Comments by "Ōkami-san" (@mweibleii) on "Thom Hartmann Program" channel.

  1. dm9910 1) The European country you're looking for is Greece, not the Scandinavian countries. We are nothing like Scandinavia.   2) Communism is NOT full of good ideals or ideas. It's immoral. The underlying premise of Communism is the use of State violence against innocent humans 'for the good of Society'. Communism is an oxymoron. It should be noted here that Progressive Socialism is the SAME in this regard. The underlying premise is to use violence to take from one group of people and give to another group of people. It is, by definition, immoral. 3) Communism wasn't undermined by greed. Communism doesn't and did not work because there's no price mechanism. Therefor it's impossible to have the information needed to produce the goods and services needed. This has nothing to do with greed. As a matter of fact, personal disposition has nothing to do with it.  4) Chinese factories are NOT slave labor. But what was slave labor, was Communist farms. China will soon be the richest nation in the world. Two decades ago, Socialist Chinese were starving to death. Now Capitalist Chinese have a problem with too much food - obesity. It should be noted Chinese bought 1 in 4 properties in the USA in 2014. Chinese line up around the block at a chance to work in a factory like FoxComm and here's a FACT, the suicide rate in comparable industries in the USA is HIGHER than in China.  Here's another FACT. The USA spends more than most countries on education and the DoED itself released data showing 1 in 5 (20%) of Government high school graduates are functionally illiterate.  You go on ahead and vote for Bernie the Bullshitter. I honestly would LOVE to see hom elected for 8 years. So that, finally, after 16 years of failed Statism, Americans might be forced to face up to reality.  When that happens, remember this: The solution is MORE freedom. Not less. More.  Freedom to trade INSIDE the USA Free markets INSIDE the USA An end to Labor tax.  Elimination of most regulations and replacement with simple Law that protects property (body and land). Sound money. Until then, enjoy WWIII or whatever never ending War our Progressive Socialists on the LEFT and RIGHT drum up for us. 
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  2. dm9910 You really don't know what you're talking about.  1) Using force against innocent humans is immoral. That doesn't matter if you're taxing the 'rich', forcing people to pay a labor tax or forcing people to farm. This is simply a matter of defining moral and immoral. Which Ethicists have already done (See: Kant). 2) You don't 'need' to tax. We have the ability to print money. Thus, no one who is 'rich' has to pay a tax. We can instead choose to print money and use it as needed. You're being fooled into thinking we need to tax the rich. We don't. What we need are goods and services. Money is simple a means to facilitate transaction. Regulation reduces goods and services.  3) "Total Freedom" miss uses the term 'freedom'. So, let me be clearer: Freedom to act morally. We are NOT a free society. We are a hyper-regulated society. Mainly thanks to so-called Progressive Socalists. As an example. Progressives gave us the Central Bank - that just bailed out the rich. Progressives gave us labor tax - that steals 30% of most workers hourly wage. 4) You are INSANE if you think 'free' people would murder and rape. Which probably fits your world view as a Progressive. But, let me again clarify. Freedom to trade is NOT a free for all. Law that protects property and contract, sound money AND freedom is requited for a prosperous society. But hey, you needn't worry about freedom, it isn't returning. Enjoy the Progressive Socialistic Greek-Style craphole America has become. 
