I first should state that I don't actually think there is anything Progressive about the so-called "progressives" of today. In fact, I believe they are in general regressive. They virtue signal and shout at the top of their lungs (sometimes literally) while the policies and acts due exactly the opposite of what they are virtue signalling about. I personally care a lot more about actions than words. Saying a thing is meaningless if it isn't what actually occurs.

With that said the idea that people should be able to do what they want as long they are not hurting another is a strong belief of mine. That in theory was the case of the classical liberal. I actually could identify with that.

This does not mean I believe the so-called conservatives are without flaw either. I've actually fought that battle from within that party before. I believe "conservation" is important. I believe simplifying our laws and keeping our government to a minimum is in the best interest of all. Furthermore, I don't see that as being at odds with the "alleged" goals of progressives. Live and let live.

Now the conservative side is often bashed over interfering with pro-choice, how people view themselves, or forcing religion onto people. That actually doesn't happen much anymore. It has before. In fact the "progressives" are the ones that seem to be most forcefully dictating what can be said, how a person should act, and what is politically correct these days. Much like pushing a religion and expecting conformity.

So I don't identify as either. I am a human. I am an individual. I use my brain. I don't need a party or some authority figure to do my thinking for me.

With that VERY LONG intro (one of my tendencies) let's get to the point of this post.

I've been thinking for a few days about the consequences of socialism, and I'll also call that modern day "progressivism" as I do believe they are for the most part one and the same thing at the moment.

The Impact of Modern Progressives (aka Socialists)

I am not absolutely certain how this post is going to flow. I want to just riff with a few things. The main concept is an addiction to virtue signalling. No follow through. It seems they are always looking for the latest tragedy or movement to capitalize on. When that seems to be declining they move onto the "next thing". Yet, what about the follow through? Do they actually worry about the consequences of the results of their previous virtue signalling tirades?

I don't think they do. In fact, I believe they very much just ignore the consequences. This has been rammed home with some things I found pretty shocking in 2017.

I grew up seeing the photos of starving Africans (It was Ethiopia during my youth) on TV and how for a small amount per month you could feed X amount of kids. This seemed like a noble cause. In fact, it IS noble IF you have your own house in order first.

If I saw a neighbor child starving and I started paying to feed them while neglecting to feed my own children then I don't consider that particularly noble. I consider it a foolish opportunity to virtue signal. Now if I can help that child AND feed my own children then that IS a positive thing.

I look about and see homelessness, starving Americans, Americans who cannot afford education, and all manner of people in our country (our nation's children) that we could help. Yet, there are these things called SANCTUARY CITIES where we are sheltering trespassers, employing them, educating them, in many cases ignoring crimes if committed by them, giving them food, giving them shelter. TRESPASSERS. I did not say Immigrants because, if they did not LEGALLY immigrate here they are TRESPASSERS, INVADERS, etc.

So the virtue signalling "progressives", "liberals", "left", etc take care of them. As to education. That's what DACA is about. It is about paying for TRESPASSERS' education. All of this while we have homeless, and we do not have the government paying for the nation's actual children's education. Why? It's a chance to virtue signal about protecting these "dreamers" while ignoring the dreamers who actually are not trespassing.

It's also easy to virtue signal such things when you are deluded into thinking the government can just PAY for whatever suits your interest. The ignorance about how things are paid for and that there is no such thing as FREE from the government. It is just spending other people's money, and/or putting everyone that actually is not a trespasser into debt.

Now, you've heard all of this before. I had some things show up in 2017 that showed just how much this is ignored and pushed aside and how insane it can get when these "so-called progressive" ideas are actually implemented.

California - The Experiment Live Large

California out of all the states is the most Socialist, "Progressive", "Liberal" of all of the states. It is the place that seems to be attempting to implement the most of these type of things. The state has many Sanctuary Cities, allows trespassers to commit crimes, and has a lot of problems they like to shuffle OUT OF SIGHT.

