William, I disagree with you. It was not the culture war that was the most significant issue in the election, it was that the attempt at progressive economic policies had not yet hit the pocketbook of the working people. The disappointment and anger as a result of this was then manipulated by Trump and the Republicans to win control of all three branches of the government.
It is time to stop looking for someone to blame for the loss of the election. Instead, it is time to find our commonalities and begin to build a strong progressive united front.
To blame the Muslim vote, and the votes of young males is only to further create divisions among us all and that plays into the hands of the oligarchs. We must stand united, and not give in to the bickering and blaming that will only further weaken the unity among progressives.
I repeat “we are all in this together, we are all Americans”as often as possible especially when speaking to someone who holds a different political view.
The “great divider” has managed to wedge us into right and wrong groups. It is only we the people who can change this. I’m thinking that it can happen even if it is just one conversation at a time.
I believe it will ONLY happen one conversation at a time. We are not going to change anyone, only ourselves. Have you ever tried changing your spouse? How did that go…?? Have you tried changing your kid? Good luck on that one. I’ve spent years and years trying to change people so that they’ll be more of who I think I want or need them to be…. It’s a losing strategy, my friend. I go with Obama’s phrase (I think it was Obama’s): we need to be the change we seek. If we don’t want to be divided, then we must somehow begin by connecting with one person that we honestly think or feel isn’t “like us”. That can be your maga republican neighbor. Seriously do your best to get to know this person. You may not like it and it may not be easy; probably won’t be. You’ll find that they’re human, though, just like you. And they’re scared, too. So what’s one thing you can do to support them? I’ve done this. My person is still not a democrat. But we do offer help to one another when needed; most recently, it included me asking her for a few eggs because I’d run out and didn’t realize it. She was very kind and offered some to me. After I cooked the dish I needed the eggs for, I shared it with her. The likelihood is that we’ll help put out each other’s fires, God forbid disaster comes to our neighborhood. Isn’t that what Reich is talking about?
I agree with you - I have neighbors whom I know (one right next door) who are decent people and we get along ok - not great friends but not enemies. We both know we are of, for the most part, different mindsets. But, frankly, it would go a long way toward mending fences if trump supporters would take down their damn flags and banners.
I too agree that change starts with us as individuals. You can’t beat face to face conversation. I know we all have more in common than we do differences. The daily trials to keep the balls in the air in reference to food, shelter and family needs are common around the world. It makes the task seem more possible if we don’t feel alone in the work. Conversation is necessary for sure and some positive information put out by the media would go a long way to that goal of unity that is on our minds. I try to lead by example.
The world is full of sour pusses
We don’t have to be that way.
I try to meet everyone with a smile and find that people are more receptive to what you have to say because of that. Your comment and others on this site help me along with the work we must do. Truth will win out if we buck up and keep putting it out there.
I have MAGA family members whom I love dearly. We get along despite our deep political differences, and I know they wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to me — nor I to them. If we can manage this on a larger scale, maybe we could begin to heal the huge rift in our country.
It is amazing that society survives! I see a nephew tottering on the brink of insanity. Insanity? Well, loosing touch with reality.
I ask Chat Gpt how it knows what is real and what it not. It replies that it can't tell the difference..
Science uses the ability to observe the same thing in common. But AI has no observation, just text to search. And in many subjects there are differing opinions in text.
What about people? It seems that in politics and religion, there is often no ability to prove by observation the basis of the arguments being made. Hence Liberals may conclude that the Maga have lost touch with reality. And visa-versa.
So back to the common good, or survival of the fitest. Here it seems it is a matter of individual preference. Some believe we should be selfish and always try to come out ahead in any interaction with other people. Perhaps this way the weak will be weeded out as nature has always done. Others like the common good, because obviously when the many unite against the few, the few are defeated. Besides, who wants to fight all the time for dominance?
Personally, I prefer the common good. The equal opertunity. The respect for all. The rule of law and justice.
Not to benefit the few. Not the privilaged class and the oppressed. Not opportunity for the elite only. Not class envy and class ridicule. Not the lawless, con men, and gangsters.
Mitzi - Agree. I’m married to one of “those people” who voted for the jerkoff but other than that they are the love of my life and has had to become my caregiver too early in our lives. Everything else is wonderful. When we first met we never discussed anything about politics until the 2016. Now I talk about politics and they don’t comment about it but they would give their shirt off their back to anyone regardless of sex, age, religion or sexual orientation. Two things that really get me angry are the topics of slavery and the holocaust and even though I’m a democrat and they are (apparently) a republican we were able to find common ground. I didn’t try to change who they were and they didn’t try to change me so it works. I just wish that others could do the same. Too much hate in the world that I don’t understand.
Yes, Mitzi, but his is a very old problem. Those who don't learn this lesson at home and in school condemn themselves--and possibly others as well--to learn this lesson the hard way.
The election was stolen through the concerted efforts of Republican-controlled states, which did everything possible to suppress voter turnout. There is little doubt that these actions made a critical difference in the swing states. While low turnout was attributed to various factors, voter suppression—such as purging people from registration rolls and making it harder to vote—played a significant role. Additionally, millions were spent amplifying the anti-trans narrative, exploiting an out-of-context comment Harris made during an interview.
As an election worker all the conspiracy theories posited have too many moving parts and are too perfect to not be discovered by the multiple safe guards and the largw swath of districts it was supposed fo have been done in. Ie, someone would have said something by now and discrepancies in the tabulators vs hand pads would be large.
I'd like to "blame" so we can learn and rebuild. Lessons learned. That's the hope anyway. Not to blame Muslims or young men or any voting group though we should understand their voting patterns. We first need to understand Democratic Party leadership let us down. I have to admit I don't want to explain all of this.
The takeaway is to make the Party stronger and more dynamic, including its natural allies. That means many things including attracting more young people to the Party and into leadership positions. If people know of women who might run for office check this out https://nwpc.org/
Everyone is a genius in retrospect. Harris ran an excellent campaign. if it were not the vast voter suppression and the anti-trans campaign, she would have won easily.
No, it was because she was tied to Biden and the GOP made sure people blamed them for everything, from the price of eggs and gasoline to the "slow" FEMA response in North Carolina (ignoring that some residents were threatening the agency).
Marc, alas, I am with the idea that racism, misogyny, and xenophobia played a huge role in the election in November. People, particularly white people, do not want to acknowledge their desire, even need to feel they are superior to everyone else and can't bear to have women in charge of anything. I have worked for male bosses who worked to undermine my efforts. I have also worked with women who did the same, but in their case, it was to make sure their job would be there for them and I wouldn't take it (I never wanted their jobs). For the men it was about power and making sure I stayed in my little place. It does not matter what the reality is, as I keep hearing, it is what people "feel." And, people are not honest about their feelings. Our media and Trump and his cronies gave the racists, misogynists, and xenophobes an explanation for their votes that fit their shame over who they really are. It is not completely their fault, because this nation is racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic to the core, systemic. That is what needs to be addressed by all of us and find out what we can do to get that conversation going with white Americans and white wannabees like Marco Rubio and Clarence Thomas. Ideally we could get past these negative "feelings" about those not like us, but there is so much benefit for not doing so. Ron DeSantis a grandchild of immigrants is racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic when he should be none of the above because of his position but also because of his past. It is nice Italians are now considered white, but that was not always the case. It is also too bad that groups considered horrible in the past who are now white can't extend their welcome to others. Maybe that is what happens to groups that become "white." We need to work on that too. It was just accident that gave folks a hiding place in our economy. In 2016, the misogyny was right out there for all to see. This time, they didn't have to do quite as much, although they did plenty of hate talk and all of it you know, racist . . . .
It's the SYSTEM stupid!!! Capitalism is a zero-sum game!!!! Did you ever play Monopoly?
“How many people ruin themselves by laying out money on trinkets of frivolous utility? What pleases these lovers of toys is not so much the utility, as the aptness of the machines which are fitted to promote it. All their pockets are stuffed with little conveniences. They contrive new pockets, unknown in the clothes of other people, in order to carry a greater number. They walk about loaded with a multitude of baubles, in weight and sometimes in value not inferior to an ordinary Jew's-box, some of which may sometimes be of some little use, but all of which might at all times be very well spared, and of which the whole utility is certainly not worth the fatigue of bearing the burden.”
We don't get much instruction for prioritizing choices and reconciling choices with a long and broad view. My guess is that's a large part of what wisdom is about. What, in the long run, do you gain and lose, as a consequence of choices made now? What most matters?
I am a fan of free enterprise, butin the larger context of a government of, by, and for the people, that is subject public and human rights rules just as much as anything else. The notion that commerce should somehow be an exception is a fraud; and I think Adam Smith would agree. The trick is to establish routes to satisfy self interest that also serve and preserve social and individual justice. It's not impossible, but there is also a very human urge to cheat. Monopoly, oligarchy, is the enemy, be it in commerce or politics (and in a corrupted society, the two are interchangeable).
I am also a fan of a robust public sector. Many things seem to me to be best provided by private enterprise, and some functions are too vital and powers too dangerous if misused, even with public supervision, let alone is with conflicts of interest in private hands.
You’re right on, Marc. Blaming young men, Muslims, and everyone else who didn’t vote for Biden just makes everything worse. Blaming doesn’t work, period.
Alas, I think the momentum of paternalism (and some outright misogyny) payed a significant role in the election result, but I doubt it was the most significant one. Pusillanimous "Free Press" was certainly another, as (seemingly) was Democrats' reluctance to adequately acknowledge the burden of inflation and put the blame where it belongs.
In any case,all we get a chance to change is the future and just dismissing a major portion of our population as irredeemable scoundrels won't bring the nation together. Some of our citizens appear to be malicious and manipulative, but more appear to me to be confused, and that's no accident. I think all of us wrestle with ego (Latin for "I") and we have one for good reason, but unmitigated, compassionless, conscienceless, ego is evil; and it is that which demagogues conspire to cultivate.
If we reject a society in which the average life is nasty, brutish, and short, we need to cooperatively advocate for and install balance. Not just thoughtless, tepid, middle-of-the-road balance, but comprehensive (so far as we are able to empirically comprehend) dynamic balance; being as much as it takes, and not to excess (which gets dauntingly complex) to grow and flourish in an overall environment of entropy, in which what isn't actively and successfully resisting, breaks down.
Inflation inflation inflation, it peaked, lots of people on fixed income and ouch… the pervasiveness of changes in ruling parties gives this the dominate narrative
The GOP made inflation BIDEN'S fault, even though it was a worldwide problem. When I asked how he created worldwide inflation, the answer was either crickets or defaulting to "printing trillions of dollars." (I'll bet you still cashed that stimulus check, eh?)
Inflation was slowing down! Biden had to stop what trump had started in order to get it on the right track. Then, trump/musk used musks millions to coerce the swing EC states. Another reason the EC needs to go! But, trump/musk is not going to want to stop that now. It's how he won!
Unfortunately Jan, the TikTok attention span culture omits cause and effect from the narrative, and people unquestioningly accept off the cuff statements and bald faced lies as gospel (good spiel), because they have neither the time nor the inclination to verify what they are being fed.
All the reasons for trump's win is nonsense/rationalizations. Voter suppression and the trans issue made all the difference. No one could look at the two candidates and think, "I want him to be president". No reasonable person would want HIM as president.
Marc--If they really understood the problems that pushed our economy in a Sothern direction, perhaps they would have been smart enough not to have blamed Joe.
Donald, if we did not have such an underfunded education system that is now under fire from the Republicans, then we would have more voters with a better understanding of politics and economics. According to friends of mine that are teachers at colleges and universities, the level of education of the incoming freshman classes is constantly declining. We as a nation are not giving our youth the tools needed for critical thinking and understanding the complexities of government and modern economics.
Mike, the Trilateral Commission is directly responsible for purging the United States public education system of critical thinking. What little is left won't be encountered in public schools.
It is not just underfunded education that is making for less educated voters, it is the lack of emphasis on history, geography, civics, critical thinking in schools and lessening motivation from parents to make the JOB of children to do well in school. They must check how much their child has learned to make them a good citizen and voter. I'm older now and often wiser, more resourceful, curious, educated because of my schooling. I often had to teach myself things I didn't understand and I still do that research daily.
Honestly, I think this constant harangue against those rascally youngens is false narrative. I taught many of those kids. They had 5 AP classes, they passed calculus, AP English, history, government, physics, economics. Etc. I seriously doubt many of us from boomer would achieve that today…
Kyle, I agree that we boomers could not achieve what SOME students are achieving today. I emphasize SOME because it's the rich kids in the rich districts that are learning so much. Not the majority of the kids; funding for public schools simply does not and cannot keep up.
I think we would pass these tests with refresher courses and an understanding of what is emphasized, tested on today vs. in 60's and 70's. Why are SAT scores, acheivement tests, general knowledge declining? Why is NY State phasing out Regents Diplomas?
Become a substitute teacher to teach critical thinking skills and civics including the value of democratic government. Can we get School House Rock on social media?
They aren't that smart. They want simple solutions to complex problems. They also assume that, because Trump governs as a dictator, that Biden did as well.
It's hard to believe that they voted for a guy who eight years ago proposed creating a national registry of muslims and banning immigration from muslim countries. Biden's support for Israel hardly accounts for this volte face bearing in mind that Trump has always been a strong supporter of the odious Netanyahu.
