I can't help but notice not one of the people you called on answered your question.  They  never answer the tough ones. 

Ayn Rand is turning in her grave, not only because of the decisions Greenspan made, but his girly "not my fault" cry after the fact. 

I love the Atlas Shrugged reference. I crack up all the time when I see the left on here talking about meeting at Dagny's. Lol. 

Right now I've cut back my hours so I can work for Obama.  After that, I'm working with a no-kill shelter and hopefully doing some Habitat stuff as well.

The problem with your premise here is that McCain is big socialist himself.  Almost every dime the man has earned came from tax dollars.  But calling Obama a socialist is silly for more reasons than that.  We're all Socialists and Capitalists.  Building a road with public funds is socialist.  The military, the fire department and public schools are socialist.  I'm a capitalist in that I own my own business and support myself.  I also don't want to have to pave my own road everywhere I want to drive.

Conservatives aren't selfish, or at least simply selfish.  The ones who think Obama is a socialist don't even understand the words they're using.

Tom, are you going to work at Alpha Canine?

I disagree that we don't know or understand what socialism means.  There may be better words to describe obama but that one will do for a start.  When he stops talking about dipping into our pockets to take care of those who wont' work.....awww..nevermind.  There's no point in repeating it.  The 250K number keeps changing and I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut we're ALL going to have our taxes raised before he's done.  Watch.

The ones who think Obama is a socialist don't even understand the words they're using. - Tom

Do you understand how truly arrogant that assertion is? 

Well, I'm probably more moderate than the list of bloggers you provided, but let me take a stab. Yes, I contribute to charity. I contributed to Katrina, I contributed after the Tsunami, I donate blood, I volunteer for kids athletics etc etc.

But who is bailing out who? By using a tax ceiling (that by the way is still 11% lower than Reagans), the middle class can get back some of that corporate money we've been giving them. You understand of course that once again Exxon Mobil has made a record profit. while gas has tripled. Poor Exxon.

 Under Bush, we are now bailing out those corporations you claim are bailing us out. Now the fools that somehow didn't know that a variable mortgage loan was gonna increase, are being bailed out by the taxpayer. A 60% decrease on their mortgage now for being stupid?? Really??

We're being bailed out by corporations? Well then, I guess they don't need any of that 750 billion dollars then do they?

How has the trickle down theory worked out under the last 8 years. What are you paying for gas? How's your 401K doing? How many businesses are closing their doors? Did you sell your stocks yet?  Has your bank been taken over? What's the unemployment rate? How many corporation CEOs are laughing all the way to the bank? "You've failed this company miserably, now take this 20 million dollars as punishment, and never hearken our closed doors again!"

But of course, those evil socialist liberals are to blame for all of this. Regardless of the fact that the Republicans have been in COMPLETE control for 80% of the last 8 years, it's liberalism that is taking us down. Really? No, c'mon now, REALLY?

All I want to do is lower our national debt and quit borrowing money from countries like China.  If it takes raising taxes to do that (and it probably will) then I'm for raising taxes.  There's a lot of talk about why relying on foreign sources of energy is bad--but what about relying on foreign sources of MONEY? 

And I wouldn't call myself selfish--just self-centered.  : P

There have been 26 visits with only 6 comments so far.  I've also added this call out on another blog before with NO response.  Yes, the libs on this site love to spout off about how we ought to be more helpful and sharing, yet nothing from the left so far except few criticism. 

Anti, I've touched upon this topic before about corporate profits.  Exxon is a corporation answering to share holders like EVERY other company in US.  They are not greedy, they don't set prices and they don't gauge - popular liberal media attack.  YOU too can own a piece of this company if you really think they have an advantage.  Current banking problems can be traced all the way back to the people wanting things they can't afford and the politicians promising stuff they shouldn't have.  Simply put, the gov't should have stayed away from Fannie and Freddie instead of forcing them to provide risky loans - I see that as a failed socialist experiment with Obama right in the middle.

I've voted for McCain - AKA lesser evil.  Yeah, he isn't Reagan, but Obama is leaning towards Carter. 

Cathrine, I hear you about the national debt.  But, we really ought to hold our politicians to standards rather than giving them more money.  Once they raise taxes, they will never lower it - besides, there is no guarantee that they will use the raised taxes for the purpose they stated.  If they're not doing a good job, vote in some one else rather than fall in love with same old constituents.  Arnold is asking the feds for a bailout while hosting millions of illegals.  Does that make sense? 

Many conservative responses on health care, infrastructure, food and certainly politics have been all about how this will affect the individual respondent. I never hear from conservatives about remedying the fifty million Americans without health care. I never see the plan from conservatives addressing medical bill bankruptcy. There are no libertarians in a financial crisis, just as there are no atheists in the foxhole under bombardment.