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  3. dm9910 Preface: I believe most people (not all) want the same things. A rewarding life, security, love. You think using State violence is the way (i.e: Progressive Socialism). I don't. You're in luck. We're going YOUR way. We have been for over 100 years. Let's see where we end up. Oh, and just remember. The Police State you see springing to life all around us - that's the force needed to provide for Progressive Socialism. Don't forget that.  1) "Your opening statement is ad hominem". Hey, we can agree. That doesn't mean it isn't true. 2) Re: Kant I didn't say anything about 'justified' I said 'immoral'. Kant uses the word 'justified' because the action of stealing is immoral. Of course Kant also believed the only society we could live in is an immoral one because he couldn't imagine how humans could live morally. So, instead of using google, try reading Kant. 3) "Taxation" isn't always immoral. Gas tax is voluntary, paying a toll is voluntary, paying to enter a fair is voluntary. Being forced to work for someone as a slave is involuntary (example: Progressive Income/Labor tax) thus it is by definition immoral. If you think it's 'Justified' - then that's your 'opinion', it's still immoral. I'm sure plenty of Slave owners 'justified' Slavery (See: Thomas Jefferson). It's still immoral. 4) No, you are insane to think that free people will go on a rampage and murder and rape. Unfree, enslaved people do this when there is a break down in system that rules over them. As an example see your own example of Zimbabwe or closer to home, New Orleans.  Freedom is NOT the same as free-for-all. Free people have Law and a police to enforce it. You simply don't understand what freedom is. Just like you don't understand what immoral and moral means. You also don't understand what valid or sound, cogent or strong means. My guess is you simply want to 'believe'. You want to hope that someone, preferably in the position of 'alpha male' (see: Pope, God, POTUS, King, Emperor, whatever) is going to fix everything for you. You'll get out our Made-In-China flag and wave it for Bernie, just like all the other zombies. Well, it's simply not going to happen. Sorry.  Take a good look at Detroit or Greece. This is the end result of the Progressive oxymoron that thinking the use violence against innocent people is 'justified'. Enjoy our hyper-regulated Progressive Police State. Where we need a State licence to cut hair, sell arranged flowers, fix a PC. Where we have to pay the State to work. Where we have never ending Wars. Where the Progressive Central Bank sells T-bonds on you and your children's labor to bail out the Banking criminals stealing the most. So, again, take a good look at Detroit or Greece. This is the end result of Progressive Socialism.  You'll see.
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  4. C/Gw Keep voting for Hope and Change you can believe in. 
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  5. C/Gw You stated you want to use State coercion to redistribute other individual human's private property. That is, by definition, immoral. Using violence (of any kind) against innocent people is immoral. It's why "Progressive" Socialism is an Oxymoron. Violence against innocent people is NOT "Progressive" and is actually ANTI-social.  Try and 'justify' the initiation of violence any which way you like. By definition, it is immoral. There's no "Argument" here. It's a definition. Taken as axiomatic.  Further, I gave you an out - as in offering the option of instead non-violently creating money as needed (as an example: See Bitcoin). Then leaving it up to free people to decide IF and WHEN they choose to use that money. But you don't like that do you? No. You prefer to steal. You'll call it 'Tax' and make yourself feel good. But in the real world it's actually stealing. Thus, the only person here who's attempting to make a false argument is you. If you find my pointing this out to you insufferable, good. It's still the truth. Oh, and your misuse of the word 'freedom' to suggest 'free for all' is, quite frankly, disturbing. There's a reason why the US Constitution was written, and that reason was to LIMIT government. In addition, the first 10 amendments were to further protect us FROM government. Not the rich. Not the British. Not cheaply made Chinese goods. Not internet providers. But from the US Government itself. A lesson it appears society must learn once every 250 years or so.
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  6. C/Gw The 'idea at hand' is your desire to use coercive State violence to redistribute from one group of people, to another. You have the audacity to call this "Progressive Socialism". When it is anything but 'Progress' or 'Social'. It's Regressive Anti-Socialism. And it IS immoral - by definition. There's no argument here. History Lesson: The "Progressives" gave us the Progressive Central Bank that just bailed out the richest 0.01%, and are STILL bailing them out. Thank them also for the "Progressive" Income/Labor Tax which is being used to bailout the 0,01% - through generational T-bonds. Don't worry, you're not getting Bernie Sanders. You're getting Hillary Clinton. Lucky for you, she's just as bad.
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  7. Simon Mortensen You're blaming the current fiscal problems on 1974? That was 40 years ago. Japan was nuked and became a powerhouse in half that much time. Germany likewise. You don't think Greece has enough regulations?!? Come on. Democratic socialism is NOT the solution, it does not work at all and ironically this was made clear in The Republic written by Plato over 2400 years ago. The problem is NOT that Greeks (or anyone) has too much freedom and sound money (capital). The problem is too little freedom (mainly due to regulations, licencing scams and government imposed limits) and fiat currency.  Greece is the poster child for exactly what Democratic Socialism ends up like. The ONLY people who get elected are the politicians who promise to steal from Peter to give to Paul and by the end of the day, there's nothing left to steal. That's democratic socialism to a T. And it's really in no way different from NATIONAL socialism - which is what Bernie Sanders is selling when he talks about keeping low paying jobs in America. THAT IS Nationalistic Socialism.   The best solution is the one the founders of the USA had in mind. A LIMITED government, sound money and freedom to trade. Limiting government kept socialism at bay and freedom allowed Americans to create the most prosperous nation in history. Oh well, none of that matters now. That America is gone. The next step is to elect a Nationalist / Socialism demagogue and start WWIII.
