The Myth of Capitalism in the United States.
We just PRETEND we don't like socialism here. Another example of the power of persuasion is in the fact that most Americans act like "socialism" is something one scrapes off the bottom of ones shoe, when the reality is that ALL of us, including mega-corporations, benefit every day from SOCIALISM in AMERICA. Anybody drive on one of them dang FEDERAL highways today? Buy any bread, milk, sugar, or gasoline today?
Speaking of gas - as in fuel for our vehicles - guess why we pay a whole bunch less than our European friends do (you know, the ones in SOCIALIZED countries?!) - we pay less because our TAX dollars go to Exxon, Shell, et al in the form of subsidies and/or tax breaks - millions to these billion dollar corporations. The price of gasoline is NOT dictated by "the free market" by any stretch of the imagination. LINK: BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SUBSIDIES TO OIL.
A common response to a mention of socialism is "Socialism forces FILL IN THE BLANK on you." Hello - We are forced to have insurance... unless you do not drive a car or own a building with a mortgage. What is car, home, or health insurance, but socialism - everybody puts into a common pot according to their rating, so that all will have equal chance to benefit. Who benefits from this forced form of "capitalism"? Hmmm, banks and insurance companies - hardly the poor and destitute. I love it that we have been FORCED to have insurance on our vehicles and buildings for DECADES, but now that we are FORCED to have health insurance, everybody is whining about SOCIALISM.
Lots of folks dislike federal programs.... except the ones they benefit from. I tire of the bad mouthing of socialism in a country that has examples of it everywhere.
One local illustration if I may. I am on the Chamber Board of Directors in Lowell, MI and have been for several years. People from the City of Lowell attend the monthly Board meeting. During Obama's first term (Disclaimer: I did not vote for him, I went Libertarian) I was at a meeting where the first 5 minutes or so were spent bad mouthing the Federal government and Obama. A little later in the meeting we learned from the City that Federal Funds came through which would allow the completion of road construction project (you know, a small scale version of the newly remodeled I96 in Grand Rapids). I asked if they/we intended on returning the money considering the source of it. I was looked at like a crazy man and the check(s) was cashed. In my opinion, this is representative of Americans in general - all anti-Federalism and or Socialism until the check hits the mail box.
How about one of the biggest corporations in the world - Wal-Mart. You know, the place with American flags all over their trucks? Their business model, at least in the US, would COLLAPSE tomorrow if not for socialism. THOUSANDS of members of their part-time work force make ends meet with government food stamps and other aid. LINK: READ ABOUT WAL-MART HERE.
Take a look at food. All of us - except the extremely poor - eat every day. I would suggest our FOOD is socialized. The price of bread, butter, peanuts, fruit, veggies - everything would change is the socialized props were pulled out from under farmers AND especially, giant mega-farming corporations. I say this because there are millions and billions of tax breaks and/or subsidies going to the mega-food producing corporations and assorted millionaires and billionaires:
"Recipients include Mark F. Rockefeller, a fourth-generation heir of the famous family who was paid $342,634 to not farm from 2001 to 2011, so that his land in Idaho could return to its natural state. Other top New York farmers include a managing director at Wells Fargo bank, and a neurologist in Queens." Link:Source is here.
The diary industry would fall apart by noon tomorrow if all the tax payer financed subsidies were pulled out from underneath it: LINK:FOX NEWS KNOWS ABOUT DAIRY SUBSIDIES.
Sadly, this chart shows that most of our socialized food is the very stuff that is causing diabetes, heart failure and sickness.
So how about it America - can we cut the crap about SOCIALISM? Can we stop pretending that our country is all about FREE MARKET and capitalism?
My favorite question to people who are against socialism in toto is:
Speaking of gas - as in fuel for our vehicles - guess why we pay a whole bunch less than our European friends do (you know, the ones in SOCIALIZED countries?!) - we pay less because our TAX dollars go to Exxon, Shell, et al in the form of subsidies and/or tax breaks - millions to these billion dollar corporations. The price of gasoline is NOT dictated by "the free market" by any stretch of the imagination. LINK: BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SUBSIDIES TO OIL.
A common response to a mention of socialism is "Socialism forces FILL IN THE BLANK on you." Hello - We are forced to have insurance... unless you do not drive a car or own a building with a mortgage. What is car, home, or health insurance, but socialism - everybody puts into a common pot according to their rating, so that all will have equal chance to benefit. Who benefits from this forced form of "capitalism"? Hmmm, banks and insurance companies - hardly the poor and destitute. I love it that we have been FORCED to have insurance on our vehicles and buildings for DECADES, but now that we are FORCED to have health insurance, everybody is whining about SOCIALISM.
Lots of folks dislike federal programs.... except the ones they benefit from. I tire of the bad mouthing of socialism in a country that has examples of it everywhere.
One local illustration if I may. I am on the Chamber Board of Directors in Lowell, MI and have been for several years. People from the City of Lowell attend the monthly Board meeting. During Obama's first term (Disclaimer: I did not vote for him, I went Libertarian) I was at a meeting where the first 5 minutes or so were spent bad mouthing the Federal government and Obama. A little later in the meeting we learned from the City that Federal Funds came through which would allow the completion of road construction project (you know, a small scale version of the newly remodeled I96 in Grand Rapids). I asked if they/we intended on returning the money considering the source of it. I was looked at like a crazy man and the check(s) was cashed. In my opinion, this is representative of Americans in general - all anti-Federalism and or Socialism until the check hits the mail box.
How about one of the biggest corporations in the world - Wal-Mart. You know, the place with American flags all over their trucks? Their business model, at least in the US, would COLLAPSE tomorrow if not for socialism. THOUSANDS of members of their part-time work force make ends meet with government food stamps and other aid. LINK: READ ABOUT WAL-MART HERE.
Take a look at food. All of us - except the extremely poor - eat every day. I would suggest our FOOD is socialized. The price of bread, butter, peanuts, fruit, veggies - everything would change is the socialized props were pulled out from under farmers AND especially, giant mega-farming corporations. I say this because there are millions and billions of tax breaks and/or subsidies going to the mega-food producing corporations and assorted millionaires and billionaires:
"Recipients include Mark F. Rockefeller, a fourth-generation heir of the famous family who was paid $342,634 to not farm from 2001 to 2011, so that his land in Idaho could return to its natural state. Other top New York farmers include a managing director at Wells Fargo bank, and a neurologist in Queens." Link:Source is here.
The diary industry would fall apart by noon tomorrow if all the tax payer financed subsidies were pulled out from underneath it: LINK:FOX NEWS KNOWS ABOUT DAIRY SUBSIDIES.
Sadly, this chart shows that most of our socialized food is the very stuff that is causing diabetes, heart failure and sickness.
So how about it America - can we cut the crap about SOCIALISM? Can we stop pretending that our country is all about FREE MARKET and capitalism?
My favorite question to people who are against socialism in toto is:
Are you going to turn down Medicare when it is offered?
Time for us to own up and embrace socialism.
It owns us like a boss.
Comments