586 Comments

Capitalism certainly does not promote democracy. In fact, what it has created with the help of the legalized bribery of Citizens United is an oligarchic kleptocracy, the rich are stealing from everyone else and creating extreme income disparity hollowing out the middle class. I'm reading "Viking Economics" by George Lakey on how the Scandinavian counties dealt with this and now have strong economies with strong democracy and well-being. Believe the lessons could be applied to the United States but with some big hurdles like racial justice to overcome.

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Someone had previously mentioned this book, so I ordered it, & it arrived yesterday. I’m looking forward to reading it. I am a firm believer that everyone deserves basic needs & that it benefits me as well as them when everyone’s basic needs are met. (A roof over one's head, food on the table, healthcare, a good education, etc.)

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What a reasonable, humanistic, fair minded philosophy. It would make a perfect campaign slogan like a "chicken in every pot". Imagine telling people that you want to help them with the basics of life, create a "level playing field" for every kid. Sounds great.

But the radicals on the right will declare that philosophy "socialism". That welfare never worked, that it will encourage laziness, that only hard work matters...

And the irony of all this is that the radical righties will call themselves "Christian" and demonize those who want to help "others".

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I almost wrote “a chicken in every pot”…. 😸

Yes, what I believe doesn’t seem achievable in the present political atmosphere, but I still hope that if enough people get fed up with the lies and hypocrisy & vote in more progressives, that change can start to happen. Hopefully it won’t be too late.

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It isn't too late, and, if one ignores the polls and talks to one's neighbors, there might be pleasant surprises found. If not, at least a conversation can be started that we could all learn from. Cathy Learoyd wrote an excellent piece to follow up Robert Hubble's Newsletter today, it's worth the time to read.

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Maybe the saying to get attention should be "a yacht in every back yard". No doubt there are many that have no idea what a yacht is today!

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I'm gonna need a bigger yard.

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I'm going to need a yard..

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Language is key in changing hearts and minds. “Level playing field” equals “socialism.” Isn’t that rich?

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I like Bernie saying "If you have a social security card you are a card-carrying socialist"

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OK, so let’s be honest and say that we want the rich to have to run uphill. We want to tilt the playing field in favor of the poor, working and middle classes.

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The poor have been running uphill for a long time, what people are saying is let everyone run on level ground. As a CPA with over 30 years experience I have seen how the tax law favors the rich over the working class and the poor. Since 1982 the laws have consistently changed to favor the wealthy investor class.

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I'm not sure anyone should have to run uphill for the basic necessities of life. And I can't. help noticing that, even in your comment, "the poor, working and middle classes" make up more of our world than "the rich." Aside from my occasional fits of hostility toward the rich during which I want to whack them with a ruler, I don't really care whether they have to run uphill. But where did we come by this obviously flawed logic that if you get even a bite my whole pie is ruined.

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100%! Well stated Dean

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Bravo, Dean. I have a steel-edge ruler I'd like to use.

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When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality seems like oppression.

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As we used to say, Tough noogies.

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And therein lies the problems.

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“The rich running uphill”. That is absurd. They have been running downhill since birth. The comment does not account for privileges some are born with. Equality of security, education, opportunity, and meritocracy. These build a strong, capable, competitive society.

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On June 3, 2001, the NY Times Magazine published an advertisement for U.S. Trust with a picture of an anxiety-ridden woman and the headline (in caps), "MONEY IS NOT THE END OF WORRY. IT IS THE BEGINNING." Then a page of text of which I thought the key passage was: "The burden of wealth is something few understand unless it actually rests on their shoulders. How can you explain to other people the fear that your children might never need to work?" This was followed by another page of Q&A in connection with an ad for the Citigroup Private Bank Family Advisory Practice "devoted to helping clients think through the human implications of their wealth." The first question was "Is being born into wealth a burden?" Of course I wrote a letter to the editor thanking them for what I thought must surely be a parody of an ad. Needless to say, it wasn't published. On the other hand, I never saw that or a similar ad again, though I doubt my letter was at fault. (I still have those pages from the magazine.)

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We're making a list here of all the reasons we have been come both the despair and the laughing-stock of the rest of the developed world. The brutal capitalism; the perception of basic rights as privileges that have to be earned; the economic divide; the long, showy, and ridiculously expensive campaigns for public office--every bit of it that we wave in the faces of the nations we march out to "save for democracy"--is what makes us, in the eyes of far too many people, morons. It really is sometimes so horrifying and crazy that it's difficult to believe.

