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PaperclipPerfector  8d ago (text post)   20669 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 31, 2026

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"Socialists" tend to stop at their own borders, and I'm rolling my eyes that the Democrats who control the two most powerful centers of capitalism that have ever existed are some kind of Commie.

But there are plenty of bolt holes for Randian supermen and there will remain so. Dubai and Singapore exist as well as special economic zones in places like Cambodia and Laos where anyone can do anything if they have the cash. Would be Randians tend to stay in the US though because America provides certain freedoms and protections that strong mercantile city states and free wheeling gangster zones lack. Plus it's cool. Besides Libertarians have the same problem Communists do no one wants to vote for them so despite wanting no state they end up with one to control the enlightened peasants.

"Socialists" tend to stop at their own borders

Ask Finland about how the USSR stopped at its own borders. Or eastern Poland.

And even when they do stop at borders, they do things like build "anti-fascist" walls to keep their serfs "citizens" in.

Trying to expand to the Imperial borders in the interwarflux is a world of difference between trying to hunt down random groups of prosperous rich people.

The entire history of socialism is one of striving for international dominance that transcends borders. I mean, they called their meetings internationals.

Of course, socialism is the ultimate motte and bailey, where the motte is “we just want health care” and the bailey is “kulaks against the wall”. At this particular moment, the socialists have escaped the motte and are running all over the bailey.

It's not a motte and baily the Democrats just aren't actually Marxists or anticapitalists. And the term socialist in America is so distorted anyway most self identified socialists in America do just want healthcare. Everyone to the left of the Republican party is not some hardcore Commie.

Of course not. But Bernie is. And so are the DSA.

The problem with mainstream Dems is they are extremely squishy. Does Talarico really want to “dismantle” capitalism like he said in 2020. Maybe, maybe not. But clearly communism is no big taboo for him.

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