The biggest problem with the electoral system is that it is hackable. The quote : "anything can be hacked." attributable to Elon Musk. I believe that with several IT experts saying there are irregularities with the 2024 election , there should be an investigation. But we already live in Russia, where elections are a joke. The close results were just a hair above the level that would require or allow a recount. Uniformly, and suspiciously.
A lot of Muslims came here to GET AWAY from their communities, and are upset that the “refugee generators” have followed them here. This is true of quite a few “communities”, cf. also the Toronto Tamils.
The other 50% didn't vote, Hardly one vote for Kamala, not even the Muslim pundits on MSNBC, they were busy making excuses in advance for not voting for Kamala, as were black males.
I actually think there is truth in both perspectives. The economy is likely what caused trump to win but the underlying maga issue is deep seated in culture. And with trump economy the working class will experience their negative karma for their vote and this will happen soon. AI in and of itself will cause a massive job loss which will be combined with increase price of food and other goods, decrease access to health care, lack of education for job retraining, etc
Except Richard. the economy was great, better than it has ever been, Unemployment at it's lowest levels, the GDP and stock market was roaring, wages were even up. And prices were actually down. the price of eggs went up and down, but were driven by a supply problem (bird flu and the slaughter of millions of chickens)
The price talked of the price of eggs and milk, but frankly men, who voted for Trump by 55%, don't give a shit about the price of groceries, because men don't do the family grocery shopping. I do, my wife has fibromyalgia, so I shop, by list Hardly any impulse buying.
The only time I see men in the supermarket is when they are following their wives (not often), or buying alcohol and frozen meals, and they don't price shop. So this shit about inflation is just that shit.
It is the Republican party propaganda and the corporate media always looking for a horse race or creating one, that made the economy an issue, them and asshats like James Carville
Record Stock market, record GDP, low unemployment, record wages and we are to believe that it was about the economy, Not me. It was all about the culture war and has been since Nixon used the Southern Strategy to win.
Yes, Nixon, the opportunist, started it. The Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News, promised fealty to Ronald Reagan. That's also the time the The Federalist Society started its judiciary takeover campaign. In the 2020 elector campaign GW Bush enlisted Evangelicals in his campaign. In 2024 Trump had Evangelical a conservative Catholics on his side. Thus it came about that Kevin Phillips' prophesy of American Theocracy was fulfilled.
And then the Muslims were surprised that Mango Mussolini appointed Mike "there's really no such thing as a Palestinian" Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. Trump lied? Gee, whodathunkit?
Religious fundamentalism is incompatible with is a constitution that guarantees freedom of conscience. However, libertarian billionaires may pose a greater threat to democracy, especially since their interests are not incompatible with those of the religious folk.
Logic and emotions are oil and water. Logic is water, emotions are oil.
The Muslims thought that by sticking it to the Dems they would teach the Dems a lesson, and the Dems would be compliant and submissive of the Ummah. Incidentally the younger generation of black and Hispanic males were of the same mindset.
Now they have to live with the consequences of their fecklessness and stupidity, and so do we.
Trump sat down with Imams, and the endorsed him, in doing so they ignored Stephen Miller who wanted to deport all Muslims, and Trump moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and all of the support that Trump provided, Bibi, and their loving relationship.
They just wanted to stick it to Biden and the Dems for providing arms to Israel.. their religious apoloplexy overrode their critical reasoning skills, which it is doubtful that they had anyway. Believers don't have critical reasoning skills.
"Believers don't have critical reasoning skills" is a statement that needs some qualifications or explanation. There are plenty of highly intelligent Christians who refuse to admit that there are major discrepancies in the Gospels. This is willful ignorance. It evidently stems from a fear of losing faith. Most of religion is fear: fear of death, fear of what comes after death, fear of losing meaning in life. Even individuals trained in science often cannot let go of religion.When such feelings get entangled with ethnic and political concerns we get an existential crisis like the one the country experiences now. Fear and anger are primal emotions that make critical thinking nearly impossible.
The question is "how does one determine the relative contribution of multiple causes to an event? Mr AI says
Determining the contribution of multiple causes to an event can be quite complex and often requires a systematic approach. (NSS.)
Here are some common methods used to analyze multiple contributing factors:
Root Cause Analysis (RCA):
RCA involves identifying the fundamental causes of an event or problem. Techniques like the "5 Whys" or Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa) help in drilling down to the root causes.
Multivariate Analysis:
Statistical techniques such as regression analysis, factor analysis, or structural equation modeling can help quantify the contribution of multiple variables to an outcome.
Case Studies and Historical Analysis:
Analyzing similar events from the past can provide insights into common contributing factors and their relative importance.
Systems Thinking:
This approach considers the interconnectedness of various components within a system and how they influence each other. Tools like Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD) help visualize these relationships.
Expert Judgment:
Consulting experts in the relevant field can provide qualitative assessments of the contributions of different factors.
Event Trees and Fault Trees:
These are diagrammatic techniques used to map out potential sequences of events (Event Trees) or analyze the pathways leading to a failure or accident (Fault Trees).
Here’s a compact example using regression analysis:
Suppose we're studying the impact of various factors on crop yield. We might use multiple regression analysis to determine how much each factor (such as rainfall, fertilizer use, and temperature) contributes to the yield. By examining the coefficients, we can understand the relative contribution of each factor.
Each method has its strengths and can be used in combination to get a more comprehensive understanding.
I would say Steve, That determination depends on whether the breakdown is mechanical or human. You are aware that most accidents are the result of a chain of events, not a single cause.
We don't need to complicate things with math and the likes of regression analysis, except to provide income and status to persons who make their way in the world as mathematicians,statisticians and scientists, then they have a vested interest in complicating things, for the purpose of income and status.
If there is no movement, then nothing happens. There are earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, weather, because things move. a rock sitting in a field is a non event, until some one moves it and tosses it at something else.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, heat domes happen because something is moving, that something is the earth (tectonic plates), the atmosphere (oceanic or air), and what causes movement? The violent internal activity of the sun millions of miles away from earth and the violent internal activity of the sun ( or molten mass, who knows) thousands of miles below our feet.
n human affairs what causes things to happen? Humans and what is the cause of human activity? Energy expended to fulfill needs and assuage fears.
It is really that simple. Identify the fear that is being assuaged or the need being fulfilled and you identify the cause of the action, be it beneficial or harmful.
Theoretical models need to be proven,otherwise they stay theoretical models.
History can't be trusted because, well, history is written by the victors, the MFWIC.
History tells us and every one knows that the American revolution was over taxes without representation, and that all of the colonists were behind it, wrong,wrong, wrong.
History tells us that Marie Antoinette lost her head because she said "let them eat cake", wrong.
What we know and books have been written, movies made, documentaries filmed about the Roman conquest of France (Gaul) comes from Julius Caesar's own memoir, the Gallic Wars.
And on it goes.He who controls history controls the present, he who controls the present decides the future. Wash,rinse, repeat.
Marc--The economy was being controlled by big business, that desired Trump to be seated behind the Result desk. The idea of a weak economy was a sham thrown in the faces of the public, hoping it would sway their judgement, it did.
William, maybe you don’t go shopping for food but I shop for food at least twice a week. At the local supermarket about 1/3 of the people in the checkout line are men and at our very large and successful natural food co-op at least 50% of the people in line at the register are men. As men we are well aware of the incredible increase in the cost of food.
In addition, I believe there was a sizable percentage of nonvoters who are not interested in politics--at all. One could say that's because they felt disenfranchised and felt the economy let them down--but we have always had high percentages of nonvoters. Free riders.
Yes, it's not easy to be a connected, informed voter, especially when you're chasing the security money can buy because then you have no time or energy to read and think (and pray).
I have reiterated this multiple times. During Bidens term wealth of the bottom 50% stagnated (in comparison to the countries total wealth at a rise of 0.11%. Which means average schmucks like myself watch our debt load increase as our oncome hasnt budged and the cost of living has gone up all around us. I was willing to forgive that for the economic spin spew and the good fight spew the Biden and Harris campaigns came up with. The average american did not accept that gaslighting and obstained or voted against the current administration. Biden would have also lost if stayed in the race. I talked with a lot of PO'ed woman who blamed Biden and the Dems for everything. They didnt vote againsf hee they voted against his regime.
And unfortunately Democrafs in their appeals for billionaire funds have done little to nothing to change it. Look at Trumps wealth distribution. The top 0.1% gained 0.67% of all wealth in the country. Then during Bidens term it was another 0.67%. Which equated to about $14 trillion in growth alone during Bidens teem. The growth of the fop 0.1% is 4.5 times more than the bottom 50% total wealth. Democrats have yet to choose to be the democrats of FDRs time. They too by inaction reinforce a year over year power shift to the very wealthy. That top percentage has to be negative, very negafive for the power dynamics to change.
Correction the top 0.1% wealth increase was $4 trillion for 2p24. So their growth was more than the bottom 50% total wealth of writing this $3.85 trillion 24.Q3 number from federal reserve. Imagine if the top 0.1% wealth growth was capped at 0% and transferred to the bottom 50%. Poverty would dissappear overnight. As RR says poverty in the US is a policy choice.
Duck Dynasty brings back childhood memories. There was a time when Donald Duck had a super wealthy relative; he was so wealthy that he took baths in a tub filled with dollar bills. Maybe Donald Trump grew up admiring that character. Lots of dollars, no soul, just a cartoon character.
I know this will sound crazy, but so many unbelievable things happened in this country that I think sanity is up for grabs. If 45% of firefighters are now in private service, is it possible that the frequency of fires is in their best interest? As a business move, would they possibly assist in that occurring?
Marc, unfortunately, that is the lie people told themselves. Their not coming out to vote put everyone at risk, even prices which Trump can't fix and really doesn't care about because someone will always be there to take care of him, like a toddler. It is not that hard to get up and vote and if they actually cared about prices, they would have investigated why those prices were high, and it was not the Biden Administration. They just couldn't get past the lies. Well, they got what they wanted and now we all have to live with it.
How do you know? Traitor trump’s billionaires bought him the election! Magas will believe any lie and misinformation given to them! How do knowledgeable Americans fight these stupid, blind, and ignorant brainwashed maga cult members!
So they think NOT voting or doing anything to make it better is going to help?
Our economy was pretty solid at the beginning of the end! Biden needed four years to fix what trump did and then the MAGAs put him back in office. I hope we have a good democratic candidate to groom for the 2028 election!
I could not imagine them voting for a black woman. And they didn't. And the Dem leadership might have figured this out. Why in the world woud you nominate a black woman--against all historical precedent- when you literally have the fate of the world (climate change) hanging in the balance?
Well it's because we are social animals, for better and sometimes worse.
Because people are short sighted, stupid, inexperienced in the wider world? And…Even the great leveller Climate Change…becomes meaningless as long as we still want what we want. Nothing wrong with any of that but it takes more these days to be able to understand the complexity of the world today….and I don’t mean a PhD either! Or maybe ‘they’ were/are just plain bigoted…. Or just plain sheep - following the narrative of Power, Wealth and Control. There’s a great big world out there and we all need to catch up …..Either way, Thinking is apparently a rarefied art form!!
I think you’ve got a great point there…perhaps America for all its advances and advantages is not quite ready for a non-white WOMAN…to lead for all the obvious reasons and not so obvious ones because Obama came in as President of the USA…who is non-white but /and HE was a man…..so that can be ticked off the ‘list’. However, a non white woman …ah, challenges the status quo perhaps??? Sadly, a really good opportunity to be Bigger/Better and Best was not taken….Frost vibes here …I think it’s Frost….’Path not taken “…..yet, you’d put your life or your children’s lives in the hands of a Black or Brown or Yellow surgeon who might just save that life….or even in the hands of a First Responder to a critical situation in which anyone can be in: I doubt anyone would say they needed a White one for that job….oh dear, it would be so humorous if it wasn’t so sad …”No, I don’t want YOU to dress my wounds!” But a brilliant Black/ Asian AMERICAN born woman….umm, no thanks. The current President Elect is only a first generation American after all …if you look at his particular family history.
Steve…perhaps people don’t see beyond ‘surfaces’ and I keep hearing a lot about taking ‘things at face value’. I think that may have applied to a particular time and place …if it ever did, of course…but it certainly doesn’t today …there’s too much bluff and lies and the manipulation of the so called ‘facts’ that I think to be able to exist in this time of mass media and its consequences…not all bad but defo not all good…takes a disciplined and discerning approach…. I’m reminded of a fabulous trip I made to Stockbridge (Rockwell picturesque) once and how beguiling it was and indeed, that was no mirage…real people lived there. I could though, have fallen in love with it all …but it was just a fabulous picture, looking in as a visitor and a great one to hold in mind when remembering how ugly stuff is…I liked the ‘picture’ but I didn’t get lost in it….people are getting lost in the fantasy world of privilege, wealth and apparent power and THINK you said, indeed THINK. I
use a term often : The Great Unthinking - to describe how people can be so desensitised and willing followers of those who need their subservience and obedience as it is easier for them then to gain traction at times when TRUTH …however you define this, is a threat to their machinations and manoeuvring, but if the Great Unthinking comply and fall in line, job done! Critical Mass achieved. Power to the people ….umm, not! Smoke and mirrors and all the rest.
How wasn't she authentic? And why is that a requirement for her, but but for all the men who have been president? The fact that people use that as an excuse for her but don't hold others to the same standard is a literal example of how people wouldn't vote for a Black woman.
OK. In a lot of footage of Alpacatoes Ofwillie she appeared sort “Mediterranean dark white” or maybe “pale Northern Indian”.
