Comments by "Halfdan Ingolfsson" (@Halli50) on "Thom Hartmann Program" channel.

  1. My brother owns a top-level Tesla AND is enthusiastically using StarLink. Personally, I refuse to touch anything Fascist, i.e. anything that Musk is advocating.
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  2. An interesting point for the Committee to investigate and trace to the very end: Who deactivated Pence's access security badges and who ordered it. The plot really thickens, there obviously was a detailed action plan that was being followed. Needless to say, the individuals responsible should be held accountable for attempted assassination!
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  3. There is a strong sentiment in the EU to kick Orban's Hungary out of the EU. Unfortunately, there is currently no legal way to do this, but I have read opinions from people "in the know" that point out that the EU has the means to gag and hogtie Orban: An EU member nation can be barred from receiving funds from the EU under certain circumstances (the hogtie part) as well as being barred from voting within the EU (the gag part). I am no doubt not describing this properly) but, apparently, if an EU member nation goes rogue like Hungary has been doing, they can be rendered lame and voiceless. If so, there is no need to kick Hungary out of the EU, once Orban and his henchmen are out of power, the Hungarian nation can re-establish a proper democracy, punish their fascists and eventually re-join.
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  4. The first 6 months in Iceland certainly support the Gulf Stream "conveyor belt" scare, this has been a cold spring and early summer - but I am a 70-year old Icelandic citizen that has experienced springs with massive drift ice in the seventies/early eighties to the current situation where we have not seen drift ice since bloody Reagan started ruining the US! The first part of 2021 has been cold, but in my short life I have experienced short-term weather fluctuations that make a mockery of ALL extreme predictions. Contemporary weather patterns are NOT a reliable indicator of climate change (re. the idiotic Repugnican politician that brought a snowball to the pulpit, trying to argue the global temperature is not rising). Like-minded Repugnicans can be relied on to point to the disastrous Texan big freeze this year as proof that global temperatures are NOT rising! There is no arguing with idiots.
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  5. In Denmark they used to say: We KNOW we are going to hell in a hand-basket, but we're damn well going there on First Class! This was a running joke during an economic squeeze in Denmark, but this now seems to perfectly describe the attitude of people in power in the US.
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  6. I wonder: If the Trump Organization ends up being convicted for their fraudulent business practices, does not the same apply to the accounting firms that initially refused to hand over proof of these crimes and, being accountants, they will have been fully in the loop, i.e. fully knowledgeable about every detail of the crimes and thus fully complicit?
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  7. We really need a name or a label for this chilling prospect, a Christian version of Sharia law.
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  8. Never mind what Trump's insanity does to Trump himself: What damage will he do to the US? Not only that, what damage will he do to the economy of the rest of the world?
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  9. Isn't it curious how pervasive deadly violence seems to be in the US? Other western nations certainly have their share of incidents and violent fatalities, but it pales in comparison with almost-daily school shootings etc. in 'Murica.
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  10. I had no idea that even the concept of transgender had been known, let alone thoroughly researched this early. Naturally the Fascists turned on it it early, their insecurities bringing out their inhuman hatred and cruelty right off the bat.
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  11. I am a Nordic citizen, and I am amazed how twisted 'Murica has become. Basically the US, with it's flaws and foibles, used it's post-WW2 influence for GOOD (and some bad), and left some seriously good examples to follow. Europe had the stupid blind luck to follow and build on some of the examples the Americans gave us, and improve on them! It has worked fairly well for Europeans so far. Are European nations worse off than 'Muricans these days, with affordable health care, education and good work-life balance, ALL social features denied 'Murican citizens?
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  12. Morbid fascination does not even begin to describe what one is feeling when watching how perverse and sick the situation is becoming in the once-revered US of A.
