It smacks of Socialism.

[madfloridian]

Found on Twitter.

[randys1]

1. THANK YOU ...ALL these people who want to show their angst over Bernie or his

supporters are mistakenly going against Democratic Socialism, and Democratic Socialism is the ONLY way out of this capitalist nightmare.

[hifiguy]

7. Indeed it is.

Capitalism inevitably degenerates into fascism, and the less regulated the capitalism the faster the degeneration.

[bjobotts]

38. Democratic Socialism ensures both our freedom AND our survival

We decide who our representatives are and we decide how we want our government to protect our freedoms and prevent the destruction of our environment by a greedy few to rich or to large to take on by ourselves individually but we can collectively. we can makes sure our American dream is there for all who want it. We can protect and help those of us who are down and we can encourage others to strive for greater progress.
Freedom AND Survival...to choose our path and to make sure the path remains.

[spanone]

2. K&R...

[Stuart G]

3. Outstanding....thanks for posting...k and r...

[kentuck]

4. Great!

[madfloridian]

5. Hi kentuck.

How are you?

[kentuck]

83. Hi madfloridian!

I am doing better . I had a short stay in the hospital but have been recovering. How have you been doing?

[B Calm]

6. We get it, but do the working class who vote republican?

[hifiguy]

8. All one can do is try to explain the truth

and if that doesn't work,

[madfloridian]

11. I learned the hard way not to try to reason with neighbors or friends here.

All they have heard for years is right wing radio, that's all there is here. Too many closed minds.

[Codeine]

24. The full quote is even better.

"To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture. Enjoy, sir, your insensibility of feeling and reflecting. It is the prerogative of animals. And no man will envy you these honors, in which a savage only can be your rival and a bear your master."

The good Mister Paine had quite the way with words.

[daleanime]

25. Nice!

[AlbertCat]

29. a bear your master.

Is that a gay reference?!


(for straight people: that was a joke)

[madfloridian]

36. Nope not yet.

Closed minds all too often.

[erronis]

50. No. It's like the teenagers whose brains haven't fully developed cause-and-effects.

Most of them think they'd do just fine driving their cars on privately maintained roads, or flying in unregulated airways. After all, most of them have never led anything other than molly-coddled lives in a pretty damned nurturing country.

How would they know?

[Omaha Steve]

9. I just posted this in a not friendly to Bernie group

I can't wait to see the feedback.

[hifiguy]

12. Tiny heads, tinily exploding.

You can't get much bang out of a two-volt brain.

[BlueJazz]

23. oooo..post it please. (When and if you're feeling OK)

[Omaha Steve]

26. First reply

Well, I can hardly afford national parks or getting there, even state parks now cost to just have picnic here. My water comes from a well on the property. Our public ed sucks with stupidity and heads in the sand. My taxes are hard at work trying to keep the highway system, completely outdated for the most part, moving on. Only one bridge actually hit the water though and then they did just close a couple more so we're just fine and dandy and dandy and it is a great country so let's brag and stand on that instead of OMGosh how much better it could be. Don't think anyone running should be...nope

[BlueJazz]

39. The first post was by Ben Carson ??

[Rex]

55. Typical, the person that replied to you doesn't want to think how much better things could be.

They are perfectly willing to live with an outdated infrastucture and too cheap to spend 10 bucks to take the kids to the park.

Yet it is a 'great country'...um you just said roads suck, schools suck, parks cost money...but OMGosh, don't dream...just live with what you got and hope it doesn't get worse.

Pathetic.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

62. My reply to this

Would be: Amazing how 35 years of Reaganomics / Trickle Down Economics can ruin things, isn't it?

[mountain grammy]

10. We need a public option now! People who

still want private insurance will find the rates far more competitive, and the rest of us poor folk can buy into public Medicare. The party that gets this done will be revered forever, so why won't they?
My father in law was a diehard Republican asshole, but don't say anything bad about FDR to that old man, who had some horrific memories of the Depression in west Texas. FDR's programs literally saved their lives. I'd remind him FDR was a Democrat just to piss him off.

[madfloridian]

14. "FDR's programs literally saved their lives."

Amazing how many people love the benefits of socialism but hate the word. Time to take it back.

[AlbertCat]

30. love the benefits of socialism but hate the word.

Well, y'know the Nazis and Commies used to call themselves that so THAT must be socialism...even tho' Nazis and Commies are the opposite ends of a spectrum and fought each other like crazy.

[agent46]

13. Like the man said...

Socialism without capitalism is communism. Capitalism without socialism is fascism. Pretty simple.

