I'm convinced that we need a huge public coalition from churches, businesses, nurses, schoolteachers, and all kinds of families across the nation: the kind of coalition I witnessed in Washington DC just before the Iraq War began -- to show up as they did -- here and all over the world -- to DIVEST from big banks (the ones "too big to fail"). This country's government (in coalition with Israel) practices apartheid around the world. Now constructing more military bases (lily pods) throughout the continent of Africa.
I give up on donating to certain candidates, writing letters to the editor, even setting up visits through League of Women Voters to meet with senators and congressional "representatives."
The time is now for a general strike from the huge majority of U.S. citizens who have had enough
from the military, industrial, congressional complex. People say "Follow the money." I say "Withdraw the money."
This is becoming my view as well. I have been donating for a very very long time so that candidates dont need to depend on big dark money. It doesnt seem to make any difference. The elected officials listen to the big donors, and obviously not we the people. The general vibe on this thread is washing over many on the dem side at this point, that may well result in apathy. Not a good thing.
To Leslie: I am Kathleen Hughart and I posted a short recorded message on Michael's voice message: I posted: "The United States National Defense Authorization Act should not be allowed to come up for a vote until EVERY House of Representative member and EVERY Senator receives a complete shopping list of what the United States Department of War will buy with the money appropriated to be spent on these items." I am not apathetic, but I am almost apoplectic. I am trying to figure out a way to mitigate this unhelpful and potentially dangerous frame of mind. Maybe I can initiate a discussion group where people talk about ways to apply conflict resolution tactics to political power.
Here in Colorado, we gathered outside Senator Bennett's office to protest his support for military funding of Israel. It was very peaceful and his staff listened. But that was about it.
Kathleen: I would gladly join your discussion. After GW was deemed the winner over Gore, I checked out. When donald was elected, I vowed never to do that again. It is absolutely necessary that we stay engaged. Today is one day closer to midterms.
To Leslie: I am Kathleen Hughart and I posted a short recorded message on Michael's voice message: I posted: "The United States National Defense Authorization Act should not be allowed to come up for a vote until EVERY House of Representative member and EVERY Senator receives a complete shopping list of what the United States Department of War will buy with the money appropriated to be spent on these items." I am not apathetic, but I am almost apoplectic. I am trying to figure out a way to mitigate this unhelpful and potentially dangerous frame of mind. Maybe I can initiate a discussion group where people talk about ways to apply conflict resolution tactics to political power.
Indeed, "Withdraw the money," and invest in "We The People." The trillions of dollars spent on our military and Israel's to engage in illegal, mismanaged wars to pad their pocket is criminal. Somehow, it's forgotten who invaded who and has the right of self-defense.
I just want to comment on points Michael made about civics not being taught anymore in schools, and that Separation of Powers are not stated in the Constitution.
First, I didn’t know civics, which was called Government when I was in high school, isn’t taught anymore. I’m shocked! This is a wrong that must be righted. Parents should be attending school board meetings to get this class back in the curriculum. Maybe VA Dems missed an opportunity and should have told voters “We hear you, and if elected, we will replace CRT with American Government in our school’s curriculum”. It might not have stopped parents from showing up at meetings and screaming at board members, but they might have gotten more votes to make a difference.
Mike’s right, Separation of Powers isn’t a term you will find in the Constitution. Neither is Checks & Balances. But the Framers, particularly Madison, had these concepts in mind when the Constitution was written. You can get a better understanding of what they tried to accomplish by reading Federalist Paper #47 where both concepts are described. I know, you probably think I’m crazy to suggest this, but it isn’t that long, you can get it on the internet, and it will open your eyes to the past. One warning, you may need to read some sentences 2 or 3 times before you get the meaning since they spoke in old English. Like when it says “It was agreed on all sides”, they mean “It was unanimous”. Happy reading!
@Dave Slishinsky ~ Thanks so much for drawing reference to (Federalist Paper #47) - I'll preface this with my tombstone will probably read "Murdered by his own sarcasm and compassion in equal measure".
"Thusly " presented with a wall of text - but proceeded to read the first paragraph ( despite actually being ADD and Dyslexic ) ~ I absolutely died of laughter - is that bad ?
Glancing at the second paragraph it seems to get even better :-)
HAVING reviewed the general form of the proposed government and the general mass of power allotted to it, I proceed to examine the particular structure of this government, and the distribution of this mass of power among its constituent parts. One of the principal objections inculcated by the more respectable adversaries to the Constitution, is its supposed violation of the political maxim, that the legislative, executive, and judiciary departments ought to be separate and distinct. In the structure of the federal government, no regard, it is said, seems to have been paid to this essential precaution in favor of liberty. The several departments of power are distributed and blended in such a manner as at once to destroy all symmetry and beauty of form, and to expose some of the essential parts of the edifice to the danger of being crushed by the disproportionate weight of other parts. No political truth is certainly of greater intrinsic value, or is stamped with the authority of more enlightened patrons of liberty, than that on which the objection is founded.
... "
[2nd paragraph alluding to ... "The British Constitution was to Montesquieu what Homer has been to the didactic writers on epic poetry " ~ fascinating read - will be super interesting to untangle and further probe its most current interpretation(s) in spite of being rather worrisome to actually read.].
ALWAYS worth going back to first and original sources IMO ~ Will read on with much interest and fascination.
______________________
^^^ Having one foot in "Humanities" and one foot in sciences and having had to "Prosecute" my own patents and develop claim language for different territories including Japan - I have always thought that (at best) patents were a total car-crash between legal constructs and complex (multi-dimensional ) technical ideas and systems.
~ Reading # 47 is on another level ... OMG I'm thinking "We" are in big "Trub" .
And then digging further ~ The assertion that Montesquieu completely misunderstood the British constitution -
" MONTESQUIEU'S misunderstanding of the British constitution has long been notorious among students of political history and theory. In so far as his error influenced the French constitution of 1791 and the American constitution of 1788, it must be accounted one of the most significant-and expensive-scholarly howlers of all time. "
Rather snotty comment ^^^ but seems relevant to a wobbly house of cards and historic chain of blended misinterpretations pushed this way and that depending on the more immediate "Needs" of the time.
Just a side note: It almost always bothers me when Nancy Pelosi (with respect) waxes poetically about the wisdom of the "framers" of the constitution when something has been brought back perhaps from the brink of disaster - but delivered in a slightly creepy way as a bit of a half 'Hand-job" to the hegemonic "old boys" club.
I'm not saying the "Europarl " is better (has it's own problems)) but seems that tearing things down to create more modern and streamlined and clear "Constitutional " language that resembles clear organizing(sp) principals is preferable than having to decide the fate of 330 million Americans based on a ponderous and badly structured and contentious document. Although framed in the attempted light of the "Enlightenment" when wielded by Pelosi it takes on more the characteristics of a religious text ~ arcane in it's lack of clarity and purpose. [Only 60,000 ft view from an "Alien" perspective by me - even though I have a US passport.].
So Madison's interpretation of Montesquieu's misinterpretation of the "British Constitution " which actually doesn't (technically) exist b-'cuz Britain doesn't have a constitution. With deeper reference by Madison to Homer's "Didactic" notions of Greek-ish ancient (Athenian) democracy - that didn't last very long - and does not remotely resemble what 'We" imagine as "DEMOCRACY in the USA".
That's WHY I think the US needs to form a Labor party,
as at least that would represent working people NOW , without an immense stratigraphy of entangled legal and constitutional "Garbage" that has to be untangled to favorably re-map the legislative "Order" -(as it stands) plus the endemic and endless horizon of bought politicians, from now until the end of time.
The Democratic Party / Corporate system of politics does not represent the people of this country nor will it EVER be able to do so.
Can you explain to me how the progressive mayor candidate lost in my home state of Washington. By double digits. When the moderate candidates don’t give a rats ass for the war of ideas that we won?
What am I missing here. Why is is that the people want one thing and when the dem party doesn’t deliver we decide to vote for the party that has never given us anything….we’ll, they did give the people pro life. I’ll give them that. Sadly, I’m pro choice.
Is there some place where there is a list of everything that has passed in the last year?All we seem to hear about are these big bills.
2 years ago I was in Clare Mi and was intrigued with the juxtaposition of charging stations and the Amish tying up their horses in the same parking area.
Inflation and high prices ? FREE MARKET IS THE ANSWER. As our Republicans friends have been telling us for decades : do not worry about it, LET THE MARKETS DO THEIR WORK. Do not regulate ( or whine about it ). High gasoline prices ? it's time to take subsidies away from gas corporations.
I'd pay 6.00 a gallon if it meant we could tell Saudi Arabia that they can take their 500 billion and kiss our ass, we'll get our oil from our strategic reserve. or China, no more trade with us until you stop your totalitarian abuse. Sure it would be rough, but it would be worth it. Who knows maybe I'll get to buy an Iphone made in America. Dare to dream.
How is it that we win the war of ideas with 80%+ approval, and yet we seem to have less than 20% of the government on our side. and we are poised to concede even more to the enemy. Biden's approval rating = abysmal, midterms seem almost guaranteed to go to the GOP. 2024 is almost certainly going to go to the GOP. (I mean GOD I hope I am wrong!, I really do) I will vote for Bernie, "He just has to be alive" over every other possible candidate that the DEMs seem to be behind at this point. Please show me a light, show me a way out, show me meaningful hope, show me progress. Throw me a life-preserver as we stand in the sinking ship.
And why not, I'll respond to this one too. For this, I will refer you to that famous line by the old man in the classic film "Cool Hand Luke" when he said, "What we have here is a failure to communicate". Yes, the Dems are building a good portfolio of programs to run on in 2022 & 2024, but they need to greatly improve their messaging, marketing, and branding. They should hire the best marketing firms to help them maximize the political value of their achievements, especially focusing on red rural communities that will greatly benefit from broadband access and improved roads that both infrastructure bills will bring. But there is much yet to be accomplished, and for that to happen, the Senate must change the filibuster rules, and you already know my views on that. Pass voting rights!
You know it doesnt mean a damn thing to have a good portfolio of platforms, if you systematically eviscerate them once you are in office....Oh, I know what it means, it means your not a republican.
What we need are democrats that fight for the programs that they initially suggest. "You know the ones with the 50-80%+ approval ratings" then fight for that, not systematically eviscerate them while giving the rich another hand out. it's not about messaging,branding, marketing, it's about FIGHTING for what's RIGHT!
^^^ Back in 97 Saatchi & Saatchi / MC - Saatchi created a counter advertising campaign against (Labour Candidate) - Tony Blair* that totally backfired ~ Blair became PM between 1997 to 2007.
Dave writes: "They should hire the best marketing firms to help them maximize the political value of their achievements, especially focusing on red rural communities that will greatly benefit from broadband access and improved roads that both infrastructure bills will bring" .
I know these people;
1. They are not stupid,
2. Really takes a hell of lot to gain their trust over a VERY long period of time. I.e. something substantive and materially improved over a period of decades ! Not years --- decades. All supposed quick fixes are just cynically brushed aside.
3. To reiterate these people in many cases are waaaaaay smarter than a lot of us*** that may post here AND I would say that MOST of "Them" RED state die-hards (esp. in rural communities) and possible swing voters have a VERY finely tuned BS detectors. - They do pay attention and observe very well what's going on because they have no other choice but to shrewdly observe.
I think the Conservative Party + Saatchi smearing of New Labour - campaign backfiring parallels well for "Dems" attempting to campaign on crass anti-Drumpf messaging.
I have to be honest I think Bernie over-did it with the anti-trump soap box and frankly from my perspective he failed to reach rural communities. He (with the greatest of respect) Kinda was not that skillful at repurposing his 'Stump-Speech" for Rural communities IMO.
*** "Smart" MM is on another level on another level on a another ~ Spooky how (from being a documentary film maker) he KNOWS almost word for word what someone is going to say before they say it... 98% of the time.
****** ! No affiliation to the "Sir " Jimmy Saville Youtube channel.
well I don't know about that, a quick fix, hey no paying for 4 years of community college, I don't need a decade to be on board, just the 4 years. 12 weeks family leave, hey did get that when your child was born? Yes....well I am sold. prescription drug prices, did you pay less, ...hey I'm sold....It does not take a decade, It just takes getting done.
Mmmmmmm - no ... :-) - I agree with your logic (for sure -personally );
IME from/ with both rural and manufacturing communities in the USA - there is a VERY pervasive 'Zero-sum game" mentality. [ For sake of argument we'll say "They". ].
It goes like this;
If you are being nice to disadvantaged people / communities / communities of color and immigrants and broaden out HC ,
THEN ---> 'They"
think that - FOR SURE - that bread is being taken off their tables and away from their immediate communities.
Side note : I started a thread on the largest manufacturing forum in the world on the BBB proposal before JB was elected president and I presented it in a very neutral way. (Seemed much of the BBB working document - in style - was penned by Elizabeth Warren perhaps ? ) I would preface this with most manufacturing communities in the USA are 85% VERY Republican and I'd say Rural approx. 75 % republican.
