What the Dems aren't talking about
To paraphrase Bernie Sanders, the more important something is, the less likely the establishment will talk about it.
This is not going to be a comprehensive list. I'm simply starting a conversation, and it should start with this poll.
Berlin-based Transparency International says its survey of 1,000 Americans in October and November revealed that 44 percent believe that Trump and White House officials are corrupt, up from 36 percent recorded in a similar survey in early 2016 at the start of former U.S. president Barack Obama's last year in office.
The anti-corruption group says nearly seven of 10 of those it surveyed believe the U.S. government is failing to fight corruption, up from half in 2016. The group defines corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.
..."In 2017, citizens' responses to this question are now much worse and similar to what people in Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Uganda told us. In terms of perceptions of the level of corruption in the Office of the President, the global average is that less than a third of people say their executive is highly corrupt," said Transparency International researcher Coralie Pring.
"In 2016, the U.S. was already over this mark [36 percent]. However, the figure is now even worse at 44 percent — comparable to what people in Pakistan, Armenia and El Salvador told us," Pring told VOA.
The survey says 38 percent of Americans believe members of Congress are corrupt and 33 percent believe government officials are. Congress fared the worst in last year's survey.
The survey shows that close to a third of African-Americans believe police are corrupt, compared to a fifth of those polled overall. Slightly more than half say they feared retaliation for reporting what they believe to be wrongdoing, up from slightly less than a third in 2016.
Donald Trump's most brilliant slogan was to "drain the swamp".
The GOP is still, hilariously, pushing the idea that Trump is doing that. Obviously voters feel differently.
“The media is an arm of the ruling class of this country.”
- Bernie Sanders
I will give Trump credit for at least bringing up the topic of corruption. The question is: where are the Democrats on this?
They seem to think they can pretend that only one person in Washington is corrupt. This is virtually the same as ignoring the issue entirely.
The survey has clear recommendations.
The concerns over corruption are spilling out into the one area that American voters are most in denial - freedom.
The 16-percentage-point decline is dramatic -- but looking at how far the U.S. has fallen in comparison with the rest of the world, the decline is even worse. The U.S. ranked 11th when Gallup asked this question in 2006 (among 118 countries). In 2016, the U.S. came in 71st (among 139 countries). This puts the U.S. in the bottom half of all countries measured.
This decline isn't happening in other wealthy democracies. Denmark, Finland and Canada were all tied for first in 2006 -- 96% of people in each country expressed satisfaction with their freedom. Today, those figures are virtually unchanged, and all of them remain in the top 11.
"Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind."
- William Westmoreland
If people stop believing the lie about the Land of the Free, then what will politicians have to say that will bring a cheer from the crowd?
If people stop believing the lie about the Land of the Free, then things have finally reached a tipping point, where America is no longer exceptional. That undermines the rhetoric to justify our endless wars.
Speaking of which, this didn't get much press.
Most Americans, in fact, oppose the idea of increasing troop levels in Afghanistan. In June, Fox News polled Americans and found that the proposal was opposed by a 2-to-1 margin. The good news for Trump, though? There are a few demographics that support a troop increase — and those demographics overlap strongly with his base.
Americans overwhelmingly oppose starting a war with North Korea as well.
You would think the Dems would pick up on this trend and oppose our wars, like their base nearly unanimously wants.
You would think that anyway.
One place that Democrats have convinced themselves they have a winning message, when they obviously don't, is on immigration.
71 percent call on companies to offer jobs to Americans before foreign workers.
82 percent of voters support a law that would strengthen sentencing penalties for illegals who had previously been deported and strengthens laws against illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the U.S.
76 percent want more ICE officers.
It's curious the Dems have gone all-in on immigration, where the polls are against them, while ignoring the much more popular gun control topic.
“Five, 10 years from now … you’re going to have a workers’ party …. A party of people that haven’t had a real wage increase in 18 years. That are angry.”
- Donald Trump
Thanks to Bernie, universal health care is something that is being talked about, and a slim majority of responders support it.
What isn't reported is that 61% of Americans have no opinion on the issue. Which means they are waiting for details. If the Dems could produce a fixed plan, the majority of support could be overwhelming. If.