If one could obtain a naked picture of her below the neck and say “guess the “race”” I take bets that very few people would say “Black”, and more people would say “White”.
And because the “Black African” component is well under half, Elon Musk counts as more “African American” than she does.
“Black”? And for a Black lady nearly winning the leadership of a major North American party, try Leslyn Lewis, who had the misfortune to be campaigning when Dr. Jill, speaking through a corpse, announced that Ofwillie was the corpse’s running mate.
The so-called “Canadian” fake news media went gaga over Ofwillie, and almost totally ignored a local, far more indisputably Black lady.
That's a whole lot of erasure in this comment. You don't get to decide someone else's race. She's Black (and Asian, but people didn't focus on that as much) and voters know that. Regardless of what she looks like, racism is alive and thriving in this country.
Let’s look at the cardboard cutout that is going to occupy the Oval Office. Harris black, white, Indian, female, male , up, down whatever was the best choice hands down. That should have been plainly visible to all the electorate.
Define ‘Authentic’. Do you mean not white? Or do you mean that some people couldn’t see beyond their cosy pictures of what a leader ‘should look like or be’ ….a trick was missed there…..and which people???
This is the USA??? Even Bangladesh had a woman for President….with apologies to BD …I don’t mean to cast any aspersions. It was quite a fantastic thing ….a small country….with a different tradition in terms of women and their potential. Yet, THEY had a woman in power…no matter how it played out…..
Donald, and 53% of white women who voted, couldn't stand having a woman of color as president either. Women hating women is really powerful. We saw it in 2016 and again this year. In 2020, there was a white man running on both tickets, so it was possible to go Democrat for those women. I think it is because our society as a whole works really hard to keep women in whatever place white men will permit them to be. Men of color are not innocent of the women-hating. One can understand that a tiny bit because people of color have in the past been permitted very few opportunities and if women get them, men of color supposedly don't. That kind of thinking is the thing that does keep people down, just as people like Toddler-Trump and his gang want. It means those lazy toddlers don't have to work very hard to gain power and keep it while trampling on the American people and our democracy. Thanks folks who either didn't vote (because of whatever) and those who voted for a toddler-men that everyone knew was incompetent, no matter how you may have lied to yourselves about it. We all now get to pay for that lack of judgment.
That is what I said and add to it that she identifies as black! No way some people would have EVER voted for her. Instead, they voted for an egotistical, lying felon!
For anyone who thinks the Democrats might have run the wrong candidate for POTUS in '24, I think you're right. I can't help thinking this guy would've been the perfect foil, mainly because he's capable of dealing with the felon elect and the RepubliMercs on their own terms. But he wouldn't have been the first possible candidate I'd have thought of, either:
Not so sure about '28, but worth keeping him in mind, maybe with Fetterman as his running mate! From the ladies here I beg pardon. I just don't think the US is yet quite ready to elect a Thatcher, not for myself, but for all those who decided not to vote in '24!
On the contrary, America is filled with selfish narcissists, not benevolent capitalists. The billionaires marginally compete: They each want monopoly as their end goal.
I'm writing a newsletter about the doctor shortage and found that the answer for many who can afford it is concierge doctors, whom they pay cash for. Because they're out-of-network, they also pay for labs, tests, and treatments with cash. Traveling billionaires could still end up in a public emergency room, so it would be a good idea for them to pay attention and pay their fair share to upgrade the healthcare system.
Gloria, My doctor was still getting re-imbursed by Medicare and my supplement. I was surprised when her letter arrived explaining that she wanted $1000* extra per year, just for me to be able to remain a patient in her practice. *Subject to change. I have thought that it would not be allowed somehow. I don't doubt that she was not being compensated adequately, however by Medicare.
The doctor shortage is no accident. Talk about student debt. In most of the world medical school is free. Here it's 4 tears of college and student debt followed by 4 years of medical school and more debt followed by 3 to 8 years of middling low pay in graduate training...residents. Followed by slumping pay for high touch-talk specialties like primary care. It's a lot cheaper to stick 4 year nurse with a couple more years of nonstandardized training, call them Advanced Practitioners and fill void. Many are very good. Many are not, but they are cheaper and more obedient than somebody with huge student debt. H1B physicians don't usually carry that debt. The CEOs of health systems sit at the top of the upward flow of profit, much of it untaxed ("faith-based") most it from Your Money: Medicare, the VA, federal taxes rreturned: to states for Medicaid. And nobody knows what anything costs because all "values" are negotiated prices.
And soon I have no problem with concierge doctors. Just wish we could afford 'em. Or didn't have to.
The nurse practitioners in my system, with 5 years post grad vs the MD 11 year training, start at just 10k difference in salary. And no night call, no weekends, more paid time off, and a strong union. Why would any young person interested in health care go to med school? Even the specialists have a hard time "catching up" after their 13-20 years (yes you read that right) post grad training where one's cost of living is hard to cover AND you can't start paying back the hundreds of thousands in med school loans until you are well established post residency and fellowship.
Billionaires with private jets travel with their own doctors and personal guards. The live in gated communities, and they have the politicians and local authorities in their pockets. And you say you want them to pay for your medical care? Maybe the education of your children also? You have got some convincing to do!
I don't think we will ever understand it, but I hope it doesn't happen again! People are just sick of trump and his rhetoric. It is sad that all of us are going to pay the price of trump as president. He got 51% of those who voted and those that didn't vote should be ashamed. The world is laughing at us for electing a felon to our highest office. He is a felon and many countries do not allow felons into their land. Trump will have to send Vance (do any of us remember that he is the VP?) to meetings in those countries! I suppose he could send Musk, but Musk (despite what HE believes) is not elected to any office in America!
The MAGA GoP cheat better than anyone! The Democrats want to play a fair game! What has that playbook got us but felon, traitor trump and his lying , cheating sychopants and a MAGA GOP Trifecta!
The election was rigged by VP Muskrat and Shadow President Putin with help from MAGA Members on a Russian pay check, let’s not leave out RightWing Media which is the only Media left in America oh and Blackmailed and threatened Merrick Garland, and whoever else has rolled into that category. Trump is a false prophet I don’t know how so many religious people fell for it but they did and yes we all will pay the price, We need to stay strong have those tough conversations , get people to the mid term elections to hopeful turn things around and hold up our Democracy! We Can Do It , we have been here( not quite as appealing) before. We have no other choice.
The important thing is ACTION! Print it out in color. Take it to your TV news station NOW! We need to get this out. Then maybe Biden will stop the transfer until the hand recounts are performed in the swing states.
Are we surprised? But….perhaps she was too good, too big, too threatening and too strong and a person with a civic conscience for those who wanted to take control for the benefit of a few chosen few….
As long as I can remember, public service announcement urging voting have stressed personal choice, "Do you want a voice in the people's choice... ?" said one in my youth; and some people are very finicky about whether or not they have this or that disagreement with this or that candidate. Yet it seems like the secret hiding in plain sight is that self-government is by definition DIY; a share of choice AND responsibility for outcomes; and these are societal outcomes we are talking about, so the 'common good" must be weighed against personal agendas. I accept the rules of a four-way stop intersection to protect you as well as myself.
Liberty is not just my personal human rights, it is an environment in which we respect and protect the rights of one another; and it should be obvious that when we are careless and/or irresponsible out said duties and choices, those already deprived of options tend to suffer most.
"The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves---in their separate, and individual capacities.
In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere." - Lincoln
From what I understand, VP Harris recieved 23.5% of the AMERICAN votes, Bunkerboy got 25% of the Traitors, and 50% surrendered their citizenship by not voting! PATHETIC.
There are those that say “history repeats itself.“ So they might posit we are headed for one hell of a recession/depression given the lack of competent people at the helm and the greater concentration of wealth at the top. Then there is the hope that the next reincarnation of FDR will come to save us and rebalance the scales.
I don’t accept this as our future. With the coming economic chaos, particularly fueled by a tariff for income focused economy and taxation system, there will be a greater realization that a total reliance on capitalism does not work and we need a better alternative.
One of the best ways to cope with the oncoming Trump led oligarchy is to plan now for the next and better system of democracy and a system of economics that will not permit wealth concentration, but which says everyone must have their necessities met before anyone is allowed to accumulate wealth. No, this is not communism or socialism. Those two systems rely on highly centralized planning and control of the economy and governance and that approach is not viable.
Now is the time to step forward with bold thinking and open minds as to what could be the future beginning 2 to 4 years from now.
Reality is unconcerned with what you accept Marc. Reality is headed towards you like an out of control freight train. It will hit you hard in three more days when Trump signs his 100 executive orders, fires all civil servants who want pledge loyalty to him, and hires MAGAts to replace them.
Putin will have his people heading the Defense Department and the Department of National Intelligence.
Orban promised his people that he would solve the immigration problem, they elected him, he did,and now he rules Hungary with an iron hand, and they can't get rid of him, he went to Mar a Lago and advised Trump. MAGAts adore Orban.
Only collective action can dislodge Orban, he now controls the press and all of the organs of he government. The same is true of Trump.
Plan all you wish, but you need to be able to carry out your plans.
I am watching people psychologically start to fall in line behind Trump and not just billionaires either, it is a survival mechanism. Same thing happened in Germany after 1933.
William, I’m not standing on the tracks waiting for a “freight train“ to hit me. I’m off to the side planning for the post Trump future that I believe is inevitably coming. We have to move from ranting about the evil of Trump and the billionaires and instead begin to conceive of and activate a better system. Personally, I’m waiting for Trump‘s freight train to either run out of steam or hit a wall when his billionaire-based economy crashes.
Marc. Conceive of a better system all you wish, but you can't activate a better system till you get rid of the current one.
I am of the opinion that Trumps MAGAt and billionaire regime will collapse from within of it's own contradictions,but not before it takes hundreds of thousands, maybe millions like us with it.
For the next two years it will live off the Biden fat, while it goes about deconstructing our democratic Republic and shredding the constitution.
While doing that it will put in place, the instruments of authoritarian control, that will silence dissent.
Their is a model for this, more than one, Germany 1933, Hungary 2010, and Putin.
William, you are right in your critique of Marc. Magical thinking may be pleasant, but it is a needless distraction. However, there is another model you have not mentioned: Bukele, the Salvadorian dictator. Trumpists admire him, and even Mayorkas paid him a visit. The model is old and simple: incarcerate and or enslave enough young males, and you eliminate much crime and resistance. Bukele seems to lack imagination: he could employ the young men in public works.
" Bukele seems to lack imagination: he could employ the young men in public works."
Interestingly herr Hitler did just that with his work brigades, they built the autobahn and other public structures, and eventually traded the shovel and pick for a rifle.
An interesting story about the work brigades, They were overworked and treated brutally, like recruits in the heer.
Time to time a worker would write a letter to Hitler "Dear Fuhrer: If only you knew", a couple of weeks pass, and the GESTAPO shows up, calls out his name, he disappears never to be seen again, probably into a labor camp.
They are BOTH right! We ARE in the bleak situation described by William, and we SHOULD begin planning on how to rebuild after the economy crashes - and Marc Nevas has a great idea for that.
Magas are sure to become dissatisfied as their economic world craters, if that is what happens and I suspect it will. Our next step needs to be a plan to gather those dissatisfied folks into our group that will work against the neo-Nazi Facists.
There you go Sandra. The center will not hold, the periphery will fall apart. The techno libertarian billionaires can't sustain a society built by workers. The whole thing will fail, but in the meantime it will live off the accumulated fat, and in the meantime we need to survive
I am realistic Elizabeth, I can stare the monster in the face without pulling the covers over my head. As regards"a;lot of us do". that is known as the bandwagon fallacy. A lot of us are Muslims so does that mean that Muslims are right and we should all be Muslims, same goes for Christians, a lot of Germans believed in Hitler and worshiped him as fuhrer.
No Elizabeth I will continue to call them as i see them, and if that makes you uncomfortable that is your problem.
Farrar You sound to me like a schoolboy: “No Elizabeth I will continue to call them as i see them, and if that makes you uncomfortable that is your problem.”
Really? I’m open to listening to your perspective , but it would be a lot easier without the dismissive, superior tone.
You lost Franklin, when you started this conversation with you, as did Elizabeth. If what I have to say so disturbs you then pass me by.
And obviously it does, as it did with Elizabeth, You see when I comment it is impersonal, about the thing, not the person (unless they are an obvious Trump or Putin Troll), but when somebody responds trying to characterize me and make it personal, then that tells me that they,not me, have the problem.
As regards your opinion of my tone. Well Franklin, I really, really could care less, and that is quite dismissive.
Tom, it is not about “them” coming together to form a front line, it is about us coming together. The bickering has to stop if we are to allow our rational and ethical minds to come to the fore. Remember, it was “we the people” that stopped the Vietnam war and then started the ecology movement. It was not progressive universities nor the Brookings Institute that provided the leadership. And the same was true for the civil rights movement. Leadership, such as Martin Luther King came from the people and not outside institutes or universities. We need to find the values and issues that
unite us to move boldly forward into the next chapter of the evolution of economics and governance.
Marc, an effective way for you to promote your version of a harmonic society is to get crucified, or burned at the stake, or something like that. Do you have the guts? Is your vision worth the sacrifice? If not, you may try a more convincing way to promote the solution you propose.
So … Newsom is responsible for wildfires … then by extension DeSantis is responsible for 230 Florida hurricane Helene deaths … then DeSantis is responsible for 12,165 Covid deaths … then Trump is responsible for 407,000 Covid deaths … you have to be careful when you point fingers
Excellent point, Erudite. Trump is scapegoating Newsom, because he is afraid of him. Also, scapegoating is necessary when you deny personal responsibility. Trump continues to deny climate change, just as he denied the seriousness of Covid-19.
