AOC on the Pentagon budget.

[H2O Man]

38. Yet you ignore

what his other opponents said about the Great Society. Don't limit yourself to the millions of citizens that disliked LBJ for a variety of other reasons. Look at what republicans said about his Great Society.

The US was created when merchantilism was the primary economic policy.

I understand that you are against centralized socialism. I agree with that. At the same time, I am opposed to efforts by republicans to privatize Social Security -- which is one example of our mixed economy. It's a government-run program that is essential. Putting it on the open market is a terrible republican party idea. Likewise, where there are mental health providers in private practice, it's a good thing that there are public mental health clinics -- funded by local, state, and federal money -- that are great examples of a mixed economy.

I'm confident that I have been a Democrat as long as anyone here. I've always voted for Democrats, never a single Socialist. I belong to the (Senator) RFK, Jesse Jackson, Bernie Sanders, AOC wing. I recognize that we are in the minority. I also understand that we are at a point in time where everyone not only should be voting for Democratic candidates, but should be donating -- time, money, or both -- with their campaigns. Again, I will gladly compare my history of working on Democratic candidates' to anyone here.

I live in rural, upstate New York. The majority of the food banks serving the region ran out of supplies at Thanksgiving week. Several are still without adequate supplies for the coming holiday. I definitely agree with AOC that more federal spending should go to feeding the hungry. For just one example, kids that eat a good diet have a better foundation for doing well in school. It's not the only factor, of course. But it was the primary reason the school my daughters graduated from, ans while I served on the board of education, expanded its food programs. Free breakfasts, even in the summer months, just as the Black Panthers were doing in the LBJ era.

If a person has never experienced poverty, and hence have limited insight to what that involves, they are perhaps more likely to find AOC's ideas offensively socialist. I grew up poor -- at times really poor -- and had an episode of it as a young adult. Addressing the social issues has to recognize it will take generations at this point. But it can be done, though only by the Democratic Party. And it is more likely to come with AOC and more like her being elected.