So 'They" completely shredded the BBB earlier draft EVEN THOUGH there was $750BN (at the time) on the table up for grabs. [Again prior to covid totally exploding and before JB being elected.].
I read a lot of the initial BBB paragraphs pertaining to Black businesses , and Black "Under-banked communities" - Black inner city development and hooking this tooooo ----> NEW GREEN technologies. ~ It's not that "THEY" are being wantonly super racist but "They" believe it's just gonna be $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ pissed away on projects that actually won't deliver or work or will be chronically mismanaged - rightly or wrongly. + ZERO SUM GAME "Mentality".
[I might get flamed for this but purportedly AOC (awesome that she is - AND she really is ) - but seemed that with GND - "Greed New Deal" as part of that BBB (document) , that there might have been a substantial "Cut and Paste" job from the Diem 25 GND proposal for Europe ... ]. Unfortunately the USA is NOT Europe nor Diem 25.
AOC is not a physicist and probably doesn't have a handle on where and how to deliver 4,222.5 terrawatt-hours (TWh) annually to US energy consumers.
She might - but there's a lot for her to consider and learn in her day job. 25 years from now She could BE the POTUS (I have no doubt of that).
Even a domestic 200 AMP panel to a single house is an astonishing amount of energy at every American home owner's finger tips - most people people don't really get that and it's not a simple case of plugging in a few windmills and a bunch of solar cells (mostly made in mainland china.).
BUT ALSO important to mention (especially here) is the very STRONG and VALID (IMO) thesis and position of "PLANET OF THE HUMANS" and that a lot of Green / GND type business development strategies lack scientific merit and do not really examine the longevity and long term impact of some of the systems materials and processes used and proposed.
Side note: Yesterday - Bill Gates + Warren Buffet got 50% grant [TK $XXX BN ] for hooking up a new small nuclear reactor to a coal fired power plant in Wyoming with the idea of winding down Warren Buffet's (Berkshire Hathaway) owned coal fired power plant . ( I assume they use the steam turbines and cooling towers from the coal plant. ). The test facility - will dig up ref. - Is 345 MW output - 250,000 houses - ish - put to the grid out of state. + development of other small more newer design "Bite sized" and deployable nuclear reactors around the country. Gates claiming that these reactors - (similar in design to ones used on US Nuclear submarines) - can be scaled up in number and eventually rolled out as a larger program of US energy supply that is GREENER 'cuz no green house gasses being produced by burning fossil fuels.
So ^^^ the "guys and gals" on this manufacturing forum were pouring scorn on the early BBB draft and idea - (18 months ago) - because of the notion of picking 'Winners and Losers" ,
^^^ So "THEY" kinda nailed it.
+ addressing many many different issues.
- These guys are not 'Dummies" even though most of them will admit Trump is a total "buffoon" . They will still vote GOP - given the chance in most instances.
I would strongly GUARD against people making overly broad assumptions about right-minded (political "Peeps") in Agriculture and Manufacturing in the USA.
For example you'll have a die-hard [Male 68 year old ] Trump supporter owning a medium sized manufacturing outfit (for example in somewhere like Wyoming ) -but you find out that the business is actually 98% run and staffed by WOMEN - actual precision CNC machinists (about 50 to 60 employees).
OR for example another manufacturer in a RURAL area (as many more machining and job shops are re-locating to rural areas - as being near a city is too expensive rent wise + other numerous factors ) - said manufacturer / Job shop owner and engineer being 100% republican voter would LIKE to be able to HIRE "MORE MEXICANS" - specifically citing the fact that he can't find 'Anglo" workers to learn the technical trades because these days "You can't find anyone that actually gives a sh*t to attempt to turn up on time and even pretend to do a good job" - someone willing to pay good $ and invest in employees training and in possession of a very forward looking and successful company.
So don't (generally not aimed at anyone in particular ) assume the "Trump passionate" business owner / employer or employee is misogynistic or racists nor is afraid of hiring immigrants that are actually paid well and trained on the job.
Folks for example in the cattle industry - are having a hell of bad time / their industry is being decimated - especially smaller more traditional farms in Kentucky and elsewhere - in spite of Mitch McConnel. For example. ---> Community college and HC seem very abstract to some individuals I know (Anglo ranchers/ ranch families and "Anglo" ranch workers as their MORE IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE NOT BEING MET and in some cases won't even get health care or health insurance. 'cuz Obama or whatever... :-( Or too poor $$$. Or won't spend the $ on even basic HC -BAD if you work on and with Horses and cattle ~ injury. [I know that one all to well ].
------------------- In partial conclusion ---------------------
(apologies for lack of structure);
SO MUCH of the USA is still a complete SH*T SHOW .
However I thought BERNIE'S MESSAGING - here ^^^^ was super excellent -
- SPOT ON ! :-) :-) :-) :-) - 👍👍👍👍 !
It was inclusive, genuine, and most importantly NOT patronizing.
Really said what's going down and directly addressed that Zero-sum game mentality. Basically IF in rural areas you think bread is being taken off the table (Cuz lefties being lefties) + arguments about the "Deficit" - then think again - I think Bernie did really well here. Along several different dimensions.
No flashy high $ advertising campaign required. Thought the setting was genius !
^^^ This was fascinating - Biden Plagiarizing Neil Kinock's speech and reference to "Canny" American farmer. [Cardinal sin in Accademia and considered a massive character flaw.].
It was rural machinist that actually drew my attention to this. His bandwidth is not amazeballs but still he found similar video. All while discussing the original BBB 750 BN proposal.
There are more complete intercut versions of the speech that are more complete.
I went to Cardiff University for my first degree in Wales. (paid for by the state.) We marched on London and "cancelled" the Poll tax - tax for being a "Human being" under Thatcher. Cardiff had papers handed out from "Marxist weekly" and "Socialist Worker" - these guys helped organize the march on London*.
Good example of people just deciding not to pay on a massive scale 'cuz they simply couldn't afford it and thought it was amoral.
Biden "Universe" is so different from UK Labour / Welsh "Universe".
Many many thousands of people over the years in Wales have died from Coal mining and some have regarded Nuclear - Power - statistically safer than coal mining.
I'm still a little wary of "Nuke" safety in the commercial sector and regulation in the USA.
FAA vs. Boeing being an example when corporations become the regulatory authority.
* Now-a-days in LONDON they have made it illegal to block streets in a protest, esp. targeted at environmental protests. Can do jail time - so an indication of the state leaning rightward and Police leaning in further.
Back in the Poll tax riots in London an entire bridge was taken over (lol) can't do that anymore.
As they say "News" is the first draft of history* ... ^^^ UK Poll Tax Riots*** in London and elsewhere. ~ Direct reference by Margret Thatcher to " Marxist agitators and militants have organized Mob Violence ... " ~ Sound familiar ? [Black flags and "Anarchists " etc. ].
Truthfully what broke the Poll Tax / "Community Charge" was that millions of British residents refused to pay - thereby creating a situation where it was not practical to collect such taxes - i.e. would take the machinery of the British Internal Revenue Service and local courts THOUSANDS of years to actually collect.
So the marches were an expression of the strength of feeling but it was the practical reality of tying up the courts in such a way that the Poll Tax would be MORE expensive to collect than the money that the conservatives were trying to extort.
Its sad and also funny that in the USA everything gets turned on its head. In the UK people can protest and riot, as we had (at the time) near zero guns - (fire arms hadn't even been banned then) - but you don't have people turning up with automatic weapons or hand guns or even shot guns. Back then the London police don't even carry guns.
In the USA right now the IRS doesn't have the resources to collect from near - and sub - and actual Billionaires. So it's the Poll-Tax stratagem turned on its head by the "Billionaires" and aspirational four-comma-club Trillionaires. Other than the fact we let these people do what they do.
>
Thirdly in the USA - tens of thousands of people would just be thrown in prison. And instead of British horses - we in the USA have (recycled) MRAPs + other de-accessioned military vehicles and black vans ("Mini" or otherwise) operated by unmarked "Police" / Sturmabteilung ****
The USA being number 1 at taking everything to the "Max" except for compassion.
[]
Interesting appearance at the end of the above cited video of Paddy Ashdown** - for the SDP - attempted 3rd party in the UK (Social Democratic Party )
I don't know about you guys / 'Peeps" / y’all - this past three weeks or so has had me on many occasions left me with the feeling of wanting or needing to grab a bucket to throw up -
AND the point where satire and reality are completely indistinguishable from each other AND where things written in attempted sincerity, in a different mood and light take on the aspect of something that is utterly sarcastic and as mentioned MANY times on this substack by many venerable posters here the sense of LAUGHING and CRYING at the same time due to the manifest absurdity of things being transacted (allegedly) in our name.
It's the literal Dr. Strangelove transition where Stanley Kubrick and others are trying to write and create a SERIOUS tome or work where the actually reality of the situations at hand are so far beyond absurd to be maddening that things naturally DEGENERATE into the darkest humor and satire imaginable.
Except - this is real life.
That is where we have come to. We have crossed the Dr. Strangelove threshold.
The wanting to grab a pail and retch - comes almost purely from a feeling of being TOTALLY PLAYED.
And boy - have we been played.
(For me - its a very rare feeling, but current events and the trajectory of President Joe Biden and the Corporate Democrats really has me FEELING that way. ) + the arbitrary way everything is accounted for or NOT accounted for.
In what universe do "WE" the tax payer pay for Bill Gates to help his "Uncle" Warren (Buffett) to transition (in microcosm) his Berkshire Hathaway Coal fired power plant(s) to jump start private small scale nuclear plants and enterprises like the idiotically named - Gates' Terra Power ?
This all being part of Biden's Infrastructure plan / BBB
The technology being in part derived from what "WE" - US tax payers - sponsored since before 1954 for nuclear submarines (propulsion / power systems.) year in and year out.
Gate's argument being that Terra Power can use "Cheaper Concrete" 'cuz that's always a good idea for nuclear facilities ! + a facility that ONLY has a life time of 60 years that no doubt WE the tax payer will be paying for for centuries to clean up.
Seriously you can't write this shit...
[ Why is it again - Germany - you know - the "Smart guys" is phasing out / outlawing nuclear power generation ? 'cuz "Auntie" - Merkle is SUCH a "Dummy" ].
And THEN we the tax payer GIVE BEZOS* $XXXBN to fiddle about on the MOON simply 'cuz the f*cker is a litigious PITA + ( separately not in the BBB/ infrastructure ) - give Musk a ton for free sh*t from NASA (an institution we have been PAYING for since it's inception in 1958 + NICE NASA contracts that WE are paying right now ? ).
I'm starting to understand why that Russian Rocket engineer spat on Elon when he innocently inquires whether he can buy a Russian ICBM (launch vehicle) so he can put a little green house on MARS. (Pre- Space X - as we know it). - Trillions of Dollars of Russian development (millions of man hours and lives lost) bought for a few million $.
Sometimes I think progressives need to view themselves like the athletics in moneyball, we’ve been dealt a loosing hand, but we pay you to get on base. Don’t get out stealing second, get a walk, get hit by the ball, Texas leaguer it. But just get on base, the wins will come. When progressives compromise, it’s an out.
I feel like the time for compromise is over, thoughts and prayers, over, hopes and dreams over, settle for less, come on Obama, that time has passed. If that’s all you got, no wonder people vote for republicans, at least they have a plan, a goal, and they get things done…I cry because it’s always the wrong things that they so easily achieve.
It frustrates me that Donald Trump is more progressive "albeit by spite" than Nancy Pelosi, chuck Schumer, and Gottlieb. when it comes to the SALT tax. the fact that they want to reinstate this rich money grab as part of the recon bill makes me want to vomit. Is there anything, short of re-electing Trump we can do to stop this madness. I mean seriously..When Trump is MORE progressive than the Democratic party....At some point you have to grab them and slap some sense into them. (Not to condone violence or anything).
Funny how the former guy (DJT) limited the SALT tax deduction as part of the 2017 Tax Reduction bill to primarily penalize people, even middle income taxpayers, of populous blue states like NY, NJ, & CA, then changed his residency to FL where there are no state income taxes. This wolf is dressed in sheep's clothing. Don't let him fool you. I believe the SALT proposal has an income limit, so the wealthy will not be able to claim the increased deductions. We will need to see the fine print of BBB (when passed?) before we pass judgement.
Of course Trump would move, he doesn't want to pay the tax. BUT, He did instate the tax. DEMs want to repeal the tax AS PART OF the peoples bill, yeah...yeah...the rich are people too. God Damn it DEMS. Just STOP with this bull shit.
Can someone explain why there is a labor shortage? We have downsized, eliminated jobs, and record numbers of people are quitting, over the whole pandemic, why is there not a huge mass of job seekers? The stimulus money and unemployment is no long term substitute for a salary? How much savings do people have left when they never had much savings to start with?