To say "Newsome is responsible for wildfires" may be correct. At least they happened during his administration. People wanted to build in the Palisades area, it is beautiful. Someone approved their plans. Someone did not thin the underbrush. Someone emptied the water reservoir while knowing about Santa Ana winds. Someone at State Farm concluded fire risk in the area was too great. Someone went on a junket to Africa. Someone may have been more concerned about systemic racism and spent more time on DEI initiatives than testing fire systems and trucks for readiness. Someone may have spent billions on high-speed rail project administration rather than on construction. Or as Stuart Varney said in response to a question, "When will the voters of California wake up?"; his reply was, "It hasn't gotten bad enough yet." Single party politics may be a very bad idea at all levels of government even if it results from Reich's vaunted democracy.
Dr. Fauci financed gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Lab where reasonable people believe the Covid virus escaped. Why don't you hold him responsible? President Trump
with others including Collins, Fauci, and Walensky moved with speed to find help in the form of mRNA injections. This was done as emergency authorizations without the FDA's normal safety studies and also giving Pfizer and Moderna legal immunity from any resulting human health problems. Anyone who disagreed was silenced by the Defense Department and censorship. A few concerns about mRNA injections are starting to be communicated.
We do need to be careful when pointing fingers. But pointing fingers and naming names are needed at times to help voters bring accountability. Especially when law schools, lawyers, judges, and justice itself are no longer impartial. Let's hear it for free speech.
Not only are progressives hung out to dry, Trump voters will soon find out that they are no different. Special hats and parroted phrases will get them zilch with this administration despite all that fervor.
Sometime in the next two years they will realize that they have been played the fool, and their revulsion will help ensure #ImpeachmentNumber3.
I hope you are right. At some point at least *some* of the cultists have to wake up, read a real newspaper and realized they have been duped. Don't they?
Woody, they will wake up when their paychecks shrink and the cost of goods and services rise. The upcoming tariffs are certainly a tax on the poor, and yes, at that time they will wake up and see they have been duped.
Trump will blame China, Mexico, and Germany. The people who voted for him will not want to admit their mistake, and they will go along with the scapegoating, at least at first. It will be interesting to see how Trump will respond to attempts at unionization.
Yeap when their financial situation doesnt the pendulum will swing like a guillotine like it did in 2016 then again 2020 and again in 2024. Both groups nees to stop sucking off the billiomaire teet. This election shows that partnering with the (good billionaire) is meaninfless aa their loyalty is for sale towards their bottom line above all else forever. The party that rejects them first (and not just lie or gaslight about it) will be able to maintain power. Otherwise its more election ping pong people gst fed up and then revolution.
No, they will never realize they have been played the fool because that is an admission that they are fools. An admission that they were wrong. And they will never, ever acknowledge that to themselves, much less admit it.
I understand. My hope is that while many husbands can’t let go of MAGA, the wives can. They are hardwired by society and biology to care for their families and will notice as hardships escalate.
The husbands, on the other hand, invested a large part of their identity into Trumpism. they were nobodies and this adoration gave them a chance to be a colorfully adorned somebody.
We only need a car or an aeroplane or train, to transport us from one place to another - what’s the difference here??? A falling out is no big surprise… people cut from this kind of cloth will eventually clash, crash and burn or fall, as everything in their lives is TRANSACTIONAL….there is no art of the Deal here….it can’t save them from the inevitable. Fighting over the ‘spoils’ is another part of the game….there are some truths that even ‘the most powerful’ may fight against but we ALL age, get sick, win, lose or we make ‘magic’ and care about life ….before we die…in the end that’s all that counts.
Before impeachment there must be voter remorse so the midterm election changes Congress. That includes remorse among Biden voters who stayed home this year. How do we make them realize that they are responsible for this oligarchy?
Jonni, as the economy becomes more unbalanced and unjust, that is what will wake up the American voters. Obviously, logic, reasoning, and facts only have a limited impact. The real impact occurs in the wallets of the many and the increasing wealth of the few.
Actually agree to a point. On the other hand Biden showed his racism and his unwillingness to listen to any other point of view when it came to Gaza. Harris did not differentiate on this point or any other which was not a good move. I am seeing reporting that Gaza was a reason for a substantial number of voters to sit it out. I get the “they cut their nose off to spite their face” argument but I also get the argument that this was a moral imperative for them and was clearly the only way to be heard. I voted for Harris in hopes of change. I would not have voted for Biden.
I understand. My hope is that while many husbands can’t let go of MAGA, the wives can. They are hardwired by society and biology to care for their families and will notice as hardships escalate.
The husbands, on the other hand, invested a large part of their identity into Trumpism. they were nobodies and this adoration gave them a chance to be a colorfully adorned somebody.
California, the world's fifth-largest economy, and Washington, seem to be subsidising the rest of America.
Maybe California should threaten to halt the flow of $ to Washington. Then the poorer Republican states might have to pay their own bills, instead of expecting federal subsidies from Democrat states.
This was an eye opener. Living in Australia, I had no idea just how far individualistic privatisation has gone in the US.
We complain about too much American influence on our culture, but this has made me realise just how much our Australian culture is still essentially European in its society-wide provisions.
We have a firefighting division, but it's between unionised professional forces in the cities and volunteer forces who traditionally cover rural areas. But our rural brigades are "all in this together" for the districts they cover. No selfish wealthy individuals. That would be considered very un-Australian.
Meteorologist Eric Holthaus explained, “The National Weather Service defines ‘extremely critical’ fire weather as sustained winds in excess of 30 mph and relative humidity of less than 10% in the presence of drought conditions and temperatures warmer than 70 degrees F. This is the first time in history these criteria have been met anywhere in the United States during the month of January.” And you can be sure that it won't be the last.
As a liberal who grew up in a conservative family and community in the 1960s, I totally agree with Mr. Reich. Our society has come too far to allow DJT to take us back.
It is impossible to respond sensibly to Trump as his own mind is out of control and his responses are incoherent and reckless. How can a reasoned discussion take place.? Any comment to Trump faces yelps of outrage or agreement apparently based on what comes into his mind.
As for Musk's desire to be cool that is an unintended sick joke. He is the ultimate in the clumsiness and foolishness allowed by his wealth. However, regardless of how much cash he has he cannot disguise what he is now. What is facing the USA is the crash of what passes for democracy.
But in the end the public can still decide. Do they know what they want? I don't think they will want what Trump and Musk will provide: denial of climate change; slaughter of wildlife, toxic air and polluted rivers in pursuit of profit.
I fear the trumpists are so fully indoctrinated that no economic failure or inherent chaos will emotionally affect them. The "owning the libs" philosophy of a false and misconstrued definition of masculinity may be all that matters, as they pound their chests towards Fascism and the ultimate demise of what we generally refer to as democracy. Or perhaps we've all been duped into believing a false narrative and have always had some form of Oligarchy.
What you describe is nothing short of the reconstruction of data into 'false flag' issues. This technique is exploited by warmongers to provide apparent rationale for invading countries (eg Ukraine) and for politicising disaster relief. We are likely to see a great deal of this activity so people need to wise up about it, recognise it, discredit and challenge it.
America was built on community support. You still see this in some of the smaller towns where everyone in the town will come together to support each other. I saw it as a child in my hometown in the 50s and 60s. The biggest difference I see today is income inequality and racism which is on a scale that has gone way overboard. It’s creating an “us against them” mentality enhanced by the oligarchs and the politicians that are controlled by the oligarchs!
Funny how little "community support" there was for the women, minorities, slaves or indentured servants in the community for most of the country's history. How little support there was for Irish and Italian Catholics ("No Irish need apply") for decades. How little support for the Chinese immigrants that built the railroads and the west coast. The list can go on for hours. We were never really United, only the classes in power were...oh wait, Civil War, never mind.
Yes, Constance, but much progress was made, because we had a constitutionally guaranteed due process to resolve our grievances and disagreements in a peaceful way. Now our fates will be in the hands of one man.
THAT is precisely what ‘they’ want…set the people up against each other and fight fight fight ….in other words, fight for them to achieve their agenda and their own goals…people appear to not have seen that….
I'll have to see if I can find that skit on YouTube. During the election, Janet Jackson's song "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" popped into my head about the Democrats. FDR and LBJ were the last Democrats who fought hard for working people. Biden should have fought for a universal healthcare system, and Harris should have run on that. If the stock market takes a hit, so be it. Slavery was wrong, and an economic system took a big hit to rid the country of that evil.
Slavery was economically inefficient and it constituted an impediment to the economic and demographic grown of the South. It's abolition was no big "economic hit."
We are all in this together, but the 1/3 of the American voting public that did not show up to vote, doesn’t understand that… Yet.
Marc--There is about 1/3 of the men in this country that just couldn't deal with the possibility of having a woman as President of this country.
Donald, it was men and women who did not come out to vote who felt disenfranchised by our government and that the economy had let them down.
William, I disagree with you. It was not the culture war that was the most significant issue in the election, it was that the attempt at progressive economic policies had not yet hit the pocketbook of the working people. The disappointment and anger as a result of this was then manipulated by Trump and the Republicans to win control of all three branches of the government.
It is time to stop looking for someone to blame for the loss of the election. Instead, it is time to find our commonalities and begin to build a strong progressive united front.
To blame the Muslim vote, and the votes of young males is only to further create divisions among us all and that plays into the hands of the oligarchs. We must stand united, and not give in to the bickering and blaming that will only further weaken the unity among progressives.
I repeat “we are all in this together, we are all Americans”as often as possible especially when speaking to someone who holds a different political view.
The “great divider” has managed to wedge us into right and wrong groups. It is only we the people who can change this. I’m thinking that it can happen even if it is just one conversation at a time.
I believe it will ONLY happen one conversation at a time. We are not going to change anyone, only ourselves. Have you ever tried changing your spouse? How did that go…?? Have you tried changing your kid? Good luck on that one. I’ve spent years and years trying to change people so that they’ll be more of who I think I want or need them to be…. It’s a losing strategy, my friend. I go with Obama’s phrase (I think it was Obama’s): we need to be the change we seek. If we don’t want to be divided, then we must somehow begin by connecting with one person that we honestly think or feel isn’t “like us”. That can be your maga republican neighbor. Seriously do your best to get to know this person. You may not like it and it may not be easy; probably won’t be. You’ll find that they’re human, though, just like you. And they’re scared, too. So what’s one thing you can do to support them? I’ve done this. My person is still not a democrat. But we do offer help to one another when needed; most recently, it included me asking her for a few eggs because I’d run out and didn’t realize it. She was very kind and offered some to me. After I cooked the dish I needed the eggs for, I shared it with her. The likelihood is that we’ll help put out each other’s fires, God forbid disaster comes to our neighborhood. Isn’t that what Reich is talking about?
My two cents.
I agree with you - I have neighbors whom I know (one right next door) who are decent people and we get along ok - not great friends but not enemies. We both know we are of, for the most part, different mindsets. But, frankly, it would go a long way toward mending fences if trump supporters would take down their damn flags and banners.
M Schwarz
I too agree that change starts with us as individuals. You can’t beat face to face conversation. I know we all have more in common than we do differences. The daily trials to keep the balls in the air in reference to food, shelter and family needs are common around the world. It makes the task seem more possible if we don’t feel alone in the work. Conversation is necessary for sure and some positive information put out by the media would go a long way to that goal of unity that is on our minds. I try to lead by example.
The world is full of sour pusses
We don’t have to be that way.
I try to meet everyone with a smile and find that people are more receptive to what you have to say because of that. Your comment and others on this site help me along with the work we must do. Truth will win out if we buck up and keep putting it out there.
I have MAGA family members whom I love dearly. We get along despite our deep political differences, and I know they wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to me — nor I to them. If we can manage this on a larger scale, maybe we could begin to heal the huge rift in our country.
It is amazing that society survives! I see a nephew tottering on the brink of insanity. Insanity? Well, loosing touch with reality.
I ask Chat Gpt how it knows what is real and what it not. It replies that it can't tell the difference..
Science uses the ability to observe the same thing in common. But AI has no observation, just text to search. And in many subjects there are differing opinions in text.
What about people? It seems that in politics and religion, there is often no ability to prove by observation the basis of the arguments being made. Hence Liberals may conclude that the Maga have lost touch with reality. And visa-versa.
So back to the common good, or survival of the fitest. Here it seems it is a matter of individual preference. Some believe we should be selfish and always try to come out ahead in any interaction with other people. Perhaps this way the weak will be weeded out as nature has always done. Others like the common good, because obviously when the many unite against the few, the few are defeated. Besides, who wants to fight all the time for dominance?
Personally, I prefer the common good. The equal opertunity. The respect for all. The rule of law and justice.
Not to benefit the few. Not the privilaged class and the oppressed. Not opportunity for the elite only. Not class envy and class ridicule. Not the lawless, con men, and gangsters.
Well said
Wow you actually bought into anything Obama said?
Mitzi - Agree. I’m married to one of “those people” who voted for the jerkoff but other than that they are the love of my life and has had to become my caregiver too early in our lives. Everything else is wonderful. When we first met we never discussed anything about politics until the 2016. Now I talk about politics and they don’t comment about it but they would give their shirt off their back to anyone regardless of sex, age, religion or sexual orientation. Two things that really get me angry are the topics of slavery and the holocaust and even though I’m a democrat and they are (apparently) a republican we were able to find common ground. I didn’t try to change who they were and they didn’t try to change me so it works. I just wish that others could do the same. Too much hate in the world that I don’t understand.