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I was describing an aspiration, not reality.

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Why, Jon Margolis, you say it like it’s a bad thing.

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I didn’t mean to.

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Level it, not destroy it. Not a bulldozer. Finesse, take time to change. In fact we have taken way too much time.

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Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Good exercise.

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Yes, "rich". Then you can call this retired capitalist a socialist.

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Me too, Bill. As a resident of Bernie's state, it is a matter of pride to call oneself a Democratic Socialist. When critics use the "S" word, I emphasize the "D" word.

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You are 100% right and what I will never understand is why liberals and Democrats can't or won't figure that out.

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No,no,no! My wealthy clients consistently pay a lower tax rate then my w2 employed clients. Level the playing field is what we are asking for. The ROTH IRA is just one example of how the wealthy can end up paying no tax now or in the future. Middle income folks can’t afford to fund a ROTH and will end up paying tax on their social security in retirement while wealthy investors can take their ROTH distributions tax free and not pay any tax on their social security

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Thanks, Elizabeth, for the information. I can't think of any word to describe this except "obscene."

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Read this somewhere and loosely put it together, “Language inspires thought, thought inspires action, action reveals character.”

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My thoughts exactly....any time we try to help others with government programs, it is socialism which the Rs have succeeded in making a very dirty word, often equated with communism. They call themselves not only Christian, but also pro-family and pro-life, and patriotic. They are nauseating hypocrites. The sad thing is lots of poorer folk buy this nonsense despite the actual policies advocated and often passed by the elite work against them economically. Fear and hatred are powerful tools.

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the wealthy benefit from government programs, welfare for the rich. and if you have, or generate, enough money, you can do everything with other people's money. sports stadiums are a good example. a team threatens to leave a city unless the city builds a new stadium. the new stadium is built with taxpayers' money. the seats are so expensive, most people can't afford to attend a game. many people are poor because of the coast of housing. when i was growing up, food and clothing were expensive, and housing was cheap. now it is just the opposite. there are few decent, inexpensive places to live. this and the outsourcing of manufacturing are the biggest changes in the economy in my lifetime. and the fact that we did not respond to foreign competition, most notably japanese cars. once upon a time if you made a big effort you might become rich. now you make a big effort to become middle class. and sadly, homogeneous societies are the most generous. people see themselves in everyone else. heterogeneous societies are less generous, and a lot of time and energy are spent on debating who deserves what.

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Totally agree. The sports stadium ploy fries me. And yes, tickets are expensive and of course, the very rich have boxes. Just read an article about the track games at the new Haywood Field in Eugene which was mostly privately funded although the article seemed to say the state contributed. We have Uncle Phil of course who is also busy contributing to Rs and Betsy Johnson. The article indicated that hotels have jacked up their per night per room costs to a point that it is price gouging. The economic impact beyond the games is debatable according to the article. As for the cost of housing....I am amazed what houses go for. In our city a modest house is something in the four hundred plus range. I live in a neighborhood where many students qualify for reduced or free lunches. I don't know how people do it. Obviously many don't given the tents all around.

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Fear and hatred - the two basic tools utilized by the Republican Party. I am so often reminded of that powerful speech *finally* made by the President, played by Michael Douglas, in "The American President."

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I remember when cops were called Pigs and the police made an acronym: Pride Integrity Guts. That halted the negative use of the word. Hmmm,, "socialism" is a pretty long word, but I'll think about it.

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Socialism is defined as taxpayer funds being used collectively to benefit society as a whole despite income, contribution, or ability. Another word for socialism is progressive. I sometimes try to explain to folks, we are talking about Social Progress. And then I list all the "socialist" programs this country already employs and which most of us depend on to work for us: Public Schools, Military/Defense, Highways/Roads, Public Libraries, Fire/Police/Sheriff/Trooper agencies, Student loans & Grants, Farm Subsidies, CIA/FBI/DHS/etc., Polio/COVID/vaccines, EPA, Museums, Public Parks, VA, GI Bill, Hoover Dam, Bridges, Free Lunch Program, SNAP/WIC, Unemployment Insurance, OSHA, USDA, National Weather Service, CDC, Sewer Systems, Jail/Prison System, Court System, 911 System, County Hospitals, Disability Insurance, Town/State Run Beaches, State Construction, State Snow Removal, Public Street Lighting, Medicare, Social Security (these last 2 have been on the Republican's *target* list for removal for years) - and more.

