How do we fight back?

Lately, here on c99p, we've been at an impasse of sorts.

We've all recognized that our situation is pretty damn fucked up these days, with the owners of money and power -- the 1% or less of us -- having locked the rest of us, the 99%, away from the levers of control.

We know that massive change is necessary, The question is: How do we get where we know we need to go -- without violence?

I have some ideas. Some of these we've already been doing; some we need to do more. And we need to do them, not as some sort of temporary "action", but as a way of life. And we need to get every other progressive thinker, and potentially progressive thinker, to join us in doing so.

Here's what I have:

1. Don't vote ANY evil. (It's why most c99p'ers expressing a preference are voting for Jill Stein for President, myself included. But boycotting the election counts here too. Anything besides voting FOR Evil, any Evil at all!)

2. Don't BUY any evil if you can help it. Don't allow your hard-gotten money to get to the hands of MonSatan, Nestle, etc., if you can help it. (My cats won't eat any other food but the Purina they've been eating since they were kittens and Nestle didn't own Purina yet; but it's the only dollars Nestle gets from me these days, and I look at Nestle like I would a heroin pusher.)

3. Don't WORK evil. I certainly have paid full dues here and then some, as a lifelong civilian living in Colorado Springs, Colorado! Don't put your daily bread in a place where it depends on the US MIC Killocracy.

4. Advocate AGAINST evil. It's part of why we're here. Keep the Good ideas in the open public marketplace of ideas as much as you can. It's the main antidote we have to the fact that Evil has the mainstream media in its thrall these days. Especially here on the Left, where we need to preserve, protect, and defend the fact that Clintons are NOT part of us and do not work for our values!

5. ACT against evil. Do whatever you are able to do to combat and oppose evil. Everything from protest to harassment of your "representatives" in the US Congress, US Senate, and State Legislatures. Even if they don't seem to listen, even if they have your communications in "burn before reading" status, at least you're letting them know that you don't forget. Beyond this, the realms of civil disobedience lay; but one must be careful here, as there is a possibility that more damage may well be done to the Good Guys than any impediment to the Evil side may be worth; be careful.

Again, I say: We need to make of these, not just some temporary political activity, but a permanent way of life for ourselves and as many other people as we possibly can. If enough of us do these things, it will smack the Evil ones in the only things they care about over which we have any remaining control whatsoever -- money and power.

It may not be all we could hope for, but it's better than outright despair.

Share
up
0 users have voted.

Comments

thanatokephaloides's picture

Diablo

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

riverlover's picture

Back-to-back calls tonight : LA and DC. I did not pick up, mystified at the area codes. Dropped before the answering machine.

Sean, I think I do those all already. And I am not looking for a physical fight.

up
0 users have voted.

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

thanatokephaloides's picture

...and get call screening. Amazing the dreck one attracts.

I've been call screening, as my mother and I get all manner of arch-dreck. And I'm in the process of phasing out my paid email address as I can't afford it any more. You'd be surprised how much dreck you can clean out by using the Federally mandated Unsubscribe function at the bottom of all those political emails! I'm sure I was infected with all of them courtesy of my involvement at TOP.

Sean, I think I do those all already. And I am not looking for a physical fight.

Neither am I, as the days I was able to partake of a physical fight are now well behind me. But these things I listed are available to all. The idea is to get everybody of good will to be doing them along with us. And you and I, along with most here, are indeed doing all we can.

Thank you again for getting this essay, such as it is, moving!

Give rose

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

thanatokephaloides's picture

..... was Vasilis Papakonstantinou's rendition of the Greek political folk tune "Αρνιέμαι" (Arniemai). Αρνιέμαι is Greek for "I refuse", and the point I'm making is that our main weapon here is to refuse to co-operate with or consent to Evil!

[video:https://youtu.be/R7yGQGnfm9w width:480 height:360]

(Yes, I know, it's Greek to you. To me, too. And to everyone else! Real, honest Greek, sung by real Grecians living in Greece!)

Wink

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Bollox Ref's picture

because of the Lead content.

But feel free if you're in the US.

up
0 users have voted.

Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

thanatokephaloides's picture

Wink

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

tapu dali's picture

(sort of) studied, i.e., Attic Greek.

up
0 users have voted.

There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

k9disc's picture

Don't watch evil.

I know most of us here have cut the cord, but just sayin'...

up
0 users have voted.

“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

thanatokephaloides's picture

Or if you do, do so with the explicit intent of watching the dreck producers to prevent their poison!

My hat is tipped to the brave c99p'ers who do just that on a daily basis for us. My own stomach won't take it!

Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

k9disc's picture

Affect is huge. You can't un-see that stuff. It frames and affects the cognitive, and it does so by design. You might be safe watching subtitles without the audio, but otherwise you are being changed by watching it, regardless of your intent.

If I had to guess, I'd imagine that ALL progressives who intake that shit are fucked up by it. Chomsky and Taibbi included. But, you know, he most likely thinks he's above that shit and "is watching it to see what They say".

