This is why we need to tax the wealthy

[Oldestyle]

I'm not a Christian, I'm an atheist-agnostic. Do you believe a Christian man would use such a cringy, cheesy nickname?

The capitalist defender's appeal to "human nature" is definitely "stupid" being that they always conveniently prop up the worst, most animalistic, and base tendencies of our humanity, pretending we can't or shouldn't aspire for anything more.

View attachment 886881​

The fact is that mankind has been evolving for tens of thousands of years and what has proven to contribute the most to our survival and success as a species is our ability to empathize with one another and cooperate, working together towards an objective. The more willing we are to serve the interests of others within our community, the more likely we are to survive and thrive as individuals and collectively. There's nothing noble or sophisticated with your appeal to gross individualism, greed, and self-serving patterns of thought and behavior, especially when it's at the expense of others.

The bottom line is that we need to evolve socially and economically, along with our technology. Capitalists and their brainwashed, zombie-drones insist that capitalism is eternal and nothing else is ever going to replace it. In the advent of advanced automation, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, there's no reason to assume that capitalism with its wage-labor-based production and markets, can and should survive.

We need to start transitioning into a marketless, non-profit, more democratic system of production, which eventually will lead to the consumer having much more control over the means of production (i.e. Machinery, robots/nanobots, "replicator" technology/atomic precision manufacturing machines, etc.), in the future.

The goal of modern socialists is to have every consumer produce their own goods and services, at home or wherever they might be. Today we have machines that draw water from the air and safely generate electricity through atomic fission, which could fit in a person's garage or the basement of an apartment complex, or a community center of a suburban neighborhood.

Delivering the production of these products and services to the individual consumer makes production (national productive infrastructure) modular, much more mobile (Movable = Not indefinitely fixed in one location), and hence practically indestructible in the event of a natural disaster or nuclear war. We need to evolve.

To quote Milton Friedman, Christian? "A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.” Your belief that we can have an "equal" society through communism is naive to a fault!

 

[TruthNotBS]

To quote Milton Friedman, Christian? "A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.” Your belief that we can have an "equal" society through communism is naive to a fault!

What Libertarians define as "freedom" is a country being completely owned and ruled by corporations at the expense of the public good. That only leads to social unrest and economic collapse, requiring government bailouts. All freedom comes with boundaries. Even Milton Friedman recognized that capitalism is unsustainable without government welfare checks of some kind:

Gross inequality leads to social instability in society and eventually a collapse of the system. Markets need stability.​

 

[Markle]

Um yes, they also got a ton of that. You want to look up how much those like Musk has got?

IF tomorrow, Elon Musk and his billions and millions of jobs were to disappear, how much more cash would you have in your pocket?

 

[pknopp]

IF tomorrow, Elon Musk and his billions and millions of jobs were to disappear, how much more cash would you have in your pocket?

Irrelevant. It's not about me. It's about welfare for the rich.

 

[Markle]

Irrelevant. It's not about me. It's about welfare for the rich.

 

[eagle1462010]

I'm not a Christian, I'm an atheist-agnostic. Do you believe a Christian man would use such a cringy, cheesy nickname?

The capitalist defender's appeal to "human nature" is definitely "stupid" being that they always conveniently prop up the worst, most animalistic, and base tendencies of our humanity, pretending we can't or shouldn't aspire for anything more.

View attachment 886881​

The fact is that mankind has been evolving for tens of thousands of years and what has proven to contribute the most to our survival and success as a species is our ability to empathize with one another and cooperate, working together towards an objective. The more willing we are to serve the interests of others within our community, the more likely we are to survive and thrive as individuals and collectively. There's nothing noble or sophisticated with your appeal to gross individualism, greed, and self-serving patterns of thought and behavior, especially when it's at the expense of others.

The bottom line is that we need to evolve socially and economically, along with our technology. Capitalists and their brainwashed, zombie-drones insist that capitalism is eternal and nothing else is ever going to replace it. In the advent of advanced automation, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, there's no reason to assume that capitalism with its wage-labor-based production and markets, can and should survive.

We need to start transitioning into a marketless, non-profit, more democratic system of production, which eventually will lead to the consumer having much more control over the means of production (i.e. Machinery, robots/nanobots, "replicator" technology/atomic precision manufacturing machines, etc.), in the future.

The goal of modern socialists is to have every consumer produce their own goods and services, at home or wherever they might be. Today we have machines that draw water from the air and safely generate electricity through atomic fission, which could fit in a person's garage or the basement of an apartment complex, or a community center of a suburban neighborhood.

Delivering the production of these products and services to the individual consumer makes production (national productive infrastructure) modular, much more mobile (Movable = Not indefinitely fixed in one location), and hence practically indestructible in the event of a natural disaster or nuclear war. We need to evolve.

Shit. How ya doing Stalin?

