From Fiction to Fact?

[Skull Pilot]

'Atlas Shrugged': From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years - WSJ.com

In the book, these relentless wealth redistributionists and their programs are disparaged as "the looters and their laws." Every new act of government futility and stupidity carries with it a benevolent-sounding title. These include the "Anti-Greed Act" to redistribute income (sounds like Charlie Rangel's promises soak-the-rich tax bill) and the "Equalization of Opportunity Act" to prevent people from starting more than one business (to give other people a chance). My personal favorite, the "Anti Dog-Eat-Dog Act," aims to restrict cut-throat competition between firms and thus slow the wave of business bankruptcies. Why didn't Hank Paulson think of that?

These acts and edicts sound farcical, yes, but no more so than the actual events in Washington, circa 2008. We already have been served up the $700 billion "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act" and the "Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act." Now that Barack Obama is in town, he will soon sign into law with great urgency the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan." This latest Hail Mary pass will increase the federal budget (which has already expanded by $1.5 trillion in eight years under George Bush) by an additional $1 trillion -- in roughly his first 100 days in office.




Does this strike anyone else as amusing as hell?

 

[Red Dawn]

Ayn Rand portrayed mega capitalists and titans of industry as noble, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, believers in self-sufficiency and personal responsiblity.

What a nice fairytale.

The captains of industry, in the real world, are begging the government and the taxpayer to bail them out.

 

[Paulie]

Those captains of industry are following the gravy train. No one argues that they aren't greedy bastards. Why those particular idiots should be allowed to ruin capitalism for the majority of ethical, law-abiding, responsible businesspeople and consumers is beyond me.

Greed is inevitable in ANY system. If the government is going to enable it by handing taxpayer money to the unethical businesspeople, then the problem isn't necessarily the economic system, it's the political system.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Ayn Rand portrayed mega capitalists and titans of industry as noble, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, believers in self-sufficiency and personal responsiblity.

What a nice fairytale.

The captains of industry, in the real world, are begging the government and the taxpayer to bail them out.

So in your opinion, the sins of the evil mega-capitalists are also the sins of the vast majority of small scale capitalists (small businessmen and entrepreneurs) who greatly outnumber the mega-capitalists and who actually have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps?

 

[Red Dawn]

So in your opinion, the sins of the evil mega-capitalists are also the sins of the vast majority of small scale capitalists (small businessmen and entrepreneurs) who greatly outnumber the mega-capitalists and who actually have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps?

I'm saying that a lot of people, including two time bush voting, "free market" chimanzees like yourself who were decieved by Rush Limbaugh and Ayn Rand, and there's a possibility you are going to be begging for government help if this thing really goes over the cliff.

 

[Paulie]

I'm saying that a lot of people, including two time bush voting, "free market" chimanzees like yourself who were decieved by Rush Limbaugh and Ayn Rand, and there's a possibility you are going to be begging for government help if this thing really goes over the cliff.

Typical Red Dawn..

"If you aren't a rabid lefty like me, you obviously voted for Bush twice and listen to Rush Limbaugh on the daily."

 

[Skull Pilot]

I'm saying that a lot of people, including two time bush voting, "free market" chimanzees like yourself who were decieved by Rush Limbaugh and Ayn Rand, and there's a possibility you are going to be begging for government help if this thing really goes over the cliff.

hey monkey boy

I never voted for GWB and I don't listen to Limbaugh and while I have read Atlas Shrugged a million years ago, I realize, unlike you, that it is a work of fiction.

Just because I can see a similarity in a work of fiction to our current situation and find it amusing, does not mean I believe everything in a work of fiction is true.

You however seem to believe that the government is the solution to all the world's problems and I truly think that makes you a fucking moron.

 

[Paulie]

What makes Red Dawn a moron is that he obviously lacks critical thinking skills.

That's the problem with MOST people.

 

[Red Dawn]

What makes Red Dawn a moron is that he obviously lacks critical thinking skills.

That's the problem with MOST people.

I'm surprised that you stooped to childish insults. You didn't strike me as the type.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I'm surprised that you stooped to childish insults. You didn't strike me as the type.

I'm tired of you telling me who I voted for and that I listen to Rush.

YOU are obviously the type to assume facts not in evidence and that also makes you a fucking moron.

 

[Paulie]

I'm surprised that you stooped to childish insults. You didn't strike me as the type.

I don't really think you're a moron. I do however, suspect that your critical thinking skills are lacking. You automatically assume everyone who doesn't agree with you is lumped into some fanatical Bush loving, Rush Limbaugh listening, group of wackos.

You resort to it constantly. You and I have even had discussions where I was sitting there TELLING you what I was saying, but you preferred to assume what you wanted. I'm talking about the discussion about the UAW packages. The $70/hr discussion where you continually assumed I was saying that they actually take home $70/hr of pay even though I never said that and constantly corrected you as you went on believing it anyway.

I've seen you on more than a few occasions claim that a right leaning poster must automatically be a Bush voter. You shoot first, and then barely even ask questions later.

