The New New Communism

[AzogtheDefiler]

And there is the other weapon of the Left to stop conversation when it makes too much logic and defeats their ideas. Thank you for proving my point.

Here's what interests me so much.

You have posted to me several times now about my opinion that the Right is making it easier for the Left to advance socialism, etc. Correct?

Not one time have you asked me how. You're not curious enough to even ask such an obvious question.

This problem permeates political discussion in this country. Everyone is attacking and spinning, no one is curious to hear something outside of their ideological bubble. No one is listening.

If you want to claim victory for this tedious little conversation of ours, I'm fine with that.
.

I have also heard you mention everything exists on a scale, but you never tell us where you are on the scale. You imply you want more government involvement, and then you say you are not a winger like everyone else. Again, maybe some position would be useful for a discussion.

I'm a Left-leaning Independent.

Otherwise, please see post 37.
.

So was I and then I was told that I was insensitive because I didnt want boys who identified as girls to play against my girls 6th grade AAU hoops team. After that I leaned a different way.

 

[regent]

Were Republicans a little hasty when they Predicted America would go Communistic if we passed the Social Security bill back in the Thirties?

 

[Capri]

Were Republicans a little hasty when they Predicted America would go Communistic if we passed the Social Security bill back in the Thirties?

No.

 

[DustyInfinity]

And there is the other weapon of the Left to stop conversation when it makes too much logic and defeats their ideas. Thank you for proving my point.

Here's what interests me so much.

You have posted to me several times now about my opinion that the Right is making it easier for the Left to advance socialism, etc. Correct?

Not one time have you asked me how. You're not curious enough to even ask such an obvious question.

This problem permeates political discussion in this country. Everyone is attacking and spinning, no one is curious to hear something outside of their ideological bubble. No one is listening.

If you want to claim victory for this tedious little conversation of ours, I'm fine with that.
.

I have also heard you mention everything exists on a scale, but you never tell us where you are on the scale. You imply you want more government involvement, and then you say you are not a winger like everyone else. Again, maybe some position would be useful for a discussion.

I'm a Left-leaning Independent.

That's great. So what layers of government are you advocating for. I personally believe in targeted aid to people who can't help themselves. I'm not sure what the benefit of universal plans are that give benefits to people with private jets. I can see government stepping in on things like prescription drug prices and censorship issues. Things that give me pause are what happened to the African American community after the sixties. Good intentions created many fatherless homes. I'm open to discuss how government could make people's lives better, I'm not saying it can't. I'm just not sure if people like Jerry Nadler or Linsey Graham can or even want to help anybody.

Otherwise, please see post 37.
.

 

[Weatherman2020]

No, it will always continue because evil people will always exist and convince idiots of greener grass.

And that's a perfect example of the problem. Insulting people won't help your case.

Hillary and the Democrats found that out in 2016. The GOP still has not figured it out.
.

You have got to be kidding me. The Progressive Left labels everyone a bigot, racist, homophobe, Islamaphobe who dares to disagree with their philosophies.

Yep, the two ends of the spectrum are very similar in their behaviors. Comically so.

The fact remains, insulting people doesn't help your case.
.

“Your case”?

You don’t know what my case is. You just agreed with me and the Progressive Left runs the Democrat Party. The Alt Right does not run the Republican Party. Therein lies the difference.

If you think you're doing a good job of promoting capitalism, great.
.

Capitalism does not need promotion, dinglehopper. If people want to buy swampland socialism that’s their problem.

 

[Mac1958]

And that's a perfect example of the problem. Insulting people won't help your case.

Hillary and the Democrats found that out in 2016. The GOP still has not figured it out.
.

You have got to be kidding me. The Progressive Left labels everyone a bigot, racist, homophobe, Islamaphobe who dares to disagree with their philosophies.

Yep, the two ends of the spectrum are very similar in their behaviors. Comically so.

The fact remains, insulting people doesn't help your case.
.

“Your case”?

You don’t know what my case is. You just agreed with me and the Progressive Left runs the Democrat Party. The Alt Right does not run the Republican Party. Therein lies the difference.

If you think you're doing a good job of promoting capitalism, great.
.

Capitalism does not need promotion, dinglehopper. If people want to buy swampland socialism that’s their problem.

Okay, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.
.

 

[Weatherman2020]

You have got to be kidding me. The Progressive Left labels everyone a bigot, racist, homophobe, Islamaphobe who dares to disagree with their philosophies.

Yep, the two ends of the spectrum are very similar in their behaviors. Comically so.

The fact remains, insulting people doesn't help your case.
.

“Your case”?

You don’t know what my case is. You just agreed with me and the Progressive Left runs the Democrat Party. The Alt Right does not run the Republican Party. Therein lies the difference.

If you think you're doing a good job of promoting capitalism, great.
.

Capitalism does not need promotion, dinglehopper. If people want to buy swampland socialism that’s their problem.

Okay, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.
.

You’ll get your socialism.

 

[regent]

Were Republicans a little hasty when they Predicted America would go Communistic if we passed the Social Security bill back in the Thirties?

No.

So can America expect another Republican due-date on when socialism will arrive


























































































.

Yep, the two ends of the spectrum are very similar in their behaviors. Comically so.

