Fantastic article

As I described above, there is a terrific article just now, posted on Truthdig: "Why I am a Socialist" by Chris Hedges.

Some of the best parts of it:

"The corporate forces that are looting the Treasury and have plunged us into a depression will not be contained by the two main political parties. The Democratic and Republican parties have become little more than squalid clubs of privilege and wealth, whores to money and corporate interests, hostage to a massive arms industry, and so adept at deception and self-delusion they no longer know truth from lies. We will either find our way out of this mess by embracing an uncompromising democratic socialism—one that will insist on massive government relief and work programs, the nationalization of electricity and gas companies, a universal, not-for-profit government health care program, the outlawing of hedge funds, a radical reduction of our bloated military budget and an end to imperial wars—or we will continue to be fleeced and impoverished by our bankrupt elite and shackled and chained by our surveillance state."

(Please note that he points out the need to take the profit out of health care, as I have said for some time now. Yes, yes, I know it's inconceivable in the US but the rest of the world long since did this, and to their great benefit).

What's sad and frustrating and maddening is that, for so long, Americans have been fed this pablum from corporations and big business about how Socialism is bad--evil, even, and how all those things government does is bad but the things they--corporations--do are good and right and just, including taking big profits, be it from their gasoline sales for our cars or the fuel for heating our homes or the medicine and medical treatments we need to survive or whatever.

They've successfully confused gross, greedy Capitalism with patriotism, sickly enough.

And the American people have bought off on it, completely.

You want to isolate yourself, socially, in this country?

Tell everyone you're a Socialist.

It's down there with Communism and Communists. It's as bad as being a "queer", if you know what I mean.

So we have a long way to go to show the American public that this financial armageddon has been brought on by corporations and corporate greed and acquiescent, bribed government officials who aren't regulating those very same businesses as they raid and fleece the marketplace and consumers.

As a warning about the article, I will say, I take exception and even umbrage to his assertion, at the end, that there needs to develop a "Christian Socialism", in order for things to work out.

Yeah, right.

The Christian, Catholic and especially Protestant religions have all given in to corporations and let them say and do whatever they want, no questions asked--ever--when it comes to operating in our society, long ago. I think this, again, comes from the corporation's ability to equate profit and Capitalism with America and patriotism, wrongly enough.

That and it's safer to not get involved with these questions and issues, for churches.

All the congregation leaders want to do is get money in their plates so the less questioning and controversial they are, the better.

Anyway, I don't think any changes and advancement will come to our society from any "Christian Socialism" unless he simply means "Christian" as a description and not representing any current organized religion.

So go to this article and be sure you read it and take it in. It points out the devouring, cannibalism and destructiveness of corporstions very well.

"Ray Anderson, the CEO of Interface Corp., the world’s largest commercial carpet manufacturer, calls the corporation a 'present day instrument of destruction' because of its compulsion to 'externalize any cost that an unwary or uncaring public will allow it to externalize.'"

There's a lot more good stuff there.

Hopefully, with all that's going on in the country and world, financially, Americans will be open to learning.

We can't be too old to learn.

As it is, we're being eaten alive.

Original artile here: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081229_why_i_am_a_socialist/?ln