Tiberius Thought

Braun Spencer Thought is the  - ideology of u/BraunSpencer. He is a  and a supporter of ,  ,  , and. Friends of his have described him as a "Classical Progressive" or  "Old-School Non-Marxist Social Democrat."

Metaphysics
I'm a subjective idealist. Reality is dependent on the mind; nothing is independent of it. And we can only verify our own souls and minds. Objectivity does not truly exist, only individual perception. So I'm in league with anti-realists and  moral nihilists. That is not to say observations in these areas are not invalid—I have personal preferences myself, as will be discussed later. I accept the soul-body distinction; my favorite argument for it is philosophical zombies.

Negative Utilitarianism
My personal moral preference is negative utilitarianism. I believe that our end-goal should be to minimize net suffering in the long-term. But unlike other negative utilitarians, I look at suffering from an Epicurean hedonist perspective—that a  materialistic lifestyle which emphasizes wealth and consumption induces suffering; enslavement of the soul to posessions. Pleasure is not only the absence of suffering, but also moderation, community, and pursuit of knowledge. If we are to maximize pleasure, we should encourage through public policy education, meaningful work, financial autonomy, simple living, and small, tight communities. The ends also justify the means.

Political Philosophy
A reason for my ideological shift is this: The Hamiltonian ideal of a  heavily industrialized,  top-down society triumphed at the Civil War's conclusion. The second the Confederacy surrendered to the  Union,  Classical Liberalism as a strong ideological influence in the US perished. The Jeffersonian and  Jacksonian ideal of a  decentralized,  agrarian society perished alongside it.

By the 1890s those ideals which formed the basis of the original American left became irrelevant as even rural areas adopted industry. Industrialization is like soma; it's god awful in innumerable ways, but the high you get from its "finer" aspects never ends. That's why trade unions in the 19th century never espoused  de-industrialization; though they wanted to improve their working lives, like cutting working hours in half, they wanted to keep the apparent benefits of industrialization. People don't want to give up those conveniences.

The more we industrialized, the more complex America has become as a nation. The greater the complexity, the greater the need for centralization. It's easy to have a heavily decentralized government in an agrarian society. But when industry demands thousands of economic transactions every waking minute—from person-to-person, town-to-town, city-to-city, country-to-country—we need a powerful central authority to regulate it.

And yet Classical Liberalism's espoused values are desirable. People who agreed with the movement's principles like John Dewey and Isiah Berlin realized that the goals of the Enlightenment are worth striving towards. Ideals that cannot be maintained as workers are hopelessly exploited and society becomes more plutocratic. But in a modern context, we have to accept industry as a necessary evil. We need to strive for political equality, equality of opportunity, and class collaboration using a top-down approach.

Instead of accepting Hamilton's notion of a society which worships landlords and wealthy industrialists—as exhibited through his property restrictions on voting—we should instead use his industrialized and centralized system to promote Classical Liberal's core values. (Yes, I still view Hamilton in a negative light.) That and the promotion of positive liberty: a man stranded in the desert has maximum negative liberty, but is not truly free since he doesn't have the means to act on it. We must give everyone a minimum standard of living in order for people to function as humans, not cogs in a machine.

The TL;DR of all this is that I've embraced pragmatism. Hamiltonian means, Jeffersonian ends.

[[File:Soccap.png]] Social Capitalism
I'm a supporter of social capitalism (a.k.a. social market economy). Capitalism:
 * Outcompetes socialist economic systems (which is one reason they triumphed during the Cold War).
 * Efficiently distributes resources by responding to consumer preferences, adapting to rapid changes, cutting production costs to stay competitive, rewarding productivity, etc.
 * Unites people of various nationalities, cultures, religions, and races by prioritizing usefulness; capitalists will hire and promote their products to everyone.
 * Raises living standards and spurs technological, scientific, and medical progress (much of which we take for granted today).
 * Creates financial incentives for disgusting, inhumane, but necessary jobs.
 * Elevates the most [[File:Merit.png]] meritorious, distinctive individuals—many of whom were born in poverty—to hierarchical positions (often to society's betterment).

