I'm Done Playing the Outrage Game For the Dems

My name is Steven D. I am an outrage-aholic. But now I am going cold turkey.

I spent years being outraged at the actions of the Republicans.

Just check my history of "stories" published at my profile page at TOP.

Two of my most often used "tags" were Republicans and "George W. Bush."

I posted hundreds of stories during the Bush years documenting, among other things, the following: torture, misuse of national surveillance, war crimes, GOP attacks on healthcare and social security, GOP attacks on the LGBTQ community, GOP scandals of every kind from sex scandals to cronyism to killing US soldiers in Iraq for profit, conservative hate talk, GOP denial of climate change and even the damn war on Christmas.

My most recommended diary at TOP ever was this one (link to non-TOP site that republished my diary): What Do Conservatives Want When They Say "I Want My Country Back?"

There were days I felt I was the engineer of the outrage train, I was so angry and upset at what Republicans did to our county. But then a miracle happened. The Democrats took control of the Presidency and Congress. Oh happy day. I still played the outrage game, but now I played the hope and change game, too. But while I saw a lot of talk of hope, as time wore on I saw little idf any real change.

I kept telling myself that President Obama and the Democrats were playing the long game, even as they came in with a defective health care reform law written by a Republican think tank. I ignored the failure to close Gitmo as Republican deviousness and demagoguery. I ignored Obama's expanded use of national surveillance of American citizens and his expanded use of the war powers allegedly granted under the AUMF, even as justification for his "play station" drone assassination program.

I remained silent far too long regarding regime change in Libya and Syria and our failure to do anything to protect the people of Gaza from war crimes by the Israeli government, or our support for genocide by our "Saudi" allies. I laid low and avoided criticizing Democrats for the same things for which I had castigated Republicans, like when they cosied up to Wall Street, helped out the MIC, Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Tech and Big whatever, because at least the Dems talked a good game. Because Obama was in the White House, I ignored the federal government's complicity in the beat down of Occupy Wall Street, and their failure, time after time, to do anything to prosecute either killer cops or killer Wall Street criminals, the largest organized crime syndicate in the world.

Because in the outrage game you can only be outraged by one side. Just as my Republican family members reserved all their outrage for Democrats and ignored the crimes and mistakes and harm done by their party, I saw the world through a dark and twisted glass in which the only light that came through to bounce upon my retinas portrayed the Republicans as the spawn of Satan. Help me Barrack Obama, I chanted daily, your our only hope. Oh, what a fool I was.

Well this last two years have opened my eyes to the evil of our so-called democracy. It's a con game both parties play, with a big assist by the media, the MIC, and of course all their greedy, soulless corporate sponsors. Bernie Sanders and alternative media ripped the blinders from my eyes.

So forgive me if I don't jump on the "Trump just did/said what?" bandwagon, and the new axis of evil centered on Russia, the Donald and the latest, greatest constitutional crisis in our nation's history. Actually, I don't give a damn if you forgive me or not.

Because real people are suffering while the media and the parties play their "Look squirrel" games with us. Climate change is crashing down on us literally from the skies and the seas, scorching and flooding and killing wherever it chooses like some angry misbegotten godling from out of an ancient mythology. The poor are getting poorer. The most vulnerable are being ignored and shunted aside. Drug abuse and suicide is up and life expectancy is down. War grinds on though no one ever talks about it except to bludgeon "the other guys" who are always the "greater evil" because they sold out to (a) the terrorists or (b) the Reds (i.e., Russia).

Selective outrage, and its concomitant ally, fear, the tactics that have divided us for over a century for the benefit of our home made aristocracy and their well paid servants, the "upper middle class" (an oxymoron if I ever saw one) no longer holds any appeal for me. When the whole system is rotten, why pick one of of the sides of the same coin as the your champion?

Enjoy the bread-less circus of the Trump/CIA/Media spectacle if you wish. I'm choosing to opt out.

Share
up
0 users have voted.

Comments

Song of the lark's picture

A bunch of pygmies have killed an elephant several days before. It is no laying dead and slowly in the heat has been festering and becoming bloated. Its great belly is expanding balloon like with fermenting blood and guts. The pygmies are gathered around and finally the guts give way in a huge gaseous explosion of putrid red bits and stink. Then the pygmies start drunkenly dancing and being quite merry.
This is our current state in America. Our rotted corpse hasn't exploded yet. Everyone knows something crazy and marvelous and scary, and horrible is going to happen. We are going to be both amazed and fascinated at being painted red in the fetid aftermath. When this happens I don't know but surely I feel it's turgid bloody effulgence approaching. Will we dance?

up
0 users have voted.
mimi's picture

I try to put off my outrage meter and off-line.

But I like to ask something. If the Pygmies were hunting elephants for their own survival and need for proteins of meat, they would not let rot the elephant, right? Is there may be something "fishy" about your primitive, rural myth? I haven't heard that pygmies would hunt elephants for meat, it's more like apes and porque epiques, as far as I remember. I ate a porque epique at my sister-in-laws house in Cameroon, near the BAKA pygmies forests homes, hunted by a pygmie, who my sister-inlaw asked to hunt it for her. My sister-in-law was Bantu. That was 43 years ago.The porque epique was delicious. Just saying.

