Pat Oliphant for December 23, 2010

Then why did daddy put up the Xmas tree?

Agreed Fairportfan2, nothing happened last month.

Gee, that sounds like something Sarah Palin would say to her kids if Michelle Obama would somehow even slightly praise the concept of Santa Claus.

He would be a commie only if he took the toys away from someone else.

i guess it’s the red suit…

baslimthebegger, modern Europeans are far more used to telling their governments what to do than Americans. And they do so from the grass roots level far more than we do - with far greater success.

I’ve lived in Europe and if it weren’t for having my family here, would feel comfortable living there again. At least you know you have a voice that’ll be heard in Western Europe.

youre dating yourself, pat. there’s a whole generation of adults now that have no idea what the horror of communism really meant.

how about the horror of capitalism, I bet they dont know that either

“While the tea party types got a lot wrong, they almost all had that core belief that they did not want that imperious, European style government,”

I don’t doubt that they have that belief… but I’m not so sure how well-founded that belief is.

Every year, France - one of the iconic “European style governments,” no doubt - is paralized by mass strikes because the people DO NOT want to accept this or that measure the government in Paris wants to impose. Quite often, the government backs down or at least compromises. Is that the “imperious” government style you meant? Add to that that generally European countries have a far broader choice of parties to vote for and for good or ill, people aren’t exactly unable to have their say on the eastern side of the Atlantic either. And then there’s the Swiss with their referenda…

Do you think that Europe has more labor protection laws, social services, etc just because the government imposed those on the people against their will?

He does, wolf. He takes ‘em away from the little Asian kids that made them.

If they don’t, Bilword, then they haven’t been conscious for the last few years.

Calling a comment - or a person - “lib” (one assumes you mean “liberal”) - is not an argument, but a substitute for one; probably indicative that you don’t have one.

Good comment, wolfhound. Santa is a legend based on the concept of charity, not redistribution.

Look at the house where these kids are living, that ain’t no middle class domicile– it’spure top 2%

Which mean Daddy Teabags will be perfectly happy to receive HIS handout.

If Santa is doing his job right, it’s not a commie giveaway. You have to actively do good to earn the goodies. But Santa usually goes soft & gives the little rats stuff anyway because he remembers what a little rat he once was. The problem with inherited wealth is that the rats loose touch with the fact that it takes actual work to produce the stuff in the fisrt place. Power to elves!

Government Police and Firefighters… yay Socialism.

Capitalist Firefighters - “Did you pay your dues this year? No, then we’re going to let your house burn down and only deal with it if it spreads to a house that DID pay their dues.”

I’ll take the Socialist Firefighters.

Yeah CK! and lets call it The United Socialist Fruitcake Party.

Stalin and “Marxists” distorted “communism”(small “c”) into a “Communist” totalitarian dictatorship which the people did NOT control- which is NOT “communism”. Cheney and friends have used power and manipulation to turn “Capitalism” into a plutocracy/feudal system overcoming social governance in favor of their “economic theory” that says- “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine too!”

Social responsibility says that taking care of others, while making an HONEST return for our labors, proportionate in gain to the benefits we provide to others- as with a “better mousetrap”- is okay. But when the “economy” is based on folks “making money”, by merely manipulating money, NOT providing jobs or products domestically for the benefit of all, it isn’t a Republic with Capitalist marketing strategies.

Throw in basing that economy on “defense” and war profits for those at the “top of the food chain”– and the society AND economy develop serious problems.

And the guy’s wearing a RED suit!

Give Karl Marx a Santa hat and stick a pipe in his mouth, and he could pass an audition at any Macy’s…

nazi germany was a capitalist democracy.

hitler was democratically elected. and the work, death and concentration camps were run for profit.

Well at least in Europe they can still strike – if we did what they’ve been doing as far as strikes and demonstrations in the US, best case scenario they would replace us with scabs, worst case scenario they’d shoot us (i.e., Kent State among others).

”Europeans are historically used to having their governments tell them what to do, from monarchs to prime ministers.”

LOL ! How did I miss this? I think you and I usssuuually agree on most points so I wasn’t sure I should mention various revolutions, heads rolling about in the past etc but I see further comments from Cdward, 4uk4ata, DrC, lindz et al plus a response from Baslim (with a back-hander swipe at the French no less)…so all’s well.

Actually, talking about perceptions, I recall an index I read up a few days ago in connection with Austria.

The ”Transparency Index”. Perceptions of corruption around the world. 13 European countries ahead of the USA, in 22nd place, but yay, it beats France in 25th position, you’ve been reinvidicated. :-| However, I do agree with your comment that your country needs a centrist party. The UK does but it is in bed with the Tories at the moment and the sex has gone to its head.

If you are Santa Claus at your house, then you are a socialist. Socialism - a good thing for children and for the parents who love them.

Besides Paul Krugman, sometimes I feel like kissing Pat Oliphant’s feet too. For cartoons like this.