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In Defense of Democratic Capitalism by Charles M. Kelly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Welcome to Kelly's site...

In Defense of Democratic Capitalism

...against the closet aristocrats


Note: This website is no longer being updated. Efforts are now devoted to the new website at Defend Democratic Capitalism! Of course, the conflict between investors and workers never ends and the issues are timeless—so feel free to browse here anyway.


From Barron’s magazine (our most prestigious conservative financial publication for serious investors), Feb. 16, 2004, at the height of George Bush's popularity:

“Bush … is engineering a fundamental change in the tax system. By gradually taking capital out of the tax base through reductions in levies on dividends, capital gains and inheritances, Bush is transforming the income tax into a pure tax on wages. If Bush can finish his work, the capital gains, dividend and estate taxes may disappear entirely.”

How's that for a dictionary definition of an aristocracy? Wealth is inherited, the income from wealth is not taxed, and all taxes are placed on those who actually work for a living.

It’s time we got back to the kind of democratic capitalism that actually made America the great country that it is. Right now, we have a government that lacks the values that are necessary for a civilized society: respect for honest work, decent pay for those at the bottom of our economy, adequate health care and a decent education for all, and so on..

That’s what this website is all about.


Current Major Issues

The historical precedent that tells us how to manage capitalism:

ROOSEVELT: Born into wealth, yet became the most progressive president we've had. His detractors called him a socialist, or possibly communist, and a "traitor to his class." TRUMAN: The common man as president who was willing to defy all the political "experts" and pollsters, and to speak the truth as he saw it.


Check out the three winning qualities that distinguished Roosevelt and Truman from too many of today's Democrats:

CLASS WAR IN AMERICA: How Economic and Political Consrvatives Are Exploiting Low- and Middle-Income Americans
They were willing to repeatedly and strongly refute the economic and social absurdities of their opponents. They didn't let themselves get distracted from important issues and they let no outrageous attack go unchallenged. They recognized that educating the public was an important part of their leadership. Check out why Class War in America was written. It can be obtained at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Used copies are widely available on the internet. However, you can download the book free by going to Class War in America: the book, or from Google Books.
THE GREAT
LIMBAUGH CON, 
and Other Right Wing Assaults on Common Sense
They exposed right-wing conservatives to the public for being the demagogues they were. Their political opponents were closet aristocrats who pretended to represent the interests of the general public, when they actually represented the interests of investors and the established wealthy. Check out whyThe Great Limbaugh Con was written. It can be obtained at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Used copies are widely available on the internet. It also can be downloaded free from Google Books.
THE DESTRUCTIVE ACHIEVER; Power and Ethics in the American Corporation
They were proactive leaders who believed in the objective analysis of problems and in establishing priorities. They resisted the pressures of special interest groups and gave the voting public confidence that they knew how to make government work for them. Check out whyThe Destructive Achiever was written. It is out of print, but is widely available on the internet. It also can be downloaded free from Google Books.
 

And check out Chuck Kelly's latest book:

Farewell Fantasyland; Time for Political and Economic Reality

The illustrated Farewell Fantasyland frames new arguments about important controversial economic issues in a manner that will appeal to well informed readers, as well as to those who don’t normally read nonfiction books about political economics.

Historical precedent, statistics, and current events overwhelmingly favor traditional liberal economic policies. Why, then, are liberals having so much trouble getting their message across? It’s all in how they are framing their arguments, and in their reluctance to confront, head-on, significant public biases and misconceptions.

The illustrated Farewell Fantasyland addresses these problems by taking the reader step-by-step through a series of basic realities, from “wealth consists of products and services,” to “globalization is our nation’s disaster.”

Contents and sample chapters can be viewed by going to FarewellFantasyland.com

NOTE: As a special short-term offer to visitors to this page, you can order the book at a reduced price of $10.99, plus an additional 20% discount. Go to Special Book Offer. Enter the password: economicjustice, and for the 20% additional discount off the $10.99 price, enter the code: 3CBCTWJV

The Conservative Financial Press. Find out what conservatives really think, when they don't know you're looking.


