Dan Sullivan Embraces Socialism?!
~~Thom Hartmann~~
Thom Hartmann is in town! He’s the guest of honor at a dinner tonight in Anchorage, and is broadcasting live from KUDO 1080am this morning.
I just listened to him in the car on the way to work. He spoke with both Acting Mayor Matt Claman, and Mayor Elect Dan Sullivan.
The latter was an interesting exchange.
Hartmann asked how Sullivan thought Sarah Palin was doing. Sullivan said she had become “distracted” by the VP nomination, and that “If I had to give her a grade, I wouldn’t give her one.” Then he said he was glad she was back so she can focus on her job.
Then Hartmann brought up the fact that Alaska has been called America’s only socialist state. Sullivan laughed and explained that it’s written in to the state’s charter that the resources of the state belong to the residents and must be shared with them, and that he thought it worked well. Hartmann suggested that perhaps the whole nation could work like that, and Sullivan agreed, as long as there was a Democratic system in place to ensure the benefits “were distributed fairly.”
Hartmann said it was good to hear a Republican mayor endorse socialism. Sullivan laughed and said, “You betcha! And welcome to Alaska!”
That was truly a classic in Alaskan broadcast journalism.
Excellent post, AKDisasta. It never ceases to amaze me that the terms “liberal” and “socialism” have been imbued with negative connotations while the term “conservative” is viewed in a more positive light. I realize that this is the result of much spin jockeying, and I also realize that the uneducated masses are reacting to words without really understanding what they mean. This brings up the point that many people are easily led about with rings through their noses and obviously don’t have the capacity to think critically. That is frightening to me.
Time to get educated about socialism and how well it is working and how well it is received by those who are educated enough not to be so ‘afraid’ of everything that isn’t inside their tiny ‘comfort zone’. Because of the Joe McCarthy farce that was so offensive and the people running around in the 1960s scared pantless of ‘card-carrying-pinkos’ (their words, not mine), too many have grown up just clueless about political systems around the world. Given the utter failure of a pure captitalistic system (I call it a financial dictatorship) which benefits only the corrupt and power-mad few, I should think many would like to learn why other countries don’t seem to be suffering as much from this US-inspired economic meltdown which will plague generations of Americans for years. To hear the words “Liberal” and “socialism” used in such negative terms in the US by the truly uneducated, points out the sad and underfunded condition of the public education system. Fortunately, there are some very smart liberals who are worldly enough to understand the benefits of democratic socialism and parliamentary democracies and how much better they serve the middle classes – us.
There’s more than one pea in the pod. A steady diet of sameness turns bland pretty quickly.
People, people, people. Get your GOPerisms accurate! It’s the DEMOCRAT Socialist Party! They pointedly refuse to use the word “Democratic.” They think they’re poking a stick in the eye of Democrats when they do that, when all they’re doing is making the Democrats giggle!
…and Sullivan recants in … 5 … 4 … 3 …
curiouser–thanks for the link. the artist, zina saunders, is quite wonderful. she goes right to the heart of a person. clear vision and a steady hand and all is revealed…b
curiouser~ thx..Just learning m way around on the puter…:)
@ TNTJudy….you’re welcome. : ) Zina Saunders rocks!
It’s amazing how Alaska’s miss anti-socialist cannot see the forest for the trees. Either she’s too dense to realize that she governs a state that is awash in socialist tendencies (quite possible), or she is in a major state of purposeful denial for the sake of her rigid ideology regarding the reality of the socioeconomic structure of this state.
Case in point. Before Sarah got selected for VP running mate, she helped pioneer an energy rebate check (not unlike the national one) but just for Alaskans. It was bundled in with the annual PFD check, so it effectively doubled our ‘socialist’ handout. I didn’t see her complaining about that money.
I don’t recall if she was asked to explain her position regarding this money during the 08 campaign, but I know it was and still an inconvenient truth for her. If her ideology had it’s way, the permanent fund dividend (and any other monetary handouts by the state/federal government up here) would be abolished. And if that happened under her watch, there is no way, no way she would be reelected. She needs this socialist money to keep herself in power.
Wow, curioser! Thanks for that link! Great stuff there.
It’s nice to hear someone admit to AK socialism. When GINO was confronted with similar questions, she aways denied the socialism in a mangled, nonsensical way.
