After reading a couple of the comments before making this statement, I know people are sick and tired of these forever campaigns. No matter who wins We shouldn’t have to suffer these four year campaigns, which start The day after an election. Let’s organize and pass an amendment to the constitution, which sets a maximum amount of time that these Immorally expensive dog and pony shows can nauseate the American people. In Canada, the campaigns are anywhere from 36 to50days By law. Can you even imagine how nice it would be not to have to listen to all this tripe for years? I know I will get a-lot comments on why this isn’t possible in the USA. Let them rip.
There are numerous heroes: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Hakeem Jeffries, Patty Murray, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Eric Swalwell, AOC, Pramila Jayapal, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Tammy Duckworth, Adam Schiff, all still active politically.
We have many heroes in the Democratic Party. We need to get behind them!
You are Heroes. Another disturbing and thought provoking talk today. One point of note though. Professor Robert Reich and Professor Heather Lofthouse: the Truth about heroes. You agreed there are no heroes today. But that’s not true. You two and so many others who speak out, write books, write Substacks and YouTubes and columns that argue for Democracy, who
Teach the public, all ages, about History, Politics and the Constitution, who call out lies and liars. And work for political and social Justice and changes. The How- to manuals. You are Heroes. In WW2 the underground fought Fascism and antisemitism and communism without their names in lights. They died for the causes of Justice and Freedom and Equality. And Truth. And Peace. The Pen is mightier than the sword. And slower. I am not religious but I pray for Peace and Justice and a Healthy Planet for our children and all future children. Every day. Everywhere. So far, even here in this country threatened daily by dark money and corruption, the Truth is broadcast and printed. Your voices teach the difference.
Principled and heroic political leaders can't be expected to be found among those whose campaigns are heavily funded by big-money interests. (A recent mailing from Public Citizen states: “A shockingly small number of superrich people and corporations are responsible for a shockingly large proportion of all political spending.”)
In his 1996 book “The Demon-Haunted World,” Carl Sagan said of Thomas Jefferson: “History taught him that the rich and powerful will steal and oppress if given half a chance. He described the governments of Europe, which he saw at first hand as the American ambassador to France. Under the pretense of government, he said, they had divided their nations into two classes: wolves and sheep.” (Page 426.)
The increasing domination of the superrich over American society in recent decades has resulted in the same thing. In Bernie Sanders’ recent book “It’s Ok to be Angry About Capitalism,” he describes the superrich as having unlimited greed, destroying the planet, having no concern about real people, waging and winning a class war against working people, and doing everything possible to defend the status quo.
Sanders concludes about them: “Real politics recognizes that the corporate elite are not nice guys, no matter how much they contribute to charity or how many awards they receive from universities and hospitals to which they have donated buildings. They are ruthless, and day after day they sacrifice human life and well-being in order to protect their privilege.” (Page 263.)
Politicians - in either major party - funded by and representing such persons are not going to be anything like paragons of virtue. They will be on the side of wolves devouring sheep. This is one of many problems caused by extreme and increasing income and wealth inequality, and by big money in politics. The superrich now clearly have in their sights even American democracy itself.
Joe Manchin & Robert Kennedy Jr. also are a threat to form a third party & run for president. Either one will “farm” votes away from a Democratic victory and could usher in the radical right-wing Christian theocracy the GOP has been pursuing for decades.
Outside of West Virginia Senator Manchin couldn’t get Elected Rat Catcher. His best move is to become an esteemed Lobbyist for Wall Street and/or “K” Street. Joe Manchin has lined his nest all of his political Career to the detriment of regular citizens.
Joe Manchin is a hero for only Joe Manchin and who ever will line his nest Best.
Manchin is a DINO from West Virginia that Biden lost by almost 30 points. Manchin might suck votes from the "anybody but Trump" voters, but not enough to impact Biden - and it might end up hurting Trump more.
More tellingly, I thing the question is, "Why doesn't our political culture allow the rise of the heroes already among us? One never knows, of course, who may or may not charge into the fray with courage and integrity until the opportunity is manifest. and anyone can argue over this or that choice. On the progressive side, many would point to Bernie Sanders. Or Elizabeth Warren, speaking of compelling vigor and policy brilliance, as well as having prevailed as a US Senator after being knocked down as a candidate for the consumer protection agency she designed. She was also the single most compelling campaigner in 2020 on the Dem side. (Name whomever you'd like and there will be detractors, but integrity have they shown integrity, including a capacity to adapt to actual new information and not merely polls?) Dem leaders didn't want a reformer, but a reassuringly calm, staid standard bearer. I think Biden has been better than most expected, with notable exceptions (the border, Alaskan oil drilling). But I'd argue that this is the historic pattern. FDR was seen as a cheerful playboy going in. Lincoln was a corporate railroad lawyer who also went along with the conventional view of the time that Black people were inferior. Today, look at the comedic actor who won his nation's top role only because of the pervasively evident corruption of the status quo -- Volodymir Zellinskyy. where are the heroes, you ask? It's not that we can't know ahead of time, but what we can do is look to those who conduct themselves with integrity -- and elect a lot of them. This goes back to your earlier question with Heather today, our shared deep concern about why the worst persists.
