Chicken Little and the Socialists
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An old fable, updated: One day, Chicken Little was out for his walk when an acorn fell from a tree and hit him on the head. Chicken Little was a very silly chicken, so he immediately thought the worst.
"The sky is falling!" he screamed. "I have to go tell someone!"
So Chicken Little ran and ran until he came upon Foxy Loxy.
"Where are you going so fast, Chicken Little?" said Foxy Loxy.
"The sky is falling!" Chicken Little said. "I have to go tell someone!"
"Why don't you go on my television network?" said Foxy Loxy. "You can tell everyone that the sky is falling. And get your friend Henny Penny to go on the radio, and your friend Goosey Lucy to start a blog. Tell the people that the sky is falling, and that it's all the president's fault. He and all his socialist buddies."
"What's a socialist?" Chicken Little asked.
"Who cares?" Foxy Loxy said. "It sounds bad, and people are afraid of it."
"Well..."
"How about if I pay you a lot of money?" Foxy Loxy said.
"Why didn't you say so before?" said Chicken Little.
So Chicken Little called Henny Penny and Goosey Lucy, and they all started going around on TV and radio and the Internet, insisting that, not only was the sky falling, but that it was all the fault of the President and the socialists.
Chicken Little often broke down in tears on camera because, he said, he was so afraid for the country. People were badly frightened, but they kept tuning in. They often sent the things they heard to everyone they knew via e-mail, so the fear continued to spread.
One day, Chicken Little went to visit Foxy Loxy.
"Some people are beginning to say that the sky isn't falling after all," he complained.
"Looks like someone's drunk the Kool-Aid." Foxy Loxy laughed.
"What?" Chicken Little said.
"It's just a meaningless expression," Foxy Loxy explained. "You say it when anyone says the sky's not really falling."
"Some people are saying I was just hit on the head by an acorn."
"That's part of the liberal media conspiracy," Foxy Loxy said. "You can't believe anything they say."
"But if the sky is falling," Chicken Little asked. "Why aren't we all dead?"
"Chicken Little," Foxy Loxy said, "Do you like getting your paycheck?"
"Sure," Chicken Little answered.
"Do you really think there's any money in telling people the sky is NOT falling?"
"I guess you're right," Chicken Little said. "But aren't there other things we can scare people with?"
Foxy Loxy looked suspicious. "Like what?"
"Like I heard that there are people who are making big messes and poisoning the water and the air. And some other big companies are cheating people of their money."
"Chicken Little," Foxy Loxy said patiently, "Those people are big advertisers on my TV network. If you make people afraid of them, they might demand that the government do something about it. If the government does that, they'll make less money. If they make less money...."
"We'll make less money?" Chicken Little said.
"Exactly. And only a socialist would want something like that to happen. You're not a socialist, are you?"
"Heck, no!" Chicken Little said. "I don't even know what that is!"
"Very good," Foxy Loxy said. "So what do we tell the people?"
"The sky is falling. And it's the president's fault. Him and the socialists."
"That's my boy," said Foxy Loxy. "Now get out there and spread that fear."
So they all got back to work telling everyone that the socialists and the president were all part of a big conspiracy that was making the sky fall. Anyone who tried to say different was told they were Kool-Aid drinking socialists. And they all got rich and lived happily ever after.
Well, Chicken Little and his friends did, at least. Everyone who listened to them spent all their time being scared and angry and mistrustful, afraid that the sky was falling.
But, of course, it never did.
Dusty Rhoades lives, writes and practices law in Carthage. Contact him at dustyr@nc.rr.com.
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Comments
MikeNC 2 years, 9 months ago
Dear Dusty, During the Presidential Campaign, anyone who used the word Socialist to describe then Senator Obama, was labeled a Racist. Fast forward, now the word Socialism is being advocated by you, as a "GOOD" word.
In the Columbia University Encyclopedia entry: Socialism, general term for the political and economic theory that advocates a system of collective or government ownership and management of the means of production and distribution of goods. BECAUSE of the COLLECTIVE nature of SOCIALISM, it is to be contrasted to the doctrine of the SANCTITY of private property that characterizes CAPITALISM ! Where CAPTIALISM stresses competition and profit, SOCIALISM calls for cooperation and social service. The word SOICALISM, ISN'T WHAT I OBJECT TO. IT'S THE 'TRUE' DEFINITION OF IT, THAT I FIND DISCORD WITH. Diane McLellan
dustyrhoades 2 years, 9 months ago
"Fast forward, now the word Socialism is being advocated by you, as a "GOOD" word."