[Jack Rabbit]

15. If this is socialism, let us make the most of it

(Apologies to Patrick Henry)

[former9thward]

16. For a teacher you have had a poor education about socialism.

Not one of those things is socialism -- except maybe in your head.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

17. ?

[madfloridian]

18. Me, too. ??

[former9thward]

20. That does not surprise me.

[former9thward]

19. You think roads are socialism??

Your namesake would be laughing her head off at that.

[AlbertCat]

31. You think roads are socialism??

Oh stop playing dense,

You know exactly what is meant here. It IS "democratic socialism". But go ahead and read from Marx for us....or something.

[former9thward]

33. Word salad.

[LanternWaste]

49. Yes. Yes you are.

Yes. Yes you are.

[ronnie624]

41. The construction of roads with public revenue is socialism

and that's what the cartoon says: "Driving on a gov't built interstate highway"

Your posts are indeed puzzling.

[former9thward]

42. The Romans built a highway system all over Europe with public revenue.

Who knew the Roman Emperors were socialists. The things you learn on DU ....

[ronnie624]

43. The Roman Emperors were not socialist

but the concept of building things with public revenue for the common good, is indeed socialist. Socialism can be implemented in varying degrees. The term doesn't only refer the exclusive public ownership of production and distribution.

[happyslug]

59. Just free food for its citizens, and free entertainment.,,,,

Sorry, Socialism, may be a new word, but the key to being a Human Being is being a member of a community, a word derived from the same latin base word as Communism. All Societies have had socialist/communist tendencies, which can include a tribe working together to hunt for game, to farmers working together to get the crop in, to people working together to maintain the local road system and to defend the local village from being burned or looted.

At the same time people do work for themselves, but within the larger community group.

Back to Rome, Republican Rome required those citizens who could afford it to buy armor and weapons to fight its wars. In Imperial Rome that job was assigned to the professional army, that was paid by the emperors to perform the same duties. Like all armies, the Roman Army paid its soldiers, provided them shelter, food and weapons.

Armies have always been the most communistic parts of any society for it is hard to recruit soldiers on the promise if they die their wife and children will starve to death (Thus all armies provide for relief of the families of people who died while in the service, and since most soldiers prior to 1900 died of disease not combat injuries, to keep soldiers the ranks you had to promise that their wives and children will be taken care of). In Rome Itself this extended not only to veterans but to the people of Ancient Rome itself (Thus the Roman Emperors provided the people of Rome Free Food and Games).

ALL human societies have had socialist tendencies. All human societies also have had Capitalism tendencies but within the socialist/communist/community structure. Thus to say any society was not socialist is false, for then you must be looking at a non-human group for any society has had activities it did as a group, to keep the group together. In Republican Rome it was serve in the Army, in Imperial Rome it was not to riot in exchange for free food. In the middle ages, it was give your lord part of your harvest in exchange for his protection of the area from outside hostile forces (and to maintain the local bridges and roads). Thus you have always had Socialism since Humans first became humans, it is why Human are the dominant animal on this planet.

[ronnie624]

63. Thank you for your enlightening post. n/t

[former9thward]

66. You have your own private definition of socialism.

Everything good is socialism, everything bad is, well, something else.

[ronnie624]

71. There is far more to the concept of socialism

than the definition found in the dictionary. You should look it up.

[fasttense]

47. Roman Emperors did not build roads for the people to use

The expessed purpose of ancient Rome's roads was to move troops and bring in taxed wealth. They were NOT primarily for use of the public citizen. By the way the roads were built by slaves.

[ronnie624]

58. You say not primarily for public use

so you must be conceding that it played at least some role in the decision to construct it. And of course it did. What would be the point in having a military and a highway system if there were no people or commerce and such? What really defines it as socialist in its nature, is how it was actually utilized.

The US interstate system was also built for primarily military purposes, but it is used more for the common benefit than anything else.

[happyslug]

61. Actually Roman Roads were built by soldiers, slaves were used elsewhere

Slaves were used on large farms for high end farm products, it was rare to use them to build roads. Roman Roads and Bridges were under the control of the Roman Priesthood who recruited Roman citizens (later soldiers) to build both the road, bridges smf aqueducts of the empire.

[former9thward]

68. People certainly did use them.

But most people in those days did not travel much. So now yet another definition of socialism. If something is built "for the people" then it is socialism. New definitions everyday!

[chervilant]

48. Meh...

Yours seems to be the lone voice in the wilderness. Could it be that YOU are wrong?

It's okay to be wrong, AND to admit that you are wrong...

[former9thward]

69. So you say the dictionary is wrong?

Its ok to admit when you are wrong. Groupthink sometimes leads down bad roads.

