Recent comments

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday May 2nd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    Thom, one thing that I'd like to add on your conversation about guns at the GOP convention. Think about the thinking that the attendees at the convetion should be able to carry guns because they may meet "occupy" protesters. What they're implying is that the occupiers clearly need to be eliminated, that they are essentially NOT AMERICANS!

  • Daily Topics - Thursday May 3rd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    On "gun rights" vs. "water pistol rights" at the RNC:

    The second amendment gives us the right to "bear arms." That's not limited to firearms.

    If banning concealed guns violates the second amendment, doesn't banning sticks and crowbars also violate the second amendment? After all, sticks and stones and knives are "arms."

    Obbie
    La Crosse, WI

  • US troops to remain in Afghanistan until as late as 2024. Will we ever end our imperial wars and curb military spending?   13 years 13 weeks ago

    We will have to shift away from fossil fuels before we'll see an end to these seemingly endless wars. Just as Thom indicated, it is only for the oil these countries have, and no other reason, or at least not the primary reasons, only those expounded to the duped American public. That and get big corporate money out of politics so that our Representatives actually start representing the people again. Then, add to the list regain control of our media so that we can hear a semblance of truth and not lies and distortions of fact. Only then will we be able to regain a semblance of real democracy in this country.

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    There's still a bug left that bites me since yesterday: You CANNOT compare the Catholic Church to nazi imperialism! As you CANNOT compare any of that to the Spanish, English ect. empires! These empires just happened, because they were successful. But they hadn't any idea to rule the world, as Hitler had. All these empires just went out for natural resources -- above all gold and germs. The Spanish king needed gold to finance his court and wars. Some ship-masters went overseas for scientific reasons, but mostly it was resources and getting rich soon. Economical GREED -- oh well, we know that...

    The old Romans just slipped into becoming IMPERIVM ROMANVM, after defeating Carthage's empire, which had threatened them. Colonialism just made Rome wealthy after that -- economical GREED again. PAX ROMANA was just propaganda to whitewash that greed. The Roman Church was misused by greedy popes and other clerics, but to me it still is the institution founded by Jesus.

    Let's now go to the Holy Roman-German Empire, which I know better than the modern Germany. This was a relatively peaceful empire. When it started on Christmas Day A.D. 800, it was sort of Germanic emancipation -- inheriting the Roman empire. This empire did not only guarantee peace, it also had a social function. People who felt suppressed by local aristocracy had the option to complain to federal institutions of the empire, to start an investigation. And they often got help. Living in a town that directly was owned by the emperor was considered to make free (for example Käyſer=Stadt Franckforth/ today Frankfurt). This is the I. German empire -- the only really legitimate one (they already had the Dollar/Dahler/Thaler). The II. empire basically was Prussian treason and robbery, the III. one just Hitler's paranoia. Of course today's post-empire democracy is legitimate again. Interestingly it is a federation again, pretty much basing on the federal structure of the I. empire.

    Let's go to the English empire : this was economical GREED again. Same goes for the empires of Portugal and the General States of the Netherlands. Sorry, you CANNOT compare these empires to Hitler's insanity. Napoleon is another issue. The French kings envied the status of the German emperor since the middle-ages, and this was the reason why they attacked the German empire again and again. Napoleon was finally successful, after Prussia weakened Vienna. It was basically Prussian selfishness that helped Napoleon. But had Napoleon crazy dreams, comparable to Hitler's? I don't think so, but frankly don't know much about Napoleon. Generalizing history is a very-very awkward thing and makes me feel very-very uncomfortable.

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    WOW, Alan Lunn, you're saying a lot of very intelligent things in your comment! Don't miss this folks : click "reply to #7" above in this comment!

  • May Day: A Day Without the 99% - Occupy General Strike In Over 135 US Cities   13 years 13 weeks ago

    I know you're a very smart guy and consistently democratic campaigner. I was just happy that you brought those ideological points up, because many Americans have no clue what it actually means. My comments here are basically trials to educate Americans -- above all to neutralize GOP prejudices.

