3 ms·

No we don't. These are poisonous words made by people dreaming of a world made of slaves. Dreaming of a world where the word "freedom" would be forbidden. Th

No we don't. These are poisonous words made by people dreaming of a world made of slaves. Dreaming of a world where the word "freedom" would be forbidden. The last thing we need now in a time of crisis is socialists or communists trying to push their agenda.

cantankerous 14y ago
No offense, but aren't you "pushing" an agenda as well? People are entitled to push their agendas in an open forum such as this. I, for one, welcome open and honest discussion in good faith.
Fluda3 14y ago
I find HN to be quite rich, in both content and discussions about said content. I don't post because I usually don't have anything significant to add to the conversation. I have to say though, your comment deeply disturbs me. Those weren't poisonous words. And I highly doubt that his comment, which seems quite informative, comes from his "dreams of a world made of slaves". I can tell you're American. Constantly when I travel to the US, I get spoon fed this bullshit when people find out I'm Canadian. I have literally - on more than one occasion - had people tell me how they couldn't live in a "socialist" country like Canada. They then proceed to educate me (without any indication I want to hear shit about their opinions or beliefs) on the benefits of capitalism, how Obama is enslaving America, how universal health care is freedom lessening crap, and so on. It blows my mind the level of intolerance and subtle hatred. He's just being part of the discussion, providing opposing information and some of his opinions. Chill the fuck out.
- tolmasky 14y ago
  I assure you that your "burden" of having to "constantly" listen to Americans educate you about socialism is more than outweighed by people like you assuming we are all one homogeneous mass that behaves that way ("I can tell you're American" followed by a lecture about the "blow your mind" level of intolerance and hatred here, as if that is uniquely American) I wonder how you maintain the cognitive dissonance that so many people here seem to hate Obama and Obamacare, yet somehow re-elect him. Must be confusing.
  - ucee054 14y ago
    Sorry no that's an obvious Americanism (American right-ism). Nobody else on the planet says SOCIALISM with the Bill O'Reilly sneer and think that's a debate-ender. Try to imagine a Chinese or a Frenchman saying that. Doesn't work. That's because in other countries "socialism" isn't a swear word.
    - tolmasky 14y ago
      I have visited plenty of other countries where people have expressed similar sentiments towards "socialism", Canada included. I'm not even sure why I'm bothering responding to this comment, it's so absurd and clearly blindingly biased. As if literally no one on earth other than Americans could dislike socialism that much.
      - gadders 14y ago
        I would imagine it's not very popular in ex-Iron Curtain countries, for instance.
    - gadders 14y ago
      It mostly is in the UK, amongst certain people anyway.
  - Fluda3 14y ago
    First, I didn't call it a burden so you can't exactly quote me as having said that. But it's cool, it is a pain in the ass so go for it. Second, I don't think America is a "homogeneous mass that behaves that way" and neither did I say that. I said that this (getting to hear long-winded rants about political views, religion, social issues, etc.) occurs constantly when I'm in the US. You've confused my statement of anecdotal evidence as a statement of all encompassing truth. It isn't. I don't believe the majority of Americans are like this. I just think (note that word: think, not know, it's my opinion) you have a significant portion of people that are like this, are quite vocal about it, and aren't overly tolerant of differing opinions. Third, I'm not confused and no simultaneously differing viewpoints are rolling around in my brain either. I didn't state my own opinions on the matter of Obama, capitalism, universal health care (bet you can guess where I stand on that one though), I merely stated MY experiences with the opinions of Americans I had ran into while traveling. Yes, you relected Obama. Cheers. 48.97% of people that voted didn't vote for Obama. Maybe the people I'm referring to are a subset of them, no?
acabal 14y ago
He didn't say "Communism is great, let's all hold hands and dance in a circle around a big red star"; he said, "Marx claims capitalism and other systems have some flaws." There's a big difference between the two statements. Your knee-jerk reactionism betrays you. Marx is capable of having some good--or at the very least, thought-worthy--points amid an ultimately flawed solution (communism). For you to dismiss a point by painting it with a "red menace" ad-hominem (not your words, but certainly their spirit) is, too, dangerous thinking--or perhaps lack of thinking.

cantankerous 14y ago

No offense, but aren't you "pushing" an agenda as well? People are entitled to push their agendas in an open forum such as this. I, for one, welcome open and honest discussion in good faith.