Hubris.

up
0 users have voted.

“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

thanatokephaloides's picture

You can't un-see that stuff. It frames and affects the cognitive, and it does so by design. You might be safe watching subtitles without the audio, but otherwise you are being changed by watching it, regardless of your intent.

Which is why I tip my hat to the c99p'ers, the members of our community, who watch the important manifestations of that crap and report back on it to the rest of us. They volunteer to expose themselves to the foul affectations this dreck delivers and causes, and they undertake the laborious work of cleaning their psyches up thereafter, so the rest of us don't have to.

As I said above, my innards (and my autoimmune skin) can't take a lot of that shit any more. Hence, my gratitude to the c99p'ers who do that important and hazardous work when it is needed.

But you don't get any argument from me that it is, indeed, hazardous to one's mental health to take that crap in!

Bad

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Lily O Lady's picture

news, all I can see is the matrix. I can't tolerate much of it, though.

And really they only run the news to sell us more crap. It seems there are more ads than what passes for news.

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"

k9disc's picture

Processing.

It probably doesn't affect you so much, as you take it in tiny bite sized chunks, but it is Affective.

up
0 users have voted.

“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

Lily O Lady's picture

when the prez, Trump and Hillary are on. They drive me nuts. I know they're lying when I see their mouths moving.

Gaaaaah!

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"

riverlover's picture

How to make Them hurt? This is the question, right? Any drug store recs for prescriptions? Things like that, that affect many.

up
0 users have voted.

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

thanatokephaloides's picture

Any drug store recs for prescriptions? Things like that, that affect many.

I'm researching Blink Health at this time. It purports to be a large-group medication purchaser, using the economic power of millions of members to negotiate prescription prices. If it proves to be "as advertised", it could be a serious boon to millions of folks like me on regular prescriptions.

Needless to say, any c99p'er with current info on Blink Health do please supply it! Thank You!

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Slightkc's picture

and please, if you get any further info, post again about it! I'd be very interested in it. I'm going to check out your link tomorrow. With 2 adults, 2 cats, and 1 large dog all on prescription meds, I welcome anything that might save us a few bucks! Thanks!

up
0 users have voted.

The choosing of the right field of work; boycotting international corporations that are part of monopoly capital that are the driving force for wars of aggression; eating locally raised food from farmers who work to sustain the land; not voting for the death machine candidates; practicing compassion to living beings; living simply. That's the goal but when you are existing paycheck to paycheck, or dream of the day you get a paycheck, your ability to act in this manner is understandable limited.

The USA is handicapped in that the war that the right wing has waged against leftists, left unions; economists who use marxian analysis; environmentalists; and those who don't kowtow to the MIFC have stifled any mass movement. In Iceland, for instance, there's the Pirate party; in the UK, Corbyn is reinvigorating the Labour Party; Podemos is an alternative in Spain. I don't think the Green Party will ever be an effective anti-capitalist party but it's well worth our vote this time to see if we can get them to 5%.

I think identity politics is a dead end which supports the status quo. I think the $15 minimum wage is well worth supporting. Of the unions I see, the National Nurses Union is one that I really admire. I think we can support, financially if not in person, the fight against the pipeline in North Dakota. (Assault by dogs and chemical agents is given a pass while reporters covering a major story are arrested.)

I think the AFL-CIO is moribund and the right wing has driven the CIO unions into the ground decades ago. There are, besides the nurses, unions that have a communitarian vision and are worthy of support - not many, but a few.

So I think it's important to work within your sphere of influence while looking out for left organizations that can be supported either long term or in specific instances.

This diary gets people thinking along the correct lines and I appreciate it.

up
0 users have voted.

"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

thanatokephaloides's picture

This diary gets people thinking along the correct lines and I appreciate it.

High praise indeed! Thank you!

Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

people of good will can do both at an individual level and at the community(and beyond) level. It is the antidote to 8 years of "Hopeless and Changeless" and the threat of many more. If people can think ahead, plan, and carry through changes in their lives the promote sustainability and bypass the monopolists, then they both do a good thing and set examples that others may follow.

At the the level of community, and at the mass movement level, opportunities need to be looked at carefully. Moral Mondays in North Carolina is an example of a continuing action that calls attention to critical problems. Strikes by workers who are worthy of support by the community are another example. The Chicago teachers strike of a few years ago is an example where the community came together, recognizing the evil Rahm was doing, and supported the teachers, parents and students and made a positive difference. If it weren't for the union leaders tragic illness, Emanual may have lost reelection.

This site can be useful in analyzing potential direct actions worthy of support. If a person here is familiar with a situation and vouches for it, maybe support can be generated.

I think acting at the individual and family level is important; acting through the right mass movements has the potential to be transforming. But, given the state's hostility to everything on the left, first things first.

up
0 users have voted.

