Republican history - Socialism almost killed Thanksgiving, and other tall tales

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Fox News' John Stossel, investigative reporter extraordinaire, exposes the dark truth about Thanksgiving - Socialism almost killed Thanksgiving. Indeed, what else? But let that sleuth speak for himself:

Damned. Socialists. ... the rest of his article is along similar lines and equally historically challenged, so I'll spare you. Wonderful rebuttal of Stossel's ravings: The Pilgrims Were ... Socialists?

Sometimes I wonder whether a mental disorder or heavy abuse of psychedelic drugs is condition to land a job at FOX. These people, if the ravings of Stossel or, even more so, Beck are any indication, certainly do live in a bizarro world of their own.

EDIT: Since I found another hilarious story I decided to re-focus this thread

 

I heard Rush talking about this point. He points out something very important for us all to remember: John Stossel is an idiot.

 

GOP Rep claims Pilgrims fled European socialism

And the meme spreads ... 'Tea Party Proud' Republican Representative Todd Akin indulges us with the hard, cold truth about why so many Europeans immigrated to the US in the 17th century: Because of Socialism. Of course. What else?

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That's some crazy spin he put on history. I'd like to keep it short. First, Socialism did not exist in the early 1620's; communal production efforts were crucial to the survival of the first European settlers to arrive in America. Second, Pilgrims left Europe seeking freedom from religious persecution, not over differences on economic policy.

Another one joins the ranks of looney-tunes Republicans.

 

...Another Tea Party know-nothing on the subject of history...They count on most people knowing even less than they do.

 

Even celebrating a national holiday isn't above BS it appears.

 

pplr, most national holidays are BS, just non-partisan (or at least less-partisan) nationalistic BS.

 

I have actually succeeded in tracing that meme back to 1999 but I am just too lazy to post right now. This must suffice for tonight:

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It seems a national holiday is all the more reason for that crowd. There is nothing like exploiting something that we all have in common and might otherwise bring us together as a nation of people, rather than what keeps us apart. It's really quite tragic.

 

I have traced that meme to liberatian roots. Maybe it is even older, but considering the popularity of Austrian Economics among the Tea Party and Libertarians proper it is at least clear how it proliferated.

However, the most remarkable bit in the spin that Todd Akin put on Thanksgiving is that Socialism is un-biblical - and the inference that Capitalism is biblical.

Now that is remarkable. Far more than just exploiting Thanksgiving for some partisan hackery, Todd Akin is essentially shanghaiing the Bible for Capitalism. It eerily reminds me of another looney-tunes episode covered earlier. Now where exactly does the Bible stress Capitalism or free markets?

 

Actually, to be accurate, socialism is biblical. The early Church was socialist, sharing everything they had, and whenever they needed money, someone would sell something and share it with the group. Really evil of them, right?

 

I agree, but where does this weird theology that appears to be abound in some US conservative circles draw from? Is it just Cold War combat theology run amok?

 

I've wondered that too - sometimes it seems that "social"-anything is a bad word in the US English language, to the point that the left-wing party is called "liberals" - a political view that to me would generally be centrist or right of center.

 

Reading this thread makes me want to sing l'Internationale.

 

I think this explains a bit of what's going on at the moment, but some of this nonsense has been around for years, just not taken that seriously by some.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/28/AR2010112804139.html?hpid=topnews

 

I heard of a "translation" of the Bible that "stressed free market principles" or some such. Bizarre. The only sort of thing I can think of that has any hint of capitalism in it (off the top of my head, anyhow) is the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. I'll spoiler it:

Spoiler

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire alabourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his avineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing aidle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the aeleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the alabourers, and give them their bhire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

I suppose that a douchebag could make the somewhat facetious argument that this parable states that Unions are Evil and that collectivism is contrary to God's will, but that's really, really a stretch.

Sorry about the copy there -- the footnotes got blown up into bigger letters and make some of the words look weird.

 

That and rampant partisan hate. I think it's akin to what drove the Catholics to torture Jews in the Middle Ages for not converting (as if that could ever generate an honest conversion).

Mmm, not really, more living by your word (i.e. there's no such thing as re-negotiating a contract).

 

Uhh, NOG, you and I know that, please note I said that only a douchebag would make the argument I laid out.

 

As I said, people shanghai the bible to serve ideological goals when they say that Socialism is un-biblical - and thus infer that Capitalism is biblical. Theology was amply used to mobilise people against socialism in the cold war context.

I call it combat ideology in the same sense that I call Randianism and Chicago School economics combat ideologies of the cold war, since without what they have been written against, socialism, they cannot be properly understood, and indeed, must be highly misleading.

 

I know. I just wanted to point out that there is a message to that, and it does have something to do with free-market principles. Sort of.

You're right, and it's more general than just the one example. People argue Christ was a liberal, that he was pro-social services, that he supported raising taxes, that he would have been pro-gun, etc. In reality, Christ's message had remarkably little to do with politics of any kind. Except for the 'don't rebel against legitimate authority' part, there's really nothing to do with government at all. Christ taught us how we should treat each other, not how the government should treat anyone.

I imagine the same can be said of anyone's teachings, especially religion, but I've never heard anyone claim that Hinduism teaches capitalism, or that Buddha would have allowed abortions.

 

It goes deeper than that and into the fabric of society. Some of it grew out of the Great Depression, when capitalism nearly failed and FDR had to save it by the only means he could. The "gospel" according to these guys is that capitalism always works and works best. The Great Depression informed poltical thinking for a generation. After that the propagandists took over to "demostrate" how FDR put America on the "path to socialism." In any society there is always tension between the rich and the poor. As the gap widens and those in the middle get squeezed, the tension becomes all the more greater.

We are now in similar period and there are some who are trying to sell us on the "great benefits" that the rich bring to society. It is a way of keeping the status qou for those who benefit from it the most.