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Social programs in the Trump II era. Medical and other safety net plans.

Irony is too much greed always results in a business self destructing.
But greed being good is the whole point of capitalism, it is about how the wealthy are just better than anyone else and deserve to be paid more because of their wealth. That is the entire premise of capitalism.
 
Funnily enough, other decidedly capitalist countries still have various "socialist" programs in place for the common good. Just that the population of the USA is taught that these countries are nowhere near as "capitalist" as the USA and are therefore inferior. USA! USA! USA!

Also, capitalism didn't stop the LA fires. But it sure helped them burn along.
 
Capitalism is inherejtly destructive though. There is likely no non-evil way to im0lement it.
I disagree. Things can be done in a way that benefit all parties. Modest investment for modest returns, who is harmed by that? A company wants to raise money, I buy a few shares, they use the money to improve their business, and I get a return on my investment. How is that "inherently destructive"?
 
Ok, am I a jerk for hoping the republicans DO slash programs like Obamacare?

Here's my argument... Trump tends to attract a lot of low information/low class voters into his Klan of MAGAchud... the people who would most benefit from this like the Affordable Care Act. In Trump's first term, they were protected from the worst of the GOPs excesses by what little remained of a rational political system. So in 2024 they voted for the Leopards Eating People's Faces party because they "never thought leopards would eat MY face".

Make the MAGAchud suffer the consequences. See that voting Republican because "groceries are more expensive" is going to hit you hard in the long run.

Yes, some Democrats will be harmed as well. But, Blue states will probably make efforts to protect health care in their own borders, and the Democrats tend to attract voters with more intelligence/resources. But republicans (especially those in red states) will have it worse off on average.
 
You think these people will actually blame Trump and the GOP when things go south? When FOX News tells them eggs are $.99 a dozen they'll believe it and assume Democrats are making them $5.99.

Something as complex as healthcare? Easy as pie to get them angry at the Dems when they get no health insurance.
 
You think these people will actually blame Trump and the GOP when things go south? When FOX News tells them eggs are $.99 a dozen they'll believe it and assume Democrats are making them $5.99.

Something as complex as healthcare? Easy as pie to get them angry at the Dems when they get no health insurance.
Oh I have no doubt that the majority of the MAGAchud will continue to believe whatever pro-republican lies they hear in order to blame the democrats. But I do think there are probably a few... marginal voters... who could still be reached. (Post 2024 election, there was supposedly a rise in google searches on "how do I change my vote", and there are large number of youtube videos of people finally figuring out what exactly Trump's policies will do.) And even if they don't understand something as complex as health care, they might at least get it through the reptilian part of their brain that "hey I was worse off in Trump's second term".

More importantly though, even if it doesn't cause a significant number of voters to shift away from the GOP, the point is, I want them to hurt. To suffer. Its a desire for Schadenfreude.
 
I'd be among those who would suffer as I am on ACA and have Stage 4 Cancer.

I'm already accepting that I will die from it or be utterly bankrupted by the treatment costs if ACA goes.*

But you have to realize that this is SPANK BANK material for conservatives on this site and elsewhere. Even if they get killed in the process they will happily enjoy it if a liberal dies as well.

Arcons and other conservatives are *still* trying to pretend ACA is totes bad because the "if you like your plan you can keep it" did not work out to their satisfaction. They are still hanging on a quip from over 15 years ago.

So watch the friendly fire. The enemy enjoys it even as it rips through them.


* - I suspect the ACA will not be repealed, but a "compromise" plan that otherwise neuters it will be made so GOP reps from purple areas can say they didn't vote against the ACA. Same thing, really.
 
Oh I have no doubt that the majority of the MAGAchud will continue to believe whatever pro-republican lies they hear in order to blame the democrats. But I do think there are probably a few... marginal voters... who could still be reached. (Post 2024 election, there was supposedly a rise in google searches on "how do I change my vote", and there are large number of youtube videos of people finally figuring out what exactly Trump's policies will do.) And even if they don't understand something as complex as health care, they might at least get it through the reptilian part of their brain that "hey I was worse off in Trump's second term".

More importantly though, even if it doesn't cause a significant number of voters to shift away from the GOP, the point is, I want them to hurt. To suffer. Its a desire for Schadenfreude.
Yeah, that plan never works. No matter how many times the GOP shows that they will crush their own voters into paste in order to transfer wealth to the rich, those same voters keep lining up to vote GOP if it means they can beat up their GOP-assigned "enemies".

If you want to know the future of the Republican party, just image a man savagely punching himself in the crotch and screaming "I'm owning the libs!", over and over again, forever.
 