Capitalism is imperfect, however, as:
 * Excess capital accumulation leads to [[File:Corp.png]] monopolies, oliogopolies, and too-big-to-fail firms.
 * Firms with too much market share are stagnant (less innovative) and limit competition.
 * Creative destruction and unrestrained trade results in widespread unemployment.
 * Negative externalities (e.g., climate change) are not accounted for.
 * Unequal bargaining power leads to low pay and systematic abuse.
 * Too much inequality (unequal income and oppurtunity):
 * Prices vulnerable Americans out of the market.
 * [[File:Plutocrat.png]] Corrupts political and cohesive institutions.
 * Makes top-earners more loyal to wealth than country.

So I believe we should promote collaboration between labor,  business, and  state; while also  regulating negative externalities,  ensuring a minimum living standard,  promoting fair competition, and breaking up  overly-large firms (e.g., Big Tech and Big Finance).

[[File:Soccorp.png]] Trade Unions
I support trade unions. While economic hierarchies are a net positive as they elevate those of supreme merit, they need to be held accountable to those who help build their wealth and to society at large. Trade unions, especially when they have striking power and thereby equalize bargaining power, are the best tool for this. They're great for:
 * Ensuring workers have living wages.
 * High job security, keeping unemployment levels low.
 * Better working conditions and stable scheduling.
 * More leisure time, which is important for mental health.
 * Are (often) a source of mutual aid.

They also regulate capital accumulation, ensuring that profits don't come at the expense of the workers. Monopsony power, or low labor market elasticity, is pervasive in all industries since markets lack sufficient competition. Trade unions best counter this by driving wages closer what they would be in a competitive market.

I want to eventually see a country where one person can sustain a family of four on a single income (like in the 40s and 50s). And employers of every size have a moral obligation to give their workers a decent living standard. Trade unions are milestones for both.

[[File:Marketsoc.png]] Worker Co-Ops
Worker co-ops have many benefits— like being a source of community in regions heavily populated by them, making workers happier, and raise income levels. So I'm not opposed to them on principle. However, worker co-ops are good for their workers because they prioritize their own members over growth. While this is good for them, it's bad for society as a whole. Because co-ops:
 * Tend to operate at a loss to keep members from losing work, which means resource aren't being allocated efficiently.
 * Entrepreneurs can't extract Schumpeterian rents from them; which implies they aren't innovative enough (e.g., no creative destruction).
 * Most of them fail to raise capital since participating in the stock market kind of defeats the purpose of equal ownership of property.
 * Studies on co-ops can't control for how ordinary people would like to be a worker-owner; most people from my experience don't want that responsibility.
 * And structural unemployment might be a significant problem in an economy dominated by co-ops, as worker-owned firms have little incentive to hire more people.

I think trade unions and  Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are superior. They combine the benefits of worker co-ops (like more productivity, job security, higher incomes) with the pros of a capitalist firm (e.g., creative destruction and new jobs). Co-ops that become too big are also no better than a standard company; Mondragon, for example, hires more independent contractors than worker-owners.

Free Trade
I'm not opposed to free trade per se. But it needs to be regulated so it doesn't harm domestic workers, global ecosystems, etc.

Right now our trade agreements don't factor in externalities. (From negative externalities like climate change to positive externalities like technological spillover.) Goods from countries with lax pollution laws like India and  China are too cheap since they don't reflect in the true cost of a commodity. Countries like Kenya have abysmal worker's rights—including straight-up  human trafficking—enable too much outsourcing, since  corporations are moving abroad to abuse alien workers while leaving American workers on the street. This can also lead industries that are sources of positive externalities vulnerable to collapse. Trade agreements also haven't factored national security concerns, as we were misled by the theory free trade always leads to more liberal democracies.

As such, we must regulate trade so we maintain the benefits of global cooperation without jeopardizing our domestic prosperity. We should thus:
 * Encourage people to buy locally through advertising campaigns (think "Buy American!" or "Buy a Bond!").
 * Rewrite or add clauses to trade agreements to include [[File:SyndieSam.png]] worker's rights, [[File:Liberty.png]] human rights, and [[File:Envi.png]] environmental measures.
 * Also add measures to reduce currency manipulation, which makes our exports too expensive while imports too cheap.
 * Implement [[File:Protect.png]] tariffs to protect local industries critical to our national security (e.g., steel production and semiconductor manufacturing).

