Here's the link to NYT's Frank Rich's fantastic piece about the billionaires funding the tea party and right wing agenda:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/opinion/29rich.html?_r=1&hpAnd this "reader comment" (among several really good ones)that dares imagine where this ends (you say you want a REVOLUTION?).
21.
Suse
Florida
August 29th, 2010
9:20 am
Hypothetical questions, and no, I am not naive, I'm just posing the questions.
What do these billionaire and multi-millionaire people want to happen in this country ?
What is their vision ? How do they view this country if everything they want actually takes place ?
Let's assume that all social programs are eliminated.
No more social security or medicare, resulting in millions of seniors becoming indigent. Where do they go ? LIve on the streets and then, when they cannot do that anymore because they're too sick from old age, to some kind of euthanasia program like the death panels that some of you invented to try to kill the healthcare legislation ?
No more welfare (AFDC), which is supposed to be only for children, even if the program has been significantly abused, and no more medicaid, resulting in millions of already lower-income people becoming totally broke and unable to get any health services. Where do they live ? On the street ? And, if they get sick are they turned away from the emergency rooms at the local hospitals ?
Let's assume that there is a change in power in Congress and the new Congress, including incumbent GOP members formerly deaf, dumb and blind about the deficit, and the new Congress absolutely refuses to add to the deficit and insists on balancing the budget.
An anti-deficit platform, at the same time that fighting wars and paying, in the aggregate, trillions of dollars for drones and fighter planes and bombs and cyber-security and every possible military "necessity."
No health care reform (just repeal it). No government regulation of financial institutions (just repeal it). No government regulation of business if it means any barriers to amassing wealth. Death of unionization. No restriction on ownership of handguns, hunting guns or assault weapons. No abortions, but no aid to families with dependent children. No federal funding for any states, for any reason. If social security must survive, then privatize it, so that millions of people can be forced to make investment decisions that they have no desire or capacity to handle, and the government forces them to invest in something, even a money market fund, benefitting Wall Street? That's what they want ? That's what will make their lives more wonderful and their bank accounts more bountiful ? That's what will make their vision of America come true ?
With all of their money, why don't they leave, instead of trying so hard to eliminate every single protection and support system that exists to maintain a system that has multiple economic classes ? Seriously. Just leave......go.......buy several islands or take over a small country that has no defenses and no working government and and build your own perfect society. Why not ? Why spend so much money trying to change an entire country when you can so easily go live elsewhere or build a country elsewhere that has the system you so desire ?
Yes, I know. Power. Not a good enough answer.
The rich have always needed the poor and powerless to help them get rich and stay rich.
Be careful what you wish for, because with a true 16-20% unemployment rate, and an aging population, and absolutely no control over illegal workers, you already have poor and powerless.....and, eventually you will have poor and powerless and angry and violent. That's called a revolution. And, you will not win that war. There's too few of you, and too many of us.Recommended Recommended by 300 Readers
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/opinion/29rich.html
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