Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

America Wants Security [Paul Krugman Says Americans Want Socialism]
New York Times ^ | May 23, 2005 | Paul Krugman

Posted on 05/23/2005 8:23:04 AM PDT by JBW

It was a carefully staged Norman Rockwell scene. The street was lined with American flags; a high school band played "God Bless America."

Then, under the watchful gaze of Wal-Mart's chief operating officer, Maryland's governor vetoed a bill that would have obliged large businesses to spend more on employee health care.

The news here isn't that some politicians wrap their deference to corporate interests in the flag. The news, instead, is that Maryland's State Legislature passed a pro-worker bill in the first place. In fact, the bill passed by a veto-proof majority in the Maryland Senate, and fell just short of that margin in the House.

After November's election, the victors claimed a mandate to unravel the welfare state. But the national election was about who would best defend us from gay married terrorists. At the state level, where elections were fought on bread-and-butter issues, voters sent a message that they wanted a stronger, not weaker, social safety net.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: conservatism; economicsecurity; jonathanbwilson; paulkrugman; safetynet; socialism
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
Conservative George W. Bush defeats Massachusetts liberal John F. Kerry by a 2 million popular vote margin, campaign on the theme of the "Ownership Society" in which he promises to empower individuals by lowering their taxes and opening the gates to individual capital ownership. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman says this proves the American electorate is hungry for socialism.

Confused? You're not the only one.

Socialism has been dead for at least 20 years. But it lives on in the Economics Departments of a few college campuses and on the editorial page of the New York Times.

more at http://www.jonathanbwilson.com/2005.05.01_arch.html#1116861493108

1 posted on 05/23/2005 8:23:05 AM PDT by JBW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: JBW
Paul Krugman Says Americans Want Socialism

To help prevent multiple postings, please do not change titles.

2 posted on 05/23/2005 8:26:05 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator
Hmmm.... the issue's settled then. We can all sing the Internationale. To eliminate American Marxists, we have to go through 70 years of it for ourselves.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
3 posted on 05/23/2005 8:28:33 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: JBW

"Socialism has been dead for at least 20 years. But it lives on in the Economics Departments of a few college campuses and on the editorial page of the New York Times."

Also seems to live on in the minds of 15-20% of our population, they whine so much that they are heard more than our side.


4 posted on 05/23/2005 8:28:34 AM PDT by conservativewasp (Support John Kerry......... Ho Chi Minh would. Damn! Now I need a new tagline.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW

And the NYT expects people to pay extra for this junk?


5 posted on 05/23/2005 8:28:47 AM PDT by flashbunny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW

"Trust me."

6 posted on 05/23/2005 8:30:50 AM PDT by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW
This guy may very well end up in a mental hospital because his hate for President is making him go absolutely MAD.
7 posted on 05/23/2005 8:31:07 AM PDT by alwaysrepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW

...and Howard Dean backs a socialist candidate. Good to see the Dems are realigning themselves with mainstream America.


8 posted on 05/23/2005 8:32:50 AM PDT by toddlintown (Your papers please.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW

This is just a case of Paul going "old school" on us by forgetting that we have multiple independent media sources that were not available 10-15 years ago. His pool of ignorant patrons has shrunk considerably, yet he still thinks the fix is on. The burden of enticement over directive must be more difficult for him than we could imagine.


9 posted on 05/23/2005 8:39:18 AM PDT by Niteranger68 ("Spare the rod, spoil the liberal.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW
Socialism has been dead for at least 20 years.

BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA... Stop! Yer killing me!

Socialism continues its advance in the U.S., even while Republicans are in control. I can only guess it's what the people want.

10 posted on 05/23/2005 8:43:51 AM PDT by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary. You have the right to be wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW
What amkes you think Socialism has been dead for 20 years?
11 posted on 05/23/2005 8:45:55 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist

I aws owndering hte asme hting. :-)


12 posted on 05/23/2005 8:47:20 AM PDT by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary. You have the right to be wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: JBW
Walmart should announce they are closing all operations in that area if the law is passed. Put lots out of work and make prices rise and let the voters deal with the politicians.

I say this and I am not all that fond of Walmart and it's overseas produced products, but the the power of government needs to be checked.
13 posted on 05/23/2005 8:48:32 AM PDT by Mark in the Old South (Sister Lucia of Fatima pray for us)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: newgeezer

Makes me sick to see elite pretend they know aboput "workers".


14 posted on 05/23/2005 8:50:14 AM PDT by ClaireSolt (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: JBW
Socialism has been dead for at least 20 years.

It might be dead, but both the Republicans and Democrats have been doing a Weekend Decade at Bernie's and dragging it around and making us support it.

15 posted on 05/23/2005 8:53:13 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Relying on government for your retirement is like playing Russian roulette with an semi auto pistol.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW

Well, FR prohibits me from using profanity, personal attacks, or advocating violence in my posts.

So I really can't tell you what I think of Paul Krugman.

But you can use your imagination...


16 posted on 05/23/2005 8:54:18 AM PDT by t_skoz ("let me be who I am - let me kick out the jams!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alwaysrepublican

This guy may very well end up in a mental hospital because his hate for President is making him go absolutely MAD.

He's already in a mental hospital, but it has all inmates and no attendants. It's called Princeton.


17 posted on 05/23/2005 9:05:35 AM PDT by Big Digger (I)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: alwaysrepublican

"This guy may very well end up in a mental hospital because his hate for President is making him go absolutely MAD."

How can they do that? He can't be told he's crazy or nutso or mentally ill. And he might not understand "normal-challenged" or "in-need-of-our-help."


18 posted on 05/23/2005 9:10:36 AM PDT by righttackle44 (The most dangerous weapon in the world is a Marine with his rifle and the American people behind him)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Big Digger
You may be right about Krugman's need to check himself into a mental hospital. He shows signs of trauma and abuse.

A couple of years ago, during a panel discussion moderated by Russert on CNBC, Krugman faced off against Bill O'Reilly. Krugman was so scared and purturbed that he was literally twitching and shaking during the most heated parts of the battle.

19 posted on 05/23/2005 9:11:10 AM PDT by Vision Thing (Liberal Democrats are brain dead. Pull their feeding tubes, now!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist

Socialism has been dead since at least 1989, when Berliners pulled down the wall separating East and West.

Since then the Soviet Union has dissolved into a pastiche of struggling market economies. Russia still gives off mixed messages, but the private ownership of capital means that, absent state re-appropriation, Russia will have at least some semblence of private ownership for years to come.

China doesn't even pretend to be communist anymore. China's economy is growing as private business harnesses that country's workforce with the power of technology. There is a substantial tension, to be sure, between its burgeoning market and its one-party state, but the invisible hand of the free market is more likely than not to resolve that tension in favor of capitalism.

Throughout the world the debate is largely between the extent of privatization rather than over privatization itself. No one (other than in academe and the New York Times) seriously pretends that a centralized command-and-control economy is a viable option to capitalism.

Krugman is stuck in a time warp.


20 posted on 05/23/2005 9:14:11 AM PDT by JBW (www.jonathanbwilson.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson