Now with this specific And significant change in American politics and the fire in the people, it is time to take on a new mission. I would suggest the following: “END EXPLOITATION NOW! .”
Prices are high because of record profit-taking. Large conglomerates are raking in the cash purchasing the available real estate properties and turning them into rentals both long and short term The major three owners of automobile production in the United States have focused on the most expensive models and limit the number of more frugal cars. American consumers have to turn to foreign auto makers for basic transportation. American auto makers have brought up the average price of a new automobile to $50,000. Food prices are set by three major grocery conglomerates so there is virtually no competition. Amazon has cornered the market on mail order goods and Walmart and Amazon have knocked, small local businesses that were owned by the middle class out of business. The exploiters have sucked up the American dream. Programs have to be started with low interest loans for startup co-ops that compete with the big businesses. Conglomerates must be broken up. The time is now!
Where have the well-paying jobs gone? A single person needs to earn at least $29 dollars an hour before taxes to pay for their basic needs. So, it is no wonder that the electorate is upset at inflation and the high cost of living compared to their income.
You are not wrong at all. But we gotta get this lady elected first, and then go from there. We must get out and VOTE; volunteer for her campaign any way you can. Donate money, time, whatever one can spare to stomp out Trump’s MAGA once and for all, and then we can begin to heal. He’s seriously broken America and we’re traumatized. I totally agree with everything you say, Marc, it’s just not going to happen overnight. But, eventually, with the right leaders, it WILL happen.
Once Kamala is elected she must have a three word Mission Statement. “End Exploitation Now” is beyond being a political statement, it can be the three word basis for her platform. The American people, Republicans and Democrats both, are exploited and they are angry about it; that explains some of the sentiment that is diving the population to find a new path that for some leads unwittingly to Trump or Kennedy.
Steve - sadly you are correct. And Marc Nevas' agenda sounds very "progressive" which in repugnant-speak is code for socialist or communist. Why are the repugnants so mean-spirited and disdaining of the common good?
Let's take back the word "socialism." It is *not* a dirty word and I refuse to let people make it one. Why isn't "reactionary" or "conservative" a dirty word? Don't let them set the agenda.
Paul, I think the reason Republicans are so mean-spirited is that they are scared of life. White Americans have seen themselves/ourselves as "real America" and soon white Americans will be the minority and a whole lot of people don't want that. I think they are wondering if people of color and women will do to the men what those white men have done to them over the years. Not likely, but it motivates people like Vance and Trump, both who want to be able to continue their reign of fear. Now it is up to us to decide whether to let them do it. I hope we won't.
Paul, imo repugnants "disdain" (good word) the common good because they believe that if they don't need/want help nobody else should get it. They are tone deaf about racism, gender-bias, etc. That's playing the victim, boo-hoo.
They're also the first to ask for help when a hurricane strikes or a massive power outage occurs because their gov't hasn't taken care of infrastructure.
Thanks for noting the vitriol expressed towards many of us who pay to read this column and are mocked and tagged as Trolls and Fox when expressing our opinion
They're paying less and less, and charging more and more. It's not sustainable!!! We're at or past our breaking point! And we're expected to pay more for college, pay for our parents, etc.
There is no way getting a college degree should be generally so expensive. Look at the accreditation system. The current model is hardly sustainable. I realized that in the early 90's when I saw the asymptotic curve of disposable income going towards college expenses. And now we have trillions or whatever in student debt. This was quite forseeable. I hardly think I was the only one to see what was coming.
Mitch McConnell meets with each new Dem President:"I'm going to abort your seeds"(Mitch pledges to thwart any new legislation by the new President... he did so with the newly elected Obama and the newly elected Biden and he will try to "abort the seeds" of legislation in the Harris Administration)
Victor, I'm pretty sure from your previous posts that you don't believe this is her fault.
Because of the spew of racial hatred coming from the foul mouth and Fascist brain of T says it is, all of the MAGA know-nothings will believe it anyway.
Biden and the bi-partisan Senate worked out a new immigration/border bill and T and his MAGA slaves in the House killed it.
This falls entirely on the GOP.
Every DEM running for office needs to pound this point home. Again and again and again!!!
The real problem with our immigration laws are they don't exclude known racist hate mongers like R. Murdoch! I would rather have a million illegal immigrants here working hard for the American Dream and raising their kids to be good citizens, than one R. Murdoch. His brand of lies, hate, racism, BS and more was well known in his home country of Australia and then England decades before someone here was stupid enough to let him in our country.
C Leonard, so very true. We do have to get Vice-President Harris elected. I am busy sending postcards, talking to my friends who I hope will talk to theirs, writing letters, signing petitions, and contributing whenever I have a little extra to her campaign. I am fired up and I hope more and more will get fired up as well! Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
I want a t-shirt with a cat on the front that says something like “cat ladies vote too”. I’m not a cat lady but I know some wonderful single older ladies with cats and I think we should stand united.
I completely agree with both of you.. Before we can take constructive action to rectify the current situation that favors the rich while holding down the poor and middle classes we need political power. Get out the vote now! Everyone needs to do what they can whether it’s writing postcards, working phone banks, volunteering to go door-to-door, etc. If we are all willing to put our shoulders to the wheel, we have a good chance to resurrect the American Dream. some of us have more free time than others so give what time, talent and dollars that you can. No amount of time or dollars is too small! Lastly don’t be intimidated by their MAGA bluster. We are fighting against bullies. Be strong, not weak and take action. Bullies do not do well when people fight back. Talk to anyone with an open mind and get them fired up too!
Make a plan outlining what you can do individually to get Kamala and all of the down ballot candidates across the finish line. Write a simple note to yourself outlining the action that you will take and post it somewhere where you will see it daily. Then take action and let’s get this job done. Time is precious and short.. We need control of all three houses before we can make the changes so needed by so many!
To accomplish your goal would require getting candidates that are NOT Republican or Democratic. In order to be endorsed by either Party requires that the candidate swear fealty to the PARTY, first and foremost. Pertinent point: _WE_ don't choose who We can vote for; the Parties do that "for Us".
As long as Congress is controlled by the two Parties, despite any furor or MASSIVE enthusiastic popular support, all We can expect is some version of the current status quo.
I think a woman as President for US would change some mindsets. However mother devotion for being a mother shouldn’t be used as main characteristic for a political career. Being a mother is the most powerful attribute on earth. I apologize but I cannot agree with abortion as a lifestyle. I understand the necessity of having options when needed, but we cannot misused the celebration of life as the birth of a child, by celebrating abortion.
Women’s bodies have the same rights as men bodies, but canceling the rights of women for being moms is the wrong empowerment and direction.
In case is there somebody that believes abortion belongs to emancipation of women, than women should be strong enough to elevate with other attributes for equaling men!!
Abortion isn’t a “lifestyle”. It’s actually, in many instances, women’s health care.
You don’t have to agree with or like it. That’s you. But the only one who should be making that decision is the woman and her doctor. It’s nobody’s business but hers.
Got it dear. It’s my opinion as well. But making politics out of it is creating a lifestyle. Abortion isn’t a discussion when needed it!! However it’s against the morality of any human being. Do you wanna do something against?! Than teach every gender how to prevent unwanted pregnancies otherwise it will get to a lifestyle. I was commenting on another platform, however Houdini was on work cannot access my own posting anymore so I‘ll comment it again here, eventually we take out of traffic a shield. We might end with an unorganized traffic system. A shield is set not to hold you back for reaching your destination but to keep you safe for getting to your destination. Same here by cancelling any kind of restrictions to abortion society will get very soon to a laisy choice protection when making sex or love(depends on you how you define it), which means definitely chaotic lifestyle!! Instead of protection to prevent we‘ll have more abortions when unwanted pregnancies! And here is not the man who is affected but the woman, again!
I agree with you, Linda! No one else should ever tell a woman what to do with her own body. Simply me needs to understand it is a choice for each woman concerning their health. Even if you wouldn't make it, it is important to respect other women's rights to choose just like you.
we're seeing in real time that abortion is not a lifestyle. These laws that men created took away bodily autonomy...it's not your business or theirs. It means you can have children and I am don't have to... all good on that front. ain't nobody's business but my own. Plus it's sheer evil to force anyone to breed, never mind a 10 year old rape victim, that's utterly disgusting and a violation of Human Rights, as stated by the United Nations. Get the government out of our bodies!!
To both William and Peggy: I abhor abortion, always have and always will. Too many lazy, choose-to-be-ignorant women use it as birth control. That is abominable. It bothers me greatly that this is the "platform" of the Democratic Party; that they are hoping to win this election by running on and playing up the abortion issue. Disgusting! A nation that accepts infanticide and denies the rights of the unborn is a nation that deserves to go up in flames. How horrible that we do not protect the most vulnerable among us. For shame to all of you! I get so many solicitations from everybody and their brother running for office, and most of them are trying to play the abortion card. I don't donate to any of them, but instead I send their donation forms, in their postage-free envelopes, back to them, telling them WHY I won't even consider giving them campaign money!
If you don't want the "inconvenience" of a child, then quit fucking around unprotected, simple as that!
Then vote for Trump Klare. You probably already will. I disagree that abortion is infanticide, yours is a totally emotional and irrational argument, but you are entitled to your opinion, but your opinion reduces women to mere objects, the carrier of the male seed. I hope you aren't employed or value yourself as a sovereign individual
Yes, but.....we've been told for decades that it's not going to happen overnight. In many ways, the average worker is worse off than 50 years ago. We keep getting put off and put off. It's getting old.
What a concept! Exactly so! Unfortunately, Biden has continued to allow new drilling leases, and has continued subsidies to Big Oil. The paradigm shift you suggest, Victor, is our only hope. I devoutly pray that Harris sees that.
IMO, the way to accomplish real, positive change is to be willing to dump the status quo. Not in a burn-it-all-down MAGA way, but in an unwillingness to keep doing it the way we are (e.g., fossil fuel dependence) just because that's the way we've always done it, and it's what Big Corp expects. Outside-the-box thinking is the answer, I believe.
"You can learn a lot more about the US .... by looking at the similarities between presidential administrations..."
That is like trying to drive a car by focusing on the rear-view mirror.
People have the impression that many on the Democratic side -- including Harris -- are FORWARD-looking. Something you seem to be completely oblivious to. Careful, it is you who might be the lackey.
Both parties are doing what they've been paid to do or agreed to do: keeping the status quo. The difference is Republicans have decided to completely toss out the unwritten rules about keeping the citizens happy while the Democrats are still making promises, most of which won't/can't be kept. I like listening to the Dems much better, but I don't expect SS to be expanded anytime soon; the corporations that run America just won't agree to it! Gotta keep kissing business's asses in order to get the millions needed to campaign. The people have always been the losers. We get a ltitle something thrown at us from time to time to keep us quiet, but we never really see real progress. And if you're poor like me? I can go piss up a rope; they don't really care. I can't contribute to their campaigns, and if I'm in a heavily gerrymandered state, or red governments are doing their annual purges of the rolls-- or they pass new, stricter voter ID requirements-- it's possible my vote won't even count.
I watched an episode of VICE a few years back, where they interviewed a man in the shadows who said, "You think you're picking the president?" <snicker, chortle, snort> "That person is chosen by the few, and I'm part of the group of people that makes sure their choice wins." It was chilling to hear that.
Again Tom Caitlin johnstone is a Putin propagandist who has dozens of articles published by Russia Today.
And there is only one Imperialist today, and that is Putin, first genocide in Ukraine then Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia there is no stopping his grand designs, Moldova, Slovenia, Slavakia until he rebuilds the Russian Emprie.
Your link Tom to Caitlin Johnstone, is to a person who gets a $6,000 a month stipend from an anonymous source and who has had dozens of articles published in Russia Today.
In a word your favorite source is a Putin propagandist.
Caitlin is usually a bit too radical, even for me, but she does have some valid points here and there.
I agree that when the DNC tanked Bernie's campaign and insisted on nominating Hillary, they gave up all pretense of being serious about change. We'll see if Harris represents the real thing. I'd like to think she does.
Have you ever watched Second Thought videos on YT? That guy seems to have a good grasp of what's going on, and he touched on this very topic in his latest video.
Once mortgage rates drop, this “feeling” will dissipate.
Additionally, please understand that (while maybe not for you specifically) real wages are UP vs cost of living. Biden’s macro economic plan IS working, and the US economy is surging. It is housing costs, a shortage of rental units and homes to buy combined with Interest Rates (your credit card rates are higher than they’ve been in a while) - those ARE easing.
The President does not control the Federal Reserve.
Ask your nearest senior how well the economy is doing for them! We may be old, but we're still breathing, we still need housing, and we still need to eat, and those things have become unbelievably difficult for retired people. We feel forgotten, left behind, in all the hype over how wages have gone up for working people. I'm happy for them, but our SS checks don't begin to cover our basic necessities, hence why so many seniors or now homeless.
I am a Senior. It still isn’t under the President’s control.
You’re speaking of your Benefits which Republicans have been cutting and trying to ELIMINATE for over 50 years. CONGRESS is your enemy here. Vote Blue the whole ticket.
Obviously! I always vote Blue. I wasn't pointing fingers, I was stating a fact: seniors are in dire need. More personally: this is the first time in a long life I've not been able to afford to rent a place. I can't afford to replace my car (which is 11 years old). I have to carefully pick and choose what food to buy because I can't afford "favorites" or "extras" anymore. Clothing? Ha! Haven't bought anything new in years; I'll soon be wearing rags and going barefoot. This is NOT how I envisioned my "golden" years. I do firmly hold Republicans responsible for much of this, as they kept wages depressed over my entire working life, but Democrats have had chances now and again (when in control of Congress) to correct this and haven't. I am resigned to dying in abject poverty of some preventable disease or exposure from living on the street.
Theo, I am so sorry to hear this. I hope you are writing and calling your representatives until they're sick of hearing from you. We need to make them aware of how hard it is for so many people.
Theo, I am a senior, too, and I have found some ways to shop that make it easier for me. I shop Aldi's, Ollie's, Sav-A-Lot, Farmer's Markets and Co-ops for groceries, thrift stores and outlet stores for clothes and household merchandise. As far as rent, find some roommates to share in the cost of rent, utilities, and groceries. I never envisioned my 'golden years' to be so difficult either, but the wonderful thing I have found is friends that will be there to help you out when you need it. Then, I turn around and help them when they need it. I hope you will be able to work things out.
Theo, you are in the same situation as millions of others who have not planned ahead, or made the wrong choices in life.
I am 85,my wife is 71, we are comfortable enough to have the house painted and other maintenance jobs done without using a credit card or a loan.
I grew up in project, joined the service as a HS drop out, wife Had her own business, Handyjan, finally retired as a Building Official.
We both made good choices in life, (and some bad ones too) the good choices have provided us a comfortable living in our old age.
We hired a handyman yesterday to clean gutters and pressure wash roofs, if he works out we have some carpentry work for him. He is a longshore man,with out a job, he hadn't eaten in two days. His choices brought him to where he is, ours brought us to where we are.
Interesting. "As of 2019, individuals under 40 years old held just 4.9 percent of total U.S. wealth despite comprising 37 percent of the adult population. Conversely, individuals over age 54 made up a similar share of the population and held 71.6 percent of total wealth."
I know lots of seniors who are living "high on the hog" with frequent vacation trips to Europe, lovely second homes on the lake, etc. One person brags that he pays his country club monthly food/bar tab using his SS check! (He is a real jerk!). It seems to me that where you end up as a senior strongly depends a lot on how you started life. Were your parents well-to-do, middle class, or poor? My two cents....
Tim, I was a school teacher for my adult life. I worked hard. My mistake was marrying a narcissistic pig who took everything I had leaving me homeless and penniless. Were it not for my family, I would be sleeping on the streets! I receive a very tiny retirement check after a lifetime of teaching and a very small social security check. Yes, there may be seniors who are living it up but there are a lot of us that are scraping by. Contrary to what others have said about bad choices. We worked paid into social security and Medicare. We thought with our retirement checks and social security we would be okay. I really do not feel anyone has the right to tell us that we are in the situation we are in because of bad choices. It is judgmental and not helpful!
And no one should judge you for that. He might be referring to folks who spend looking for objects to make them happy. You were clearly targeted by a person who victimizes others.
You have periodically reminded me that *most* of us are here in good faith. I got you ❤️🩹
Peggy: These people who blame individuals' economic hardships on the "bad choices" of the individual are basically smug self-satisfied Ayn Rand types who take pleasure in parading themselves about as having accomplished their well-being through clever choices of which others were not capable. This self-congratulatory attitude indicates an insensitivity to the complexities of life in general and others' situations and reveals the commenting individual to be a self-centered unmitigated - let's say it like it is - @$$hole.
Not judging you (or anyone else). It just seems crazy to me that you and others are scraping by on a meager SS check while others who could live well enough without it are collecting (often larger) SS checks. Why not means test SS benefits and use the money saved with less people collecting benefits to send larger checks to those who really need it? Also, since seniors have most of the wealth, why the focus on government benefits for seniors? Young people today trying to raise children and buy a house could sure use the help. If my comment offended you, I apologize! Not my intent!
I think that's true to some degree but there are many exceptions, Tim. People run into bad luck with health, jobs, all kinds of things. Other people just find themselves in the right place at the right time. There but for fortune, as the song goes.
Agree that luck plays a big part in where you end up in old age. All you can do is prepare as much as possible so you can take advantage of the good luck and minimize the impact of the bad.
Tim, your assessment maybe correct in some cases, but I am 85 wife is 71, I was raised in a project, my wife in a middle class household in San Bruno, CA. I enlisted at 17 as a HS drop out, my wife put herself through college, lived in a travel trailer, eaned money by tutoring.
We are both comfortable we own five acres with five buildings, no mortgage, no debts, our only problem, besides health concerns, is finding people to do the jobs on the property that we no long can.
She recently visited her family in California for her sisters birthday, no debts involved.
My neighbor, Jay, who lives about 4/10 of a mile east whose house I see on a hill, is a retired plumber. he is also a snowbird, owns property in Arizona and has a boat which he houses in my barn.
Neither he, nor any other senior I know, who is well off were born of well to do parents.
William, you were lucky to have been born at a time when buying property was still very affordable. The country has changed dramatically, and young people are fuming.
Thanks for the comment! My parents were well-to-do and my wife's family was rich, so I don't always get the full view of things. I am the only non-Republican in my group. Many are MAGA. Thank God for Mr. Reich's daily letter and these comments to keep me sane!
Your point is well taken Theo. At age 77 I get it. One of the reasons I always vote Blue is our Social Security and Medicare systems. Remember, both were Democratic inventions. From the original SS proposal in the 1930's and Medicare in the 1960's the GOP has opposed both and has often tried to destroy them. Mostly by lying and trying to scare folks about how the system is going broke and we should let their friends on Wall Street run them!. The DEMs will never let this happen. Can't say that for the GOP.
My questions is always why do I see so may SS age people at GOP rallies? Aren't they listening to T and the other GOP leaders when they say they will cut SS and Medicare and they are are still hoping to destroy The Affordable Care Act too. There are so many retired folks in Florida that state should be SOLID BLUE! Is it their racism, gun culture, religion or what, that is so strong that they will sacrifice their financial future for these ideas and vote GOP?
I really wish some of the TV reporters would ask this question to these retired folks wearing the MAGA hats. So far it is still a free country and one can vote for who ever they like, but... my inquiring mind would like to know!
P.S. If you feel forgotten and left behind remember it was a Republican businessman who sent your job to China, not the DEMs or the unions. This is the American business schools version of capitalism fun amok. If you are anywhere near Milton Friedman's grave please take a wiz on it for me and the million and millions of hard working Americans who lost their jobs because of his bogus ideas.
Do some research on him and J.M. Keynes. Compare the two ideas and decide who was really on the side of working folks.
I experienced this firsthand, when the good job I had (in QA) in manufacturing was shipped to Mexico, and I lost my job. From then until retirement, I was scrambling for work, so the years I should have been making my highest income were interspersed with layoffs and low-pay employment. I can't see that this was my fault! Plenty of jobs were getting shipped out of America so the owner class could save money on labor (always the highest expense of any business). I reinvented myself until I was exhausted. I feel like America kicked me in the teeth at the worst possible time.
As for the seniors in MAGA: no idea why they are so stupid, because you really have to be stupid to believe their BS. I did read that conservative brains are wired differently from that of Democrats/liberals, but how they get that way, I don't know.
I also understand that climate change is wreaking havoc on older people (of which I am one) because of insurance costs and destruction due to storms and fires. I don't know what we're all going to do about this but we need to get cracking.
Yes! We must remind our young voters that they already are victims of climate change. People may not realize that higher temperatures result in higher utility bills, higher insurance costs, higher housing costs, higher medical costs, higher taxes. This is painful but it could be catastrophic if we do nothing.
The only reason that SS benefits don't cover living expenses is because Since Ronald Reagan the Republican presidents and congress have been cutting them, and if Trump is elected it will be even worse, as it will be privatized, and once privatized the social security trust fund will go bankrupt.
I don't doubt you, but could you give a link to some hard data on this? I'd love to share it with a few Republican supporters. (Yes, it may do no good; but I keep trying.) Thanks!
Despite my suspicions ( am always suspect of people who want sources, despite their disclaimers) I will provide a few. However if you are truly serious, google is your friend, and carefully worded questions should give you many hits
Social security payments were tax free, until 1983 Georg because you already paid taxes before FICA was deducted. Now you pay taxes, and the taxes you pay are based on gross income, including other retirement.
Bush publicly bragged that his election gave him political capital and he was going to spend it "reforming" (privatizing) social security, he finally admitted a failure saying that it was the third rail of politics.
Bush also "borrowed" from Social Security Trust fund to finance his war on Saddam
Social security contributions come in two forms. The employee contributes part of their salary in the form of Federal Insurance Contribution Act (an insurance payment) found in box 4 and Medicare withholding in box 6 of the W-2.
The employer pays a matching portion and the Republicans call that portion a payroll tax, and the public thinks that the term payroll tax applies to their Retirement Insurance (FICA) deduction.
Unfortunately a drop in mortgage rates will not translate into lower rental costs or lowering of the cost of essentials such as food, medical care and advanced educational opportunities. However due to real estate speculation purchasing up the existing real estate inventory, owning one’s own home will still be out of reach for those who work for ridiculously low wages.
Biden has done much to relieve the economic oppression of the working class but they still need a fair wage for a fair day’s work. This responsibility for this situation can be laid directly at the feet of the Ultra-wealthy.
That is Congress’ job, specifically. Biden’s original BBB included a national $15 minimum wage - which was killed by Republicans. Vote Blue every election, State and County to see this change.
No, it would not because it was Obama / Biden that failed to put the bankers in jail TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
And what many people in your positions seem to forget is even though Biden’s plan, which was economically to target the middle class and help them, that it may have done, however, the segment of society that it has not helped the low income, the seniors, the under employed that live paycheck to paycheck, it has not helped them at all. That segment of society has grown over the past eight years. Two administrations. Biden‘s economic policy did nothing to help them. I’m one of them. I know my son is one of them. He feels it. Many of our friends are in both groups the paycheck to paycheck and the middle class that are still taking their vacations, watching their 401(k)s increase. Will Harris do any better? I guess we will see.
That is your State legislatures AND Congress continually voting to supress the minimum wage. And Trump’s tax bill included your Employer’s ability to keep your tips. A little deeper research will prove again that CONGRESS (and Republicans in Congress) is the enemy of Workers. Joe’s original bill included a $15 minum wage. That was stripped by Republicans.
I have spent the past 15 yrs as an hourly worker in the Hospitality Sector.
Maybe she won't sell off the national Weather Service or turn it over to the CEO of Accuweather who will use his position to make money like the Trump appointed guy did.
TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
Jerome Powell, chairman of the Fed and hired hand and representative of the investment banks that own the Fed, is the economic enemy. He lowered interest rates to almost zero for Trump, which, because we are a system in which all debts enable banks to create money, lowered inflation and spurred lending and spending, which a plan that was fucked by COVID.
Now that the Democrats are in office, and investment bankers hate Democrats, he raised the interest rates, and an October surprise would be Powell claiming that inflation requires him to raise interest rates again.
I agree with you, with a slightly different twist. Powell, like Merrick Garland is *terrified* of being seen as “left-partisan”, so he has leaned accidentally rightward by waiting too long. If there had been a rate cut in June, Biden would still be running and be winning. As we know - fear really is the mind killer, the action killer. If Garland had prosecuted Trump right away - no need for a Special Prosecutor (looking for a proxy is a sign of fear) - none of this would be happening. It’s the Caeser’s Wife principle applied foolishly.
I am not convinced that Powell and Garland are terrified of being seen as a left partisan, when both are right wing partisans.
Garland's political proclivities are evidenced by what he has done and what he has not done, and the fact that he was vetted to Obama by the notorious right wing senator Orrin Hatch R-UT.
Obama wanted a win to be able to go down in history as having nominated a supreme court justine and knew, because the telegraphed with a bull horn, that the Republicans in the senate would not approve his nomination, so he asked Orrin Hatch for the name of someone that would, and Orrin gave him Merrick's name,
Garland also worked for the right wing, leo Lenoard, Federalist Society as a moderator.
Powell is an "employee" of the share holders of the corporations, the financial institutions that own the Federal Reserve, Inc.
Neither are concerned by the public impression, because they thrive and will thrive post position,.
There is a lot crap, wheeling, dealing, influence peddling, favors given and asked for behind the scenes.
Want to see how things really work, binge Netflix on suits (9 seasons, starrring the Duchess of Sussex, 10th is filming as we speak. and Binge Billions on Paramount or Amazon Prime.
I was horrified the other day when I went to get my car washed and discovered that they have completely automated the car wash. There are exactly two jobs there now: the person who explains how the car wash works and the person who helps you get your car on the automated track. I imagine those will disappear soon too. I used to love going there on a weekend. You could buy coffee and snacks and even greeting cards and other paraphernalia. Then you could sit outside and wait for your car and hang out with the other customers. They would give away cool magazines too. It was a place for community and now all that is gone as well as the jobs. I was disgusted and very sad. We need more jobs of all sorts and we need more community, and I say that as an introvert. If I miss being with other people you know there's something that isn't right here. I desperately want to reverse this horrible trend, which also includes self-checkout machines at the drug store and the market. If anyone has ideas about how to do this or what organizations are tackling it, please tell me. I want to get involved. We are automating ourselves to death.
Paula, I never use self check out anymore. I realized when I use self check out I am doing someone else’s job and not getting paid for it. I would prefer to stand in a line and when I get to the cashier engage in a pleasant conversation And make their day a little bit brighter. It’s also another place to have a bit more human interaction both with the cashier and the other people in line.
Me too. When I am waiting in the checkout line and some well-meaning staff member or customer points me to the self checkout where there is no line, I say thank you but I want to support the checker and their job.
Me too!!! Exactly. There's this wonderful lady at the drug store who's so much fun to talk to. Last time I was there she regaled me with stories of eating her favorite dish: pickles with honey. You can't get that from the checkout machines.
I agree with both of you that automation will be the death of us as a society. Although convenience seems a logical substitute for human interactions with the spurious benefit of ‘saving time’ (for what?) It cancels out the fun aspect of living in a community. What could be better than watching a cashier or customers faces light up when you engage them in a conversation?
I AGREE ! I'm fed up with paying for services that I have to self service everything. Including education. Collaborative learning is also self teaching. Then people wonder why "kids don't think". They were taught not to.
I was listening to this podcast yesterday and just found it on YouTube for you. It is Marc Elias of Democracy Docket interviewing Joe Kennedy about the community building he is doing with Groundwork https://www.groundworkproject.com/about-us/
A minimum wage is no a livable wage, it is a travesty. This is why corporate lackeys would rather talk about abortion, gay marriage, transgender procedures.
Three cheers, Victor!!! The Federal minimum wage is EXTREME CRUELTY $7.25 per hour won't even feed a child. And even States like mine CA and Washington, while better are still below the poverty limit.
If it is so expensive then why are their families of four. These days it costs a quarter of a million dollars to raise a child, where the kid has to have a cell phone, apps, a car, and sneakers and clothing to keep up with the other kids, not to mention college and weddings.
So why impoverish yourself with children? Every child brought into a family, reduces the standard of living for that family and especially the chances of success for it's older siblings.
That is exactly why - plus the ever endangering climate - my four adult grandchildren have decided NOT to have children and I agree with them. However I disagree with 'reducing the chances of success for older siblings' that sound like an excuse to be unsuccessful to me. I was the oldest sibling and I paved my own way - and not to the detriment of my younger brothers.
California has an upside-down tax structure compared to other states: Low property tax rate as a percentage of valuation (and the longer you’ve owned the property, the lower the valuation). Higher than average sales tax, but at least no sales tax on food you take home to cook and eat. High income taxes. It’s their new state property taxes I hear former Californians grumble most about. The real estate is cheaper but the taxes are higher. Us lifelong Californians love reading articles titled “I left California (usually to TX or FL) and this is why I’m moving back”.
Hi Martha, you wouldn't want to be here right now. Butte County is on fire once again largest fire so far and only 12% contained. I live in Carmichael a small suburb of Sacramento, even here the skies are a dull gray.
Marc, and that amount, $29 to actually live is 4 times the minimum wage. That is appalling and Congress should be ashamed, but since they all have theirs, who cares about everyone else!
True, if we want to prevent the next Trump - the Dems need to listen to Bernie Sanders and if you haven't seen my comment yet about housing.
TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
agree...but prices are high because of corporate greed.....I was a stockbroker for 35 years. I understand the havoc that comes from the blinders of self-interest
As a Program Manager for many years, I've watched the pay for this job slowly go down and down. This has been one of those "well-paying" jobs but the pay is slowing being chipped away, while more and more is expected. I've retired from it, but I was working 12-14 hour days just to keep my job, the last several years. (in Silicon Valley)
I agree. I hope Harris picks Kelly to compare and contrast the Trump/Vance faux macho man image. How would they attack Kelly? That can't.
BTW, what's radical? Government, and mostly men on the Supreme Court banning abortions, or a woman and her doctor's decision? The former is radical; the latter is logical.
Someone, or some groups, must step up and expose the elephants in the doctors' waiting rooms.
Yes it is, Marc! We the people are ready for this crap to stop! President Harris needs to put ending exploitation of the American People at the very top of her to do list! Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
There is nothing really historic about a woman leading a country except the USA is way behind the times.. Women as bosses posses no superpowers Just like men Woman can be smart/stupid enlightened/ignorant, flexible/ ideologues. Good/bad there just human beings hopefully giving all their energy into the tasks at hand.
Don’t count your blessings until after winning the election. Win the Election. First. (WTEF) …
Some get better with age. There is a gene for Alzheimers and the latest news is it can be detected via a blood test.
The body wears down, via mitochondrial DNA, with age, the mind does as well, short term memory starts to fail, evident in the speeches of Trump and Biden, Motor skills fail. I can't talk without stuttering, I find it difficult to verbalize and find words, I can't read my own writing, but when I sit at a keyboard the only remnant is that on occasion my fingers stutter, and I misspell but thanks to spell check, I don't have auto correct on my computer. I catch those errors.
A big difference between youth and the elderly is that as we age we learn the benefits of deferred satisfaction,unless we are addicted like people that hoard motorcycles, bikes, cars, dolls and even newspapers and plastic bottles.
Oh, I don’t know that we’re just other human beings. Women and men are really different. And I kind of think of not having to deal with testosterone as kind of a superpower, myself.
Oh, yeah, I know, a little in the mix, and I know people use "hormonal" pejoratively about women, but I see, in my menfolk, the heavy burden that testosterone can be. Depending on the guy. People don't stop and think about it enough. That being said, to me, Kamala is a breath of fresh air, and her femininity is definitely a part of that.
The things you enumerate are all quite desirable -- but totally out of Our hands. The ONLY people that can create such legislation and programs are "Our" elected legislators. Those would be the people who rely on lobbyist largess and the "campaign contributions" of corporations and conglomerates.
The ONLY Power We The People have available to Us is to initiate a MASSIVE General Strike. A boycott of all those near-monopolies that lasts until they get the idea that less money is better than no money at all. The trouble is, the vast majority of We The People don't have the gumption to NOT go to work and instead go to the nearest People's Rally for fear of losing their job. (Or simply are not willing to forego their daily wage.) The closest We have ever come was the Occupy Wall Street Movement -- which, looking back, really didn't accomplish any of its goals. (None that lasted more than a month or two, anyway.) Even if We did launch a boycott larger and longer that Occupy Wall Street, because of all those that did NOT participate, the corporations would be able to limp along on reduced Revenue indefinitely. That is, they can withstand any siege We initiate better than We have the wherewithal to keep the siege going long enough to generate some Change We Can Believe In.
CaptainPatch, if Trump wins there will definitely be general strikes occurring accompanied by MAGA inspired violence attempting to quell the demonstrations against the Trump agenda. For some hope and proper focus read Heather Cox Richardson’s most recent Substack entry. I think it is one of the most inspiring I have read.
I suspect that what We will see if Trump wins is about the same level of protests that occurred after Trump won in 2016 and when SCOTUS struck down Roe v Wade. And note just how much impact those had. Even if you doubled the turnout, it wouldn't generate much impact. What's killing American Democracy are the tens of millions of citizens that willingly "vote against their own best interests" and the hundreds of millions that are NOT willing to tear the entire System down and rebuild from scratch. (A.K.A. 2nd American Revolution) NOT being willing to do what MUST be done to attain Change We Can Believe In is what keeps the status quo as the status quo.
Don’t “Not go to work.” That is self-defeating, especially since we have too many people for too few good jobs. Instead, use your right to BOYCOTT!! If you’re paying too much for groceries at the Big 3 grocery conglomerates, boycott those stores. Find other vendors, or just stop using those products for a while. For 6 months, for a year. The monopolies will feel it. If Walmart saw a sudden crash in revenues, you bet they would notice. Inform yourself, and shop accordingly.
