We're caught in a trap....
That's the opening line from a very good Elvis Presley song, "Suspicious Minds". It goes..."We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out...." And so it goes with America 2017. We are truly caught in a trap. Trump is president and will be until 2021 unless he is removed, dies or steps down. Assuming that he will remain as the MFIC for the next 3 years, 11 months and 7 days (but who's counting?) how do we turn things around?
Can we count on the Democrats in Congress? No. They are in the minority in both the House and the Senate. But even when they had the majority in BHO's first two years, they did nothing but lay a wet kiss on the health care insurers with the Affordable Care Act. It was supposed to be a start. And it might have even been a great starting point if it wasn't the end point, which it was. Did I say 'nothing'? Forgive me, Lilly Ledbetter!! Lilly Ledbetter!!
Expecting any decency (read: crossover votes) from the Repubs is expecting too much in 2017. Years ago, there was room in the GOP for Everett Dirksen, Howard Baker, even Jacob Javits. Now? Their "runner up" presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, called the Democrats the party of the Ku Klux Klan.
Ted conveniently ignores the fact that the first big wave of Democrat bigots left the party and went Repub in the late 1940s with Strom Thurmond and the Dixiecrat exodus. He ignores the second wave that left after LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act in the mid-1960s. And, of course, the final leap around the time that Ronald Reagan opened up his 1980 campaign by pulling out his schwantz in Philadelphia, MS and pissing all over the graves of James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. The Ku Kluxers are now in the Republican party (nota bene: the Dems are still no bargain; even if we put the Dems back in the majority, it'll be business as usual). But I digress.
Congressional districts are gerrymandered to the point where the Dems are less likely to win back the House in 2018 than I am to hit the Powerball. And how about the Senate? Where the two Democratic Senators representing California's 40 million residents have the same voting power as the two Repubs representing Wyoming, a state that would have to almost double its 580,000 residents to even hit ONE million. The Senators voting against Secretary DeVos represent 36 million MORE people than the Senators who voted for her.
It is a most sorrowful situation. If you've read this far, then you are entitled to an apology of sorts. This essay is nothing more than a rant. A rant that tells each and every one of you what you already know. It's just that I've been thinking a lot about where we are headed in this country. Sometimes, putting it down in writing can help, even if it's not particularly insightful. Oh, I'm doing what I can. I'm sure we are all doing what we can. But my biggest fear is that despite that, we can't change the current trajectory. That maybe Trump, Bannon, Ryan, McConnell and the feckless Repubs will lead us to ruin. Maybe we'll be getting what America wants. Or deserves. I'm not giving up, but guys and gals, I'm not delusional. It's grim. Again, sorry about an essay of 'plaints and no solutions, but at least I feel better now.
Comments
the King
Uh oh look out
probably my favorite Elvis tune ever.
Amazing,
"The Senators voting against Secretary DeVos represent 36 million MORE people than the Senators who voted for her." This political system has more flaws than an orange billionaire.
California has more people than the mountain
states but the Senate lines up 14 to 2.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Anyone trying to call that democracy should have their
head examined. If we took this political system to my car mechanic, she'd say we need a complete overhaul.
@duckpin And twenty or thirty
And twenty or thirty years ago, that would have been a cause to rally to. However, now that election fraud and voter suppression is the rule on both sides of the aisle, and politicians don't represent the people living in their states anyway,
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.
basing the number of senators on population like congressmen will do nothing except empower Chuck Schumer and Barbara Boxer over Mitch McConnell and Orrin Hatch.
Even if you got rid of gerrymandering as well, it wouldn't have any effect on who the politicians actually represented. It would give you more Nancy Pelosis, and fewer Paul Ryans. But, then, probably under those circumstances Paul Ryan would simply join the Democratic Party. The Clintons would give him a warm welcome:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/10/flashback-paul-ryan-caught-video...
I mean, hey, we all hate Social Security, right? We can find common ground.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@Big Al Only corrupt politicians
Only corrupt politicians from states with large populations should call the shots. Get the electoral college and the rules for choosing Senators out of the way of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi and give them and all the other NY and CA pols a lot more power. That'll fix it.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
First, have to fix the cement now hardening over the electoral control exerted by TPTB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN-cYCjAAXI
Not much point in voting when you know it won't be allowed to count, except perhaps as cover for a claimed win of a Corporate Party candidate which will never, under current circumstances, be verifiable either way.
And, as the Sane Progressive points out, many people seem to be in denial over all evidence forming endless proof that the American citizen vote really isn't required by either corporate party and that in order to actually vote anyone in or put, it is necessary to be able to have real elections, the honestly-run processes and results of which are verifiable by any and everyone, rather than 'privately owned' and 'Top Secret'.
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.
Homeland Security now controls elections.
That's the scariest part of the video but it doesn't come up until later in the vid.