All I know about Pygmies and elephant hunting is more like what this article describes:

Billionaire's elephant-hunting safaris implicated in "Pygmy” abuses - 2 November 2016

Here a video

Survival International has learned that an elephant-hunting safari operation jointly owned by a French billionaire has been implicated in human rights abuses against local Baka “Pygmies” and their neighbors, including illegal evictions and torture.

The operation is based in two “protected areas” in Cameroon, leased by Benjamin de Rothschild. It offers tourists the chance to pay €55,000 to shoot a forest elephant.

Baka were evicted from their ancestral land to create the trophy hunting operation, contrary to international law. It is patrolled by soldiers, police and armed guards, and Baka have now been told they will be shot on sight if they cross it to hunt to feed their families, gather plants, or visit religious sites.

The Baka report that three of their forest camps have been burnt by wildlife guards and safari camp employees in the last year alone. Baka men hunting for food in this forest have been beaten by local police, soldiers and wildlife guards.

Now I wonder who is hunting for elephants let them rot and take their ivory. I guess it's not the pygmies, what do you think?

Sorry to rant on your comment. I couldn't help to say this. You may understand why.

up
0 users have voted.
edg's picture

ELEPHANT HUNTING AS PRACTISED BY THE CONGO PYGMIES

In his note on “A Wooden Spear of Third Interglacial Age from Lower Saxony,’’ Dr. H. L. Movius, Jr. refers to the elephant hunting methods of the Pygmies of the Cameroons, and I was especially interested in his remarks in this regard. From 1932 to 1936 I was prospecting in the Ituri Forest of the Belgian Congo among Pygmies and elephants. There the Pygmies hunt the elephant in a manner that is very like the one described by E. Zwilling for the Cameroons. The differences are as follows:

  1. In the Ituri Forest the Pygmies use short lances with a very large and broad iron blade (cu. 30x20 cm.) mounted on a short (cu. 75 cm.) and thick handle made of hardwood. This weapon is razor sharp, and normally it belongs to a Bantu chieftain for whom the Pygmies hunt under some sort of a contract.
  2. The hunter sneaks underneath the standing elephant and thrusts the spear upward into its soft belly with a lightning-quick movement. This is a choice place because the shortnecked elephant can neither see under its belly nor reach there with its trunk. Of course, the hunter seizes the first second during which the wounded beast is wondering what has happened to him to jump aside. Sometimes they have time to give the handle a jerk thereby enlarging the wound.

Before approaching his quarry the Pygmy hunter goes to one of the shallow pools, where the animals have their daily mudbath, and smears his entire body with mud, so he cannot be smelled out by his quarry. He is absolutely naked when hunting.

JEAN JANMART
MUSEO DO DUNDO
DUNDO-LUNDA, ANGOLA
PORTUGESE WEST AFRICA

Source: American Anthropologist

up
0 users have voted.
mimi's picture

anthropologist was in that region between 1932 -1936 ... and it didn't say what the pygmies do with the dead elephant body... slitting the elephants belly from below would explain why the "internal organs 'exploded' with blood" of the "rural myth".
ok. so they hunted elephants without being hired or being under a contract to do this FOR someone else than themselves? To let the meat rot? Fine. I don't believe it. But it's off topic for this essay anyhow.

up
0 users have voted.
Song of the lark's picture

On the bloated corpse of our current state. It was something someone told me once. I don't know if it is true or not.

up
0 users have voted.
mimi's picture

I have my "weak" spots and I shouldn't have grabbed the opportunity to show them. But I did and that was uncalled for and off topic. Of course I understood that your comment meant to be an image to illustrate a situation. Let's forget it, please, it was not my best side of behavior.

Can we be friends and go along, nevertheless?

up
0 users have voted.

Have read many articles on this topic. A law prof figured out Obama in Sept 2008 from his acceptance speech at dem convention. Obama was a neo liberal. The other day, in the short time I listened to his final speech he thanked us for making him Commander in Chief. He is the president, not the military leader. And the leader of the pack to institute TPP, etc., etc. And the effort to use the CIA as the last ditch effort to throw Trump out rather than organizing to save the constitution and the earth shows how shameless, hollow, corrupt the democratic party is. And it was this election that also exposed the long train of the Clinton's regime followed by Obama.

The hope is that there will be a new collective created, in the forms of institutions, not just protests, and a return to integrity of existing institutions like universities, unions, government, education, etc. because without credible institutions even facts cannot influence social policy.

I have posted before the work of Bruno Latour, the French polymath who is at the cutting edge of many disciplines because he has gone beyond the Enlightenment. Here is something published today that is very readable. His other work takes a lot of effort to get into.

First off, need to go beyond socialism and human rights (Bruno's metaphysics involves human and non human actors - e.g., Water Protectors made water a political actor.)

I begin with the simple idea that climate change and its denial have been organizing
all of contemporary politics at least for the last three decades. Climate change plays the
same role that social questions and the class struggle played over the two preceding
centuries

Wow!

And the next two paragaraphs. Elites know what they are doing and they decided to F**** humans and non humans.

We can understand nothing about the way inequalities have exploded for forty
years, and the accompanying movement towards massive deregulation, if we don’t
admit that a good part of the globalized elite had perfectly understood what was going
on with the bad news about the state of the planet, which, thanks to the work of
scientists, began to crystallize at the beginning of the nineties.

