Comments Posted By J.H. Bowden
Displaying 1 To 10 Of 24 Comments
The new dose of American socialism will likely be on Mussolini's model, not Lenin's.
Take the auto industry, for example. The government isn't going to nationalize it, as Rick has noted before. BUT -- it is simply going to bail them out with strings attached. This will lead to a command economy in this sector, with the government dictating what green products must be built.
I'd rather see GM go under and then restructure itself. Capitalism isn't just about getting what you want -- it is about avoiding getting what you don't want.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 15.11.2008 @ 11:54
REZKO SINGING: OBAMA SWEATING?
Obama definitely is not sweating.
The Republicans, having embraced Obama's socialist principles, now think they can win a personality contest with him. That's a recipe for a blowout.
I suspect McCain believes his own bs-- he thinks he really is a maverick that cares about the middle path, balance, putting country first, and that people should respect him for his sacrifice. McCain and his fans are kidding themselves. One, McCain's maverick image was bestowed upon him by the liberal media in the first place for repeatedly stabbing conservatives in the back. What the media grants, it can also take away. Secondly, if sacrifice for the great collective-- country first -- is the animating idea of our politics, Obama's nationalism and socialism clearly exceed what McCain has to offer. Any new oversight, regulation, spending, and legislation Republicans create is always doomed in advance for not going far enough. See the problem?
Obama can only be defeated on substance-- issues on whether your wealth belongs to you, whether we should have an "on your own society" or a society where we're all in it together, and other prole-speak for the great philosophical debates of our era. The Republicans abjectly surrendered on this front; without ideology, there is no sharp way for them to cut through the media's bs beyond negative attacks.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 11.10.2008 @ 11:51
Obama *is* a socialist. The Democrats will nationalize healthcare, energy, and finance, if Comrade Bush doesn't beat him there first.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 10.10.2008 @ 22:49
"he will attempt to remake America in the image of a European social democracy."
Don't you believe in compromise? After all, free markets don't work-- the record American prosperity during the last 25 years is just your imagination.
McCain and Palin both agree that profit is bad, that regulation and oversight are good, windfall taxes are good, that we're all too greedy, and that it is okay for government to spend $700,000,000,000.00 doing the exact same thing that caused the financial troubles in the first place. Since McCain and Obama both agree with socialism in principle, the most consistent party will win the argument.
That's Obama. And pace McCain, this is completely fair. You don't forfeit the game and then expect to win it.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 5.10.2008 @ 17:26
YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEBATE ANSWERED HERE
McCain offered oatmeal last night.
As a conservative, I'm now more comfortable with Obama on security, and less comfortable with him on economics. European-style socialism is definitely coming to our shores-- Obama promises so himself with all sorts of government spending; our holy Messiah will have the seats in the House and Senate to do it too.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 27.09.2008 @ 14:16
THE CONSERVATIVE'S SHAMEFUL DEFENSE OF GRAMM
In short, if you do-gooders want to help a person like me, cut my taxes, and allow me to opt out of compulsory socialism.
"Compassion" doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
Raising the cost of consumables by opposing free trade isn't helpful, opposing energy exploration isn't helpful, attacking businesses that save me money like Walmart doesn't help me -- progressives can write books like "What's the Matter With Kansas" but they can't do the math.
Now, I don't specifically need help at this moment. But some things are more preferable than others. Don't fool yourselves by thinking green subsidies for agribusiness giants, or Obama's corrupt corporate welfare for construction companies (as if we don't have enough road construction already) will improve the quality of my life.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 14.07.2008 @ 19:19
Jambrowksi--
I advocate what Enlightenment thinkers called "the system of natural liberty," i.e. capitalism, precisely because I have a conscience.
Government programs do not help me. Period. For example, I will get a horrible return on the money the government confiscated from me and placed into social(ist) security. Other programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, are raising the equilibrium market price for those not getting the subsidies. On top of this-- these braindead programs designed to help a person like me making 28K yearly are funded by REGRESSIVE payroll taxes. They're not progressive taxes, or even flat taxes.
On top of this, I have to pay extremely high gasoline taxes here in the State of Illinois, again, to keep the Democrat Party fat, in addition to satisfying the aesthetic environmental concerns of affluent liberals.
So if you want to help an actual working person, I've given you clear suggestions. I suspect the "suffering" people that matter in your analysis are the greedy SUV liberals afraid they might have to drive reasonably sized automobiles like the rest of us.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 14.07.2008 @ 19:07
"They want to know someone is listening to their concerns and understands their problems."
True. Our society has become totally Oprah-fied. Americans can't be suffering that bad -- 60% are overweight or obese. We don't want to reduce our dollar footprint independently, or improve our job skills. We want a Führer to solve our problems.
I'm stunned that McCain (D-AZ) distanced himself from Gramm's Straight-Talk in favor of PanderTalk. This is just more proof we're going to get Schwarzeneggered should Komrade McCain get elected-- he'll pass every ounce of socialist slop the Democrats send his way.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 14.07.2008 @ 11:45
True or false, there is definitely swiftboat potential here if not for Rudy's competitors, definitely the Democrats.
Portraying Rudy as a fascist monster will work in Rudy's favor-- people want someone who will kick ass. But if Giuliani gets painted as an incompetent, he's toast, especially against a vicious opponent like Hillary.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 22.06.2007 @ 20:33
DO THEY STILL TEACH PATRIOTIC SONGS TO KIDS?
rick--
Interesting thread. Perhaps this is why I was annoyed in the Bury My Heart thread -- I thought, "oh, not for the 13012th time!"
What I learned in history in the public schools was simple. The Indians got screwed, the blacks got screwed, and then the Jews got screwed in WWII. In college I learned how the powers at be don't want me to know this happened because of imperialism.
Perhaps the older people think this needs to be taught to correct prejudices. But I'm pushing 30, and like many my age and younger, I have yet to watch a single John Wayne flick. That should give boomers perspective. All I've ever learned was that Western civilization -- the civilization that produced Mozart, Newton, Euler, and Rembrandt -- is inherently racist, elitist, sexist, and hegemonic.
Anything I know to the contrary is due to my own effort. Many are not as curious as I am, and think the West is always something to be indicted, not admired.
Comment Posted By J.H. Bowden On 15.06.2007 @ 11:19
