West Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 From Robert Reich, economic advisor to Barack Obama: In Reich's worldview, it's groups that matter and individualism that's the enemy. "The American myth of the triumphant individual may have outlasted its time," Reich has explained. "The story of the little guy who works hard, takes risks, believes in himself and eventually earns wealth, fame and honor" is outmoded. Instead, "we must begin to celebrate collective entrepreneurship," states Reich. In place of individuals who "buck the odds" with "drive and guts," Reich argues for a world where the central planners right the wrongs, determine the production, distribute the rewards in a "fair" manner, i.e., with "only modest differences in income," and knock the rough edges off anyone who doesn't demonstrate sufficient obedience to the collective. "Success can be measured only in reference to collective results," Reich asserts, warning against an economic system that encourages "individualistic endeavor." Remind you of someone? Full Article: http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.a...318554025794932 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Marx? Stalin? Mao? Pol Pot? I could go on and on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randroid Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotzky, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thales Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Robert The Third Reich is showing himself to be a small man. A very small man indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Posted February 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 I was thinking more specifically of Ellsworth Toohey, but those are all excellent parallels as well. Sometimes I forget that these people really exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 My first thought was Toohey. I wish we could afford the luxury of knowing people like him don't exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate T. Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 As someone reading the Ominous Parallels right now, blurbs like this from the Executive branch aren't helping me sleep at night... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatlander Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 As someone reading the Ominous Parallels right now, blurbs like this from the Executive branch aren't helping me sleep at night... I was thinking the same thing. I, too, am reading The Ominous Parallels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake_Ellison Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 My first instinct is to argue with this type of posts (and say take it easy, you're too one sided), but boy I found no mitigating feature in this guy's character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rearden_Steel Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) The story is "not so"surprisingly obscure. Edited February 5, 2009 by Rearden_Steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 ... but boy I found no mitigating feature in this guy's character.I've heard Reich quite a bit, because I often listen to NPR and he's a regular commentator. I can confirm that I have not found any mitigating features in anything he has ever said. He doesn't appear to be mixed bag like Rubin or Greenspan were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) This administration is taking us on the fast track to Marxism. There is no denying it. We've gone from "Yes we can!" to "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" in two and a half weeks. Edited February 5, 2009 by Maximus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas M. Miovas Jr. Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 From Robert Reich, economic adviser to Barack Obama: Full Article: http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.a...318554025794932 I found this line most appalling: "and knock the rough edges off anyone who doesn't demonstrate sufficient obedience to the collective." In other words, if you are one of those exceptional geniuses that he talks against, not only will you be combating your ignorance while detecting new and great things about reality, but you have to worry about getting knocked about by the collective who believes you are acting against them. This is pure evil drivel, but at least he came right out and said it. The battle lines are becoming more and more clear due to this administration. The question is, what side will the American people take once the lines are made so clear no one can avoid thinking about it -- er, well, some people don't think, and that is the major problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thales Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I found this line most appalling: "and knock the rough edges off anyone who doesn't demonstrate sufficient obedience to the collective." It's not a quote from Reich, but I'm sure it's written between the lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimpy Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 When I was reading the quote, it sounded exactly like something you'd find the second-handers in TF or the looters and moochers in AS say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IchorFigure Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Wow... that is staggering. If you read it hard enough you can actually hear the dictators condemning people to their death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Not to derail the thread too much but here's the latest from the Anti-American President Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aequalsa Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Not to derail the thread too much but here's the latest from the Anti-American President OK, now I gotta wonder how long it's going to be before our(his) government starts paying the families of suicide bombers $10K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 OK, now I gotta wonder how long it's going to be before our(his) government starts paying the families of suicide bombers $10K. Geez, A=A, you just don't understand Obama. He'd never be so stingy with our tax dollars as to pay only $10K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 He'd never be so stingy with our tax dollars as to pay only $10K. What's a few million between komrades? He can just print more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aequalsa Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Oh...I fully assumed the amount paid would be scaled with a cost of living increase like every other vampiric bureaucrat receives. I should have been more clear. $10,000 is sooo 1990's. By my estimates it should be $43,104.41 this year. Rising to $47,845.89 in 2010, $53,108.94 in 2011, and $58,950.93 by 2012. Additionally, these extra funds injected into the ailing US economy should help speed our economic recovery. Disclaimer: The numbers above are based on an 11% annual inflation rate and are subject to greater increases during periods of runaway inflation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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