How can you tell when conservatives are in charge?

1. The government, corporations, and the wealthy have money
2. Unions (who happen to be made up of citizens and taxpayers, ordinary hard working folk like my father) are under attack
3. Society is falling apart from underinvestment, ruthless deregulation and exploitation
4. The middle class shrinks and fear becomes the societal driving force
5. War is glorified and often started
6. Intelligence and facts are degraded and disregarded for what are often outright lies

It gets worse when neoliberals are in charge, as every government since Reagan, Thatcher, and Mulroney have been.

I'd rather my politicians tax and spend, a long as they are spending it on things the country actually needs.

Screw American propaganda... the only true American art-form, the dream exists in Norway and other Scandinavian countries. It has for a long time. The rest of the world, especially Canada, a northern country, should look there for wisdom about how to run a country. Low, flat taxes only benefit those with lots to tax. Close the loopholes. Make tax avoidance illegal, along with offshore shenanigans. Raise enough revenue to fund health, infrastructure, defense, and education and properly deal with poverty. In other words, solve most our social problems. Every man for himself creates a country when every needs guns to feel secure and children regularly get shot at school. A country based on war. A country based on greed and slavery. The current version of the Roman Empire.

I'd rather be Nordic.

Oh, and while I'm ranting, no government should be able to cut one dime in any program without first cutting their own pay and benefits. And no government should be able to increase their pay and benefits without first increasing program spending.

Lead by example, share the pain, otherwise its hypocrisy not democracy.