Trump the Great Deal Maker
Remember how Trump was going to cut all of those fantastic deals?
Boy has he! Why, he's cut so many awesome deals that I have trouble naming one.
For instance, there's NAFTA.
The Iran Nuclear deal isn’t the only major agreement that President Trump promised voters he would either rewrite or tear up. After nine months of talks, U.S., Mexican and Canadian negotiators remain deadlocked on how to rework, and save, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). There’s now a renewed sense of urgency, because time is running out to reach a deal to spare NAFTA, the pact that has governed cross-border trade since 1994. If no agreement is reached in May, things will become much more complicated.
And then today Trump threw this wrench into the machine.
The U.S. Thursday announced 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum imported from the European Union, as well as Canada and Mexico. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said, on CNBC Thursday, that negotiations with Canada and Mexico were not far enough along to extend their exemption from the tariffs, which expired Friday.
Slapping sanctions on countries, especially on allies, is a sign of a lack of deal-making.
Remember the delicate Korean talks? What do you think our ambassador to South Korea has been doing? Oh wait, Trump didn't even nominate an ambassador to South Korea until last week.
In fact, the Korean summit wouldn't even be happening if it was for South Korea's president.
Of course this is the guy who "wrote" the Art Of The Deal, so he must know how to do deals, amirite?
The ghostwriter of President Donald Trump’s best-selling book The Art of the Deal has suggested that the president may suffer from a personality disorder and said he is “deeply disturbed and utterly untrustworthy.”
..“The question that this book raises in a number of its essays by psychiatrists is: Is Trump crazy like a fox or is he just crazy?” said Schwartz, appearing on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° on Thursday.“And I think the overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that he’s just crazy, and not crazy, casual crazy. I’m talking about crazy—I’m not a psychiatrist, so I actually can get away with saying this—but crazy as a personality disorder.”
Every great deal starts with a person being there to talk, to make decisions and proposals, to manage expectations, someone to actually cut a deal.
For the executive branch that means the State Department.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's ouster made him the last casualty in an exodus of senior officials and long-term foreign service professionals that has weakened the department under his tenure.
For those who watch the agency, Tillerson's exit was an ironic coda to a reign that lasted just over 13 months and was characterized by the steady departure of talent and the depletion of some of the agency's most experienced and senior staff.
The agency that CIA Director Mike Pompeo is now likely to inherit saw morale crater in the last year, as Tillerson launched on a redesign driven by an apparently arbitrary goal of a 30 percent cut in staff. Career regional experts were frozen out of the decision-making process as the former Exxon Mobil CEO insulated himself within a small cocoon of staff he brought with him.
In case the massive cut in personnel in 2017 wasn't enough, Trump started off 2018 with a budget proposal of a 1/3 cut in the State Department budget.
But now that Tillerson is gone and Pompeo is in, things will be different? Yes, but not in a good way.
Mr Pompeo is closer personally to Mr Trump — perhaps because he so studiously mimics the president’s weaknesses. Both imagine the US can do what it likes, where it likes, when it likes — an assumption paraded by Mr Pompeo in his approach to Iran’s nuclear efforts. Neither man asks, let alone answers, the question at the heart of all diplomatic calculations: “and then what?”To the extent that the administration’s actions have a leitmotif, it is provided by a string of unilateral initiatives intended to demonstrate US power. They have had the opposite effect: weakening Washington’s capacity to promote its interests. Every time the US spurns its international commitments— whether over trade, climate change or Iran — it invites allies to step back and look for new friends and adversaries to press their advantage.
Trump's epic failures in diplomacy are a good thing for the world.
I say this because Trump is a symptom of what the average Republican voter, and many Democratic voters, have become. None of them are interested in understanding the political, historical, and cultural environments of other nations, and because of that the U.S. isn't fit to lead the world.
The joke of how Americans learn geography by who we bomb, is a joke without a punchline.
We are a nation that celebrates ignorance, superficiality, and selfishness, while showing contempt for justice and honest empathy.
President Pence and President Hillary would both be just as likely to start wars, torture and assassinate people, and help ship jobs to countries with 3rd world dictators.
And unless a lot of non-voters come off the sidelines and vote in every election from now on, then we are more than likely to keep electing these morally and ethically damaged people. Meanwhile, our news media will continue to misinform us.
