Anti-fascist news

[calmissile]

 

Russia tried that, from roughly 1918 - 1991. You could get a nice job at a collective farm, working in the healthful outdoors.  Or if farming wasn't your thing you could get a job at People's Tractor Factory No. 12, manufacturing tractors for the comrades at the collective farms. Or, if fighting enemies of the State and the Party were more up your alley, you could apply for a job at the CHEKA, OGPU, NKVD, etc.

The USSR was an effin' paradise of full employment. Don't let those rich white Republicans, kulaks, and other capitalist lackeys tell you different.

 

[fathertime]

Ehh, are you suggesting only well-off Citizens should be allowed to vote?
I Wonder if this line of thinking is wide-spread among Americans. I hope not.

  Many old people would prefer that young people don't vote too... but their is very little traction for these ideas...most all adults can vote and will continue to be able to vote.  Being on public assistance is becoming the American way since we shipped millions of good paying jobs overseas.  Many people just don't have that extra spunk to improve themselves enough to do better....lots of factors, including rampant Pot and prescription drug use.   


Fathertime!   

[Muzh]

Russia tried that, from roughly 1918 - 1991. You could get a nice job at a collective farm, working in the healthful outdoors.  Or if farming wasn't your thing you could get a job at People's Tractor Factory No. 12, manufacturing tractors for the comrades at the collective farms. Or, if fighting enemies of the State and the Party were more up your alley, you could apply for a job at the CHEKA, OGPU, NKVD, etc.

The USSR was an effin' paradise of full employment. Don't let those rich white Republicans, kulaks, and other capitalist lackeys tell you different.

Oh PUH leeze.


Do you see any collective farming or People's factory in the US of A? Still, the good ol' POTUS' from the past did just what Darth Dude suggested and we still idolize the almighty dollar.


Reminds me of the Lion King Movie where the hyenas heard Mufasa's name and the shuddered. Same here with Socialism, <shudder> eek. Panic.

[calmissile]

  Many old people would prefer that young people don't vote too... but their is very little traction for these ideas...most all adults can vote and will continue to be able to vote. Being on public assistance is becoming the American way since we shipped millions of good paying jobs overseas.  Many people just don't have that extra spunk to improve themselves enough to do better....lots of factors, including rampant Pot and prescription drug use.   


Fathertime!

Believe it or not, we finally agree on something.  Don't forget to add in the disincentive to work harder because of our graduated federal tax system.

[Boethius]

The USSR was an effin' paradise of full employment. Don't let those rich white Republicans, kulaks, and other capitalist lackeys tell you different.

Not a rich white Republican, kulak, or other capitalist lackey, but I can tell you with absolute authority the USSR did not have full employment.

The problem with the USSR was not socialism.  It was the violent imposition of Bolshevik ideology, and the inability of those living there to live as they thought fit.

[BillyB]

I can tell you with absolute authority the USSR did not have full employment.

Lots of people did not comply with the Communist party. No apartment or job for them.

[Darth_Budda]

Not a rich white Republican, kulak, or other capitalist lackey, but I can tell you with absolute authority the USSR did not have full employment.

The problem with the USSR was not socialism.  It was the violent imposition of Bolshevik ideology, and the inability of those living there to live as they thought fit.

Corruption...

Capitalist or Communist.... It can destroy any society quickly...

[Boethius]

I don't think it was corruption that destroyed the USSR.  It was Bolshevik ideology.  Which wasn't communist.  Hence the need to change the term internally from "Marxism" to "Marxism-Leninism".

[Darth_Budda]

I don't think it was corruption that destroyed the USSR.  It was Bolshevik ideology.  Which wasn't communist.  Hence the need to change the term internally from "Marxism" to "Marxism-Leninism".

Most American Communists / Socialists would consider Stalinism ,, A separate ideology... 

[Boethius]

Marxism-Leninism is not Stalinism.

Bolshevik ideology did not change much from 1917.

[LiveFromUkraine]

I understand where you're coming from, LFU.  But here in Los Angeles, we have things taken to the other extreme.  For instance, we have a guy that I know that works as an independent landscaper.  He has his own business, his own (semi) heavy machinery.  He drives a 2014 Jaguar and has a nice life.

