Democrats 2020

[lpetrich]

In reference to a certain person's dikegorophobia, I decided to see who had been a lawyer or otherwise involved in the legal profession.

Democrats:
Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Steve Bullock, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Bill de Blasio, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, Mike Gravel, Kamala Harris, John Hickenlooper, Jay Inslee, Amy Klobuchar, Wayne Messam, Seth Moulton, Beto O'Rourke, Tim Ryan, Bernie Sanders, Eric Swalwell, Elizabeth Warren, Marianne Williamson, Andrew Yang
14+10 = 24

Republicans:
Donald Trump, Bill Weld (Larry Hogan, John Kasich)
1+1 = 2

 

[angelo]

This is interesting. But opinion nevertheless.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-poli.../donald-trump-2020-presidential-election-odds

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

This is interesting. But opinion nevertheless.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-poli.../donald-trump-2020-presidential-election-odds

No rules apply to Trump. He broke every single known political convention in getting elected in '16. Obama and the Dems got slaughted in the mid-terms in 2010, but Obama won in '12. GOP was beaten up even worse in '18... that doesn't mean Trump is toast. He should be toast... he shouldn't have made it to the Iowa Caucus!... but what should be right now in global politics is far from what actually is.

 

[PyramidHead]

Socialism Is More Popular Than Donald Trump

“Trump Approval Edges Down to 42%,” read the headline from a May 17 Gallup review of its latest polling on the president’s appeal.

Three days later, Gallup reported that “43% of Americans say socialism would be a good thing for the country.”

That’s right—after months of attacking socialism, Trump came into mid-May with a 42 percent approval rating while socialism scored a 43. In fairness to Trump, these recent polls have margins of error, and surveys of presidential popularity and ideological alignment measure different apples and oranges. But it is still striking, as Trump’s approval numbers are ticking downward, socialism seems to be holding its own. Indeed, Gallup now notes, “about four in 10 Americans are accepting of some form of socialism or socialist policies.”

What’s even more striking are the measures of who likes socialism. The ideology is narrowly ahead with women, 48 percent of whom say that socialism is good for the country, as opposed to 47 percent who say it’s bad. (Men go 56 percent “bad,” versus 38 percent “good.”) And the Gallup survey suggests socialism is way ahead with nonwhite Americans, 57 percent of whom say its good for the country, versus just 35 percent who label the ideology bad.

Socialism is especially popular with young people. Among the Americans aged 18–34 who were surveyed by Gallup, 58 percent say it’s good for the country.

So if the future is female, if America is growing more diverse, and if today’s young people are destined to become more influential in our politics, it is entirely reasonable to suggest that socialism is “trending.”

 

[Derec]

So if the future is female, if America is growing more diverse, and if today’s young people are destined to become more influential in our politics, it is entirely reasonable to suggest that socialism is “trending.”

Socialism doesn't work as an economic system. It would be one thing if all the socialist failures were in the past. But we can all see mierda hitting the ventilador in Venezuela. So what's wrong with these people?

 

[ZiprHead]

So if the future is female, if America is growing more diverse, and if today’s young people are destined to become more influential in our politics, it is entirely reasonable to suggest that socialism is “trending.”

Socialism doesn't work as an economic system. It would be one thing if all the socialist failures were in the past. But we can all see mierda hitting the ventilador in Venezuela. So what's wrong with these people?

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

 

[Derec]

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

Because neither Denmark, Norway nor Sweden are socialist.

 

[ZiprHead]

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

Because neither Denmark, Norway nor Sweden are socialist.

The definition of that word has changed. Please try to keep up.

 

[Derec]

The definition of that word has changed. Please try to keep up.

No it hasn't, although some people, like Sanders, misuse the term.
However DSA know full well who they are.

But I'll play. What does "socialism" mean to you?

 

[ZiprHead]

The definition of that word has changed. Please try to keep up.

No it hasn't, although some people, like Sanders, misuse the term.
However DSA know full well who they are.

But I'll play. What does "socialism" mean to you?

Instead of asking me, why don't you ask the young people you immediately tried to smear with your Venezuela comment?

 

[Harry Bosch]

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

Because neither Denmark, Norway nor Sweden are socialist.

The definition of that word has changed. Please try to keep up.

If we used this definition, what do we call places where the means of production are owned by the collective or government?

 

[Derec]

Instead of asking me, why don't you ask the young people you immediately tried to smear with your Venezuela comment?

Because the random "young people" they surveyed are not posting here.

Anyway, "socialism" has a definition. It is different than capitalism with some public services and a social safety net.

 

[angelo]

So if the future is female, if America is growing more diverse, and if today’s young people are destined to become more influential in our politics, it is entirely reasonable to suggest that socialism is “trending.”

Socialism doesn't work as an economic system. It would be one thing if all the socialist failures were in the past. But we can all see mierda hitting the ventilador in Venezuela. So what's wrong with these people?

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

Since you brought up Sweden...................It's the most taxed country on Earth, with Denmark, Norway not all that far behind. Like the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Someone always has to pay.

https://nomadcapitalist.com/2017/08/07/countries-with-the-highest-tax/

 

[ZiprHead]

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

Since you brought up Sweden...................It's the most taxed country on Earth, with Denmark, Norway not all that far behind. Like the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Someone always has to pay.

https://nomadcapitalist.com/2017/08/07/countries-with-the-highest-tax/

And yet the people are happier than Australians. There are plenty of places in this world where you can live and pay low or no taxes. Nobody wants to live there though because they are, in the word of someone you admire, shitholes.