[[File:Statecap.png]] State-Owned Enterprises
I support nationalizing industries prone to natural monopoly or having state-owned enterprises (SOEs) co-exist and compete with capitalist firms; and I'm enthusiastic about sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). SOEs in general should be ran on a for-profit basis; the wealth they generate would go towards healthcare, infrastructure, etc. Examples of where SOEs would be optimal:
 * Tap water
 * Electricity grids
 * Gas networks
 * Transportation infrastructure
 * Railways
 * Roads
 * Highways
 * Sewer infrastructure
 * Operating systems

Maximum Wage
I support a maximum wage as argued for by Sam Pizzigati. Basically the highest-paid member of a firm cannot have an income thirty times greater than the lowest paid employee (1:30). Every penny which crosses that threshold will be taxed away. This is to ensure businesses cannot accumulate enough capital to cause serious harm; but it also ties the profits of a business to the well-being of bottom-end employees.

Minimum Wage
Ideally, trade unions,  businesses, and the  government would set minimum standards via collective bargaining institutions. (Countries like Sweden and  have no legal minimum wage because of this  class collaboration.)  Competition, which there would be more of after  breaking up monopolies and oligopolies, would handle the rest. However, we don't have this ideal system and likely won't happen in the near future. As of now, monopsony power—low labor market elasticity—is abundant in most industries. To counter this market failure we should raise the minimum wage to $18 an hour ($15/hour four years ago adjusted for inflation). While low-skill workers having less access to entry-level jobs is a valid concern, I feel the federal jobs guarantee would solve that.

[[File:Welf.png]] Welfarism
I support a welfare state. It's good public policy. It reduces poverty, buys the vote of reactionary minorities, curtails  extremist tendencies, reduces economic inequality, and overall fosters societal stability. Even for strictly selfish reasons I would like something to fall back on if I fall on hard times. I believe already-existing programs should be improved and expanded on, with an employment guarantee so nobody who wants a job can get one.

Safety Nets
We should improve safety nets. Particularly unemployment insurance (UI) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Millions of children today grow up in poverty. Most of them can't access healthy nutrition; nearly half live in financially struggling households. Contrary to GOP propaganda, most people can't live off unemployment insurance alone. We should expand investment into and modernize such safety nets. This should include removing work requirements (which don't, you know, work), automatic triggers in cases of shock, and pouring more money into the program.

[[File:Postkeynes.png]] Federal Jobs Guarantee
Work is a human right. Unemployment is degrading as there's a certain dignity to labor; decent work gives people meaning and fulfillment. There's a reason suicide rates are disproportionately high among the unemployed. Protectionist measures will revive local manufacturing—and thereby creating more high-paying jobs—will do wonders. But what we should also implement a federal jobs guarantee (FJG) to ensure not one person who wants a job is out of work. A job that not only benefits the community but pays a living wage and good benefits. This would have the added benefit of forcing most private sector firms to adopt higher standards since they now must compete with a public option. The FJG should be:
 * Infrastructure
 * Roads
 * Bridges
 * Water
 * Rail
 * Housing
 * Childhood care (e.g., daycare)
 * Elderly care (aging population)

CTC and EITC
The child tax credit (CTC) and earned income tax credit (EITC) are the [https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-does-earned-income-tax-credit-affect-poor-families#:~:text=The%20EITC%20is%20the%20single,employment%20for%20low%2Dincome%20workers. most effective] anti-poverty programs in the United States. They not only encourage work, but increase the purchasing power of low-income people. To further reduce poverty we should:
 * Make the CTC fully refundable
 * Increase CTC amount.
 * CTC should be monthly, not annual.
 * Include single workers in the EITC.
 * Remove unnecessary barriers to both.

[[File:Cball-Switzerland.png]] Mandatory Health Insurance
I support universal healthcare. Though something more along the lines of the Swiss healthcare system than single-payer. Which is basically compulsory private insurance, but with a public option to drive down costs and offered free of charge for low-income people. Private health insurance has many benefits—such as low wait times that more socialized systems embarrassingly lack—but uninsured Americans are left in the dust. To preserve the benefits of our system without driving ordinary people into bankruptcy for unexpected emergencies, the Swiss model is ideal, with some necessary adjustments like the public option to drive down costs.