Yes, Mitzi, but his is a very old problem. Those who don't learn this lesson at home and in school condemn themselves--and possibly others as well--to learn this lesson the hard way.
Used to be the federal government's job to "bring people together". That mandate--a real mandate not a trmp "mandate"-- is barely holding on.
The election was stolen through the concerted efforts of Republican-controlled states, which did everything possible to suppress voter turnout. There is little doubt that these actions made a critical difference in the swing states. While low turnout was attributed to various factors, voter suppression—such as purging people from registration rolls and making it harder to vote—played a significant role. Additionally, millions were spent amplifying the anti-trans narrative, exploiting an out-of-context comment Harris made during an interview.
Narrow-mindedness and resentment, not voter suppression, decided the outcome of the election.
As an election worker all the conspiracy theories posited have too many moving parts and are too perfect to not be discovered by the multiple safe guards and the largw swath of districts it was supposed fo have been done in. Ie, someone would have said something by now and discrepancies in the tabulators vs hand pads would be large.
You are spot on
I'd like to "blame" so we can learn and rebuild. Lessons learned. That's the hope anyway. Not to blame Muslims or young men or any voting group though we should understand their voting patterns. We first need to understand Democratic Party leadership let us down. I have to admit I don't want to explain all of this.
The takeaway is to make the Party stronger and more dynamic, including its natural allies. That means many things including attracting more young people to the Party and into leadership positions. If people know of women who might run for office check this out https://nwpc.org/
The blame game must stop and the Democrats must unite for the common good!
Everyone is a genius in retrospect. Harris ran an excellent campaign. if it were not the vast voter suppression and the anti-trans campaign, she would have won easily.
No, it was because she was tied to Biden and the GOP made sure people blamed them for everything, from the price of eggs and gasoline to the "slow" FEMA response in North Carolina (ignoring that some residents were threatening the agency).
Marc, alas, I am with the idea that racism, misogyny, and xenophobia played a huge role in the election in November. People, particularly white people, do not want to acknowledge their desire, even need to feel they are superior to everyone else and can't bear to have women in charge of anything. I have worked for male bosses who worked to undermine my efforts. I have also worked with women who did the same, but in their case, it was to make sure their job would be there for them and I wouldn't take it (I never wanted their jobs). For the men it was about power and making sure I stayed in my little place. It does not matter what the reality is, as I keep hearing, it is what people "feel." And, people are not honest about their feelings. Our media and Trump and his cronies gave the racists, misogynists, and xenophobes an explanation for their votes that fit their shame over who they really are. It is not completely their fault, because this nation is racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic to the core, systemic. That is what needs to be addressed by all of us and find out what we can do to get that conversation going with white Americans and white wannabees like Marco Rubio and Clarence Thomas. Ideally we could get past these negative "feelings" about those not like us, but there is so much benefit for not doing so. Ron DeSantis a grandchild of immigrants is racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic when he should be none of the above because of his position but also because of his past. It is nice Italians are now considered white, but that was not always the case. It is also too bad that groups considered horrible in the past who are now white can't extend their welcome to others. Maybe that is what happens to groups that become "white." We need to work on that too. It was just accident that gave folks a hiding place in our economy. In 2016, the misogyny was right out there for all to see. This time, they didn't have to do quite as much, although they did plenty of hate talk and all of it you know, racist . . . .
None of it. Pure incompetency.
It's the SYSTEM stupid!!! Capitalism is a zero-sum game!!!! Did you ever play Monopoly?
“How many people ruin themselves by laying out money on trinkets of frivolous utility? What pleases these lovers of toys is not so much the utility, as the aptness of the machines which are fitted to promote it. All their pockets are stuffed with little conveniences. They contrive new pockets, unknown in the clothes of other people, in order to carry a greater number. They walk about loaded with a multitude of baubles, in weight and sometimes in value not inferior to an ordinary Jew's-box, some of which may sometimes be of some little use, but all of which might at all times be very well spared, and of which the whole utility is certainly not worth the fatigue of bearing the burden.”
― Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
We don't get much instruction for prioritizing choices and reconciling choices with a long and broad view. My guess is that's a large part of what wisdom is about. What, in the long run, do you gain and lose, as a consequence of choices made now? What most matters?
I am a fan of free enterprise, butin the larger context of a government of, by, and for the people, that is subject public and human rights rules just as much as anything else. The notion that commerce should somehow be an exception is a fraud; and I think Adam Smith would agree. The trick is to establish routes to satisfy self interest that also serve and preserve social and individual justice. It's not impossible, but there is also a very human urge to cheat. Monopoly, oligarchy, is the enemy, be it in commerce or politics (and in a corrupted society, the two are interchangeable).
I am also a fan of a robust public sector. Many things seem to me to be best provided by private enterprise, and some functions are too vital and powers too dangerous if misused, even with public supervision, let alone is with conflicts of interest in private hands.
I used to think I would suffer from brain fog for the rest of my life..."𝐛𝐮𝐭" this changed everything.... https://t.co/9PhcwQwLXk
This is a scam, look it up!
I report this every day to the administrators.
You’re right on, Marc. Blaming young men, Muslims, and everyone else who didn’t vote for Biden just makes everything worse. Blaming doesn’t work, period.
Alas, I think the momentum of paternalism (and some outright misogyny) payed a significant role in the election result, but I doubt it was the most significant one. Pusillanimous "Free Press" was certainly another, as (seemingly) was Democrats' reluctance to adequately acknowledge the burden of inflation and put the blame where it belongs.
In any case,all we get a chance to change is the future and just dismissing a major portion of our population as irredeemable scoundrels won't bring the nation together. Some of our citizens appear to be malicious and manipulative, but more appear to me to be confused, and that's no accident. I think all of us wrestle with ego (Latin for "I") and we have one for good reason, but unmitigated, compassionless, conscienceless, ego is evil; and it is that which demagogues conspire to cultivate.
If we reject a society in which the average life is nasty, brutish, and short, we need to cooperatively advocate for and install balance. Not just thoughtless, tepid, middle-of-the-road balance, but comprehensive (so far as we are able to empirically comprehend) dynamic balance; being as much as it takes, and not to excess (which gets dauntingly complex) to grow and flourish in an overall environment of entropy, in which what isn't actively and successfully resisting, breaks down.
Thank you, Marc. Blue dem in WA. joined Indivisible Action group in my area.
Yes, to blame and shame creates disdain for those who take the reins to protect from flames.
Yes, Gerald, this is why we must shame those who play blame games.
The rain in Spain?
Mark, see my comment below to M J Zupan about standing united. It takes work, but to my thinking, it’s so clearly the only way.
Inflation inflation inflation, it peaked, lots of people on fixed income and ouch… the pervasiveness of changes in ruling parties gives this the dominate narrative
The GOP made inflation BIDEN'S fault, even though it was a worldwide problem. When I asked how he created worldwide inflation, the answer was either crickets or defaulting to "printing trillions of dollars." (I'll bet you still cashed that stimulus check, eh?)
They started hating Democrats ever since the civil rights legislation of the 1960s.
Inflation was slowing down! Biden had to stop what trump had started in order to get it on the right track. Then, trump/musk used musks millions to coerce the swing EC states. Another reason the EC needs to go! But, trump/musk is not going to want to stop that now. It's how he won!
Unfortunately Jan, the TikTok attention span culture omits cause and effect from the narrative, and people unquestioningly accept off the cuff statements and bald faced lies as gospel (good spiel), because they have neither the time nor the inclination to verify what they are being fed.
All the reasons for trump's win is nonsense/rationalizations. Voter suppression and the trans issue made all the difference. No one could look at the two candidates and think, "I want him to be president". No reasonable person would want HIM as president.
You seem to forget there are a lot of unreasonable people here, like the ones wearing T-shirts bearing "I'm voting for the convicted felon."
Marc--If they really understood the problems that pushed our economy in a Sothern direction, perhaps they would have been smart enough not to have blamed Joe.
Donald, if we did not have such an underfunded education system that is now under fire from the Republicans, then we would have more voters with a better understanding of politics and economics. According to friends of mine that are teachers at colleges and universities, the level of education of the incoming freshman classes is constantly declining. We as a nation are not giving our youth the tools needed for critical thinking and understanding the complexities of government and modern economics.
Underfunded education can be seen directly or indirectly as voter suppression.
Yes, by republicans to dumb down the population so they'll watch Faux news and bow to the fuhrer.
Mike--Especially when the decline was the result of a Republican effort to degrade the understanding of the average citizen.
Agreed.
Mike, the Trilateral Commission is directly responsible for purging the United States public education system of critical thinking. What little is left won't be encountered in public schools.
But education is a Marxist/Communist/Socialist/Fascists conspiracy, amirite?
(I defy any MAGAt to define any of those terms.)
We are harvesting the effects of decades of social underinvestment in health, education, welfare, physical infrastructures
driven by misguided neoliberal economic policies. Biden started to change things but it takes time.
You only need to take a look at Missouri Republicans at state and Federal level, and the peole who elected them. Wasteland.
I've a family member living in Missouri and the health care stories from her are appalling.
It is not just underfunded education that is making for less educated voters, it is the lack of emphasis on history, geography, civics, critical thinking in schools and lessening motivation from parents to make the JOB of children to do well in school. They must check how much their child has learned to make them a good citizen and voter. I'm older now and often wiser, more resourceful, curious, educated because of my schooling. I often had to teach myself things I didn't understand and I still do that research daily.
Everyone should have to pass a civics test and retake it every five years.
Good for you, Becca!
Honestly, I think this constant harangue against those rascally youngens is false narrative. I taught many of those kids. They had 5 AP classes, they passed calculus, AP English, history, government, physics, economics. Etc. I seriously doubt many of us from boomer would achieve that today…
Kyle, I agree that we boomers could not achieve what SOME students are achieving today. I emphasize SOME because it's the rich kids in the rich districts that are learning so much. Not the majority of the kids; funding for public schools simply does not and cannot keep up.
I think we would pass these tests with refresher courses and an understanding of what is emphasized, tested on today vs. in 60's and 70's. Why are SAT scores, acheivement tests, general knowledge declining? Why is NY State phasing out Regents Diplomas?
UH, some of us Boomers DID achieve that.
You got the good kids. The others were slackers who thought education was a waste of time. I went to high school with those types.
Become a substitute teacher to teach critical thinking skills and civics including the value of democratic government. Can we get School House Rock on social media?
Low information voters are a huge factor.
They aren't that smart. They want simple solutions to complex problems. They also assume that, because Trump governs as a dictator, that Biden did as well.
So you think that it was the economy that people voted on? Hardly.
Men don't go shopping for food and when they do they don't pay attention to the price of eggs nor do they pull out coupons at the check out counter.
Twas the culture war Marc. The culture war, young males, including Hispanic and back males, and Muslims.
Hardly any,if any, Muslims voted for Kamala, because they were pissed off about Biden's support for Israel. Trump was endorsed by Imams.
The Muslim vote alone made the difference in the swing states, the Muslim vote and the young male vote.
The Muslim vote as I understand it was roughly 50% for Trump which almost certainly helped him win.
It's hard to believe that they voted for a guy who eight years ago proposed creating a national registry of muslims and banning immigration from muslim countries. Biden's support for Israel hardly accounts for this volte face bearing in mind that Trump has always been a strong supporter of the odious Netanyahu.
The biggest problem with the electoral system is that it is hackable. The quote : "anything can be hacked." attributable to Elon Musk. I believe that with several IT experts saying there are irregularities with the 2024 election , there should be an investigation. But we already live in Russia, where elections are a joke. The close results were just a hair above the level that would require or allow a recount. Uniformly, and suspiciously.
And Trump will of course take credit for the cease fire.
And who will kick them all out fast as he can. This is a 1934 repeat, folks. but half of you don't know it because of your education system.
A lot of Muslims came here to GET AWAY from their communities, and are upset that the “refugee generators” have followed them here. This is true of quite a few “communities”, cf. also the Toronto Tamils.
The other 50% didn't vote, Hardly one vote for Kamala, not even the Muslim pundits on MSNBC, they were busy making excuses in advance for not voting for Kamala, as were black males.
I actually think there is truth in both perspectives. The economy is likely what caused trump to win but the underlying maga issue is deep seated in culture. And with trump economy the working class will experience their negative karma for their vote and this will happen soon. AI in and of itself will cause a massive job loss which will be combined with increase price of food and other goods, decrease access to health care, lack of education for job retraining, etc
Except Richard. the economy was great, better than it has ever been, Unemployment at it's lowest levels, the GDP and stock market was roaring, wages were even up. And prices were actually down. the price of eggs went up and down, but were driven by a supply problem (bird flu and the slaughter of millions of chickens)
The price talked of the price of eggs and milk, but frankly men, who voted for Trump by 55%, don't give a shit about the price of groceries, because men don't do the family grocery shopping. I do, my wife has fibromyalgia, so I shop, by list Hardly any impulse buying.
The only time I see men in the supermarket is when they are following their wives (not often), or buying alcohol and frozen meals, and they don't price shop. So this shit about inflation is just that shit.
It is the Republican party propaganda and the corporate media always looking for a horse race or creating one, that made the economy an issue, them and asshats like James Carville
Record Stock market, record GDP, low unemployment, record wages and we are to believe that it was about the economy, Not me. It was all about the culture war and has been since Nixon used the Southern Strategy to win.
