Oct 14, 2023·edited Oct 14, 2023Liked by Robert Reich, Heather Lofthouse
The GOP seems to be aiming at the establishment of a patriarchal system when all around them are examples of how this model is not working. One only needs to look at each current world mess and ask, "How would this be playing out if the women in that situation were equally empowered?" There are evil women. There are misguided and maniac women. But systematic male dominance over women has done nothing to make the world a better place to live.
Oct 14, 2023·edited Oct 14, 2023Liked by Heather Lofthouse
No, Professor, you are not the last one to finally get Covid, I have not had it and I plan to get my next vaccination very soon when I go in for my flu shots.
You are right on the subject of Israel vs Hamas. The Hamas terrorists were absolutely wrong and as bad as anyone can get, On the other hand, Netanyahu has been trump before trump even came on the scene. I was sure he was done for when he was indicted on bribery and other nefarious charges and I really didn't think the Israelis would elect him again. There must be some Ben Gurion's or Golda Meir's left in Israel. I'll never understand why the UN cut out that stupid Gaza strip in the first place, even today, Israel could give them 143 square miles of Israel bordering Palestine and annex Gaza to Israel. It would give Israel more coastal access. I know a lot of our readers hate to hear me say this, but way back in 1948-1949 the UN and other countries offered agricultural assistance to Palestine as well as education and health. The then leaders refused it and any money they received they used to buy guns. The Palestinian leaders set up those "refugee" camps which I call concentration camps. The political leaders did not want the people to become self sufficient, they wanted to kill Jews. Yes over the years the Israelis have been more successful at war than their Muslim neighbors, but most of the wars have been retaliatory. Some Israelis have been greedy and wanted to get rid of the Palestinians and expand Israeli territory. My personal opinion is the Israelis are hated because they took poor land and turned it into a prosperous country where most citizens enjoy a better lifestyle than their Muslim neighbors.
On the subject of the extremists among the Republicans, I agree their only agreed upon doctrine is to destroy liberty, justice, the Constitution and Democracy. There goals are so obviously fascist I don't understand how anyone with an ounce of intellect can't see this. As I said on Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American - they are acting like toddlers in a tantrum and the 212 Democrats and 20 or so Republicans should send the lot of them home to their Districts with the admonition to have their constituents deal with their tantrums. Meanwhile the 230 adults can start legislating as they were elected to accomplish. And I still maintain the 'debt ceiling' is unconstitutional.
Yay for Unions!!!
And Heather I agree with you, the only reason to overturn no-fault divorce (dissolution of marriage as it is called in California) is an attempt to reassert male dominance. I had such a dissolution of my first marriage. My second marriage was fantastic, my husband was intelligent, witty and a joy to live with, the only bad thing he ever did was to die, before I was ready.
When daytime television is full of Holy Rollers bellowing out yarns about some hairy prophet who came down from a mountain or walked up a mountain over 2,000 years ago, it isn't hard to discern the origin of current day madness. The numbers of the religious right may be declining but their intolerance is growing exponentially. They seem unable to parse the dis-ingenuousness and mendacious manipulations of their new Orange Messiah.
Ending No fault divorce just adds to the oppression of women on top of the ban on their healthcare. It's another culture war distraction keeping our eyes off the billionaire's outsized power and wage theft. It is another 'divide and conquer' move as well. A woman seeking to leave a marriage is often daunted by simple financial hurdles, even with no fault divorce, or mutually agreed on divorce. With 9% interest rates, just having a roof over her head, and taking care of children's needs requires a good income. Most women do not have decent pay. Second class status is what the 'right' wants for women. tfg likes oppression of women; "treat them like $#it" he said. Look at Iran, and what they support. They have the capability to fund HAMAS, and are suspected to be behind the attacks on Israel, Tfg thinks Hezbollah is "Smart". I can't help but wonder what "my Kev" was doing in Israel recently. I bet he was up to no good. Netanyahu was having to face massive protests very recently. I am suspicious that he knew more about these assaults, may even have been complicit. He is a fascist, and can't be trusted.
I am positive I have somehow crossed into the Upside Down/Twilight Zone. I am busy looking for the portal to the country that existed once upon a time--when Democrats and Republicans actually worked together.
Until all of the people in our Congress who denied the validity of the 2020 election are removed, either by vote or via the 14th Amendment, we will continue to see this amount of dysfunction and will see continued assaults on the rights of all Americans but especially on the more than half of our population who are female.
