Posted by Tina
Two people who immigrated to America from the former Soviet Union are challenging Sanders supporters with their own memories and experiences of “revolution” and the resulting socialist state. The first was Grandmaster chess player, Garry Kasparov:
I’m enjoying the irony of American Sanders supporters lecturing me, a former Soviet citizen, on the glories of Socialism and what it really means! Socialism sounds great in speech soundbites and on Facebook, but please keep it there. In practice, it corrodes not only the economy but the human spirit itself, and the ambition and achievement that made modern capitalism possible and brought billions of people out of poverty. Talking about Socialism is a huge luxury, a luxury that was paid for by the successes of capitalism.
Olga Khazan of the Atlantic explains why soviet immigrants are not Sanders supporters:
Janna Sundeyeva still remembers life in the Soviet Union, where stores in remote regions would lack meat for months at a time and toilet paper had to be snatched up quickly on the rare occasions it appeared.
“I don’t like big government,” Sundeyeva said. She made two circles with her thumbs and forefingers and pressed them against each other so they touched, like binoculars. This Venn diagram represents the interests of people and government, she said. “They don’t have very much in common.”
To Sundeyeva, left-wingers seem to yearn for a workers’ revolution. “I would ask them: Have you ever lived under a revolution?” she said. “Do you know what it’s like? When someone comes and takes your family member in the night?”
Read more in the timely article by Daniel Greenfield at FrontPage Magazine.
Yes the grass is always greener on the other side, until you have to mow it for someone else, at your expense.
Speaking of socialism, Ms. Tina did you get down to Greundl Green…aka Cabrini Green West out there off East 20th? I went by there several months ago and it looked still under construction.
The other day a guy from Comcast told me Greundl Green would have gigabit internet speeds, nothing to giggle about. That’s way above the speeds nearly all Chico residences and even businesses have. But correct me if I’m wrong, as I recall nothing was too good for the Grundler.
Could be part of the Presidents, ConnectHome initiative, although when announced it was only supposed to be going to a few select cities and an Indian tribe as a kind of pilot program.
Last time I drove by “Greundl Green,” a week or so ago, it was still under construction.
The new redistribution marches ahead.
Miss Tina,
I went by there today and you are correct. It is all fenced off but sure looks fancy. And it’s huge for Chico.
Do you have any idea what Cabrini Greundl…er…I mean Greundl Green is going to cost the taxpayers? I would bet over the lifetime of the complex when you factor in construction, maintenance and administration it will run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. How is that going to be paid for? We are not a rich community.
Bob I’m not even sure that is what those buildings are. I just thought they looked like it. If you know for sure please clear that up for our readers.
If they are the heavy price will be the slum conditions that will eventually take over and mar our community. The cops will be on the front lines taking the brunt of it.
People don’t often appreciate what they don’t earn. This is the one thing about human nature that liberals think they can ignore with all of their fix it schemes.
From what I’ve heard it sounds like it will either be section 8 housing or some kind of quasi-government owned housing.
You people see this?
Exclusive: Army approves first 22 female officers for ground combat jobs
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/15/army-women-new-rules-infantry-armor-officers/83036812/
Interesting, Bob, weren’t we assured that standards would not be changed?
How to explain this paragraph from your linked article:
“Gender neutral” is some of that gawdawful liberal speak that we’re supposed to skim over without noticing.
Liberals are such deceitful jerks.
Good one Harold. One of the problems for young adults and college students is they have no real world experience. So “free” stuff without negative consequences sounds absolutely possible! The world is a place like the one mom and dad made for you…everything provided.
What’s a little sick about the socialist siren song is that it’s such a deception! Politicians talk about everyone paying their fair share but the tax structure is so progressive that nearly half of our working citizens don’t pay any share at all. This is one way to “help” the poor, but it’s certainly not the romantic vision of everyone sharing in a common collective pool as socialists espouse. On top of that we end up with an economy that keeps too many people stuck in dependency (like a child) and resentful of those who’ve moved into adulthood, who provide for their own families, and who do pay their “fair share.”
