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By the way "leighmf"... great post! Amen sister. - AIW
Marc, I think 10-K has answered your reply to me as well as I could have. It's all about strategy. Check out his post #11.
The way you talk about Thom, if I didn't listen to the man myself, that last post of yours would give me the impression that Thom doesn't take global warming very seriously. Quite the contrary, I hear Thom speak about this issue all the time. I'll even go so far as to say he gives global warming more space on his show than most issues. His active interest and background in the sciences gives him more credibility than someone like me who's not a science buff. I've heard him debate climate deniers numerous times; often those debates end with the denier getting angry and going off in a huff. Thom's also appeared on various documentaries and TV shows, addressing this issue. He gives it all kinds of coverage; on the radio, on TV, on this blog… Frankly, I don't know how else he can "put his words where his mouth is". So how is he "conceding" victory, then? And if he uses stronger language and adopts more of an aggressive, in-yer-face demeanor, and alienates some of his audience, how is that benefiting anyone or furthering the cause?
You ask me if I have a better suggestion… better than what?! - Aliceinwonderland
DAM -- Which debt are you concerned with: the 100% or the 17 trillion?
Remember FDR tried to balance the budget in 1936 and within 3 months it was destroying the economy. Clinton balanced the budget and crashed the stock market (I took a major hit) and the economy.
Kend -- Do you have any ideas how we could get rid of lobbyists?
What massive debt? The US debt is 17 trillion, and 25% of it is interagency debt. The wealth in the US has increased 34 trillion since 2008. All 34 trillion went to the top 7%. What we need is more economic equality.
Fiddleman- Great idea! Disband the Supreme Court!! - AIW
The Supreme Court
The Robert’s Court has done what no invading army could do. They have brought this democracy to its knees. It is no longer one person; one vote—it is one dollar one vote. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, for the people—it is a government of the people, by the wealthy, for the wealth.
Across the land, Democrats and moderate Republicans are being swept aside by an onslaught of attacks from well-funded lobbies unleashed by the perverted Roberts ruling that money is speech.
The court is supposed to uphold the Constitution, the primary document protecting the American people, instead they have destroyed it in the name of protecting the rights of corporations by bequeathing them the rights of human beings.
The court has garnered more power than either of the other two branches of government when the founding fathers granted them only an advisory role. It took corporations just a little over 200 years to change democracy from the inside.
We should disband the court and void their rulings on the grounds that they are detrimental to the rights of the people (human beings) of the United States and violate the intent of the Constitution.
Had ordinary citzens been in control as in Democratic Socialism, we would have been Green since the the Jimmy Carter presidency. We all know big oil with their big money is the reason the planet is going to become inhabitable. It's going below 20 tonight in Upstate NY...record cold territory....Rest in peace if you can, Koch heads! There....that was rude, and I don't give a damn.
AIW -- I was thanking you for pointing out to me the difference between welfare and a minimum guranteed income. Being an engineer, it is probably in my DNA that no one can understand me. That is probably why so many technical writers were employed during the aerospace boom. My excuse for not understanding the pain of welfare was I was only looking at the contribution to the aggregate demand. That number cannot experience all the things that are wrong with welfare that you explained so well.
Aliceinwonderland: You're by far the least shy with the word "Fascist," and I applaud you. I'm with you. I scream at the weak responses our politicians often give when interviewed on Sunday morning talk shows etc. I find myself answering over them with far more effective results.....in my mind anyway. I wouldn't be invited back either!......
DAnneMarc: Couldn't agree more! But in addition I think Thom's debate strategy which tends to aviod this more aggressive language is also effective. His amiable approach probably pulls more content out of his guests, but quite often their replys are nothing more than Fox talking points anyway. He realizes many of his opponents are sincerely misinformed and I think he truly feels sorry for them....so why beat them up. How many times do you feel bad about yourself after losing your patience in replying to Kend?...case in point! Thom has to be professional...we don't...LOL!
Wasn't that the Romney campaign slogan "I'm rubber, you're glue"?
Seems to me that if the government will back down when confronted by only 100 armed civilians over a few cows (Bundy ranch/US Gov dispute in Nevada) then the many hundreds of thousands of well armed civilians can put down a government that lets the 1% get away with outright theft of our economy. Look what has happened all around the world when citizens amass and overthrow their tyrannous governments.
