What with Obama, Hillary and the old bloke with the comb-over taking centre stage in the US election, it is possible to overlook some of the other candidates still in the race.The Democrats are widely regarded as the left wing's choice but looking through the list of potential presidents i spied a party that would have Joseph McCarthy spinning in his grave.
The Socialist Party USA is led by Brian Moore and the mission statement begins "People across the world need to cast off the systems which oppress them, and build a new world fit for all humanity". Very worthy.
So what does the American Socialist believe in?
- Abolition of the Patriot Act
- Against the U.S. Government eavesdropping on Americans
- Opposes domestic spying of American citizens
- Opposes waterboarding and any form of prisoner abuse and torture
- Is against Guantanemo and special rendition
- Opposes the threat to free speech and lawful dissent in America
According to their (rather naff) website, The Socialist Party want to Stop the Iraq War, implement a national health care system for all, guarantee an income of $35,000 pa for all working families, wide programme of Nationalisation, phase out nuclear power plants, end the Cuban embargo, end US aid to Israel, support the Kyoto Protocol, end capital punishment and stop restrictions on access to abortion.
Now that's my kind of political party. Unless i stumble across someone better between now and November, the Socialist Party USA get my pretend vote.
16 comments:
Joseph McCarthy
Lucy,
Luckily you just get a pretend vote.
Q
Let's see how a libertarian takes the socialist's list:
- Abolition of the Patriot Act-YES
- Against the U.S. Government eavesdropping on Americans-YES
- Opposes domestic spying of American citizens-YES
- Opposes waterboarding and any form of prisoner abuse and torture-YES
- Is against Guantanemo and special rendition-YES
- Opposes the threat to free speech and lawful dissent in America-YES
- Stop the Iraq War-YES
- implement a national health care system for all-NO*
- guarantee an income of $35,000 pa for all working families-NO*
- wide programme of Nationalisation-NO
- phase out nuclear power plants-?
- end the Cuban embargo-YES
- end US aid to Israel-YES
- support the Kyoto Protocol-NO
- end capital punishment-YES
- stop restrictions on access to abortion-YES*
So the libertarians of 16 the 16
-Agree on 11
-1 qualified yes [abortion as a
states rights thing as opposed
to federal fiat]
-Disagree on 4
-2 qualified noes [everyone
ought to have a high income and
health care through the best
available means to achieving
those ends]
-Have no idea on 1
Maybe the two should form a coalition.
MCCARTNEY???? Thanks Jefe.
11/16 is not a bad figure nog. Do you find yourself agreeing with a tad over two thirds of what the Dems and Reps are offering?
visit http://bd71.blogspot.com and see the true face of islam.
Lucy,
Since the average family income in Texas is something like $24,000 per year I suspect most people in Texas would stop working and just go for the free $35,000.
Q
Lucy,
the more i read their agenda the more confusing it gets...
what does nuclear power have to do with socialism? ditto abortion? ditto capital punishment?
i thought socialism was about the government owning businesses?
two things i understand in their agenda:
1. nationalize funtions because everybody knows a "civil servant" does better work - surely everybody is laughing at this statement
2. national health care because everybody knows everybody should have the same long wait for mediocre care by more "civil servants" - more laughter
i'm always going to be confused by people that want to get rid of capital punishment (we kill innocent people sometimes) but support abortion (we kill an innocent person everytime)...
Q
"Since the average family income in Texas is something like $24,000 per year"
Shite, the good Lord has well and truly forsaken that state...
But Q, if the working familes on $24k pa just stopped working then they wouldn't qualify for the $35k pa.
We have that same system here called Working Families Tax Credits.
How anyone can be against free health care for everyone regardless of your ability to pay i will never understand.
Lucy,
Here we go again. NOTHING IS FREE. OTHER PEOPLE PAY FOR IT!!! That means that I'm not working for me, I'm working for you. Why would I want to do that? We've never even met.
Do you think other people should pay to fix your car or your home also?
What if you are lazy or stupid? Why should I have to work for someone just because they are lazy or stupid. Who made them my boss... oh, Lucy did. Lucy would make them my boss if she had her way.
Q, go work hard so I can get some free meds today. Q, you got a computer science degree instead of playing at the beach, so use it to pay for my liposuction. Q, I feel like having a 7th child even though I can't afford the 6 I already have so go out there and make more money to pay the hospital system so I can have another baby.
Or, Lucy, do you not think that there are stupid and lazy people? trick question. I know you think there are stupid people. You obviously think I'm stupid.
I'm sure there are stupid people and lazy people. And stupid lazy people.
Q
I'm not in favor of $35,000 a year. It should be more, Lets make it $135,000 a year just to make it fair. (wink wink, nudge, nudge)
Or, Lucy, do you not think that there are stupid and lazy people? trick question. I know you think there are stupid people. You obviously think I'm stupid.
That is the problem with libertarians - they think people are stupid. Things are not that black and white.
I'm all over that agenda, with the exception of...
...phase out nuclear power plants
There is no choice on this score. We are going to need every, and I mean every, viable alternative if we are to keep this planet from turning into the solar system's next Venus. And that includes nuclear power. Chernobyl included (where the operators practically blew up their own plant), nuclear power, when dealt with properly, is many times more safe than generation of power from fossil fuels.
Q - i don't think you are grasping this Tax Credits scheme. If you don't work you don't get it, it is a top up for those in low paid jobs who work the necessary hours to qualify. I think the minimum here is 30 hours so the socialist party's idea is to make up anyone working over 30 hours per week and do not reach $35,000, recieve these top ups.
Kvatch, i would like to see other options considered such as wind, solar and tidal power properly looked into. The problem with nuclear power is the highly toxic waste which just seems to be hidden out of sight for future generations to deal with.
Lucy,
You are correct in that I'm unfamiliar with the proposed tax credit scheme. I will check into it.
But, it still sounds like I end up working for other people that can't provide for themselves. Not like that is new. I already provide 30% of my gross income to others... That is Jan, Feb, Mar, and Apr every year of my life. Even after I retire I'll have to pay income tax on my retirement earnings. Another way of stating it is that I have worked 11.5 years of my 35 career for the benefit of people that I basically do not know. By the way, it was not an option. It was forced labor...
FYI - Our system is not asborken as the politicians make it sound.
First, in the U.S. a family can get high indemnity (you pay most of the first $5,000 but after that the insurance covers the bulk of the cost) health insurance policy for A FAMILY OF 4 for about $400 a month (Texas Blue Cross Blue Shield for example). I bet most Americans pay more than $400 every month for:
- each car (financed @ 7 years)
- dining out (optional)
- cable TV, long distance, internet access combined (optional)
- movies and other entertainment (optional)
Second, we have the most advanced medicines and facilities in the world. Who has better?
Third, we provide free emergency care to all.
Fourth, this is rarely discussed but, in the U.S., if you can't pay your bill the doctors will take whatever you can pay. It is not uncommon for people to pay $35 each month toward a bill that is in the thousands. They will never pay it off.
Q
Post a Comment