Since the threat was real, the elites drew the conclusion that it would be necessary
to adopt two opposing courses of action. First, give up the post-war liberal dream of a
common world created by the modernization of the planet—so, let’s cut ourselves off as
quickly as possible, through deregulation at any price, from the rest of the inhabitants to
whom we sold this dream of universality; secondly, systematically organize long-term
denial of this ecological change, which nevertheless brings in not just the environment
but what is called the Earth-system.

He is concerned about Trumpism taking over Europe.

Europe alone—only Europe Bruno Latour

up
0 users have voted.

People refuse to face up to the fact that what was done was done deliberately; and done by people on 'their' side.

People still chalk everything up to stupidity, lack of message, bad campaigning, lack of majorities, etc. They look at everything but the truth, that we have a bunch of vampire squids running everything now, both in business and politics, who care about nothing but sucking up as much as they can from anyone else.

up
0 users have voted.

dfarrah

Yep. The excuses had gone on for years- they're too naive. Hell, they're too "good." They don't know how to fight. Blah, blah, blah. But then 2008 happened. They were horrified that they had finally been given the power they claimed they needed tin order to do the people's bidding. And they showed us exactly where they stand.

2008 was the turning point. Since late 80's-early 90's-we had been told to hold on, we had to wait for the country to turn back towards the left, we had to wait out the conservative wave. And there we were- we had handed the entire government over the Dems and the republicans were in a death spiral. That time we had waited so long for (for some of us most of our adult lives) had finally arrived. And then it became apparent the Dems had no intention of doing anything they had been squawking about all of those years. Immediately, they moved to excuse mode- we don't have the votes- and the comfortable class and the intellectually challenged repeated that falsehood over and over.

Now, in 2016, we reached the end game. The public has expressed its utter rejection of the captured Democratic party and the veil has slipped and shown us their treachery and contempt throughout this election cycle. And then you have Obama, out there telling people to vote for hillary to preserve his legacy. Why the fuck should anyone care about his legacy? How does that do anything for those struggling every day to just get by? Well, the people answered, especially the African American electorate he targeted with that message: Fuck you and your legacy.

up
0 users have voted.

Is there any hope? I'm not seeing it. Corey Booker just voted against allowing drug imports from Canada. Obama is a bigger horse's ass than he ever was.

The corporations needed to be nipped in the bud WHEN Reagan was elected. He said, "they are not the enemy. Trust them." By the time Reagan was gone, all we needed was the dirt kicked on top of us.

up
0 users have voted.

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Democrats. 12 Republicans voted for it including John McCain, Rand Paul and - wait for it - Ted Cruz!

13 Democrats voted to the right of Ted Cruz. Let that sink in. Had all of those no-voting Democrats voted for the amendment, it would have passed 59/39.

Disappointed but not surprised by Corey Booker's vote.

More from Way of the Bern:

These Democrats just voted against Bernie's amendment to reduce prescription drug prices. They are traitors to the 99% and need to be primaried: Bennett, Booker, Cantwell, Carper, Casey, Coons, Donnelly, Heinrich, Heitkamp, Menendez, Murray, Tester, Warner. (self.WayOfTheBern)

up
0 users have voted.
Steven D's picture

made them do it. It was a protest vote. Wink

up
0 users have voted.

"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

Thu, 01/12/2017 - 12:59pm — Steven D

The Russians

made them do it. It was a protest vote. Wink

Hey, isn't Canada closer to Russia!!!!!! than anyone in the US?

Edit: barring Alaska... hmmm...

up
0 users have voted.

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

coloradoblue's picture

Colorado's Pretenda-Dem Bennet is little more than a corporate whore. Expecting him to vote against the interest of his owners will only lead to screaming and throwing things.

up
0 users have voted.

Dear Dems: You lost the WH, Senate, House, dozens of governors, state level SOS and AG and about 1,000 state legislative seats. Maybe...you're doing something wrong.

up
0 users have voted.

COSTCO has the lowest prices for medication. You do NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER to buy from their pharmacy.

Also, a very good Canadian source PharmacyChecker.com

For those on Medicare, AARP/Walgreens now have a fabulous plan for Medicare Part D:
monthly fee, $22.40, and both Tier 1 and Tier 2 medication have NO COPAY. Which is less than 1/2 f what I was paying for BCBS Part D.

Hideous to see more betrayal by the DemoRATS, but, fuck'em - there are work arounds now. Generic Epi Pens also available for so much less than the greedy bastards are changing for the Brand name.

up
0 users have voted.
jwa13's picture

... straight from India (by way of Canadian intermediaries), and you should allow 4 - 6 weeks for delivery (i.e., "plan ahead") -- but high quality, and prices approx. 20 percent of US prescription drugs --

up
0 users have voted.

When Cicero had finished speaking, the people said “How well he spoke”.
When Demosthenes had finished speaking, the people said “Let us march”.