To what purpose? When foreign visitors to the White House ask how the administration intends to follow through — the “then what” — they are met with blank stares: “Hey, we have shaken things up, rewritten the rules.” This apparently is enough. The president will think about what to do next, well, next. As to embedding into policy a rough calculation of how others might respond, no one could accuse Mr Trump of being a chess player.
... Look through the noisy threats and bombast and Mr Trump has turned diffidence into retreat. In squandering America’s soft power, he has shrunk its ability to get things done. And in staking out a belligerent unilateralism, he has persuaded allies and adversaries alike that the American moment has passed.
Sometimes a nation's moment passes when it deserves to be passed by. This is one of those times.
Comments
Robert Reixch has a good piece on this.
Trump's megalomania is driving US foreign policy
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
Trump voters are totally unaware that we're losing
Not only are Trump voters unaware of this, they wouldn't believe you even if you presented proof of it. They are going to believe what they want to believe, and thus it becomes true.
Meanwhile Democrats are only marginally better, because they are indifferent of this fact. They are committed to a BS konspiracy theory that involves pee tapes, or maybe how Trump is personally offending them (as if that matters in the grand scheme of things).
"Fearing ridicule"?
As always with Trump, where's the evidence? Personally, I see narcissism, empty bluster and self glorification and even megalomania, but not fear of ridicule. This sounds like an assumption.
My theory, and I admit that it is only a theory that has developed out of life experience, is that Trump has (finally) forced Americans to admit to their own moral failings. Viet Nam and civil rights kicked us in the groin to force us to admit that we were racist. So what did we do? We shot MLK and RFK and elected Nixon. When the Iranian revolution threatened to force us to admit it once again we elected Reagan before we had to assassinate someone. Like Nixon it only lasted for a decade. Then we let W steal the presidency, but rather than a restoration we got "the Great Disappoiner". We cheated Bernie and elected Trump, but it looks like that won't be enough to hold off the truth for another decade.
On to Biden since 1973
Agree - but that 'we' seems to have been
taken out of the American public's control, even if propaganda did play a large role in manufacturing consent/support.
All of this did harm to America and Americans and followed a route toward the fascism incrementally implemented and now so blatantly obvious.
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.
"Fearing ridicule"?
As always with Trump, where's the evidence? Personally, I see narcissism, empty bluster and self glorification and even megalomania, but not fear of ridicule. This sounds like an assumption.
My theory, and I admit that it is only a theory that has developed out of life experience, is that Trump has (finally) forced Americans to admit to their own moral failings. Viet Nam and civil rights kicked us in the groin to force us to admit that we were racist. So what did we do? We shot MLK and RFK and elected Nixon. When the Iranian revolution threatened to force us to admit it once again we elected Reagan before we had to assassinate someone. Like Nixon it only lasted for a decade. Then we let W steal the presidency, but rather than a restoration we got "the Great Disappoiner". We cheated Bernie and elected Trump, but it looks like that won't be enough to hold off the truth for another decade.
On to Biden since 1973
Trump Bashing
What is up with gjohnsit? He submits three times more pieces that any other writer, usually supports the Dem. party as best as he can in this forum, and Trump bashes with the best of the MSM. I was a Bernie guy, a Stein guy (last 2 elections), and have never voted GOP. Still, I am disappointed in gjohnsit's relentless sheep-dogging. If corruption is substantially rooted out (notwithstanding DT's reportedly objectionable policies) he will be in my mind one of the most heroic presidents ever. I will still vote against him (due to his domestic policies), but I will give credit where credit is due in terms of restoring some semblance of our corrupt democracy.
Corruption rooted out?
I have no idea what you mean. What corruption is he weeding out?
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Trump is on pace
To being the most corrupt President in history.
To say he's rooting out corruption is laughable
And what he is exposing
he's doing for ego, total unwittingly I believe. He is poison ultimately. He didn't create this system but God only knows what he'll do with it. He is no hero, IMHO. There are none.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
This is true
And I don't see much Resistance from the democrats on this. Many of them voted for his horrible cabinet picks including Ben Carson to run HUD. When Warren was asked why she voted for him she said "that she was afraid that if she didn't then Trump would nominate someone worse."
Wrong answer, Elizabeth! You keep voting no until he nominated someone who was qualified, you nitwit!
How many of Trump's judges who were also not qualified did the democrats vote for? Then there's their votes to give him more power to spy on us, the increase of the military budget, two votes for legislation that rolled back banking regulations and who knows what other legislation they have or are going to vote for?
