Why is socialism a 4-letter word?

So there's anew movie coming out from Steven Soderberg called "Guerilla" based on the life of Ernesto Che Guevara who helped Fidel Castro over take Batista and become the communist leader of Cuba. I've been reading some blogs about people's reactions to the movie and most reactions are on either one extreme or the other. You either think it's a bout time a movie about such an influential person is made and you think that it's awesome that this revolution was able to take place. or on the flip side you are fed up with all this leftist crap and can't understand why these people don't go move to Cuba if they love it so much.

Throughout the election you heard the word socialism tossed around like it was a 4-letter word. "OMG - I can't vote for Obama. He's a socialist. Gasp!"

Well before we all get our chonies in a bunch, let clam down & think this through. Why can't we speak up against out government without causing a major revolution? And what's so wrong with a sprinkle of socialism here& there? I mean we already have socialist programs around. And again, let me explain before you freak out... all socialist programs are, are programs funded by society, by the government, by our taxes, like schools, libraries, law enforcement, mass transit and, gasp, social security! See, we're perfectly ok with those so all I'm sayin' is that if you are gonna tax my money at least gimme something good in return, like, oh, I dunno, HEALTHCARE?

Let's all try to work together toward being more practical and finding a happy medium. If our government is messing up, then hell yeah, let's do something about it. In California, we've already done that just ask ex-governor Gray Davis. At the same time, let's also agree that we can't just go around impeaching every elected official either because that would be completely ineffective.

Can't we all just get along?

We got plenty of wars we need to fight HERE...

I have lived in gang infested areas most of my life. I was lucky enough not to get sucked into that life. I am deeply troubled to know see that little or nothing is done. I understand that a vast amount of resources are needed to really make a dent in this ever increasing problem. In the years post 9/11 we have heard over and over again that we are in the middle of a war on terror. That terrorists must be stopped. I agree, but what I do not understand is why more is not done to fight gangs if we are so concerned about fighting terrorists - isn't that what gang members are? Gangs use terror tactics to paralyze neighborhood & push their unlawful ways. Go to any neighborhood where they have a gang problem & you hear similar things that you do in Afghanistan's Taliban ruled neighborhoods. They say we're in Iraq & Afghanistan so we don't fight them on US soil, but they are already here! We do have to fight them HERE. If we spent just 1/10 of the money being spent on Iraq imagine the difference it would make? How many more kids would stay in school & not be intimidated to drop out or join a gang? Imagine how our poor neighborhoods would finally be able to lift themselves up! Fear is a scared tactic used by terrorist & that is the gangs #1 weapon. I am sick of hearing all these warmongering politicians push this unfounded war in Iraq. If you really want to go to war, fight the fight here at home!

Aren't you tired of destroying EVERYTHING?

I don't understand why it is so hard to understand that war is not the answer. It's like road-rage, sure you might momentarily think you feel better after cursing that bitch that just cut you off, but the truth is that all it probably did was help raise your blood pressure. But still there is so much fear & anger out there that even though we're basically going for broke with the collapse of the economy & the 2 wars we ALREADY have going on, you still heard some people - and let's be honest, they're usually republicans - say we should bomb Iran & Russia! When will we learn that this is not a solution. Not only will we be stretch so thin that we make ourselves vulnerable to attacks, and drive our country further down the financial hole, but it will NOT work?! I just don't get it...

punishment for responsibility...

So this economic collapse is reaching catastrophic proportions. I have know about this mess for 5 years - 5 years!! When my parents pressured me to buy a home, I resisted saying that it would not be responsible for me to buy a home I couldn't really afford. Day after day, year after year I saw more and more people making waaaay less than I was getting into homes - IN L.A!! Where the average home price was $300K!! I heard of banks & loan officers raking in the cash. All the while I knew this was not right, that the bubble would burst. Well, here we are all busted and while I have held up my part of the bargain to society & remained responsible I am now being saddled with the debt of these fuck-ups? Really?Really?!C'mon folks...if you are seriously suggesting a bail out of this ridiculous amount, you gotta give me something in return. I'm a proponent of tough love & taking responsibility for your actions, not blank checks. WTF?!

In lieu, of coming up with a new solution I have decided to post what, my hero, Dennis Kucinich says because it's pretty good in my opinion...

Protecting the public interest in any economic "bailout"

From kucinich.us

"The U.S. government has been turned into an engine that accelerates the wealth upwards into the hands of a few. The Wall Street bailout, the Iraq War, military spending, tax cuts to the rich, and a for-profit health care system are all about the acceleration of wealth upwards. And now, the American people are about to pay the price of the collapse of the $513 trillion Ponzi scheme of derivatives. Yes, that's half a quadrillion dollars. Our first trillion dollar compression bandage will hardly stem the hemorrhaging of an unsustainable Ponzi scheme built on debt "de-leverages."

Does anyone seriously think that our public and private debts of some $45 trillion will be paid? That the administration's growth of the federal debt from $5.6 trillion to $9.8 trillion while borrowing another trillion dollars from Social Security has nothing to do with this? Does anyone not see that when we spend nearly $16,000 for every family of four in our society for the military each year that we are heading over the cliff?

This is a debt crisis, not a credit crisis. Just as FDR had to save capitalism after Wall Street excesses, we have to re-invigorate our economy with real - not imaginary - growth. It does not address the never-ending war on the middle class.

The same corporate interests that profited from the closing of U.S. factories, the movement of millions of jobs out of America, the off-shoring of profits, the out-sourcing of workers, the crushing of pension funds, the knocking down of wages, the cancellation of health care benefits, the sub-prime lending are now rushing to Washington to get money to protect themselves.

The double standard is stunning: their profits are their profits, but their losses are our losses.