    Your saying "I'm a steadfast Democratic Socialist" might tempt some right-winger to call you a communist:

    You better not dare it right-wingers! Communists considered Social Democrats their worst enemies since the 19th century. Communists hated, jailed and even killed a lot of Social Democrats during the 20th century. If you hate linguistically being beaten up by a girl, you better not spread out right-wing lies on a liberal blog....

    Communists just abused the term "socialism" (Sozialimus), which actually was a Social Democratic term. As many communistic regimes even called themselves "democratic" which was lying as well.

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    Are you a nihilist? No convicitons at all??

  • It's Halloween Week! Jacob is picking the most "creative" comment to get a signed copy of Threshold- what's yours?   13 years 13 weeks ago

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  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    It's all part of a natural cycle in global economics and psychometry. Do yourself a favor and read "The Genius of the Beast" by Howard Bloom. Stop thinking like your TV and your computer screen. Stop buying the party line. Stop spreading political hype. Stop thinking you have to be right. Stop thinking that the answer lies in some political ideal. Stop believing the incessant thoughts in your head. Stop believing in fences (limitations). Start loving your neighbor.

  • US troops to remain in Afghanistan until as late as 2024. Will we ever end our imperial wars and curb military spending?   13 years 13 weeks ago
  • May Day: A Day Without the 99% - Occupy General Strike In Over 135 US Cities   13 years 13 weeks ago

    I knew those last few words in my post would cause someone to comment, good for you, I agree with the anti-violent sentiment, although history doesn't show this to be very realistic.

    Don't worry, I'm a steadfast Democratic Socialist. I actually brought up much of what you posted during my conversation. I never got a sense this individual was advocating leading a red army into overthrowing our own oligarchy. But I did get a sense he really cared about social justice and that was good enough for me.

    The concentration of wealth and power has lead to a situation every bit as destructive and violent as the "red army," armed force, you allude to, just ask the bankster victims, those who have lost their homes, jobs, and hard earned 401ks, along with their physical and mental health. How about the welfare of their children.......do they have a choice regarding the resulting misery and poverty? Ask those harmed by BP's 2010 oil spill, ask those working two low paying jobs in order to make ends meet, ask those who suffer because they can't afford proper healthcare, ask the unemployed college graduate who has to move back home because guys like Romney downsized and outsourced jobs to line their own pockets. It's already quite VIOLENT out there, thanks to the golden rule, "those with the gold making the rule", how about a little DEMOCRACY with our fascism? I recall not long ago, 3/4's of the citizens being in favor of the Buffett rule...some DEMOCRACY!

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    where is ravi batra? i'd be interested in his opinion on this!

    der... the thing is we're getting to be as bad as europe in term of our debt. source: http://www.usdebtclock.org/world-debt-clock.html
    jobs keep going over seas.
    all of my friends in corp america are afraid to lose their job.
    they work overtime without pay.

    then look at the way the government is spending spending spending and taxes ARENT BEING RAISED ON ANYONE. even those who can afford it. you know the >=100,000 (individual) crowd. the ~6%. sorry. you need your taxes raised if you make over 100k. and if you make over 5x10^6 you need taxes in the range of 80%.

    honestly i think the end of the american dollar as the reserve currency is near. i think we're going to be growing beans in our back yard because food is too expenisive at the grocery store.

    -brett4096

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    At some point, we can only hope we will look back on the Modern Age and especially the 20th century and see that the "we-they" extremes of both communism and fascism were failures. The post-modern world should depart from the extremes brought about by the Industrial Revolution, which was predatory capitalism and its opposite reaction that led to the nastiness of Stalin and Mao.

    At present in this country, you have the GOP being pushed, I think, by the paranoid, John Bircher, libertarian Koch brothers into trying to "starve the beast" of government and essentially establish one-party rule which would then be succeeded by what? Austerity is the last policy established before destroying a vibrant middle class, and now the greatest one the world has ever seen. That could essentially leave this country in its own rubble, spreading Detroit's malaise everywhere.Thom is always nailing it precisely. I hope Republican "populists" (tea party) realize at some point they have been generally duped. They stand to lose the most from the very Koch-head policies they endorse. It is like watching lemmings on a suicide path. Crazy.

