Comments by "Scott Wallace" (@therealzilch) on "Thom Hartmann Program" channel.

  1. Europe being a better place to have a family was the main reason that I (American) and my wife (Austrian) decided for Austria. And I don't regret it.
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  2. As an American living in Austria, which is of course similar in many ways to Norway, I can only agree. The tradeoff Americans have endorsed is that it's easier for the rich to get very rich there, at the expense of the poor, public services, health care, etc. I'd rather pay more taxes and live in a largely sane society.
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  3.  @shen1801  That's a big question. In some ways, it's not so different. Both are capitalist/socialist democracies with dogooders and corruption. But the main difference is that Austria is more tipped to the socialistic side, and that makes life for the non-super-rich much better: affordable rent and healthcare, better public schools, real public transportation, and more commitment to environmental issues. Not that it's perfect by any means. Just as in the US, populistic conservatives are in power. But even the conservatives here are not as moneygrubbing and indifferent to the needs of the general public as in the US, for some reason. Not yet....
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  4. Except if it comes from the government, then it's communism. Better let poor families suffer for not having enough money.
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  5. I hope you're right. But I'm not so optimistic. Ending the Electoral College will require a 2/3 majority in the Senate, which probably means a 2/3 majority of Democrats. Republicans know it's crooked, but it's why they keep winning the presidency, so they are not going to give it up easily.
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  6. It's been one of the greatest mysteries of my life for decades: how do conservatives manage to get votes, year after year, from the people who suffer the most under their policies?
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  7. I'm an American living in Austria, which is similar to Norway in many of these categories. While I miss California, I'll never go back. Capitalism run amok does not make for a good society.
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  8. I don't want this to be happening. Therefore, it's not happening, and I can vote Republican without feeling bad.
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  9. Newt is despicable? At least he's consistently despicable.
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  10. Actually, in a way, Trump is right- he may well be the most transparent president in American history, at least in a sense: he can't keep his mouth shut, and it's all too apparent, and transparent, what his motives are.
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  11.  @thalesnemo2841  "And people only recognize a crisis when they can't drive to the local McDonalds."
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  12. I just saw Greta Thunberg last Friday, here in Vienna. Very ernest, very inspirational. And a crowd of 35,000 mostly schoolkids. Gives one hope.
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  13. Trump is simply the consummate capitalist.
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  14. "Trump is the best President we've ever had! Make us great again in 2020!" - covid 19
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  15. The main problem with the Green New Deal is financial: it doesn't funnel enough money to the stinking rich.
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  16. I am still in denial that Trump is actually President. Cheers from an expat in Vienna, Scott
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  17.  @mikecooper8462  The main culprit, however, was the Electoral College.
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  18. I campaigned against Eisenhower, the source of the "miliatary-industrial complex" concept. Granted, I was only six, following my father door to door. Stevenson would have made a great president, but Eisenhower was not that bad, in retrospect. I'd take Eisenhower over any Republican nowadays, and over many Democrats. Trump is a sick narcissist.
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  19. It wouldn't be so bad if Trump were merely useless.
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  20.  @FouadHeartbreakid  Yes and no. Austria is "friendly" to immigrants in that it lets nearly all of them in, but it's not very friendly about letting them stay, especially after the wave of immigration in 2015. I didn't have too much trouble getting a visa, but I came long before that, and wasn't seeking asylum. The German language and alphabet are not terribly hard to learn for a native speaker of English.
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  21.  @Sixrabbbit  Hunting gathering societies would only be sustainable worldwide with a population of no more than a tenth of our current population.
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