"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

thanatokephaloides's picture

That's the goal but when you are existing paycheck to paycheck, or dream of the day you get a paycheck, your ability to act in this manner is understandable limited.

As mine is. I will probably never have a regular paycheck again.

So I do what I can, and ask those around me to do what they can. That's a real basis for real hope, and therefore superior to despair.

Wink

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

thanatokephaloides's picture

In Iceland, for instance, there's the Pirate party;

There's a Pirate Party in the US, too, albeit in far more embryonic state than that in Iceland. The Party is just getting started here, where in Iceland it's getting folks elected already.

When I complete my DemExit, I plan on registering Pirate.

Smile

EDIT: The Pirate Party's URL has changed. The link I used above is the latest one.

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

up
0 users have voted.

"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

thanatokephaloides's picture

/nt

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Hawkfish's picture

All too often, there are policies that a supermajority of the populace support, but that are DOA in your local legislature. A well-written initiative can get around this deadlock as ColoradoCare and CarbonWA are demonstrating this year. It's not perfect, but it's part of how marriage equality happened.

up
0 users have voted.

We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg

ballot initiatives then that's an excellent venue for betterment.

up
0 users have voted.

"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

Bollox Ref's picture

that is the moribund Federal government, the US will 'balkanize' as states go their own way with regard to issues that are important to their citizens. Look at Colorado with marijuana and healthcare, etc., etc.

All the Federal government seems to want to do is spend loadsa money on spying and killing things.

up
0 users have voted.

Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

thanatokephaloides's picture

All the Federal government seems to want to do is spend loadsa money on spying and killing things.

There are obviously some Federal politicians and technocrats who need more marijuana.

Wink

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

to spike the punch bowl with LSD-25. Grace Slick had been a classmate of Tricia's at Finch and was invited to a reunion event at the White House. She took Abbie Hoffman as a date, and they planned to spike the punch bowl with acid. A Secret Service guy recognized Hoffman from a wanted poster and stopped them before they entered.

On a more serious note, Leary believed that psychedelics had the capacity to open the eyes of the oppressors to the evil they were doing as well as wake up the sheep who were being slaughtered by them. The perspective granted by psychedelics was the major impetus in rushing to make them Schedule 1, thus blocking even the then widespread research into the effectiveness of LSD and other psychedelics to treat alchoholism, depression and other maladies. I believe it was Richard Alpert that pointed out that LSD testing began in the Army where the Masters of War hoped it could be used to incapacitate an enemy nation, at least temporarily. The problem was that when soldiers took it, the first thing they realized was that they didn't want to be soldiers any more. That alone makes it a drug worthy of further investigation.

up
0 users have voted.
Damnit Janet's picture

it's very hard to do. But we try.

I'd also add along with the watch no evil... don't take their evil pills.

I joined working in the medical marijuana industry just for that reason. To be a part of the solution, to help my community embrace that there are healthier alternatives - medically as well as recreationally.

Now my income isn't counted... just like my own damn vote due to registration fraud.

We must fight. Every damn day.

I love this essay, thank you.

up
0 users have voted.

"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

thanatokephaloides's picture

We must fight. Every damn day.

I love this essay, thank you.

Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Thaumlord-Exelbirth's picture

and still evil will win. The only times progressives have won, as far as I'm aware, has been through the SC (which may not be a legitimate option in the future), politician fear of violence, or the fear that growing unrest would lead to violence.

up
0 users have voted.
Big Al's picture

I think that has to be decided first. I'm more than willing to take action or non-actions but need to know what the goal is.

up
0 users have voted.
thanatokephaloides's picture

...... on what the "goal" is here: less evil in our lives, in the lives of the 99%.

That means:

no more lies from our government, corporations, organizations, and society at large;

access to all aspects of a decent, honest living for everyone, worldwide, including income, shelter, food, clothing, culture, and genuine societal democracy;

NO MORE GOD-DAMNED MOTHERFUCKING PLANET KILLING PEOPLE MURDERING WARS; Diablo

full self-determination for every individual human being;

a full halt to every form of planetary destruction for the profit of the very few;

and so on.

Al, you and I have been around this a time or two. You were always right when you stated that things needed to change, a lot, and soon. I asked you so often how we were to address that need that I'm certain I seemed to you like a broken record.

So I addressed the question myself, as best as I could at the time. The Essay is far from perfect, as the ideas expressed therein are as well. But I hope to provide an ideological starting point for thought and discussion......

....... because we of the 99%, and the Planet we depend on for everything, can't have much of any more evil.

Wink

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Just wanted to say thank you so very much for the essay and this statement!

Tue, 10/18/2016 - 1:24am — thanatokephaloides

I think we're pretty much in agreement

...... on what the "goal" is here: less evil in our lives, in the lives of the 99%.

