What exactly is absurd? You are one of those who is MUCH ANGRIER with DeSantis than with the CCP, even though DeSantis abides by the constitution of the United States, stands for freedom, while the CCP are a gang of kleptocratic murderers.
Your post is absurd. So is your false equivalence between criticizing DeSantis, who is busy assaulting freedom in Florida, and hopes to do the same everywhere in our country, and the Chinese government, a government that I have criticized countless times in this forum when the topic has been brought up. What is so appealing to you about DeSantis? What he is doing in Florida today isn't all that different from the actions of National Socialists in Germany in the 1930's. They attacked literature, wholesale. They attacked small minority groups powerless to defend themselves. Instead of getting emotional about the criticism DeSantis is garnering these days, perhaps you should look seriously at what he is doing to earn that criticism. Just a suggestion.
Florida feels a lot more free than New York or California (where I am right now - even when you arrive at the airport, you get lectured/indoctrinated on billboards everywhere - "wear a mask" posters everywhere - "this terminal is called Harvey Milk terminal and here is a huge wall to tell you why", huge pictures of Mayor London Breed, etc. - socialism has always had a personality cult component to it, interestingly - in airports in Florida, you mainly just see palm trees on posters lol). That may be why people are moving TO Florida, not from it. All your hysteria about DeSantis is overblown. It is literally INSANE to compare DeSantis to the Nazis. In fact, it is inexcusable, because you are relativizing the holocaust.
Ha, was just waiting for the leftist xenophobia to come out. That's the thing, racism and xenophobia aren't any less present on the Left than on the Right. Have seen it many times, including on this forum. Did you know that several Democrats were in the KKK?
Most Americans have heard the story of the “Southern strategy”: The Republican Party, in the wake of the civil rights movement, decided to court Southern white voters by capitalizing on their racial fears. Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater first wielded this strategy in 1964 and Richard Nixon perfected it in 1968 and 1972, turning the solidly Democratic South into a bastion of Republicanism.
Yes, Democrats were in the KKK. Several Democrats also left the party when the Democrats started favoring desegregation and civil rights. They were welcomed to their new home with the Republicans. There was also the famous Robert Byrd who changed his tune and did 180 degree turn around.
Anyone care to point out to @AroundTheWorld which Party the KKK, Neo-Nazi and wanna be authoritarian neo-fascists are on NOW?
This is true - and these same people (mostly American) complain about how terrible the USA is and the rest of the world feels better about themselves, when really they are every bit as racist, if not far more racist. I use Canada as an example, it is a progressive country by world standards in 2023...... but if you spend much time in Canada, you will see lots of racism against aboriginal peoples. They treat natives there really, really poorly.... their reservations are atrocious, a lot of white people in Canada hate them. There are also racial issues with so many non native black people moving into Canada, it causes problems....... and Asians in Canada are often treated poorly. That goes not even get into how French Canadians treat everyone. It isn't an excuse to do nothing in the USA, we need to clean up our own act..... but go to Finland and ask how people not born in Europe and live there feel? They can be Finnish citizens and they will be told to their face they are not Finns. Go to London and see how black people are treated. Go to Northern Ireland and look at Catholics......... that doesn't even count repressive places like India, CCP and Russia and Ukraine........ go to Russia or Ukraine as a black person and see how often you will be told to get off the train.......... go to India as a woman and see how many times you will get groped. Hell, even in Jamaica........ a country of black people, I had Jamaicans ask me not to bring my black American friends with me because they have "a slave mentality".
Why does it bother you that the airport has a terminal named after Harvey Milk? He is a pretty important historical figure over the last 60 years. Does it bother you that there is an RFK Airport or an Abraham Lincoln Airport? John Wayne Airport? I am trying to figure out what your politics are exactly. There are certainly places named after politicians and heavily influenced by politicians in democratic cities - for example Chicago is full of things named after former Mayor Richard Daley - but that is the case in Republican places as well, for example the Bush family in Texas and Houston, and then in places like Florida and Georgia and Mississippi there are places named or connected to the Civil War.... I just think it is something that exists regardless of political bent. While I can look at socialism and think or Mao or Stalin and the cult of personality - that is also true with fascists like Hitler, Mussolini and Franco. It just seems to me that it comes to a cult of personality.
What issue do you have with Harvey Milk? He was a ground breaker for civil rights and made huge strides. What socialist policies do you believe that Breed has put into place and what effect do you believe they've had? People aren't moving to Florida because they have palm tree posters at the airports. I do agree nobody needs to compare DeSantis to Nazis. But he is certainly authoritarian, bans books, a leader in imposing government cancel culture, etc.
It doesn't bother me that the airport terminal is named after Harvey Milk. It's just something that I had literally just seen, as well as lots of posters telling people to wear a mask. I genuinely don't feel a lack of freedom in Florida, very much the opposite. In California and New York, I see the government putting a lot more money into telling people to do what the government thinks would be right.
When people say Florida is a free state, it means you are free to pollute and dump whatever you want wherever you want. The water here constantly has red tide and you see dead fish in all the waterways, homeless people at every gas station asking you for money so that's freedom I guess too. People love to say "Florida is a free state" but I don't think any of them actually can explain what they mean in any shape or form that actually relates to real freedom.
It's just something I noticed in SFO, that there was a huge photo of the mayor in the terminal. Seemed unusual to me. I can respect disagreeing with DeSantis' political positions and laughing at his somewhat awkward personality. I strongly disagree with DeSantis on gun control and on Ukraine. But to compare him to 1930 Nazis is just stupid.
Honestly, I think it just comes down to an individual choice and how people define freedom and feel comfortable with. I personally don't especially like Florida, but that isn't because of politics - I spent some time there 15-20 years ago and witnessed some bad things.... but that was a long time ago. I prefer Texas or California or even Chicago. The Summer in Chicago is exceptional. As for masks, everyone has their own pet issues.... I guess if I had any real issues in Chicago similar to what you have with masks, it would be that Chicago's government is very arrogant. They are actually very good at mobilizing and getting things done when they want to - but they also have little concern for the poor.
Unfortunately everything is a tradeoff. You get more bang for your buck in Florida, you can get a larger home, and products are cheaper.... easier to "make it", but there are environmental issues, there are less worker rights and less safety nets. Texas is a lot like that as well.... I have seen both sides of it, and can understand it as well. I can see why someone would move to Florida because of opportunities........ but I will say, if I had a lot of money, I wouldn't move there - especially now. In the past a lot of people on the East Coast moved there when they made it. It is the same with Texas.
