Sen. Bernie Sanders Says U.S. Should Look More Like Scandinavia

[cal04]

[leftofcool]

1. You mean mostly white?

Scandinavia has a pretty poor record on racism.

[Faygo Kid]

2. Did you even listen to the substance of what he said?

I suspect not.

[Quixote1818]

4. It helps when you actually listen to the video. nt

[Diclotican]

5. leftofcool

leftofcool

I do not think it is about collor of the skin he was thinking about - more about how the scandinavian countries work.... But of course - he could be thinking about the collor of the skin if that what you are after....


Diclotican

[mother earth]

8. He's talking about the Nordic Model:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Are you feeling all right after reaching so far for that one?

That might make more sense if Bernie were running on lines similar to the Republican candidates, but I have never heard Mr. Sanders say anything that can even be remotely construed as racist.

Boy, what a stretch.

[valerief]

10. Ah, you've earned a BIG IGNORE from me. nt

[madfloridian]

12. Wow you just tried to hijack my thread in GD. You are busy today.

[malokvale77]

29. Nothing...

left of cool or even cool at all with that one.

I have become increasingly disappointed with who DU allows to post.

When Octafish is hidden, we are going the wrong direction.

Hey mad ... glad you are still hanging in here.

[Enthusiast]

44. ...

[BrotherIvan]

13. I asked you for links or facts when you dropped that in the other thread

Still waiting for an answer.

The US is BY FAR more racist than any first world nation. You know how I know? Because a black man or woman can walk down the street without being shot in Scandinavia. The same cannot be said for the US.

If you're going to throw bombs, you better have back up.

[Lancero]

15. Jury results 3-4 leave

On Sun May 3, 2015, 04:27 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

You mean mostly white?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=263265

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

This post is a clear attempt to troll and hijack the thread. The poster clearly has not watched the video in the OP.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sun May 3, 2015, 04:34 PM, and the Jury voted 3-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Really stupid comment but not all that hide worthy.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Not having watched the video in an OP is not grounds for removing a post. Are you even serious, alerter? If you want to play at this level, you're going to have to do better than that. Sanders and his people are out there: what they say is fresh meat for opponents. If you don't like that, you've chosen the wrong sort of activity. Grow up.
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: The US is mostly white and has a extremely poor record on racism as well.

Anyway, hijacking attempts are very disruptive so this is a hide.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Listen to the video before posting.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Race-baiting- poster clearly has an anti-Bernie bias and was race baiting to try and tear Bernie Sanders down.

[frylock]

16. why do you continue to focus on that ONE issue..

as if we here in America have a fucking leg to stand on?

[smokey nj]

25. Because they've decided to use Rovian tactics against Bernie.

[JDPriestly]

18. Bernie has an excellent record on affirrmative action and race.

[smokey nj]

24. Disgusting attempt to smear Bernie as a racist.

Pulling a page out of Karl Rove's playbook. Classy.

[Enthusiast]

42. What is your motive for this? Why are you saying that when you know it isn't true?

[cilla4progress]

3. 'Zactly

what I said yesterday! Scandanavia is the land of "social democracies." Strong economies, healthy countries, participatory democracies, fabulous social safety nets that WORK!!

I left Burlington in 1977 when I graduated from UVM. Heard of him back then. One of the greatest cities in our country.

TELL IT, BERNIE!!! This guy is not for sale.

[appalachiablue]

6. +10 Tell it! My sister and brother visited Denmark & Sweden and loved it-

[zeemike]

11. Most Americans are ignorant of them.

Finland has the highest rated educational system in the world...and those scandinavian countries have little or no poverty because they take care of their people, instead of letting them live on the street or throwing them in a prison.

We could learn a lot about it if they would let us.

[appalachiablue]

20. All true. As said my family visited Swedish friends, loved that country and also Denmark.

In Germany and France I stayed with good friends several times, and saw how advanced those countries are. I also lived in England as a student which was a very satisfying experience.

