I believe that the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. I believe all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of kinship, love and tolerance. I don't believe in distinction of any kind, such as - race, colour, ethnicity, nationality - sex, gender identity - sexual orientation - language, culture - religion, spirituality - political opinion - any opinion - origin (social, national or any other kind) - age - weight, size - looks, beauty or lack of it - disability or illness, visible or invisible, of mind or body - property, wealth - birth - other status or identity
"Even more curious was that his opposition to the plan made no sense." Of course not. Jerry Nadler wanted affordable housing. Your dad wanted to make money, not homes for poor people.
I suppose you don't understand what gentrification is, and why it's a bad thing, and why a lot of people don't want it. You really should learn about it. Really, junior.
"Why a politician, whose job is to serve the people he represents, would spend so much of his time and energy fighting a developer who wanted to improve that politician’s district is a mystery."
It's not a mystery, if you understand one simple thing. One man's "improvement" can make things very difficult for another. Jerry Nadler's job was to see for the best of his constituency, Donald Trump's job was to get rich. Jerry Nadler cares about civil rights and liberties, Donald Trump cares about money.
President Clinton was impeached because he lied about having had sex with Monica Lewinsky. President Trump was impeached because he asked Ukraine to help with his election and then tried to obstruct the investigation. I can understand that to you there is no difference - impeachment is impeachment - but I can not understand that you can't understand how publishing investigation about the President's sexlife is "a matter of decency", and "salacious material" "that would be unfair to release".
“The Republican establishment which fought Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and which continues to fight the grassroots Tea Party movement today has adopted the tactics of the left in using the media and the politics of personal destruction to attack an opponent,” she wrote on Facebook.
Simply because these people are vocal against Trump. What ever happened with "But words aren’t violence. They’re just words."? They are "violence" when they are used to criticize a Trump?
Well... Bill Kristol isn't irrelevant. He's not on Fox any longer, though, so I suppose you can't see him, so you think he has gone away. Jennifer Rubin keeps writing, but I suppose you don't read the Washington Post. Bret Stephens is as active as ever, writes for The New York Times and contributes to NBC News and MSNBC. You aren't following any of them. Jonah Goldberg you probably see every now and then... His books are somewhat popular.
"Meanwhile, down here on the ground, real people watched the middle class dwindle, the borders get thrown wide open, and the United States get clobbered in trade while our factories turned to rust."
You are not "down on the ground" and in spite of all your efforts to try to claim the opposite, I don't think you have ever been. "I liked hanging out with my father's workers" "I liked hanging out with my father's servants" "I liked hanging out with the people who lived close my boarding school" "I liked hanging with the ordinary folks working for my father, and then I went home and ate dinner with my father". "I was cast on my own, except that my dad paid for my gas and food... and my car and my guns and..."
I have been watching interviews with "people down on the ground" and what they are concerned about, and they don't give a damn about middle class, borders and trade, they just care about getting food on the table, clothes on their backs, roof over their heads, maybe save something for the rainy day. Work.
And what have your dad done about the factories turning to rust? Nothing. That's one of the reasons why your dad lost the election. Failed promises. While he was playing golf and whining about the immigrants, the factories kept rusting, the works kept moving out of USA, the industries kept downsizing.
Those people don't see you as one of them. They see you as Trump's son.
"The only thing lower than that is maybe an infomercial for wrinkle cream on Sunday morning. Keep an eye out for Bill holding up a jar to the camera."
"...50 “Republican national security officials” signed a second letter announcing that they would not vote for Trump under any circumstances. According to a Washington Post article from last July, many of those same people are now looking for jobs in the Trump administration"
No, they weren't. Either there never was an article like that, you misunderstood it, or they were lying. A lot of those people retired when Trump became the president, or got themselves a job outside politics.
"One by one, DJT got rid of the guardrails and got the West Wing humming just like Trump Org, or the 2016 Donald J. Trump for President campaign: lean and mean"
Hmm... there are sycophants and cowards who don't dare to say what they really think, because if you do, you will get fired. People try to coax him like a baby, and manipulate him, no-one dares to tell him he lost the election. People lie. Yes, I can imagine that's how Trump Org works.
The Class Warfare chapter begins with a rather nice story of the young Donnie Jr. going about with his life. I think I'd enjoy reading his memoirs, if he could stop whining, bragging, and blaming others. It would be very interesting to read.
"If there were any imperfections, no matter the size or the significance, he would notice."
Let's not mention Riverside South where the bad foundation went unnoticed by Trump for two months, before it was stopped - not by him. One just wonders what else he missed.
"He loved talking with the men and women who made it all happen for him. Many of those men and women, by the way, occupy senior positions at Trump Tower today. The same people who taught me to swing a hammer now help me make major decisions about new projects."
Doesn't that sound so nice... now imagine how the story looks from those people's point of view. "We made it all happen for him, we made him rich, and now that snooty pup..."
"During lunch breaks, I would sit with the union contractors and plumbers while they ate..."
Union contractors, huh?
"He was on the ground. It was good advice, both for the construction business and for life. It’s also pretty good advice for running a country. Not only should you do a better job, you should do a better job for less money. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, this is even more important when you’re spending other people’s money."
Yet he has spend 1/3 of his time as President golfing, and most of the rest of the time inside the White House. Not on the ground. Also, he has been spending a lot of money, and doesn't have much to show for it. Except quite a lot of gilding inside his own pockets.
But, I digress. That junior does it too isn't an excuse.
He's getting to the main point of the ramblings. 1) You shouldn't expect to get anything in life that you didn't work for 2) If you don't ask for it, don't expect it 3) When someone goes around offering things for free, don’t believe them.
1) When you were a kid, you got plenty of things that you didn't work for. Your parents took care of you and gave you things just because they were your parents.
A welfare society works on the premise that those who need help are like children. For some reason they can't be expected to do their share of the job. It is not a desirable position, even if you seem to think it is. Maybe because you were a rich kid. You didn't need to worry about food and clothes and anything you wished for when you were a child. Frankly, you have had free food, free clothes, free education, free health-care, your whole life. When the other guys at your job paid for their food, you went to your daddy who gave you food for free.
Most adult people wish to be seen and treated as adults, but if you are living on benefits, especially if you are not old and have worked your whole life to earn those benefits, you are a second class citizen, an incompetent person, a ward. You are not a productive member of the society, you are a parasite. Very few people manage to ignore this. The people who need welfare and benefits pay with limited rights, privileges and freedom. They pay with self-esteem. They pay in social status. And living on benefits isn't luxurious. One has to be really good at swindling to get out of poverty by government handouts.
Now, the Democrats want more people to get out of poverty. Handouts are not going to do it, but free education, good housing, health care and food, will. What the tax payers invest now, will pay back in the future, because the more people will get out of the poverty, the more people will be working and paying taxes.
You have been getting a lot that you didn't work for. Look around and think what in your life you would never want to be without. I hope your children is one of these things. You didn't work one second to get them. I hope there are other people in your life you appreciate, your family, your friends, the love of your life. Didn't work to get them, either. You speak about how much the nature and wilderness mean to you. Didn't work to get them. (BTW, you mock AOC for not being able to stop Chinese air coming to USA, how do you plan stopping the USA pollutions coming to your forest? Have you noticed how the trees suffer? I suppose you haven't.)
But, there are other things people got for free. For example, everyone knows your daddy is bragging about getting a million dollars from his dad. (And also that he calls it "a small loan", and your brother says it's "practically nothing". The tax rise Elizabeth Warren proposed is "practically nothing" to you people, so why whine about it?)
