Ted Turner admits he's a socialist

Gwinny, Good job challenging our perceptions of Mr. Orwell. I agree he was probably a socialist, but he was adamantly anti-totalitarian in both his writing and politics at the time. Todays socialists are as different as yesterdays liberal democrats. They have become the totalitarians Orwell warned us against. Turner is an opportunist. He has owned "capital" entities which are heavily regulated by the central government and has become wealthy in the process. Jane is probably just the old eccentrics' "trophy" wife. She probably counted on his early demise so she could run for the governess of Georgia or something equally ridiculous.
 
If the US were truly a Socialist society, Mr. Turner would never have been able to put his empire together.

Given the audience, I'd say he was mouthing a bunch of BS with an eye to future business in China. The word "Hypocrite" comes to mind.
 
I think you're right.
(Ted Turner addressing the Sesquicentennial Celebration in Virden, IL)
TT--"I've always considered myself an arrogant, stupid drunk. I've also always liked the way a dirty mattress decorates a front lawn."
:)

I can make this joke because I'm from there and know where the bodies are buried . . .
 
Art nailed it. A socialist society would never tolerate (or reward) Mr. Turner. Hypocrite or good marketer (position is everything)? Regardles of his politics, he is an elitist, as he clearly believes that whatever rules he wishes to apply to the masses don't apply to him. FM

I always chuckle at the conservatives who want no gov't interference in the market place. Big business has only slightly more(less?) conscience than big government. Same goes for the libs that think that gov't knows best. FM all. Can't trust any of them. M2
 
Gwinny,
Is Turner a socialist? Of course not. Turner leans more towards facisism than socialism. I'm sure you're aware of Orwell's view of facists. Turner appears to be exactly the type of person Orwell wrote against.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The Spanish war and other events in 1936-37 turned the scale and thereafter I knew where I stood. Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism, as I understand it.-George Orwell[/quote]
AND
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."
-- George Orwell[/quote]

How does Turner, with his vast holdings and his control over the present via CNN stack up?

I still say he won't rest easy while an elitist is airing his work.

The characters in Animal farm were pretty universal. They could be applied to either Stalin, FDR or Hitler depending on how you look. Young Eric Blair( George Orwell) saw firsthand the irony of British Imperial rule, dumping on the Indian masses, who in turn dumped on the lower caste. Like G-Freeman says. Orwell was against totalatarinism, right or left. And as Ivan points out, but I disagree with his description of the size of the role Turner plays, Turner is a part of the propaganda machine. ( I think he is a pretty large cog in the wheel)
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CCW for Ohio action site.
http://www.ofcc.net



[This message has been edited by Hal (edited October 03, 1999).]
 
Good point Hal! I'll give you that one. :)

I was NOT casting aspersions about Orwell, I just don't want anybody here to use him in an argument against a socialist (and these days it's hard to argue with anyone else, sheerly playing the odds :) ) I'm a big fan and you have to admit he came a long way from his starting point. I still don't like Democratic Socialism as Orwell understands it but he's light years away from someone like Stalin or even Clinton or Blair.
Thanks for the heads up, Hal.

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Don

"Its not criminals that go into schools and shoot children"
--Ann Pearston, British Gun Control apologist and moron
 
Gwinny,
You're welcome.
The real credit should go to those that took the time to put Orwell's works and quotes on-line. I kinda, sorta, maybe had an idea of what I was trying to get across with the frist post, but after looking around a bit I found the means to express a little clearer my point.


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CCW for Ohio action site.
http://www.ofcc.net
 
George Orwell understood liberty, he once wrote:

"That rifle on the wall of the laborer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there!"
-George Orwell, 1940, in the democratic socialist weekly "Tribune," quoted in "Orwell: The Authorized Biography," by Michael Shelden


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"Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands.") -
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the Younger" (ca. 4 BC-65 AD).
 
Why don't you guys give poor 'ol Teddy a break. He only said he was a socialist while he was in China. Over here, he says he's a capitalist. It really all depends on which side of his mouth, er world, er... he's talking out of as to what and who he is. Don't elevate your blood pressure over poor 'ol Teddy. It ain't worth it. Wouldn't you just love to see him and the other poor 'ol Teddy (K.) together. What a pair. Two liars and a drunk. Or is it two drunks and a liar. Oh, just forget I ever mentioned it.
 
How is it that wealth makes one not a Socialist?

Does this mean that Turner, Kennedy, Rockefeller, Soros, etc, really arent the Leftist power hungry Collectivist swine that I have percieved? ;)

The leadership of every Socialist movement is not poor, they are quite the opposite. Someone has to be able to fund their activities.

Another of the habits of anyone in power, is that they live by one set of rules, while "the people" must live by another.

If they support and fund Leftist, Collectivist, Egalitarian, Socialist, etc, ideas and plans...then they are Socialists.

Otherwise, why would the spend their own millions for an idealogical system that they didnt support? Like the U.N., for example?

As far as tax deductions, etc....you can bet that 'ol Ted wants to channel his funds as he sees fit...not how a half-baked mixed socialist/capitalist system would distribute it.

Just my .02

G2
 
Until people understand that all these modern day elites,whether Turner, Soros, klinton, the BUshes young and old,Blair, schroder,Cirac,Gorbie, Yeltsin,and scores of other politicians, fianciers,and media people, are all working for the same ends. All these terms are meaningless. All are pushing UN domination and one world government and I dont care if you call them socialists, capitalists(Monopoly type), or ex communists. Unless one is a nationalist -populist, i dont trust any of them. Outside of Le Pen in France and maybe pat Buchanan if he doesnt wimp out like he did in 1996, the western world is surounded by evil, Satanic politicos who are leading the world to horrors yet to be seen.
 
Mal H--"Donkey Cave?"--the word you're looking for is "Arschloch"

Ted T a socialist? Surprise, surprise. I guess ol' Hanoi Jane is pushing him steadily to the left.
 
BTW, I caught the "stunningly real" (as one moronic critic who has obviously not read the book said) remake of Animal Farm. Pure crap. They even tacked a happy ending on it. There was absolutely no subtlety in the characters, either. I mean, Napoleon is not Darth Vader, he's supposed to appear to be decent but inspire misgivings. They depicted him as the most horrifying slime-drooling monster there ever was straight from beginning. People who've read the book might not notice this as they already know all about Napoleon but young people seeing it for the first time don't get that effect.
Crappy filmmaking, crappy writing, crappy interpretation of a classic. Decent special effects.
Crap. It's not even Scottish. . .

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Don

"Its not criminals that go into schools and shoot children"
--Ann Pearston, British Gun Control apologist and moron
 
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