After the republicans spent 8 years blocking the Empty Suit's legislation after Trump was sworn in Schumer, Pelosi and DiFi said that they "Looked forward to working with him ",
Pruitt is deregulating just about every legislation that he can and I haven't heard bukus from the democrats about it. Nor anything that Carson, DeVos and the other swamp creatures who are in Trump's administration.
Yep! Some Resistance! Go democrats!
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Don't pay any attention to that
Stormy is having a press conference
Beware the bullshit factories.
Gotta keep focus on what's important.
Stormy Daniels, of course. Racist Roseanne Barr. Potty-mouth Samantha Bee. Russia's hacking of HAL 9000...
i guess the dozens of essays
Bashing the dnc dccc and dem establishment just isn't enough
Correct.
It’s never enough when you are exposing a corrupt organization.
"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
more! more! more!
Not to those of us who love you, gjohnsit!
more! more! more!
And Bring Back Civics can just get over him/herself. Donald the Chump deserves no credit for anything. He is corruption and incompetence incarnate and a perfect example of kakistocracy in action!
"So there!" -- Marty Leipzig, PhD, Fidonet HOLYSMOKE Echo
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Donnie Douchebag "one of the most heroic presidents ever."
Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
YOu are fuc*in killin me. That is fuc*in hilarious.
He has filled the swamp with every sociopathic, corrupt dinosaur we thought we would never hear from again.
Hey gjohnsit. Keep on Bashing. If anyone ever deserved it, that would be DT.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Except.....
Dipshit is one of the most brazenly corrupt presidents in the history of this country, if not at the very top of the shit heap. His administration, in addition to being rife with blatant nepotism, is filled with corporate friendly religious whackjobs who deny the ecological destruction going on around them, do everything in their power to roll back every damn thing they can back 100 years or more, and have continued the very worst foreign policy blunders that have turned this shithole of a country into an absolute joke on the world stage.
Then there's the fact that Dipshit also uses every opportunity to expand his own businesses or open new ones abroad. As for the tariffs? He's using those to help his buddies in the steel and aluminum industries (One of his advisors sold stock in both right before the tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum were announced). Again, right in the open. No other president would have gotten away with that kind of blatant corruption.
As others have pointed out, Dipshit isn't rooting out corruption. He IS corruption. But don't worry, the Democrats are making this shit work for them too, as they always have.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Wouldn't they be buying?
Wouldn't the tariffs increase profits?
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
@The Aspie Corner He doesn't seem any
He doesn't seem any different to me than anybody since Reagan. It's all been a corrupt shitpile since then.
"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
What corruption has Trump rooted out?
Thee most corrupt part of the government is the Pentagon. And Trump gave them more money than they even wanted. Thee worst mechanism for corruption is the proverbial swinging door between private sector and government office. Trump is horrid on that. Doesn't look like Trump will ever appear as a great president in this regards.
Given the essays gjohnsit has written, they are far from being sheep-dogging--not sure how you get that impression. In fact I know for a fact he is a Russian agent and his real name is Михаи́л Афана́сьевич Булга́ков. He was so good, he wrote articles for "Soviet Workers Lingerie" convincing Soviet women to use brillo to shave their legs.
Slight correction
Trump only asked for $54 billion more for the military. It was congress that upped the ante to $80 billion. And of course both parties voted for it. The bloated government budget was $1.3 trillion and Trump didn't want to sign it at first. (this was the story at the time anyhow) and after he did his base gave him shit for it. Now he's trying to claw back the $7 billion from CHIP that hasn't been spent yet. The republicans are all for doing it, but of course the democrats are making some small noise about it.
Their silence on so many of the things that Trump is doing is deafening! Of course the kos kids are telling the democrats to "grow a spine" and all the other things they have been saying since the site was created. "This is what the democrats need/should be doing!
Or if anyone asks why they aren't speaking out about what Trump is doing they're told that they have been but the media doesn't cover them. Gee, maybe they have heard of a platform that can't be ignored? Twitter? So why aren't they screaming about Trump's actions on it? Yep, you're right! They don't disapprove of them..
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
@snoopydawg
Aren't scorpions invertebrates? I don't think the CorpoDems can...
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.
Well, to be fair
Congress actually voted to give Trump almost $80 million more for defense spending than Trump requested. That vote included 60% of House Democrats voting for the increase above the Trump budget.