The Putin distraction is working--giving cover to corporate democrats.

up
0 users have voted.
ggersh's picture

but is getting hammered for lying about it, they just aren't all that bright.

https://twitter.com/SenBobCasey/status/819582841151455234

Follow

Senator Bob CaseyVerified account
‏@SenBobCasey
Voted for amndt by @SenSanders & @RonWyden last night to lower drug prices through importation from Canada

up
0 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Thu, 01/12/2017 - 2:37pm — ggersh

Hilarious, Casey tweeted he voted for it

but is getting hammered for lying about it, they just aren't all that bright.

https://twitter.com/SenBobCasey/status/819582841151455234

Follow

Senator Bob CaseyVerified account
‏@SenBobCasey
Voted for amndt by @SenSanders & @RonWyden last night to lower drug prices through importation from Canada

Hey, he voted for it, but those damn Russians!!! hacked his vote!

up
0 users have voted.

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

ggersh's picture

learn that being stupid isn't whats needed on ones resume?

But the keep giving it the good ol college try.

up
0 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Tim Black calls out Cory Booker (and the other Democrats) [3:57]

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcKzSLed5vA height:250]

Tim is wrong when he says the bill was co-sponsored by John McCain. It was Klobuchar's Bill and it was co-sponsored by Bernie.

But he makes a good point. Corey Booker had voted against the bill because of FDA & safety concerns, but as Tim points out, the drugs are the exact same drugs used here in the U.S. so they are FDA approved.

Booker's tweet is in the below meme and so is Chuck Schumer's. Read Chuck Schumer's tweet carefully. He calls out the GOP for the amendment failing, while neglecting to mention that 13 Democrats voted against it. What complete and total bullshit!

up
0 users have voted.
Alligator Ed's picture

that Booker would be Dem establishment's second black messiah to lead this country further down the path so famously pioneered by B. Obama. Just watch in 2019 who is getting the most MSM press.

up
0 users have voted.

Dorthy,

I often think back on our almost 2 hour talk sitting on a wall outside the Netroots Nation conference in MI a couple of years ago.

Recommand that others here get together in person. When I was in Portland for possibly the last time because my sister in law moved from there to CA, I made it a point to meet with Big Al and Schehrazade was ill but had coffee with her husband Eric

I read mostly philosophy books and they tend to be long term, not short term like the political crisis we face today. Bruno Latour provides a path beyond the Enlightenment. A path beyond the disciplines that have carved up the human and non human world. Getting into this work is a huge amount of work and can be approached from science, politics, art, religion, etc., etc. Just yesterday reading about Technology - realized that it is invisible. When it works don't see it. Shows up in case of breakdown.

In any case, here is one of Bruno's recent presentations. (STS = Social Technology Studies) This is a fairly general article but I have read it 4 times and learn more every time. I am reading a 400+ book of his right now and am overwhelmed with the insights. Here Bruno is not that technical, but still profound.

s Geo-Logy the Umbrella for all the Sciences ? With a few Hints for a New University 2016 Lecture given at Cornell University, 25th October 2016

This really doesn't address hope very well. In the mean time I am going out to several events here in Columbus OH

up
0 users have voted.
Wink's picture

up C-99% Conferences in our state capitols. This year. Most C-99ers live within 4-5 hours of their state capitol. We should hold one in the Spring, one in the Fall.

up
0 users have voted.

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Creosote.'s picture

for your thought and what you bring us here at C99, and also the valuable Latour links.
I found this statement striking:

What Anna Tsing calls “living among the ruins” is what is going to unite us all in the same way.

"

up
0 users have voted.
Bollox Ref's picture

with regard to its shilling for the DNC/Clinton...... and resultant outrage when it comes to Trump/Putin

Their latest, desperate (comic?) effort:
http://www.startribune.com/congress-must-lead-on-u-s-response-to-russia/...

up
0 users have voted.

Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

The dems did OK with the least bad and abandoning working class for decades, but they can't accept that they screwed up.

How could this have happened???

up
0 users have voted.
Alligator Ed's picture

They hacked voting booths with paper ballots, released true emails (ok, maybe they didn't release them, but that sounds good), convinced the DemocRATic party to run Hillary Clinton--because many of their generals wanted to do live testing of their nukes.

The list goes on, but, really you should pay more attention to MSNBC, CNN, NYT, and WaPo.

up
0 users have voted.

Edward Snowden ‏@Snowden 16m16 minutes ago
As he hands the White House to Trump, Obama just unchained NSA from basic limits on passing raw intercepts to others

N.S.A. Gets More Latitude to Share Intercepted Communications

up
0 users have voted.

It's OK, they're only passing along information now including that of identified-as-innocent others, who always can be kidnapped and tortured into admitting guilt/reasons for invading some other oil-rich country at a later date, if required.

up
0 users have voted.

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

I believe that real Progressives have just been through trauma. Our hope-y change-y president turned out to be a fraud, just another marketing product, brought to you by Chuck E. Schumer. I was warned in 2008 but would not listen.
Then Bernie showed up and I just could not believe my ears and eye. My god, a real Progressive and he is getting traction.

The destruction of Bernie's candidacy and the ascension of Hillary the Terrible by the Democrat Party was an eye opener. Were they always this unprincipled? Was it always about power above principle? Yup!

I can see clearly now, as the song goes. The Democrats are the evil twin brother of the Republicans, just a little bit better on identity issues. Having had my eyes opened, the vision is stark. I am really revolted by the Democrat establishment.