2) Why would someone work for less than livable minimum wage? If someone isn't asking for it, why would they expect it? The Democrats are asking it in behalf of all those people who don't know that you have to ask, you have to demand, you have to value yourself and your work, or people like the Trumps will exploit you. If you are ready to sell your work for 10 dollars an hour, why would any employer pay more? If you know your work is worth more, why would you sell it for less?
3) Sometimes, when someone goes around offering things for free, it's an advertisement campaign. Sometimes, when someone goes around offering things for free, it's because someone else pays for it. When the Democrats "go around" offering free education, everyone knows it will be paid mostly with the taxes. That means that the American people will pay for it. The Democrats included. When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez promises people free education, she is prepared to pay for part of it. Of course, she won't pay as much as some people who earn more than she does, but she will be paying more than most Americans. Because of this, when the Democrats "go around" offering free education, they also have a plan on how to pay for it. You really can't isolate Elizabeth Warren's tax plans from the rest of her campaign issues. It's a whole package. I mean, you are a businessman. You know how it works. You want something to happen, a job done, a building built. Contractors make offers, and these offers are a package, and you compare the packages and pick one. Then you pay and they do the job. Every businessman has their own criteria on which package to pick. Some think the price is more important than the quality, some think it's good to pay more for good quality, some have special demands and accept that it will cost more. And so on and so forth. The same way, the Democrats have a plan on how to get the society to where they think it works best. Reduce the poverty. Strengthen the weakest link. They have been studying what makes people stay in poverty, what are the biggest obstacles, how to get rid of them, and then they create the policies and plans according to this information. The Republicans also have a plan. Theirs is to strengthen the chain by getting rid of the weakest links, gilding the strongest links, and... I really don't know how they think the government gets money to do all the things governments are supposed to be doing. Borrowing money from foreign countries, and not paying it back? The Republicans also promise "free things". Like good salary for the military and the police. Who is paying it? Where does that money come from? The border wall. You know, the Mexicans will never pay for it. It's the tax payers who do.
So, you are wrong. You are the liar, and everyone who believes you is an idiot. And I have to say I suspect you believe your own lies, which makes you an idiot also.
And after that he goes back to sanctimonious bragging. "if you want someone to vote for you, you have to go to work and earn that vote" If that's how you feel about your campaign, why was your daddy berating everyone? Why did you spend so much time, money, and effort to make Hillary look bad?
So, back to talking about his life.
He tells a story about how his mother beat him up because Ivanka was too cowardly to take the consequences of her actions. That story doesn't say anything good about any of the people involved. I was spanked once in my life. I was being cranky because I was like 5 and I was very tired, and mom was stressed out and needed to clean the whole house and I was being a pain in the ass. Had she taken five minutes to assess the situation and realized how tired I was, she would have put me in the bed and got me to sleep in all peace, and could have gone back to her chores, and no-one would have been upset. Now I remember how angry I was and how I cried myself to sleep. That was it. Every other time in my life I could trust to my parents listening to me, believing in me, and appreciating me more than things. Not that we had crystal chandeliers, but it wasn't as if Ivana couldn't replace the chandelier easy.
Then he tells about the Mar-a-Lago, and reveals how vulgar his dad is.
"Trump properties all over the globe today, all of them rated among the highest quality in the world" I wonder if this is true. Doesn't really matter, though, so I won't check this.
"One day in Eric’s room, my father saw how much Michael enjoyed playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with us on Nintendo and told him he could take the game home. My game! To this day, Eric says it was his game because it was in his room, but I know whose game it was. I’d worked a summer job to pay for it! And here was Michael Jackson, probably a billionaire at this point, and he took it!"
No, your dad gave away something he didn't own without even asking the owner. It didn't mean anything to him, he wanted to please this Celebrity, so he did.
Your argument that "he can't be a racist because he was friends with Michael Jackson" isn't really an argument. Letting his son "hang out with Michael Jackson" could also be interpreted as he didn't much care about what you did. But - that's not the point with this book. You are trying to show how the Democrats are lying idiots.
We are back to "I prefer working class guys to upper class people, and I have always been able to boss them around, I spend time in the kitchen harassing the chefs and even taking over the kitchen, because I'm the best chef in the world, and the slaves liked me so much!" I'm just wondering how the situation looked from the other side, and would they ever dare to say their true feelings about it? I mean, it's cute to have the master's 12 years old son hanging around in the servants' quarters, but... er...
Good that you are teaching your kids to cook.
"When the news about this book leaked just after I signed the deal, liberal Twitter was pretty brutal to me." Oh, so horrible. "But words aren’t violence. They’re just words."
"I’ll show you what Ivanka has to endure. The constant onslaught by the media is incredibly unfair and cruel." Oh, so horrible. "But words aren’t violence. They’re just words."
"I would find what looked like a good high-mountain lake maybe fourteen miles away from my location on a map or atlas. (For you younger folks, those were things we used to find our way around when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.)" Oh, wow. You mean like "Google Maps"?
I find it so interesting that he talks about these blue collar people he was friends with (and some to this day), but he doesn't understand that these people didn't just wait for a message to be delivered. They expected something to happen. It's heart-breaking to listen to these people talk about their hopes being got up by Trump to then be crushed, watching the jobs disappear to the lowest bidders in China and Mexico. You see, Donald, it's not the politicians who move jobs. It's the employers, factory owners, industrialists, corporations... the rich people, the owners, the Capitalists, the Republicans.
It's interesting how you whine about NAFTA; when the economy was great during Bill Clinton, and went down to hell with George W. Bush, and Obama had to work hard to get it somewhat back up again. And Trump hasn't changed anything.
It wasn't Bush's fault, though. Just as little as Corona is Trump's fault. Or the Great Regression Obama's fault. Not that you would acknowledge that. And now we have yet another Democrat who has to clean up the economic mess after a Republican.
It was because China entered WTO, and the USonians couldn't resist the temptation of a "good deal". I mean... you should know nothing is free. USA paid for the cheap Chinese stuff, cheap Chinese work force, cheap Chinese materials with Americans losing their jobs.
Now, I have to say that you dad's tax break "including a zero percent tax rate on many profits generated offshore" most definitely did more damage to USonian jobs than NAFTA, WTO and TTIP ever could, because you people have never let heart stand in your way to make profit. But, sure, blame Bill Clinton and NAFTA.
"The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) will bring much of those dreams back." Hmm... Are you aware of that the Americans have the power to buy only things made in USA of USonian materials. You have had the power all the time. You don't HAVE to buy the cheap Mexican and Chinese things, just because you can.
"Yet, at this writing, the Democrats continue to slow-walk ratifying the deal." Bull. The agreement had bipartisan support.
"Democrats did a great job to build up the manufacturing base in other countries. In America? Not so much." Bull.
"They said it would take a miracle to bring back manufacturing. I brought back 700,000 jobs. They brought back nothing. They gave up on manufacturing," Trump said." Bush jr. lost 4 million jobs in manufacturing Barack Obama inherited the down-hill, and it took him a year to turn it. A year that lost 1 million jobs in manufacturing. After that, he created a million jobs. Trump inherited an up-hill, and didn't manage to create more than half a million jobs in manufacturing before Corona crisis, which has costed USA over a million jobs so far.
"They sat on their hands and watched the factories of iconic manufacturers such as Firestone and U.S. Steel empty and rust."
