It’s not that the union head should be neutral. The head of a union should be openly and unapologetically pro-union. Going on a podcast and agreeing with someone who is right-wing extremely anti-union, is a very bad and traitorous look for the head of the union.

To add on to what you said, only the lower recievers for most guns have to be registered. Someone could hypothetically get every other upper part for a pistol or rifle delivered directly to their door or PO box with no questions asked, and then just hypothetically 3d print the lower reciever.

Fair point. I guess I’m not immune. I was protected from that kind of propaganda by the armor of wise and empathetic family members, and their ability to educate and lead by example.

Some of us do seem to be immune to the propaganda, though. I’ve heard so much anti-union propaganda. I’ve heard so much anti-Socialist rhetoric, anti-woke bullshit, etc. I was educated and employed in a red state.

Yet, here I am telling you that Socialism is the truth. Unions are awesome. I support just about any marginalized groups rights. Many of my friends and family feel the same even though they were educated and indoctrinated in the same system.

There is a lot more to it than just propaganda. I would say that tribalism plays a larger role. When someone is born into a conservative family, surrounded by conservative citizens, it becomes a lot easier to just agree with the status quo in the area to fit in. I can tell you, from my experience, that I was not very popular in school, due to being a dirty leftist with empathy.

I will say that my immediate family is not religious, not conservative, and they are very open minded, loving and empathetic people. This is probably the main reason I was immune to the propaganda.

We have places like San Fransisco and New York, with some of the richest people in the whole world regularly walking past homeless encampments. I don’t think the structure is the problem. I think it has much more to do with the culture and family they are raised in.

We live in a society that rewards narcissism. Our society tells these rich people that homeless people are only homeless because of bad personal choices.

There is no reward for empathy, besides the positive feeling a healthy person would get from being kind. In fact, being empathetic can be a detriment to being successful, so many upper class families skip that lesson plan on purpose.

This really resonates with me. You are an excellent writer.

The part about empathy is so real. A lack of empathy is a real advantage in today’s world, unfortunately. I think empathy should be one of the most important values a society should strive for, and we decided to make a society that rewards sociopathy instead.

Its not illegal, though. I can go out into public right now and say it with no repercussions. If it was illegal, how would anyone possibly inform other people of actual fires and bombs?

The thing that is illegal is causing a panic in a large group of people. Has nothing to do with the words used.

I just feel that the nuance is important. Any combination of words could get you in trouble if it happens to cause a riot.

It was also illegal in 1970 when this strike took place. So, it could still happen.

This is a common misconception. It’s not illegal to say anything like “bomb” or “fire” in a public place, at all.

What you could get charged with in those situations is something like, “inciting a riot”, or “disorderly conduct”. These depend on how people around you react to your words or actions, but doesn’t depend on the actual words used.

I think you missed my point, entirely. I wasn’t saying that governments committing atrocities in other countries versus their own people were any different, morally speaking.

I was simply pointing out that the quality of life for the working class, and low amount of wealth disparity, etc in this country is largely due to Socialist policies keeping Capitalism in check, and also pointing out that Capitalist policies cause atrocities, in general.

This was in response to the comment saying that countries were hiding atrocities behind the banner of Socialism.

Atrocities of any kind are abhorrent and I agree that they need to be denounced. I also agree with pretty much everything else that you said. Socialism is near dead and dying in Europe. I just think that the sprinkle of Social policies that is left in the EU still holds back Capitalism from being quite as horrible as it could be.

All of those ‘Socialist’ governments in the EU, with the highest quality of life, highest quality of happiness, and some of the least wealth disparity in the world, are committing atrocities against their own people?

Some of these governments probably commit atrocities in countries other than their own, but that would be because of Capitalistic and Imperialistic policies, not Socialistic ones.

Also worked there. There is no McDonald’s that has ever allowed tips. It’s against their corporate rules. I even saw an employee get written up for accepting a tip, once.

He was a white collar working class guy. His work history is full of positions at various tech companies working as an engineer. It doesn’t appear that he was handed any sort of dynasty.

He was upper class, and he had better opportunities than your average American, but he was still a worker.

Maybe his family did, but judging by his work history, he wasn’t personally wealthy enough to be owning a country club.

If he was “owns a country club” rich, his work history would mostly just say “Owner and CEO of whatever country club”.

There’s no reason to work any sort of normal job if you have that kind of income rolling in.

Here here. I’m poor as shit, got no insurance whatsoever, 60k would be somewhat life changing for me. I would never ever squeal on a comrade like that, even for millions.

No way that he personally had more money than the CEO, from just looking at his work history. Maybe his whole family has more money than the CEO, but if we compared whole families against each other, the CEOs family would still come out on top.

This was my thought process, too. If they got a framed guy here, the actual CEO killer would likely or hopefully do something else to let the public know that they were still out there.

I can see how you can say that about the Steam’s UI in some spots, but not Steam as a whole. They have a great business model, as far as video games are concerned.

They have some of the highest paid employees, and they keep prices low.

Systematic (and alleged automated) denials of claims are highly immoral, unethical and possibly illegal thing to do.

Immoral? Yes. Illegal? Obviously not, considering the amount of people who have died due to these exact kind of denials.

It’s not illegal because the same people making money off of denying claims and killing people are using this vast wealth to lobby and propagandize against any step towards universal health care.

I just think this doesn’t solve the root problem and just adds one more death without fixing it.

I think you are probably right, but I think it at least sends a message to the people who can fix it. I don’t think it’s going to make the root problem worse, either.

The Vietnamese peasants and farmers beg to differ.