 

[TruthNotBS]

Welfare For The Rich:

RANK	PARENT	SUBSIDY VALUE.	NUMBER OF AWARDS
1	Boeing	$15,299,301,828	919
2	Intel	$8,355,493,707	126
3	Ford Motor	$7,711,954,966	685
4	General Motors	$7,474,648,736	763
5	Micron Technology	$6,785,681,915	18
6	Alcoa	$5,727,691,764	134
7	Cheniere Energy	$5,617,152,523	42
8	Amazon.com	$5,362,872,810	393
9	Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai Precision Industry Company)	$4,820,110,112	74
10	Volkswagen	$3,876,017,317	201
11	Sempra Energy	$3,828,022,782	51
12	NRG Energy	$3,405,383,876	262
13	Texas Instruments	$3,297,406,673	58
14	Venture Global LNG	$3,285,883,566	6
15	NextEra Energy	$3,008,691,129	117
16	Sasol	$2,836,049,845	72
17	Tesla Inc.	$2,829,855,494	114
18	Stellantis	$2,795,436,436	212
19	Nucor	$2,518,064,340	159
20	Walt Disney	$2,421,480,784	249
21	Iberdrola	$2,380,537,196	109
22	Toyota	$2,303,826,689	199
23	Shell PLC	$2,210,816,246	130
24	Oracle	$2,167,890,528	88
25	Mubadala Investment Company	$2,124,035,097	62
26	Nike	$2,104,917,829	138
27	Hyundai Motor	$2,048,610,159	17
28	Brookfield Asset Management	$1,965,174,610	221
29	Meta Platforms Inc.	$1,931,193,644	59
30	Alphabet Inc.	$1,927,519,074	121
31	Exxon Mobil	$1,891,153,489	207
32	Nissan	$1,842,814,165	87
33	Samsung	$1,824,560,806	72
34	Apple Inc.	$1,822,765,569	47
35	Berkshire Hathaway	$1,821,345,126	1,156
36	Summit Power	$1,783,593,414	6
37	Comcast	$1,757,958,784	383
38	Paramount Global	$1,751,931,557	318
39	Air Products & Chemicals	$1,723,155,312	78
40	Cleveland-Cliffs	$1,705,497,604	124
41	General Electric	$1,687,039,351	979
42	Southern Company	$1,671,678,366	43
43	JPMorgan Chase	$1,663,593,063	1,127
44	Energy Transfer	$1,634,128,172	106
45	Vornado Realty Trust	$1,623,857,336	33
46	Duke Energy	$1,579,449,473	85
47	Wolfspeed Inc.	$1,560,125,015	63
48	SkyWest	$1,550,492,958	683
49	Rivian Automotive Inc.	$1,532,854,012	3
50	IBM Corp.	$1,495,438,545	367
51	OGE Energy	$1,427,570,182	15
52	SCS Energy	$1,419,011,796	5
53	General Atomics	$1,408,185,425	105
54	Panasonic	$1,384,147,584	61
55	Lockheed Martin	$1,330,320,782	316
56	Sagamore Development	$1,320,000,000	2
57	Northrop Grumman	$1,274,514,883	249
58	Corning Inc.	$1,262,885,869	389
59	Vingroup	$1,254,000,000	1
60	Continental AG	$1,244,875,478	111
61	Microsoft	$1,217,430,220	104
62	RTX Corporation	$1,162,467,558	741
63	Jefferies Financial Group	$1,144,919,260	17
64	SK Holdings	$1,081,550,283	9
65	Valero Energy	$1,053,812,692	197
66	Dow Inc.	$1,049,354,213	619
67	AES Corp.	$1,030,194,632	132
68	Exelon	$982,955,949	58
69	CF Industries	$982,271,715	129
70	Abengoa	$979,241,701	39
71	Pyramid Companies	$966,050,097	91
72	Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc.	$900,000,000	1
73	Apollo Global Management	$896,260,221	575
74	LG	$879,583,102	86
75	Delta Air Lines	$876,412,623	14
76	Centene	$875,369,834	55
77	Bayer	$850,128,391	200
78	Honda	$849,832,301	92
79	Shin-Etsu Chemical	$827,644,305	105
80	Enterprise Products Partners	$826,988,371	83
81	SunEdison	$813,584,873	113
82	Goldman Sachs	$800,873,386	253
83	E.ON	$782,609,880	38
84	Archer Daniels Midland	$771,669,569	1,085
85	EDF-Electricite de France	$759,943,523	35
86	Triple Five Worldwide	$748,000,000	4
87	Bank of America	$744,566,157	926
88	EDP-Energias de Portugal	$733,674,868	14
89	Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.	$725,762,690	209
90	Related Companies	$687,200,000	1
91	Koch Industries	$672,949,735	489
92	Caithness Energy	$670,379,738	28
93	Hyannis Air Service Inc.	$667,928,778	296
94	Wells Fargo	$648,073,003	525
95	Entergy	$638,345,893	234
96	OCI N.V.	$627,879,406	5
97	FedEx	$621,948,452	604
98	Bedrock Detroit	$618,000,000	1
99	Dominion Energy	$615,436,089	50

Download results as CSV or XML or Save your search (Click here for information on download subscriptions)

• 
  Corporate Bailouts and Subsidies: Large corporations often receive substantial financial support from the government, particularly during economic downturns. These bailouts, funded by taxpayers, are justified as necessary to prevent economic collapse. However, they represent a form of socialism for the rich, where losses are socialized while profits remain privatized. This dynamic creates a safety net for the wealthy, contrary to the 'risk and reward' principle often touted in capitalist systems.
• Legislative Influence Through Lobbying: Wealthy corporations and individuals exert significant influence over legislation through lobbying and Super PACs. This influence allows them to shape laws and regulations in ways that benefit them financially, often at the expense of public interest. This process effectively undermines democratic principles, as the policy-making process is swayed in favor of those with financial clout.
• Fossil Fuel Dependency: The sustained reliance on fossil fuels, despite the availability of cleaner alternatives like nuclear energy, is a glaring example of how corporate interests can override public good. The fossil fuel industry, backed by substantial subsidies and political influence, has managed to maintain its dominance, delaying the transition to cleaner energy sources. This not only perpetuates environmental harm but also hinders technological and economic progress in the field of renewable energy.
• Nuclear Energy as a Missed Opportunity: Nuclear energy, which can be a clean and efficient power source, has been sidelined due in part to the fossil fuel lobby's influence. The potential of nuclear power to provide a sustainable energy solution and even produce clean liquid fuel for vehicles has been underexploited. This is a clear example of how entrenched corporate interests can stifle innovation and progress in sectors that threaten their profitability.
• Economic Inequality and Socialism for the Rich: The combination of bailouts, subsidies, and legislative influence creates an economic system where the rich are protected and supported by government policies, a privilege not extended to the general public. This is a form of socialism for the rich, as it socializes risks and costs while privatizing profits. In contrast, the working and middle classes often bear the brunt of economic downturns, with less access to government support and fewer opportunities to influence policy.