Right now, the Eastern Ukrainians are rebelling against the US backed Nazi government now in power in Kiev and doing a pretty good job of it. And it is so ludicrous, but not unexpected, for our government officials to spout off their hypocrisy propaganda against the East Ukrainians and what the US claims is Russian help in rebelling. I laugh at silly ass Kerry and Obama and every one of those idiot government officials who now complain that Russia isn't playing fair. If Russia really is helping the rebels in Eastern Ukraine....sooooooo what!!!! What the hell do you think the US and NATO countries did in helping those Nazis overthrow the original Kiev, Ukraine government. They started this whole mess to begin with. I'll laugh my ass off if Russia manages to solidify their hold on all of Ukraine. The US is in it's desperate death throes due to it's evil baby killing hegemonic war machine they've launched against sovereign countries over the last couple of decades or so.
Not even the local police in Eastern Ukraine would fall in lock-step with the Kiev Nazi regime. Good for them...setting a very good example of how local authorities should side with the citizens of those communities against a tyrannous government.
But, I don't know if progressives in the US will ever have the gumption to really actively stand up, armed, against their government. Most have already given away their guns or never had them to begin with. They are still deluded with the belief in hope and the ballot box even though it is a rigged system. And just like all those other places that feigned a system of democracy...it really was a rigged system in favor of the plutocracy...just like here in the US.
Progressives think that all they have to do is go out and suffer getting tear gassed or heads banged in by the police. They must think that they will gain sympathy or empathy from the majority voters in order to get more Democrats in office. But Democrats are just as corrupt as the Republicans. It wouldn't matter if 100% of Congress and the President were Democrats...you'd still see the 1% screwing the rest of us...because the Democrat politicians are owned by the 1% ever as much as are the Republicans.
There's only one thing that will change things for the better...and the 100 civilians in Nevada proved that. Progressives are too politically correct and rely on "hope"...they'll never rile people up to the point where they go against the government armed..which is the only thing that will change things. And since the Republicans are the only ones with guns, I think it is a pretty far gone conclusion who is going to rule the roost from now on!
Aliceinwonderland ~ I do this because of Thom's own words. Essentially, time is running out on climate change and the human race. The time has come and gone to take our gloves off. Thom has a unique advantage in this race to survival to put his words where his mouth is. It may not make any difference; however, to not try is to concede victory; and a conceded victory means extinction. Like you said it might take more time to reach the unreachable amongst us and using such terms may alienate them. However, time is a luxury we do not have. Do you have a better suggestion? My ears are open!!
The trouble began with the creation of The United States when fat, self-serving senators and judges as "insiders" got first dibs on America's resources for themselves and their supporters as the country was settled.
Government bilking by ditch and canal diggers and their associated mining operatives, like Dupont, who were already here exploiting the land, began on Day One of the United States. Before corporations were old insurance giants and their trust companies, staffed with devious manipulators of history and fortunes, who by design have guaranteed themselves, their heirs and assigns the present wealth which oppresses us as a free country in 2014 and keeps our technology stagnant.
The costumes and characters have changed, but it is essentially the same group of bad actors who got hold early on and have dragged us into war, sickness, violence, poverty, ignorance with ruses and pretenses.
They ought to be dragged off their yachts, put in a line-up, identified, and confined in interrment camps for the morally ill. Perhaps old prisoner of war facilities might be re-developed by Carlyle-Marriott for this meaningful purpose, to cleanse our society of these ticks, flukes, and other parasites.
Right on, Bobbler! I've made the same comment more times than I can count. And that "death panels" projection really makes me crazy, because private insurance is all about death panels... What do these fascist clowns think we've been dealing with already?! (HELLO...) - Aliceinwonderland
Marc, I really appreciate your kind words... about me. But why be so hard on Thom? Like I pointed out to the venerable Loren Bliss awhile back, we're way to the left of a majority of Americans... unfortunately. As a public figure, Thom is trying to influence as many people as possible. I strongly suspect he uses less potent language than we do, not because he's less radical than us but to avoid alienating people who might otherwise listen. Anyone who's got the wherewithall and the desire to educate the public is providing a valuable service; not just to us but to humanity.
