A chronicle of the left could be put into a book. the title? "Destroying American Capitalism, or how to get around the Constitution before the populace realizes what happened."

Aw, c'mon AJ. You know what ol' Maggie Thatcher said, "Socialism works great," oh, wait a minute, there's a second part, "until the money runs out."

Let's see:
the heart is an organ that aerates and pumps blood through out the body. It is, however, the symbol for emotion. The only organ that controls reason and emotion is the brain. As Woody Allan put it, "My brain is my second favorite organ."

Yup. And please note that if you click on the that link, this page has been scrubbed clean.

No - not between businessmen and/or friends.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_c...

"Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, or other forms of state interventionism.[1][2] Crony capitalism is believed to arise when business cronyism and related self-serving behavior by businesses or businesspeople spills over into politics and government,[3] or when self-serving friendships and family ties between businessmen and the government influence the economy and society to the extent that it corrupts public-serving economic and political ideals."

Me too! +1:-)

If it's whom you know in some other large entity, that matters only when you have significant legal barriers to entry. If it's whom you know in government, the solution is to enforce the Fifth Amendment to keep the government out of it.

Yes, the Fifth Amendment. In particular:

"No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law."

"Private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation."

And maybe we could use a reform to delineate just what a "public use" is. I would restrict that to "forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings."

I can almost hear the mindless Dem droning~
It's the woman's turn.
It's the woman's turn.
It's the woman's turn.

Yeah, but she a woman and it's her turn. That's seems to be the thought among most of her supporters. Besides, it will continue what Obama starter.

To me it means "who you know" gets you the rewards...I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Unless we intend to remove factions (Lobbists), which are protected by the Constitution, there is no good solution short of socialism.. eg. Atlas Shrugged.

The problem with socialism is that it's only 7 lbs. of pressure on a trigger from becoming communism. The progressives, a hodgepodge of socialism, communism, new age and who knows what other BS is in the stew, can't see or understand any particular ingredient in the garbage they eat up.

"Crony capitalism," to me, means a business sponging off the State and demanding special privileges, contracts, and protections from his competitors. Recall Nathaniel Branden's phrase: "Big Business v. Capitalism."

History be d____d, as far as those college kids are concerned. They are convinced they are going to get what they feel (not think. Feel.) they deserve from socialism, as they know they'll never get it from capitalism. Only problem is, I don't care to hang around and see their faces when they realize they will not get the plum appointments they expected.

and please remember that these are government figures. -- j
.

I was straining to be an objectivist at 15, and still thought
that I had a heart. . my folks were wondering, however. -- j
.

the people of the u.s. whom I swore to give my life for,
are experiencing mass delusion. . how sad. -- j
.

it seems to me this guy is on the wrong forum. he contradicts himself by stating he supports Clinton and views socialism in a negative light. both socialism and Clinton should be viewed in a negative light.

I like Churchill's version: “If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain.”

Jan

That was an interesting poll, CBJ. Thank you for posting. I think that you are right in that 'how something is termed' greatly influences the results of the poll. I also note that the Reason poll was unavoidably biased in favor of 'people who were willing to take the time to answer a poll on the telephone'. That SO would not have included me!

Jan

These results make me furious...and damn motivated to build and protect my wealth & lifestyle while I still can. We have lots of wise commentary and comments here...but what are people here actually DOING to take PRO-ACTIVE control and robust DEFENSE against their standard of living?
We here are the ones that should be the best prepared and best situated to "pull a John Galt" when we decide our time is here. We see and understand everything that is happening, and where this will end up.
I'm working my plan...who else is willing and able to say that? Who else wants (or NEEDS) to be able to say that? Who else refuses to go over the cliff with the masses?

What amazes me and has since the 60's, is how many of the conservatives and non-involved are so shocked when they see these figures, even today. This has been the most influential social and political undercurrent in this nation since the end of the 1800's reaching it's first peak in the mid 19teens, it's second in the mid 30's, it's third in the 60's, and maybe it's biggest gains in the last few years. And they seem to find it so hard to understand that the spread hasn't been from foreign influences, but home grown.

Read 'Atlas Shrugged', '1984', and 'Brave New World' as well as much of Heinlein's writings, pay a little attention and give a little study to what you're being told by those authors and guess what; you see the definition of the world we find ourselves in during this election season.

It's collectivism and statism vs individual freedom and rights. If you don't get and live the principles of liberty, you wind up with what we have today. And from what I read on this site on a daily basis the last several months, there's just not many Americans that care very much about freedom and liberty.

How do you prevent a business man (or men, collectively as a corporation) from using the services of his friends businesses to their mutual benefit?

Who are you or I to tell people who they can and can't do business with?

Perhaps one business per business man, sound familiar? Maybe having an approved list of which businesses another business can go business with? Atlas Shrugged, no? Slippery slope.

Awwww, c'mon! The new breed of home grown American socialists are going to get it right this time and we will all live in a workers paradise together. Right? Right?

Sloppy definitions of socialism and capitalism may have something to do with it. For instance, according to this poll (page 4) 38% of Americans have an unfavorable view of capitalism but only 21% have an unfavorable view of a free market system.
https://reason.com/assets/db/14080250...

Another reason to promote "free markets" rather than "capitalism" when discussing economics with non-Objectivists.

Thanks! His quotes are all over the place, aren't they?