Our founding fathers were brilliant. the created a system that offers people the best possible chance in the world to follow their dreams and improve their lot in life!
And now we’ve mucked it all up with socialist stumbling blocks.
And Shillary has no plans of getting rid of Obammiecare even with this…
“Something has to give,” said Larry Levitt, an expert on the health law at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Either insurers will drop out or insurers will raise premiums.”
Insurers warn losses from ObamaCare are unsustainable
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/276366-insurers-warn-losses-from-obamacare-are-unsustainable
And you thought your Obammiecare premiums were high now? You ain’t seen nothin’!
A number of high profile insurers, some of the biggest have already announced the probability of dropping out of Obamacare. The promise of millions of new customers never materialized and those who did sign up are the very sick. Raising prices won’t help, more people will be forced to drop their policies because they can’t afford them. Sadly many of these insurers, including Kaiser, helped push for Obamacare! Bet they’re sorry now.
It truly is Abominablecare.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-08/beginning-end-obamacare-largest-us-health-insurer-exits-georgia-arkanasas
The Amerikan Sheeple wanted Obammiecare and they’re going to get it good and hard. This is what they get for electing Obummer twice.
How’s all that Hope and Change doing for y’all?
In Latest Obamacare Fiasco, Most Low-Income Workers Can’t Afford “Affordable Care Act”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-26/latest-obamacare-fiasco-most-low-income-workers-cant-afford-affordable-care-act
Wait! We were told hidden in the ACA/ObamaCare law is an article that the taxpayers would bailout the insurance companies if they lost money under the plan annually. Why are premiums going up too along with our taxes to make up the insurance companies’ losses?
Remember this?
Treasury won’t explain decision to make $3 billion in Obamacare payments:
”
The U.S. Treasury Department has rebuffed a request by House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R- Wis., to explain $3 billion in payments that were made to health insurers even though Congress never authorized the spending through annual appropriations.
At issue are payments to insurers known as cost-sharing subsidies. These payments come about because President Obama’s healthcare law forces insurers to limit out-of-pocket costs for certain low income individuals by capping consumer expenses, such as deductibles and co-payments, in insurance policies. In exchange for capping these charges, insurers are supposed to receive compensation.
What’s tricky is that Congress never authorized any money to make such payments to insurers in its annual appropriations, but the Department of Health and Human Services, with the cooperation of the U.S. Treasury, made them anyway.
In a Feb. 3 letter to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Ryan, along with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., asked for “a full explanation for, and all documents relating to” the administration’s decision to make the cost-sharing payments without congressional authorization.
In response, on Wednesday, the Treasury Department sent a letter to Ryan largely describing the program, without offering a detailed explanation of the decision to make the payments. The letter revealed that $2.997 billion in such payments had been made in 2014, but didn’t elaborate on where the money came from. Over the next decade, cost-sharing payments to insurers are projected by the Congressional Budget Office to cost taxpayers nearly $150 billion.
For fiscal year 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (the division of Health and Human Services that implements the program), asked Congress for an annual appropriation of $4 billion to finance the cost-sharing payments that year and another $1.4 billion “advance appropriation” for the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, “to permit CMS to reimburse issuers …”
In making the request, CMS was in effect acknowledging that it needed congressional appropriations to make the payments. But when Congress rejected the request, the administration went ahead and made the payments anyway.”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/treasury-wont-explain-decision-to-make-3-billion-in-obamacare-payments/article/2560739
Amazing Peggy.
“…Congress never authorized any money to make such payments to insurers in its annual appropriations, but the Department of Health and Human Services, with the cooperation of the U.S. Treasury, made them anyway.”
The money this government spends without “authorization” is probably much more than is ever noticed, much less recorded. The bureaucracy is made up of little fiefdoms. I wonder how many other programs find a way to take from the US Treasury?
