Daggett thanks for providing the original quote, far more eloquent than my paraphrasing.

”So, were you trying to tell us you were a socialist at the age of 18? I would have to say that it would be quite difficult for some of us to imagine.”

At age 18 I had just done a year at art college, but decided I did not want to spend the rest of my life impoverished.

My politics were still forming and largely influenced by my parents values. I considered the merits of socialism and could see it might support me, better than the risky hurly-burly of capitalism.

Maybe I was a late developer but it was after my first few economics lectures, when studying to be an accountant, that I could see why socialism does not and never will work to the benefit of anyone.

Everything since those days has merely confirmed how correct my analysis has been.

Nothing which socialism (or any of its malformed derivatives) attempts has bettered what a libertarian capitalist system has delivered, in terms, not simply of economic opportunity but in the quality of life of the individuals embraced by the system.

I do endeavour to focus on the holistic effect of political philosopies and not just the "material". Thus "life quality" embraces more than simply everyone having somewhere nice to live.

Whilst I recognize that not everyone under capitalist libertarianism achieves great things or wealth and some fall into poverty; socialism, despite the promises and rhetoric, fails to prevent poverty but also demands to minimise the reward for personal effort.

I would also say that whilst the libertarian / capitalist system has not always been able to prevented famine, at least it has not deployed famine and starvation for its political ends, as is the case for various socialist / communist governments.

Those are some of the good reasons for me being what many might call “right of centre”.

I apologize to no one for thinking that way or promoting those values in the face of the socialist credo of small-minded envy, faux-compassion and arbitrarily enforced leveling.

Col

We are all in the gutter. However some of us are looking at the stars.

Passy “We are all in the gutter. However some of us are looking at the stars.”

Oh I sincerely agree.

There is, however, a difference,

In a capitalist gutter, you are allowed to build your own ladder to escape,

In a socialist gutter, anyone who saves up for or invents a ladder long enough to escape has it expropriated by the state and used as fire wood for the other gutter-mongers.

On that criteria, I will prefer to “look at the stars” from a capitalist gutter than a socialist gutter,

I might not get to the stars but at least in the capitalist gutter I get to live with hope

In the socialist gutter there is no hope.

Life without hope is mere existence and not worth living.

Got any more cute cliches you want me to elaborate on?

Col

You drive me Wilde.

Passy “You drive me Wilde.”

Spelling it that way, should I presume you have nominated me for an Oscar?

Col

It was a quote (slightly changed) from well known dramatist and self declared genius, Oscar Wilde, who also happened to be a socialist. Like Einstein, Wilde's socialism is ignored in polite circles. His politics have been airbrushed out of history, like Stalin airbrushed Trotsky out of a famous photo with Lenin in 1917. (The exact detail might be off there, but you get the idea. Stalinism equals the death of socialism, (and Lenin's democratic vision of socialism), not its logical conclusion.)

So yes I guess I was awarding you an Oscar. That could lead in to various pathetic jokes about acting, and pretending and the like and your seeming role on OLO, but I am not that sort of person.

Besides, it is late and the guard is tired.