This is the very same party that screams that Trump is crazy while increasing the amount of arms available to said mad man. Resistance, my behind! I have a hard time figuring out what the Democrats are resisting except progressive policies.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
make that 80 billion more
as to the progressive dems in the Senate-
jeez, Louise.
it's just biz, huh Liz?
Replace, reduce, redo, when recycling Parties.
Keep those 4, and the 3 Repubs; toss the rest out .
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.
@gulfgal98
and freedumbz to attack other people's countries.
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.
resisting
Common sense, perhaps?
It's all about the Benjamins anymore. And most of us know it!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Just did a google search on Михаи́л Афана́сьевич Булга́ков
Yep, it's true about gjohnsit.
Beware the bullshit factories.
one becomes known by their idols
if trump is your hero, you missed out on alot of good comic book stories
What’s up with gjohnsit?
Who are you? New here? We all know what’s up with gjohnsit so I’ll clue you in. He is a prolific writer here and we look forward to his essays - all of them - dozens a day - perhaps hundreds - on a plethora of subjects. Read what you can, pick and choose - you might not be able to get to all of them, so be discerning.
"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
?
??????????!
@Snode I kind of wish you
I kind of wish you people could actually read. It was a conditional statement, starting with "If...." I have seen numerous legislators and CEOs step down for vague reasons ever since DT took office. Not one who has done so do I regard as anything other than corrupt or criminal. In our utterly corrupt duopoly, I considers those victories even if the person responsible is corrupt himself or herself. My beef with gjohnsit is that he constantly points out the corruption in the Dem party and then urges people to support candidates within this corrupt party. Ridiculous. See Bernie.
But the presense of corruption within any group
does not necessarily ensure that all members/would-be members of any such group are corrupt.
The Dem Party is a construct, currently heavily infiltrated and controlled by the corrupt. Empty it of corrupt members, repopulate it with grass-roots Progressives working toward the common good, and you have an actual political Party. Which would be a nice change.
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.
If the Democratic Party becomes the Progressive Left
Then who is going to represent the Center and Center-Right in America? That's a significant portion of the population to strip of representation at the Federal level?
The real corruption is forcing the paralyzing polarization of only two opposing parties on a complex and diversified population — stripping every one of the possibilities and benefits that come from a representative coalition running a government that strives to be a united and cohesive nation.
We've experienced 250 years of tyranny by manipulated majorities.
We built that.
And we are willing to keep doing it.
Darth Donny
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsW9MlYu31g]
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
Is this a bad thing?
I thought most of us were against NAFTA.
Also, this IS his negotiating technique, appropriate for a bully. First he slaps you down THEN he offers to relent if you will make concessions.
I'm not saying this is a good thing. I'm saying this is the Jersey way.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Who'd ah thunkit
Jersey bully as a negotiating tactic. Lose respect and expect to gain.
Bullies don't do well with adults
What you learn in grade school doesn't work in real life.
Trump s failures are good news for the rest of the world. But they will have negative consequences for you and me
This is our biggest hurtle, gjohnsit
We all know the Empire is about to collapse. The dollar is going to fail.
Major changes are going to happen to each and every one of us.
And no one really knows how to prepare for it.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
^^^This!!!^^^
And the oligarchs are trying to bleed every last dollar out of this country before that happens. These neoliberals and neocons are globalists first and foremost. They have very little allegiance to their countries. Their allegiances are to sucking up every last bit of wealth before it all collapses.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Go Gulfgal!
You bring meat to the table that no one else does in terms of the exposure of the rampant criminality in the previous administration that people need to read. You have to apologize in advance for bringing that stuff here, and that is the problem, in my opinion. I prefer the declared enemy to the one who pretends they are on your side and then sells you out -- but I actually prefer neither and will not vote for any enemy of any color or stripe.
Go Gulfgal!
You bring meat to the table that no one else does in terms of the exposure of the rampant criminality in the previous administration that people need to read. You have to apologize in advance for bringing that stuff here, and that is the problem, in my opinion. I prefer the declared enemy to the one who pretends they are on your side and then sells you out -- but I actually prefer neither and will not vote for any enemy of any color or stripe.
^^^This!!!^^^
And the oligarchs are trying to bleed every last dollar out of this country before that happens. These neoliberals and neocons are globalists first and foremost. They have very little allegiance to their countries. Their allegiances are to sucking up every last bit of wealth before it all collapses.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
consequences for you and me
getting time to pay the piper, couldn't happen to a more deserving country.
