[atlantaprog] Re: Rush in Atlanta...


  I don't know, how many of the planks of the communist manifesto has this 
country accepted?

  1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rent to public 
purpose.

Nope

  2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

Pretty much, though it gets less progressive under republican rule.

  3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.

Nope.  Estate tax does not equal abolition of rights.

  4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

Somewhat.  Moreso under Ashcroft.  Still, we don't actually confiscate property 
of emigrants, so this is mostly limited to confiscating property of 
drug-related criminals and generally treating resident aliens like crap.

  5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national 
bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

Well, there's a federal reserve, so there's an element of this, but really not 
in the sense that Marx would have approved of.



  6. Centralization of the means of communication and transportation in the 
hands of the State.

Federally regulated, but not owned.  If the government owned Clear Channel, for 
instance, it would be much closer.

  7. Extention of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, 
the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil 
generally in accordance with a common plan.

Unless you count environmental regulation as "improvement of the soil 
generally", then no.

  8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of Industrial armies, 
especially for agriculture.

nope. 

  9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual 
abolition of the distinction between town and country by a more equable 
distribution of the population over the country.

not really.

  10. Free education for all children in government schools. Abolition of 
children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with 
industrial production, etc. etc.

Well, there's public education and abolition of child labor, so pretty much.

I count two yesses and a couple of sort ofs.  What was your point, exactly?

It seems to me that the last time we had a completely crappy political 
discussion that drove people away from the mailing list, it was sparked by Rush 
discussion, as well...

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