It's weird how the acceptable vs unacceptable forms of "economic anxiety" are switched around

[ck4829]

Last edited Sun Jul 28, 2019, 07:02 AM - Edit history (1)

The "acceptable" economic anxiety: Voting for reality TV stars, vandalizing things with swastikas, paranoia of the 'other', belief in conspiracy theories, and falling in love with confederate statues

The "unacceptable" economic anxiety: Why should we have this economic anxiety? How about instead of racism and sexism, we actually mitigate the source of the economic anxiety? Let's have debt forgiveness, a more robust safety net, not denying things like healthcare or education to people, etc.

It's weird how one of these is SOCIALISM and causing trouble according to the 'liberal' media and *some* of the politicians... and it's not the first one, the "acceptable" one.

It's just weird.

[renate]

1. I've never thought about it like this before but you're so right

The self-oriented and self-focused kind of economic anxiety is just fine and totally sympathetic and understandable, but screw the libs with altruistic anxieties that include everybody.

[safeinOhio]

2. You can't have a radical free market economy

with out a golden calf.

I think that might make a good bumper sticker....

[Moostache]

3. "Free" market and "Capitalism" are enemies of each other...

The unspoken truth is that non-regulated Capitalism will ALWAYS descend into greed and monopoly as soon as one entity gains sufficient advantage in the market to quash others.

Without robust and codified assistance from governmental authority, Capitalism left to its own devices is a social nightmare for those who must endure its excesses; and sadly those who suffer are NEVER those who lie, cheat, steal and game the system for personal gain at the expense of social stability - MUCH more simply to scapegoat and point than to identify and uplift.

[safeinOhio]

5. Even Adam Smith in

Wealth of Nations noted that.

[VOX]

4. Democrats are forever accused of "tax and spend," while Repugs actually do it.

But they’ll still accuse Democrats as “tax and spend.” Or the unconscionably racist “Democrat Party (sic) gives free stuff to blacks and Mexicans,” which is a goddamned lie as well.

Ironically, liberals are now the actual “conservatives,” when Democrats and progressives advocate for:
- The rule of law applied to the corruption in the 45 administration.
- Fiscal responsibility, reducing debt.
- No more bullshit costly wars.
- A plan to cover Americans with viable, functioning health insurance, with an eye toward prevention and public health.
- Climate change— a genuine existential threat to the entire globe— must be tackled as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

On and on the sensible-action list goes. I stereotypically classify these few points as “conservative,” in that historically, they were reflective of an altogether different breed of character. Eisenhower warned America about the military-industrial complex; Nixon (Nixon!!) proposed a national healthcare plan to “assure every American financial access to high quality health care”; and Barry Goldwater’s righteous rants about allowing evangelicals such a big voice in the GOP platform.

Ultimately, I guess it finally comes down to one question: who cares most about saving and healing American democracy?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. Russiapublicans have created a cult on disinformation

Your closing question is, of course, easily answered. The R party has built a cult based on disinformation over the course of at least 40 years. It is becoming increasingly obvious to even those who do not pay attention that the R party cares only about maintaining power, not about the health of the democracy.

[VOX]

10. Precisely! Absolute disinformation, and yes, the very definition of a cult.

This has been a long time in the making. It will take at least a generation to turn things around (I’m counting all the far-right, lifetime judgeships that have been ground out like sausages).

[Wounded Bear]

11. Repubs don't tax and spend...

Repubs borrow and spend. Then, when Dems regain power, they are forced to tax just to pay off the Repub debts, thus strangling their ability to spend responsibly.

All of the great "spending" programs that Dems have passed over the years have been self-paying, for the most part. They tend to work fine until the Repubs start undermining the financial supports for the systems.

[JI7]

6. it's like how we talk about the opioid v crack problems

we make excuses for your first example of economic anxiety but brown kids crossing the border are to be treated badly.

[gratuitous]

8. Dom Helder Camara saw it

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."

[StarfishSaver]

9. K&R