Hard to NOT feed the coffers of Big Biz. There are numerous things that We all need that channel money to the several Bigs out there. Gasoline -- it ALL traces back to Big Oil. Food -- nearly all goes back to Big Agriculture. Information -- Big Media. Money Management -- Wall Street. (Banking.) Etc. What does We The People have to counter the influence of the Wealthy? They have >90% of all the "ammunition" in this war: money. Nothing short of a General Strike that locks down the country more than what We experienced during COVID will notably affect those that own most of America.
CaptainPatch— you’re right, the little power we the people started building has been systematically stripped by people who have been building a power structure over the last 30 years with incredible amounts of power and money. All for one purpose, to sustain and protect the power and lifestyle for the few.
We the general public are neither respected nor deferred to when it comes to running a government that collects the vast amounts of money in taxes and distributes it to its favorite causes as does the richest country in the world. We are rather resented as a deterrent and interference but a necessary evil.
We are not encouraged to get an education we are blocked from same. Future representatives to the government should be not only respected but trusted. Instead we get professional politicians who we hope have not completely sold their soul to the highest bidder.
How is it that a population of 350 million is so helpless and so dependent upon a relative handful of people? It’s because the vast majority of us are too busy working to keep body and soul intact for ourselves and family and end up working and buying our food for the very people who really control this country and have all the power. And because the salaries for the vast majority of the people are kept so low that so many have gone into debt at interest rates in the mid 20’s that there is not a prayer of using our still unpaid for education to get ourselves to the next economic tier to live the so-called American dream the looks more like a nightmare for many— just say’n.
Two-thirds of student debtors are women like myself. This is a women’s issue! In Florida alone is 8.6 Billion of debt.
We can pay off a car of $20K in 5 years and a house in 30 years. This compound interest contract forces students into debt for life.
Dems, what's the big picture here? For decades, you've not stood up for the middle class. So, we win in Nov with Kamala Harris, what's next ? Same old same ol? Because unless you stand up for working people like Bernie Sanders there is another trump like person right behind him.
References Bill Black, PhD lawyer, former bank regulator - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. and White Trash - the 400 year history of class Nancy Isenberg
The Supreme Court wrecked your dreams of student debt abatement. Again - Congress (specifically the Senate in this matter) is your problem. Remember all the times Biden tried to forgive your student debt? It’s NOT IN THE PRESIDENT’S HANDS. You must vote Dem EVERY ELECTION - even local county elections to make the change you want/need.
The BIDEN administration also wrecked everyone's financial life because he was SNEAKY - He didn't use the Education Act. And quite frankly, I'm fed up with paying for everyone else private religious school vouchers.
Either deal with the student loan debt or get ready for trump. What do you want??
that is MISINFORMATION that it's not in Biden's hands. I'm tried of on the left too.
So Biden tried to do something and trying to help he is guilty of wrecking dreams. Quite a jump in logic. It was SCOTUS, a right wing Republican SCOTUS who screwed the goose.
No one cares about that argument. I'm just saying - if you want to win - you'll need to go through Bernie's route. Otherwise, this is Obama 2.0 and he failed to put the bankers in jail. TheCon.tv
I'm giving you 500K votes if you cancel the debt and most of the people on here must be from well to do households that don't have the debt, because they don't care.
I've been called worse than cat lady. quite frankly, I don't care. I'm telling the truth.
No William, you are blissfully in a liberal elite college with no debt and no understanding that people don't care about saving democracy. That's a elite misinformation campaign. What people care about and will vote on is what puts food on the table. And, democracy isn't going to do that.
TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
Are you aware of JD Vance? Or are you an elite liberal with no debt.
Are you aware of the Education Act 1965? Are you aware that 2/3 women hold the debt? Are you aware of the fact it takes a BA to have a low level retail job?
It sounds like you live in a nice house, no debt, no worries - if you are only going to run on "saving democracy" you're out of luck. That's not the issues people vote or care about.
Janet, your comment reminded me that in 1962 I bought a $9000 3 br house with a carport and monthly payments for 30 years of $35, there years later I bought a brand new car , for $2,000 and 36 monthly payments. The same house costs a quarter of a million today and the 2024 model costs $33,000 with a 6 year financing. The car is worn out before it is paid off, many people are paying off cars that have been crushed in a salvage yard, actually most trade them in, and lease or buy a new one, with even longer payment schedules and monthly payments.
We have a responsibility in this beyond voting for a responsive government. If people were not buying thousands of those big expensive cars, they wouldn’t be manufacturing them. We shop at Walmart and Amazon for lower prices and end up with cheap, Chinese products that don’t last. So we send them to the landfill and buy more of the same. We can’t stop buying or watching news media that pedal extremism and fear. The government cannot change everything. What we really seem to long for is a benign dictatorship so we can take no responsibility for the state of the country. The oligarchs depend on us.
The national weather service gave the residents of Joplin MO 17 minute warning before the most destructive tornado hit. Many did not seek shelter immediately.
The government can only do so much.
If people don't seek shelter in this situation, how likely will it be that they will respond to a climate crisis years in the making?
I agree with everything you say and would like to suggest that for those who are able, patronize farmers' markets. They're less expensive than the chain stores and the food is fresher. Plus it's fun to talk to people.
I submit, that aside from that, it was also for example like with oil or gas prices, make the economy go somewhat sour, so as to hurt Biden politically and help Trump, CEOs were and still are salivating at the bit, knowing full well Trump will not only keep the deficit causing tax cuts of his, but lower them even further and deregulate everything up the Yazoo so they can really put more of the screws back onto the workers and consumers and pollute our environment and damage democrats saving climate goals, its, follow the $$$ with them, that is all they give a dam about, everyone else is expendable
The only person exploiting you,is ( drum roll),you.You'll deny that 2 X 1 is 2,and you'll deny that 3 X 1 is 3.
Economies of scale produce low prices.Wal Mart have told you that every year,why deny it.A different way to look at it is high volume means low margin,why deny it.
Wal mart tell you every year what their net profit margin is,last year 2.88%. Every $100 billion of gross revenue produces $2.88 billion of net profit.The more customers they can get,the lower the prices can be.If they lower their profit margin to 2.7% do you really think it would make any difference.Do you really think that if they made $2.7 billion per $100 B rather than $2.88 per 100.
All you will do is exploit yourself and deny that 2 X 1 is 2,and 3 X 1 is 3. With 250 million customers per week @ $1 per customer that is $250 million per week,are you going to deny that?. If it is $2 per customer net profit then that is 250 X 2,or $500 million per week .Are you going to deny that?
Once you've mastered the basics of business economics that high volume means low margin,then you can have some fun.
Try and work out how a negative cash flow business model can increase profits by ?. Is it 0.1% ,or is it 0.2 %
I am an econ major, undergrad, and finance and accounting major, graduate.
The story of prices is not as simple as you lay out. It is a story about maximizing shareholder returns, which is more than pure economics, it is about manipulation, monopolization, labor exploitation (your Walmart makes its profits by purchasing cheap and inferior products from China and Asia, and despite the fact that inflation rate has decreased producers and wholesalers, as well as retailers keep the prices high, that the CEO's will get nice quarterly bonuses and shareholders maximize their returns.
Ultimately though, it is the consumer to blame, There is inelastic demand, the demand for credit is now inelastic because we addicted to debt, we are I have to have it now society, but the demand for food is also inelastic, and elastic demand, like that for candy and the crap that you find at check out counters, evidently what we would think are products with elastic demand have become inelastic, otherwise we would not be paying $1.49 for a candy bar that is worth only $.25 or pay hundreds of dollars sneakers (gym shoes) of clothing,crap that is only worn once, if at all, or is worn out in months.
Some commodities like groceries are high demand, high volume and low margin
Others, especially unsought goods, are low (or no) demand, low volume and low margins.
The market these days operates outside of economic theory,thanks in part towards monopolization and consolidation. Brand names mean nothing, when a holding company owns all competing brands.
Take the fast food market: Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, as well as fast-casual brand The Habit Burger Grill. It is headquartered in Louisville, Ky. Yum Brands was initially part of PepsiCo, which entered the restaurant business in 1977 with the acquisition of Pizza Hut.
RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES® and FIREHOUSE SUBS
McDonalds is owned by the Vanguard Group, Blackstone, State Street, which also own substantial media, Pharmaceuticals, defense industry, legal services, mining, natural gas pipelines, Chemical industry.
I've done a deep dive on many industries, it is all available on google if you are interested and not lazy.
There is virtually no competition, outside of local markets and producers.
Basic econ is not taught in highschool here. You have to take it in college. So, most Americans, even ones with a BA know next to nothing about how macro/micro econ works. Also, we’re afraid of Algebra. All of life is solving for X.
Easier said than done. Everything comes down to We the People. We turn our backs on local merchants, taking the easy Amazon purchase from our couch rather than getting off our backside and going shopping. We moan about the price of a can of Coke but plop a box of 12 cans in the shopping cart rather than, say water, no less from the convenient tap at home. It is hard to fight back and at times futile but if We the People ALLOW ourselves to be exploited, well... Power is in the hands of We, we only need to grasp it and use it.
"Start-up coops," I like the sound of that! Let the city or town be the only developer; the idea is to remove profit incentive (of construction and reselling for investors, once a project is finished. The profit-difference in price over cost, is a primary inflation factor in housing--forever a part of rent or reselling price, [money that is removed from local economy by developers that "need to make money" is spent in other centers or including foreign holidays, valuable art, where instead money ought to remain in the community, money must move-around the economy, instead of removed].
In Vienna housing is now built by non profits--the idea is that it takes the profit motive out of construction. There is no profit that a developer leaves town with. When units are owned and rented out by non-profits, Rental revenue is all costs (no profit). "The rise in the cost of raw materials forced us to concentrate on what social housing is about." "40 years ago, Vienna started a “land procurement and urban renewal fund” that reserves land in the city exclusively for social housing. It includes farm or fallow land, disused rail tracks and empty hospitals, exclusively put out to tender to social developers." "We never succumbed to the temptation of selling off our municipal or subsidized apartments in the way other cities did (to plug holes in their budgets) ... our stock of housing is vast.”
"Key to understanding Vienna’s approach to housing is social sustainability. To avoid the creation of ghettoes and costly social conflicts, the city strives for a mix of people from different backgrounds, incomes, in the same estates. Social housing isn’t just for the poor.” "A student without a disability or dependents, would have no hope of applying for social housing in other countries, but the city courted him as a first-time tenants under 30." "They don’t have the stigma of poverty and crime associated with similar developments in the US ... far from fancy, yet well-maintained." "A reason Schranz’s apartment is affordable is it’s owned by the city, the landlord of approximately 220,000 socially rented apartments, the largest home-owning city in Europe. [London has more than 800,000 socially rented apartments, owned by the local councils]. A quarter of the people who live in Vienna are social tenants; if you include the 200,000 co-operative dwellings built with municipal subsidies, it’s more than half the population."
Great ideas, Marc! Since some if not all of this would infuriate billionaire donors, we must remind them that Trump in power, with the backing of the Heritage Foundation, will be able to blackmail any of them if he feels like it.
Thank you Marc, your words resonate with me and the only candidate I hear talking exactly like you is Kennedy. Do you truly believe the anointed Harris has the ability to deal with the truth as you point out? I don’t. I fear for our security more under her extreme liberal policies and rhetoric. Can you see her standing up to corporate corruption? I was truly hoping for a fair and honest open convention-what’s happening to our country, what’s become of our children’s future?
You are concerned about our children's future, and that's why you are a primary for Kennedy Jr., a fear monger and a mercenary. Yes, as a lawyer he knows how to talk and write.
You are a fox in this henhouse. Kennedy is a compromised environmental attorney with no legitimate experience for this job. A vote for him re-elects Trump. But I expect you know that already.
The old school misogynistic platitudes are so tired. And once again showing his overt racism by claiming that Kamala wasn't born in this country (although sometimes Oakland feels like a third world country) just as he did when Obama was running for President. The bullying and puffery and lying happens when those cretans have nothing in their brains and they try to make up for their nothingness by being loud and boorish and pretending to be something when they are just the opposite.
Our diversity is our strength; 'Love Oakland!' (Indeed, that is much the point i.e. constructively being for something, e.g. fixing potholes & starting soccer teams, rather than simply against a looming specter of doom that steals elections and wallows in crapulence).
Although I never lived in Oakland, I spent a lot of time there. We lived in San Francisco and my then husband had siblings who all lived there, so we visited often. Also, the A's, Raiders and Warriors and the huge music scene. Concerts at the Coliseum, Kaiser & the Paramount. Wild & fun times. The event for Nelson Mandela when he was released from prison. Don't know how long you've been there, but I was there in the late 1960s. A lot was going on then. Much upheaval. Still much upheaval. I no longer live in CA (lived there for 45 years), but I get several news sources every day and have friends who let me know what's going on. I do miss the Bay Area and its diversity. Best to you.
Trump and everything the man stands for is like a piece of fish that has been in the fridge for far too long, Trump and Vance are two individuals this country could do without. Nasty, abusive, and downright un-American in their views of others. Why anyone would support these two men is a mystery to me, but then again Republicans are mysteries to themselves. Biden passed the torch because he had a qualified person to hand it to while Donnie Boy had no such option. Republicans remind me of the old adage surrounding the story of the "moth and the flame." Their ability to fly is fleeting, and Trump is too old. The people of this country will give the orange guy his slithering papers.
What is worse than Donald Trump?---How about two Donald Trump's! Or even more depending upon Trump's ability to initiate his vision of a dynasty based around his extended family. Trump has stated in the future we won't have to vote. This thought has been dismissed by several leading Republicans but somehow, I don't share in their view of his fractured interpretation of how he feels the people of this country should live. If by some perverted means Trump eviscerates our current system of government and replaces it with his sick attempt to reincarnate J. R. Ewing's dream, this country will be forever changed, and not for the better.
This 🎯. Which is also why Rupert Murdoch is presently trying to force three of his six children to give up their inherited legal powers in his global media empire and gift sole control to Murdoch’s favoured far right child Lachlan. I was at school with his eldest Prue. She is not her father. If she inherits she could well instigate global media cultural changes toward social egalitarianism.
Well, having been Mary Trumped myself, but from a MUCH lower monetary base, she would have my sympathy. I would also suggest she look inward and ask what she will have learned from such a life experience.
I was with you until you suggested “American Progressives pretending to be excited” etc. This misogynistic paragraph shows your extreme cynicism and calls into question the validity of your other commentary.
I’m a progressive and I’m excited. No faking because I believe we MUST break these barriers in order to arrive at a more egalitarian ethos. Four years ago I preferred Elizabeth Warren but she wasn’t nominated. Now, we have the opportunity to break that barrier again. Let’s not blow it by accusing supporters of faking emotional reactions.
I get excited about progress. We’re not going back and we’re not about to give in to cynical ploys intended to discourage us so … shut the fuck up!
More quotes and links to the Putin Puppet Caitlin Johnstone.. If people were to pay attention to you, they would vote for RFK Jr, and that would take a way a vote for Harris, and that would mean a vote for Trump, who is Putin's fellator in chief.
“And if I were an obscenely rich guy who wanted to make sure the rich get to keep their obscene wealth, that’s probably what I’d do too.” Not me. If I were obscenely rich I would be working to make sure they didn’t.
Awesome, Professor!!! As your former boss used to say, Let’s embrace change. I may be a Caucasian male, but I’m not at all threatened by the emergence of women and people of color and LGBTs. On the contrary, it will lift all of us to work for this planet together. Maybe even write some new rules, adopt some new norms, and get rid of some of the self destructive attitudes we’ve exhibited in our species. We can live in hope or we can return to a brutal past, the Bannon-Orban-Putin mindset of Liebensraum, Judenrein, manifest destiny, (and the twins of the Middle East, the Muslim Caliphate and “Judea/Samaria”). Anthropologists have said that what distinguished Homo Sapiens was its intent and desire to care for the lesser abled members of its clans. We need to expand our clans to universalism, while preserving the best of our native cultures.
"Over 50,000 white men from all across the country are expected to join the effort this week and will be on hand to welcome Vice President Harris to the presidential race and pledge to help get her elected."
Well said, Kerry! My friend told me the other day how angry he was because of the orange man and his running mate. He said he feels like people are giving him angry glares because he is a white male. I told him to keep smiling and know that he is NOT like those MAGA idiots! I told him this would be over in November and he can hold his head high because he voted for Kamala Harris! Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
Thanks. I get occasional hostility on social media either from my age, race, or gender. It’s not my problem, it’s theirs. I don’t represent anyone but myself, but that doesn’t seem to matter to people who have been so damaged that they can’t transcend their bad experiences. It’s a tough world out there, tougher on some than others.
You are right, Kerry. It is their problem. I believe the radical right men are the ones who are making it hard on all of the rest of you. It is a tough world but I feel if people showed some kindness to one another it doesn't have to be as tough. The radical right show no kindness nor do they accept it. They are trapped in their little cocoons of hate and fear.
What bigots seem not to realize is by stoking racism, sexism, etc. they harm white males in the end, because it builds resentment, fear & mistrust for white males in POC & women. Good race relations & equal treatment benefits everyone.
Terry, your last sentence, "We need to expand our clans to universalism, while preserving the best of our native cultures” is absolutely the long term answer to our current planetary dilemma. It is actually an accurate encapsulation of the philosophy of “Neohumanism."
