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"A little Socialism Won't Hurt" A Letter to My Son

Posted on 10/02/2008 6:51:51 AM PDT by Hillary'sMoralVoid

It was no surprise that my son plans to vote for Obama. He's been veering left throughout his college years. We had a rather heated discussion about Obama on the phone. I told him that Obama was a socialist. His response was "maybe a little socialism won't hurt". Here is my written response.

Dear Son,

When we discussed Barack Obama and I said he was a socialist, I remember that you responded that "maybe a little socialism won't hurt."

We are now in the midst of an economic crisis of global proportions, the results of which will impact much of your life and perhaps even your children's lives.

This is the result of a "little socialism". Community activists, like Barack Obama and Jesse Jackson, with the help of groups like ACORN, pressured banks into giving favorable loans to minorities in blighted areas of urban America. The banks did one of two things, they either closed the targeted branch, or complied and lost money.

This pattern continued through the 1990s and became more and more insideous. Loan amounts were increased, qualification standards were relaxed, down payments were eliminated. Things became so loose that even illegal immigrants were receiving loans with little down payment or proof of income.

This was done in the name of social engineering, trying to increase minority home ownership to people who clearly couldn't afford it. In short, govenment making decisions that market should make, in short, socialism.

The "CEO's" of Freddie Mac and Fannie May received higher bonuses the more loans they gave, so they had a financial incentive to make more loans. Two execs, Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson, raked in over $100M in personal bonuses between them. They were fired for cooking the books and overstating financial health of their organizations, a'la Enron. They both are now advisors to the Obama campaign.

Over the years, the Republicans have called for more regulation and oversight of Fannie/Freddie, Bush pushed for it over ten times. McCain co-authored legislation to that effect. The Democrats were incredibly protective, fighting off any oversight, despite all the warning signs of problems.

Perhaps it was the contributions. Obama is the top recipient of Fannie/Freddie political contributions in the last three years, with the top recipients being overwhlemingly democrats.

Since controlling congress the democrats have covered for the abuses, and have tried to deflect blame to the banks involved with the loans. It's quite remarkable that they would cite greed of the banking industry for getting involved in high-risk, low-profit loans. In fact, the banks became involved out of political correctness as well as some political coercion and cronyism. One of the early banks in the sub-prime mess was Bear-Stearns, one of the first to fail.

I know that you were delighted to see Ken Lay of Enron go to jail and so was I. The cost of the Fannie/Freddie scandal is already over ten times that of Enron, just for the United States, and is likely to end out costing us more than double that. Mom and I have lost a lot of our retirement savings because of this scandal.

Now we have a bailout plan that doesn't fix the core problem of sub-prime loans. A criminal investigation is underway from the U. S. Attorney's office on Freddie and Fannie. How far will that go with the democrats in control? (If you like conspiracy theories, there are many who think that former New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer was set up in the callgirl scandal because he was getting too close to too many important people in Washington.)

So why am I so fearful of socialism? Why did I make a career of fighting it? How much can a little socialism hurt?

Love, Dad


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: bearsteans; clinton; democrats; fanniemae; franklinraines; freddiemac; obama; socialism
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To: Oldexpat

My daughter’s eyes were opened VERY wide when after she received her masters degree and gained employment, she studied her paycheck stub...She exclaimed, “What is all this stuff they are deducting from my pay???”

I said, “Welcome to the real world, sweetie....”


21 posted on 10/02/2008 7:11:44 AM PDT by Boonie
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

This letter didn’t go far enough. To bring it home to brain-washed university students, parents need to add: “Since we have lost our retirement money because of these Liberal give-aways, and Obama promises to raise our taxes, we will no longer be able to subsidize your college education. We wish you luck in your job search to pay your bills next semester.
Love,
Dad/Mom”
These no-nothing late-bloomers will certainly get a much-needed lesson about living in the real world instead of in their subsidized cocoon.


22 posted on 10/02/2008 7:12:08 AM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: Oldexpat
I certainly hope that you make your kid work during college for at least his spending money.

Fortunately, I'm past that stage. My daughter had two jobs in college and still managed a 3.6 GPA. My son played sports, so didn't have a job but used the money he earned during the summer's for his spending money. Because I was a college prof, I didn't have to pay tuition. Even so, neither child ever once asked me for money while they were in college. We did have lots of debates on liberalism and, fortunately, they are both very conservative thinkers and vote Republican most of the time. I was lucky...

23 posted on 10/02/2008 7:13:26 AM PDT by econjack (Some people are as dumb as soup.)
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

The current college aged crowd is like a bunch of Zombies in their adoration of Obama. They are voting for him in alot of cases because it’s “hip.” He’s the talk of the blogs and all that pop culture stuff. John Kerry tried that in 2004, but come on, he is John Kerry. Obama on the other hand is only 25-30 years older than most of the college aged crowd and he’s done a masterful marketing job with these knumbskulls. I just hate the fact that someone that thinks “hope” and “change” are valid reasons to vote for someone will cancel out alot of our votes that see Obama as a danger to our country.


24 posted on 10/02/2008 7:14:09 AM PDT by The South Texan (The Drive By Media is America's worst enemy and American people don't know it.)
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

Maybe a little socialism isn’t such a bad thing? That college student needs to watch this before he is too far gone!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6KUDv1wzraWhwlBt1


25 posted on 10/02/2008 7:15:11 AM PDT by truthluva ("Character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking" - JC Watts)
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

This 23-year-old gives that letter 2 thumbs up!

