I think there are a lot of citizens in multiple European countries who think they have pretty good lives. And measuring by life expectancy, infant mortality, available quality health care that doesn't cost half the country's riches, not to mention all education scores, they're kicking our asses, and have been for a while.
You keep trying to equate communism, like the Soviet Union and China, with social democracy. That's incorrect, dude.
We the People would most likely enjoy greater spiritual and emotional satisfaction in an hour spent with Mr. Zevon than wandering the endless wasteland of the comments collective. But Taibbi/RACKET are rock and roll to me and the truth is every bit as tasty as a big bowl of Lee Ho Fook's beef chow mein.
As a thought: The fight here (subscription journalism) at core, is who will control the American national dialogue and thus control the American future. I've no doubt that there are communists and capitalists, democrats and republicans etc. But those terms no longer describe the political, financial reality inflicting the social ills you're describing, --I agree with you -- on actual human reality. Mr. Taibbi's "THE DIVIDE" explains this much better than I can.
My long winded point? The terms in question no longer describe the reality. And, the people responsible for the collapse use them as a good cop/bad cop bitch slap to prevent the truth/fact based national conversation--which We the People are attempting here--that would put actual solutions on the table.
Human moral reason exists in the human. Not in the proclamations of the faux spirituality, ideological utopianism and malignant narcissism of those exploiting political and religious systems for personal gain. Stalin, Hitler and Mao are proof. Mr. Sanders is smoke and mirrors for the actual mal pathologies distorting American life and moral reason. Communism and capitalism are dead because the communists and capitalists killed them and installed a rigged game now being used to dismantle Western culture and civilization.
We the People/the world have entered a new age and the only engine of survival is the American Republic, the Constitution and the free citizen. The only lines of human moral demarcation remaining are those still existing in free peoples and our Constitution.
See above. Some collectivities have lasted a long time. Rome, for example, from the kingdom to the republic to the empire(s) lasted 2200 years. Maybe that wasn't a great thing -- Rome was pretty brutal by modern standards -- but it did last. Maybe you should read some history.
Those are all highly capitalist countries by their own proud admission if you ever bothered to acquaint yourself with their own public statements. Bernie has always called himself a socialist, however. Not a social democrat, ever.
It's funny. It's seems nobody from either side is really clued in to how Sweden (poster child for the Bernie's) got to be what it is, and why it's pretty close to all falling apart, to the point they are now offering $34,000 to migrants that return home.
From 1870 to 1970 Sweden was practically a Libertarian Utopia. Largely because they had a very small population that was tightly knit to their centuries old cultures. They are mostly successful because they all share similar long term family stories and work HARD together. Their social safety net is largely paid for by... THEMSELVES!!
Their people accept their tax burdens, which actually is larger for the poor than the rich as a percentage burden since most of their taxation is flat rather than progressive. They also largely avoid the mess of interfering in others affairs beyond general assistance, and don't fight other people's wars for them.
Yeah... Scandanavia is quite the conundrum for both sides of American Politics. What happens there simply isn't feasible in the US. For a multitude of reasons.
Thanks man, appreciate the Sweden history. Did anyone even ask the question of just how many immigrants their society was prepared to take in? And damn near all at once? Or maybe people did, but their (obviously racist!) questions were hidden away on the internet, like what happens here.
Every society on earth is a "collectivist" project or enterprise. That's what societies _are_. The word is derived from the Latin _socius_ which means "partner, companion, associate." Butchering other humans seems to be a common practice. Some do it individually, but many do it in groups. It doesn't seem to be limited by ideology. Is this news to you?
Just another form of collectivism.
Find me a collectivist society that's flourished.
Now name how many have butchered tens of millions of their own citizens.
I think there are a lot of citizens in multiple European countries who think they have pretty good lives. And measuring by life expectancy, infant mortality, available quality health care that doesn't cost half the country's riches, not to mention all education scores, they're kicking our asses, and have been for a while.
You keep trying to equate communism, like the Soviet Union and China, with social democracy. That's incorrect, dude.