We despised the fact that the Republicans worked hard and openly to assure that Obama failed. Now the Democrats are showing us how it is really done. There are a lot of issues that I disagree with Trump, after all I am a card carrying Progressive. But, I hope that he succeeds in many areas, including creating jobs and keeping the peace. I really believe that screaming at Trump right now is a bad tactic. His basic theme is to make progress for Americans. Middle America figured that out and elected him. If you attack him, you are attacking them. We need to work with that and convince him that he is wrong on some issues, especially Climate Change.

up
0 users have voted.

Capitalism has always been the rule of the people by the oligarchs. You only have two choices, eliminate them or restrict their power.

screaming dems during repub administrations? Where were they when conservadems were selling us down the river.

Their hysteria is a joke- I don't recall this level of widespread vitriol directed at any president before, not even BO.

I think it will backfire on the dems.

up
0 users have voted.

dfarrah

more often than not. The dualistic nature of US politics (R vs D) often obscures the many negotiations, compromises, and battles that occur behind closed doors, among powerful private interests whose motivations and priorities have little to do with partisan politics. The public has no access to shadowy corridors of power in Washington and Langley, where important decisions are often made, lucrative agreements are reached, and conflicts of interest are played out.

I agree with you that screaming at Trump right now is a bad tactic. His most powerful enemies in their efforts to destroy him at all costs, have revealed themselves to be utterly unprincipled, dishonest, and careless of the national welfare. This is not a bandwagon that anyone of good conscience should wish to board. Whether we like Trump or not, he has been legally elected President, and he is entitled to all the powers and privileges that the office entails. Trying to unseat him even before his inauguration, IMO sets a very bad and dangerous precedent.

up
0 users have voted.

native

yesterday about the Deep State and Trump said the same things, dangerous precedent, and trying to "fight" Trump with outright lies destroys any shred of remaining credibility out of Democrats. It also keeps the fight over things that distract from the really important fights we need to have. There's plenty of reason to despise Trump, but using lies only loses the argument - and the man WILL fight back so trying to humiliate him is a losers game. Maybe that's what Obama and Hillary WANT us to do, ignore the big issues of more wars, massive cuts to social programs, no action on climate, and the unbridled corruption Trump will most likely bring with him while we argue about golden showers and Putin connections. Bastards.

up
0 users have voted.

Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

Greenwald has been a real treasure throughout.

up
0 users have voted.

native

Lily O Lady's picture

they succeed in getting rid of Trump and we end up with (ack!) President Pence.

up
0 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Alligator Ed's picture

up
0 users have voted.
Lily O Lady's picture

up
0 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

MsDidi's picture

I agree with you. As Cornel West said, the "racial symbolism" of the Obama presidency effectively froze progressives in their tracks for 8 long years, but Obama already did many of the things that people fear that Trump will do. He's been the Deporter in Chief, stood silently while Israel killed 500 Palestinian children in 50 days (actually he increased their military budget following that action), collaborated with big pharma to kill the public option, told Wall Street he would "protect" them (I guess against the 99%) etc.
Last night Bernie Sanders submitted an amendment to permit Medicare to negotiate for lower Rx drug prices. Guess who defeated it? 13 Democratic Senators. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz actually voted to support it. Maybe Bernie will start to figure out that the DNC isn't going to let him revolutionize their party. It's unfortunate that people like Cory Booker and Patty Murray were part of the Dem group that blocked Bernie's amendment.
I guess that between Cory Booker's rant on civil rights in the afternoon (designed to further his own interests for 2020) and the vote in the middle of the night on affordable health care, he got confused. One would think that it is obvious that affordable health care is a civil right. And one would think that Patty Murray would reflect on affordable health care as being important to women before she joined with those supporting big pharma and blocked its passage.
Everyone needs to communicate to these 13 Senators today to let them know that we will find primary opponents to oppose them. They are Bennett, Booker, Cantwell, Carper, Casey, Coons, Donnelly, Heinrich, Heitkamp, Menendez, Murray, Tester and Warner.
All of this outrage at Trump falls into his own plan to distract from the serious issues that are being pushed through Congress and the Cabinet hearings.

up
0 users have voted.
Big Al's picture

You mean more and better democrats?

up
0 users have voted.

Brand New Congress is about a specific slate of economic issues, not partisanship. They plan to run candidates in red and blue districts. Issues, not parties. More precisely, economic issues where there is already a broad consensus that runs across party lines. An issues-based coalition is our only way out of the duopoly trap. That's why our overlords are working day and night to keep us from talking to all of the "racists" who voted for Trump. They are manufacturing outrage to keep us agitated and therefore unable to make common cause across class lines, as opposed to team colors.

up
0 users have voted.
Big Al's picture

up
0 users have voted.

new seats (and pledges of support from incumbents) to make them their own formidable caucus.

up
0 users have voted.
Lily O Lady's picture

up
0 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

up
0 users have voted.
Strife Delivery's picture

One thing for me that I'm not too particular about is the label.

I'd vote in Teddy Roosevelt, even though he had the scary R. One of the few Presidents to actually challenge corporate dominance. We could definitely use a few of those trust busters again.

up
0 users have voted.
Alligator Ed's picture

up
0 users have voted.
Creosote.'s picture

as if Murray is positioning herself as the next "feminist" Dem candidate, carrying her Boeing baby in its blanket under her arm; she's been speaking of her "golden tennis shoes" for awhile.

up
0 users have voted.

Democrats can’t win until they recognize how bad Obama’s financial policies were: He had opportunities to help the working class, and he passed them up

Shit

These kinds of articles are everywhere and in hindsight things will be seen to be worse and worse if they are already this bad.