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  13. Am I being smug, enjoying the fact that I am living in a tiny Nordic country and thus free from all the calamities befalling ordinary US citizens? I do not mean to, but I absolutely HAVE to put in my 2 cent's worth of an opinion that life does NOT have to be like the disaster most US citizens are experiencing. All this "ME, me ,me" life style instead of our "WE, we, we" philosophy is probably at the core of your problem. What I find really tragic is the fact that the lessons we European nations are living by today are lesson the US gave us immediately following WW2! Why on earth did the US itself not heed those lessons? I guess you did initially (1945-1980), but you have obviously been led astray by your Repugnican and Corporate Democrap politicians.
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  14. Repugnicans will think Thom is a pinko Commie, everyone else agrees with Thom.
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  15. The Nordic model in a nutshell: You should care about your less fortunate neighbor! What you get in return is a cohesive and safe community. A no-brainer, really.
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  16. Americans are, metaphorically, stuck in a Titanic situation. The Billionaires have already occupied all the deck chairs and are avidly watching the self-destruction as the ship sinks, but they are eventually also going to drown with the "riff-raff".
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  17. One way to counter the billionaires would be to make advertisers fully accountable: Any advert placed anywhere should be traceable via the advertising agency to the entity or individual that paid for the advert. If the advert can be proven to be incorrect, false or misleading, BOTH those entities could be held accountable and sued out of existence. Also, political bribery should be made illegal again - it actually WAS illegal until fairly recently. Of course neither of these measures can be implemented in 'Murica now, the corruption is too pervasive already.
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  18. The total lack of "feeling of community" in the US is truly depressing. As a lifelong resident of a Nordic country, I find this absolutely disgusting.
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  19. I'm a non-'Murican, uneducated in the intricacies of the short 'Murican history, but it seems obvious that the post-civil-war appeasement the racist south were allowed meant that the 1860 US civil war was not really resolved - and 'Murica is suffering the consequences to this very day! What needs to be done is to ruthlessly stamp out the remnants of the Confederacy, the Confederate flag and the associated racism should be treated like the Nazi Swastika is treated today. The whole shameful era that has been allowed to fester for over 160 years must be faced head-on and shamed out of existence. The entire issue is as shameful for the 'Murican nation as the almost-successful genocide of the Native Americans - a blemish the 'Murican nation will never overcome. The Jewish genocide the Nazis tried to enact will forever stain the German nation, the difference being that the Germans have been facing it head-on while the 'Murican Indian-killers and racists are still in full denial. Trying to re-write history will only shame them further...
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  20. Much as I admired 'Murica in my formative years (the 1960s) I have become disillusioned in recent years. Thom, I am of your generation but born in one of the Nordic countries. My entire life has been one of security, community and cohesion. That is just the way my own tiny nation developed following WW2. 'Murica played a HUGE role it that, we modeled our democracy on your example. Just imagine the disappointment when we realized how hollow "the American Dream" actually was!. What defies my comprehension is how you ' Muricans managed to leave us Europeans with a good society model that has led to general welfare in Europe that is simply denied to you poor 'Muricans! Why is general health care impossible? You tell me! - Every other nation in the world is doing just bloody fine - except the US! Why is free education impossible? You tell me! - Every other nation in the world is doing just fine - EXCEPT THE US! What is wrong with "the land of the free?"
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  21. Do you have to ask? She IS a sociopath!
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  22. The US was really lucky: The Pumpkin Tinpot Dictator was actually too stupid to succeed. If you think the next wannabe Tinpot Dictator will not be more sly and cunning, you are in for a rude surprise! The Repugnican party is an endless supply of such maggots. McConnell, Cruze, Gaetz, the list is endless!
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  23. The Nordic countries are secular, but seem to be practicing what Jesus preached. In a nutshell, treat others like we want to be treated. Sling mud all you like, scream "communism" all you like, we simply ignore your manic rants and enjoy our lives in a society where we take care of each other,
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  24. Logical idea Thom mentioned here: Why would anybody, especially rich people, want to make their children lazy by giving them free money? A logical solution is to make the inheritance tax 100% - then there would be no lazy rich kids, at least according to current right-wing ideology.