"Please don’t be swayed by the liberal media. Read @realDonaldTrump and @DonaldJTrumpJr’s tweets. They’re the unfiltered truth." Yeah, sure. Why don't you tell that one about Sleeping Beauty, too?
We are in 1/5 of the book, and that's about the verity of the book, too. And that just because we can't verify the verity of what he tells about his life. Which also happens to be the best, most interesting part of this book.
----
So this was his version of "class warfare". *sigh*
"I’m reminded of faulty foundations when I look at the modern Democrat Party. It built a political party on a foundation of Jim Crow–style racism, support of the KKK and slavery, and stark opposition to Abraham Lincoln. Every few decades it added a floor to that foundation. Those floors included a widespread welfare state, hindrance of businesses both big and small, and finally political correctness, Soviet-style socialism, and Antifa. They are the party of dependence. Without that, they have nothing."
I'm pretty sure none of those words and concepts mean what you think they mean.
Political parties are not buildings. I know your simile sounds good, and I am sure the Deplorables believe the same way you do, but that's not how the reality works.
I posted about the Democrat party racist history already before, and those who are interested in facts have checked up the links and read the articles, and those who aren't, won't, so no need to dwell in that.
Only a fascist would oppose to that. Oh, and people who don't understand what it means. Which one are you?
It's not just a Democrat idea, btw. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, and Ike Eisenhower supported it. I think those two are among the best Presidents USA has ever had.
"hindrance of businesses both big and small" For example, how? Some of the policies have been worse, some better, from both parties. Some companies have managed better during a Democrat rule, some companies have suffered during a Republican rule, companies have been started during both, by members of both parties - it's not a black-and-white issue. A lot of it is a myth.
The Republicans created a myth of Democrat politics being unequivocally bad, against all evidence, reason and logic. (Another feature of fascism).
I am 100% sure of that you wouldn't be able to refer to any facts about how the Democratic party has "hindered businesses". I am also sure that you would be referring to taxes, totally ignoring the fact that Obama lowered the taxes to small companies several times. You simply don't know, so you repeat the myth as if it was the truth. And as this fits your agenda, you run with it.
"political correctness"
Political correctness isn't a Democrat party policy. It is the policy of considerate people who don't want to offend and hurt other people. Who think other people are more important than your "comfort" and laziness, not needing to think before you speak. It's not about silencing people, it's about considering other people, and thinking before you speak. Are you seriously saying, that you can't express your thoughts without using racist slurs? But you are not a racist? Oh, it's offensive to call a racist a racist? It's not PC, you say? :-D
Wow... Another wild claim based on the fact that you don't know what that is. It just sounds good.
1) "Soviet-style socialism" is Communism 2) Democrats are not even close to Communism. They aren't even Socialists. That they are more left than the extreme right doesn't make them left. 3) The Democrats don't want to abolish private ownership or Capitalism. Not even Bernie Sanders wants that, and he's a Socialist. (Not a Democrat) 4) The Democrats don't want a one-party state. 5) The Democrats don't want Collectivism. Remember, "snowflakes"? 6) The Democrats don't suppress political dissent (Telling you to shut up isn't silencing you. Come on. When have you ever done anything people tell you to do? When has any American done that?) 7) The Democrats don't oppose liberal democracy.
"and Antifa"
Antifa isn't part of the Democratic party either.
"They are the party of dependence. Without that, they have nothing."
Except when they ask for people to be able to actually support themselves for the work they do, and not just be slaves to their employer, when they try to take care of the environment, so that there is clean water to drink and clean air to breathe, and natural resources even for our grandchildren, when they want the population of USA to be as healthy as possible so that they can work, and when they want the children and elderly to be taken care of so that the adults in the family can work, and when they demand free education for everyone so that there won't be an illiterate and ignorant layer of citizens free to be exploited by ruthless people, because education gives you power, and when they want all the children to have equal access and possibilities to take advantage of the education to their best abilities, and when they want to keep trading with foreign states, so that USA gets the resources they don't have themselves, and when they try to get everyone to vote, even those they know won't vote for them, and when they work for for equality of opportunity for all Americans regardless of sex, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, religion, creed, or national origin, and when they work to keep women's reproductive rights with women, and not the government, so that the women can make choices about their economical and social life, meaning that women can keep working and supporting themselves, and when they want more people to come to USA to pay taxes and work, and when they try to support policies that keep everyone alive as long as possible, like gun control and hate crimes, yeah, other than that, total dependence, that's all they have.
No, it's not a miracle that the party is still standing. And you would know that if you actually knew what the Democratic party is.
Your dad didn't crush Hillary in 2016. She won the popular vote, with almost 3 million votes. And Biden won 2020 with more than 6 million votes. Though I think a lot of people were voting "not Clinton" 2016, and "not Trump" 2020. That has nothing to do with party politics, though.
"bringing the craziest fringe figures to the forefront of the party" Says someone who calls moderate Republicans RINOs. :-D These "Republicans in name only" are the real Republicans, and you are Fascists. You should do the honorable thing and leave the Republicans and start your own party. But I don't think you will, because you have created this "THEY were the ORIGINAL racists, WE are Abraham Lincoln's party!" slogan.
Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat.
"In recent years, the Democrats have almost completely abandoned the principles of capitalism and democracy."
Have their? I haven't heard any Democrat say anything against private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit, capital accumulation, competitive markets, a price system, property rights, voluntary exchange, wage labor, capitalist market economy, decision making and investments being determined by those who are going to invest the money, free competition, or any other principle of Capitalism. So, what is it you are referring to? Perhaps you don't know what Capitalism means.
Neither have I heard Democrats suggest any reforms that would in any way limit the Democracy, on the contrary. Democracy means that the people choose the government and have an eye on it. The cornerstones of democracy include freedom of assembly and speech, inclusiveness and equality, membership, consent, voting, right to life and civil rights. Frankly, those sound more like Democratic issues than Republican issues. Except that "right to life" issue. The Republicans support capital punishment, war, and police brutality, and oppose abortion, and euthanasia. The Democrats oppose capital punishment, war, and police brutality, and support abortion, and euthanasia. Interestingly, abortion and euthanasia are things that touch only the person involved, and thus should also be decided by the person involved, without any interference by the government, while capital punishment, war and police brutality are designed to control the masses, requiring blind obedience, people overriding their personal ethical and moral values, and justifying "might makes right" thinking.
"Instead, they’ve begun embracing some of the worst ideas in the history of mankind: socialism, collectivism, class warfare, and the politics of fear and resentment."
The Nordic Model is a great thing. You should try it. You might like it :-D
It is funny... Let me tell you a story.
There once was a boy who didn't like kreplach. Kreplach are small dumplings filled with meat filling, very much like ravioli or wonton. His mother tried to make him eat them, by showing him how they are made. "Look, here's dumpling dough. You like dumplings, don't you?" "Yes" "And here's meatball dough. You like meatballs?" "Yes" "Now I put the meatball inside the dumpling..." "Yuk, kreplach!"
Your reaction to Socialism is like that.
What you call Collectivism means basically that the Democrats acknowledge that USA is one country with a lot of different people who need to work together for a future. They do not want to banish private ownership. Most of them are private owners.
"Class warfare"... Interesting that you would then talk about "the Ruling Class"... >:-> What are the classes warring here, you think? Or are you just throwing around words knowing your audience doesn't care. Because - fascists just care about how things sound. (I see that the next chapter is about this issue. I can't wait to read what you think about it.)
