this post will not be funny

like many people who keep up with the news and have some modicum of self-respect, i am frequently frustrated by misinformed, willfully ignorant, hypocritical, entitled, resentful, stupid or downright cruel political opinions expressed by many of my fellow citizens every day.  fine.  however the latest one that has crystallized, about how this country is going to some sort of socialized hell in a handbasket, is especially irksome, perhaps because it is so regularly, concisely formulated.  make no mistake:  barack obama LOVES capitalism, a lot.  he really really wants people to be able to purchase goods and services that will make them happy.  also make no mistake that the oceans upon oceans of subsidies provided to industries like oil and sugar, not to mention the nationalized industries of, say, the mail and the military, have long ago "socialized" many aspects of life in the U.S. far more deeply than making sure that poor people eat or that bridges don't collapse could ever do.  and i can't resist pointing out that the very notion of banks being "nationalized" has been proposed because the ponzi scheme version of capitalism that is the financial industry (far from a "free market"--structured by policies and procedures and actively constructed rules and definitions, btw) up and failed.  end rant.