The country doesn't deserve it
those responsible for this situation do. And they'll doubtless be the ones to 'somehow' benefit by draining the last drops of good out of their people and country, to come out smelling the last roses they've saved for themselves.
Edited by one who only notices a letter-typo while waiting for things to post...
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.
Sorry to skip the replies. I'll go back.
That comment right there puts gjohn in a whole other class to most so-called analysts and journalist.
Well done gjohn!
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Oh, indeed! Damn lucky, we are,
to have him and so many other high-caliber and human essayists!
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.
"unless alot of non-voters comes off the sidelines and vote"
for who? Exactly who are you thinking the non voters should vote for to stop electing "morally and ethically damaged people"? Democrats? Those "progressives" you keep talking about that are somehow going to change the democratic party, even though every one of them supports U.S. imperialism and militarism. Talk about a morally and ethically damaged political party. This is the party that is egging on WWIII with Russia, the party that still gives Obama the president who waged war in seven countries as president an 80% approval rating.
I could go for a major third party push, even though I don't think that's go to help. But the democratic party is just as morally and ethically damaged as the republican party and Donald Trump.
Imagine for a moment
that all the non-voters voted Green?
There are enough non-voters to make a Green Congress in 2019.
That would make a big difference.
Will it happen? No.
There are also individuals in the Dems worth voting for.
Not voting and giving up is certain not to change anything.
Not in Flawer'Duh, we don't.
For the Governor's race, we're stuck with either Chris King or Gwen Graham for the Democrats, and the Repigs have more or less chosen that insufferable Adam Putnam.
Local races are far worse in the Porky Dem department.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Not voting doesn't necessarily equate to giving up,
that's a rather pathetic comeback to those critical of the democratic party.
Actually, I believe you acknowledged that we need an inside-outside approach, and many people who aren't voting for the duopoly are actually working outside the system of electing faux representatives, a much more important effort now.
And we all know the system is so rigged against third parties that it's pretty useless at this point. I do vote btw, as I've said many times, just not for the duopoly which I believe should be boycotted as the corrupt organizations they are.
As another commenter said, it's pretty clear you're shilling for the democratic party, which is up to you. But your rants against war and wall street ring kind of hollow when mixed with support for the war and wall street democratic party. Imo.
You had me up to here
I was taking your reply seriously until this sentence.
Do you think Trump is heroic too?
And don't you think that it's a little difficult to "shill" for the Dems when this essay is entirely about Trump?
If criticising one party's obvious incompetence is "shilling" for the other party, then...well, this is just DKos rules then.
Well, no. It’s not “entirely” about Trump
You also put in that dig against non-voters, remember?
You go out of your way to specifically blame “non-voters” for why our government is owned by morally and ethically damaged people. And you know what, that’s bullshit. There are virtually no people to vote for, in the vast majority of elections, who are not morally and ethically challenged.
And even if there are a few, changing out a few cogs in the system isn’t going to change the facts: these cogs don’t have the ability to change the system once they are inside it, even if they are saints. Which, they are not.
Non-voters are not the problem. If your essay was “entirely about Trump” then leave the finger-pointing out of it, please.
That wasn't a dig
That wasn't a slam on non-voters at all.
Criticising a certain percentage of people for not voting in this country is like criticising the rain.
It's an unfortunate fact of life.
And my point was that only the non-voters can save us. That in no way equals they are to blame.
I also believe that only the working class can change society for the better. That doesn't mean I blame them for the capitalist system.
There is a whole lot of taking my words in the worst possible light going on.
So no, this essay was entirely about Trump, and was in no way shilling for the Dems.
No gjohnsit, sorry, but we non-voters cannot save the world
or even the country. Because, like I said, voting doesn’t change the system. You can’t just ignore that.
This is the exact same message I heard from, let’s say, Barack Obama. You gotta vote. And we did. I co-hosted a “Yes, we did!” party after he won. How embarrassing is that now? I heard the same from Hillary Dems for a year. You must vote! To save the country and the world from Trump! ... Er, no.
In an essay “entirely” about Trump, there’s no need to bring in non-voters, to say that nonvoters could save us all, if only they would. If you cannot understand why that sounds like a dig, and finger pointing, I think you’re not trying very hard to see why.
You still need to address how we could save everything by voting. We’ve heard the more and better democrats message for about, what? 15 years now? It’s not working.
You appear to know
What I'm thinking better than I do. What will I be thinking 5 minutes from now?