Any woman that still votes [for any] Republican is not using the brain that evolution has provided.
Now it's no-fault divorce? This iteration of the Republican party wants control over areas where they have no business interfering, often in the name of religion or family values. And they establish relationships with the rich and powerful to support their ideas when only money can get the job done. Buy a Supreme Court Justice? Support elections of conservative politicians? Money talks, and the Supreme Court says that's just fine with them.
Renowned physician and social critic Gabor Mate writes, “In the wake of the horrors of the Vietnam War and the unconscionable lies used to justify it, I…had to arrive…at the heartrending realization that the dream that had been a balm to my soul, that of a triumphant Jewish national rebirth in my people’s ancestral biblical home, had been achieved by imposing a nightmare on the Palestinian inhabitants of the land, a nightmare that continues to this day. When the truth struck home, I was once again astonished that my imagined universe could have been such a distorted version of the real one. Visiting the West Bank and Gaza, I wept every day for two weeks.”
One thing I objected to, Robert and Heather, was your suggestion that Israel and the Palestinians are equally bad. You should know the true history, because there have been so many lies about this. Israel has been oppressive of the Palestinians from Day One. It drove out 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland at gunpoint. It certainly doesn’t stop there. israel has had vastly superior weaponry (including nuclear warheads), an army, navy and air force--which the Palestinians have never had--checkpoints, constant harassment of Palestinians, plus Israel’s nonstop grabbing of more and more of their land. They are an oppressed people. Don’t you dare say you can’t support them as a people. Not Hamas, which was encouraged by israel’s bullying and oppression--but the Palestinian people themselves need our help and love. They just want to live happily. The Israelis wouldn’t need all their technology, their weaponry, their surveillance and horrible fences, if they just had one thing--good will, and they can stop calling all Palestinians Nazi terrorists. Not a Jewish state ruling over others, but one state with equality for all, is what we must have.
Republicans want a Christian theocracy, not just male dominance. If they were to succeed, we'd become another Ireland with Catholics versus Protestants. The founding fathers understood that religious tolerance is an oxymoron. Only a secular government can maintain coexistence.
I agree... however, as a child I had the example laid out about women being equal and men being an equal partner in raising a family.
My Mother had a masters in math. She had her own money. My Father was an avid reader and educator and a clever, witty writer with a natural musical talent. He heard the music and then could play it on the piano by ear.
What they taught us: as a family: we all shared the work.... making the beds, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, doing our homework... all a family purpose. Then, on week-ends we got to hike or go to a movie or to a restaurant ( usually Chinese for good food at a reasonable price). We read together, we listened to music on the stereo system my Father built. We studied music and dance.
My Mother’s Father was an immigrant from Yugoslavia. He worked hard in the mines with union protections. He believed in two things above all else, education and unions.
My Father had a broken home after the age of six. He suffered polio and lost the entire muscle from the knee to the ankle on his left leg. He never once talked as tho’ he were crippled. He had a brilliant memory that remembered everything he read. He was a “fish culturist” for the state fish and game. He ran the fish hatchery and became a total environmentalist and teacher to three young daughters. He mad me believe that as a person I could do and become anything I chose. My Mother also believed this. Three daughters had college degrees as did she . One became a lawyer.
Both parents believed in the “New Deal” that FDR helped imagine. They believed in paying back into ones’ country . They believed in being “good citizens and neighbors”.
I am simply sharing that two people: a man and a woman can decide freely to be an equal part of the equation of being human. Of caring about the universe. They never believed that getting rich was a goal. They had lived through the Depression. They did believe in saving and in taking care of things.
Do I believe I am better than others? No, but I believe that educating one’s self can help one see that all together we are strong! But alone we just tread water..., man or woman.... we need one another and we need to decide what works and what doesn’t. This is called “CHOICE”!
I agree, the R goal to do away with women's power in no fault divorce is maddening. It's patriarchy, white patriarchy, rearing its ugly head, as it has done so disgustingly for the past eight years, devouring the dignity and rights of women and girls and smashing to pieces all the progress we've made towards a more perfect union that exemplifies equity and equality for all.
They exemplify the Desire to go backwards -as with every policy that GOP has on its agenda. Need to go backwards- to fight any social progress which ultimately leads to economic progress for the bottom 99%.