Ayn Rand's, and her disciples, policy views are what this election has been all about from an economic perspective. The American people repudiate the unregulated hands-off free market approach to business and government that has so pervaded the last three decades. How many bubbles bursting does it take for people to realize the Rand/Friedman/Greenspan model only rewards the very wealthy and powerful? We are at a point where one percent of our population now has more wealth than the bottom fifty percent of our population combined. This doesn't trouble you? This is not  capitalism, it is feudalism. We have turned our country into a plutocracy where the industrial cartels set prices and supply. Demand today doesn't even factor into the equation for most businesses these days, because supply is controlled by so few.

Exxon just made close to 15 billion dollars this past quarter. Every other major oil company recorded record profits this past quarter. The world financial markets are staggering under lost confidence and our domestic auto industry is on the brink of collapse thanks to mismanagement. Exxon and the car companies all have received huge subsidies this decade, and are the epitome of a gamed economy.

Liberals want competition brought back to the markets with more local focus and more players to offer real choices for consumers. Liberals are tired of hearing that investment dollars for big projects won't be available if the sunset provision of the failed Bush tax cuts are allowed to happen. Where are the big projects from the private sector these days? They don't exist because the really wealthy private sector people would prefer to build luxury hotels in Dubai rather than retool Detroit with factories manufacturing vehicles that utilize new technologies to improve gas mileage and limit greenhouse emissions. If the private sector big boys ever pout their money where their mouthpieces were we would not be in the current predicament we find ourselves.  Instead of having a few exceptionally wealthy WalMart family and executives inhabiting the Forbes richest list every year it would be nice to see that company provide affordable health care coverage to its vast numbered employees.

The Obama plan is to promote social fairness and responsibility in the marketplace. It is not about socialism. The ludicrous Marxian claims from the conservative extremists in the Republican Party about the Democratic economic plan are lies and distortions meant to bamboozle people who are fearful of change. Most of us are beyond fear of change this November.  

casooner--But, we really ought to hold our politicians to standards rather than giving them more money. 

When?  Tomorrow?  Next week?  30 years from now?  As long as taxpayers face no immediate consequences for our lawmakers' overspending, they will continue to spend and we will continue to shrug.  A lot of smokers don't quit smoking until they're diagnosed with cancer.  A lot of overweight people don't go on diets until they develop diabetes.  Americans have been beating that "stop pork" and "stop overspending" drum for 30 years, and it's never stopped.  It's a convenient rationalization, like a overweight person going to McDonalds and ordering a supersize burger and fries, and justifying it all with a DIET soda.  Porky political incumbents get re-elected when they bring the pork HOME, because everybody loves pork when they're on the receiving end.  Bill Thomas road money anyone?  And the porky cycle continues.  Because CHINA pays for it.  Taxpayers will only get serious about overspending when THEY have to pay for it (read: MORE TAXES.)

Or we could keep putting it all on the credit card and let our kids pay for it when we die.   

That's one reason why I'm voting for Obama.  BOTH candidates' spending packages will raise the national debt, but Obama's will raise it LESS.  Turns out Obama is more fiscally conservative than McCain, at least on this issue.

I never can seem to just get to the point when I write my comments. I apologize in advance for this really long comment.  Here are some background facts to set up this story.  When this happened I was recovering from Valley Fever.  On my bad days I often had to resort to using a walker because my spine was bruised by the over 250 spinal taps I had received during the previous 4 years.  I also had a 3 year old in a body cast at home after a two-week hospital stay. 

One of my co-workers accused me of raising selfish children.  Here are the details that led up to that statement.  November 12, 1999 was my oldest son's birthday.  Our family had planned to have a private family only celebration at our house doing the things he wanted to do.  I planned to take a vacation day to get ready. Terri from work was desperate.  She had been trying for days to find someone to "Baby sit" her three children. She and her husband were supposed to go down to LA for some special event for his company.  They were going to be spending the night.  Since they HAD to go and they HAD to pay for the hotel room she did not have any money to pay a real baby sitter. As the weekend approached she BEGGED me to watch her children, whom I had never met.  Even though we had other plans I relented and said they would be welcome to come to our house and be included in our private celebration.  This was going to be fun.  After having his favorite homemade enchiladas, mashed potatoes, ambrosia salad, and broccoli with cheese sauce my son wanted to bake his favorite cookies and then play board games and watch his favorite movies.  

