Damnocrats are leaving in their stampede to the Left Pole are being filled nicely with the ‘moderate’ Repugnantcans. And you had so MANY titles to choose from… “The GOP Sticks Marx To Us”… or simply, “The GOP Sticks It To Us”. There ARE some (a few) true conservatives left in the Rep. party and they are doing a lot to try and reclaim it, but theirs is an increasingly uphill battle whose voices will not likely be heard or heeded UNTIL the whole country shakes violently and Obama’s economic mushroom clouds began to grow and expand over Wallshington Street, sucking all the oxygen out of the country.
Blessings, dear!
Ooopsie… Freudian slip there Erudites! Meant to say, “…until Paulsen’s bi-partisan economic mushroom clouds begin to grow and expand…”
I have only woken up to the fact recently that the Democrats in the United States and the Liberals in Canada are just repackaging Marx. Our previous Prime Minister, Paul Martin, actually proposed a universal day-care plan (the state raising all our children). We have a ‘progressive’ income tax and everyone thinks that’s just great. When newspapers report the ‘rich getting richer’ everyone has a fit. Now it seems Obama is going to successfully sell out-and-out Communism to the American public as a new concept. Unbelievable.
This is a superb and honest piece, Ilana. Thank you. I suppose i will see you somewhere in West Texas when McBama or Ocain gets the gulag all stoked up. I’ll be the one with the wirecutters who knows where the windmills are located. We’ll keep on fightin’.