Associations

I ran into this article (http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/07/25/gop-looks-for-weakness-in-obamas-overseas-trip.html
in particular this comment:
"..Republican strategists say his nation-hopping exposed major vulnerabilities that they hope to exploit in the fall."
My brain immediately made the association with this scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUee1WvtQZU

And Vizinni taunting Westley with " IT HAS WORKED! YOU'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! "

Choose your cup, Republicans.

The Mexican Solution

I remember seeing Dr. Ron Paul in an interview, and a question came up about the proposal to create a government assisted "pool" that would help mitigate the effects of disasters in the U.S. He dismissed the thought as easily as brushing off a fly.
"Oh. That's socialism," he said, and that was that. The End.

In that instant, I lost all respect for the man.

We operate in what's called a “mixed system” - mostly capitalism, some socialism. These have been the only systems that work in the real world.

So, if you easily dismiss socialism, and worship at the alter of "The Free Market," please also remember that the free market gave us both the Roaring Twenties, and the Great Depression.

Let’s compare our (the U.S.) current situation to a close neighbor - Mexico. why are we pretty much OK, while Mexico has a 25% unemployment rate and a 50% poverty rate? A lot of credit goes to the ultimate power in Socialism, the Rule of Law.

Pure Capitalism is predatory, so the rich families in Mexico are free to twist the political system to whatever shape they want. No true Rule of Law, no labor rights, no (socialist) public safety net, no benefit to ordinary people, just about all of the money goes to the rich.
Now, how does “each individual have the right to determine what they choose to afford” (as was queried by a libertarian commenter in Thecarpetbaggerreport.com) when you have next to nothing?

Our current resident in the White House has been supported by the “Conservatives,” but just about all of their policies have been disasters. IMHO, this (the most influential part of the Republican Party) would prefer a Mexican situation here in the States. I feel that their policies have been driving us toward that goal.