Sam Seder: The Majority Report: Ayn Rand, Secret Socialist

SourceSam Seder: Video: The Majority Report: Ayn Rand, Secret Socialist

Is Ayn Rand a hypocrite, because she collected from Social Security and Medicare, two social programs that she was against? Actually no, because she paid into both of them and just collected out what she was entitled to under law. It would be one thing if somehow she became Queen or dictator of the United States and decided to outlaw both programs, except for herself. Now if that were to happen and the Chicago Cubs were to win the World Series, then you could call Ayn a hypocrite. I’m not a fan of pork barrel projects. But that won’t stop me from using a road that was specifically built for my community. That doesn’t benefit anyone else, that other taxpayers have to pay for.

There’s a wing in the Tea Party movement that if they were in charge during the 1930s and 1960s, Social Security, Medicare and a whole host of social insurance programs wouldn’t have been created if they were in charge. But generally speaking, you don’t see them running to outlaw those programs. Specially since they’ve paid a hell of a lot of taxes to finance those programs. Their parents, are already eligible and collecting from those programs. And one day they’ll be eligible to collect some of the taxes that they’ve paid into those programs. Which made the health care reform debate of six years ago funny. When a lot of these so-called Tea Party activists were screaming, “don’t give me socialized medicine! Oh by the way, get your damn hands off my Medicare.”

If Ayn Rand was a Socialist, then Rick Santorum, who is about as Far-Right as anyone can get at least on social issues, is a Libertarian and Mike Huckabee, similar to Rick, is a Liberal. Ayn Rand, is to Libertarians what Karl Marx is to, well Marxists. What Gordon Thomas is to Democratic Socialists, what Barry Goldwater is to Conservatives, what Jack Kennedy and Tom Jefferson are to Liberals. The heroes and gods to all of these political movements. Just because someone collects from something that they are entitled to, doesn’t make them a hypocrite. It just makes them an American.

Sam Seder: Video: The Rise of the New Left With Cliff Schecter

Source:The New Democrat

I actually agree with a lot of what Sam Seder and Cliff Schecter and are saying here. Which might be the first and last times I ever say that. But they’re also being overly optimistic. The Millennial Generation, is the largest generation that we’ve ever had. And they’re still very young and even if they have the largest support of socialism than any generation that we’ve seen since the 1930s, or whatever, that doesn’t mean this is a socialist generation.

The Millennial’s are made of what I call Paul Conservative Libertarians. Named for Ron and his son Rand Paul. And then you have Bernie Sanders Democratic Socialists. And then you have what I at least call a classical liberal wing of this generation. People who aren’t anti-government, but don’t want big government running their lives for them. Which is why they support things like same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization, big believers in privacy and personal freedom in general. But they also don’t want big government in their wallets and trying to manage their economic affairs either.

Millennial’s, whether they say it or not, like private enterprise and capitalism in general. A lot of them are small business managers and owners. The ones, who’ve actually been able to find jobs. And don’t believe their business should have to pay a lot in taxes. But they believe government needs to do certain things for us. Like education, infrastructure, environmental protection, regulating predators, a safety net for people who need it. But they don’t want that Bernie Sanders socialist superstate that’s going to tax a lot of our money away from us to take care of us. And they don’t want big government in our personal affairs either.

The presidential candidate next year that can speak to young people especially Millennial’s, who says that government doesn’t have all the answers and shouldn’t try to do everything for everybody. But can be a force for good by empowering people to take control over their own lives, will win this generation and probably win Independents in general as well. Who also believe in a limited government that does what we all need it to do in the areas of security, economic investment, to use as examples. And you win these two huge groups and Millennial’s tend to be independent as well, that candidate will be the next President of the United States. I could be wrong about this, but I’m willing to bet it with anyone.

Sam Seder: Philip Mirowski: 'How Neoliberalism Survived The Financial Meltdown?'

Source:Sam Seder- talking about Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. (I presume)

Source:The New Democrat 

"Professor Philip Mirowski author of Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste: How Neoliberalism Survived the Financial Meltdown, explains the intellectual history of Neo-liberalism, what Neo-liberals believe, making capitalists think differently, the role of think tanks in Neo-liberalism, the mythology of market supremacy, how Facebook teaches you to be a Neo-liberal agent, shaming and Neo-liberalism, how policy movements are built, climate and the affordable care act and Neo-liberal power and how the left can respond to Neo-liberal dominance.

From the 6/26/14 episode of the Majority Report

This clip from the Majority Report, live M-F at 12 noon EST and via daily podcast at:The Majority Report." 

From Sam Seder

To me at least neoliberalism and libertarianism at least when it comes to economics are different things. Economic liberalization where you’re talking about decentralization of the central state and privatizing state-owned industries and companies and empowering people to own property. That is different from saying that the state should simply get-out-of-the-way and just worry about criminals who physically hurt innocent people and steal their property and that sort of thing.