I'll jump in. The pandemic has probably changed the structure of our labor force permanently. Most employers in the US are small businesses, many which closed down or went bankrupt during the pandemic. Many of those have not and will never reopen. Millions of those jobs were lost, and although many of those workers are returning to the workforce, many others are looking for higher paying jobs and better working conditions (see below), or going back to school to learn new skills. Those who work from home are quitting jobs whose employers are requiring them to fully return to the office or place of business. Of course, sadly those workers of the over 700K fellow citizens who lost their lives are not easily replaced. Also, many older workers who were eligible for normal or early retirement have decided to retire. It will take some time for our labor force to meet the needs of our new economy. The infrastructure and BBB (when passed?) bills should help. Howard, hope this helps.
So people who had jobs lost them, so aren't they IN the labor pool now, even if their business is gone. (All the people that had jobs and died, all the people that retired, aren't those jobs still needed and looking for replacement workers? Ok, labor shortage there). Still, I would think there would be a labor glut rather than shortage. How much is people not wanting to work, because they can survive "for a while" on the savings they have. Hopefully while they do school or transitional career training. How long until they no longer can? Will they get a job at a good salary before that happens?
Big businesses survived, because hey, we don’t have to obey any rules we’re rich.. small businesses died because hey, the rules are meant to be obeyed by them….they’re not too big to fail. Big business wants them to fail.
Thank you Eric for taking me up on my suggestion to read Federalist #47. Now continue Madison’s thoughts by reading #48. He ties Separation of Powers to Checks & Balances. He describes the delicate balance between the 2. Madison was a political poet well worth reading.
I rediscovered these works when I couldn’t accept the Senate needed a 60% vote to stop a filibuster. Using the Constitution, an obscure Supreme Court case, and these Papers, I believe I’ve proved it. And although nobody believes me, I just know it’s true.
So let me briefly go through this one more time. The Senate is using a Rule of Procedure to require a 60% cloture vote to end filibuster and advance a Bill, say voting rights. If the 60 votes is not met, the Bill is stopped. The Senate can make rules under Art I,Sec 5,Clause 2, but it says nothing about voting.
The Supreme Court decision in US v Ballin (1892) included a ruling Congress has power to make rules, but they cannot ignore Constitutional restraints. This means any procedural rule is subordinate to the rest of the Constitution.
And finally, Senate voting IS defined in Art l, Sec 3,Clause 4 where it says VP has no vote, unless they be equally divided. This means if a Senate vote is tied, the VP casts the deciding vote. So a 50-50 tie vote can result in 51-50 pass, or 50-51 fail. If the vote was 51-49, no need for VP to vote since simple majority vote required under Clause 4 is met. There is no exception for a 60% vote rule. Dems can correct this error right now, they only need to admit the Senate has not been following the Constitution. Madison deserves to be heard! You can read the Constitution here:
Intransitive verb - meaning to masturbate but also can be a noun IME - i.e. the resulting ejaculate. As an expert on the etymology of the word "Wank", I was surprised at the number of FREE online dictionaries that really didn't capture its essence and in some cases just plain wrong.
Ian McMillan's guests,
- Poet Luke Wright,
- Spoken word poet Jenny Lindsay,
- Angie Hobbs, (Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield). @Dave Slishinsky ~ exploring the paradoxical nature of oratory and oration with reference to our favorite Greeks including Plato - the philosopher not Madison's indentured slave.
AND finally and in some sense most importantly (for me),
- Tomiwa Owolade " explores the advice given by George Orwell on how to avoid pretentious prose - and finds out whether Orwell always followed his own advice. "
The advice given by Orwell / Eric Blair - not completely tongue in cheek. IME American technical writers that seek to bring clarity of thought and word are the best in the world at what they do.
Having been indoctrinated in British styles of writing from the Victorian era and times of "Empire" incorporating very mansplained Victorian scientific writing (impecunious to brevity) - leading to a rubble of words that take much vigor and clear headedness to disembroil, at least in the attempted hope of mitigating the almost certain and looming headaches that most surely result from such an ambitious endeavor transacted by one of nature's truly and most feckless unnatural "word smiths", the ADD Dyslexic Scientist whose word-capable part of his brain being the true dummy in respect of his visual brain. The visual side actually being the "Smart one" in "This" two hemisphere relationship. [That was NOT a humblebrag ! ].
On balance,
as the Americans say,
I think Madison was "Blowing smoke up people's asses "
Is that the right use of the phrase ? "He's just blowing smoke... " ?
Disambiguation of the second poem Luke recites - for American audiences ~ "Barbour* " - in UK is a type of waxed cotton jacket - usually worn by ohhh so middle class social climbing wannabe aristocrats AND also worn by British Royalty to show how well they can "Slum it" with the middle classes whilst wearing Hunter (green) Wellies at shooting parties, or competitive horse events that seem to have held Princess Anne's fascination for the past seventy years - such as cross county or show jumping or dressage, all part of a scheme to enable the Royals to mix with the "Plebs" as insurance against being put to a wall in a dynastically terminal event by being shot; much like their Romanov cousins... Of course no ultra-yuppie or Sloan Ranger or "Town and Country" baller is complete without a "Chelsea Tractor" ~ a Range Rover or an old school Landrover usually driven in central London away from said vehicles' normally more rusticated habitat - hence the derisive and mocking term "Chelsea Tractor".
ALL such trappings pushed heavily via "Cubby" Broccoli's many 007 (secret agent themed) Bond Movies that he produced generating a "Cool Britania" vibe and the not so shameless plug of "Quintessentially " British brands.
* Not having the right type of waxed jacket in polite society can be a source of ridicule and social banishment - (in certain circles) - oddly Poet Luke manages to create a state of humble braggish- ness by a theoretically Barbour (on brand) capable purchaser and protagonist, that deliberately chooses to buy the OFF-brand facsimile of said social climbing piece of attire as a supposed act of deliberate humble bragging in cloth.
BBC radio 3 one of the MOST important touchstones in my life, I think having been blown Westward by an unexpected Westerly Wind. Out here in the New World and hemisphere - yet howling at same moon both sides of the Atlantic - words seem to take on an almost opposite meaning; famously world like "Peruse" vs "Peruse" ,
Its actual definition being contrary to its common usage MUCH like the filibuster @DS.
THE need to PERUSE documents and websites with high levels of scrutiny being mandatory to parse seemingly credible documents and systems from the most talented and very excellent and satirically well observed deep fakes known to man.
Nice to have the feeling of the "Old guard" in my corner makes me glow esp. from the BBC Radio 3 - a station I have been listening to consciously or unconsciously for almost half a century.
YES I agree with your "Thesis" / conjecture - first pass. [May take weeks for me to verify - time willing- :-) . ].
Seems what is BAKED into these layered and hierarchical "Rule sets" are indeed notable HOLES and missing components creating what can only be described as literal "PRETZEL LOGIC".
@Dave Slishinsky - took me a bit of time to follow the breadcrumbs - forgive me, my brain works a little differently from yours (perhaps).
Dave writes: "Dems can correct this error right now, they only need to admit the Senate has not been following the Constitution."
^^^ Indeed ~ However it seems given what Samuel Moyn (above - and in the last 12 minutes of the 'broadcast" ) states that the Supreme Court should not have the right to overturn exiting laws created by the legislature (requiring it's powers to be considerably "down sized" .). What I'm imagining / wondering is a scenario where this procedural and logical gaping hole with the filibuster is then plugged by a NEW "rule set" that completely counters what you @Dave Shlishinky propose. I.e. the 'other side" creates legislation to render in-stone the 60 % "Guillotine" / Cloture to stop a filibuster dead in its tracks. Exactly the thing you are trying to push against now set in stone by the "Other side".
As a distant "Newby" to all this, I would imagine that the "Sworn_ - 'Duty" (try not to laugh) to "Protect" and "Uphold" the Constitution would override the issue of the constitution having being enacted upon (procedurally) in an erroneous way by the Senate - for at least the past 180 years ?
Is it not the case that the "Whig" party created the 'Swamp monster" that IS the Filibuster (in the first instance ) ?
This would be I guess OUR the Dems "Duty" to clean up and own the mistake.
BUT of course 150 years from now we (our side - whatever that really means now with centrists bricked into the system of governance - 'cuz $. ) ... We might need a stronger supreme court AND a filibuster to overturn VERY draconian policies (of the future) enacted by the legislature of the year 2171 ?
Samuel Moyn's 'Axiom" is that the general trend of the past century seems to indicate that it would be prudent to trim back the Supreme Court's ability to overturn existing laws created by the legislature / Congress. Is that unquestionably true ?
I certainly hear you on the practical need to not necessarily throw Madison under the bus.
Reading #47 and #48 some of his prose(sp) is much more of the style of oration or tradition of oratory*. To make some of the opening paragraphs actually WORK I had to imagine I'm wearing a powdered wig standing at the lectern in an imagined parliamentary scenario all puffed up making all the theatrics, stresses, dramatic pauses and other oratorical devices to actually MAKE what Madison wrote WORK. [I wonder in part whether Madison also imagined a 'Pastiche" of British Parliamentary style of debate whilst scribbling away to make his various points ? ]. ~ I am wary of Oration , no matter how dramatic or emotionally engaging does not lend itself to 'Syntactic" law.
I am reluctant to admit that Madison does kinda come across as a bit of "Blow-hard" shaking his right fist "like" a Presbyterian priest in the pulpit (of the time) - with a flagon of sherry in his left hand. [But given what was at stake I guess that is not surprising lol.].
Some of these passages that Madison pens - seems very hard (for me) not to think of Blackadder from the Regency period and Robby Coltrane's actuation of Dr. Samuel Johnson.
*** I would further add that Madison employs modern English not 'Old English" - refreshing to see Madison quote passages by Jefferson that were actually coherent and understandable - clear and concise statements.
~ As a final point having been married to a professional editor and technical editor if I had handed to her a manuscript that was of the syntactic "Ilk" of #47 and #48 I would have been summarily disembroiled at least two limbs removed and be scattered about in the garden with the crows pecking my eyeballs out.
The structure and prose of Madison are mind bendingly awful ~ requiring one to then have to READ the entire so called 'federalist papers" and then practically have to get a master's degree on constitutional "Theory" to get a handle on all this "Stuff". - IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT WAY...
If I had my way there would be a massive super computer running endless simulations to reduce everything to the simplest and most concise rule set possible - and be able to model the 'fairness" of this or that doctrine or that policy.
Eric, you sure have given me a lot to think about. With regards to your comment about the Supreme Court, the role of the court is to decide or interpret the law in constitutional cases, it is not to legislate or make new laws. Each justice may have a different approach to deciding cases. One justice may be a strict constructionist, meaning they focus only on the legal text as written. Others may be more interpretive of the intent of the law. That's why when a Supreme Court nominee is questioned by the Senate during a confirmation hearing, they will always try to find out if the nominee is loyal to precedence. Meaning do they see prior court rulings as accepted law. Take Roe v Wade. Many are afraid a new court will overrule the 1973 court's ruling that decided a woman's right to an abortion. The Texas decision in a shadow docket gave us a clue. Although they are not legislating, a new ruling could result in a change to a previous ruling. This is why codifying Roe v Wade into law is included in the Women's Heath Protection Act. But it too along with voting rights must get past the Senate filibuster, and why I'm so adamant about the unconstitutionality of it.
When it comes to the filibuster, you suggest Congress could pass a new law to allow the 60% cloture vote. That would immediately cause a Constitutional issue since the new law would conflict with Clause 4, original text from 1787. This does not correct the problem. The only way to remedy this would be an amendment to the Constitution. Good luck with that. The filibuster was about endless debate until 1917 when a 2/3rds cloture rule was adopted by the Senate. So if you do the math, there was no cloture vote for 128 years. Now they have been doing it for 104 years. It has become so traditional that it's blindly accepted.
You had a very interesting image of Madison at the meetings of the Second Constitutional Convention. I'm sure there were a lot of back and forth oratory. We will never know what the personalities were like of the various representatives, including Madison. My image of Madison writing his Federalist Papers #47 & #48 would have him at home in VA, sitting at his desk in the study. It was January of 1788, 4 months after the convention. There was a fire going in the fireplace near his desk to warm him from the winter cold, a couple of candles were on candlesticks burning on his desk to provide the light after the sun had set. He was still dressed in this nice clothes of the day, wearing a powdered white wig. He would take his feather in hand, dipping it in the ink well, then putting feather to parchment to make those words that we read today. I'd like to think his wife was sitting in a loveseat across from him with a glass of sherry wondering when he would be done with this foolishness. The setting was right for a romantic evening, but Madison was obsessed with convincing the citizens of the young America that the new Constitution they had crafted the previous September was the best thing since baked bread (sliced bread had not been invented yet).
Maybe the words aren't as old as old English, but the prose is different than the way we speak today. If you think Madison was bad, you should read Hamilton (yes Lin-Manuel Miranda, THAT Hamilton!). For that, read Federalist # 22. Hamilton explains why the Articles of Confederation were not working and needed to be changed. You will find that he did not like supermajorities. The articles required a 2/3rds vote of the states to pass important measures. With 13 states, that meant they needed 9 states to pass a measure. They couldn't get anything done. Reminds you of the effect of the 60% cloture vote in the Senate doesn't it? It's why they say the Senate is where House Bills go to die. Hamilton would not approve.
