Arjay,

A few points:

a) I am a liberal as well as a socialist - I believe in a comprehensive array of liberties: freedom of expression, assembly, association... I also believe in the liberty - and it IS a liberty - for workers to withdraw their labour...liberty, equality AND democracy are core - but there are some times when social rights and liberties are so important - they may sometimes even take precedence over the demcoratic process...

To clarify this point: Communists were right to oppose the First World War regardless of the crumbling of opposition amongst social democratic parliamentarians: and further - even if Australia HAD voted to 'dissolve' the Communist Party in the 50s- that in itself would have not been legitmate... Because we are a liberal democracy - not JUST a 'democracy')

b) I am a liberal pluralist: This links in with the other liberties - and assumes the right of opposing parties to mobilise and campaign on the basis of of ideology/program etc... I believe - in this context - with free exchange of ideas in the public sphere - and also government subsidy of such exchange - so that the process is not corrupted by corporate wealth...

c) As a liberal, a democrat, a pluralist - I believe that we ought have a strong civil society... There should be no simplistic opposition 'State: bad, civil society: good' - but there do need to be checks and measures... And also: a private sector dominated by co-operative and mutualist enterprises is not in any way 'totalitarian'...A strong public sector, meanwhile, can exist under such a societal form - providing competition - where appropriate; and providing natural monopoly: where there is significant social and economic benefit..

d) Finally - again I emphasise - my 'democratic mixed economy' is intended to be underpinned by these liberties - and by these 'checks and balances'. It's best not reaching for the accusation of 'totalitarianism' to easily: words quickly lose their meaning if they are consistently or inappropriately misused..

OK. So once the austerity program kicks in, just remember to make sure you call it "liberalist-pluralist". Same goes for whatever war venture conjured up by the debt-peddling financiers (including Ewins' Fabian bosses). When will we finish paying off the USD 1.5 QUADRILLION? Don't ask Ewins' Engels-style bosses in the Fabians - they're counting on the pickings from their various hedge fund cannibalizations, with tips from renowned "lefty" speculator-pigs like billionaire imperialist Soros.

Gee! We workers have the right to withdraw our labor! A bourgeoise backs workers' right to starve.

The Fabians dare not upset their leading members and bosses by touching on the obvious i.e., BANKRUPTCIES NOW! Then write off the debts and end the oligarchs' filthy game for good. Investigate and try the scammers who caused this mess. Return to programs of CENTRAL STATE CREDIT a la Hamilton, FDR, Chifley.

Hey there mil-observer - you attempt to make some serious points - but for the most I don't think your mockery 'hits the mark'. That said, it would be good of some of the people who are following this thread could deal more directly with the topic matter of the article.

For the record, I was there on the streets against the first Gulf War - and I was there marching against the second Gulf War as well. I don't think there are any excuses for funding the Somozistas or the Contras, or the death squads in Guatemala, or the half million murdered in Indonesia, or the thousands of 'disappeared' in Chile - supposedly to 'stop the dominos' from falling.

And you'll find that my article criticises in detail the speculative bubbles which have brought us to disaster.

I'm just a bit sad, though, that some of these outrageous arguments have been made without many others questioning or refuting them...

Maybe they just don't take some of the more ridiculous claims seriously?

Again: more serious engagement with the topic matter of the article would be refreshing

Did you get any badges, medals, etc., for your "lefty" credentials? Or just tokens?

Whatya gonna do? Call for the financiers' derivatives scam to be scrapped? That would be very un-liberal, of course. And Uncle Soros would not be happy about it.

But if you do finally decide to attack the root cause of the nightmare (and of various wars and puppet repressions), then just see what happens to your Fabian links, writing deals, and so on.

Well Tristan,my philosophy is one of small Govt,a healthy free enterprise system and rules that create a truely level playing field.

We have imbalance of Global power of corporates,Govt and the Central Banks.Individual autonomy has been lost.

Obama is just putting the US into more debt.Socialism whether it be democratic or imposed,is just as evil as the central banks who caused this fiasco.It is about too much power in too few hands.