I have no idea what you’re thinking
Nor did I say anything about what you’re thinking. I know what you write and post here. That’s all I know about your thinking. This is pretty typical, unfortunately. You state an opinion/assumption, like in this case “only non-voters can save us” — by “getting off the sidelines” and voting.
Then, when you are asked “vote for whom?” and HOW that will “save us” when voting doesn’t change the system, or you get feedback on how that comes across as blaming non-voters (sitting on the sidelines is a dig, whether you admit it or not) and is a tired message that we’ve heard before, many times... instead of engaging in an honest discussion or answering difficult questions, you dodge and duck out without responding. I make no assumptions on why or what you’re thinking. I just note your actions and the words you write.
Do you think I hate the working class too?
Because I said this: "I also believe that only the working class can change society for the better. That doesn't mean I blame them for the capitalist system."
It's the same "finger-pointing" I did with non-voters for the exact same reason, so I must hate the working class.
And since I'm working class, that means I have a lot of self-hate. Thank you for opening my eyes. I didn't realize that I hated myself until you clarified this.
Oooorrrr, you could actually believe me when I state what my intentions were.
That I believe that if the working class were to rise up together that there would be nothing the establishment could do to stop them.
And that if non-voters came out and voted and participated en mass that things would change.
You take that to mean that I am pointing fingers and blaming non-voters and the working class. If that is what you want to believe you are welcome to it.
That's why I said that you know what I'm thinking better than I do.
I'm only going to state what I'm thinking, and if you want to take it in the worst possible way then that is on you.
Hate? What are you talking about?
I said nothing about hate. Why would you say such a dishonest thing?
I said that the specific comment you specifically included in this essay was a “dig” at non-voters. I could have also said you took a swipe at us. That doesn’t mean to me you “hate” us. (Interesting you’d go there.)
You’ve said nothing yet about what your intention was in adding that paragraph to your essay. You did not say, in the OP, that unless the working class gets off the sidelines and votes, we will be stuck with morally and ethically defective politicians and government. You said non-voters.
The question is why? In an essay “entirely” about Trump, you embedded a suggestion that people who don’t vote are responsible for him, and others like him.
Your intentions in doing so, if I had to guess — which I sincerely try not to — would be that you hoped to motivate non-voters to vote in future elections, because you evidently sincerely believe it would be the cure. And this kind of “guilt trip” for not voting is a standard technique. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the ways political organizations and individuals try to manipulate voters and potential voters in various directions.
If that wasn’t why you put that paragraph in there, then I’m certainly happy to hear what it was for.
If you do want to motivate non-voters, as I think you probably do, then I’d just remind you that I’m one of them. And talking down to me, changing the subject, personal attacks, wild accusations about “hate” and silly logic games, dismissive insults, etc. certainly don’t do it.
I’ve given you honest questions that a non-voter needs answered before anyone is going to be motivated to “get off the sidelines” as you put it, and instead get in line at the polls. Vote for whom, when no one represents my interests? How will voting for a relatively few good people here and there, while overlooking the myriad ways they don’t represent me, “save us”? How is this any different than the countless other times we’ve been told we have to vote, for someone, even though there’s no candidate who represents us or our interests, for the good of all mankind?
If you don’t want to actually try to address these difficult questions, that’s fine, it’s your choice. But when you post an essay that includes this kind of comment, you should expect it will raise them.
I wasn't referring to you
I don't want you personally to vote.
I don't want you to participate.
I don't even want you to reply.
Is that clear enough?
Voting isn't about Hillary or the DNC or the establishment
A lot of people don't want them to take away their guns, why should taking away their vote be ok?
Beware the bullshit factories.
Exactly!
Psychopaths have infiltrated government and all agencies; while they hold all of the legal controls, civil forces, courts and all, we're in a position where they can abuse law to prevent us doing anything else at all by simply locking us up, or shooting us.
As long as some of the mechanisms and pretenses of democracy remain, if the people fail to use them while they still exist, the people are missing the only opportunity anyone has for a pacific, political switch to democracy.
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.
Give us candidates and we'll vote.
They don't have to be perfect candidates but they have to be more good than bad.
I reviewed the positions of my local Congressional candidates. The Dem, a corpro-dem is in office. There was no substantive difference in the R's position except he supports Trump and wants to get "loafers off welfare so taxes can be cut further". Both support the ME wars, more military spending, "taking the regulatory shackles off business", and expanding STEM visas. The Dem has the obligatory #Metoo pro-gay stance. The R is silent on these.