Nay Publius jr. [ et al ] Nay ( waving fist rhetorically ) - filibuster me not !
Your pleasant romanticized vignette of Dolly Madison by the fireside while James penning the random legal architecture of what will be the greatest nation on earth (for some) #Jamesdontswingthatway. Nay I say...
We "Visualists" would prefer an opening aerial shot of 4000 acres of tobacco plantation in Virginia and a blended time lapsed montage of seven generations of African slaves having been born and raised there at Montpelier fading into a low to the ground tracking shot moving past those that toil and labor (variously) adjacent to the Master's house to peer in through the window of James Madison's study - the man - caught agonizing over what he has described as a “nauseous project” referring to the Bill of Rights... [ Foreshadowing the Bill's eventual reluctant "Shepherding" through the legislative process by Madison himself (rolling eyes) ].
Nay I tell you !
The filibuster is an ABOMINATION to everything we hold sacred and decent to the dignity of human kind and countenance.
^^^ With OUR - very "Fine" Democrats such as Mississippi Senator Theodore Bilbo filibustering the 1938 anti-lynching bill to protect “SAXON CIVILIZATION ”
We should be ASHAMED of ourselves, own this heinous device and for the sake of HUMAN DIGNITY itself and ABOLISH the FILLIBUSTER !
- post haste !
^^^ NO deep hermeneutic analysis and firm grasp of phenomenology and Critical Race Theory (in equal measure) requires one to act implicitly @JOE BIDEN for the truths that we hold as self evident,
the truths that this nation was built on,
and built on the backs of slaves, those human beings OWNED, TRADED and BOUGHT as property; given less consideration that a fine horse or chattel.
^^^ excellent research and analysis - conspicuous is the shape of the "Negative" space of what is missing in slave records. + accounts of Madison's contemporaries -notably Edward Coles (A Quaker that eventually released his own slaves from bondage ) .
^^^ Extraordinary counterpoint to the same "data set" that the account of the Madison's practical and "Ethical" relationship with slavery - a completely unintegrated account - and dangers thereof. [Wag of the finger .].
^^^ Interesting partial reconstruction of the slave quarters - [In my view the number of actual slaves required was WELL in excess of 100 (as someone that has been a farmer and rancher and even had a tobacco barn - in France ) - Similarly estimated for building the Capitol Building cursory first glance of 600 slaves - as a ditch digger / architect/ archaeologist / buildings- conservator (once myself) ~ I can say safely that at LEAST- FOUR times the number of (itinerant) slaves would have been required to build the Capitol Building in the time frame they did. MANY instances of down playing and down sizing of various slave contingents due to biases towards extant physical records versus how labor was really transacted back then. [Just my own initial observation and impression.].
^^^ These (Proponents of CRT) / individuals are really on to something... AND ultimately "MATH" and computing will win the day integrated into a thick-description framework completely consistent with modern phenomenological principals and scholarship 100% in line with modern scientific, philosophic and sociological notions of "Reality" and associated frameworks.
These counter arguments from backwards 'Empiricists " are f*cktarded at best ~ Please excuse my French (once again).
The USA may not be ready for CRT - but at the same time don't cave-in to angry ignorant morons.
~ Hari Seldon scribbling on his i-pad and smashing the buttons out of his calculator says -
'Don't worry if the Corporate Dems 'eff this one up, then eventually they face a US labor party armed with Super Computers ... You know - An ACTUAL PARTY THAT REPRESENTS THE 99% ... What's that worst that could possibly happen ? "
Okay, Mike, so that earlier published commentary about militarily re-invading Afghanistan was supposed to be humorous in the vein of Monty Python? I don't quite buy that analogy. If the author had proposed having soldiers enter the country with "silly walks", and defending women's rights by slapping the Taliban in the face with dead fish, then I'd buy your thought. That was not, in my humble opinion, where that commentator was coming from, and not the mood which his rather hostile comments projected.
We need to legislatively accomplish what we can now and then, on a case by case basis, separately introduce all of the good parts which were dropped from the Build Back Better agenda. Doing so would far more clearly demonstrate to the public the value of what had been dropped, and that the only way to get good legislation passed would be to vote out of office all of the obstructionists, from either party, who opposed it, and to replace them with far more rational legislators.
That, it would seem, is the best way to regain the initiative and to get passed what needs to be passed in order to obtain greater equity for all...
^^^ The cultured Cleese "Cancels" himself ... ~ Still wondering about Andrew Graham-Dixon's rant (is it on tape ? ) - context IS important - (Wagging a finger at Cambridge University Union ) - Seriously an art historian who's normal function is to bore everybody to death while giving the aristocracy a warm fuzzy feeling about the past two hundred and fifty years of discerning taste in looted art and artifacts including - and not limited to - the Parthenon Frieze - bagged of with and crated up Lord Elgin - The "Elgin Marbles" (rolling eyes) - now residing in the BRITISH Museum. [Worth seeing if you get a chance.].
Indeed :-) The current climate of defining society and especially gender roles; and in the "Spirit" of something "like" a(n) uranium enrichment program one could do a lot worse than checking out Richard Grannon and Sam Vaknin's back and fourth discussion and analysis by Sam Vaknin* of :--->
"Gender Roles Criminalised ? The Collapse Of A Deeply Sick Society - Vaknin Grannon "
Some topics discussed very relevant to the mental health of teenage girls - VERY broad discussion that at times remind me of Dr. Strangelove and at other times the central themes of MAID - Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGtaHcqsSE8&t=1s
[For me personally it starts to edge in on the question of abuse and scale and scope of abuses either in a relationship or expanded out to entire societies and governments and BACK again to how government level abuse creates abuses and abusive families over time with an arc of three generations or MORE.].
^^^ This Grannon - Vaknin interview (mostly light hearted and playful in a way, but quite dark in it's realizations and conclusions ) would be a VERY good one for the John of Cleese to watch.
[Some people might find the subject matter to be challenging BUT well worth watching to the END :-) ].
Use of the colloquial (UK / slightly scouser / Liverpudlian ) term and construct "Gril" used by Grannon - is conspicuous when someone is actually referring to a WOMAN.
WHICH might be answered in the upcoming livestream and or video interview with Grannon - Bergsma interview.
* I would credit Richard Grannon and Sam Vaknin for being the main progenitors of raising awareness of psychological abuse in the home and in controlling relationships (as examined by Netflix's MAID) - and really the goto "People people" on Malignant Narcissism and "Cluster B" personality disorders ranging from mild narcissistic personality styles through sociopathy to full blown psychopathy and deeper and darker and more complex consternations and profiles of a range of dangerous and super toxic co-morbidities like the "Dark Triad" or "Tetrad" .
Their work prior to Trump becoming president was IMO very influential on various analysist in the news and media getting a handle on what and how various "Cluster B " personality disorders and Cluster A disorders manifest - with or without the DSM IV / V. AND how that pertains to the POTUS and frankly other folks drawn to the sphere of politics ---> Power, control and Money. [Beyond Barry Goldwater issues.].
[Side note: to ANY script writers out there that are exploring similar themes - Sam and Richard's work are a real GOLDMINE and really enable one to dig oneself out of pat and banal tropes/ stereotypes in fictional media and narratives that have a strong psychological and societal underpinning. <-- sorry that's not expressed very well --- what I really mean is to help stop certain writers from writing garbage and puking it up on streaming services "Like" Netflix - people CAN understand more subtle and psychologically less obvious dynamics without bashing them over the head with a super obvious and crude "High Concept' / "Mono-concept" show or series. [We ALL understand that junk food TV can be fun but better quality is possible - Don't underestimate your audiences ! - Writers ! ].
MAID - IMO did a superb job of explaining and showing many themes about psychological abuse and controlling situations and basic 'Soul destruction" without hitting you over the head with cartoon-like tropes simplified to the point of lying(sp) . MAID leads you through these difficult realities; being led by one's own empathy in what I consider in a very immersive way - complex blended degrees of f*cked-upness that portrays the difficulty in evading or extricating oneself from abusive relationships while having zero financial resources and having the odds stacked very much against you principally by lack of state-level resources and funding. [Even "Folks" that lack empathy with still be able to "Compute" what's going on through "Cold empathy" - or empathy derived by analytical means - such as (smarter) covert sociopaths and covert malignant narcissists are given to do ~ Something for everyone lol.
This is why Childcare - Universal basic income - free college and free HC are vitally important to help create a society that is more free of ABUSE at all levels (including government / governance ).
**** Will get to the "Ethics " of labelling "Humans" variously with labels such as Narcissist or Sociopath or Psychopath etc. with a burn at the stake "She's a Witch ' - He's a "Sociopath" type mentality and consequences thereof. - LATER.
+ The idea or issue and question of raising a child, where parents indoctrinate a child with violent and xenophobic ideas and practices since birth - IS that considered child abuse ? Is there a legal framework for that ?
----
Apologies for the sketch like nature of this but felt compelled to scribble this down with a certain amount of immediacy / excitement. Hats - off to Basil and Team MM.
Also having an awareness of biases of "Me" mansplaining the mansplaining of two mansplainers mansplaining feminist issues (past and present) so hopefully Bergsma - Grannon interview might help fix that ¯\_ʘᗜʘ_/¯ ?
Great guest. I like Moyn's long and short term plans. Part of his LTP rhymes with Cenks "Justice Democrats" initiative. (Did everyone catch Cenk's interview with Ro Khana on TYT? Now THAT IMHO is the way a media host must broil our representatives, even prog-friendly ones like Remarkable Ro.)
Clearly Moyn's "New Civics" idea is timely. I, too, apparently had Cold War Civics, as he called it. And from the good Sisters of Mercy...so you can imagine the naivete.
By the way, Michael, I am a just a tad surprised you didn't know Boston College is a Jesuit College. But then I am from the Eastcoast and considered going there as an undergrad.
Thanks for this! Please have Moyn back for some follow ups as he re-thinks his book thesis.
Michael (if you read this...). I have twice made a suggestion that could impact people who are NOT avid readers of your columns, and so far, see no evidence that you have even read these messages. My point is, you have an audience of people who are on your side, but you need to attract all the others who do NOT read your column. Look up the anti-Nazi book "If This Be Lunacy" or "Lunacy Becomes US" of 1939 or so.... and please take some action to greatly increase your audience, rather than to simply continue to preach to a choir of the convinced!
I'm convinced that we need a huge public coalition from churches, businesses, nurses, schoolteachers, and all kinds of families across the nation: the kind of coalition I witnessed in Washington DC just before the Iraq War began -- to show up as they did -- here and all over the world -- to DIVEST from big banks (the ones "too big to fail"). This country's government (in coalition with Israel) practices apartheid around the world. Now constructing more military bases (lily pods) throughout the continent of Africa.
I give up on donating to certain candidates, writing letters to the editor, even setting up visits through League of Women Voters to meet with senators and congressional "representatives."
The time is now for a general strike from the huge majority of U.S. citizens who have had enough
from the military, industrial, congressional complex. People say "Follow the money." I say "Withdraw the money."
This is becoming my view as well. I have been donating for a very very long time so that candidates dont need to depend on big dark money. It doesnt seem to make any difference. The elected officials listen to the big donors, and obviously not we the people. The general vibe on this thread is washing over many on the dem side at this point, that may well result in apathy. Not a good thing.
To Leslie: I am Kathleen Hughart and I posted a short recorded message on Michael's voice message: I posted: "The United States National Defense Authorization Act should not be allowed to come up for a vote until EVERY House of Representative member and EVERY Senator receives a complete shopping list of what the United States Department of War will buy with the money appropriated to be spent on these items." I am not apathetic, but I am almost apoplectic. I am trying to figure out a way to mitigate this unhelpful and potentially dangerous frame of mind. Maybe I can initiate a discussion group where people talk about ways to apply conflict resolution tactics to political power.
Here in Colorado, we gathered outside Senator Bennett's office to protest his support for military funding of Israel. It was very peaceful and his staff listened. But that was about it.
Kathleen: I would gladly join your discussion. After GW was deemed the winner over Gore, I checked out. When donald was elected, I vowed never to do that again. It is absolutely necessary that we stay engaged. Today is one day closer to midterms.
To Leslie: I am Kathleen Hughart and I posted a short recorded message on Michael's voice message: I posted: "The United States National Defense Authorization Act should not be allowed to come up for a vote until EVERY House of Representative member and EVERY Senator receives a complete shopping list of what the United States Department of War will buy with the money appropriated to be spent on these items." I am not apathetic, but I am almost apoplectic. I am trying to figure out a way to mitigate this unhelpful and potentially dangerous frame of mind. Maybe I can initiate a discussion group where people talk about ways to apply conflict resolution tactics to political power.
Indeed, "Withdraw the money," and invest in "We The People." The trillions of dollars spent on our military and Israel's to engage in illegal, mismanaged wars to pad their pocket is criminal. Somehow, it's forgotten who invaded who and has the right of self-defense.
I just want to comment on points Michael made about civics not being taught anymore in schools, and that Separation of Powers are not stated in the Constitution.
