First time a Socialist has been elected in USA for a government place

[kilgram]

For first time in history a Socialist has won the elections, an elections for city council for a big city, Seattle.

OWS people agreed her, and said that she was one of them. The elected socialist, Kshama Sawant is very famous activist in that city.

What are your opinions about this new mayor?

Yahoo news (http://news.yahoo.com/seattle-elects-socialist-city-council-012449285--politics.html)



Seattle voters have elected a socialist to city council for the first time in modern history.



Kshama Sawant's lead continued to grow on Friday, prompting 16-year incumbent Richard Conlin to concede.
Even in this liberal city, Sawant's win has surprised many here. Conlin was backed by the city's political establishment. On election night, she trailed by four percentage points. She wasn't a veteran politician, having only run in one previous campaign.
But in the days following election night, Sawant's share of the votes outgrew Conlin's.
"I don't think socialism makes most people in Seattle afraid," Conlin said Friday.
While city council races are technically non-partisan, Sawant made sure people knew she was running as a socialist — a label that would be political poisonous in many parts of the country.
Sawant, a 41-year-old college economics professor, first drew attention as part of local Occupy Wall Street protests that included taking over a downtown park and a junior college campus in late 2011. She then ran for legislative office in 2012, challenging the powerful speaker of the state House, a Democrat. She was easily defeated.
This year, though, she pushed a platform that resonated with the city. She backed efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15; called for rent control in the city where rental prices keep climbing; and supports a tax on millionaires to help fund a public transit system and other services.

I think that it can be an interesting change, and also it shows how different options can win in American elections, even if you don't agree with that ideology, like the Alternative Socialist, who is member the today's mayor of Seattle.

[Mainecoons]

Left wing rule of cities has had the same result everywhere--overpaid and bloated "work" forces, fiscal insolvency, flight of business and more affluent residents. Seattle isn't any more immune to this than Detroit. Some people never learn.

[kilgram]

Left wing rule of cities has had the same result everywhere--overpaid and bloated "work" forces, fiscal insolvency, flight of business and more affluent residents. Seattle isn't any more immune to this than Detroit. Some people never learn.
Well, I don't know. I don't know too much about local American governments, but I think that a Socialist is a different option from any Democrat(center-right) that have been elected until now.

For example in Spain, the cities that better work are the ones governed by the real left, for example Euskadi with Bildu(Socialists).

[The Sage of Main Street]

For first time in history a Socialist has won the elections, an elections for city council for a big city, Seattle.

OWS people agreed her, and said that she was one of them. The elected socialist, Kshama Sawant is very famous activist in that city.

What are your opinions about this new mayor?

Yahoo news (http://news.yahoo.com/seattle-elects-socialist-city-council-012449285--politics.html)



I think that it can be an interesting change, and also it shows how different options can win in American elections, even if you don't agree with that ideology, like the Alternative Socialist, who is member the today's mayor of Seattle.


I bet she's a spoiled sheltered upper-class snob. Those people have no right to participate in a democracy. Socialism is just Capitalism, Jr.

[The Wash]

To pay for social programs they raise the personal property tax. Homeowners in Detroit were paying $2000 a year in property tax for houses they couldn't sell in 2010 for $1500, thus house owners never fixed anything in their rentals, creating slums.

I hate rich assholes as much as everyone else because they're rich and I'd like to have their money. What never happens is that rich people pay for anything. What happens is that middle class people like me end up paying for the rich so that poor folk can do nothing. And don't tell me they don't because half my cousins spend more time worrying about drama than getting up out of their situation.

[patrickt]

Nonsense, Kilgram. Fort Collins, Colorado, had a socialist as mayor. Socialist/progressives/liberals/communists do frequently have to lie to get elected but that's no problem for them. Lying is a necessary skill for liberals/progressives/socialists/communists. President Barack Obama is a good example.

[darroll]

That's what happens when 70% are stoners.

[Mainecoons]

To pay for social programs they raise the personal property tax. Homeowners in Detroit were paying $2000 a year in property tax for houses they couldn't sell in 2010 for $1500, thus house owners never fixed anything in their rentals, creating slums.

I hate rich assholes as much as everyone else because they're rich and I'd like to have their money. What never happens is that rich people pay for anything. What happens is that middle class people like me end up paying for the rich so that poor folk can do nothing. And don't tell me they don't because half my cousins spend more time worrying about drama than getting up out of their situation.

Exactly right. Most of these "soak the rich" taxes land on the middle class because the rich are a lot smarter than these government clowns and they know how to hide/shelter their incomes. The problem isn't that there isn't enough taxation, the problem is that there is far too much government and it wastes far too much money.

