Do you realize that people on the left criticize the mainstream media for being too credulous with conservatives? You are clearly coming from a right-wing perspective, so, to you, the mainstream media appears to favor the left.
The left is advocating to shut down the police? Silly, feckless activists are saying that. Actual elected Democrats are not doing that. In fact, they are increasing funding for the police. And how does that make someone a totalitarian anyway? That is more of an anarchist position. Totalitarians use the police to advance their political aims.
And no one on the left is advocating for anyone to be thrown in jail, or sent to a reeducation camp, for expressing their opinions. All we are saying is that we don't want to have anything to do with racists and bigots. We won't tolerate that anymore. That does not make us totalitarians. It makes us kind and decent and caring human beings, and it makes us defenders of civil liberties.
Also, in America, one is allowed to advocate for socialism.
I stand by my assertion: It is only the right that is trying to use the law to prohibit speech.
My point is that no one is talking about abolishing the police. They are talking about making the police departments less militaristic, and to cut back on the over-policing of minority neighborhoods. So, no. They are not anarchists. And Biden is increasing funding for the police.
Every nation has a mix of socialism and capitalism. It's never 100% one or the other. As soon as you raise tax revenue to act for the greater good, you are moving in a socialist direction. And sometimes people think it's worth it to sacrifice a little personal liberty for the greater good. And of course, people differ on where that point is, and they vote based on their prefernces. Welcome to reality in a multi-cultural democracy.
I see democratic socialism (European-style socialism) as very different from Communism and Marxism.
The difference I care most about is the distinction between democracy on one hand and authoritarianism and totalitarianism on the other. And that's why I fear the right more than the left in America. Recent polling shows that a large number of Republicans believe that it might be time to violently overthrow the government. You don't see anywhere close to those numbers among Democrats. That means they are not committed to democracy.
In a true democracy, the people will decide how much socialism they want, and when it gets to be too much, they will dial it back. A lot of countries in Europe have dialed back their socialism in favor of individual freedom. I don't have a problem with that if that's what they want. What concerns me is that we have free and fair elections.
Which mayors and governors are calling for defunding the police? Name them. The mayor of Minneapolis and the Governor of Minnesota are opposed to defunding the police.
And so what if someone calls someone a racist or a xenophobe or a homophobe. That's freedom of speech. People call me a Marxist and a Communist all the time. It's an insulting lie, but so what?
Socialism is simply raising tax revenue to act for the greater good. Communism and Marxism call for the government ownership of the means of production.
The real issue for me is democracy. I absolutely oppose authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. I am a staunch liberal democrat.
It is my own definition. I see socialism as a spectrum that spans from no government to totalitarian government. When a society moves toward either extreme is where our political differences emerge. In a true democracy, this distinction will ebb and flow, but will not go to one extreme or the other. Democracy naturally results in more moderate policies. It acts as a buffer against extremism.
There are no reeducation camps in America. Stop with the stupid hysteria. And the link you posted goes to a story about an attorney being "canceled" for expressing hard-left opinions by PBS. Not sure if that was your intent or not.
I wrote a book, that was published in 2011 called The Ultimate Distinction. It's a short book about Zen epistemology. No one talks about it the way I do. But you accuse me of not having original thoughts? Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do.
Nothing you have said here suggest regional thought aside from promoting socialism, promoting the people that promote socialism, then claiming your promotion of terrible ideas "doesn't count" because you have a completely silly definition. You still support forced redistribution at its extreme - which is what socialism, communism, and totalitarians have in common - like every other arrogant fool who thinks "this time it will be different" you are just babbling nonsense.
You want to use the force of government to meet goals you are unable to freely convince a significant amount of the public are worth doing voluntarily. You ignore we already have the most progressive tax rates in the developed world, and ignore all the stuff you want funded has only ever been sustainable through flat and regressive tax systems, like those in Europe, where people effectively pay for their own benefits.
Do you realize that people on the left criticize the mainstream media for being too credulous with conservatives? You are clearly coming from a right-wing perspective, so, to you, the mainstream media appears to favor the left.
