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Post by ltfred on Sept 25, 2011 23:01:40 GMT -5
I don't understand your Phil Adams obsession at all. I really don't. And yet, you're the one constantly chanelling his outdated and discredited revisionist Stalinist dogma. Not only false but hilariously false. |
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Post by Thejebusfire on Sept 25, 2011 23:28:16 GMT -5
Get a room you two!
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Post by Smurfette Principle on Sept 25, 2011 23:29:31 GMT -5
It doesn't make sense to me... that might make sense for people who were once rich but lost all their money, but as for people who grew up in poverty, I don't think they would see themselves as "temporarily embarrassed" millionaires. It's a side effect of the "American Dream" syndrome; people are raised with the expectation that hard work inevitably leads to success and wealth. Thus they expect that their comparative poverty is only temporary, and support laws that will enable them to wallow in their inevitable future riches. We just had a talk about this in Poli Sci. Our professor told us this story: One of the politicians working on the McGovern side of the Nixon 1972 election was going home on the subway when he saw a janitor. The election was such a landslide that the man was almost in tears, and he asked in desperation, "Did you vote for Nixon or McGovern?" "Nixon," replied the janitor. "For God's sake, why?" asked the politician. "Well," said the man, "I don't like his inheritance tax idea. I think that the rich made that money and have the right to give it to their children, and we shouldn't punish them for having that money." "Sir," said the politician, "The inheritance tax doesn't kick in until the amount is at or over one million dollars! You don't have a million dollars!" "I don't have one million dollars yet." |
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Post by Adeimantus on Sept 26, 2011 1:55:42 GMT -5
That janitor's got the right idea.
I think the best way to explain it is that in America, people have commonly believed that the potential for great success was just waiting to be discovered- that all you had to do was find something to offer and you could earn your way, regardless of where you came from or what your background was. Truly noble thinking.
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Post by Haseen on Sept 26, 2011 2:40:15 GMT -5
The idea that everyone's a potential millionaire may have been what drove the Republicans in the past, but not any more. Now it's just a party of entrenched interests who are really good at manipulating authoritarian followers. I don't think a lot of them will even formulate the idea that *they* might become millionaires. They're just believing what they're told to believe.
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Post by Mlle Antéchrist on Sept 26, 2011 2:45:58 GMT -5
Okay then non-Americans, how did socialism get to be embraced in your countries? I know not how it was embraced, but according to my history teacher when the province was installing a socialist government the CIA was apparantly prepared or planning to overthrow it. The only interesting thing to happen in Saskatchewan, ever. |
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Post by ltfred on Sept 26, 2011 4:17:44 GMT -5
all you had to do was find something to offer and you could earn your way, regardless of where you came from or what your background was. Truly noble thinking. It's least true of the United States than any other developed country except Britain. Inequality of outcome causes inequality of opportunity. |
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queenofhearts
Junior Member
Another atheist transgirl with too many opinions and not enough money
Posts: 70
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Post by queenofhearts on Sept 26, 2011 4:45:01 GMT -5
Not only does this explain the teahadists train of thought, but I recall a guy on the Colbert report saying 20% of Americans believe they are in the top 2% of wage earners. So yes, we Americans are ignorant of our circumstances and far too idealistic about social mobility.
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Post by ltfred on Sept 26, 2011 6:30:50 GMT -5
Not only does this explain the teahadists train of thought, but I recall a guy on the Colbert report saying 20% of Americans believe they are in the top 2% of wage earners. So yes, we Americans are ignorant of our circumstances and far too idealistic about social mobility. I heard that approx. 80% of Americans think they're middle class. |
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Post by brendanrizzo on Sept 26, 2011 7:40:25 GMT -5
Okay then non-Americans, how did socialism get to be embraced in your countries? I know not how it was embraced, but according to my history teacher when the province was installing a socialist government the CIA was apparantly prepared or planning to overthrow it. Which province was this, and for that matter, which country was this? "The province" could refer to almost anywhere. |
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Post by ragabash on Sept 26, 2011 11:44:59 GMT -5
I know not how it was embraced, but according to my history teacher when the province was installing a socialist government the CIA was apparantly prepared or planning to overthrow it. Which province was this, and for that matter, which country was this? "The province" could refer to almost anywhere. Saskatchewan |
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Post by scotsgit on Sept 26, 2011 12:32:35 GMT -5
Okay then non-Americans, how did socialism get to be embraced in your countries? Ermmm, because like everywhere else in the world it seemed to be a good idea by a lot of people. Come to that, why wasn't it embraced more in yours? |
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Post by RavynousHunter on Sept 26, 2011 14:00:19 GMT -5
Because we're America, bastion of capitalism and democracy. Well...the latter's only true when its convenient, then, its best to support a totalitarian regime.
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Sept 26, 2011 16:34:39 GMT -5
That janitor's got the right idea. I think the best way to explain it is that in America, people have commonly believed that the potential for great success was just waiting to be discovered- that all you had to do was find something to offer and you could earn your way, regardless of where you came from or what your background was. Truly noble thinking. Just because they believe it, doesn't make it true. In fact, that notion couldn't be farther from the truth. The way our economic system is set up actually prevents the poor from succeeding. The people who make the most money are the people who do the least work, while those who wish to work hard for their money aren't even being given the opportunity. |
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Post by brendanrizzo on Sept 26, 2011 16:56:03 GMT -5
Okay then non-Americans, how did socialism get to be embraced in your countries? Ermmm, because like everywhere else in the world it seemed to be a good idea by a lot of people. Come to that, why wasn't it embraced more in yours? I have no idea; that's why I'm asking. Right now I blame the sociopathic Republicans. |
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