Yes, Nixon, the opportunist, started it. The Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News, promised fealty to Ronald Reagan. That's also the time the The Federalist Society started its judiciary takeover campaign. In the 2020 elector campaign GW Bush enlisted Evangelicals in his campaign. In 2024 Trump had Evangelical a conservative Catholics on his side. Thus it came about that Kevin Phillips' prophesy of American Theocracy was fulfilled.
And then the Muslims were surprised that Mango Mussolini appointed Mike "there's really no such thing as a Palestinian" Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. Trump lied? Gee, whodathunkit?
https://www.thejc.com/news/usa/trump-voting-muslim-leaders-in-us-disappointed-by-his-pro-israel-cabinet-choices-fe0x4jbs
Critcal reasoning and belief can not occupy the same mind at the same time.
There are two threats to liberty, freedom, democracy at the current time.
Militant Christianity and Militant Islam.
Islam is not a threat in America, until it reaches 17%, it is, however, in Europe
Militant Christianity is, however a threat in America, and it just put its god head in power, paradoxically with the help of its Muslim foes.
Religious fundamentalism is incompatible with is a constitution that guarantees freedom of conscience. However, libertarian billionaires may pose a greater threat to democracy, especially since their interests are not incompatible with those of the religious folk.
Which makes no sense to me since trump is about as big of a supporter of Israel that you can find. It's illogical.
Logic and emotions are oil and water. Logic is water, emotions are oil.
The Muslims thought that by sticking it to the Dems they would teach the Dems a lesson, and the Dems would be compliant and submissive of the Ummah. Incidentally the younger generation of black and Hispanic males were of the same mindset.
Now they have to live with the consequences of their fecklessness and stupidity, and so do we.
Trump sat down with Imams, and the endorsed him, in doing so they ignored Stephen Miller who wanted to deport all Muslims, and Trump moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and all of the support that Trump provided, Bibi, and their loving relationship.
They just wanted to stick it to Biden and the Dems for providing arms to Israel.. their religious apoloplexy overrode their critical reasoning skills, which it is doubtful that they had anyway. Believers don't have critical reasoning skills.
"Believers don't have critical reasoning skills" is a statement that needs some qualifications or explanation. There are plenty of highly intelligent Christians who refuse to admit that there are major discrepancies in the Gospels. This is willful ignorance. It evidently stems from a fear of losing faith. Most of religion is fear: fear of death, fear of what comes after death, fear of losing meaning in life. Even individuals trained in science often cannot let go of religion.When such feelings get entangled with ethnic and political concerns we get an existential crisis like the one the country experiences now. Fear and anger are primal emotions that make critical thinking nearly impossible.
The question is "how does one determine the relative contribution of multiple causes to an event? Mr AI says
Determining the contribution of multiple causes to an event can be quite complex and often requires a systematic approach. (NSS.)
Here are some common methods used to analyze multiple contributing factors:
Root Cause Analysis (RCA):
RCA involves identifying the fundamental causes of an event or problem. Techniques like the "5 Whys" or Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa) help in drilling down to the root causes.
Multivariate Analysis:
Statistical techniques such as regression analysis, factor analysis, or structural equation modeling can help quantify the contribution of multiple variables to an outcome.
Case Studies and Historical Analysis:
Analyzing similar events from the past can provide insights into common contributing factors and their relative importance.
Systems Thinking:
This approach considers the interconnectedness of various components within a system and how they influence each other. Tools like Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD) help visualize these relationships.
Expert Judgment:
Consulting experts in the relevant field can provide qualitative assessments of the contributions of different factors.
Event Trees and Fault Trees:
These are diagrammatic techniques used to map out potential sequences of events (Event Trees) or analyze the pathways leading to a failure or accident (Fault Trees).
Here’s a compact example using regression analysis:
Suppose we're studying the impact of various factors on crop yield. We might use multiple regression analysis to determine how much each factor (such as rainfall, fertilizer use, and temperature) contributes to the yield. By examining the coefficients, we can understand the relative contribution of each factor.
Each method has its strengths and can be used in combination to get a more comprehensive understanding.
I would say Steve, That determination depends on whether the breakdown is mechanical or human. You are aware that most accidents are the result of a chain of events, not a single cause.
We don't need to complicate things with math and the likes of regression analysis, except to provide income and status to persons who make their way in the world as mathematicians,statisticians and scientists, then they have a vested interest in complicating things, for the purpose of income and status.
If there is no movement, then nothing happens. There are earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, weather, because things move. a rock sitting in a field is a non event, until some one moves it and tosses it at something else.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, heat domes happen because something is moving, that something is the earth (tectonic plates), the atmosphere (oceanic or air), and what causes movement? The violent internal activity of the sun millions of miles away from earth and the violent internal activity of the sun ( or molten mass, who knows) thousands of miles below our feet.
n human affairs what causes things to happen? Humans and what is the cause of human activity? Energy expended to fulfill needs and assuage fears.
It is really that simple. Identify the fear that is being assuaged or the need being fulfilled and you identify the cause of the action, be it beneficial or harmful.
No complex analysis required.
Shit happens because things move.
Theoretical models help us understand a situation at a given moment. To get to root causes we need history.
Theoretical models need to be proven,otherwise they stay theoretical models.
History can't be trusted because, well, history is written by the victors, the MFWIC.
History tells us and every one knows that the American revolution was over taxes without representation, and that all of the colonists were behind it, wrong,wrong, wrong.
History tells us that Marie Antoinette lost her head because she said "let them eat cake", wrong.
What we know and books have been written, movies made, documentaries filmed about the Roman conquest of France (Gaul) comes from Julius Caesar's own memoir, the Gallic Wars.
And on it goes.He who controls history controls the present, he who controls the present decides the future. Wash,rinse, repeat.
Marc--The economy was being controlled by big business, that desired Trump to be seated behind the Result desk. The idea of a weak economy was a sham thrown in the faces of the public, hoping it would sway their judgement, it did.
William, maybe you don’t go shopping for food but I shop for food at least twice a week. At the local supermarket about 1/3 of the people in the checkout line are men and at our very large and successful natural food co-op at least 50% of the people in line at the register are men. As men we are well aware of the incredible increase in the cost of food.
In addition, I believe there was a sizable percentage of nonvoters who are not interested in politics--at all. One could say that's because they felt disenfranchised and felt the economy let them down--but we have always had high percentages of nonvoters. Free riders.
Free riders ever since the Draft was abolished.
Yes, it's not easy to be a connected, informed voter, especially when you're chasing the security money can buy because then you have no time or energy to read and think (and pray).
True, but there are also those who have the time and are chasing La Dolce Vita endlessly.
I have reiterated this multiple times. During Bidens term wealth of the bottom 50% stagnated (in comparison to the countries total wealth at a rise of 0.11%. Which means average schmucks like myself watch our debt load increase as our oncome hasnt budged and the cost of living has gone up all around us. I was willing to forgive that for the economic spin spew and the good fight spew the Biden and Harris campaigns came up with. The average american did not accept that gaslighting and obstained or voted against the current administration. Biden would have also lost if stayed in the race. I talked with a lot of PO'ed woman who blamed Biden and the Dems for everything. They didnt vote againsf hee they voted against his regime.
Republicans are the ones who lower taxes on the uberwealthy and kill social programs. Amerika has turned into Duck Dynasty.
And unfortunately Democrafs in their appeals for billionaire funds have done little to nothing to change it. Look at Trumps wealth distribution. The top 0.1% gained 0.67% of all wealth in the country. Then during Bidens term it was another 0.67%. Which equated to about $14 trillion in growth alone during Bidens teem. The growth of the fop 0.1% is 4.5 times more than the bottom 50% total wealth. Democrats have yet to choose to be the democrats of FDRs time. They too by inaction reinforce a year over year power shift to the very wealthy. That top percentage has to be negative, very negafive for the power dynamics to change.
What woud you have the Dems do? Unilatterly disarm by refusing such donations?
Correction the top 0.1% wealth increase was $4 trillion for 2p24. So their growth was more than the bottom 50% total wealth of writing this $3.85 trillion 24.Q3 number from federal reserve. Imagine if the top 0.1% wealth growth was capped at 0% and transferred to the bottom 50%. Poverty would dissappear overnight. As RR says poverty in the US is a policy choice.
Duck Dynasty brings back childhood memories. There was a time when Donald Duck had a super wealthy relative; he was so wealthy that he took baths in a tub filled with dollar bills. Maybe Donald Trump grew up admiring that character. Lots of dollars, no soul, just a cartoon character.
Well then would it not make sense to join the REPUBLICANS
Maybe is was not purposeful gaslighting as much as a bit of ignorance on their part.
Maybe because they grew up hating Democrats.
I know this will sound crazy, but so many unbelievable things happened in this country that I think sanity is up for grabs. If 45% of firefighters are now in private service, is it possible that the frequency of fires is in their best interest? As a business move, would they possibly assist in that occurring?
Don't be silly. All they have to do is scare their employers is imminent fires.
Just stop.
Marc, unfortunately, that is the lie people told themselves. Their not coming out to vote put everyone at risk, even prices which Trump can't fix and really doesn't care about because someone will always be there to take care of him, like a toddler. It is not that hard to get up and vote and if they actually cared about prices, they would have investigated why those prices were high, and it was not the Biden Administration. They just couldn't get past the lies. Well, they got what they wanted and now we all have to live with it.
How do you know? Traitor trump’s billionaires bought him the election! Magas will believe any lie and misinformation given to them! How do knowledgeable Americans fight these stupid, blind, and ignorant brainwashed maga cult members!
And what is traitor trump going to do about the economy—- but destroy it!
And the 49% that voted for trump don't understand that they voted against their own best interests and against Americans and America.
1/3: 2+2=?
It was that and it also was RFKjr flipping his base to trump, and as recent polls support, it was the perceived genocidal war of revenge in Gaza
We have a great economy.
Let's see how it changes over the next 2 and 4 years.
So they think NOT voting or doing anything to make it better is going to help?
Our economy was pretty solid at the beginning of the end! Biden needed four years to fix what trump did and then the MAGAs put him back in office. I hope we have a good democratic candidate to groom for the 2028 election!
They couldn't imagine voting for a Black woman.
I could not imagine them voting for a black woman. And they didn't. And the Dem leadership might have figured this out. Why in the world woud you nominate a black woman--against all historical precedent- when you literally have the fate of the world (climate change) hanging in the balance?
Well it's because we are social animals, for better and sometimes worse.
Because people are short sighted, stupid, inexperienced in the wider world? And…Even the great leveller Climate Change…becomes meaningless as long as we still want what we want. Nothing wrong with any of that but it takes more these days to be able to understand the complexity of the world today….and I don’t mean a PhD either! Or maybe ‘they’ were/are just plain bigoted…. Or just plain sheep - following the narrative of Power, Wealth and Control. There’s a great big world out there and we all need to catch up …..Either way, Thinking is apparently a rarefied art form!!
Or perhaps they feared that an open primary at such a late date would wreak party unity.
I think you’ve got a great point there…perhaps America for all its advances and advantages is not quite ready for a non-white WOMAN…to lead for all the obvious reasons and not so obvious ones because Obama came in as President of the USA…who is non-white but /and HE was a man…..so that can be ticked off the ‘list’. However, a non white woman …ah, challenges the status quo perhaps??? Sadly, a really good opportunity to be Bigger/Better and Best was not taken….Frost vibes here …I think it’s Frost….’Path not taken “…..yet, you’d put your life or your children’s lives in the hands of a Black or Brown or Yellow surgeon who might just save that life….or even in the hands of a First Responder to a critical situation in which anyone can be in: I doubt anyone would say they needed a White one for that job….oh dear, it would be so humorous if it wasn’t so sad …”No, I don’t want YOU to dress my wounds!” But a brilliant Black/ Asian AMERICAN born woman….umm, no thanks. The current President Elect is only a first generation American after all …if you look at his particular family history.
Think Win. Think. What was important in this election? A good opportunity to be bigger/better and best, or stopping the demon from hell?
People are not thinking straight.
Steve…perhaps people don’t see beyond ‘surfaces’ and I keep hearing a lot about taking ‘things at face value’. I think that may have applied to a particular time and place …if it ever did, of course…but it certainly doesn’t today …there’s too much bluff and lies and the manipulation of the so called ‘facts’ that I think to be able to exist in this time of mass media and its consequences…not all bad but defo not all good…takes a disciplined and discerning approach…. I’m reminded of a fabulous trip I made to Stockbridge (Rockwell picturesque) once and how beguiling it was and indeed, that was no mirage…real people lived there. I could though, have fallen in love with it all …but it was just a fabulous picture, looking in as a visitor and a great one to hold in mind when remembering how ugly stuff is…I liked the ‘picture’ but I didn’t get lost in it….people are getting lost in the fantasy world of privilege, wealth and apparent power and THINK you said, indeed THINK. I
use a term often : The Great Unthinking - to describe how people can be so desensitised and willing followers of those who need their subservience and obedience as it is easier for them then to gain traction at times when TRUTH …however you define this, is a threat to their machinations and manoeuvring, but if the Great Unthinking comply and fall in line, job done! Critical Mass achieved. Power to the people ….umm, not! Smoke and mirrors and all the rest.
most beautiful autumn day ever in Stockbridge. The colors were piled as high as snowdrifts. Oh Officer Obie, where are you now?