I don't think it's fair to question Thom's sincerity. He does beautiful work and is an articulate messenger... in my humble opinion, anyhow. I really wish he was able to engage with us here, at least a little bit, and speak for himself. But since he isn't, I am unable to resist the impulse to defend him on occasion. I've learned a lot from that guy and am in awe of how much he & Louise have accomplished. Thom's done more for the betterment of humanity than all of us put together. And he's so friggin' smart! Smart, with a heart. My kinda guy...
In light of all the criticism Thom has received on this blog, I find it laughable when certain individuals (who I won't name!) accuse us of worshipping him like he "walks on water". The hell we do. And hey, even I have criticized Thom on occasion! I think he's way too kind towards Obama, who I lost respect for eons ago. Oh well. But insincere?! I don't think so. - Aliceinwonderland
Good question. Especially if it were posed to our Corporate Media.
The first place I'd go is the vet. The seond place , my lawyer's office. These people are ridiculous.
Yes, and I think the project should be completely building an alternative energy grid (the best way, not the outdated, inefficient, vulnerable way); all the infrastructure that needs to be done to support it; training and deploying people to install solar, wind, etc. etc. That is where the project should be focused, with secondary focus on repairing all the crumbling infrastructure like roads and bridges, but with new efficient, eco-friendly, low energy replacements. Let's focus on moving forward, but not adhering to the status quo while doing it.
Hey There 4 ~ Keep up the great work! All my cats agree with you 100%.
Aliceinwonderland ~ Absolutely not! You are one of the few who have been refreshingly crystal clear and sincere every time you post. Now, if we can just convince the author of, "Cracking the Code" to be as crystal clear and sincere we might start making some real headway in our struggle with this fascist, Neo Nazi, Conservative regime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJNrdnfwrLI
Loren ~ Thanks for your most provocative response. It has left me speechless. Much food for thought to chew over. Thanks again!
I wonder if this would have had the same outcome if the "protestors" had been black/brown, or occupy activists.
Marc...Make no mistake: there is nothing desirable about violent revolution -- which would leave the lands wherein it is fought looking, at best, like Europe in 1945 and, at worst, like Hiroshima or Nagasaki after the Bomb. Yet given how quickly the One Percent now resorts to violence -- note again the example of the brutal suppression of Occupy, also the Gestapo-like disregard of neighborhood civil rights that characterized the search for the Boston Marathon bomber -- I fear an eventual violent reaction by the citizenry is inevitable. (Indeed, provoking a rebellion may be the clandestine purpose behind such tactics -- the creation of an incident that will give the Ruling Class an excuse for exterminating large segments of the U.S. population, the Final Solution to the problems of unemployment, poverty and homelessness.) And the mercilessness of the Ruling Class response has already been made clear: it was demonstrated in Vietnam: "we had to destroy the village to save it."
Remember too that morally there is not one scintilla of difference between the USian policy of exterminating an entire village for harboring alleged "terrorists" and the Nazi German policy of imposing exactly the same reprisals for harboring partisans. That the USian (Fourth) Reich does the extermination from afar with drones, while the German (Third) Reich did it up-close-and-personal with machine guns, rifles, bayonets and pistols, does not alter the moral depravity or karmic malignancy of the event itself. In fact it is at least arguable the drone-exterminations are more reprehensible merely by how they protect the drone operators from being splattered with blood and gore -- and how that bloodlessness is then used to assure the drone operators they are without sin.
As to your notion of a coordinated revolutionary effort by socialist countries -- Cuba, Venezuela, Vietnam etc. -- that capability perished with the Soviet Union, and it is already clear the USian Empire will do anything it can to prevent its resurrection. China, meanwhile, has been totally co-opted (and totally corrupted) by capitalism; the USian Empire has achieved with money precisely what its British Empire antecedent sought in the 19th Century to accomplish with opium. The one remaining wild-card is Russia, where the Communist Party remains the second largest (and by far the best organized) political party in the nation -- so much so it was only by Putin's New Deal-like repeal of the most viciously capitalist Ayn Rand "reforms" imposed under Yeltsin the country was steered away from another Communist revolution. (This is most likely why the USian Imperial One Percent -- the oberfuehrers of fascism's Global New Order -- are now trying to provoke a war with Russia: they are terrified by what might happen should the vast nation again go Communist.)