A Day In The Life Of Joe Republican

[SnakeRat]

American Labor Movement, good yes?
Led by socialist and communist liberals, yes?

I didnt mean Soviet Commies.
I meant the ones who actually did fight for the working man.
The ones who lived in America many years before Joe Republican.

[Dr Wogga]

....to the man (?)behind the curtain.......

[Cosimo]

I am not a Republican.

* There are free-market solutions to all of these problems that don't ask that the public trust that a government bureaucrat is doing his job right. Drinking water is unpleasant in many areas, and unsafe in a few--yet the local governments insist that it meets their standards. I can't vote with my dollars, nor do I relish inspecting the labirynth of red tape surrounding such government-granted monopolies.

* Medical costs are signifigantly inflated due to bureaucracy. The costs of bringing new drugs to market are insane--because the only way to do it is by appeasing a bureaucrat.

* Child-labor laws were pushed by adult union members who didn't want competition from children. The lifespan and wealth of the poorest citizens increased signifigantly during the era of "unsafe, unclean" factories.

* "Government subsidy" is another word for "paid for by the forceful appropriation of taxes."

* Banks are encouraged to make high-risk investments in overseas markets because the federal government promises to keep them from failing. This led to the S&L scandal. Without any backing to our currency, the government is free to inflate dollars at will. Why do hamburgers cost more than 5c now, like they did decades ago? Because the goverment printed billions of bills and gave them to itself, which it then spent on goods--competing with our hard-earned dollars.

* It's unfortunate that the government has driven out so many privately-funded charities by taking on those roles itself. Now everyone is forced to contribute, whether they approve of the charity's goals or its management.

* It's sad that Joe's father refused to make plans for his own retirement, and lives off of the pyramid scheme known as Social Security. It's unfortunate that the moneys paid into that plan aren't made available for businesses, large and small, to expand their operations and provide services that people enjoy enough that they're willing to pay for.

[MMMMMM]

I think the American Labor Movement filled a real need in its time. Issues of unsafe working conditions, children working as adults, and monopolies, all needed to be addressed.

Today, laws regulating safety, age, and antitrust are strong and plentiful. Today, I think Labor Unions are mostly like boils on the butt of progress.

[Boopotts]

"...wanted all along was Power--pure unmitigated political power backed up with gun barrels. Where they got that power, they abused it most horribly."

This, of course, would be in start contrast to George Bush and his cabal.

[nothumb]

I think he's already addressed this. When communists have come into power their governments have generally become oppressive and totalitarian. However, many important labor victories in the US were originally backed by socialists - largely by socialists. That includes the 8-hour workday, weekends, etc.

I think it's fair to criticize hard-line communist governments, and socialism as well (although it has been less destructive and mildly successful in a few situations, though not in the long term) - but to ignore the socialist contribution to the American labor struggle is foolish.

MMMMMM, I like how you presume that any Communist or Socialist who fought for workers' rights was just out to take over the world. Most of them were probably just workers who wanted rights.

NT

[cowboyzfan]

I am very suprised how many whacko left (no offense) poker players there are on this site. I would think that Poker is inherently conservative. It's survival of the fittest right? Do we not read 2+2 books so that we have an "unfair" advantage over the uneducated? Do we not try to use that advantage to take money from their very hands?


I would think an ultra lefty would feel too bad for the opponent and would rather pay him a per diem than take his stack.

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
"...wanted all along was Power--pure unmitigated political power backed up with gun barrels. Where they got that power, they abused it most horribly."

This, of course, would be in start contrast to George Bush and his cabal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, it would be in very stark contrast. You do know your world history, don't you?

[MMMMMM]

"MMMMMM, I like how you presume that any Communist or Socialist who fought for workers' rights was just out to take over the world. Most of them were probably just workers who wanted rights."


Why then couldn't they see that the only way to implement Communism, even if just internally in their own countries, was at the point of a gun? Totalitarianism, I say again.

[baggins]

what's sad is that Americans, for the most part, are fooled into thinking that politics fits into a nice little dichotomy, a two-party system whereby people fight each other tooth and nail and develop a deep hatred for one another and people they don't even know, all because there is some artificial divide in political parties. and supposedly 2 parties is enough diversity to reflect the opinions and wishes and needs of 360 million americans?

wake up people. we don't have to take this. withhold your vote until someone earns it. you have the right to NOT VOTE.

not voting is a vote for change. send a message that you are fed up with bipartisan bullshit. don't rock the vote. rocking the vote is just admitting that you'd rather let a bunch of over-priveleged stuffed shirts do your thinking for you. rocking the vote is just another way of pretending the problem isn't there, and sweeping it under the rug for another 4 years.