Very sensible comments from Russel Means. I'm glad to see he's still out there. He interprets the word "socialism" differently than I do, but he's American, so that doesn't surprise me. In any case, the problems he draws attention to are just as he states them. I call it corporate fascism, I think he calls it "corporate socialism" (socialism on the Right)...what it amounts to is by the elite, for the elite. It is rule by corporations which are treated legally as if they were individuals...thus enabling no REAL individuals to be held accountable for the criminal things these corporations do. I don't call it socialism...but it doesn't matter what one calls it...what it is, is a ruthless fascist system run by the very rich for the mutual benefit of each other. It becomes gradually more totalitarian with every passing year. It increases domestic security and reduces civil rights. It impoverishes the ordinary people (the 99% of us) and makes the rich elite richer than ever before. It builds more prisons and incarcerates more citizens. It violate the Constitution. It sends jobs to other countries and promotes and engages in constant war and inflated military expenditures. It creates a situation where young people who are in lower income levels tend to go into the military...because that appears to be their best option! Some option! They get to risk death, severe injury, mental and physical illnesses due to combat stress, etc...and they end up killing a lot of Third World people and ruining other nations while fighting illegal wars that are being fought on the basis of outright lies. They end up serving the very corporate/military beast that put them under its heel. They are duped by appeals to their patriotism...just as Germans and Japanese and Italians were duped in the 40s.

That's fascism. It's been seen before, and it's back again...in America and in the UK and in Canada, but it's worst in America. It is supported by either the Democrats or the Republicans whenever they end up getting elected to office (with the exception of a tiny few mavericks like Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul). To expect either one of those parties to end thia appalling situation is akin to expecting the Tooth Fairy or Batman to step in and solve your problems for you.