 

[eagle1462010]

Welfare For The Rich:

RANK	PARENT	SUBSIDY VALUE.	NUMBER OF AWARDS
1	Boeing	$15,299,301,828	919
2	Intel	$8,355,493,707	126
3	Ford Motor	$7,711,954,966	685
4	General Motors	$7,474,648,736	763
5	Micron Technology	$6,785,681,915	18
6	Alcoa	$5,727,691,764	134
7	Cheniere Energy	$5,617,152,523	42
8	Amazon.com	$5,362,872,810	393
9	Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai Precision Industry Company)	$4,820,110,112	74
10	Volkswagen	$3,876,017,317	201
11	Sempra Energy	$3,828,022,782	51
12	NRG Energy	$3,405,383,876	262
13	Texas Instruments	$3,297,406,673	58
14	Venture Global LNG	$3,285,883,566	6
15	NextEra Energy	$3,008,691,129	117
16	Sasol	$2,836,049,845	72
17	Tesla Inc.	$2,829,855,494	114
18	Stellantis	$2,795,436,436	212
19	Nucor	$2,518,064,340	159
20	Walt Disney	$2,421,480,784	249
21	Iberdrola	$2,380,537,196	109
22	Toyota	$2,303,826,689	199
23	Shell PLC	$2,210,816,246	130
24	Oracle	$2,167,890,528	88
25	Mubadala Investment Company	$2,124,035,097	62
26	Nike	$2,104,917,829	138
27	Hyundai Motor	$2,048,610,159	17
28	Brookfield Asset Management	$1,965,174,610	221
29	Meta Platforms Inc.	$1,931,193,644	59
30	Alphabet Inc.	$1,927,519,074	121
31	Exxon Mobil	$1,891,153,489	207
32	Nissan	$1,842,814,165	87
33	Samsung	$1,824,560,806	72
34	Apple Inc.	$1,822,765,569	47
35	Berkshire Hathaway	$1,821,345,126	1,156
36	Summit Power	$1,783,593,414	6
37	Comcast	$1,757,958,784	383
38	Paramount Global	$1,751,931,557	318
39	Air Products & Chemicals	$1,723,155,312	78
40	Cleveland-Cliffs	$1,705,497,604	124
41	General Electric	$1,687,039,351	979
42	Southern Company	$1,671,678,366	43
43	JPMorgan Chase	$1,663,593,063	1,127
44	Energy Transfer	$1,634,128,172	106
45	Vornado Realty Trust	$1,623,857,336	33
46	Duke Energy	$1,579,449,473	85
47	Wolfspeed Inc.	$1,560,125,015	63
48	SkyWest	$1,550,492,958	683
49	Rivian Automotive Inc.	$1,532,854,012	3
50	IBM Corp.	$1,495,438,545	367
51	OGE Energy	$1,427,570,182	15
52	SCS Energy	$1,419,011,796	5
53	General Atomics	$1,408,185,425	105
54	Panasonic	$1,384,147,584	61
55	Lockheed Martin	$1,330,320,782	316
56	Sagamore Development	$1,320,000,000	2
57	Northrop Grumman	$1,274,514,883	249
58	Corning Inc.	$1,262,885,869	389
59	Vingroup	$1,254,000,000	1
60	Continental AG	$1,244,875,478	111
61	Microsoft	$1,217,430,220	104
62	RTX Corporation	$1,162,467,558	741
63	Jefferies Financial Group	$1,144,919,260	17
64	SK Holdings	$1,081,550,283	9
65	Valero Energy	$1,053,812,692	197
66	Dow Inc.	$1,049,354,213	619
67	AES Corp.	$1,030,194,632	132
68	Exelon	$982,955,949	58
69	CF Industries	$982,271,715	129
70	Abengoa	$979,241,701	39
71	Pyramid Companies	$966,050,097	91
72	Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc.	$900,000,000	1
73	Apollo Global Management	$896,260,221	575
74	LG	$879,583,102	86
75	Delta Air Lines	$876,412,623	14
76	Centene	$875,369,834	55
77	Bayer	$850,128,391	200
78	Honda	$849,832,301	92
79	Shin-Etsu Chemical	$827,644,305	105
80	Enterprise Products Partners	$826,988,371	83
81	SunEdison	$813,584,873	113
82	Goldman Sachs	$800,873,386	253
83	E.ON	$782,609,880	38
84	Archer Daniels Midland	$771,669,569	1,085
85	EDF-Electricite de France	$759,943,523	35
86	Triple Five Worldwide	$748,000,000	4
87	Bank of America	$744,566,157	926
88	EDP-Energias de Portugal	$733,674,868	14
89	Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.	$725,762,690	209
90	Related Companies	$687,200,000	1
91	Koch Industries	$672,949,735	489
92	Caithness Energy	$670,379,738	28
93	Hyannis Air Service Inc.	$667,928,778	296
94	Wells Fargo	$648,073,003	525
95	Entergy	$638,345,893	234
96	OCI N.V.	$627,879,406	5
97	FedEx	$621,948,452	604
98	Bedrock Detroit	$618,000,000	1
99	Dominion Energy	$615,436,089	50