"The politics of fear and resentment." Like "THEY ARE COMING TO TAKE AWAY MY GUNS!!! THE ILLEGALS ARE COMING TO TAKE AWAY OUR JOBS!!! THEY WANT TO TAKE ALL MY MONEY AWAY AND GIVE IT TO MOOCHERS!!!" No, Junior, that's your party's politics.
"Some of their most recent proposals sound as though they came right out of The Communist Manifesto."
LOL That was a good one. As if you had read that one :-D
So you are against child labor laws? Children should be allowed to work and take their responsibility of supporting the family? It's violating the children's God given right to work to demand that children should go to school and not to the factory with their parents? And, of course, the employer can't be expected to pay them the same salary for the same work they do as an adult does, because they are children, and obviously their work isn't worth the same.
That the President of USA stands up and declares that "we would never become a socialist country" is not something he needed to do, because every reasonable person knows USA will never become a socialist country, because the majority of the USonians, both Republicans and Democrats, don't want that. Educate yourself, for crying out loud, so that you don't need to be afraid of things that aren't a threat. Even if USA would apply the Nordic Model, you wouldn't be a Socialist country, because of the American Dream. All of you want to become rich, find prosperity and success, how ever it is defined, and believe in meritocracy, so you believe you can get rich through hard work, ingenuity, taking the opportunities offered, according to what you believe in, and have the freedom to live your lives as you choose to. None of this was possible in "Soviet style socialism" aka Communism.
The difference between Lefties and Righties is not here, it's that the Lefties are concerned about everyone getting the opportunity, and the Righties are concerned about themselves getting the opportunity. The lefties pursue the life, liberty, and happiness, but they stop to help the weak ones who are about to stoop on the side of the road, the righties want to get rid of the weak ones. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link. The Republicans want to remove the weakest links, the Democrats want to make the weakest links stronger.
Your grandparents lived in a Communist country. USA is not even close to Czechoslovakia 1948. It has never been and it will never be.
Your Czech grandmother is afraid you, Eric, and Ivanka, and your children would need to live in a Communist country? So afraid she CRIES? Is she dement? She lives in an European welfare state, and doesn't see the difference to what it was in 50s and 60s?
I'm sorry, but I live in Sweden, the exact Social Liberal country Bernie Sanders speaks about. There are a lot of immigrants from former Communist countries. They aren't afraid Sweden would become Communist.
What does Melania say? She lived in an European Communist country her first 20 years. How bad was it? How bad is it in Slovenia today?
"They don’t know that socialism—especially this new, hip version of it that’s being pushed by the Democrats—is all just a bunch of nice-sounding lies."
Yeah... Sweden has been living the Nordic Model for only 80+ years and counting... maybe it's just a phase...
So, then he talks about "socialism".
None of what he says is connected to the Democratic party more than White Supremacy and Extreme Right is connected to the Republican party.
He mentions, though, that he is against poor people having health care, poor children having food, and he thinks it's a good idea to sell guns without backup checks via mail order. Criminals, illegal aliens, and mentally ill people should have free access to guns. (All this is what he laments the President did, just to appease the crazy Socialist Democrats. Doesn't sound crazy to me, but - I'm a Social Democrat.)
USA has been strongly Capitalist since... forever? And there is no signs of that changing. Not any time soon, nor ever.
US economy under Bill Clinton's presidency was stronger than under Ronald Reagan's presidency. Donald Trump jr. dismisses this as "even Bill Clinton tried to ride the prevailing winds".
What ever Bernie Sanders did or didn't do, doesn't matter, because he isn't a Democrat.
Do you have something against This Land Is Your Land? Or Russians? :-D Yes, I think you are being silly. But Woody Guthrie didn't like your grandpa, so I suppose one can't expect you to like him.
"But if there had been, today you would be able to find clips of Crazy Bernie ranting to an empty Senate chamber, going on about socialized medicine while the janitors came through and scraped gum off the bottoms of the desks." So you are saying the Senators are a bunch of badly behaving kids? I'm sorry, but I refuse to believe that. But, I bet your readers laugh at this and believe it to be true. I also bet that you read this somewhere else.
Also, you said "I’ve always respected my elders". This is a perfect example of that you were lying. Bernie Sanders is older than your dad, a Senator of USA, and deserves your respect, whether you like him or agree with him or not. People take him more seriously than they take you. He is elected to his position, you are where you are because of nepotism.
"His "crazy socialist ideas" of free college, free health care for all, higher minimum wage, income redistribution, and tearing the heart out of capitalism"
Free college is not a crazy idea. College educated people earn more, are less likely to be unemployed, and live longer, so the tax revenues would pay back the education very quickly. It would also show in the unemployment statistics, GNP, and other such things.
Free health care - or single payer health care - would also pay itself back, as healthy people can work more than sick people. People wouldn't ignore small health problems that could grow into big health problems. People don't need to worry how they would pay for the health care they need, and that would lower the stress levels, which would also improve the health and productivity, and people would risk more in investments and entrepreneurship, when the failure wouldn't be as catastrophic. It would also reduce the negative impact of pandemic.
I, naturally, find nothing bad in strengthening the union, on the contrary. I believe the People should have the power, not the "ruling class", and I believe the people should be educated, and know what's happening, and have someone to speak for them when they don't know themselves yet. Unions are there to see that everything goes right and no-one is being cheated. If you are an employer who doesn't want to exploit, use and cheat your employees, then you have nothing to fear from the union. If you are afraid of the union, then I question your intentions with your employees. And I find "right-to-work" laws pretty disgusting. They are usually used by employers to avoid paying decent salary for the work the employees do for them. I suppose it's because I'm not a Fascist.
"tearing the heart out of capitalism" is just stupid. Yeah, yeah, I know you are scared to death by the mere suggestion, which is why you wrote it in, but, come on. Show some backbone. Your precious capitalism is not being threatened.
Nevertheless, all this is totally irrelevant, because Bernie Sanders isn't a Democrat.
Then follows an interesting biographical sequence about how he visited his grandparents in Czechoslovakia. It would have been nice to read more about that, though without the political propaganda and lies.
He builds a "cute" little Strawman "I'm sure if anyone heard me speaking Czech, they'd take it as some kind of proof that I had colluded with Russia". No, they'd take it as proof of that your mother taught you her mothertongue. Get real. "I’ve actually heard pundits on television using my second language as proof that I must love “Mother Russia.”" Have you? Pundits? Who? Do you have any proof of that, or is that just another of your dreams? Oh, is this reference to when people joke about your dad having a penchant on women born in Communist Slavic countries?
Now, if you had bothered to learn some political science, you would know that what they had in Czechoslovakia was this "Soviet style Socialism" aka Communism you are so scared of, and not the Nordic Model Socialism Bernie Sanders speaks about. You would know they are as different as Czech Republic is from Soviet Russia.
I am actually rather impressed that you have understood what Communism is. Maybe you should have been send to live in Sweden a couple of summers when you were still a kid and not yet brainwashed. Let's make a deal. I will take care of your children during the summer here, I promise to take well care of them, love them as they were my own children, and keep them safe, and show them what it's like to live in a "socialist country", like the one Bernie Sanders dreams of. I promise not to talk to them about politics, just answer the questions if they have any, and explain some situations that occur - if any. I'll even send you transcripts of our discussions. My Jewish husband and I live in a small suburb near Stockholm, with a lot of Middle Eastern refugees, mainly from Syria, Iran, and Iraq. They are Christian, don't worry. :-D Both my husband and I grew up on the countryside, so we can teach them to cut wood, forage, build tree houses, and so on, even though I think you can do that yourself. We can teach them how to take care of farm animals, and how to take care of a garden, if you wish. Though I suppose it would be better if we taught them to read, question, verify, research, and evaluate the source.
