If the survival of capitalism were in a Democratic president's hands, what should she or he do?

[Ken Burch]

Poll question: If the survival of capitalism were in a Democratic president's hands, what should she or he do?

We're assuming, for the purposes of this poll, that in the situation in question a "Second New Deal" wouldn't be possible.

[styersc]

1. There should be another option.....

..... "Run some polling to find out what our principles are. Get Obama to give a speech supporting the results of the poll and then all of DU would swoon." Sure, I'd vote for that one.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Drive a wooden stake through its heart

As W.E.B Dubois once said, nothing good can come out of a system based on greed.

[Teaser]

3. this already happened in the 1930s

.

[timeforpeace]

4. Capitalism. All I ever got was this t-shirt. And a job. And a house. And the means to provide for

my family.

[Ken Burch]

5. You could get those without having a system based solely on appeasing the greed of the few

We could run this world for the good of all if we ever actually tried.

[timeforpeace]

6. Like the notion but feel humans are too killer-instincty and competitive for it to last.

But the idea is worth considering.

[Drunken Irishman]

7. We saw this in the 1930s and 40s. It took a Democratic president to SAVE capitalism.

Which is ironic, because so many people call FDR a socialist/commie pinko.

Except he wasn't. He was, like most modern Democratic progressives, a pragmatic liberal.

That's why he was despised by many on the left. People like Huey Long and the real communists. They thought he did little and helped support the capitalist machine.

[Ken Burch]

8. Can we really be sure FDR was RIGHT to save it?

The New Deal was responsible for stopping what likely would have been widespread famine, but the "pragmatic" decision to save the existing economic system did end up giving the forces of reaction and hatred and inequality a chance to make a comeback. Without the New Deal, we might never have been subjected to Reagan.

We need to design something new, something that provides genuine social equity, allows people to use their natural creativity for positive purposes, and still honors the need for individuality and flexibility. This would also mean expanding the group that makes the economic decisions in this country to include, in some form or other, ALL of us.

Huey Long wouldn't have considered himself a leftist, btw.

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Well I'm not debating whether he was right or wrong...

Just saying it's happened before.

[Ken Burch]

10. Agreed.

Not sure today's "malefactors of great wealth"(as FDR's cousin Teddy called them)are capable of the same flexibility. Their arrogance hasn't been shaken as of yet.