What do you think of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?

[mect]

Even if that were to happen, the net effect would still not be the city giving out more money than it collected. That is, unless you only look at it in a dumb way where you count only taxes paid by Amazon. The only reason those incentives exist is because of the idea that you can get a net benefit. Its the very foundation of stimulus advocated for by the Left.

I also disagree overall with AOC's opinion with regards to Amazon, I'm just saying that I wouldn't characterize this statement itself as misleading or wrong, as it is technically correct, and I think the heart of her argument is also correct that these types of deals are wrong, and cities should legally not be allowed to cut special deals for companies. Its not right for one company to receive favorable treatment over other companies. However, overall, yes, NYC would have been better off with Amazon establishing a headquarters there. They need to address housing and infrastructure separately, that is the job of government to tackle through zoning and other methods, not by trying to drive away jobs.

 

[Blackjack200]

Sorry, just talking out of my ass. Just seems that there's always tons of pieces on how beneficial it is to give tax hand-outs to those that can most afford it, and it never passes the sniff test imho.

Sorry if I misinterpreted your comment.

 

[Moonbeam]

AOC is smarter and more savvy as I was at her age, although my educational experience is equivalent and similar. She understands public-choice economics, obvious from her questions during a hearing that pertained to the influence of lobbyists and money on political actors. That episode, as recorded on camera, was a line-drive and home-run.

On the other hand, I don't think she's entirely grasped the political reality concerning utopian change. We could have had universal health care if the market of private insurers had not been allowed to grow to what it is now. Sudden and profound change in that sector will be met by considerable resistance, and this is always the case when it comes to changing the status-quo. It is the reasoning behind an embrace of Incrementalism versus Utopian change. Utopian change involves unsustainable cost, or may proceed to the detriment of too many people in the political landscape. Or, it would simply be perceived as such.

That being said, and as a former mild, liberal Republican, the GOP has resisted change to our detriment. The last straw on the camel's back is Trump -- so morally depraved, so ignorant, so divisive that I'll be fine turning Red from a more acceptable Pink -- colors which have been applied differently and opposite their application during the Cold War. I'm using the Cold War meaning.

Like the Vietnamese journalist in "The Quiet American" says to Michael Caine's character: "If you are human, you should choose sides."

In any event, give her a few years, and she'll learn a lot more. That's more than we can say about the Traitor-in-Chief. A lot more.

I think what you should consider in your comparison of yourself to her at the same age is that there is an ever increasing rate in the growth of knowledge. Scientific information across the spectrum of human knowledge has begun to accelerate at a rate that makes last week practically obsolete. Any thirty year old even halfway informed about leading edge research today will be vastly beyond the most up to date people were when you began to open your eyes.

Modern science across all fields has turned traditional conservatives into dinosaurs. People today have almost no idea that everything they believe in has been scientifically proven to be horse shit.

Here are some possible examples:

Overgrazing by migratory herds prevents desertification. Shit, piss, and hoof plowing vitalize grasslands.

Paying an universal above poverty wage at tax payer expense saves on the cost of taxes and has huge social benefits.

The more equality between the sexes a society achieves in employment opportunity the greater the differences will be in the types of jobs the two genders will choose to occupy. The greatest difference between men and women there is line in the fact that men are more interested in thing and women are more interested in people, and if they can work where they wish they will aggregate along those lines.

I am open to the idea these things may actually be factual, but then I am no expert.

 

[UglyCasanova]

First nobody gives a shit as some have implied (including AOC herself) that she’s a woman or that it’s what’s driving the hysteria on the right. What they care about is he insanely naive promises of free free free and the fact that it’s actually gaining traction with people.

Second she fits right in

https://nypost.com/2019/03/02/ocasio-cortezs-chief-of-staff-might-have-broken-campaign-finance-laws/

 

[DisarmedDespot]

She has an annoying and pointless habit of misstating facts, only for her office to later release accurate statistics that back up her point which she should've used in the first place. Thankfully, that seems to be part of her being new. She was remarkably well-prepared and informed for the Cohen hearing.

I don't think she'll ever be viable presidential candidate with how insane the Republicans get over her, but she'll probably be force in the progressive wing.

 

[Amused]

I don't think she'll ever be viable presidential candidate with how insane the Republicans get over her, but she'll probably be force in the progressive wing.

I reject this. Why is it the GOP can control who is a viable candidate for the Dems but not vice-versa.

Propaganda. That's it. That's all they use.

This needs to be stopped.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I think what you should consider in your comparison of yourself to her at the same age is that there is an ever increasing rate in the growth of knowledge. Scientific information across the spectrum of human knowledge has begun to accelerate at a rate that makes last week practically obsolete. Any thirty year old even halfway informed about leading edge research today will be vastly beyond the most up to date people were when you began to open your eyes.

Modern science across all fields has turned traditional conservatives into dinosaurs. People today have almost no idea that everything they believe in has been scientifically proven to be horse shit.

Here are some possible examples:

Overgrazing by migratory herds prevents desertification. Shit, piss, and hoof plowing vitalize grasslands.