Summary
A good fit for my sociocultural views is progressive communitarianism. I support social evolution—in terms of expanding  civil rights,  LGBT rights, and  positive (read: not guided by Robber Barons like Bourla and Bezos) medical, scientific, and technological progress—in the context of sustaining cohesive institutions and positive rights. A compromise between individualism and  collectivism. When the individual flourishes, so does the collective; and vice versa. Not only does this shape a lot of my economic views, but also my takes on social and cultural matters.

[[File:Gay.png]] LGBT Rights
I'm an advocate of LGBT rights. But I admit to bias since I'm openly bisexual. But I befriended many transgender and  non-binary people over the years, which has influenced my views on this topic. The recent surge in persecution of LGBT people in the United States—from the  "Don't Say Gay Bill" to  hate crimes skyrocketing under Trump—justifies arming LGBT citizens to the teeth. More widespread distribution of wealth-generating property would also empower LGBT people, enabling their financial independence. Same can be said for / racial/ethnic minorities.

Anti-Consumerism
Consistent with my opposition to decadence, I'm opposed to consumerism. Filling our lives with consumption, even in the face of urban decay, only intensifies psychological suffering. It also breeds inflation by increasing the demand for luxuries, and therefore accelerates prices across the board. Consumerism also enables excess capital accumulation, getting people hooked on social media, junk food, and other addictive products. An addicted customer is a loyal one. To counter our destructive consumer culture I support a progressive consumption tax. Raw foods will have next to no taxes; processed items will have a medium tax; and luxuries like yachts will have a high tax.

Marriage
I used to be pro-polyamory for eugenic reasons. Because by allowing people to have multiple partners, women will choose the best men—thereby producing valuable offspring. The problem is, as seen in China with their demographic decline, this can be a source of instability;  men who are isolated from the sexual market will be radicalized against the system. Unless you have an invasive security apparatus to deal with that, or you fully subsidize physician-assisted suicide without limits, we have to pursue other avenues of achieving a eugenic effect for the sake of social cohesion.

Monogamy is a source of stability in society. It should therefore be incentivized. We must also create the material conditions for marriages to thrive. Divorce rates are lower in states with low economic inequality. The primary reason for most divorces are financial. Returning to the days where one income stream was enough to feed a family of four is worth striving towards. While there are some valid criticisms of no-fault divorce, outlawing it again would only make domestic violence difficult to escape.

I'm a strong supporter of same-sex marriage too. The fact is that STDs are high among LGBT people because of their culture of regular casual sex and multiple partners. More recently monkeypox has replaced HIV/AIDS as the so-called "gay disease." We should make more of an effort to encourage homosexual and bisexual people to marry, even if their partner is of the same sex, to improve public health.

Gun Rights
Unlike many other progressives—although he's not a tiny minority by any means—Braun is a strong supporter of  gun rights. As said earlier he believes transgender people should own firearms to defend themselves against a  reactionary population. Especially in states with the trans-panic defence. Everyone should be armed by mandate. (Yes, even for convicted felons; if people fear you're going to abuse gun rights once released from prison, you shouldn't have been released.) If you don't want to be mugged, robbed, or killed, you don't just invest in socioeconomic programs which reduce those crimes—you must arm yourself for the occasional screw-up. The police won't save you; you must save yourself. You have the right to defend yourself and your property. He'd also pass a national stand-your-ground law.

Police Reform
W.I.P.

Prostitution
Braun is mostly indifferent to sex work. But he sees value in legalizing prostitution. Namely as a source of stability given the rise in inceldom, a source of income for women in poverty, and as a source of revenue as sex is almost an infinite resource so long as humans have drives. Keeping it criminal makes it difficult for prostitutes to report abuse; outlawing the purchasing of it will only drive it further into the black market. Criminalizing it also doesn't get to the root of the problem. Only a minority of prostitutes actually enjoy their work. Most of them do it for survival, as in some cases, due to monopsony power, prostitution is either a superior alternative to most minimum wage jobs in terms of compensation or is an effective side hustle.