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  25. The big question: Will the population of the US allow themselves to be led to the slaughterhouse (spelled: the slave market)?
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  26. Bush Jr. does not need to apologize (that would be an outright admission of guilt), he should be made to face a War Crimes Tribunal for Iraq and Afghanistan.
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  27. This is very plain and simple: Trump decimated the US's capacity to respond to this kind of occurrence and now you have a serious pandemic that has been spreading, mostly undetected, for around 2 months within the US. It is only when the vulnerable 20% of the population starts to get sick and actually DIE that the Trumpzis suddenly find themselves unable to talk their way out of the mess. The virus has probably spread so widely by now that within the next week you will see an explosion in serious cases - China's 80K cases will pale in comparison, you will end up with hundreds of thousands, even millions of cases. Your crippled "not-for-the-public" health care system will become overwhelmed and unable to cope. What the Trumpzis have been doing amounts to a crime against humanity... Come to think of it, if Trump's base follows his advice they will flock to his rallies, infect each other and be out for the count come November. The only possible benefit of the whole mess is that this will probably be the end of Trump and the Trumpzis, AND the US population might realize that affordable health care is a RIGHT, not a privilege. We will definitely see a lot of changes within the next few months.
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  28. Ah, the wonders of living in the land of the FREE !
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  29. The "elites" should keep in mind what happens when inequality reaches a breaking point - it is usually pretty bloody and ALWAYS terminal for the ruling elites: France over 230 years ago, Russia only 95 years ago. Chaos ALWAYS ensues, but lessons are apparently not learned.
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  30. Here I was, thinking that the US system was based on the distribution of power: Three separate branches of government, Legislative, Executive and Judicial. Weirdly enough, part of the Judicial branch has been assuming some of the the powers of the Legislative branch for decades! Thom's idea is both timely and GOOD!
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  31. The inability to test for COVID-19 really IS a national scandal for the US. I am fairly certain that when it comes to the ability to determine if an individual with flu symptoms has plain old flu or is infecting everyone else with COVID-19, the US is the only nation caught with it's pants down and feces all over the place. Thank the Trumpzis for decimating the institutions that were set up to handle exactly this kind of situation.
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  32. "The best Supreme Court that money can buy" describes this SCOTUS perfectly.
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  33. A good beginning would be to start enforcing existing laws, still on the books, to curtail monopolies. I believe Reagan the Horrible decided that they should no longer be enforced, and look where you are!
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  34. Living in the US these days must be terrifying! The EU is at least TRYING to contain this. Are they succeeding? Heck, NO, but at least they are trying.
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  35. I was raised in a moderate Christian community in one of the Nordic countries, and sticks with me about what we were taught about Jesus Christ was his humility and compassion for everyone. I found the Bible otherwise mostly being about selfishness and even outright cruelty, with compassion curiously absent. Needless to say, since I grew up I have become a least an Agnostic, even an Atheist.
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  36. This only drives home how cruel and nasty US society has become. Emapthy for your fellow citizens, not to mention your emplyees or 'servers' seems to have been outlawed.
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  37. Being an European, I take exception to the phrase "European Americans"! Most of the white 'Murican population may have originated in Europe, and our track record might be far from pristine (Hitler, Mussolini, Orban etc.) but while we Europeans have moved on, the whites in 'Murica seem to be about to move a couple of centuries back in time, culturally and morally. I think most Europeans want to disown the descendants of Europeans that moved to America a century or two ago.
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  38. What is the most notable quality about Trump? Telling only the truth? Is anyone SERIOUSLY thinking that Trump is telling the truth about himself taking this "wonder drug"? We will eventually find out what interests he is taking care of while he is pushing this nonsense, and it will be something so blatant that we will all think: "Only Trump could sink this low"!