That means:

no more lies from our government, corporations, organizations, and society at large;

access to all aspects of a decent, honest living for everyone, worldwide, including income, shelter, food, clothing, culture, and genuine societal democracy;

NO MORE GOD-DAMNED MOTHERFUCKING PLANET KILLING PEOPLE MURDERING WARS; Diablo

full self-determination for every individual human being;

a full halt to every form of planetary destruction for the profit of the very few;

and so on.

Al, you and I have been around this a time or two. You were always right when you stated that things needed to change, a lot, and soon. I asked you so often how we were to address that need that I'm certain I seemed to you like a broken record.

So I addressed the question myself, as best as I could at the time. The Essay is far from perfect, as the ideas expressed therein are as well. But I hope to provide an ideological starting point for thought and discussion......

....... because we of the 99%, and the Planet we depend on for everything, can't have much of any more evil.

And I'm guessing that healthcare goes without saying, in a

... genuine societal democracy...

, as it should.

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.

thanatokephaloides's picture

And I'm guessing that healthcare goes without saying, in a genuine societal democracy, as it should.

In a genuine societal democracy. And/or as part and parcel of basic, decent, honest living.

And thank you for your comment! Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Daenerys's picture

A week or two ago I saw something about Economic Boycott I think on Tumblr, via Shaun King, while I was at work, but when I got home and had time to look I couldn't find it again. When I Googled it all I found was something to do with BLM, which seems to be different. Anybody know anything about this? Or did I hallucinate the whole thing, which is also possible due to stress and lack of sleep....

Anyway, we always buy bottled water from Costco. MIL however keeps buying the Nestle water. -_- And our cats eat Purina Vibrant Maturity formula; I didn't know they were owned by Nestle. Boo!

up
0 users have voted.

This shit is bananas.

thanatokephaloides's picture

MIL however keeps buying the Nestle water. -_- And our cats eat Purina Vibrant Maturity formula; I didn't know they were owned by Nestle. Boo!

Rufus and Chocolate are almost 16 years old. They were born in 2001, the same year Nestle acquired Ralston-Purina. By the time we knew how evil Nestle was, and that they were now the suppliers of our cats' food, the cats were well established on it and have steadily refused to eat any other cat food but theirs. (You think teaching an old dog new tricks is hard? Try teaching new tricks to old cats!)

But there may be hope on the horizon. A friend of mine has a cat who is allergic to chicken (!!) and she gave us the remainder of a sack of Iams dry cat food affected by that cat's allergies. R + C are at least trying it, which is almost unheard of!

Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

That is the only kibble my two cats will eat (I don't know how much it costs in the U.S.) the venison-salmon flavour.

up
0 users have voted.
Pluto's Republic's picture

…would mean something. But the world is too interconnected financially now and we're too outsourced. It would be like trying to open a jar while sitting on the lid. No torque.

But in a way, that's a clue to a remedy I believe is likely.

The outside world is poised to neuter the US government for us. They are draining the dollar and petrodollar from their reserve currency accounts. Right now, in terms of PPP (individual purchasing power from one's income) the US is a poor country among developed nations. Much of the country looks like a slum. A shockingly high percentage of elementary school children will experience homelessness at some point; a quarter of them are chronically hungry. More than half of the government's reveneues are hurled down a blackhole in the Pentagon. Instead of benefitting the American people the money ends up in the hands of ISIS and al Qaeda mercenaries pretending to be rebel-citizens of whichever democracy the Neocons have targeted to destroy with "humanitarian intervention."

Someday soon, our hired serial killers won't accept Dollars. They will want their blood money denominated in a discreet currency, bitcoin, or gold. The rest of the world will transition this year from the dollar to SDRs or Yuan for international trade and oil transactions because those securities can be banked, spent, and redeemed with privacy, outside the SWIFT system where the US tracks global transactions and seizes the money when they want to torment or break someone. At the new development and settlement banks that emerged globally after the NSA whistleblowing, the US will be blocked from freezing funds of someone they want to bully, as they did to Russia Today a few hours ago. That will be the end of empire; the end of sanctions. This moment is the beginning of the end.

Happy votes are too incremental for me. I see pending emergencies where the dangerous global atrocities of the US must be blocked. (If people unite and vote against Hillary, having a weak despised non-neocon figurehead like Trump would make that so much easier.) And I see an opportunity to crush the Democratic Party at the same time that the GOP has been laid to waste. That double hit empowers Team People for an entire election cycle. They can form coalitions and turn things around. They will never get another chance.

up
0 users have voted.

____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

occupying the workplace, were effective in an economy where resource extraction and making things were the primary drivers. Workers who can actually impact even a company, much less an economy, by going on strike are becoming a smaller and smaller portion of the work force, and most --but not all--of them aren't too interested in organizing. They're convinced they're part of "The In Crowd." The Reuthers were machine-tool guys, the elite in an industrial economy where making cars was becoming the thing. But they sure as hell didn't consider themselves aligned with Henry Ford or GM. I guess it turns out that these "knowledge workers" in the Information Age are a lot easier to manipulate than people who worked with their hands.