Fluda3 14y ago

I find HN to be quite rich, in both content and discussions about said content. I don't post because I usually don't have anything significant to add to the conversation. I have to say though, your comment deeply disturbs me. Those weren't poisonous words. And I highly doubt that his comment, which seems quite informative, comes from his "dreams of a world made of slaves". I can tell you're American. Constantly when I travel to the US, I get spoon fed this bullshit when people find out I'm Canadian. I have literally - on more than one occasion - had people tell me how they couldn't live in a "socialist" country like Canada. They then proceed to educate me (without any indication I want to hear shit about their opinions or beliefs) on the benefits of capitalism, how Obama is enslaving America, how universal health care is freedom lessening crap, and so on. It blows my mind the level of intolerance and subtle hatred. He's just being part of the discussion, providing opposing information and some of his opinions. Chill the fuck out.

tolmasky 14y ago
I assure you that your "burden" of having to "constantly" listen to Americans educate you about socialism is more than outweighed by people like you assuming we are all one homogeneous mass that behaves that way ("I can tell you're American" followed by a lecture about the "blow your mind" level of intolerance and hatred here, as if that is uniquely American) I wonder how you maintain the cognitive dissonance that so many people here seem to hate Obama and Obamacare, yet somehow re-elect him. Must be confusing.
- ucee054 14y ago
  Sorry no that's an obvious Americanism (American right-ism). Nobody else on the planet says SOCIALISM with the Bill O'Reilly sneer and think that's a debate-ender. Try to imagine a Chinese or a Frenchman saying that. Doesn't work. That's because in other countries "socialism" isn't a swear word.
  - tolmasky 14y ago
    I have visited plenty of other countries where people have expressed similar sentiments towards "socialism", Canada included. I'm not even sure why I'm bothering responding to this comment, it's so absurd and clearly blindingly biased. As if literally no one on earth other than Americans could dislike socialism that much.
    - gadders 14y ago
      I would imagine it's not very popular in ex-Iron Curtain countries, for instance.
  - gadders 14y ago
    It mostly is in the UK, amongst certain people anyway.
- Fluda3 14y ago
  First, I didn't call it a burden so you can't exactly quote me as having said that. But it's cool, it is a pain in the ass so go for it. Second, I don't think America is a "homogeneous mass that behaves that way" and neither did I say that. I said that this (getting to hear long-winded rants about political views, religion, social issues, etc.) occurs constantly when I'm in the US. You've confused my statement of anecdotal evidence as a statement of all encompassing truth. It isn't. I don't believe the majority of Americans are like this. I just think (note that word: think, not know, it's my opinion) you have a significant portion of people that are like this, are quite vocal about it, and aren't overly tolerant of differing opinions. Third, I'm not confused and no simultaneously differing viewpoints are rolling around in my brain either. I didn't state my own opinions on the matter of Obama, capitalism, universal health care (bet you can guess where I stand on that one though), I merely stated MY experiences with the opinions of Americans I had ran into while traveling. Yes, you relected Obama. Cheers. 48.97% of people that voted didn't vote for Obama. Maybe the people I'm referring to are a subset of them, no?

acabal 14y ago

He didn't say "Communism is great, let's all hold hands and dance in a circle around a big red star"; he said, "Marx claims capitalism and other systems have some flaws." There's a big difference between the two statements. Your knee-jerk reactionism betrays you. Marx is capable of having some good--or at the very least, thought-worthy--points amid an ultimately flawed solution (communism). For you to dismiss a point by painting it with a "red menace" ad-hominem (not your words, but certainly their spirit) is, too, dangerous thinking--or perhaps lack of thinking.