Download results as CSV or XML or Save your search (Click here for information on download subscriptions)

• 
  Corporate Bailouts and Subsidies: Large corporations often receive substantial financial support from the government, particularly during economic downturns. These bailouts, funded by taxpayers, are justified as necessary to prevent economic collapse. However, they represent a form of socialism for the rich, where losses are socialized while profits remain privatized. This dynamic creates a safety net for the wealthy, contrary to the 'risk and reward' principle often touted in capitalist systems.
• Legislative Influence Through Lobbying: Wealthy corporations and individuals exert significant influence over legislation through lobbying and Super PACs. This influence allows them to shape laws and regulations in ways that benefit them financially, often at the expense of public interest. This process effectively undermines democratic principles, as the policy-making process is swayed in favor of those with financial clout.
• Fossil Fuel Dependency: The sustained reliance on fossil fuels, despite the availability of cleaner alternatives like nuclear energy, is a glaring example of how corporate interests can override public good. The fossil fuel industry, backed by substantial subsidies and political influence, has managed to maintain its dominance, delaying the transition to cleaner energy sources. This not only perpetuates environmental harm but also hinders technological and economic progress in the field of renewable energy.
• Nuclear Energy as a Missed Opportunity: Nuclear energy, which can be a clean and efficient power source, has been sidelined due in part to the fossil fuel lobby's influence. The potential of nuclear power to provide a sustainable energy solution and even produce clean liquid fuel for vehicles has been underexploited. This is a clear example of how entrenched corporate interests can stifle innovation and progress in sectors that threaten their profitability.
• Economic Inequality and Socialism for the Rich: The combination of bailouts, subsidies, and legislative influence creates an economic system where the rich are protected and supported by government policies, a privilege not extended to the general public. This is a form of socialism for the rich, as it socializes risks and costs while privatizing profits. In contrast, the working and middle classes often bear the brunt of economic downturns, with less access to government support and fewer opportunities to influence policy.

Commie Envy??

 

[Markle]

Welfare For The Rich:

RANK	PARENT	SUBSIDY VALUE.	NUMBER OF AWARDS
1	Boeing	$15,299,301,828	919
2	Intel	$8,355,493,707	126
3	Ford Motor	$7,711,954,966	685
4	General Motors	$7,474,648,736	763
5	Micron Technology	$6,785,681,915	18
6	Alcoa	$5,727,691,764	134
7	Cheniere Energy	$5,617,152,523	42
8	Amazon.com	$5,362,872,810	393
9	Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai Precision Industry Company)	$4,820,110,112	74
10	Volkswagen	$3,876,017,317	201
11	Sempra Energy	$3,828,022,782	51
12	NRG Energy	$3,405,383,876	262
13	Texas Instruments	$3,297,406,673	58
14	Venture Global LNG	$3,285,883,566	6
15	NextEra Energy	$3,008,691,129	117
16	Sasol	$2,836,049,845	72
17	Tesla Inc.	$2,829,855,494	114
18	Stellantis	$2,795,436,436	212
19	Nucor	$2,518,064,340	159
20	Walt Disney	$2,421,480,784	249
21	Iberdrola	$2,380,537,196	109
22	Toyota	$2,303,826,689	199
23	Shell PLC	$2,210,816,246	130
24	Oracle	$2,167,890,528	88
25	Mubadala Investment Company	$2,124,035,097	62
26	Nike	$2,104,917,829	138
27	Hyundai Motor	$2,048,610,159	17
28	Brookfield Asset Management	$1,965,174,610	221
29	Meta Platforms Inc.	$1,931,193,644	59
30	Alphabet Inc.	$1,927,519,074	121
31	Exxon Mobil	$1,891,153,489	207
32	Nissan	$1,842,814,165	87
33	Samsung	$1,824,560,806	72
34	Apple Inc.	$1,822,765,569	47
35	Berkshire Hathaway	$1,821,345,126	1,156
36	Summit Power	$1,783,593,414	6
37	Comcast	$1,757,958,784	383
38	Paramount Global	$1,751,931,557	318
39	Air Products & Chemicals	$1,723,155,312	78
40	Cleveland-Cliffs	$1,705,497,604	124
41	General Electric	$1,687,039,351	979
42	Southern Company	$1,671,678,366	43
43	JPMorgan Chase	$1,663,593,063	1,127
44	Energy Transfer	$1,634,128,172	106
45	Vornado Realty Trust	$1,623,857,336	33
46	Duke Energy	$1,579,449,473	85
47	Wolfspeed Inc.	$1,560,125,015	63
48	SkyWest	$1,550,492,958	683
49	Rivian Automotive Inc.	$1,532,854,012	3
50	IBM Corp.	$1,495,438,545	367
51	OGE Energy	$1,427,570,182	15
52	SCS Energy	$1,419,011,796	5
53	General Atomics	$1,408,185,425	105
54	Panasonic	$1,384,147,584	61
55	Lockheed Martin	$1,330,320,782	316
56	Sagamore Development	$1,320,000,000	2
57	Northrop Grumman	$1,274,514,883	249
58	Corning Inc.	$1,262,885,869	389
59	Vingroup	$1,254,000,000	1
60	Continental AG	$1,244,875,478	111
61	Microsoft	$1,217,430,220	104
62	RTX Corporation	$1,162,467,558	741
63	Jefferies Financial Group	$1,144,919,260	17
64	SK Holdings	$1,081,550,283	9
65	Valero Energy	$1,053,812,692	197
66	Dow Inc.	$1,049,354,213	619
67	AES Corp.	$1,030,194,632	132
68	Exelon	$982,955,949	58
69	CF Industries	$982,271,715	129
70	Abengoa	$979,241,701	39
71	Pyramid Companies	$966,050,097	91
72	Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc.	$900,000,000	1
73	Apollo Global Management	$896,260,221	575
74	LG	$879,583,102	86
75	Delta Air Lines	$876,412,623	14
76	Centene	$875,369,834	55
77	Bayer	$850,128,391	200
78	Honda	$849,832,301	92
79	Shin-Etsu Chemical	$827,644,305	105
80	Enterprise Products Partners	$826,988,371	83
81	SunEdison	$813,584,873	113
82	Goldman Sachs	$800,873,386	253
83	E.ON	$782,609,880	38
84	Archer Daniels Midland	$771,669,569	1,085
85	EDF-Electricite de France	$759,943,523	35
86	Triple Five Worldwide	$748,000,000	4
87	Bank of America	$744,566,157	926
88	EDP-Energias de Portugal	$733,674,868	14
89	Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.	$725,762,690	209
90	Related Companies	$687,200,000	1
91	Koch Industries	$672,949,735	489
92	Caithness Energy	$670,379,738	28
93	Hyannis Air Service Inc.	$667,928,778	296
94	Wells Fargo	$648,073,003	525
95	Entergy	$638,345,893	234
96	OCI N.V.	$627,879,406	5
97	FedEx	$621,948,452	604
98	Bedrock Detroit	$618,000,000	1
99	Dominion Energy	$615,436,089	50

