Biden losing in swing states

[Harry Bosch]

What is the "whole point of dictatorship"? At the end of the day, the difference between you and I is that I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government that they want. You do not.

I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government as well. But that's not at all how it works in the US at this point.....especially after citizens united, the US is unrecognizable to any kind of democracy today.. Only oligopolies have any choice or effect to our government and thanks to liberal ideology monopolies, a lot of individuals have even lost their 1st amendment rights.

So while (in theory) I agree with Harry Bosch, I believe in practice Barbos is probably closer to the superior representation for the largest amount of people. At this point, only a dictator (hopefully benevolent) or authoritative could have any power to empower middle class or poor people.

Okay. Please list a single dictatorship that you'd rather live in than America? Would you rather live in Cuba, Russia, or Syria compared to Canada, Australia, or France?

 

[barbos]

Okay. Please list a single dictatorship that you'd rather live in than America? Would you rather live in Cuba, Russia, or Syria compared to Canada, Australia, or France?

Some americans moved to Russia and say it's better than US.

 

[Elixir]

Okay. Please list a single dictatorship that you'd rather live in than America? Would you rather live in Cuba, Russia, or Syria compared to Canada, Australia, or France?

Some americans moved to Russia and say it's better than US.

Some Americans are STUPID. Some Murkins think Donald Trump is a very stable genius. So what?

 

[scombrid]

What is the "whole point of dictatorship"? At the end of the day, the difference between you and I is that I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government that they want. You do not.

I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government as well. But that's not at all how it works in the US at this point.....especially after citizens united, the US is unrecognizable to any kind of democracy today.. Only oligopolies have any choice or effect to our government and thanks to liberal ideology monopolies, a lot of individuals have even lost their 1st amendment rights.

So while (in theory) I agree with Harry Bosch, I believe in practice Barbos is probably closer to the superior representation for the largest amount of people. At this point, only a dictator (hopefully benevolent) or authoritative could have any power to empower middle class or poor people.

This reads like apologetics from someone that believes that a right wing authoritarian would be a man of the people that would ultimately benefit the largest possible swath of the working class. That seems unrealistic an outcome based on history of autocracies in general.

Of course the false premise that "a lot of individuals" in the US have lost 1st Amendment rights is at the heart of the belief. Someone that believes that might think that a right wing authoritarian would be a good solution.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Why would a dictator want to help the middle class or poor?

Because he happened to be a decent and smart human being.

Any historical examples?

 

[Elixir]

What is the "whole point of dictatorship"? At the end of the day, the difference between you and I is that I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government that they want. You do not.

I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government as well. But that's not at all how it works in the US at this point.....especially after citizens united, the US is unrecognizable to any kind of democracy today.. Only oligopolies have any choice or effect to our government and thanks to liberal ideology monopolies, a lot of individuals have even lost their 1st amendment rights.

So while (in theory) I agree with Harry Bosch, I believe in practice Barbos is probably closer to the superior representation for the largest amount of people. At this point, only a dictator (hopefully benevolent) or authoritative could have any power to empower middle class or poor people.

This reads like apologetics from someone that believes that a right wing authoritarian would be a man of the people that would ultimately benefit the largest possible swath of the working class. That seems unrealistic an outcome based on history of autocracies in general.

Of course the false premise that "a lot of individuals" in the US have lost 1st Amendment rights is at the heart of the belief. Someone that believes that might think that a right wing authoritarian would be a good solution.

Meanwhile, even a federal judge can’t get a gag order imposed on someone already found liable for inciting violence, threatening witnesses, judges, court secretaries and everyone who tells the truth about him, blatantly tries to contaminate the jury pool and cries constantly about his “right” to do all of the above.
Yah sure, we need a RW authoritarian extremist to preserve that asshole’s”rights”.
BULLSHIT.

 

[scombrid]

Well Hudson News won't sell MTG's book in airports so that is definitely a 1st Amendment violation.

 

[barbos]

Any historical examples?

Are you saying there are no examples of better than Biden/Trump kings/queens ?

 

[barbos]

This reads like apologetics from someone that believes that a right wing authoritarian

Not everything in the world revolves around US and your Trump problem.
But may I remind you that you have democracy. If democracy is so great, how come you got this Trump problem?

 

[Elixir]

This reads like apologetics from someone that believes that a right wing authoritarian

Not everything in the world revolves around US and your Trump problem.
But may I remind you that you have democracy. If democracy is so great, how come you got this Trump problem?

Because that’s what democracy is intended to deal with properly - unlike Russians who are forced crawl under their beds in fear of their authoritarians (or get poisoned, imprisoned, defenestrated etc), free people have the option to legally depose them.

 

[ZiprHead]

Why would a dictator want to help the middle class or poor?

Because he happened to be a decent and smart human being.

Who is this mythical person you are referring to.

 

[barbos]

Who is this mythical person you are referring to.

Gorbachev, you all love gim, don't you?

 

[TomC]

Why would a dictator want to help the middle class or poor?

Because he happened to be a decent and smart human being.

Who is this mythical person you are referring to.