First, I didn’t know civics, which was called Government when I was in high school, isn’t taught anymore. I’m shocked! This is a wrong that must be righted. Parents should be attending school board meetings to get this class back in the curriculum. Maybe VA Dems missed an opportunity and should have told voters “We hear you, and if elected, we will replace CRT with American Government in our school’s curriculum”. It might not have stopped parents from showing up at meetings and screaming at board members, but they might have gotten more votes to make a difference.
Mike’s right, Separation of Powers isn’t a term you will find in the Constitution. Neither is Checks & Balances. But the Framers, particularly Madison, had these concepts in mind when the Constitution was written. You can get a better understanding of what they tried to accomplish by reading Federalist Paper #47 where both concepts are described. I know, you probably think I’m crazy to suggest this, but it isn’t that long, you can get it on the internet, and it will open your eyes to the past. One warning, you may need to read some sentences 2 or 3 times before you get the meaning since they spoke in old English. Like when it says “It was agreed on all sides”, they mean “It was unanimous”. Happy reading!
@Dave Slishinsky ~ Thanks so much for drawing reference to (Federalist Paper #47) - I'll preface this with my tombstone will probably read "Murdered by his own sarcasm and compassion in equal measure".
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed47.asp
"Thusly " presented with a wall of text - but proceeded to read the first paragraph ( despite actually being ADD and Dyslexic ) ~ I absolutely died of laughter - is that bad ?
Glancing at the second paragraph it seems to get even better :-)
First paragraph being as follows;
_____________________________________________________________
"MADISON
To the People of the State of New York:
HAVING reviewed the general form of the proposed government and the general mass of power allotted to it, I proceed to examine the particular structure of this government, and the distribution of this mass of power among its constituent parts. One of the principal objections inculcated by the more respectable adversaries to the Constitution, is its supposed violation of the political maxim, that the legislative, executive, and judiciary departments ought to be separate and distinct. In the structure of the federal government, no regard, it is said, seems to have been paid to this essential precaution in favor of liberty. The several departments of power are distributed and blended in such a manner as at once to destroy all symmetry and beauty of form, and to expose some of the essential parts of the edifice to the danger of being crushed by the disproportionate weight of other parts. No political truth is certainly of greater intrinsic value, or is stamped with the authority of more enlightened patrons of liberty, than that on which the objection is founded.
... "
[2nd paragraph alluding to ... "The British Constitution was to Montesquieu what Homer has been to the didactic writers on epic poetry " ~ fascinating read - will be super interesting to untangle and further probe its most current interpretation(s) in spite of being rather worrisome to actually read.].
ALWAYS worth going back to first and original sources IMO ~ Will read on with much interest and fascination.
______________________
^^^ Having one foot in "Humanities" and one foot in sciences and having had to "Prosecute" my own patents and develop claim language for different territories including Japan - I have always thought that (at best) patents were a total car-crash between legal constructs and complex (multi-dimensional ) technical ideas and systems.
~ Reading # 47 is on another level ... OMG I'm thinking "We" are in big "Trub" .
Never could I imagine #47
__________________________________________________________________________________-
[Thankful to the on-line presence of the Yale Law School - Lillian Goldman Law Library in memory of Sol Goldman* ]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Goldman
Eric, see my reply in a new post.
And then digging further ~ The assertion that Montesquieu completely misunderstood the British constitution -
" MONTESQUIEU'S misunderstanding of the British constitution has long been notorious among students of political history and theory. In so far as his error influenced the French constitution of 1791 and the American constitution of 1788, it must be accounted one of the most significant-and expensive-scholarly howlers of all time. "
Rather snotty comment ^^^ but seems relevant to a wobbly house of cards and historic chain of blended misinterpretations pushed this way and that depending on the more immediate "Needs" of the time.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3678816
____________________________________-
Just a side note: It almost always bothers me when Nancy Pelosi (with respect) waxes poetically about the wisdom of the "framers" of the constitution when something has been brought back perhaps from the brink of disaster - but delivered in a slightly creepy way as a bit of a half 'Hand-job" to the hegemonic "old boys" club.
I'm not saying the "Europarl " is better (has it's own problems)) but seems that tearing things down to create more modern and streamlined and clear "Constitutional " language that resembles clear organizing(sp) principals is preferable than having to decide the fate of 330 million Americans based on a ponderous and badly structured and contentious document. Although framed in the attempted light of the "Enlightenment" when wielded by Pelosi it takes on more the characteristics of a religious text ~ arcane in it's lack of clarity and purpose. [Only 60,000 ft view from an "Alien" perspective by me - even though I have a US passport.].
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/portal/en
Technically the UK does not have a constitution something the Brexiteers managed to get leverage over.
https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/commons-committees/political-and-constitutional-reform/The-UK-Constitution.pdf
https://about-britain.com/institutions/constitution.htm
So Madison's interpretation of Montesquieu's misinterpretation of the "British Constitution " which actually doesn't (technically) exist b-'cuz Britain doesn't have a constitution. With deeper reference by Madison to Homer's "Didactic" notions of Greek-ish ancient (Athenian) democracy - that didn't last very long - and does not remotely resemble what 'We" imagine as "DEMOCRACY in the USA".
That's WHY I think the US needs to form a Labor party,
as at least that would represent working people NOW , without an immense stratigraphy of entangled legal and constitutional "Garbage" that has to be untangled to favorably re-map the legislative "Order" -(as it stands) plus the endemic and endless horizon of bought politicians, from now until the end of time.
The Democratic Party / Corporate system of politics does not represent the people of this country nor will it EVER be able to do so.
US Labor party - NOW .
Can you explain to me how the progressive mayor candidate lost in my home state of Washington. By double digits. When the moderate candidates don’t give a rats ass for the war of ideas that we won?
What am I missing here. Why is is that the people want one thing and when the dem party doesn’t deliver we decide to vote for the party that has never given us anything….we’ll, they did give the people pro life. I’ll give them that. Sadly, I’m pro choice.
Is there some place where there is a list of everything that has passed in the last year?All we seem to hear about are these big bills.
2 years ago I was in Clare Mi and was intrigued with the juxtaposition of charging stations and the Amish tying up their horses in the same parking area.
Inflation and high prices ? FREE MARKET IS THE ANSWER. As our Republicans friends have been telling us for decades : do not worry about it, LET THE MARKETS DO THEIR WORK. Do not regulate ( or whine about it ). High gasoline prices ? it's time to take subsidies away from gas corporations.
I'd pay 6.00 a gallon if it meant we could tell Saudi Arabia that they can take their 500 billion and kiss our ass, we'll get our oil from our strategic reserve. or China, no more trade with us until you stop your totalitarian abuse. Sure it would be rough, but it would be worth it. Who knows maybe I'll get to buy an Iphone made in America. Dare to dream.
How is it that we win the war of ideas with 80%+ approval, and yet we seem to have less than 20% of the government on our side. and we are poised to concede even more to the enemy. Biden's approval rating = abysmal, midterms seem almost guaranteed to go to the GOP. 2024 is almost certainly going to go to the GOP. (I mean GOD I hope I am wrong!, I really do) I will vote for Bernie, "He just has to be alive" over every other possible candidate that the DEMs seem to be behind at this point. Please show me a light, show me a way out, show me meaningful hope, show me progress. Throw me a life-preserver as we stand in the sinking ship.
And why not, I'll respond to this one too. For this, I will refer you to that famous line by the old man in the classic film "Cool Hand Luke" when he said, "What we have here is a failure to communicate". Yes, the Dems are building a good portfolio of programs to run on in 2022 & 2024, but they need to greatly improve their messaging, marketing, and branding. They should hire the best marketing firms to help them maximize the political value of their achievements, especially focusing on red rural communities that will greatly benefit from broadband access and improved roads that both infrastructure bills will bring. But there is much yet to be accomplished, and for that to happen, the Senate must change the filibuster rules, and you already know my views on that. Pass voting rights!
Sometimes I wonder if the filibuster is the issue or if its the fact that the majority of congress is in the pocket of the corporation.
You know it doesnt mean a damn thing to have a good portfolio of platforms, if you systematically eviscerate them once you are in office....Oh, I know what it means, it means your not a republican.
What we need are democrats that fight for the programs that they initially suggest. "You know the ones with the 50-80%+ approval ratings" then fight for that, not systematically eviscerate them while giving the rich another hand out. it's not about messaging,branding, marketing, it's about FIGHTING for what's RIGHT!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhUNn167bwY&t=2s
^^^ Back in 97 Saatchi & Saatchi / MC - Saatchi created a counter advertising campaign against (Labour Candidate) - Tony Blair* that totally backfired ~ Blair became PM between 1997 to 2007.
Dave writes: "They should hire the best marketing firms to help them maximize the political value of their achievements, especially focusing on red rural communities that will greatly benefit from broadband access and improved roads that both infrastructure bills will bring" .
I know these people;
1. They are not stupid,
2. Really takes a hell of lot to gain their trust over a VERY long period of time. I.e. something substantive and materially improved over a period of decades ! Not years --- decades. All supposed quick fixes are just cynically brushed aside.
3. To reiterate these people in many cases are waaaaaay smarter than a lot of us*** that may post here AND I would say that MOST of "Them" RED state die-hards (esp. in rural communities) and possible swing voters have a VERY finely tuned BS detectors. - They do pay attention and observe very well what's going on because they have no other choice but to shrewdly observe.
I think the Conservative Party + Saatchi smearing of New Labour - campaign backfiring parallels well for "Dems" attempting to campaign on crass anti-Drumpf messaging.
I have to be honest I think Bernie over-did it with the anti-trump soap box and frankly from my perspective he failed to reach rural communities. He (with the greatest of respect) Kinda was not that skillful at repurposing his 'Stump-Speech" for Rural communities IMO.
My 2c.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Labour,_New_Danger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%26C_Saatchi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saatchi_%26_Saatchi
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*** "Smart" MM is on another level on another level on a another ~ Spooky how (from being a documentary film maker) he KNOWS almost word for word what someone is going to say before they say it... 98% of the time.
****** ! No affiliation to the "Sir " Jimmy Saville Youtube channel.
well I don't know about that, a quick fix, hey no paying for 4 years of community college, I don't need a decade to be on board, just the 4 years. 12 weeks family leave, hey did get that when your child was born? Yes....well I am sold. prescription drug prices, did you pay less, ...hey I'm sold....It does not take a decade, It just takes getting done.
Mmmmmmm - no ... :-) - I agree with your logic (for sure -personally );
IME from/ with both rural and manufacturing communities in the USA - there is a VERY pervasive 'Zero-sum game" mentality. [ For sake of argument we'll say "They". ].
It goes like this;
If you are being nice to disadvantaged people / communities / communities of color and immigrants and broaden out HC ,
THEN ---> 'They"
think that - FOR SURE - that bread is being taken off their tables and away from their immediate communities.
Side note : I started a thread on the largest manufacturing forum in the world on the BBB proposal before JB was elected president and I presented it in a very neutral way. (Seemed much of the BBB working document - in style - was penned by Elizabeth Warren perhaps ? ) I would preface this with most manufacturing communities in the USA are 85% VERY Republican and I'd say Rural approx. 75 % republican.
So 'They" completely shredded the BBB earlier draft EVEN THOUGH there was $750BN (at the time) on the table up for grabs. [Again prior to covid totally exploding and before JB being elected.].
I read a lot of the initial BBB paragraphs pertaining to Black businesses , and Black "Under-banked communities" - Black inner city development and hooking this tooooo ----> NEW GREEN technologies. ~ It's not that "THEY" are being wantonly super racist but "They" believe it's just gonna be $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ pissed away on projects that actually won't deliver or work or will be chronically mismanaged - rightly or wrongly. + ZERO SUM GAME "Mentality".
[I might get flamed for this but purportedly AOC (awesome that she is - AND she really is ) - but seemed that with GND - "Greed New Deal" as part of that BBB (document) , that there might have been a substantial "Cut and Paste" job from the Diem 25 GND proposal for Europe ... ]. Unfortunately the USA is NOT Europe nor Diem 25.
AOC is not a physicist and probably doesn't have a handle on where and how to deliver 4,222.5 terrawatt-hours (TWh) annually to US energy consumers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_of_the_United_States
She might - but there's a lot for her to consider and learn in her day job. 25 years from now She could BE the POTUS (I have no doubt of that).
Even a domestic 200 AMP panel to a single house is an astonishing amount of energy at every American home owner's finger tips - most people people don't really get that and it's not a simple case of plugging in a few windmills and a bunch of solar cells (mostly made in mainland china.).
BUT ALSO important to mention (especially here) is the very STRONG and VALID (IMO) thesis and position of "PLANET OF THE HUMANS" and that a lot of Green / GND type business development strategies lack scientific merit and do not really examine the longevity and long term impact of some of the systems materials and processes used and proposed.
