DKos says: Liberals Can Usher In An Age Of Utopia

This is a diary that sums up the liberal ideology. The Krazy Kosmonaut tries to contrast a conservative Utpoia to a liberal Utopia. So, what happens in a liberal's Utopia you ask? Here's a few:

"The world has never seen what can happen when the Common Good is emphasized over the Power of Elites, while maintaining a capitalist system and freedom of innovation." "The world has never seen what can happen when military is only used to keep the peace and prevent brutality, instead of to prop up evil dictators and corporatist regimes." " The world has never seen what can happen when government is completely transparent."

Ok, so we can generally agree about the common good being emphasized over the "Power of Elites" while still maintaining a capitalist system and freedom of innovation. But, how do we know the "Common Good" is not already emphasized by the existing capitalist system? Capitalism has consistently improved the lives of both poor and rich. Our standard of living is improved every year. New and cheaper technologies benefit everyone eventually. Would you rather be poor 100 years ago or today?

Now let's see what this writer thinks the evil consverative dystopia is:

" where local control is prioritized over federal control;"

" where taxes are virtually nonexistent;" " where military spending is over 90% of the budget;"

"where the nation's leaders claim authority straight from God, and rely solely on religious doctrine for their legal authority;"

"where women's obligation is to bear children and be subservient to their husbands, with no access to abortion;"

"where public education does not exist, and is restricted solely to private and homeschool--usually religious;"

"where foreigners are viewed with deep suspicion;"

"where all other priorities are sacrificed at the altar of military victory;"

"where "indecent art" is not tolerated by the government;"

" Tell them, in other words, to go to hell. Because their hell already exists on earth. And these fuckers ALLOW it to continue to exist."

Imagine, that...a world with low taxes and more local rather than federal control.

DKos says: Government Knows Best When It Comes To Happiness

Here's a scary post: Policy and Happiness. The diarist is saying government should raise taxes because American citizens will just spend it on frivolous items that won't make them happy. Very scary stuff.

"It won't be easy to convince the average commuting suburbanite that maybe they'd be happier with a somewhat smaller house, on a smaller lot, in an actual neighborhood, and riding (gasp) public transit to work--if in exchange they could have some REALLY GREAT public amenities. Even if we throw in guaranteed health care. That whole part of our consciousness has become stunted and dormant. We get a vague glimmer of it when we visit places like Paris, or historic places in the U.S. (Annapolis comes to mind), then we head back home and the spark goes out as we pull the SUV into the 3-car garage and switch on the wide-screen satellite TV. 'Cause we're isolated, self-absorbed, ruggedly individualistic wealthy bastards, and that's the way we like it! God bless America! Greatest country in the world!"