News: How to Topple an Authoritarian Regime

Social democracy seems to be the desired goal of many who post in this forum (please correct me otherwise). Since I believe Nordic countries are held up as good examples of successful social democracies, I did a quick search on key characteristics of Sweden's government:

• Universal Welfare State:
  .
  Sweden has a robust welfare system providing extensive social programs, from healthcare and education to elderly care and child support, funded through a heavy tax burden.
• Market Economy:
  .
  Despite the strong welfare state, the majority of businesses in Sweden are privately owned and operate within a free market.
• Strong Labor Movement:
  .
  Trade unions are a significant force in the Swedish economy and politics, playing a key role in collective bargaining and policymaking alongside employers.
• Consensual Politics:
  .
  Policy-making in Sweden often involves negotiation and cooperation between different groups, particularly the government, employers, and unions.
• Historical Context:
  .
  The Swedish social democratic model was built over the course of the 20th century, with the Social Democratic Party holding power for extended periods and actively fostering a vision of a "folkhem," or "people's home," where everyone could be supported.

My historical reservation with attempting a social democracy in the US was matter of size. Sure, it can work for $10M, but can it scale to at $340M country In reading above, we have two other huge challenges: consensual politics and strong labor movement? Both are in poor shape at this point.

So, is social democracy achievable at this point? Or should we look at an alternative approach of our prior democracy (similar to China transitioning away from communism to it's current hybrid communism)? With a racially diverse population, multiple religions, and a desire to make money and have security rather being collectively a whole (hell, why do most people come to the US), can we come together?

So, a lot of questions which I don't have the answer, but I'm glad that we are having the discussion. My answer for the last 30 years has been that drastic change won't happen until we have another good war (I.e. WWII). I didn't think that the good war had to be a civil war, but may be it does...

 

I think the greatest challenge from a democracy stand point is undoing the damage of Citizens United 15 years later. If you want the system to work it needs to be filled with good public servants. Citizens United has allowed the worst type of person to be elevated into office for the most part----politicians that have been bought and paid for by special interest groups. We have Vice President who is 15 million dollars in debt to one man (Peter Theil spent that on his Senate Campaign). There are examples on both sides in spades. We have a Supreme Court that has openly allowed for more corruption ( https://www.skadden.com/insights/pu...l-bribery-law-does-not-criminalize-gratuities)

This is to say nothing about the cover up of the Epstein files and the powerful people in society that are being protected. So we have a society where the state answers to capital. And we need to fix that because capital has lost their ways. Mark Zuckerberg takes his money and builds doomsday bunkers, while Bezos/Musk are trying to go to Mars, and Larry Ellison/Peter Thiel are trying to live forever. If this system has created the type of wealth concentrated in these types of individuals then we need to structurally change the system and maybe acknowledge that empowering perhaps the most anti-social personality types to be in charge of the lions share of important decisions is a crucial flaw in the fabric of capitalism. I'm sick of this country worshipping a system that fails every forty years and requires massive exploitation of other countries to fuel.

 

As I said before, my Governor doesn't want us to own long guns, so making your citizens defenseless seems to be the answer.

The only people with guns in my state are the MAGA crowd that was grandfathered in.

 

"Not in Chicago!"

- your Trumpy uncle

 

Have you only just heard?

 

I know my feelings on this subject but I'm not writing them down in a public forum.

 

Hey!!!!

 

I hope he got to have some cake.

 

I guess you like many other Democrats don't think the situation is dangerous enough.

We have a law making it's way thru the courts because we banned the sale of AR-15 style rifles.

https://www.mystateline.com/news/he...w-banned-in-illinois-more-expected-as-needed/

 

True, just the better ones to resist fascist.

 

Typical Democrat, giving up before even trying.
















I know you are right, so if republicans go the dictatorship route, we are fvcked.

 

Pfft! Do know what AR even stands for, Lib?

 

Secession. They're already attacking residents in our cities. We can call in Canada for air support.

 

LOL, yeah, that will work.

But probably an easier ask than making the democratic popular again.

 

Well, you are ahead of all of us all then, you already left the country. I guess when the SC rules that the 14th amendment is no linger valid, I will know it is my turn to bounce.

 

IF? What rock on a distant planet in a galaxy far far away have you been living under?

 

In the planet that some democrat governors do not think the problem is bad enough that they continue to make sure their state citizens can't get access to good fire arms to defend themselves.