Felon 47 has put TRUTH in a gibbet on display outside the Whitehouse for all to see. Or he will if we don't stop him.
The ability of AI to manipulate people is unprecedented. Many things seem unprecendented these days.
Steve, "thinking straight" can mask narrow-mindedness and intolerance. We must be careful with vague expressions.
That is BS. Kamala was not authentic. People could see she was a bad choice.
How wasn't she authentic? And why is that a requirement for her, but but for all the men who have been president? The fact that people use that as an excuse for her but don't hold others to the same standard is a literal example of how people wouldn't vote for a Black woman.
OK. In a lot of footage of Alpacatoes Ofwillie she appeared sort “Mediterranean dark white” or maybe “pale Northern Indian”.
If one could obtain a naked picture of her below the neck and say “guess the “race”” I take bets that very few people would say “Black”, and more people would say “White”.
And because the “Black African” component is well under half, Elon Musk counts as more “African American” than she does.
“Black”? And for a Black lady nearly winning the leadership of a major North American party, try Leslyn Lewis, who had the misfortune to be campaigning when Dr. Jill, speaking through a corpse, announced that Ofwillie was the corpse’s running mate.
The so-called “Canadian” fake news media went gaga over Ofwillie, and almost totally ignored a local, far more indisputably Black lady.
That's a whole lot of erasure in this comment. You don't get to decide someone else's race. She's Black (and Asian, but people didn't focus on that as much) and voters know that. Regardless of what she looks like, racism is alive and thriving in this country.
For crying out loud!
Authenticity!
Let’s look at the cardboard cutout that is going to occupy the Oval Office. Harris black, white, Indian, female, male , up, down whatever was the best choice hands down. That should have been plainly visible to all the electorate.
Cecelia, are you implying that Trump is "authentic"?
Define ‘Authentic’. Do you mean not white? Or do you mean that some people couldn’t see beyond their cosy pictures of what a leader ‘should look like or be’ ….a trick was missed there…..and which people???
Sadly true, although I bet they didn’t admit they can’t vote for a woman. It’s easier to say prices are too high.
This is the USA??? Even Bangladesh had a woman for President….with apologies to BD …I don’t mean to cast any aspersions. It was quite a fantastic thing ….a small country….with a different tradition in terms of women and their potential. Yet, THEY had a woman in power…no matter how it played out…..
I would love to see a woman President but HRC and Word Salad Kamala were bad choices.
Not to mention a woman of color!
Yup…. I have posted on this in a reply to Allison ….
Donald, and 53% of white women who voted, couldn't stand having a woman of color as president either. Women hating women is really powerful. We saw it in 2016 and again this year. In 2020, there was a white man running on both tickets, so it was possible to go Democrat for those women. I think it is because our society as a whole works really hard to keep women in whatever place white men will permit them to be. Men of color are not innocent of the women-hating. One can understand that a tiny bit because people of color have in the past been permitted very few opportunities and if women get them, men of color supposedly don't. That kind of thinking is the thing that does keep people down, just as people like Toddler-Trump and his gang want. It means those lazy toddlers don't have to work very hard to gain power and keep it while trampling on the American people and our democracy. Thanks folks who either didn't vote (because of whatever) and those who voted for a toddler-men that everyone knew was incompetent, no matter how you may have lied to yourselves about it. We all now get to pay for that lack of judgment.
That is what I said and add to it that she identifies as black! No way some people would have EVER voted for her. Instead, they voted for an egotistical, lying felon!
Truth to that... we have yet to catch up with the rest of the world
Wrong. And the first woman prez will be a Republican
Let’s not forget 60% of white woman voter for Trump.
And that's really freaking sad!
Ridiculous!
Irene--Why would you consider the truth to be rediculous
For anyone who thinks the Democrats might have run the wrong candidate for POTUS in '24, I think you're right. I can't help thinking this guy would've been the perfect foil, mainly because he's capable of dealing with the felon elect and the RepubliMercs on their own terms. But he wouldn't have been the first possible candidate I'd have thought of, either:
https://youtu.be/Y3DLFm2ImUM?si=jud3eSyQDX5SMzrL
Not so sure about '28, but worth keeping him in mind, maybe with Fetterman as his running mate! From the ladies here I beg pardon. I just don't think the US is yet quite ready to elect a Thatcher, not for myself, but for all those who decided not to vote in '24!
A Black Women as president. That is one of the simple answers. They wanted WWE. WrestleMania. Hulk Hogan. Not Taylor Swift.
That would-be President you’re referring to is Hillary, yes?
Especially a woman of color.
That was such an actual shame and indeed….in this day and age….
On the contrary, America is filled with selfish narcissists, not benevolent capitalists. The billionaires marginally compete: They each want monopoly as their end goal.
I'm writing a newsletter about the doctor shortage and found that the answer for many who can afford it is concierge doctors, whom they pay cash for. Because they're out-of-network, they also pay for labs, tests, and treatments with cash. Traveling billionaires could still end up in a public emergency room, so it would be a good idea for them to pay attention and pay their fair share to upgrade the healthcare system.
Gloria, My doctor was still getting re-imbursed by Medicare and my supplement. I was surprised when her letter arrived explaining that she wanted $1000* extra per year, just for me to be able to remain a patient in her practice. *Subject to change. I have thought that it would not be allowed somehow. I don't doubt that she was not being compensated adequately, however by Medicare.
Medicare for some may be the obstacle to Medicare for All.
The doctor shortage is no accident. Talk about student debt. In most of the world medical school is free. Here it's 4 tears of college and student debt followed by 4 years of medical school and more debt followed by 3 to 8 years of middling low pay in graduate training...residents. Followed by slumping pay for high touch-talk specialties like primary care. It's a lot cheaper to stick 4 year nurse with a couple more years of nonstandardized training, call them Advanced Practitioners and fill void. Many are very good. Many are not, but they are cheaper and more obedient than somebody with huge student debt. H1B physicians don't usually carry that debt. The CEOs of health systems sit at the top of the upward flow of profit, much of it untaxed ("faith-based") most it from Your Money: Medicare, the VA, federal taxes rreturned: to states for Medicaid. And nobody knows what anything costs because all "values" are negotiated prices.
And soon I have no problem with concierge doctors. Just wish we could afford 'em. Or didn't have to.
The nurse practitioners in my system, with 5 years post grad vs the MD 11 year training, start at just 10k difference in salary. And no night call, no weekends, more paid time off, and a strong union. Why would any young person interested in health care go to med school? Even the specialists have a hard time "catching up" after their 13-20 years (yes you read that right) post grad training where one's cost of living is hard to cover AND you can't start paying back the hundreds of thousands in med school loans until you are well established post residency and fellowship.
Billionaires with private jets travel with their own doctors and personal guards. The live in gated communities, and they have the politicians and local authorities in their pockets. And you say you want them to pay for your medical care? Maybe the education of your children also? You have got some convincing to do!
The billionaires don’t give a shit about the working Americans!
I don't think we will ever understand it, but I hope it doesn't happen again! People are just sick of trump and his rhetoric. It is sad that all of us are going to pay the price of trump as president. He got 51% of those who voted and those that didn't vote should be ashamed. The world is laughing at us for electing a felon to our highest office. He is a felon and many countries do not allow felons into their land. Trump will have to send Vance (do any of us remember that he is the VP?) to meetings in those countries! I suppose he could send Musk, but Musk (despite what HE believes) is not elected to any office in America!
The MAGA GoP cheat better than anyone! The Democrats want to play a fair game! What has that playbook got us but felon, traitor trump and his lying , cheating sychopants and a MAGA GOP Trifecta!
Read this new shocking reveal from SmartElections.US. The election was STOLEN from Harris.
https://open.substack.com/pub/smartelections/p/so-clean
The election was rigged by VP Muskrat and Shadow President Putin with help from MAGA Members on a Russian pay check, let’s not leave out RightWing Media which is the only Media left in America oh and Blackmailed and threatened Merrick Garland, and whoever else has rolled into that category. Trump is a false prophet I don’t know how so many religious people fell for it but they did and yes we all will pay the price, We need to stay strong have those tough conversations , get people to the mid term elections to hopeful turn things around and hold up our Democracy! We Can Do It , we have been here( not quite as appealing) before. We have no other choice.
The important thing is ACTION! Print it out in color. Take it to your TV news station NOW! We need to get this out. Then maybe Biden will stop the transfer until the hand recounts are performed in the swing states.
Are we surprised? But….perhaps she was too good, too big, too threatening and too strong and a person with a civic conscience for those who wanted to take control for the benefit of a few chosen few….
Definitely was rigged. Why the Democrats aren’t looking into this
Someone needs to apply AI to analyze the vote and probability of hacking
Good 💡 idea
Give this to the meidas media on sub stack they will get it out.
As long as I can remember, public service announcement urging voting have stressed personal choice, "Do you want a voice in the people's choice... ?" said one in my youth; and some people are very finicky about whether or not they have this or that disagreement with this or that candidate. Yet it seems like the secret hiding in plain sight is that self-government is by definition DIY; a share of choice AND responsibility for outcomes; and these are societal outcomes we are talking about, so the 'common good" must be weighed against personal agendas. I accept the rules of a four-way stop intersection to protect you as well as myself.
Liberty is not just my personal human rights, it is an environment in which we respect and protect the rights of one another; and it should be obvious that when we are careless and/or irresponsible out said duties and choices, those already deprived of options tend to suffer most.
How could it be any other way?
"The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves---in their separate, and individual capacities.
In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere." - Lincoln
There it is ….it is said Be careful what you wish (or vote) for …
From what I understand, VP Harris recieved 23.5% of the AMERICAN votes, Bunkerboy got 25% of the Traitors, and 50% surrendered their citizenship by not voting! PATHETIC.
They are going to have a rude awakening!
There are those that say “history repeats itself.“ So they might posit we are headed for one hell of a recession/depression given the lack of competent people at the helm and the greater concentration of wealth at the top. Then there is the hope that the next reincarnation of FDR will come to save us and rebalance the scales.
I don’t accept this as our future. With the coming economic chaos, particularly fueled by a tariff for income focused economy and taxation system, there will be a greater realization that a total reliance on capitalism does not work and we need a better alternative.
One of the best ways to cope with the oncoming Trump led oligarchy is to plan now for the next and better system of democracy and a system of economics that will not permit wealth concentration, but which says everyone must have their necessities met before anyone is allowed to accumulate wealth. No, this is not communism or socialism. Those two systems rely on highly centralized planning and control of the economy and governance and that approach is not viable.
Now is the time to step forward with bold thinking and open minds as to what could be the future beginning 2 to 4 years from now.
Reality is unconcerned with what you accept Marc. Reality is headed towards you like an out of control freight train. It will hit you hard in three more days when Trump signs his 100 executive orders, fires all civil servants who want pledge loyalty to him, and hires MAGAts to replace them.
Putin will have his people heading the Defense Department and the Department of National Intelligence.
Orban promised his people that he would solve the immigration problem, they elected him, he did,and now he rules Hungary with an iron hand, and they can't get rid of him, he went to Mar a Lago and advised Trump. MAGAts adore Orban.
Only collective action can dislodge Orban, he now controls the press and all of the organs of he government. The same is true of Trump.
Plan all you wish, but you need to be able to carry out your plans.
I am watching people psychologically start to fall in line behind Trump and not just billionaires either, it is a survival mechanism. Same thing happened in Germany after 1933.
William, I’m not standing on the tracks waiting for a “freight train“ to hit me. I’m off to the side planning for the post Trump future that I believe is inevitably coming. We have to move from ranting about the evil of Trump and the billionaires and instead begin to conceive of and activate a better system. Personally, I’m waiting for Trump‘s freight train to either run out of steam or hit a wall when his billionaire-based economy crashes.
Marc. Conceive of a better system all you wish, but you can't activate a better system till you get rid of the current one.
I am of the opinion that Trumps MAGAt and billionaire regime will collapse from within of it's own contradictions,but not before it takes hundreds of thousands, maybe millions like us with it.
For the next two years it will live off the Biden fat, while it goes about deconstructing our democratic Republic and shredding the constitution.
While doing that it will put in place, the instruments of authoritarian control, that will silence dissent.
Their is a model for this, more than one, Germany 1933, Hungary 2010, and Putin.
William, you are right in your critique of Marc. Magical thinking may be pleasant, but it is a needless distraction. However, there is another model you have not mentioned: Bukele, the Salvadorian dictator. Trumpists admire him, and even Mayorkas paid him a visit. The model is old and simple: incarcerate and or enslave enough young males, and you eliminate much crime and resistance. Bukele seems to lack imagination: he could employ the young men in public works.
" Bukele seems to lack imagination: he could employ the young men in public works."
Interestingly herr Hitler did just that with his work brigades, they built the autobahn and other public structures, and eventually traded the shovel and pick for a rifle.
An interesting story about the work brigades, They were overworked and treated brutally, like recruits in the heer.
Time to time a worker would write a letter to Hitler "Dear Fuhrer: If only you knew", a couple of weeks pass, and the GESTAPO shows up, calls out his name, he disappears never to be seen again, probably into a labor camp.
Marc, when and if the economy crashes Trump will find scapegoats, and it's not going to be pretty.
A whole lot of obeying in advance. It's pretty disgusting.
Fear, self preservation instincts KAO, that is what makes dictatorships possible.
Jesus, Farrar, lighten up, would ya? I agree with Nevas! I’ll bet a lot of us do. Spare us your bleak outlook.
