POLITICS: what have you done for us lately?

[UglyCasanova]

If I lived in the US, Bernie would be the only presidental candidate I'd even consider voting for. Left-wing/socialist/liberal American politics is so funny to listen to when you're living in an old socialist country. If Bernie was running in Norway, he'd be on the right side of the political spectrum. He's not extreme AT ALL. And people are losing their shit in the US, so scared of socialism. You'd be FINE. He's not Stalin, but Trump might be Hitler. Just my 2 Norwegian crowns.

[Strange Tales]

If I lived in the US, Bernie would be the only presidental candidate I'd even consider voting for. Left-wing/socialist/liberal American politics is so funny to listen to when you're living in an old socialist country. If Bernie was running in Norway, he'd be on the right side of the political spectrum. He's not extreme AT ALL. And people are losing their shit in the US, so scared of socialism. You'd be FINE. He's not Stalin, but Trump might be Hitler. Just my 2 Norwegian crowns.

Unfortunately "socialist/socialism" is the ultimate republican trigger word. I still haven't found one that actually knows what socialism is about though.

[Iommic Pope]

Yeah the US definition of "socialism" is certainly not the usual.

[snipelfritz]

Millenials and older generations have drastically different views on The Cold War/McCarthyism.

[fcknoise]

I've noticed that the people I've discussed this topic with on facebook (I know I know, it's pointless, BUT it was to defend my GF-ish person from a hoard of dudebros) actually have NO idea what socialism is. Their line of argumentation goes like "socialism has never worked", and then I've proceeded to point out stuff on income inequality, how the economic system in most of europe and scandinavia works etc etc, trying to keep it civil and their serious counter is LOOK AT NORTH KOREA. I'm just baffled. Like, most times I can see things from the other persons point of view, and it's a stretch but I can understand what people say about guns, fear of taxes and even being ignorant of immigration. At least I understand where their line of reasoning comes from. But in this case it's just... too ungraspable for me. Like, at least 90% of american allies have at least one strong social democrat party.

Trump going SOCIALIST SLASH COMMUNIST trying to equate the two is just ridiculous, but I guess it proves that as long as you feel like you are right it doesn't matter if you actually are

[snipelfritz]

as long as you feel like you are right it doesn't matter if you actually are

The American Conservative in a nutshell.

[hbombgraphics]

as long as you feel like you are right it doesn't matter if you actually are

The American Conservative in a nutshell.

Yep....no point in getting confused with facts.

[D.o.S.]

That's unfair (and accurate, on an emotional level).

Socialism gets easier the more cultural homogeneity you have. That's an idea as old as Sir Thomas More and Utopia.

[fcknoise]

Well. My friends would probably agree that I am the last person they know to express conservative opinions. But I understand them. There is a huge information gap that is used by republican politicians. Fox news (but frankly other news outlets) focus on issues that divide the two fractions mainly. There are loads of agenda-setting theories with regards to the media and politics relation. They don't "control" how you think, but rather what to think about. Most people don't have free time or will to spend hours researching income inequality, how government budgets work or how tax financed welfare works. And just like I know people who are like "of course I'm a social democrat" and agree with their policies because they can't be bothered looking into it and actually find out what's going on. Which is totally understandable, it is like a full time job.

I'm just saying, american seems to be very homogenous when it comes to economic policy, but that is never the focus in the races. If it's anything welfare it's never talked in the sense of economic policy, and it gets interpreted as unobtainable hippie BS by these conservatives. They don't want "handouts" or government help, since american culture is all about earning a good life for yourself and working hard for what you have. But economic policy always works for someone, and I believe that elections should be about in which way it can help the majority. In this case middle and working class people.

EDIT: I always try to avoid discussing politics on the internet, because it always engages me way too much. I feel like I've gotten to know y'all over the course of half a year to feel comfy doing it. I don't mean to come across as some academic dickhead

[D.o.S.]

Oh, I totally agree, the ghost of Horatio Alger hangs heavy on the Scrooge that is our domestic quality of life policy.

It's a lot easier to blame evil scary faceless "welfare queens" and "leaches" when you don't actually pay attention to the fact that you paid $18.75 or whatever to help them over the last year, though. That's for sure.


(also,Dude look at who you're talking to. I don't get offended by this stuff, I like it. My nominal lady friend is a republican This is probably exacerbated by the fact that I happen to agree with you.)

[Mudfuzz]

It's a lot easier to blame evil scary faceless "welfare queens" and "leaches"

and the funny part is that people like the Bundys and our car industry and our financial industry"s leaching off welfare make them "welfare queens" a drop in the bucket...

[D.o.S.]

Yep. Anyone can take a look and realize that they're paying thousands of dollars in corporate tax breaks and tens of dollars to support welfare recipients, but it's easier to look at a person and say "you're lazy", or whatever.

[Invisible Man]

Millenials and older generations have drastically different views on The Cold War/McCarthyism.

I cannot remember a time when I've gotten together with my wife's grandma (early 80s in age) where we haven't wound up talking about Israel, communism, censorship, or Jesus. She knows what I do for a living (scholarship on this stuff), and it bugs the shit out of her, so she always tries to have these really pleasant talks with me about how I'm wrong. She's gentle, but she's just living in an alternate reality. Or maybe I am. Either way, it is an endless source of anthropological thrills.

[psychic vampire.]

I guess this is part of what I was getting at pages ago, the democrats in this country are clearly "less extremely conservative" than the republicans. But that is about it. On the other hand, most of the people I know (myself included) work full time and can not afford insurance, or are on EBT. But if anyone in that economic position says something, people with more money just respond "well you have new shoes/nice clothes/things you like/blah" because the reality is poor people in this country are supposed to work, eat McDonalds, and die. Oh well.

http://www.theonion.com/article/woman-a ... in-p-35922

[D.o.S.]

Millenials and older generations have drastically different views on The Cold War/McCarthyism.

I cannot remember a time when I've gotten together with my wife's grandma (early 80s in age) where we haven't wound up talking about Israel, communism, censorship, or Jesus. She knows what I do for a living (scholarship on this stuff), and it bugs the shit out of her, so she always tries to have these really pleasant talks with me about how I'm wrong. She's gentle, but she's just living in an alternate reality. Or maybe I am. Either way, it is an endless source of anthropological thrills.

One thought on that: All of my grandparents died before I could really have articulate conversations with them about this stuff -- they would have been a decade or so older than you GIL -- and I only got to have 1-2 really good talks on the subject with te pair who overlapped me as a unique thinking entity (rather than "oh, look, the precocious grandchild speaks") but I do get the feeling that a lot of the nuance that the Greatest Generation felt about their place in the world has died out with the participants, so we have a bunch of nostalgic fundamentalists coopting a broad and diverse group of people as an image they might not necessarily have agreed to were they lucid and engaged in the present day.

Sort of similar to the way that 'millennial' technically covers everyone born from '80-'96, but there's some clear divisions for those of us that fall under the bracket.