No, it isn't.
Behan 2 years, 9 months ago
Dusty: Have you suffered some type of head injury within the last couple of weeks?
JK 2 years, 9 months ago
Mr. Rhoades, I know from reading some previous postings that you’re not necessarily concerned with what Pilot readers think of your column as long as they keep reading it. But today’s chicken crap about Chicken Little was certainly some of your worst drivel. It doesn’t bother me that you lean to the left, it bothers me that you do not actually write anything thought provoking.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 9 months ago
I'm glad to see that I've annoyed all the usual suspects. Thanks for reading!
lensman 2 years, 9 months ago
Long time no see, Dusty!
I have a question for the person who seemed to feel President Obama is a socialist: do you think there's such a thing as too much money?
eastern65 2 years, 9 months ago
I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks,
or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker Nan,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN'.
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free,
I do not like your smug replies,
when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it. nope, nope, nope
sgmartin 2 years, 9 months ago
OK. Let's all open our political science books and consider what it means to be a socialist or socialism.... I do believe President Obama would make a lousy socialist. If he were a socialist he would have pushed for universal health care or at minimum a public option. That didn't happen. Nope he is a moderate and a realist at that. Small change. Last time I looked we were a capitalist nation with some social programs for vulnerable groups- like the elderly. Nothings changed.
OldSpook 2 years, 9 months ago
Eastern65,
Thank you for your post, I believe it sums things up nicely./Dave
leftfield 2 years, 9 months ago
Eastern65 can copy and paste. Have any original thoughts?
MikeNC 2 years, 9 months ago
Thanks Eastern65 ! Good Post. Diane McLellan
TheNeedle 2 years, 9 months ago
"Thanks Eastern65 ! Good Post. Diane McLellan"
Except that it's plagiarized.
OldSpook 2 years, 9 months ago
Prometheus, I believe you have once again stolen fire, although from a much lower source, still nicely done.
teufelhunden 2 years, 9 months ago
Petty crap jimt...and weak.
teufelhunden 2 years, 9 months ago
Very cutesy piece, DR.
JT 2 years, 9 months ago
Sounds to me like everyone has once again completely missed the whole point of a "fable" to jump on partisan bandwagons.
eastern65 2 years, 9 months ago
Sorry, I should have said, not written by me, just passing it on because I thought it fit the subject.
MikeNC 2 years, 9 months ago
To Ms. Martin, Lenin, Mao and Minh, knew paitence was the key to success. Bill Ayers is proof of the pudding, if you move too fast and with too much violence. Diane McLellan
buddysmith 2 years, 9 months ago
does dusty get paid for this stuff? I stopped reading 5 sentences into his obamabot rhetoric!!!!!!!!
nothingspecial 2 years, 9 months ago
More "comedy" disguising an intent to polarize opinion by labeling Republicans as crazy and demonizing Republicans.
To be fair, how many times has Dusty Little's Party cried that the sky was falling or were Republicans the only ones guilty of this?
Here are just a handful of examples of false and overblown recent drama by the Democrats:
The (Iraq) War is lost, it’s ridiculous to authorize a surge;
GLOBAL WARMING;
BP has perpetrated the biggest disaster in U.S history;
We must halt all offshore drilling in the Gulf;
Lack of affordable healthcare is an epidemic and the most important problem Americans face;
If we don’t save the failing car companies it will be the ruin of our country;
8 years of Bush has wrecked our country to the point where Obama can’t fix it in two years;
Teaparty activists are racist;
People who oppose Gay rights are homophobic;
We need hate crimes legislation because our current laws aren’t harsh enough;
Wall Street is evil
sgmartin 2 years, 9 months ago
@ Prometheus: Do you really believe what you wrote? Where are these demands? I am also not convinced I am on the "left" and tend to think that like (hopefully) most of us, my reasoning is much more complex than right or left. Why is Obama being demonized? I really don't get it. It must be the water in Moore County. I am in Chapel Hill now and the discussion here seems to be much more rationale...