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  8. Simon Mortensen The USA is NOT a free-market. The USA is hyper-regulated.  Depending on the State, you will be required to obtain a State licences to cut hair, sell flowers, drive a taxi, fix a computer, sell BBQ chicken, etc... etc... etc... The USA has some of the biggest restrictions on starting a company and pays some of the highest tax rates. A FREE society is (in a sense) Darwinian - it's a survival of the most empathetic and kindest. Why? Because in a free society you make money by selling to people the things they want, to be successful you have to understand what people want and figure out how to get it to them legally and without using violence (basically the opposite of State socialism which uses the State to force you into buying something or simply steals it from someone and gives it to you). Anyway, you needn't worry. We are NOT getting more freedom. We're getting less freedom. And, we'll become poorer as a result. National Socialism here we come. Let me just be clear: What I support is freedom, sound money and laws that protect private property  and uphold contract. This means people must work with one another if they want society to advance - because they are not able to use the State to steal from those around them (which is how Socialism works and why it fails).  
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  9. Simon Mortensen I didn't say in a Darwinian society full-stop. I said in a Free society. As in, the freedom to trade with people with sound money and within the law. In other words, a FREE market. In a free market there is a 'Darwinian' aspect to the people who succeed. The people who succeed are those people who provide other people with what they want, thus other's WANT to do business with (trade with) them. Examples would be Apple, Google, Toyota, Ben and Jerry's, etc....  Socialism OTOH is the use of State violence against innocent people who happened to, through no fault of their own, be born a Citizen of a country at a particular time and place. At the center of "Socialism" is violence. Violence against innocent people. It often goes hand in glove with Nationalism. If I do not want to buy an Apple phone, I'm FREE not to. If I do not want to pay a tax on my hourly wage to the State, and I keep working - I can be imprisoned and even shot. That is NOT socialism - THAT is the "Darwinism" you referred to. With the State playing the part of Predator and Citizens the role of Prey. 
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  10. Simon Mortensen The world we live in is NOT a free society. We live in Democratic Socialist societies. There are literally millions and millions and millions of laws that regulate just about every single aspect of your life. From what you eat to who you can marry. From your ability to smoke a weed to the toilet paper you wipe your arse with. You aren't even allowed to drink raw milk in most States. Even though humans have done so perfectly fine for hundreds of thousands of years. On top of that the State sells T-Bonds 50 years ago, builds crap we didn't need, smashes 30 years ago and leaves you with the bill! And you WILL pay or you will get a visit by the BlueKluxKlan.  We LIVE in Democratic Nationalistic socialistic societies. Bernie even sells the idea of stopping me from freely trading with Chinese - even though it has pulled hundreds of millions of people out of poverty! THAT is National Socialism!  Also not the State have been in war for over a decade - for a LIE the State made up and it sells T Bonds to Banksters to pay for!  We do NOT, I repeat do NOT, live in anything even remotely close to a free-market society. Although, that said, the Internet is the closest we have to a free market - and up until the State takes it over, it will be the best thing we have. 
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  11. Simon Mortensen I'm not sure of your point about Walmart. I personally don't shop at Walmart, but many POOR people do. And they do so because Walmart provides them with goods and services cheaply. At prices they can afford. Which, for many people, keeps them from starving to death. And, one day in the future, there will not be a Walmart. Instead we will have 3D printers that will print most things we need. We may even have small gardens that produce much of our food? When that day comes, will you say the same about the those technologies?  Anyway, if you want to get rid of companies like Walmart then you will NEED free markets because that is the ONLY way to do so - through free market competition. As an example, Reason TV had a piece of a person who was on welfare and started a BBQ stand and within a single year he had saved $18,000! Guess what happened? He was shut down and the State stole his money. THAT is what Socialism does. 
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  12. Simon Mortensen I've seen Inside Job. If you think the financial system is a free market you are completely wrong. The financial system is the MOST regulated market in the world (a fact you can look up, it runs neck and neck with medicine). Because of all the regulations the financial system is now a financial casino.  A free market is not the same as a market free of corruption. But corruption is most efficiently dealt with by free people, not a State regulatory agency (which many times is populated by the SAME corrupt people you want to get rid of). Look, it's obvious we agree to the end goals. But it seems to me you are under the delusion we live in a free society with free markets - we don't. We live in a Democratic Socialistic Republics with millions and millions and millions of regulations. 100s of millions of regulations. I promise you, more regulations is NOT going to fix the problem. It's going to make it much worse. 