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  39. Thom, did you ever wonder if your Norwegian grandfather (and his descendants) would have been eventually better off by just staying put? Norway is now generally acknowledged to be one of the least corrupt countries in the world, no Democrap vs. Repugnican bovine excrement in sight, prepaid education and health care is the norm and a humane work-life balance is the order of the day. Even the fricking prison system is a global role model, the police being unarmed because they do not NEED to be armed! True, they went through a rough patch with German Nazi occupation during WW2, but by now they are among the wealthiest and most enviable nations on the planet. Being Icelandic, I could effortlessly move there - and so could you, being of Norwegian origin. Just imagine, being able to leave all the US madhouse problems behind and move to a country that is peaceful, has an immensely beautiful nature and scenery and a genuinely NICE population! You would not even have to re-learn the language in your old age, everyone being comfortably conversant in English. Normally a no-brainer...
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  40. I wonder, does Alito and his TrueNazi wife have any spawn that need to be monitored for mental deviations in the near future?
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  41. As disgusting as DeSantis may be, blaming him for the decades-in-waiting-pollution disasters initiated by Reagan-era conservative decisions that are now coming to haunt Floridians is a bit like blaming Berlusconi for the sins committed by Caligula. Mind you, given the chance, DeSantis will certainly be able to exceed Reagan's wildest dreams regarding the harm that can be done to society and the climate, but he will need decades to achieve that!
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  42. Communism is an impractical ideology, turned into a label used by authoritarian regimes like Cold-War USSR and Cuba and modern day China and Venezuela. What was actually practiced in these countries was nothing like "communism" or "socialism". What is being practiced in Trump's US of A may be labeled conservatism or capitalism, but it is actually plain and simple fascism, currently a wolf masquerading as a sheep. What has been happening in the US in the last 5-6 years bears an uncanny resemblance to Germany in the nineteen-thirties. Mark my words, if Trump is not contained, muzzled and kicked out of power in November, the US will be barreling down the road previously taken by Nazi Germany. It will be bloody, it will be ugly and the US will cease to exist in it's current form. Watch any Mad-Max movie and you''ll get an idea of what it might be like.
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  43. I wonder: Will the grifters get off scot-free when Trump is finally out of office, or will they be nailed to the wall?
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  44. I am probably missing some ironic legal point here, but the first thing that comes to my Nordic mind watching this is "only in 'Murica can you find a far-out discussion like this!" No wonder your society is falling apart...
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  45. So - the US has been called "a flawed democracy" for some decades now. The way things are going, the US will no longer be able to call itself a democracy AT ALL, come November.
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  46. ...or at least one perfectly innocent and invaluable "person", not counting the prospective mother. These people are sick - and insistent on forcing the consequences on others. Congratulations on living in the country with the "most FREEDOM" in the world!
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  47. Heartbreaking. An unwanted child will usually come to realize that fact, eventually, and I believe that any unloved child is a horrible thing: A life of misery for the child and a potential disaster for the society it is born to.
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  48. Bloody good argument! If you "own" a person or part of a person, you are a slave owner.
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  49.  @johnkesich8696 , perhaps this is only coming up now because Trump's cover-up has been mostly successful so far?
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  50. I found the maximum-extraction toothpaste story from your parents interesting. My father was born in1927, my mother in 1932. My mother passed away last June, having lived a very full life, and the old man is still going strong at 93. They were youngsters in pre-WW2 Iceland and literally experienced the development of our country from being a Danish colony to becoming modern-day Iceland, partly with the wisdom and help (Marshall Aid) of post-war US. We are still sticking to the lessons learned from you over 75 years ago and are currently averaging withing the top ten of the "Happiest Countries" (spelled 'least discontent countries') of the world. What I find tragic is how the US managed to discard their own lesson from 1980 onward (the Reagan era) and are now disintegrating. The solution is extremely simple - and yet beyond the reach of the Capitalistic, Socialist-phobic US : Just have close look at the Nordic model, which is as capitalistic as you will find anywhere, and BLOODY WELL TRY TO FOLLOW IT! The argument 'we are too large to succeed' spiel is nonsense. Whatever the Nordics are doing, you can scale up and take to another level! All you have to do is to terminate corporate bribery in US politics. Easy-Peasy!
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