Yet another in your face post

[BEG]

I was going to post this in another forum but I really want DUmmies to see it.

LINK

Obama's Politics Are More Insidious Than Socialism Thomas Sowell June 11

It bothers me a little when conservatives call Barack Obama a "socialist."

He certainly is an enemy of the free market, and wants politicians and bureaucrats to make the fundamental decisions about the economy. But that does not mean that he wants government ownership of the means of production, which has long been a standard definition of socialism.

What President Obama has been pushing for, and moving toward, is more insidious: government control of the economy, while leaving ownership in private hands. That way, politicians get to call the shots but, when their bright ideas lead to disaster, they can always blame those who own businesses in the private sector.

Politically, it is heads-I-win when things go right, and tails-you-lose when things go wrong. This is far preferable, from Obama's point of view, since it gives him a variety of scapegoats for all his failed policies, without having to use President Bush as a scapegoat all the time.

Government ownership of the means of production means that politicians also own the consequences of their policies, and have to face responsibility when those consequences are disastrous — something that Barack Obama avoids like the plague.

Thus the Obama administration can arbitrarily force insurance companies to cover the children of their customers until the children are 26 years old. Obviously, this creates favorable publicity for President Obama. But if this and other government edicts cause insurance premiums to rise, then that is something that can be blamed on the "greed" of the insurance companies.

The same principle, or lack of principle, applies to many other privately owned businesses. It is a very successful political ploy that can be adapted to all sorts of situations.

One of the reasons why both pro-Obama and anti-Obama observers may be reluctant to see him as fascist is that both tend to accept the prevailing notion that fascism is on the political right, while it is obvious that Obama is on the political left.

Back in the 1920s, however, when fascism was a new political development, it was widely — and correctly — regarded as being on the political left. Jonah Goldberg's great book "Liberal Fascism" cites overwhelming evidence of the fascists' consistent pursuit of the goals of the left, and of the left's embrace of the fascists as their own during the 1920s.

Mussolini, the originator of fascism, was lionized by the left, both in Europe and in America, during the 1920s. Even Hitler, who adopted fascist ideas in the 1920s, was seen by some, including W.E.B. Du Bois, as a man of the left.

It was in the 1930s, when ugly internal and international actions by Hitler and Mussolini repelled the world, that the left distanced themselves from fascism and its Nazi offshoot — and verbally transferred these totalitarian dictatorships to the right, saddling their opponents with these pariahs.

What socialism, fascism and other ideologies of the left have in common is an assumption that some very wise people — like themselves — need to take decisions out of the hands of lesser people, like the rest of us, and impose those decisions by government fiat.

The left's vision is not only a vision of the world, but also a vision of themselves, as superior beings pursuing superior ends. In the United States, however, this vision conflicts with a Constitution that begins, "We the People ..."

That is why the left has for more than a century been trying to get the Constitution's limitations on government loosened or evaded by judges' new interpretations, based on notions of "a living Constitution" that will take decisions out of the hands of "We the People," and transfer those decisions to our betters.

The self-flattery of the vision of the left also gives its true believers a huge ego stake in that vision, which means that mere facts are unlikely to make them reconsider, regardless of what evidence piles up against the vision of the left, and regardless of its disastrous consequences.

Only our own awareness of the huge stakes involved can save us from the rampaging presumptions of our betters, whether they are called socialists or fascists. So long as we buy their heady rhetoric, we are selling our birthright of freedom.

If mods think Mr. Sowell's article should be edited with "read the rest at the link" statement, feel free to edit my post.  I tried to just post a few paragraphs but I just couldn't decide which ones because every paragraph is the picture of perfection. 

[obumazombie]

Thomas Sowell is a genius, politically, and economically, and probably in some other ways.

[diesel driver]

Thomas Sowell is a genius, politically, and economically, and probably in some other ways.

Yes he is. 

If it's one thing the left can't stand, it's that damned "C" word. (Constitution)

[thundley4]

Yes he is. 

If it's one thing the left can't stand, it's that damned "C" word. (Constitution)

To the left, he is just another "Uncle Tom".

[MrsSmith]

That is why the left has for more than a century been trying to ... take decisions out of the hands of "We the People,"

This is so overwhelmingly obvious, I can't believe how many people don't see it!!  Which side is constantly trying to get issues on ballots to be voted upon, and which side blocks the vote whenever possible, and turns to judges to override the will of the people when the block fails??   

[USA4ME]

Excellent article!

The modern day liberal has hitched their wagon to the philosophy of Marxist in all its forms, including communism, socialism, and fascism.  Their leaders have determined a set of beliefs, and regardless of what nature and history tells us about the end result of those beliefs, the modern rank-and-file liberal has bound themselves to believe their ideology is unshakable and therefore they must defend it.  They must not stray at all from what their leaders have told them to believe, otherwise the next generation of liberals would, in its turn and with equal right, expend its energy in such purely formal work within the Democratic party, instead of trying to win new adherents to the movement and thus add to its power.  For the majority of liberal followers, the essence of their movement consists not so much in the letter of their beliefs but in the meaning their leaders have attributed to them.

.

[Bad Dog]

Oreo, house N****,Uncle Tom, race traitor  etc. etc.

[jukin]

I do not ever refer to the fascist/socialist/communist/big government type people as "liberal". they are the exact opposite of the classic definition of "liberal" as can be. Don't let them define their evil practices and beliefs as "liberal".  Never use the word "liberal" in any context concerning bog government totalitarians.

[Bad Dog]

I do not ever refer to the fascist/socialist/communist/big government type people as "liberal". they are the exact opposite of the classic definition of "liberal" as can be. Don't let them define their evil practices and beliefs as "liberal".  Never use the word "liberal" in any context concerning bog government totalitarians.

Well said. I prefer turd-roller or smegma.

[obumazombie]

Oreo, house N****,Uncle Tom, race traitor  etc. etc.

When libs apply those words to conservatives, all of a sudden they are no longer offensive, or possibly offensive. I must put some careful thought into a chapter of my list of banned words that are double standard banned words.

[Bad Dog]

When libs apply those words to conservatives, all of a sudden they are no longer offensive, or possibly offensive. I must put some careful thought into a chapter of my list of banned words that are double standard banned words.

Your work is never done.  Courage.....Courage

[obumazombie]

Your work is never done.  Courage.....Courage

Bert Lahr !

[Bad Dog]

Bert Lahr !

Dan Rather!!!

[obumazombie]

Dan Rather!!!

Can you (or anyone) see the image I attempted to post ? It shows as a question mark on my macbook.

[Freeper]

Can you (or anyone) see the image I attempted to post ? It shows as a question mark on my macbook.

No I can't see it.

[Bad Dog]

Can you (or anyone) see the image I attempted to post ? It shows as a question mark on my macbook.

I cant see it either. I picked up the courage...courage bit from one of Rush's intermission fillers.

[obumazombie]

I cant see it either. I picked up the courage...courage bit from one of Rush's intermission fillers.

Nice.

[diesel driver]

I knew that Bert Lahr played the "Cowardly Lion" in "The Wizard Of Oz."

(Yes, I'm old, but nog THAT old)

[obumazombie]

I knew that Bert Lahr played the "Cowardly Lion" in "The Wizard Of Oz."

(Yes, I'm old, but nog THAT old)

But, he got a medal for, courage !

[Bad Dog]

But, he got a medal for, courage !

I got the Burt Lahr bit too. Unfortunately I can remember watching The Wizzard of Oz every Thanksgiving on the TV.