Hello Everybody,   
      
   I know this may come as a tremendous shock to you, but the USA is   
   a socialist country.  Really.  More socialist than most (if not all)   
   European countries.  More socialist than most (if not all) Asian   
   countries.  More socialist than most (if not all) African countries.   
   More socialist than Australia (both the country and the continent).   
   This is the great secret that my American comrades have kept hidden   
   from the world since its inception as a country.  We tell the entire   
   world we have a "free economy" and seek to impose that "free economy"   
   on all the world so that everyone can enjoy the same freedoms as   
   Americans.  For those who do not believe us, we bring our freedoms   
   directly to them (Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.).   
      
   President Dwight D. Eisenhower tried to warn others about   
   the dangers of this Military Industrial Complex that is taking   
   over the world.  But did anybody listen?  No.  We continued   
   on, liberals and conservatives alike, expanding our socialist   
   programs to what they are today.   
      
   Of course, this was all started by FDR, the greatest president   
   who ever was.  FDR was neither a conservative nor a liberal.   
   Being the world's first freedom fighter, FDR had no ideology   
   of his own, telling the people "Make me do it!"  And so, the   
   maddening crowd started chanting, telling FDR what to do.  So   
   please.  Do not blame FDR for the fine mess we are in.  We   
   created it ourselves.  And we are reaping the benefits.   
   Yes, my friends.  We get what we truly deserve.  A mad man   
   with a box.  Oops.  That was the Doctor.  Hell on wheels.   
   That was who FDR really was ...   
      
   Let's cut to the chase.   
      
   FDR created the federal minimum wage.  The current standard   
   was established in 1938 under the Fair Labor Standard Act.  But   
   few people understand what the original premise was meant to be.   
   So here it is -   
      
   The original premise of the Federal Minimum Wage: A PERSON   
   WILLING TO WORK A 40 HOUR WEEK SHOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD BASIC   
   FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER.   
      
   The only way that could possibly be achieved was through socialism.   
   Liberals understood that.  Conservatives understood that.  Moderates   
   understood that.  Everybody understood that.  And so it came to be.   
   The federal minimum wage was established, and the USA officially   
   became a socialist country.   
      
   I know, I know.  FoxNews is in a state of denial.  But it's true.   
   The USA is a socialist country.  Has been for a very long time.   
   Not because of anything Barack Obama has done, or is about to do.   
   Mitt Romney is a very wealthy man, thanks to our socialist policies.   
   So wealthy that he could easily afford to finance his own campaign   
   for president without any help from his other very wealthy friends.   
   During his campaign for president, he promised no changes to our   
   socialist policies, except to say that his policies would be even   
   friendlier, for rich folks such as himself.   
      
   Of course we do not go around saying the USA is a socialist country.   
   We say we have a Free Economy, based on Capitalism.  But few people,   
   except the very wealthy, know what that truly means.  So I'll explain   
   it to you -   
      
   Here is how this Free Economy system works.  With the federal minimum   
   wage being the basis of this system, we now have five (5) subsidies in   
   place for workers in the USA -   
      
   * EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit)   
   * Food Stamps   
   * TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families)   
   * GA (General Assistance (except for single men in Texas))   
   * Tips   
      
   Go ahead.  Count `em.  Five subsidies.  In reference to tips, the   
   federal minimum wage is much lower, the idea being that patrons   
   would pay tips to bring the minimum wage up to the same level that   
   other workers are guaranteed.   
      
   These are all subsidies that taxpayers and patrons are expected   
   to pay.  In other words, this is socialism for business.  And business   
   loves it.  Why?  Because business does not respect the value of its   
   workers.  Sure, business would prefer to have those workers work for   
   free, rather than having to pay them any kind of minimum wage.  This   
   is business' idea of getting a free lunch.  Know what I mean?   
      
   Business is in business to make a profit.  Business maximizes profits   
   by cutting costs.  And/or by having government (taxpayers) subsidize   
   its costs for doing business.  With five subsidies in place, the cost   
   of paying workers is cheap.  Dirt cheap.   
      
   Some would call this "wage theft" - which is the reality.  A far   
   cry from "an honest day's pay for an honest day's work" by anybody's   
   definition.   
      
   Business values other components of doing business, such as   
   manufacturing, advertising, transportation, etc.  Why is it that   
   business continues to treat workers like scum?  If it were not   
   for those workers, business would not be able to operate at all.   
      
   Socialism for business is the best thing that could ever have   
   been created.  Socialism for workers is the worst thing that could   
   ever have been created.  Who says this master/slave relationship   
   came to an end in the Confederate States of America?  It is still   
   very much with us today, alive and well, with all races being   
   allowed to play their respective roles.   
      
   --Lee   
      
   --- MesNews/1.06.00.00-gb   
    * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)