The fact remains, insulting people doesn't help your case.
.

“Your case”?

You don’t know what my case is. You just agreed with me and the Progressive Left runs the Democrat Party. The Alt Right does not run the Republican Party. Therein lies the difference.

If you think you're doing a good job of promoting capitalism, great.
.

Capitalism does not need promotion, dinglehopper. If people want to buy swampland socialism that’s their problem.

Okay, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.
.

You’ll get your socialism.

What about the communism, is that still slated for America because of the Social Security thing?

 

[emilynghiem]

Now that Bernie Sanders and AOC have opened the door to the possibility of Socialism, now come the nutters proposing Communism.

Only they’ll do it right this time.

Quite who Bastani thinks he’s fooling is unclear to me. Historically, Communism has been unable to produce satisfactory supplies of bread, let alone wish the world of Star Trek into reality. If the products and approaches he covets are to come to fruition, it will be by the hand of the market, not as a result of his five — nay, five hundred — year-plan. Worse still, he seems to regard the fact that people have noticed this by now as some sort of chronic failure on their part.

Aaron Bastani's New York Times Article on Communism | National Review

Weatherman2020
We should simply recognize these as Political Religions.
Respect individuals and groups having free choice to exercise their beliefs.
And treat them as any other Religious beliefs, organizations and creeds.
And keep them out of Govt where they remain the free choice of followers.

 

[2aguy]

Why is it that stupid college professors are still supporting an unworkable economic system? If socialism (aka communism) worked they would have a few models to point to, like Norway, or Sweden. Those countries are having problems, not as bad as Venezuela, but bad.
Socialism rising: Universities and ‘radical’ profs helping steer leftward shift in politics, critics say

And those countries keep telling us they aren't socialist.....they have lower tax rates and less government control over the economy that we do....they just allow the government to tax them and spend the money on damaging social welfare programs......which will end up crushing those countries in the long run.

Sorry Bernie Bros But Nordic Countries Are Not Socialist

Socialism can take the form of government controlling or interfering with free markets, nationalizing industries, and subsidizing favored ones (green energy, anyone?).

The Nordic countries don’t actually do much of those things.


Yes, they offer government-paid healthcare, in some cases tuition-free university educations, and rather generous social safety nets, all financed with high taxes. However, it is possible to do these things without interfering in the private sector more than required. It is allowing businesses to be productive that produces the high corporate and personal incomes that support the tax collections making the government benefits feasible. The Nordic countries are smart enough not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

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The myth of Nordic socialism is partially created by a confusion between socialism, meaning government exerting control or ownership of businesses, and the welfare state in the form of government-provided social safety net programs.
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To the extent that the left wants to point to an example of successful socialism, not just generous welfare states, the Nordic countries are actually a poor case to cite. Regardless of the perception, in reality the Nordic countries practice mostly free market economics paired with high taxes exchanged for generous government entitlement programs.
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First, it is worth noting that the Nordic counties were economic successes before they built their welfare states. Those productive economies, generating good incomes for their workers, allowed the governments to raise the tax revenue needed to pay for the social benefits. It was not the government benefits that created wealth, but wealth that allowed the luxury of such generous government programs.

Second, as evidence of the lack of government interference in business affairs, there is the fact that none of these countries have minimum wage laws. Unions are reasonably powerful in many industries and negotiate contracts, but the government does nothing to ensure any particular outcome from those negotiations. Workers are paid what they are worth, not based on government’s perception of what is fair.


A third example of Nordic commitment to free markets can be found in Sweden which has complete school choice. The government provides families with vouchers for each child. These vouchers can be used to attend regular public schools, government-run charter schools, or private, for-profit schools. Clearly, the use of government funds to pay for private, for-profit schools is the opposite of socialism.
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What we find, however, is the Nordic countries rank quite high on this index of economic freedom. In fact, while Hong Kong and Singapore top the list and the U.S. ranks 12th, we can find the Nordic countries in quite respectable rankings. Denmark ranks 15, Finland 17, Norway 25, and Sweden 27. In terms of numerical scores, Sweden is only 5% lower than the U.S. For further comparison, South Korea and Japan, both considered fairly pro-free market, rank 32 and 39, respectively.

 

[BluesLegend]

Capitalism didn't build the railroads without govt. money to do it with in the US....

^^^ Possibly the dumbest thing said on USMB in a decade. And where did government get the money from you stupid idiot? Ignoring that many railroads, roads, and bridges were constructed with private money LONG before government decided to get into that business.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Yes, they offer government-paid healthcare, in some cases tuition-free university educations, and rather generous social safety nets, all financed with high taxes. However, it is possible to do these things without interfering in the private sector more than required. It is allowing businesses to be productive that produces the high corporate and personal incomes that support the tax collections making the government benefits feasible. The Nordic countries are smart enough not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

This.

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[Capri]

So can America expect another Republican due-date on when socialism will arrive

Sure. It's a moving target. The due-date for it's arrival is whatever rhetoric is politically expedient.

What about the communism, is that still slated for America because of the Social Security thing?

It's still slated for America, but not because of the Social Security thing. That was just one step in a long-term plan.

 

[regent]

Did the government help build the American railroads by giving the railroads 180 million acres of US land?