The American moderate is untrusting of corporate power and they see libertarians cheerfully vote to give corporations more power over their lives.

Very curious RH. What do you have against corporations? Since just about everything you see, touch, hear, smell, or taste is brought to you by a corporation, it's hard for me to understand why you have such disdain for everything that makes your life much easier, cheaper, and enjoyable. Even my very own business is an LLC. Why do you hate corporations so much?

 

 

 

Corporations are fine. They're a tool. The problem isn't corporations, but how corporate power is just an unchecked extension of the state. As a simple example, consider how many tech corporations have been used to conduct a run around of the 4th and 5th amendment. Or consider how Boeing has the US government by the balls. The largest planned economy in the world is the US military industrial complex.

 

 

You can't achieve "smaller government" by giving corporations more power. When you do, you just transfer the power of the state out of public hands and into the hands of those who can buy it. And the more you do that, the harder it is to take back. Something like Walmart isn't a individual. It isn't a citizen. It's basically just an autonomous machine that seeks to exploit every avenue of profit that it can. It doesn't work for your benefit, and if it can make more profit by directly working against you, it will do so, and you have no way to hold it accountable. There are examples of the danger of corporate power all through history. Just within the context of the USA, Adam Smith wrote on it extensively, there's a long history of corporations dictating American foreign policy, and the end of the 19th century saw corporations use the US military to enforce their will on the American citizen.

 

Coercive power isn't removed by giving it to someone else.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that a dead man won a Nevada state election lol

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/dennis-hof-dead-pimp-nevada.html

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that a dead man won a Nevada state election lol

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/dennis-hof-dead-pimp-nevada.html

 

I was aware, but it's not really that interesting, and figured i'd leave the "dead dog voters" jokes for someone else

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that a dead man won a Nevada state election lol

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/dennis-hof-dead-pimp-nevada.html

LOL! Funny you should say that. My wife and I went out to Pahrump Winery for a couple days when this guy died. She was concerned about a Democrat winning his seat. I told her not to worry... this is Pahrump Nevada, it's so Republican they will vote for a dead man before electing a Democrat. I was right!

 

 

Something like Walmart isn't a individual. It isn't a citizen.

It's a store where we just bought "The Incredibles 2" for my grandson before he comes for Thanksgiving. Best price in town. I have no fear of Walmart, they sell us what we want and employ thousands of people. Can they have a say in how our country operates? Yes they can.

 

Something like Walmart isn't a individual. It isn't a citizen.

It's a store where we just bought "The Incredibles 2" for my grandson before he comes for Thanksgiving. Best price in town. I have no fear of Walmart, they sell us what we want and employ thousands of people. Can they have a say in how our country operates? Yes they can.

So Walmart, a corporation that employs thousands of people, many of whom may have the right to vote, should have more influence than the actual voting human beings?

 

 

So Walmart, a corporation that employs thousands of people, many of whom may have the right to vote, should have more influence than the actual voting human beings?

Can representatives from Walmart petition the government for a redress of grievances? Yes they can. They have just as much right, and just as much influence as everyone else. Trust me... George Soros has more influence than Walmart.

 

So Walmart, a corporation that employs thousands of people, many of whom may have the right to vote, should have more influence than the actual voting human beings?

Can representatives from Walmart petition the government for a redress of grievances? Yes they can. They have just as much right, and just as much influence as everyone else. Trust me... George Soros has more influence than Walmart.

You did not answer my question.

 

 

You did not answer my question.

Yes I did. Can they?... Yes. Should they?... that's entirely up to them. Do they have more influence than us?... No. If anything, the 2016 election should have taught us is that money can only go so far. Hillary Clinton spent a billion dollars to beat Donald Trump... and lost. Robert O'Rourke spent 70 million dollars to beat Ted Cruz... and lost. No amount of money can force the people to vote for anyone.

 

Something like Walmart isn't a individual. It isn't a citizen.

It's a store where we just bought "The Incredibles 2" for my grandson before he comes for Thanksgiving. Best price in town. I have no fear of Walmart, they sell us what we want and employ thousands of people. Can they have a say in how our country operates? Yes they can.

 

Wait, I thought China was bad?

 

Which kinda pokes at the biggest issue of your biggest GDP economy, it is rather heavily reliant on (foreign) credit. I don't think you want another Great Depression.

 

 

Wait, I thought China was bad? Which kinda pokes at the biggest issue of your biggest GDP economy, it is rather heavily reliant on (foreign) credit. I don't think you want another Great Depression.

The conversation is about corporations and if they have the right to influence how our country operates, and you pull up a 3 year old article from the Obama Administration about China and the trade deficit. I think you're back to trolling me.

 

China is bad. The trade deficit, under the Trump Administration, is under a long overdue correction. Walmart still has the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, just like Unions, the NRA, activist organizations, as well as every other American Citizen.

 

I believe you should be more concerned about Brexit... notice I don't chime in on that issue?

