Text 28935, 118 rader
Skriven 2009-03-10 17:31:10 av Lee Lofaso (3:800/432.0)
  Kommentar till text 28771 av BjöRn Felten (2:203/2)
Ärende: The US wanna-be dictator
================================
Hello Bjorn,

>RC>Yet you refuse to understand that we are revolted by Socialism.

BF>I think that you need to define what "we" you are talking about.

In the USA there are two definitions of socialism.  Socialism for the
rich is defined as "free market capitalism", but socialism for anyone
else is "class warfare".

Now do you understand?

BF>Why *you* (Ross) are scared (and prefer to call it revolted) I can
BF>understand. It's one of the classic human scares: being afraid of the
BF>unknown. You have absolutely no idea what socialism means, all you have
BF>is the classic US anti-socialist vulgar-propaganda to lean on.

Oh, come off it.  Ross *loves* socialism.  He just refuses to admit it.
And it has nothing to do with "fear of the unknown."

Look at it this way -

The US military is the last real socialist institution in the world.
Ross, like all true conservatives, wants to keep the status quo.  That
means retaining the strongest military in the world.  How did the US
manage to build its military into the strongest military in the world?
By making it into a real socialist institution.

Don't believe me?  Think I'm making shit up?

All of the soldiers serving on active duty living on base get a housing
allowance from the military.  This enables local landlords to jack up
the prices to untenable levels, which the locals cannot afford.  As a
result, this price increase only affects non-military folk.  That is
but one way the US armed forces takes care of people.  Note the US
armed forces only takes care of its own people, not that of others.

Do you hear me now?  Of course you do.  Read on, bro'.

US soldiers are fed, housed, provided with cheap or free transportation,
given discounts on groceries, as well as on other goods.  All thanks
to collectivized production and taxpayer dollars.  Only we do not call
it "socialism" or "communism."

As a specialist in political economics, you should be very familiar
with this stuff.  Let's make it personal, shall we?

Imagine you are a high school dropout, have no money, and live in a
shack with your aging parents.  You have no future in life, given your
status.  But not to worry.  The safety net of the military is there
to catch you and help you out of your rut, providing you with a very
attractive alternative to the hell of working split shifts at the
local burger joint for the rest of your stinking life.  All you have
to do is to agree and be willing to kill others and die for your
country.  Isn't that wonderful?  Of course, it really has nothing
to do with "for your country", but rather for various interests which
may be totally nonexistent (know what I mean?).  Woody Guthrie (a great
American patriot) sang, "if we fix it so you can't make no money on war,
then we'll all forget what we was killin' folks for...".  Truer words
could not be said.

This brand of socialism (is there any other kind?) offered by the US
military is one that appeals to every conservative in America.  I mean,
this relative increase in economic well-being is a means to an end, a
steady stream of cannon fodder being provided being more important than
an end in itself.  Even Marx, behind all that beard, understood that
concept.

One of the strange things about the American form of socialism is the
amount of spousal abuse that occurs on military bases.  Or maybe it is
not so strange, especially among Navy guys and submariners.  After all,
being away for six months on a ship or submarine without any nookie
can be quite trying.  Especially for good ol' Southern boys.  Such is
the socialist state of the Navy, a branch which has his own justice
system, and almost never nails a Navy guy for beating up his wife.
You might want to ask Shannon about that.  He's a Navy guy.  Lives
in the South.  Same place where Robert E. Lee was from.

This American socialist system is not limited to just one set of
soldiers.  It is also available for public servants, generals,
politicians, and Pentagon types who are very loyal to the military
industrial complex.  See how that works?  Gotta make sure everybody
else gets a piece of the pie.  Especially with them bigshots who got
all the dough.  President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about that,
but people didn't listen.  Too bad.  We got what we deserved. But
hey.  It doesn't stop there.  Let's not forget about all those cushy
"consulting" jobs with defense contractors subsidized by the taxpayers.
After all, those contractors make no pretense of being held accountable
to anybody.  To paraphrase Marx, "From each according to his debility,
to each according to his greed."  That is the motto of the American
socialist.

All of these socialist practices are what Ross loves.  And more.
On a much smaller scale, these socialist practices are often copied
by large corporations.  Resources are collectivized, as they are in
the military, but the benefits accrued are only to a selected few.
That is what we call "free market capitalism."  The many work for
the few.

Instead of keeping all the wealth to themselves, those corporations
should spread it out just a wee bit more, thus making everyone's life
better.

Uh-oh.  The thought police have arrived.  Gotta go.

<men in white suits arrive placing straightjacket on Lee>

"Oh, good God!  Perish the thought!  Socialism for the rich
just cannot be ditched or discarded as it is THE AMERICAN WAY!"
(last words of Lee)

--Lee


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