Massachusetts' Kafkaesque unemployment website

[some_guy]

@lolipop_jones

The Almost Perfect State which Bernie Sanders envisions will be administered not so much by honest, industrious, friendly Danes and Swiss, but by a long-entrenched cadre whose vision of public service is something like, “The best service the public can provide is to get a paycheck to my nephew.”

The argument that “we can’t have socialism here because politicians will abuse the system for their own benefit” is moot if politicians are already doing so; corruption will always exist at some level, that has nothing to do with whether socialism will improve life for the majority of our citizens. Cronyism, nepotism, kickbacks, fraud, embezzlement-- these happen in business as well as government, there could be corruption at the local Elks lodge or Kiwanis club, but again it’s a separate issue from whether any of these organizations are a benefit or not.

I live in Massachusetts, and while I’m embarrassed that the MDU website is poorly designed, I’m glad someone is shining a light on it, because if enough people complain it will get fixed. That’s how democracy is supposed to work, including the kind of social democracy Bernie proposes and Denmark has.

[Phrenological]

What, you want to keep out the lobbyists and corruption? That’s unamerican commietown!

[coherent_light]

@cjankelson

If you live your life doing only what Clippy tells you to, then I guess you’re SOL.

It appears as though you’re making an argument against making things better. Is there really a reason anyone should entertain this?

[Wanderfound]

@some_guy

The argument that “we can’t have socialism here because politicians will abuse the system for their own benefit” is moot if politicians are already doing so; corruption will always exist at some level, that has nothing to do with whether socialism will improve life for the majority of our citizens.

It is rather missing the point that out here in the democratic socialist utopia of NotAmerica, we have graft and cronyism and nepotism and generally crooked politicians too. This is not a novel problem.

So what? You send them to prison when you can, bitch about them when you can’t.

The difference is, despite the seemingly inevitable (but regionally variable, so it can be reduced) corruption, you get to see the doctor for free when you’re sick and smart working class kids can go to university.

[lolipop_jones]

@Wanderfound

The difference is, despite the seemingly inevitable (but regionally variable, so it can be reduced) corruption, you get to see the doctor for free when you’re sick and smart working class kids can go to university.

Sometimes you do get those things. Or sometimes, you get a national shortage of toilet paper and electricity that’s on four days a week.