Manchin, a.k.a. "Munchy" is just another ego-centric politician. He's a shady one, a blamer, and has long practiced his deceptive, slick politics in his lust for power, influence, and $$. Too many times he's supported powerful republican oriented corporations in West VA, and elsewhere that fill his pockets and diminish the efforts and progress of people in his state and our nation. He's not at all for the middle classes and blue-collar folk that heavily populate W. VA, he's for himself. Think of him as an Ally? Well, that's only possible if he thinks we're somehow useful in building up his outsized self-interests. He's widely thought of as just another "walk with the devil" to the people who live there. I couldn't agree more.
A culture with a high level of narcissism does not look for "heroes." More accurately, it has little appreciation for heroism or integrity. It's a world where a moral degenerate like a Donald Trump can survive and thrive. One person I believe saw this clearly happening early on was Christopher Lasch. HIs writings in the 1970s led to his 1979 book, The Culture of Narcissism.
I got a preview of this when, about that time, I visited extended family behind what was then "the Iron Curtain." People my age -- young adults -- had NO belief or confidence in their system. To me, there was no way it could survive in the future. So when Reagan made these remarks about "evil empire," I realized he had no idea what was going on.
Senator Dirty Coal Manchin as president? I don't think so. Every time I think of him, what comes to mind is a coal-fired power plant spewing thick black smoke. If Biden emphasizes that Manchin wants Americans to choke on black particle-filled air and drink black sludgy carcinogen filled water in order to line his own pockets, Manchin won't get too far.
I suspect his background, voting record, lobbyist relationships will not withstand scrutiny. He may appeal to a few moderate R or D, so one could argue he might hurt both but probably R’s more?
Perhaps I am naive or just tired of constant campaigning but why are we thinking about this still a year and a half out?
1st of all, I prefer drip coffee. Then about heroes, someone I think highly off is Senator Whitehouse. I wouldn't call him my hero, but he's doing some really important things now about the Court. Thinking back about past heroes, I remember how much hope Jack Kennedy generated. Unfortunately he didn't live to fulfill those hopes. It was Johnson who got the Civil Rights Act passed, plus so much else. But then Viet Nam was his undoing. So I guess I don't expect heroes to save us. I look for honest, competent people like Whitehouse to do the necessary work while drawing little attention to themselves.
After reading a couple of the comments before making this statement, I know people are sick and tired of these forever campaigns. No matter who wins We shouldn’t have to suffer these four year campaigns, which start The day after an election. Let’s organize and pass an amendment to the constitution, which sets a maximum amount of time that these Immorally expensive dog and pony shows can nauseate the American people. In Canada, the campaigns are anywhere from 36 to50days By law. Can you even imagine how nice it would be not to have to listen to all this tripe for years? I know I will get a-lot comments on why this isn’t possible in the USA. Let them rip.
Manchin is unacceptable as candidate for any office. He steadfastly elevates coal & gas interests.
There are numerous heroes: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Hakeem Jeffries, Patty Murray, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Eric Swalwell, AOC, Pramila Jayapal, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Tammy Duckworth, Adam Schiff, all still active politically.
We have many heroes in the Democratic Party. We need to get behind them!
You are Heroes. Another disturbing and thought provoking talk today. One point of note though. Professor Robert Reich and Professor Heather Lofthouse: the Truth about heroes. You agreed there are no heroes today. But that’s not true. You two and so many others who speak out, write books, write Substacks and YouTubes and columns that argue for Democracy, who
Teach the public, all ages, about History, Politics and the Constitution, who call out lies and liars. And work for political and social Justice and changes. The How- to manuals. You are Heroes. In WW2 the underground fought Fascism and antisemitism and communism without their names in lights. They died for the causes of Justice and Freedom and Equality. And Truth. And Peace. The Pen is mightier than the sword. And slower. I am not religious but I pray for Peace and Justice and a Healthy Planet for our children and all future children. Every day. Everywhere. So far, even here in this country threatened daily by dark money and corruption, the Truth is broadcast and printed. Your voices teach the difference.
Principled and heroic political leaders can't be expected to be found among those whose campaigns are heavily funded by big-money interests. (A recent mailing from Public Citizen states: “A shockingly small number of superrich people and corporations are responsible for a shockingly large proportion of all political spending.”)
In his 1996 book “The Demon-Haunted World,” Carl Sagan said of Thomas Jefferson: “History taught him that the rich and powerful will steal and oppress if given half a chance. He described the governments of Europe, which he saw at first hand as the American ambassador to France. Under the pretense of government, he said, they had divided their nations into two classes: wolves and sheep.” (Page 426.)
The increasing domination of the superrich over American society in recent decades has resulted in the same thing. In Bernie Sanders’ recent book “It’s Ok to be Angry About Capitalism,” he describes the superrich as having unlimited greed, destroying the planet, having no concern about real people, waging and winning a class war against working people, and doing everything possible to defend the status quo.