Ofcourse you're "not threatened " by the emergence of LBGTQ as a male. You're not the one that's having your private spaces, medals, jobs and sex stolen.
It's also really great to hear you're not threatened by the "emergence of women" where are we emerging from btw?
Take a deep breath. I’m not your enemy. And it should be obvious that women have “emerged” from a voting-deprived, economically discriminated, and culturally oppressed group to a “more equal” citizenry with still-unrealized justice. Re:the former, a hell of a lot of males are obviously threatened by LGBTQ, judging by their behavior and intent to pass some awful laws. If this is not news to you, I encourage you to get out more.
Kerry, just curious. You seem to know what you are talking about. Why did you expatriate? From where to where? And did history have anything to do with your move?
America became the powerhouse that it is because of, not in spite of, diversity, minds, talents, contributions from cultures and races is what made America great. Where it not for the immigrants, America would be an agrarian nation of shop keepers, planters, farmers and slaves.
It’s a distinct possibility that what was, a week or so ago, a “defensive” election for the Democrats, with a very narrow path to victory, might develop into something more along the lines of Obama’s 2008 wave, if demographics previously unlikely to turn out for Biden are now enthused, energised to make their voices heard, it could be truly transformative! Let’s hope so, for the whole world’s sake….
I think we’re already seeing it happen! Only one week into watching statements by Kamala Harris on the news, I realized that she’s so refreshing because we’ve been listening to half-dead, hypocritical, slimy male politicians for DECADES! The Mitch McConnells and Lindsay Grahams. Yuk!
She has thrown the Trump/Vance thing under the bright light and now they just look creepy and weird. It’s over for them and they know it.
We're a bit buggered actually. With all the working we've had to do to gain basic human rights, having all the babies and take responsibility for the lions share in rearing them, working doubly hard to get not quite equal recognition, then going home and doing the majority of the housework, in-between punches, and finding the time to fend off sexual predators all whilst having monthly periods and then menopause just to top it off. Ooops, can't relax yet... we've got to convince law makers and judges that women have XX chromosomes and we want our daughters to have their breasts intact while they enjoy their porn-informed womanhood.
Dunno about you blokes but it's been a hard slog and we could do with a nap. How about, instead of tasking us to also drive men like Trump into oblivion, men just, ya know, stop being so Trump-like? 🤔
Let the word go forth from this time and place: if returned to the White House, Donald Trump will eliminate all further presidential elections for all time. "You will never have to vote again," he told his Christian followers at a rally last Friday. When Trump makes such promises, he needs to be taken seriously.
Absolutely! Republicans are trying to laugh it off, put their own spin on it, saying he didn't mean it that way. That is so NOT true. He did mean it that way! He wants to be a dictator and it is up to us to stop that right now. Vote blue, America! Lotus for POTUS!
You bet he means it! He meant what he said before Jan. 6th and we were stunned when it came to pass. A Hong Kong freedom fighter said " The price of freedom is ETERNAL VIGILANCE"! Ex-military are gathering guns, this from neighbors I can't believe are tRumpies. We better heed the warnings!
I don't mean to say they are gathering guns directly related to current events. This info was from conversations about Jan 6, saying they knew it was coming and followed by mentioning friends who have arsenals. Still, I take it seriously..
Indeed. Sadly, people in democracies across the Western world have become too complaisant about such threats. “It could never happen here,” they assume. Trump’s menace is real. Americans need to take his latest promise at face value, especially given the precedent of January 6th.
What was the audience’s reaction? Did they cheer and applaud? Did they look at each other in shock and horror? I’m truly concerned about the mental health, perspectives, education, deep structure of beliefs of a large body of Americans. Would you say 75 million or so? What’s to be done about that?
Trump assumes that his followers are suckers whom he needs to fool once or twice but not all the time. Religious believers may be the ones easiest to fool.
How accurate you are, and what is so pathetic, about this how any of these “Christians” adamant supporters of the anthesis of their faith. A guy fake strong man entertainer, Hulk Hogan, an invited Side Show feature, meant to imply, verify at “former guy’s convention. More like keeping the illusions going. Pseudo champ, sorta
shirt-ripper Hulky got it wrong, Trump’s not the toughest of them all, a gladiator.
A better analogy is an updated version of the Grimm’s fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood.”21st century take on it: has an “Orange Tan, Blonde Guy, Slick Talkin’ Guy”- is an alligator in a “man” suit. Alligator’s have a grin, always. Get close, they are slick, slithery, a caution, his bite is might lethal, as multi-millions have learned when they got to close, within biting distance.
Fascinating creatures, as long as you Never let ‘em close. Never forget what happened to those that were lured close: everything you ever wanted-Money you want? get degree from me, you’ll make millions like him; Freedoms can vanish, many already have, his administration took huge bites out of them. Women, children, elderly, suffering … with alligator Don loose. Politics - a back to way it was, vote for him, he’ll bring ya a Civil War…all those Gone with the Wind days, sure. Confederate flags are all ready sprouting and it’s not charming nostalgia.
Yeah, what's this "have to vote" thing, as if voting is a burden? That really makes me mad. We can't let him frame voting that way. Voting is a privilege and a right and we're going to keep doing it.
The feeling of relief when Biden stepped aside and endorsed Harris, the unification of the Dems behind Harris...truly a 'unicorns and rainbows' moment for progressives if ever there was one. But, I find it incredible that Margaret Atwood's book of fiction is so prescient. Surely, she must be overwhelmed by requests for commentary on the Republican agenda. First it was The Simpson's predicting Trump’s presidency and now this. One for the 'Only in America' file.
As an aside...if the world was run by childless cat ladies it would probably be a much nicer place with tea and cake with every vote for everyone (none of this 'you'll never have to vote again' nonsense). Viva childless cat ladies! Go Kamala!
Can't comment on Atwood (haven't read it yet) - but, historically, fascism centrally featured an economic agenda, e.g. rapid development of a war-torn country; one could venture to put a finer point on the comment and say that voters would have to believe the economic message that goes with that fascism (which may be a hard sell if it wasn't broad-based or otherwise sustainable, authoritarianism aside)...
Just $.02 from a student (who is neither motherless nor an only child - and would thus have a hard time explaining such a brazen, irresponsible choice of misogyny)...
I had a child once - he passed away - so guess I’m a Cat Lady and that’s ok. Rather be a CT than one of the Handmaids! Really, there is only one explanation for these MAGA that call themselves men - control. Do they really believe the majority want to go back? I don’t think so and I’m right there with Kamala,”we are not going back.” I believe Kamala Harris will make a good President and one for all Americans. Kamala has the Republicans on the run and it’s about time. God bless President Biden and his wisdom to turn the tide at the right time!
RR writes "He views females as almost alien creatures. “There’s nothing I love more than women,” he has said, “but they’re really a lot different than portrayed. They are far worse than men, far more aggressive ….” about tRump. DJT seems to have had that experience....especially after he has raped some of them. The women seem to be quite angry about it--vengeful and vicious. Take E Jean Carroll, for example. Perhaps had he tried to talk to them rather than simply lift their skirts he might have formed a better understanding of them. I am glad the MAGA torch is illuminating and burning tRump, rather than allowing him to scorch others. Perhaps he and his couch-loving Vance can advance their careers by adoring couches. I'm sure Vance can give him some tips.
Women and minorities deserve a share of the political decision making and opportunities for leadership roles. This is the 21st century and we need a broad spectrum of choices and new ideas. It’s time for women to have leadership roles in politics, business, education, government, etc. I support Kamala Harris as the Democrat candidate for President.
Indeed, Reich-What’s the underlying goal here? The same as in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Its authoritarian fascism organized around male dominance, to treat women simply as baby factories and the sickly machoistic bravadoes, was nauseating to ever so briefly watch of Trumps clown show of people, furthermore, it's forced births, means more $ consumers for corporate America, these creeps, who supposedly care so much about life of the unborn, but yet, watch out, once born, they do not want, whatsoever to give help= no childcare,= no healthcare, =no help with education and make sure the baby or child is raised to "live in a polluted world", and are we not supposed to care for and take care of God's Creation, the Earth and it's creatures, simply no! not to them, their worship, is the all mighty $dollar, because the GOP work for polluters, their overlords, like the oil cartel, so they should spare us all, that they care about life, but of course most all, it's about power, control and don't forget cruelty, they love that, they have evil in their hearts, just like Trump.
The underlying goal: Female subjugation. Control more than 50 percent of the population and that also blunts other forms of discrimination (race, gender, age etc.).
Indeed, and now, I am a man and yet, unlike the MAGA Trump world of creeps, I recognize the obvious and it's two-fold, to them I say, did you not come into this world via a woman of which you seek to denigrate, so in essence, you're putting down yourself
and all of civilization, for instead which should be, idealistically, the upliftment thereof, to which becomes the upward betterment to all of society, for in creation, both, man and women are equal but yet, one is more ennobled or closer to the light, for only she can bring another unsullied light of purity into the world, simply put, a child, this is just my interpretation, spiritual speaking, for I have a sort of Buddhistic philosophy
JD Vance and his libertarian allies are fueling fears that the White Race is in danger, because Woke Secularists and the Evil Left have corrupted American morality, hence the decline of the American family. Haven't we heard this song before?
Indeed, and old as time, that sort of slime of disinformation and persons who seek power for powers sake, that too, is old as time, the kings and queens of old revisited in the form of many of modern-day CEOs of corporate America, all for them, just look at our Supreme Court, the foulness that reeks of corruption, they made that corporations are people too, with more rights than real people, for money is free speech so trumps everyone else's rights, I digress, the point is, everywhere you look, the main reason it seems that motivates these people is at the altar of their all mighty dollar=more power and swash the little guy, so again and again, as old as time, they use self-created culture wars as weapon, their constant used boogeyman, to get and stay in power and btw, with Trumps-Vance PROJECT 2025, EVERYONES, ALL RIGHTS, ARE IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF BEING OBLIERATED, thanks too, to their bought and paid for Supreme Court, a court that the best money can buy, all is for sale as they are and as all our rights, as is a habitable world, can we say, the fossil fuel cartel
Men are strong; women are aggressive. Men are expressive, women are emotional. Men are demonstrative; women are hysterical. Men speak with force; women whine. Men are intelligent… STOP! The double standard celebrated by the corrupt and misogynistic Republican Party and Donald Trump and their fascist agenda must be defeated! We need Kamala Harris! Strong women have a different perspective, using their intelligence, capabilities, and empathy in a more positive, focused, and effective way that promotes unity and results!
I hope and pray that the voters will recognize the importance of this election. Our freedoms, our democracy, and our future are at stake.
Just saw a woman (!) post that Kamala was characterized as “demanding” by her staff. I shut that DOWN by using your comparisons technique: She’s COMMANDING and can easily be our COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
Yes, as opposed to being our DEMANDER IN CHIEF - or worse; our PSYCHOCOMMANDER IN CHIEF. We've had one too many of those and the psychopath is running to do it all over again.
Your first few sentences bear repeating so I'll do it myself. I absolutely love it; especially your "last (capitalized) word" - - as Lawrence O'Donald might say . . . "STOP is tonight's last word".
"Men are strong; women are aggressive. Men are expressive, women are emotional. Men are demonstrative; women are hysterical. Men speak with force; women whine. Men are intelligent… STOP!"
Now with this specific And significant change in American politics and the fire in the people, it is time to take on a new mission. I would suggest the following: “END EXPLOITATION NOW! .”
Prices are high because of record profit-taking. Large conglomerates are raking in the cash purchasing the available real estate properties and turning them into rentals both long and short term The major three owners of automobile production in the United States have focused on the most expensive models and limit the number of more frugal cars. American consumers have to turn to foreign auto makers for basic transportation. American auto makers have brought up the average price of a new automobile to $50,000. Food prices are set by three major grocery conglomerates so there is virtually no competition. Amazon has cornered the market on mail order goods and Walmart and Amazon have knocked, small local businesses that were owned by the middle class out of business. The exploiters have sucked up the American dream. Programs have to be started with low interest loans for startup co-ops that compete with the big businesses. Conglomerates must be broken up. The time is now!
Where have the well-paying jobs gone? A single person needs to earn at least $29 dollars an hour before taxes to pay for their basic needs. So, it is no wonder that the electorate is upset at inflation and the high cost of living compared to their income.
You are not wrong at all. But we gotta get this lady elected first, and then go from there. We must get out and VOTE; volunteer for her campaign any way you can. Donate money, time, whatever one can spare to stomp out Trump’s MAGA once and for all, and then we can begin to heal. He’s seriously broken America and we’re traumatized. I totally agree with everything you say, Marc, it’s just not going to happen overnight. But, eventually, with the right leaders, it WILL happen.
Once Kamala is elected she must have a three word Mission Statement. “End Exploitation Now” is beyond being a political statement, it can be the three word basis for her platform. The American people, Republicans and Democrats both, are exploited and they are angry about it; that explains some of the sentiment that is diving the population to find a new path that for some leads unwittingly to Trump or Kennedy.
I think "exploitation" will sound socialist to the public. Stop price gouging.
Maybe rebuild middle classes for a more general slogan? IDK.
Steve - sadly you are correct. And Marc Nevas' agenda sounds very "progressive" which in repugnant-speak is code for socialist or communist. Why are the repugnants so mean-spirited and disdaining of the common good?
Let's take back the word "socialism." It is *not* a dirty word and I refuse to let people make it one. Why isn't "reactionary" or "conservative" a dirty word? Don't let them set the agenda.
Paul, I think the reason Republicans are so mean-spirited is that they are scared of life. White Americans have seen themselves/ourselves as "real America" and soon white Americans will be the minority and a whole lot of people don't want that. I think they are wondering if people of color and women will do to the men what those white men have done to them over the years. Not likely, but it motivates people like Vance and Trump, both who want to be able to continue their reign of fear. Now it is up to us to decide whether to let them do it. I hope we won't.
Paul, imo repugnants "disdain" (good word) the common good because they believe that if they don't need/want help nobody else should get it. They are tone deaf about racism, gender-bias, etc. That's playing the victim, boo-hoo.
They're also the first to ask for help when a hurricane strikes or a massive power outage occurs because their gov't hasn't taken care of infrastructure.
Thanks for noting the vitriol expressed towards many of us who pay to read this column and are mocked and tagged as Trolls and Fox when expressing our opinion
I've been asking that question for years😡
They're paying less and less, and charging more and more. It's not sustainable!!! We're at or past our breaking point! And we're expected to pay more for college, pay for our parents, etc.
There is no way getting a college degree should be generally so expensive. Look at the accreditation system. The current model is hardly sustainable. I realized that in the early 90's when I saw the asymptotic curve of disposable income going towards college expenses. And now we have trillions or whatever in student debt. This was quite forseeable. I hardly think I was the only one to see what was coming.
You mean like Biden has been doing?
An additional three-word solution: progressive wealth tax. Remove (or at least moderate) the incentive to exploit by taxing away excessive wealth.
I believe Biden has one that begins in 2025.
We might even be able to fund things like Universal Pre K Medicare for All and add Dental and vision to Medicare!💙
Bill, imo the party of Trump won't read beyond "progressive." So how about just 2 words -- "Wealth Tax."
Hoarding tax. Being wealthy isn’t inherently bad; hoarding is.
Maybe just "fair tax". Which decodes to wealth tax.
You're probably right
One problem: The Democrats don't really want to “End Exploitation Now” — they serve the exploiters almost as much as the GOP. KH is no exception.
❤️Reich❤️:"Consider that women now compose a remarkable 60 percent of college undergraduates"
Me:"Consider that women now compose a remarkable 100 percent of college undergraduates[in utero🚼... about 18-21 years earlier than college]"🤔
1
America wants younger candidates.🚼
2
The GOP wants to protect the unborn🚼(more than the born).👩🏿🎓
Since the best place for Dems to avoid GOP attacks is "in utero" and THAT'S WHERE THE YOUNGEST CANDIDATES ARE MADE...
***ANNOUNCING MY NEW PODCAST: HARRIS SHAPIRO IN UTERO***🚼
🤣😁🤯
ABORTIONS BY GOP MUST BE STOPPED!!🤣😁🤯
Mitch McConnell meets with each new Dem President:"I'm going to abort your seeds"(Mitch pledges to thwart any new legislation by the new President... he did so with the newly elected Obama and the newly elected Biden and he will try to "abort the seeds" of legislation in the Harris Administration)
***THESE GOP ABORTIONS MUST END!!!***🤣😁🤯
The Corona virus caused us to isolate and it ruined relationships.
The Corona part of the male anatomy evolved to sabotage the relationship between my lover and her secret lover... by removing his seeds...
In my new podcast I will interview Harris and Shapiro in utero while Mitch tries to abort them with his Corona.🤣😁🤯
Consider that 2/3 of the trillions in student loan debt are women. Mostly Black women.
If so, males, especially white males, will resent this. Could this a reason why many of them lean toward Trump?
https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fstudentaid.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Ffsawg%2Fdatacenter%2Flibrary%2FPortfolioSummary.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK
Folks: Kamala's greatest vulnerability is the issue of illegal immigration. Any ideas?
Victor, I'm pretty sure from your previous posts that you don't believe this is her fault.
Because of the spew of racial hatred coming from the foul mouth and Fascist brain of T says it is, all of the MAGA know-nothings will believe it anyway.
