Went to a very upscale dinner party with my girlfriend and her parents.  It was for a super exclusive "inviation only" nationwide group of lawyers, the best of the best (although really what it appeared to be was a group that was designed to make sure they refer the best and biggest clients only to each other).  In any event, at one point we were talking about water law (a hot topic in Colorado with scarcity of water and California's roughshod abuse of water compacts to drain mountain lakes to make sure Californians can have bluegrass lawns in the desert without having to pay to desalinize water off their coastline).  

One fella, a nationally reknouned attorney, launched full on into a diatribe about how there really shouldn't be any recognition of "property rights" and how everything should be run by a collective.  It was amazing.  His views were certainly heartfelt, but he had no clue.   He said that the government ought to enlist the best and brightest scientists to "come up with" the best distribution of water so that each state and area contribues all the water it is able, and each consumer of water takes whatever he or she needs.   (Sound familiar?  Try this "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.").    My question:   How do you plan to "make" the scientists come up with that solution.  What if they don't want to come up with the data or solutions you want.   He said:   "There are certainly ways to encourage their participation."    

It was certainly an eye opening situation.   Oh, and his politics:   He said he's supporitng "Kerry, because its a step toward the radical transformation away from capitalism and property rights we need to have to ensure the public good."

Astounding, I tell you.   Asounding.

Ron Kuby, perhaps?

Nope.   This guy was in real estate.  

Quoted: Nope.   This guy was in real estate.

A commie, in real estate?

Sounds like the nutjob that calls all the talk radio stations

 There is a card carrying one where I work

Quoted: Quoted: Nope.   This guy was in real estate.   A commie, in real estate?

Best kind.

Haven't you noticed that the most arden't communists are the RICH?

It's because THEY can AFFORD it!

People like that blow my mind - especially when they are part of the rich elite.

I mean, I can undedstand it if some unwashed hippy in a commune thinks this way, or some dumb idealisitc college student - because they simply don't knwo better, or it woudl actualyl be in their self-interest, being lazy or at the bottom of the distribution.

But for a wealthy person, who has become wealthy through the capitalist system to think that way, absolutely boggles my mind.  



Has he never picked up a history book?  Or a psychology book?  Or an economics text?  How freaking stupid do you have to be to hold those views an an educated and successful adult?

Damn those property rights.  A big "FUCK YOU" to the Ten Commandments that started all this "Thou shalt not steal" nonsense.

Doesn't he know communism is a tried and failed system?

Quoted: "Kerry, because its a step toward the radical transformation away from capitalism and property rights we need to have to ensure the public good."

That is what the choices on Nov 2 boil down to.

How precious of him to remind us.

Quoted: Doesn't he know communism is a tried and failed system?

It works for a while, but you need a lot of money up front.

... Uh huh, sure, full-scaled wars have been declared for much less weighted issues relating to water rights in the west. Them hippies got a bloody fight on their hands if the think their gonna lay claim to the cattlemen, ranchers, farmers and other righteous owners of those water-rights.

Give him a copy of Animal Farm.

Quoted: Doesn't he know communism is a tried and failed system?

"Failed" in what respect?  Communism succeeded in giving a small, elite minority totalitarian powers over the lives of millions of people.  Granted it killed a large number of those people and reduced the lives of the rest to poverty and misery, but the people at the top lived better and had more power than any king in history.

Communist/Marxist ideas will always find a following among educated people with totalitarian impulses.

Quoted: Haven't you noticed that the most arden't communists are the RICH? It's because THEY can AFFORD it!

And because they're convinced that they know best and that they'll
be in the ruling elite class under their Socialist Order.

The lawyer's rant sounds like a scene from The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged.

CKMorley