Reader comments
Socialism needed

Yep. That's the Republican way: privatize the profits, socialize the risk.

One word for the letter-writer:

Huh?

Great letter. Couldn't have said it better myself.

And a few words more:

So it's come to this, has it? Did you seriously just refer to corporations as a form of socialism? Did you even bother looking up the definition of socialism before you just got printed in a newspaper on the suject?

Here, let me help you. Socialism is the state running all capital and business. And what is "the state", or "gov't"? As I've said many times before, gov't is one thing and one thing only: force.

And to blame Reaganomics on our society's materialism was just asinine. If anything, our society's insistence on protecting our materialism with new gov't programs shows mankind's foolish dependence on socialism.

The invisible hand has been completely forgotten. Many never even give it a chance, when its principles are the answer to literally every societal ill we have. Our desire for services of ANY kind will be fulfilled in a free market. When we don't have the choice to spend our money--which actually represents our livelihood--we no longer have the ability to choose what our priorities are. In socialism, the gov't makes all those choices for us.

So 'corporate socialism' is bad, but government socialism is good?

First of all let me say, I can't believe it has gotten to a serious debate in the United States that socialism is needed. That being said, capitalism if it is allowed to work, would take care of distribution of scarce resources and innovation. Like it our not, when you impose socialistic policies you create shortages because you artificially push the demand curve higher becuase everyone has access to a scarce resource. This is why socialized medicine in Europe has several month waits for services we take for granted in the United States. Secondly, you remove any incentive for the private individual to improve the system. There is no more, build a better mousetrap because no one cares. No one will beat a path to your door because you will make nothing from your effort.

But I do agree, we have been in a mixed economy for some time and it is what created the mess we a currently in. Pure capatalism, if allowed to work takes care of dead companies like GM and punishes those that take risks like Bear Sterns.
Government is always the problem, Power is lent to the government by the people.

This letter highlights the problem. The mess we are in is confusing and the solution will not be easy.

Since he is approaching this from the left, and I'm on the right let me use the word he won't. Excessive corporate control is the classic definition of facism.

The options we are faced with is socialism (when Marx penned it 150+ years ago it was called communism) on the left hand or facism on the right hand.

A list of things that should be socialized? Do you mean to say they aren't already? Every example you list that should be socialized is in fact already socialized.

Take education. We have been fighting to de-socialize that for decades now. We are getting closer but fact remains, it is already socialized: From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs.

Same goes for health, roads, etc. America is a socialist nation. The issue is now what form of socialism. Obama would turn us into a hard-left, marxist state. Bush gave us a corporate socialist state. Is there another way? What about cutting government out of the loop? Is it possible?

A mess!

The 'Mixed Economy' idea is the only solution for the country. I am a disabled person who has been on Social-Security and Medicare/Medicaid for years. These programs are not perfect, but they are pretty darn good! The quality of the care has been fantastic, they cover all my medicines etc. The Government has done a bang-up job over the years in many areas - the postal service, military, public libraries, public television, etc...

We also need government regulation. When I worked, I became ill and had to use fmla (a program many in the GOP did not support) without it, I would of lost my job. All the cries of "oh no.. Socialismmmm" make me ill, and show how much the right-wing is out of gas.

I want a mixed economy and a more liberal Government and happy we are getting it!

I am a LDS Democrat and Obama supporter and get tired of all the 'gloom and doom' politics of the right that many of my fellow members believe in--

May God Bless and Guide America!!


Proud to be a LDS Democrat!

You are dreaming! No such thing exists unless you include Obama's "bailout"! If you want to get even with those "evil" corporations, teach them a lesson. Don't buy anything made by a corporation! That's right, fight "corporate socialism"! That means you cannot buy any medicine (all invented and made by corporations). No electricty! All produced by "evil" corporations. You have to grow our own food but no fair using tools, they too are made by "evil" corporations. No clothing either unless you make it yourself. No car, no funiture no house. Good luck enjoying your cave and gathering your own food. Corporations generate most of the wealth in the world, employ most of the people, pay most of the taxes and are responsible for almost every invention. Bottomline, your letter is beyond niave, it is just foolish! Enjoy your life in a cave with a spear trying to stay warm and fed! Me, I will be enjoying my life's comforts, all brought to be by "evil" corporations!

Well, comrade, I hate to break it to you, but communism has never worked well no matter where it's been tried. If you think government takeover of health care, banking, etc., is the answer, please take a look at the bottom line of a few government run companies like the Post Office and Amtrak. Socialism strangles freedom. It rewards laziness and failure and punishes hard work, success and innovation. Nothing has proven to work as well as a free marketplace. Government bureaucrats like Barack Obama who’ve never run a company or met a payroll should be the last people to trust with market decisions.