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Rusty, "Socialism is an economic, social, and political system based on public rather than private ownership of a country’s means of production." Programs that provide a social safety net are not socialism. Nor are government regulations. This is a huge and important misunderstanding, made worse by republicans labeling anything they don't like socialism. I wish Democrats would stop helping them with their propaganda. The Heritage Foundation ranks countries on "Economic Freedom" and Sweden ranks higher than the U.S. Despite a generous social safety net, Sweden has a market economy and isn't socialist. Perhaps they are Democratic Socialists, but I think that label is too confusing too.

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Who doesn't like to socialize?

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If we say that the poor believe this or that, aren't we betraying a certain elitism? Plenty of middle-class and rich people believe that guff, too.

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I am talking about the people who are hurt by the R policies and those people are not the wealthy. I am talking about my family in the midwest who are dirt poor and yet buy into all this including Q conspiracy theories. When my sister was here with my niece, my niece was concerned because I used brown eggs and served organic food to give you an idea of how brainwashed they are. She was also concerned when the co-pilot on the plane home was a woman. They love what food companies produce and have all sorts of health problems. I count the middle class as people who suffer because of R policies as well. When I say poorer, I mean anyone who is not wealthy. Why wouldn't the elite wealthy promote this; they are the ones who profit. They sit back, greedily taking more and more of the pie, while everyone who buys into this does their dirty work.

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Yes, “vote against themselves.” Another reason for repugs to oppose truth and facts in education and in the lies they tell their followers.

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At least one lesson is, once again, the power of language. We believe the words, the promises, and don't connect those with the fact that nothing that was promised ever happens. And I think the source of that migjht be, as you suggest, fear and hatred.

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Hypocrites and dumb as a bag of rocks. It wouldn't take much time to look up "communism" and "socialism" on Wikipedia.

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Corporate Socialism is OK, but they don’t know the definition and neither do their followers.

“But the radicals on the right will declare that philosophy "socialism". That welfare never worked, that it will encourage laziness, that only hard work matters...” Robert Reich explains https://youtu.be/0PqtWwlgGls

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Remember, “A chicken in every pot” was Hoover’s slogan (In 1928, not 1932). And the rich were eating steak. And caviar.

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Yes, Cathy!

There are governmental/social systems around the world to be learned from. None are perfect. But if we think we are so smart we ought to copy what works best and make adjustments to fit our countries unique aspects. Instead of being "American Exceptionalists" we could view the government through an entrepreneurial lens. Successful companies emulate other companies and refine the business model to compete effectively.

What countries do things really well? Education: Germany. Retirement: Australia. Healthcare and drug programs: UK (and to some degree Cuba!). Infrastructure - China. The list is long. The Nordic countries seem happiest and don't complain about higher taxes much. Why? Because the basics of life are covered. And...there is a thriving form of capitalism in those countries. Socialism and capitalism and democracy can be blended in an intelligent way.

All it takes to do such a thing is to cast aside the pejorative attitudes about labels and look at what works best. Oh, and we would need to believe that all humans are equal - including the "others".

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Bill, your wise and sensible post regretfully reminded me of this poem, by Brian Bilson:

“America is a Gun”

England is a cup of tea.

France, a wheel of ripened brie.

Greece, a short, squat olive tree.

America is a gun.

Brazil is football on the sand.

Argentina, Maradona’s hand.

Germany, an oompah band.

America is a gun.

Holland is a wooden shoe.

Hungary, a goulash stew.

Australia, a kangaroo.

America is a gun.

Japan is a thermal spring.

Scotland is a highland fling.

Oh, better to be anything

than America as a gun.

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I just ordered a t-shirt with MAD AS BETO on it. May wear it every day

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Love it, Jeri! Great idea!

I might design one that says “I AM OUT OF LINE WITH BETO” 😉

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❤️

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Saw this posted often on Facebook yesterday and people were busy reposting it as it is perfect for what happens here.

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Everyone should post it all over fox comments. Marinate them in it.

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Yes, thank you, and saw it too. Good to pass on and pass on again. We are FINALLY being compared, even in corporate media, mildly, to other countries!

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Wow!

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Tragically true. (It's Brian Bilston, aka Paul Millicheap,btw.)

