Last presidential deabte, was there a winner?

[festive1]

Don't socialists just burn things they don't agree with?

Perhaps some do, but this socialist doesn't. I may not agree with something, but everyone is entitled to their view of things.

[Autumnlicious]

Nah, few make it into Limbaugh's league of crazy. But I have a hard time getting through his editorials without starting to argue with the newspaper... which hasn't been very effective thus far.

Don't socialists just burn things they don't agree with?

I thought that was for anyone who was authoritarian...

Guess my definitions need an update for the most recent red-scare-style menace...

[festive1]

I'm not a total Marxist. I believe in democracy... Perhaps social democrat is a better term.

[TaraJo]

Why do we have to assume that there's no choice except total, complete communist socialism and completely unrestrained free market capitalism? I believe capitalism has its good points but, damn, at least put some laws and restrictions and regulations in place to keep it from getting corrupt!

Personally, I think any world where any single group gets too big and powerful is a world I'm uncomfortable in. Corporate powers and government need to check and balance each other instead of merging into the same, unholy entity. The right fears that if we give the government too much power, they'll control private industry and make this happen but the left fears that the corporations are using their money to control the government. Sadly, if you look at how the Occupy Wall Street protests were handled by the government and how the market crash happened in 2008, I'm forced to believe the fear of the left is much closer to happening.

[Tino]

Why do we have to assume that there's no choice except total, complete communist socialism and completely unrestrained free market capitalism? I believe capitalism has its good points but, damn, at least put some laws and restrictions and regulations in place to keep it from getting corrupt!

TJ, good point, and we don't have (or want) unrestrained free market capitalism. For example, we break up large companies when they exhibit monopolistic powers eg AT&T, etc.

In recent history I think we lacked some regulation in banking/finance. We should get the right regulation in place, not throw out the whole system.
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[festive1]

TJ, good point, and we don't have (or want) unrestrained free market capitalism. For example, we break up large companies when they exhibit monopolistic powers eg AT&T, etc.

In recent history I think we lacked some regulation in banking/finance. We should get the right regulation in place, not throw out the whole system.

See, Tino, I knew there was more to you than a cold-hearted capitalist. There's still hope you'll turn from the Dark Side!

[TaraJo]

TJ, good point, and we don't have (or want) unrestrained free market capitalism. For example, we break up large companies when they exhibit monopolistic powers eg AT&T, etc.

In recent history I think we lacked some regulation in banking/finance. We should get the right regulation in place, not throw out the whole system.

I think that's part of it, but I also think we need laws and regulations in place to limit the amount of influence industries have over politics. There are industries where they're flat out buying legislation when they know it will get them more money. Private prisons are a perfect example: industrialists build a prison and they get paid x amount per prisoner in that prison. Suddenly, they're pouring more and more money into legislation that will put more people in prison and keep them there longer.

But that's not the only way industry has perverted politics for their gain. The military industrial complex has shaped our foreign policy and played a big role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Oil companies have shaped our energy policy, not to mention they've also had a role in the Iraq war.