They are BOTH right! We ARE in the bleak situation described by William, and we SHOULD begin planning on how to rebuild after the economy crashes - and Marc Nevas has a great idea for that.
Magas are sure to become dissatisfied as their economic world craters, if that is what happens and I suspect it will. Our next step needs to be a plan to gather those dissatisfied folks into our group that will work against the neo-Nazi Facists.
There you go Sandra. The center will not hold, the periphery will fall apart. The techno libertarian billionaires can't sustain a society built by workers. The whole thing will fail, but in the meantime it will live off the accumulated fat, and in the meantime we need to survive
I am realistic Elizabeth, I can stare the monster in the face without pulling the covers over my head. As regards"a;lot of us do". that is known as the bandwagon fallacy. A lot of us are Muslims so does that mean that Muslims are right and we should all be Muslims, same goes for Christians, a lot of Germans believed in Hitler and worshiped him as fuhrer.
No Elizabeth I will continue to call them as i see them, and if that makes you uncomfortable that is your problem.
Farrar You sound to me like a schoolboy: “No Elizabeth I will continue to call them as i see them, and if that makes you uncomfortable that is your problem.”
Really? I’m open to listening to your perspective , but it would be a lot easier without the dismissive, superior tone.
You lost Franklin, when you started this conversation with you, as did Elizabeth. If what I have to say so disturbs you then pass me by.
And obviously it does, as it did with Elizabeth, You see when I comment it is impersonal, about the thing, not the person (unless they are an obvious Trump or Putin Troll), but when somebody responds trying to characterize me and make it personal, then that tells me that they,not me, have the problem.
As regards your opinion of my tone. Well Franklin, I really, really could care less, and that is quite dismissive.
Bleak outlooks discourage us, magical thinking lulls us into inaction. The choice is yours.
Putin wanted the election of Trump, because the man brings chaos, he said in an interview, I don't remember where and when.
But his war of propaganda, trolls and sabotage was won.
Yes, Marc, step forward and think bold, but where to begin and how?
The Heritage Foundation is working decennia already. What do modern people with rational capabilities have? Brookings? Progressive universities?
I would like to see them form a frontline, and now, not in the years to come.
Tom, it is not about “them” coming together to form a front line, it is about us coming together. The bickering has to stop if we are to allow our rational and ethical minds to come to the fore. Remember, it was “we the people” that stopped the Vietnam war and then started the ecology movement. It was not progressive universities nor the Brookings Institute that provided the leadership. And the same was true for the civil rights movement. Leadership, such as Martin Luther King came from the people and not outside institutes or universities. We need to find the values and issues that
unite us to move boldly forward into the next chapter of the evolution of economics and governance.
Marc, you misread: we agree. I only fear the Total chaos that Trump cs will bring and the different timelines. The chaos Will be faster…
Marc, an effective way for you to promote your version of a harmonic society is to get crucified, or burned at the stake, or something like that. Do you have the guts? Is your vision worth the sacrifice? If not, you may try a more convincing way to promote the solution you propose.
Tom van Doormaal, true! ".. his war of propaganda, trolls, and sabotage was won."
People with rational capabilities had a constitution that guaranteed due process for the resolution of grievances. Some of them took it for granted.
So … Newsom is responsible for wildfires … then by extension DeSantis is responsible for 230 Florida hurricane Helene deaths … then DeSantis is responsible for 12,165 Covid deaths … then Trump is responsible for 407,000 Covid deaths … you have to be careful when you point fingers
Well said
Excellent point, Erudite. Trump is scapegoating Newsom, because he is afraid of him. Also, scapegoating is necessary when you deny personal responsibility. Trump continues to deny climate change, just as he denied the seriousness of Covid-19.
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
To say "Newsome is responsible for wildfires" may be correct. At least they happened during his administration. People wanted to build in the Palisades area, it is beautiful. Someone approved their plans. Someone did not thin the underbrush. Someone emptied the water reservoir while knowing about Santa Ana winds. Someone at State Farm concluded fire risk in the area was too great. Someone went on a junket to Africa. Someone may have been more concerned about systemic racism and spent more time on DEI initiatives than testing fire systems and trucks for readiness. Someone may have spent billions on high-speed rail project administration rather than on construction. Or as Stuart Varney said in response to a question, "When will the voters of California wake up?"; his reply was, "It hasn't gotten bad enough yet." Single party politics may be a very bad idea at all levels of government even if it results from Reich's vaunted democracy.
Dr. Fauci financed gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Lab where reasonable people believe the Covid virus escaped. Why don't you hold him responsible? President Trump
with others including Collins, Fauci, and Walensky moved with speed to find help in the form of mRNA injections. This was done as emergency authorizations without the FDA's normal safety studies and also giving Pfizer and Moderna legal immunity from any resulting human health problems. Anyone who disagreed was silenced by the Defense Department and censorship. A few concerns about mRNA injections are starting to be communicated.
We do need to be careful when pointing fingers. But pointing fingers and naming names are needed at times to help voters bring accountability. Especially when law schools, lawyers, judges, and justice itself are no longer impartial. Let's hear it for free speech.
Not only are progressives hung out to dry, Trump voters will soon find out that they are no different. Special hats and parroted phrases will get them zilch with this administration despite all that fervor.
Sometime in the next two years they will realize that they have been played the fool, and their revulsion will help ensure #ImpeachmentNumber3.
I hope you are right. At some point at least *some* of the cultists have to wake up, read a real newspaper and realized they have been duped. Don't they?
Woody, they will wake up when their paychecks shrink and the cost of goods and services rise. The upcoming tariffs are certainly a tax on the poor, and yes, at that time they will wake up and see they have been duped.
And at that point Faux and WAPO story time will tell them it's the Dems fault. That's been the completely effective playbook.
Alas, I doubt they will wake up even then.
Trump will blame China, Mexico, and Germany. The people who voted for him will not want to admit their mistake, and they will go along with the scapegoating, at least at first. It will be interesting to see how Trump will respond to attempts at unionization.
Read? No. But their hungry stomachs will bring them into reality.
Achieving Honorable Democracy , I agree with you completely.
Yeap when their financial situation doesnt the pendulum will swing like a guillotine like it did in 2016 then again 2020 and again in 2024. Both groups nees to stop sucking off the billiomaire teet. This election shows that partnering with the (good billionaire) is meaninfless aa their loyalty is for sale towards their bottom line above all else forever. The party that rejects them first (and not just lie or gaslight about it) will be able to maintain power. Otherwise its more election ping pong people gst fed up and then revolution.
No, they will never realize they have been played the fool because that is an admission that they are fools. An admission that they were wrong. And they will never, ever acknowledge that to themselves, much less admit it.
I understand. My hope is that while many husbands can’t let go of MAGA, the wives can. They are hardwired by society and biology to care for their families and will notice as hardships escalate.
The husbands, on the other hand, invested a large part of their identity into Trumpism. they were nobodies and this adoration gave them a chance to be a colorfully adorned somebody.
There’s already a civil war brewing between MAGA/ Bannon and Musk who he said Musk will be out of the a White House by Inauguration Day.
We only need a car or an aeroplane or train, to transport us from one place to another - what’s the difference here??? A falling out is no big surprise… people cut from this kind of cloth will eventually clash, crash and burn or fall, as everything in their lives is TRANSACTIONAL….there is no art of the Deal here….it can’t save them from the inevitable. Fighting over the ‘spoils’ is another part of the game….there are some truths that even ‘the most powerful’ may fight against but we ALL age, get sick, win, lose or we make ‘magic’ and care about life ….before we die…in the end that’s all that counts.
Before impeachment there must be voter remorse so the midterm election changes Congress. That includes remorse among Biden voters who stayed home this year. How do we make them realize that they are responsible for this oligarchy?
Jonni, as the economy becomes more unbalanced and unjust, that is what will wake up the American voters. Obviously, logic, reasoning, and facts only have a limited impact. The real impact occurs in the wallets of the many and the increasing wealth of the few.
Hopefully there will only be Trump to blame.
But people keep demonstrating that they can’t identify whose boot is on their neck.
Boots on necks …OUCH! Don’t let them! Downtrodden ain’t a good look!
Actually agree to a point. On the other hand Biden showed his racism and his unwillingness to listen to any other point of view when it came to Gaza. Harris did not differentiate on this point or any other which was not a good move. I am seeing reporting that Gaza was a reason for a substantial number of voters to sit it out. I get the “they cut their nose off to spite their face” argument but I also get the argument that this was a moral imperative for them and was clearly the only way to be heard. I voted for Harris in hopes of change. I would not have voted for Biden.
I understand. My hope is that while many husbands can’t let go of MAGA, the wives can. They are hardwired by society and biology to care for their families and will notice as hardships escalate.
The husbands, on the other hand, invested a large part of their identity into Trumpism. they were nobodies and this adoration gave them a chance to be a colorfully adorned somebody.
California, the world's fifth-largest economy, and Washington, seem to be subsidising the rest of America.
Maybe California should threaten to halt the flow of $ to Washington. Then the poorer Republican states might have to pay their own bills, instead of expecting federal subsidies from Democrat states.
This was an eye opener. Living in Australia, I had no idea just how far individualistic privatisation has gone in the US.
We complain about too much American influence on our culture, but this has made me realise just how much our Australian culture is still essentially European in its society-wide provisions.
We have a firefighting division, but it's between unionised professional forces in the cities and volunteer forces who traditionally cover rural areas. But our rural brigades are "all in this together" for the districts they cover. No selfish wealthy individuals. That would be considered very un-Australian.
would trump let us know how much water is used on his golf courses ?
Ha !! Touché !!
Ironic that CA is a massive donor state … paying the bills of the failed MAGA “taker” states (all MAGA states are “takers” except TX & FL)
Meteorologist Eric Holthaus explained, “The National Weather Service defines ‘extremely critical’ fire weather as sustained winds in excess of 30 mph and relative humidity of less than 10% in the presence of drought conditions and temperatures warmer than 70 degrees F. This is the first time in history these criteria have been met anywhere in the United States during the month of January.” And you can be sure that it won't be the last.
As a liberal who grew up in a conservative family and community in the 1960s, I totally agree with Mr. Reich. Our society has come too far to allow DJT to take us back.
It is impossible to respond sensibly to Trump as his own mind is out of control and his responses are incoherent and reckless. How can a reasoned discussion take place.? Any comment to Trump faces yelps of outrage or agreement apparently based on what comes into his mind.
As for Musk's desire to be cool that is an unintended sick joke. He is the ultimate in the clumsiness and foolishness allowed by his wealth. However, regardless of how much cash he has he cannot disguise what he is now. What is facing the USA is the crash of what passes for democracy.
But in the end the public can still decide. Do they know what they want? I don't think they will want what Trump and Musk will provide: denial of climate change; slaughter of wildlife, toxic air and polluted rivers in pursuit of profit.
Spread the word! Boycott planned!
"Lights out Meta"
January 19-26, 2025
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Giphy, Metaquest, Rayban Meta
I've already done this.
Thank you for spreading the word!
Okay, I needed that push! Lights out Meta!
NOW YOU’RE TALKING!!! Do it, everybody! Lights out!
“Lights out”…meaning stay off the platforms or exit the platforms? Help me understand please🤔
Since it has an end-date, I believe it’s a temporary boycott
I fear the trumpists are so fully indoctrinated that no economic failure or inherent chaos will emotionally affect them. The "owning the libs" philosophy of a false and misconstrued definition of masculinity may be all that matters, as they pound their chests towards Fascism and the ultimate demise of what we generally refer to as democracy. Or perhaps we've all been duped into believing a false narrative and have always had some form of Oligarchy.
What you describe is nothing short of the reconstruction of data into 'false flag' issues. This technique is exploited by warmongers to provide apparent rationale for invading countries (eg Ukraine) and for politicising disaster relief. We are likely to see a great deal of this activity so people need to wise up about it, recognise it, discredit and challenge it.
Challenge it, Change it….
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
America was built on community support. You still see this in some of the smaller towns where everyone in the town will come together to support each other. I saw it as a child in my hometown in the 50s and 60s. The biggest difference I see today is income inequality and racism which is on a scale that has gone way overboard. It’s creating an “us against them” mentality enhanced by the oligarchs and the politicians that are controlled by the oligarchs!
Funny how little "community support" there was for the women, minorities, slaves or indentured servants in the community for most of the country's history. How little support there was for Irish and Italian Catholics ("No Irish need apply") for decades. How little support for the Chinese immigrants that built the railroads and the west coast. The list can go on for hours. We were never really United, only the classes in power were...oh wait, Civil War, never mind.
Yes, Constance, but much progress was made, because we had a constitutionally guaranteed due process to resolve our grievances and disagreements in a peaceful way. Now our fates will be in the hands of one man.
Divide et impera
THAT is precisely what ‘they’ want…set the people up against each other and fight fight fight ….in other words, fight for them to achieve their agenda and their own goals…people appear to not have seen that….
Keith, I agree with you completely on this point.
Trump's attitude is reflected in an old Eddie Murphy comedy skit. "What have you done for me lately?"
I'll have to see if I can find that skit on YouTube. During the election, Janet Jackson's song "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" popped into my head about the Democrats. FDR and LBJ were the last Democrats who fought hard for working people. Biden should have fought for a universal healthcare system, and Harris should have run on that. If the stock market takes a hit, so be it. Slavery was wrong, and an economic system took a big hit to rid the country of that evil.
Slavery was economically inefficient and it constituted an impediment to the economic and demographic grown of the South. It's abolition was no big "economic hit."