Apparently even with subsidies the companies can’t make enough to sustain going forward.
Yes it is amazing Tina to see once again this administration doing what the he77 it wants without congressional approval.
If congress won’t give them the money they want through the proper channels they’ll just go through the back door and take what they want. $150 BILLION over 10 years is a big wad of money going straight from taxpayers pockets and into the insurance companies’. They took it right off of the top without a budget account or approval. No tracking of course and if someone hadn’t noticed they would have gotten away with it.
Now, it looks like another lawsuit which Obama will drag out, like he’s done successfully so many times before, which will end in a black hole.
Update on this administration taking funds from taxpayers and giving it to insurance companies.
‘Stop Cheating Taxpayers:’ Ben Sasse Introduces Bill Requiring Obamacare Program to Reimburse Treasury:
“Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., introduced a bill Thursday that would force the Obama administration to deposit $5 billion in the Treasury by 2017 as required under Obamacare’s reinsurance program or face steep cuts to its departmental management fund this year and next year.
Called the “Taxpayers Before Insurers Act,” Sasse’s legislation codifies penalties for the Department of Health and Human Services should it choose to again divert billions of dollars in reinsurance payments intended for the U.S. Treasury to insurers.
Republican lawmakers have criticized the Obama administration for using the transitional reinsurance program to bail out insurance companies after it prioritized $3.5 billion in reinsurance payments to insurers instead of the taxpayers.
“HHS must stop cheating taxpayers,” Sasse said in a statement. “The reinsurance program is a clear case of Washington’s cronyism: families are suffering Obamacare’s consequences but Washington bureaucrats are sending billions of dollars to well-connected insurance companies.”
Continued..
http://dailysignal.com/2016/04/14/ben-sasse-introduces-bill-requiring-hhs-to-pay-5-billion-to-treasury-required-under-obamacare-program/?utm_medium=ad&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=tds-fb-paid&utm_content=headline&utm_term
Thanks so much for posting this Tina.
Remember Chris’ comment a few posts back that to the effect that he doesn’t think Sander’s ideas are realistic, at least at this point in time? (I am paraphrasing.)
That was a paradigm of nudnik left-think, that the the revolution must be timed properly by raising the heat and boiling the frog one progressive step at a time. It is also a paradigm of left-think to ignore the brutal mass suffering, the incompetency, the aggression and oppression, the single party totalitarian police state that socialism and communism creates.
Ignorant useful idiots is the only way to describe the 99% of the left. The manipulating 1% are vying to be the leaders in the socialist (communist) dictatorship that will follow.
Communist America will not look like the old Soviet Union or Cuba, it will look similar to Communist China, with the Democrats as the single party that wields all power (with a few token left-wing parties and a totally destroyed Republican party for window dressing). Look at California. This state has effectively become a one party state at the state government level when it comes to political power. Do you foresee any end to that? I don’t, I only see it getting worse, thanks to left-think, and progressively moving us towards Communist California.
Prediction —
Hillary Clinton will be the next POTUS and if you thought Obama was bad, you taint seen nothing yet. At the very least the SCOTUS will be turned into a corrupt, left-wing, bench legislating body, unconcerned with what the Constitution.
Trump will be the nominee for the GOP. Conservatives (Trump is a phony) stunned by his success will stay home. Trump will be excoriated by the major media which has proven itself time and again that it is nothing more than part of the left-wing Democrat apparat. Low information voters will flock to the Democrat party (yes, I meant Democrat) as they have always done.
Look at the lunatics that protest at Trump rallies. All of them spew the same mindless, insubstantial, rhetorical garbage that Chris (and his cohorts) spew in these pages. Their training and indoctrination from grade school on has born fruit. Left-wing protesters will pack the streets of any Trump event screeching the same malignant, idiotic, slanderous rhetoric Chris screeches here — that Trump is a bigoted, racist, misogynist, male chauvinist, Islamophobic xenophobe. The socialist Sturmabteilung ALWAYS march in lock-step to disrupt and derail anyone opposing them.
