The FReepers are imploding about the whole Gingrich/Romney thing

[XemaSab]

Gingrich is a hero for arguing for “ethical capitalism”


Furthermore, making a profit is only one component of owning a business. Whatever happened to the idea that you are responsible for your workers and to the larger community? Too often, people feel like just pawns in a ‘game’ of ever increasing largesse for the top dogs. The big shots are always the winners – often getting payouts in the millions when their companies fail — and the “losers” are left to figure out how to eat or buy clothes for their children. (A new study found that $100 million “golden parachutes” have become commonplace for failed CEOs).

Romney’s “class envy” claim is predicated on a lie we often here from the uber-rich and their defenders: the highest goal and achievement for Americans is to be wealthy, when all most people want is to be able to provide a decent lives for their families…

Post:

Gringrich said--- "what we want is, 'a free enterprise system that is honest. . . fair to everyone and gives everyone an equal opportunity to pursue happiness.' ”
Amen to pursuing happiness... in this case, seeing quislings Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Rove, Malkin, Noonan et al collectively cry in their globally imported beers when they see their "boyfriend" implode. .

Post:

This is a time when Capitalism has become international so that downsizing sends jobs out of the US ...we have watched the strip mining of American industry to build multi nationals that make a small group wealthier .. ...all of that is at the feet of G H Bush..Clinton and GW who sold out US with the “free trade agreements “...

Newt is right.. American exceptionalism is lost by the greed of a few

Post:

ETHICAL CAPITALISM

That sounds good. That the kind of Capitalism I have been practicing for the last 40 years. I guess that explains why I still live in a 1500 sq ft tract home.

Moar lulz here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2832793/posts

[JoePhilly]

1. That's awesome!!

[underpants]

2. The Republican party has been is disarray and in pieces since 2006

it is only there propaganda (Fox News ...and CNN) that keeps them alive.

They are have a hollow core and everyone knows it.

Romney is just exposing it. The key is who ISN'T in the race - Thune, Mitch Daniels, Christie, Rubio, Ryan, etc. - the null set in an equation still determines the result. They are all waiting because they know that Obama is going to have too much money, is too liked, BIN LADEN, and non-incumbent Preisdential races in the US now mean 8 years.

[freshwest]

3. Okay, let's invite them to our Socialist group... Oh, wait, that would make their heads explode...

We're talking about heads imploding.

That was hostile, wasn't it? My bad.

But anyone coming back to the real world from Dittoheadland is a win.

[socialist_n_TN]

28. As a host freshwest, I would think they would need to be on

a pretty strict probation for a while though. But then we're a pretty "bottom up" group, so if you guys want to, well...


Actually on a serious note, watch while these types take on a "socialist" label as the word becomes more and more popular over the next few years. Just like the Nazis in the 30s, you'll need a scorecard to differentiate your various socialisms.

Also, these are RIGHT WINGERS talking about economic inequality. How can anybody think that the Occupy movement hasn't had an effect on the body politic?

[freshwest]

31. OWS is making an impact by its tenacity and vigilence.

No matter how hard they try to stomp OWSers out of public discourse, the time has come. Some will say that holding onto this or that little piece of earth for a brief moment, getting some attention, is foolish. Since mainstream media has been sold to the corporations, they're getting the message out the only way they can.

They know that their future and that of all that gives life or is alive on the this planet has been sold off, all reduced to a commodity. They are likewise considered to be nothing more than so many pound of flesh and blood, animals to be used and have even embraced animal rights. This system cannot be allowed to continue.

What evolves may not be anything like the classical socialist ideas as we discuss in our favorite group there.

Long before socialism or opposing systems were given names and argued over, the need for people to create egalitarian and sustainable societies existed.

As far as reaching the Freepers, elements in OWS embrace the right, the left and everything between. They are bringing the discussion back to the basics. They are making the old paradigm fade as new words and solutions are created.

I have trust in you, Comrade, to keep any errant rightwingers who attempt to foul our worker's paradise group in line!