 

[Worldtraveller]

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

Since you brought up Sweden...................It's the most taxed country on Earth, with Denmark, Norway not all that far behind. Like the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Someone always has to pay.

https://nomadcapitalist.com/2017/08/07/countries-with-the-highest-tax/

And yet the people are happier than Australians. There are plenty of places in this world where you can live and pay low or no taxes. Nobody wants to live there though because they are, in the word of someone you admire, shitholes.

What's really dumb (and I mean really dumb) about all these 'but they pay more in taxes' arguments from the right wing, is that they don't actually care that we in the US are paying more for the same thing. It's still mandatory, but we don't call it taxes, so it's a-ok with these idiots.

The GOP propaganda machine has spent so much of the last 40 years convincing their sheep that taxes are the "Worst Thing Eva!" (TM) that it doesn't matter if taxes are a much better or more efficient way of doing things (even given the typical bureaucratic cockup that we're so good at) that they will happily pay three times as much, and can't opt out, as long as it isn't called 'taxation'. There's a whole section in The Authoritarians about how right wing authoritarian types believe in the magic power of words, and "taxes" is one of those words.

I calculated the difference in my stated tax rate, and my actual tax rate (actual being all the medical/healthcare costs that just come from my paycheck, not all the co-pays, prescription fees, etc. that most of those countries also don't pay) and the difference is pretty staggering. The actual tax rate for my bracket is nearly 40% higher than what is claimed.
Oh noes...socialism!!

 

[angelo]

How come people always bring up Venezuela? Why not Denmark, Norway, or Sweden? So what's wrong with these people?

Since you brought up Sweden...................It's the most taxed country on Earth, with Denmark, Norway not all that far behind. Like the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Someone always has to pay.

https://nomadcapitalist.com/2017/08/07/countries-with-the-highest-tax/

And yet the people are happier than Australians. There are plenty of places in this world where you can live and pay low or no taxes. Nobody wants to live there though because they are, in the word of someone you admire, shitholes.

Are they really living in Utopia........................................https://canadafreepress.com/article/the-happiest-people-in-the-world

 

[ZiprHead]

And yet the people are happier than Australians. There are plenty of places in this world where you can live and pay low or no taxes. Nobody wants to live there though because they are, in the word of someone you admire, shitholes.

Are they really living in Utopia........................................https://canadafreepress.com/article/the-happiest-people-in-the-world

What a load of drivel, saying Scandinavian nations are like the Soviet Union. The rest of you can thank me because you won't have to read it.

 

[southernhybrid]

And yet the people are happier than Australians. There are plenty of places in this world where you can live and pay low or no taxes. Nobody wants to live there though because they are, in the word of someone you admire, shitholes.

Are they really living in Utopia........................................https://canadafreepress.com/article/the-happiest-people-in-the-world

What a load of drivel, saying Scandinavian nations are like the Soviet Union. The rest of you can thank me because you won't have to read it.

I read it earlier today. It was one of the most irrational, ignorant rants I've ever read, but considering who posted it, I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

But, I don't like it when y'all use the word socialism to describe countries that are a mix of capitalism and democratic socialism, like many of the European countries are. One more time: Socialism is about the government controlling the means of production, and has little to do with a country simply providing a good safety net, publicly supported infrastructure and education for its people. In fact, socialism has failed to do that. I guess you could call them social programs or government supported amenities or something like that, but the most successful, supposedly happiest countries aren't socialist, they are a mix of capitalism and publicly supported programs which benefit all of the citizens. I know I'm not the only one who has made a similar point, but it needs to be made again. And, that's not directed at any one individual. It's just my rant about why I refuse to misuse the word socialism.

Otherwise, I am in complete agreement with you about that idiotic link. Oh, and earth to Angelo.....nobody ever claimed that they were living in a utopia. People just like knowing there is help with the basics of living, if and when they need it.

 

[Derec]

What a load of drivel, saying Scandinavian nations are like the Soviet Union.

Of course they are nothing alike. Scandinavian nations are capitalistic.

 

[Derec]

But, I don't like it when y'all use the word socialism to describe countries that are a mix of capitalism and democratic socialism,

Social democracy, NOT democratic socialism. Democratic socialism is socialism. They just want to get to socialism through the ballot box and not a bloody Proletarian revolution.

 Democratic Socialism

Not to be confused with social democracy.
Democratic socialism is a political philosophy that advocates political democracy alongside a socially owned economy,[1] with an emphasis on self-management and democratic management of economic institutions within a market or some form of decentralised planned socialist economy.[2] Democratic socialists argue that capitalism is inherently incompatible with what they hold to be the democratic values of liberty, equality and solidarity and that these ideals can be achieved only through the realisation of a socialist society.

 Social Democracy

Not to be confused with democratic socialism.
Social democracy is a political, social and economic philosophy that supports economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a liberal democratic polity and a capitalist mixed economy. The protocols and norms used to accomplish this involve a commitment to representative and participatory democracy, measures for income redistribution and regulation of the economy in the general interest and welfare state provisions.

Other than that, good post.