Our Ignorance of Socialism Is Dangerous

[Olderscout66]

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@rk9152 wrote:

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@Olderscout66 wrote:

For 40 years following WWII, the GOPerLords could condemn an opponent by calling him or her a Commie. There was some justification based on the brutal dictatorship that ruled the USSR and East Bloc, but none of that had anything to do with "communism", except in the literature.

Then the Soviet Empire fell and most of its pieces wound up rejecting Communism, even as a label for Totalitarianism, so now calling someone a Commie has little impact, except to expose how backward the caller is in their political thinking.

Here's the problem for GOPerLords. People want a better life for themselves and a MUCH better life for their kids. From 1940 to 1985, that is what the USA offered, but since the Reagan taxscam all the "new" income and wealth being created has gone to those in the top 10% and the non-supervisory workers are making LESS than their counterparts did back in the 1960's.

The danger America faces is NOT that we may provide all citizens with excellent health care, that profits created by the workers will be shared with those workers, that workweeks shorten and retirement comes earlier or that education will be come available to all as it was until the mid 1980's.

The danger is that the continuing redistribution of income and wealth from the bottom 90% will turn our democracy into an Corporate Oligarchy with everyone dependant on the whims of the Lords of Wall Street for our health care, education and retirement.

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Well, since allowing people to keep a bit more of what they earned resulted in a near ruination of our nation, maybe we need a system in which all the money is owned by the government and it distributes it based on it's perception of need. 

Watta ya think???

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Think you're still in denial.

It's NOT letting the bottom 90% "keep a bit more of what they earned" that has ruined the Nation because THAT has never happened.

What DID happen is the top 10% kept ALL the increase in profits earned by the bottom 90% for the past 40 years. The real wages of non-supervisory personnel has not budged since the Reagan Taxscam, but SUPERVISORY pay has jumped 300%.

THAT has ruined the Nation and moved us from #1 to the mid-20's in just about every measure of desirable attributes - our LIFE EXPECTENCY has DECREASED for the last 2 years while the rest of the civilized World is still INCREASING.

But Fox has told the Cult 45 everything's peachy with lil donny running the show, so they ignore reality and continue to gather for worship at his tiny feet.

[rk9152]

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@Olderscout66 wrote:

For 40 years following WWII, the GOPerLords could condemn an opponent by calling him or her a Commie. There was some justification based on the brutal dictatorship that ruled the USSR and East Bloc, but none of that had anything to do with "communism", except in the literature.

Then the Soviet Empire fell and most of its pieces wound up rejecting Communism, even as a label for Totalitarianism, so now calling someone a Commie has little impact, except to expose how backward the caller is in their political thinking.

Here's the problem for GOPerLords. People want a better life for themselves and a MUCH better life for their kids. From 1940 to 1985, that is what the USA offered, but since the Reagan taxscam all the "new" income and wealth being created has gone to those in the top 10% and the non-supervisory workers are making LESS than their counterparts did back in the 1960's.

The danger America faces is NOT that we may provide all citizens with excellent health care, that profits created by the workers will be shared with those workers, that workweeks shorten and retirement comes earlier or that education will be come available to all as it was until the mid 1980's.

The danger is that the continuing redistribution of income and wealth from the bottom 90% will turn our democracy into an Corporate Oligarchy with everyone dependant on the whims of the Lords of Wall Street for our health care, education and retirement.

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Well, since allowing people to keep a bit more of what they earned resulted in a near ruination of our nation, maybe we need a system in which all the money is owned by the government and it distributes it based on it's perception of need. 

Watta ya think???

[rk9152]

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@Tom5678 wrote:
couldn't agree more!! That and white "nationalism."

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Another diversion - is there some reason you folks do not want to talk about Socialism. 

[rk9152]

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@Centristsin2010 wrote:

Given the current resident in the WHITE HOUSE, I'd suggest our collective ignorance of fascim is far more dangerous.

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Yes, that is the Party Line oft repeated on MSNBC, CNN, etal yet it is without meaning. A while back the official list of "why it is so" was posted and it contained nonsense like the people love him and he gets up early in the morning (or was that when he was a Nazi - it's hard to keep it straight).

In reality, there is nothing to equate with fascism. A good example - the President is a supporter of free market Capitalism as illustrated by his removal of Obama placed regulations. Fascism is an economy controlled by the government.