We will all have to give a lot of things up, but not what really matters.

Myself, I'm grateful to have lived long enough to see this come to pass.

[customerserviceguy]

4. It's a mad scramble

to see who among Perry, Gingrich, and Santorum survive to be the anti-Romney. Santorum's high water mark was Iowa, Perry's was September 2011, and Newt keeps bobbing up and down like that turd you just can't seem to completely flush.

The Freepers hate Mittens, and they know that President Obama will be re-elected if he's the nominee, so they're starting to talk even crazier than usual.

[bluestateguy]

5. Just finished reading that whole thread

a surprising number of posters there are making a lot of sense.

[Gman]

6. OMG, it looks like DU there!

[JDPriestly]

7. Sounds like some of the Freepers

are catching on. They are actually agreeing with the majority of Democrats.

Now if we can just get them to understand that the only way you can get ethical capitalism is to have a few reasonable rules that insure honest transactions . . . in other words, reasonable regulation.

[coalition_unwilling]

32. 'Ethical capitalism' is an oxymoron, akin to 'military intelligence'

or 'athletic scholarship' unless, by "ethics," you mean some sort of social Darwinism.

Capitalism is not and can never be 'ethical,' as it is amoral.

[pamela]

8. The Freepers bash Romney more than we do.

But then, DU bashes Obama more than the Freepers so I guess it evens out.

[Crunchy Frog]

9. So they've all of a sudden become enlightened about capitalism. Sweet!

I'm kind of digging the Republican primaries this time around.

[Historic NY]

10. We should encourage Newt.......its an epic battle between a self styled historian & a vulture.

[coalition_unwilling]

33. Puhleeze. Saying Newt is a 'historian' would have Herodotus rolling in

his grave. Newt is to history what Loggins and Messina are to rock and roll.

[white_wolf]

11. I don't know what their problem is.

They've been whining about big government and regulation for years and want laissez faire, well this is the result of capitalism. If they don't like, then they shouldn't be supporting a party that promotes laissez fair. Of course, we aren't at true laissez faire yet, but what we have is bad enough.

[arely staircase]

24. and specifically the citizens united decision

with its green light for all-hogs-to-the-trough corporate participation in campaign financing. now that mittens is using it to kick their butts they hate it.

[ellisonz]

12. If they lost the Malkinites they have truly lost their damn mind...

"I did not know Malkin was on the take too. What a disappointment. Don't these people see they lost all credibility? If Bain owns Clear Channel and they all work for Clear Channel, it goes to show it's all about the money. To hell with values and principals. They sold there reputation to the highest bidder."



Ladies and Gentlemen of the Democratic Underground, I do believe we are seeing a philosophical fracturing in the average voters of our political enemy.



In case anyone needs:

[denbot]

30. .."we are seeing a philosophical fracturing in the average voters of our political enemy."

I do believe you have hit the nail on the head..

[white_wolf]

13. This is sarcasm right, please tell me this post below is sarcasm:

"Gingrich is a COMMIE!!!!!!

Only the business owner matters - if you think anyone else does, then you’re a stinking commie lib!"

[oh08dem]

16. I guess anyone left of Ayn Rand

is an evil pinko commie....

It's an everyday struggle for them to find out which direction they want to move the goalposts.

[Douglas Carpenter]

14. perhaps, Social Conservatism's crusade against the "elites" has been a misguided version of the

class struggle all along. That was the idea put forward by the author Thomas Franks in his book What's the Matter with Kansas. Perhaps Mr. Gingrich has unwittingly unleashed the case against class privilege into the minds of those who already were burning with the anger of an exploited people but have until now directed their class anger against everyone and everything except those who actually do exploit and oppress them.

But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? - James 2:6

[oh08dem]

18. Very true...

It baffles be when I hear conservatives say "Jesus" is/was a capitalist.