And then move up to the mid and late 1990s economic liberalization has been about empowering people at the bottom and near-bottom and struggling working class to move up and live in economic freedom as well. Through things like education, job training, infrastructure, trade, targeted tax cuts to the struggling middle class and people in poverty. Eliminating unnecessary red tape and that sort of thing.

Today’s so-called ‘Modern Liberals’ who are really the New Socialists, people who aren’t Marxists, but still Socialists because of the amount of involvement they want government to have in the economy hate these policies. Because it means less power for the state and more freedom and choice for the individual. 

The New Socialist or Social Democrat wants the power to be in the hands of the central government on behalf of the people to be used for everyone’s benefit. Under the theory when we are more collectivist less individualistic, we move better as a society, than when the people have the freedom to fail or succeed.

Sam Seder: The Difference Between Libertarian and Neoliberal Ideology

Source: The Majority Report With Sam Seder- President Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Rand Paul 

Source:Sam Seder

Sam Seder is basically right here.  Neo-Liberals, and I guess I'm one of them according to Sammy, believe that government has a role to play in helping the less-fortunate help themselves by providing childcare, education, help finding a good job, etc,  They also believe that government should help people when they are down with income assistance so that they can pay their bills in the short-term while they are improving themselves and preparing to go to work so that they can take care of themselves.

Libertarians call that big government and say that government has no role here.  They say that the market will take care of these people through private charities and privately funded foundations that deal with food assistance, health care, housing, education, job training, job placement, etc.  If government would just get out of the way, more Americans and business's would have the resources needed to help the less-fortunate and we would have fewer people in poverty.

Sam Seder: Did Affirmative Action Hurt the Liberal Project?

Affirmative action didn't hurt the cause of actual Liberals because Liberals believe in equal opportunity for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and so forth.  The key word is "opportunity," that people are not judged by these classifications but by their personal and professional qualifications. Affirmative action, however, has hurt the cause of collectivists on the Left, who believe in equality at all cost as well as equal outcomes, rather than equal opportunity, even if that means denying people opportunity simply because other members of their community have succeeded.

Sam Seder: ObamaCare Equals Freedom?

Source: The Majority Report With Sam Seder-

Source:Sam Seder

Freedom if that is really what this is about is the ability for people to run their own lives and be able to make the decisions about their own lives. And I’m talking about both from an economic and personal vantage point. And to get that freedom people have to have the skills they need to be able to make the income to live in that freedom. Which is why education is so important for current students especially of they come from low-income families. But also for low-skilled adults work low-income jobs currently.

As far as the Congressional Budget Office report. I saw the House Budget Committee hearing with Doug Elmendorf today whose the Director of the CBO today. And House Democrats on that committee asked Director Elmendorf about that CBO report on the Affordable Care Act. And he said that what they are saying is what Sam Seder said in the video. That millions of Americans who are currently working in order to get health insurance will leave the workforce voluntary. Because now they’ll be able to get health insurance without the job they may not want.

This idea that Congressional Republicans are throwing out there that ObamaCare will destroy two-million jobs, is just more Republican propaganda or garbage about the Affordable Care Act. That they hate and are so frustrated about not being able to repeal. And will say practically anything at this point to make ObamaCare look bad. The next attack about ObamaCare might be that the ACA causes climate change. Something a lot of them do not even believe in and see as a government hoax.

Sam Seder: Federal Judge Blocks 6-Week Abortion Banning Bill

Source:The Majority Report- Pro-Choice on abortion rally. 

Source:The Daily Times

“A federal judge in North Dakota has issued a block on the country’s most restrictive abortion law, the “fetal heartbeat” ban, stating it is unconstitutional…

This clip from the Majority Report, live M-F at 12 noon EST and via daily podcast at:The Majority Report." 

From The Majority Report 

I don’t love it, but I do find it amusing, even sadly so when I hear people who call themselves fiscal Conservatives, who claim government is too big and spends too much money and yet they spend taxpayer dollars on bills that if they don’t know that they’ll get thrown out on constitutional grounds, their lawyers at the very least are smart enough to know that. And yet taxpayers still have to pay for the costs of them writing their bills and paying for staff’s work and everything else. North Dakota and their anti-abortion bill, that bans abortion after six-weeks of pregnancy, is a perfect example of that.

If you can forget about the unconstitutionality and big government aspects of the bill, with the state stepping in to make health care decision for competent women, you can also dislike the bill for the waste of tax dollars that come with it. Money that could be used to pay for schools, roads, hospitals, law enforcement, jails, prisons, or lowering property taxes, is being spent to pass a bill that will eventually get thrown out. And that is before you add up the costs of what it will take to defend the unconstitutional law in the first place.

But the politics and politicians don’t take positions too many times to be consistent and accurate. But to meet short-term political goals. Which is why they’re not leaders, but sheep trapped in herds instead.