"So, I guess it’s not just me and my father. People in my family have been getting spied on by governments for generations!"
And back to the loony bin. *sigh* "Obama is spying on me!"
How dare you to even suggest your situation is like that of a non-party member living in a Communist country! As if anyone even bothered to spy on you (unless perhaps to get to your dad.)
"the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia was about as easily offended in those days as your average American liberal is today" Seriously, junior?
How many five years olds have your daddy's politics forced to stand confused being harassed by the customs officers? Are you proud of that? How many kids will tell in 30 years of the horrors of Trumpist USA, like you tell about the Communist Czechoslovakia?
"Bernie Sanders alone has three houses. He’s made millions of dollars under capitalism while preaching like a crazy person for its opposite. Let’s call him the “Commie Capitalist.”
Yes. He has his home, a summer cabin, and a small town house where he lives when at work as a Senator. That's totally normal for people who live in the Nordic Model Socialism, which is what he talks about. If you think it's luxurious and Capitalism friendly, then you should really try the Nordic Model.
He isn't preaching against capitalism, which you would understand if you knew what socialism and capitalism were. Let's not call him the "Commie Capitalist", because he isn't a Communist.
I have to say that I am thoroughly happy I have lived my whole life in "socialist" countries like Finland and Sweden, and I'm sure anyone would if they only knew what it's like. I would not want to live in USA, not even if you paid me.
Socialism is one thing, but 10% have a favorable view on Communism, 8% of Authoritarianism, 7% on Fascism and 6% on Totalitarianism... I would say this gallup isn't reliable. NO-BODY could possibly think any of those things are to be viewed favorably.
-------------------
So, who is this "craziest member"? Bernie Sanders? He isn't a Democrat. Why would Democrats have "reined him in", and by what authority?
"Now the Democrat Party has tilted so far left that it threatens to collapse any day. "
If that's so, why are you whining? Just wait and it will demolish itself. Except that political parties aren't buildings. And so far you haven't much talked about the Democratic party.
But let's look at the Presidential candidates.
Did Elizabeth Warren "want to arm the IRS to punish the wealthiest people in the country"?
Well... I'm sure it looks like that to you, even though you aren't one of the wealthiest people in the country. Your sister and father are. But the average salary of an American citizen is 40.000 a year, and they pay about 10.000 as taxes. To you 10.000 is nothing. Your net worth is 25 million, which means that you aren't rich enough to be part of Elizabeth Warren's suggestion, but let's say that you were. 2% of 25 million is half a million. Most Americans don't ever even own half a million. She's talking about THE 0.1% OF PEOPLE. It means that if an average USonian meets 100 people like they, NONE OF THEM is affected by Elizabeth Warren's tax raise. So... why am I supposed to care when "Elizabeth Warren wants to punish the wealthiest people in the country"? Why is anyone? Why do you care? You probably burn that much every year without even knowing where it went. So, sorry, that I fail to feel sorry for you and angry at Elizabeth Warren. I'd rather you pay some money to keep this country running, than that you buy a new Hermes handbag to your girlfriend. If you really loved this country, you would do that. No-one needs Hermes handbags, and that is also supporting the French manufacturing, employment and state.
"that didn’t stop her from making almost $500,000 a year from teaching one class at Harvard" Not true.
Elizabeth Warren's net worth is about 8 million dollars. Yes, she's a millionaire. And she pays taxes. That should tell anyone opposing the Nordic Model Socialism the Democrats are suggesting that you can pay taxes and still become a millionaire. There are millionaires in Nordic countries. There's even billionaires. And they all pay their taxes. And are still very rich. Mindblowing, I know. Especially when you can't get over the fact that Socialism isn't what you think it is, and Capitalism isn't what you think it is, and you are stuck to repeating words, and the world moves on around you. BTW, have you talked with Melania's parents and asked them how they got rich in a Communist country? In a REAL Communist country. Have her parents talked with your Czech grandmother?
"Kamala Harris wants to get rid of all private health care and replace it with a single-payer government-issued model." No, she doesn't. She wants to have all the private health care for those who want that AND a "single-payer government-issued model", for those who can't afford the private health care. I know you don't give a crap about 75% of USonian citizens, and cannot fathom why anyone would, not even the 75%, (because you lack the theory of mind, as I said).
Those of the 75% who voted for your dad think that he can bring them to riches, because they believe the lies about a "self-made man". Also, they live every day in fear of getting sick, but hoping it will never happen. After all, it hasn't happened yet, so why would it happen later? If they agree on rich people paying taxes, then they have to pay taxes that one day when they get rich themselves.
But Democrats are the pro-choice party, which means that you get to choose if you want to use the free health care or pay for the private health care. The Republicans don't want the poor people to get health care. And you don't need to stay with the single-payer health care for the rest of your life. When you are healthy again, you go back to work and get rich and be able to pay for private care. You see, the difference is that if you can pay, you will get your healthcare quicker, the doctors will have the best equipment, there will be a lot of doctors and nurses available, and nice, empty, clean, big hospital rooms. It is still better. The free healthcare is for those who cannot pay, or to whom paying would be too big economic burden. You say you are pretty good with economics, so you should understand how this works. The free health care will be just as good, but there will be a lot of people, it will take a long time to get an appointment.
"The fact that the US government owes $122 trillion in unfunded liabilities such as Social Security and Medicare..." Why hasn't your dad done anything about that? He promised to eliminate the nation's debt in eight years, but it has grown, almost 36% in less than four years. Frankly, had he done something to reduce the debt, he might have won a second term.
If you rich, stingy deplorables would pay just 2% more taxes, USA would stop getting more and more in debt. I'd gladly pay 2% more, even 10% more for the country I love. Why aren't you doing it? The country you claim to love is in debt and getting deeper and deeper into it, but you wouldn't give a single cent to help it, you just call people names and mock them. I mean, you are worth 25 million (and don't even try to tell me you have worked hard for it. We all know you haven't.). If you gave 10% of it to the state, you'd still have 23 million. What's the difference in real life? Do you even understand that for most of Americans there is no difference, 1 million is something they will never own, how ever hard they work. Just admit it, you are greedy. Ivanka's 10% would bring the state 37 million dollars, your dad's 10% would be 250 million dollars. AND HE'D STILL BE WORTH MORE THAN 2 BILLION DOLLARS. So, please, don't start whining about money. You have more than enough. Every rich person Elizabeth Warren wants to tax more has more than enough.
As it is now, people WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID THEIR PENSIONS won't be able to have it when they retire, because the 1% of the rich find it horrifying to go down from 25 million in worth to 24 million in worth. Oy vey.
And you aren't really creating jobs with all those millions. You are mostly enjoying being rich. Nothing against that, you have the money, enjoy it. But don't try to justify your greed with "I'm creating jobs me!"
And then... wait... that's it? You were whining the Democrats had 2,467 candidates, and you talk about two of them? And only two of the issues, and get even one of them wrong? That's your evidence about how Democrats are Communists?
ROTFLMAO
OK, let's move on. The Squad.
"stand somewhere left of Chairman Mao". Oh you are so funny. You're killing me. I'm dead now. Haha. Seriously, junior.
So what are these "radical" beliefs you are so scared of.
