Open Thread: Untamed Sanity


Good Morning C99%'ers,

"The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. To make this a living force and bring it to clear consciousness is perhaps the foremost task of education. The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action." Albert Einstein

Another banner day in the annals of American democracy, such as it is...

sad sunflower.jpg

A sprinkle of psyche-sugar for your morning brew is on the menu today! It may help with the mental gymnastics required to swallow the cognitive dissonance of participating in this (media enriched) clown show.

Hopefully the "down ticket" issues and local races produce more, better and progressive results. That may be the sugar to help the medicine go down from above. They may not alter our present course, but laying in a good foundation is key. It grows from there.

TYT is planning a block party in NYC to showcase discontent this evening. Do I hear the rumblings of riot squads in the distance? In our local grade school kids participated in a mock election sponsored by "Every Kid Votes", a nationwide program teaching how "realistic" computer voting works. Indoctrination is more like it. They voted C 43%, T 41%, S 6%, J 9%. (With a +/- 10% margin of error for Recess! What do kids Know?

This seems like a game on the playground. Watch the bullies beat up the little kids. Where are the adults in all of this? It boggles the mind. Someone suggested having an open thread to track trends at the polls today, which is a great idea. Comments on the lines, the mood, moderators, demonstrators, hassles or what not. I can't carry it as life outside calls. If anyone wants to pick that up, run with it!. Namaste

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnqj31VPNoE]

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Raggedy Ann's picture

for the OT. It's dark and early here this morning. I have to vote today, sigh.

When I was in third grade, I distinctly remember the vote my teacher took on the POTUS election in 1960. Kennedy v. Nixon. Kennedy won our classroom. My best friend voted for Nixon and I was aghast! Yes, aghast as a third grader!

1972 was my first voting opportunity. Not understanding how the mechanical voting machine worked, I pulled the dem lever and cast my vote for every dem running. I couldn't un-pull the lever, so I made a mental note to go individual by individual, next time. I've never voted straight party again, although I'm glad I voted for McGovern.

This year, I'm cynical. Yes, I'll vote, but I'm long over the duopoly. May America RIP.

Have a beautiful day, folks! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

lotlizard's picture

The only way to “reset” was to pull the big handle that actually cast the vote?

That sounds like unaccountably poor design.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

I pulled the lever and there you go! We now have a paper ballot.

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Good luck with the polls!

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We grow them on the west side of the house as temporary summer trees.

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get them here before they get big Sad

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This thread's title makes me write...

I'm writing in Senator Bernie Sanders for President and voting down-ballot as I see fit.

I'm appalled that Clinton and Trump are the two 'best' candidates. Out of 300 million people? C'mon -- hence, the write-in choice...even though a Facebook acquaintance has said my Presidential choice won't be counted in Colorado.

So be it. *shrugs*

I believe this election is a lost cause. Big Money has their choices in place, and it only remains to be seen who the new resident is in the Oval Office.

Still, the down-ballot choices are essential. The Do-Nothing Congress is guilty of making NO adequate progress, and the do-nothings need to be voted out.

I will vote for Gail Schwartz for CO-3, I'll vote for/against the numerous issues on the Colorado Ballot, I refuse to vote for Michael "Thurston Howell" Bennet...

And I will write in Bernie Sanders.

Change starts with us, people - and if not now...when?

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elenacarlena's picture

She's on the ballot in CO, it will count, for whatever that's worth.

Well, that will be one more vote counted against Her, if they don't reset the machines. And if Jill should win, I'm sure she'll surround herself with experienced and knowledgeable people.

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I thought about the benefits of voting for Jill Stein, especially after talking with my 91-year-old mom about this year's election.

However, deciding that Clinton or Trump would be elected, I opted for voting for the person that should have gotten the Democratic nomination - or could have taken Ms. Stein up on her offer to have Senator Sanders run as the Presidential candidate of her party while she took the VP slot.

Tough choice, but in now way would I vote for Clinton...or especially Trump!

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OLinda's picture

There's a green choice for Senator.

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I'm looking for his name now (Ari Mercori?), but I didn't vote for the D or the R running for Senate.

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lotlizard's picture

Beware: countering “violent extremism” online risks human rights

Governments around the world are showing increased interest in programs for proactive monitoring, surveillance, censorship, or modification of users’ online content, all advanced under the banner of preventing or countering “violent extremism” (often referred to using the acronyms “PVE” or “CVE”).

