From: bunker@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Alex Bunker)
Subject: Re: Intellectuals and totalitarianism (was Re: WORLD GOVERNMENT)
Organization: Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 20:22:56 GMT

In article <1992Aug19.170820.12325@ncar.ucar.edu> gary@isis.cgd.ucar.edu (Gary Strand) writes:
>ab> Alex Bunker
>gs> Gary Strand
>
>gs> Sometimes I think your average blue-collar Joe Steelworker has more sense
>gs> and wisdom than all the lefty intellectuals infesting academia and the
>gs> "elite".
>
>ab> And that explains why your average Joe blue-collar steelworker is a
>ab> socialist
>
>  Hardly. The strongest opponents of Soviet socialism (here in the US) have
>  been the big labor unions.
>
>ab> and votes NDP in Canada, Labour in the UK, SDP in Germany, socialist in
>ab> France, liberal-democrat in the US etc..  
>
>  Also, not quite. Recall hearing about "Reagan Democrats"? The Democratic
>  party of the late '70s had gotten too far left for too many people, inclu-
>  ding blue-collar workers, and they showed their dissatisfaction by voting
>  for Reagan and Republicans in 1980 and 1984. Besides, you were bemoaning
>  the fact that (in your view) there wasn't a really Left party in the US.
>  Either the Democratic party is (to support this argument) or there isn't,
>  (to support your older argument.) Which is it?

Isolated incident in general blue collar workers and lefty intellectuals
belong to the same political party and have the same voting habits
I am talking about a global average here.

>ab> and idiotic intellectuals like William F Buckley and Milton Friedman
>ab> debate in an esoteric vaccumn totally out of touch with the cruel reali-
>ab> ties of poverty, homelessness, desperation, crime, etc...
>
>  Conservatives and pro-free-market economists sure do spend a lot of time
>  talking about these things that they don't know about. Where they differ
>  with good liberals and socialists is in the means to solve (or at least
>  ameliorate) these problems; they don't believe that the problems don't
>  exist. In any case, your average lefty intellectual is so far removed from
>  basic theories on government power, economics, and monetary policies, that
>  it's no wonder that wherever and whenever their ideas have been tried,
>  (at best) the society as a whole has remained stuck, or has declined. I
>  am including Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, and so on here too.
>

HA HA HA HA HA AH A !!!!!!

this is very funny. you just mentioned a set of countries EVERY one of which 
has a healthier economy than the US as well as being more socially advanced.
how are these societies stuck or declining. AND THE USA IS NOT !?!?!?!?!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

these countries are kicking the US economic butt by government involvment
in economic policy. US stype capitalism without a government industrial
policy is the stuck declining failure. Luckily (for Americans)
YOU are in the minority
and the majority of americans realize this and are about to elect
Bill Clinton as the next president who will invoke an industrial policy.
well maybe thay wont and America will continue to be a proud but
pathetic economic laughingstock naively convincing itself that it is the
best country in the world just because the rest of the world lets
you have your fun playing global bouncer!

>ab> Your average Joe Bluecollar steelworker is a very sensible fellow and
>ab> knows who's side he is on.
>
>  It isn't on the side of the socialist intellectuals, I can tell you that.

last time I checked he is (In most countries)
>
>--
>Gary Strand                      Opinions stated herein are mine alone and are
>strandwg@ncar.ucar.edu            not representative of NCAR, UCAR, or the NSF


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