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  13. Simon Mortensen Re: Inside Job Do you know what one of the (if not the) largest market in the world is? It's Government T Bonds. Do you know what those are? When the Government sells someone in China a 30 year T Bond - what IS the Chinese actually buying? I mean, it's not like they can't print their own money over there - so why buy ours? Suppose that money is frivolously spent today - why does a child born in 10 years time, have to work to pay back that Bond? THEY didn't vote on it. You do know the Government's Central Bank bailed out criminal Bankers to the tune of trillions - and continues to do so? How about our trillion dollar a year Never Ending Wars, who's paying for that? What about our Police State and Prison Industrial Complex, who pays for that?  I know you think the problem is free markets and Capitalism. It's not. The problem is Democratic Socialism and all of the Governmental Institutions that have sprung up to use it to their own ends.  And don't worry, we're not getting less Socialism and more freedom. We're getting less freedom and National Socialism. Which is EXACTLY what Bernie Sanders and Thom sell you each time they tell you the "Chinese" are somehow both stealing your job AND Slaves - at the same time. Yes, it's all the Chinese fault. Or the Walmart brother's fault. Or the Koch brothers fault. While in reality the Government is stilling trillions and trillions of debt obligations to pay off it's crony central bankers, MIC and Police State. ONLY a tiny teeny amount goes towards children s' education and anything else anyone under 65 actually cares about. Look up the numbers yourself. 
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  14. Simon Mortensen Let me make sure I have your position correctly: You're against giving a select few the opportunity to be too powerful in society, and therefor you want to give a select fewer even more power to ensure this doesn't happen? That doesn't make sense.  In a FREE society, 'powerful people' either serve the needs of society, or they go bust. In our society, they get bailed out by the Governmental Political Elites who wield much more power. The Democratic Socialists always bailout the Crony Capitalists because that's who pays the bill.  As an example: The Koch brothers have about $ 120 billion. That's a lot of money and power. But get this, they also provide people will a lot of goods and services - including high paying jobs. And if they don't keep provinding society with goods and services, they would have gone bust. Now compare with the DoED. It has about $80 billion - that it spends each year. Each year. That's the lifetime of wealth the Koch brothers, and it's spent in a year. What do we get? Well, the average reading level in the USA is grade 6, the average incoming university freshman reads at grade 7/8 and 1 in 5 (20%) of Government school graduates are functionally illiterate. This is LOWER than it was in 1910. Oh, and as for pedagogical innovation ... there is none. NONE. ZERO. If anything Government schools get worse each year.  Also, the Government just BAILED OUT those elites you worry about. They're richer under Obama than at any point in HUMAN history, and getting richer.  So, if you want the powerful called to heel. Then you want MORE freedom and LESS government. Particularly, a LIMITED government that is not able to bailout crony capitalists. What you do NOT want is Democratic Socialism. It doesn't work. It just leads to Nationalistic Socialism. Which is where the USA is headed towards. Along with more Wars... never ending Democratic Socialistic Wars, like the War on Terror, War on Drugs, War on Privacy, etc.... It's simple: Freedom (free-markets), sound money and laws that protect property and uphold contract. That's what's needed. 
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  15. Simon Mortensen The USA government IS socialists. And yes, they are evil. As a matter of fact, they're not much different from the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party). Are you going to tell that NAZI's weren't socialists either?!?  Maybe you need to read up on the history of socialism - I promise you, it's not pretty. 
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  16. Simon Mortensen Maybe you simply need to clarify with an example. Because I don't think we agree as to what socialism IS. Example: Suppose I work 80 hours a week for next to nothing and finally invent a cancer medicine. I sell it at a profit. It saves 100s of millions of people's lives. However, I refuse to pay any tax whatsoever at all. Tell me, what does a 'Democratic Socialist' government do to me?
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  17. Simon Mortensen I'm still not quite clear as to your answer. So, I asked what would happen to a person who worked 80 hours a week and invented a medicine that cured cancer. She sold it and saved 100s of millions of people's lives. Suppose she made billions of dollars in profit. But she also refused to pay tax. So? What do you propose the government does to such a person?
