Brian’s Letter Published Criticizing Capitalist System
“Taste the Capitalist Coffee”
Letter by Brian P. Moore
Published in TAMPA TRIBUNE’S “HERNANDO TODAY” EDITIONS, Saturday, April 18, 2009
This is In response to Vernon Carles’ letter of April 16, 2009, Hernando Today, regarding Carles’ concerns about protecting our troops overseas and our constitutional rights at home. He basically complains about a so-called “creeping socialism” in our country. Mr. Carles is doing nothing but red-baiting and fear-mongering, and living in the propaganda in the past such as the McCarthy era, Hoover’s FBI, the cold war and Stalinism, which is an affront to all humans, and was not a legitimate ideology, communism, socialism or otherwise.
First of all, socialists believe that we should close down all U.S. military bases overseas, who are stationed there primarily to protect our nation’s corporate interests like petroleum. Thus, there is no need to worry about our troops being in danger if we remove them worldwide.
Second, Socialists will not force Americans to give up our firearms, because we believe in the right of all Americans to bear arms. That is in our platform. However, the reason we promote that right is because when we nationalize for-profit corporations, the banks and Wall Street institutions, they and its capitalistic government will send out the military and police, as their goons, to quell any kind of democratic takeover. This happened at the turn of the last century when unions struck against the Pullman Railway company for paying its workers pennies and charging them to use their housing, library books, and buses. And corporate America used the police and military to counter the union strikes in the early 1900’s, and in the 1920’s and 1930’s as well, when unions were asking for 40-hour work weeks, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, social security and Medicare.
Third, Socialism is democratic, meaning citizens and workers will be the owners and administrators of the companies and financial industry. Socialism will de-centralize government and bring real democratic power to the citizenry. Under capitalism we have big governments, and some times even under authoritarian communism. America has already lost its government and nation to the corporate interests, which is really our de facto government. All of our politicians have sold out to the big money, just as the big press and media have done the same. Even Mr. Obama is a pure capitalists. He received over $8 million in contributions from the financial institutions, and his bailouts are giving the money back to the corporations who got us into trouble in the first place.
American politicians and the two major parties are all beholden to corporate power and money and the little guy be damned! Take a look around you and see how our capitalistic economy is collapsing due to these capitalistic institutions and their greed.
We need socialism to take back our country and our rights, and make it more democratic. Now all decisions are made at the top, by a small group of elitists who inherit the power and wealth. We have no economic rights, such as full health care, housing, education and jobs, and our rights to free speech and assembly are seriously compromised by the surveillance activities of the government and the telecommunications companies who spy on our telephone conversations, library book usage, medical records, bank deposits, e-mails, and even visitors to our homes.
I too am concerned about my country, Mr. Carles, but not for your misguided reasons. You are living in the past and in make-believe myths. Taste the coffee, sir, it is all around you in the very economic system you think you need to protect.
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