[Parallax]

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A....

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that.

[Ratmagiclady]

I'd fail *any* class in politics or economics that called anything in America 'Socialism' at this point.

Grossly incorrect.

Willfully-ignorant, both of the term and situation, even.

[SteveM]

I would call your example a good example of extremism.

Whether it be health coverage, the banking fiasco or any of the other examples of failing in the US from the past few years, the major problem is not democracy, socialism, or communism. The problem with the US is the complex systems private multinationals have been able to erect on US soil. Your government and its citizens have given up it's power to organizations and private interests mainly from other countries. The US now bows to "corporate communism".

Not trying to get off topic, but my Canadian Medical is a good example of socialism. (I've also lived and had kids in both the US and Canada so I can compare the two)

With Socialist medical care;
- I will never be denied coverage.
- It doesn't matter how complicated it gets, I'll get the care I need.
- It is much cheaper on the taxpayer than "private" medical schemes (the US currently pours way more public funds into private hands and that is even before the new health care plan)

Unlike your example, why does this type of socialism work?.... because there are boundries:
- I have to buy insurance or I don't get coverage
- If I choose not to buy insurance I pay rates the same as if I did not have coverage in the US
- I can't demand care I don't need. I might have to wait for something if it is non-life threatening or elective.
- Instead of funds being funneled to insurance companies and lawyers, it goes to health care.

The US system is failing because it rewards corporations for no effort whatsoever.

[Jasvox]

I would call your example a good example of extremism.

Whether it be health coverage, the banking fiasco or any of the other examples of failing in the US from the past few years, the major problem is not democracy, socialism, or communism. The problem with the US is the complex systems private multinationals have been able to erect on US soil. Your government and its citizens have given up it's power to organizations and private interests mainly from other countries. The US now bows to "corporate communism".

Not trying to get off topic, but my Canadian Medical is a good example of socialism. (I've also lived and had kids in both the US and Canada so I can compare the two)

With Socialist medical care;
- I will never be denied coverage.
- It doesn't matter how complicated it gets, I'll get the care I need.
- It is much cheaper on the taxpayer than "private" medical schemes (the US currently pours way more public funds into private hands and that is even before the new health care plan)

Unlike your example, why does this type of socialism work?.... because there are boundries:
- I have to buy insurance or I don't get coverage
- If I choose not to buy insurance I pay rates the same as if I did not have coverage in the US
- I can't demand care I don't need. I might have to wait for something if it is non-life threatening or elective.
- Instead of funds being funneled to insurance companies and lawyers, it goes to health care.

The US system is failing because it rewards corporations for no effort whatsoever.

Bingo.

Jason

[pxpaulx]

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A....

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that.

This is a good one, my mom would love to forward it as well, could you send me the original email?

[reytor]

Firstly this professor should have checked the differencies between *ism's.
Secondly Obama is not suggesting that everyone gets same sallary with different effords.
Thirdly, check how socialistic goverments work in several European countries, in Canada, etc... and you will find out that not everybody has the same income, same education, same benefits, same cars, same wife, (oops, too far....)

[Parallax]

This is a good one, my mom would love to forward it as well, could you send me the original email?

I've deleted it, but if copy and paste worked for me, it should for you too.

[Ash]

I would call your example a good example of extremism.


The US system is failing because it rewards corporations for no effort whatsoever.

Good post smc.

Despite the clear advantage of a more socialist structure to health care, as has been proven time and time again in several western countries, the asserted 'right to individual freedom of health insurance' trumps the value of any such system.

Firstly this professor should have checked the differencies between *ism's.
Secondly Obama is not suggesting that everyone gets same sallary with different effords.
Thirdly, check how socialistic goverments work in several European countries, in Canada, etc... and you will find out that not everybody has the same income, same education, same benefits, same cars, same wife, (oops, too far....)

Well according to the idiot that did sicko Cuba's system is even better than ours. But I still wouldn't want to be sick or hurt in Cuba. Their idea of socialized medicine is to see if your relatives in the US can ship you the drugs.

[Rupert]

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A....

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that.

