On Eminent Domain and Socialism

Email Print posted by MedfordTim 02/19/2008 05:33:02 PM EST

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I think I may have left Cenk with the impression that I am against Eminent Domain as a rule. I am not. I think Teddy Roosevelt used it wisely. Need an Interstate Highway? No problem. I like the 'for the good of all' part. On those rare occasions when it is misused to line the pockets of developers or oil speculators, I tend to take exception.

I favor socialized medicine - and I use a lower case 's' on purpose. I am not talking about changing an entire economic system, just fixing the parts which are 'for the good of all.' Medicine is one area. One of the problems I have with both of the Democratic choices are the inclusion of insurance thieves in their health plans. Gotta get the profit motive out of there. It doesn't belong in a civilized discussion about people's health and well being.

I think Cenk nailed it -parts of both Capitalism where it belongs and Socialism where it belongs, working together to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."


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On Eminent Domain and Socialism | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
I do... (none / 0)
I agree with you about 98% on what you said. I think Medicine and Social Services nees to be socialized, no doubt.

I am going to disagree slightly with you though on the reach of Eminent Domain when it comes to Road and land usage. Aside from the obvious cases like building condos and shopping malls for the wealthy, i believe even simple road construction has taken the theory and practice of eminent domain too far, especially when it impedes on property rights...The wealthy, who have undivided influence on elections and zoning laws, drive the building of roads or infrastructure (or lack thereof in many cases) to suit their business needs totally disregarding the rights and needs of the affected citizenry...

Business interests are way too influential on decisions like "where is this road gonna go, or how many lanes should it be, where does the light go etc..." Take the greasing of hands and contractor perks out, and then it would be more fair, but again, i believe you and I live in the real world and know this will not happen (simply because it has never happened in the past!!!)

I guess this boils down to issues like public financing, or paying public officials in the first lace...If you want to serve the people, thats who you should serve, NOT THE SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY GROUPS.

Its very much like being a doctor - most med students go to med school because it will make them a lot of money in the end, not because they genuinely want to help people...If they took the overwhelming financial incentive away, more people who genuinely want to be doctors would. If we run short, there are always foreign doctors willing to come. thats immigration for a good cause, for a change...

Thanks...

by bobo1 on 02/19/2008 08:46:04 PM EST

How about (none / 0)

Eminent domain for a border fence?

And "immigration for a good cause, for a change..."?  Has immigration on a whole been a net loss for America?  I assume you mean just illegals, but then there aren't a lot of illegal immigrant doctors are there.

by Spencer on 02/20/2008 01:26:36 AM EST

[ Parent ]
An interesting thought.... (none / 0)
I've never honestly really thought of the border fence in terms of Eminent Domain...An interesting quandry, but since the property in question literally ends at the borderline...huh, interesting nonetheless...

My point on immigrant doctors is this - If we dont have enough doctors here who want to treat people without making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, then there are several foreign doctors who will.

Im tired of Doctors that dont give a shit about treatment and care and more about their Mercedes and Country Clubs. Doctors are the ones yelling loudest against socialized medicine because they wont make as much money...It's always the money, Lebowski...

Not all immigrants are illegal. Not all immigration is bad.

by bobo1 on 02/20/2008 08:36:05 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Hope it comes to pass (none / 0)
That last bit is supposed to be the role of the federal government and all that. Right wingers are all about we got ours get your own. Obviously that philosophy doesnt work in a Democracy, bush created   a total disaster.

by Chinese Democracy on 02/19/2008 09:03:59 PM EST

Our problem (none / 0)

...is that we don't have transparent local government.

Does that sound counter-intuitive?  For instance, doesn't every city council have it's own public access channel by now?

Such things don't matter.  It really doesn't matter if John Citizen-Muckraker gets 10 minutes at the microphone at every council meeting.  Bob Councilman still will have lunch with Joe Developer, who is giving Bob's sister a fabulous deal on a condo.

We need reporters who do nothing but hang out in restaurants and in the city or county clerk's office, and prosecuters who get big bonuses for putting council members in prison.

I think it will be another century before we can tackle this problem.  By then I'm betting that the concept of private land ownership will be viewed nearly universally as pretty stupid.  Until then, we need to add four Supreme Court justices and find the most insanely liberal judges we can to put up there.  I mean, I want people who are going to be threatened with impeachment every day for the rest of their lives.  I want judges whom even I want to have committed to a mental facility.  I want Kucinich on the Supreme Court!

I'm convinced that -- short of public financing of campaigns -- it's the only way that we can balance the dictatorial criminality of the executive branch with the lowest-common-denominator corruption of Congress.

And then we could watch justice "trickle down" to the municipal level.

(Don't say it, please.  I already know.)

by Juarez Traveller on 02/20/2008 03:18:38 AM EST

On Eminent Domain and Socialism | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
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