US income gap widens as poor take hit in recession

[Jimaz]

So even with those "evil" big corporations, I still have a choice.

[[As deliberately diminished as that choice is.)

Here's a guy who hates big corporations and loves to give his customers as much choice as possible: Soda Pop Stop.

And he's thriving! It's the best of both worlds, choice and profit -- not despite the absence of big corporations but precisely because of their absence.

[elganned]

If we grant that argument, then we must agree that "impure socialism" is the same as pure socialism as the latter can't exist.

Flawed premise. Just because something cannot exist, that doesn't allow us to equate it to that which does exist/has existed because "it's close enough".

I will concede that "impure socialism" = pure socialism when you concede that "impure capitalism" [[our present situation) = pure capitalism [[your Holy Grail).

But you won't, as that would take all the wind from your ideological sails and leave you adrift on the sea of ambiguity.

[East Detroit]

Impossible that it was a quote from her..although the logical and objective truth of it is consistent.

Admit you were wrong.

[elganned]

Good luck with that one. Let me know how it works out for you.

[ccbatson]

Show me the quote from Ayn Rand and I will admit being wrong. All I can say is that I did not cogniscently endeavor to quote her.

[rb336]

Excuse me? that quote is there, word for word.

it doesn't surprise me, since you also claimed the ex fed chair never had a chapter in a certain Rand volume, yet he did, i gave you chapter and verse on it, and provided the link, and you still denied it

[ccbatson]

After a person explains that an object is somewhere, they need to proceed to describe the location. For example: John Smith wrote "blah blah blah" on page 123 of the book he wrote entitled "The Blah Blahs".

I would think that would be a clear process.

[Lorax]

Batts' posts are nothing but "Blah, blah, blah, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Better than a tranquilizer.

[East Detroit]

After a person explains that an object is somewhere, they need to proceed to describe the location. For example: John Smith wrote "blah blah blah" on page 123 of the book he wrote entitled "The Blah Blahs".

I would think that would be a clear process.

I left a link for you, too. Feel free to scroll up, click it, read, and then admit you were wrong. Otherwise you risk looking like a buffoon.

[elganned]

Oh, he's way past that, East Detroit. Way past that.

[ccbatson]

Shouldn't a plagiarized quote have some words in common other than things like "class" out of context? The concepts are the same, the words are original.

[East Detroit]

Shouldn't a plagiarized quote have some words in common other than things like "class" out of context? The concepts are the same, the words are original.

Can't tell precisely from your poorly constructed tense phrases, but are you now admitting that you were incorrect in stating that it was impossibly one of Rand's quotes?

[East Detroit]

Further, so that everyone understands where Rand was coming from:

"A nation’s productive—and moral, and intellectual—top is the middle class. It is a broad reservoir of energy, it is a country’s motor and lifeblood, which feeds the rest. The common denominator of its members, on their various levels of ability, is: independence. The upper classes are merely a nation’s past; the middle class is its future."

“The Dead End,” The Ayn Rand Letter, I, 20, 3

"The middle class is the heart, the lifeblood, the energy source of a free, industrial economy, i.e., of capitalism; it did not and cannot exist under any other system; it is the product of upward mobility, incompatible with frozen social castes. Do not ask, therefore, for whom the bell of inflation is tolling; it tolls for you. It is not at the destruction of a handful of the rich that inflation is aimed [[the rich are mostly in the vanguard of the destroyers), but at the middle class."

“The Inverted Moral Priorities,” The Ayn Rand Letter, III, 21, 2

She points out that capitalism is not for the benefit of the hoarding rich, but rather a purposeful system to drive the existence of the middle class.

Still waiting for ccBatson to admit that he was totally wrong in saying:

Impossible that it was a quote from her..although the logical and objective truth of it is consistent.

[ccbatson]

Where is my comment that I was accused of taking directly from something Rand said or wrote shown to be plagiarized by me? If anything, her postions are somewhat different than what I expressed.

[East Detroit]

Still waiting for ccBatson to admit that he was totally wrong in saying:

Impossible that it was a quote from her..although the logical and objective truth of it is consistent.

[ccbatson]

I said that it was impossible that my comment was a quote from her...I still don't see the quote that you alleged I plagiarized...do you? Does anyone?

[East Detroit]

[rb336]

hope you've got a good mirror on your bike, bats, with all the backpedaling you've been doing

[ccbatson]

??? Back pedaling? What on earth are you talking about? My comment was original...PERIOD. We may share some ideology whereby similar sentiments are expressed from time to time, but never did I copy anything.

[East Detroit]

You would rather play dumb than admit you were wrong?

Amazing.

[ccbatson]

Clearly I was not wrong, and I don't understand what you are referring to when you say I am playing dumb.

[elganned]

Clearly I was not wrong, and I don't understand what you are referring to when you say I am playing dumb.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution rests.

[ccbatson]

It would help if anybody, besides you, understood what you are talking about Elganned.

[elganned]

Don't worry about it, Cc. Those who aren't playing dumb will get it.
Go back to sleep. I promise to wake you when the revolution starts.

[East Detroit]

Clearly I was not wrong, and I don't understand what you are referring to when you say I am playing dumb.

If you don't understand what I am referring to, then how can you say that you are clearly not wrong?

Not very rational.