#14 honestyinGov…..PA’s artwork comes from Zina Saunders. Check out the link for a close up of the dino-riding gino and more.
http://www.drawger.com/zinasaunders/?section=gallery&gallery_id=705&image_id=10394#this
Thanks, BigPete. That is what I thought you meant. I remember many moons ago when the oil companies were trying to whip up outrage because Venezuela and other SA countries wanted to nationalize their resources. Who can blame them (the countries)? The oil companies and other multinationals pretty much raped and pillaged to get what they wanted, the higher ups in those countries benefited, and the little people suffered. It continues unabated to this day. In AK the people get their dividend check every year, and in return they give away their pristine lands and water.
I lurve Thom Hartmann. He is so learned and articulate. To get Sullivan to admit to the socialism of Alaska was brilliant. I agree with others that the Denmark/Sweden Democratic Socialist model is far preferable for the U.S. than unregulated capitalism the Repubs have been pushing since the ’80s.
All throughout the election I kept wondering when someone was going to bring up Alaska’s resource distribution in light of the whole “Obama the socialist” bs. This post made me laugh. 🙂
Phil Munger at P.A.usually just lets his words do his talking…. but the attached picture to the story tells the story as well….. quite funny.
Hat tip to Phil and whoever did the Photoshop work.
TBNTJudy Says@11
BigPete said: “in Venezuela, democracy has historically been synonymous with politicians abusing the system to plunder the country’s oil wealth.”
Do you mean prior to Chavez or are you including Chavez?
*************
“The more things change, the more they remain the same.”
Although Chavez has not stamped out corruption by any means, one could say he has improved on the Republicans’ “trickle down” economic system: A little more trickles down than did previously!
just saying—i am in total agreement with you. you hit the nail square on its head….b
BigPete said: “in Venezuela, democracy has historically been synonymous with politicians abusing the system to plunder the country’s oil wealth.”
Do you mean prior to Chavez or are you including Chavez?
Now that he’s a Socialist…… like Obama… can we expect Sullivan’s name to be on the next ‘tea-bagging Party’ signs as well…?
What will Eddie Burke… say…?
( I’m guessing he is VERY confused-not to difficult to do)
The Alaskan Way
One measure of the appeal of this concept is it’s popularity abroad.
Hugo Chavez, the president of oil-rich Venezuela, has found “the resources of the state belonging to the residents concept” to be very popular at election time.
While we might worry that a democratic system need be in place to ensure the even distribution of benefits, in Venezuela, democracy has historically been synonymous with politicians abusing the system to plunder the country’s oil wealth.
The happiest people in the world are the people of Denmark , Norway and Sweden…all socialist countries, all getting a fair share of their oil revenues (emphasis FAIR, not the whims of the producers), all know they are protected from cradle to grave when it comes to health care,(universal, single payer) so bankruptsy and poverty due to illness is taken out of the picture. Investment is in the people, infrastructure, not the stock market or foreign assets.. They are well educated, cultured, responsible and HAPPY! Is heaven some sort of capitalist, corporate, for profit, state that those who proclaim to pray, “on earth, as it is in heaven” has the current crumbling system in mind? Try a read of Revelation 18(and on to the end), and then let’s all work together for what is the future of our precious opportunity to live on this planet together…hmmm?
sauerkraut Says:
May 21st, 2009 at 9:11 AM
oy vey!
So Sullivan is a democratic socialist? (you have to recall the RNC wants to rename the Democratic Party. …)
Well the idiots did decide not to do that. I hope you have seen Colberts comment on that.
He pointed out that the worst most painful name the RNC could give the Democratic party was ‘The Republican Party.”
Classic!
Since the breaking of bread at the Last Supper and at every table, with family and with strangers, is a symbolic act of sharing, respected in all cultures, I truly don’t see why people are so down on the concept.
But the Politicians have to make something ugly out of something beautiful, and use it as an insult to denegrate.
Small surprise they run so low in the respect category of national polls.
Democratic Socialism has worked well in other countries. It has worked well in Alaska for many years. Why not just admit that it is a good way to constrain the bad aspects of capitalism, prevent the evil aspects of communism, yet still allows the freedoms we cherish.
This redistribution of wealth has to stop!
(oh. I see. Never mind then…)
I wonder what the Queen of Alaska will say about this!!!
oy vey!
So Sullivan is a democratic socialist? (you have to recall the RNC wants to rename the Democratic Party. …)
I love Thom Hartman!