Ilhan Omar No attack on Capitalism there either, on the contrary, they are planning on how to get more people to work. Sure, she's a bit more socialist than Alexandria, but Mao would have hanged her as a bourgeois.
Rashida Tlaib Doesn't say that much, but supports small businesses and people working. Doesn't attack Capitalism.
Ayanna Pressley not much there at all... but she seems to focus on healthcare, and mentions the veterans. I don't think she has anything against Capitalism either.
Why is that scary to you?
What is your family's issue with the veterans, POWs and those who died in wars? Some sort of impostor syndrome? They are a constant reminded of that they did what you didn't dare to do?
Yes, of course the congresswomen's beliefs will have real-world consequences. USA becoming a Communist state is not one of them. That's possible only in the lalaland where Trumpists live.
"twenty-five thousand high-paying jobs — six-figure jobs" In what... oh, yes, the lalaland.
Now we know that Amazon chose to come to New York City anyway, without the incentives, which means that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won. She got Amazon to New York AND saved the money. You would have lost the 3 million.
But let's not give Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez all the credit for this. There were a lot of New Yorkers against this plan, Queens is not the place for the Amazon campus, and it would have damaged the neighborhood more than profited it. Also, why would Amazon back out because of one woman? Who ever she is? You give her way too much credit. And you owe her an apology.
The idea for the Green New Deal started a long time before the Sunrise Movement. They drew inspiration from a lot of things, like every movement does. "Some even say..." you should really stop listening to "some". They say a lot of crap. Nothing wrong with Saul Alinsky, he was brilliant. Even the Tea Party thought so. They rewrote his work as Rules for Patriots. :-D He didn't "cite Lucifer as the father of the radical movement", nor did he dedicate the book to Satan, or any other of the Right Wing conspiracy theories.
Now, The Sunrise Movement is politically independent, Occupy Wall Street is politically independent, BLM is politically independent, Saul Alinsky was politically independent, none of these issues have anything to do with the Democratic party.
The Green New Deal is not ridiculous. And I'm pretty sure you are going to botch it in your "high points". Green New Deal was introduced into the USonian politics by the Green Party, in 2010. Now, no-one listens to the Green Party, so you weren't aware of the existence of this before the Sunrise Movement and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez staged a sit-in on Nancy Pelosi's office. The majority of USA supports the Green New Deal. Even Republicans. It is not 93 trillion dollars. It's only 1/3 of that, divided to 10 years, and the Green Party has already done the job and planned how this will be paid. Of course it's a leftie plan, as the Green Party is a leftist party (further left than the Democrats). It will solve the energy problem, remove the need to destroy the last wild areas of USA, the national parks and environment. I know you don't care a bit, but a lot of Americans do. Especially those who depend on the nature to survive. It also includes an Economic Bill of Rights that will wipe out the poverty, unemployment, give people a secure retirement, health care, education and housing. It's an amazing plan, which is why the Democratic party supports it. You are opposing to it, because you are scared of words.
1) "it would cost US taxpayers almost $100 trillion dollars"
No, it wouldn't. Maybe some cow farting contests and undersea tunnels you imagine might cost that, but what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic Party and the Green Party want wouldn't. It also includes thoughts on how it will be financed, and as with the free college education for all, the initial investment would pay itself back in ten years.
2) US government has annual revenues of about $6 trillion
It's less than that, but it's pretty irrelevant
3) "to stop cows from farting, eliminate air travel, build an underground tunnel from California to Hawaii, and fund people who don't want to work"
The Green New Deal says nothing about cows, air travel, underground tunnels and people who don't want to work. It says something about the military, entitlements, and education. It says a lot about education. It talks also a lot of employment, growing the US manufacturing, stopping the transfer of jobs overseas, protecting and supporting small farms and businesses,
Covering land with windmills and solar panels does a lot less damage to land than fracking, coal mining and oil drilling.
Now, you don't seem to be aware of the fact that China and India are independent countries and US senators have absolutely no say whatsoever what foreign countries do. I would like to remind you - or your dad - about this fact. You do not ask foreign countries to dig up dirt about your political opponents. You can send your guy to dig up dirt in foreign countries, but you do not involve the foreign governments, like you did. That is a big no-no, Donnie-boy.
The Green New Deal does address the global greenhouse gas emissions as well, through negotiations and international deals, like the Paris Agreement. Your dad has been the President of USA for four years, and you still don't manage to understand the basic tenets of foreign politics.
I don't have a degree on economics (which shouldn't be confused with being good at economics - which you are not), but "freaking stupid" is not an economist term. Let me explain this like this. You tweet a lot of "this is why I'm fat" stuffs, so let's imagine a big bowl of soup. There's 10 people around who want to eat it, but everyone adds salt. Because the others add salt, and "I have as much right to add salt as the others!"(so I'm going to add salt whether it's needed or not), and others shouldn't decide over how much salt I add to my food. The soup is inedible because there is so much salt. They take the bowl away and bring in a new one. Now, if even half the people around the soup bowl would stop salting, the soup could be edible.
Now, we are talking about the air. The air we breathe. The air without which we would all die. The ocean and the forests are cleaning it all the time, but we are cutting down the forests and using the ocean a sewage, while we keep putting in more poisons in the air, which makes the purification process slower, while the amount of impurities just grow and grow.
If everyone but China would stop salting the soup, everyone could eat the soup. You demand your right to salt the soup while you know the soup will become inedible. THAT is what is freaking stupid.
Also, USA is one of the biggest, strongest, smartest and richest countries. I think it's just fair to expect them to take the lead in doing the right thing, what ever it is, and not whine like a kid on the back seat "he did it too!"
Here's an article about it with a link to the text so that you can read it yourself. No hate of cows, planes, cars or military.
And here's the Green Party's Green New Deal. They are asking for 10 years. I say, give it to them. See what happens. The situation can't get much worse than what it is now. And you could blame them, and have reason to do so this time!
Is it true that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez couldn't name the three branches of government? No. She was talking about Presidency, the Senate and the House, and couldn't think of a group name for all three, because there is no group name for all three.
Did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez say that people her age should reconsider having children because of global warming. No, she didn't.
"I think the best answer to that ridiculous statement was by my friend, Jerry Falwell, Jr., “People her age should reconsider having children if people like AOC ever get to be in charge of this country.”" Jerry Falwell, Jr. you say... Did you see those photos he took of his wife having sex with the pool boy?
Read the Naomi Klein's article for yourself. It's pretty entertaining. I especially liked the: "A former DuPont executive complained that with the government offering decent-paying jobs, “five negroes on my place in South Carolina refused work this spring … and a cook on my houseboat in Fort Myers quit because the government was paying him a dollar an hour as a painter.”"
That's the point here, isn't it. You find them threatening because they are going to destroy your Fascism, not the Capitalism. You aren't afraid for Capitalism, I mean, Capitalism always wins. Just look at China. You are afraid of these ladies breaking Fascism, and forcing you to try to be elite without the intelligence and drive people like Alexandria has.
And you are as envious of her as your daddy is of Barack Obama. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is only 31, and she was elected on her own merits. Which are very impressive. Your efforts to discredit her only show your racism and how intimidating you think she is.
When you strip away the "naiveté of a freshman congresswoman" you find a solid ground of 50 years of development by the best of the people from all over the world. Among people who support it are Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Krugman. Nobel laureates in economics, which I assume you being "pretty good with economics" know. No, I'm just kidding, I'm sure you have never heard of them. But they are a lot better than you will ever be with economics. And I trust their opinion on the viability of the Green New Plan more than yours.
