I’ve often been impressed with the way Elliot Spitzer gets out his message. For example, see his article Capitalism With A Democratic Face. (Also available in the Kerry Reference Library.) Spitzer takes on the sterotype of liberals spread by the right wing as opponents of capitalism, concluding with:
By taking up the mantle of efficient, forward-looking, and market-oriented government action, Democrats can move from being a party that simply opposes Bush’s tainted version of laissez-faire to one that advocates for the progress that comes with real market freedom. It is a powerful argument, a true argument, and it is ours for the making.
Now that he is running for Governor of New York, Spitzer is showing the same skill in getting out the right message. Check out these ads. Really, these are ads which are worth looking at. Kos didn’t believe a political ad firm could have made commercials this good, so he did some digging about who made them:
The ads are written by screenwriter, Madison Avenue maven, and political novice Jimmy Siegel and produced by Moxie Pictures. Siegel worked until recently at the legendary firm BBDO. He put together the Super Bowl Visa ad with Bob Dole and the “Yo, Yao” ads with Yao Ming.
Democrats have wondered how they can counter the right wing noise machine without copying their deceit and hatred. Eliot Spitzer may have found the way.
I have often said that I do not oppose capitalism but merely the type of irresponsible Republican capitalism that employs wage slavery, a lack of concern for product safety and working conditions and a government philosophy of keeping hands off of helping those people who need help in our country.
Republican utopia of capitalism and government philosphy and low taxes ending in 1929 when white wealthy Republicans jumped out of tall buildings when they lost their stock portfolio.
The problem comes down to Republicans taking over words, and Democrats allowing them to. Republicans claim principles such as freedom and capitalism even when they don’t really support them, giving the impression that if you support these principles you should vote Republican.
Republicans label themselves as the defenders of capitalism and some even claim Democrats are socialists. Democrats need to stand up for capitalism as Spitzer does, and point out that using government to transfer wealth to the big corporations and ultra-wealthy is not true capitalism. Republicans support “economic liberties” as an excuse to let the fox guard the hen house.
We’re really back to the age of robber barons. Capitalism, Communism and Socialism (which is nothing more than militant socialism) all have their good and their bad points. Like all systems – humans, being the way we are, when taken to extreme become inhumane. Socialism/Communism destroy individuality and the spirit of innovation. Capitalism in the extreem is cold and heartless and has no regard for other then the hard driven overachiever. It’s survival of the fittest, which if I remember correctly is an Animal Kingdom attribute. Corporations are not democracies but autocracy’s, as they have a right to be. Unfortanatly in America they have all the rights of an individual person but none of the accountability. Corporation’s need a good strong democratic government keeping them in check as the government needs the population and the corporations keeping them in check. Today it’s completely out of balance. Capitalism has run amok, corporations are pretty much in complete control and don’t have to answer to any one thanks to our government being shanghaied by it/them.
correction above communism is militant socialism