It will be a landslide. Saul Alinsky will be laughing in hell with his pal Lucifer and Weatherman bomber terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn will be hosting a dinner party at their estate in Hyde Park Chicago.
If, by some chance, Ted Cruz is the legitimate or brokered nominee, the same sort of thing will happen except it will be Trumpkins staying home.
Yeah, I know, this all sounds bleak, but that is the way I see it. The left hates the United States of America, hates the Constitution, hates capitalism and seeks to fundamentally transform this country. They have the low information voters, the indoctrinated voters, and the government dependent voters to do it. They are hell bent to create a Luciferian third world socialist dystopia that would make Alinsky, Ayers, Chomsky, Obama et. al. proud. 20 trillion in debt will look like peanuts a few years from now.
Oh dear, I thought I had the above nailed and it still contains errors. I am my own worst editor.
Thanks Pie. Even if it turns out that your worst fears don’t come to pass you have definitely articulated what all of us are dreading if your predictions are realized.
There’s nothing like a former citizen of a socialist country speaking of the conditions that they fled. The sad thing now is there’s nowhere to go if America goes all in and joins the club.
Shows you do not get it.
Who in the world is asking for a Socialist state? Not anyone prominent.
Democratic Socialist? FDR?
Seems some are unable to understand the difference.
WHat is so hard to understand here? It’s like there are no critical thinking skills in some humans. That is so ridiculous.
Well at least we can be assured you will never use that socialist medicare or cash that socialist social security check. I hope you try your best to use toll roads only.
Meanwhile back at the farm do you wear clothes and buy goods from communist countries over goods made in the USA?
If you do then do you support communism?
Comparing Bernie’s proposals to the policies of Soviet Russia is stupid. Do you realize there are actual democratic socialist countries around today–as in, most of Europe–that are pretty far removed from the horrors of Communism and Soviet Russia? Those would be far more relevant points of comparison. The right has plenty of critiques of those countries’ socialist policies–why not use those to show Bernie Sanders is wrong instead of taking your argument to an absurd extreme by invoking the USSR? It makes your arguments against Sanders look weak, and it makes it look like you’re mentally stuck in the 80s when it comes to politics and the state of the world.
“Who in the world is asking for a Socialist state?”
Bernie Sanders. Any Democrat really. Socialists never SAY that’s what they want but all of their big ideas take us one more step toward total government control.
“Seems some are unable to understand the difference.”
Please explain the difference. It should be fascinating. (While you’re at it, explain how a woman can be a little bit pregnant.)
“…we can be assured you will never use that socialist medicare or cash that socialist social security check.”
You mean the socialist based programs I had no ability to avoid as a worker? You mean the programs that the government pays for by taking money from my personal paycheck and by borrowing, creating interest payments and a massive national debt? You mean those programs that I paid not only my share, but my employees shares, for almost thirty years. You mean the programs that forced me, as the employer, to take from my employees, deposit by a mandated schedule, and report to the government, also on a mandated schedule, without being compensated for my work or time? Those programs? Damn straight I use them – I PAID FOR THEM! I also have not been able to get my fellow Americans to see the folly of these programs. And you think this isn’t a socialist nation!
Had I put that money into a personal retirement account I’d be getting a better return and it wouldn’t have cost the taxpayer a single dime. Our nation would also not be as deeply in debt.
We live in a world economy Dewey. The best way to uplift people and convince them to turn away from socialism/communism is through capitalism…both of which have failed miserably.
My keyboard often helps me edit and when it’s late…well, we get sentences like the last one which should read, “The best way to uplift people is through capitalism and convincing them to turn away from socialism/communism…both of which have failed miserably,.
Chris what do you get from criticizing Garry Kasparov?
