Big Mick:
you wrote:
A couple of folks talked about the "way to EFF up socialism" was to put the government in charge, or something to that effect. Another person piped in with how they could "screw up a one car funeral". I am not attacking those folks for saying this, as this is emblematic of the knee jerk response mechanism that I believe gets us in trouble. Folks divided into camps based on cliche driven sound bites, and looking for answers that fit their own prejudices. As a social/political/union/community organizer this makes me crazy. As a lover of people, and vibrant democracy (whether with a Socialist bent, or whatever) let me tell you that people get the government they deserve. If it is screwing things up, it is because we have an intellectually lazy electorate that is not holding their lawmakers feet to the fire. It is what I fear for Obama. It is clear he values debate and vibrancy, and expects the electorate to be involved. I fear that far too many will sit on the sidelines, and congratulate themselves for electing a nice, black man and wait for change to happen. But the most important job in a democracy is NOT leading. It is following, contributing, and challenging. There must be an active, engaged electorate that is operating from a place of involvement.

I think you should take my one sentence posting very tongue in cheek, as in who else BUT the government is playing around with socialism?

I am capable of idealism, I imbibed it with my mother's milk (which I've been informed, came from a bottle). But I cannot abide taking these subjects too seriously.

One of my favorite short stories was an imaginary meeting between a (naturally socialistic) Israeli and the ghost of Karl Marx, who was upset about the Russian abandonment of strict Communism and predicting that the Chinese (under then strident Maoists) would "teach the bastards". My favorite line in the story was:

"'Socialism is a great theory, the only problem is it CAN be realized,' a witty person once said and how right I was."!

A serious Socialist is too reminiscent of the "lean and hungry" look described by Shakespeare. Danger, Will Robinson!