This bailout will not bring real jobs back to America. It will not bring back jobs that make things. It does not rebuild our schools, streets, neighborhoods, parks or bridges. The major product of this financial economy is now debt. Industrial capitalism has been destroyed.
In the next few days I will push for a plan that includes equity for every American in any taxpayer investment in this so-called bail-out plan. Since the bailout will cost each and every American about $2,300, I have proposed the creation of a United States Mutual Trust Fund, which will take control of $700 billion in stock assets, convert those assets to shares, and distribute $2,300 worth of shares to new individual savings accounts in the name of each and every American.
I will also insist that all of the following issues be considered in whatever Congress passes:

1. Reinstatement of the provisions of Glass-Steagall, which forbade speculation

2. Re-regulation of the finance, insurance, and real estate industries

3. Accountability on the part of those who took the companies down:
a) resignations of management
b) givebacks of executive compensation packages
c) limitations on executive compensation
d) admission by CEO's of what went wrong and how, prior to any government bailout

4. Demands for transparencey
a) with respect to analyzing the transactions which took the companies down
b) with respect to Treasury's dealings with the companies pre and post-bailout

5. An equity position for the taxpayers
a) some form of ownership of assets

6. Some credible formula for evaluating the price of the assets that the government is buying.

7. A sunset clause on the legislation

8. Full public disclosure by members of Congress of assets held, with possible conflicts put in blind trust.

9. A ban on political campaign contributions from officers of corporations receiving bailouts

10. A requirement that 2008 cycle candidates return political contributions to officers and representatives of corporations receiving bailouts

And, most importantly, some mechanism for direct assistance to homeowners saddled with unreasonable or unmanageable mortgages, as well as protection for renters who have lived up to their obligation but fall victim to financial tragedy when the property they live in undergoes foreclosure.

These are just some thoughts on the run. You will hear more from me tomorrow."


-- Dennis Kucinich

Forget having a president you "can have a beer with, I want a president that can help me have money to pay for a beer!!

I hate that more & more these elections come down to the personality of the candidates. W won because people wanted someone that they "could have a beer with." WTF?! Who cares!! Look American if the president has time to sit with each of us & throw one back he's NOT doing his job. I personally do not want a president that I can have a beer with or that is "like me" - NO! In fact,I want MY president to come up with solutions that I haven't come up with, I want my president to be smarter than a 5th grader & smarter than me! I want a president who is thoroughly educated on the constitution & will defend it for the good of the country. I tired of the constitution being shredded and having attempt to amend it to DENY rights to any group of people.
Obama was a constitutional law attorney! Who else on the presidential ticket is better equiped to defend the constitution?!

Dude, where’s my 401K?

So I've always been a news junkie - much to my friends' dismay at having to hear me get on my soapbox. Due to the elections I have been even more glued to the TV than usual so when the stock market plummeted over 500pts on Mon I was pretty freaked. I mean WTF is going on? All these banks are going under, these huge companies, some of which survived the great depression and now they need to be bailed out or they go under? I started my 401K a few years ago, I don't own my home, so like many folks, my 401K IS my nest egg. So I'm kind of concerned, what's gonna happen to my 401K? How long will it take to bounce back? It's scary times we live in...

So of course, the reps & dems are both out there talking about what they will do and I was annoyed to hear Grandpa Mac say that he'd get a commission to look into it. WTF is that gonna do? Commissions don't fix anything! WTF did the 9/11 commission do? NOTHING!! So I guess he still doesn't know shit about the economy. UGH! And I know Obama has jumped on McCain's stupid comments, but the one thing the networks are not talking about is just how WRONG McCain is about retirement planning. McCain - just like BUSH - wanted to let people manage their own social security retirement plans & let us all invest our own $$ in the STOCK MARKET, while allowing deregulation. If he had been president during this collapse & destroyed social security most retirement aged Americans would have lost it ALL. So how is it that I understand this & they don't?? WTF!

I don't know why Obama doesn't stress that point. It's such a scary time in our nation...

Sexism! What you talkin' about Sarah?

I know this is a little late into the whole Palin sexism scandal BS, but I'm still mad about the whole thing. I am completely disgusted that the republicans are crying sexism when they clearly did not care when they were attacking Clinton with truly sexist comments like Rush Limbaugh saying that Clinton would not win because this country is not ready to see it's president turn into an old lady. UGH!! Yet, they complain & cry & hide their precious VP all the while riding the BS cloud of sexism. I'm sick of it! Attacking a candidate's lack of credentials is not sexism. She is completely unqualified. While mayor, she needed an adminstrator to help her run a city of 7,000 people. Built a sports complex on land that didn't even belong to the city & has been tied up in court battles for years & left the city with a whopping deficit, then as AK governor, instead of applying the oil profit surplus into helping the country find ways to become energy independant, she gave out checks of about $1K to AK citizen. In my eyes, that looks like she bribed them all to become popular. Also,being NEAR a country does not give you diplomatic powers. I am more adepth at foreign affairs than she is. Still they say it's all about sexism.

Here's the thing republicans...I can PROVE that these "attacks" are not because she's a woman or that we don't agree with your backwards/deliverance country views. Look at Condolezza Rice. Personally, I think she's as much to blame for the mess of this administration as Bush & Cheyney, yet there she is roaming the world, interacting with some of the craziest world leaders out there and NO ONE has attacked her experience & ability to do her job eventhough she is not just a WOMAN, but BLACK too!! Yes, I think the Bush policies are bad, but I have no doubt Condi can hold her own no matter who she speaks to.

So take that Sarah! There aren't enough cliff notes available for you to hide your lack of knowledge.

Do us all a favor & stick to hunting moose...