Braun's solution is to confine prostitution to state-owned brothels (SOBs). All prostitutes working in these brothels must be adults and licensed to do that sort of work. They must undergo regular check-ups for psychiatric problems and sexually-transmitted diseases. Contraception use would be mandatory for both parties. Cameras would be installed as well to catch johns. The profits these SOBs generate would go towards reducing the need for anybody to go into the world's oldest profession—safety nets especially. Eventually the only people who would work for SOBs are the minority of those who actually like the work.

Prison Reform
Braun is a strong supporter of rehabilitative justice. He believes everyone, even the most heinous of criminals, deserve a second chance at life if they do the time while also being actively treated by psychiatrists. Punitive justice comes with a high recidivism rate. Braun believes this is because the long-term effects of incarceration—adapting to prison culture, being shunned by society, greater difficulty integrating back into society, and whatnot—make it so former convicts have nothing to lose and return. Oscar Wilde is a major influence on Braun's views on this subject.

Abortion
Braun is strongly pro-choice. His bloodline is filled with drug addictis, alcoholics, mental illness, and poverty. His personal experience shaped his belief that society benefits from sustaining stable population growth and keeping the birth rates of people born with inheritable, anguishing conditions low.

Access to abortion is what drove crime rates since the 70s. Furthermore, there's an originalist for the pro-choice position—the drafters of the 14th Amendment would've understood abortion was protected by the right to privacy (at least until the quickening, 15-18 weeks into pregnancy).

That being said, Braun also thinks we can drastically reduce the need for abortions by providing birth control, sex education, and other programs which reduce unwanted pregnancies.

Summary
I prioritize domestic policy for the most part. Because if a citizenry feels neglected, why would they sacrifice their lives for the body politic? If you grow up with crumbling infrastructure (from dirty tap water to terribly maintained roads), poor access to nutrition, corrupt police, crippling yet unavoidable personal debt, etc., why would you take up arms and fight for that? The most effective foreign policy requires a patriotic population. Otherwise people feel their country isn't worth dying for, and therefore will, sometimes violently as seen with the Vietnam War, protest even the most standard national security measures. We must create a country that's worth fighting for if we can even dream of carrying out other vital state functions.

That said, national security—particularly foreign policy—has always been of interest to me. And something that drives some many of my domestic policy views is my belief that my country, the United States, should pursue its rational self-interest across the globe while promoting strong cohesive and republican institutions across the planet. My long-term goal would resemble a global federation with my country at the forefront. But the national interest—like access to natural resources given my protectionist stance and maintaining the balance of power—being critical in the short-term. My NatSec views have been described as neoconservative.

[[File:Cball-Ukraine.png]] Russo-Ukraine War
I thus far approve of Joe Biden's handling of the Russo-Ukraine War. Russia is an aggressor nation, seeking Eurasian hegemony to the benefit of  Putin's  criminal empire and his  plutocratic friends. Russia's attempt to achieve this fantasy of restoring and expanding the Soviet Union's (or for that matter  tsarist Russia's) former glory should be stopped at all costs. Anything short of a clear victory in Ukraine—and if not a victory, making the Russian occupiers suffer by sponsoring guerrilla fighters—should be dismissed.

[[File:Cball-China.png]] On China
One of the biggest mistakes my country made in hindsight was continuing friendly relations with China after the  Soviet Union's collapse. Working with China against a common threat was a brilliant strategy I can abide. But working with a country that's still ideologically or aesthetically committed to Tankie principles after that was bound to fail. We foolishly suspected China would embrace liberal democracy by pursuing free trade with them. All free trade did was economically empower the totalitarian regime. And now they have us by the balls. Just look at John Cena's pathetic apology to the CPC in Mandarin—Hollywood has been infiltrated by the Red Menace. China is a bigger threat to American sovereignty than the Soviet Union at this point. To counter this threat we should:
 * Embrace [[File:Protect.png]] protectionism and reduce our dependency on China and their neighboring countries.
 * Set up strong military relationships with [[File:Cball-India.png]] India and other neighboring countries in case of future escalation.
 * Make military commitments to [[File:Cball-Taiwan.png]] Taiwan, [[File:Cball-Singapore.png]] Singapore, [[File:Cball-Indonesia.png]] Indonesia, and other countries bordering on the South China Sea.
 * Support [[File:Dem.png]] democratic governments and [[File:Liberty.png]] human rights in the Third World, as the Chinese have cozy relationships with corrupt dictators in those countries.

