The Right is Right, Revolution is Coming

Good Morning Papamoka Readers! There's a new Rasmussen national poll out that suggests only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism. That result is extraordinary! No wonder John McCain lost the election trying to paint Barack Obama as a socialist.

It also clear now why the idiots of FOX "News" and other conservative media are beginning to look like smoke-filled echo chambers these days. The term "socialism" is finally losing some of its political punch, and they're just too stupid to realize it. I think it's a positive sign for those of us concerned about the future. Hopefully, it shows that America is evolving.

Rasmussen found that 20% of Americans say socialism is better, while 27% are not sure which is better. That sounds predictable. What is shocking are the trends. It's all about the next generation people!

Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. That is NEW! That is NEWS! The slightly older thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. That still represents a trend away from Republicanism.

Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of older Americans believe socialism is better. Of course, they represent the heart of modern, unregulated capitalism, or Republicanism.

Personally, I consider myself a responsible capitalist. What is that? By and large it means I believe in sustainable economics, or an economy that can sustain society and all of mankind, while contributing to individual freedom and happiness. I also believe in trying to protect health, the environment, the vulnerable, and the future. Wow, what a radical I am!

Most of those protections are already in place. The missing link involves health care, and I think President Obama will handle that issue. The only "socialism" left to worry about involves the large holes in regulations left by modern Republicans. You know what I mean? The Republican deregulation that destroyed the modern economy. It's clear that we need to re-regulate the market so that it doesn't destroy itself or us. We also have to ensure a healthy, sustainable future.

As the poll suggests, most YOUNG Americans today are supportive of the idea. It also suggests most OLDER Americans, mainly Republicans (led by idiots like Bush, McCain, Palin and Romney), are way behind the learning curve. It makes you wonder if they'll ever catch-up. I wouldn't hold my breath.

I think the poll also suggests that people are changing their minds about the nature of free enterprise and what we call individual rights. The Republican free market ideal has always meant unlimited rights. I think that is less acceptable to people now. National and world resources are now seen as limited. It only makes sense that individual responsibility is more important. Free enterprise and individuals rights will pay a price. The planet and the future are now seen as vulnerable.

Free enterprise must have limits. It must be both responsible and sustainable.

Just to be clear for those on the right, we're talking about a multi-party, socially responsible capitalism. A sustainable, healthy capitalism. We're NOT talking about a single-party socialism. If you jump to that conclusion, you're an idiot! It would save a lot of time [in this debate] if you just accept that fact, and not try to paint me out to be some kind of anti-capitalistic, anti-democratic nut case.

It's now becoming clear that Republican-led, unregulated, free market capitalism is slowly destroying our nation, our planet, our health, and our children's future.

I think people are figuring it out. It seems the only ones denying it now are the far right, and they're beginning to look like a radical fringe group. Interestingly, if you listen to conservative media, they think the revolution is going their way. I think it's going our way - let's hope, our future depends on it. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Viva la Revolution!

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

American Depression Starts!

How do you put it in simple terms to tell the people that your government as you know it has sold America out for personal gain? How do you tell someone that loves John McCain that he sold you out too? How do you instill the common sense it takes to see the coruption of the last eight years played into the downfall of America's economy?

Don’t hold your breath to hear this news on the networks. The facts of the current financial crisis in the American banking world were told to the leaders of Congress and they were speechless. When was the last time you heard of a politician that had no words. All of the policies of the last eight years has crippled America financially and that responsibility rest at the feet of George W. Bush. And it rests at the feet of people like John McCain that wanted less regulation of our financial markets not just this past week but for decades in the Senate.

This is not good news my friends. This is the end of the never ending growth in America simply because there were no rules to make more money for the sake of making more money that was instilled by Republican policy over the last eight years. Those that made this situation possible have already taken the rewards of the fatted calf and can ride this depression out. Millionaires have that safety buffer to do so, do you?

Over at the New York Times they have this to say on a speechless Congress on hearing the news of our actual state of the union…

Congressional Leaders Stunned by Warnings

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Published: September 19, 2008

WASHINGTON — It was a room full of people who rarely hold their tongues. But as the Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, laid out the potentially devastating ramifications of the financial crisis before congressional leaders on Thursday night, there was a stunned silence at first.

Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

As Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, put it Friday morning on the ABC program “Good Morning America,” the congressional leaders were told “that we’re literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the implications here at home and globally.”

Mr. Schumer added, “History was sort of hanging over it, like this was a moment.”
When Mr. Schumer described the meeting as “somber,” Mr. Dodd cut in. “Somber doesn’t begin to justify the words,” he said. “We have never heard language like this.”
“What you heard last evening,” he added, “is one of those rare moments, certainly rare in my experience here, is Democrats and Republicans deciding we need to work together quickly.”

Although Mr. Schumer, Mr. Dodd and other participants declined to repeat precisely what they were told by Mr. Bernanke and Mr. Paulson, they said the two men described the financial system as effectively bound in a knot that was being pulled tighter and tighter by the day.

“You have the credit lines in America, which are the lifeblood of the economy, frozen.” Mr. Schumer said. “That hasn’t happened before. It’s a brave new world. You are in uncharted territory, but the one thing you do know is you can’t leave them frozen or the economy will just head south at a rapid rate.”

As he spoke, Mr. Schumer swooped his hand, to make the gesture of a plummeting bird. “You know we’d be lucky ...” he said as his voice trailed off. “Well, I’ll leave it at that.” - New York Times

In one day this election for President has changed from continuing the policies of Hoover or electing a new deal leader in Roosevelt. I think you all know who is following Hoover and who is following the footsteps of FDR.

I’m shocked, I’m pissed off, and I know that it was not the Democrat Party that sold America down the drain for the sake of making more and more money from the bottom of the food chain in the American economy. Getting past all of the blame we as a people need to move forward, change the way America deals with the markets, change the way we do not care what our political leaders are doing to our nation. Now is the time for change and now is the time for fresh blood in the Congress and in the White House. America and it’s people deserve to be saved just as much as the big banks and Wall Street firms that the Trillion Dollar bailout is going to fund.

Pick a candidate, McCain that follows the policies of Bush that caused this disaster or Obama that is offering a new path out of the disaster? It’s your choice but make sure you vote your wallet if you have not already sold off all of your investments because inflation is about to skyrocket here in America.

Un Freaking believable! Hat tip to Memeorandum for this post!

Papamoka