A Rant about Trump and Us
"Keeping things bottled inside is not good for you son. You need to let it out."
This is a rant. No facts, no links, just a fucking rant.
This Trump thing is getting to me. Not Trump himself, the reaction. As early as June 2015, I was calling for a presidential election boycott. That didn't mean not voting, it meant not voting in the presidential election, boycotting the farce that was Clinton vs. Bush. People could still vote for their favorite duopoly politician to satisfy their ingrained need to participate in American "demockery", just don't vote for the presidential ticket, boycott it. Make a statement, say enough is enough. Originally I thought it would be Clinton vs. Bush when I started calling for the boycott, but that changed as we all know to Clinton vs. Trump. My opinion of the election didn't however, it only reinforced my opinion that this political system had to be changed. I don't want my grandchildren to be faced with more Trump vs. Clinton choices.
Needless to say, the idea didn't catch on. Many agreed that the two options were unacceptable but felt that a voting boycott played into "their" hands, it was what "they" wanted, for citizens to not participate in our vaunted democracy. If we don't vote, we're not letting our voices be heard, they said. It was a beat down at times.
So ya, we could have stopped this. Like "we" could do a lot of things. But now we have Trump and I'm bothered. We could have protested this political system and refused to accept the detestable options presented us, instead people are protesting the result. Too little, too late.
I'm also bothered by the reaction to Trump by many on the left and many political writers and analysts I've followed through the years. The notion that Trump will challenge the deep state, that Trump will seek rapprochement with Russia, end regime changes, and actually fight for the working man seems to have taken hold similar to the Obama "hope and change" bullshit from eight years prior. At that time, people like Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, and a whole host of what should be the more radical left fell for his WORDS and failed to appreciate the big picture. That didn't last long of course, Obama showed his hand quickly, within his first 100 days in office. Trump has already showed his hand. But I see the same thing happening regarding Trump as happened with Obama, a delusional hope that somehow things can change for the serfs under Trump.
Fuck that, there is no hope, not with people like Trump and his cabinet. Not with any of the ruling class "factions" because in the end we're still SERFS. Why keep playing that foolish game? Hey look, the TPP doesn't matter, nothing matters because we're still Serfs. I'm tired of being a Serf. We don't need any more pudding, we need the fucking cake, the one they serve at the inauguration.
In the end, this isn't about Trump. It's about our political system, the one that allows for a Donald Trump. The one that gives us a President who can sign Executive Orders to abolish programs on his first day in office, dictate federal government hiring practices, and punish those who dare cross him. The one that just made a narcissistic, egotistic sociopath the Commander in Chief of the most expansive and dangerous military and intelligence system in human history during this country's sixteenth consecutive year at war with the fucking world. The one that has more than half the country and the world WORRIED about what the fuck he's going to do!
I remember many years ago when I was young, a friend and I went to Vegas and we made it to a craps table. I put down a two dollar chip on black and the dealer said, "no action". That's what I feel now, no action. Here we're coming off the most absurd election imaginable and there is no focus on what to do now. Some think he's got promise, some think he's got to go, no one is talking about our political system. The one that keeps us in chains.
Shit, it's not about Donald Trump. It's about us.
Comments
Check out Tillerson's comments on Venezuela,
relative to Trump's comments on regime changes. Checkmate.
At least the enemy is now in full view, instead of hiding
behind the kabuki theater curtains. Maybe now we can have a united front instead of that fucking "Obama is playing 11th. dimensional chess. Leave him alone. He knows what he is doing." stinking crap.
Here's one of Obama's housewarming gifts to Trump and Tillerson:
Socialist countries cannot be allowed to thrive under any conditions, especially if they have oil, resources or land coveted by US business conglomerates. They are direct threats to American world capitalism.
There would have been little to no difference if Hillary was elected. The common theme between the duopoly government of the US is support of insatiable capitalism. This includes Obamacare. It was a plan written by and for the private US health service providers.
Anything good that comes from Trump or
his cabinet will be by mistake. The one thing you have to admit, he sure knows what to do with a bully pulpit. When I watch all the power he is taking, I get twice as pissed at Obama for his 2008 lack of performance.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
From what I can gather, good is relative.