Previous weeks' Conservative Press: A running history of the true conservative strategy for America:

MIND BENDERS

A Winning
Strategy for 2010

Voter's Guide for Taking Back Our Government

A Book Every Liberal Should Read: The Rise of the Right, by one of it's founders

How Roosevelt Saved Capitalism and Brought Us Out of the Depression

How to Confront
Lies and Half-truths

How Roosevelt and Truman Beat the Aristocratic Elite

Values: the Key
to Winning Elections

Material for Beating Republicans on the Tax Issue

How to Set a
Trap for Hypocrites

The Republican "Southern Strategy" is the Issue; NOT the Confederate Flag

The Real Reason
Clinton was a Disaster

"Inoculation": Republican's Most Powerful Propaganda Technique

The Sooner Democrats Disassociate Themselves From Clinton’s Trade Policies, the Better

The REAL Problem with Bill Bennett's Selective Virtues

Why I Never Quote The Nation, American Prospect, Washington Monthly, Utne, In These Times, or The Progressive Populist

How Republicans Beat the Democrats on Spinning Iraq

THE BIG QUESTION:

Why Are There So Few Roosevelts and Trumans Today?

      Three reasons why so many Democrats have forgotten how to win elections:

  1. They've been bought-off by the same special interests that already own the Republicans.

  2. They've been conned by Republicans into believing that the only way to win is to steal the Republican's agenda—as Clinton did.

  3. They've actually succumbed to the simplistic economic and social slogans of America's well-financed conservative think tanks and propagandists.

     The first reason is obviously valid, as the records demonstrate. There's not much we can do about that, except make sure that politicians who are not on the take win in the Democratic primaries. And when an incumbent Democrat proves by his voting record that he has been bought-off, make sure he doesn't get the chance again.

     The second two reasons are tougher and the focus of this web site. One of the great mysteries of the universe is why Democrats take the advice given by Republicans. When the Rs say that they would be delighted if Ds took up the "class warfare" issue, shouldn't the Ds be suspicious? Isn't it likely that they are terrified at the thought that it could become a prominent election issue?

     Sure, the U.S. has become a very conservative country, but it's not because of the conservatives' record, or because their philosophies and strategies are right. It's because they have successfully distorted important economic and social concepts, and not enough knowledgeable Democrats have been willing to call them liars.

     Sheer repetition without refutation has led many voters to become convinced that:

  • High incomes and tax cuts for the wealthy are good because they create jobs. Wage increases for workers are always bad because they cause inflation.

  • Corporate profits are good. Legislative protections of working conditions are expensive, benefit primarily workers, and are therefore bad.

  • Economic growth is good, as long as it increases corporate profits. Economic growth is excessive—and bad, if wages start to go up.

  • The Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers are good for American workers. Labor unions are bad for them.

  • Globalization is good for everyone, investors and workers alike.

  • And so on, as is covered throughout this web site.

     Public acceptance of nonsense like this has led to the greatest wealth and income gap since the Great Depression, which is not a good sign for the future. Too many Democrats have decided that the way to win elections is to act like moderate Republicans. As a result, they have abandoned their core—working Americans.

      They were able to win elections, but now they feel they can’t get reelected if they don’t vote with the Republicans in bringing Congress to an effete standstill. However, if present trends continue, and the economy continues to benefit bankers and the established wealthy—at the direct expense of working Americans—it should be much easier to pound some sense into American voters in time for the 2010 elections.

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Free Trade Doesn’t Work

Also check out an excellent new book about America’s disastrous adoption of free trade without a sensible industrial policy. It is Free Trade Doesn’t Work, and is written by Mr. Ian Fletcher, an Adjunct Fellow at the US Business & Industry Council.