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  18. Simon Mortensen I'm saying she does refuse to pay any tax - what do you want to have happen to her? That's my question. IOWs, she determines an amount she wants as a profit, if the State charges a tax, then she simply raises the price of the medicine. Thus, the cancer patient will pay for the tax at the point of purchase - but not her. What do you propose happen to her? 
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  19. Simon Mortensen  1) We both agree that the Government doesn't pay for anything itself, it only redistributes other people's wealth?  2) We also agree hospitals are not 'free'? Someone provides a service (say a nurse) and someone pays for the service.  I think these first two points are very important you get clear in your mind. The government doesn't create wealth - it redistributes other people's wealth. Medicine is not 'free'. Someone pays. If a tax is levied, then that item costs more. If it's an income tax, then the laborer has less money to spend. If it's GST, then the buyer pays more. If it's currency expansion, then everyone pays through inflation (which hurts the poor more than the rich). Nothing is 'free'.  3) Re: Go to jail. And there you have Socialism in a nutshell. Violence. She's a morally innocent person. On top of that she made a medicine that saved lives! The government's use of violence against her is immoral. It may be legal, it may be the will of the people - it is still immoral. I happen to think a moral society is preferable to an immoral one. The initiation of violence against morally innocent people is immoral by definition.  Finland is oil-rich. I wouldn't compare them to the USA. A more accurate social democracy would be Greece. See Detroit as an example of Greek style socialism in the USA. While we both want the same ends, I want to get there without resorting to violence whenever possible. See, I think providing the medicine is itself a virtue. I think it's great if that scientists keeps are her money. All that happens is it's put in a bank and lent out to other people in society. Which is a good thing and much more efficient than using a Police State to redistribute it. Money doesn't sit in vaults collecting dust. The majority of it is 0s and 1s. And the internal motivation of the person is irrespective. Who knows? Maybe she would have donated much of it to a charity? Or maybe most of it would be in stocks? Who cares? It's being put to use one way or another and it is HER property.  Now imagine if this woman was from a different country and she charged that same amount per pill. Well, now I'm sure you think she doesn't "owe" anything in tax - do you? That's the interesting thing about in-group normality bias. As soon as she's not in your 'country' suddenly she owes you nothing. Even if that country is only 0.1 mile away. Just down the street. Whereas if she lives 2000 miles away but in the same country - you feel she 'owes' you something and she should pay 'tax'. And you're even willing to use violence against her - and if she resists, the government, they'd kill her. That's sick. That is NOT pro-social.  That is ANTI-social. If you want to know what's wrong with society, this is your answer. 
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  20. Socialism: USA vs Finland and Norway Finland has one of the world's best government run schools. The USA, could in theory attempt to replicate this pedagogy, but we do not. Why? Teacher's Unions. As a matter of fact, the ONLY schools that attempt to replicate the Finnish system are Private and Charter schools (both of whom are viciously attacked both through the media and even legal attempts to make it impossible for parents to even choose them!). Also, look at Norway's sovereign wealth fund it is the largest in the world. Each citizen in Norway is (in theory) a millionaire. In the USA, each Citizen is born about $60,000 in DEBT obligations and these are expected to balloon 500% as the next generation retires with it's expected 'Social" benefits. Some States have passed Laws making it illegal for the voters NOT to pay these debt obligations (of course, Judges are directly the benefits).  Compare the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund with the oil revenues in Alaska. Each Alaskan gets $1800 a year from the Alaska Permanent Fund. THAT is the American way. Not to save and invest, but to take now. Not to go without so that the next generation has more, but to sell Debt obligations (T-bonds and Municipals) STICKING the next generation with bills for goods and services LONG AGO GONE.  What works in the USA is Capitalism and free market private enterprise. Neither of which exists any longer. We don't save capital, but take on debt. Free markets are LONG GONE. You can't even cut hair without a State licence. In some States you need a licence to sell flowers or fix a PC. We're not like the Finnish and Norwegians (and we don't sit atop an oil supply making us all millionaires). We are instead a broke nation of functional illiterates who haven't seen a free handout they didn't like. We are a nation of warmongers. And we're scared of our own shadow thus are happy to trade away our privacy and freedom for a police state and NSA. National Socialists like Bernie Scammers can be expected to make huge political gains in the coming decades - IF history is anything to go by. Only a Demagogue claims they want to help the poor, while at the same time trying to prevent the poor (Chinese) from being lifted out of poverty. Bernie will BOTH claim the Chinese are 'stealing' your job AND are slaves in factories. Neither of which is true. Keep that in mind as his story begins to unravel leaving only the promise of 'free' government handouts. A message perfectly suited to the Americans voter. 