Side note: Yesterday - Bill Gates + Warren Buffet got 50% grant [TK $XXX BN ] for hooking up a new small nuclear reactor to a coal fired power plant in Wyoming with the idea of winding down Warren Buffet's (Berkshire Hathaway) owned coal fired power plant . ( I assume they use the steam turbines and cooling towers from the coal plant. ). The test facility - will dig up ref. - Is 345 MW output - 250,000 houses - ish - put to the grid out of state. + development of other small more newer design "Bite sized" and deployable nuclear reactors around the country. Gates claiming that these reactors - (similar in design to ones used on US Nuclear submarines) - can be scaled up in number and eventually rolled out as a larger program of US energy supply that is GREENER 'cuz no green house gasses being produced by burning fossil fuels.
So ^^^ the "guys and gals" on this manufacturing forum were pouring scorn on the early BBB draft and idea - (18 months ago) - because of the notion of picking 'Winners and Losers" ,
^^^ So "THEY" kinda nailed it.
+ addressing many many different issues.
- These guys are not 'Dummies" even though most of them will admit Trump is a total "buffoon" . They will still vote GOP - given the chance in most instances.
I would strongly GUARD against people making overly broad assumptions about right-minded (political "Peeps") in Agriculture and Manufacturing in the USA.
For example you'll have a die-hard [Male 68 year old ] Trump supporter owning a medium sized manufacturing outfit (for example in somewhere like Wyoming ) -but you find out that the business is actually 98% run and staffed by WOMEN - actual precision CNC machinists (about 50 to 60 employees).
OR for example another manufacturer in a RURAL area (as many more machining and job shops are re-locating to rural areas - as being near a city is too expensive rent wise + other numerous factors ) - said manufacturer / Job shop owner and engineer being 100% republican voter would LIKE to be able to HIRE "MORE MEXICANS" - specifically citing the fact that he can't find 'Anglo" workers to learn the technical trades because these days "You can't find anyone that actually gives a sh*t to attempt to turn up on time and even pretend to do a good job" - someone willing to pay good $ and invest in employees training and in possession of a very forward looking and successful company.
So don't (generally not aimed at anyone in particular ) assume the "Trump passionate" business owner / employer or employee is misogynistic or racists nor is afraid of hiring immigrants that are actually paid well and trained on the job.
Folks for example in the cattle industry - are having a hell of bad time / their industry is being decimated - especially smaller more traditional farms in Kentucky and elsewhere - in spite of Mitch McConnel. For example. ---> Community college and HC seem very abstract to some individuals I know (Anglo ranchers/ ranch families and "Anglo" ranch workers as their MORE IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE NOT BEING MET and in some cases won't even get health care or health insurance. 'cuz Obama or whatever... :-( Or too poor $$$. Or won't spend the $ on even basic HC -BAD if you work on and with Horses and cattle ~ injury. [I know that one all to well ].
------------------- In partial conclusion ---------------------
(apologies for lack of structure);
SO MUCH of the USA is still a complete SH*T SHOW .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=957k3Em5oUs&list=PLi60Nd9FvELL50l2ECQn5T2KOnY5nCChA&index=103
However I thought BERNIE'S MESSAGING - here ^^^^ was super excellent -
- SPOT ON ! :-) :-) :-) :-) - 👍👍👍👍 !
It was inclusive, genuine, and most importantly NOT patronizing.
Really said what's going down and directly addressed that Zero-sum game mentality. Basically IF in rural areas you think bread is being taken off the table (Cuz lefties being lefties) + arguments about the "Deficit" - then think again - I think Bernie did really well here. Along several different dimensions.
No flashy high $ advertising campaign required. Thought the setting was genius !
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nuclear-power-plant-backed-by-bill-gates-warren-buffet-set-for-construction-in-wyoming/ar-AAQMz3P?ocid=msedgntp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9cIkAiVNXI&t=3s
^^^ This was fascinating - Biden Plagiarizing Neil Kinock's speech and reference to "Canny" American farmer. [Cardinal sin in Accademia and considered a massive character flaw.].
It was rural machinist that actually drew my attention to this. His bandwidth is not amazeballs but still he found similar video. All while discussing the original BBB 750 BN proposal.
There are more complete intercut versions of the speech that are more complete.
I went to Cardiff University for my first degree in Wales. (paid for by the state.) We marched on London and "cancelled" the Poll tax - tax for being a "Human being" under Thatcher. Cardiff had papers handed out from "Marxist weekly" and "Socialist Worker" - these guys helped organize the march on London*.
Good example of people just deciding not to pay on a massive scale 'cuz they simply couldn't afford it and thought it was amoral.
Biden "Universe" is so different from UK Labour / Welsh "Universe".
Many many thousands of people over the years in Wales have died from Coal mining and some have regarded Nuclear - Power - statistically safer than coal mining.
I'm still a little wary of "Nuke" safety in the commercial sector and regulation in the USA.
FAA vs. Boeing being an example when corporations become the regulatory authority.
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* Now-a-days in LONDON they have made it illegal to block streets in a protest, esp. targeted at environmental protests. Can do jail time - so an indication of the state leaning rightward and Police leaning in further.
Back in the Poll tax riots in London an entire bridge was taken over (lol) can't do that anymore.
Lol, I am proud, but Ignorant of my Welshness.
Nuclear power is safe UNTIL you have to deal with the waste…Or god forbid an accident, I’ll take 100 even 1000 coal accidents over 1 nuclear accident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwAgaxbJyuk&t=4s
As they say "News" is the first draft of history* ... ^^^ UK Poll Tax Riots*** in London and elsewhere. ~ Direct reference by Margret Thatcher to " Marxist agitators and militants have organized Mob Violence ... " ~ Sound familiar ? [Black flags and "Anarchists " etc. ].
Truthfully what broke the Poll Tax / "Community Charge" was that millions of British residents refused to pay - thereby creating a situation where it was not practical to collect such taxes - i.e. would take the machinery of the British Internal Revenue Service and local courts THOUSANDS of years to actually collect.
So the marches were an expression of the strength of feeling but it was the practical reality of tying up the courts in such a way that the Poll Tax would be MORE expensive to collect than the money that the conservatives were trying to extort.
Its sad and also funny that in the USA everything gets turned on its head. In the UK people can protest and riot, as we had (at the time) near zero guns - (fire arms hadn't even been banned then) - but you don't have people turning up with automatic weapons or hand guns or even shot guns. Back then the London police don't even carry guns.
In the USA right now the IRS doesn't have the resources to collect from near - and sub - and actual Billionaires. So it's the Poll-Tax stratagem turned on its head by the "Billionaires" and aspirational four-comma-club Trillionaires. Other than the fact we let these people do what they do.
>
Thirdly in the USA - tens of thousands of people would just be thrown in prison. And instead of British horses - we in the USA have (recycled) MRAPs + other de-accessioned military vehicles and black vans ("Mini" or otherwise) operated by unmarked "Police" / Sturmabteilung ****
The USA being number 1 at taking everything to the "Max" except for compassion.
[]
Interesting appearance at the end of the above cited video of Paddy Ashdown** - for the SDP - attempted 3rd party in the UK (Social Democratic Party )
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* ... "...First draft of History " - never watched Fox "News".
** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Ashdown
*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poll_tax_riots
**** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung
I don't know about you guys / 'Peeps" / y’all - this past three weeks or so has had me on many occasions left me with the feeling of wanting or needing to grab a bucket to throw up -
AND the point where satire and reality are completely indistinguishable from each other AND where things written in attempted sincerity, in a different mood and light take on the aspect of something that is utterly sarcastic and as mentioned MANY times on this substack by many venerable posters here the sense of LAUGHING and CRYING at the same time due to the manifest absurdity of things being transacted (allegedly) in our name.
It's the literal Dr. Strangelove transition where Stanley Kubrick and others are trying to write and create a SERIOUS tome or work where the actually reality of the situations at hand are so far beyond absurd to be maddening that things naturally DEGENERATE into the darkest humor and satire imaginable.
Except - this is real life.
That is where we have come to. We have crossed the Dr. Strangelove threshold.
The wanting to grab a pail and retch - comes almost purely from a feeling of being TOTALLY PLAYED.
And boy - have we been played.
(For me - its a very rare feeling, but current events and the trajectory of President Joe Biden and the Corporate Democrats really has me FEELING that way. ) + the arbitrary way everything is accounted for or NOT accounted for.
In what universe do "WE" the tax payer pay for Bill Gates to help his "Uncle" Warren (Buffett) to transition (in microcosm) his Berkshire Hathaway Coal fired power plant(s) to jump start private small scale nuclear plants and enterprises like the idiotically named - Gates' Terra Power ?
This all being part of Biden's Infrastructure plan / BBB
The technology being in part derived from what "WE" - US tax payers - sponsored since before 1954 for nuclear submarines (propulsion / power systems.) year in and year out.
Gate's argument being that Terra Power can use "Cheaper Concrete" 'cuz that's always a good idea for nuclear facilities ! + a facility that ONLY has a life time of 60 years that no doubt WE the tax payer will be paying for for centuries to clean up.
Seriously you can't write this shit...
[ Why is it again - Germany - you know - the "Smart guys" is phasing out / outlawing nuclear power generation ? 'cuz "Auntie" - Merkle is SUCH a "Dummy" ].
And THEN we the tax payer GIVE BEZOS* $XXXBN to fiddle about on the MOON simply 'cuz the f*cker is a litigious PITA + ( separately not in the BBB/ infrastructure ) - give Musk a ton for free sh*t from NASA (an institution we have been PAYING for since it's inception in 1958 + NICE NASA contracts that WE are paying right now ? ).
I'm starting to understand why that Russian Rocket engineer spat on Elon when he innocently inquires whether he can buy a Russian ICBM (launch vehicle) so he can put a little green house on MARS. (Pre- Space X - as we know it). - Trillions of Dollars of Russian development (millions of man hours and lives lost) bought for a few million $.
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* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwZop7SQE2o&list=PLi60Nd9FvELL50l2ECQn5T2KOnY5nCChA&index=106
^^^ Sen. Sanders on 'No' Vote to $778 Billion Defense Budget - MOST illuminating - but no doubt will fall on deaf ears.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel
You know they can have 800 billion if the veterans get health care, because once veterans have it, maybe the rest of america can get it.
Sometimes I think progressives need to view themselves like the athletics in moneyball, we’ve been dealt a loosing hand, but we pay you to get on base. Don’t get out stealing second, get a walk, get hit by the ball, Texas leaguer it. But just get on base, the wins will come. When progressives compromise, it’s an out.
I feel like the time for compromise is over, thoughts and prayers, over, hopes and dreams over, settle for less, come on Obama, that time has passed. If that’s all you got, no wonder people vote for republicans, at least they have a plan, a goal, and they get things done…I cry because it’s always the wrong things that they so easily achieve.
I feel sad after reading this latest blather. Pogo: The enemy is U.S.
It frustrates me that Donald Trump is more progressive "albeit by spite" than Nancy Pelosi, chuck Schumer, and Gottlieb. when it comes to the SALT tax. the fact that they want to reinstate this rich money grab as part of the recon bill makes me want to vomit. Is there anything, short of re-electing Trump we can do to stop this madness. I mean seriously..When Trump is MORE progressive than the Democratic party....At some point you have to grab them and slap some sense into them. (Not to condone violence or anything).
Funny how the former guy (DJT) limited the SALT tax deduction as part of the 2017 Tax Reduction bill to primarily penalize people, even middle income taxpayers, of populous blue states like NY, NJ, & CA, then changed his residency to FL where there are no state income taxes. This wolf is dressed in sheep's clothing. Don't let him fool you. I believe the SALT proposal has an income limit, so the wealthy will not be able to claim the increased deductions. We will need to see the fine print of BBB (when passed?) before we pass judgement.
Of course Trump would move, he doesn't want to pay the tax. BUT, He did instate the tax. DEMs want to repeal the tax AS PART OF the peoples bill, yeah...yeah...the rich are people too. God Damn it DEMS. Just STOP with this bull shit.
Can someone explain why there is a labor shortage? We have downsized, eliminated jobs, and record numbers of people are quitting, over the whole pandemic, why is there not a huge mass of job seekers? The stimulus money and unemployment is no long term substitute for a salary? How much savings do people have left when they never had much savings to start with?
I'll jump in. The pandemic has probably changed the structure of our labor force permanently. Most employers in the US are small businesses, many which closed down or went bankrupt during the pandemic. Many of those have not and will never reopen. Millions of those jobs were lost, and although many of those workers are returning to the workforce, many others are looking for higher paying jobs and better working conditions (see below), or going back to school to learn new skills. Those who work from home are quitting jobs whose employers are requiring them to fully return to the office or place of business. Of course, sadly those workers of the over 700K fellow citizens who lost their lives are not easily replaced. Also, many older workers who were eligible for normal or early retirement have decided to retire. It will take some time for our labor force to meet the needs of our new economy. The infrastructure and BBB (when passed?) bills should help. Howard, hope this helps.
So people who had jobs lost them, so aren't they IN the labor pool now, even if their business is gone. (All the people that had jobs and died, all the people that retired, aren't those jobs still needed and looking for replacement workers? Ok, labor shortage there). Still, I would think there would be a labor glut rather than shortage. How much is people not wanting to work, because they can survive "for a while" on the savings they have. Hopefully while they do school or transitional career training. How long until they no longer can? Will they get a job at a good salary before that happens?
lol, most employers WERE small businesses....then the pandemic happened.
