Monday - September 21 2009
By Louise
Hour Two: "Is President Carter right...racism is alive and well in America?" Thom debates conservative Lurita Doan who says no www.eyeongovt.com
Hour Two: "Dispelling the right wing's health care reform myths" Thom confronts Dr. John Lott www.johnrlott.blogspot.com
Hour Three: Why Our Health Matters Andrew Weil www.drwell.com
plus...."Labor Segment" Stewart Acuff, President of the AFL-CIO
Comments
#2
Gerald Socha,
Yes, even on a much simpler level, a good parent knows that he must teach his children that there are consequences to their actions. Basic stuff!
#3
Gerald Socha,
Maybe women are the disciplinarians in Obama's world view!
#4
Quark,
our nation has many great thinkers and great writers. It is beyond my comprehension why our country cannot have more love, mercy, and forgiveness in her heart.
When I read Stephan Lendman's article, "A Culture of Violence," our violent nature must be deep and widespread.
#5
Gerald Socha,
Maybe we are too "young" a nation. Too spoiled, too wealthy, too arrogant, too ambitious. When European "world powers" like Spain, the Netherlands, etc. settled down, didn't they become more humane?
We are about to become poor, but we are still ruled by bad actors (NOT an Emmy joke!)
#6
Quark,
you may be right in the thought that women are the disciplinarians. But, why is he willing to keep the Middle East wars alive?
#7
Gerald Socha,
I keep wondering that, too. Maybe he is putting too much trust in his generals. (After all, they wouldn't willingly admit defeat.)
#8
Quark,
I believe why Europe became more humane centers around the fact that their nations were so close to each other and differences were easily seen and a war flared up from time to time. They came to realize that these wars were stupid ways of settling differences. We have two oceans between us and Europe and Asia. We do not feel the true extent of a war or wars and so through propoganda war has become portrayed as a video game. Our foreign policy and our domestic policy is to create chaos, a crisis, and fear that someone wants to take away our freedoms. We fail to understand by our government and our corporations creating problems around the world it is a way to take away our freedoms anrights. For some reason Americans fail to learn the lessons of history. American rulers have a lust for control and power. We are only cannon fodder for the rulers.
#9
Quark,
our stupidity centers around the belief that wars can be won. There are no winners in a war. We all lose in some way. For the US I see the loss of her soul.
#10
Gerald Socha,
You know, the last major war (the Civil War) on this continent still has repercussions in our culture --- most of them not good. It seems that we only learned how to take advantage of each other as a result. Today's carpetbaggers and plantation politicians are still wreaking havoc in today's world.
#11
Pride is a deadly sin. It is our pride that keeps us fighting even though the cause is lost. Swallowing of pride will keep more of our soldiers alive.
#12
Gerald Socha,
I think America lost her soul when we handed it over to the corporations (the late nineteenth-century supreme court case Thom discovered that gives corporations the rights (MORE, actually) of humans.
#13
Gerald Socha ,
RE: Pride is a deadly sin.
No one in the military wants another Vietnam debacle (except they've taken the wrong lessons from it.)
#14
Re: racisim
We are hard wired to recognize "Us vs them". Racism is a special case of this. The tactics used the the hard right exploit our brain's ability to identify a "them" whenever they identify some "enemy" or undeserving group, whether it be illegal immigrants, blacks, the poor, welfare queens, liberals, etc. The Republican leadership may not intend to be racist, but using these tactics naturally triggers the same errant thought process that leads to racism. And they are smart enough, or should be smart enough, to know this.
#15
Quark,
you mentioned the Civil War and its repercussions upon us. Now picture wars with Canada and Mexico over the centuries and with Europe and Asia helping Canada and Mexico and how much damage will be evident. At some point we will cone to realize that endless wars are stupid. There is something in the American psyche that just will not let go of our lust for wars.
#16
TO ALL MINNESOTANS:
Quick "Public Service" Announcement ('Just received):
Health Care for America Now and our partners are doing rallies all over the country to make the fundamental choice crystal clear.
You can help by coming out to fight for quality affordable health care at a rally TOMORROW in Minneapolis:
Big Insurance: Sick of It
March for Health Insurance Reform
Tuesday, September 22
Minneapolis
9:00 AM
Minneapolis United Labor Center, Room 218
312 Central Ave. (corner of Central Ave. and University Ave.)
Minneapolis, MN
(map)
Speakers include those who have suffered from the insurance companies and their relentless pursuit of profits.
Parking is available at: St. Anthony Municipal Parking, 210 Second Ave. SE, Minneapolis (corner of University Ave. and Second Ave. SE). The cost is a flat rate of $2.50. Cash, checks and all major credit cards accepted.
RSVP to chris@takeactionminnesota.org
#17
Frank Feuerbacher,
Did you happen to see this video I posted last week? The Republican Party is making deliberate decisions using the worst crackpots (Minute 6:23)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show#3288...
#18
Our media only reinforces these dysfunctional, dangerous impulses. Maybe it IS hopeless...
#19
Gerald,
'Got to go. Thanks for a wonderful, thoughtful discussion. 'See you tomorrow --- same "bat" place, same "bat" time?
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/news/batman/batman_dark_tomorrow_po...
#20
When you liive around thinly-veiled and not-so-thinly-veiled racism for years you develop a sixth sense. Some think themselves clever or even subtle by dangling innuendo without coming out and saying it. I'll be the first to admit that I can't read minds but for most of my life those I've engaged who started with racially suggestive but plausibly deniable overtones almost without exception gave themselves away at some point. Most are only a couple of drinks or a smaller audience away from letting it all out and saying just what they mean.
Lurita Doan was indirect, evasive, excused the egregious aiding and abetting of racism by the right while equating it to some strained and non-specific reference to racism from the left (presumably this curious habit of calling those who notice the rampant race baiting on the right as being racists for calling them on it).
Thom, it could have been kept civil while still pressing your points more and giving her less wiggle room. She seemed a bit unhinged to me. It is as if momentarily donning some faux mantle of reason and sobriety can somehow distract us from the sheer lunacy of the continual stream fo stunts coming from the right. She seemed to be framing her arguments in the context of some party that I've not seen of late.
I was not fooled.
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Hello All
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As I read Marianne Williamson's quotes, I felt that Obama means well when he says we should look forward and not back. The problem I have is that forgiveness is very important but we still must investigate the slaughter of people committed by Bush II and Cheney. They should serve time for their crimes against humanity. Once we know the extent of their crimes, we can then determine what we can forgive. For our nation to be above the law will not serve us well in the present or in the future.