Here's some more info: https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/this-is-a-coup-the-homelan...
@gustogirl
Thanks! I like the way he lays it out so tellingly. (Bolding mine)
https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/this-is-a-coup-the-homelan...
This is great - maybe more people will understand what this take-over means and not be redirected into paths rendered meaningless by this. Paper ballots, in example, would have been a great help, in at least some circumstances, (where they weren't dumped/hidden, rewritten, whited out, etc.,) up until now...
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.
Homeland Security now controls elections.
Apologies for the double post!
That's the scariest part of the video but it doesn't come up until later in the vid.
Here's some more info: https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2017/01/08/this-is-a-coup-the-homelan...
(redacted) ok, ok,, Hillbilly, I give you some slack
https://www.euronews.com/live
@#2.1.3 I would agree we have
@#2.1.3 I would agree we have virtually no influence.
We can make others aware of how we are getting fucked over, and have conversations, and protests.
But at the end of the day, it is the government in place that is in charge.
They are elected by and funded by and work for the 1%.
I have represented KXL Pipeline protesters who may very well have their lives ruined by felony convictions.
I have no suggestions. I am at a complete loss.
There is no longer any way to throw out the bad guys.
They will just be replaced by more government officials aspiring to be multi-millionaires.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
@on the cusp I can see a few things
I can see a few things that we might do, and if we came together and examined the matter carefully, we might come up with some more. But none of the things I can think of on my own would remove the currently powerful from power.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I keep yelling
But it is like everyone is waiting for some stupid rescue. Each one of you reading this has the power to change the future. Turn off the toxins and buy humanity time. Scientist and Engineers: Do your part to remove humanity from fossil fuels. If I suggest the simplest steps, you will have to accept second place. Do not insult us both. Make Dapl/Keystonexl a foolish idea of a few oligarchy, that threw good money away after bad. If they have to buy a wiser bargain of caviar and champagne, but you added time to the human species and perhaps all living things on Earth. Could it be so wrong?
Fighting for democratic principles,... well, since forever
We must stop borrowing money from them.
Credexit. Interest payments are their lifeblood.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
@earthling1
Yesssss! When in doubt, boycotts have clout.
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.
When the PTB tries to drive you off a cliff
Take control or grab the door handle. Fools go where a vehicle takes them, when it is towards certain poorly chosen destinations, or underwhelming, high-grass, clueless meander, smacking every tree along the way for good measure.
Strap-in, dumb asses got us this far and they failed to see the humor.
Fighting for democratic principles,... well, since forever
I am pessimistic - I think violent insurrection is inevitable
One thing this election (and its aftermath) has taught me is that the Democratic Party is not the Party of the People. Now that Trump has been sworn in we see the Democratic politicians lining up to provide fellatio for Trump & his incompetent cronies... all the while protesting that they may suck but they won't swallow.
Face it: There is no one in DC who is on our side - there are just groups who tell lies targeted toward different demographics and then serve their masters. The 1% (more likely the 0.1%) call the shots and live such isolated lives they have no clue how great the misery and suffering is outside.
So we protest. And they make laws so cops can charge us with felonies if we look at them sideways. And their are militarizing the police at an ever increasing pace.
So one day we will start rioting and the cops will get to use their shiny cop war-toys ... maybe the people will start fighting back (tanks & riot gear still fall prey to enough molotov cocktails )... maybe the people will turn to guerrilla fighting (anthrax spores in the ventilation of a police station? Hacking police drones to crash into police cars? Hacking into their comm system? )
Then, after much of America is burning, they will declare Martial Law and their masters will realize "All these riots destroyed OUR property - and Martial Law is really bad for business."
But it will be too late. America will be going down for the last time. Adios Pax Americana. Adios Multinational companies that can safely trade globally.
Not Sure I Can Take Much More
Don't play down to their level
When your enemy seeks to see you in fear, do the unexpected; make them irrlevant.
Fighting for democratic principles,... well, since forever
The converse is also true
Hillary would definitely have done the same using senile Pelosi, scheming Schumer, John Podesta, Sid Blumenthal, and other wonderful characters from It-can't-be-done land.*
In other words, it didn't matter which way we bent over, we were going to take it in the rear.
*Also known as the land of excremental change.
@Alligator Ed
Dear Ed - I think I love you!
The Two-Faced Corporate Party and TPTB who own them have to go. What's needed might include a how-to manual so that we can start knitting those gold-coloured brick parachutes, maybe while sitting just over there by those tiny, animated guillotines?
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.
The dollar will get us out of the trap eventually
when it loses its value, but it won't be pretty. The US will likely lose power the same way the Spanish Empire did, its obligations will exceed its productive capacity, and it will collapse.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
@dervish
Better the Empire collapses before what remains of the ecology/natural life support system does. If still possible.
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.