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  21. Let me see if I have this correct, a kid robs a store, attacks a cop and is shot dead? What does this have to do with race again?  I read Michael Brown's mother was named as one of the 'attackers' who assaulted and robbed vendors selling t-shirtswith Michael Brown on them? Pearlie Gordon, 54, Brown's mother-in-law, and two men were selling 'Justice for Mike Brown' merchandise when the subjects 'jumped out of vehicles and rushed them' during what police are classifying as an armed robbery.  We have a saying where I'm from: Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
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  22. 2snoopys Let's see what the Jury finds. But, as I see it, Michael Brown was a thug raised to be a thug by a welfare queen thug.  Sorry if you don't like my conclusions, I grew up on welfare myself, I know all about these thugs that pose as people. 
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  23. A Cyr You may want to jump off that right/left progressive/conservative train - it leads to no where. I, as an example, am an atheist, I think gays should legally get married (actually, anyone) and think drugs should be legal. I maintain Michael Brown was your typical ghetto thug. Sadly, a product of his thuggish mother by the sounds of it. 
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  24. jdl77535 I didn't say it wasn't. I see no reason for me to pay for you to have fun. You pay to have your fun. As for insurance companies, why should my insurance go up because of your fun? It shouldn't? Just like any other 'fun' activity - you pay for yours. I pay for mine. 
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  25. jdl77535 I did not suggest women and men should be treated differently. Take your trolling elsewhere. 
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  26. jdl77535 I have no problem if you pay for your private healthcare to provide you with the pill - that's fine. Then there's no need to use the State to pass a law to force anyone to provide YOU will the pill. You simply negotiate with your healthcare provider and it's a done deal. Good to see we agree.
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  27. technatezin White abolitionists fought for and ended Slavery.
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  28. imaginepeace63 And others were Jewish, Muslim, Animalists, Buddhists, Shinto, Hindo, RomanGrecco polytheists, Shaman, Taoist, and etc.... Yet, the people who ended Slavery were Christians, primarily white male Christian abolitionists in international trade hub England. 
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  29. technatezin Japan ended Slavery in Japan 1000 years earlier and German farmers demonstrated paying workers was more cost effective than maintaining a Slave due to the differential productive output. Did the industrial revolution have something to do with it? Possibly. So what? The fact is this guy, and Thom by extension, is full of shit. His rewriting of history is sickening. Christian Abolitionists, principally white English man, ended Slavery, The English State itself spent millions and millions to fight against Slavery.  And, one more time, my family is not white, I am in Japan, and I'm an Atheist. 
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  30. It should be noted that the Industrial Revolution initially expanded Slavery. But, in the end Slavery was never an efficient means of labor. Either skilled or unskilled. That said, this person is a crock full of shit. He's just another hate monger blaming White Christianity, particularly males, for any and every perceived evil in all of history. A trend on the Progressive Left that I personally find sickening.
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  31. technatezin Most people are in debt up to the eyeballs today, and we're well past the industrial revolution. 
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  32. technatezin Or maybe the consumer is greedy and takes on debt as soon as its made available. No one is FORCED to buy a new smart phone, fashionable clothes, etc.... I really don't see how you can pin this on the company. I may offer you a $1000 cup of coffee, it's not my fault if you take on debt to buy it. That's your choice. 
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  33. technatezin This is completely wrong. (a) Increases in productivity mean there's more goods and services to share with others. (b) Money isn't a limited commodity, it's an accounting tool. (c) Making a profit is essential towards providing goods and services in a manner that doesn't destroy society (and the planet). Profit is just about the ONLY way to ensure limited resources are not over consumed. (d) The Government is the one making people poor, and welfare is one of the ways it does so. 