Glenn Greenwald linked this 1 hour long assessment of Obama's presidency. Have not listened to it all.

Obama's Report Card - A Breakdown Of His Presidency

While some dems celebrate his final speech .....

Where would we have been if Bernie had not run????

up
0 users have voted.

Here is some good news.

If there's one place solar-plus-storage can find a friendly market, it's on Kauai. The small Hawaiian island is the only one not served by the Hawaiian Electric Co., the state's investor-owned utility, and its electric cooperative is embracing the cutting edge of dispatchable renewable energy technology.

Looks like they will deliver electricity below even the cost of the other fuel sources!

Hawaii co-op signs deal for solar+storage project at 11¢/kWh

And now for just one piece of bad news from the conformation hearings

Kevin Gosztola ‏@kgosztola 9m9 minutes ago
Bipartisan support for assassination industrial-complex clear at Pompeo's confirmation hearing for CIA director. Zero questions on drones

up
0 users have voted.
MsDidi's picture

I read in the last few days that Rex Tillerson visited the Obama White House 20 times during Obama's presidency.
Trump didn't just pull him out a hat -- he's been advising the White House for a long time. O

up
0 users have voted.
Song of the lark's picture

was recommended by Robert Gates and Condelezza Rice two deep state players. Like the diarist I'm a bit worn out by outrage. Fine we get Tillerson...a carbon fiend for sure but at least he's as they say on Wall Street a "big swinging dick" unlike like our short fingered vulgarian precedent.

up
0 users have voted.
bondibox's picture

I have held your point of view since before the election. I didn't believe any of the things I'd heard and only half the things I'd seen. The Dem party had proven to me it was thoroughly entrenched in a corrupt power matrix when they chose to lose rather than win with Bernie.

Then yesterday I doubled down on Facebook. I announced that the Democrats were now a spectator sport, I would no longer point out the fallacies and propaganda. I couldn't say it and still have any friends left but they are too far gone for me to get through. It's become an example of Yogic non-interference, which is a strange way for me to identify my politics which used to have a foundation in activism.

up
0 users have voted.

F the F'n D's

or whatever that show is called now. Thanks to Mimi for posting the link I watched dumbfounded yesterday. Brazen depravity if you ask me. https://youtu.be/vFb-KvgZ1jc?t=1m1s
I think he is just being honest, rather stab me in the front then in the back.

You know in the case of Rex he ran incredibly Exxon Mobile. When there was a fine, he would get it. When they needed something he would be there.

So incredible the first thing he thinks of is "a fine". Yeah Rex was there for this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters. The Valdez spill was the largest in US waters until the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in terms of volume released.

Obama said he wanted continuity of government, there it be. I heard DiFi was getting a Cheney tune-up for the Sessions hearing so did not call in protest. What's the point? I remember during TPP fast track voting she simply took her phones off the hook. Unreachable.

up
0 users have voted.
Bob In Portland's picture

I've gone through the same changes. I probably spent the first half of my adult life not trusting the intelligence services, looking for an answer in another branch of government, maybe the senate. I always wondered, after I'd read a Robert Parry column in the LA Times, how come someone like Gary Hart or John Kerry couldn't quite put his finger on the government corruption of the Reagan administration which seemed so obvious, or the conclusion that would be the logical inference of the evidence. I had to understand the whole concept of modified limited hangout. Kerry, who belonged to that secret group the Skull and Bones Society, had been trained in keeping secrets for his class, because secrets are necessary to keep the common folks in line. Pharoahs' courts did not break the secret that the pharoahs weren't gods. That was the cover story. The kings of Europe did not rule by the grace of God. There was a question as to whether, say, the king of France had God on his side versus the King of England.

There was no argument (in European ruling circles) about white people being graced by God as the age of exploration quickly turned into the age of exploitation. Much of those myths are still alive. It's now called racism.

In the 90s I came to the realization that it was a Democrat, Bill Clinton, who was changing the rules in favor of the rich. So who was on my side? And the side of our children? That's when I searched the Democrats for a true liberal, or true progressive (as the term "liberal" became obsolete). That was about the time I stepped down from being an officer in my union, freeing me up to use my mind for a better understanding the halls of power. It was back then that I learned about our government's long and treacherous post-war history with fascists. I saw the Republican Party, who harbored genuine fascists in their ethnic heritage unit, as a mostly fascist entity with all of evilness of fascism. Bonzo Goes To Bitburg.

Bush II's regime showed how far fascism would go. It would lie us into wars. It would screw the rest of us for the benefit of the wealthy. They would actually kill poor people around the world, not on a mistaken ideological battle against Communism, but for profit. I was ready for change, hoping for change.

Obama was what he was. As hopeless as Obama's eight years turned out to be, it was the State Department's behavior in Ukraine that slapped me awake. The same fascists that had been part of the Republicans' wretched ethnic heritage group during Reagan had somehow migrated over to the Democrats. Now fascism in the US was bipartisan.