Here is the kicker:  He does it all through his (almost) wife's name.  According to the law he is not married and on subsistence.  He gets food stamps for he and his kids.  Is on welfare.  And has a whole second income courtesy of the government.

Social programs create graft and corruption and mentality of what is in it for me.  Most of the guys on here, even those of the more liberal persuasion, are not going to try to make money off the system.

I have seen similar as well Jones.  I always thought welfare was based on all income within the household.  Is that not accurate?


I have heard of a few cases where the boyfriend earned a nice middle class income while living with single woman who was on welfare.  They wouldn't get married.  From my understanding, there are visits to the homes of welfare recipients.  I couldn't say how frequently.  I honestly wonder why even visit when then call ahead to let the recipient know they will be dropping by.  That way the boyfriends can stay away when on the day of the visit. 


I'm with FT on this one.  There will always be cheats in every system.  I don't think throwing out the baby with the bath water is the right move. 


That is one of the big differences when it comes to the government versus a private business.  The private business will do it's best to put better fraud intervention into place.  The government will just say, "Oopps, my bad" and carry on as usual.  Look at how much has been overpaid in Medicare and Medicaid.  Now it seems Obamacare isn't too difficult when it comes to committing fraud.

[Muzh]

That is one of the big differences when it comes to the government versus a private business.  The private business will do it's best to put better fraud intervention into place.  The government will just say, "Oopps, my bad" and carry on as usual.  Look at how much has been overpaid in Medicare and Medicaid.  Now it seems Obamacare isn't too difficult when it comes to committing fraud.

Here's Updated Public Administration 101.


Big company hires lobby firm to get lucrative government contract or enact/amend law that will make profit for company.


Lobbyist buys elected representative to institute plan


Elected representative pushes for changes in local enforcement.


Local enforcement installs toady to oversee changes to local enforcement.


Civil servants fight the good cause but toady is too powerful. Toady has last say on changes.


Some civil servants flee local government and join company who they were overseeing.


Big company rakes in obscene amounts of money.


Local residents lose jobs/develop unknown diseases/witness collapse of neighborhood/etc.


That, in a nutshell is what happens in Federal/State government.


Any other civil servant feel free to add. Those who are not civil servants keep your opinions to yourselves since you know nothing about what you will say.

[LiveFromUkraine]

Here's Updated Public Administration 101.


Big company hires lobby firm to get lucrative government contract or enact/amend law that will make profit for company.


Lobbyist buys elected representative to institute plan


Elected representative pushes for changes in local enforcement.


Local enforcement installs toady to oversee changes to local enforcement.


Civil servants fight the good cause but toady is too powerful. Toady has last say on changes.


Some civil servants flee local government and join company who they were overseeing.


Big company rakes in obscene amounts of money.


Local residents lose jobs/develop unknown diseases/witness collapse of neighborhood/etc.


That, in a nutshell is what happens in Federal/State government.


Any other civil servant feel free to add. Those who are not civil servants keep your opinions to yourselves since you know nothing about what you will say.

Nah, I'm going to continue saying my opinions even if it ruffles your little feathers. 


Government isn't very effective running many of these programs.  As you said, they are being corrupted by lobbying efforts and hiring companies that can't get he job done.   


Thanks for agreeing with me.   


BTW, I was a contractor with a western government for over 4 years (besides some shorter term contracts with some states).  Terrible, terrible project.

[Muzh]

Nah, I'm going to continue saying my opinions even if it ruffles your little feathers. 

Oh, don't you worry about my feathers, birdie boy. You're cool with me.

Government isn't very effective running many of these programs.  As you said, they are being corrupted by lobbying efforts and hiring companies that can't get he job done.   


Thanks for agreeing with me.   


BTW, I was a contractor with a western government for over 4 years (besides some shorter term contracts with some states).  Terrible, terrible project.

Heh, my son is working for a contractor at DOH. They just finished all their work by 11 AM and the supervisor gave them the rest of the day off.

[LiveFromUkraine]

Heh, my son is working for a contractor at DOH. They just finished all their work by 11 AM and the supervisor gave them the rest of the day off.

I bet your son is loving it.  haha  I have to say I am not surprised.  I can only imagine how much that contractor is getting for those hours of work. 

