TYT: George Bush Becomes a Socialist

[ihavenobias]

By Cenk Uygur

We live in a wonderfully ironic world. George W. Bush might have now nationalized more companies than Hugo Chavez. He certainly has nationalized companies with far greater worth. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and now AIG. Let alone the bailouts of Bear Stearns and all the rest.
Who knew George Bush would turn out to be such a socialist? You might even argue, communist. What happened, I thought the government was unnecessary? I thought "unfettered" markets would do their magic if you just deregulated them. Why are you fettering?

It turns out, all that talk about not needing big government flies right out the window when the shit hits the fan. Did we need government during Hurricane Katrina? Did we need the government during Sept. 11th? That was a day when we certainly could have used some more government help, like a president reading a briefing that said they were determined to attack us. And now, do we need the government when there is a financial meltdown?

You betcha. All of a sudden, the Republicans are huge advocates of big government coming to the rescue.

Why don't we toss a pair of bootstraps at AIG and see if that does the trick? Oh I see, that's just for poor and middle class people who need a little bit of help. They get the bootstraps and .

So, now that we have basically bought these companies, what the hell are we going to do with them? Is the United States government going to run these companies indefinitely? Is the Bush administration saying that it's a terrible idea for the federal government to provide health insurance to everyone, but it's a great idea to provide other kinds of insurance? Remember, AIG is in the insurance business. Is health insurance the only kind of insurance the government shouldn't be involved in?

I'm for sensible government regulation of these industries, but I believe in capitalism. So, George Bush's socialism is wigging me out. He privatizes the army but socializes the mortgage industry. I understand how this came about, but does Bush have a plan? Do they have any idea how they are going to get out of this business or are they planning on running a quasi-socialist government from now on?

If other industries head south, will Bush nationalize those too? Who has more nationalized companies now -- the US or Russia?

Could George Bush's administration have been any more disastrous? He comes in promising to shrink the size of the government and let free markets reign supreme. He leaves while nationalizing more private companies than possibly any president in United States history. Could there be a clearer indication of the failure of conservative ideology?
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Watch Cenk hosting The Young Turks at www.theyoungturks.com (and listen mornings on XM 167) or watch him hosting Meet The Bloggers (recent guests include Rachel Maddow and Michael Moore) at www.meetthebloggers.org

[gateley]

1. K&R -- I always like hearing what Cenk has to say. Thanks! nt

[OhioChick]

2. K&R

:kick:

[pleah]

3. "Could George Bush's administration have been any more disastrous?"

He's got a few months left. Let us hope it doesn't get worse.

"Could there be a clearer indication of the failure of conservative ideology?"
It's clear to sane people, but for religious nuts like my mother, they will never see it. Unfortunately.

There is always hope that some will wake up, though.

[ihavenobias]

5. Yeah, those last few months worry me too n/t

[unblock]

4. bush is seriously out of the picture.

they're not letting him anywhere near this crisis any more than they let him near any other crisis in his disastrous misadministration.

the big boys FINALLY know this is no joking matter. they're trying to save the country, and they're not going to let shrubbie anywhere near anything this important.

[ihavenobias]

6. But is Cheney out of the picture? n/t

[unblock]

7. ah, so CHENEY is the socialist?

cheney's an easier read: he's a piratist. he believes in looting the treasury for himself and his buddies, to the maximum extent he can get away with it. he also believes in pillaging other countries; again, to the maximum extent he can get away with it. he wanted iraq's oil; he had to settle for supply disruption leading to insanely high prices and insanely massive profits for his oil buddies.

if he's at all involved in the bailout thing, it's just more of the same. using public money to support the private wealth of his real constituents.