I'm back. I'm not a "Kid" anymore. And I've long-since joined the dark-side

[American Kid]

A piece of candy and a high-five for anyone who remembers me. Maybe you can sit beneath me on the floor while I rock back and forth in my chair and drone on about the "Good 'Ole Days" of Che-lives. "The Great Cappie Purge of '03" and so on...

Anyway. It's been a few years. About 5. Maybe a little longer. I'm 31 now. I thought about starting a new account to change my name which sounds preposterous now, given my "elderly-status", being post-30 and all. But I like the fact that I've got all these "stats" showing I do indeed have a history at this site. And if I should encounter any "older" members I don't know how I'd convince them I'm "American Kid" from years ago, so...fuck it.

If it still says "apotical New Englander" under my avatar I'd like to know if it could be changed. I'm no longer in New England. And I'm far from apolitical. Actually, it was my JOB during the '04 election (working my ass off for numerous political action commitees for, forgive me, Kerry) that sent me here to my new home, Philadelphia.

That job was a..."defining" moment of my life. It's funny, most people when they hear me identify myself as a "socialist" or a "Marxist" they immediately assume I'm an armchair idealogue who smokes pot all day and lives in his parents' basement.

Well I am a socialist. I am proud to be a socialist and I... hate weed (sorry, guys) I live verrrrrry far away from either of my parents and I worked very very hard WITHIN the system. To a degree most people never come close to. And I did not enjoy my front-row seat to the apathy, ignorance, and failure of so-called American "democracy".

I've thought about coming back to this site many times in the last few years. Particularly as my politics when further and further left until they finally came to rest where they are now- so far from the center it's just a faint dot barely visible on the horizon. Fuck it.

What finalized my return here is all this talk of so-called "Health Reform". I feel like I should be happy about this...but I'm not. I don't care. It doesn't even bother me really when Republicans criticize it. I'm profoundly indifferent. But there are maniacs on the right screaming "socialism!!! ahhhh, socialism!!!" and all I can do is shake my head and look away. It's pathetic.

Ha...Obama. "Socialist"....ha.........

Anyway, I need a return to reality. And I'm curious what people here think. Is "Reform" a (meager) step in the right direction? Or is it the status quo with different...accessories? I honestly don't know. It's a bit overhwhelming. Again, it's hard to care. But I am curious what other socialists think.

I'm posting this here in "Opposing Ideaologies" as I assume I'm blocked from the other forums still as I was never really considered a confirmed "socialist" (hence, the "apoltical New Englander"-thing; though I was well-liked and made a number of really cool "cyber-friends" during my time here). I don't know what I'd have to do to "alter" my status. But I'd like to get involved.

Does Malte still run things? I just logged in (couldn't BELIEVE I still remembered my password) and started this right here.

If there's anyone still hanging around from yesteryear- I hope you're all well you scoundrels!!!! I've been well myself. Look forward to...fuckin' around.

[American Kid]

Huh. Lookit that. I got my "revolutionary" tag after all. Fuckin'-L.

Cool.

[Die Rote Fahne]

Reform is useless unless it is major. Current reform is not major.

The Obama admin should have settled for no less than single-payer.

But, what else can you do with 95% of the politicians lining their pockets with corporate money?

[Bright Banana Beard]

Yes, Malte still runs the website. He is known as Edelweiss.

[RedAnarchist]

Welcome back. I don't think I remember you, but I joined up in late 2003 as xphile2868.

[Dean]

What finalized my return here is all this talk of so-called "Health Reform". I feel like I should be happy about this...but I'm not. I don't care. It doesn't even bother me really when Republicans criticize it. I'm profoundly indifferent. But there are maniacs on the right screaming "socialism!!! ahhhh, socialism!!!" and all I can do is shake my head and look away. It's pathetic.

Ha...Obama. "Socialist"....ha.........

Anyway, I need a return to reality. And I'm curious what people here think. Is "Reform" a (meager) step in the right direction? Or is it the status quo with different...accessories? I honestly don't know. It's a bit overhwhelming. Again, it's hard to care. But I am curious what other socialists think.

Health "reform," just like in Clinton's decade, is another corporate-welfare giveaway (http://www.buffalobeast.com/?p=1594).

I reject this reform as vehemently as I reject the rest of Obama's presidency.

[Jazzratt]

and I... hate weed (sorry, guys)

Don't worry, we'll forgive you if you do mescaline :lol:


Anyway, I need a return to reality. And I'm curious what people here think. Is "Reform" a (meager) step in the right direction? Or is it the status quo with different...accessories? I honestly don't know. It's a bit overhwhelming. Again, it's hard to care. But I am curious what other socialists think.

Reform makes living under the current system more bareable. Certainly if, for example, labour exchanges hadn't been set up in 1910 I'd be currently up shit creek without a paddle (or roof over my head) and so on. Certainly I would hate for any of the "gains" (such as they are) of reform to be taken away, I like going to NHS hospitals and being garunteed treatment - all that guff. However reform is, at the end of the day, putting more comfortable chairs in a burning building; unless we actually leave the place we're still fucked.


I'm posting this here in "Opposing Ideaologies" as I assume I'm blocked from the other forums still as I was never really considered a confirmed "socialist" (hence, the "apoltical New Englander"-thing; though I was well-liked and made a number of really cool "cyber-friends" during my time here). I don't know what I'd have to do to "alter" my status. But I'd like to get involved.

You aren't in fact restricted and can post anywhere you want. Is there a forum you'd prefer to have this thread in?

[Jimmie Higgins]

Hello and welcome back. I think at this point with this "reform" plan, it would be better if it was scrapped. The current plan is a giveaway to the insurance companies and has alienated (and demoralized) most workers on an issue that has been important to a lot of working class americans for a long time. For us, this reform will do little and when it inevitably doesn't help working class people, the right wing will gain ideological ground and say look: "big government messed something else up".

But I am totally in favor of a single-payer reform plan or a national health service. I don't have coverage and my partner has a chronic condition and she also lacks health care. She is in debt from ambulance and hospital bills and now she has told our neighbors and her co-workers not to call 9-1-1 for an ambulance if she collapses. But the banks are doing ok, so we're happy:(...

[American Kid]

Hellllllllllllllllo, again.

Interesting. It seems like we're all pretty much on the same page. As far as "reform". It's refreshing to hear views opposite those of liberals-salivating-over-Obama's-personaility-cult.

On that note, no bullshit, American Kid's sick. I've been sick all week, but as of today it's gotten...."angrier". So I'm gonna cut this short.

Nice to see all the "welcome backs" though. And no, this thread can stay where it is. As soon as I'm better and don't feel like I have a warm sponge soaking on top of my brain, I'll be bouncing around this site in no time. Look forward to it.

[SouthernBelle82]

Reform is useless unless it is major. Current reform is not major.

The Obama admin should have settled for no less than single-payer.

But, what else can you do with 95% of the politicians lining their pockets with corporate money?

Yep. It's all a gift to insurance companies. Check out the Real News Network on Youtube and their investigative piece called "Obama and the Progressives." And yes they should have done single-payer. Other countries have it and it works fine. They're (democrats in congress) are just pussies.

[SouthernBelle82]

Oh and I don't think I knew you so just saying hi. I'm SouthernBelle82 but you can call me SB if you want. :)

[MarxSchmarx]

Welcome back.

As far as reforms, well, you'll find few here who disagree that reforms per se are bad. It's only when reforms are seen as ends in themselves, as ways of patching up an otherwise fairly good system, that they become a problem.

Why we use the jargon "reformist" when "short-sighted" would do, remains beyond me.