Cut government in half, which basically would bring it back in line with long term population growth, and there will be plenty of money for real priorities and a lot more prosperity for the folks.

It simply is no accident that the prosperity of the people has plummeted while the government has grown like a malignant cancer.

[Green Arrow]

Couple this with de Blasio's win in New York City and Sarvis pulling in 7% of the vote in a state governor race, and suddenly America's political landscape has gotten much more interesting.

[Green Arrow]

Oh, and kilgram, this isn't the first time, it's maybe the second (that I know of). Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator from Vermont, is an open, unabashed socialist.

[Captain Obvious]

Everyone want's 3rd and more parties. The Socialist party is going to be one of them.

Be careful what you wish for.

Overall, I fully support it.

[Green Arrow]

Everyone want's 3rd and more parties. The Socialist party is going to be one of them.

Be careful what you wish for.

Overall, I fully support it.

When the Democrat and Republican parties eventually collapse, we'll have multiple parties relatively equal in power as voters try to find their new political home. I predict the largest ones will be the Libertarian, Constitution, Green, and Socialist parties. Two left, two right.

[Captain Obvious]

When the Democrat and Republican parties eventually collapse, we'll have multiple parties relatively equal in power as voters try to find their new political home. I predict the largest ones will be the Libertarian, Constitution, Green, and Socialist parties. Two left, two right.

The Republicrat party will not collapse in my or your lifetime. Or our children's.

Take that to the bank.

[Green Arrow]

The Republicrat party will not collapse in my or your lifetime. Or our children's.

Take that to the bank.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Voting trends would seem to suggest otherwise. Fewer and fewer people are voting, and larger proportions of those voting are voting for alternatives to the "Republicrats."

[Captain Obvious]

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Voting trends would seem to suggest otherwise. Fewer and fewer people are voting, and larger proportions of those voting are voting for alternatives to the "Republicrats."

And voting spoiler - at the GOP's expense.

And a higher proportion of voters are... guess what? Democrat.

And a higher proportion of our populace is... guess what? Minorities, immigrants.

Look at what's happening. Collectively people aren't voting issues, they're voting themselves a share of the treasury. Conservatism is divided and will fraction itself away - or sway toward the "let's just buy our voters" side. It's happening now in the GOP. Libertarian, Tea Party, etc. - yeah, nice idea, but they're just speeding up the inevitable.

Democracy (or Republic or whatever the fuck geeks want to label it) is collapsing under it's own weight.

We get to see the outcome of the great experiment.

[Green Arrow]

And voting spoiler - at the GOP's expense.

So what? Nobody is obligated to vote for any party. The whole elitist "You're obligated to vote for us!" attitude is what drives people away in the first place. Neither party campaigns to get voters that aren't already theirs anymore, and then are confused when they don't win elections or people either stay home or vote third.


And a higher proportion of voters are... guess what? Democrat.

For now. It cycles every few elections.


And a higher proportion of our populace is... guess what? Minorities, immigrants.

Right, and both parties like to pretend that they are all one giant hive mind that will forever vote Democrat. It's nothing but ridiculous bullshit.


Look at what's happening. Collectively people aren't voting issues, they're voting themselves a share of the treasury. Conservatism is divided and will fraction itself away - or sway toward the "let's just buy our voters" side. It's happening now in the GOP. Libertarian, Tea Party, etc. - yeah, nice idea, but they're just speeding up the inevitable.

Democracy (or Republic or whatever the fuck geeks want to label it) is collapsing under it's own weight.

We get to see the outcome of the great experiment.

Nobody but elitist politicians and big corporation owners vote themselves a share of the treasury. I have never heard someone go to the polls to figure out who is going to give them a bigger piece of the public pie. Like it or not, people ARE voting issues - they just vote for stupid ones, like abortion, gay marriage, guns, etc. They are one-issue voters for the least important issues out there, so we end up getting stuck with people who have the worst positions on the most important issues.

If the GOP would stop allowing Democrats to maintain a lock on the social positions (because like it or not, when our culture isn't split down the middle on the social issues, they overwhelmingly don't give a shit), they could significantly cut into the Democrats' margins, but they won't, because their strategists are retarded.

[Captain Obvious]

I have never heard someone go to the polls to figure out who is going to give them a bigger piece of the public pie.

... wow


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I79wUEqBdQc

[Green Arrow]

... wow


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I79wUEqBdQc

1) Editing footage to make it seem like all voters think that way doesn't change the fact that all voters do not think that way. Or do I need to pull out edited videos portraying all Republicans as gay-hating racists?

2) This doesn't change the fact that I've never encountered voters who thought that way. No amount of videos or news stories will, for that matter, because I still have not personally encountered them​.