Could not be any more ridiculous either. You keep reading it to yourself as you blaze a trail across "your America" being very careful to stay off of my socialist highways and if by chance you should be accosted by robbers, you call your own right wing militia , and not my socialist police. Get hurt hacking that trail through the swamps....don't call my socialist EMT's......they want you to take care of yourself.....isn't that what you want too? You guys don't want socialism, just the benefits...which make you nothing but overstuffed hypocrites of the first degree. Sell that stinking sack of crap somewhere else, maybe your older right wingers that suffer dementia will buy it....and ask them to give up their Medicare and Social Security while you are pitching your nonsense.
Regards

Could not be any more ridiculous either. You keep reading it to yourself as you blaze a trail across "your America" being very careful to stay off of my socialist highways and if by chance you should be accosted by robbers, you call your own right wing militia , and not my socialist police. Get hurt hacking that trail through the swamps....don't call my socialist EMT's......they want you to take care of yourself.....isn't that what you want too? You guys don't want socialism, just the benefits...which make you nothing but overstuffed hypocrites of the first degree. Sell that stinking sack of crap somewhere else, maybe your older right wingers that suffer dementia will buy it....and ask them to give up their Medicare and Social Security while you are pitching your nonsense.
Regards

Again Rupert you miss the point. We, at least me, agree that somethings such as emergency services and the armed services are best left to the government. What we argue about is medicine. The government has proven in three cases they can't run a central healthcare system. And they can barely run the military. Look at how much pork is in the defense spending bill.

Medicare and SS are broke. Medicare loses 60 billion per year.

[Rupert]

Again Rupert you miss the point. We, at least me, agree that somethings such as emergency services and the armed services are best left to the government. What we argue about is medicine. The government has proven in three cases they can't run a central healthcare system. And they can barely run the military. Look at how much pork is in the defense spending bill.

Medicare and SS are broke. Medicare loses 60 billion per year.

That seems to be a recurring theme with you George...that Medicare loses money...Social Security is set to lose money.....Healthcare will lose money etc etc ........

So you tell me George, what kind of profit did the Military turn last year? The year before? Interstate highways...did they turn a big profit for you George? How about your local police...big deposits down at the local bank last year George? Maybe some things are for the common good and not dependent on the only thing you seem to regard as good for America.....profits? Maybe some programs are just the right thing to do.......you wouldn't have much interest in that sort of thing, would you? Ever bought an FHA or VA home with my socialist cash George? Surely you wouldn't consider such a thing......would you? Come on George, you guys can't have it both ways.
Regards!

[Parallax]

Could not be any more ridiculous either. You keep reading it to yourself as you blaze a trail across "your America" being very careful to stay off of my socialist highways and if by chance you should be accosted by robbers, you call your own right wing militia , and not my socialist police. Get hurt hacking that trail through the swamps....don't call my socialist EMT's......they want you to take care of yourself.....isn't that what you want too? You guys don't want socialism, just the benefits...which make you nothing but overstuffed hypocrites of the first degree. Sell that stinking sack of crap somewhere else, maybe your older right wingers that suffer dementia will buy it....and ask them to give up their Medicare and Social Security while you are pitching your nonsense.
Regards

There is a difference between tax funded services, and socialism. If I pay taxes and the fire department comes when I call, that is a service. If the government takes money from my earnings and gives it to someone who doesn't earn anything, that is socialism. If you can't understand the difference then you have a serious comprehension problem.

That seems to be a recurring theme with you George...that Medicare loses money...Social Security is set to lose money.....Healthcare will lose money etc etc ........

So you tell me George, what kind of profit did the Military turn last year? The year before? Interstate highways...did they turn a big profit for you George? How about your local police...big deposits down at the local bank last year George? Maybe some things are for the common good and not dependent on the only thing you seem to regard as good for America.....profits? Maybe some programs are just the right thing to do.......you wouldn't have much interest in that sort of thing, would you? Ever bought an FHA or VA home with my socialist cash George? Surely you wouldn't consider such a thing......would you? Come on George, you guys can't have it both ways.
Regards!

Never had a VA or FHA loan. My credit was always good enough to go it alone.

As for the rest see Jims post.

[B Grace]

Last week I discovered an interesting series on PBS here in the US. Justice is a series of broadcast lectures from, I believe, a Harvard law class and produced by WGBH.

WGBH Program: Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

I found the episode on the Libertarian views on taxation to be interesting.