The Iraq War
I support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bush Sr. refused to overthrow Saddam Hussein during Operation Desert Storm for a valid reason: To be a counter against  Iran. But Saddam was an irrational actor; he was a delusional, malignant narcissist who sought to revive the Second Babylonian Empire. No really, he considered himself the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar. To achieve this delusional fantasy he turned Iraq into an aggressor nation. He launched a full-scale invasion of Iran in the 1980s. When that failed he invaded to control their oil supply. In both cases Saddam was seeking regional hegemony and control over global energy markets.

Bush Sr. in the 1990s had a solution—sanctions. Similar to FDR's oil embargo on  Japan, in an effort to curtail the Empire's foreign policy objectives, Bush hoped to stop Saddam from pursuing his ego-driven hegemonic aspirations. (Without actually removing the check on Iran.) This of course crushed Iraq's economy and subsequently the locals. The United Nations hoped to make up for this through the Oil-For-Food program. But all this did was economically empower Saddam himself, who re-directed the money towards sustaining a cult of personality. And after calling America's bluff after Bill Clinton's Operation Desert Fox (1998), Saddam, in all his recklessness:
 * Removed all Gulf War-related UNSC from Iraqi law—including UNSCR 687 which mandated Iraq remain militarily weak (disarmament).
 * Sought to build up Iraq's military and WMD capabilities—with the latter he employed scientists to design destructive missiles.
 * Between 1996 and 1998 he accelerated delivery system development and missile programs.
 * From 1999 to 2003 he further accelerated rearmament, suggesting to anyone with enough brain cells he was gearing up for war.
 * He worked with international black markets to get past those sanctions in pursuit of rearmament via Iraqi intelligence.
 * Actively promoted terrorism against neighbors and [[File:Cball-US.png]] America's allies, including subsidies for the families of slain [[File:Cball-Palestine.png]] Palestinian terrorists.

In other words, the Bush-era sanctions failed and anybody with a brain cell at the time could tell:
 * 1) Saddam Hussein was gearing up for further wars of aggression in the pursuit of regional hegemony.
 * 2) That this included the creation of biological and chemical weapons, some of which he could supply to [[File:Terrorist.png]] proxies.

And contrary to popular belief, we did find WMDs in Iraq into the 2010s. But even if there were no WMDs at all, Saddam, being the injudicious moron he was, convinced us that he did; and therefore he brought the war on himself. There's nobody to blame for the Iraq War but Saddam. Period. To embrace a pacifistic approach to that Ba'athist regime at this point is to be pro-Fascism. While there are valid criticisms of the occupation itself and there's short-term instability (most democracies actaully start off unstable, including the French Revolution and American Revolution (Articles of Confederation and numerous revolts), Iraq in the long-term will be a thriving  democracy.

Climate Change
Although this could be considered an economic issue, climate change is a global predicament. That means we need global cooperation on the matter. But China is the world's biggest polluter. Even if the United States went completely green tomorrow, China would likely still continue their lax pollution measures to encourage foreign investment. So while we should do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we must apply severe economic pressure to countries which refuse to comply. Especially China and Russia. International treaties dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions would also do the world a favor.

Influences
In no particular order. A I read more I'll expand this list.


