US Politics

Sky1981

Fending off the urge
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
30,003
Location
Under the bright neon lights of sincity
I see that Dominion (voting machines company) is suing Sidney Powell for $1.3B.
Expect more suits to follow.
I’m glad as the people peddling lies have to be made pay for those lies.
Or, in other news, lies have consequences.
Im suprised it took this long. Donald and co spouted lies on daily basis it's amazing nobody ever thought of making easy buck suing them.

He's the president so slim chance to sue him but his cronies arent immune to lawsuit.
 

nimic

something nice
Scout
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Messages
31,038
Location
And I'm all out of bubblegum.
It's surprising about Russia being communist still according to a lot of Americans. They are as much communists as Josh Hawley.

I don't think there is any communist country now. Those ex communist countries are right wing dictatorships now.
I met a Canadian who complains about those socialists and then in the same breath complain about inadequate healthcare in Canada ( how long he has to wait etc) and how he had to pay back his student loan ( he thinks he should have had subsidised education) and support Trump because he is against socialists.
Cuba, maybe?

Obviously even they are not the kind of communism envisaged by Marx and Engels, but they're not like China or North Korea at least (neither of whom are communist, for different reasons).
 

Revan

Assumptionman
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
49,419
Location
London
Cuba, maybe?

Obviously even they are not the kind of communism envisaged by Marx and Engels, but they're not like China or North Korea at least (neither of whom are communist, for different reasons).
And North Korea. From what I know, Laos and Vietnam have a similar system to China (economically capitalist).
 

Revan

Assumptionman
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
49,419
Location
London
I wouldn't call what North Korea is doing communism either. They're their own crazy experiment.
It is quite similar to many previous commie regimes (Albania for example). Actually, it is similar to Mao's China and Stalin's URSS, though obviously smaller and poorer.
 

nimic

something nice
Scout
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Messages
31,038
Location
And I'm all out of bubblegum.
I don't really think that's an entirely fair comparison. North Korea is easily the most totalitarian state which has ever existed. He looked at Stalin's cult of personality and control scheme and thought "I can do better". North Korea is obviously similar to other totalitarian dictatorships in the totalitarian side of things, but they're also going way further on things like self-sufficiency (which is sadly ironic given how many people starve whenever their aid is cut off).

Basically, I'd say they're about as similar to Mao's China and Stalin's USSR as they are to Hitler's Germany (and maybe in his dreams: Mussolini's Italy).
 

Revan

Assumptionman
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
49,419
Location
London
I don't really think that's an entirely fair comparison. North Korea is easily the most totalitarian state which has ever existed. He looked at Stalin's cult of personality and control scheme and thought "I can do better". North Korea is obviously similar to other totalitarian dictatorships in the totalitarian side of things, but they're also going way further on things like self-sufficiency (which is sadly ironic given how many people starve whenever their aid is cut off).

Basically, I'd say they're about as similar to Mao's China and Stalin's USSR as they are to Hitler's Germany (and maybe in his dreams: Mussolini's Italy).
If you look into Enver Hoxha’s Albania, it was actually quite similar in style to North Korea. He essentially cut ties with USSR after Stalin’s death and heavily criticized USSR for not being commie enough. And letter cut ties with China for not being true commies.

I don’t agree with Hitler/Mussolini thingy. They had relatively capitalist economies (though state directed). North Korea has still totally socialist economy.
 

nimic

something nice
Scout
Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Messages
31,038
Location
And I'm all out of bubblegum.
If you look into Enver Hoxha’s Albania, it was actually quite similar in style to North Korea. He essentially cut ties with USSR after Stalin’s death and heavily criticized USSR for not being commie enough. And letter cut ties with China for not being true commies.
I'm not too informed on Hoxha's Albania, so I will concede the point.

I don’t agree with Hitler/Mussolini thingy. They had relatively capitalist economies (though state directed). North Korea has still totally socialist economy.
They had technically capitalist economies, but only in some senses of the word. "Relatively capitalist" is a stretch. They were also both, for example, obsessed about self-sufficiency. Hitler in particular, which makes some sense when you consider his world view combined with the domestic suffering in Germany in WW1. *They also both did what North Korea did (and the Soviet Union did), which is to subsume worker's unions into the state, to be run by and completely dominated by its own needs.

On North Korea, I very much disagree. There is no worker ownership of the means of production, so it basically, by definition, can't be a socialist economy. Having five year plans (or whatever North Korea operates on) and a lack of private property does not mean it's socialist.

Edit: *
 

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
And North Korea. From what I know, Laos and Vietnam have a similar system to China (economically capitalist).
yes and they are not communist at all. They are totalitarian capitalist countries. So long as you do not get involved in politics you can do any business you want and get as rich as you want. I have never seen an artificial indoor public beach in any western country but I saw one in Chengdu in Wuhan. I have never seen more high end cars in any western city as much as I have seen in China. It is a disgrace that they call themselves Communist Party of China. They are giving communists a very bad name.
 

Raoul

Admin
Staff
Joined
Aug 14, 1999
Messages
129,967
Location
Hollywood CA
This is probably the only semi-realistic shot at M4A - lowering the age in increments until they reach a tipping point where half the population have it, at which point it would be impossible to justify not having it for everyone.
 

Sweet Square

Full Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
23,381
Location
The Zone
This is probably the only semi-realistic shot at M4A - lowering the age in increments until they reach a tipping point where half the population have it, at which point it would be impossible to justify not having it for everyone.
Pretty much. Just wished it wasn't just a small change(Over 50's would have been a better goal).
 

calodo2003

Flaming Full Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
41,578
Location
Florida
I have a question for the Americans here. Why do a lot of Americans consider universal healthcare as socialist or communist?
Think some of it is that it pierces the veneer of American exceptionalism, more specifically white American exceptionalism (which is basically all it is).
 

tombombadil

Full Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
2,898
Location
Some god forsaken part of Middle Earth
yes and they are not communist at all. They are totalitarian capitalist countries. So long as you do not get involved in politics you can do any business you want and get as rich as you want. I have never seen an artificial indoor public beach in any western country but I saw one in Chengdu in Wuhan. I have never seen more high end cars in any western city as much as I have seen in China. It is a disgrace that they call themselves Communist Party of China. They are giving communists a very bad name.
I would describe them as a mixed communist/capitalist semi democratic dictatorship. It's confusing. I know. :D
 

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
Israel has national health care too. So I wonder what the people who say it's communist to have national health care?
 

WI_Red

Redcafes Most Rested
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
12,040
Location
No longer in WI
Supports
Atlanta United
WTF is he talking about??????
Didn't you hear? The insurrection on Wednesday was actual an invasion by Cuban special forces. I mean look at the pictures, it's obvious!

Actually it's just him currying favor with Cubans in Florida for his 24 presidential bid.
 

Organic Potatoes

Full Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
17,139
Location
85R723R2+R6
Supports
Colorado Rapids
He's doing last minute checklist of things Republicans want, that if reversed they can use against Biden later. He also labelled the Houthis as a terror group today.
So, sort of like opening up more of the Alaska wildlife preserves to Big Oil at the last minute?