Talk about the TPP. Trump is getting credit for extinguishing it but it was already basically extinguished, and what about what will happen in its place? It was largely about the Asian pivot and Trump has already threatened a trade war with China so what his regime has in mind could be even worse than the TPP.
I'm not seeing any good, not for me and mine anyway.
Obama's performance was perfect. He played his role
exactly as he was hired to do. He should get an Oscar to go with his Nobel Peace Prize. At least he will have earned the Oscar.
Trump isn't in charge anymore than Obama was
We've probably never had a representative government, but especially after Kennedy's death there has been a corporate coup.
Carter told us that we live in an oligarchy and with the Donald of all people winning the election, it's plain to see that he was right.
The Deep State has been peaking their heads out from behind the curtain for awhile, but after Obamas's and now Trump's administrations they are out in full view.
Here's two articles on the Deep State and what their plans are.
http://www.unz.com/article/political-sciences-theory-of-everything/
http://www.unz.com/article/political-sciences-theory-of-everything-on-th...
Both articles speak of the Deep State and what they have been doing since they were created.
Whay it has been doing and what their goals are have been long planned out.
And of course the banks and the people in charge of them are the ones most responsible going back to the Rockefellers, the Rothchilds, the council on foreign relations and other groups and people.
Nice rant BA.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.
@snoopydawg The Dulles brothers used
The Dulles brothers used Operation Paperclip etc. to graft in outside horrors on our homegrown advocates of greedfests.
You want it darker, we kill the flame, Al.
[video:https://youtu.be/YD6fvzGIBfQ]
We have to be very stubborn to go on.
Perfectly segued mimi
A requiem for the times.
Ich wünsche dir frieden.
yes, I wished we all could have peace
thank you, and same back to you. hugs.
I know I’m repeating myself, and probably unrealistic,
but my invitation to you always stands ; ).
big smiley - in these days the invitation gets more
seductive by the hour...
Thx. You are a friend one always wishes to have and now I got one!!!
I'm sure you have more than one ...
but maybe only one that welcomes you to NZ, a more sane society (even if not perfect), than most.
Machs gut, mimi.
I detested Clinton. But fact: She and those oligarchs
behind her would not be doing what trump and his christian fundamentalist backers are doing.
Not voting was idiotic. It's far more easy to destroy than to build. And the our ecological systems are collapsing rapidly. It's questionable that we will be able to counteract the damage the donald and pence will do.
And no, Clinton would not have done enough. But her admin would also not have done nearly the same degree of destruction that we are about to see - both to our planet and to our scientists and to any last remnants of what was left from both our Enlightenment heritage and progressive politics.
Foreign policy from Raytheon
and economic policy from Goldman Sachs, what could have gone wrong?
And Trump will be the same, mostly.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
Even the Oligarchs are not all the same. They don't all
deny science and think that the earth is 6,000 years old, etc....
So, no. Clinton and her oligarchs would not have scrubbed any mention of climate change from the EPA, etc...
You can deny this all you want. Don't let facts get in your way.
right, there are many oligarchs that are bad, but not
... that psychologically 'challenged'.
We have a fucking dominionist as vice pres, and
and now many heading up our government agencies.
It's fricken horrendous.
like this one...
[video:https://youtu.be/6uyIGEI9XwQ]
Trump and the Militarization of National Security - Mike Pompeo.
Too bad the DNC
gave us Trump.
Don't blame us. We voted for Bernie. When you steal people's votes it tends to piss them off to no end.
What good is it to affirm science
And then do jack shit about climate change? What good is it to affirm science and push fracking all over the world?
Oops
This was meant for @Katie. (Still learning the new system!).
Idiotic to have not voted for Clinton?
Not a game I'm going to play. Clinton and her backers were/are just as evil, it was and is a no win situation. That's my point, we Serfs didn't have a real choice, it was rammed down our throats and until we change this political system it will keep happening. If Clinton was in the White House instead of Trump we'd still have a crazy person signing executive orders like a King/Queen.
@Big Al Fuck this shit.
Fuck this shit.
There is utterly no evidence whatsoever that Clintons' oligarchs would have her sign executive orders to completely shut down science.
