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Socialism
By David Glenn Cox
It is an easy enough exercise to point and laugh at the deficiencies of capitalism, but still, always remembering that it is impolite to make fun of cripples and the lame. Socialism has gotten really terrible publicity; most likely from hanging around in some bad neighborhoods. The American idea of socialism is of some dogmatic commissar standing over us as we inventory our underwear, making sure we don’t have too many pairs of drawers. Or, that Socialism is some subversive foreign plot, hatched by enemy agents designed to break down the moral fiber of America, to weaken us, for conquest through either rock and roll or through comic books, video games or both.
If you would want to demonize something in the United States of America, simply tie it together with socialism and before long, you too could raise an angry torch-carrying mob or small army of ministers on phone-trees calling up the faithful to fight back the Red Menace.
Do you want to know what socialism is about? I mean, do you really want to know what socialism is about Charlie Brown? Socialism is a traffic light; it says the traffic stops for three minutes going this way and for three minutes going the other way. It doesn’t care what kind of car you drive or where you live. It divides the usage of the intersection fairly without standing or class. It is really a very simple solution to some very complex problems. Of course to conservatives, I suppose it does carve into that blessed freedom of theirs, which they are always so concerned about.
I imagine to a libertarian traffic lights must appear to be an abomination. Do they lay awake at night wondering, why can’t entrepreneurs and job creators like me, just run those pesky traffic lights? They have places to be and important work to do; while you, you’re just running to the grocery store for milk and Cheetos. Why can’t the rich purchase a sticker from the state which allows them to run traffic signals and stop signs? Think of the revenue a state might earn from a program like that! What, you don’t think that is a good idea? Or do you mean some things are more import than money? Like public safety. Are you coming around to our way of thinking, comrade?
29 Comments
Excellent diary entry, Dave -
Highly rec’d!
BTW, for some reason, the link doesn’t work – Mr. Daveparts has tried to fix it, but no such luck :(
Sooooo…….just do it the old fashioned way, and copy and past the link in another tab, and that will work nicely!
Ha!
Thought you might like this Onion video about Social Security reform:
Hmmm…I’m not sure a libertarian would have objections to traffic lights. I mean, the essence of Libertarianism is that one should be able to do whatever one wants so long as one doesn’t hurt someone else. I could make an argument that traffic lights fit into libertarianism as much as they do into socialism.
OTOH, traffic lights do NOT fit into capitalism very easily. Capitalism does not care one whit for public safety; only profits. Some will no doubt say that we live in a capitalist society, and we have traffic lights, therefore traffic lights are a benefit provided by capitalist society.
And some will be wrong, IMO. We do not live in a mostly capitalist society(I hear the screaming already), we live in a society that’s economy and government is dominated by capitalism, but our society is far more complex than that.
Public roads, libraries, police and fire departments, and schools are NOT capitalist institutions, though some may serve capitalist interests at times. To a large extent religious organizations aren’t capitalistic, either, and they are certainly very important parts of the lives of millions.
Capitalism has only one goal: to accrue more capital. It is very simplistic. Far too simplistic to govern a society very well. I think recent events have proven that beyond a reasonable doubt.
Recc’d for making me think. Now lunch is over and have a nice day.
Last week we had “socialism is the library.”
This week we have “socialism is a stop light.”
The amount of fuzziness concocted in these metafurs threatnes to overwhelm the amount of fluffiness exuding from the contingent of white middle class third party voters.
And, in keeping with this metafur, libertarians would simply not have stoplights. Nor would they necessarily beseeking to break the law. You see, libertarians call upon each individual to approach the intersection cautiously, slow to a safe speed, look both ways, and then either stop or go depending on the traffic.
You could say that Libertarians would have “yield signs” instead of stop lights.
And then, only a mental picture of the yield sign in their minds rather than a government-enforced one on each corner.
Dylan wrote the libertarian (or anarchist, which is the leftwing version) slogan for all time when he penned:
“To live outside the law you must be honest.”
Ha, good luck with that,
libertariansanarchists.Hey, wow – thanks for the bump DT! :)
Are you Mrs. daveparts or Mrs. barbarian?
