Market Turmoil is Left's Path to Socialist Utopia

I predicted so much last night: The netroots left is seizing the moment during the current financial turmoil to lay the groundwork for the complete nationalization of the American state and society, from banking regulation and mortgage buyouts, to nationalization of the energy sector, to welfare, food stamps, and universal health care.

I mean, seriously, the scope of this program is just breathtaking in its extremity, for example:

Declare a national emergency, with judicial review (unlike Paulson's seizure of ultimate power) and use the authority to review all purchases of banks ... to insitute [sic] oil rationing if necessary ... Expand the safety net such as food stamps, employment insurance, welfare and so on. We know this is going to get worse no matter what we do, so why aren't we taking care of ordinary people?

Note that this is a summary translation of Barack Obama's public call to resist the Paulson bipartisan - repeat, BIPARTISAN - plan on banking stabilization pending before the Congress.

Meanwhile, I'm just amazed at all of the attention being paid on the left to an unattributed letter from a purported Member of Congress, posted by Matt Stoller:

Paulsen and congressional Republicans, or the few that will actually vote for this (most will be unwilling to take responsibility for the consequences of their policies), have said that there can't be any "add ons," or addition provisions. F**k that. I don't really want to trigger a world wide depression (that's not hyperbole, that's a distinct possibility), but I'm not voting for a blank check for $700 billion for those mother f**kers.

Nancy said she wanted to include the second "stimulus" package that the Bush Administration and congressional Republicans have blocked. I don't want to trade a $700 billion dollar giveaway to the most unsympathetic human beings on the planet for a few fucking bridges. I want reforms of the industry, and I want it to be as punitive as possible.

I'm calling bull on this letter right now.

Stoller probably got the letter from a Daily Kos diarist. I've met a lot of Members of Congress, and they're very cautious people. I find it incredible that representatives would put themselves that far out on a limb in the event of the letter-writer's identity becoming public. I don't care how "progressive-friendly" this so-called congress-person is, the constituents back home - even in a very liberal district - simply don't endorse this kind of vindictive, foul-mouthed partisanship. In my experience in politics, this is just way beyond the pale.

The events of this past week have sent members of the left on a roller coaster of emotion, from uttter glee at the prospects of a total economic crash to the abject horror to the prospects of a competent administration plan to rescue Wall Street. With Barack Obama completely flummoxed on the sidelines of immobility, and with the McCain camp already developing plans for the rollout of a "first 100-day economic plan," the radical left has called for an insurrection against the Bush administration's consolidation of fascism, and now they're laying the groundwork for a Stalinist utopia if they somehow grab the reins of power.

This really is really mindboggling.

Meanwhile, I'll be on the freeways in the morning with the millions of other non-nihilist commuters who actually have to go to work and make the bucks to pay the taxes that this new era of American socialist utopia's going to require.

I'll have more, as usual, but note that the McCain/Palin ticket is ahead in weekend polling in Florida and Ohio - key battleground states - so keep your eyes peeled for more news on the left for the seizure of power through extra-constitutional means.