Quote:The strangest things about the global statist crack-up are socialists’ unhappiness with their socialist utopia, and their subsequent efforts to avoid the consequences of the very redistributive state that they themselves once so gladly crafted.

Greece is the locus classicus. Why are the Greeks protesting? Against whom? They obtained long ago the promised bloated sector and high taxes that all schemed to avoid. Their alma mater EU is hardly a demonic capitalist-run plutocracy, but a kindred socialist state. Is Greece an oil producer, industrial powerhouse, high-tech innovator — anything that might explain the sort of upscale life, modern infrastructure, legions of Mercedeses, and plush second homes that one began to see in Greece after 1985?

In truth, socialist Greeks are furious that they have impoverished themselves and demand that private money and far harder-working Germans bail them out — but why so, when socialism should not need outside capitalist-generated dollars? Could not the Greeks, Soviet style, set up a Cuban collective, and adjust their lifestyles (there goes Kolonaki culture) to their means, living in an opportunity of result utopia with a huge public sector, more siestas, high but ignored taxes — with a collective good riddance to those awful intrusive German bankers?

I love reading this guy. Cuts right to the chase. Socialists always try to avoid the consequences of what they have desired and created.

There Are No Socialists

He is good.

(06-26-2011 07:00 PM)MileHighBronco Wrote:  

Quote:The strangest things about the global statist crack-up are socialists’ unhappiness with their socialist utopia, and their subsequent efforts to avoid the consequences of the very redistributive state that they themselves once so gladly crafted.

Greece is the locus classicus. Why are the Greeks protesting? Against whom? They obtained long ago the promised bloated sector and high taxes that all schemed to avoid. Their alma mater EU is hardly a demonic capitalist-run plutocracy, but a kindred socialist state. Is Greece an oil producer, industrial powerhouse, high-tech innovator — anything that might explain the sort of upscale life, modern infrastructure, legions of Mercedeses, and plush second homes that one began to see in Greece after 1985?

In truth, socialist Greeks are furious that they have impoverished themselves and demand that private money and far harder-working Germans bail them out — but why so, when socialism should not need outside capitalist-generated dollars? Could not the Greeks, Soviet style, set up a Cuban collective, and adjust their lifestyles (there goes Kolonaki culture) to their means, living in an opportunity of result utopia with a huge public sector, more siestas, high but ignored taxes — with a collective good riddance to those awful intrusive German bankers?

I love reading this guy. Cuts right to the chase. Socialists always try to avoid the consequences of what they have desired and created.

There Are No Socialists

Actually, Greece IS an oil producer. They produce olive oil. Just had some last night. Good stuff.

Btw, if this author thinks the Greeks are furious because they impoverished themselves or are demanding anything then the man doesn't get understand the situation.

(06-26-2011 07:24 PM)RobertN Wrote:  Btw, if this author thinks the Greeks are furious because they impoverished themselves or are demanding anything then the man doesn't get understand the situation

Don't know why the Greeks are furious, but they have, indeed, impoverished themselves (if being broke qualifies as impoverished), and they are, indeed, demanding that non-Greeks (Germans, first and foremost, although the list is long) fix the problem for them.

I remember reading that if the Greek government was able to collect the taxes owed, the financial problem wouldn't be nearly as bad; in fact, it would be pretty much resolved

this is a 2010 Forbes column on the issue

http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/14/greece-...urphy.html

Hum, socialists who don't want to pay for all the free sh!t they demand. Sounds right.

(06-26-2011 11:14 PM)Paul M Wrote:  Hum, Paul the fascist who doesn't want to pay for all the free sh!t he demands. Sounds right.

FIFY

(06-26-2011 11:07 PM)Theodoresdaddy Wrote:  I remember reading that if the Greek government was able to collect the taxes owed, the financial problem wouldn't be nearly as bad; in fact, it would be pretty much resolved

this is a 2010 Forbes column on the issue

http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/14/greece-...urphy.html

Which makes it even funnier. The Greeks are protesting against themselves. They won't pay the taxes they need to sustain their preferred lifestyle.

Once again, the crux of the matter is the socialist mindset that others should pay for what they want.

Good column.

VDH also linked to the recent story about U2:
http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/06/2...our-tax-2/
(Yes, it's PajamasMedia, but the story can be found in a zillion places if you do a Google search)

A few years ago, U2 moved their headquarters out of Ireland to Holland, where taxes are far lower on royalties. So a leftist group held a protest at the Glastonbury Festival where they performed. It's kind of a conundrum for U2.

Now, I've always held Bono with higher regard over the likes of Michael Moore. He tended to avoid name-calling or labeling everyone who disagreed with him a racist or fascist, appeared respectful to politicians that were on the other side of the fence from him (even Bush), etc. And I sure can't blame him if he wanted to relocate to an area with less-oppressive tax codes. But it sure puts someone in a delicate situation after spending decades imploring governments to open up wallets and send copious amounts of foreign aid, yet actively finding ways to remove himself from the taxpayer pool of which said governments would tap.

I still believe that many of these people are dumb enough to think that once their utopia is achieved, that they themselves will be part of the group of animals that is "more equal than the others." They don't realize that they are the useful idiots that will have brought upon themselves their downfall.

But the smarter ones know that their utopian schemes won't work and they will do whatever it takes to get out of paying the price for their folly.

The Greeks want all the benefits without paying the price. Typical mindset after decades and generations of being promised the moon and buying into that mindset. Ahhh, the price of dependence on other people's money.

(06-27-2011 07:57 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(06-26-2011 11:07 PM)Theodoresdaddy Wrote:  I remember reading that if the Greek government was able to collect the taxes owed, the financial problem wouldn't be nearly as bad; in fact, it would be pretty much resolved

this is a 2010 Forbes column on the issue

http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/14/greece-...urphy.html

Which makes it even funnier. The Greeks are protesting against themselves. They won't pay the taxes they need to sustain their preferred lifestyle.

Once again, the crux of the matter is the socialist mindset that others should pay for what they want.

Well lookey here, the Greeks have run out of other people's money!