The good news is that there are now exceptions to this rule.
In November 2017, Justice Democrats announced its endorsement of Alison Hartson as a challenger to Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the California Democratic primary in June. Before entering the race, Hartson was the director of a PAC devoted to passing a constitutional amendment banning corporate money in elections. Five states have passed a resolution endorsing the amendment so far. Hartson is making corruption the centerpiece of her platform, which calls for full public financing of elections.
Doesn't Alison understand that she can't do that?
OR, BNC and JD restrict the candidates they endorse from accepting corporate PAC donations. They do allow donations from union and other non-corporate PACs, based on a vetting process.Candidates endorsed by these groups and WFP must also agree to the organizations’ platforms, which are all strongly progressive. (People’s Action is currently drafting such a platform and considering restrictions on corporate donations.)
The first item in the JD platform is a ban on private donations to politicians and the creation of a “clean public financing system … to end the takeover of our government by corporations and billionaires.” The group concedes, however, that under the system we have, getting elected requires money from private donors. In other words, to have any hope of reforming that system, you have to play by the rules of the game.
Only progressives can save the system from itself.
“The revolt by the Democratic Left and the progressive Left against the Wall Street ownership of the Democratic Party...you can see it coming.”
- Steve Bannon
Comments
Wow! Pollution & Water Polling Above Money! Mind Blown!nt
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
And, Man, Not a One of Those Issues Honestly Covered in the
Corporate Media.
Only the ACA has been covered, and as a horserace and bargaining chip. Amazing!
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
@k9disc
No potable water, no life... they have their priorities straight - and many probably are so used to worrying about having insufficient money that it's become a norm for them and all around them.
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.
Why are the numbers still so low,
regarding believing there is corruption? We've clearly got a lot of outreach to do.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
@dervish
I was wondering about that myself.
Considering the fact that we're all under continual surveillance from a myriad of corporate and other watchers, I rather wonder if some are becoming afraid to speak out publicly, even on polls, about government corruption in the land of censorship, now that dissenting US citizens can be 'disappeared' at any time, with no rights recognized, merely by the application of a label, with no evidence required to even force the manufacture of a 'suspected terrorist' excuse.
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.
Police Corruption
This stat strikes me as highly dubious. Does the one fifth "overall" demographic include the one third of African Americans? In that case the naive, brainwashed white people statistic would be less than 10%.
I also have a lot of difficulty believing that over two thirds of the POC population does not believe police are corrupt.
"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn
Good catch. Those numbers are a problem.
There is a power struggle going on.
The number of resignations and "retirements" in high places is notable. Fusion GPS is on the ropes, unsuccessfully trying to keep its financials away from the prying eyes of Congress. The Podesta group has shut down and largely reconstituted under a new name. Interest in the deepening Awan IT/Spy scandal is beginning to emerge from the fringe indie media to mainstream. Trump is at Camp David trying to shore up what's left of his loyal inner circle after Bannon, who may turn out to be a sleeper from Navy intelligence, unexpectedly pens a knife in Trump's back.
It may be too early to say the swamp is or is not being drained. Swamp creatures almost certainly include both Democrats and Republicans, with each side pointing out the other's transgressions or simply making shit up and then feeding it to the press. The public's perception of the "truth" is more a product of which point of view is most effectively represented in the MSM "news" at this point in time, and has very little to do with what is true.
“The story around the world gives a silent testimony:
— The Beresovka mammoth, frozen in mud, with buttercups in his mouth…..”
The Adam and Eve Story, Chan Thomas 1963
^^^This^^^
I totally agree with your comment. From what I am seeing/reading, it appears that a record number of sealed federal indictments are out there. Numbers I have been reading are somewhere between 8,500 and 10K which is multiple times the normal number in a year. We are seeing record numbers of corporate resignations and retirements along with an unusually high number of Congress people of both parties who have indicated that they will not be running again.