In western and northern Europe education is highly valued and affordable; social services and safety net security, and health care systems are also important to the health and welfare of the people. It's more egalitarian and people share pride in their culture, heritage and citizenry.

European countries also have a variety of POLITICAL PARTIES unlike the US with it's two dominant political parties. Germany has 4 or 5 main political groups which is a healthier and more diverse system than the US.

It's a different and some ways better lifestyle and existence than in the US. But few Americans know the realities, or are scared by ignorant propaganda which is truly unfortunate.

[markpkessinger]

21. But. . . but . . .

. . . admitting we have anything to learn from other countries might imply that we aren't as exceptional as we think we are!

[Enthusiast]

43. Precisely.

We would have to admit the truth.

[malokvale77]

30. Excellent c4p...

Go Bernie.

[mother earth]

7. Monetary reform is imperative, once that is understood & tackled, all other issues

will be corrected.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/111667145

We will NEVER get there under the corporate candidates, but Bernie Sanders can take us there.

Everything he stands for involves WE the people.

Don't let anyone marginalize Bernie Sanders or tell you he won't win. Remember, they are trying to marginalize the numbers of people who are rejecting the corporate candidates. MSM wants to frame the race and the winners.

Just ask yourself, are you happy with how our country has become the US of oligarchy?
Are you happy with corporate personhood? If so, keep voting for the corporate purchased faces who will bring us more status quo and more BS TPP's.

I wonder what will happen when campaign big money doesn't deliver their choice? It's time to reject the corporate players & the revolving door...MONEY will not win this election. Let that sink in for awhile...and realize there is power beyond big money, and we have the numbers...it's the 99%.

[raindaddy]

14. He just reversed the republican meme

Bernie Sanders wants to bring Scandinavian style Socialism to America. What's wrong with that, they have higher living standards then we do.

[BrotherIvan]

17. The fact that self-identified Democrats on this board are so ignorant of what he is talking about

is quite frankly stunning. What, we like childhood poverty to be at 40%? We like people to choose between healthcare and food? We like poor people freezing to death because they can't afford heat? We like people working three jobs just to be able to keep a roof over their heads? We like widespread corruption in our public officials and our police being an occupying force? We like that it is so dangerous for a black man or woman to walk down the street that they must fear for their lives from cops who are there for the sole pupose to protect and serve? We like corporations outsourcing jobs and banks stealing people's homes? We like religious nutbags deciding that it's ok for women to die so they won't be offended? We like endless wars and war criminals invading countries to kill a million brown people? We love being spied on every second of the day? We like that money equals speech and billionares have chosen our leaders and write our laws? We approve of all that??

Of course we do because Bernie just mentioned that Evil Empire, Scandinavia!! Is this fucking freeperville?

[Iwillnevergiveup]

22. Speak it, BrotherIvan

Guess the main difference between any Scandinavian country and the U.S.is that our citizens are dreaming of a life, and Scandinavians are living the dream.

[BrotherIvan]

23. At least they aren't struggling like we are

They have a STRONG social safety net. They have guaranteed healthcare and an amazing pension system. They have clean, safe cities with amazing public transportation. They have some of the highest standards of education and upward mobility on the planet. It is very expensive to live there. Why? Because wages are so damn high!! When I visit, my friends and relatives have pity on me for living in such a backward society filled with religious nutjobs and gun toting crazies. Yeah, we don't want to be like them at all.

[Historic NY]

26. Its not so much this board it how it sounds in Peroria....

believe me opps research is getting plenty of zinger material to use.

[BrotherIvan]

27. Then it's our job to educate, rather than dumbing down the discourse

That's how we got George W. Our country is facing very serious problems. It's time we start actually talking about them and finding solutions, not Keeping Up with the Kardashians. It's time to present a VISION of where the country needs to go, then communicating it effectively. If we keep letting Fox News run the US, we are going to slip further into a distopia.