Biden and the bi-partisan Senate worked out a new immigration/border bill and T and his MAGA slaves in the House killed it.
This falls entirely on the GOP.
Every DEM running for office needs to pound this point home. Again and again and again!!!
The real problem with our immigration laws are they don't exclude known racist hate mongers like R. Murdoch! I would rather have a million illegal immigrants here working hard for the American Dream and raising their kids to be good citizens, than one R. Murdoch. His brand of lies, hate, racism, BS and more was well known in his home country of Australia and then England decades before someone here was stupid enough to let him in our country.
Go Kamala! Donate and vote Blue... Cheers... GH
Let's collaborate? Name some times to zoom and READ MONTHS OF UNANSWERED PM private messages?😁
Legalize drugs
https://youtu.be/ggvzwY-oyXk?t=3777
Personally, I think she's already said it perfectly - FREEDOM!
Please remember that we need to give her a Democratic House and Senate also. Lots of work to be done there.
Remind people that under Trump any woman with fewer than 6 children would be a suspected abortionist, a murderer.
Padma - “like” I was waiting to see if someone was going to point this out. Good job.
C Leonard, so very true. We do have to get Vice-President Harris elected. I am busy sending postcards, talking to my friends who I hope will talk to theirs, writing letters, signing petitions, and contributing whenever I have a little extra to her campaign. I am fired up and I hope more and more will get fired up as well! Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
that's awesome because that's where the real change happens
I want a t-shirt with a cat on the front that says something like “cat ladies vote too”. I’m not a cat lady but I know some wonderful single older ladies with cats and I think we should stand united.
Don’t forget to support the Blue Wave all the way down the ballots. That is the only way to make a TRUE change. From a former Republican.
We need 60 Democratic senators in the next senate and a blue House so we can fix the Supreme Court!
I completely agree with both of you.. Before we can take constructive action to rectify the current situation that favors the rich while holding down the poor and middle classes we need political power. Get out the vote now! Everyone needs to do what they can whether it’s writing postcards, working phone banks, volunteering to go door-to-door, etc. If we are all willing to put our shoulders to the wheel, we have a good chance to resurrect the American Dream. some of us have more free time than others so give what time, talent and dollars that you can. No amount of time or dollars is too small! Lastly don’t be intimidated by their MAGA bluster. We are fighting against bullies. Be strong, not weak and take action. Bullies do not do well when people fight back. Talk to anyone with an open mind and get them fired up too!
Make a plan outlining what you can do individually to get Kamala and all of the down ballot candidates across the finish line. Write a simple note to yourself outlining the action that you will take and post it somewhere where you will see it daily. Then take action and let’s get this job done. Time is precious and short.. We need control of all three houses before we can make the changes so needed by so many!
To accomplish your goal would require getting candidates that are NOT Republican or Democratic. In order to be endorsed by either Party requires that the candidate swear fealty to the PARTY, first and foremost. Pertinent point: _WE_ don't choose who We can vote for; the Parties do that "for Us".
As long as Congress is controlled by the two Parties, despite any furor or MASSIVE enthusiastic popular support, all We can expect is some version of the current status quo.
Captain P, you are wrong! Republicans want to transform our country into something like Russia or Hungary.
Have volunteered…awaiting response in my ‘publican “island “ mid- Michigan.
I think a woman as President for US would change some mindsets. However mother devotion for being a mother shouldn’t be used as main characteristic for a political career. Being a mother is the most powerful attribute on earth. I apologize but I cannot agree with abortion as a lifestyle. I understand the necessity of having options when needed, but we cannot misused the celebration of life as the birth of a child, by celebrating abortion.
Women’s bodies have the same rights as men bodies, but canceling the rights of women for being moms is the wrong empowerment and direction.
In case is there somebody that believes abortion belongs to emancipation of women, than women should be strong enough to elevate with other attributes for equaling men!!
Abortion isn’t a “lifestyle”. It’s actually, in many instances, women’s health care.
You don’t have to agree with or like it. That’s you. But the only one who should be making that decision is the woman and her doctor. It’s nobody’s business but hers.
Got it dear. It’s my opinion as well. But making politics out of it is creating a lifestyle. Abortion isn’t a discussion when needed it!! However it’s against the morality of any human being. Do you wanna do something against?! Than teach every gender how to prevent unwanted pregnancies otherwise it will get to a lifestyle. I was commenting on another platform, however Houdini was on work cannot access my own posting anymore so I‘ll comment it again here, eventually we take out of traffic a shield. We might end with an unorganized traffic system. A shield is set not to hold you back for reaching your destination but to keep you safe for getting to your destination. Same here by cancelling any kind of restrictions to abortion society will get very soon to a laisy choice protection when making sex or love(depends on you how you define it), which means definitely chaotic lifestyle!! Instead of protection to prevent we‘ll have more abortions when unwanted pregnancies! And here is not the man who is affected but the woman, again!
I agree with you, Linda! No one else should ever tell a woman what to do with her own body. Simply me needs to understand it is a choice for each woman concerning their health. Even if you wouldn't make it, it is important to respect other women's rights to choose just like you.
Right: we got rif of this theme in the seventies
we're seeing in real time that abortion is not a lifestyle. These laws that men created took away bodily autonomy...it's not your business or theirs. It means you can have children and I am don't have to... all good on that front. ain't nobody's business but my own. Plus it's sheer evil to force anyone to breed, never mind a 10 year old rape victim, that's utterly disgusting and a violation of Human Rights, as stated by the United Nations. Get the government out of our bodies!!
Under Trump, any woman with fewer than six children would be a suspected abortionist, a murderer.
Abortion as a lifestyle Simply me. ?
Abortion is an act,not a life style.
A life style is how a person lives.
Failed use of Orwellian language.
Your efforts at propaganda have failed. You have the wrong audience.
To both William and Peggy: I abhor abortion, always have and always will. Too many lazy, choose-to-be-ignorant women use it as birth control. That is abominable. It bothers me greatly that this is the "platform" of the Democratic Party; that they are hoping to win this election by running on and playing up the abortion issue. Disgusting! A nation that accepts infanticide and denies the rights of the unborn is a nation that deserves to go up in flames. How horrible that we do not protect the most vulnerable among us. For shame to all of you! I get so many solicitations from everybody and their brother running for office, and most of them are trying to play the abortion card. I don't donate to any of them, but instead I send their donation forms, in their postage-free envelopes, back to them, telling them WHY I won't even consider giving them campaign money!
If you don't want the "inconvenience" of a child, then quit fucking around unprotected, simple as that!
Then vote for Trump Klare. You probably already will. I disagree that abortion is infanticide, yours is a totally emotional and irrational argument, but you are entitled to your opinion, but your opinion reduces women to mere objects, the carrier of the male seed. I hope you aren't employed or value yourself as a sovereign individual
Meanwhile a fetus is a parasite... period.
Thank you, William. You said it better than I could.
Read Gen 2:7 with out the breath of life we are no different than the rocks that God said he could raise up to praise him.
Who is "celebrating" abortions? Perhaps some Republicans who are using it as a divisive political issue.
Emphasize “Get this Lady (Vice President ) elected” to the office of President of 🇺🇸
Yes! Harris has to make a special effort to reach out to young voters, males included. Her messaging and appointments will play a decisive role.
Yes, but.....we've been told for decades that it's not going to happen overnight. In many ways, the average worker is worse off than 50 years ago. We keep getting put off and put off. It's getting old.
Trump keeps telling us that he will lower prices by increasing oil production. We can increase our reliance on clean energy instead.
What a concept! Exactly so! Unfortunately, Biden has continued to allow new drilling leases, and has continued subsidies to Big Oil. The paradigm shift you suggest, Victor, is our only hope. I devoutly pray that Harris sees that.
IMO, the way to accomplish real, positive change is to be willing to dump the status quo. Not in a burn-it-all-down MAGA way, but in an unwillingness to keep doing it the way we are (e.g., fossil fuel dependence) just because that's the way we've always done it, and it's what Big Corp expects. Outside-the-box thinking is the answer, I believe.
"You can learn a lot more about the US .... by looking at the similarities between presidential administrations..."
That is like trying to drive a car by focusing on the rear-view mirror.
People have the impression that many on the Democratic side -- including Harris -- are FORWARD-looking. Something you seem to be completely oblivious to. Careful, it is you who might be the lackey.
Both parties are doing what they've been paid to do or agreed to do: keeping the status quo. The difference is Republicans have decided to completely toss out the unwritten rules about keeping the citizens happy while the Democrats are still making promises, most of which won't/can't be kept. I like listening to the Dems much better, but I don't expect SS to be expanded anytime soon; the corporations that run America just won't agree to it! Gotta keep kissing business's asses in order to get the millions needed to campaign. The people have always been the losers. We get a ltitle something thrown at us from time to time to keep us quiet, but we never really see real progress. And if you're poor like me? I can go piss up a rope; they don't really care. I can't contribute to their campaigns, and if I'm in a heavily gerrymandered state, or red governments are doing their annual purges of the rolls-- or they pass new, stricter voter ID requirements-- it's possible my vote won't even count.
I watched an episode of VICE a few years back, where they interviewed a man in the shadows who said, "You think you're picking the president?" <snicker, chortle, snort> "That person is chosen by the few, and I'm part of the group of people that makes sure their choice wins." It was chilling to hear that.
Again Tom Caitlin johnstone is a Putin propagandist who has dozens of articles published by Russia Today.
And there is only one Imperialist today, and that is Putin, first genocide in Ukraine then Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia there is no stopping his grand designs, Moldova, Slovenia, Slavakia until he rebuilds the Russian Emprie.
Your link Tom to Caitlin Johnstone, is to a person who gets a $6,000 a month stipend from an anonymous source and who has had dozens of articles published in Russia Today.
In a word your favorite source is a Putin propagandist.
When the messenger is a lying deceiving Trump or Putin troll, line them up against the wall
Caitlin is usually a bit too radical, even for me, but she does have some valid points here and there.
I agree that when the DNC tanked Bernie's campaign and insisted on nominating Hillary, they gave up all pretense of being serious about change. We'll see if Harris represents the real thing. I'd like to think she does.
Have you ever watched Second Thought videos on YT? That guy seems to have a good grasp of what's going on, and he touched on this very topic in his latest video.
Lina Kahn is going after monopolies. That’s why the Silicon Valley bros want her silenced. The Biden Admin is trying. I’m hoping Harris will continue.
Once mortgage rates drop, this “feeling” will dissipate.
Additionally, please understand that (while maybe not for you specifically) real wages are UP vs cost of living. Biden’s macro economic plan IS working, and the US economy is surging. It is housing costs, a shortage of rental units and homes to buy combined with Interest Rates (your credit card rates are higher than they’ve been in a while) - those ARE easing.
The President does not control the Federal Reserve.
Ask your nearest senior how well the economy is doing for them! We may be old, but we're still breathing, we still need housing, and we still need to eat, and those things have become unbelievably difficult for retired people. We feel forgotten, left behind, in all the hype over how wages have gone up for working people. I'm happy for them, but our SS checks don't begin to cover our basic necessities, hence why so many seniors or now homeless.
I am a Senior. It still isn’t under the President’s control.
You’re speaking of your Benefits which Republicans have been cutting and trying to ELIMINATE for over 50 years. CONGRESS is your enemy here. Vote Blue the whole ticket.
Obviously! I always vote Blue. I wasn't pointing fingers, I was stating a fact: seniors are in dire need. More personally: this is the first time in a long life I've not been able to afford to rent a place. I can't afford to replace my car (which is 11 years old). I have to carefully pick and choose what food to buy because I can't afford "favorites" or "extras" anymore. Clothing? Ha! Haven't bought anything new in years; I'll soon be wearing rags and going barefoot. This is NOT how I envisioned my "golden" years. I do firmly hold Republicans responsible for much of this, as they kept wages depressed over my entire working life, but Democrats have had chances now and again (when in control of Congress) to correct this and haven't. I am resigned to dying in abject poverty of some preventable disease or exposure from living on the street.
Theo, I am so sorry to hear this. I hope you are writing and calling your representatives until they're sick of hearing from you. We need to make them aware of how hard it is for so many people.
Theo, I am a senior, too, and I have found some ways to shop that make it easier for me. I shop Aldi's, Ollie's, Sav-A-Lot, Farmer's Markets and Co-ops for groceries, thrift stores and outlet stores for clothes and household merchandise. As far as rent, find some roommates to share in the cost of rent, utilities, and groceries. I never envisioned my 'golden years' to be so difficult either, but the wonderful thing I have found is friends that will be there to help you out when you need it. Then, I turn around and help them when they need it. I hope you will be able to work things out.
Theo, you are in the same situation as millions of others who have not planned ahead, or made the wrong choices in life.
I am 85,my wife is 71, we are comfortable enough to have the house painted and other maintenance jobs done without using a credit card or a loan.
I grew up in project, joined the service as a HS drop out, wife Had her own business, Handyjan, finally retired as a Building Official.
We both made good choices in life, (and some bad ones too) the good choices have provided us a comfortable living in our old age.
We hired a handyman yesterday to clean gutters and pressure wash roofs, if he works out we have some carpentry work for him. He is a longshore man,with out a job, he hadn't eaten in two days. His choices brought him to where he is, ours brought us to where we are.
Exactly, Martha! Project 2025 wants to get rid of Social Security and Medicare.
Because we’ve outlived our usefulness. Remember during Covid when they said Grandpa should be ok with dying to make room in the economy?
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1167341
These people want work camps. They’re not playing around.
Yes. So we have to take some power back by voting. It is our only option, since complaining isn’t working.
Interesting. "As of 2019, individuals under 40 years old held just 4.9 percent of total U.S. wealth despite comprising 37 percent of the adult population. Conversely, individuals over age 54 made up a similar share of the population and held 71.6 percent of total wealth."
https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/02/wealth-inequality-by-age-in-the-post-pandemic-era/#:~:text=As%20of%202019%2C%20individuals%20under,71.6%20percent%20of%20total%20wealth.
I know lots of seniors who are living "high on the hog" with frequent vacation trips to Europe, lovely second homes on the lake, etc. One person brags that he pays his country club monthly food/bar tab using his SS check! (He is a real jerk!). It seems to me that where you end up as a senior strongly depends a lot on how you started life. Were your parents well-to-do, middle class, or poor? My two cents....
Tim, I was a school teacher for my adult life. I worked hard. My mistake was marrying a narcissistic pig who took everything I had leaving me homeless and penniless. Were it not for my family, I would be sleeping on the streets! I receive a very tiny retirement check after a lifetime of teaching and a very small social security check. Yes, there may be seniors who are living it up but there are a lot of us that are scraping by. Contrary to what others have said about bad choices. We worked paid into social security and Medicare. We thought with our retirement checks and social security we would be okay. I really do not feel anyone has the right to tell us that we are in the situation we are in because of bad choices. It is judgmental and not helpful!
And no one should judge you for that. He might be referring to folks who spend looking for objects to make them happy. You were clearly targeted by a person who victimizes others.
You have periodically reminded me that *most* of us are here in good faith. I got you ❤️🩹
Peggy: These people who blame individuals' economic hardships on the "bad choices" of the individual are basically smug self-satisfied Ayn Rand types who take pleasure in parading themselves about as having accomplished their well-being through clever choices of which others were not capable. This self-congratulatory attitude indicates an insensitivity to the complexities of life in general and others' situations and reveals the commenting individual to be a self-centered unmitigated - let's say it like it is - @$$hole.
Not judging you (or anyone else). It just seems crazy to me that you and others are scraping by on a meager SS check while others who could live well enough without it are collecting (often larger) SS checks. Why not means test SS benefits and use the money saved with less people collecting benefits to send larger checks to those who really need it? Also, since seniors have most of the wealth, why the focus on government benefits for seniors? Young people today trying to raise children and buy a house could sure use the help. If my comment offended you, I apologize! Not my intent!
I think that's true to some degree but there are many exceptions, Tim. People run into bad luck with health, jobs, all kinds of things. Other people just find themselves in the right place at the right time. There but for fortune, as the song goes.
Agree that luck plays a big part in where you end up in old age. All you can do is prepare as much as possible so you can take advantage of the good luck and minimize the impact of the bad.
Tim, your assessment maybe correct in some cases, but I am 85 wife is 71, I was raised in a project, my wife in a middle class household in San Bruno, CA. I enlisted at 17 as a HS drop out, my wife put herself through college, lived in a travel trailer, eaned money by tutoring.
We are both comfortable we own five acres with five buildings, no mortgage, no debts, our only problem, besides health concerns, is finding people to do the jobs on the property that we no long can.
She recently visited her family in California for her sisters birthday, no debts involved.
My neighbor, Jay, who lives about 4/10 of a mile east whose house I see on a hill, is a retired plumber. he is also a snowbird, owns property in Arizona and has a boat which he houses in my barn.
Neither he, nor any other senior I know, who is well off were born of well to do parents.
William, you were lucky to have been born at a time when buying property was still very affordable. The country has changed dramatically, and young people are fuming.
Thanks for the comment! My parents were well-to-do and my wife's family was rich, so I don't always get the full view of things. I am the only non-Republican in my group. Many are MAGA. Thank God for Mr. Reich's daily letter and these comments to keep me sane!