Download results as CSV or XML or Save your search (Click here for information on download subscriptions)

• 
  Corporate Bailouts and Subsidies: Large corporations often receive substantial financial support from the government, particularly during economic downturns. These bailouts, funded by taxpayers, are justified as necessary to prevent economic collapse. However, they represent a form of socialism for the rich, where losses are socialized while profits remain privatized. This dynamic creates a safety net for the wealthy, contrary to the 'risk and reward' principle often touted in capitalist systems.
• Legislative Influence Through Lobbying: Wealthy corporations and individuals exert significant influence over legislation through lobbying and Super PACs. This influence allows them to shape laws and regulations in ways that benefit them financially, often at the expense of public interest. This process effectively undermines democratic principles, as the policy-making process is swayed in favor of those with financial clout.
• Fossil Fuel Dependency: The sustained reliance on fossil fuels, despite the availability of cleaner alternatives like nuclear energy, is a glaring example of how corporate interests can override public good. The fossil fuel industry, backed by substantial subsidies and political influence, has managed to maintain its dominance, delaying the transition to cleaner energy sources. This not only perpetuates environmental harm but also hinders technological and economic progress in the field of renewable energy.
• Nuclear Energy as a Missed Opportunity: Nuclear energy, which can be a clean and efficient power source, has been sidelined due in part to the fossil fuel lobby's influence. The potential of nuclear power to provide a sustainable energy solution and even produce clean liquid fuel for vehicles has been underexploited. This is a clear example of how entrenched corporate interests can stifle innovation and progress in sectors that threaten their profitability.
• Economic Inequality and Socialism for the Rich: The combination of bailouts, subsidies, and legislative influence creates an economic system where the rich are protected and supported by government policies, a privilege not extended to the general public. This is a form of socialism for the rich, as it socializes risks and costs while privatizing profits. In contrast, the working and middle classes often bear the brunt of economic downturns, with less access to government support and fewer opportunities to influence policy.

Numbers without the criteria mean less than nothing.

I could find out without going behind the paywall what these "subsidies" were for combined federal, state, and local awards.

What I could not ascertain is over what period? One month, year, decade, fifty years?

Yeah, it makes a huge difference.

IF you wanted to be fair, you'd have included those companies' gross revenues over the same period. Why not?

 

[TruthNotBS]

Numbers without the criteria mean less than nothing.

I could find out without going behind the paywall what these "subsidies" were for combined federal, state, and local awards.

What I could not ascertain is over what period? One month, year, decade, fifty years?

Yeah, it makes a huge difference.

IF you wanted to be fair, you'd have included those companies' gross revenues over the same period. Why not?

That information is here:

Subsidy Tracker

Subsidy Tracker, produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First, is a wide-ranging database on misconduct by large and small corporations throughout the United States.

subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org

The private sector gets plenty of help from the government in public funds and other resources. No one on the right mentions that much less accuses the wealthy recipients of these billions of dollars in public funds, of being bums or commies, but the moment public funds are used to help the public at large (i.e. The working class), the labels and cheap accusations start flying from the right.....

YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF BUMS! YOU WANT TO LIVE OFF THE GOVERNMENT! GO GET A JOB YOU BUM! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP YOU WITH THAT? PICK YOURSELF UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAPS BUCKO AND DEAL WITH IT. THAT'S LIFE, TOUGHEN UP AND STOP BEING A FRUITCAKE. I WAS BORN IN A BARN NEXT TO A GOAT, THAT ATE MY BABY FORMULA. I HAD TO CRAWL INTO TOWN AND GET A JOB, SO I STARTED SHINING SHOES WITH MY TINY BABY HANDS. GET TO WORK YOU COMMIE BUM!

