We (the Americans on the ybbs) have been forcefed the party line all of our lives that capitalism is Good, socialism is Bad. It has worked to such an extent that even the word 'Socialism' springs to mind images of forced homogeny and dictatorship. Capitalism = freedom and opportunity.
And it does...for some. Take a look at the stories below. I remember looking at the front page of a paper this summer and seeing two headlines: One spoke of record level profits for energy companies and the other spoke of the new energy bill that was signed into law that day providing tax subsidies to energy companies. Here they are:
1) Oil industry awash in record levels of cash
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8646744/
2) Bush Signs Energy Bill Into Law
President Bush on Monday signed a sweeping energy bill that will send billions of dollars in tax subsidies to energy companies, yet do little immediately to ease gas prices or lower reliance on foreign oil.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...w105543D86.DTL
and then I saw today's headline:
3) Senate Nixes Boost in Heating Assistance
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051020/...co/heating_aid
Is unmitagated Capitalism really the bastion of opportunity for the masses? It seems to me that unregulated Capitalism works only for the politico-corporate class that treats legislation and politicians as comodities to be bought and sold. It creates legislation that legitimizes the outright theft of resources from one class and gives to the already wealthy class.
Last point, cuz i was a bit pissed about this today. Money magazine has pointed out that approx. $1600 a year is taken from American taxpayers and given to already profitable corporations as tax subsidies. What this looks like to me is that hard cash is being taken from MY bank account, laundered through the government, and put into some other, already excessivily wealthy individual's bank account. And that makes me dangerously pissed off.
Have a nice day, suckers.