I'd agree that blocking the crazies is the top priority these days. Pretensions to being the world's only superpower will be impossible to maintain before long. Will elites with primarily American ties try to defend their position with military escalations to the point of global destruction, or will most just adapt, maybe even moving abroad?

I'd sure prefer the latter, but it won't be much fun either Sure, they'll continue to extract and oppress, but they'll even be less concerned about the infrastructure, including medical and educational, than they are now. But it's a hell of a lot better to be abandoned than incinerated. I don't think their presence was doing us much good anyway.

up
0 users have voted.
Daenerys's picture

not spending any money (unless you have to). Don't shop at the big box stores. Support local places and companies that treat their employees well. Become as self-sufficient as possible. Consumerism is a disease that needs to die, and we as consumers have the power.

up
0 users have voted.

This shit is bananas.

thanatokephaloides's picture

Happy votes are too incremental for me. I see an emergency in terms of a blocking dangerous the global atrocities of the US. And I see an opportunity to crush the Democratic Party at the same time that the GOP has been laid to waste.

That's where all the other stuff comes in.....

And I agree with you that the time for incremental change has passed. We need to not just attempt these changes, we need to demand them and get them.

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

earthling1's picture

regarding the opportunity for America to divide and conquer the to big to fail banks by boycotting Wells Fargo for their theft from depositors.
Yeah, thats right. Kick em when they're down and run them into bankruptcy.
They deserve no less.
Question. Why didn't any of those 5300 employees get arrested for embezzlement or theft?
So now, even bank employees are above the law?
When will this "trickle down immunity" reach the rest of us?
The very first thing the American people have to do is come together and counter THEIR policy of divide and conquer.
Divide and conquer the TBTF banks.
Divide and conquer the insurance companies.
Divide and conquer the MSM. It is our only option left.
We must become a Union of American Peoples.
End rant.

up
0 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Dead right!

Problem is that (according to what I've previously read, some time back,) TBTF apparently makes too little from small depositors, comparatively speaking, and in at least some cases would just as soon not have them as customers, in order to focus on more lucrative areas. Although I expect they'll be happy to seize their deposited money in their next crash, as I've read (right here on C-9) that Obama 'legalized' direct bank theft from bank customer's accounts by the reckless banking criminals (edit: in such events).

But I expect that I'm not the only one whose inadequate income goes out immediately, leaving nothing in but fees their institution (mine's a CU) gets anyway. But I wouldn't go with any bank anyway; they all seem to be criminals anyway and if they can seize enough small accounts to cover their bonuses, that reckless behaviour will be 'grass-roots funded' - you can bet your food and shelter money on that, or not.

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.

That might explain why Nestle-owned Purina is now considered to be garbage.

My roommate's puppy was getting sick with continual diarrhea on Purina Puppy food, (which we used to think was a good pet food - years ago) and I kept saying that it must be something wrong with the dry food (she'd bought a big bag before the school system shut down for the summer and had very little money for quite a while, had to put the pup on a home-made chicken, [she gets most of any farm-raised chicken we get,] carrot, rice, etc., dog food for some time; puppy got the runs every time she tried putting her back on the Purina) and she now gets something reasonably priced from Costco I can't recall the name of (it's kept in sealed buckets; I top up pet dishes as necessary and only really looked at the ingredient list when she first got it,) on which her dog does much better and likes much better. It uses better ingredients than the stuff made of old company name-brand laurels, so there are non-Nestle options not costing much more out there - which may also save on vet bills and anguish in the long run. I wouldn't trust the buggers, myself.

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.

Barter and trade as much as possible. Form Co-ops. Buy used rather than new whenever possible. Support your local businesses, even if it costs a little more. No more box store shopping, chain dining.

On my list to do is to become less carnivorous (oh I love my meat). I wish I could drive less, but I'm already keeping it at a minimum and often drive friends when it's shopping day/errand day. But carpool if you can or take the bus or ride a bike.

Keep telling your friends and neighbors to get rid of their evil empire credit cards, move to a local credit union and try to get out of debt and pay cash for everything.

We need national strikes. Tax strikes, work strikes, shopping strikes. These could go international with the proper communication. Donate to EFF, we are about to lose a free internet.

up
0 users have voted.

You can't resist or rebel against a structure that you're very dependent upon.

We need to re-learn doing things for ourselves. And when that's not possible, we need to re-learn cooperating with each other to share skills and talents. That's not easy when so many are struggling hard to raise enough cash to eat and keep a roof over their heads. People need to get paid whenever they can, and "giving away" time and skill seems to go against the survival instinct itself. But it's cooperation, expanding our circles of people who know and care about each other and building trust among neighbors that can make our lives better without requiring an increase in income. Humans have known about establishing a "gift economy" for a very long time, perhaps as long as there have been humans. After all, as Kropotkin observed, even the birds and the bees do it.