Your point is well taken Theo. At age 77 I get it. One of the reasons I always vote Blue is our Social Security and Medicare systems. Remember, both were Democratic inventions. From the original SS proposal in the 1930's and Medicare in the 1960's the GOP has opposed both and has often tried to destroy them. Mostly by lying and trying to scare folks about how the system is going broke and we should let their friends on Wall Street run them!. The DEMs will never let this happen. Can't say that for the GOP.
My questions is always why do I see so may SS age people at GOP rallies? Aren't they listening to T and the other GOP leaders when they say they will cut SS and Medicare and they are are still hoping to destroy The Affordable Care Act too. There are so many retired folks in Florida that state should be SOLID BLUE! Is it their racism, gun culture, religion or what, that is so strong that they will sacrifice their financial future for these ideas and vote GOP?
I really wish some of the TV reporters would ask this question to these retired folks wearing the MAGA hats. So far it is still a free country and one can vote for who ever they like, but... my inquiring mind would like to know!
P.S. If you feel forgotten and left behind remember it was a Republican businessman who sent your job to China, not the DEMs or the unions. This is the American business schools version of capitalism fun amok. If you are anywhere near Milton Friedman's grave please take a wiz on it for me and the million and millions of hard working Americans who lost their jobs because of his bogus ideas.
Do some research on him and J.M. Keynes. Compare the two ideas and decide who was really on the side of working folks.
Go Kamala. Donate and vote Blue. Cheers... GH
I experienced this firsthand, when the good job I had (in QA) in manufacturing was shipped to Mexico, and I lost my job. From then until retirement, I was scrambling for work, so the years I should have been making my highest income were interspersed with layoffs and low-pay employment. I can't see that this was my fault! Plenty of jobs were getting shipped out of America so the owner class could save money on labor (always the highest expense of any business). I reinvented myself until I was exhausted. I feel like America kicked me in the teeth at the worst possible time.
As for the seniors in MAGA: no idea why they are so stupid, because you really have to be stupid to believe their BS. I did read that conservative brains are wired differently from that of Democrats/liberals, but how they get that way, I don't know.
I also understand that climate change is wreaking havoc on older people (of which I am one) because of insurance costs and destruction due to storms and fires. I don't know what we're all going to do about this but we need to get cracking.
My guess is 5 to 10 years for a sea change when the public really gets this is an emergency. And we are in the hole already.
Yes! We must remind our young voters that they already are victims of climate change. People may not realize that higher temperatures result in higher utility bills, higher insurance costs, higher housing costs, higher medical costs, higher taxes. This is painful but it could be catastrophic if we do nothing.
I hope It doesn't take as long as that.
The only reason that SS benefits don't cover living expenses is because Since Ronald Reagan the Republican presidents and congress have been cutting them, and if Trump is elected it will be even worse, as it will be privatized, and once privatized the social security trust fund will go bankrupt.
I don't doubt you, but could you give a link to some hard data on this? I'd love to share it with a few Republican supporters. (Yes, it may do no good; but I keep trying.) Thanks!
Despite my suspicions ( am always suspect of people who want sources, despite their disclaimers) I will provide a few. However if you are truly serious, google is your friend, and carefully worded questions should give you many hits
One of which is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_debate_in_the_United_States#:~:text=February%202005%20%E2%80%93%20Republican%20President%20George,(FICA)%20into%20secured%20investments.ich is
Try this https://www.taxnotes.com/tax-history-project/tax-history-what-ronald-reagan-can-teach-us-about-impossible-reforms/2023/07/07/7gy5c
Social security payments were tax free, until 1983 Georg because you already paid taxes before FICA was deducted. Now you pay taxes, and the taxes you pay are based on gross income, including other retirement.
George W Bush tried to privatize Social Security by setting up a commission to do just that https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/02/president-george-w-bush-pursues-social-security-reform-may-2-2001-559632
Bush publicly bragged that his election gave him political capital and he was going to spend it "reforming" (privatizing) social security, he finally admitted a failure saying that it was the third rail of politics.
Bush also "borrowed" from Social Security Trust fund to finance his war on Saddam
Social security contributions come in two forms. The employee contributes part of their salary in the form of Federal Insurance Contribution Act (an insurance payment) found in box 4 and Medicare withholding in box 6 of the W-2.
The employer pays a matching portion and the Republicans call that portion a payroll tax, and the public thinks that the term payroll tax applies to their Retirement Insurance (FICA) deduction.
Plain logic: higher wages would result in higher contributions to the SS fund.
Unfortunately a drop in mortgage rates will not translate into lower rental costs or lowering of the cost of essentials such as food, medical care and advanced educational opportunities. However due to real estate speculation purchasing up the existing real estate inventory, owning one’s own home will still be out of reach for those who work for ridiculously low wages.
Biden has done much to relieve the economic oppression of the working class but they still need a fair wage for a fair day’s work. This responsibility for this situation can be laid directly at the feet of the Ultra-wealthy.
That’s greed. So, you can’t blame Biden, or by extension Harris. You made my point for me, I think.
That is Congress’ job, specifically. Biden’s original BBB included a national $15 minimum wage - which was killed by Republicans. Vote Blue every election, State and County to see this change.
No, it would not because it was Obama / Biden that failed to put the bankers in jail TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
Yes Janet, but in 2008 the survival of the entire financial system was at stake. Today the survival of our Constitution is at stake.
And what many people in your positions seem to forget is even though Biden’s plan, which was economically to target the middle class and help them, that it may have done, however, the segment of society that it has not helped the low income, the seniors, the under employed that live paycheck to paycheck, it has not helped them at all. That segment of society has grown over the past eight years. Two administrations. Biden‘s economic policy did nothing to help them. I’m one of them. I know my son is one of them. He feels it. Many of our friends are in both groups the paycheck to paycheck and the middle class that are still taking their vacations, watching their 401(k)s increase. Will Harris do any better? I guess we will see.
Well Don Old Trump has no plans to HELP anyone but himself and his rich donors
cannibalize the national government to make money. That's his mission.
and give our public lands, including all of Alaska, to the oil industry.
Susan, love that moniker for Trump! "Don Old Trump" -- we should all start using that! How clever!
That is your State legislatures AND Congress continually voting to supress the minimum wage. And Trump’s tax bill included your Employer’s ability to keep your tips. A little deeper research will prove again that CONGRESS (and Republicans in Congress) is the enemy of Workers. Joe’s original bill included a $15 minum wage. That was stripped by Republicans.
I have spent the past 15 yrs as an hourly worker in the Hospitality Sector.
Maybe she won't sell off the national Weather Service or turn it over to the CEO of Accuweather who will use his position to make money like the Trump appointed guy did.
TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
Jerome Powell, chairman of the Fed and hired hand and representative of the investment banks that own the Fed, is the economic enemy. He lowered interest rates to almost zero for Trump, which, because we are a system in which all debts enable banks to create money, lowered inflation and spurred lending and spending, which a plan that was fucked by COVID.
Now that the Democrats are in office, and investment bankers hate Democrats, he raised the interest rates, and an October surprise would be Powell claiming that inflation requires him to raise interest rates again.
I agree with you, with a slightly different twist. Powell, like Merrick Garland is *terrified* of being seen as “left-partisan”, so he has leaned accidentally rightward by waiting too long. If there had been a rate cut in June, Biden would still be running and be winning. As we know - fear really is the mind killer, the action killer. If Garland had prosecuted Trump right away - no need for a Special Prosecutor (looking for a proxy is a sign of fear) - none of this would be happening. It’s the Caeser’s Wife principle applied foolishly.
I am not convinced that Powell and Garland are terrified of being seen as a left partisan, when both are right wing partisans.
Garland's political proclivities are evidenced by what he has done and what he has not done, and the fact that he was vetted to Obama by the notorious right wing senator Orrin Hatch R-UT.
Obama wanted a win to be able to go down in history as having nominated a supreme court justine and knew, because the telegraphed with a bull horn, that the Republicans in the senate would not approve his nomination, so he asked Orrin Hatch for the name of someone that would, and Orrin gave him Merrick's name,
Garland also worked for the right wing, leo Lenoard, Federalist Society as a moderator.
Powell is an "employee" of the share holders of the corporations, the financial institutions that own the Federal Reserve, Inc.
Neither are concerned by the public impression, because they thrive and will thrive post position,.
There is a lot crap, wheeling, dealing, influence peddling, favors given and asked for behind the scenes.
Want to see how things really work, binge Netflix on suits (9 seasons, starrring the Duchess of Sussex, 10th is filming as we speak. and Binge Billions on Paramount or Amazon Prime.
Marc,
I was horrified the other day when I went to get my car washed and discovered that they have completely automated the car wash. There are exactly two jobs there now: the person who explains how the car wash works and the person who helps you get your car on the automated track. I imagine those will disappear soon too. I used to love going there on a weekend. You could buy coffee and snacks and even greeting cards and other paraphernalia. Then you could sit outside and wait for your car and hang out with the other customers. They would give away cool magazines too. It was a place for community and now all that is gone as well as the jobs. I was disgusted and very sad. We need more jobs of all sorts and we need more community, and I say that as an introvert. If I miss being with other people you know there's something that isn't right here. I desperately want to reverse this horrible trend, which also includes self-checkout machines at the drug store and the market. If anyone has ideas about how to do this or what organizations are tackling it, please tell me. I want to get involved. We are automating ourselves to death.
Paula, I never use self check out anymore. I realized when I use self check out I am doing someone else’s job and not getting paid for it. I would prefer to stand in a line and when I get to the cashier engage in a pleasant conversation And make their day a little bit brighter. It’s also another place to have a bit more human interaction both with the cashier and the other people in line.
Me too. When I am waiting in the checkout line and some well-meaning staff member or customer points me to the self checkout where there is no line, I say thank you but I want to support the checker and their job.
Me too!!! Exactly. There's this wonderful lady at the drug store who's so much fun to talk to. Last time I was there she regaled me with stories of eating her favorite dish: pickles with honey. You can't get that from the checkout machines.
I agree with both of you that automation will be the death of us as a society. Although convenience seems a logical substitute for human interactions with the spurious benefit of ‘saving time’ (for what?) It cancels out the fun aspect of living in a community. What could be better than watching a cashier or customers faces light up when you engage them in a conversation?
I AGREE ! I'm fed up with paying for services that I have to self service everything. Including education. Collaborative learning is also self teaching. Then people wonder why "kids don't think". They were taught not to.
👏👏👏
I was listening to this podcast yesterday and just found it on YouTube for you. It is Marc Elias of Democracy Docket interviewing Joe Kennedy about the community building he is doing with Groundwork https://www.groundworkproject.com/about-us/
One of the main points he makes is that communities are suffering from a myriad of problems that organizing can solve. If there is not something being addressed, how you can be the spark. Here is the link: http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx-LVkeGnj7GRB8KZTQMVQbnXYRG5VrCis?feature=shared
Thank you so much for this, Jenny!!! I can't wait to check it out. This is so important to me.
Yay!
In California its closer to $42/hour to support a family of 4.
A minimum wage is no a livable wage, it is a travesty. This is why corporate lackeys would rather talk about abortion, gay marriage, transgender procedures.
Three cheers, Victor!!! The Federal minimum wage is EXTREME CRUELTY $7.25 per hour won't even feed a child. And even States like mine CA and Washington, while better are still below the poverty limit.
If it is so expensive then why are their families of four. These days it costs a quarter of a million dollars to raise a child, where the kid has to have a cell phone, apps, a car, and sneakers and clothing to keep up with the other kids, not to mention college and weddings.
So why impoverish yourself with children? Every child brought into a family, reduces the standard of living for that family and especially the chances of success for it's older siblings.
I know the answer.
That is exactly why - plus the ever endangering climate - my four adult grandchildren have decided NOT to have children and I agree with them. However I disagree with 'reducing the chances of success for older siblings' that sound like an excuse to be unsuccessful to me. I was the oldest sibling and I paved my own way - and not to the detriment of my younger brothers.
Yep. I lived in Napa for 12 years. Now I live in the Finger Lakes, NY and honestly - my taxes are 40% higher HERE. I miss my desert. ♥️
So are people actually voting for a candidate that wants more government?
California has an upside-down tax structure compared to other states: Low property tax rate as a percentage of valuation (and the longer you’ve owned the property, the lower the valuation). Higher than average sales tax, but at least no sales tax on food you take home to cook and eat. High income taxes. It’s their new state property taxes I hear former Californians grumble most about. The real estate is cheaper but the taxes are higher. Us lifelong Californians love reading articles titled “I left California (usually to TX or FL) and this is why I’m moving back”.
But the constant threat of wildfires does suck.
Hi Martha, you wouldn't want to be here right now. Butte County is on fire once again largest fire so far and only 12% contained. I live in Carmichael a small suburb of Sacramento, even here the skies are a dull gray.
It is what drove my husband nuts. I’m a Sommelier. I looked on my job as a Conservationist. Like the folks that protect gorillas in Rawanda.
We need to pipeline water from here to you! It rains here continuously, which is why our wine industry is not thriving.
The average 1 bedroom in Columbus, Ohio is $1600 per month.
Add in utilities, car payments, insurance payments, and heaven forbid, student loans and our kids have zero dollars left to save. A house? Pipe dream.
Something must be done about the colluding amongst the landlords
Marc, and that amount, $29 to actually live is 4 times the minimum wage. That is appalling and Congress should be ashamed, but since they all have theirs, who cares about everyone else!
True, if we want to prevent the next Trump - the Dems need to listen to Bernie Sanders and if you haven't seen my comment yet about housing.
TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
Agreed
agree...but prices are high because of corporate greed.....I was a stockbroker for 35 years. I understand the havoc that comes from the blinders of self-interest
As a Program Manager for many years, I've watched the pay for this job slowly go down and down. This has been one of those "well-paying" jobs but the pay is slowing being chipped away, while more and more is expected. I've retired from it, but I was working 12-14 hour days just to keep my job, the last several years. (in Silicon Valley)
I agree. I hope Harris picks Kelly to compare and contrast the Trump/Vance faux macho man image. How would they attack Kelly? That can't.
BTW, what's radical? Government, and mostly men on the Supreme Court banning abortions, or a woman and her doctor's decision? The former is radical; the latter is logical.
Someone, or some groups, must step up and expose the elephants in the doctors' waiting rooms.
Yes it is, Marc! We the people are ready for this crap to stop! President Harris needs to put ending exploitation of the American People at the very top of her to do list! Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
There is nothing really historic about a woman leading a country except the USA is way behind the times.. Women as bosses posses no superpowers Just like men Woman can be smart/stupid enlightened/ignorant, flexible/ ideologues. Good/bad there just human beings hopefully giving all their energy into the tasks at hand.
Don’t count your blessings until after winning the election. Win the Election. First. (WTEF) …
I would trust Harris 1,000,000 times over Don Old Trump with the nuclear codes - he had top secret papers in his bathroom next to his toilet
I agree no matter who wins there should be a law prevent anyone over 73 years old from running for president .
On trust I trust Biden every way over Trumpet 🎺 all day every Day !!!
Try not to be ageist. Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi are still crazy effective, while Chuck Grassley and the late Diane Feinstein, just no.
Our system relies on agreement and coalition. You get better at that with age. 💙
Some get better with age , some are deteriorating from 14 . Some never develop anything but an ego and they are the dangerious ones …
There is no objective test dementia that wi stand up to politics .
Private industry sets age limits for board of directors presidents should also be subject to the specifications it’s definitely ageism but necessary .
Remember Marshall Fotch of France, World War II
Some get better with age. There is a gene for Alzheimers and the latest news is it can be detected via a blood test.
The body wears down, via mitochondrial DNA, with age, the mind does as well, short term memory starts to fail, evident in the speeches of Trump and Biden, Motor skills fail. I can't talk without stuttering, I find it difficult to verbalize and find words, I can't read my own writing, but when I sit at a keyboard the only remnant is that on occasion my fingers stutter, and I misspell but thanks to spell check, I don't have auto correct on my computer. I catch those errors.
A big difference between youth and the elderly is that as we age we learn the benefits of deferred satisfaction,unless we are addicted like people that hoard motorcycles, bikes, cars, dolls and even newspapers and plastic bottles.
💖💙
Oh, I don’t know that we’re just other human beings. Women and men are really different. And I kind of think of not having to deal with testosterone as kind of a superpower, myself.
Women also have testosterone.
And not immune hormonal influences.
I don’t want to start a rant on hormones.
Oh, yeah, I know, a little in the mix, and I know people use "hormonal" pejoratively about women, but I see, in my menfolk, the heavy burden that testosterone can be. Depending on the guy. People don't stop and think about it enough. That being said, to me, Kamala is a breath of fresh air, and her femininity is definitely a part of that.
Don’t care too much about masculine or Feminine traits competency as politician, and as our chief executive two different roles.
No matter what seems much better than Trumpet 🎺 Crazy Talk.
I love that. 💜🩷
The things you enumerate are all quite desirable -- but totally out of Our hands. The ONLY people that can create such legislation and programs are "Our" elected legislators. Those would be the people who rely on lobbyist largess and the "campaign contributions" of corporations and conglomerates.