I rate them both zero.
Have I repeated the joke a black comedian told in 1968 ?
" I see the three candidates like this:
If I was lying in the road, George Wallace would drive over me in his car.
And if I was lying in the road, Richard Nixon would order his chauffeur to drive over me.
And If I was lying in the road, Hubert Humphrey would cry a lot as his chauffeur drove over me."
That's the way I feel. No, the Greens have not put up a candidate, but they do have a candidate for Governor who has a snowball's chance in Hell of winning. The next Governor will be JB Pritzker with an outside chance of Bruce Rauner being re-elected, say if Pritzker is caught in bed with a live boy AND a dead girl.
IMHO, the Greens are wealthy dilettantes playing at being a Party.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
You must be reading posts
In some alternate reality, or just having "bad luck at thinking" (as Johnstone recently phrased it).
Frankly, ive never seen you write a paragraph where you offer anything of substance, Just venting your spleen and despair. It's wearisome and pointless.
Orwell: Where's the omelette?
That;s why I stopped writing here jim.
Because most people here want to moan and groan about the democratic party and don't want to hear anything else. Now you want me to stop commenting? That's fine.
Btw, I've offered many suggestions we citizens can pursue, perhaps you've had some bad luck in your own thinking and reading.
I don't want you to stop
commenting. I just don't get why you had to slam the author with the nonsensical motion that he supports the Dem Party. That you could make better, and more useful comments...
Orwell: Where's the omelette?
“Slam” him? Wow.
Yes I read Big Al’s comment, and I agree with every word of it.
It’s the absolute biggest mind fuck that so many people here somehow think gjohnsit does not support and frequently champion the idea that voting for (the right) democrats is the one and only way to save the world.
Oh, yes, he slams the party leadership for its corruption, all the time. Essays on how they hate progressives, and work against them in numerous evil ways, are a frequent main dish. Often seasoned with helpful advice for them on what they need to “learn” or start saying, if they want to win elections.
Then it’s on to how voting the right democrats — oh yeah, we call them berniecrats now, or progressives — will change that. Progressives are winning the fight to take over the party, victory is on the horizon, is another frequent topic. Essentially it’s still down to “more and better democrats”... and gee, where have we heard that before? Sprinkling in a pinch of support for a Green Party candidate or a democrat in the DSA doesn’t change the core message.
It does fascinate me how this message is now apparently so toxic that its promoters have to try to obscure what they are even advocating for. I guess that’s a good sign.
Since you acknowledge that you don’t read all of the points of view here, it’s understandable you don’t know what Big Al was referring to. It obviously was not just this essay alone but the larger body of work, which has themes that run through it.
And yet...
I've voted 3rd party in every election since 1996.
Funny then how I think that Democrats will be the ones who save us all.
But you know better than I.
Then you obviously haven’t read Big Al’s writing
He writes many substantive, informative essays and cogent comments. I’ve learned so much from him this past couple of years, about many topics, especially the wars and foreign policy, that he has in-depth knowledge about that I had never even heard about.
Sure he rants sometimes — like a lot of people do, but to say that’s all he writes is ridiculous. He has shared a huge amount of valuable information and has an informed world view. I’m grateful he writes about it, and wish he’d do more. But I understand completely why he doesn’t.
Big Al is also incredibly optimistic! He has said over and over that he believes a better future is possible, and he *has* put forward ideas and suggestions. He’s said he can’t and won’t give up fighting for that vision. Even when he is ganged up on and ridiculed, like this, in an effort to silence his voice. This really makes me sad... well, ok, angry. And sad.
Just because Big Al does not buy into the idea that we can somehow fix everything if we all would just vote for just the right politicians, and he believes instead in fighting for a systemic change, that is not “giving up” and it’s not despair! It’s literally the opposite of that! Sigh...
I really don’t understand why so many of you cannot see that. And why you cannot value a different perspective.
This dismissive, insulting comment is .... gosh, words fail me... it’s disappointing. I guess I’ll go with that.
Is there any chance we can stop this cycle? I’m beginning to doubt it.
Maybe I've just had bad
luck on the things i have read, but it's been the case that what I've read inclined me to not read most things that have his name at top. In this particular case it seemed weird that he'd blast the author for being a supporter of the Dems when i don't see how anyone could honestly think that.
Orwell: Where's the omelette?
I mean, did you read the comment
i reacted to, speaking of "This dismissive, insulting comment"?
Orwell: Where's the omelette?