 

[Oldestyle]

What Libertarians define as "freedom" is a country being completely owned and ruled by corporations at the expense of the public good. That only leads to social unrest and economic collapse, requiring government bailouts. All freedom comes with boundaries. Even Milton Friedman recognized that capitalism is unsustainable without government welfare checks of some kind:

Gross inequality leads to social instability in society and eventually a collapse of the system. Markets need stability.​

Unfortunately, your definition of "stability" is a communist State, Christian! The "boundaries" that you naively seek to impose will come at the expense of the public good! There is a reason that millions of people have fled communist regimes often doing so at great risk to their lives. There is a reason why the communists needed to build walls to keep their people from leaving. What you propose doesn't work. It never has. People with common sense KNOW that!

 

[Oldestyle]

That information is here:

Subsidy Tracker

Subsidy Tracker, produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First, is a wide-ranging database on misconduct by large and small corporations throughout the United States.

subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org

The private sector gets plenty of help from the government in public funds and other resources. No one on the right mentions that much less accuses the wealthy recipients of these billions of dollars in public funds, of being bums or commies, but the moment public funds are used to help the public at large (i.e. The working class), the labels and cheap accusations start flying from the right.....

YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF BUMS! YOU WANT TO LIVE OFF THE GOVERNMENT! GO GET A JOB YOU BUM! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP YOU WITH THAT? PICK YOURSELF UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAPS BUCKO AND DEAL WITH IT. THAT'S LIFE, TOUGHEN UP AND STOP BEING A FRUITCAKE. I WAS BORN IN A BARN NEXT TO A GOAT, THAT ATE MY BABY FORMULA. I HAD TO CRAWL INTO TOWN AND GET A JOB, SO I STARTED SHINING SHOES WITH MY TINY BABY HANDS. GET TO WORK YOU COMMIE BUM!

All that yelling simply because someone thinks people should work? Oh, the HORROR!!!

 

[beagle9]

It was a pay off to make sure Trump didn't lose their votes. That is what we were discussing but all the same they were hurt because of Trump's failure in China.

Trump then had to bail out an industry with taxpayers money (debt actually) because he failed.

So just kiss China's ace is what you recommend ? That's exactly what you are saying, but isn't that what got this country in the predicament it is is to date ?? Yes it is, so just sit you're dumb ace down and pay attention..

 

[pknopp]

So just kiss China's ace is what you recommend ? That's exactly what you are saying, but isn't that what got this country in the predicament it is is to date ?? Yes it is, so just sit you're dumb ace down and pay attention..

China cared less. They went elsewhere and bought what we wouldn't sell them for less money.

Is it the fault of China that companies went there to produce things or is it the fault of the companies?

 

[beagle9]

All that yelling simply because someone thinks people should work? Oh, the HORROR!!!

It's also a huge contradiction to his title, and a huge dishonest diatribe by not acknowledging that what we stand for is the very things that he attempts to say that we don't stand for. Either this guy is a closet Democrat or just someone in here trolling the site.

 

[beagle9]

China cared less. They went elsewhere and bought what we wouldn't sell them for less money.

Is it the fault of China that companies went there to produce things or is it the fault of the companies?

You can cry for China all you want boy, but we were dealing with China exactly in the way that China needed to be dealt with, and if you are to weak to play ball without helping the opposing team (China) to cheat, then go sit on the bench.

 

[beagle9]

What Libertarians define as "freedom" is a country being completely owned and ruled by corporations at the expense of the public good. That only leads to social unrest and economic collapse, requiring government bailouts. All freedom comes with boundaries. Even Milton Friedman recognized that capitalism is unsustainable without government welfare checks of some kind:

Gross inequality leads to social instability in society and eventually a collapse of the system. Markets need stability.​

Without government welfare checks ??

.. Kidding me right ?

First thing is that government is being run wrong if it has to fix things by offering government welfare checks in response to corporate maleficence. The only role government should be playing is to regulate certain activities if abuse is found that is endangering employees or the environment. Government has no role in social engineering or undermining the capitalist system for social engineering purposes, and worse for vote buying practices.

 

[pknopp]

You can cry for China all you want boy,

I'm not crying for China but you know that. I'm simply stating the facts.

 

[TruthNotBS]

Unfortunately, your definition of "stability" is a communist State, Christian! The "boundaries" that you naively seek to impose will come at the expense of the public good! There is a reason that millions of people have fled communist regimes often doing so at great risk to their lives. There is a reason why the communists needed to build walls to keep their people from leaving. What you propose doesn't work. It never has. People with common sense KNOW that!

All that yelling simply because someone thinks people should work? Oh, the HORROR!!!

I'm answering two of your posts here...

Only working-class people should work, not the wealthy who own them for eight, or twelve hours + daily, right? When the working class receives public goods and services from the government, they're being lazy and don't want to work. When the rich get public services in the form of bailouts, plenty of yearly subsidies, "rewards", guaranteed contracts (without even having to bid for them), perks, and benefits, it's just normal, hey why not? On top of that, they have their cronies in government passing laws that serve their vested interests at the expense of the public. We live in a plutocracy (Rule of The Big Money), not a democracy (Rule Of The People).

​

Stop pretending America is a democracy, we just have the illusion of it and you've fallen for it. How many people die in this country due to a lack of public services that are taken for granted in other modern, industrialized nations? Scores, hundreds of thousands yearly, yet you're clueless. How many Americans die annually due to not being able to afford regular checkups or being overwhelmed with medical bills and unable to support themselves as a result?

My stepfather twelve years ago almost died, when he was in his late 50s due to medical bills and not getting the healthcare coverage he needed from his private health insurance. He had to file for bankruptcy and apply for SSD and Medicaid.

As far as what you said about communism. FIrst of all, the USSR wasn't communist, it was socialist.

