[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zeiter', '
')
Unfortunately, these socialist governments will bring a certain amount of authoritarianness with them into power, but hopefully the underlying social movements can steer these governments in a more libertarian socialist direction.

[MrBill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zeiter', '
')
Unfortunately, these socialist governments will bring a certain amount of authoritarianness with them into power, but hopefully the underlying social movements can steer these governments in a more libertarian socialist direction.

[threadbear]

That isn't just a lame reply, Mr. Bill. It's a cornocupia of stupidity. What do you think the present democratic socialists are reacting AGAINST? I'm sure they don't like the shantytowns anymore than anyone else. They are there as a result of corruption on every level of govt, more so in the past than present. If this were not the case these populist regimes fuelled by anger at the grass roots wouldn't last long, would they?

[Zentric]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'T')hat isn't just a lame reply, Mr. Bill. It's a cornocupia of stupidity.

[actionreplay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jaws', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thuja', 'Y')es- corruption plays a significant part in syphoning off funds from these lending institutions and very little of it "trickles down". I wanted to point you all to an interesting article in Newsweek discussing the erosion of the middle class and the increasing disparity between rich and poor. Its not a classic liberal rant and it offers some interesting ideas such as microloans and opening up universities to the underpriveleged. Good article anyways -check it out...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10019816/site/newsweek/

[jaws]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'T')he socialist-democratic movements in Central and South America, are a reaction against fascist regimes backed by the US. They are anti-authoritarian in their very nature. Chavez could have easily thrown all of the elite pro-big oil media moguls into the brig, but he declined, opting to triumph over them on strength of moral authority, alone. Chavez, Ortega and other social democrats are a whole new breed of cat. The Mayans and Incas are rising and pointing to the way forward, for all of us.

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jaws', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'T')he socialist-democratic movements in Central and South America, are a reaction against fascist regimes backed by the US. They are anti-authoritarian in their very nature. Chavez could have easily thrown all of the elite pro-big oil media moguls into the brig, but he declined, opting to triumph over them on strength of moral authority, alone. Chavez, Ortega and other social democrats are a whole new breed of cat. The Mayans and Incas are rising and pointing to the way forward, for all of us.

[Odin]

When the right-wingers bash socialism what they are really bashing the Soviet form of socialism, that is, athuoritarian socialism with a planned economy. You can easily have a socialist free market economy in which businesses are co-ops, with the employees hiring management instead of investors doing the hiring. Capitalism is inheirently parasitic because the investors did not earn the money they got from the investment.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thuja', 'o')k Jaws- so how about how great free market capitalism has been for the south americans- man they're living high on the hog there.

[rushdy]

If any riff-raff try to steal the spuds out of me garden I'll 'av em'

[Odin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('thuja', 'o')k Jaws- so how about how great free market capitalism has been for the south americans- man they're living high on the hog there.

[jaws]

A free market economy by definition has competition between privately owned enterprise and coop enterprises, and the privately owned enterprises usually win out, though there are still some coops that succesfully operate. They just aren't very flexible.

It's delusional to think that we could have a whole economy made up of coops though.

[Luckystars]

The riots in France were all about poverty, they just happened to be Muslims since they are last to get hired and first to be fired. France is a racist nation, in the early 80's the French gov wanted to pay foreign people to leave the country and give up the right to work there forever.

The Euro pecking order, the further south you go the less value you have.

What a joke, who will survive PO, not the French.

[thuja]

Yes I could definitely see the likelihood of class based rioting and civil disorder increasing over the next years. Because class is tied to race, this also means the likelihood of race based civil unrest. Last year brought us the French and Australian unrest. The United States is likely to have unrest associated with the Mexican population this year.

My guess is that any agitation or violence on the part of illegal Mexicans/Central Americans will be used by the conservatives as proof that we need to "kick them all out", build a tall border wall, and defend it by military means.

George Bush has offered a bill that essentially alows illegals to stay here if they "register". The conservatives are furious with that idea and will demand a much more militant hard line stance in the years to come.

Peak oil and its associated inflationary/recessionary effects will onl y exacerbate this situation.

[Odin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jaws', 'A') free market economy by definition has competition between privately owned enterprise and coop enterprises, and the privately owned enterprises usually win out, though there are still some coops that succesfully operate. They just aren't very flexible.

It's delusional to think that we could have a whole economy made up of coops though.