Everyone is so afraid of Republicans because they are a loud minority (as we are witnessing on this very board). They are the same 23%ers that approved of Bush. They said a black man named Barack Hussein Obama, a Kenyan Muslim Socialist couldn't win. We don't need to be afraid anymore.

Here is a post I wrote that shows that it is almost statistically impossible for a Republican to win a national presidential election without major election tampering or a Reagan-style October surprise. The demographics have completely changed.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12801719

We don't need to be afraid anymore. The idea that this is a center-right country has been disproven with every poll. The fact that Republicans win is due to gerrymandering and lack of voter turnout. That's what we have to work on.

[INdemo]

28. Remember what happen in 2008 and 2010, 2012,2014

Freepers were encouraged by the RNC (Rush,and KKKK Karl) to infiltrate liberal sites and respond to liberals on various liberal talking points at sites such as MSNBC etc. So it looks as if their BS has hit the cyber spaces early

[BrotherIvan]

32. These are longtime posters

They are trying to say that Bernie Sanders is a racist misogynist because he is talking about economic issues. It's been going on since he announced. This statement that Scandinavia is filled with racists misogynists is just from today.

[malokvale77]

31. Truth...

This board has moved far from the Democratic Party that I have known.

[BrotherIvan]

33. Very, very far

But these are posters who are claiming to be the board's leading feminists or white people worried about race issues, that even when they are told that I'm not white, will still accuse me of being for white upper middle class males only. It's the most bizarre and absurd line of argument I have ever seen. To smear Bernie Sanders' name who has been nothing but an examplary public servant in the process is even more despicable.

[malokvale77]

35. Dear BrotherIvan

I am white (Norwegian, Scotch, Irish, English and Choctaw) and very female, and yes it is very bizarre the absurd arguments on this board.

I will be dedicating the next year of my life to electing Bernie Sanders for President.
i will do this for my children and grand-children.

Go Bernie.

[BrotherIvan]

36. Your statement is beautiful

I support Bernie Sanders because I think this country deserves a leader who is not bought off by the monied class. People are suffering--of all colors, of both genders--and they need help. They need economic AND social justice. I think Bernie is the best candidate to represent that.

[malokvale77]

37. Thank you...

It has been decades since I have cared so much about a candidate for President.

I have been spending my efforts on local offices (not easy in Texas).

[BrotherIvan]

38. He's going to need all of our help to win

[malokvale77]

39. Like Bernie...

I'm in it to win it.

[JDPriestly]

19. This morning i woke up thinking about a friend of mine who lost her job some years ago

due to a leveraged buy-out and through no fault of her own. (She was an exemplary employee.) Within 7 months after losing her job, she was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, having lost her job, she had no health insurance. (Even with Obamacare, I'm not sure she is covered.) Her medications cost thousands of dollars a month. She and her husband had purchased a home years ago but still owed on the mortgage.

She got Medical, but there is something that most people do not know about Medicaid and Medical.

Here is is:

Under Medicaid law, following the death of the Medicaid recipient a state must attempt to recover from his or her estate whatever long-term care benefits it paid for the recipient's care. States also have the option of recovering all Medicaid benefits from individuals over age 55, including costs for any medical care, not just long-term care benefits. However, no recovery can take place until the death of the recipient's spouse, or as long as there is a child of the deceased who is under age 21 or who is blind or disabled.

While states must attempt to recover funds from the Medicaid recipient's probate estate, meaning property that is held in the beneficiary's name only, they have the option of seeking recovery against property in which the recipient had an interest but which passes outside of probate. This includes jointly held assets, assets in a living trust, or life estates. Given the rules for Medicaid eligibility, the only probate property of substantial value that a Medicaid recipient is likely to own at death is his or her home. However, states that have not opted to broaden their estate recovery to include non-probate assets may not make a claim against the Medicaid recipient's home if it is not in his or her probate estate.

