Wednesday Open Thread 03-04-15

Good morning 99percenters!

Fun fact of the day: The U.S. Constitution took effect on March 4, 1789. As originally adopted it made no mention of a date to inaugurate the president. March 4 was codified as Inauguration Day in 1792, and was written into the Constitution with adoption of the 12th Amendment in 1804. But the March inauguration meant an extended lame-duck session for Congress, and in 1933, the 20th Amendment established that the terms of the president and vice president end at noon on January 20. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first to be sworn into office on that day in 1937 beginning his second term.

This is an open thread so tell us what’s on your mind today.

Share
up
0 users have voted.

Comments

Big Al's picture

for a revolution. There's a couple events being held this spring in the D.C. area that I know of, but it seems like the
spirit of Occupy has faded quite abit. It makes me wonder if we didn't miss an opportunity that we might not get
again for awhile.
But then again, Occupy happened in the Spring of 2011, four years ago and the year before an election year, like
we're in now.
I really believe we should gear up for something big before the next election and make the election itself a centerpiece.

up
0 users have voted.
gulfgal98's picture

Occupy was the last chance for our elected officials, particularly the Democrats, to respond to the needs of the people. Instead they called us terrorists and used force to shut down many of the larger occupations. It exposed those in government for what they are, self serving. I am not sure we can get momentum with another populist uprising. Even the Climate March, with its 400,000 to 500,000 participants, drew a collective yawn from those in power. The most promising thing going right now seems to be the Moral Movement.

up
0 users have voted.

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Big Al's picture

people who can't participate in street protests. You know, like voting is supposed to do but doesn't.
I think our best bet is too force change by making a mockery of what this country stands for. No other country
boasts like this one while using that to maintain it's Empire. If we can end the illusion we can end
what they do based on that illusion.
My best shot.

up
0 users have voted.
Big Al's picture

read an article I'd found linked elsewhere and spent a little time reading a few others and the comments.
Wow. It was like reading a reverse image of Daily Kos. The same ranting and railing on the other party, the
other side that you see on DK. The same type of cognitive dissonance you see where when their party does
something it's good, but when the other party does the same thing, it's bad. The same hate. I've written many
times that Daily Kos is a Hate site. Well, it's not alone that's for sure.
It's very discouraging because you can see how far apart we are as a society. The hatemongers keep it that
way.

up
0 users have voted.
Tammany Tiger's picture

Someone would ask the teacher, "What day is it?". The teacher would say "March 4th," at which point the entire class would get out of their chairs and start marching toward the front of the room.

up
0 users have voted.
Big Al's picture

they are. Good things should continue.

up
0 users have voted.
Cordelia Lear's picture

up
0 users have voted.

"Never separate the life you live from the words you speak." --Paul Wellstone

Cordelia Lear's picture

Where you live determines who bakes the cookies sold locally. And no it doesn't break down into something sensible like east or west of the Mississippi River.

up
0 users have voted.

"Never separate the life you live from the words you speak." --Paul Wellstone

Tammany Tiger's picture

If you're into good beer--and these days, who isn't?--the folks at Craft Beer & Brewing magazine have suggestions for pairing craft beer and Girl Scout cookies.

up
0 users have voted.
gulfgal98's picture

It is brownies and beer, at least that was what it was for a woman I worked with. Personally, I prefer salty stuff with beer. Wink

up
0 users have voted.

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense-news/blog/intercepts/2015/03/03...

WASHINGTON — The US Army is preparing to send approximately 300 troops at a time to train Ukrainian forces in western Ukraine, according to documents posted on a government contracting site.

A solicitation posted in late February said that the US government is looking for a contractor to provide seven 50-passenger buses from March 5 through Oct. 31 for the purpose of ferrying up to 300 US troops from the L'viv International airport to the International Peace Keeping and Security Center at the Yavoriv training range in the far west of Ukraine.

up
0 users have voted.
joe shikspack's picture

they're going to need a lot more than bus drivers if they intend to escalate the civil war in ukraine. but they knew that.

brrr... do you feel a draft?

up
0 users have voted.

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/03/04/dempsey-...

The military's top officer said Wednesday that American military boots on the ground may eventually be needed in Syria to fight alongside moderate Syrian rebel groups.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, testified on Capitol Hill that military commanders may consider the need for small teams of U.S. troops to help local Iraqi and Syrian forces if that is critical for defeating the Islamic State militants.

"If the commander on the ground approaches either me or the secretary of defense and believes that the introduction of special operations forces to accompany Iraqis or the new Syrian forces, or JTACS, these skilled folks who can call in close-air support, if we believe that's necessary to achieve our objectives, we will make that recommendation," Dempsey told the House Appropriations Committee's defense panel.

up
0 users have voted.