Against The American Kill Line
I saw this post picking up a lot of traction on the Trending page, and I was unable to resist the urge to make my case against Jeff's conclusions.
I have nothing against Jeff, nor am I discounting his personal experiences or hardship. But socialism and far-left politicians are not the answer to any of the issues in America. They will only undermine the strengths of our country and hamper its ability to overcome its current and future challenges.
The Global Times is indeed Chinese state media. The Chinese run highly sophisticated, fine-tuned, and targeted media and propaganda efforts on behalf of the CCP.
That's why I do find it a bit ironic that Jeff opens the post describing his feelings about realizing his being "propagandized" for his entire life, only to base one of his core arguments on...a piece of Chinese propaganda.
There's no denying the Chinese made tremendous progress in a good direction when Deng Xiaoping shifted the CCP's efforts away from pure central planning and state control in the 1980s. He reversed the centralization of the agriculture, instituted Special Economic Zones, opened avenues for foreign trade and investment, and permitted market-oriented structures into the economy. Hundreds of millions were lifted out of poverty.
Another piece of irony here, given Jeff's conclusion: What allowed China to catch up with the rest of the world and grow their economy at a tremendous rate for so many years was a movement towards...capitalism.
What system had 88% of Chinese people living in extreme poverty before then? ...Socialism.
Even after all this progress from China, it's still better to be an American. We have a more robust social safety net, our median income is higher, we have far more civil rights and political freedoms, and more opportunity. America isn't perfect either, but it's the best option on planet Earth.
On homelessness: people are upset about the homelessness issue because the vast majority of people who are perpetually homeless have at least one mental illness or mental health condition that often goes untreated. Various cities and states have enacted policies that make it impossible to get these folks off the streets and somewhere where they can get the care they need. Leaving sick people on the streets is not compassionate.
People don't hate homeless people because they're homeless, nor because it reminds them of how close they are to being homeless. They are upset because their quality of life and their personal safety is degraded by the neurotic and antisocial tendencies of mentally unwell people who shouldn't be left on the streets.
The American economy is going through a strange moment right now, for all sorts of reasons, but it's not "broken." That suggests the whole of the American economic engine isn't working. Corporate layoffs at big tech companies doesn't equate to a broken American economy. The American economy, currency, and stock market is still the backbone of the entire global economy.
The far-left politicians mentioned at the end of the article all throw the baby out with the bathwater with regards to America. They are all profoundly misinformed about what makes America a great country, and what needs to be done to improve it. As a matter of fact, I suspect many of those politicians don't believe America is a great country at all.
Their answer is never "new ideas, more prosperity, more opportunities, more innovation." It's always, "who can we blame (it's almost always some combination of the rich + the corporations + the successful), how can we stop them, and how can we make the government bigger and more powerful?"
If there's a socialist or a leftist running for office in your city, district, or state, do NOT vote for that candidate. If you still feel like you want to vote for them, read your history.
P.S. I invite anyone, especially those who disagree, to send me an email and make their case. We need more respectful and constructive dialogue. I'm all about that.
Last updated: 22 hours ago