Cutting down on "needs," learning to do for oneself and others and doing things like becoming an informal car pool organizer, those are the prerequisites for rebelling and resisting.

(Note, in contrast, how the neoliberal mindset would respond to transportation needs in your neighborhood:

1) The Desperate: Become an Uber driver.

2) The Venture Capitalists: Hire someone at $5/hr to build Uber for the trifecta of exploting coders, drivers and customers.

How much better your way is.)

up
0 users have voted.
thanatokephaloides's picture

(Note, in contrast, how the neoliberal mindset would respond to transportation needs in your neighborhood:

1) The Desperate: Become an Uber driver.

2) The Venture Capitalists: Hire someone at $5/hr to build Uber for the trifecta of exploting coders, drivers and customers.

How much better your way is.)

I'm researching the process of "rooting" my smartphone, a ZTE Maven Z812. This phone has yet to be permanently rooted (jailbroken).

Why do I want to root my ZTE Maven Z812?

Because it runs a LOT of bloatware which I will never use. Including and especially the Uber app. (gag-o-maggot!)

Diablo

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Daenerys's picture

We do need to relearn how to make things for ourselves again. Perhaps it's by design: no more home ec taught in schools, everyone working longer hours and both parents out of the house so nobody has time to cook or sew or build things much anymore...I'd love to take up sewing, but honestly the price of fabric is too prohibitive these days. (That and I can't find any affordable fabrics I actually like, sigh) So we're all so dependent on the system that's killing us.

up
0 users have voted.

This shit is bananas.

thanatokephaloides's picture

We do need to relearn how to make things for ourselves again.

And, for the things we can't make ourselves from scratch, learn the skills to recycle and re-use them through repair.

I'm an electronic technician with some 30+ years in the field. My adult-wage jobs in that field went away when folks stopped repairing electronic gear, and troubleshooting to the component level became a lost art. But I still use it for me and mine. Example: My iPod is an old 5.5 gen Video, rebuilt by my own two hands. It was born with a 30GB disk capacity, but now sports an 80GB one. And I maintain the information on how to re-format and re-establish the firmware by hand (necessary if you use it with a Linux machine as iTunes won't run on it). My TV is a hand-me-down that I've kept alive. My computers are cast-offs, with the sole exception of one I built from scratch myself.

Recycle, repair, re-use. It's the way of the past -- and of our future, too.

Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

lunachickie's picture

One of these years, people will stop falling all over themselves for April 15th and just stop filing.

Except for the ones due actual refunds, that no one else ever considers this is astonishing to me. Seems like it would go a long way, if there was a large effort. The IRS staff cuts are a thing, they're bare-bones as it is, and they simply do not have the manpower to go after everybody...

up
0 users have voted.

They are just giving our taxes away to mega corporations or spending it and our children on senseless wars.

Besides, it seems money is all they care about.

up
0 users have voted.
earthling1's picture

that since corporations are people, then people are corporations. And as such, we should be able to deduct from our income the entire cost of existence. Be it our rents, food, all transportation costs, essentially every deduction a corporation enjoys.
If multinational corporations want the US military to protect their interests abroad, let them pay for it. It's their wealth that needs protection. We don't have any wealth.

up
0 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

reply

Tue, 10/18/2016 - 12:24pm — earthling1

It is my contention
that since corporations are people, then people are corporations. And as such, we should be able to deduct from our income the entire cost of existence. Be it our rents, food, all transportation costs, essentially every deduction a corporation enjoys.
If multinational corporations want the US military to protect their interests abroad, let them pay for it. It's their wealth that needs protection. We don't have any wealth.

You are brilliance itself! And I hope that this is reposted frequently, because this is valuable counterspin and a darned logical claim.

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 don't pay taxes,
'Cause I never file."

up
0 users have voted.
Bisbonian's picture

I first heard it done by a bush-pilot/singer songwriter named Doug Geeting, and, since he was a bit of a daring pilot, I always associate it with him.

up
0 users have voted.

"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

It is one of the biggest moments with everybody singing along.

up
0 users have voted.
pswaterspirit's picture

The Willamette Valley has gotten into the buy local movement in a very big way. I have watched over the last few years as the support system has grown for this. It has provided a good number of jobs. It has also cut into the sales of places like Walmart. There has been something of a back lash wanting to label it as elite. It really isn't. It is a different way of thinking though. There are many ways around the costs. It also gets people looking at the quality of what they are buying. I have learned to include quality in my calculation of value. It started with a food movement but has expanded to other things as well. Some people think you can't change the world this way but I disagree. If you color enough dots on a map eventually they bleed into each other. At the local level it flys under the radar until its entrenched and can withstand the roadblocks the corporations try to throw out.

up
0 users have voted.

up
0 users have voted.

1. DO NOT borrow money if at all possible, unless from private sources. No car loans, no charge accounts. By paying cash for used autos, you can save hundreds monthly on your insurance bill.

