A tale of two countries:

[Juvenal]

I posted that Babylon Bee story about how slavery wasn't all bad because they got free housing and food. It was supposed to point out how ridiculous such a thing would be, but you actually take it as a something correct and good. It wasn't irony to you.

As much as I love irony, I chose the author of The Satires as a screen name. Unlike irony, satire is at its most biting when basted in truth. The Babylon Bee is not an irony site.

That's why I said you are either a moron or trolling.

It's still trolling even if the troll thinks it's a princess.

I'm all good with you and simplicio dialoguing between your two systems, but no matter how satisfying the personal abuse may be to its creator, it's still trolling. And as much as it's everywhere here, most prominently in MM's tag-changing, it's not adding anything to the site. Whatever.

simplicio is a problem. He's starting multiple threads per day, and that's too much. But that's not why y'all are calling him out. If it were, you'd be saying that, not calling him a moron.

It's the uncomfortable questions.

Bernie has been praising Cuba and Castro for 40/50 years. When he was called out on it, he came up with this lame 'but Castro had this great literacy program' as a deflection to draw attention away from the fact that he has been cheering on communists and dictators for over 40 years.

Don't be fooled. Sanders is only playing at "democratic socialism" because he knows no one is ready for his true beliefs, communism.

Bernie Sanders campaigned for Marxist party in Reagan era

Forty years ago, Bernie was cheering on dictators. He supported Marxist candidates even though he never joined the party. That's enough. It doesn't have to be "and he's been doing it ever since," which is make-believe, and gives folks reason to distance themselves from an otherwise compelling observation.

But Mason, 75, now a psychotherapist and former NAACP official living in California, indicated that after the 1980s, he and Sanders had drifted apart, and Sanders began touting insufficiently radical policies.

"We had a long-distance relationship, but that kind of changed after he ran for Congress. I didn't have as much contact anymore. I have a lot of respect for him, but I just don't think the programs he put forward are what workers need in this country," Mason said. "We were calling for the formation of an independent revolutionary labor party. We felt that it was necessary for workers in this country to enact a revolution."

He was a Democrat when he ran in 2016 before returning to the Senate as an Independent when he lost the nomination. He ran for reelection as an Independent in 2018. He's returned to the Democratic Party to run again in 2020.

I'm not seeing a reason to believe he'd take office as a Democrat if he were elected, but if I were to guess he'd take office as anything other than an Independent, that's where I'd put my chips.

And in case you are wondering, the SWP are actually full blown communists not socialist [the same way the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was communist] and always have been. Read on in the article.

About that article.

Sanders supported SWP candidates and Oswald was an SWP member who shot JFK ... unless I'm talking to any of my military buddies. The marine is matter of fact about it. That rifle can fire two rounds in a little more than two seconds, but it can't reacquire a target that quickly.

Well, maybe Oswald was a member. He certainly subscribed to their newspaper. Now if Oswald was an SWP candidate who was endorsed by Sanders that'd be something more than a smear.

It's the Washington Examiner.

Better than the Moonie Times.

[simplicio]

what the hell? This is why I call you a troll. how in the world would you get that from anything I said. I am done with you, you weasel.

But just what line are you arguing: Stating historical facts (the eight month literacy initiative) becomes praise, then defense.

And what is the uproar over Sanders: pointing to an initiative which worked, the Cuban literacy project became support for the the whole of Castro policies.

But you were able to recognize the fallacy in my absurd statement. So is there any parallels among the three?

But then again, the same post also noted the agility which rescued the "Fine people" comment from supporting the alt right, while not recognizing Sanders protestations.

[Juvenal]

You realize that this was something Sparko was accepting for the sake of argument, yes? Read more carefully, Jerk - or you were just burnishing your credentials again?

For the sake of an argument that was rebutted directly, as I'm sure you noted, having engaged in careful reading.

Yet another irony offered intentionally.

Joy killer.

[One Bad Pig]

For the sake of an argument that was rebutted directly, as I'm sure you noted, having engaged in careful reading.

Yes, that part of your post was appreciated.

Yet another irony offered intentionally.

Joy killer.

I aim to please.

[rogue06]

As much as I love irony, I chose the author of The Satires as a screen name.

And all this time I thought you were referencing St. Juvenal of Jerusalem.

simplicio is a problem. He's starting multiple threads per day, and that's too much. But that's not why y'all are calling him out. If it were, you'd be saying that, not calling him a moron.

You mean it isn't how he twists and distorts responses out of any semblance of recognition and then attacks the straw men he created?

[Sparko]

bernie-castro car.jpg

[Watermelon]

used it later for evil? That was it's intended purpose from the get go. Indoctrination.

Fine, if you want to praise Castro like Sanders does, then you are as bad as he is. You will be known as the guy who defends Mussolini, Hitler and Castro. Great job!

Oh and when Trump said "there were some good people there" he wasn't talking about among the white supremacists, but conservative people there at the rally who were NOT white supremacists.

[Watermelon]

First of all, prior to Castro seizing power, Cuba was already a literate nation with one of the best education systems in Latin America:

https://libertyunyielding.com/2020/0...cuba-literacy/

After Castro violently overthrew the Cuban government, he turned the education system into a propaganda tool...

https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...n-skimps-prop/

https://localnews8.com/news/politics...ctually-about/

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/loc...240425431.html

But I suppose this isn't "nuanced" enough.

[Mountain Man]

For Cuba to have healthcare and education at a level on par with the developed world is pretty amazing.

Yes, it's amazing what strides a nation can make under a brutal dictatorship. We should all try it!

[Watermelon]

Yes, it's amazing what strides a nation can make under a brutal dictatorship. We should all try it!

Does everything have to be so black or white? Is Castro despised because he was a brutal dictator or because he had embarrassed the US on several occasions?

[Mountain Man]

Does everything have to be so black or white? Is Castro despised because he was a brutal dictator or because he had embarrassed the US on several occasions?

Yes, this is the same rationalization that one could use to declare that Hitler's youth programs were a good thing because they got kids off the street and helped them develop a sense of camaraderie.

[rogue06]

Yes, this is the same rationalization that one could use to declare that Hitler's youth programs were a good thing because they got kids off the street and helped them develop a sense of camaraderie.

Hey, Mussolini made the trains run on time so he was a good enough bloke.

[simplicio]

Yes, it's amazing what strides a nation can make under a brutal dictatorship. We should all try it!

Cuba, under Castro achieved real progress on literacy in under a year, after taking over after Batista. Was that an example of brutality?

[demi-conservative]

Who cares? Literacy is not a good in itself.

[simplicio]

Yes, this is the same rationalization that one could use to declare that Hitler's youth programs were a good thing because they got kids off the street and helped them develop a sense of camaraderie.

Watermelon was not making any rationalization with that post. I think he was objecting to the cognitive distortions of black and white thinking.