USSR = UNITED SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
​

Do you see the word "communist" there anywhere? Lenin and Stalin never used the word "communist" to describe the economy of the USSR, but rather SOCIALIST. Communism as defined by Marx, Engels, Lenin, and practically all well-informed academics, is a society without a state, socioeconomic classes, or the need for money. So for you to use the term "Communist State" is oxymoronic. It can't exist. The only reason socialists like me sometimes identify ourselves as communists, is because communism is the objective of socialism. It's where we're heading, not where we are.

Communism ".... A communist society would entail the absence of private property and social classes,[1] and ultimately money[6] and the state (or nation state).[7][8][9]

Note: We communists, make a distinction between private and personal property. Your house, car, computer, smartphone, toothbrush, and Fruit Of The Looms, are your personal property. Any property used to make a monetary profit, especially if it can be used to exploit other human beings, is considered private property.

Communism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Withering away of the state - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The State and Revolution — Chapter 5

The State and Revolution: Chapter 5: The Economic Basis of the Withering Away of the State

www.marxists.org

Learn Marxist socialism before criticizing it. At least know what we believe and represent.

Young Russian Soldiers 2022​

This is a 2017 poll in Russia about the USSR:

In Russia, nostalgia for Soviet Union and positive feelings about Stalin

Many Russians say the collapse of the Soviet Union has been a bad thing for their country. Nostalgia for the Soviet past also extends to views of Josef Stalin.

www.pewresearch.org

2018:

​

You're just parroting the old capitalist Cold War propaganda that you grew up with. A poll was taken in the late 1980s when the Soviet Union was at its worst financially due to all of the "Perestroika" and "Glasnost", that was verified by the UN, showing that 77% of Soviet Citizens were satisfied with their government. Even then, they were mostly pro-USSR and didn't feel "oppressed" or destitute.

Let me ask you, doesn't the US restrict travel to certain countries? Cuba, Venezuela..etc. You can find the list on the US State Department website. Soviet Russia was surrounded by capitalist powers, even to the point of being invaded right after its birthday in 1917 by several empires:

1. 
   United Kingdom: The UK was a leading force in the intervention. British troops were involved in Northern Russia and the Arctic, as well as in the Baltic states and the Black Sea region. The UK also provided significant military supplies and financial support to anti-Bolshevik forces (i.e. White Armies).
2. France: France was another major player, sending troops primarily to the Black Sea region and Northwestern Russia. The French were instrumental in supporting anti-Bolshevik White forces vs the Socialist Bolshevik Red Army.
3. United States: American troops deployed in North Russia (around Archangel) and Siberia. The U.S. aimed to protect military stores and, to a lesser extent, to help the Czechoslovak Legion evacuate.
4. Japan: Japan sent a significant number of troops to Siberia, focusing on Eastern Russia.
5. Italy: Italian troops were primarily deployed in the Black Sea region.
6. Canada: Canadian forces participated as part of the British Empire's contribution, particularly in Northern Russia.
7. Australia: Australia, also part of the British Empire, contributed a smaller contingent of troops, mainly serving under British command.
8. Greece: Greek forces, under French command, participated in the Crimea campaign in 1919. This involvement was part of Greece's broader post-World War I foreign policy objectives.

And several other countries, like Serbia, Romania..etc. Over 200 thousand troops in all, not counting the Russian Tsarist, pro-capitalist "White Armies", which numbered about another quarter million troops. That's what the Soviets had to deal with from the very beginning. Throughout its history, it only had relative peace in the 1930s, until it was invaded by four million Nazi Germans in 1941, resulting in the death of approximately 28 million of its citizens. We never hear about that holocaust, just the Jewish one. Nine million Red Army soldiers died on the battlefield and eighteen million Soviet civilians. That's 14% of its population dying as a result of WW2.

​

The Soviets had to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and rebuild their country after being left in ruins. Why are you complaining about its travel restrictions? If the US had suffered the same level of destruction at home, it would also impose its restrictions. There are many restrictions that the US government imposes on its citizens during a crisis. Japanese Americans were forced into concentration camps and there was plenty of rationing and other laws that came into effect during the war, which could be seen as overbearing.

• 
  World War II (1941-1945): During World War II, the U.S. government imposed restrictions on domestic travel to conserve resources for the war effort. This included rationing gasoline and limiting civilian access to transportation.
• Cuban Travel Restrictions (1960s - present): After the Cuban Revolution and the subsequent deterioration of U.S.-Cuba relations, the U.S. imposed strict travel restrictions on American citizens visiting Cuba. These restrictions have fluctuated over the years, with periods of loosening and tightening.
• Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1981): Following the Iran Hostage Crisis, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran, which included travel restrictions for American citizens.
• Travel Alerts and Warnings (Post-9/11): After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U.S. Department of State began issuing more frequent travel alerts and warnings for American citizens traveling to areas of conflict or where there was a high risk of terrorism.
• North Korea Travel Ban (2017-present): In response to the heightened risk of arrest and long-term detention of Americans in North Korea, the U.S. government prohibited the use of U.S. passports for travel into, in, or through North Korea.
• COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2023): During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government imposed a series of travel restrictions to control the spread of the virus. These included bans on entry for non-citizens from certain countries and regions heavily affected by COVID-19, as well as domestic travel advisories and requirements for testing and quarantine.

The point is that for whatever reason stated above, the US government has no issue with imposing travel restrictions, and the USSR given its situation also had its travel restrictions. The US and its allies were doing everything possible to undermine the Soviet economy, including enticing its scientists, engineers, and academics to leave and work for the CIA, writing ugly books about the USSR, and giving away secrets..etc. It was a war, so of course there were restrictions. Despite this, most Soviet citizens were satisfied with their government and didn't try to leave, even when they had the opportunity to do so.