The left is advocating to shut down the police? Silly, feckless activists are saying that. Actual elected Democrats are not doing that. In fact, they are increasing funding for the police. And how does that make someone a totalitarian anyway? That is more of an anarchist position. Totalitarians use the police to advance their political aims.
And no one on the left is advocating for anyone to be thrown in jail, or sent to a reeducation camp, for expressing their opinions. All we are saying is that we don't want to have anything to do with racists and bigots. We won't tolerate that anymore. That does not make us totalitarians. It makes us kind and decent and caring human beings, and it makes us defenders of civil liberties.
Also, in America, one is allowed to advocate for socialism.
I stand by my assertion: It is only the right that is trying to use the law to prohibit speech.
My point is that no one is talking about abolishing the police. They are talking about making the police departments less militaristic, and to cut back on the over-policing of minority neighborhoods. So, no. They are not anarchists. And Biden is increasing funding for the police.
Read this.
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-to-start-sending-civil-response-teams-not-police-to-some-mental-health-calls/600078792/
Every nation has a mix of socialism and capitalism. It's never 100% one or the other. As soon as you raise tax revenue to act for the greater good, you are moving in a socialist direction. And sometimes people think it's worth it to sacrifice a little personal liberty for the greater good. And of course, people differ on where that point is, and they vote based on their prefernces. Welcome to reality in a multi-cultural democracy.
I see democratic socialism (European-style socialism) as very different from Communism and Marxism.
The difference I care most about is the distinction between democracy on one hand and authoritarianism and totalitarianism on the other. And that's why I fear the right more than the left in America. Recent polling shows that a large number of Republicans believe that it might be time to violently overthrow the government. You don't see anywhere close to those numbers among Democrats. That means they are not committed to democracy.
In a true democracy, the people will decide how much socialism they want, and when it gets to be too much, they will dial it back. A lot of countries in Europe have dialed back their socialism in favor of individual freedom. I don't have a problem with that if that's what they want. What concerns me is that we have free and fair elections.
It's a democratic republic. Democracy simply means that leaders are elected by the people.
Which mayors and governors are calling for defunding the police? Name them. The mayor of Minneapolis and the Governor of Minnesota are opposed to defunding the police.
And so what if someone calls someone a racist or a xenophobe or a homophobe. That's freedom of speech. People call me a Marxist and a Communist all the time. It's an insulting lie, but so what?
Socialism is simply raising tax revenue to act for the greater good. Communism and Marxism call for the government ownership of the means of production.
The real issue for me is democracy. I absolutely oppose authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. I am a staunch liberal democrat.
It is my own definition. I see socialism as a spectrum that spans from no government to totalitarian government. When a society moves toward either extreme is where our political differences emerge. In a true democracy, this distinction will ebb and flow, but will not go to one extreme or the other. Democracy naturally results in more moderate policies. It acts as a buffer against extremism.
You come across as smug and closed-minded.
There are no reeducation camps in America. Stop with the stupid hysteria. And the link you posted goes to a story about an attorney being "canceled" for expressing hard-left opinions by PBS. Not sure if that was your intent or not.
I wrote a book, that was published in 2011 called The Ultimate Distinction. It's a short book about Zen epistemology. No one talks about it the way I do. But you accuse me of not having original thoughts? Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do.
Nothing you have said here suggest regional thought aside from promoting socialism, promoting the people that promote socialism, then claiming your promotion of terrible ideas "doesn't count" because you have a completely silly definition. You still support forced redistribution at its extreme - which is what socialism, communism, and totalitarians have in common - like every other arrogant fool who thinks "this time it will be different" you are just babbling nonsense.
You want to use the force of government to meet goals you are unable to freely convince a significant amount of the public are worth doing voluntarily. You ignore we already have the most progressive tax rates in the developed world, and ignore all the stuff you want funded has only ever been sustainable through flat and regressive tax systems, like those in Europe, where people effectively pay for their own benefits.
You are a totalitarian. Just own it.