 * [[File:LaFollete.png]] Robert La Follette [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Ricardosoc.png]] David Ricardo [[File:Cball-UK.png]]
 * [[File:Anin.png]] Benjamin Tucker [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Ormarxf.png]] Karl Marx [[File:Cball-Germany.png]]
 * [[File:Plcn2.png]] Whatifalthist [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Hedonism-cloud.png]] Epicurus [[File:Cball-Greece.png]]
 * [[File:Diogenes.png]] Diogenes [[File:Cball-Greece.png]]
 * [[File:Physiocracypix.png]] François Quesnay [[File:Cball-France.png]]
 * [[File:LeftRothbardianismPix.png]] Roderick T. Long [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Distributist.png]] John C. Médaille [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Protect.png]] Ian Fletcher [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Clib.png]] Hebert Spencer [[File:Cball-UK.png]]
 * [[File:Georgist.png]] Henry George [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Indlibsoc.png]] Oscar Wilde [[File:Cball-Ireland.png]]
 * [[File:Woodrow.png]] Richard Spencer [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Hedonism-cloud.png]] Henry David Thoreau [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Republicanismpix.png]] James Madison [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Christy.png]] Richard Swinburne [[File:Cball-UK.png]]
 * [[File:Clib.png]] Jean-Jacques Rousseau [[File:Cball-France.png]]
 * [[File:Liberalsoc.png]] John Rawls [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Clib.png]] John S. Mill [[File:Cball-UK.png]]
 * [[File:GE.png]] Peter Kropotkin [[File:Cball-Russia.png]]
 * [[File:Neolud.png]] Theodore Kaczynski [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Republicanismpix.png]] Thomas Jefferson [[File:Cball-US.png]]
 * [[File:Radlib.png]] Thomas Paine [[File:Cball-US.png]]

Based

 * - Based philosophically and overall interesting ideology.
 * - We're have rather similar policy platforms and you seem nice as a person.
 * - Weak on many cultural issues and too authoritarian, but you helped rural pill me and I liked the few talks we had.
 * - Not bad. Not bad at all.
 * [[File:Panth.png]] Pantheonism - You're pretty based, but pls drop the monarchism.
 * [[File:Uzarashvilism.png]] - Epic.
 * - HUEY LONG GANG!
 * [[File:Floofelsballicon.png]] Fluffy Thought - A wonderful friend who's basically what I was earlier this year.
 * [[File:OwfBall.png]] Owfism - I like you, but now I must convince you that a [[File:World_Federalism2.png]] global federation requires [[File:Libhawk.png]] getting your hands dirty. ;)
 * - We might be drifting apart ideologically, but I consider you a good friend.
 * [[File:Glencoe.png]] Glencoe - I like a lot of your policies! Such as prohibiting interest and PWA. Good job.
 * [[File:Rocksismicon.png]] Rocksism - You seem chill. I still have a soft spot for democratic socialism.

Bringe

 * [[File:NeoArctoismIcon.png]] - You're not as bad as I thought you were, but I still think much of your ideology is self-contradictory and that many of your stances on sociocultural issues have no basis in reality.
 * - Uh...

Cringe

 * [[File:pixil-frame-0(27).png]] New Model Of Cheesenism - We may have vague similarities economically, but I'm not a fan of your reactionary tendencies.

Positive

 * [[File:Soclib.png]] - Effective [[File:Welf.png]] welfare states? Check. Effective [[File:Regulationism.png]] regulations? Check. Promotion of [[File:Markets.png]] SMEs and [[File:SyndieSam.png]] trade unions? Check. For-profit [[File:Capcom.png]] state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and [[File:Nordmodel.png]] sovereign wealth funds (SWAs) in key industries? Check. Based ideology.
 * [[File:Protect.png]] - We must protect our industries from foreign competition, revive our manufacturing base, end our dependence on other countries for necessities, and be more self-sufficient. If we hope to maintain our national security, ensure fair competition, and give every American good-paying jobs.
 * [[File:FDRismF.png]] Rooseveltianism - FDR and Truman led [[File:Cball-US.png]] America against [[File:Nazi.png]] Nazi Germany, set the stage for a global [[File:Anticommunism.png]] anti-communist effort, gave commoners assistance during the Depression through [[File:Welf.png]] redistribution and public works, and helped organize the post-war prosperity. Respect.
 * [[File:Kemal.png]] - Pushing for [[File:SyndieSam.png]] trade unionism and [[File:Monkeyzz-Enlightenment.png]] Enlightenment values while opposing [[File:React.png]] reactionary influence? Based.
 * [[File:Lyndon B. Johnson.png]] LBJ Thought - Bringing my country closer to [[File:Socdem.png]] social democracy, getting my party the most loyal [[File:Blacknat.png]] voter base in recent memory, and stubbornly waging war against the dirty [[File:HoChiMinh.png]] Reds? Based and underappreciated.
 * [[File:Necon.png]] - Advancing [[File:Cball-US.png]] my country's national security, [[File:Imp.png]] access to resources, and [[File:Dem.png]]/[[File:Prog.png]] democratic/progressive causes globally? Sign me up!
 * [[File:NatProg.png]] - We need more of your [[File:Trustbust.png]] trust busting now more than ever. Plus, [[File:LaFollete.png]] La Follette was a chad.
 * [[File:Mach.png]] - Sometimes making a positive change in the world requires... Getting your hands dirty.
 * [[File:Long.png]] - A based gentleman who wants everyone to live like a millionaire by [[File:Welf.png]] sharing the wealth.

