SOCIALIST USA

SOCIALIST

USA

“Whether you favor a Creationist Doctrine or an Evolutionist one, if you make an intelligent and objective appraisal of the basis of either doctrine, you must admit that to exist both had to base their essence on what we can only qualify as strictly socialistic values.”

Maurice Danremont

 

‘Professor, have you noticed that every time a new wrinkle of the Recovery package is revealed, the labels nationalization and socialism are automatically mentioned? “

“Yes and it is regrettable that such labeling displays a degree of ignorance that tends to confuse the issues. The assistance provided by the Government to banks, private financial institutions, entire sectors of the housing and other industries and private enterprises, is just another recovery mechanism used in the worst crisis of our history and should not be labeled anything.!”

I added:

“It seems that the objective of the opposition is to oppose, and I don’t mean a fair and constructive opposition, but a continuous stream of exaggerations, falsehoods and distortions, all of them wrapped not very skillfully by a demagogic tone that would make Sen. McCarthy, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and my rich cousin Elmo, pale with envy! The terms socialism and nationalization have all of a sudden acquired a repulsive undertone!”

The Professor smiled and observed:

“What people do not seem to realize is that all modern governments to qualify, have to adopt policies and laws that can be termed socialistic. The day the primitive cavemen agreed to let old Kngrt (pronounced Nick – they were cavemen, remember?) act as their leader and follow the simple rules he favored, they ceased to be independent entrepreneurs and became part of a social system. They became ‘socialists’!”

He paused and then continued. The plot was thickening:

“Most of the functions and policies of modern governments – if you insist on being a purist – respond to a socialized approach, meaning that every time a government assumes a position on any issue, it has to satisfy the needs of the society it represents, Carried to a extreme, these positions can be detrimental as in the case of many systems that evolve into dictatorships or centralized decision-making gangs, but the ‘social’ process has been there from the beginning, my friend!”

“An example, Professor?”

“Any of the million benefits you enjoy in any  modern society.  School systems,  public, private or in between; the variety of security measures provided by your government including the motorcycle cop that gives tickets to little old ladies, are a social service and the only way they can operate efficiently is if they follow a strict rule book supervised by its government. All public services have their origin in a social need and the development of social guidelines, which you can term socialized measures and like all other measures, requires the control of the existing government!”

I asked:

“Where does capitalism enter into all this?”

“You should ask the cattle barons, the fat owners of the original train systems and many others that, through their own efforts, accumulated wealth and power and had little concerns for the people that helped them create that wealth. They invented capitalism, borrowing some of the concepts of the Founding Fathers, also wealthy merchants reluctant to keep the British Empire in

Champagne

and Silk stockings. Free enterprise sounds great and it is a reality in our country, but when you allow that freedom to turn ugly, like our sub prime mortgages, exorbitant salaries, corruption, lobbying, cheating at golf and stealing towels from Holiday Inns, capitalism shows its negative values. Any measure employed to correct and improve it should be welcome!”

“Professor, do not make it sound as if being wealthy is a sin!”

“Not at all. The fly in the ointment is simply that the wealthiest have become wealthier while the middle class has experience a net loss in values received, and let us not forget that class of people that make less than 60 thou a year. We must not ignore the fact that the current economic crisis is the result of the exorbitant greed of the super rich. If there has ever been a period in which accountability, responsibility and self control  was nowhere to be seen, the last few years have been it!”

“How about the present rhetorical war between Democrats and Republicans?’

“Good question. If the present government manages to stabilize and prevent worse developments in our economy; it is to be hoped that the proper measures be attached to any and all solutions and that all of us can again enjoy the fruits of the American Dream. If that happens, the Republicans will have to take a cold shower and electrocute its present management and related zoo. The Republican Party is too good a symbol to allow it to join the stuff that goes in sewers!”

We laughed and the Professor asked me:

“Now, tell me about your cousin Elmo!”