The GOP seems to be aiming at the establishment of a patriarchal system when all around them are examples of how this model is not working. One only needs to look at each current world mess and ask, "How would this be playing out if the women in that situation were equally empowered?" There are evil women. There are misguided and maniac women. But systematic male dominance over women has done nothing to make the world a better place to live.
Because they’re assholes.
No, Professor, you are not the last one to finally get Covid, I have not had it and I plan to get my next vaccination very soon when I go in for my flu shots.
You are right on the subject of Israel vs Hamas. The Hamas terrorists were absolutely wrong and as bad as anyone can get, On the other hand, Netanyahu has been trump before trump even came on the scene. I was sure he was done for when he was indicted on bribery and other nefarious charges and I really didn't think the Israelis would elect him again. There must be some Ben Gurion's or Golda Meir's left in Israel. I'll never understand why the UN cut out that stupid Gaza strip in the first place, even today, Israel could give them 143 square miles of Israel bordering Palestine and annex Gaza to Israel. It would give Israel more coastal access. I know a lot of our readers hate to hear me say this, but way back in 1948-1949 the UN and other countries offered agricultural assistance to Palestine as well as education and health. The then leaders refused it and any money they received they used to buy guns. The Palestinian leaders set up those "refugee" camps which I call concentration camps. The political leaders did not want the people to become self sufficient, they wanted to kill Jews. Yes over the years the Israelis have been more successful at war than their Muslim neighbors, but most of the wars have been retaliatory. Some Israelis have been greedy and wanted to get rid of the Palestinians and expand Israeli territory. My personal opinion is the Israelis are hated because they took poor land and turned it into a prosperous country where most citizens enjoy a better lifestyle than their Muslim neighbors.
On the subject of the extremists among the Republicans, I agree their only agreed upon doctrine is to destroy liberty, justice, the Constitution and Democracy. There goals are so obviously fascist I don't understand how anyone with an ounce of intellect can't see this. As I said on Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American - they are acting like toddlers in a tantrum and the 212 Democrats and 20 or so Republicans should send the lot of them home to their Districts with the admonition to have their constituents deal with their tantrums. Meanwhile the 230 adults can start legislating as they were elected to accomplish. And I still maintain the 'debt ceiling' is unconstitutional.
Yay for Unions!!!
And Heather I agree with you, the only reason to overturn no-fault divorce (dissolution of marriage as it is called in California) is an attempt to reassert male dominance. I had such a dissolution of my first marriage. My second marriage was fantastic, my husband was intelligent, witty and a joy to live with, the only bad thing he ever did was to die, before I was ready.
When daytime television is full of Holy Rollers bellowing out yarns about some hairy prophet who came down from a mountain or walked up a mountain over 2,000 years ago, it isn't hard to discern the origin of current day madness. The numbers of the religious right may be declining but their intolerance is growing exponentially. They seem unable to parse the dis-ingenuousness and mendacious manipulations of their new Orange Messiah.
Ending No fault divorce just adds to the oppression of women on top of the ban on their healthcare. It's another culture war distraction keeping our eyes off the billionaire's outsized power and wage theft. It is another 'divide and conquer' move as well. A woman seeking to leave a marriage is often daunted by simple financial hurdles, even with no fault divorce, or mutually agreed on divorce. With 9% interest rates, just having a roof over her head, and taking care of children's needs requires a good income. Most women do not have decent pay. Second class status is what the 'right' wants for women. tfg likes oppression of women; "treat them like $#it" he said. Look at Iran, and what they support. They have the capability to fund HAMAS, and are suspected to be behind the attacks on Israel, Tfg thinks Hezbollah is "Smart". I can't help but wonder what "my Kev" was doing in Israel recently. I bet he was up to no good. Netanyahu was having to face massive protests very recently. I am suspicious that he knew more about these assaults, may even have been complicit. He is a fascist, and can't be trusted.
I am positive I have somehow crossed into the Upside Down/Twilight Zone. I am busy looking for the portal to the country that existed once upon a time--when Democrats and Republicans actually worked together.
Until all of the people in our Congress who denied the validity of the 2020 election are removed, either by vote or via the 14th Amendment, we will continue to see this amount of dysfunction and will see continued assaults on the rights of all Americans but especially on the more than half of our population who are female.
Any woman that still votes [for any] Republican is not using the brain that evolution has provided.
