This is not socialism. Capitalism just deregulated to the point where it bought the US Government.

[readmoreoften]

Then it reimbursed itself with a coupon: "Free US Government (Shell only. Government not included.)"
We need to cure this stupid "socialism" meme before the American people start clamoring for MORE capitalism. :crazy:

[curious one]

1. ?

[endthewar]

2. But aren't we nationalizing these private institutions?

[readmoreoften]

4. NO. "Nationalization" means that you redistribute private wealth to the working people of a nation.

It does not mean that you take the nation's working people's income and put it back into the hands of private corporations.

[readmoreoften]

5. When Chavez nationalized the oil (Or Mossadeq in Iran, who we assassinated...)

he took it by force from the private companies and gave the income from the nation's natural resources to the people of the nation to better their lives. He did not force the wage slaves to pay off the debt of the big fat cats.

[endthewar]

6. Even if the tax payers get equity in these companies?

:shrug:

[readmoreoften]

7. Nope. It's still not socialism. When the CEOs get a fair workman's wage, it's getting closer.

And if the new stockholder citizens get to vote the CEOs out, then even closer. But that's not what's going on and that' s not what' s going to happen. If it were, the stocks wouldn't've been so elated over the deal.

[readmoreoften]

3. The rich own the whole of the government from voting machines on.

Now it is taking money from the working class to give it itself, the rich, through the "government." However the government is nothing but a shell corporation for rich people.

In socialism, the working classes take down the rich folk and spread the wealth among those who create it via a real government, one that governs the national wealth for the benefit of all in a reasonably equal way.

The bailout is not socialism. It is capitalism. What we currently call 'the government' is not a real government of the people that provides services for the people of a nation. It is currently just a front operation for the wealthy to shuttle money back to itself.

[watrwefitinfor]

8. Highly Recommended - because

so many on DU seem to have no idea at all what socialism or nationalization or other important defining terms mean. Somehow seeing socialism in a clearly fascistic move (government merging with corporations, in this case the corporate banking monopoly) is a little trick that those in power love to pull. That's exactly why the Nazi's called themselves the National Socialist Party.

Wat

[judasdisney]

10. Yes, the Nazis were pulling that little "Healthy Forests Initiative" Neocon euphemism trick

good comments, good diary/post

[Kitty Herder]

14. Absolutely.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[judasdisney]

9. BINGO. It's NOT socialism --

In Communism, the State owns & controls the corporations.



In Fascism, the corporations own & control the State.



Capitalism is neutral, in between the two, and has zero connection to "democracy."



"Socialism" is an amorphous term denoting a point between Communism & Fascism in which Capitalism is permitted with State controls favoring socially-oriented redistribution of tax revenues.



The opposite of "Socialism," which would be an amorphous term denoting a point between Communism & Fascism in which Capitalism is deregulated, with laws favoring the privatization of the State and privately-oriented redistribution of tax revenues, is an economic definition that has no name.



What has happened does not favor socially-oriented redistribution of tax revenues, therefore it's not "socialism".

What has happened does not superficially denote corporate takeover of government, therefore it's not common "fascism".

However, if government was already owned by corporations (fascism, 2001-2008), and those corporations (failing or not) used their wholly-owned subsidiary government to "bailout" their excesses --

-- then yes, it's a new form of fascism that looks like socialism for the wealthy, but in reality, is simply the logical outcome of fascism. Ultra-deregulation.

And incidentally, PLEASE, everybody:

the REAL timebomb is derivatives.

One Q - U - A - D - R - I - L - L - I - O - N DOLLARS

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2817995.stm

http://www.freemarketnews.com/Linked-Commentary.asp?nid=9646

http://www.opednews.com/articles/IT-S-THE-DERIVATIVES-STUP-by-Ellen-Brown-080918-354.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_security

[Greyhound]

11. I think of the derivatives like the fifth wave of nukes, after the first round or two,

you're just bouncing rubble, irradiating the radioactive.

Though now that I think of it, if the global economy collapses, won't the derivatives cease to exist?

[judasdisney]

13. Derivatives already don't exist except on paper. That's what derivatives are. Which means

there's $1.14 QUADRILLION of bad money out there, globally.

The Second Great Depression is a fait accompli. But this one will make the 1930s look like paradise.

[galileoreloaded]

12. This is a clusterfuck ,where several smart men have us arguing over definitions,

while they loaded up their car with money. This is a disaffected plutocracy filled to the brim with citizens of questionable intellect.

[NightWatcher]

15. it's "free market" plus corporate facism

the corporations are "free" to do whatever the hell they want and then their friends and coworkers in the government pass laws and bailouts to keep them afloat after they have looted the system.

In most polite societies this would be punishable by death in the public square after the revolt