None whatsoever.
Our scientists are running scared. You seem not to understand the enormity of what has happened over the last 2 days.
Our scientists have copied basic research information and sent it to overseas storage.
Trump is threatening to declare marshal law in Chicago.
And on and on - too many executive orders and crazy shit to enumerate.
You are living in some alternative reality that won't permit what is actually happening into your brain.
Crazy
Al has a point.
Yes you're living in Trump Terror (trademark).
Ok, yes, seems Trump is going after climate change.
As we've seen though, with Dems, they "believe" in the science, but ignore it anyway. It's why they promote fracking here and around the world (like Clinton did).
But also, as Al mentioned, there was no choice. More climate destruction with Trump, or ramping up war with Russia with Clinton. And yes, she was beating those war drums so badly.
martial law in ND for months -- or centuries
Under the most recent Dem administration, unarmed, praying US citizens exercising their First Amendment rights have been beaten, maced, peppersprayed, teargassed, hosed with water cannons in frigid weather, shot w/ rubber bullets, maimed, assaulted, and terrorized by uniformed agents of the corporate state. The water protectors are under 24-hour surveillance with snipers and missile launchers aimed at them.
Don't try to frighten me with the bogeyman of this happening in Chicago. It has been happening, it continues to happen (look at the reaction to Friday's protests compared to Saturday's women's parade).
Do you object to these tactics when they're used by Dems, or only when they're used by Repubs?
There is no justice in America, but it is the fight for justice that sustains you.
--Amiri Baraka
You know, we're ALL upset
and no one out here thinks Trump was the better choice. But for you to actually believe that Shillary and her minions would do ONE damned thing for climate is loony on its face. Sure, she'd be more subtle, sure she'd keep some "discussion" on WH.gov, but she would NOT change anything. As for your lecturing Big Al, just don't. He sees far more than the rest of us did on what's happening to us and now he's been proven correct. Which IS worse - to outright deny or to "admit" while doing nothing? Personally, I'm sick to death of supposed Progressives selling us out over and over again while they smile pretty in our face. We are now #3 in the world for oil, and that happened under Obama, NOT Trump.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
I think the main difference here
is between those who no longer believe Obama, and those who do.
Among people who are still being fooled by nice words coming from Obama's mouth, Hillary seems a reasonable choice, because they believe her words too.
Many of us no longer believe Obama's words, and we watch what he does instead. We know we've been lied to, and can clearly see that Hillary is lying to us too.
Generally, people who still think that Hillary would have been any different also believe that Obama was the best President ever, and not the Goldman puppet who ordered a record number of airstrikes.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
We'd be gearing up for direct intervention in Syria,
and escalating tensions with Moscow instead. War would be her top priority.
That's the point, the details would be different, but a Hillary administration would be just as bad or worse, just in a different way. As noted above, Clinton was pro-fracking too.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
Agree, protesting the vote is not worthwhile
I refused to vote for either candidate even down ballot I marked someone that was not in the duopoly. I wrote in for President, VT allows that and the vote is counted.
President Trump and the loyal opposition of the duopoly are all screaming voter fraud, Russians, electoral college. Then turn around and savage any thought of other parties in unison.
The only fraud is the pretence of electoral democracy coupled with voter suppression by the duopoly since they are different sides of the same damn coin, over 40% don't vote at all.
Al
I hear you Al. I do.
I wanted to get a discussion going on a potential next move, but that essay fell flat ha.
Keep trying S.D.
It's time for that. Once this little honeymoon is over I think people are going to be ready for action.
Have you seen Gene Sharp's list?
http://www.peacemagazine.org/index.php?id=2083
Comment
Speaking of which Al, in that last essay, I did leave a concern of democracy comment/question. Thought it would be up your alley.
all those items under "physical intervention"
and other items in other categories sure seem to include the option of blocking roadways as a tactic.
And there's a big list of strikes too.
Sharp doesn't seem concerned about annoying the people who are trying to get to work, nor does he seem to think that such actions are ineffective. Just sayin
There is no justice in America, but it is the fight for justice that sustains you.
--Amiri Baraka
You're right Blaz,
I'm not against physical actions either, don't get me wrong. They don't call me Big Al for nothing.