Would you let us know how he responds to it?

Also, if your son refuses to believe that communists and socialists are actively trying to undermine Western Civilization, here is a video of a great interview (1985) of a KGB defector, Yuri Bezmenov, who discusses the Soviets’ long-term plan to destabilize the West. It’s a real eye-opener, as he describes in great detail how it goes much deeper than just Soviet Russia...

http://www.poorschmuck.net/wordpress/?p=6306


26 posted on 10/02/2008 7:16:20 AM PDT by Zeppelin (Keep on FReepin' on...)
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To: Oldexpat
I certainly hope that you make your kid work during college for at least his spending money.

Excellent advice! My daughters were told at a young age that they would have to pay half. (This was a stake in the ground; if they worked and could not afford their half, I was prepared to kick in more.) Most monetary gifts went to their portion as they were growing up. In high school they had to think about what they wanted and how to afford it. It caused them to set priorities and fend for themselves somewhat.

In my mind, the key is to set the ground rules early.

27 posted on 10/02/2008 7:18:52 AM PDT by mlocher (USA is a sovereign state.)
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

Excellent letter! May I copy it and send it around to various people I know and debate with?


28 posted on 10/02/2008 7:18:52 AM PDT by avacado
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To: Texas4ever
I may just have to move.....I couldnt stand listening to his preaching for 8 years....God help us.

8 years??? You actually believe he wouldn't have the term limit eliminated? =)

29 posted on 10/02/2008 7:19:16 AM PDT by Zeppelin (Keep on FReepin' on...)
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To: Texas4ever

Escape is a better word. You need a super secret escape plan. There is enought ime left to get it together. I am working on mine. Obama cant do anything til the spring. If he wins.


30 posted on 10/02/2008 7:19:58 AM PDT by screaminsunshine
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid
It's a crime what public school indoctrination has done to our kids. There was an excellent historical documentary in 8 parts on YouTube called "The Soviet Story". They pulled it yesterday, but if it ever re-emerges, forward it to your son. Or buy it if you can find it. I didn't see anything on amazon.com specifically under that title.

Just reflecting for a moment...When I was in 6th grade (65-66) my teacher explained to us how dangerous and deadly Communism was. She talked about it alot. I'm sure if she had this video, she would have shown it to us...even if it was on one of those little film strips they used to have lol! Do you think a documentary critical of the Soviet Union and communism would be allowed any where near an American classroom today?

31 posted on 10/02/2008 7:20:13 AM PDT by FrdmLvr ("Stand up, Chuck!")
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

Can I repost your letter on my myspace? Have an awesome day!


32 posted on 10/02/2008 7:20:21 AM PDT by LADYAK
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

Dear Son,
Since you feel that a “little socialism won’t hurt”, please arrange for student loans from the socialist government you so admire. It won’t hurt; you can pay it back, with interest, over the next ten, twenty or thirty years.

Also, please leave your car keys at home next time you drop by. A little socialism will provide public transportation much more reasonably.

I won’t be able to help you with your first house, either. The little socialism will proovide you with a subprime loan that will explode in five years.

BTW, Mom and I are off to see the world. Your little socialism has a funny thing about leaving money to our kids; they want half. So we are going to spend it all.

Love,
Dad - no forwarding address


33 posted on 10/02/2008 7:22:07 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners.)
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

What an excellent letter, perhaps someday your son will understand and have an Ahh-haa moment.


34 posted on 10/02/2008 7:22:45 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: mlocher

Setting the ground rules early is our motto as well. Our kids are 9 and 11 and they already know that they will be required to pay for their own car, insurance, gas, and any other incidentals that are not necessary to life. We’ve also told them that they will need to put themselves through college and after they graduate and get a job we’ll reimburse them for the expense. I’m not too sure how that idea will really play out, but they get the point. Even now they don’t spend the cash they get as gifts frivolously, they are saving for their first car!


35 posted on 10/02/2008 7:22:50 AM PDT by JesusBmyGod (Baruch HaBa B'Shem Adonai)
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid

Great letter, but send him this as well.

Link courtesy of word_warrior_bob

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6KUDv1wzraWhwlBt1

Tatt


36 posted on 10/02/2008 7:24:08 AM PDT by thesearethetimes... ("Courage, is fear that has said its prayers." Dorothy Bernard)
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To: Hillary'sMoralVoid
He's been veering left throughout his college years.

Our higher education system is a farce and will be the ruination of our country.

37 posted on 10/02/2008 7:24:41 AM PDT by aimhigh
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To: truthluva

Great minds ; }

Tatt


38 posted on 10/02/2008 7:25:32 AM PDT by thesearethetimes... ("Courage, is fear that has said its prayers." Dorothy Bernard)
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To: Boonie

Who the h3ll is FICA and why is he getting a chunk of my paycheck?


39 posted on 10/02/2008 7:25:51 AM PDT by listenhillary (Community organizing has brought Wall Street to it's knees.That WAS the plan, right?)
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To: RipSawyer

The 19th amendment introduced a 30-40% voting populace that votes for security over freedom.

Refute it if you feel that you should or can.


40 posted on 10/02/2008 7:26:40 AM PDT by MrB (0bama supporters: What's the attraction? The Marxism or the Infanticide?)
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