It's narrow minded, and you'd do well to expand your thought process and break situations down more precisely.

 

[PubliusInfinitum]

Those captains of industry are following the gravy train. No one argues that they aren't greedy bastards. Why those particular idiots should be allowed to ruin capitalism for the majority of ethical, law-abiding, responsible businesspeople and consumers is beyond me.

Greed is inevitable in ANY system. If the government is going to enable it by handing taxpayer money to the unethical businesspeople, then the problem isn't necessarily the economic system, it's the political system.

Greed is a natural trait of humanity... One which is common to all human beings, from the lowly product of leftist indoctrination begging for the government dole, which they have not earned, all the way up the ladder of humanity to top performing high-income eaners.

Greed is one of the 7 deadly sins and while a necessary base trait, it, like the other six is subject to obsession and must be respected as a powerful instinct which can lead to an unbalanced life, thus is potentially ruinous...

Christianity teaches us that unchecked greed will prevent access to fellowship with the Father, as will encouragement of any of these traits... thus the Christian is directed to seek God's will in all things, where such traits are checked and kept in control in a balanced life.

Secularism being what it is however, unleashes these traits; often encouraging these powerful instincts, relegating it's followers to destructive ruinous lives which are filled with one contrary farce after another.

It's laughable that a leftist will cry in the extreme about the suppossed 'greed' of the business elite who reacted to government gaurantees; setting their business policy in accordance with that which THE LEFTISTS IN GOVERNMENT FORCED UPON THEM... inevitably forcing them to seek THOSE PROMISED GUARANTEES to make them whole; to repair the damage resulting from the losses they sustained by their having complied with absurd LEFTIST MANDATES ... ALL THE WHILE PROMOTING GREED BY THE LEAST AMONG US, TO TAKE THE PRODUCT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S LABOR, THAT WHICH THEY HAD NO PART IN EARNING...

The simple fact is there is no entity in the history of humanity which promotes the abuse of the GREED instinct than the ideological left... even as they operate under the delusion that their theft rests on its 'noble' ends.

 

[PubliusInfinitum]

What makes Red Dawn a moron is that he obviously lacks critical thinking skills.

That's the problem with MOST people.

'Most people' perhaps... but for a fact this intellectual failure is intrinsic to ALL Leftists.

 

[Vel]

The captains of industry, in the real world, are begging the government and the taxpayer to bail them out.

The captains of industry are begging the government? Not really. The captains of industry have gone to Washington to make withdrawals from the emergency accounts ( i.e. politicians purchased ) they've been contributing to all these years. That's all. Think of Washington pols as a Christmas club account.

 

[PubliusInfinitum]

I'm saying that a lot of people, including two time bush voting, "free market" chimanzees like yourself who were decieved by Rush Limbaugh and Ayn Rand, and there's a possibility you are going to be begging for government help if this thing really goes over the cliff.

Now friends, lets just use this drivel as a classic example of the failure of left-think.

Notice how this fool so INSTINCTIVELY BELIEVES that 'if this thing goes over a cliff' that there will be a Government from which to garner handouts...

Just where do you think the government is going to do to get the money for these handouts, 'if this thing goes over a cliff' dipshit?

If it prints it, absent viable production underwriting it, the currency will be worthless... and where there is a sustainable production... your thesis evaporates as the producers will not be seeking a government hand-out, BECAUSE THEY ARE PRODUCING...

The government exists because of the people, Jack-ass... not the inverse and when the people are no longer able or willing to produce, the government will cease to exist and all of your greedy desires for government handouts and a well regulated worker's nirvana will evaporate right along with it.

 

[Truthmatters]

So in your opinion, the sins of the evil mega-capitalists are also the sins of the vast majority of small scale capitalists (small businessmen and entrepreneurs) who greatly outnumber the mega-capitalists and who actually have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps?

An got screwed when the Mega guys were allowed to play without any rules to keep them honest.

They are the ones deregulation helped. The honest guys played with class and fairness while the megacorps played hard and fast and screwed us all.

This is why we need regulations to protect us honest and decent people from the people who will do ANYTHING for a quick profit.

This is why the CEOs were getting mega million dollar bonuses for driving their own companies into the ground. That is what happens when there are no rules and cops.

 

[Skull Pilot]

An got screwed when the Mega guys were allowed to play without any rules to keep them honest.

They are the ones deregulation helped. The honest guys played with class and fairness while the megacorps played hard and fast and screwed us all.

This is why we need regulations to protect us honest and decent people from the people who will do ANYTHING for a quick profit.

This is why the CEOs were getting mega million dollar bonuses for driving their own companies into the ground. That is what happens when there are no rules and cops.

and your answer to that is to have government control everything from CEO pay to how much you can earn?

A CEO getting paid for trashing a company does not affect me unless I work for or hold stock in that company.

But the government meddling in the private sector and using my money to pick and choose which companies fail and which companies get bailed out does affect me.

So tell me just how many government regulatory agencies do you want and at what cost?