IMHO, there is something big going on with some more very big names (beyond Harvey Weinstein and Eric Schmidt) implicated. In addition, the Justice Department is reopening the investigation into the Clinton
money launderingFoundation. I do believe the swamp is being at least partially drained, but the question is what will replace it?Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
swamps aren't replaced
they slowly dry up, leaving the darkest meanest creatures lurking under the mud. maybe Alligator Ed knows how this metaphor ends.
bygorry
I sure hope the swamp dries up
And is replaced by a commons of fertile farmland and wild lands. All the swamp creatures will have to evolve.
Beware the bullshit factories.
In the Everglades,
the swamp drains annually, and alligators get through the dry season by digging a "gator hole" with their tails. These small ponds support not only the gator, but also many other creatures as well.
In other words, when the swamp drains, the swamp creatures start digging, and form a new one.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
I agree, too.
It would explain all of the Hysteria on High that is going on.
dfarrah
Okay, but don't put all your eggs into that basket.
I'm not saying it couldn't occur, but it is so perpendicular to the flow of reality, I fear it would rip a hole in the fabric of the universe.
.
I'm not sure this is structurally possible. Big numbers like that take down take down entire nations — unless they are all minimum-wage workers. In fact, that sounds more like the United States that I know.
Really?
I've seen no evidence of this.
Wow, gjohnsit, "No evidence?"
Are not the waves of CEOs and legislators resigning or retiring evidence of something going on? Most are leaving under clouds of scandal or suspicion. These people do not walk away from their elite positions unless they are forced to do so. Your denial seems uncharacteristically obtuse.
the CEOs and legislators resigning or retiring
are only evidence of "getting out while the getting is good".
They expect a backlash, and I believe they are right.
Generally, lots of CEOs leaving under clouds of scandal or suspicion is not a sign of less corruption.
All the agencies being taken over by industry insiders is evidence of the swamp being filled, not drained.
Removing Corrupt People of ANY Party is "Draining the Swamp"
Wait, do you not think the elites stepping down are corrupt? They are just "getting out while the gettin' is good?" That's denial. Moreover, just because you believe they will be replaced by other corrupt persons from the "other team" does not mean it is not good to remove corrupt people from the levers of power. I'm happy to do this one corrupt person at a time -- regardless of party affiliation.
@Bring Back Civics
Personally, I have a suspicion that some of the previous Admins' corruption is being expediently used against some of the established corrupt, eliminated to make room for The Right People's corruption in The Battle Of The Billionaires for global supremacy before the whole works dies off.
And the first phase makes Trump look good in this area,( which can't be easy,) causing people to hope, rather than all-out fighting the utter ruination still in accelerating process. This also continues the population divide between still-hopeful Trump supporters and everyone else... TPTB can seemingly never break the citizenry into small enough groups that they can feel safe against unity of the world against evil, because carefully separated portions set against each others are finally beginning to unite on the most imperative issues, including those of the immediate survival of planetary life.
But I still think we'd have been worse off with The Mad Bomber; apart from everything else, prior to MAD and the prompt global extinction which the Clinton wing was pushing for, via that longed-for 'no-fly' zone in an invaded country, for an excuse to shoot down invited-in, terrorist-fighting Russian planes, we'd not have been hearing anything of what was going on, apart from the official propaganda - with Bill in charge of milking the economy. At least with Trump, the process has been slowed a bit, although it doesn't seem as though anyone's yet found a way to use this last chance of working together toward our universal survival before ultimate disaster ...
Edit: should have peeked ahead to see that I was ninja'd, lol.
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.
This is what I was trying to say
Thank you.
Something IS happening. Of course, we the plebians are simply bystanders to this war among the elites.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I've always thought the "drain the swamp" thing was BS.
Swamplands after all have been recognized in the last 50 years as being really important environmentally. Rich soil, biodiverse, flood buffering, filtering of nutrients etc. etc.
And, as any developer can tell you: you can sometimes be given permission to drain a swamp. But you've gotta rebuild one somewhere else. (i.e. wetland remediation.)
I've always suspected the Donald is thinking that to himself whenever he says "drain the swamp".
"So I can rebuild one with my people."
In my professional life
I was a land use planner in local government in the state of Florida where we have a lot of swamp land so I am very aware of the ecological value of swamps as filtering systems for aquifer recharge.