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Thanks for letting us know, Tom

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Poetic Truth. It’s instant History.

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WOW is right! Perfect metaphor!!

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👌🏼

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America: 5% of the world's population, 45% of the world's guns.

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OMG. Did not see this.

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OMG! I love this. Gonna copy it, thanks!

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“Socialism and capitalism and democracy can be blended in an intelligent way.”

This is so true, EXCEPT America is plagued by a “Cult of Ignorance” and Anti-Intelligence.

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And now all the internet "experts" throw around words that they do not understand.

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Why cannot the left use repeated messaging like the right?

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No Rupert on our side, wish Bloomberg would take up the mantle

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Rob. you are so right. The strain of anti-intellectualism in American culture has always been a bone-deep weakness. It's a kind of belligerent, willful stupidity that is a source of pride.

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My nephew is married to a woman from Norway whose mother is quite wealthy. She does not mind paying the higher taxes because of what they provide and people can afford to shop at the market she owns. She is often confounded by what happens here.

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"because of what they provide..." - and therein lies the difference because, here in the USA it seems the wealthy are more concerned with how much they can keep for themselves than what can be provided to those who share this earth.

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Wise advice. We have so many wise people in Heather's community here. Why not start our creative "government replacement" theory now? So many ideas have been produced here for several years and in other places. Why not put them together and tweak them create a better blueprint for ourselves in this century whilst all the chinks in our systems and country are being put on grand display and very clear? We have great minds and people with vast experiences, wisdom, readers of great books, diplomacy skills, those very knowledgeable in history and international government systems. Is it time for us to take the reins and try something new before autocracy and martial law takes full hold? Seems like the direction the Party of Sedition and Fascism are hunkering towards.

I, and We, need to transform all our despair at all this shock and awe and replace the old white, narcissistic, market driven patriarchy to being All The People and and Planet Driven Sustainable Systems of Balance. I trust us to do this. I don't know why, but I do feel hope. Let's change that fricking poem by Brian Wilson that Rose posted. If we can, we should try. We have the power and the great minds.

When the public hearings begin in two weeks, we need to take more notes and ready ourselves for all the changes that will be needed as the vast corruption is revealed, and, as Jamie Raskin says, will "...blow the roof off the house!" The J6 Committee are not going to allow a Bill f-ing Barr moment to diffuse and deny Truth of this investigation, this time. Their language of lies needs to be revealed daily.

As Heather points out:

"Republicans cracked down on Democrats trying to preserve the active government that had been in place since the 1930s. Aided by talk radio hosts, they increasingly demonized their domestic political opponents. In the 1990 midterm elections, a political action committee associated with House Republican whip Newt Gingrich gave to Republican candidates a document called “Language: A Key Mechanism of Control.” It urged candidates to label Democrats with words like “decay,” “failure,” “crisis,” “pathetic,” “liberal,” “radical,” “corrupt,” and “taxes,” while defining Republicans with words like “opportunity,” “moral,” “courage,” “flag,” “children,” “common sense,” “hard work,” and “freedom.” Gingrich later told the New York Times his goal was “reshaping the entire nation through the news media.”

We are done, and we need to be ready to roll. What say you?

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Of course this speaks to me, yet I musty ask: “HOW?” I feel there is so much pent up frustration among us with no constructive, actionable outlet. I write, donate, engage, show up, call, march, rinse, repeat. And I still find myself driving home listening to the news of the latest mass murder, or leaked SCOTUS draft opinions, and I cannot help but scream and pound the steering wheel because my efforts seem so ineffective. I’ve read George Lakoff and Frank Luntz, so I’m aware of the wordsmith game. Gingrich’s ideas are the seed of Bannon’s “Flood the Zone with Shit” strategy. Social media has taken their efforts and thoroughly infected the body politic. It’s like We are trying to cure Ebola with wet wipes. We need demonstrably workable ideas to counter this excrement-amplification. I see it when I observe Coach Kerr speaking out from a position of influence. I see it when Mi State Rep Mallory McMarrow stood up to a gop colleague who smeared her. I see it when Beto crashed Abbott’s “Hearts and Prayers” news conference about the predictability of the latest mass murder of children. We need each and every one of our progressive’s in leadership to unapologetically state the obvious. And we need to amplify that.

