tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post5389503157507786094..comments2024-03-29T04:06:37.402-07:00Comments on Had Enough Therapy?: The Enduring Mystique of CommunismStuart Schneidermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-84466224337640028612017-12-04T01:08:36.259-08:002017-12-04T01:08:36.259-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Jal Parihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00636870704135027995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-40835026254195166102017-10-30T08:09:31.645-07:002017-10-30T08:09:31.645-07:00If a kid is 20, he or she is attending a high scho...If a kid is 20, he or she is attending a high school with ashtrays, and is nearly totally dependent on parental money, government loans and an artificial life style. And since rebelling is a natural part of finding one's identity independent of parents, and since there's nothing else to rebel against with little means of actually rebelling, wearing Che t-shirt is not surprising. "Capitalism" is just a strawman to anyone who hasn't sweated out a paycheck, "communism" is a shining alternative to anyone who hasn't waited for STASI to knock on the door.<br /><br />Then again, I wouldn't trust any kid who did not go through this stage.Jack Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873320680596889057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-10149025286265334282017-10-30T00:09:35.206-07:002017-10-30T00:09:35.206-07:00Bret Stephens: Bernie Sanders captured the heart, ...Bret Stephens: Bernie Sanders captured the heart, if not yet the brain, of the Democratic Party last year by portraying “democratic socialism” as nothing more than an extension of New Deal liberalism. But the Vermont senator also insists that “the business model of Wall Street is fraud.” Efforts to criminalize capitalism and financial services also have predictable results.<br /><br />I'm glad Stephens mentioned Sanders effort at Scandinavian Socialism, but it does seem worthy to challenge his assertion that Sanders rejects capitalism or Wall Street, while of course we know socialism FAILS when it tries to run purely on an extractive economy, whether that economy is based on oil exports or ever more complex financial schemes that hide our dependencies upon an actual sustainable economy based on real people doing real work, and having a world where those doing real things get peanuts, and those who invent the latest and greatest way to slice and dice bad mortgages and debt instruments into AAA ratings for retirees hopes and dreams, they shouldn't make more money that all the rest of us, but that's the world we've created under the sacred name of "capitalism". The prosperity gospel is indeed built on lies whether the altar is on Wall Street or in the televangelist churches.<br /><br />Capitalism should mean people who work hard have surplus income and they can invest their savings in things that will make the future a better place for their community. People with savings shouldn't be competing with banks that can create money out of thin air, and then socialize the losses when a critical mass is sucked into their bubbles.<br /><br />But given we're in the largest bubble economy in the history of humanity, I agree its trouble to make Sander's socialism dependent upon our infinity and beyond debt-economy. This modern monopoly game has to end on is own excesses before we can see what's left of our opioid addled population. <br /><br />If Sanders is unfairly optimistic in public, its because pessimism doesn't sell well. And its at least slightly more credible than building a 70 billion dollar wall with Mexico and making the Mexicans pay for it.<br />Ares Olympushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726811306826601686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-68982428217496502682017-10-29T16:27:29.799-07:002017-10-29T16:27:29.799-07:00Intellectuals are so very good at overlooking mass...Intellectuals are so very good at overlooking masses and piles of dead bodies...Sam L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00996809377798862214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-26255960965018862842017-10-29T13:48:38.089-07:002017-10-29T13:48:38.089-07:00Why is it that no one ever says national socialism...Why is it that no one ever says national socialism failed because they didn't do it right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-12864969507810474542017-10-29T09:34:31.222-07:002017-10-29T09:34:31.222-07:00Two reasons why Communism is considered more accep...Two reasons why Communism is considered more acceptable than Naziism:<br /><br />1--the advertising. Communism, like Christianity, positions itself as a universalist philosophy, one that is applicable to and intended to benefit ALL humans everywhere. Whereas Naziism was quite explicit that it intended to benefit only a certain ethnically-defined subset of humanity, at the expense of everyone else.<br /><br />2--the intellectuals...large numbers of intellectuals were involved in the Communism movement; this is much less true of Naziism, despite the eager complicity of some like Heidegger and the go-along-to-get-along complicity of many others, there was a strong anti-intellectual component to the Nazi movement. And since intellectuals tend to be the ones who write the books and the magazine articles, it makes sense that Communism has been dealt with more gently.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-11464680540821933432017-10-29T08:56:42.889-07:002017-10-29T08:56:42.889-07:00Marx, by proxies, ed.Marx, by proxies, ed.Sam L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00996809377798862214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-2766654372162661652017-10-29T08:29:24.051-07:002017-10-29T08:29:24.051-07:00ed in texas
A former coworker of mine , a Beloruss...ed in texas<br />A former coworker of mine , a Belorussian, was fond of saying that he wondered which German political philosopher had kill more people, Marx or Hitler.<br />Valid question.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-19447749484941744912017-10-29T08:22:18.991-07:002017-10-29T08:22:18.991-07:00There is a convincing school of thought that says ...There is a convincing school of thought that says Communism by it's very nature can never succeed in the real world. At best it can only be a vehicle for the pursuit of power and even that is very transitory.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13642228725661059539noreply@blogger.com