I probably should not have even brought up the subject of Trump and draining of the swamp. I am very skeptical of what may replace it which I did note in my original comment. However, if the corruption is publicly exposed, perhaps it will serve to wake up the people as to just how bad it is. In the end, we the people cannot count on any politician to do what we need to have done. It is up to us to change the system, which is something I have posted here repeatedly.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
My apologies.
I did not mean that to be directed at you or in any way critical of your comment.
No way no how. In fact, I can't think of any time I've ever disagreed with anything you have said here.
So sorry.
A thousand people said something to some analysts
Thanks for the big effort on this essay, it makes the opinion of those 1000 seem like a big deal. I don't think so. I think pollsters will say what they are paid to say, as will data analysts. Lemmings.
The tactic in California is clearly to baffle with bullshit, rather than dazzle with brilliance. Top two jungle primary is a joke, there will be another dozen+ on the ballot with blizzards of ignored junk mail, junk robot calls, millions of dollars spent on junk politics. The Berners aren't helping, they are stifling. D-Values are junk, they are a dead party walking. Death to duopoly!
He announced a run for Feinstein’s seat. Then a harassment scandal broke under his roof.
(sound of head exploding) What progress? The right to be unemployed by ageist, sexist robots programmed for greed? Okie dokie!
How pathetic. If the Democrats "lead with their values", then what the fuck does California have to show? More homelessness, more poverty, more infectious disease. I won't be surprised if there is another flu epidemic that kills thousands.
And another thing! I remember my parents bitching about Pat Brown, before I could vote. But then the Reagan diversion happened, nucking futs. All the systems are corrupted, right down to local building departments. Acceleration continues.
Safety probe warns Oroville Dam crisis a 'wake-up call'
But "the system" produced one hundred billionaires! Don't look behind the curtain.
Zuckerberg asks for forgiveness amid reports of Facebook’s role in elections
"the ways my work was used"? What a disgusting excuse for a human being, and people still join the diseased facebook. I wish I had that cognitive dissonance, life would be a bowl of cherries.
"Get money out of politics, donate today!" lol
Nobody 2018
gimme a fork
Those are critically important points you make.
Like markers that help us get our bearings in the midst of a white-out of fuzzy data. That last from Mark Zuckerberg is not promising. He's certainly no leader. I was shocked when he ran back to DC after his scolding with the world's stupidest evidence of Russian election meddling, courtesy of Facebook. It embarrassed his milieu of technorati and is almost never mentioned.
The whole pollster scene really really went south in 2016. It was obvious, early on, that people were lying to them. It happened in the UK first. Point being, there's something wrong with that science when it veers off of hard data and goes to opinion. Maybe it's the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle at work, but they should have picked up on it. Your points reminded me of that fiasco. A real eye-opener.
Have we lost the ability to sense the big trends? Or is that how it's reported? I get the feeling that people are experiencing cause and effect with very limited senses. Oh, the truth still shows up in the Big Data, but it doesn't seem to feedback to society in a helpful way.
First things first
thank you for talking to me Pluto, I'd rather talk than click. For me in California, the politics are nothing to brag about, they have devolved along with everything else. Government that is not even taking care of the basics, which are sacred to all life on earth. I think it's disgraceful.
Instead of having more kabuki elections, just start fixing shit. STFU and do something radical. If you want money out of politics, STOP GIVING IT. fuck
First Things First
Funny coincidence, you said "something wrong with that science" when I was posting my rant on the UC millionaire prize awards. Estranged nephew is an egghead at UCLA, It has changed a lot since the DHS took over (Janet Napolitano, meh). I want to be FOR globalization but not like it is now, not at all.
That comment you made just below is great, too.
I had to hold myself back from stalking you. Nice paraphrasing skillz you got there.
The way you structured the Bernie quote was poignant. I wasn't attached to Bernie, or anyone, for that matter, so I'm moved when I am reminded how sharply the disappointment was felt. I keep thinking I can grasp what Bernie was doing there. While it looks like he was just sheepdogging the Left — and let's say that was the plan — at some point during the primaries he went completely rogue. You can read it happening in the narrative of the stolen emails, which was of course the reason they were stolen. As a matter of fact, the DNC thought they were stolen by a Bernie staffer when they "hacked" the database. But I digress.