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  34. ***** Many Native American tribes practiced Slavery BEFORE Europeans arrived. So, perhaps open a book before you post? Oh, and by the by, Europe Christians, primarily English Abolitionists, are the ones that ENDED Slavery. Not Africans, they continued to sell other Africans to Muslims until the mid 1900s. Not China. Not India. It was white male Christians. Oh, and one more time, my family is not white and I'm a Strong Atheist. But, I'm also a rationalist and will not sit for this bullshit blatant rewriting of history from this piss-ant trying to peddle his idiotic book on the present-day anti-white male rhetoric that seems to have turned otherwise somewhat reasonable Progressives into hysterical anit-white racist femiNazis. 
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  35. ***** What do you mean 'totally different'. From what? How about the white Irish who were sold into Slavery? Was it totally different from that? Or how about the Africans that were sold to Muslims and then castrated? Different from that? Yes, to some degrees, there was some difference, I'm sure it didn't make much difference to the person who was a Slave. AND, one more time, WHITE Christian (mainlky Englishmen) ended Slavery. Not Muslims. Not Africans. Not Asians. White English Christian Abolitionists. This is a historical fact. 
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  36. joe jarden . RE: "Unbridled capitalism leading to income inequality" 1) Why should I care about income inequality? I don't. Guess what, if you live in the USA, you're probably making much much MUCH MORE income relative to some poor peasant in Africa.... AND?!? So what? You're not stealing from them, you have nothing to do with them. The same is true for the USA.  Even stop to think about the Honda or Toyota families in Japan - does it matter to ME if they are rich? No, I couldn't give two flying figs. So long as they offer me a car I want at value - that's the END of our relationship. I'm not jealous of them, I couldn't care.  2) . Unbridled capitalism?!? What planet do you live on??? Certainly not Earth. Every f*cking aspect of our lives are regulated. From the Central Banks/Central Planners to the roads, food, drugs, beer, toilet paper, toilet height, water, even gawd damn marriage! There's NOTHING the State doesn't try to regulated in the USSA. . Unbridled capitalism my arse. Hell, in some States you need a State licence to sell Gawd damn arranged flowers! ....Unbridled capitalism what a f*cking joke. We live in a Progressive Socialist Nanny Welfare/Warfare State, and it's a shithole.
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  37. John Smith Either/Or much? If we had a LIMITED government (you know, the entire rational for the founding of the nation) then most of the rich would have gone bankrupt in 2008-09. The fact is, when the Government is LIMITED then the rich find little to no use with it - thus, you needn't worry about the rich gaining control over government, because it wouldn't be able to do the things they want it to do. We have an UNLIMITED government, thus the rich own it and use it to their ends. Such as bailing out the very rich you worry about. The Koch's AND Soros made billions more this year. Soros just shorted the Chinese market and destroyed millions of humans life savings - he's a "Progressive Socialist" by the way.  But, don't worry, as I said in the OP, we now live in a National Socialistic crap hole and this will continue until we're as poor as other 3rd world socialistic economic crap holes (see: Greece or Detroit as examples of the future USA). I give it another 30 - 40 years.
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  38. Maybe ask people in Northern India about your theory. Or in the Philippines. Sweden is and will make an excellent example of everything that's wrong with the Regressive Left.
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  39. BramSLI1 Glass-Steagall would not have stopped this crises from happening. It would have happened regardless. But, for the record, Clinton was the POTUS and he ended it. He could have used a line-item veto or outright veto. He didn't. But, again, it didn't matter. You do understand this banking crises involved more than just the USA. Not to mention Japan had the exact same thing happen in the 90s and, get this, they're independent of the US Congress.
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  40. Rusty Mckee The US State department is responsible for the drug war. Labor has been moving to where it's cheapest for hundreds of years. And, there's nothing wrong with that. If an iPhone were made in the USA, there wouldn't BE an iPhone. That's what you don't get. You think the jobs would be here and so would the market. But that's a fantasy. There wouldn't BE a market because the phones would cost thousands of dollars and no one can afford a $5000 smart phone. As an example, simply look at Brazil. They forced Sony to make PS4 there. Guess how much it costs to buy? About $1800-2000 which is why most Brazilians cannot afford one! AND Brazil is cheap relative to the USA price of labor hours! In short, you bought into the bullshit narrative you're being sold by these Socialist twats. It's all a load of shit. As for Tax policies. Again, you're being taken for a fool. The government goes into debt over a trillion dollars a year. It has NO problem raising capital you dolt. The price of goods is entirely dependent on supply. Tax is simply an accounting tool, it doesn't do anything to increase supply. To do that you need production - which you just whined went to China where it's the most efficient and cost effective. You are totally clueless as to how anything works. That much we can agree on. Note: Google Brazil PS4 Price, then you'll see how these polices would have effected you without free trade with Asia. There would BE not smart phone market. It really is THAT simple. 