Big businesses survived, because hey, we don’t have to obey any rules we’re rich.. small businesses died because hey, the rules are meant to be obeyed by them….they’re not too big to fail. Big business wants them to fail.
Thank you Eric for taking me up on my suggestion to read Federalist #47. Now continue Madison’s thoughts by reading #48. He ties Separation of Powers to Checks & Balances. He describes the delicate balance between the 2. Madison was a political poet well worth reading.
I rediscovered these works when I couldn’t accept the Senate needed a 60% vote to stop a filibuster. Using the Constitution, an obscure Supreme Court case, and these Papers, I believe I’ve proved it. And although nobody believes me, I just know it’s true.
So let me briefly go through this one more time. The Senate is using a Rule of Procedure to require a 60% cloture vote to end filibuster and advance a Bill, say voting rights. If the 60 votes is not met, the Bill is stopped. The Senate can make rules under Art I,Sec 5,Clause 2, but it says nothing about voting.
The Supreme Court decision in US v Ballin (1892) included a ruling Congress has power to make rules, but they cannot ignore Constitutional restraints. This means any procedural rule is subordinate to the rest of the Constitution.
And finally, Senate voting IS defined in Art l, Sec 3,Clause 4 where it says VP has no vote, unless they be equally divided. This means if a Senate vote is tied, the VP casts the deciding vote. So a 50-50 tie vote can result in 51-50 pass, or 50-51 fail. If the vote was 51-49, no need for VP to vote since simple majority vote required under Clause 4 is met. There is no exception for a 60% vote rule. Dems can correct this error right now, they only need to admit the Senate has not been following the Constitution. Madison deserves to be heard! You can read the Constitution here:
https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-constitution-amendments/the-constitutional-convention/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0011llf
^^^ The BBC Radio 3 podcast 'The Verb" - Ian McMillan - "pretentiousness " - in language.
Really excellent and really homes in on my own experiences - including the divine concept of a 'humble-brag".
LOVE these guys and what they did; (might write something about this on my own substack page. Have yet to break ground on that (no worries) . ).
Warning - strong but fun language early on.
"Embrace the wank " - wank https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wank
Intransitive verb - meaning to masturbate but also can be a noun IME - i.e. the resulting ejaculate. As an expert on the etymology of the word "Wank", I was surprised at the number of FREE online dictionaries that really didn't capture its essence and in some cases just plain wrong.
Ian McMillan's guests,
- Poet Luke Wright,
- Spoken word poet Jenny Lindsay,
- Angie Hobbs, (Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield). @Dave Slishinsky ~ exploring the paradoxical nature of oratory and oration with reference to our favorite Greeks including Plato - the philosopher not Madison's indentured slave.
AND finally and in some sense most importantly (for me),
- Tomiwa Owolade " explores the advice given by George Orwell on how to avoid pretentious prose - and finds out whether Orwell always followed his own advice. "
The advice given by Orwell / Eric Blair - not completely tongue in cheek. IME American technical writers that seek to bring clarity of thought and word are the best in the world at what they do.
Having been indoctrinated in British styles of writing from the Victorian era and times of "Empire" incorporating very mansplained Victorian scientific writing (impecunious to brevity) - leading to a rubble of words that take much vigor and clear headedness to disembroil, at least in the attempted hope of mitigating the almost certain and looming headaches that most surely result from such an ambitious endeavor transacted by one of nature's truly and most feckless unnatural "word smiths", the ADD Dyslexic Scientist whose word-capable part of his brain being the true dummy in respect of his visual brain. The visual side actually being the "Smart one" in "This" two hemisphere relationship. [That was NOT a humblebrag ! ].
On balance,
as the Americans say,
I think Madison was "Blowing smoke up people's asses "
Is that the right use of the phrase ? "He's just blowing smoke... " ?
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DH Lawrence, Socrates, Orwell, and Plato and MUCH much more besides.
Disambiguation of the second poem Luke recites - for American audiences ~ "Barbour* " - in UK is a type of waxed cotton jacket - usually worn by ohhh so middle class social climbing wannabe aristocrats AND also worn by British Royalty to show how well they can "Slum it" with the middle classes whilst wearing Hunter (green) Wellies at shooting parties, or competitive horse events that seem to have held Princess Anne's fascination for the past seventy years - such as cross county or show jumping or dressage, all part of a scheme to enable the Royals to mix with the "Plebs" as insurance against being put to a wall in a dynastically terminal event by being shot; much like their Romanov cousins... Of course no ultra-yuppie or Sloan Ranger or "Town and Country" baller is complete without a "Chelsea Tractor" ~ a Range Rover or an old school Landrover usually driven in central London away from said vehicles' normally more rusticated habitat - hence the derisive and mocking term "Chelsea Tractor".
ALL such trappings pushed heavily via "Cubby" Broccoli's many 007 (secret agent themed) Bond Movies that he produced generating a "Cool Britania" vibe and the not so shameless plug of "Quintessentially " British brands.
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* Not having the right type of waxed jacket in polite society can be a source of ridicule and social banishment - (in certain circles) - oddly Poet Luke manages to create a state of humble braggish- ness by a theoretically Barbour (on brand) capable purchaser and protagonist, that deliberately chooses to buy the OFF-brand facsimile of said social climbing piece of attire as a supposed act of deliberate humble bragging in cloth.
* https://www.barbour.com/us/mens/waxed-jackets
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_R._Broccoli
BBC radio 3 one of the MOST important touchstones in my life, I think having been blown Westward by an unexpected Westerly Wind. Out here in the New World and hemisphere - yet howling at same moon both sides of the Atlantic - words seem to take on an almost opposite meaning; famously world like "Peruse" vs "Peruse" ,
Its actual definition being contrary to its common usage MUCH like the filibuster @DS.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/peruse
THE need to PERUSE documents and websites with high levels of scrutiny being mandatory to parse seemingly credible documents and systems from the most talented and very excellent and satirically well observed deep fakes known to man.
Masterful indeed ...
VERY.
(By those skilled in the art. ).
Nice to have the feeling of the "Old guard" in my corner makes me glow esp. from the BBC Radio 3 - a station I have been listening to consciously or unconsciously for almost half a century.
OK finally got there in the end -
YES I agree with your "Thesis" / conjecture - first pass. [May take weeks for me to verify - time willing- :-) . ].
Seems what is BAKED into these layered and hierarchical "Rule sets" are indeed notable HOLES and missing components creating what can only be described as literal "PRETZEL LOGIC".
@Dave Slishinsky - took me a bit of time to follow the breadcrumbs - forgive me, my brain works a little differently from yours (perhaps).
Dave writes: "Dems can correct this error right now, they only need to admit the Senate has not been following the Constitution."
^^^ Indeed ~ However it seems given what Samuel Moyn (above - and in the last 12 minutes of the 'broadcast" ) states that the Supreme Court should not have the right to overturn exiting laws created by the legislature (requiring it's powers to be considerably "down sized" .). What I'm imagining / wondering is a scenario where this procedural and logical gaping hole with the filibuster is then plugged by a NEW "rule set" that completely counters what you @Dave Shlishinky propose. I.e. the 'other side" creates legislation to render in-stone the 60 % "Guillotine" / Cloture to stop a filibuster dead in its tracks. Exactly the thing you are trying to push against now set in stone by the "Other side".
As a distant "Newby" to all this, I would imagine that the "Sworn_ - 'Duty" (try not to laugh) to "Protect" and "Uphold" the Constitution would override the issue of the constitution having being enacted upon (procedurally) in an erroneous way by the Senate - for at least the past 180 years ?
Is it not the case that the "Whig" party created the 'Swamp monster" that IS the Filibuster (in the first instance ) ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filibuster_in_the_United_States_Senate
This would be I guess OUR the Dems "Duty" to clean up and own the mistake.
BUT of course 150 years from now we (our side - whatever that really means now with centrists bricked into the system of governance - 'cuz $. ) ... We might need a stronger supreme court AND a filibuster to overturn VERY draconian policies (of the future) enacted by the legislature of the year 2171 ?
Samuel Moyn's 'Axiom" is that the general trend of the past century seems to indicate that it would be prudent to trim back the Supreme Court's ability to overturn existing laws created by the legislature / Congress. Is that unquestionably true ?
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Dave writes : "Madison deserves to be heard! "
I certainly hear you on the practical need to not necessarily throw Madison under the bus.
Reading #47 and #48 some of his prose(sp) is much more of the style of oration or tradition of oratory*. To make some of the opening paragraphs actually WORK I had to imagine I'm wearing a powdered wig standing at the lectern in an imagined parliamentary scenario all puffed up making all the theatrics, stresses, dramatic pauses and other oratorical devices to actually MAKE what Madison wrote WORK. [I wonder in part whether Madison also imagined a 'Pastiche" of British Parliamentary style of debate whilst scribbling away to make his various points ? ]. ~ I am wary of Oration , no matter how dramatic or emotionally engaging does not lend itself to 'Syntactic" law.
I am reluctant to admit that Madison does kinda come across as a bit of "Blow-hard" shaking his right fist "like" a Presbyterian priest in the pulpit (of the time) - with a flagon of sherry in his left hand. [But given what was at stake I guess that is not surprising lol.].
Some of these passages that Madison pens - seems very hard (for me) not to think of Blackadder from the Regency period and Robby Coltrane's actuation of Dr. Samuel Johnson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSYiT2iG08&t=1s
^^^ Very funny. Dr Johnson meets the Prince Regent moderated by his servant Blackadder.
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*** I would further add that Madison employs modern English not 'Old English" - refreshing to see Madison quote passages by Jefferson that were actually coherent and understandable - clear and concise statements.
~ As a final point having been married to a professional editor and technical editor if I had handed to her a manuscript that was of the syntactic "Ilk" of #47 and #48 I would have been summarily disembroiled at least two limbs removed and be scattered about in the garden with the crows pecking my eyeballs out.
The structure and prose of Madison are mind bendingly awful ~ requiring one to then have to READ the entire so called 'federalist papers" and then practically have to get a master's degree on constitutional "Theory" to get a handle on all this "Stuff". - IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT WAY...
If I had my way there would be a massive super computer running endless simulations to reduce everything to the simplest and most concise rule set possible - and be able to model the 'fairness" of this or that doctrine or that policy.
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* https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/oratory
Eric, you sure have given me a lot to think about. With regards to your comment about the Supreme Court, the role of the court is to decide or interpret the law in constitutional cases, it is not to legislate or make new laws. Each justice may have a different approach to deciding cases. One justice may be a strict constructionist, meaning they focus only on the legal text as written. Others may be more interpretive of the intent of the law. That's why when a Supreme Court nominee is questioned by the Senate during a confirmation hearing, they will always try to find out if the nominee is loyal to precedence. Meaning do they see prior court rulings as accepted law. Take Roe v Wade. Many are afraid a new court will overrule the 1973 court's ruling that decided a woman's right to an abortion. The Texas decision in a shadow docket gave us a clue. Although they are not legislating, a new ruling could result in a change to a previous ruling. This is why codifying Roe v Wade into law is included in the Women's Heath Protection Act. But it too along with voting rights must get past the Senate filibuster, and why I'm so adamant about the unconstitutionality of it.
When it comes to the filibuster, you suggest Congress could pass a new law to allow the 60% cloture vote. That would immediately cause a Constitutional issue since the new law would conflict with Clause 4, original text from 1787. This does not correct the problem. The only way to remedy this would be an amendment to the Constitution. Good luck with that. The filibuster was about endless debate until 1917 when a 2/3rds cloture rule was adopted by the Senate. So if you do the math, there was no cloture vote for 128 years. Now they have been doing it for 104 years. It has become so traditional that it's blindly accepted.
You had a very interesting image of Madison at the meetings of the Second Constitutional Convention. I'm sure there were a lot of back and forth oratory. We will never know what the personalities were like of the various representatives, including Madison. My image of Madison writing his Federalist Papers #47 & #48 would have him at home in VA, sitting at his desk in the study. It was January of 1788, 4 months after the convention. There was a fire going in the fireplace near his desk to warm him from the winter cold, a couple of candles were on candlesticks burning on his desk to provide the light after the sun had set. He was still dressed in this nice clothes of the day, wearing a powdered white wig. He would take his feather in hand, dipping it in the ink well, then putting feather to parchment to make those words that we read today. I'd like to think his wife was sitting in a loveseat across from him with a glass of sherry wondering when he would be done with this foolishness. The setting was right for a romantic evening, but Madison was obsessed with convincing the citizens of the young America that the new Constitution they had crafted the previous September was the best thing since baked bread (sliced bread had not been invented yet).
