Search UHND…
Register
Back to threaded view Full conversation · 15 posts

Democratic Socialism.

iairishcheeks 30496 posts Original UHND Member
Posted

Bernie Sanders is the most mainstream "Democratic Socialist", right? A person some here voted for in the Dem Primaries, not some loon like AOC.

Here's a quote from an article on Bernie's website:

"These days, the American dream is more apt to be realized in South America, in places such as Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina, where incomes are actually more equal today than they are in the land of Horatio Alger. Who's the banana republic now?"

Of course that was in 2011 before everything went to shit in Venezuela.

Also, are young democratic socialists on college campuses still running around in Hugo Chavez, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro shirts? Oddly, I've never seen a tee shirt with some Scandinavian country leader on it.

Link: https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/close-the-gaps-disparities-that-threaten-america

  • Level 1

    Not a great comment by Bernie

    ND_in_DRO 3958 posts

    But he was only talking about income inequality in that sentence...not overall quality of life.

    View Single #511943
  • Level 1

    When Trump says something Stupid (always) there are many (all R's) who decipher what he said.

    jimbasil 55073 posts

    However, you all are in agreement what he said was actually brilliant and the D's are just stupid.

    Why is it when D's or I's say something stupid or taken out of context by R's, is it R's feel the need to hear it explained away or deciphered?

    But most definitely - whatever Bernie says is Gospel for all.

    I get it, you don't like Bernie or Hillary or any Democrat. Fine.

    Jack, he is a banker
    and Jane, she is a clerk
    View Single #511875
  • Level 1

    Sanders is nothing more than a New Deal Democrat.

    ND1IRISH 3269 posts

    There's a big difference between lessening inequality and centralizing all sources of production. He's certainly not to the Left of FDR and Roosevelt accurately claimed that his greatest accomplishment was, "Saving Capitalism." We face similar problems today in the US and throughout the world. The incompatibility of Democracy and Capitalism (Mercantilism) was understood by the greatest minds in history, all the way back to Aristotle.

    In the US we've just conveniently redefined political terms to fit the narrative of those in power. This has been done successfully throughout history.

    View Single #511872
    • Level 2

      They should go with that term then.

      iairishcheeks OP30496 posts

      Here's a quote I found from Aristotle:

      "When they till the ground together the question of ownership will give a world of trouble. If they do not share equally in enjoyments and toils, those who labor much and get little will necessarily complain of those who labor little and receive or consumer much . . .

      Property should be . . . as a general rule, private; for when everyone has a distinct interest, men will not complain of one another and they will make progress, because everyone will be attending to his own business . . ."

      Of course some things should be socialist in nature, such as infrastructure, but capitalism with the proper regulation is still the best economic system yet devised.

      View Single #511884
      • Level 3

        I agree with your commentary. One thing I would add however is that Aristotle....

        ND1IRISH 3269 posts

        addressed the importance of reducing inequality for democracy to survive. Otherwise he felt that you would need to reduce democracy to control the population. No one would be dis-incentivized if they made 40 billion instead of 60 billion. There comes a point of marginal return for each dollar earned because you just can't spend or realize the utility of it all. If you want a stable society in which you can build a 40 billion dollar empire it's best that the gap not become too wide. That's the problem with privatizing basic necessities such as education, infrastructure and healthcare. They are regressive taxes on the poor but they aren't counted as taxation. However, there's no doubt they are a form of taxation because they are costs that are shifted from those who can easily afford them to those who can't even survive.

        As I like to say, the Bell Curve doesn't go away just because you call the system Capitalism. Everyone can't be a billionaire in a system based on scarcity. Those who call the shots clearly understand this and try to propagandize it away by branding what they don't like as Communism or Socialism. That's just disingenuous bullshit.

        View Single #511886
  • Level 1

    Has anyone on here or car had anything good to say about Bernie?

    Chris94 39175 posts

    Maybe so. Lots of threads go unread (by me).

    But I’ve pointed out that that old loon honeymooned in the Soviet Union. That alone should disqualify him, if only for lack of romantic imagination.

    Plus, he’s not a Democrat.

    He’ll go nowhere this time, hopefully.

    View Single #511870
  • Level 1

    That there is very funny!! Nice work.

    PBHangingChad 15790 posts
    (no message)
    View Single #511860
End of conversation