My signature is not derogatory, it simply repeats what you have said in the past. People can draw their own conclusions.

And my political ideology is what I believe in, and I don't engage in personal attacks based on this, it's just what I believe. What you said was clearly a personal attack.

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"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams

Where have all the Conservatives Gone?

changes his mind on politics like most people change their underwear.

Hans, maybe that's because I try to find what works, and finding it is hard and complicated. For example, when I first came to this site, I was against free trade. Stekim, however, gave me a link of studies that I could not refute, so, left or right, I now support free trade. You give me studies proving that wealth redistribution, apart from the obvious dangers of an actual communist government, actually makes the poor poorer, then I'll be a capitalist. Until then I have to follow my inner feelings on the subject, feelings that make me support economic equality.

you shouldn't need any studies on the matter to find out what is true. The US has one of the most capitalistic economy and we are also the wealthiest. And every nation that has adopted socialism or communism has had a slow, stagnant economy. Their solution has become their problem. But hey, if you want to remain a socialist, I suggest you move to a socialist country to find out for yourself. As for me, I am just fine where I am.

Of course I need studies. The United States is larger and has more natural resources than European welfare states. The comparison isn't valid unless you can show a correlation between socialism and economic downturns that hurt the poor. I go by the principle of maximin, i.e. I support whatever makes the poorest person in a society richest.

Okay, let me be honest here. What bothers me is not capitalism per se. It is the fact that some people seem to see capitalism as a mandate from God and/or the only patriotic way to think (with patriotism becoming a religion in practice). Either capitalism works or it doesn't, but neither capitalism nor socialism is divinely commanded or the only "American" way to think.

First, "millions" of people are not starving to death. Actually, next to no one in this country is. So that's a non-starter. Yes, there are millions of poor people. And some people are indeed homeless and millions don't have health coverage, etc. But people by and large are not dying from starvation.

Second, and please keep this in mind, Corporations don't pay taxes. Period. All the taxes paid by a corporation are ultimately paid by its customers. If you increase taxes on them you are, in essence, increasing taxes on you. Keep that in mind. You also make American companies less competitive against foreign ones with lower tax rates. So tax them 5% or 95%, but in the end it's YOU who pays.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

it's not a mandate from God, it just works really really well. Capitalism is more natural than socialism. It works more fluidly to build national wealth for everyone. Socialism has a variety of unitended consequences, which we have seen in countless countries around the world. Again, if you are so interested in socialism, you should move to a socialist country.

about capitalism is that there is no free lunch. That means people win and lose based upon supply and demand for their labor or product. Lots of people dislike that, although it seems only fair. You get paid for what you provide. How is that bad? Especially since the opportunity to improve your lot is far easier than under any other system anyone has thought of.

They also dislike that while it creates massive wealth, the wealth is not distributed equally. But why should it be? Under what moral principle is stealing from the productive to give to the non-productive acceptable? It's OK to steal from me because you made crappy decisions?

I think everyone supports governmental and private-based help for people suffering mental disorders and certainly everyone is entitled to food and shelter. But to suggest that we "equalize" things is immoral.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.