2. If you have a blog, use it to cover local events. Think of it as informing the public. Who, exactly, sits on your local City Council, Planning Commission, Utility Board--you know, the people who rubber stamp requests for rate hikes. Who are those people? What are their ideologies, associations, sources of authority? Who appointed them and for what reasons? Who OWNS your city's or county's water system, sewers, mass transit, such as that is, electrical grid? If you want to take over something, instead of the Green Party chapter, consider your local alternative newspaper, which, if it is like the ones I have seen, is worse than useless.

up
0 users have voted.

Mary Bennett

Unabashed Liberal's picture

that under the 'advocate against evil' category, we need to have more detailed discussions about social insurance policies, and proposals to 'reform' our Safety Net programs. Especially since we are nearing crunch time regarding the passage of another toxic ombudsman (budget) bill during the Lame Duck Session. (Current 'CR' expires on December 9.)

We are checking out Medicare at present (since we both become eligible within the next year), and cannot believe how weak the program is. And, it's only going to get worse, since the HHS/the Administration just released the 'new rules' for Medicare reimbursements to providers--imposing metrics which will most likely create further inducements for medical providers to measure prescribing certain treatments [that would greatly benefit their patients], against their own pocketbooks.

Hey, thanks again. Pleasantry

Mollie


“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit and therefore– to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)

The SOSD Fantastic Four

Available For Adoption, Save Our Street Dogs, SOSD

Cole - SOSD

up
0 users have voted.

Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

thanatokephaloides's picture

Thank you for your excellent essay, Sean!

You're welcome! Dance 4

I would add that under the 'advocate against evil' category, we need to have more detailed discussions about social insurance policies, and proposals to 'reform' our Safety Net programs.

You mean "deform" them, and I agree wholeheartedly! We need to strengthen and improve Social Security and its kin, not weaken, abolish, or (Cat forbid!) privatize it. Help

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

earthling1's picture

Am purchasing a new Nissan Leaf . Fuck the oil companies.
MSRP $34,000+ . It's a 2016 they want to move to make room for new models, so factory reduction of $2000 comes to $32,000+.
Dealer incentive $2,000 brings it to $30,000.
By financing thru Nissan, another $4,000 reduction ( minimum of four payments).
This brings it down to $26,000.
Throw in the Federal Tax Credit of $7,500 and the cost is down to $18,500.
Here's the best part. In Washington state, a new all electric vehicle is exempt from sales tax. A savings of about $3,000.
No more oil changes or filters.
No more gas or filters. No fan belts or smog pumps or smog checks. No more tuneups or spark plugs or exhaust sensors. No more fumes sitting at a red light. The car is rated for 124 miles to a charge city which is more than enough for my needs.
My small part of fighting back.

up
0 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Daenerys's picture

No wonder, with all those discounts that's a great deal! (Utah probably still has the sales tax though.)
I saw another Tesla this morning on my way to work; if money were no issue that's what I'd get. I've seen a few of them around; makes me happy to see.

up
0 users have voted.

This shit is bananas.

earthling1's picture

the Tesla Model 3 in 2018. Expected MSRP $36,000 and still qualifies for the $7,500 Fed Tax credit. 210 mile range too.

up
0 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Daenerys's picture

Or does it come with the car and you install it? I don't know a lot about how that all works; charging stations aren't very common yet, I've only seen them at Walgreens stores around here.

up
0 users have voted.

This shit is bananas.

earthling1's picture

You can use a 220 volt clothes dryer outlet or a regular 110volt wall outlet.
Much different charge times though. The Tesla superchargers along the major interstate corridors will charge you up in 26 minutes.
Detroit really has to up their game, or we will be bailing them out again. The big three need to lose those dinosaur CEOs and hire some with forward vision. Or brains.

up
0 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

featheredsprite's picture

I don't know if implementing these things would affect TPTB, but they might help insure the health and well being of us and ours.

up
0 users have voted.

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

Tobin Tax. Or WS Sales tax, whatever you want to call it. Not dedicated to some specific purpose which helps some and not others, but as part of the general fund. We pay sales tax, WS speculators should also.

That could collect billions, enough to finance social programs at the level we need.

up
0 users have voted.

Mary Bennett

ThoughtfulVoter's picture

Ryan lectured Young Republicans in his native Wisconsin last Friday, and the national news media were invited to listen along.

As he outlined his Wall Street–friendly proposals for tax reforms that would more rapidly redistribute wealth upward, and for budgets that would put vulnerable Americans at greater risk while increasing burdens for middle-class families, the speaker explained that his agenda can advance only if Republicans control both the House and Senate. “If we keep control of the Senate in the Republican hands…a nice guy named Mike Enzi from Wyoming is the Senate budget chair and he helps us get these budgets to the president’s desk, gets these tax bills through,” he said.

On the other hand, Ryan warned, “If we lose the Senate, do you know who becomes chair of the Senate Budget Committee? A guy named Bernie Sanders. You ever heard of him?”