Now it's no-fault divorce? This iteration of the Republican party wants control over areas where they have no business interfering, often in the name of religion or family values. And they establish relationships with the rich and powerful to support their ideas when only money can get the job done. Buy a Supreme Court Justice? Support elections of conservative politicians? Money talks, and the Supreme Court says that's just fine with them.
Meanwhile in Colorado, a judge has ruled that the trial of Trump's eligibility for the 2024 ballot must proceed. https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/trump-trial-election-2024-14th-amendment-rcna120270
Renowned physician and social critic Gabor Mate writes, “In the wake of the horrors of the Vietnam War and the unconscionable lies used to justify it, I…had to arrive…at the heartrending realization that the dream that had been a balm to my soul, that of a triumphant Jewish national rebirth in my people’s ancestral biblical home, had been achieved by imposing a nightmare on the Palestinian inhabitants of the land, a nightmare that continues to this day. When the truth struck home, I was once again astonished that my imagined universe could have been such a distorted version of the real one. Visiting the West Bank and Gaza, I wept every day for two weeks.”
One thing I objected to, Robert and Heather, was your suggestion that Israel and the Palestinians are equally bad. You should know the true history, because there have been so many lies about this. Israel has been oppressive of the Palestinians from Day One. It drove out 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland at gunpoint. It certainly doesn’t stop there. israel has had vastly superior weaponry (including nuclear warheads), an army, navy and air force--which the Palestinians have never had--checkpoints, constant harassment of Palestinians, plus Israel’s nonstop grabbing of more and more of their land. They are an oppressed people. Don’t you dare say you can’t support them as a people. Not Hamas, which was encouraged by israel’s bullying and oppression--but the Palestinian people themselves need our help and love. They just want to live happily. The Israelis wouldn’t need all their technology, their weaponry, their surveillance and horrible fences, if they just had one thing--good will, and they can stop calling all Palestinians Nazi terrorists. Not a Jewish state ruling over others, but one state with equality for all, is what we must have.
Republicans want a Christian theocracy, not just male dominance. If they were to succeed, we'd become another Ireland with Catholics versus Protestants. The founding fathers understood that religious tolerance is an oxymoron. Only a secular government can maintain coexistence.
Janet,
I agree... however, as a child I had the example laid out about women being equal and men being an equal partner in raising a family.
My Mother had a masters in math. She had her own money. My Father was an avid reader and educator and a clever, witty writer with a natural musical talent. He heard the music and then could play it on the piano by ear.
What they taught us: as a family: we all shared the work.... making the beds, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, doing our homework... all a family purpose. Then, on week-ends we got to hike or go to a movie or to a restaurant ( usually Chinese for good food at a reasonable price). We read together, we listened to music on the stereo system my Father built. We studied music and dance.
My Mother’s Father was an immigrant from Yugoslavia. He worked hard in the mines with union protections. He believed in two things above all else, education and unions.
My Father had a broken home after the age of six. He suffered polio and lost the entire muscle from the knee to the ankle on his left leg. He never once talked as tho’ he were crippled. He had a brilliant memory that remembered everything he read. He was a “fish culturist” for the state fish and game. He ran the fish hatchery and became a total environmentalist and teacher to three young daughters. He mad me believe that as a person I could do and become anything I chose. My Mother also believed this. Three daughters had college degrees as did she . One became a lawyer.
Both parents believed in the “New Deal” that FDR helped imagine. They believed in paying back into ones’ country . They believed in being “good citizens and neighbors”.
I am simply sharing that two people: a man and a woman can decide freely to be an equal part of the equation of being human. Of caring about the universe. They never believed that getting rich was a goal. They had lived through the Depression. They did believe in saving and in taking care of things.
Do I believe I am better than others? No, but I believe that educating one’s self can help one see that all together we are strong! But alone we just tread water..., man or woman.... we need one another and we need to decide what works and what doesn’t. This is called “CHOICE”!
Republicans are so good at deflection... look over here!
While they are robbing the populace of basic rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Men who support women are real men. (Katalin Kariko discovered the Covid vaccines and saved humanity).
I agree, the R goal to do away with women's power in no fault divorce is maddening. It's patriarchy, white patriarchy, rearing its ugly head, as it has done so disgustingly for the past eight years, devouring the dignity and rights of women and girls and smashing to pieces all the progress we've made towards a more perfect union that exemplifies equity and equality for all.
They exemplify the Desire to go backwards -as with every policy that GOP has on its agenda. Need to go backwards- to fight any social progress which ultimately leads to economic progress for the bottom 99%.