“You have to ask the question, is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of people and then walk off with the money?”
He was done already, but now the Right will see to it that Newt never appears on Faux News again.
The former Speaker is making the case that, in contrast to good old fashioned businesses who make stuff, Romney and his ilk have instead gamed the system to create a soulless machine that profits from the misery of others. […]
“I am totally for capitalism, I am for free markets,” Gingrich assured reporters on Monday. “Nobody objects to Bill Gates being extraordinarily rich, they provide a service.” What he instead is concerned about is when an investor receives “six-to-one returns, and the company goes bankrupt.”
One of the drones at The Corner equates an attack on Romney as an attack on capitalism itself. So, yeah, apparently, the answer to Newt’s question — is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of people and then walk off with the money? — is yes. And if you don’t like it, you must be a commie.
Over the years I’ve heard a lot of historians suggest that FDR probably saved capitalism in America, since his New Deal reforms created a kind of sustainable and workable version of capitalism that benefited the broadest number of Americans. But now the Right has kicked that to pieces (with help from some elements of the Left), and the old slash-and-burn, malefactors-of-great-wealth version of capitalism is back in the saddle.
And this version of capitalism is not sustainable, and it’s not workable. It’s like a cancer that gets stronger by destroying healthy tissue. It ends in death of the organism it consumed.
But on the Right you aren’t allowed to say that, or even think it, because “free market capitalism” really has been linked to God, on a not entirely subconscious level, and government regulation really has been linked to Stalinism and thereby Satan. This is not an exaggeration; this is how righties think. And I agree with Steve M that the Right will rally around Mitt and defend him from Newt’s attacks.
Mitt is going on offense, saying that free enterprise itself is on trial.
Mittens will be the GOP nominee. Count on it. The question is, of course, how the electorate at large will absorb and process this argument.
Elsewhere: Mitt made a comment about liking to fire people in New Hampshire that created some stir. See Sarah Kliff and James Fallows for more analysis of that.
I wonder whether anyone will tell Newt to take a shower and get a job.
LOL!
Newt – what in the hell do you think your whole grifting pre-during-and-post political life has been about, except that which you now boldly turn and use to cudgel Mitt with?
Jesus H. Christ in a John Galt Mask, man – that’s also been YOUR life’s work, you cretinous, pompous, hypocritical, festering cyst on the anus of humanity!
And, Newt, what in the Sam Hill, if not exactly that, does YOUR PARTY stand FOR – except being AGAINST black and brown people, gays, the poor, senior citizens, kids who want a decent education, and knocked-up non-white women, who all need to accept your parties vaunted austerity like Callista took your limp little wafer in her mouth even before you left your second sick wife and she turned you from a Newt into a Catholic Newt.
Poor Newt – his lobbying pals will now tell him to “shove -t “in the same place he always talks out of.
And it couldn’t happen to a nicer festering cyst.
The question is, of course, how the electorate at large will absorb and process this argument.
Not much. That hissing sound? It’s the oxygen being pumped out of Newt’s campaign, the microphone being taken away. The Right will fight this argument to the bitter end, since it cuts to their entire reason for being. Government can have absolutely no purpose in their worldview and is the Great Satan to be destroyed.
Hmmm…the truth, but hardly out of principle I suspect. He sees red when it comes to Romeny. Reasons do matter, such as Paul’s reasons for his anti-war position — ain’t nobody worth saving. Romney will shoot himself in the foot (I hope). An intense examination of the sort of business Romney engaged in should make it clear enough to most. Maybe others won’t see him as authentic or be put off by his being Mormon…not exactly what’s at stake for most American, but I’ll take that.
Still waiting to see Mitt’s tax returns. And– by the way– was he BORN on this planet? Can he prove it?