There were student exchange programs, between the US and the Soviet Union and the vast majority of Soviet students didn't defect. They returned home, back to the USSR, after studying in the USA.

1. The United States Information Agency (USIA) conducted exchanges under various programs.
2. Fulbright Program: While initially limited during the height of the Cold War, the Fulbright Program, which aims to increase mutual understanding through educational exchange, eventually expanded to include the Soviet Union. This program allowed for the exchange of scholars and students.
3. Cultural Exchanges: Beyond academic programs, there were also cultural exchanges, including visits by artists, musicians, and other cultural figures. These exchanges were often more visible and had a broader public impact.
4. National Council for Soviet and East European Research: Established its office in the U.S, this organization facilitated scholarly research and exchanges.

Why didn't these Soviet citizens all defect if the USSR was "SO BAD"? Maybe it wasn't as bad as our Cold War American propaganda claimed.

Going back to the situation right after WWII. Much of Soviet Russia's national infrastructure which had been built since the 1920s, was rubble after the war. Was there an American "Marshal Plan" for the Soviets, who had sacrificed so much on behalf of the Allies in the war? No.

The American "Marshal Plan" to rebuild the nations of Europe and Asia, didn't apply to the Soviet Union. The US was left unscathed after the war, fully intact, without losing even one structure. I believe only one or two American civilians died within the United States as a result of enemy fire, through a Japanese weather balloon bomb. Google it. The US lost 460 thousand of its citizens, practically all of them were combatants. American casualties amounted to 0.03% of its population. Again, the Soviets lost 14%, with 28 million casualties. Is there any comparison at all between those two? Russia lost over 50 times the people, due to being in Europe, rather than protected by thousands of miles of two vast oceans (i.e. Pacific - Atlantic).

​

Notwithstanding all of the aforementioned facts the Soviet Union got back on its feet and became a world nuclear superpower with the second largest economy in the world. They were launching rockets with cosmonauts into space not that long after the devastation they suffered during World War II.

They were the FIRST IN SPACE! That's impressive and to pretend otherwise is simply disingenuous. No other political and economic system can achieve that other than socialism. There's no other system that can industrialize and build a nation as quickly as a socialist, rationally, centrally planned economy.
The Soviet Union, a new nation, was in a state of war, encircled by the most powerful nations in human history, so if it eventually lost the Cold War and dissolved, does that imply that it will never rise again much stronger or that markeless socialism at a national scale as what we saw in the USSR will never be successful in another country? No.

Every single country that has mostly a centrally planned economy without major markets today is under the heel of American economic sanctions and the constant threat of military invasion by the United States. Have you ever factored that into your assessment of the viability of a centrally planned, socialist economy? They're all in a state of war, encircled by the US and its cronies. Hello?

You don't have the ideological luxury of claiming socialism doesn't work when your capitalist, imperialist buddies in Washington are depriving such nations of engaging in international trade and normal diplomatic relations with other countries. No one defies the US embargo on centrally planned, marketless socialism unless they plan to suffer the same fate and lose their economies and perhaps their lives. No one wants to trade with these countries because they get blacklisted, penalized, if not economically and politically sanctioned themselves.

To give you an example. Every single cargo ship that ports in Cuba can't anchor in American ports, anywhere, be it in the lower 48 or Alaska, Hawai, Guam the US Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico. etc, for six months. Your expensive cargo ship is barred from The Empire for 180 days. Who the hell wants to port in Cuba? No one. If you have a bank and you give Cuba a loan, you will get audited by the US and most likely fined. They'll find some violation, somewhere, or they'll conjure it up from their magical hat. What international banks want to open a line of credit with the Cuban government or Cuban companies? None.

Despite this, Cuba survives in the shadow of a hostile, capitalist empire, 90 miles from its shores.

The US owns and controls the world's reserve currency and its banking institutions, hence no one resists The Empire. Whatever its demands, the world cowers.

Why are the American wealthy elites so afraid that they have to lobby Washington so hard, to continue punishing little marketless, socialist nations like Cuba? The market-socialist nations or mixed economies of the world (Western Europe is mostly a mixed economy), don't have much to worry about from the United States provided they continue serving American foreign policy. But the mostly non-profit, marketless economies, or true socialist-Marxist-run countries, have everything to worry about. AND YET THEY SURVIVE. Hello? The resilience and power of socialism.

In your fantasy world, do economic and political systems replace others overnight? Did capitalism replace chattel slavery and feudalism, in one single swoop of the sword? It took centuries for the mercantile class to replace the royal aristocracy of Europe as the dominant, ruling class. It wouldn't occur until technology permitted the merchants to become the powerful industrialists of the 19th century. That's when capitalism and its republicanism, took hold in the world. For centuries the royals and their nobles laughed at the prospect of a bunch of merchant traders replacing them and eventually that's what happened.

Now with the advent of advanced automation, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, we are entering into the socialist age. When production becomes so advanced that human input is reduced to a minimum, due to intelligent automation, that's the end of capitalism.

If a powerful computer can do all of the accounting and with onsite sensors can collect data and then control all of the robots and self-driving vehicles, all of the machinery, essentially automating the process of production with all of its logistics, that's the end of capitalism and the beginning of the socialist age. You can pout, huff, and puff, have your tantrum, and thumb down all of my posts, but nonetheless, if you're smart, you know this is true. You're suffering from a bad case of cognitive dissonance hence your inability to admit it openly and come to terms with it. Socialism is the natural successor of capitalism, due to technology, it's that simple. The alternative is techno-feudalism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2aH9tu4s30​

 

[eagle1462010]

Last post is Spamacide.