[chervilant]

74. YOU are the DICTIONARY?!?

Wow! I had no idea!

(You can stand tall on your soapbox, all by yourself...)

[former9thward]

75. Where did I say that?

Oh, that's right I didn't. You did. I am not the dictionary, I just use one.

Unlike some here. Using the dictionary is not as fun as making up your own definitions. I know that is old fashioned. But its the book people used to use so that there would be a common definition of words -- not everyone having a private personal definition.

So:

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property
b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism

[chervilant]

78. You just don't get it...

(But, do go on with your bad self. It's somewhat amusing to witness a pedantic rodomont in action.)

[former9thward]

79. Word salad. Not unusual.

[chervilant]

81. Consistent...

Predictable and sophomoric.

(A little more salad for you -- so laughing over here.)

[ErikJ]

53. You might be a socialist if:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/myoregon/2009/09/you_might_be_a_socialist.html

All these folks complaining that health care reform is socialistic got me to thinking. It occurs to me that:

You might be a socialist if you ever had to call the police.

You might be a socialist if you ever summoned the fire department.

You might be a socialist if you ever drove your car on a public street or walked on a public sidewalk.

You might be a socialist if you use a municipal sewer service.

You might be a socialist if you get your water from a public water system.

You might be a socialist if you get your electric power from a public utility district.

You might be a socialist if you ever use a public library.

You might be a socialist if you have ever or plan to ever accept a social security check.

You might be a socialist if you use or plan to use Medicare or Medicaid.

You might be a socialist if you or your children attended public school.

You might be a socialist if you ever ride public transit.

You might be a socialist if your bank account is insured by the FDIC.

You might be a socialist if your or a member of your family went to college on a government subsidized student loan.

You might be a socialist if you ever took a trip on AMTRAK.

You might be a socialist if you ever needed the services of a fire department ambulance and EMT.

You might be a socialist if you have sent or received mail via the US Post Office.

You might be a socialist if you were ever represented in a legal matter by a public defender.

You might be a socialist if you ever referred a child to a child welfare office for protection.

You might be a socialist if you ever used electric power produced by Federally built dams.

You might be a socialist if you ever filed suit in a Federal, County, or City court.

You might be a socialist if you ever used a Federal, state, or city park.

You might be a socialist if you have ever used a public swimming pool.

You might be a socialist if you ever sought the help of a government official in solving a problem.

You might be a socialist if you ever benefited from the government regulation of private business.

You might be a socialist if you have benefited from the services of the CDC, FAA, FTSB, or other government agency.

You might be a socialist if your rights and safety have ever been defended by the armed forces.

You might be a socialist if you or a family member has ever been rescued by the Coast Guard or National Guard.

You might be a socialist if an airplane you flew on was guided to a safe landing by an air traffic controller.

You might be a socialist if felons in your area are placed in prison and the criminally insane in asylums.

You might be a socialist if you use the internet, a system developed originally by the U.S. military and scientific groups.

You might be a socialist if you have benefited in any way from research conducted by public universities.

You might be a socialist if you or any of your family have attended a public university or community college.

You might be a socialist if local public employees have cleared your streets of snow, picked up your litter, repaired potholes, or any of hundreds of other necessary tasks.

You might be a socialist if a local municipal garbage service has carried off your trash and your recyclables

You might be a socialist if state or local forestry workers have fought forest fires and maintained healthy forests in your area.

You might be a socialist if state and federal fishery workers have tried to save endangered salmon so you can continue to eat them.

You might be a socialist if you have been involved in a natural disaster and received help from a federal or state disaster relief programs.

You might be a socialist if you have ever supported the passage of a law that requires or bans activities by your fellow citizens which respectively benefit or harm you.

You might be a socialist if you own or work for any business that receives government subsidies or receives tax breaks for locating in particular areas.

You might be a socialist if you attend your favorite pro team’s games in their partially tax funded parks, stadium, or arena.

You might be a socialist if you attend the games of a state college athletic team.

You might be a socialist if you invest in government securities like savings bonds or T bills.

You might be a socialist if you are a public employee.

You might be a socialist if you accepted the tax write off for buying a new home recently offered by the government.

You might be a socialist if you acquired a new car under the Cash for Clunkers program.

You might be a socialist if you have ever supported the document which begins: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

In short, you might be a socialist if you accept any service, program, or benefit that is supported in whole or in part by tax money.

I’m sure all those good folks protesting government programs like health care because they are socialistic will lead by example and forswear using all of the above socialistic agenda items and any others that may have been omitted.