I'm feeling a little screwed.  I ended up working 70 to 80 hours on that one project.  It wasn't too bad once I renegotiated to a hourly rate. 

[fathertime]

Believe it or not, we finally agree on something.  Don't forget to add in the disincentive to work harder because of our graduated federal tax system.

Don't fret, I'm sure we won't agree on something else soon.


I really don't see the tax system as being a deterrent for working harder.  So a little more has to go to taxes for those with a higher income.   I wasn't around to pay taxes in the 60's or 70's but I know the federal tax rates were much higher at least on paper.  Part of it could be that quite a few higher income workers look at the lower level people as slightly less than human, with generally darker shades of skin, violent, unpredictable, and a rising force that threatens their way of life in the long run. 


The real disincentive comes when people are not working at all and still collecting almost as much by collecting the free benefits.  That is one reason I think we should take a very hard look at a higher minimum wage.  For example if a person can make 13 or 15 an hour, he will make more BUT he will no longer qualify for the safety net programs, which we are indirectly paying for anyway.  The employee gets the satisfaction of working for his money, and the rest of people don't have to pay for all his welfare programs.  Of course I recognize there are some things I'm leaving out so it isn't quite as easy as I made it seem there. 


There are a lot of jobs out there right now in many parts of the country.  Some are high paying and few are qualified enough for the employer to chance hiring the ones that apply...others jobs are very low paying and hard work, that not many want to do if they don't have to.   


Of course most of this isn't necessarily factual, just me bloviating based on my observations,reading, and talking with people.   


Fathertime! 

[Boethius]

Where I live, there was a programme to move people off welfare.  At first, benefits were cut, but there was a big cry about how inhumane that was.  So, the government said they would start cutting benefits after people were on welfare for X amount of time.  They then paid for education, and if people were working, their benefits weren't cut completely.  So, if they received $100 in welfare, rather than 0 welfare dollars, if they went to work for $40, welfare still paid them $60.


Most people want to work.  Most people aren't trying to cheat.  But the way the system is established, it is easier to have benefits than to be among the working poor.  That is the group that requires help.


There will always be those that don't want to work, but I believe they are a minority.

[sleepycat]

Oh dear!

Now FIFA have some rather embarrassing questions for the Russian football people to answer... 

http://news.yahoo.com/fifa-asks-russia-why-banned-player-reaction-racism-104707583.html

[Boethius]

In this case, I see the Russian side.  I agree with the Russians, the player should have received some form of penalty for his action.  I suppose if fans can be singled out, they can be banned from future games, but it's not such an easy task.

IIRC, there were racist incidents directed at players during the European Championship in Poland. 

[Anotherkiwi]

In this case, I see the Russian side.  I agree with the Russians, the player should have received some form of penalty for his action.  I suppose if fans can be singled out, they can be banned from future games, but it's not such an easy task.

I can understand the frustration which led to his response but, if he is to be punished, the opposing club should be too.  If the abusive fans cannot be identified, which would seem unlikely given the amount of CCTV coverage present for security purposes in the stadium, the answer is simple - Spartak's next home game is played behind closed doors, with no members of the public allowed, so that the club is hit in the wallet (as has happened to other teams in the last couple of years).  The financial penalty that this would impose on the club would be a huge incentive to identify the troublemakers.

IIRC, there were racist incidents directed at players during the European Championship in Poland.

And also during Euro 2012 in Ukraine.

[Boethius]

I thought, given the appearance of propagandists on this thread, that they'd be interested in the view of Russian journalist Alexander Sotnik.  His words:

Our propagandists are not very creative people, since a talented person will not work as a propagandist. There is absolutely nothing they will not do. I was reading a magazine for gardeners in the Moscow subway when I saw a headline “let’s attack the ukrops” (literally “dill,” a derogatory term for Ukrainians — Ed.). Words lose their original meaning and sense. There is no use looking for logic here.

The interview appeared in gazeta.ua, and was translated into English by Euromaidan press.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/07/31/putins-ratings-and-ukraine/

[sleepycat]

http://www.ibtimes.com/putin-spokesman-corruption-accusations-opposition-leader-calls-out-lavish-watch-2035169

Life is grand if you can score a job as the dwarf president's mouthpiece...