The ONLY Power We The People have available to Us is to initiate a MASSIVE General Strike. A boycott of all those near-monopolies that lasts until they get the idea that less money is better than no money at all. The trouble is, the vast majority of We The People don't have the gumption to NOT go to work and instead go to the nearest People's Rally for fear of losing their job. (Or simply are not willing to forego their daily wage.) The closest We have ever come was the Occupy Wall Street Movement -- which, looking back, really didn't accomplish any of its goals. (None that lasted more than a month or two, anyway.) Even if We did launch a boycott larger and longer that Occupy Wall Street, because of all those that did NOT participate, the corporations would be able to limp along on reduced Revenue indefinitely. That is, they can withstand any siege We initiate better than We have the wherewithal to keep the siege going long enough to generate some Change We Can Believe In.
CaptainPatch, if Trump wins there will definitely be general strikes occurring accompanied by MAGA inspired violence attempting to quell the demonstrations against the Trump agenda. For some hope and proper focus read Heather Cox Richardson’s most recent Substack entry. I think it is one of the most inspiring I have read.
I suspect that what We will see if Trump wins is about the same level of protests that occurred after Trump won in 2016 and when SCOTUS struck down Roe v Wade. And note just how much impact those had. Even if you doubled the turnout, it wouldn't generate much impact. What's killing American Democracy are the tens of millions of citizens that willingly "vote against their own best interests" and the hundreds of millions that are NOT willing to tear the entire System down and rebuild from scratch. (A.K.A. 2nd American Revolution) NOT being willing to do what MUST be done to attain Change We Can Believe In is what keeps the status quo as the status quo.
Don’t “Not go to work.” That is self-defeating, especially since we have too many people for too few good jobs. Instead, use your right to BOYCOTT!! If you’re paying too much for groceries at the Big 3 grocery conglomerates, boycott those stores. Find other vendors, or just stop using those products for a while. For 6 months, for a year. The monopolies will feel it. If Walmart saw a sudden crash in revenues, you bet they would notice. Inform yourself, and shop accordingly.
Hard to NOT feed the coffers of Big Biz. There are numerous things that We all need that channel money to the several Bigs out there. Gasoline -- it ALL traces back to Big Oil. Food -- nearly all goes back to Big Agriculture. Information -- Big Media. Money Management -- Wall Street. (Banking.) Etc. What does We The People have to counter the influence of the Wealthy? They have >90% of all the "ammunition" in this war: money. Nothing short of a General Strike that locks down the country more than what We experienced during COVID will notably affect those that own most of America.
CaptainPatch— you’re right, the little power we the people started building has been systematically stripped by people who have been building a power structure over the last 30 years with incredible amounts of power and money. All for one purpose, to sustain and protect the power and lifestyle for the few.
We the general public are neither respected nor deferred to when it comes to running a government that collects the vast amounts of money in taxes and distributes it to its favorite causes as does the richest country in the world. We are rather resented as a deterrent and interference but a necessary evil.
We are not encouraged to get an education we are blocked from same. Future representatives to the government should be not only respected but trusted. Instead we get professional politicians who we hope have not completely sold their soul to the highest bidder.
How is it that a population of 350 million is so helpless and so dependent upon a relative handful of people? It’s because the vast majority of us are too busy working to keep body and soul intact for ourselves and family and end up working and buying our food for the very people who really control this country and have all the power. And because the salaries for the vast majority of the people are kept so low that so many have gone into debt at interest rates in the mid 20’s that there is not a prayer of using our still unpaid for education to get ourselves to the next economic tier to live the so-called American dream the looks more like a nightmare for many— just say’n.
Two-thirds of student debtors are women like myself. This is a women’s issue! In Florida alone is 8.6 Billion of debt.
We can pay off a car of $20K in 5 years and a house in 30 years. This compound interest contract forces students into debt for life.
Dems, what's the big picture here? For decades, you've not stood up for the middle class. So, we win in Nov with Kamala Harris, what's next ? Same old same ol? Because unless you stand up for working people like Bernie Sanders there is another trump like person right behind him.
References Bill Black, PhD lawyer, former bank regulator - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. and White Trash - the 400 year history of class Nancy Isenberg
The Supreme Court wrecked your dreams of student debt abatement. Again - Congress (specifically the Senate in this matter) is your problem. Remember all the times Biden tried to forgive your student debt? It’s NOT IN THE PRESIDENT’S HANDS. You must vote Dem EVERY ELECTION - even local county elections to make the change you want/need.
The BIDEN administration also wrecked everyone's financial life because he was SNEAKY - He didn't use the Education Act. And quite frankly, I'm fed up with paying for everyone else private religious school vouchers.
Either deal with the student loan debt or get ready for trump. What do you want??
that is MISINFORMATION that it's not in Biden's hands. I'm tried of on the left too.
So Biden tried to do something and trying to help he is guilty of wrecking dreams. Quite a jump in logic. It was SCOTUS, a right wing Republican SCOTUS who screwed the goose.
The Left is Evil, it is the enemy of America, so say Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation. By the way Janet, do you own a cat?
well have you read White Trash by https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31877278562&dest=usa&ref_=ps_ms_370718797&cm_mmc=msn-_-comus_shopp_textbook-_-naa-_-naa&msclkid=efd551d7db011ff14ce4377fc574f2cb
No one cares about that argument. I'm just saying - if you want to win - you'll need to go through Bernie's route. Otherwise, this is Obama 2.0 and he failed to put the bankers in jail. TheCon.tv
I'm giving you 500K votes if you cancel the debt and most of the people on here must be from well to do households that don't have the debt, because they don't care.
I've been called worse than cat lady. quite frankly, I don't care. I'm telling the truth.
Are you aware of Congress?
No Martha either Janet isn't or she is a stalking horse for RFK Jr.
No William, you are blissfully in a liberal elite college with no debt and no understanding that people don't care about saving democracy. That's a elite misinformation campaign. What people care about and will vote on is what puts food on the table. And, democracy isn't going to do that.
TheCon.tv William Bill Black - The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. 2008 is the cause of the housing crisis that we still have because no one put the bankers in jail Until we fix accounting control frauds, appraisal fraud, and liar's loans - there will be a continuing crisis.
I think the latter too. 😉
Are you aware of JD Vance? Or are you an elite liberal with no debt.
Are you aware of the Education Act 1965? Are you aware that 2/3 women hold the debt? Are you aware of the fact it takes a BA to have a low level retail job?
It sounds like you live in a nice house, no debt, no worries - if you are only going to run on "saving democracy" you're out of luck. That's not the issues people vote or care about.
You know nothing about me. I’ll report you for harrassment if you continue this.
Janet, your comment reminded me that in 1962 I bought a $9000 3 br house with a carport and monthly payments for 30 years of $35, there years later I bought a brand new car , for $2,000 and 36 monthly payments. The same house costs a quarter of a million today and the 2024 model costs $33,000 with a 6 year financing. The car is worn out before it is paid off, many people are paying off cars that have been crushed in a salvage yard, actually most trade them in, and lease or buy a new one, with even longer payment schedules and monthly payments.
We have a responsibility in this beyond voting for a responsive government. If people were not buying thousands of those big expensive cars, they wouldn’t be manufacturing them. We shop at Walmart and Amazon for lower prices and end up with cheap, Chinese products that don’t last. So we send them to the landfill and buy more of the same. We can’t stop buying or watching news media that pedal extremism and fear. The government cannot change everything. What we really seem to long for is a benign dictatorship so we can take no responsibility for the state of the country. The oligarchs depend on us.
The national weather service gave the residents of Joplin MO 17 minute warning before the most destructive tornado hit. Many did not seek shelter immediately.
The government can only do so much.
If people don't seek shelter in this situation, how likely will it be that they will respond to a climate crisis years in the making?
But not everyone is like that, Steve. The people on this forum aren't. That's why we need to work together.
Decades
You are so right on this. People think the President has all the power and it is morphing into believing the President should - terrifying.
I agree with everything you say and would like to suggest that for those who are able, patronize farmers' markets. They're less expensive than the chain stores and the food is fresher. Plus it's fun to talk to people.
Lina Kahn is going after monopolies. That’s why the GOP and the Silicon Valley bros are trying to get rid of her. The Biden admin is trying.
I submit, that aside from that, it was also for example like with oil or gas prices, make the economy go somewhat sour, so as to hurt Biden politically and help Trump, CEOs were and still are salivating at the bit, knowing full well Trump will not only keep the deficit causing tax cuts of his, but lower them even further and deregulate everything up the Yazoo so they can really put more of the screws back onto the workers and consumers and pollute our environment and damage democrats saving climate goals, its, follow the $$$ with them, that is all they give a dam about, everyone else is expendable
Spot on. 👍🏻
The only person exploiting you,is ( drum roll),you.You'll deny that 2 X 1 is 2,and you'll deny that 3 X 1 is 3.
Economies of scale produce low prices.Wal Mart have told you that every year,why deny it.A different way to look at it is high volume means low margin,why deny it.
Wal mart tell you every year what their net profit margin is,last year 2.88%. Every $100 billion of gross revenue produces $2.88 billion of net profit.The more customers they can get,the lower the prices can be.If they lower their profit margin to 2.7% do you really think it would make any difference.Do you really think that if they made $2.7 billion per $100 B rather than $2.88 per 100.
All you will do is exploit yourself and deny that 2 X 1 is 2,and 3 X 1 is 3. With 250 million customers per week @ $1 per customer that is $250 million per week,are you going to deny that?. If it is $2 per customer net profit then that is 250 X 2,or $500 million per week .Are you going to deny that?
Once you've mastered the basics of business economics that high volume means low margin,then you can have some fun.
Try and work out how a negative cash flow business model can increase profits by ?. Is it 0.1% ,or is it 0.2 %
Why the animosity Aussie?
I am an econ major, undergrad, and finance and accounting major, graduate.
The story of prices is not as simple as you lay out. It is a story about maximizing shareholder returns, which is more than pure economics, it is about manipulation, monopolization, labor exploitation (your Walmart makes its profits by purchasing cheap and inferior products from China and Asia, and despite the fact that inflation rate has decreased producers and wholesalers, as well as retailers keep the prices high, that the CEO's will get nice quarterly bonuses and shareholders maximize their returns.
Ultimately though, it is the consumer to blame, There is inelastic demand, the demand for credit is now inelastic because we addicted to debt, we are I have to have it now society, but the demand for food is also inelastic, and elastic demand, like that for candy and the crap that you find at check out counters, evidently what we would think are products with elastic demand have become inelastic, otherwise we would not be paying $1.49 for a candy bar that is worth only $.25 or pay hundreds of dollars sneakers (gym shoes) of clothing,crap that is only worn once, if at all, or is worn out in months.
Some commodities like groceries are high demand, high volume and low margin
Others, especially unsought goods, are low (or no) demand, low volume and low margins.
The market these days operates outside of economic theory,thanks in part towards monopolization and consolidation. Brand names mean nothing, when a holding company owns all competing brands.
Take the fast food market: Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, as well as fast-casual brand The Habit Burger Grill. It is headquartered in Louisville, Ky. Yum Brands was initially part of PepsiCo, which entered the restaurant business in 1977 with the acquisition of Pizza Hut.
RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES® and FIREHOUSE SUBS
McDonalds is owned by the Vanguard Group, Blackstone, State Street, which also own substantial media, Pharmaceuticals, defense industry, legal services, mining, natural gas pipelines, Chemical industry.
I've done a deep dive on many industries, it is all available on google if you are interested and not lazy.
There is virtually no competition, outside of local markets and producers.
Thank you for the explanation ☺️
Basic econ is not taught in highschool here. You have to take it in college. So, most Americans, even ones with a BA know next to nothing about how macro/micro econ works. Also, we’re afraid of Algebra. All of life is solving for X.
Business expense tax deductions can cover up high profits. Yachts, mansions, airplanes can be business expenses.
Easier said than done. Everything comes down to We the People. We turn our backs on local merchants, taking the easy Amazon purchase from our couch rather than getting off our backside and going shopping. We moan about the price of a can of Coke but plop a box of 12 cans in the shopping cart rather than, say water, no less from the convenient tap at home. It is hard to fight back and at times futile but if We the People ALLOW ourselves to be exploited, well... Power is in the hands of We, we only need to grasp it and use it.
Past time…
"Start-up coops," I like the sound of that! Let the city or town be the only developer; the idea is to remove profit incentive (of construction and reselling for investors, once a project is finished. The profit-difference in price over cost, is a primary inflation factor in housing--forever a part of rent or reselling price, [money that is removed from local economy by developers that "need to make money" is spent in other centers or including foreign holidays, valuable art, where instead money ought to remain in the community, money must move-around the economy, instead of removed].
In Vienna housing is now built by non profits--the idea is that it takes the profit motive out of construction. There is no profit that a developer leaves town with. When units are owned and rented out by non-profits, Rental revenue is all costs (no profit). "The rise in the cost of raw materials forced us to concentrate on what social housing is about." "40 years ago, Vienna started a “land procurement and urban renewal fund” that reserves land in the city exclusively for social housing. It includes farm or fallow land, disused rail tracks and empty hospitals, exclusively put out to tender to social developers." "We never succumbed to the temptation of selling off our municipal or subsidized apartments in the way other cities did (to plug holes in their budgets) ... our stock of housing is vast.”
"Key to understanding Vienna’s approach to housing is social sustainability. To avoid the creation of ghettoes and costly social conflicts, the city strives for a mix of people from different backgrounds, incomes, in the same estates. Social housing isn’t just for the poor.” "A student without a disability or dependents, would have no hope of applying for social housing in other countries, but the city courted him as a first-time tenants under 30." "They don’t have the stigma of poverty and crime associated with similar developments in the US ... far from fancy, yet well-maintained." "A reason Schranz’s apartment is affordable is it’s owned by the city, the landlord of approximately 220,000 socially rented apartments, the largest home-owning city in Europe. [London has more than 800,000 socially rented apartments, owned by the local councils]. A quarter of the people who live in Vienna are social tenants; if you include the 200,000 co-operative dwellings built with municipal subsidies, it’s more than half the population."
Great ideas, Marc! Since some if not all of this would infuriate billionaire donors, we must remind them that Trump in power, with the backing of the Heritage Foundation, will be able to blackmail any of them if he feels like it.
Thank you Marc, your words resonate with me and the only candidate I hear talking exactly like you is Kennedy. Do you truly believe the anointed Harris has the ability to deal with the truth as you point out? I don’t. I fear for our security more under her extreme liberal policies and rhetoric. Can you see her standing up to corporate corruption? I was truly hoping for a fair and honest open convention-what’s happening to our country, what’s become of our children’s future?
You are concerned about our children's future, and that's why you are a primary for Kennedy Jr., a fear monger and a mercenary. Yes, as a lawyer he knows how to talk and write.
You are a fox in this henhouse. Kennedy is a compromised environmental attorney with no legitimate experience for this job. A vote for him re-elects Trump. But I expect you know that already.
The Kennedy trolls are as bothersome as the Putin Trump trolls, they will disappear after November 5th.
I knew what you meant and agree whole heartedly.
Your reply to the comment got deleted. What was it??
Do something productive. Millions of unregistered folk trend Democratic. Register Democrats to save the world. Defeat MAGA.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Daniel, this is an excellent resource!
And for those overseas:
https://www.votefromabroad.org/
The old school misogynistic platitudes are so tired. And once again showing his overt racism by claiming that Kamala wasn't born in this country (although sometimes Oakland feels like a third world country) just as he did when Obama was running for President. The bullying and puffery and lying happens when those cretans have nothing in their brains and they try to make up for their nothingness by being loud and boorish and pretending to be something when they are just the opposite.
Bullies. Nothings. Pretend Christian humans.
Our diversity is our strength; 'Love Oakland!' (Indeed, that is much the point i.e. constructively being for something, e.g. fixing potholes & starting soccer teams, rather than simply against a looming specter of doom that steals elections and wallows in crapulence).
Although I never lived in Oakland, I spent a lot of time there. We lived in San Francisco and my then husband had siblings who all lived there, so we visited often. Also, the A's, Raiders and Warriors and the huge music scene. Concerts at the Coliseum, Kaiser & the Paramount. Wild & fun times. The event for Nelson Mandela when he was released from prison. Don't know how long you've been there, but I was there in the late 1960s. A lot was going on then. Much upheaval. Still much upheaval. I no longer live in CA (lived there for 45 years), but I get several news sources every day and have friends who let me know what's going on. I do miss the Bay Area and its diversity. Best to you.
Oh and the Oakland Ballers too. Don't even cry for the A's.
Trump and everything the man stands for is like a piece of fish that has been in the fridge for far too long, Trump and Vance are two individuals this country could do without. Nasty, abusive, and downright un-American in their views of others. Why anyone would support these two men is a mystery to me, but then again Republicans are mysteries to themselves. Biden passed the torch because he had a qualified person to hand it to while Donnie Boy had no such option. Republicans remind me of the old adage surrounding the story of the "moth and the flame." Their ability to fly is fleeting, and Trump is too old. The people of this country will give the orange guy his slithering papers.