Sanders was a destabilizing force for politics in America, but only enough to reveal the fun house that we'd been led through. Through the primary season I half-expected a lone nut leaping out of a crowd to shoot him. Now that the election is over most Democrats not discouraged by the Democrats' lack of work on the working class's behalf have dutifully returned to the fold, seeing the potential corruption of having someone from Exxon being our next Secretary of State, but not seeing Obama's corrupt relationship with Wall Street and our corporate world and unwilling to look at Hillary's disturbing relationship with the 1% and the fascists who serve them. H. Clinton was never more than a cold warrior. She hadn't ever really had a Road to Damascus moment in 1968, switching from Goldwater Girl to anti-war Democrat. Rather, she undoubtedly triangulated her future career as a Democrat and was a bright enough light to be recruited for a political career (more on that some other time). Despite a few photo op moments in her career she and her husband pretty much supported our Deep State's agenda. Imagine my surprise when I saw the changes in the map of Yugoslavia reflect the changes to Yugoslavia in the maps of WWII. NATO (the US) had changed Yugoslavia to similar little entities that Hitler had done. Surprise surprise, to me at least.

It was pretty obvious during the campaign that the entire Deep State structure, the media, the intelligence services, the rich, were all aligned behind Clinton. When in an early debate she said she supported a "no-fly zone" over Syria I jumped up off my couch and shouted, "That'll lead to war with Russia!"

Russia managed to outflank the US and its ISIS props in Syria. Between Russian airpower and its sophisticated anti-aircraft batteries the Russians could not be dislodged from the Mideast without a major war against Russia, and now it was a losing proposition for the US.

But Syria was never the main goal. The main goal has always been Russia. Just like Napoleon and Hitler, the Deep State of America wants to control Russia and the biggest prize in Russia now is that huge pool of oil and natural gas in central Asia. Our Deep State is well-oiled. When the US overthrew the elected government of Ukraine with the children of WWII's most despicable fascists, its main concern was shutting down the Russian gas pipelines that cross Ukrainian territory. While there is always money to be made, making Ukraine an ungovernable sore on the side of Russia was always the point. And the band of new age, computer-savvy Ukrainian fascists are nothing if not nihilists. They've maintained their wretched anti-Semitism and anti-Russian lusts, so much so that they are willing to destroy themselves to destroy Russia. And even after the Holocaust there are still a few Jews and plenty of Poles and Russians to kill in the region.

The Deep State's mistake this cycle was to underestimate America's dislike of the Clintons. Not overwhelming dislike, but just enough to lose the electoral college. That's why Clinton's leftover oppo researchers are still churning out puke. I think it's pretty clear that at this late stage the Democrats can't get the White House, but the Deep State still wants that war. That's why every day Trump's cabinet appointees must recite Russia's dangerousness. Eventually, Trump will succumb to the Deep State, one way or another. As much as I want an actual progressive Congress representing me, it won't happen any time soon with the current cast in D.C., and my greatest fear is the next war. And as awful and as flawed a leader as Trump is, he is really the only thing standing between the Deep State and a potential nuclear war.

It's going to be messy, but it's pretty clear that the Deep State is going to get its war. And, as I've noticed, the 99% never win wars.

up
0 users have voted.
featheredsprite's picture

And stay under the radar.

I've been a political animal almost all my life but the stuff that's going on now is being promulgated by people a lot more powerful than I am. Frankly, I don't see any good guys.

So I plan to stay out of the way and watch.

up
0 users have voted.

Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.

Greyhound's picture

I agree with your assessment and believe that yours is the best course left open to us.

This is real and I still get the overwhelming reaction to what is happening, is that this is some fictional story that will, of course, have a happy ending.

Build real life community. If/When the fecal matter contacts the air circulation device, not one of your thousand FB followers is going to be of any use to you, nor you to them. Knowing your neighbors and the people around where you live are likely to make all the difference. Don't be afraid to help if you can, or to ask it when needed.

Stop wasting your time and money on politics (yes, I see the irony), if there was ever a time when it could have helped, it's ancient history, now.

up
0 users have voted.
Wink's picture

They're fifty years overdue.

up
0 users have voted.

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Big Al's picture

Like Howard Beale in the movie Network, "first you have to get mad".
We should be mad, angry, outraged at what those at the top are doing. They are HURTING people. If that doesn't make you made, what will?

I'm waiting for more people to start questioning this political system.

up
0 users have voted.
Steven D's picture

Just not going to play the lesser of two evils game when its clear both are evil in equal measure.

up
0 users have voted.

"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

Big Al's picture

up
0 users have voted.
Big Al's picture

in my opinion (everybody's got one), the system isn't just broken, it's completely inadequate as designed, and designed to maintain the power structure at the top. There's a difference in viewpoints from it being broken and it needing to be replaced. Many feel campaign finance reform, repealing Citizen's United, enacting term limits, etc., will "fix" the system, and feel a third party could challenge the duopoly. I don't believe it can be fixed relative to changing the power structure and removing rule by the rich and I don't believe third parties can change the power structure either. If we really want power to the people, I think we're going to have to change this system.

up
0 users have voted.
blazinAZ's picture

Thx, Al, and thx, Steven, for the essay

up
0 users have voted.

There is no justice in America, but it is the fight for justice that sustains you.
--Amiri Baraka

Greyhound's picture

Be mad. It's the only human reaction to what is happening, but don't waste your time and energy fighting battles and feints that make no difference, or that you can't win.

up
0 users have voted.
Wink's picture

too long. Most people are phat and happy making $42 Large a year, could care less about the politics. Their corporate masters own their asses.

up
0 users have voted.