The most interesting one that has had my mind spinning for about a week was the SAN FRANCISCO POOP MAPS, and POOP MAP apps. What is this? There is such a big problem with human defecation at various places around the city that they actually are making maps to help people avoid areas with human feces on the ground and in the environment. This blew my mind. I was unaware of this issue and of how it occurred, and why it keeps getting worse.

I could not have made this up. I was pretty amazed by this problem.

You see what happens in this "sanctuary city" where trespassers are welcome they have a large homeless population that has been growing. They will occasionally visit areas the homeless are at and try to run them out so this will shift things around.

One homeless man said that he used to use a two bag method when defecating. Then they banned plastic bags. At that point this problem truly began. Not only are they homeless but it appears they also don't really have access to toilets they are able to use. Yet, let's welcome (sarcasm) trespassers and give them sanctuary while we have this growing population of citizens without homes, without toilets, and without education opportunities. I guess our homeless citizens don't "dream". You are apparently only a "dreamer" if you trespass.

This is not the only issue. Why are there so many homeless? It is getting more and more expensive to live in California. Why? That's pretty easy to explain, but the socialists and progressives don't want to hear it. The government CAN NOT give you free things. So when they push sanctuary, food stamps for trespassers, education for trespassers, etc and all the people cheer and virtue signal. How do they pay for that? Increase taxes. Increase debt. Increase wages to offset the increase in taxes, debt. Increase cost of houses, and rent to offset having to pay increase wages and taxes. This will lead to more and more expensive housing, and less jobs for people not meeting criteria. That criteria might be based upon the virtue signalling "diversity" movement so someone without a home finds it more and more difficult to find a job that can pay the increasing housing costs due to a company focusing on whether they are diverse. So they may be really skilled at the job, but can't get one. In some places they might be a white male heterosexual and that immediately closes many doors. Not everyone pushes through that. It should therefore be no surprise if people stop to use their brains rather than fixating on the dopamine release from how they feel virtue signalling.

California has MANY problems. A large amount of them seem to be consequences of pushing the ideas they would love to push across the United States. Let's push failed ideas everywhere so we can have nationwide POOP MAPS.

Chicago

Another place that is the bastion of many policies like this is Chicago. It has the strictest gun control laws in the nation and is the place with the most gun violence in the nation. Bring this up and they'll say that they can just go across the border to Indiana to get guns. Guess what? That argument is true of ANYWHERE else in the nation(not to mention why isn't Indiana worse with Gun Violence?), but isn't a problem in those places like it is Chicago. The thing to note is that Chicago does have many of the gun control laws they try to push for in the rest of the United States and they DON'T WORK. Banning things doesn't work. It didn't work for prohibition of alcohol. It doesn't work for the war on drugs. It doesn't work on telling people they can't drink alcohol until they are 21. Why would a person think it would suddenly work for guns? Stupidity? It'll work this time right?

Could it be perhaps that the criminals (They don't care about gun laws... they already plan on committing crimes) know in Chicago that the average citizen is less likely to have a gun (concealed or otherwise) so they feel safer in committing their crimes? Is there any possibility in that? You see they like to talk about the guns coming from out of state. They seem to ignore the FACT that the places the guns come from have FAR LESS gun crime. They don't stop to think about what makes Chicago special. It can't be the presence of the guns or else we'd see a correlation elsewhere, which we do not.

They have a new record I read today. I read that Chicago now also has the most carjackings.

So for all of you people that virtue signal and want to protect dreamers why don't you go to California or Chicago (It is a sanctuary city too)? You can try out all these things you are certain are so great without FORCING and INFLICTING them upon the rest of us.

Afterall isn't a progressive and liberal supposed to be advocating for people to live and let live? If so, why are you so dead set on forcing the rest of us to practice your lunacy?

Is it truly "progressive" when the negative things are simply pushed into ghettos and ignored while virtue signalling about other things?

The Impact of Modern Progressives (aka Socialists)

California - The Experiment Live Large

Chicago