We all helped in the kitchen baking the two kinds of cookies.  They were big coaster size cookies. I let the six children there each have 4 cookies (2 of each kind).  I told them they could have two now and to save two for tomorrow.    All three of Terri's children scarfed down their 4 huge cookies and wanted more.  I said no. That would be too much sugar as later we would be having cake and ice cream.  Those children proceeded to bicker about how mean I was and they were mad their Mommy made them come to such a mean place.    

My sons stood there wide eyed in disbelief that children could be so disrespectful and bratty.  Each of my sons ate only two of their cookies and saved the other two for later.   We played our games and watched our movies and ate our cake.  There were other small problems with attitude during the evening. None of Terri's children was ever completely happy about anything we did. They said things like "I hate that game. It's stupid" or "Why do you want to watch that movie? It's for babies."  My son asked me to never let those children come to our house again. He claims to this day it was the worst birthday ever. 

 The next day Terri calls to let me know there is some problem with their car and they will not pick up her children until late afternoon, breaking her promise to pick them all up by 10 am.  I changed my plans and included those three children in the rest of our  family’s Birthday  activities.  We went by my Church to drop off the extra cookies for their annual bake sale and then we went to CALM, which was a favorite place for my children. We usually have a family yearly pass.  Terri's children complained about all sorts of things at CALM.  "The bears are stupid, why don't they come closer?"  "These snakes stink. This place is yukky."  "Why won't you buy us coloring books?  I want an ice cream."   "You're MEAN!!!"    I swore than and there I was never looking after any unknown children again. No wonder no one else would watch those children. Even though Terri and her husband both had all kinds of relations living in Bakersfield she had to ask a coworker who never met them before to watch them.  Note to self....that was a clue you big dummy.

Safely back at our house my sons get out their saved cookies and ask if they can eat them.  "What about us?", Terri's children ask.  "Where are our cookies?"  As I caught sight of my oldest son’s face and I saw him deciding he was about to share I said. “NO,  You guys don’t have any more cookies.  You three did not save any cookies for today therefore you no longer have any. I explained to them that every one of them had each been given the same amount of cookies the day before.  They had all been given 4 cookies.  Since they had eaten all of their cookies and there were no more extra cookies they would just have to do without. They agreed they had been given 4 cookies.  They still wanted to know why if my boys each had 2 cookies left how come I wasn't making each of my sons give each of them one of those cookies?   I said, no my sons saved those cookies from yesterday.  You all had the exact same number of cookies and you refused to save any for today.  If you want to have cookies you can ask your Mommy nicely if she will bake some with you later.  Those children never did understand why they were without cookies and my boys still had theirs.  Their mom told everyone at my office what a gang of selfish brats I was raising and how I was such a b..ch  for letting my boys eat cookies in front of her children without giving them any.  

Well how many cookies have you saved for your tomorrows?   Have you eaten them all or do you still have some?   If you are all out of cookies how dare you come over to my house and demand that I give you 50% of the ones that I have saved for later.  Terri still thinks I’m a b..ch.   She will gladly tell you all about it if you see her.   

Adam, thanks for your looooooooooooong winded something - didn't read it.  Again, I'm calling you (and other libs on this site) out.  What have you done to help others?  Did you donate?  Did you volunteer?  Did you spend your money or your time to be socially fair?  Or are you on the take side?  Don't give me more liberal bull about Exxon - they are a publicly traded company.  If you think they're doing well, buy their stock.  Do you complain about every corporation making profit (don't start with excessive stuff either)?  Since you have a guitar as your avatar, let's stop with the entertainment industry.

Cathrine, taking your analogy, how do we stop big bureaucratic machine?  By feeding it more without any expectations?  Give more taxes?  Are you within the top 5% wage earner paying 64% of all taxes?   If I'm part of the 5% group paying taxes (again, my last years tax was higher than the median income of a Kern county household), why are some people taking money from the system?

sys-mom, what ever.

Excellent story sys_mom and excellent analogy.  I don't ususally read really long posts but I'm glad I stayed with you on this one.

Thanks, casooner90.  sys_mom, I get your point.  Good story, told well.  There are too many people with their hands out waiting for something they don't deserve, didn't wait for, didn't save for, just sat there and waited for it to be handed to them on a platter, yet.  Some people bring their children up to be like weeds:  wild.  I think both you and your children behaved admirably under the most difficult circumstances, and you are to be commended. 

And by the way, I don't much like the idea of "spreading the wealth around."  I believe in the ability of everyone to become like a Bill Gates, for instance, who hires thousands and who still has really made it in the world as far as profit is concerned.  In the future there may not be much of a future for someone like Bill Gates.  And no jobs that such as he might have provided. 

