In These Times

Latest Comments view all 798

• • 17 Feb 10
  • 1:01 pm

  The signature characteristics of all Marxist states, or Marxist wannabe states, are operational inefficiency and institutional corruption. The Soviet Union died of Marxist inefficiency and Marxist corruption. Other Marxist states have fared poorly, including Social Democratic Old Europe, not to mention NorK, Cuba, and that wannabe Marxist in Venezuela that is destroying his country. Marx knew nothing about the real world, much less about economics, but he was a strong advocate of eliminating Western Judeo-Christian values. So It is not surprising that Marx's followers can't make an economic system work and that they are dishonest and corrupt. This is true whether …

  Posted to Obama and the State of Democrats

• • 20 Feb 10
  • 5:41 pm

  Davis -

  Many shallow minds seem to think that Capitalism is a benign giant that produces a benign economic system. During slavery and colonialism capitalism had an openly brutal hand; and since then it has had a powerful hand (invisible to the shallow mind) that is still exploiting workers foreign and domestic. It must be checked.

  Slavery was an economic and social system that was exploitive, was not very efficient, and did not last. Colonialism was a different economic and social system, it was exploitive, was not very efficient, and did not last.. Marxism, in all its premutations and perversions, …

  Posted to Obama and the State of Democrats

• • 21 Feb 10
  • 8:25 pm

  WTH - The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was passed by a Democratic congress in 1977 and signed by President Carter. CRA required banks, under penalty of law, to provide qualified buyers with access to loans and, particularly, mortgages. To no great effect, since banks had little problem loaning to qualified borrowers, meaning that the borrowers were in position to pay the money back. Beginning In 1993 during President Clinton's term, Fan and Fred began issuing sub-prime and Alt-A mortgages as prime mortgages. The rating agencies picked up these "prime" mortgages as highly-rated investments, and the banks then packaged and securitized those …

  Posted to Obama and the State of Democrats

• • 23 Feb 10
  • 11:13 pm

  WTH - Ref your 1407 hours post. You certainly have a hard on for the banks. You don't like the ones that were bailed out (Citibank) and you don't like the ones that managed their affairs more prudently (did not require bail-out - GS). But you have not shown me where the banks have caused you or anyone any great loss. The TARP $85 billion went to AIG and GS benefitted. But AIG and GS were both relying on the securitized bond ratings, and the United States Government vouched for the ratings, both by endorsing the FRB Boston loan policies and …

  Posted to Obama and the State of Democrats

• • 09 Mar 10
  • 11:24 pm

  CDC- Oh, I remember you, too. As i recall, you had an advanced degree in Marxist Indoctrination, and could not understand why there were no job openings for you except in your present occupation. "Marxist" is the proper term for lineal descendentsof Marx, whether they call themselves communists, socialists, leftists, liberals, progressives, or free thinkers. They all share a common world view, summarized by Candidate Obama as a "share the wealth" philosophy. Obama went on to say that the Constitution needed to be changed to reflect his Marxist views. The reason Marxists quit referring to themselves as Marxists, socialists, and communists …

  Posted to Obama and the State of Democrats