"There are also individuals in the Dems worth voting for." omg
nope! I disagree, perhaps you forgot about the last stolen election here in California, because who can remember now it's Primary LIE YOUR ASS OFF season again. Legal! Let's not fight. Do say who you think is "worth it" on our ballot please. I need input not argument right now. Thanks. D-Newsom thinks I should vote for R-Cox... meh.
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Cal Access - Lobbying Activity
http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Lobbying/
Episode 89: It's a Phonebook!
lol "To $erve Man" lol
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Nobody 2018
Peace and Freedom
Green Party
peace
yes there is
There are 3 DSA members at the state level so far.
For example
DSA are Dems? okay
thanks for answering, can you just say their names or is that a bad thing to ask? I don't know. If you are saying there are members of the Democratic Socialists of America running as Democrats then say so, I don't know. My 95 page Voter Information Guide is not useful as far as knowing where the money is coming from.
How can I tell the difference between a D-CIA and a D-DSA candidate? I don't know, but one vote is all I have. It is one more than the zero dollars I have to live on today. Good times.
Achtung! The Outreach
https://www.dsausa.org/
DSA are Progressives, though.
Generally speaking, and really mostly using your comment to riff off, labels are not the issue, in my belief: replacing corporate/billionaire stooges and psychopathic leadership with people who actually believe in humanity and democracy would be.
We've got good and valid points on 'both sides' here, but what we need to remember is that we're all actually on the same side here, even if we might have faith in different routes. And that right now everything potentially of aid toward the shared larger goals of democracy and survival must be attempted, anything that potentially gives us a better chance.
What I strongly believe we cannot afford to do is to take things too personally, having been misled and abused before, and not allow ourselves to be fragmented and divided by our differences, losing sight of the greater issue that planetary life is at stake.
No two people are ever going to agree on everything; no person in or out of politics can be all things to all people; no movement can survive without accepting such differences to work together toward the larger goals in a civil and reasonable fashion.
Either we work together in our various ways toward a best-case scenario to achieve what we can, or we again disintegrate into an easily-trampled heap from which nobody may ever rise again, in a micro-managed surveillance society where everything not mandatory is illegal and murder-by-police and torture is the norm, while the planet dies and there is no safe food, water, air, speech, street or workplace.
America is a fascist state and that doesn't leave a lot to work with, politically speaking. We have, still, now, and maybe a couple more elections, to work with the best we can find and keep going before the gloves come off any further, because they're coming off faster all of the time.
The world is falling apart; if we can hold together, at least we have that much going for us.
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.
I'll begin profiteering, Sir!
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyHDaOw3XW4]
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
I appreciate your work here gjohn
Sorry about the piling on by some of your readers. I think this reflects people's frustration at a failed system rather than you.
We all know what opinions are like. I appreciate evidence - like the tariff info and the reduction in State Dept. personnel and so on. Thanks for keeping us informed.
As to politics...we as a group will never agree. I've given up trying to sort out which oligarchs pet to vote for. Sadly the oligarchs hold the cards. It is time to play a new game.
Keep on keeping on!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I think you nailed it, Lookout.
People are suffering and lashing out because the suffering won't subside.
Keep writing gjohnsit. Keep writing Big Al. We need all voices on deck.
I know this has been said over and over again, but it bears repeating:
BUCKLE UP, EVERYONE - THE SCARY PART OF THE RIDE HASN'T EVEN BEGUN!
"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
Nothing really changes until you
break the status quo. Right now the status quo has 3.8 unemployment number. So Democrats are just going to push around the edges of our giant debt Ponzi, GOP will do their usual mischief. Trump will flail around, play golf and look unhappy.
Regardless on how you see the economic numbers most of the worker bees are doing just that working their butts off to stay even. The growth model prevails, money is relatively cheap, developers are back, raising steel everywhere and plenty of local and exotic food in the stores. Hell several restaurants fail in our downtown and are immediately replaced by more. That's the view from small coastal town in California. I don't think Trump has affected me one bit, I doubt Hillary would have either.
I'm pretty sure we are headed for a grand denouement of the worst possible kind. Meanwhile I've got work to do.
I need a stamp with 'Outstanding Essay!' on it, lol.
I would also question the notion that that any country should 'lead' the world.
The world is not a corporation to be run top-down according to the dictates of the most powerful, but collection of countries full of people, with the right to determine their own public-protective policies.
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.
perfect (+++)
what you said!