It was structurally impossible for Bernie to run as a Democrat. He lives this stuff and he knew that. He even asked the super delegates to change their votes. He actually went there. But he could only be a spoiler and get a Republican elected because the Democrats were on a long and serious losing streak. He was nobody's fool. He didn't want to be strung up like Nader and reviled for the rest of his life. But mostly, he didn't want to risk letting Donald Trump win by splitting the Democratic vote. The whole thing was an epic tragedy, and the story is not even over yet.
The science prize thing is unfortunate in an amusing way. My take is we should stop all celebrity and beauty and performance awards because they just cheapen the whole idea. Then, we should take all that money and throw in into science awards. It's a better ROI.
Or maybe not. It was a good story, though, and a good rant.
Lied to or lying?
I don’t know the answer, but I’ve always been curious if the people lied to the pollsters or if they gave the pollsters answers they didn’t want so they “finessed” the data to fit the narrative. We certainly saw the rest of the media trying to play queenmaker, so my skepticism kicks when discussing what happened with the polls.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Brilliant, eyo
So just recently the dam people think that there is a problem with this country's dams? Not last year when the Orville dam was threatening to wipe out a city? Duh! How many other dams are in the same crappy condition? What about the other infrastructure that hasn't been fixed for many decades. The bridge that collapsed happened how many years ago and a warning went out about how many other bridges and freeway overpasses were also in need of repairs. Yep, the rich can fly over our rotten system leaving us to play Russian roulette as we travel on them
But maybe helps on the way. The republicans are going to start on their infrastructure bill. How much of it will we see being sold to private companies who will raise rates, but do nothing to fix it? Happy days are coming.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Re: infrastructure needs
The American Society of Civil Engineers has put out their 2017 infrastructure report card and the US gets an overall grade of D+ which is actually higher than I expected. As of 2017, ASCE estimates that it would take an investment of $2 Trillion to bring outdated infrastructure up to standard. This is up from $1.3 Trillion in 2013. So in just four years, the cost has risen over 50% from the 2013 estimate. The longer we put off modernizing our infrastructure, the faster the cost will rise. In addition, modernizing our infrastructure and a 100% renewable energy program are also a great way to provide living wage jobs that are sorely needed in this country.
Meanwhile the elected officials seem to think we have enough money to spend about $6 Trillion on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to give the wealthiest and corporations a tax cut of $1.3 Trillion. But somehow they say we do not have enough money for healthcare, food stamps, public education, or modernizing our infrastructure.
The priorities in this country are severely criminal. Neoliberalism has won and we have become a third world country with a shell of a society. My anger toward the neoliberals and the bankers knows no end.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
And just think, the military loses 10x that much
and nobody bats an eye.
This shit is bananas.
Corruption will be a feature, not a bug, in our electoral system
until all elections are publicly financed, private money banned and post career lobbyist hiring is lifetime banned. Anything else is just window dressing.
The real SparkyGump has passed. It was an honor being your human.
"Don't tell me what you understand
... show me what you do and I will tell you what you understand." Went paraphrase trawling for that.
Never ever ever forget: Bernie Sanders: I support Hillary Clinton. So should everyone who voted for me
struggle faster! harder! donate now! Back to Bernie:
Hooked a Carlin while trawling too, if you know what I mean.
Hey Bernie! Welcome to the millionaire’s club!
i aint innit
What else aren't the Dems talking about? There ain't nothing without a price: 5 UC faculty awarded the largest monetary prize in science
Just what the world needs, more prestige and glamour. Wtf is "new knowledge"? Same as the old knowledge, but with U.S. patents applied? Titans of greed, please proceed.
Better hurry with that net on the GG Bridge. What's it called? Never mind. Maybe it will be left with no corporate brand attached, but I doubt it.