It isn't impossible. It's just so far beyond human experience it's nearly incomprehensible.
A decent, hard working, smart person genuinely trying to rise to top levels of power to do the right thing for the Human Family will get run over by the self centered tyrants.
Tom

 

[TomC]

Who is this mythical person you are referring to.

Gorbachev, you all love gim, don't you?

My vague recollection is that he was unusually decent for a Soviet leader.
That's why he got the blame for the fallout from previous decades.
Tom

 

[Elixir]

Who is this mythical person you are referring to.

Gorbachev, you all love gim, don't you?

My vague recollection is that he was unusually decent for a Soviet leader.
That's why he got the blame for the fallout from previous decades.
Tom

Funny that the only guy babs could come up with, was the guy who tried to turn Russia democratic.

 

[TomC]

I'm trying to remember.
Who was the top leader of the USSR when they invaded Afghanistan?
How'd that work out?
Tom

 

[SLD]

So another alarming poll indicating that the Hamas conflict has worsened Biden's poll numbers. It's like no matter what he can do no right. It's his fault of course. I hear that from the right megaphone all the time. It's such crap.

Poll: Biden’s standing hits new lows amid Israel-Hamas war

Young voters are breaking from Biden, helping give Trump a narrow lead for the first time in NBC News polling, though the gap is within the margin of error.

www.nbcnews.com

But a major problem is the American divide on Israel and Palestine, with many traditional Democratic communities divided on the issue - as if somehow Trump would be a better alternative for those who support Palestine. Of course this is precisely why the Middle East has exploded - we are being played by Putin who wants Trump in so he can complete his conquest of Ukraine.

Then there's this article about black voters' enthusiasm for Trump is declining:

Waning enthusiasm from Black voters presents an inflection point for Biden's campaign

One Black voter from Ohio says it’s concerning that even he isn’t considering Biden to be a “no-brainer.”

www.nbcnews.com

As one black voter put it, what has he done for me?

Well, a lot, but it's obviously not getting through to people.

 

[Swammerdami]

What is the "whole point of dictatorship"? At the end of the day, the difference between you and I is that I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government that they want. You do not.

I prefer that people have a choice in the form of government as well. But that's not at all how it works in the US at this point.....especially after citizens united, the US is unrecognizable to any kind of democracy today.. Only oligopolies have any choice or effect to our government and thanks to liberal ideology monopolies, a lot of individuals have even lost their 1st amendment rights.

So while (in theory) I agree with Harry Bosch, I believe in practice Barbos is probably closer to the superior representation for the largest amount of people. At this point, only a dictator (hopefully benevolent) or authoritative could have any power to empower middle class or poor people.

I agree with much of what RVonse writes here, excepting the part I've reddened which seems like Trumpist gibberish. And of course the ignorance of the average citizen makes representative democracy better than "pure" democracy.

Authoritarian regimes were the norm throughout most of history and autocrats were often benevolent -- and often had little motive not to be benevolent. Although militarism (conquests) was generally rule rather than exception, ancient autocrats were otherwise often good rulers. Cyrus the Great of Persia is a notable example; he was strongly admired by Thomas Jefferson. ("Christians" often compare Donald Trump to Cyrus, a comparison which will make any rational thinker want to puke.)

Off the top of my head, Alfred, Henry II and Elizabeth I were all English Monarchs who were almost universally admired by the English. It may be harder to find benevolent autocrats in the modern era. Is Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew an example?

 

[Politesse]

It's weird. It was not that long ago that Sanders supporters were being shamed by centrist Democrats for supporting Bernie, because he could never get the Black vote and putting him on the ticket would therefore guarantee a win for Trump. We had to support Biden, because he was the only candidate who had credibility with Black voters, as the South Carolina primary supposedly proved. But now all the same centrist papers and pundits are slamming Biden for being out of touch with Black voters, and Biden is polling terribly in South Carolina. Maybe its the Democratic Party as a whole that does not understand Black voters, not any particular candidate they put on the ballot.

 

[bilby]

Off the top of my head, Alfred, Henry II and Elizabeth I were all English Monarchs who were almost universally admired by the English.

Elizabeth I killed more English Catholics than her sister "bloody" Mary killed English Protestants. Both Queens were HUGELY popular with the people on their own side of the sectarian divide, but "universally admired" is utter bunk.

The problem with any study of English history prior to the 19th Century is that the vast majority of the material was butchered by the Victorians, who had a powerful agenda, and a blatant disregard for facts.

Elizabeth I is said to have been universally popular because she was a Queen who established an empire, and made England powerful on the world stage - just like Victoria.

Similarly, we "know" that Cromwell's protectorate was hugely unpopular, despite the few independent contemporary sources that survive (eg Pepys) suggesting that in London at least, he was considered a massive improvement on the Kings who preceded him. But as a regicide, it was obvious to the Victorians that he must have been unpopular, so they memory-holed whatever sources suggested otherwise.

Victorians sit as a roadblock astride English history, obscuring most of what went before, and filtering the remainder through their hugely biased worldview. Anything written by, and most of what was written since, the Victorian era should be taken with a massive grain of salt. This includes almost everything that's taught in English schools, and hence pretty much all of popular understanding of English history.