Random political thought thread.

[ceecee]

I saw an interesting article discussing how AOC's comments about Scandinavia's wage is good in thought but will only work if they implement the other things involved with it. In this case, yes they get paid a salary chosen and debated upon of $22 an hour, of which about $11 goes directly to taxes, but the government also uses these taxes to give resources like gas and etc and fund all the social programs involved. It was kind of interesting to read how these more truly liberal countries work rather than just hearing someone scream America sucks and we should be Denmark. With all the offerings and aids from the government, they stress less about security and means and have time to enjoy life more with the money they do have...

Maybe capitalism actually doesn't work.

I would stress that the Scandinavian countries are all capitalist countries. They subscribe to the Nordic Model (this is what Bernie advocated over and over). A comprehensive welfare state and multi-level collective barging.

The Nordic Model was created by democratic socialists in the 1930's but it's changed and evolved since WWII. One thing I have found with Scandinavian people is that they are willing to embrace collectivism because they see the benefit to all. Most Americans are unable to do this - mostly because they wrongly believe that if you embrace collectivism, you give up all individualism. You will hear Americans say this kind of cohesion is impossible due to the lack of homogeneity in the US but I would dare any of them to go to fucking Oslo and tell me how many non blond blue eyed immigrants they find. Lots. Same in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki. The only thing in the way of this kind of progress in the US is moneyed interests and politicians that only listen to those interests.

 

[Red Memories]

And I never really understood why people in US think that what is going on in Scandinavia isn't Capitalism. Like only US version of it is the real one and the term should refer just to that.

I guess growing up this is what the schools told me was "socialism" XD

 

[Red Memories]

I would stress that the Scandinavian countries are all capitalist countries. They subscribe to the Nordic Model (this is what Bernie advocated over and over). A comprehensive welfare state and multi-level collective barging.

The Nordic Model was created by democratic socialists in the 1930's but it's changed and evolved since WWII. One thing I have found with Scandinavian people is that they are willing to embrace collectivism because they see the benefit to all. Most Americans are unable to do this - mostly because they wrongly believe that if you embrace collectivism, you give up all individualism. You will hear Americans say this kind of cohesion is impossible due to the lack of homogeneity in the US but I would dare any of them to go to fucking Oslo and tell me how many non blond blue eyed immigrants they find. Lots. Same in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki. The only thing in the way of this kind of progress in the US is moneyed interests and politicians that only listen to those interests.

Ah the grand ole lobbyists...paying our politicians pocketbooks so they don't care about us all the more day.

This makes Bernie seem less crazy and more reasonable. They don't make the factual information on these things so apparent. I guess they also play into it. Schools don't even want you to know. XD

 

[ceecee]

Ah the grand ole lobbyists...paying our politicians pocketbooks so they don't care about us all the more day.

This makes Bernie seem less crazy and more reasonable. They don't make the factual information on these things so apparent. I guess they also play into it. Schools don't even want you to know. XD

I truly don't know how anyone would think Bernie is crazy or unreasonable if they sat down and read his policy proposals. The more you know.

I'd also recommend the book Viking Economics to learn more about the Nordic Model and how it could work here as well.

 

[Jaguar]

Turning a government into an opioid addiction. Fabulous. "Come one, come all. Get your painkillers!"

 

[Virtual ghost]

I guess growing up this is what the schools told me was "socialism" XD

Well, my remark was more rhetorical than anything else. But yeah US should get used to the idea that there are Capitalisms.
Therefore monolithic definitions are kinda counter productive here.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Well, my remark was more rhetorical than anything else. But yeah US should get used to the idea that there are Capitalisms.
Therefore monolithic definitions are kinda counter productive here.

The U.S. definition of capitalism means we can bail out investment banks and even protect them from investigation for fraud (because they're "too big to fail"), but the poor and the middle class needs to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. This is what the "free market" in the U.S. means in practice, regardless of whatever sort of idealistic frameworks of it people might hold.

I think a lot of people who call themselves anti-capitalist are against precisely that, and are trying to set themselves in opposition to folks who hold the practical reality of the "free market" to be the best we can ever do.

 

[Jaguar]

There are multiple taxes related to car ownership in Denmark. The first one is the registration tax, that you pay when purchasing any car, in order to get a license plate for the car. This varies somewhere between 100–180% of the car price, excluding taxes. On top of this comes 25%VAT, which is 25% of both the actual car price and the registration tax.

Is that all? Hell, why not charge 500% of the car's value? Woohoo.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Has Biden presented any indication that he wants to do anything about Trump's abuse of bortac in Portland? Is he planning to get rid of Bortac or even enacting any measure to prevent it from being used in such a way in the future? Is anyone involved with that going to be held accountable in any way?

If he is ('ll allow an affirmative answer to any one of those), I'll admit I'm being too hard on him and I need to give him more of a chance. I don't think banking on future Republican presidents to respect norms of democracy is a great strategy and has been shown to fail in the past.

 

[Jaguar]

Tax me, baby. Tax me. Higher. Higher. No, really. Higher. Go, girl!

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

We can't really claim to be a "land of the free" if we have a bipartisan consensus in not doing anything about rights being violated.

 

[Jaguar]

.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

.

What are your opinions on BORTAC? And if Biden does nothing about Trump using it in the way that he did, how would that be defensible? I don't think he needs Congress for that kind of thing, so you can't just blame it on Joe Manchin.

 

[Jaguar]

$20 million lawsuit filed against Catholic high school over 'blackface photo'

 

[Jaguar]

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would not only ban chokeholds, but put an end to “qualified immunity” for law enforcement in order to increase accountability.

That's an uphill battle, but fight on. Pull out the rocket launcher, if you have to. Mount it on your shoulder. Fire.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

That's an uphill battle, but fight on. Pull out the rocket launcher, if you have to. Mount it on your shoulder. Fire.

None of that would apply to BORTAC, though, since they aren't considered cops.

 

[Lark]

.

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things isnt the same

 

[Virtual ghost]

The U.S. definition of capitalism means we can bail out investment banks and even protect them from investigation for fraud (because they're "too big to fail"), but the poor and the middle class needs to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. This is what the "free market" in the U.S. means in practice, regardless of whatever sort of idealistic frameworks of it people might hold.

I think a lot of people who call themselves anti-capitalist are against precisely that, and are trying to set themselves in opposition to folks who hold the practical reality of the "free market" to be the best we can ever do.

I am afraid I am here for too long not to be aware of that.
Actually in my city people are massively turning to the green far left since they are tired of even something that just kinda resembles US crony logic. Because there is kinda similar path of decay, since this is Mid-west kind of a "landscape", it is just that we somewhat lag in this game. Therefore there is panic in the air since the new player has more votes in the polls than the two main parties combined (and elections are at the door). While free market liberal centrists could get completely or almost completely thrown out of the city council (not that there was many of them there). What is because this is fundamentally a city of BernieBros and working class people, but that got mudded through media, remakes of the political parties, shutting down of many factories, shifting of goal posts ... you know the drill.

 

[Jaguar]

None of that would apply to BORTAC, though, since they aren't considered cops.

None of that would apply to blood sugar control since you mentioned nothing about insulin requirements.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Shuuuut up, Mitt

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney Is Pushing For A Flavored Vape Ban (Again) - Vaping Post

Just like, maybe tighten regulations to prevent underage users from buying the products? Do we really need a big industry wide ban? Seems like using a chainsaw for heart surgery. Also, tired of people continuing to conflate two separate issues--underage vaping, and illicit thc cartridges. The CDC already confirmed that the majority of vaping related illnesses were NOT a result of nicotine-based flavored juices.