If you don't understand why pushing a vote on a resolution (it's a resolution, not a bill) without allowing discussion or expert testimony, is a stunt, you shouldn't even express yourself in the issue. Especially when you have proven you don't even know what the resolution was about, so it's highly likely people who would elect Donald Trump for the President, wouldn't even bother reading the resolution or trying to understand what it is about, but go after all the gossip online, and vote against it. Don't worry, the next President will make it happen.
"With all her talk about saving the planet, AOC has put a new spin on the phrase “limousine liberal.” According to a story in the New York Post , she runs up Uber tabs like crazy. It wouldn’t be so bad if she had no other way to get around. But her congressional district, which includes parts of Queens and the Bronx, has about five or six subway lines. She responded to the article in typical sanctimonious fashion: “Living in the world as it is isn’t an argument against working towards a better future.”"
It isn't bad, nor hypocritical. She isn't against people using modern technology, cars, planes, eating meat, and hasn't said people should stop using these things. She isn't being sanctimonious, she's right. Using what we have now doesn't mean one thinks it can't be improved. When the system is improved, she will use the new system, which will be better for the environment, and while it's coming, she'll use what is.
Have you ever thought that there might be reasons to why a Congresswoman doesn't use public transportation? Like all the death threats by Right Wing Nuts she receives?
I mean... you Righties belittle her so much, but are so afraid of her that you want to kill her?
Then there's Maxine Waters. Another old person, elected represent of the American people, whom you disrespect. Sure, she has some negative attitudes, but on the other hand, she does have a very good excuse. She was born in a Jim Crow USA and that she went through her youth and young adulthood in the Civil Rights USA being a black woman, and wasn't allowed to even vote before she was 27. And then people are kind of expecting her to "just get over it"? Anyway, what's your excuse?
Your father says she's a low-IQ person. Your father who claims there were airports in 18th century, that Belgium is a city, that Ireland is part of the UK, and Finland part of Russia, and who blamed the presidents of Baltic countries for the breakup of Yugoslavia. He thinks Frederick Douglass is still alive, and that president Andrew Jackson was angry about something that happened 15 years after his death. He didn't know what Nato was and what it did. And let's not even talk about the Dunning-Kruger effect.
And there's Ben Carson, the Housing Secretary, who didn't know the difference between REO and Oreos. I'm not sure he knows now, or cares to know. And the Righties are blaming Katie Porter, who was quite clear about it. Even I, to whom English is a foreign language, heard the difference. Besides, why was Ben Carson even thinking about Oreos. Any normal person would have assumed what they were hearing was something relevant to what was being discussed. It was obvious he hadn't even heard the term REO before that moment. The effort to joke about it after that was asinine. Works only with idiots who didn't know what REO was either, and thought she said "Oreo".
But, no, when a Republican does something stupid, it's either only his fault, or it's the fault of some Democrat, probably Obama, but when a Democrat - or they don't even need to be a Democrat, if they can possibly be understood to be lefties - it's the fault of the whole Democratic party.
"Today, she’s the leader of many socialist and socialist-leaning Democrats. Her squad of socialists is pushing an agenda that includes abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security, and the Electoral College, expanding the Supreme Court from nine to fifteen justices to ensure a liberal majority, mandating a $15 minimum wage (which would eliminate 4 million low-paying jobs), and paying for the health care of illegal immigrants. And that’s only some of the destruction it’s planning."
Oh, that sounds so scary! How scary is it really? "abolishing ICE" - would be the automatic consequence of eliminating the Department of Homeland Security.
Yes, she actually wants to eliminate the Department of Homeland Security. Good for her. Because that stinks. I said it already when they created it - 17 years ago. Did you know that? Did you remember that? USA had border security, immigration policy, customs, strict vetting of people wanting to come to the country, CIA, and all that stuff before the Department of Homeland Security. It's not like she wants to let people come to USA just like that, to remove something without replacing it with something else. It would have been better to reform the existing departments before DHS was created, to improve the protection and safety.
The Electoral College should be abolished. It shouldn't even exist. I wouldn't want to live in a "democracy" where my vote doesn't count as much as anyone else' vote. To me that is the backbone of democracy. If one vote isn't one vote, you are living in an Animal Farm. I recommend reading Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman That explains very throroughly and well why Alexandria is right about this, too. And read it. Verify all the information given in it, if you wish, but don't just brush it off. You might learn something. And think about it.
The Supreme Court should be neutral and independent, and there is no reason why there should be nine members.
The Congress' behavior accepting the justices is deplorable. Antonin Scalia's spot could wait for 352 days, but Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced in a week. Even though Merrick Garland had been suggested by Republicans before president Obama nominated him. Just to disrespect the Democrat President. You are disgusting, Junior. You and your dad and your dad's "flying monkeys".
The minimum wage might "eliminate" jobs, but what are those jobs worth? People work to get money so that they can live, and if your job doesn't pay enough, why would anyone do that job? If you think it's so much fun to work, why don't you do those works? No, the employers should pay living salary to their employees, or do the job themselves.
"paying for the health care of illegal immigrants" She is trying to get the immigrants to register so that USA knows who is there, and if a promise of health care makes them come out of hiding, good. Did you know that unregistered immigrants pay taxes?
"For instance, the Squad does little to hide its disdain for Israel. We should probably rename them “the Hamas caucus.”"
No, you shouldn't. Not one of the American congresswomen have done anything that warrants comparing them with Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organization that kills people, The Squad is democratically elected congresswomen. If you don't understand the difference, you really should follow Daniel Frisiello's advice and shut up.
So you love Israel more than USA? There is political influence in USA who push for allegiance to a foreign country, Israel. Most Republicans. She isn't talking about "Jewish lobby", or Jews being more loyal to Israel than to USA. She is talking about people who deem whether people love USA by how much they love Israel. Like you, for example. But, you think it's OK to ask Russia and Ukraine to help your daddy with US politics, so how could you know what true loyalty to your country is. You are just saying she's antisemitic, because she's Muslim.
People have the freedom to support any movement they want to. Israel does engage in some rather nasty activities, and they should stop it. I don't like Fascism, and Benyamin Netanyahu is a Fascist.
BDS doesn't support reparations for the descendants of slaves. BDS is 100% about Israel-Palestina.
Ayanna Pressley wasn't saying "you are only brown/black, if you agree with us".
What I find interesting is, that the majority of those who think Capitalism is a good idea, are rich old white men, and the majority of those who think Socialism is a good idea, are young, black, poor women.
Teen Vogue may publish what ever they want. But if you are interested, it is not seen positively by progressives. Especially the articles about anal sex and prostitution as a career choice. You might not be aware of this, but Teen Vogue (and most everything published by Condé Nast) is offering what they think their target audience wants to read. It's not that Teen Vogue brainwashes its readers to feel positive about Socialism, it's that teenagers are interested, because the world is much smaller today than when you were a teenager. The Millennials, like AOC, and Gen Z have met more people all over the world through the internet, than old Gen Xers like you and me. They have discussed with people living in Social Democracies, and know what it is better than the older generations. You have got all your information from Right Wing propaganda and your visits to a COMMUNIST Czechoslovakia, which means you don't really know anything. Also, information is power. Knowledge is power. You should really focus on teaching people source criticism, verifying information, fact checking and reading more from various sources, and learn to think for themselves, and not just take something they read in a magazine or on the internet as "truth". But I suppose you never learned.
