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RE: Politics, Partisanship, and Propaganda
“Why are our pockets empty only when we are confronted with the morally right thing to do?”
~ AOC
“Why are our pockets empty only when we are confronted with the morally right thing to do?”
~ AOC
Why does she assert that her proposals are morally right? They are built on a foundation of stolen money and usurped authority. It poisons the well to start the debate by condemning all opposition as based in immorality.
They are built on the idea that we can redistribute our fed assets in order to fully integrate renewable energy and fund the livelihood of the people. She is a welcome voice in this time that we live in, where a shift in our mentality about our environmental impact must be the foremost concern.
Government isn't us. There is no "we." Government cannot create wealth through central planning. Taxation is extortion, and removes power from the people. The economic calculation problem is real. Opportunity costs exist. Government is not immune to the waste and abuse inherent in monopoly power. Yes, it is good to reduce pollution and change resource usage toward renewables and recyclables in general, but politicians lack the knowledge necessary to weigh costs and benefits, and substitute violence for reason.
This is my point - AOC is an outlier! Just give her the time of day, substituting violence for reason is one of her cornerstone values.
Also, I understand the whole Libertarian “taxation is theft/extortion” argument (I’ve been on Steem long enough to have this conversation several times, the Libertarians obviously love it here). It is only true if the taxes don’t serve the people, which they do, but not to the extent that many (including myself) feel is possible. I would say education, libraries, firefighters, public parks, etc. are pretty empowering to the people. The taxpayer money we throw at the war machine however, is excessive. If corporations paid their taxes, and our priorities were realigned somewhat, we would come closer to realizing our societal potential.
Translation:
"It's not theft if it goes to programs that I like."
You can vilify taxes with the word 'theft', or consider them simply part of our 'social contract' in a Social Democracy, but any way you slice it, taxes are ideally how Americans pay in for the greater good of all. Paying taxes is part of being an American, and as such should sustain the livelihood of the people. Maybe that blows, maybe it's theft, but it is just part of our reality. Because this is part of the American condition, we should be able to assure that taxpayer dollars go to the things that cause us to grow and prosper as a people.
There is no social contract.
i like the way you think :)
Hmm... Okay!
So if a mugger gives some of the stolen loot (minus his expenses, of course) to widows and orphans, it's not theft. Because he would be "serving the people".
I LOVE libraries, parks, and education (which is why I despise "public schools"). But there's nothing I want bad enough to rob you at gunpoint to get it. Nothing. If something can't be funded voluntarily it needs to die.
Ok lol! Enjoy life in your commune!
That doesn't make any sense. Advocating liberty is antithetical to advocating communism.
If your public programs and services are worked and funded voluntarily, your society likely functions something like a commune. Living in a commune doesn't have to incorporate full on communism.
She isn't different. Her means are identical to those used by Trump. She demands obedience under penalty of theft, kidnapping, or murder.
If her ideas are really good, why can't she find a way to enact them voluntarily? Politics is antithetical to cooperative problem solving.
When government monopolizes a service, it doesn't transform extortion into a blessing. It transforms a necessary service into a bureaucracy.
lolwut? All I said was listen to some of her ideas sometime, which this line shows you clearly have not.
Although our current Congress + presidential cabinet is a shit show, politics is actually meant to be synonymous with cooperative problem solving. This all goes out the window when bipartisanship, civility, and common sense is nowhere to be found. Imposing term limits on members of Congress would be a great start to revitalizing their efficiency in solving some problems.
I have listened to her ideas. I still disagree with her ends and means. That means compliance will be coerced under threat and duress if she gets her way. That isn't cooperation.
There is nothing cooperative about politics. Politics is an artificial zero-sum game. There is no representation. Democracy is a myth. It is no more legitimate than astrology is a science.
Alright man :D