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daemon wrote:

Hell, certain R's are rebranding themselves the "Conservative Party".

Yeah - there's some pandering go on.
No doubt about it.

Some1 wrote:

Why is "European Socialism" so scary?

Short answer - because it gives government too much power.
Despite the intentions of doing good by giving government that power, government can't be trusted with it.
Sooner or later, the government abuses that power, and when they abuse that power, very often the only way the people can take it back is by a very bloody revolution.

Classic example of abuse of government power - here in the US, many cities abused the power of eminent domain so they could force people who owned homes to move, bulldoze those home, and build McMansions and Condos - all in the name of generating property tax revenue. Now some of those lots sit empty unbuilt - but the the homes of people who were forced to move have been bulldozed, and in other developments that were built, houses sit empty. The local government abused eminent domain, a power given to them so the local government could do good. Instead local government got greedy and saw revenue.

Think of that kind of abuse on a national level. Sooner or later it will happen, it always does, when a government has too much power.

The Utopian notion is nice, but man is basically evil, and government is run by man.

resedit wrote:

Some1 wrote:

Why is "European Socialism" so scary?

Short answer - because it gives government too much power.
Despite the intentions of doing good by giving government that power, government can't be trusted with it.
Sooner or later, the government abuses that power, and when they abuse that power, very often the only way the people can take it back is by a very bloody revolution.

Classic example of abuse of government power - here in the US, many cities abused the power of eminent domain so they could force people who owned homes to move, bulldoze those home, and build McMansions and Condos - all in the name of generating property tax revenue. Now some of those lots sit empty unbuilt - but the the homes of people who were forced to move have been bulldozed, and in other developments that were built, houses sit empty. The local government abused eminent domain, a power given to them so the local government could do good. Instead local government got greedy and saw revenue.

Think of that kind of abuse on a national level. Sooner or later it will happen, it always does, when a government has too much power.

The Utopian notion is nice, but man is basically evil, and government is run by man.

You used an American example of government abuse to criticize Europe's governance model?

And couldn't any and all government abuses be prevented by an active, informed and engaged electorate which cares about more than just talking points?

Heh, I know ... that's some utopian smurf right there.

ShnickyShnack wrote:

resedit wrote:

Some1 wrote:

Why is "European Socialism" so scary?

Short answer - because it gives government too much power.
Despite the intentions of doing good by giving government that power, government can't be trusted with it.
Sooner or later, the government abuses that power, and when they abuse that power, very often the only way the people can take it back is by a very bloody revolution.

Classic example of abuse of government power - here in the US, many cities abused the power of eminent domain so they could force people who owned homes to move, bulldoze those home, and build McMansions and Condos - all in the name of generating property tax revenue. Now some of those lots sit empty unbuilt - but the the homes of people who were forced to move have been bulldozed, and in other developments that were built, houses sit empty. The local government abused eminent domain, a power given to them so the local government could do good. Instead local government got greedy and saw revenue.

Think of that kind of abuse on a national level. Sooner or later it will happen, it always does, when a government has too much power.

The Utopian notion is nice, but man is basically evil, and government is run by man.

You used an American example of government abuse to criticize Europe's governance model?

Why yes, I did.
I'm far more familiar with US power abuse than recent European power abuse.

And couldn't any and all government abuses be prevented by an active, informed and engaged electorate which cares about more than just talking points?

In a perfect world.
History shows that doesn't exist. We've been kicked out of Eden.

Man! It just keeps getting better with this guy.

Yeah, all the while having our houses bulldozered for naught, too. I mean, that stuff's par for the course, over here!

.tsooJ

That's socialism for ya!

.tsooJ

Odd how the uber-socialist Scandinavian countries routinely rate highest on the "happiness index" isn't it?

NokX wrote:

democrats: "huh huh... the republicans are neo-cons and evil, greedy people. huh huh..."

republicans: "huh huh... the democrats are socialists and evil, greedy people. huh huh..."

name-calling in politics. that's weird. would've never guessed name-calling would happen in politics.

Find where the DNC voted to call Republicans "evil" or STFU.

Bat wrote:

You can't even straighten your border with Belgium so's it doesn't run zigzag smack thru some poor village these last thousand years.

179. But we'll just bulldozer them. It's the socialist thing to do!

.tsooJ

bedstuy wrote:

wellfleation wrote:

but its usually somebody with an angry scrawl across their face with a cross hanging from their rear view mirror, or something similar.

The cross now has a tea bag hanging on it.  It's the 2009 model.

Don't forget the gun rack, the Confederate flag, two pregnant teenage daughters and a bumper sticker with some inane slogan about Adam & Steve.

ShnickyShnack wrote:

Wow, you guys really scrawled us a picture.

Fixed. Scrawl has replaced other words in my lexicon (paint, draw) for requesting a picture in this forum.

Scowl, tho, will retain its old meaning.

No, no. It's Euro-style socialism. Really. Res explained that quite clearly, earlier in the thread.

.tsooJ