Sapo, in my last post, I wasn't addressing you directly with questions, and I apologize, because the way I had it worded could be construed that way... I just hear a lot on my daily dose of anger/laughter/frustration known as talk radio, I hear all conservatives complain about paying taxes, and that the lib'rals are all Communists. Hawk brings up a valid point about taxation vs. the free market. Funds raised by government entities must be open to public scrutiny, must be voted on in a public forum, and incur the protection of checks and balances. Funds raised by the free market are subject to only two things: the greed of the business involved, and the need for whatever being sold, otherwise known as supply and demand. Control the supply, and demand a high price. The conservative view appears to be that if you can drastically overcharge for something (like gasoline, or healthcare), you should. Is that how your government should be run? Moreover, doesn't the "free market" corporate version of governing make us all employees? I don't want to be an employee of the state, an employer's job is to exploit his employees for his own benefit... it becomes the haves vs. the have-nots, lords vs. peasants, that's a class barrier, and those need to be destroyed, not buttressed.
When I hear someone complaining about their taxes, or social programs, it always seems to be someone who makes a lot of money, can easily afford their taxes, and will probably never need Social Security or other social programs. But you better effin-A betcha that Rush Limbaugh will cash in those $800 checks when the time comes. Do you ever hear where anyone sends the SocSec check back with a note saying, "I don't believe in the New Deal, or any other Communist idea. You keep it." No sir, a green gub'mint check in your hands... time to go support the free market.
The I-80 toll debate, for example, is flat-out dangerous. To take something the people own, and give it to a business, and allow that business to control it and make money from it, you tell me, how is that good for anyone but the business? The disadvantages so far outweigh any benefit: Trucks will simply hit the back roads, look for huge traffic increases on Rt.22, which is already 40 years outdated. Many will simply avoid our area altogether, rendering the I-99 corridor a backwater forever. The whole debate is moot if you just pull the jillion dollars spent on Philly's infrastructure, and aim it to the meat & potatoes areas like ours. Sell SEPTA, bitches, not my roads.
Anyway, to steer the thread back to Hillary '08, I don't think there's a goddamn dime of difference in any candidate for any party, at least one who has even a ghost of a chance next November. Give me a negative about the Dems, and I'll give you ten back on Republicans, and vice-versa. They all owe too much money to too many rich a-holes who think they own them.
If Hillary wants to socialize bluegrass, and supply me with a new PA system and vintage dobro, I might swing to the left a little. Nah, then she'd think she owns me. Okay, maybe for a nice WWII-era squareneck, but it'd have to come with a hardshell case AND a K&K pickup onboard. And legalize
it. Then I might even sign up to be HER intern. But I'm not wearing a blue dress.
------->JMS