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  41. BramSLI1 You are insane and you have no idea what I do or do not believe. Yes, CEO's are paid a lot of money, many are probably paid too much. But, how can YOU know that? Do you sit on the board of directors? Do you run a company? So what if Steve Jobs was paid billions? What's it to you? If you buy Apple all that matter is if the product is worth your money or not. If you work at Apple, all you care about is your job. Therefor, the ONLY way we know is a CEO is paid too much is when they bankrupt their companies. As a matter of fact, the same is true of ALL employees. One last point you may want to consider, CEO's of publicly traded companies are often elected by shareholder, so it's up to them if that person is worth the money or not. What would it matter to you? If you work for Apple and you don't like how much the CEO is paid, the answer is easy, quit. Other than that, it has nothing to do with YOU personally. I'll give you another example. Do you know how much the Toyota family makes? Does it matter to you? No and No. But you can buy Toyota cars and trucks. What would it matter to you if the Toyota family makes $100 a year ot $100,000,000. It doesn't matter to you. Because you have no idea what you are crapping on about. You're just reiterating who that douche Sanders told you to blame. That's HOW he gets elected. Other than hot air, Sander has never actually produced anything in his life. 
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  42. Rusty Mckee Slave Labor, what an oxymoron. You mean like the Chinese? The Chinese who are getting rich? China, who will soon be a richer nation than the USA. I find it funny that in one side of your mouth you crap out one-liner's like Slave-Labor and out of the other side of your mouth you whine those same Slaves are stealing all of the good jobs. Your argument is literally a joke. Surely you can see how Chinese are not BOTH Slave-Laborers AND becoming immensely rich AND stealing your jobs. Now, let's stop and think about what it means to be a Slave, seeing as in you like to abuse this term. A Slave is FORCED to work, in China, Chinese stand in LONG LINES at the opportunity to work in a factory. No one is a Slave-Laborer in China or in the USA. Secondly 'Stealing Jobs'. Um, no. Someone wants to buy labor and other people want to sell labor. The Pizza Hut that moves in is NOT stealing business away from Subway, people are voluntarily spending their money. Thus, as you can see, you need to go and read a book and stop listening to lying politicians. 
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  43. +BramSLI1 I am in Asia right now. You have no idea what you are talking about. Free trade is lifting 100s of millions of Chinese out of poverty. The primary problem in China is the same as in the US, Crony Capitalism due to State interference in the markets.
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  44. +BramSLI1 Do you have ANY ideas of your own or ANY experience outside of TV? Chinese do NOT work like slaves, the factories are BETTER than in the USA! AND the suicide rate is LOWER in China. Again, you're talking out your arse.
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  45. +Rusty Mckee, I think you need to take an economy course. One more time: In the next couple decades 3D printing will eliminate almost all need of mass manufacturing. Robots will replace most of the other jobs in any factories that remain. Are you claiming we will be LESS prosperous once ALL of these jobs are gone? Society no longer needs labor cogs to sit and turn lug nuts. So, if you want a good job you need a highly sought skill. If not, then start a business. If you don't want to do either of those then there's only lowly paid service jobs. Whining or voting Sanders isn't going to change economic reality. And the factories are NOT coming back. They may move to Vietnam or Indonesia, but they're not coming back to the USA.
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  46. +BramSLI1 IOWs you're clueless.
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  47. +Rusty Mckee Machines aren't going to produce things if people are not buying them right? What would be the point? And the rich factory owners GET rich selling things right? I can tell you right now your problem is you keep thinking jobs are important because you think money is important. Well image if it only cost you $100 to buy a car or $10000 to buy a house. Will it? That's up to free markets to determine. But I can tell you no one produces things if people can't but them and we have the ability to create money by fiat. So perhaps instead of trying to make our life difficult by restrictions on freedom and free trade why not address the problem with our monetary system?
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  48. +Rusty Mckee You're going to cite a source that 12 companies own 90% of consumer goods. Because that sounds like a total crock of shit.
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  49. +BramSLI1 Ideas are also products. So is art.
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  50. +Rusty Mckee In a free market it wilds be easy to start a business. A babysitter is a business. An artist. etc...
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