We the People would most likely enjoy greater spiritual and emotional satisfaction in an hour spent with Mr. Zevon than wandering the endless wasteland of the comments collective. But Taibbi/RACKET are rock and roll to me and the truth is every bit as tasty as a big bowl of Lee Ho Fook's beef chow mein.
As a thought: The fight here (subscription journalism) at core, is who will control the American national dialogue and thus control the American future. I've no doubt that there are communists and capitalists, democrats and republicans etc. But those terms no longer describe the political, financial reality inflicting the social ills you're describing, --I agree with you -- on actual human reality. Mr. Taibbi's "THE DIVIDE" explains this much better than I can.
My long winded point? The terms in question no longer describe the reality. And, the people responsible for the collapse use them as a good cop/bad cop bitch slap to prevent the truth/fact based national conversation--which We the People are attempting here--that would put actual solutions on the table.
Human moral reason exists in the human. Not in the proclamations of the faux spirituality, ideological utopianism and malignant narcissism of those exploiting political and religious systems for personal gain. Stalin, Hitler and Mao are proof. Mr. Sanders is smoke and mirrors for the actual mal pathologies distorting American life and moral reason. Communism and capitalism are dead because the communists and capitalists killed them and installed a rigged game now being used to dismantle Western culture and civilization.
We the People/the world have entered a new age and the only engine of survival is the American Republic, the Constitution and the free citizen. The only lines of human moral demarcation remaining are those still existing in free peoples and our Constitution.
(Bow wow wow wow wow. Excuse my rant.)
I'm with you on The Constitution.
And my hair? You know it's perfect.
See you at Trader Vic's.
What is totally cool about this is the millennials and Gen Z commenters have no fucking idea what we are talking about.
Not for those who engage only in binary thinking.
I'm not trying to prove anything. I certainly know the difference down to details.
The point I'm making is that any collectivist society always ends the same way:
A colossal failure.
See above. Some collectivities have lasted a long time. Rome, for example, from the kingdom to the republic to the empire(s) lasted 2200 years. Maybe that wasn't a great thing -- Rome was pretty brutal by modern standards -- but it did last. Maybe you should read some history.
I wouldn't call the Russians or the Chinese communists any more.
Those are all highly capitalist countries by their own proud admission if you ever bothered to acquaint yourself with their own public statements. Bernie has always called himself a socialist, however. Not a social democrat, ever.
Those countries are social democracies.
It's funny. It's seems nobody from either side is really clued in to how Sweden (poster child for the Bernie's) got to be what it is, and why it's pretty close to all falling apart, to the point they are now offering $34,000 to migrants that return home.
From 1870 to 1970 Sweden was practically a Libertarian Utopia. Largely because they had a very small population that was tightly knit to their centuries old cultures. They are mostly successful because they all share similar long term family stories and work HARD together. Their social safety net is largely paid for by... THEMSELVES!!
Their people accept their tax burdens, which actually is larger for the poor than the rich as a percentage burden since most of their taxation is flat rather than progressive. They also largely avoid the mess of interfering in others affairs beyond general assistance, and don't fight other people's wars for them.
Yeah... Scandanavia is quite the conundrum for both sides of American Politics. What happens there simply isn't feasible in the US. For a multitude of reasons.
Thanks man, appreciate the Sweden history. Did anyone even ask the question of just how many immigrants their society was prepared to take in? And damn near all at once? Or maybe people did, but their (obviously racist!) questions were hidden away on the internet, like what happens here.
Every society on earth is a "collectivist" project or enterprise. That's what societies _are_. The word is derived from the Latin _socius_ which means "partner, companion, associate." Butchering other humans seems to be a common practice. Some do it individually, but many do it in groups. It doesn't seem to be limited by ideology. Is this news to you?
You mean like the way US capitalists butchered tens of millions of Africans and Native Americans back in "The Good Old Days(TM)"?
Too few, sadly.
How about trolling elsewhere?
You breathe too much.