Yeah, that plan never works. No matter how many times the GOP shows that they will crush their own voters into paste in order to transfer wealth to the rich, those same voters keep lining up to vote GOP if it means they can beat up their GOP-assigned "enemies".

If you want to know the future of the Republican party, just image a man savagely punching himself in the crotch and screaming "I'm owning the libs!", over and over again, forever.
If anyone is ground into paste, I would rather the MAGAchud be the ones to suffer.

The republicans have been harming "the left" for years... abortion rights, police shootings, etc. but their voters have avoided much of the harm themselves. (They set things up to "harm the libs", but then benefit when the Democrats finally get power and fix things. I just want them to suffer as much as "the libs")
 
Ok, am I a jerk for hoping the republicans DO slash programs like Obamacare?

Here's my argument... Trump tends to attract a lot of low information/low class voters into his Klan of MAGAchud... the people who would most benefit from this like the Affordable Care Act.

Don't forget that interviews have shown that a good number of people think that Obamacare is a horrible program that helps the lazy, undeserving "them", while the Affordable Care Act is a wonderful program that helps deserving, hard working Americans.
 
I disagree. Things can be done in a way that benefit all parties. Modest investment for modest returns, who is harmed by that? A company wants to raise money, I buy a few shares, they use the money to improve their business, and I get a return on my investment. How is that "inherently destructive"?
The thing is that's not actually capitalism, as there's been a limit put on what's done with said capital. Most people look at mixed market economies and think they are looking at capitalist ones, they are very much mistaken.
 
Ok, am I a jerk for hoping the republicans DO slash programs like Obamacare?

Here's my argument... Trump tends to attract a lot of low information/low class voters into his Klan of MAGAchud... the people who would most benefit from this like the Affordable Care Act. In Trump's first term, they were protected from the worst of the GOPs excesses by what little remained of a rational political system. So in 2024 they voted for the Leopards Eating People's Faces party because they "never thought leopards would eat MY face".

Make the MAGAchud suffer the consequences. See that voting Republican because "groceries are more expensive" is going to hit you hard in the long run.

Yes, some Democrats will be harmed as well. But, Blue states will probably make efforts to protect health care in their own borders, and the Democrats tend to attract voters with more intelligence/resources. But republicans (especially those in red states) will have it worse off on average.
Sadly, I don't think it'll happen that way. As you'll remember, Dump voters suffered greatly from 2016-2020, and yet they insist they had a great time under Drumpf, even after a million Americans died, with right-wing cultists dying at a rate of 7 trumpkins to 1 American (hey, they are the ones who tear down US flags).

I'm sure he'll be even more horrible this time around, but will it be enough to make the cultists learn? Doubt it. I think the only thing that will break the spell if their God and Führer becoming so old and frail he's not worth worshiping anymore. Then again, maybe the person who takes over will have the same cult of personality.

Come to think of it, what typically happens in cults when the charismatic leader dies? Do the cults typically just dissolve, or is there a chance that the second-in-command can just take the reins? Because I don't see vice-president Vance (remember him?) having quite the same spell over the trumpkins, a lot of them don't even seem to like him.
 
Sadly, I don't think it'll happen that way. As you'll remember, Dump voters suffered greatly from 2016-2020, and yet they insist they had a great time under Drumpf, even after a million Americans died, with right-wing cultists dying at a rate of 7 trumpkins to 1 American (hey, they are the ones who tear down US flags).

I'm sure he'll be even more horrible this time around, but will it be enough to make the cultists learn? Doubt it. I think the only thing that will break the spell if their God and Führer becoming so old and frail he's not worth worshiping anymore. Then again, maybe the person who takes over will have the same cult of personality.

Come to think of it, what typically happens in cults when the charismatic leader dies? Do the cults typically just dissolve, or is there a chance that the second-in-command can just take the reins? Because I don't see vice-president Vance (remember him?) having quite the same spell over the trumpkins, a lot of them don't even seem to like him.
Cults have a habit of falling apart once their fuhrer dies, often quite violently as his underlings jockey to grab power.
 
I disagree. Things can be done in a way that benefit all parties. Modest investment for modest returns, who is harmed by that? A company wants to raise money, I buy a few shares, they use the money to improve their business, and I get a return on my investment. How is that "inherently destructive"?
only within tight regulations and supervision. Market forces alone cannot stop the destruction caused by capitalism, because the first goal of capitalism is always to destroy the Market.
 
only within tight regulations and supervision. Market forces alone cannot stop the destruction caused by capitalism, because the first goal of capitalism is always to destroy the Market.
Only the foolish attempt to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Smart capitalists feed it a steady diet and make sure it stays healthy. The foolish (and greedy, because greed is foolishness) are the ones who risk the health of the goose trying to squeeze out more eggs.
 
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