Maybe the words aren't as old as old English, but the prose is different than the way we speak today. If you think Madison was bad, you should read Hamilton (yes Lin-Manuel Miranda, THAT Hamilton!). For that, read Federalist # 22. Hamilton explains why the Articles of Confederation were not working and needed to be changed. You will find that he did not like supermajorities. The articles required a 2/3rds vote of the states to pass important measures. With 13 states, that meant they needed 9 states to pass a measure. They couldn't get anything done. Reminds you of the effect of the 60% cloture vote in the Senate doesn't it? It's why they say the Senate is where House Bills go to die. Hamilton would not approve.
So those are my thoughts, and mine alone.
Signed, Publius Jr.
#22 #hamiltonrocks
#hamiltonveryreadable #hamiltonbetterthanguardiannewspaper
#madisonsucks #dollyisaho
#whatwouldjohnoliverdo
Nay Publius jr. [ et al ] Nay ( waving fist rhetorically ) - filibuster me not !
Your pleasant romanticized vignette of Dolly Madison by the fireside while James penning the random legal architecture of what will be the greatest nation on earth (for some) #Jamesdontswingthatway. Nay I say...
We "Visualists" would prefer an opening aerial shot of 4000 acres of tobacco plantation in Virginia and a blended time lapsed montage of seven generations of African slaves having been born and raised there at Montpelier fading into a low to the ground tracking shot moving past those that toil and labor (variously) adjacent to the Master's house to peer in through the window of James Madison's study - the man - caught agonizing over what he has described as a “nauseous project” referring to the Bill of Rights... [ Foreshadowing the Bill's eventual reluctant "Shepherding" through the legislative process by Madison himself (rolling eyes) ].
Nay I tell you !
The filibuster is an ABOMINATION to everything we hold sacred and decent to the dignity of human kind and countenance.
https://www.historynet.com/a-short-history-of-the-filibuster.htm
^^^ With OUR - very "Fine" Democrats such as Mississippi Senator Theodore Bilbo filibustering the 1938 anti-lynching bill to protect “SAXON CIVILIZATION ”
We should be ASHAMED of ourselves, own this heinous device and for the sake of HUMAN DIGNITY itself and ABOLISH the FILLIBUSTER !
- post haste !
^^^ NO deep hermeneutic analysis and firm grasp of phenomenology and Critical Race Theory (in equal measure) requires one to act implicitly @JOE BIDEN for the truths that we hold as self evident,
the truths that this nation was built on,
and built on the backs of slaves, those human beings OWNED, TRADED and BOUGHT as property; given less consideration that a fine horse or chattel.
Enough is enough !
END THIS ABOMINATION NOW !
END THE FILLBUSTER !
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https://www.historynet.com/a-short-history-of-the-filibuster.htm
^^^ We the "Dems" have a bad bad hand in that ^^^ We need to own and fix that. NOW.
https://www.montpelier.org/learn/the-life-of-james-madison
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/slavery-in-the-james-madison-white-house
^^^ excellent research and analysis - conspicuous is the shape of the "Negative" space of what is missing in slave records. + accounts of Madison's contemporaries -notably Edward Coles (A Quaker that eventually released his own slaves from bondage ) .
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/dolley-madison
^^^ Extraordinary counterpoint to the same "data set" that the account of the Madison's practical and "Ethical" relationship with slavery - a completely unintegrated account - and dangers thereof. [Wag of the finger .].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montpelier_(Orange,_Virginia)
^^^ Interesting partial reconstruction of the slave quarters - [In my view the number of actual slaves required was WELL in excess of 100 (as someone that has been a farmer and rancher and even had a tobacco barn - in France ) - Similarly estimated for building the Capitol Building cursory first glance of 600 slaves - as a ditch digger / architect/ archaeologist / buildings- conservator (once myself) ~ I can say safely that at LEAST- FOUR times the number of (itinerant) slaves would have been required to build the Capitol Building in the time frame they did. MANY instances of down playing and down sizing of various slave contingents due to biases towards extant physical records versus how labor was really transacted back then. [Just my own initial observation and impression.].
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_race_theory
^^^ These (Proponents of CRT) / individuals are really on to something... AND ultimately "MATH" and computing will win the day integrated into a thick-description framework completely consistent with modern phenomenological principals and scholarship 100% in line with modern scientific, philosophic and sociological notions of "Reality" and associated frameworks.
These counter arguments from backwards 'Empiricists " are f*cktarded at best ~ Please excuse my French (once again).
The USA may not be ready for CRT - but at the same time don't cave-in to angry ignorant morons.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hari_Seldon
~ Hari Seldon scribbling on his i-pad and smashing the buttons out of his calculator says -
'Don't worry if the Corporate Dems 'eff this one up, then eventually they face a US labor party armed with Super Computers ... You know - An ACTUAL PARTY THAT REPRESENTS THE 99% ... What's that worst that could possibly happen ? "
[3rd para from the end ] : Disemboweled not disembroiled - auto correct - what the hell is being 'Disembroiled" ????
John Major ---> " I refer the right honorable gentleman to my previous statement "
Okay, Mike, so that earlier published commentary about militarily re-invading Afghanistan was supposed to be humorous in the vein of Monty Python? I don't quite buy that analogy. If the author had proposed having soldiers enter the country with "silly walks", and defending women's rights by slapping the Taliban in the face with dead fish, then I'd buy your thought. That was not, in my humble opinion, where that commentator was coming from, and not the mood which his rather hostile comments projected.
We need to legislatively accomplish what we can now and then, on a case by case basis, separately introduce all of the good parts which were dropped from the Build Back Better agenda. Doing so would far more clearly demonstrate to the public the value of what had been dropped, and that the only way to get good legislation passed would be to vote out of office all of the obstructionists, from either party, who opposed it, and to replace them with far more rational legislators.
That, it would seem, is the best way to regain the initiative and to get passed what needs to be passed in order to obtain greater equity for all...
Germain Greer says " Dude buy a f*cking hat* already !"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSO9OFJNMBA&t=1s
^^^ " People are not wearing enough hats " ~ prescient analysis from the Very Big Corporation of America.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/john-cleese-takes-stand-on-cancel-culture-blacklists-himself-over-hitler-controversy/ar-AAQB7W2?ocid=uxbndlbing
^^^ The cultured Cleese "Cancels" himself ... ~ Still wondering about Andrew Graham-Dixon's rant (is it on tape ? ) - context IS important - (Wagging a finger at Cambridge University Union ) - Seriously an art historian who's normal function is to bore everybody to death while giving the aristocracy a warm fuzzy feeling about the past two hundred and fifty years of discerning taste in looted art and artifacts including - and not limited to - the Parthenon Frieze - bagged of with and crated up Lord Elgin - The "Elgin Marbles" (rolling eyes) - now residing in the BRITISH Museum. [Worth seeing if you get a chance.].
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon_Frieze
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer
I didn’t read any of this, but when I saw the thing about hats my mind suddenly went to NWH. From fear of a black hat. Made me laugh.
Indeed :-) The current climate of defining society and especially gender roles; and in the "Spirit" of something "like" a(n) uranium enrichment program one could do a lot worse than checking out Richard Grannon and Sam Vaknin's back and fourth discussion and analysis by Sam Vaknin* of :--->
"Gender Roles Criminalised ? The Collapse Of A Deeply Sick Society - Vaknin Grannon "
Some topics discussed very relevant to the mental health of teenage girls - VERY broad discussion that at times remind me of Dr. Strangelove and at other times the central themes of MAID - Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGtaHcqsSE8&t=1s
[For me personally it starts to edge in on the question of abuse and scale and scope of abuses either in a relationship or expanded out to entire societies and governments and BACK again to how government level abuse creates abuses and abusive families over time with an arc of three generations or MORE.].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9iOr6qpAw0
^^^ This Grannon - Vaknin interview (mostly light hearted and playful in a way, but quite dark in it's realizations and conclusions ) would be a VERY good one for the John of Cleese to watch.
[Some people might find the subject matter to be challenging BUT well worth watching to the END :-) ].
Use of the colloquial (UK / slightly scouser / Liverpudlian ) term and construct "Gril" used by Grannon - is conspicuous when someone is actually referring to a WOMAN.
WHICH might be answered in the upcoming livestream and or video interview with Grannon - Bergsma interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqRZgbon7Ms
Topics include, +
00:00 intro
03:15 Political situation outside of UK
05:00 We must have grown-up
11:09 Culture has become toxically passive
19:35 Narcissism of victimization
23:50 Mask wearing and social distancing
29:40 Party is over
34:29 Everyone has their own fight
40:40 We are wretched and miserable without spirituality
^^^ Themes super relevant today + notion's and political rhetoric regarding the "Battle" for the "SOUL OF THE NATION" .
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* I would credit Richard Grannon and Sam Vaknin for being the main progenitors of raising awareness of psychological abuse in the home and in controlling relationships (as examined by Netflix's MAID) - and really the goto "People people" on Malignant Narcissism and "Cluster B" personality disorders ranging from mild narcissistic personality styles through sociopathy to full blown psychopathy and deeper and darker and more complex consternations and profiles of a range of dangerous and super toxic co-morbidities like the "Dark Triad" or "Tetrad" .
Their work prior to Trump becoming president was IMO very influential on various analysist in the news and media getting a handle on what and how various "Cluster B " personality disorders and Cluster A disorders manifest - with or without the DSM IV / V. AND how that pertains to the POTUS and frankly other folks drawn to the sphere of politics ---> Power, control and Money. [Beyond Barry Goldwater issues.].
[Side note: to ANY script writers out there that are exploring similar themes - Sam and Richard's work are a real GOLDMINE and really enable one to dig oneself out of pat and banal tropes/ stereotypes in fictional media and narratives that have a strong psychological and societal underpinning. <-- sorry that's not expressed very well --- what I really mean is to help stop certain writers from writing garbage and puking it up on streaming services "Like" Netflix - people CAN understand more subtle and psychologically less obvious dynamics without bashing them over the head with a super obvious and crude "High Concept' / "Mono-concept" show or series. [We ALL understand that junk food TV can be fun but better quality is possible - Don't underestimate your audiences ! - Writers ! ].
MAID - IMO did a superb job of explaining and showing many themes about psychological abuse and controlling situations and basic 'Soul destruction" without hitting you over the head with cartoon-like tropes simplified to the point of lying(sp) . MAID leads you through these difficult realities; being led by one's own empathy in what I consider in a very immersive way - complex blended degrees of f*cked-upness that portrays the difficulty in evading or extricating oneself from abusive relationships while having zero financial resources and having the odds stacked very much against you principally by lack of state-level resources and funding. [Even "Folks" that lack empathy with still be able to "Compute" what's going on through "Cold empathy" - or empathy derived by analytical means - such as (smarter) covert sociopaths and covert malignant narcissists are given to do ~ Something for everyone lol.
This is why Childcare - Universal basic income - free college and free HC are vitally important to help create a society that is more free of ABUSE at all levels (including government / governance ).
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**** Will get to the "Ethics " of labelling "Humans" variously with labels such as Narcissist or Sociopath or Psychopath etc. with a burn at the stake "She's a Witch ' - He's a "Sociopath" type mentality and consequences thereof. - LATER.
+ The idea or issue and question of raising a child, where parents indoctrinate a child with violent and xenophobic ideas and practices since birth - IS that considered child abuse ? Is there a legal framework for that ?
----
Apologies for the sketch like nature of this but felt compelled to scribble this down with a certain amount of immediacy / excitement. Hats - off to Basil and Team MM.
Girl not gril
Not to mince words - but will get back to that later ! :-)
✋
PEACE !
(✿◠‿◠)
Also having an awareness of biases of "Me" mansplaining the mansplaining of two mansplainers mansplaining feminist issues (past and present) so hopefully Bergsma - Grannon interview might help fix that ¯\_ʘᗜʘ_/¯ ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqRZgbon7Ms
We can hope ... :-)
*** Germaine [Greer ] not 'Germain" ~ (typo ) - can't edit in this "Interface" - being discriminatory against people who are Dyslexic and or ADD.
Great guest. I like Moyn's long and short term plans. Part of his LTP rhymes with Cenks "Justice Democrats" initiative. (Did everyone catch Cenk's interview with Ro Khana on TYT? Now THAT IMHO is the way a media host must broil our representatives, even prog-friendly ones like Remarkable Ro.)
Clearly Moyn's "New Civics" idea is timely. I, too, apparently had Cold War Civics, as he called it. And from the good Sisters of Mercy...so you can imagine the naivete.
By the way, Michael, I am a just a tad surprised you didn't know Boston College is a Jesuit College. But then I am from the Eastcoast and considered going there as an undergrad.
Thanks for this! Please have Moyn back for some follow ups as he re-thinks his book thesis.
All Best
Michael (if you read this...). I have twice made a suggestion that could impact people who are NOT avid readers of your columns, and so far, see no evidence that you have even read these messages. My point is, you have an audience of people who are on your side, but you need to attract all the others who do NOT read your column. Look up the anti-Nazi book "If This Be Lunacy" or "Lunacy Becomes US" of 1939 or so.... and please take some action to greatly increase your audience, rather than to simply continue to preach to a choir of the convinced!
Gene Meieran
I think Mike is more interested in selling merch these days.
Possibly. Too bad