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Hell yes Pensa

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The strength of us is our hope. Hope is the eternal principal that makes all people on earth equal. The worlds poor best illustrates hope as they arise each day to work through the monumental task of surviving until tomorrow. Until we avail ourselves of the quality of leadership that recognizes that greatness of the poorest among us we will fail at every level. People make our world function. From the poor we get the strongest people on earth. They arise to defend us and carry us on their backs. All of us. There are no success stories in any business or any endeavor that is not founded and carried to fruition on the backs of the least entitled people in this or any other nation on earth. The only potential we have going forward is to recognize their collective value and to help remove the substantial roadblocks of fear and ignorance that impedes the hope they generate for us all.

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Love it and thank you…”The Strength of us is our HOPE.”

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Also a must-read: Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein, which describes in grim detail how the Chicago School of Economics, led by Milton Friedman, converted a sizeable portion of the world to American-style capitalism at the expense of American-style democracy.

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I posted in error about Naomi Klein. I confused her with Naomi Wolf.

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Laura Logan, Maria Bartiromo and Naomi Wolfe have gone completely off the rails. I changed Naomi Klein to Naomi Wolfe as she is the person I was thinking of.

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Naomi Klein completely off the rails? Explain and please give examples. That’s not my experience of reading and listening to her.

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Sorry, I also confused her with Naomi Wolfe. My bad.

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@JR: I just did a little googling on Naomi Klein’s views on Covid lockdown and vaccines. I don’t see anything where she expresses anti-science views about vaccines, or “wacko claims”. I do see her questioning big tech’s push to permanently make more and more human interactions be mediated through tech instead of human contact. I do see her questioning the ways that capitalism could warp the responses to Covid in ways that benefitted the rich. Please provide specific links to her writings or interviews to back up your allegations that she is an “unhinged conpiracy theorist…promoting…wacko claims” as you put it. I don’t see it.

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Thank you! I screwed up. I was confusing Naomi Klein and Naomi Wolf. I will delete my original post.

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Good “catch,” all of you….we need each other, for sure.

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What a relief RE Naomi Klein—I think she is absolutely brilliant!

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I did too.

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For a look at a world in which human interactions are mediated through tech, see Isaac Asimov's The Naked Sun. It's not directly analogous, since it's set on a sparsely-populated planet, but it's thought-provoking nonetheless.

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Thanks for the correction, JR.

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OMG! I didn’t know that—what a shame 😱

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Having grown up in the community where Friedman made these trickle down claims, I was so glad to study economics under someone who did not subscribe to Friedman's theories when I was in college. This is because my parents were convinced that Friedman's followers were sent to help third world dictators run their countries into the ground after the CIA helped put them in power and they shared that with me. Reagan was a follower of Friedman and are now really reaping the effects of those policies in that we have two generations that do not know anything but to think that the government is bad and should not help the people out. One of Biden's difficulties with Build Back Better is that it is too abstract to anyone who is under 50 or 60 because they have no memory of government actually being there to support people. It has been characterized as a bad thing for so long and so many have bought into it. American individualism has turned into me-me-me selfishness sanctioned by Mr. Ronald Reagan himself. He made it okay to be self centered. You could be greedy and selfish and then run with it. It has not made our country a better place to live however, regardless of what was promised. Even the wealthy are not doing that well. They are not the happy people that the Norwegians are. Lots of money has to go for therapy, and protection, and drugs for stress relief. Our life expectancy is not what it should be for the wealth that we have. https://www.worlddata.info/life-expectancy.php

So, let us hope we can turn things around, but unfortunately we do not seem to have the good messaging from the Democratic party that the Republicans have been able to use. That is what we need. A simple message which is a mantra. Government is supposed to help and protect the people. The people here don't believe that. It is a problem. This is why my daughter will go to University abroad in another year when she finishes high school. That will make it easier for her to choose to live abroad or here. She has a few classmates who are doing that as well. It is good to have a plan B. I have dual citizenship, but I look at the requirements of getting citizenship in other countries all the time just to be aware for discussions sake. If you are concerned with where things are going here it is good to know there are other options. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/easiest-countries-to-get-citizenship

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Getting citizenship in another country is nearly impossible for anyone who is disabled or without skills desirable by whatever market forces are at work in that country. For some LGBTQ folk, especially trans folk, it can be very difficult. Diagnosed with what is called mental illness? Near or past retirement age? All of the above?

I have no illusions about an escape plan. I'll be here till I die.

