Authoritarianism

You are barking up the wrong tree. I am not a socialist. I am a liberal in that a liberal is one who has passed a liberal education and is worthy of being a gentleman, a free man who is not tied to a trade. The only time clock I ever punched was at a McDonald's in the summer between 11th and 12th grade. Even then I worked every station and attended a few corporate management training classes.

I always thought the Protestant work ethic was a bit off. Maybe for others, but not me. I just couldn't imagine going to work every day, like clock work.

Thanks to the wonders of capitalism, I have been able to insert my ideas into the system while others do the work to bring them to fruition allowing me to leverage my output, off the backs of those who may not even know what they are doing.

I have been an active participant in the creation of the high tech world, which has been dominated by liberal minded, science minded that is, individuals. It is that sector of the economy that has been sitting at the top of the market economy. I'm not so sure why the alternate universe right wants to pretend all liberals are socialists.

 

Authoritarianism is a conservative thing, huh?

Oh rully?

Here's a question...

Show of hands, who here would like the government to take direct authoritarian control of the healthcare of every American citizen?



Well, would you look at that.

 

Come on, you’re a smart guy. I’d like to hear what you think about the current topics, not hear more (inaccurate) labeling and diversion.

Can you defend your erroneous use of the term “authoritarian” or are you going to concede that one by default as well?

 

Hardworking Americans should quit their corporate jobs and work for themselves and keep 100% of their labor value.

 

Your misinformed opinion as to the meaning of the term authoritarian does not entitle you to any further discussion since you have already established that you are not interested in engaging in civil discourse.

Have a nice day!

 

With that said, and I could not agree with it more, let me ask you why "rightwing" disinformation? Why not just disinformation? The "rightwing" is a group. I do not think of myself or others first and foremost as members of groups.

 

How twisted the conservative narrative has become, that wanting people to have healthcare is seen as authoritarian.

It is like when led light bulbs came out. They use about a tenth of the electricity and last about ten times as long as incandescent lights. Even though it was the electric power generation companies who were pushing for the switch to LED lights, many conservatives complained that it was liberal authoritarianism that was forcing them to buy the more cost effective and more environmental friendly lighting.

 

It's not the people having healthcare thing that's authoritarian, it's the whole GOVERNMENT IN TOTAL CONTROL OF EVERYBODY'S HEALTHCARE.

Go ahead and argue that government taking control of every citizen's healthcare isn't authoritarian. That I'd like to see.

 

Right wing = those who think the wealthy should rule. According to the studies, It is one of the reasons so many conservatives are drawn to Trump. And it is the authoritarian nature of many conservatives that blinds them to the ill behavior of Trump.

 

So people who earn $100k a year and don't want government at all levels taking 30-50% of that and instead would rather pay 10-20% want "the wealthy" to rule? I don't think so. Just more circular "conservative bad because conservative bad" bullshit.

 

LOL - How utterly clueless on so many levels...

 

Ahem, it seems to me that I have bumped up against the Libertarian wall.


Authoritarianism is where the people offer blind obedience to authority figures.

If Trump did it, it must have been right or God would not have chosen him. It is those dirty Democrats, who aren’t liberals, who besmirch dear Trump. Those dirty leftists that want all Americans to have healthcare. Such a cruel tyranny they wield. How horrible the left is, wanting people to breathe clean air and drink clean water. How dare they care about people’s health and well being. How dare they regulate the aristocracy that rules over and profits off of everyone else. And perhaps the worse sin of all. Those horrible leftists want to have equality before the law. They even think it is a good idea if the most people possible voted in our elections, to let “the people” decide, rather than be decided for them. How horrible.

There is no scientific opposition to the idea of fossil fuel caused global warming. Any competent physical scientist clearly sees what is happening. The opposition was fed to a compliant audience who trusted the authority of its source, exhibiting blind obedience to that authority.

 

If you use some definition of 'conservative' that doesn't apply to the term as used in mainstream US politics, sure.

 

Thanks for that clarification. I haven't met one of those yet.

 

Why is it then that the primary Republican legislative agenda has long been to reduce the taxes and regulation on the wealthiest?