In addition to the right to recover from the estate of the Medicaid beneficiary, state Medicaid agencies must place a lien on real estate owned by a Medicaid beneficiary during his or her life unless certain dependent relatives are living in the property. If the property is sold while the Medicaid beneficiary is living, not only will the beneficiary cease to be eligible for Medicaid due to the cash from the sale, but the beneficiary would have to satisfy the lien by paying back the state for its coverage of care to date. The exceptions to this rule are cases where a spouse, a disabled or blind child, a child under age 21, or a sibling with an equity interest in the house is living there.

Whether or not a lien is placed on the house, the lien's purpose should only be for recovery of Medicaid expenses if the house is sold during the beneficiary's life. The lien should be removed upon the beneficiary's death. However, check with an elder law attorney in your state to see how your local agency applies this federal rule.

http://www.elderlawanswers.com/medicaids-power-to-recoup-benefits-paid-estate-recovery-and-liens-12018

Medicaid is not a gift to those who are buying or who own their homes. It is sort of a way of means-testing qualification for Medicaid. So no matter how hard my friend had worked, once she had medical bills in the thousands and thousands, it was gone or most of it was gone.

Cancer and many other expensive diseases including end-of-life care in a nursing home impoverish people at random.

I thought about this when I woke up today. How many heart operations has Dick Cheney had? And he of course is covered by excellent insurance and will not lose his home. But if you or I or our parents or families suffered from a medical problem and faced a choice between paying huge amounts for medications and operations or death, we would suffer and if we had been fortunate enough to buy a house or save money, it would be gone in a flash as it was with my friend.

Obamacare has helped to alleviate this problem, but we still have many people uninsured.

Everyone deserves the kind of healthcare that Dick Cheney has received (even Cheney in my opinion) and we need a system of healthcare that really provides the health insurance to cover that care for EVERYONE, and not just those who qualify for Obamacare and for health insurance in general.

I lived in European countries in which health care was viewed as a right. Of the countries in which I lived, I liked the French system the best. French doctors saved my life, and I was not a French citizen. I had health insurance from another European country, but France took care of me anyway.

That's the kind of health care we need in America. Everyone, even those between jobs, should have the health care they choose. Under the healthcare plan I had, I could choose my doctor. Virtually all doctors were available on my plan, and I could pick a different doctor every few months if I felt I was not getting the care I needed.

Now, think about all I have said and the fact that the Republicans just tried to eliminate any estate taxes on the rich.

The Medicaid claim to the assets of a person who needs a lot of expensive care wipes out the assets of many hardworking people in the middle class. We need to change this, and if everyone pays a fair share to insure against severe illness, we can change this.

I'm voting for Bernie. I don't know whether he agrees with me on my view of health insurance, but I think he has a similar view.

And yes, Bernie is right about Scandinavia. We should learn from them and from the Germans and Austrians and Swiss on many issues.

We can still work on our own problems with racism before we worry about the problems with racism in other countries. Baltimore and Ferguson are my problems, not Stockholm. I want to copy the good things that the Scandinavians do and when our race relations are so good we can brag about them, then we can tell the Scandinavians how to correct theirs.

[malokvale77]

40. At least CA puts it in the fine print.

The State of Texas will steal child support of one child to pay for Medicaid of another. They don't put it in print and they will deny they do it.

This started under Greg Abbott's child support division as Attorney General of Texas.

[Triana]

34. Bernie did VERY WELL with Snuffaluffagus (whom I can't STAND)

Bernie speaks well, is clear, simply stating what his beliefs are. And he does so very consistently. I really like it.

[freshwest]

41. Most telling part for those for other candidates: HE WILL VOTE FOR THE NOMINEE. EOM.

He is not spoiling within the party nor will he spoil without the party. He is being true to himself and being honest to those who hear him speaking. Democrats have nothing to fear from this man. He's got our spirit if not our label and he will support the Democrats in the end, unlike other parties. So I've got no problem WITH BERNIE. He is not trying to divide us.

EDIT: IN CASE THAT'S NOT CLEAR, IT MEANS HE WILL SUPPORT HRC IF SHE WINS.

Please, keep dragging each other down at DU. It's a misuse of this man and his mission.