Sooner, I am probably the poorest person on this blog.  At this point in time, I have no income and get food stamps.  However, I still give as much as possible and do for others when I can.

I am moving out of my house soon and in the last few months I have donated several bags of clothing to the Jamison Center and the Homeless Shelter.  I have also donated sheets, blankets, toys, and books.  What those centers couldn't or wouldn't take, I took to Goodwill.

I had an old gas dryer in my garage but it still worked.  I gave it to the family across the street when I found out they didn't have one.

My nephews wife broke her ankle and he was getting stressed out working all day, coming home to take care of the kids and take care of his wife, cleaning the house, etc.  I went to the store and bought groceries with my food stamps and made dinner for them to help out.  For the record, I have only seen my nephew and his wife maybe twice in the last year so it was not necessarily a family obligation.

I gave a television to the elderly woman next door when hers went out.  I grilled tri tip for her several times when her husband died last year.  I ask her if she needs me to pick her up anything when I go out.

This is just a few of the things that I do for others.  I don't do it for recognition or praise.  I do it because it's the right thing to do.  My philosophy has always been to do the right thing no matter how hard it is.

Before my injury and had regular income, I gave to animals shelters, veterans associations, cancer research and have put several dollars in Salvation Army buckets at Christmas.  When I'm able, I will continue to do these things.

I wanted to expand on my last comment.  Sorry that it is so long but I have a point to make.

The reason I am a liberal and FOR better health care, college education financial assistance, and other public programs is because of my situation.

I was hurt on the job.  I received workers' compensation payments for 2 years making 2/3s of my pay.  Then I went on state disability and they pay about half for a maximum of 1 year.  Then I applied for Social Security and got denied.  I tried going back to work but was unable to.  I reapplied for Social Security and have been approved but have yet to receive any money. 

I am 41 and have worked since I was 15.  The jobs I had as an adult paid very well.  I have never been on public assistance before now.  This could happen to anyone!

Wow nine18kk. You are truly a saint. I hope that after tuesday, society will actually be able to help you. One of the candidates running for POTUS actually can sympathize with you. I can't say that I'm that helpful to those around me, but I'm trying to raise 2 that are.

Excellent story sys_mom, and a great lesson for all the children.  Too bad the over 18 children don't get it. 

Ayn Rand?  That gawd-awful writer who stole her best-known plot from a Little Orphan Annie strip?  *THAT* Ayn Rand?

.

I donate to a number of causes including the Homeless Shelter.  Blood donor closing in on my seventh gallon.   Drive people to doctor's appointments on a regular basis.   There's a disabled Vietnam vet who's literally still in his apartment because I've advanced him a significant part of the rent the past three months and run groceries to him.   And am looking into setting up a small memorial scholarship fund first part of next year.

And yes, I donate items all the time to both Goodwill and the RAD thrift shop, but I make sure they work first.

Random ... so sad that you can't acknowledge and address the Rand perspective in a legitimate fashion ... but I've learned that it's just your MO. Throw out an insult peppered with pseudo bs when you don't have a cogent response.

Oh, wait, you're the one who also thinks that 12 year old girls should be taken out of school to have an abortion without notifying the minor child's parents/guardians.

Nine, I really admire your community spirit.  People like you make our world a better place to live.  However, I am not in favor of gov't getting their hands on any more stuff as the big bureaucratic machine is not very efficient.  They should regulate (medical for example - why is education so expensive?, why are the drugs so expensive? why do the doctors charge so much?), but not control.  Take US mail for example.  Used to be a big machine that was terribly inefficient until they got some private competition from UPS, FedEx and others.  Thanks. 

Random, you're the first of my call outs to answer.  Those are some good causes and I appreciate that.  However, why did you think it was necessary to hurl an insult to another blogger telling their side?  From some of your other blogs, I really think you're just a grumpy old person.  Can you change? Or does the blog anonymity allow you to be someone you're really not?

PP2, I also called you out and all you got is "   "?  You've been critical of my past blogs about sharing the wealth and you got nothing?  You are the type of person that comes for free dinner and complain about the taste.  Nice.

sys-Mom, I am truly sorry about my last comment.  I've read too many long winded stories on this site that went no where.  After comments from other bloggers (thanks Nancy, dgrealish & alicen) Your story allowed me to empathizes with you and it helped to explain my story.  Thank you very much for sharing.  Again, my apologies.  

casooner90  Thank you for your apology.  My comment was really long. A warning was issued at the very beginning.  I would probably not have read it either.   I write like I talk.  Just on and on and on.... Congrats on that Nebraska FB thing. ouch.  Go Huskers!!!!