Tariq Ali on Socialism and Obama in the Middle east-1/2

As Economy Reels, Tariq Ali Calls for "Reimagining Socialism"

The British author Tariq Ali weighs in on the economic crisis with an appeal to reject the taboos on discussing socialism in the United States. Ali says the popular movements in South America provide a model for US activists to follow in pushing for changes such as socialized healthcare. [includes rush transcript]

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News & Politics

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• Tariq
• ali
• obama
• pakistan
• socialism
• iraq
• democracy
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• afghanistan

[nangamujra]

Cuba is Communist. They got the best health care system in da world

[yousafzia]

he says "by god" and he is an atheist coool

[Oxa1]

@yousafzia just an expression, fits so well with hinglish speaking ppl =)

[Oxa1]

why is he not president of pakistan...?

[aan3]

Ali is right about the United States health system. Its not a matter of socialism is bad and evil while capitalism and Democracy is good and holy. He makes a legitimate argument for universal healthcare, economic reform and better quality of life for Americans. What;s wrong with the United States adapting ideas from other countries? Other countries burrow ideas from the U.S. Why can't the U.S. return the favor? :) Think about it.

[distopiadnb]

@nangamujra but there is no political freedom. And this cannot be exchangeable with even the best health care system in the universe. I'm not defending an ideal western counter-example, but let's not be naive about it. Cuba, as all the XX century socialism, is NOT an example to follow. Sweden can be one, or Denmark, or the Low Countries. But equality among poverty is bullshit, and Marx said it very clearly.

[tanvo93]

@LazarusCato yeah they do..and really they took that down..oh no..but its simple if u can control the media..u can control our knowledge..

those songs are sick though..im into almost all types of music..as long its creative or has some substance..not that escapist shit..

ive been trying to start a political experimental independent rock group called Renegades of (Something) u can find us on FB ..we are very small..and only played one gig like 3 days ago..

[LazarusCato]

@tanvo93 yeah 4 sure, every1's gettin their own little bubble-reality - I really think google needs 2 re-think that shit, I noticed as well they removed from their corporate statement the phrase "Don't Be Evil" - which was 1 of their founding ideas. But yeah - I was readin some thing about wikipedia 1ce too, about how it is creating a "consensus reality"

Not sure wat ur music taste is, but here's 2 songs on the subject:

DC The Midi Alien - Technology Takeover

Lil B - The Age Of Information

[tanvo93]

@LazarusCato sure can be for active users..but if u have seen one of the democracy nows from like a month ago, they had a report about how google is filtering information to better suite that persons trends..they compared one person googling egypt and another..one person 1st page got the protests..the other got travel information haha..but i will diffenatly have to look that up thanks

[LazarusCato]

@tanvo93 I exagerated some about the exports, they also export fish & sugar (all exports totaling 2.4 billion, total imports of 6.9 billion) (wikipedia) - Cuban Agriculture: there's a cool documentary you should find called "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil", Info on Cubas education & healthcare can be found on wiki,  the embargo is self evident, scholarships (they're for medicine), influence to latin america, look at Chavez & those that tried before. google is your friend.

[tanvo93]

@LazarusCato thanks for the facts really helps..thanks man..the image that the media shows me of cuba is a very bad one..can i ask where u get ur sources though? so im not just blindly fallowing

[LazarusCato]

@tanvo93 Cuba doesnt suck: its a tiny 3rd world island w/ nothing 2 export except cigars & nickel (1 mine), it has2 import 60% of it's food, what it does produce - 95% is organic, it's been thru peak-oil, it's able2 provide free & universal healthcare & education (incl university), offer scholarships to the 3rd world (incl. the US), send doctors all over the world, influenced 2 some extent all of L. America, all while a crippling embargo frm the worlds only superpower. Cuba is an example.