 

Wait, I thought China was bad? Which kinda pokes at the biggest issue of your biggest GDP economy, it is rather heavily reliant on (foreign) credit. I don't think you want another Great Depression.

The conversation is about corporations and if they have the right to influence how our country operates, and you pull up a 3 year old article from the Obama Administration about China and the trade deficit. I think you're back to trolling me.

 

China is bad. The trade deficit, under the Trump Administration, is under a long overdue correction. Walmart still has the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, just like Unions, the NRA, activist organizations, as well as every other American Citizen.

 

I believe you should be more concerned about Brexit... notice I don't chime in on that issue?

 

 

 

So walmart spends lobbying money to influence congressional votes on trade, tariffs and employment laws that make it easier to move manufacturing jobs overseas. It uses its money in local city lobbying to influencing zoning  exemptions so that they can build SUPERCENTERS, that proceed to spend their first two years of existence operating in the red deliberately to push out local small businesses, resulting in a net loss of competition and jobs. Walmart uses political lobbying to get changes  to regulations on part time vs full time workers in order to deflate wages and result of fewer stable jobs for individual americans.

 

I thought you were pro small business, pro good jobs, pro american manufacturing lys?

I thought you were pro small business, pro good jobs, pro american manufacturing lys?

I'm pro small government, pro capitalism, and pro nationalism. I don't care what Walmart does. They will do whatever is best for their business. The question is, can they lobby the government. The answer is yes they can. If you want to lead an effort to change the 1st Amendment to say everyone has the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, except for Walmart... then go for it.

 

Wait, I thought China was bad? Which kinda pokes at the biggest issue of your biggest GDP economy, it is rather heavily reliant on (foreign) credit. I don't think you want another Great Depression.

The conversation is about corporations and if they have the right to influence how our country operates, and you pull up a 3 year old article from the Obama Administration about China and the trade deficit. I think you're back to trolling me.

 

China is bad. The trade deficit, under the Trump Administration, is under a long overdue correction. Walmart still has the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, just like Unions, the NRA, activist organizations, as well as every other American Citizen.

 

I believe you should be more concerned about Brexit... notice I don't chime in on that issue?

 

 

And I think you don't understand where trade "imbalances" (both deficits and surplus) can come from and that talking about a singular nation they are meaningless for your entire country's economy. That said your complete trade picture is indeed a deficit, perhaps look into ALL the factors.

AKA, you got a deficit cause your capitalism model makes it so, stop whining about it >_>

 

You are free to talk about the Brexit, but know I will be selling you a bus then.

People are gay if they want to be.

 

Sorry to get back to this, I know the discussion seems to have moved on.  I've been a bit busy, but I wanted to address it.  Lys, I'd like something cleared up, are you saying being gay is a choice?

 

I'd like you to be honest.  I know you don't give a damn what anyone else thinks, that's something I can respect.  I've lived my life the same way.

 

I'll be honest, that statement has been bothering me.  I'd like an honest response.

If you wish to answer my question privately, we can.

 

To everyone else, please let Lys respond honestly.  When he does, please, as a favour to me, wait until I respond.

 

 

Lys, I'd like something cleared up, are you saying being gay is a choice?

I stated several times that my position on social issues are personal. I'm not debating the science, nor do I care about the clinical findings, or that a peer review panel took a poll, and by a unanimous show of hands determined that... no, just forget all of that, because I don't care. I can only speak for myself, and I know for a fact that I choose not to be.

 

I have known a few, and I've even been hit on before, but I sincerely don't care enough to even desire to understand it all. People have the right to be gay, but I still have the right to not be. I grew up in military schools in a very different time. I know the next generation is much kinder than mine was.

 

I don't know how being gay is tied into this current trend of men having their dicks chopped off, but having it chopped off doesn't make you a woman... it makes you a man who had his dick chopped off. That is just lunacy to me, so maybe it's all just different degrees of mental illness... but like I said, it's not a part of my life so I really don't care.

I believe you should be more concerned about Brexit... notice I don't chime in on that issue?

.

 

Actually you have chimed quite loudly about it in other threads.

 

I understand you dislike having “others” speak about America, but I am interested in opinions and ideas, and I would appreciate it if you would stop dismissing and discouraging others for sharing their thoughts.

I don't see a blue wave coming, if anything this election and the previous election have shown us that the left has a very vocal minority. I don't have to look very far to find people dismissing opinions as being racist, xenophobic, transphobic, cisphobic, white privileged, culturally appropriated, etc. It's normal for the house to go to the opposite party during midterms and this was no exception. Quite frankly, democrats lost my vote and the votes of many others, because they viciously demonize anyone who doesn't fully conform to their ideals. As long as the dems keep vilifying everyone who votes against them, they simply won't gain the support they need.

 

 

Actually you have chimed quite loudly about it in other threads. I understand you dislike having “others” speak about America, but I am interested in opinions and ideas, and I would appreciate it if you would stop dismissing and discouraging others for sharing their thoughts.