However well-intentioned, these proposals are a minefield for human rights. They risk targeting satire, journalism, activism and community organizing, political protest, and other forms of expression, as well as undercutting existing rule of law and protections for both privacy and speech. For this reason, all stakeholders — including public officials, policymakers, companies that run web platforms and social media services, and civil society — should be extremely cautious about advancing, supporting, or implementing them.

 
Obama and, no doubt, his designated successor are already ratcheting forward from “violent extremism” to the next target, so-called “conspiracy theorists.”
Obama decries “wild west” media landscape

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Citizen Of Earth's picture

can offer some excellent ideas on that subject.

"We are going to have to rebuild within this wild-wild-west-of-information flow some sort of curating function that people agree to," Obama said at an innovation conference in Pittsburgh.

Edit: I wonder if this "Don't trust the web" is the latest Dem propaganda theme. A commentor mentioned yesterday that in that 60 Minutes Focus Group, Luntz made a point that social media is contributing to the anger and divisiveness in the country. So maybe these are is the first cannon shots to rein in free speech on the Tubes.

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

Obama's remarks are revealing and ominous. He is telling us what the Masters want .
That seems to have a way of happening.

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lotlizard's picture

“However <X>” — with <X> standing for something that is claimed to be, but is not necessarily, true — what a versatile turn of phrase that is!

Like its popular sibling “whatever,” it’s succinct shorthand for an entire spectrum of possible values.

It sounds like you’re generously giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Yet it warns the discerning reader that, hey, you know, <X> could still very well be total codswallop — simply not true at all.

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elenacarlena's picture

My Internet went down overnight. I'm at Starbucks right now but can't stay all day, so will check in when I can. But a thread for poll tracking sounds like a great idea to me! I am on pins and needles.

Hope 1: Miraculously, Jill wins.
Hope 2: Jill wins enough to shake up TPTB so they realize they have to be more populist.
Hope 3: There's a four-way split that sends the same message.
Hope 4: Clinton and Trump are very, very close, which sends somewhat the same message.
Hope 5: Trump does not win!! Unlike some of you, I think he would be a disaster from which we may never recover, especially if he colludes with Congressional Repugs to take this country massively in the wrong direction (as opposed to Her Heinous, who will try to take this country slowly in the wrong direction).

We will see. It's going to be an odd day. They have CBS on TV here in the Bucks of Star, and it's pretty much all election, all the time. When it's not the news, it's the ads over and over and over. That'll be one good thing about no Internet - no ads!

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Citizen Of Earth's picture

title: Election Day Dog Pile.
Going to vote for Jill in an hour or so. #JillNotHill

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

lotlizard's picture

Of course, events of the next 24 hours could quickly prove me wrong. Anyway, here’s my two cents on the matter:

Fear of Trump was the focus this campaign season, but all that was just the elite pressing our buttons: the panic-mongering of a few intended to manipulate the emotions of the many.

There never was any reason to be concerned about Trump actually winning. Why? Simply because the Deep State and its Big Club don’t want Trump. Evidence overwhelmingly favors the view that the trappings of democracy are mere window-dressing; what the Club wants, the Club gets.

And the latter fact is the real reason the world should be concerned. The Club is, in a nutshell, the enemy of humanity.

(edited: grammar, doesn’t —> don’t)

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Since I bailed out of DKos and came over here last March, this site has been an unpredictable mix of top-notch analysis of current events and nutty conspiracy theories. The theories can be entertaining, but I take pride in belonging to the reality-based community.

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"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

elenacarlena's picture

from. Nyah, nyah, we can discuss ANYthing here! I think it'll calm down as we grow away from Over There.

Anyway, I find it interesting sometimes. But if I had a forced choice, I too would choose reality. Except, of course, for anthropomorphic critters! Biggrin

Cats Voting A7B5L_eCQAED8Y6[1]_0.jpg

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Lookout's picture

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

I find Albert's wisdom inspiring. Thanks for the links!

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enhydra lutris's picture

really prepare for armeggadon or any other serious major catastrophe, hence I have little interest in following the hour by hour vagaries, predictions and punditizing of the election "counting" process. I shall be busy with assorted other necessary tasks anyway until sometime after dinner, though I will no doubt become entrapped into checking at least California's propositions later in the evening.

Thanks especially, btw, for that Temptations tune. I had forgotten about it entirely and would have used it a lot over the past few years, and now will save the URL so that I can use it over the nest few.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

I thought the line "vote for me and I'll set you free" was appropriate for today.

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Good luck to all of you who are physically going to the polls today to vote. I'm hearing long lines everywhere. I am anxious to see how many votes Jill and Johnson get - if Hillary doesn't fractionally steal them to beat Trump.

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