2016 Postmortem

OldDem2012

(3,526 posts) Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:09 PM Nov 2012

The Thomas Peterffy commercial: “I grew up in a socialist country”.....

....has been airing almost non-stop where I live in Alabama. It is a clear endorsement of Romney, basically claiming a win by the President will cause the US to slide toward "socialism". He claims he paid for the ad himself.

Here's the link to a Politico article discussing the ad and Petterffy's potential links to Karl Rove and the Koch brothers:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83243.html

I have a few comments of my own, and it has to do with his comments about growing up in a "socialist country".

Petterffy was born in 1944 in Hungary during the last full year of WWII. Hungary was an ally of Nazi Germany and had participated in the invasion of the old Soviet Union in 1941. Needless to say, the Soviet Union was VERY unhappy with the Nazis and their allies and installed Soviet-style communist governments in each of those countries (except Italy) in 1945 at the end of WWII. What Petterffy experienced wasn't just "socialism", but a very repressive communist police-state. In 1956, Hungary attempted to revolt but the action was brutally suppressed, making things even tougher for the Hungarians. He fled to the US in 1965 and apparently did quite well for himself.

Based on the facts above, this ad is total bullshit.

18 replies

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Highlight:

The Thomas Peterffy commercial: “I grew up in a socialist country”..... (Original Post) OldDem2012 Nov 2012 OP

I see this ad every morning when I am watching Soledad kalli007 Nov 2012 #1

They were facist jenw2 Nov 2012 #2

Fascists first, then under communist control. HooptieWagon Nov 2012 #5

Soviet "communism" was fascism with a different label Scootaloo Nov 2012 #13

Exactly, Sir: He Grew Up Under a Totalitarian Occupation Exercised Over A Conquered Foe The Magistrate Nov 2012 #3

it plays so much during the Young Turks you wouldn't believe it Enrique Nov 2012 #4

lol I hate it when that ad comes on flamingdem Nov 2012 #8

"Did quite well for himself" is an understatement bayareamike Nov 2012 #6

Sounds more like what Romney and the republicans want to do to the country. nakocal Nov 2012 #7

They keep trying to revive the Socialism trope theinquisitivechad Nov 2012 #9

I thought it was just a local ad here in Washington. And I loathe that man. pnwmom Nov 2012 #10

He contradicts him self as well. liberal N proud Nov 2012 #11

The only hope the GOP has is lying and cheating its' way to obsolesce. That is why the Koch Vincardog Nov 2012 #12

That ad has been running all over Ohio Faith9326 Nov 2012 #14

The Guy JiminyJominy Nov 2012 #15

My bet is he used OPM to pay for that ad.... OldDem2012 Nov 2012 #16

I think that socialism is super Rosa Luxemburg Nov 2012 #17

Me too. n/t Chan790 Nov 2012 #18

kalli007

(683 posts)

1. I see this ad every morning when I am watching Soledad

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:11 PM

Nov 2012

It annoys the shit out of me.

jenw2

(374 posts)

2. They were facist

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:11 PM

Nov 2012

Why do CONservatives always seem to confuse the two?

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)

5. Fascists first, then under communist control.

Reply to jenw2 (Reply #2)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:16 PM

Nov 2012

Quite opposite ends of the political spectrum, although both under authoritative oppressive govts. Since he hated the communists, he probably was a fascist.

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)

13. Soviet "communism" was fascism with a different label

Reply to HooptieWagon (Reply #5)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:48 PM

Nov 2012

It's why I always roll my eyes when people trot it out as an example of the "evils of leftism." Yes, the militaristic, expansionist police state where business and government were the same thing that did its best to exploit regional and ethnic differences in order to maintain central control, that sounds so much like leftism...

The Magistrate

(95,247 posts)

3. Exactly, Sir: He Grew Up Under a Totalitarian Occupation Exercised Over A Conquered Foe

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:12 PM

Nov 2012

He has no more seen socialism than he has seen anarchy....

Enrique

(27,461 posts)

4. it plays so much during the Young Turks you wouldn't believe it

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:13 PM

Nov 2012

it's 15 seconds long, and it plays repeatedly during their breaks, sometimes ten times duriing a single break, I'm not exaggerating.

I think I know it by heart: "I grew up in a socialist country, I know vut it does to people. There is no hope, no freedom, no pride in achievement. When I was a boy I fantasized about going to America, the American dream."

flamingdem

(39,313 posts)

8. lol I hate it when that ad comes on

Reply to Enrique (Reply #4)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:19 PM

Nov 2012

and hope that he blew all his cash on it!

bayareamike

(602 posts)

6. "Did quite well for himself" is an understatement

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:17 PM

Nov 2012

He's a billionaire Wall Street guy. Being born in a country that became apart of the USSR makes him no more qualified to endorse a candidate. Just like most billionaires (yes, I'm generalizing), the guy is not out to help the 99%.

nakocal

(552 posts)

7. Sounds more like what Romney and the republicans want to do to the country.

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:17 PM

Nov 2012

theinquisitivechad

(322 posts)

9. They keep trying to revive the Socialism trope

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:19 PM

Nov 2012

In my mind it's not at all applicable to our society even when we take our society to the most liberal extreme possible within our system.

pnwmom

(108,980 posts)

10. I thought it was just a local ad here in Washington. And I loathe that man.

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:20 PM

Nov 2012

Lecturing to us about socialism -- as if the socialists in Sweden are like the communists in China or Russia. As if any of OUR Democratic candidates are socialist at all.

There's no way that he could have afforded all those commercials all over the country -- and yet no one's ever heard of him before. He's a front.

And thanks for the background info. I was talking to a young Russian friend of mine about him, and she said he had a really bad (fake) accent. I guess it would sound that way if you thought, as we did, that he was supposed to be Russian.

liberal N proud

(60,336 posts)

11. He contradicts him self as well.

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:20 PM

Nov 2012

Vincardog

(20,234 posts)

12. The only hope the GOP has is lying and cheating its' way to obsolesce. That is why the Koch

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:25 PM

Nov 2012

Brothers started the DLC.

Faith9326

(304 posts)

14. That ad has been running all over Ohio

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:49 PM

Nov 2012

So freaking annoying.

JiminyJominy

(340 posts)

15. The Guy

Reply to OldDem2012 (Original post)

Mon Nov 5, 2012, 08:51 PM

Nov 2012

is an idiot.

nobody is asking for Socialism here. especially the President.

its going to feel good knowing post election this ass wasted all his money on his stupid ass commercials.