News-Record.com

NOT a TJ quote.

Gerald Ford, 1974.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=4694

Now we have a government that is big enough to promise you everything you want and take everything you have in such a way that most of you won't realize it's happening until it's too late. You'll think it's just taking somebody else's stuff and somebody else's freedom--until you finally realize you are part of the "somebody else."

Good for Jerry Ford, what he said is correct.

Only problem is that govt. can never give you everything you want. Look at Neo, he still hasn't got his govt. Tahoe yet.

Jefferson (nor any of the founders) could never have foreseen the necessity to coin such a phrase.

Never in their wildest nightmares could they have grasped the notion of America turning into the nanny state it has become to satisfy the whims of liberals who demand government provide them with everything from babysitting services to putting food on the table by stealing the income of those who earned it.

Disgusting.

" Anybody listening?"
Only the people who agree.
The rest ignore it as old fashion or out of date.

And someone else said, "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money".

We are on the downhill slide, and I fear there is no reversing it. We have become a nation of socialist wimps, unable and unwilling to take responsibility for our lives, looking to the gummint to do so. And Obama encourages that with every breath. We will not survive that attitude for long.

And someone else said, "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money".

I'm pretty sure Maggie Thatcher said that--I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. No matter who said it, it's true. Eventually, what you do to "other people" will come back to you, for good or for evil.

"I may just be crazy," which allowed readers to nod in agreement before moving on to the obits.* Ed Cone thinking or just taking a cheap shot at Thomas Jefferson fans

Is this the same Ed Cone who uses the term " Batsh##" crazy when he hates political candiates when he can't understand why his little establishment liberal world is falling apart on the internet?

Sawdust wrote:
"We have become a nation of socialist wimps, unable and unwilling to take responsibility for our lives"
By "socialism" I assume you are talking about the Republican-engineered mega-giveaway to the uber-rich in the 1980s (so called "tax cuts" that effectively eliminated taxes on the upper class whilst subsidizing their business with our money on the other end)

OR

you may be referring to the Republican-engineered TARP program which took my money and gave it to banking industry speculators and hedge fund operators

OR

you could be referring to the bipartisan bailout of AIG which took my money and transferred it to greedy, fraudulent financial industry corporations which used phony pyramid schemes to fleece investors

OR

the tax giveaways to Madoff investors who, when people were losing their homes due to scam mortgages said "they should have known better" but when THEY were the victims said "its not my fault"

OR

the transfer of my money to massive agribusiness corporations in the form of subsidies

OR

the use of my tax dollars to force people of their property so more connected people can steal it and use it for "economic development" -- their own

OR

the use of my tax dollars to help business transfer the risk of their incompetence and bad decisions to ME.

Is this the "socialism" to which you refer? Or do you call it socialism when helping a U.S. taxpayer who lost his job due to crooks in the banking industry and the Republican Bush administration who aided them in raping America?

I bet that's the only form of so-called "socialism" to which you refer: the nation standing together to ensure a minimum of needs are met when hard times come. You seem to support shoveling trillions to those whose gains were acquired through outright fraud.

Seems like the Republicans are eerily silent about corporate welfare, but let some poor schmuck lose his job due to bad Republican policies and the Republicans start calling him lazy, worthless and a drain on society. At the first hint of their own trouble, however, they always say "it's not my fault."

Who are these people who are getting the so-called handouts? The vast majority of Social Security goes to retirees who paid far more into than they will ever receive.

The medical industry's R&D is funded by you and me but they get the patents and the profits. THAT is welfare, not a $300-per-month foodstamp payment to a family of four that lost their job and health insurance in this downturn.

Why is it WRONG to seek to provide health insurance to ALL Americans? Exactly WHOM do you propose should remain uninsured because they are "lazy" and want the "gummint" to do everything for them?

V its funny how you blast republicans for bailouts but when democrats are involved its "bipartisan". My dear just as many dems had their hands in this current mess as reps. Remember, the dems have controlled congress since 2006. They could either vote for or against Bush's budget proposals. I believe they approved, including Barry, who voted only once against Bush's budget or war funding. I personaly am disgusted with guvmint in general, both parties are full of liars, tax cheats, promise anything to get elected butt covering slime balls that are too busy cowtowing to unions, lobbyists, insurance companies, and, oh the hell with it you get the picture. By the way, have we found oil in Afghanistan yet?

"Only problem is that govt. can never give you everything you want"

"Good for Jerry Ford, what he said is correct. "

So, what you're saying is that the government can never be big enough to take away everything you have?

Interesting.

Sorry for the confusion rahrah, allow me to rephrase.

Some folks seem to think that govt. can give them everything they need, yet it is a fallacy.

Never said govt. can take away everything, I think even the peasants living under communism had a few small garden plots.

So is Jerry Ford correct or is he not? Or is he correct but it's irrelevant because it could never happen?

I'll say a govt. will never be able to give you everything (although there are people who seem to think so) but can take a majority of what you have. Kinda like when I lived in France. Of course this primarily applies to producers.

I hope you start a business someday rahrah.

Dan,

The primary thing people are calling "socialism" is any reform in medical insurance. It is the producers who foot the bill. My business subsidizes every uninsured person in the country who ends up going to an emergency room instead of a doctor.

"The One" -- The Dems suck, too. I was including them in the giant mess with AIG since they had so much to do with lack of oversight of FNMA and Freddie Mac. However, the biggest problems in our economy are not related to foreclosures (albeit indirectly) rather to credit default swaps which magnifies every foreclosure up to, and this is no exaggeration, 2,000,000 times. Who created and protected this unregulated ponzi scheme? REPUBLICANS. Sorry. Pointing the finger where it belongs.
We can get onto a list of things the Dems do wrong, if you like, but socialism is not something they do.
Just like the left is always screaming "freedom of speech" when they really mean "for me but not you", the right screams "no socialism" but means "none for you, plenty for me".
How about we all stay out of each others pockets, bedrooms and houses of worship (or lack thereof)?

verelse; The Big One is the "War on Poverty, signed into law by LBJ in 1964. After 45 years of leftist fixing, we are no better off than we were in 1964, and the effort to correct injustice and inequality has cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 trillion, not just pocket change.

Can you deny that the country is sliding into socialism? I'm not pointing a finger at anyone, there is plenty of blame to go around. And the bulk of the blame goes to those people who like the idea of living off the efforts of others and continue to vote for politicians, of either party, who make that possible.

The One II:

We agree to be "personally disgusted with guvmint in general" ... but it's fairly clear - in fact PERFECTLY clear that the uber's have been given most of America's assets ... while the false diatribe against socialism is as one side an argument as evert concocted.

By the way - we have not found oil in Afghanistan yet .. nor bin Laden ... but we've sure added to his ranks .. all President Obama's fault, of course.

"Can you deny that the country is sliding into socialism? I'm not pointing a finger at anyone, there is plenty of blame to go around. And the bulk of the blame goes to ... "

I think Verelse did a pretty good job of identifying "those people who like the idea of living off the efforts of others ... " ... but I doubt you see it, Dusty.

btw - still waiting here:

http://blog.news-record.com/opinion/letters/archives/2009/05/closing_tax_loopholes_helps_th.shtml

.. and related - interestingly - is this booh, which I humbly suggest you and Neo read.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400066727/wburorg-20