Paying an universal above poverty wage at tax payer expense saves on the cost of taxes and has huge social benefits.

The more equality between the sexes a society achieves in employment opportunity the greater the differences will be in the types of jobs the two genders will choose to occupy. The greatest difference between men and women there is line in the fact that men are more interested in thing and women are more interested in people, and if they can work where they wish they will aggregate along those lines.

I am open to the idea these things may actually be factual, but then I am no expert.

I may mostly agree with your comparison of worlds then and now. But there are varying degrees of historical myopia which I've witnessed personally. It says something that the current conflict over the Trump White House has prompted the media to publish documentaries on the Nixon impeachment. That's just one example.

Not all Boomers will have a greater understanding of Cold War history or American political history over the last century. But some Boomers may have had a chance to re-examine that history; some Boomers may have taken time to look at the document declassifications which shed new light on it.

There are two types of knowledge I'd cite in relevance here: first-hand experience of events as they occurred through the limited lens of contemporary news; and accounts of those events as published or declassified history.

I've also noticed something about growing old. One's perspective on the passage of time changes. When I was 15, Bela Lugosi Dracula movies or Errol Flynn swashbucklers seemed really old -- a matter of 25 years. Today, I might consider 30-year-old cinema to be "recent". An automobile produced in the late '90s doesn't seem really ancient to me now, but my 1964 Chevrolet seemed like an "old beauty queen" in 1974. I remember what I was doing and where I was when 9/11 occurred; AOC was probably in the fifth grade, and so one would wonder about her own first-hand experience at that age.

But a decade to a 30-year-old seems a lot longer to such a person than does two decades in my own perspective.

 

[Sunburn74]

First nobody gives a shit as some have implied (including AOC herself) that she’s a woman or that it’s what’s driving the hysteria on the right. What they care about is he insanely naive promises of free free free and the fact that it’s actually gaining traction with people.

You can screw society on trying to avoid paying for healthcare or education only to lose the money on the back end when an uninsured person dies in hospital with a million dollar healthcare bill for something preventable or some poor person turns to crime and you end up incarcerating them for 20 years.

There was a comedian who made a joke who's basic point is the pressure to pay for food, clothing and medicine in america is so strong many turn to crime at which point ironically the government just gives them all those things for free when they go to prison. Another comedian I heard made a joke about how it's considered cruel and unusual punishment in this country to lock someone up and let them walk around in prison without giving them healthcare but its not cruel and unusual punishment at all for me to be walking around right now at home without healthcare. That fact of the matter is the argument for not offering some basic human services in the US to everyone that are pretty specious and really mostly boil down to not wanting to do it, rather than some logical argument based on philosophy, ethics, morals, or even basic economics really...

 

[DrDoug]

With all of the crazy Republican nutjobs in the House and Senate (Gohmert anyone?) I am enjoying the fact that AOC is living rent-free in conservative minds across the nation. The best part is that they used Wingnut Moving & Storage to move her in to their heads, no assistance necessary on her part. They are criticizing her for having nowhere to live, for having somewhere too posh to live, for not having a car, for accepting a ride instead of taking the subway, and the inanity of their attacks goes on and on.

Conservatives are the Energizer Bunnies of stupidity and ignorance.

 

[UglyCasanova]

the vast, vast majority of healthcare expenses are on he elderly in the last bit of life. America has to come to grips with death. We prolong death at all costs, and many time some of those costs are a better life while living.

To implement free college are we going to be ok telling lots of kids they don’t belong? Or does everyone have a right even if they honestly shouldn’t be there. What will the massive influx of students do? Is this free to private universities too? I’m ok with free higher ed so long as we restrict the university system to the truly intelligent and the rest free trade school.

And the craziest one I’ve heard from her is guaranteed employment. How the hell does that work?

 

[Jhhnn]

First nobody gives a shit as some have implied (including AOC herself) that she’s a woman or that it’s what’s driving the hysteria on the right. What they care about is he insanely naive promises of free free free and the fact that it’s actually gaining traction with people.

Second she fits right in

https://nypost.com/2019/03/02/ocasio-cortezs-chief-of-staff-might-have-broken-campaign-finance-laws/

That's innuendo, right? One of your faves.

 

[brycejones]

That's innuendo, right? One of your faves.

They do seem to be throwing everything at the wall.

Remember everything in the green new deal is free free free. Because the evil tax and spend democrats will give away everything for free despite being labeled as the party that will raise your taxes.

We'll ignore GOP tax cuts that are supposed to "pay" for themselves and don't while spending increases. Or that we should just give Trump his wall because well he wants it really bad.

And we have a conservative who appears to be arguing for actual death panels while ignoring medicare for all would cost less per year than our current system does overall.

 

[JEDIYoda]

the vast, vast majority of healthcare expenses are on he elderly in the last bit of life. America has to come to grips with death. We prolong death at all costs, and many time some of those costs are a better life while living.