Or was a sock puppet just inadvertently revealed?
Enquiring minds want to know?
[:o)
Eh, whatever, perhaps you are all socks.
Recc’d!
haha, nice juan…
[:o)
No, just simply DiE.
And again, thanks for the bump! ;)
You know, I was on You Tube the other day and there was a Justin Bieber video, but I didn’t click on it, because I know that I don’t like Justin Bieber, I didn’t click on the Lady Gaga video either, I don’t seek that which I can’t accept
In your comment you are succinctly explaining the mindset which traps so many within the “echo chamber.”
That being said, I don’t care much for Bieber or Gaga, either. But I have given them a chance.
Well, OK. I’ve given a Gaga chance.
[:o)
Middle class, now that’s funny
I knew I guy who went to college and after four years declared, “I didn’t learn a damn thing.” What do you suppose went wrong?
He spent to much time in the library?
Too much,
I suppose it could be if you actually stated the accompanying joke…from the ever authoritative wikipod:
I haven’t the heart to inform the great Socialist Ohio Barbarian that Librarians are part of the “professional-managerial class.”
I did google “socialist traffic engineering systems” and came up with this pretty good read. Ahmadinejad was trained as a traffic engineer!
But like so much of what we think we know, the reality is a counterintuitive mixed bag: Bill Gates first software development project was for counting traffic.
Besides not clicking on Bieber or gaga, you also did not click hear.
DOWN WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS ! !
ROUND-A-BOUTS FOREVER ! !
Round-A-Bouts??
UUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
:)
Heretic, your’e forgetting it was Jesus that brought capitalism to humanity./s
Right the fuck on!
You should read my traffic engineering link in 17 above. I was thinking of you as I read it, for some reason.
Roundabouts are anarchist. Non hierarchical. :-)
Barbara Ehrenreich is a wealthy liberal journalist. She’s entitled to her opinion, but she is no more of an authority on what constitutes the “professional, managerial class” than I am. Your ordinary librarians are working class, as far as I, and they themselves if they are honest about it(any librarians here?), are concerned. Even people who call themselves Marxist are divided on some of these definitions.
Disgusted in Euclid IS Mrs Barbarian. There is another regular poster on FDL who has met us in the flesh, been in our house, and has also met Daveparts in person. I’m not going to mention that person’s name without their permission, but Dave ain’t me. As his own posts say, he has lived in at least Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Oregon, and maybe other states I have forgotten. We may all be Socialists, but we don’t agree on everything, and we’re certainly not the same people.
As mine say, I grew up in Texas, moved to Colorado, served in the Navy where I had stints in Illinois and California, and then moved to Ohio.
It is interesting that the entity I am addressing morphs from Democratic Party apologist to Trotskyite on a dime. As if any real follower of Trotsky would ever consider voting for a Fascist, be they red or blue. Or is the World Socialist Web Site a fraud, too?
There are other posters here who have emailed both DIE and myself, and even talked to both of us on the phone. Still more know Dave in one way or the other, and some on other sites have met him, and me and DIE, in person as well.
You have made a completely baseless accusation. Because I am a barbarian and therefore have a sense of honor which you no doubt find primitive, I will extend to you the opportunity to apologize, and I will let this matter drop. If you don’t, fine. But if you start stalking anyone here, I’ll flag you every time I see it, and every time I see you break an FDL rule.
Don’t worry, if I ever do flag you, I’ll post it.
I LIKE roundabouts. Disgusted HATES them. Wow, there’s another disagreement!
LOL. DIE says nah-na-na-naaaaah, naa.
Touche’
I’m one, although Donkey disbelieves most anything I write, so…it may not be much help against his ridiculous and baseless reflexive assumptions). Perhaps he just has the heart of a sock-puppet, and projects? ;o)
Great diary, Daveparts. I was raised Socialist[ [closet Socialist, now that I think about it...]. We have friends in Finland and they’re appalled at our traffic ticket and judicial fines system. Everyone paying the same amount for a violation, as opposed to their system; Everyone pays the same financial percentage according to income and assets.
That’d be something to see!