On a blog and on a roll
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
"Clinton understands... "
was a shot at Hillary, . Bernie perfectly understood that she Did Not support any of that, and was a way to frost her granny panties. Pretty much was his stump speech on the Hillary campaign. "Clinton understands we need a $15 minimum wage." He was Less on the campaign trail to send out Her message than he was his own, and you just know it had to fry her bunns.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
I want Bernie to keep going
it's too bad he shut the Overton pie hole, since now he has all the popularity and TV time accorded the millionaire class. Local progressives aren't much good after they're eventually consumed by the plutocracy. Making a professional career of politics is a D-Value. D is for Dead to me. $15 minimum is inadequate, especially if Medicare is the "healthcare" everyone ends up with.
To be honest I'm afraid if he does start providing what I really desire from the political process, they'll kill him. I don't want another martyr, thanks. So he can keep selling books, and touring, and going on and on with the blah blah blah from the Senate floor. He will never be elected to higher office and that is fine with me (and him too I'll bet). Vermont is lucky to have him. California has Harris and Feinstein, they call themselves progressive. lol
I'd rather not live in fear.
"I like being single. I'm always there when I need me."
-- Art Leo
They'd rather talk about Bernie's coat
that his son got him for a Christmas present last year.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
Mericans Top Fear Chart
Funny how #1 (by 75% of respondents) is "Corrupt Government Officials".
And that stat all but ensures that the next 10 things on the list will never get fixed and most will become far, far worse.
PS. This fixation on Dems as the root of all evil is really curious. As horrific as the Dems have become, Repubs are worse by 2X, possibly as much as 10X (IMHO). Both parties are fucking corrupt as sin. The entire government needs a courtesy flush before anything turns around -- including Donnie Boy and his grinning band of looters.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Dems as the root of all evil
The GOP is more evil, but they are also a lot more honest about who they are and who they represent.
Only a minority of Repub voters are under any delusions.
The Dems, OTOH, are on the front lines in the fight against progressives.
Most Dem voters haven't accepted this reality.
Well then, if Repub voters are not under any delusions.
Then they all suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.
B/c neither the Repub party or the Dem party are on the side of the commoners.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
The Democrats
were the ones who created the void of leadership by which the Republicans have taken over. I know that they stand for something. The Democrats stand for nothing other than "we're not as bad, so vote for us." I blame the Democrats far more than the Republicans. The Democrats created the perfect reason for the people to vote for someone like Trump. And they still do not get it.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
yep.
Not only still don't get it, , but are doubling down on 2016.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
The main difference between Democrats and Republicans
is their branding. Their primary product, their foreign policy and general governance, is nearly identical. Both serve money, not the people they ostensibly represent.
Pick your poison.
“The story around the world gives a silent testimony:
— The Beresovka mammoth, frozen in mud, with buttercups in his mouth…..”
The Adam and Eve Story, Chan Thomas 1963
Yep.
While I agree that if we’re going down a list, the Republicans are higher up on the bad scale. But I think the Democrats habit of wrapping similar or even the exact same toxic policies in progressive or populist language is far more dangerous.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
"Courtesy flushers unite!"
"Get down with the movement." thanks that made lol
You brought up my favorite Orwell quote from 1984, published in 1949. Political parties are the dying dead, there has to be a better way toward sustainability. I know this is fiction, but sheesh c'mon:
Now you begin to understand me.
The last bit is my signature line. At the time I first chose it,
I saw it as the aim of GOP. Now I realize that it is the model for the Dems too.
That’s a wrinkle Orwell didn’t imagine; two Parties fighting one another, further dividing and ruling the people. Each party’s members think they are fighting evil by opposing the other party. Both memberships are wrong. That’s why Bernie had to be stopped by TPTB. Bernie kept bringing up issues, while both parties are only interested in power.
"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"
We're not going to
change the hearts and minds of the Hillary Wing of the party (corporate Dems), and there's no reason to. They're convinced it was a few reasons that borked Hillary, none of them having to do with Hillary or Her campaign. Or them, Her supporters. They despise Bernie and his supporters. The party is as divided today as it was at the Philly Convention. TPTB that run the DNC will go down with the ship before giving so much as a nod to the progressive wing.
We're better off supporting local progressive candidates, work from the bottom up.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.