Leaving the most vulnerable bodies to be devoured in the capital of capital is not going to reduce suffering in the long run.

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I have been researching this for friends who are looking at where they might move and retire because they are afraid to stay here. I was looking at Portugal for a friend who is gay, and we were looking at the good communities there since he did an exchange in Brazil in high school. Portugal is supposed to be the easiest country in Europe for an American to get citizenship. I think you need to have about 200-300,000 EUR to invest to live there, and then you can get citizenship and go anywhere in the EU to live that has a better standard. In fact, the friends I am trying to help don't have that much money, and have health issues, and want advice for not being rich and where is it reasonable. You have to be willing to learn another language or go to Ireland. Here is a chart on the trans rights right now. Malta seems to be the best place and things might be getting better in other countries whereas here it is getting worse in many places. Do not give up. https://tgeu.org/trans-rights-map-2022/

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I am not giving up and I am not going anywhere. I know other languages but am 60 years old and have no means to raise 200,000. There are many here who are in worse straits than I am. Leaving is an individualistic solution to a collective problem.

It will not reduce suffering in the long run.

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Cathy, I’m not aware there’s a better way than capitalism to organize human labor for productivity. The problem, one btw we are well aware of, is that capitalism is not very good at distribution. Hence, it needs to be regulated and contained so to level its effects. In my view, the reason capitalism has worked relatively well in the European democracies, as compared with the States, is that it’s been wedded to social democratic institutions that contain its excesses and moderate its self-serving impulses. I expect if Dems retain the House and pick up at least 2 Senate seats, the reforms set in place will go a long way to keeping capitalism honest and making it work for most, if not all, of us.

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You are so right! My one month visit to Europe was like a breath of fresh air. Most people were kind; they seemed happy and the economy was thriving.

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I love traveling in Europe. Cities and countryside, I feel safe at night and solo. Parks and gathering spaces, walking areas like sidewalks and malls. Thousands of people from all over the world walk the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage and even speaking different languages, we manage to share, laugh and cry together. And all religions or none, walk together. Nothing is perfect, and European countries have big challenges with immigration and refugees changing their economies and cultures, but quality of life is more important than just words. It’s working to create what we say we have: equality.

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Same here, altho I have tourist pix of me standing on that bridge by Parliament in London and La Rambla in Barcelona, both of which had ppl run over by terrorists in trucks. But, those incidents are minuscule compared to our almost daily murders & mayhem.

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Yes, definitely not perfect and I think they would agree. But they at least try. The shock Black G.I.s felt returning after WW2 to the old American racism is a story in itself. We’re so busy in USA fighting each other that we don’t have time or resources to build up, just tear down. This country is called the “Great Experiment “ for a reason. Where are we now. Searching for examples I found this CNN article online. And as a bonus, its author is the awesome and brilliant Heather Cox Richardson. “Historian: Americans are right to wonder if the Great Experiment has failed. 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/19/opinions/americans-are-right-to-wonder-if-great-experiment-has-failed-richardson/index.html

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Thanks, Irenie, for posting this article!!

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Yes, but that's such a big "if"... the Democrats haven't had the focus and the strategy that the openly fascist conservatives have had for so long now.

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Time for All people, not just dems to FOCUS down hard. With all the stuff raining down upon us, it is really hard to focus for very long. America's attention has been on major attack by these propagandists. We have to work harder to focus because the The Party of Sedition/Fascism are masters of...drama, distraction and fear based propaganda. Warriors, we all need to get more sleep and take good care of our bodies and minds for this war we are being asked to manage. Look at it in a new way, not fighting against, replacing. When they sling BS just move a little and let it pass you by, as taught in "yielding" in marital arts. Do not resist in the old ways. Allow the energy of their strikes to move them off balance and and throw them to the ground using your intelligence, wit, justice. And, as we are watching they are attacking themselves now and we will be witnessing more and more of republican ouroboros carnage. They will eat one another up for power. Use your own power wisely and at significant moments.

My 91 year-old, activist neighbor told me last night that she is more worried about attending anymore protests because of these mass shootings. She does not feel safe enough to go to another one. I know that fear, I have been feeling that anxiety as well. They win then. They win by making us fearful. We need huge numbers to counteract this power over us. We need to remember Ukraine, because we are in Putin's sights and his terrorists are on our soil, in our government, born and raised here. It may be ugly, but we can do this.

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