Could they, in good conscience, say Jesus would layoff thousands of workers to improve his bottom line?
Could they, in good conscience, say Jesus would pollute the Earth his father created to improve his bottom line?
Could they, in good conscience, say Jesus would exploit the labor of a less fortunate people to improve his bottom line?

From what I've read all those questions would be answered with a simple "no", but they must project their own greed onto a deity in order for them to feel justified in their belief that "greed is good".

[white_wolf]

21. That view of "capitalist Jesus" goes back to John Calvin.

He thought wealth was a sign of God's favor. Most Presbyterians are Calvinists and even those Protestants who don't consider themselves Calvinists have been strongly influenced by Calvin's views on wealth.

[white_wolf]

15. As I read the linked thread I see a whole lot of idealism at work...

when it comes to solving the problems of capitalism. A lot about trust, honestly, good faith, etc. Sure, those all sound good, but capitalism centralizes power and as we all know power tends to corrupt. Their solutions are purely idealistic and aren't all based on any scientific analyzes of capitalism.

[white_wolf]

17. Thanks for the link, OP. The thread highlights a strong divide in the right-wing.

The libertarians, Objectivists, pro-business wing and the religious wing are slowly starting to see that their world views are simply not compatible if they take their views seriously. The religious right are beginning to see that their holy book, the Bible, is at odds with the holy book of the Objectivists, Atlas Shrugged and vice versa. Which side will win?

[oh08dem]

19. The sad thing is

if they did just a little bit of research they would've learned that Ayn Rand was an outspoken atheist...

I guess that's why religion is so powerful; they've been able to indoctrinate millions of Christians to follow the teachings of a self-centered amoral bitch.

[white_wolf]

20. I think they are realizing that now, very slowly though.

The linked thread highlights that, the libertarians are fighting with the Christians over what is ethical. The Christians, at least the ones in that thread, seem to be slowly waking up to the fact that Jesus condemned greed and love of money, while Rand exalted it. Perhaps John Calvin's centuries old hold on Protestant thought is slowly beginning to fade. If so, then expect to see a sharp divide emerge between the religious right and the business right.

[arely staircase]

25. she was truly anti-christ. not THE anti-christ as in book of revelation

strangeness - but rather the antithesis of christ's teaching.

[calimary]

22. Kick!

[auburngrad82]

23. There's something wrong about using ethical or honest in a statement about Gingrich nt

[renegade000]

26. ethical capitalism?

you mean like what Europe does?

[Ebadlun]

27. I think you're right

Speaking as a foreign sort, but the philosophical contradictions of Conservative thought have long been puzzling - small government, states-rights enthusiasts who want to change the constitution to ban gay marriage? What's THAT about?

There used to be a sitcom called Herman's Head, in which different aspects of the protagonist's personality argued with each other inside his head, with intermittently amusing results. This is like that, with strands of conservative thought.

Here we have the separate elements of the grand right-wing coalition personified as never before:

* The Social Conservative - played by Rick Santorum

* The Know-nothing Populist - played by Rick Perry

* The Country-First Technocrat - played by Jon Huntsman

* The Nihilist Obstructionist - played by Newt Gingrich

* The Plutocrat - played by Mitt Romney

* The Utter Fucking Lunatic - played by Michelle Bachmann

* The Constitution In Person - played by Ron Paul

[Rowdyboy]

29. Man they hate Romney more than we do.....

[Tripod]

34. Newt may have said it once...

"American exceptionalism is lost by the greed of a few" But I believe that he actually lives his life, conducts his business affairs, in that same manor. I hope that he gets the Republican nominee, because, unless what has happened in the recent past with our elections, He will loose. Out of all of them out there for the Presidency, the one we have now is the best one for the job. Eventhough I don't agree with everything that Obahma has done. The one thing that has pissed me off more then anything is that he wrote, or changed the law, that to drill off shore in the gulf and such, that no public announcements have to be made..... It's just a done deal. Have you guys seen the ads on tv for how great the internal coast line is for tourism? I guess that myself, and most of us have a very short attention spand. WTF.