This letter is pure garbage. Evil corporations crushing the poor little people. Only the "controllers benefit." What rubbish!! The free market system has brought everyone, including the writer, the highest standard of living the world has ever known. Moreover, anyone can get ahead in America with hard work, at least the America that didn't use to punish success and reward failure and indolence. People like this writer want to sit back and let everyone else work to provide for them. It's pure nonsense.

Corporate Socialism? | 12:46 a.m. July 16, 2009 you bleat:

"Bottomline, your letter is beyond niave, it is just foolish!"

You say that about someone else's ideas?! Someone else's! After that post of yours? Oh, that is too funny!

Rubbish!! | 12:51 a.m. July 16, 2009 you bleat:
"The free market system has brought everyone, including the writer, the highest standard of living the world has ever known."

This is a list from the HDI, a widely accepted analysis of standard of living. As you can see the US does not have the highest standard of living. Number ten is still not bad though. Although still below all those "socialist" nations.
1 Norway
2 Iceland
3 Australia
4 Luxembourg
5 Canada
6 Sweden
7 Switzerland
8 Ireland
9 Belgium
10 United States

So we have become so lazy as a people that we are willing to give up our constitution and the freedom it brings. The freedom the rest of the world has envied since our nations conception. Now we who have it are willing to just hand it over to the government and forsake the freedoms our forefathers have died for. Shame on us for being so lazy!

Free marked built USA, but is now weakening the nation. Communism built the USSR, but also broke it. Political ideas are theoretical models of societies, but none of them will ever work on its own. This may be hard for a people who is used to regard politics the same way it regards religion. You cannot drive a car by taking only right or only left turns. Neither can a society be adminisered with only one principle, you need to pick and choose the principles that will work during the actual circumstances - some degrees of free market, some degrees of control, etc.

"Don't you realize that what we've been living under for the past 30 years has been corporate socialism?"

The answer that about 90% of Utahns would give is a resounding "HUH???"

There's no sense fighting it any longer. The Socialists are in charge and this is what the majority in America wanted. The Altruists are going to get what they want. At the end of this four years the Democrats are going to own whatever happens to the country as a result of their policies.

What really amazes me is that both party's believe they can enact these insane government programs without paying for them. What amazes me even more is the public supports these programs without demanding they be paid for. Some day soon the piper is going to show up for his pay. Too much debt got us into this mess and taking on more isn't going to fix it, it will make things worse. Since nobody in the majority seems to be concerned about that I say let'er rip. Let's party like it's 1984 and we'll worry about the hangover when it comes. I think I'm going to start voting for Democrats again because they really like to party, and I sure wouldn't want to be a Republican in charge when the bill comes due.

No corporate socialism? Business loans backed by federal funds,tax incentives to bring a business to an area, roads/sewers built to manufactoring plants,owners of land forced out to build plants,and the list goes on and on. Is it socialism or corporate welfare?
There should always be a mixture of social/economic philosphies-just as there should be in a government.One sided rule always brings greed/tyranny to power.Too many people have phobias about socialism due to confusing it with(former) Communist countries like the USSR/China/Cuba,etc.
Some corporations in America have become too greedy and allowed men to run them who will do anything to get a buck. They run companies into the ground by extremely poor decision making.
We need to elect representatives who will truly represent the citizens of this republic instead of a few high paying lobbists. We need to have a system where our representatives do not use the system for financial gain or as a career. It's repulsive when a hypocritcal person runs on the premise that the elected official has been in office too long/that they are beholden to special interests and then do it.

@ mark,

The funny thing is, the whole reason America is not number one on your beloved list is because we have abandoned the free market so long ago. It is because of government instrusions that keep us from the top of the list. I wonder how that list would have looked if we were to make it 50, 100, 200 years ago. Everybody seems to forget that the instant America adopted the Constitution, complete with the ideas of free market, all the problems at that time, namely internal fighting, etc., were solved.

Please tell me, all you pro-socialist's, If corporate America is so evil, why did Obama bail them out? Under a free market, these "evil" corporations would have failed, and a better corporation would have risen upon its ashes. Oh, but that would not allow all you lazy, cheapskates to hold your hands out for the government handouts that are sure to come due to the "bailouts." If you doubt me, just read LDSDEMS comments.

The free market, left alone will do more good than ANY GOVERNMENT could ever hope to do! That is why America HAD done so well in the past!

Let me guess, the person(s) that wrote this trash is nothing more than a liability to the tax payers!!!