Now, if anyone would like to try another topic on why the President is a fascist, it might make for interesting exchanges. However, this one is about the dangers of Socialism (which you seemed to try to defend with the diversion).

[Olderscout66]

For 40 years following WWII, the GOPerLords could condemn an opponent by calling him or her a Commie. There was some justification based on the brutal dictatorship that ruled the USSR and East Bloc, but none of that had anything to do with "communism", except in the literature.

Then the Soviet Empire fell and most of its pieces wound up rejecting Communism, even as a label for Totalitarianism, so now calling someone a Commie has little impact, except to expose how backward the caller is in their political thinking.

Here's the problem for GOPerLords. People want a better life for themselves and a MUCH better life for their kids. From 1940 to 1985, that is what the USA offered, but since the Reagan taxscam all the "new" income and wealth being created has gone to those in the top 10% and the non-supervisory workers are making LESS than their counterparts did back in the 1960's.

The danger America faces is NOT that we may provide all citizens with excellent health care, that profits created by the workers will be shared with those workers, that workweeks shorten and retirement comes earlier or that education will be come available to all as it was until the mid 1980's.

The danger is that the continuing redistribution of income and wealth from the bottom 90% will turn our democracy into an Corporate Oligarchy with everyone dependant on the whims of the Lords of Wall Street for our health care, education and retirement.

[Panjandrum]

Our Ignorance of Socialism Is Dangerous

Yes it is when people believe anything to the left of Genghis Khan is socialist. It would be nice to investigate the real meaning of socialism rather than taking the word of opinion columnists who make their living shoveling trash to anyone willing to read it.

[ChasKy53]

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@jimc91 wrote:

Are Americans who admire the world’s most brutal regimes miseducated or stupid? Or do they have some kind of devious agenda?

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So an article by a Libertarian Ultra Conservative could not be slanted? 

This last sentence of yours is interesting. I don't see anyone from the left here on this forum, in the media, or in the general public saying that they "admire the world's most brutal regimes".  Interestingly, trump has admired and praised at least three or four of them ................. at the same time alienating most all of our long time allies .......... looks like trump has "the devious agenda" you speak of. Seems that trump and some of his supporters might be the "miseducated" or "stupid" ones.

[Olderscout66]

There is no longer a minimum wage in Sweden because workers have so many other benefits, it's not necessary. For example:

There is no general minimum wage in Sweden. Instead the companies sign agreements with the unions and these agreements set the minimum level depending on the employee's age and experience. For example, these are the current (February 2016) minimum levels for employees in hotels or restaurants:

• Age 17:  84,50 sek per hour ($9.94)
• Age 18: 88,60 sek per hour ($10.42)
• Age 19: 96,80 sek per hour ($11.39)
• Age 20 and above, with no experience and no education required: 116,90 sek per hour ($13.75)
• Age 20 and above, with 6 years' experience and no education required: 124,90 sek per hour ($14.69)
• Age 20 and above, with no experience but education required: 124,00 sek per hour ($14.59)
• Age 20 and above, with 6 years' experience and education required: 132,00 sek per hour ($15.53)

This is for jobs that in the USA have a $2.13 minimum.

Swedish workers have strict limits on the amount of overtime they can be required to work, 12 paid holidays per year and then there's stuff like maternity leave:

The Parental Leave Act (1995:584) stipulates parents' right to leave. Both parents have an equal right to leave. The right to leave includes:

• The right to full leave in connection with childbirth for female employees. This includes at least seven weeks before the calculated date of delivery and seven weeks after the delivery. A female employee is also entitled to leave for breast-feeding.
• Full time off for a parent until the child is 18 months or, provided that the parent then has full parental benefits, for the time thereafter. It is possible to take out parental benefit up to and including the day the child turns 12 years old or when the child finishes form/grade 5 in compulsory school. However, after the child has turned four years old, it is only possible to save 96 days (parental benefit is paid out for 480 days in total).
• Parents also have the right to shorten their working hours by up to a quarter of the normal hours until the child reaches the age of eight.
• Leave for temporary care of children.

  In addition, they have universal single payer health care, NO tuition for college and can retire at 61.

  All this is common among EU countries who are consistantly ranked as the happiest people in the World,  while the US comes in 18th place.

[Tom5678]

couldn't agree more!! That and white "nationalism."

[Centristsin2010]

Given the current resident in the WHITE HOUSE, I'd suggest our collective ignorance of fascim is far more dangerous.