So the latest dog whistle the GOP have been using to rile up it's base lately is "communism". We've had "woke", "transvestites", "Antifa", illegal immigrants", and a bunch of other stuff that makes the MAGA crowd don their red caps (do they ever take them off??) and wave their US/Confederate flags.

But at the same time as the focus now has shifted to "communism" the US government has, on trump's orders, quietly bought stakes in seven additional companies nearly a year after acquiring 10% of Intel.

Hypocrisy, thy name is MAGA.

'Commerce Department quietly announces 7 new equity stakes in private companies'

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/6000186-commerce-ai-chips-stakes/

"The announcement comes nearly a year after President Trump announced the federal government would take a 10 percent stake in Intel, one of the nation’s largest chip manufacturers, for roughly $11 billion in federal subsidies the company received.

The practice has drawn criticism from Trump’s Republican base. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who drafted the foundation of the CHIPS and Science Act, said at the time the law never intended to let the federal government take a major stake in Intel or any other major company.

Despite backlash last summer, the Trump administration moved last December to take a $150 million stake in xLight, a startup developing laser technology, in exchange for federal incentives."

Is the government owning a stake in a company the true form of socialism? 

Political scientists and economists generally distinguish several concepts:

• Socialism (broadly): An economic system in which the means of production (factories, utilities, mines, transportation, etc.) are owned or controlled by society as a whole, either through the state, worker cooperatives, or other forms of collective ownership. The extent and form of ownership vary widely among socialist theories.

• State ownership: When the government owns part or all of a company. This can occur under socialist governments, but it also occurs in many capitalist countries.

• State capitalism: A system where the government owns or controls major companies but they operate in a market economy, often for profit. Many scholars describe countries like China as having significant elements of state capitalism.

23 minutes ago, Mr Awesome said:

Is the government owning a stake in a company the true form of socialism? 

Political scientists and economists generally distinguish several concepts:

• Socialism (broadly): An economic system in which the means of production (factories, utilities, mines, transportation, etc.) are owned or controlled by society as a whole, either through the state, worker cooperatives, or other forms of collective ownership. The extent and form of ownership vary widely among socialist theories.

• State ownership: When the government owns part or all of a company. This can occur under socialist governments, but it also occurs in many capitalist countries.

• State capitalism: A system where the government owns or controls major companies but they operate in a market economy, often for profit. Many scholars describe countries like China as having significant elements of state capitalism.

That depends on how you define "true socialism". It's certainly a form of socialism.

4 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

That depends on how you define "true socialism". It's certainly a form of socialism.

You understand that states invest their pension funds in company stocks, which gives them an equity stake in these companies. Do you consider this socialism?

6 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

That depends on how you define "true socialism". It's certainly a form of socialism

without the dictatorship and mass murder

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

without the dictatorship and mass murder

So you're all for socialism, but would like it to be humane and emphatic.

Got it!

PS. Are we seeing a MAGA person come out of the closet here? Are you perhaps a social democrat in the making?

1 minute ago, BLMFem said:

So you're all for socialism, but would like it to be humane and emphatic.

Got it!

PS. Are we seeing a MAGA person come out of the closet here? Are you perhaps a social democrat in the making?

Since Social Democrats promote unsuccessful policies, why would anyone support them? The DSA is nothing but a party of failures.

7 minutes ago, Mr Awesome said:

You understand that states invest their pension funds in company stocks, which gives them an equity stake in these companies. Do you consider this socialism?

To a certain extent, yes.

2 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

To a certain extent, yes.

No, I don’t agree. You are misinterpreting Socialism to support your political agenda in this topic.

3 minutes ago, Mr Awesome said:

No, I don’t agree. You are misinterpreting Socialism to support your political agenda in this topic.

If you can't defend your position with something more substantial than "I don't agree" then my reply will simply be "I don't care".

Just now, BLMFem said:

If you can't defend your position with something more substantial than "I don't agree" then my reply will simply be "I don't care".

I explained socialism in my first post on this topic. Please revisit it for clarity.

20 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

So you're all for socialism, but would like it to be humane and emphatic.

Got it!

PS. Are we seeing a MAGA person come out of the closet here? Are you perhaps a social democrat in the making?

nice try. as usual, you are wrong

7 minutes ago, Mr Awesome said:

I explained socialism in my first post on this topic. Please revisit it for clarity.

I don't need to. I can see perfectly clear why you cannot support your assertions with anything but empty statements devoid of substance.

27 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

So you're all for socialism, but would like it to be humane and emphatic.

Got it!

There is nothing empthetic about socialisms. It's a system based on coercion, reduced individual freedom, and lack of incentives.

1 minute ago, Mr Awesome said:

There is nothing empthetic about socialisms. It's a system based on coercion, reduced individual freedom, and lack of incentives.

Yes, and that's why trump pushing socialism on Americans is so baffling, don't you agree?

6 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

I don't need to. I can see perfectly clear why you cannot support your assertions with anything but empty statements devoid of substance.

You seem to be acting like someone on the left who lost the discussion. It may be better for you to bow out of this topic to save face.

4 minutes ago, BLMFem said:

Yes, and that's why trump pushing socialism on Americans is so baffling, don't you agree?

He is not advocating for socialism. It's important to grasp the meaning of socialism. You seem to lack a fundamental understanding of various economic systems.

Just now, Mr Awesome said:

He is not advocating for socialism. It's important to grasp the meaning of socialism. You seem to lack a fundamental understanding of various economic systems.

What a weak way of conceding defeat.

1 minute ago, BLMFem said:

What a weak way of conceding defeat.

You need to recognize that you don't fully understand socialism. I recommend reading more about the topic.

There seems to be a certain social-curiousness in the American population.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-12-25/americans-are-retiring-to-vietnam-for-cheap-health-care-and-a-decent-living-standard

"Communism when Beijing does it. ‘Smart deal-making’ when Trump does it."

Yep, that spot on. The CHIPS act was never supposed to be used this way. Someone should challenge it in court.

5 hours ago, BLMFem said:

There seems to be a certain social-curiousness in the American population.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-12-25/americans-are-retiring-to-vietnam-for-cheap-health-care-and-a-decent-living-standard

Vietnam’s communists quietly surrender to capitalism — with Trump resort

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4636435/vietnam-communists-surrender-to-capitalism/

Chew on this.