"(We’re working on getting her off the CNN train, by the way. But back in the Czech Republic, you pick up CNN early, like a drug addiction. Soon she’ll be watching Fox with the rest of the sane people in the world.)"
Let's talk about the Antifa activist who showed up at an ICE facility in Tacoma. Did you know that he was the only one Antifa killed 2019. Far-right extremists killed at least 38 people in 2019. By your "logic", the Democrats are responsible for one death, and the Republicans for 38.
On August 3rd, a Republican shot and killed 23 people and injure 23 others, because they were Hispanic, and they would vote for Democrats. The youngest of his victims was 2 years old.
On August 4th, a Democrat shot and killed nine people, in random, and injured 17, because he wanted to become famous as a mass shooter.
You used that to flame hatred and fear, didn't condemn anyone, didn't offer any sympathy to the victims and their loved ones, and compared Joaquin Castro's list of people who support the President's campaign labeling Latinx "invasion" (a word the Republican murderer used of his victims), to the Dayton mass shooter's list of his class mates he wanted to kill and rape.
"At the very least @Castro4Congress is inviting harassment of these private citizens" - but has any of them been harassed? No. Trump's "invitation to harass private citizens" caused the death of 23 of them. No-one condemning that. So you are perfectly fine with the Right Wing deadly violence, perfectly fine with having these people supporting you.
"Like the weaponizing of the new left in the late 1960s, today’s radical left has resorted to terrorism. We’ll talk a lot about Antifa in the pages ahead, but for now, please know that AOC and her Squad are perfectly fine with the deadly violence the organization engages in. Last July, an Antifa activist showed up at an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington, armed with a rifle and incendiary devices. Washington State Patrol police shot him dead as he was trying to blow up a propane tank next to the facility with a Molotov cocktail. When asked on Sunday-morning news shows if they condemned the terrorist attack, none of the Squad would answer the question."
Frankly, why would they? You seem to believe Antifa is somehow connected with the Democrat party and that the Democrats are somehow responsible what Antifa does. Antifa is totally independent, and they are fully responsible for their own actions.
"Then, in reference to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Ilhan Omar brushed them off by saying, “Some people did something.”
BS. She didn't brush them off. It was not to belittle what happened, it was to put the focus on what she was talking about, which was the Islamophobia running rampant in USA today, thanks to Right wing propaganda. Like your book. You are deliberately twisting her words, and putting in ideas, thoughts, values and meaning that isn't there. Some people did something. We all know who and what. Ilhan Omar was not one of those people who did that "something". None of the USonian Muslims were. But all the USonian Muslims were - and are - accused of it. Even if they weren't even born yet. YOU think she is a Muslim first and American second, if ever. If it's antisemitism to "infer" that the Jewish members of Congress are more loyal to Israel than to the USA, it's islamophobic to "infer" that Muslims are more loyal to other Muslims than to the USA. Especially if they are USonian citizens and these "other Muslims" are terrorists.
"I'll bet that when Omar watches Black Hawk Down, she roots for the Somali warlords". That's one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard anyone say. Like saying "I'll bet that when Marie Zelníčková watches Oratorio for Prague, she cheers for the Russians". And you say WE thrive on hate. Disgusting.
Where were you when it happened? Your biography says that you came back from Aspen September 2001 to work for your father, but it doesn't mention 9/11. The only time when 9/11 is mentioned in context with you, it's you screaming at someone. Where were you? What were you doing? Drinking in Aspen?
I remember where I was. I was watching the news and stared at the images of the plane flying into the tower... it looked like a toy... I couldn't believe my eyes. I remember staring at the screen, watching the smoke, the people running and screaming, and then I called my husband, telling him to get in contact with our American friends and ask if everyone was OK. Someone had flown into the World Trade Center. I kept watching the news. CNN, Fox, BBC, SVT, YLE, every other channel I could see. I sat there the whole day, just watching. It was hard to believe what I was seeing. It was horrifying. I saw how the whole world came together to express their sympathy and asking if there was anything we could do to help. "No need, we have this", said USA. Even Afghanistan and Iraq expressed their sympathy. No-one was laughing. Some people said you had it coming, but not even they were laughing. A couple of days later someone posted the "we help everyone but no-one helps us!" whine and EVERY F-ING REPUBLICAN joined the choir. I had just seen the WHOLE WORLD, even USA's enemies, offer help and condoleances; flowers and candles were being brought to every US embassy in the world, people were hanging around the gates and praying for you... and you just ignored it. You are horrible people, and that's why everyone hates you.
We know where your dad was. In his office, gloating because his building was now the tallest in New York.
"I don't know anything about the Democratic party, so I just take different things done and said by people who might be on the left and say that's what the Democrats want."
"My grandmother, who lived in a Communist country, is afraid that her multimillionaire grandchildren living in USA will be living in a Communist country, because of what Bernie Sanders says, so the Democrats want Communism"
"ANTIFA!!!"
"The Democrats lost the election 2016, and are still whining about it."
"Bernie Sanders!"
"The Democrats engage in the politics of fear and resentment with their talk of unity, peace, love, healing, hope and forgiveness. if you believe them HORRRRRRIBLE THINGS WILL HAPPEN!!!"
"I have never read the Communist Manifesto - no-one has read that thing - but it sounds Socialist so I'll say that's what the Democrats want"
"Food stamps are bad. Medicare and Medicaid are bad. Background check for guns is bad. The lame duck Democrat president forced those things on American people because of some obscure lefty organization most people have never even heard of."
"When Democrats presidents do things that benefit the economy, they are just aping the Republican presidents, so it doesn't count"
"Bernie Sanders!"
"Communism!!!"
"I don't have the slightest idea what Bernie Sanders (Bernie Sanders!!!) is talking about, but because I believe Socialism is Communism, he must be a hypocrite because he owns things!"
"People have a favorable view on Socialism!!! Never mind that 7% of US population thing Fascism is a great idea."
"Bernie Sanders!!!"
"Elizabeth Warren wants very rich people to pay more taxes! MORE TAXES, FOLKS! (Don't mind that guy behind the curtain, let's not talk about the fact, that her tax rises wouldn't touch 99% of the US population, would increase the money flow to the state, would diminish the tax burden to 99% of the US population, and is totally dismissable to the rich people, MORE TAXES!!!!)"
"Kamala Harris wants to get rid of health care!!! (not true, but who cares)"
"US government owes a lot of money in unfunded liabilities, and it's absolutely not my dad's fault, even though he's the President, and he promised to eliminate the nation's debt, it's the Democrats' fault!"
"The Squad!"
"AOC chased Amazon out of New York and robbed New York from a lot of money! (That Amazon moves to NY anyway, and AOC actually saved NY a lot of money, is irrelevant)"
"The Green New Deal! I don't understand it but it's Socialism, so it's bad."
"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez!"
"Maxine Waters!"
"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez!"
"Israel!"
"The Squad!"
"Teen Vogue!"
"Antifa!"
"Ilhan Omar is a Muslim and loves Muslims more than USA. It's racist to say one loves Israel more than USA, but totally true to say Muslims support terrorism because they are Muslims."
Well... actually, most other restaurants in the area say they have been forced to close because of the rising lease. Some say their rent increased with 2 million dollars a year 2014. The average cost for retail space by square foot is $10-$25. On Union Square it's about $80.
I'm a writer, a craftswoman and a witch.
I am Finnish through and through, even though I currently live in Sweden - with my Danish husband. I am Pagan and he's Jewish, and our marriage is a match made in heaven :-)