Sanders concludes about them: “Real politics recognizes that the corporate elite are not nice guys, no matter how much they contribute to charity or how many awards they receive from universities and hospitals to which they have donated buildings. They are ruthless, and day after day they sacrifice human life and well-being in order to protect their privilege.” (Page 263.)
Politicians - in either major party - funded by and representing such persons are not going to be anything like paragons of virtue. They will be on the side of wolves devouring sheep. This is one of many problems caused by extreme and increasing income and wealth inequality, and by big money in politics. The superrich now clearly have in their sights even American democracy itself.
Joe Manchin & Robert Kennedy Jr. also are a threat to form a third party & run for president. Either one will “farm” votes away from a Democratic victory and could usher in the radical right-wing Christian theocracy the GOP has been pursuing for decades.
Why are we talking about Joe manchin!!
Outside of West Virginia Senator Manchin couldn’t get Elected Rat Catcher. His best move is to become an esteemed Lobbyist for Wall Street and/or “K” Street. Joe Manchin has lined his nest all of his political Career to the detriment of regular citizens.
Joe Manchin is a hero for only Joe Manchin and who ever will line his nest Best.
J
Manchin is a DINO from West Virginia that Biden lost by almost 30 points. Manchin might suck votes from the "anybody but Trump" voters, but not enough to impact Biden - and it might end up hurting Trump more.
More tellingly, I thing the question is, "Why doesn't our political culture allow the rise of the heroes already among us? One never knows, of course, who may or may not charge into the fray with courage and integrity until the opportunity is manifest. and anyone can argue over this or that choice. On the progressive side, many would point to Bernie Sanders. Or Elizabeth Warren, speaking of compelling vigor and policy brilliance, as well as having prevailed as a US Senator after being knocked down as a candidate for the consumer protection agency she designed. She was also the single most compelling campaigner in 2020 on the Dem side. (Name whomever you'd like and there will be detractors, but integrity have they shown integrity, including a capacity to adapt to actual new information and not merely polls?) Dem leaders didn't want a reformer, but a reassuringly calm, staid standard bearer. I think Biden has been better than most expected, with notable exceptions (the border, Alaskan oil drilling). But I'd argue that this is the historic pattern. FDR was seen as a cheerful playboy going in. Lincoln was a corporate railroad lawyer who also went along with the conventional view of the time that Black people were inferior. Today, look at the comedic actor who won his nation's top role only because of the pervasively evident corruption of the status quo -- Volodymir Zellinskyy. where are the heroes, you ask? It's not that we can't know ahead of time, but what we can do is look to those who conduct themselves with integrity -- and elect a lot of them. This goes back to your earlier question with Heather today, our shared deep concern about why the worst persists.
Manchin, a.k.a. "Munchy" is just another ego-centric politician. He's a shady one, a blamer, and has long practiced his deceptive, slick politics in his lust for power, influence, and $$. Too many times he's supported powerful republican oriented corporations in West VA, and elsewhere that fill his pockets and diminish the efforts and progress of people in his state and our nation. He's not at all for the middle classes and blue-collar folk that heavily populate W. VA, he's for himself. Think of him as an Ally? Well, that's only possible if he thinks we're somehow useful in building up his outsized self-interests. He's widely thought of as just another "walk with the devil" to the people who live there. I couldn't agree more.
A culture with a high level of narcissism does not look for "heroes." More accurately, it has little appreciation for heroism or integrity. It's a world where a moral degenerate like a Donald Trump can survive and thrive. One person I believe saw this clearly happening early on was Christopher Lasch. HIs writings in the 1970s led to his 1979 book, The Culture of Narcissism.
I got a preview of this when, about that time, I visited extended family behind what was then "the Iron Curtain." People my age -- young adults -- had NO belief or confidence in their system. To me, there was no way it could survive in the future. So when Reagan made these remarks about "evil empire," I realized he had no idea what was going on.
Senator Dirty Coal Manchin as president? I don't think so. Every time I think of him, what comes to mind is a coal-fired power plant spewing thick black smoke. If Biden emphasizes that Manchin wants Americans to choke on black particle-filled air and drink black sludgy carcinogen filled water in order to line his own pockets, Manchin won't get too far.
I suspect his background, voting record, lobbyist relationships will not withstand scrutiny. He may appeal to a few moderate R or D, so one could argue he might hurt both but probably R’s more?
Perhaps I am naive or just tired of constant campaigning but why are we thinking about this still a year and a half out?
What do you see as the implications, Chuck, and why? Please be clear and factual.
1st of all, I prefer drip coffee. Then about heroes, someone I think highly off is Senator Whitehouse. I wouldn't call him my hero, but he's doing some really important things now about the Court. Thinking back about past heroes, I remember how much hope Jack Kennedy generated. Unfortunately he didn't live to fulfill those hopes. It was Johnson who got the Civil Rights Act passed, plus so much else. But then Viet Nam was his undoing. So I guess I don't expect heroes to save us. I look for honest, competent people like Whitehouse to do the necessary work while drawing little attention to themselves.