To implement free college are we going to be ok telling lots of kids they don’t belong? Or does everyone have a right even if they honestly shouldn’t be there. What will the massive influx of students do? Is this free to private universities too? I’m ok with free higher ed so long as we restrict the university system to the truly intelligent and the rest free trade school.

And the craziest one I’ve heard from her is guaranteed employment. How the hell does that work?

Me thinks you are going over the deep end twisting what was actually said or twisting the meaning to suit your own agenda!! If I didn`t know better - I would say you are a paid FOX shill!!!

 

[UglyCasanova]

Me thinks you are going over the deep end twisting what was actually said or twisting the meaning to suit your own agenda!! If I didn`t know better - I would say you are a paid FOX shill!!!

She said guaranteed employment. Explain what she meant

 

[sportage]

OH PLEASE....
Didn't the same folks think the same about Sarah Palin?
But wait a second...
I know.
How about Bernie/Alexandria ticket for 2020?
I wonder if Alexandria can see Russia from HER house?

 

[Moonbeam]

That fact of the matter is the argument for not offering some basic human services in the US to everyone that are pretty specious and really mostly boil down to not wanting to do it, rather than some logical argument based on philosophy, ethics, morals, or even basic economics really...

They were molded to conform and get any scraps of love by having the crap beaten out of them when they deviated, so any deviation from their norms today evoke the same urge to punish. Deviation threatens their robotically earned self esteem. To fear evil is not the same as loving the good.

 

[nutxo]

OH PLEASE....
Didn't the same folks think the same about Sarah Palin?
But wait a second...
I know.
How about Bernie/Alexandria ticket for 2020?
I wonder if Alexandria can see Russia from HER house?

Oh god, I'd love to see that.

 

[Moonbeam]

She said guaranteed employment. Explain what she meant

That's easy. That's a job where the only term to be negotiated is whether you show up to get paid monthly or bi-weekly. There's a lot of work that has to go into deciding that.

 

[Moonbeam]

Oh god, I'd love to see that.

Not going to happen. Have to be 35 for VP.

 

[HomerJS]

First nobody gives a shit as some have implied (including AOC herself) that she’s a woman or that it’s what’s driving the hysteria on the right. What they care about is he insanely naive promises of free free free and the fact that it’s actually gaining traction with people.

Second she fits right in

https://nypost.com/2019/03/02/ocasio-cortezs-chief-of-staff-might-have-broken-campaign-finance-laws/

More right wing bullshit that was already dis-proven like Obama's Kenyan birth certificate.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Has it? I googled and the only stories about it have broke in the last day and I see nothing disproving it, where are you seeing that?

 

[mect]

the vast, vast majority of healthcare expenses are on he elderly in the last bit of life. America has to come to grips with death. We prolong death at all costs, and many time some of those costs are a better life while living.

Completely agree. For universal healthcare, the focus needs to be on the younger generations. On the public dime, I agree we can't afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide another month or two of low quality life. I'm fine with setting some spending limits on individuals over 75 for example, particularly if they aren't in overall good health otherwise. Honestly, I think we likely need "death panels" for universal health care.

To implement free college are we going to be ok telling lots of kids they don’t belong? Or does everyone have a right even if they honestly shouldn’t be there. What will the massive influx of students do? Is this free to private universities too? I’m ok with free higher ed so long as we restrict the university system to the truly intelligent and the rest free trade school.

Yes, we should be okay telling kids they didn't qualify for university. We just need to be sure that we are careful with how we set up admissions. We want to make sure that we don't hold out talented individuals just because they didn't come from the right background.

And the craziest one I’ve heard from her is guaranteed employment. How the hell does that work?

I'd assume the government would provide jobs for those that are unemployed and would like to work. It would provide opportunities for people to get work force experience and earn a paycheck. I'd envision it as a similar idea to homesteading back when we had huge tracts of land to give away. While we can't do that anymore, we could provide a more modern version for people that would like to be productive citizens but don't have the knowledge or skills to do so. It isn't like we don't have tons of infrastructure that needs attention.

 

[Jhhnn]

She said guaranteed employment. Explain what she meant

Details to be announced, I suspect. It's kinda like Kennedy starting the moon program at this point.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

OH PLEASE....
Didn't the same folks think the same about Sarah Palin?
But wait a second...
I know.
How about Bernie/Alexandria ticket for 2020?
I wonder if Alexandria can see Russia from HER house?

Where did the right prop up Sarah Palin as some masterpiece of human intellect?

Proclaim her as the VP - that's what she was up for no doubt. But tell me where the mass media was advocating as some kind of intelligent person. I never got that sentiment - mostly because she was... in fact... retarded. It's kinda hard to pertain to someone as smart when you're in fact stupid.

 

[Blackjack200]

Where did the right prop up Sarah Palin as some masterpiece of human intellect?

Proclaim her as the VP - that's what she was up for no doubt. But tell me where the mass media was advocating as some kind of intelligent person. I never got that sentiment - mostly because she was... in fact... retarded. It's kinda hard to pertain to someone as smart when you're in fact stupid.

Pertain to someone as smart?