I don't know that it is socialism, and the Philippines has many other problems. The buying of votes, well, they just take it in advance. But isn't that what most voters base their choices on? What's in it for me, or for the group I belong to? And then we complain that politicians make outrageous promises, sometimes contradictory, that they cannot keep. They do it because if they don't they will not be elected.
We say we don't like bailouts and stimuli, but we certainly don't want the alternative, which is austere and painful. I'm watching the news from Greece tonight. It may get uglier. What do you think the public reaction would have been in the US, faced with the same news from our government? So instead they print some money for us to spend and to bail out shady companies, because the alternative would be deep recession and loss of millions more jobs. It only postpones the inevitable, but it makes us feel better now.
Greece is called to pay today. They don't have a China and others to lend them massive amounts so they can buy their products. We will have to pay tomorrow, when China and others no longer need us. We have bought the canard of a "consumer economy," as if any nation can remain wealthy and strong by gorging and guzzling. We bought the lie that money equals capital, so we use and trade money as if it can stand by itself, with no real wealth to back it up.
Even some "socialist" Europeans know better, which is why Greece's terms for a bailout are so onerous.
Angel
--- In cebucitytoday@
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> Well said Angel
> Thats what I call socialism ,all play and no work ,and plenty of icecream
> All the lads are getting excited in the provinces .The 100peso bribe is on its way and put all those 100pesos together and it will buy allot of Red Horse ,My sister in law has just got her usual 2000pesos to hand out to the family
> The Greeks kept getting promises ."Vote for us and we will let you retire at 55 .dont worry the stupid old Germans who retire 10 years later dont mind propping us up ,they like work'"And you hairdressers carry on claiming chemical damage and retiring at 50 YUK YUK YUK
> Gerry
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