    We have to get free of the strictures of the political mythologies and assumptions of the past and forge a new American government that is free of the tendencies to bribery created by the alliance of business and state. To have any real capitalism, the state has to belong to the people and be powerful enough to protect us all from the predatory "capitalists" that wind up robbing all humankind.

  • US troops to remain in Afghanistan until as late as 2024. Will we ever end our imperial wars and curb military spending?   13 years 13 weeks ago

    Ok, I'll bite. What corporation wants which resource in Afghanistan?

  • US troops to remain in Afghanistan until as late as 2024. Will we ever end our imperial wars and curb military spending?   13 years 13 weeks ago

    The perpetual war economy will continue as long as the corporate party's really retrograde Republicans and deeply depraved Democrats keep voting together to provide their 99% popular vote mandates for more war; no actual healthcare... and no attempt to mitigate catastrophic climate change.

    Jill Stein for President:

    http://www.jillstein.org

    Voter Consent Wastes Dissent:

    http://chenangogreens.org

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    The point in the U.S. is, our market is pretty much dead. So this makes the "buy American" paroles necessary. My father thinks this was wrong and he isn't totally wrong. Well, I think we need this right now, but we shouldn't overdo this and end up in radical protectionism. Trade between nations and even continents and cultures is very old and has always been useful. Basically we have to consider, if we don't buy other nations stuff, they will refuse to buy ours. Protectionism and separatism is ignorance and leads to degeneration. And actually racism isn't far from protectionism and separatism.

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    If you like to stress differences, just compare our North-American/European culture to cultures like Asia and Africa. For these pretty much are different worlds and it's difficult to relate to them.

    But you cannot divide European nations, they very much belong together. France and Germany were sisters and brothers, just separated because they belonged to different kings. Parts of Poland once were German, the Netherlands once were a state of the German Empire, as Austria too. Parts of northern Italy belonged to the German empire, the south to the king of Spain. Italy as a nation is very young. The kings of Sweden and Denmark were the emperor's vassals as state rulers in Germany, Spain owned Belgium. Great parts of eastern Europe belonged to Austria, although occupied by the Turks for some time. Others were rule by Poland.

    England of course is pretty much different, kind of separated on their island. Greece is also very much different from the rest of Europe : it was occupied by Turkey for a long time and anyway tends to the east as Orthodox Christian culture.

    No, Europe actually is a cultural unit, and it's nations on the continent very young. Even the German nation did not exist before 1870/71! Germany was an empire. The idea of a German nation is actually very against nature. There has never been a united German nation; they were just Bavarians, Saxons, Franks, Frisians ect....

    The idea of a united Germany as a nation is just as libertarian as the idea of a united Europe. And maybe it was during the 1800s, when mass misery ruled -- already caused by libertarians indeed and inspiring people like Karl Marx.

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday May 2nd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    It was Harding not Hoover who came in in 1921. Followed by Coolidge then Hoover. Though the 20's were under a Republican administration.

    N

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday May 2nd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    · Be Careful Mr. President, keep it steady, this is a 747 not a fighter jet.

    · Listen Karl, Don’t tell me how to fly a plane.

    · Bong, Bong, Bong

    · George, careful, you are going to break the wing off this thing,

    · Listen Turd Blossom, ….. Crack!.

    · Karl we’re going to Die!!!!

    · No W, We have two parachutes. Screw the passengers lets jump.

    · (Reminds me of a story my dad told me…)

    · Karl and G.W. Bail out

    · Plane begins a smoke billowing spiral dive from 40,000 feet.

    · This is a job for Obama-man

    · Obama-man flies up and grabs hold of the broken wing and brings the crippled plane to straight and level flight at 5,000 feet. And supports the 747 to a safe landing at the nearest airport.

    · Fox News.