Mixed

 * [[File:Lukash.png]] Lukashenkoism - [[File:Cball-Belarus.png]] Belarus is such a wholesome country—a haven for [[File:Soccap.png]] small businesses, [[File:Rural.png]] village life, [[File:Agsoc.png]] collective farms, and [[File:Capcom.png]] state-owned enterprises—but Lukashenko himself is a clown and [[File:Klep.png]] Putin puppet.
 * [[File:Strasser.png]] - I feel about you how I feel about [[File:Lukash.png]] him. Based economics, but you take some things too far.
 * [[File:Marx.png]] - Your analysis of capitalism in many ways stood the test of time. But your solutions were terrible.
 * [[File:Dsa.png]] - We have similar visions for society (like more democracy in the economy), but I wouldn't go as far as you do.
 * [[File:Reagan.png]] Reaganism - Terrible [[File:Neoliberal-icon.png]] neoliberal policies responsible for many of America's current problems. But your [[File:FDRismF.png]] Truman-esque crusade against [[File:ML.png]] Tankies and their [[File:Sandinism.png]][[File:Cball-EastGermany.png]][[File:Cball-DRAfghanistan.png]] friends—rightfully condemning the [[File:Cball-USSR.png]] Soviet Union to history's junkyard—is why I didn't put you under the negative list.

Negative

 * [[File:Nazi.png]] - Vile.
 * [[File:ML.png]] - I may support some state-run industries, but historically [[File:Cball-USSR.png]][[File:Cball-China.png]] your regimes became the new [[File:Plutocrat.png]] bourgeoise; centralizing wage labor to the benefit of top political officals, turning your citizens into empty cogs in a machine while food shortages were rampant. And you pushed for ideological and geopolitical hegemony on a global scale. I'm glad that [[File:Necon.png]] they defeated you in the Cold War, starting with [[File:FDRismF.png]] Truman's intervention against communist guerrillas in [[File:Cball-Greece.png]] Greece.
 * [[File:Neoliberal-icon.png]] - Free trade doesn't work and leaves us vulnerable. You were a useful asset against the [[File:ML.png]] Red Menace, but that's about it.

Comments
Will clear every once in a while.
 * [[File:Rocksismicon.png]] Rocksism - Hey there, just a question. Isn't Richard Spencer, whom you list in your influences, a Neo-Nazi?
 * [[File:Rocksismicon.png]] Rocksism - Add maybe?
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought - I added you, although I've been undergoing an ideological shift.
 * - Yo this is hella based. :D
 * - Hello there
 * - Saw the ideology thingy was broken so i fixed it up, remember to add me if you ever add self-insert relations
 * - Add me?
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought - You both have been added.
 * [[File:Uzarashvilism.png]] - Absolutely based! Add me?
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought - You three have been added!
 * [[File:Glencoe.png]] Glencoe- add me
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought - Done.
 * [[File:OwfBall.png]] Owfism - Can you add me to relations?
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought - Done.
 * - add me?
 * - add me?
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought - You both have been added. Hope you do the same for me.
 * [[File:Panth.png]] Pantheonism - Ho ho ho.
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought - Ain't I right?
 * [[File:Panth.png]] Pantheonism - I'm no Capitalist.
 * [[File:pixil-frame-0(27).png]] New Model Of Cheesenism - add me
 * [[File:Vamp.png]] Braun Spencer Thought Done.