[madfloridian]

56. Nice!

[former9thward]

70. You could substitute the word "capitalist" or "communist"

in everyone of those and have it make just as much sense -- which is none at all.

[ErikJ]

72. lol. They all fit your strict defin of socialism

the gov. (people) owning "means of production and distrib"
All of these things are part of the means of production and/or distribution. ie public education: ediucating the workers.
public roads-for distrib of goods and transport of workers to daily jobs.

[former9thward]

73. Yep, the Romans, Hitler, Putin, Reagan, everyone a socialist!

The things you learn....

[ErikJ]

77. Yes to a degree. The military is the most socialist org in the US.

Free health care, free room and board.

Communism is pure socialism, where "the workers" (government) own everything.

While Republicans want to 'privatize" everything. So they are the opposite end of the spectrum.

[maddiemom]

57. Please...

Could we have YOUR definition?

[former9thward]

67. I don't have a private definition.

Unlike some here. I use the dictionary. I know that is old fashioned. But its the book people used to use so that there would be a common definition of words -- not everyone having a private personal definition.

So:

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property
b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. I shoud imagine that the GOP will want to privatize all local and fed. services

[C Moon]

22. I recall when President Obama had his turn in your old SUV for a new car program...

and hearing tea bag types say there were against the program, but they figured they'd take advantage of it anyway.
:/

[YOHABLO]

27. The ''Heartland'' Repuglicans are way to stupid to figure this out. As long as they have their guns

[DirkGently]

28. Socialism is when government works for OTHER people!

Seriously, I hope the very least we get out of Bernie Sanders' rising popularity is a serious discussion about just how primitive and contradictory the American version of capitalism is compared to the rest of the developed world.

[madfloridian]

34. Well said.

People are noticing now that many countries are way ahead of ours in caring for each other.

[AzDar]

32. K & R

[colsohlibgal]

35. The Nonsense Of The Right Wing About Socialism

It only works because enough of the nation is low informed, uninformed, and misinformed. Or dome combination of the three.

We could make this country good for almost all of us if enough people bone up/wise up/think it all through. A few welfare queens aren't ripping you off even 1% as much as the plutocracy paying little or no tax.

Go to a progressive income tax system, and eliminate all the loopholes, add a VAT tax. Legalize and tax pot. Cut our defense budget by at least half. Put those out of work defense folks to work, along with the unemployed, and fix our crumbling infrastructure. Institute free public college with a Stipend, eliminate for profit health care and go low cost single payer.

The Waltons of our country will get by fine with a few million less and our income disparity will go away.

[SoapBox]

37. Bingo!

[rhett o rick]

40. But, but isn't socialism kinda like communism and that's bad right?

[SammyWinstonJack]

44. So sez faux Snewz, so it must be.

[lonestarnot]

45. eeewwww

What if I have to take a city bus.

[deutsey]

46. Just goes to show successful the Right has been

in erasing what socialism is really about.

Democratic socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically—to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. To achieve a more just society, many structures of our government and economy must be radically transformed through greater economic and social democracy so that ordinary Americans can participate in the many decisions that affect our lives.


http://www.dsausa.org/what_is_democratic_socialism

They've also been successful in erasing the history of socialism in the United States. A good book on that is called The Long Detour by James Weinstein.

The Long Detour is an intellectually engaging overview of the history of socialism in the United States and of the continuing relevance of socialist principles today. Historian and journalist James Weinstein, a lifelong socialist and one-time Communist, takes readers from the movement's early years of utopian communities, through the heyday of engagement with the makers of corporate America, and into the future of a de-industrializing era. He contends that socialism as a political movement was sidetracked when Communist domination of the American left stifled creative social thought and diverted the traditional left into sterile disputes over the true nature of the Soviet Union. And he argues that while "real existing socialism" - which is what the Soviets called their system - is dead, the humane social principles articulated by Marx and the leaders of the pre-1917 socialist movement remain vitally important to those on the left who seek to realize the promise of American democracy.

https://books.google.com/books?id=dP5dzAJzfiQC

[druidity33]

64. just ordered the book from my library. Cheers! nt.

[Beartracks]

51. ... in a country defended by its national military. n/t

[avaistheone1]

52. k&r This is a great post.

Thank you

[BeanMusical]

54. Thanks madfloridian!

I badly needed a laugh.

[Rex]

60. Always be wary of anyone that is scared of words.

Children are scared of words, adults adjust.

[Thespian2]

65. Ab-so-lutely FAB-U-LOUS...

[emulatorloo]

76. Thanks! I needed that!

Kick and rec

[Liberal_in_LA]

80. k&r

[chervilant]

82. Hey, mad!

So very glad you're still here and still posting!