h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I sometimes think you can't have both liberty and equality. If you give people the freedom to make what they can of their lives, some people will do well and others will struggle. You need a system that balances the two - that gives the disadvantaged a helping hand and taxes the rich.
Is that socialism? Is that so awful?

I have no problem with democratic socialism.

Bernie Sanders said a good thing this week: if we must have 'class war', it's about time for the working class to win.

Of course the working class might be black.

Or Asian, Native American, Hispanic... Bernie and I would be fine with that.

I am all for social and inclusive politics and general behaviour of people.

The trouble I have with defining left and right is where you put the middle. From my point of view (being in the Dutch political landscape), most American parties fall under right and further right. Unfortunately, we seem to be going in the same direction. We are now moving to a state where you don't vote for a political programme anymore, but just for a face. Last week's election yielded a record breaking choice from 37 different parties (17 got one or more of the 150 seats, at least four are needed for a majority). Our current and probably next Prime minister got away with it again, losing quite a lot of cabinet ministers to scandals over the last ten years, but never taking personal responsibility for any of it.

Moving mental health care support and Youth services from State to local level (a huge operation in itself) and cutting the budgets at the same time was (and still is) a disaster.

Privatisation of health insurances undermined the whole solidarity principle that made it strong in the first place. This led to wild cost increases, because every insurance company had to negotiate rates with every care provider.

Environmental (green) politics tended to be domain of the left side, but have become mandatory through international agreements.

Am I ranting? I may be.

No. You aren't ranting - you're describing an unfortunate reality.

The problem with a big and noisy country like ours is that whatever bad things it does are likely to encourage the bad actors elsewhere. That makes me mad, too.

I saw one right wing politician attempting to copy Trump, endorsing conspiracy theories, requesting a recount afterwards.

I have a theory that these things are like a virus - they spread around the world before everybody has had enough and develops immunity.

I've seen it in educational theory, evangelical church groups, office management, television scriptwriting, cheap pop music...anywhere people tend to get on a bandwagon and bad ideas spread.

I think people are susceptible because they have flabby brains due to lack of exercise.