The only chiming was my support for the leave campaign and my congrats when they won. Since the referendum I have remained silent about all the details of the difficult task of actually leaving. It wouldn't bother me a bit if some angry European blasted me because it's none of my business, and I have never attempted to keep my US Citizenship a secret so anyone who reads it will think my opinion matters. What I take issue with is transparency. I wouldn't mind at all if Rafay said "I'm in Pakistan, and my opinion doesn't matter, but I'm awesomely thrilled the Democrats took the House in the USA!!!" He didn't do that... he said "we" a lot... he's not one of us.

 

Actually you have chimed quite loudly about it in other threads. I understand you dislike having “others” speak about America, but I am interested in opinions and ideas, and I would appreciate it if you would stop dismissing and discouraging others for sharing their thoughts.

The only chiming was my support for the leave campaign and my congrats when they won. Since the referendum I have remained silent about all the details of the difficult task of actually leaving. It wouldn't bother me a bit if some angry European blasted me because it's none of my business, and I have never attempted to keep my US Citizenship a secret so anyone who reads it will think my opinion matters. What I take issue with is transparency. I wouldn't mind at all if Rafay said "I'm in Pakistan, and my opinion doesn't matter, but I'm awesomely thrilled the Democrats took the House in the USA!!!" He didn't do that... he said "we" a lot... he's not one of us.

 

 

 No

 

"Today Americans proved me and a lot of people in the world wrong and cleared".

 

"The Dems won the house, picked up governors, gained some state assemblies and most importantly won the popular vote big time."

 

"Congrats once again guys."

 

Perhaps it's been sufficiently  long since your last english class: Americans is that sentence is the subject noun, while "me" and "a lot of people" are acting of objective pronouns. A sentences structured in that way indicates that the person or persons indicated by the subject pronoun are acting in a way external to the person or persons indicated by the object pronoun. The sentence is equivalent to the dative case, not the nominative case. As an example, "The store gave me a discount",can in no way be read to to imply that the speaker (indicated by the pronoun "me") is also the store. 

 

Infact, every one of those sentences indicates that the subject is external to the speaker. 

 

I would recommend you either not invent reasons to justify your comments, or brush up on your grade school grammar. 

 

 

"The Dems won the house, picked up governors, gained some state assemblies and most importantly won the popular vote big time."

Typical Progressive. Cherry pick something that supports your position and insult the intelligence of your target. It's not about nouns and pronouns, it's about context. He's not in the USA, he didn't vote for anyone, he didn't win anything, and "the war" he's talking about, is not his. I think it's important to make that clear. It's not important to argue about it.

 

"The Dems won the house, picked up governors, gained some state assemblies and most importantly won the popular vote big time. I call it a good haul but its only a battle we won, the war rages on."

 

"The Dems won the house, picked up governors, gained some state assemblies and most importantly won the popular vote big time."

Typical Progressive. Cherry pick something that supports your position and insult the intelligence of your target. It's not about nouns and pronouns, it's about context. He's not in the USA, he didn't vote for anyone, he didn't win anything, and "the war" he's talking about, is not his. I think it's important to make that clear. It's not important to argue about it.

 

"The Dems won the house, picked up governors, gained some state assemblies and most importantly won the popular vote big time. I call it a good haul but its only a battle we won, the war rages on."

 

 

 

 

Oh right. You say you grasp the grammar. Fine. There's that reason gone.

 

So you understand that Rafay spends multiple paragraphs of that post clearly speaking as someone who is neither an American nor even a Democrat. You're aware that Rafay is from pakistan and no one else seems to think that fact is some revelation, so clearly they've not made a secret of it in the years I stopped playing. There's obviously no intent to mislead, nor even any accidental possibility of it, nor has anyone here claimed to have been mislead.

 

But yet you keep going off about how rafay is attempting to keep his nationality a secret and claiming to be american. Why? 

But yet you keep going off about how rafay is attempting to keep his nationality a secret and claiming to be american. Why?

You're the one that keeps going off about it. I dropped the issue days ago, and Rafay defended himself just fine. Honesty is a real important thing to me, and I feel the same way about all cases of stolen valor. Democrats won some tough elections the other night, and Rafay didn't have a thing to do with that. It was important to me to make that clear, after that was accomplished, it was over as far as I'm concerned. You guys can embrace his "I'm a Communist" declaration and wear that around your neck. You took some time writing about my comprehension of nouns and pronouns, and totally missed the part where you don't know how to read... I said it's not important to argue about. You win. Congratulations!

Why don't America shift to a multi party system?

That would solve all this

Why don't America shift to a multi party system?

That would solve all this

 

We do have a multi party system technically, its just the nature of our election systems that leads to having two main parties.  Libertarian and Green are the other two "major" parties, but they don't really get enough votes to actually win anything.