The Collectivist President

At FreeColorado.com, they pose that the next president will be a collectivist, no matter which one wins! Excerpt and link below.

The Collectivist President

"Tragically, for the better part of a century, America has been moving away from the individualist ideals of the Founders and toward collectivism. Just consider the crushing tax burden we all suffer under to fuel an endless list of welfare entitlements in the name of the "public good." ... None of this is compatible with the individual's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Instead of leaders who "put country first" we need leaders who will put freedom first."

And in the spirit of photoshop-politics, check out this graphic from Titanic Deck Chairs:

Champion of the Peasants and Workers

He was champion of the peasants and workers

Brought a change of direction for his country

Denegrated the USA and called on the people to "stand up"!

I wonder if Barack will be as influential as Mao?



Of course, he did have a few extreme ideas once he was in charge, and I don't think Barack is willing to be this direct with societal changes...

Mao’s first political campaigns after founding the People’s Republic were land reform and the suppression of counter-revolutionaries, which centered on mass executions, often before organized crowds. These campaigns of mass repression targeted former KMT officials, businessmen, former employees of Western companies, intellectuals whose loyalty was suspect, and significant numbers of rural gentry. The U.S. State department in 1976 estimated that there may have been a million killed in the land reform, 800,000 killed in the counterrevolutionary campaign. Mao himself claimed a total of 700,000 killed during the years 1949–53. However, because there was a policy to select "at least one landlord, and usually several, in virtually every village for public execution", 1 million deaths seems to be an absolute minimum, and many authors agree on a figure of between 2 million and 5 million dead. In addition, at least 1.5 million people were sent to "reform through labour" camps. Mao’s personal role in ordering mass executions is undeniable. He defended these killings as necessary for the securing of power. -- source

Europeans Love Obama

A collection of European opinions on the US presidential race included a number of gems, such as:

In France, the center-left Libération says the new leader of the French Socialist Party should be someone with Obama's profile: "The French Left seeks a charismatic leader, age 46, of mixed race, to deliver a message of hope and unity. At a time when American Democrats are discovering their new hero, it would be a good time for the Socialist Party and their friends to find a Barack Obama to end their internal quarrels."

There were several in this vein, which is as creepy as the UN is incompetent:

An editorial in the Brussels-based, center-right De Standaard articulates a view shared by many Europeans: "American presidential elections are not 'home affairs'. American decisions have repercussions all over the globe…. Hence, the world should be given the right to vote."

latest installment of photoshop-politics:

California Taxes Chase Away Wealth

Here's a good story from San Fran. California's taxes keep rising, and the wealthy have had enough and are establishing residence in lower tax states. What's the key lesson? Well, liberals in America often want more social programs funded by increased taxes on the rich. Even if you raise taxes across the board, liberals are upset that the rich weren't taxed at a higher rate. It's class envy, and incredibly stupid economics. Why? Because by and large people who have built wealth aren't that stupid. Higher taxes will drive them away, especially if they continue to see more and more freebies given out on their dime.

This story is a great example, and as taxes go up in the nation, we'll see more and more wealthy finding ways to shield their assets outside of the US. So, those liberals that figured they'd pay for socialized medicine, or free college for all, by taxing the rich, aren't going to get anything but put the country in a worse state. It's simple economics. Intelligent people will do what is in the best interest. Even highly charitable ones know that they can't contribute to the cause they care about if Uncle Sam is taking it all and wasting 50% on bureaucracy.

Millionaires cashing out of Bay Area - San Francisco Business Times:: "'You can still make a lot of money in California. The problem is, then you have to pay taxes on that money,' said Kennedy, who recently helped a California client with annual income of about $1 million save $96,000 annually by making their home in Jackson Hole, Wyo., their primary residence.
'Effectively, you have the state of California subsidizing their relocation through the tax savings,' Kennedy said. 'You can still tap into California's resources -- which includes a large, educated population -- while extricating yourself from the California tax system.'"

fifth installment...

Objectivism meets Video Gaming in BioShock

Objectivism meets 18 year olds in an award-winning BioShock video game. The game can surely be seen as an attack on Ayn Rand's philosophy, but Brian Crecente has written a good article on the positives of bringing the philosophy to a mass audience in a new way. And it's not just any game, it's one a slew of Game of the Year and Best Story categories.



The game isn't a 'serious' look at objectivism, but the philosophy is a strong thematic element. The president of the Ayn Rand Institute, Yaron Brook, has some positive analysis of the issue in the Crecente article. I'm pleased that my son has been assigned both Anthem and The Fountainhead in his high school, and I look forward to further discussion with him after he 'experiences' the game. Here's a quote from the article:

"The sunken city of Rapture, a world of art deco aesthetics, neon sales pitches and looming architecture, is home to more than just murderous splicers and lumbering Big Daddys, it's also a surprising breeding ground for introspection.

BioShock may have been conceived as a study in nuance, a place for gamers to discover and explore at their own pace, but its dip into the ethical morass of Ayn Rand's objectivist philosophies has brought her beliefs back into the mainstream spotlight and even piqued the interest of the Ayn Rand Institute's president, Yaron Brook."

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And here's the 4th installment of the political-photoshopping fun:

Collective Punishment vs Fairness

Szandor Blestman points out the 'unfairness' of collective punishment in schools. I remember those situations as happening at least weekly, sometimes daily, during elementary and middle school. Szander also talks about the misguided attempts to create fairness through the use of government force, and how individualism has time and again proven to be the system that offers the most opportunity to all participants.

American Chronicle Fairness and Life, Collectivism and Freedom: "Collective punishment is always going to be unfair to someone. If some person or group of people commit a crime, only those directly involved in the crime, those who knew what was happening and/or intended harm, should be punished. If everyone associated with them, no matter how innocuously, is punished, then innocent people end up being punished."

And here's my third installment of getting the political point across through the wonder of photoshop:

Hillary as Comrade in Chief

I have no idea what the original russian says on this poster, but I thought it was a good fit for the expression Hillary has. (If you know what it says, I'm all ears.) I don't think Hillary is a Stalin by a long shot, but when leaders embrace socialism and collectivism, they are leading us down the path that will bring us a Stalin eventually. The fact that they should know this gives them culpability. Maybe they didn't hang us from the tree, but they plant and water the seed of the hanging-tree.

Barack - Leader of the USSA

This will be the first in a series. Photoshopping is just a pasttime, but pictures do get the point across quickly. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are promising all sorts of new entitlement plans, and want to expand existing ones. They want to move us significantly down the path towards becoming the United Socialist States of America. The fact that thousands show up to listen to them promise free gifts for all is a testament to the need for the public to be educated on the hopelessness of collectivism, and where it inevitably leads in the end.