What is worse than Donald Trump?---How about two Donald Trump's! Or even more depending upon Trump's ability to initiate his vision of a dynasty based around his extended family. Trump has stated in the future we won't have to vote. This thought has been dismissed by several leading Republicans but somehow, I don't share in their view of his fractured interpretation of how he feels the people of this country should live. If by some perverted means Trump eviscerates our current system of government and replaces it with his sick attempt to reincarnate J. R. Ewing's dream, this country will be forever changed, and not for the better.
Trump's return to the WH would result in chaos, just as Nikki Halley predicted. Military rule would be a likely outcome.
This 🎯. Which is also why Rupert Murdoch is presently trying to force three of his six children to give up their inherited legal powers in his global media empire and gift sole control to Murdoch’s favoured far right child Lachlan. I was at school with his eldest Prue. She is not her father. If she inherits she could well instigate global media cultural changes toward social egalitarianism.
Monnina, her chances of inheriting are not good. She is likely to end up the way Mary Trump did.
Well, having been Mary Trumped myself, but from a MUCH lower monetary base, she would have my sympathy. I would also suggest she look inward and ask what she will have learned from such a life experience.
I hope Murdoch rots in HELL
I was with you until you suggested “American Progressives pretending to be excited” etc. This misogynistic paragraph shows your extreme cynicism and calls into question the validity of your other commentary.
I’m a progressive and I’m excited. No faking because I believe we MUST break these barriers in order to arrive at a more egalitarian ethos. Four years ago I preferred Elizabeth Warren but she wasn’t nominated. Now, we have the opportunity to break that barrier again. Let’s not blow it by accusing supporters of faking emotional reactions.
I get excited about progress. We’re not going back and we’re not about to give in to cynical ploys intended to discourage us so … shut the fuck up!
More quotes and links to the Putin Puppet Caitlin Johnstone.. If people were to pay attention to you, they would vote for RFK Jr, and that would take a way a vote for Harris, and that would mean a vote for Trump, who is Putin's fellator in chief.
“And if I were an obscenely rich guy who wanted to make sure the rich get to keep their obscene wealth, that’s probably what I’d do too.” Not me. If I were obscenely rich I would be working to make sure they didn’t.
Awesome, Professor!!! As your former boss used to say, Let’s embrace change. I may be a Caucasian male, but I’m not at all threatened by the emergence of women and people of color and LGBTs. On the contrary, it will lift all of us to work for this planet together. Maybe even write some new rules, adopt some new norms, and get rid of some of the self destructive attitudes we’ve exhibited in our species. We can live in hope or we can return to a brutal past, the Bannon-Orban-Putin mindset of Liebensraum, Judenrein, manifest destiny, (and the twins of the Middle East, the Muslim Caliphate and “Judea/Samaria”). Anthropologists have said that what distinguished Homo Sapiens was its intent and desire to care for the lesser abled members of its clans. We need to expand our clans to universalism, while preserving the best of our native cultures.
White dudes for Harris 8:00 p.m. ET. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv8CbvFVggb-D6bQ1-oPUNULwk6f1qzkjufYGIWFiCQ0Z8RA/viewform
"Over 50,000 white men from all across the country are expected to join the effort this week and will be on hand to welcome Vice President Harris to the presidential race and pledge to help get her elected."
Up to 60,000 this morning. Last night on Focus for Democracy people pledged millions to two underfunded groups, Galvanize and Accelerate Change.
Well said, Kerry! My friend told me the other day how angry he was because of the orange man and his running mate. He said he feels like people are giving him angry glares because he is a white male. I told him to keep smiling and know that he is NOT like those MAGA idiots! I told him this would be over in November and he can hold his head high because he voted for Kamala Harris! Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
Thanks. I get occasional hostility on social media either from my age, race, or gender. It’s not my problem, it’s theirs. I don’t represent anyone but myself, but that doesn’t seem to matter to people who have been so damaged that they can’t transcend their bad experiences. It’s a tough world out there, tougher on some than others.
You are right, Kerry. It is their problem. I believe the radical right men are the ones who are making it hard on all of the rest of you. It is a tough world but I feel if people showed some kindness to one another it doesn't have to be as tough. The radical right show no kindness nor do they accept it. They are trapped in their little cocoons of hate and fear.
He could wear a Harris button or shirt, after she selects her VP running mate (how delicious and democratic it is to be able to write this!).
It is absolutely fabulous to write this, Sheila! Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
What bigots seem not to realize is by stoking racism, sexism, etc. they harm white males in the end, because it builds resentment, fear & mistrust for white males in POC & women. Good race relations & equal treatment benefits everyone.
Very good point Jaime. Needs to be repeated until it catches on "thousand money style"
In a nation where white males are kings I doubt the truthfulness of someone who says that he was getting angry stares because he is a white male.
Terry, your last sentence, "We need to expand our clans to universalism, while preserving the best of our native cultures” is absolutely the long term answer to our current planetary dilemma. It is actually an accurate encapsulation of the philosophy of “Neohumanism."
Ofcourse you're "not threatened " by the emergence of LBGTQ as a male. You're not the one that's having your private spaces, medals, jobs and sex stolen.
It's also really great to hear you're not threatened by the "emergence of women" where are we emerging from btw?
Take a deep breath. I’m not your enemy. And it should be obvious that women have “emerged” from a voting-deprived, economically discriminated, and culturally oppressed group to a “more equal” citizenry with still-unrealized justice. Re:the former, a hell of a lot of males are obviously threatened by LGBTQ, judging by their behavior and intent to pass some awful laws. If this is not news to you, I encourage you to get out more.
Kerry, just curious. You seem to know what you are talking about. Why did you expatriate? From where to where? And did history have anything to do with your move?
Wow, long stories to tell, not here in Robert Reich’s space, hahaha.
Of course. Silly me. My curiosity sometimes gets the best of me and I don't quite think straight; as in "curiosity killed the cat" as the saying goes.
How about the short version, From where to whence
Colorado to Peru to Catalonia.
Why are my replies to your (quite patronising reply) being deleted?
America became the powerhouse that it is because of, not in spite of, diversity, minds, talents, contributions from cultures and races is what made America great. Where it not for the immigrants, America would be an agrarian nation of shop keepers, planters, farmers and slaves.
It’s a distinct possibility that what was, a week or so ago, a “defensive” election for the Democrats, with a very narrow path to victory, might develop into something more along the lines of Obama’s 2008 wave, if demographics previously unlikely to turn out for Biden are now enthused, energised to make their voices heard, it could be truly transformative! Let’s hope so, for the whole world’s sake….
Yes, told folks the same thing here: if 'enthusiasm == high voter turnout', Democrats could have a very good election!
It’s time for the women of today’s America to take the men of Trump’s type and drive them into extinction!
I think we’re already seeing it happen! Only one week into watching statements by Kamala Harris on the news, I realized that she’s so refreshing because we’ve been listening to half-dead, hypocritical, slimy male politicians for DECADES! The Mitch McConnells and Lindsay Grahams. Yuk!
She has thrown the Trump/Vance thing under the bright light and now they just look creepy and weird. It’s over for them and they know it.
We're a bit buggered actually. With all the working we've had to do to gain basic human rights, having all the babies and take responsibility for the lions share in rearing them, working doubly hard to get not quite equal recognition, then going home and doing the majority of the housework, in-between punches, and finding the time to fend off sexual predators all whilst having monthly periods and then menopause just to top it off. Ooops, can't relax yet... we've got to convince law makers and judges that women have XX chromosomes and we want our daughters to have their breasts intact while they enjoy their porn-informed womanhood.
Dunno about you blokes but it's been a hard slog and we could do with a nap. How about, instead of tasking us to also drive men like Trump into oblivion, men just, ya know, stop being so Trump-like? 🤔
When I was a young man a wise woman told me that “men work from sun to sun, a woman’s work is never done!” I concur 👍🏻
Ladies of America, you are the majority! Get er done.
Yes!
Let the word go forth from this time and place: if returned to the White House, Donald Trump will eliminate all further presidential elections for all time. "You will never have to vote again," he told his Christian followers at a rally last Friday. When Trump makes such promises, he needs to be taken seriously.
Absolutely! Republicans are trying to laugh it off, put their own spin on it, saying he didn't mean it that way. That is so NOT true. He did mean it that way! He wants to be a dictator and it is up to us to stop that right now. Vote blue, America! Lotus for POTUS!
You bet he means it! He meant what he said before Jan. 6th and we were stunned when it came to pass. A Hong Kong freedom fighter said " The price of freedom is ETERNAL VIGILANCE"! Ex-military are gathering guns, this from neighbors I can't believe are tRumpies. We better heed the warnings!
He sure did, a good way to think of him is an alligator in a man’s guise. Very dangerous.
I don't mean to say they are gathering guns directly related to current events. This info was from conversations about Jan 6, saying they knew it was coming and followed by mentioning friends who have arsenals. Still, I take it seriously..
Indeed. Sadly, people in democracies across the Western world have become too complaisant about such threats. “It could never happen here,” they assume. Trump’s menace is real. Americans need to take his latest promise at face value, especially given the precedent of January 6th.
Sounds like Hitler
What was the audience’s reaction? Did they cheer and applaud? Did they look at each other in shock and horror? I’m truly concerned about the mental health, perspectives, education, deep structure of beliefs of a large body of Americans. Would you say 75 million or so? What’s to be done about that?
Trump assumes that his followers are suckers whom he needs to fool once or twice but not all the time. Religious believers may be the ones easiest to fool.
How accurate you are, and what is so pathetic, about this how any of these “Christians” adamant supporters of the anthesis of their faith. A guy fake strong man entertainer, Hulk Hogan, an invited Side Show feature, meant to imply, verify at “former guy’s convention. More like keeping the illusions going. Pseudo champ, sorta
shirt-ripper Hulky got it wrong, Trump’s not the toughest of them all, a gladiator.
A better analogy is an updated version of the Grimm’s fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood.”21st century take on it: has an “Orange Tan, Blonde Guy, Slick Talkin’ Guy”- is an alligator in a “man” suit. Alligator’s have a grin, always. Get close, they are slick, slithery, a caution, his bite is might lethal, as multi-millions have learned when they got to close, within biting distance.
Fascinating creatures, as long as you Never let ‘em close. Never forget what happened to those that were lured close: everything you ever wanted-Money you want? get degree from me, you’ll make millions like him; Freedoms can vanish, many already have, his administration took huge bites out of them. Women, children, elderly, suffering … with alligator Don loose. Politics - a back to way it was, vote for him, he’ll bring ya a Civil War…all those Gone with the Wind days, sure. Confederate flags are all ready sprouting and it’s not charming nostalgia.
Yeah, what's this "have to vote" thing, as if voting is a burden? That really makes me mad. We can't let him frame voting that way. Voting is a privilege and a right and we're going to keep doing it.
Don OLD Trump is mentally unstable - his threats are destabilizing the country -
The feeling of relief when Biden stepped aside and endorsed Harris, the unification of the Dems behind Harris...truly a 'unicorns and rainbows' moment for progressives if ever there was one. But, I find it incredible that Margaret Atwood's book of fiction is so prescient. Surely, she must be overwhelmed by requests for commentary on the Republican agenda. First it was The Simpson's predicting Trump’s presidency and now this. One for the 'Only in America' file.
As an aside...if the world was run by childless cat ladies it would probably be a much nicer place with tea and cake with every vote for everyone (none of this 'you'll never have to vote again' nonsense). Viva childless cat ladies! Go Kamala!
Can't comment on Atwood (haven't read it yet) - but, historically, fascism centrally featured an economic agenda, e.g. rapid development of a war-torn country; one could venture to put a finer point on the comment and say that voters would have to believe the economic message that goes with that fascism (which may be a hard sell if it wasn't broad-based or otherwise sustainable, authoritarianism aside)...
Just $.02 from a student (who is neither motherless nor an only child - and would thus have a hard time explaining such a brazen, irresponsible choice of misogyny)...
I hear JD Vance put the sex in sectionals.
HAAAAAAAAA!!! Good Form!😹👉🏼👏🏼
😂
That's hilarious but the image ... ugh.
I had a child once - he passed away - so guess I’m a Cat Lady and that’s ok. Rather be a CT than one of the Handmaids! Really, there is only one explanation for these MAGA that call themselves men - control. Do they really believe the majority want to go back? I don’t think so and I’m right there with Kamala,”we are not going back.” I believe Kamala Harris will make a good President and one for all Americans. Kamala has the Republicans on the run and it’s about time. God bless President Biden and his wisdom to turn the tide at the right time!
Amen!
Dianna, may his memory be a blessing 🩵
RR writes "He views females as almost alien creatures. “There’s nothing I love more than women,” he has said, “but they’re really a lot different than portrayed. They are far worse than men, far more aggressive ….” about tRump. DJT seems to have had that experience....especially after he has raped some of them. The women seem to be quite angry about it--vengeful and vicious. Take E Jean Carroll, for example. Perhaps had he tried to talk to them rather than simply lift their skirts he might have formed a better understanding of them. I am glad the MAGA torch is illuminating and burning tRump, rather than allowing him to scorch others. Perhaps he and his couch-loving Vance can advance their careers by adoring couches. I'm sure Vance can give him some tips.
Robert Reich, you are my hero
Women and minorities deserve a share of the political decision making and opportunities for leadership roles. This is the 21st century and we need a broad spectrum of choices and new ideas. It’s time for women to have leadership roles in politics, business, education, government, etc. I support Kamala Harris as the Democrat candidate for President.
Indeed, Reich-What’s the underlying goal here? The same as in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Its authoritarian fascism organized around male dominance, to treat women simply as baby factories and the sickly machoistic bravadoes, was nauseating to ever so briefly watch of Trumps clown show of people, furthermore, it's forced births, means more $ consumers for corporate America, these creeps, who supposedly care so much about life of the unborn, but yet, watch out, once born, they do not want, whatsoever to give help= no childcare,= no healthcare, =no help with education and make sure the baby or child is raised to "live in a polluted world", and are we not supposed to care for and take care of God's Creation, the Earth and it's creatures, simply no! not to them, their worship, is the all mighty $dollar, because the GOP work for polluters, their overlords, like the oil cartel, so they should spare us all, that they care about life, but of course most all, it's about power, control and don't forget cruelty, they love that, they have evil in their hearts, just like Trump.
The underlying goal: Female subjugation. Control more than 50 percent of the population and that also blunts other forms of discrimination (race, gender, age etc.).
Indeed, and now, I am a man and yet, unlike the MAGA Trump world of creeps, I recognize the obvious and it's two-fold, to them I say, did you not come into this world via a woman of which you seek to denigrate, so in essence, you're putting down yourself
and all of civilization, for instead which should be, idealistically, the upliftment thereof, to which becomes the upward betterment to all of society, for in creation, both, man and women are equal but yet, one is more ennobled or closer to the light, for only she can bring another unsullied light of purity into the world, simply put, a child, this is just my interpretation, spiritual speaking, for I have a sort of Buddhistic philosophy
JD Vance and his libertarian allies are fueling fears that the White Race is in danger, because Woke Secularists and the Evil Left have corrupted American morality, hence the decline of the American family. Haven't we heard this song before?
Indeed, and old as time, that sort of slime of disinformation and persons who seek power for powers sake, that too, is old as time, the kings and queens of old revisited in the form of many of modern-day CEOs of corporate America, all for them, just look at our Supreme Court, the foulness that reeks of corruption, they made that corporations are people too, with more rights than real people, for money is free speech so trumps everyone else's rights, I digress, the point is, everywhere you look, the main reason it seems that motivates these people is at the altar of their all mighty dollar=more power and swash the little guy, so again and again, as old as time, they use self-created culture wars as weapon, their constant used boogeyman, to get and stay in power and btw, with Trumps-Vance PROJECT 2025, EVERYONES, ALL RIGHTS, ARE IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF BEING OBLIERATED, thanks too, to their bought and paid for Supreme Court, a court that the best money can buy, all is for sale as they are and as all our rights, as is a habitable world, can we say, the fossil fuel cartel
Men are strong; women are aggressive. Men are expressive, women are emotional. Men are demonstrative; women are hysterical. Men speak with force; women whine. Men are intelligent… STOP! The double standard celebrated by the corrupt and misogynistic Republican Party and Donald Trump and their fascist agenda must be defeated! We need Kamala Harris! Strong women have a different perspective, using their intelligence, capabilities, and empathy in a more positive, focused, and effective way that promotes unity and results!
I hope and pray that the voters will recognize the importance of this election. Our freedoms, our democracy, and our future are at stake.
Just saw a woman (!) post that Kamala was characterized as “demanding” by her staff. I shut that DOWN by using your comparisons technique: She’s COMMANDING and can easily be our COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
Amen, sister.
Yes, as opposed to being our DEMANDER IN CHIEF - or worse; our PSYCHOCOMMANDER IN CHIEF. We've had one too many of those and the psychopath is running to do it all over again.
Yes, Dr. Bloxom. You nailed it 🩵
Your first few sentences bear repeating so I'll do it myself. I absolutely love it; especially your "last (capitalized) word" - - as Lawrence O'Donald might say . . . "STOP is tonight's last word".
"Men are strong; women are aggressive. Men are expressive, women are emotional. Men are demonstrative; women are hysterical. Men speak with force; women whine. Men are intelligent… STOP!"