Does creating a crony capitalism overclass create a radical left wing? And do

[applegrove]

the right want this? Because crony capitalism in South America certainly didn't stop communism from exploding thanks to the horrid inequality created. You have to wonder why the right is rushing headlong into that model of economics. We know they tried to steal the word "liberal" after the cold war ended. Because liberal mixed markets economies beat communism. I'm guessing that the majority see themselves as non communists/non socialists and the GOP want that majority of the vote. Don't let them take the word "liberal". Call what we want "mixed market economy": a mixture of capitalism and socialism where markets fail.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. The fools think they can outsmart Macchiavelli.

Ol' Niccolo always said you have to leave the peasants enough crumbs to keep them above the level of desperation because people with nothing to lose will rise up and kill you.

I guess the current generation of greedheads either
1) Didn't read their Macchiavelli (who needs a liberal education anyhow?)
or
2) Figue they can beat the system by hiding behind armed guards in walled citadels.

I'm betting they're wrong.

[limpyhobbler]

2. What's radical anyway...

Are ideas radical? Like we should have a national healthcare system or something? Or we should have a maximum income like FDR proposed in 1942. We should have a public option for banking.

Or are methods radical? We should form a poor people's army and march on DC to non-violently disrupt the functioning of the city and force a radical redistribution of economic power. Like MLK suggested in 1968.

I suppose people will turn to either of these radical ways when it becomes clear that other methods to get what they want don't work. Like if it becomes clear that the democracy is broken and doesn't represent the people, but only represents the capitalists.

[Starry Messenger]

3. Who is "we"?

I'd be glad for any amelioration of the crushing system we live under at this point, but ultimately socialism is the goal I have. And it wasn't "crony capitalism" that got me there, it was corporate liberal education reform. So, thanks for that ed reformers.

[Witan00]

4. It certainly did in my case.

Before the economic crash, before I had to go out into the capitalist jungle to try to find full-time work, I would have called myself a "liberal". But now, I'm no liberal. I'm an outright socialist.