@ianthealy True. I'm fortunate in that I come from Canada, where religion is *not* supposed to be something you bring into politics as a cheap stunt, and I now live in a generically Catholic country where religious belief is just a backdrop to cultural life.
Tommy Douglas was a Baptist minister who created universal healthcare, among other social welfare programs. He's a Canadian hero. US right-wing politicking for power via faith, & the attendant persecution complexes... that's something else.
I've been talking about this with a lovely friend from Saskatchewan - a place with a *much* stronger history of Christian socialist action than many parts of North America. We were puzzling out what had happened to the self-evident monopoly on Christian virtue that for a long time such movements had. Was it just that 1930s US white supremacy, & 1970s televangelism, were louder than their "dignity for all", roll-up-their-sleeves-and-get-to-work humility & brotherly love?
@MLClark @ianthealy
Oh, I'm not sure where to start, or prioritize...
Our US "production economy" lasted from 1920s to 1990s (ended via GATT>WTO / NAFTA, etc);
Migration from tenant farms to ghettos/cities;
Unionization (omni racial);
Civil rights "pulse" (50s to 2000s; being reversed by Roberts' S Ct);
Political "demonization" (Reagan et al);
Min. Wage suppression;
The pendulum in USA has heavy momentum; the Darker Ages are still ahead (unless miracles happen).
(photo: ranch across the road)
Excellent list! (Though I agree, it's tough even to scratch the surface on all the mitigating factors that brought us to our current state.)
The US had its own Christian Socialist movement, which found purchase a little earlier on, especially with Eugene V. Debs - then lost it to some pretty vicious state campaigns.
I do sometimes wonder what the 20th century would have looked like if ideas like this had continued to proliferate instead.
Debs remains iconic to a few of us...
Part II
On the other hand: I had a THR (hip replacement), via "Medicare Advantage" and my low-income Colorado Medicaid (I pay zero monthly: normally >160 USD).
So far, total expenses out of pocket, were
2 tanks of gas ($40 each)
Co-pay on meds ($18)
Thrift shop walker ($8 + eBay $18: for new plug-in wheels).
A shop in Salida (1.25h north; site of surgery), had donation shower seat and toilet 'riser' (free); I'll need to return those and 😎 donate to them, the walker. 😎
Oh, that's so good to hear. Thank you for sharing. I'm thankful to know your needs are being met by a proper social safety net - at least, well enough to take the stress of payment off your mind while moving through major surgery and recovery!
May the process of recovery continue be relatively easy and cost-effective! (Congrats on becoming a cyborg, too!)
@MLClark @ianthealy
I wish I had a list of all Americans, who actually knew who Tommy D was, and a sub-list ~
... of those who've know enough of his history, for over 20 years.
😎
There aren't enough, imo.