    · When George was in control the plane was at 40,000 feet. Plane drops 35,000 feet due to Obama incompetence.

    · Obama nearly crashes Plane.

    · Obama delays passengers without authorization.

    · Obama kidnaps plane load of passengers, forces takes them to wrong airport.

    · Obama snubs Pilot’s Union.

    · Did you see he wasn’t wearing a flag Pin?

    · Obama blames everything on Bush.

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday May 2nd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    How would this be for an anti-Romney campaign: Would you have to do much voting and issue research to prove that Romney has a more liberal record than Obama?

    "Romney. Farther Left than Obama"

    The olde political diagram was from left to right:

    Radical - Liberal - Moderate - Conservative - Reactionary.

    If this was a semi-circle (top half of a clock), Obama and Clinton would exist at about 1 o'clock (a little to the right of centrist). Romney's political record might be at around 11 o'clock (a little to the left of centrist). Romney's political waffling rhetoric will try to put him in the reactionary zone..2 - 2:30.

    Peace

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    The differences between central/northern Europe and south Europe are pretty much the same like the north-south conflict in the U.S. : backwardly conservative south. Italy, Spain and Portugal are very Catholic, in a mentally pretty backward way. Greece is orthodox and possibly even worse.

    Lately I am following the German news-ticker on Yahoo and it's very interesting : Frau Merkel makes big government policy indeed. For example I read an article about the German Bundeskartellamt, criticizing her intervention in the free market. I just decided to call her Angie 'Eisenhower' Merkel. So what whining Bundeskartellamt? Germany booms and proves austerity wrong!

    http://de.nachrichten.yahoo.com/bundeskartellamt-kritisiert-die-politik-...

    Or how about this : Merkel's green change!

    http://de.nachrichten.yahoo.com/regierung-energiewende-voranbringen-0532...

    I love Angie -- she's amazing LOL!

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday May 2nd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    One world living under entirely open borders and one legal system with an open market I think can be either a peaceful and fair world or an oppresive and war torn world. What it comes down to is the baseline for the government, the standards for equality and civil and economic justice. I doubt that a world ran by a corrupt government is going to be anything but a horror, and I can't think of any government that is uncorruptable.

    Perhaps the biggest problem to one world is the market place. The market thrives off of competition, and competition leads to struggles.

    N

  • Exacerbated by trickle-down austerity, the Eurozone unemployment rate has risen to 10.9%   13 years 13 weeks ago

    European countries were historically NEVER seperated nations. Lets not forget, those various European nations and races came together in the United States as well, and it works. In the past, the European countries pretty much belonged together -- their territories depended on the kings and emperors who ruled and the borders changed. The idea of nations is pretty young.

    The idea of cooperating in a united Europe is very old -- Europeans dreamed that dream over all those centuries while suffering wars. In Europe was mostly war all the time -- consistent peace was rare.

    No, the idea to unite Europe is, that trading nations don't fight each other. And this idea is older than libertarianism. It was born many centuries ago, when Europa was still ruled by kings. Those kings already knew : trading with other countries helps to keep peace.

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday May 2nd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    Thom, pleeeease, you are being fed disinformation on HIV/AIDS issue. Please have someone you trust investigate the dissident position that it's impossible for a retrovirus (HIV) to cause the type of immunodeficient states that are called AIDS. Thank you - you're too intelligent to pass along the pseudoscience of the HIV experts..

  • Daily Topics - Wednesday May 2nd, 2012   13 years 13 weeks ago

    Here are part of the lyrics to a song by a band from the 80s (Icicle Works, Birds Fly)... rather prophetic I think.

    We are, we are, we are but your children
    Finding our way around indecision
    We are, we are, we are rather helpless
    Take us forever, a whisper to a scream

    I'm beginning to think that a lot of music artists in the 80's were very politically motivated, but hid their leanings in the poppiness of their tunes.

    Anyway it seems like an anthem of our times that our voices are but a whisper to the scream of political money.

    Thom you may want to consider having a bumper made from a clip from the song.

    N

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