OldSpook 2 years, 9 months ago
"Why is Obama being demonized?"
Obama is most likely demonized because Obama is still pointing fingers at Bush as if this makes him the Teflon president. Sorry, but that title went to Clinton. Or the way that Obama, Reid and Pelosi are ramming the Demon-crats agenda down the taxpayer’s throat despite overwhelming protests. Or that he presents himself as aloof. Or that he ignores the majority of Americans and pursues the interest of a Demon-cratic party. (Not that the Repugnant-cans are any better)
dustyrhoades 2 years, 9 months ago
"Maybe next time the left will elect someone qualified for the job"
So it's "the left" that elected Obama and no the American people?
Classic example of a modern conservative: someone who claims to love America while hating more than half the people in it.
"Demon-crats"
Aren't you one of the ones who always gets his knickers in a wad over the word "Wingnut"?
OldSpook 2 years, 9 months ago
Oh come now Dusty, even you have to admit that twisting the words to become "Demon-crats" and "Repugnant-cans" is humorous and certainly more entertaining than “Wingnuts”.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 9 months ago
Yeah, Obama's a real leftist:
The press secretary dismissed the “professional left” in terms very similar to those used by their opponents on the ideological right, saying, “They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we’ve eliminated the Pentagon. That’s not reality.”
Of those who complain that Obama caved to centrists on issues such as healthcare reform, Gibbs said: “They wouldn’t be satisfied if Dennis Kucinich was president.”
dustyrhoades 2 years, 9 months ago
And a real leftist goes wild over the comments:
http://twitter.com/ggreenwald
Not that I expect this to make any difference to the commenters here. Nothing gets through their anti-logic filters.
dustyrhoades 2 years, 9 months ago
Shorter Prometheus: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"
OldSpook 2 years, 9 months ago
Point, Prometheus.
TheNeedle 2 years, 9 months ago
No one engages you, Prometheus, because (1) you're such a terrible writer that shoveling through paragraph after paragraph of your long winded screeds to sort out some kernels of meaning among the steaming piles of pseudo-intellectual verbiage is actually physically painful, and (2) You're such a condescending and unpleasant git that it's just not worth the effort.
teufelhunden 2 years, 9 months ago
Glenn Beck is great!!!
OldSpook 2 years, 9 months ago
Point, Prometheus. Point, Behan!
Well said gentlemen.
teufelhunden 2 years, 9 months ago
Prometheus-I too offer my sincere appreciation for your thoughtful and intelligent insight. Behan and OldSpook are very wise indeed.
moonchild7 2 years, 9 months ago
I am just so amazed at the ignorance exposed. Prometheus, are you that "out-of-it" that you so believe in the Law of Nature and Nature's Creator that they will make for a safe, free, secure, responsible, caring, and happy America? Since when did MOTHER NATURE really care about the rights of indivduals? MOTHER NATURE'S unruly and unpredictable wind's, fire's, sea's, animal's, plants, and human being's make your argument totally moot. First and foremost this "Nation" was originally founded on the principle's of GENOCIDE or more gently put, the eradication of heathens. In those episodes alone you'll find out how the more "powerful and smart" practically annihilate all of the "less smart" original "Americans." Did you read any of this in High School history class? Secondly, America had another "great" time period when slaves from Africa were brought here to work the fields of the plantations in the South. Did you read anything about this?!! We had a CIVIL WAR over this!...because certain states didn't like the AMERICAN GOVERNMENT in Washington DC telling them they had to set them free! So, Prometheus, you believe in INDIVIDUALISM. So do I. Where we seem to go different ways though is when individuals sometimes are scared, crazy, hurt, dying, confused, brainwashed, hungry, homeless, a MESS!!!!! Then what? Are you going to take care of them or do they just need to fend for themselves? We liberals want there to be some help for these "INDIVIDUALS" so they are not aimlessly roaming the streets like "feral varmints". It's called being humane, helpful, caring, and hopefull. Ever hear about those concepts? Big business and the Capitalists pigs are not doing the job. Who would you have do the job? None of the so called religious church's are doing the job. If they were more helpful then the role of government could be greatly reduced. Before Social Security and Medicare(in the 1920's)my grandmother took in EIGHT family members due to sickness and/or poverty so they wouldn't end up in the POOR HOUSE. She and my grandfather had a very small two bedroom house. They raised chickens in the postage stamp size yard, grew vegetables and had three apple trees. My mother and her two sisters had to sleep in beds in the basement most of their childhood. Probably why my Mom got pregnant at 16 and married my father, so she could get out of that house! Your belief's are antiquated and your argument's are non-sensical.
