Bernie Sanders

If a freelance client hired me to work on a humanitarian design project, I'd take the job in a heartbeat. Currently I design consumer electronics part time for a small company that develops cyber security hardware to prevent hackers and spies from stealing your data off your devices. My role is to make the hardware functional and look cool. So I'd like to think I'm in a design field that has a great benefit to society. One of my closest buddies is a footwear designer at Adidas. As far as shoes go: Yes, one could get by with only one pair of Converse All Stars for basketball, running, work, hiking, etc. But in the end it's not gonna offer them the best performance, and sneaker technology has come a long way since the days of Chuck Taylor. I'm better off having my own shoes for every niche: basketball shoes for basketball, running shoes for running, dance shoes for dancing, tennis shoes for tennis, hiking boots for the great outdoors, etc. But my favorite running shoes are the Reebok ATV 19s: a cleat running shoe hybrid



These shoes are awesome for off-trail running and the beach. I wouldn't ever wear them on a date though, because the girl might think I have horrible taste.

If you wanna eliminate consumer choices in the marketplace, not only would it kill my job but the jobs of vendors, salespeople, artists, scientists, chemists, and developers. Talk about fighting poverty....

 

Of course you're better off having every possible luxury for yourself, regardless of what happens to anybody else. That isn't being debated by anybody.

 

No, that's really not what I'm getting at.
Nor do I think it's what Bernie is getting at.

I have no problem with 20 different kinds of walking shoe or 30 kinds of deodorant.
And I certainly have no issue with 31 flavors of ice cream... in fact, I like having an insane amount of ice cream flavors to choose from.

This isn't an either/or argument, it's more of an if/then.
As in, "if" the USA has the money as a whole to support an insane amount of options of one kind of product, "then" we should also be well off enough to do something more significant about poverty.
We have such an issue with poverty that, for example, LA is looking to spend $100 million to combat the problem; while at the same time we have a consumer market that has an incredibly robust showing of products.


The point is, that with such a great amount of wealth in the nation, we should be able to afford to lift the lowest living standards to something more respectable than just waiting to die.

 

I guess I should jump in on footwear.

I have one pair of black work boots.
I prefer them to be waterproof.
Every couple years or so, I get a new pair.

That's it.

 

I have nothing against a robust job market for white collar jobs, but like others have pointed out that wasn't really the point.

plus when people start defending a certain industry because of the jobs it creates, it kind of reminds me of coal mining. That's always the first thing you hear about when people start discussing moving away from coal energy. "but that'll take our jerrrbbbss!!"

 

Bernie has now raised more money online than any other political candidate this year. Money isn't quite as important in campaigns as it used to be, as I often point out in other threads, but this is still very good for a guy who avoids wealthy donors like the plague.

 

I made the mistake of getting in a political discussion the other night with some old drunk conservatives. Up until that point I had successfully avoided hearing people throw socialism around like its a bad word when someone brings up Bernie. I'm surprised it took this long. Also what's up with people thinking their point is more valid if they yell?

 

The stupidity pandemic is the biggest problem in this country, because there's no cure for stupid.

 

Education?

 

Send republicans to school and they eat the books.

 

Here's a new twist...

Bernie Sanders tells Latino lawmakers: Undocumented immigrants should benefit from Obamacare

I imagine those who already support him, won't balk at this.
But he may garner a stronger following out of the Latino and Hispanic communities for this stance.
And it's not a half-bad idea, if you follow the logic to how it could benefit the nation as a whole.