I disagree completely that Clinton would be better
Here is the difference between Clinton and Trump: deftness at manipulating the left.
Your comment is a prime example: Trump brought back KeystoneXL? Clinton would have, too. She would have just waited while a series of farces called 'studies' occurred so that she could "conclude, after much deliberation" that KXL is just fine.
It isn't that Hillary is "bad but less bad," it's that she's just as bad, but also more skilled at manipulating your fear triggers, and the fear triggers of so many on the "left" (or what passes for it, in this country).
As for voting, I do agree with you there. Voting is one of the few tools the masses have, as impotent as it is, for affecting change. Others include protests and strikes (which may ultimately be more effective). On the whole I find calls for boycotting votes at any level to be more or less tossing up one's hands in defeat. It isn't particularly helpful.
Besides that, it does play into "their" hands. Don't let politicians fool you: they want lower turnout. They just want their opponents' turnout to be even lower. Fewer voters means easier control over who votes.
Big Al,
I am one of the people who very much want to believe what you describe here:
I want to believe it, and it gives me hope that he's acknowledging that the deep state's policies of endless, failed war and our economy's relentless race toward poverty for working people are consistent with what the people think, in other words that those viewpoints are common sense. But I know I'm hopeful and that I may be kidding myself.
I am currently doing a re-read
of Sinclair Lewis's "It Can't Happen Here" and the parallels to Trump are chilling, of course. The one thing that really sticks out are the appeals to populism and equality and how the character in the book, Berzelius Windrip, used those so skillfully to get elected. And once elected, he's now got Executive power to do pretty much what he wants to do.
That seems to be what's going on with many and Trump right now - we want so badly to hope he really meant some of the positive things that he said, and we're being fooled once again into believing in that. And sadly, at the end of the day, how many will buy into the "heroic" Democrats, who'll supposedly ride to the rescue after the damage is done? Will it matter by then? Probably not, the damage WILL BE DONE and they'll simply coast along and use that to their advantage. Hell, they can't even manage to vote to rein in Big Pharma, what on earth would make us think they'll confront the MIC, Big Oil, or any of it?
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
Just one example that is discouraging to that line of thought:
We all know that the democratic primary was stolen. But there is a difference between voter fraud; which is rare and ineffective unless used on a massive (and therefore easily uncovered) scale, and election fraud, which involves electronic tampering, messing with voter registration in a number of ways and logistical tampering, such as lowering the number of poll places, misdirecting voters to the wrong polling place or date etc.
Well, the Don is going to investigate voter fraud: dead people voting, people registering in multiple states and illegals voting. What is that going to do for the integrity of our election system? Squat! Or he might find enough false information to enact laws that further restrict voter's rights.
He's either dumb or crafty. What we can hope for is that he is ineffective.
Exactly. (NT).
@BlazinAZ
(Man, I suck at this reply thing)!
Well y'a see, it's like this
We "democrats" have blown it for over a decade.
You privileged, racist, xenophobic, phobic, deplorable, etc etc. Wait. You're only 70+% of the electorate that votes? Umm, you didn't vote Democrat? You voted for Trump? What's the matter with you?
Now Trump is steamrolling through stuff like a freight train. The Dems can't stop him. (Thanks Harry). The MSM can't stop him. They're still in the throes of uncontrollable sputtering.
We're surprised?
BINGO!
Luv y'a Bro.
"Not even close, Bud."
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
The aftermath of this
farce of an election is more disturbing to me then the insane duopolies political theater we were subjected to. By the aftermath I'm talking about how the people are responding. Good lord we saw behind the curtain and yet many have stepped right back in line because Trump! I cannot get that worked up about Trump! or the Republicans as since the Bushies the Demorat's people elected have done nothing except speed up the abuses of power and the destruction of the basic rule of law and those inalienable truths. They don't even bother to put on a good obstruction show, they are complicit.