jamjam 2 years, 9 months ago
wth is the thread about? Guess what, populations will grow, government will grow. Our republic is as good as it gets. If anything is unconstitutional then our checks and balances will correct the problems. you guys bash each other and scream "hear me, hear me." here's one for ya, make an attempt to project this strife 100 years into the future. At the rate we are going we will not make it that far.
moonchild7 2 years, 9 months ago
You are absolutely incorrect Prometheus. I guess you NEVER did study American History in High School. I studied our history in both High School and College. Didn't major in it but read enough to know a little more than you say I do. The lives of Native Americans were NEVER the same after 1492. Persecution and Genocide began soon after when Columbus started "hacking up" the Taino in Hispanola. The European Colonists and Native Americans at first worked very well together, until about 1675 when the rivalries amongst tribes and the colonists began. The "Eastern Indian wars" are different from the "Plains/Southwestern" Indian wars. The "Removal Act of 1830" led to the "Trail of Tears" in 1838. GENOCIDE PRE CIVIL WAR. The bottom line is this, that the mass killing of Native Americans occured in this country and helped to reduce their population from about 12 million(pre 1492)to about 237,000 in 1890. Oh, gee, I don't think we were actually an American Government until 1776 and we had a rather rocky start to say the least trying to figure out what the world's first DEMOCRACY should be about. Not sure we have a clue here yet with all these extremely backward thinking people and their beliefs that are swirling around. All of you "NUTZ" do know that Glenn Beck, Palin, Hannity and their other cronies are nothing more than walking talking bozo, schlock jock entertainers trying to(and doing a fantastic job) hoodwink the hysterical Chicken Little's in this country into believing them! And believe them you have! They laugh all the way to the bank. Right on! The U.S. was closer to bankruptcy in the 1930's than it is now. Why do you keep up these dumb negative, downtrodden diatribes? The Democats of the Civil War Era are the right wing nut Republicans of today. The parties played musical chairs with each other in the 1960's. The Democrats played to the music of Bob Dylan while the Republicans were still listening to Pat Boone. Brain-rot. Altruistic Morality in and of itself provides everything our good citizenry needs to persevere up and above the dark, selfish, dog-eat-dog, live and let live beliefs that you Mr. Prometheus wrap youself in.
nothingspecial 2 years, 9 months ago
Prometheus, you really need to cool it with the long narrative, multi-syllable words and history lessons. Our D-Party friends are tormented and confused by that. Have a heart!
You need to try to adapt your comments to their wavelength a little more. For instance they are used to getting most of their news from TV (while channel flipping during Judge Judy commercial breaks). Our Democratic friends are also not interested in history at all - can't you tell by their agenda the past two years? I suggest you try to pattern your comments a little more like US or People magazine articles with less verbiage, a little more gossip and some catchy headlines (i.e., Top Ten Reasons Obama is better thsn Bush).
OldSpook 2 years, 9 months ago
Well said Prometheus! Only exception would be under the slight incoherent ranting "The Democats of the Civil War Era are the right wing nut Republicans of today." of moonchild7.
If you recall (or have read in congressional record (don't try the revisionist history books)) the industrialized north suffered a severe depression in the late 1850's and the influx of Irish and German immigrants. Long story short, in an effort to raise more money, our benevolent government took advantage of the agrarian south with heavy taxes on the export of their cotton and tobacco.