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

ZimInSeattle's picture

Read the other day that Planned Parenthood has reported that IUD requests are up 900% since the election. I submit that this in part is the realization by many folks that there is no one on our side in government. Why bring any children into this fucked up society? Glad I don't have kids. Fear for all the young people I know.

up
0 users have voted.

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020

now, due in June.... My step-brother and that whole family are Republicans, they're not Baggers so I used the more "respectful" term here. But they, along with a large percentage of this country, have NO idea what's coming or what these people are - either side of the aisle. I get a little rant in once in a while on economics and they mostly agree with me, but they're like so many who pay no attention at all. I did say congratulations on their new grand-child but I'm sort of horrified and pretty scared for that kid. They live in CA too and I can't help but wonder every once in a while how long that's going to last as a good place to live.

up
0 users have voted.

Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

Wink's picture

in-law have been Hillary-hating el Rushbo Repubs for 24 years. They both voted for Hillary, hate the Trumpster. I know they're rare, but there still is hope for some Repubs.

up
0 users have voted.

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

that Trump will succumb to the Deep State, in regard to war with Russia? The matter seems very much open to question at this point, no?

up
0 users have voted.

native

Steven D's picture

or not do.

Apparently our intelligence agencies don't have a clue either.

up
0 users have voted.

"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

I mis-clicked. My question was intended for Bob In Portland.

up
0 users have voted.

native

Mark from Queens's picture

You said it all Steven; and I think you speak for many who considered themselves Democrats, me included. As long as there is a duopoly I'll never consider myself a partisan again.

Similar trajectory of being sucked in by the Obama wave in '08, going out and volunteering in 4 states and then every next development gnawing at my conscience (the Wall St appointees, Healthcare sellout, no banker CEO prosecutions, no Gitmo closing, ramped up drone program, no cops prosecuted, etc). Going down to Occupy Wall St in late Sept of 2011 was the epiphany building up in me that struck like lightning. It had been growing for years, but it became crystal clear to me then and to many millions across the globe that All Our Grievances Are Connected. The financial global elites were running roughshod over 99.99% of the earth's inhabitants, by flat-out owning the world's governments.

The Red-Blue, Dem-Rep, Liberal-Con game is a charade, and more and more people are primed now more than ever before to hear that truism. Looks like Trump will be the festering sore that may finally wake people up to what the scam of "democracy," the "free market," and "capitalism," all of which were concealed by the previous puppets.

The Frankenstein monster of unresponsive government beholden to Big Money campaign donors is finally about to kick people in the teeth with an overt snake oil salesman villain without a smiling, faux beneficent face running interference for the oligarchs. Let's see what coalitions we can forge. A 99% Taxpayer Party of the People (or something) is out there and waiting to coalesced perhaps like never before, as long as we're vigilant enough not to be divided and conquered.

Will be important that we Progressives/Leftists provide some counterbalance to the frothing, insensible Neoliberals who threaten to upturn the whole thing with their hyper fear and irrationality, by delicately pointing out to those sadly duped Drumpf believers when the time is right that their savior was just another liar in a long line of liars.

They'll need to be convinced, and it shouldn't be difficult, that the wealthy get into government (Herr Drumpf's appt's attest to the grab bag mentality/favors to their campaign benefactors) to pillage the coffers for their own benefit and leave us with the bill. Most importantly we'll have to help the minions develop a sense to recognize the propaganda of doublespeak, and that most immediately means a jettisoning of all mainstream media and instead becoming familiar with blogs like this. At which point there's a great opportunity for massive protest, shutdowns, civil disobedience and strikes to stare down the PTB that we are on to them and demand a more equitable system of economic governance.

Without the labels of "socialism" or "free market capitalism" it shouldn't be difficult for people to start getting behind something like nationalizing all energy sources.

up
0 users have voted.

"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:

THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"

- Kurt Vonnegut

ZimInSeattle's picture

dropping steadily since the election. Just like Killary's would have. The peeps are awakening and we are legion.

up
0 users have voted.

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020

Greyhound's picture

and change the dates to begin in 1992, and that's my story.

For future reference, I got sucked back in in 2000 when Rove paid no price for lying about McSame in the Carolina primary, and the subsequent judicial coup.

up
0 users have voted.

It is one thing to be outraged at republicans, but not while the democrats are not doing any better on the issue--or even worse. It would be understandable if it were one or two issues, but not the wholesale corporate capture which has occurred. One of the great scandals of Wikileaks, which to many was not surprising, was the revelation that Clinton was totally a republican. Much more right than Obama. Nader once said the difference between gopers and democrats is at what speed do you want to hit the wall. But hit the wall you will.

And then what the democratic establishment and Hillary supporters did to Bernie and his supporters. The utter unmitigated moral, political, and organizational corruption was stunning even for me who worked elections in city dominated by a democratic machine.

I was interested in politics at an early age. I went to go see RFK during the Indiana primary while I was in middle school--I was one of the few people in the gym. About a month later he was dead. In looking back that may have been the beginning of the end of the party of FDR. With the defeat of Clinton, the party has a chance to reset itself back to the party of FDR--not happening as even now, the party establishment is attacking the actual FDR wing of the party, which barely exists anymore.

up
0 users have voted.