In a way people did boycott this election as they refused to vote lesser evil. I voted but not for any D's or R's. I am of the school of thought that not voting is what tptb want. They want you to be afraid and passive. Not participating in their fake democracy gives the duopoly cover to continue the side show of our broken government. Look at the people of good spirit who showed up en mass for the Women's march for women's rights.Do they think that the other side the non 'deplorable' socially liberal Democrat's will defend, support or work for human rights? Why fear the crazy asshole clown and not the psycho killer in a pants suit? Both sides are fascistic and neither side is going to respect human or civil rights. Their job as pols is to destroy all opposition to the agenda of tptb globally and here in the USA! USA! USA!.
I think people are not willing to admit that there is no democracy, no human or civil rights and that this inevitable global screw by the global oligarchical collectivists is not inevitable or at all democratic. It's a scourge on the planet and humanity.It's a healthy reaction for people to get out on the streets and be outraged at what went down in this public display which was by-partisan farce of democracy. It makes people feel good, someone said to me, to stand up to a insane overt pussy grabber.
I don't know what it will take to get people to stop believing in the concocted story line of us vs.them, and start really opposing the fascistic global NWO. It's not inevitable and it's not even new. Humans have always had to deal with hoards of power mad psycho's who proclaim they are invincible, inevitable and this is the only way forward. These want to rule the world oligarch's always go too far and have to be reined in.
I don't think people will continue to believe that somehow the Democrat's are going to save the day. Will they remain satisfied with tame staged pageantry instead of real activism? It is up to us it always has been throughout history. The gatekeepers, the 20% who are doing okay, are the ones I worry about. They are comfortable in this worst of all worlds.Decades of 'I've got mine screw you' has some how come to mean freedom and liberation. So don your pink pussy hat and blame the freaking Russain's instead of hitting the streets to protest the real villains of this piece. We as humans need to stop defining ourselves and our power inside the meaningless lines of left,center,right drawn by the criminal perpetrators along with their enforcers,the political class.
Vote for the instant karma party right now!
Democrats certainly NOT saving the day.
Voted to confirm Mike Pompeo:
Joe Donnelly of Indiana
Dianne Feinstein of California
Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire
Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota
Tim Kaine of Virginia
Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Claire McCaskill of Missouri
Jack Reed of Rhode Island
Brian Schatz of Hawaii
Chuck Schumer of New York
Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
Mark Warner of Virginia
Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
Voted to confirm Nikki Haley:
ALL OF THEM except Udall D-NM, Heinrich D-NM, Coons D-DE and Sanders I-VT
Voted to confirm Ben Effing Carson:
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
Ed Markey of Massachusetts
(among others; I can't find the full vote).
So much for RESISTANCE. They're all a bunch of boot-licking cowards.
Ha, I love it!
pure gold
Trump will do the big damage for them
so they'll not have to dirty their hands doing it. And then they'll come right back into office and people will buy their shit because it doesn't stink quite as bad as Trump's. They're going to roll right over and let him do whatever he wants to do, and maybe that was the intent all along.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
I don't think the Demorat's will
slip back into 'office' that easily. The game the duopoly is playing isn't working as planned. Trump is the fist as Obomber was the soft gloved hand of fascism. So the voters wouldn't accept the psycho killer queen Clinton who didn't even bother to play the socially liberal part over the out and out nut ball evil clown. Now we live with it, not just us but the whole world must live with it. The good news is that the dupoly has lost it's grip as far as reality goes.
The news has been exposed as propaganda and entirely devoid of any truth and everybody but the delusional knows it.The main problem is how do people get rid of the entrenched vampire squid on humanity and the planets face. Of course they will and he/she will and on and on it goes. Stop giving your consent to this delusional duopoly and start figuring out ways to take them down all of them. Who knows how it will play out but supporting this insanity is not an option for humans or the earth we live on.
Activism outside the gates that they have built globally will find a way. It always does as the only inevitable thing in this world we live in is change. Why fight for what is destroying us instead of standing up globally and telling them to go fuck themselves. Oh yeah, my 401k, my affordable insurance policy, my job cranking out apps or my mortgaged house. Well that is nothing that they care about it's a fragile illusion to keep you off the streets and in denial. A house of cards they invented to keep people fighting with each other instead of using their collective power to stop this shit.
shaharazade!
Love your righteous rants.
This part needs to be engraved on the wall:
Hilarious. But so true.