I find this similar to today’s efforts by our Demon-crats to take from those “they” believe have too much and redistribute as “they, the Demon-crats, believe. Now if that is not an Orwellian society I don’t know what is. So moonbeam7 could be correct in that his hated Repugnant-cans and conservatives also believe in a society whereby a federal government should not interfere with an individuals or states right to life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness. Wait a minute; moonchild7 could also be comparing us to the founding fathers fight against a tyrannical king whose lust for tax monies lead to the first American Revolution. I think I rather like that.
leftfield 2 years, 9 months ago
Because scrolling through Prometheus' ramblings, T2D dozes off and the nurse has to wake him up.
moonchild7 2 years, 9 months ago
Guys, I think I've got it! Your night vision goggles are on too tight and you've been wearing them for too long. The Apocalypse is a pipe dream. You need to get those cans of food and bottles of water out of your bomb shelters and start to live. Maybe a psychologist could help or just take a nice aromatherapy bath. Revolutionaries? No, I don't think so but REACTIONARIES?! Absolutely. Everyone is up in arms(AK-47's?)about the money that the government is spending on "Helping"...taking from the rich to give to the poor. That's the way a Capitalistic Democracy is going to have to operate as long as the REAL Helping organizations are schirking their duties. Get used to it. Would be nice for more so-called church's and religious group's to put all the money they collect on Saturday's and Sunday's to a much better use like HELPING those in need. America can not go back to how things were in the 1920's and 30's with it's bread lines and poorhouses. Guys! Who's gonna help them? Or do you think we just need to line them up and shoot them? Oh and just FYI...while I made a "D" in college Economics, I made straight "A's" in High School and college algebra, geometry and advanced math. Micro, macro, input, output. Couldn't grasp those concepts but I can balance my checkbook just fine. No need for Milton Freidman. Take a pill guys. .
irkim13 2 years, 9 months ago
Moonchild First they could do all they can to help themselves. If churches and the so-called religious organizations put ALL their money to missions they would go out of business. I feel very sure if you called any church or religious organization they would gladly tell you what they are doing for the poor and those in need.
Now I do believe more can be done as maybe churches have let the government do more and more and I know some churches abuse the monies they receive but not the majority.
moonchild7 2 years, 9 months ago
Why would a "church" as you say "go out of business" if they did nothing but help those who needed help the most? What exactly is a church in business for? To spread the message? What message? Why are church's and religious organizations tax-exempt? Shouldn't the amount of monies that these "business's" take in be required to outsource a certain percentage of it in order to maintain that tax-exempt status? I always thought the "message" that they spread had to be directly correlated to the help they provided to the needy. Believe it or not, some people just don't know how to help themselves. They need to be taught but with the completely selfish populace that we have here today it's a long long time away. If you have ever worked with those less fortunate(as I have)you would find that sometimes it's only that little bit of help and concern that they need to make themselves feel better about themselves and become more self sufficent.
blake 2 years, 9 months ago
Moonchild, a chuch would go out of business because they have mortgage payments, utility bills, salaries, and staff healthcare to eat up a lot of the money they collect.
Also, if you want to identify them as "less fortunate," I guess it isn't money they need. Maybe we should all just be praying for their good luck.
irkim13 2 years, 9 months ago
Thanks Blake, for the response Moonchild I currently work with those "less fortunate" and agree some do not know how to help themselves but most I have come into contact with know what they should do but choose not to do it.
moonchild7 2 years, 9 months ago
Praying is good. Being hands on is better. Sounds like some church's need to reexamine their "operating expense's". Don't they usually have a lot of volunteers? I think the goverment's operating expense's are enormous too but still manage to do remarkable work. The Chicken Little's of the world are crying and crying running around in circles not solving any problems or even giving legitimate solutions to those problems. Their only "solution" is to throw President Obama out and give us the same incompetance that Bush championed.The American public are still boo-hooing about the state of things, almost two years after those jerks on Wall Street took us to the brink. Get going! Get working, even if it's being a volunteer. My son works a full time job. He had two pt time jobs and finally quit one of those. Then he calls me and tells me he's applied for a NEW pt time job! I asked him where are all of these people who are unemployed? He says that there are a lot of people who just aren't willing to do ANYTHING other than what they know, are trained in or educated in. They have no ambition or are scared to take a chance. He told me he could work 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week working. I said, "NO!"(joking), enjoy your time off. President Roosevelt in 1941 explained the four freedoms that the world needed to recognize: Freedom of speech and expression Freedom of conscience Freedom from fear Freedom from want After more than 60 years when are people ever going to make these happen?
nothingspecial 2 years, 9 months ago
I've heard it all now from Moonchild. The Democrats want us to be more sympathetic and generous than the Christians and other religious and charitable organizations have been. I guess that's a purpose of government now. We're so mean and heartless we need someone to take it from us by force.