I think it is almost humorous that many conservatives thought they were getting a tax cut when they were just having less taxes taken out of their paycheck. Resulting in s smaller return at the end of the year.

 

I’m watching the hearings right now. The testimony is revealing corruption on the side of Congressional Republicans, their misleading report.

 

Let's take a look at that "progressive" claptrap, shall we?

Let's begin with the definition of libertarianism.

From Bing web search:

a political philosophy that advocates only minimal state intervention in the free market and the private lives of citizens

From Wikipedia:

Libertarianism (from Latin: libertas, meaning "freedom"), or libertarism (from French:libertaire, meaning "libertarian"), is a collection of political philosophies and movements that uphold liberty as a core principle.[1] Libertarians seek to maximize political freedom andautonomy, emphasizing freedom of choice, voluntary association and individual judgement.[2][3][4]

From Encyclopedia Britannica:

Libertarianism, political philosophy that takes individual liberty to be the primary political value. It may be understood as a form of liberalism, the political philosophy associated with the English philosophers John Locke and John Stuart Mill, the Scottish economist Adam Smith, and the American statesman Thomas Jefferson. Liberalism seeks to define and justify the legitimate powers of government in terms of certain natural or God-given individual rights. These rights include the rights to life, liberty, private property, freedom of speech and association, freedom of worship, government by consent, equality under the law, and moral autonomy (the ability to pursue one’s own conception of happiness, or the “good life”). The purpose of government, according to liberals, is to protect these and other individual rights, and in general liberals have contended that government power should be limited to that which is necessary to accomplish this task. Libertarians are classical liberals who strongly emphasize the individual right to liberty. They contend that the scope and powers of government should be constrained so as to allow each individual as much freedom of action as is consistent with a like freedom for everyone else. Thus, they believe that individuals should be free to behave and to dispose of their property as they see fit, provided that their actions do not infringe on the equal freedom of others.

Given the fact that the United States of America and its Constitution are founded on the principles of libertarianism/liberalism, your claim is obviously a fantasy that doesn't stand up to scrutiny in the real world.

No, that's what the power and money hungry Authoritarian Left wants: to dictate the commerce, in the narrow and broadest sense of the term, between private individuals and groups.

One of the real world problems libertarians/liberals have sought to solve - from the Founding to the present - is the real world problem of the Authoritarian Left's dictatorial impulses and its assaults on the freedom and rights expressed in the Constitution and our other Founding documents.

"Progressives" such as yourself believe that complete and utter nonsense because you obviously have no clue what libertarianism/liberalism is and what libertarians/liberals think. However, it is amusing watching you pretend that you do.

 

I accept your concession of the point. As always.

 

Everyone who paid federal income tax had their federal income tax burden reduced.

 

Now, the Republican party is the Right?

More cluelessness, this time with a Marxist rhetorical flourish thrown in at the end.

I had less taxes taken out of my paycheck and got a greater refund at the end of the year.

I'm not sure how that's humorous, but you leave me with the impression that you understand what you call the "tax cut" as much as you understand the difference between a liberal and a Leftist, which is not at all.

 

Such as we saw towards the administration from 2008-2016? I was told that was “leadership”. What do you call it if people are forced into obedience?

I think you are so blinded by misinformation you never know what you are bumping up against. The proof is in all the things you pretend I believe that I’ve communicated the opposite many times. You are fighting a phantom argument I’ve never made. Ironically, while exhibiting the authoritarian traits you besmirch. Take a deep breath, remember you are communicating with me, not some imaginary right wing ogre, and try to address the actual points I’ve made. Or are you concerned I’ll post more factual evidence that what you believe isn’t really so?

 

Libertarianism, modern libertarianism began in the 70’s by a couple of conspiracy theorists.

 

Everyone, including the rich should pay the same tax rate. The rich should not have a lower tax rate than the rest of us.

 

Oh, I’m not the one who’s misinformed. Nor am I the one demonstrating authoritarian behavior while mocking the same.

 

Authoritarian. Like telling someone they can't cut someone's hair without a license?