I see so much of this foolishness. People happy to accept "their" medicare and "their" social security, but electing doctrinaire right-wing zealots who strangle government programs of all types except for those that benefit the rich. We are all socialists to one degree or another. Unbridled socialism and unbridled capitalism are equally tyrannical. Maximum liberty is somewhere in the middle.
Rob Friar
I've always felt that a combination of the good bits of every form of government, make up the best form
Sam Burnham
I'd say that judging from the condition of radio stations, bailed out corporations, our transportation infrastructure, our public schools, and some of our municipal water systems, we might ought to think twice about what we let the Feds control.
Judy Manning
I accept "My Social Security" because I paid for it for more than 50 years.
Terrell Shaw
Yes, you did. And you and I also pay our part for many other things We the People have covenanted together to have - roads, safe, clean water, parks, safety nets for the poor and infirm, the best military in the world, etc., etc. Those are all things we provide for one another as a society. They are not "given" to us by big banks, big pharma, big insurance, big oil, etc. Now a strong free enterprise system helps to finance those things, but not without progressive taxation and strong democratic regulation.
Judy Manning
I have never objected to my tax money going for everything you mention from roads to the military. I do, however, object to "Big Government" dipping into those funds and using them for their own pet projects that do not benefit American citizens. I also resent paying government run agencies that are so poorly run that the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing. If I ran a business the way government runs this country, I would have been bankrupt years ago. When there is no accountability and no integrity in any enterprise it is detrimental to anyone associated with it. As for big banks, big pharma, big insurance, big oil, etc. It is big government that allows them to lobby and make large contributions to campaigns in order to turn votes in their favor.
Don Henderson
Any program payed for by an agreed upon tax, is socialism. As in a social program. Military and government being the two largest examples of social programs.
Sam Burnham
And Bernie Madoff started his own Social Security system. It didn't end well for him.
Don Henderson
If these people despise humanity so much, why don't they move to Russia, there, no one cares about you.
Sam Burnham
You got me! I'm conservative because I despise humanity. I guess it was a good charade while it lasted.
Don Henderson
What other reason is there? Good thing this isn't a Christian nation, otherwise, we'd be helping our fellow man without complaint.
Raymond Atkins
At all levels of government we all pay taxes for goods and services that don't benefit us personally. The real issue is how much each of us pays, and who sets those rates. I pay more real dollar taxes than GE Corporation. If I can't have their rate, and I can't because I don't have a lobbyist buying down my tax burden, then they should pay mine.
Raymond Atkins
And please don't anyone say trickle down...
Sam Burnham
Trickle down. We got one group thinking money trickles down through industry, another that thinks it trickles down through government and no matter who's in charge, the money never quite reaches the bottom of the filter.
Sam Burnham
Because greed is greed, no matter if you're elected or not.
Terrell Shaw
But We the People have some control over the greed of our elected officials, but no practical control over greed of big oil, big pharma, big insurance, etc. etc.
Sam Burnham
If only that was true. It was true with Burwell Creek because power was local and we could reach it. With an over-centralized behemoth making decisions, our power is nil.
Terrell Shaw
This will drive my (much-beloved) friends on the right nuts but... I believe in "squeeze-down" not "trickle-down". Unbridled capitalists keep their profits and any crumbs that fall to average folk are mighty meager and accidental. But the huge growth of the middle class in the twentieth century shows that when strong capitalism is tempered by strong unions and progressive taxation and labor/safety/environmental regulation, all boats really can rise. And that squeeze really turns out to be a loving hug in the long run, because, instead of being squeezed dry, the corporations will be healthy and happy bunches of stockholders and employees mostly living pretty comfortably.
Sam Burnham
I believe in not stealing from people more than is necessary to operate on constitutionally mandated levels of state and federal governing and having an educated populace that realizes the benefits of small business, small banks, and community outweigh any benefit that could come from mega corps, mega banks, and anonymity.
Terrell Shaw
Those things we agree together by way of our constitutionally elected representatives is not stealing. Capitalists who for personal gain foul our tiny nest in space are stealing from my children and yours whether the foul is financial or environmental.
Terrell Shaw
"Those things is!!!" Really, Terrell the English major?!!! ;-0)
Sam Burnham
Terrell Shaw I knew what you meant! LOL
I agree with you on some points here but I'm always stunned by the number of people who complain about mega banks but do business with them. We can vote with our wallets.
Raymond Atkins
You really can't avoid the mega-banks or the mega anything elses. What they do and don't do affects everything else. And policy is made for them, not us.
But I am constantly amazed at the number of regular folks who, by virtue of who they vote for, act against their own best interests.
Sam Burnham
Bingo. Policy is made for them. By politicians of both parties. And we can't fix it.
That's a problem.
Sam Burnham
Well, some of us are self-reliant and don't want handouts.
Raymond Atkins
You couldn't get a big enough handout to matter, Sam. Exxon, Citicorp, and Walmart, on the other hand...
Raymond Atkins
"Conservative" doesn't mean what people believe it does.
Sam Burnham
If you want to talk modern conservatism you'll have to take that up with someone else. I'm not a big fan of it.
Raymond Atkins
But our congress claims it is.
Sam Burnham
A small part of it does. Then much of it claims to be "moderate" (whatever that is) and then many are wildly leftist, like Mr. Galbraith there.
And to be honest, I see Liberty as being in my interest.
Raymond Atkins
If by wildly leftist you mean an individual who puts humans ahead of money, I totally agree. That makes me one too, I guess.
Where the heck did liberty just come from?
Sam Burnham
It comes from how I choose my candidates, my own self-interest.
But here's the question, that same moment of truth that I faced with old GWB. If handouts for big oil, big pharma, big whatever are all the Republicans' fault, and Barack Obama started his reign with both houses of Congress controlled by his sycophants...why didn't the handouts end?
Raymond Atkins
The robber barons have been running the show since there was a show. I sometimes wonder if they even look to see who is president. Congress controls the purse, and Congress, with very few notable exceptions, is and has been bought and paid for.
Sam Burnham
So it's not just a one party problem. Apparently we agree on that.
Raymond Atkins
I haven't mentioned party in this entire string, Sam. It's a money thing. Who has it, who keeps it, and how the rich mislead the uninformed masses about where it really goes.
Sam Burnham
A problem easily fixed by decentralization of power.
But, for the life of me, I can't figure out why folks vote against their own self-interest.
Ann Gore
Terrell Shaw well said!
Weyland Billingsley
Moderation is hard to come by.
Larry Madden
Correct me if I am wrong, but I did not see one person mention the fact that ALL of the money that tells government uses to implement it's programs comes directly or indirectly from the PEOPLE. NO government has the ability to produce revenue except through taxation. Knocking big oil and big pharma is not the approach to take because if the PEOPLE did not use oil or drugs they would not exist. The only approach to take with Big Corp is to reform the tax system and close the loopholes that allow them to pay little or no taxes.
I just read in the newspaper an article describing how bad the infrastructure is in America! The highways, bridges and other public works are hundreds of billions of dollars behind fulfilling their needed repair. In the meantime we have been pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into in competently run countries all across the world.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, PERIOD!
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