I think his statement is profound. Especially the part about socialism “corroding not only the economy but the human spirit itself…”
That’s the same thing Danish people have said about their democratic socialist systems of government. They say it’s kinda nice that they have healthcare and college assistance but that it does make people less creative and willing to advance themselves. They get by; they subsist.
Yes, there is a matter of degree between the oppression of the old USSR and the slightly less oppressive Europe, but who is it that just can’t wait to be part of something mediocre that blunts creativity, desire, and urge?
Who wants to slide gently into a nation with an economy like Greece?
Who is ready to face a world without a single country where freedom exists?
Who is willing to risk being just another weak nation incapable of defending itself or it’s neighbors against extremists?
Is that what you want? Do you really believe that if we were all just socialists, bad guys would melt away and be gone forever?
Why don’t you explain to our readers how democratic socialism, a la Bernie Sanders, will lead to strong economic growth, plenty of good jobs, and a growing middle class.
Tell us how his policies curb debt rather than adding to it? Tell us how this anti-military socialist will maintain a strong military force to guard our nation.
It’s easy to be critical of me and Mr. Kasparov…is it as easy to explain how Bernie’s brand of democratic socialism is going to work? The week explains that Bernie’s grand plans will require huge increases in taxes, not only on the wealthy but on the middle class and further informs that the new taxes will do nothing to rid us of our burgeoning debt. Is that how you envision Bernie’s dream for a more socialist America.
Background: Bernie spent a lot of time with communists when the USSR was our cold war enemy. You might think about that before being hypercritical of my comparisons and accusing me of being stuck in the 1980’s.
FrontPage Magazine:
Who is it that goes to extremes? The American people have never let people starve to death…even before the New Deal. The rich in America pay the bulk of federal taxes AND they contribute to all kinds of charities. We’ve always been a nation of people that give each other a hand. What’s Bernie doing but pandering to ignorance, envy, and covetousness?
You’ve always had a forum here. You’ve posted articles before. Sell us on the wonders of Bernie Sanders i an article and we’ll post it to the front page, pronto!
Tina, I thought I had previously made it clear that I’m not a Sanders supporter. I think many of his proposals are entirely impractical and he hasn’t done the math on any of them; he’s coasting on empty promises. The naïveté of his biggest fans reminds me of the big Obama fans from 2008, but without the excuse of not living through 2008-2016, so it isn’t cute any more.
I don’t despise him or anything, and I see the appeal, but I don’t think he would make a good president. He doesn’t seem like he would be willing to compromise, and he has no leadership qualities that I can see.
Clinton is an ethical train wreck–I have no idea which of the scandals she’s involved in are real and which are manufactured, but I’m willing to bet there’s a 50/50 split. That said, she’s a savvy politician who is willing to compromise with the right, and I think she would get more done. She’s hardly my ideal candidate, and I’m not excited to vote for her, but were I in a swing state she would be my choice given the option of Hilary v Cruz (or, God forbid, Hilary v Trump). As it stands, I will likely vote third party like I did in 2012.
Got it…and agree with much of what you said, Chris.
I’m curious, what will you get from voting third party as opposed to just staying home?
I disagree entirely about Hillary. She and Bill in the WH again would be a complete disaster. She is much more leftist than her husband and a lot more tied to special interests than he, with the exception of his dalliances of course.. Both are tied to foreign and domestic money scandals. Hillary would “work with republicans” as Obama has, and if the republicans in Congress stood up to her on principle for a change and actually endeavored to represent the will behind the people who put them there, it would greatly surprise me.
But the Clinton’s are somewhat protected by the media so she has a vry good chance to be ordained. They might criticize but they will never work to destroy the way they will any Republican contender. Big money in entertainment is also behind Hillary. The hit piece reprise they ran on Clarence Thomas recently is one disgusting and vicious example of their support.
There’s nothing like being in a high profile campaign like running for president to bring persons past into the spotlight. Bernie, in his youth, typifies why socialism (Marxism – the collective) doesn’t work:
Must read article reviews a new book:
The article’s a hoot.