Socialism

Is it stupidity or plain old politics? The news cycle hypes the "settlement" between Attorney Generals of many states in the U.S. and major mortgage-holding banks. There is inflated talk about "principal adjustment" for "some" homeowners. "Principal adjustment" means discounting the value of a mortgaged home to the current market value, sometimes 50% lower than the purchased value. Imagine this: 50% off on owning a house! This is even more amazing if you lied on your credit application to get the house in the first place. It is gob-smacking if you can get this discount by simply saying you were too stupid to read the mortgage documents or to hire a lawyer to read them for you before signing the loan.

All this in a country where "socialism" is a dirty word. This isn't socialism, this is the worst kind of carving up an economy, where fairness no longer applies for the common good. This is pandering to a token segment of the population to garner votes to bolster political power. This is a process befitting corrupt societies where bribes and special hand-outs rule the day.

Then there is the other story here in Massachusetts and in other states in the U.S.. 70,000 Massachusetts citizens receive food assistance in the form of state-issued debit cards through the SNAP program. These cards are meant to feed children and poor adults. The legislature is currently answering the alarm caused by the abuse of these cards to buy drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The cards are also being sold on a black market. They are being used to buy TVs and other non-essential items at taxpayer expense. There are hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts who are potentially qualified for these cards due to the current economic climate. Are the working citizens of Massachusetts willing to pay for them under the current mismanagement by the state?

All this in a country where the vast majority of citizens have been brainwashed against socialism. Well, they are not getting socialism. They are getting corruption and exploitation by the aggressive, deceitful and shrewd. The politicians are getting good press and secure jobs with great benefits at the expense of good and fair government.