October 14, 2013

Are you a Social Democrat?

By a "Social Democrat" I mean, do you believe that pragmatically speaking the best economy would be a mixture of both capitalism and socialism? I mean by social-democracy perhaps something along the model of some European countries particularly in Scandinavia. There would still be a significant number of privately owned and profit motivated businesses - but with significant reforms to insure that workers had real representation in management as well as protections and job security. It would go without saying that the healthcare system would be mostly socialized guaranteeing adequate healthcare for everyone - but there might be the option for those who can afford it to have their own supplemental insurance for elective procedures. It would go without saying that education would be provided up to the highest levels funded by the democratically elected state - but there probably still would be private, perhaps even private-for-profit schools for those who can afford them and wish them. In other words as a Social Democrat you would support a system that is neither completely capitalist or completely socialist - but one that attempts to balance both individualism and profit motive with altruism and the desire to meet the needs of all for the greater good.

October 10, 2013

Have you EVER heard any hub-bub about apple cider vinegar as a kind of elixir?

Please let me say that I am in no way advocating this or any alternative form of medicine. I am in fact a very conventional healthcare worker who is very skeptical of such things. Until last week I had never in my life heard of apple cider vinegar as some kind of cure-all home remedy. But someone at work mentioned that they use it and mentioned the name of some other healthcare professionals who they know who take a swig or two of apple cider vinegar once or twice a day. I started to ask around and I did a search on the Internet - apparently it is a common home remedy or old wise tale - depending on one's point of view. Figuring that it would not do any harm - I thought I would give it a try for my various stomach ailments. Even the other night while watching the Food Network program, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives there was a mention at one of the establishments they visited that they always keep apple cider vinegar on hand because it cures every ailment from acne to impotence, cancer to strokes - Maybe I have been living in a bubble because this following for this old wise tale or home remedy about apple cider vinegar is apparently pretty common. I am wondering if others have heard about the same marvelous claims I have only recently heard?

October 8, 2013

The Republicans will compromise by not releasing giant killer robots - by Tom Tomorrow

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/07/1243689/-A-political-crisis?fb_action_ids=10151995226341579&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210151995226341579%22%3A585909891465663%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151995226341579%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#

October 5, 2013

Watch the John Boehner Gov. Shutdown “Temper Tantrum” Ad That Will Air on Sunday Football

October 4, 2013

Daily Show’s Samantha Bee Grills GOP ‘Traitor’ Who Voted Against Shutdown

“Are you just experimenting with reason to see if you like it?”


http://www.mediaite.com/tv/daily-shows-samantha-bee-grills-gop-traitor-who-voted-against-shutdown/

October 4, 2013

Elizabeth Warren on the government shut down

I was surprised when I posted this on my Facebook timeline that some of the likes of Facebook friends came from people I knew were somewhat on the moderately conservative end of the spectrum who probably did not vote for Obama - but are getting fed up with the crazies who control the Republican Party.

September 29, 2013

I think most Republicans of today genuinely see fighting for their right-wing agenda and ideology as

the same thing as patriotism and opposing their right-wing ideology as anti-American borderlining on treasonous. They carry it to a belief that shutting down even a centrist-Democratic led government as shutting down the enemies of America. I suspect they would even believe that crippling a centrist led economy as crippling an enemy economy. I don't think most Republicans of today (not traditional Republicans of the past) are psychologically capable of even imagining the principle of uniting the country for the common good. They would see that as treason against God and America. This is a party that thinks passing Obamacare - a program well to the right of what most Republicans would have once supported - is the moral equivalent of the Nazis invading Eastern Europe and not defunding Obamacare as the moral equivalent of collaborating with Hitler. They are simply living in crazy land.

September 29, 2013

Does public opposition to military actions inspired by investigative journalism play a significant

role in stopping military actions from happening?

September 29, 2013

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life:

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. Th other, of course, involves orcs."

-- John Rogers

September 26, 2013

Are the organizations Rightwing Watch and People for the American Way considered disreputable?

If one is attempting to use their resources to inform DU member of wild accusations being made by extreme right-wing sources - is this considered propagating conspiracy theories when it is obvious to anyone that they are informing the DU community of what those crazies are saying?

Using the resources of Rightwing Watch and People for the American Way - I posted this video:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017147757

I was very clear to reference Rightwing Watch as the source of this link. This is not the first time I have seen materials from Rightwing Watch/People for the American Way locked. I was unaware that they were even considered controversial organizations among progressives. Are some forum hosts so sensitive that they do not even want DU members to talk about what progressive organizations are reporting that rightwing organizations are saying?

UPADATE: Fortunately, after appealing to the one who locked the thread - they took a second look and agreed that it should not have been locked in the first place. I think there was one overanxious alerter