[Captain Obvious]

1) Editing footage to make it seem like all voters think that way doesn't change the fact that all voters do not think that way. Or do I need to pull out edited videos portraying all Republicans as gay-hating racists?

2) This doesn't change the fact that I've never encountered voters who thought that way. No amount of videos or news stories will, for that matter, because I still have not personally encountered them​.

Not sure what to say on that. Get out more maybe.

[Captain Obvious]

Green Arrow

Let me help you out a bit. Busting your reality cherry:

http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/promotions/sem/member02.html?keycode=U6TPM1&packageid=&componentid=&whocalled=promo_enroll&cmp=IVS-KNC-ACQ-PMD-ACQJOIN

[Green Arrow]

Not sure what to say on that. Get out more maybe.

I'm not obsessive. I don't go about my daily life asking everyone I meet who they voted for and why.

[kilgram]

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Voting trends would seem to suggest otherwise. Fewer and fewer people are voting, and larger proportions of those voting are voting for alternatives to the "Republicrats."
Well, I can compare the trend with the Spanish, because looks like we are copying one from the other. And in Spain looked like the people would change, but it is an illusion, however, maybe it is true that it will change, because it is true that slowly, people is looking for new options.

[Common]

To pay for social programs they raise the personal property tax. Homeowners in Detroit were paying $2000 a year in property tax for houses they couldn't sell in 2010 for $1500, thus house owners never fixed anything in their rentals, creating slums.

I hate rich assholes as much as everyone else because they're rich and I'd like to have their money. What never happens is that rich people pay for anything. What happens is that middle class people like me end up paying for the rich so that poor folk can do nothing. And don't tell me they don't because half my cousins spend more time worrying about drama than getting up out of their situation.

That about sums it up for me

[The Sage of Main Street]

Socialism: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."
Capitalism: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his greed."

Same difference. In other words, "If you're so smart, why haven't you made the rich richer?" The Nobility With No Ability make all their money by humiliating people with ability. They are subhuman dumb jock bullies.
They are homo erectus, not homo sapiens.

[Green Arrow]

Socialism: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."
Capitalism: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his greed."

Same difference.

Except you're incorrect. You quoted the Marxian Theory of Distribution, not the socialist Theory of Distribution. The socialist ToD is "To each according to his contribution."

[The Sage of Main Street]

Except you're incorrect. You quoted the Marxian Theory of Distribution, not the socialist Theory of Distribution. The socialist ToD is "To each according to his contribution."

They throw all that out once they get into power. Interpretation is distortion, so they claim that party leaders make the most contributions.

[Mainecoons]

Animal Farm.


“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
:grin:

[Green Arrow]

They throw all that out once they get into power. Interpretation is distortion, so they claim that party leaders make the most contributions.

The disconnect here is "get into power." Once they "get into power" and "throw all that out," they stop being socialists.

[The Sage of Main Street]

The disconnect here is "get into power." Once they "get into power" and "throw all that out," they stop being socialists.

This is all nonsense designed by people who are sheltered and ignorant, spoiled and adamant about being right. What do they mean by "contribution"? Someone who sacrificed and was obsessive with developing his ability while totally neglecting his personal development? That steals achievement from people with too much self-respect to sacrifice, which is just brown-nosing and has no merit. That's the same problem I have with the ideologues' word "meritocracy." Besides, birth privileges have always been the most destructive problem and the ideologues' focus is just a sideshow.

Anyway, the way to go is "TO each according to his ability." Treat those with superior mental ability the same way those with superior athletic ability are being treated now, from childhood on and including social popularity.

You can't have one deserved privilege while allowing any undeserved privileges. Transfer inheritance to paying High IQs a high salary while they are in college, plus free tuition. The children of the rich should have to do it on their own--no trust funds or nepotism either. If people aren't paid in college, they aren't worth anything. The results prove that, but of course we're so brainwashed that we don't blame them for our declining economy.

Indentured-servitude education is the worst form of slavery, slavery of the best. But because it's class biased and insulting for everybody else, we don't get talented people there or they lose their talent through being demoralized.

[Beevee]

Left wing rule of cities has had the same result everywhere--overpaid and bloated "work" forces, fiscal insolvency, flight of business and more affluent residents. Seattle isn't any more immune to this than Detroit. Some people never learn.

It could be that lefties are content at destroying cities but conservatives much prefer destroying countries.

[Mainecoons]

Well, since we've had government dominated by progressives for decades, and only an idiot could pretend that the U.S. isn't in serious economic decline, perhaps you'd like to find a country to confirm your statement. Because I can find a ton of cities that confirm mine.