Ryan’s comment drew a tepid response from the Young Republicans he was lecturing. No surprise there. Polling suggests that Bernie Sanders is among the most well-regarded political figures in the country, especially among younger voters, and the long-time independent generates far less partisan antipathy than veteran Democrats.

But when word got out that Ryan was rattled by Sanders, the response from around the country was electric. People who might have been having a hard time getting excited about the presidential race were most intrigued by the possibility that Sanders might become a powerhouse in the Senate.

The possibility is real enough.

“Too bad for Ryan, that's a scenario millions of millennials would welcome.”

The senator from Vermont is the ranking member of the budget committee, and if Democrats gain control of the chamber on November 8, he would be in line to chair it. But Sanders could also end up chairing then powerful Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which he could use to advance many of the proposals (for affordable college, empowering unions, and investing in public-health programs) that made his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination so popular.

The final list of committee assignments will be influenced by the choices of senior senators, such as Washington’s Patty Murray. “There’s lots of individual choices ahead, of people who are senior to Bernie,” says Senator Charles Schumer of New York, who is set to replace retiring Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Yet Schumer says of Sanders, “He will chair a significant committee if we win the majority.’’

That prospect scares Paul Ryan.

But it excites a lot of other people.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/10/18/paul-ryan-if-republicans-lo...

up
0 users have voted.

If Bernie can't get things done for people in one way, he tries another and keeps trying until some improvement helping more vulnerable Americans is achieved. It's a character trait demonstrated again and again over the years.

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.

earthling1's picture

up
0 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Bisbonian's picture

Wanna bet it's been promised to him, "if..."

Wanna bet they don't follow through?

up
0 users have voted.

"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

TheOtherMaven's picture

Always believing that Lucy won't pull the football away this time.

Sorry, Charlie Bernie!

up
0 users have voted.

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

thanatokephaloides's picture

Bernie = Charlie Brown

Always believing that Lucy won't pull the football away this time.

Sorry, Charlie Bernie!

There is, however, one major difference this time.

More of us pissed-off types are paying attention now than the last few times Schumer and his ilk raked Bernie Sanders over the coals. This includes a lot of Millennials, whom the various "Democratic" powers-that-be cannot afford to continue to offend as they are becoming the bread-and-butter voters these people need to retain their elected positions.

(I still think New Yorkers need to give Chuck Schumer a good swift kick in the arse and replace his ass in the Senate. If they want a Senator Schumer, let them elect Amy Schumer instead; all involved would be better off by far!)

Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

I've really been thinking a lot about new things that I plan to boycott. I've always been a "consumer" of newspapers and some magazines, but now I clearly see that the information they "deliver" can no longer be trusted. I wonder if they have considered that, when this sham is done, who is ever going to trust them again, much less want to spend money for them. We've been subscribers of our local paper for nearly 50 years, and I've read it every day. But, with the election season, I find that it only piles up, unopened, until it goes to the recycle bin. I really think that when it expires this time, that's it.

I'm already boycotting Brawny and Northern paper products, Koch. And Soros owns Teva Pharmaceutical. The pharmacy that we use will order most any brand that we want, and many drugs have many different manufacturers, so no Teva for us. I haven't done too much more research yet, but definitely plan to add to that boycott list. We've never had cable, so that's easy. I've already cancelled many magazines, even though I have acquired most of them as free subscriptions (I'm good at finding free stuff). I really expect that we will see more and more censorship online, if this campaign is any example, and I expect many websites may disappear.

We will be expanding our container gardening even more, especially when more food is "fake" without being labeled as such. No more Sierra Club, that ended when they endorsed her. And no more PBS contributions, after seeing how they censored that conversation with Jill Stein. We are old enough to "escape" the new Wall Street retirement plans, but I must say, I am very apprehensive about the future. We years ago swore off Wall Street investments, and use only credit unions. The interest rates have so low for so long, who knows where that goes. Privatization of public functions is scary for me, and we can plan to see more of what happened in Flint.

In one way, our lives won't change too much, we've been big spenders on much of anything. But I see the storm on the horizon, and I don't think it is far away now. I wonder what will happen when people see how they've been "had" this time, when they are left with little or nothing. I'm very sad. I've spent time on Midway Island and seen the remnants of war that still remained there; I've also seen the beautiful, majestic albatross there, whose babies are now dying because they are full of plastic. I sometimes wish I'd never seen a history book.

up
0 users have voted.
thanatokephaloides's picture

I'm very sad. I've spent time on Midway Island and seen the remnants of war that still remained there; I've also seen the beautiful, majestic albatross there, whose babies are now dying because they are full of plastic. I sometimes wish I'd never seen a history book.

I hear you. I'm pretty damn sad, too. And grateful to be childless. I wouldn't wish the future I can see all too clearly on anybody's kid, especially mine.

Thank you for this topic!

I'm glad you enjoyed the essay! Smile

up
0 users have voted.

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides