Here we go again
The silly season starts earlier and earlier -- kinda like how I went into the grocery store a few weeks ago and the "seasonal" isle was already stocked with Halloween candy instead of barbecue utensils and sunscreen -- and here we are at C99, trying to convince each other to throw our passion and money behind of one of way-too-many Clown Car Candidates who will supposedly act in our honest-to-goodness best interests instead of trying to coalesce around some kind of strategy that will enact real and meaningful change.
And I hate to say it, but that strategy does and should not include voting for anyone who places a (D) or (R) next to their name. And while I'm at it, voting Green may feel righteous and good -- and on some level, I agree -- but the deck is already so far stacked against viability there that such a vote barely even registers as a protest.
The planet is burning. The water is running out. Migration is already a major crisis.
If you'll pardon the expression: Wake. The Fuck. Up.
Comments
So, don't vote for an R or a D...
and also not a G, because they don't have a chance.
But someone else does?
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
So basically don't vote
which is what the oligarchy wants us to do.
Hmmmmm.....
If the peaceful solutions have utterly failed.....
No, no one else does.
It's all a farce, a manipulation.
On some level, I wish I hadn't paid any mind to the man behind the curtain. But once you see him ...
only a sociopath wants power
or is it "psychopath"? One of those. Or maybe both.
Voting has been manipulated. If we really voted for who we wanted it would be a good system. But those in control have regulated who will be on the ballot. This field is 100% made up of flawed candidates, a few better than others but all of whom have played the game.
Compared to us they are all Republicans from 1960. Or worse.
If you believe voting does anything then select a candidate and support him or her. If you think it's useless but an interesting exercise, cast a ballot. If you think it's sad and tragic and useless then don't bother. Those all seem reasonable to me.
This is how I feel.
Thanks for stating it so eloquently.
"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
Here's what confounds me...
As someone who would like to see this site grow, limiting the discussion, as it seems some would like to see it here, to non-electoral political discourse only would lead to the opposite of that goal.
I understand the frustration and share it to a certain degree but I have a problem groking that some folks get so upset that politics is discussed on a political blog.
Is that what's happening?
I really feel confused.
I thought Eagles92 to be a Green.
I am going to take another break re posting for awhile.
I'll keep reading.
Keep up the good work.
Am I a Green?
At heart, I suppose I am. But I can't rightfully claim that, at least not yet. I wrote Bernie in, in 2016, as a protest. Little did I know.
I think Shahryar explained things better than I have.
And look, honestly, I'm just airing some serious frustration. Everyone's mileage may vary.
confundati sumus
I may be completely wrong, but I don't think anybody's upset that politics is being discussed here. I think that the "upset" that you sense is the very frustration of which you speak. Our politics are seriously broken. So is our economy, contrary to what today's mainstream media bloviates at us. And the core question that situation brings up -- "What the F are we going to do about it?" -- has us all -- all the 99% whether c99 users or not -- wrapped really tightly around the proverbial axle. Essentially, it isn't our discussions of it here that have the upset ones upset; rather, it's the state of deterioration of the beast itself.
Two weeks from today, I will turn 61. That means I'm just old enough to remember such exotic concepts as mainstream news media actually seeking to report the news (remember the term "scoop"?), elections which occasionally actually meant something, a labor market where most jobs were available to most adults without decades of crippling debt (and the distinct genuine possibility of working oneself through school in the bargain). Now, I'm just old enough to remember it, not old enough to have been able to participate in it.
Each and every one of us is confounded and frustrated by the current state of things. Our national elections have long since lost any real meaning (thank you, Clintons and your nefarious ilk). This makes us all rather "soggy and hard to light", as the old saying goes. And the same goes double for the socio-economic garbage, as our politics is really the only tool we have to address that, but it's broken too.
It is my contention that the upset, frustrated, and confounded tone you hear is evidence, not that c99 is broken, but on the contrary, that it's working perfectly! Yes, those on opposing sides of the "Does electoral politics offer any real avenue for change?" question should, in my humble opinion, show better courtesy to one another. After all, none of us have the kind of cash to be at fault for what boils down to a set of corruption problems. (And if any c99 user does have that kind of money, (s)he needs to donate more to c99!!) But our fellow c99ers aren't the problem. And we all must learn to treat each other accordingly, with solidarity, love, peace and respect. To our credit, I truly believe that we're all (or nearly all) working on doing just that. And my own personal contention on that question is that we 99%ers need all expressions of the demand for change: those of us who work the electoral politics angle and those who work outside the electoral system, ever pressing our demands in concert. Frankly, I think it's our best -- maybe even our only -- hope that anything will ever change in our favor at all.
I hope this all made sense!
All love and peace to you, amice gentilissimo!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Props, Than.
I'd posted some responses before reading yours, and hope I was kind of getting at the same thing, but you've said it a LOT more eloquently (and tactfully).
Long live C99. The very fact that I could post such a rant and not get gang-flagged and BOJO'd is testament to the value of this community.
an oasis of sanity
Why, thank you, Eagles92!
Even at our worstest, we're still a veritable oasis of sanity, especially compared with TOP. And right now, c99 is critical for the preservation of my sanity. So, needless to say, I want it to stick around!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
I deal with a lot of people
from all across the political spectrum every day. Day in, day out.
While I listen their positions, I keep a straight face and neutral attitude.
But when I hear anybody anywhere say they are not interested in politics, I remind them left, right, in between, that politics is the air we breathe, the roads we travel, the food we eat, the sights we see. Politics is our lure to vote, our last, best chance to keep unarmed people from being suffocated by cops, assuming our vote is counted. Our last, best chance for food that isn't poisoned. Our last best chance for the pursuit of happiness, if only on weekends. If only on Sundays.
If only...
Nobody can avoid politics, but they can avoid rancor. I think it is interesting, but of no matter. None of this political shit really matters. What a horrible state of mind!
Let's try letting people on the site when total shit hits the fan, count on me...or count on you...
Count on each other for survival, since we are approaching the moment when that is what it will require.
Sorry to theadjack.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Not a threadjack.
I appreciate your contribution. And agree wholly with its spirit.
Peace.
Is this a political blog?
I guess I'm confused.
But maybe that has to do with how we each interpret politics. My particular frustration is with "electoral" politics. Given the name of the site, I'm most interested in figuring out how we, the vast majority/99 percent, can work together to forge a sustainable way forward for humanity and the planet. And honestly, once we start getting fragmented over whether or not Bernie is sincere or Tulsi is the Next Great Savior or Michelle My Belle should run ... then our eye's not on the ball.
And that, my friends, is the entire point of the psyops we call "electoral" politics.
By all means, discuss away. This essay is only my opinion, and you know what they say about those.
@WaterLily please see my comment
please seemy comment above
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I'm shocked, shocked to learn that politicians are discussed
on a political message board.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME]
The problem with this essay,
as I see it, is that it stopped before it got started.
"Wake.The.Fuck.Up" is the logical starting point, not the end of the discussion. How do we wake up? How can a critical mass of the world population be caused to wake up?
If all it took is a virtual "slap upside the head" in cyberspace to wake someone up, the world would already be fully enlightened.
Whether we have evolution or revolution, if it succeeds, it will be because of a change in enough people's minds. A change in mass human consciousness.
"Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep ... Don't go back to sleep."
~Rumi
"If you want revolution, be it."
~Caitlin Johnstone
change in human consciousness
And that's where c99 comes in. We are an agent of that change, one of many. It is sometimes difficult to write and to read here; but all births have their pains.
It will be worth it in the end.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
And, once awake, what action do we take that might actually
prevent the planet from being uninhabitable by our species?
Not to mention that I've seen zero indication that regular posters on this board are asleep on the issue of global warming.
Tulsi with Assad
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
er...unless i'm totally mistaken,
that's bibi netanyahoo.
and kamala harris.
you done bin pranked.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
ah well, it is the
lotus flower. who cares? guess this was by way of an ad for candidate X.
No it's not an ad for Kambama
It's to point out the hypocrisy of people saying that Tulsi loves Assad the war criminal because she met with him while on a trip to Syria to see what was happening. But for some reason people have no problem with Harris or anyone else in government being BFFs with Bibi who is definitely a war criminal. Or McCain meeting with the leaders of AQ and ISIS. Or Trump being BFFs with MBS or going as far back as when Rumsfeld met with Saddam.
I don't know how many times I need to say this..I have no dawg in this fight because I don't vote anymore.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
thanks for the explanation,
but in my reckoning below, candidate X is TG. but really, they do kinda look alike to my crap eyes.
You are totally mistaken
on intent.
You missed, it chica!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
@snoopydawg Add /s, snoop.
Add /s, snoop.
Great catch!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
i dunno, eagles92,
it's Democracy™ the Board Game here, where hope turns to belief turns to religion.
where prez candidate X votes for a $138 billion war budget, but supporters claim 'it could have been worse! (amendment to declare congress needs to authorize more wars on the duopoly's 'enemy list' after signing the 'dear pompeo' letter ,criminalizing say...the 'maduro regime', , russia, voting for arms for ukraine v. the rooski lovers in the SE, etc..
candidate Y might have voted for the defense of nato/africom bill, but no matter, that candidate is the 'peace candidate', and has been evolving on zionism, as well.
comments such as: 'i've long voted green, but canidate Y!' avowed dem-exiters: 'but then, candidate X spoke to nukes!'
meanwhile, last democracy™ season's Green candidate raised a shit-ton of $ for recounts i 3 states based on 'russian interference in our elections@ (later 'foreign interference')...against the will of the Green steering committee and her own running mate ajamu baraka.
now last time nader ran, a friend stayed up all night to watch the vote count and percentages...she said they'd never, ever changed thru the night. given hackable, reprogramable diebold machines, how easy would it be to make sure that the Green vote would
be a joke vote?
but with the faux 'debates' (post league of women voters sponsors) and (barely even joint press conferences) at hand, let's call it democracy!
You get me, wd.
i'm pleased to hear it,
amigo. me, i prefer issues to electoral politics, in the main. but lawd, lawd, we're watching season three of Treme again, and last night was the scene in which Obomba/Biden won the election. the blacks and indians went starkers with joy for themselves and for New Orleans... they had actual footage of the con man O's acceptance speech in which he acted like his was the next gen MLK, jr..
it's likely true, but their teevee news said the stock market lost a few hundred points on his election. purdy funny by now, remember he'd told the banks/wall street that he was the only thing standing between them and the pitchforks?
i'm soooo embarrassed to admit that i'd forgotten that biden was his VP, ay yi yi, put me out to pasture: quick!
Eagles 92
not Eagles 90 like my fingers wanted...
I took a lawyer out to lunch to give him my farewell. He is moving to Amarillo, and in this life, I will never lay eyes on him again. Never.
I don't go there, he won't come here again.
His favorite sayings were "justice orgasm" and "total shit show".
He and I totally agree that what is going around is a total shit show.
He fought in Iraq, thought seeing the blue voting fingers of the Iraqis was worth it, but not now.
I think this young man gave me perspective. A total shit show where the occasional Justice Orgasm occurs is about all we can expect.
I will always love him.
Cue Whitney Houston.
edit: Justice boner, not orgasm. Makes me even more depressed I will not see him again. Sorry for the edit/confusion, but Justice Boners are so rare, I couldn't remember how to describe that feeling.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks for this.
I agree: whether it's a Justice Boner or a Justice Orgasm, who are the people in power who actually experience these? And do they last for more than four hours?
(Rhetorical questions).
I referred a particular client
to this brilliant young man to defend a sex of a child )(multiple counts) case because of my heavy workload.
And he beat it back, his criminal client was my civil family law client.
And he drove 6 hours to just get the Order dismissing the case.
I told him to frame that Order on his law office wall because it was all that.
A Justice Boner.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Armadillo
What's wrong with good ol' Armadillo?
And I guess he (the other lawyer) now dedicates this song to you:
[video:https://youtu.be/VGF4ibgcHQE]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Oh man!
Perfect!
Justice Boner Guy filed motions I have never heard of, was awesome, and flushed out that the victim had COMPLETELY changed her story. The Prosecutor flat out admitted it was a bad case not worth trying.
I am so damn proud of him, will always just love him.
He is going into a corporate (file this, fill out that, make sure you disclose this job) law and will make more money that I do, and I am not jealous. I am glad.
He did his time in the trenches, and he climbed out unscathed.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
1. How does voting prevent coalescing around an issue
and how does your OP foster coalescing around an issue?
Voting takes what? An hour every two years?
2. Your issue is the environment, but you don't think people should bother voting Green? Green votes may help with ballot access, but, at a minimum, they are reported in media, and in sources like wikipedia. I thought you saw your Bernie or Bust write in vote in the 2016 general as more than a mere protest vote. Perhaps I misread your posts from that time. However, the only place write in votes even get reported are to the FEC; and I know of no one who checks with the FEC. So, IMO, a write in vote is the least effective vote of all, even as a protest. Rightly or wrongly, though, Green voters got blamed for costing Hillary the electoral votes of three states. So, if nothing else, Green voters got noticed.
I only wish that everyone who claims not to vote Green because Greens don't win would abandon that self-fulfilling "reasoning" and vote Green.
3.
Seriously? Why do you assume most or all of us are asleep on the environmental issue?
My point
Is that we're not likely to solve the climate crisis by voting, regardless of party.
I agree with you that we're all awake regarding the crisis. My WTFU comment was specific to my former comment.
the 99% and the environment
I think you confuse typical c99ers with the intended target of the "wake the F up" remark, the remainder of the 99% in the world. We get it. Many of them don't, hence the stigma against voting Green.
(We really do need a Progressive-Labor Party in this country. The Greens are a weak substitute.)
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
An aside...
Since I first posted this essay, I learned that a family member who is particularly beloved to me (my grandmother, the only "grand" I ever knew) has begun her transition from this world into her next.
Please, by all means, if any of you have good arguments in which to engage based on my original (and admittedly snarky!) OP, please do. I just won't be here to acknowledge or tend to them as I consider it a rare privilege to be with this remarkable, 99-year-old woman, during this time.
(And I'm not crying; YOU'RE crying!)
Seems kinda crazy to say, but luv y'all.
Sending beau coup positive karma your, and her way, Eagles92--
what a wonderful blessing to live so long. (like my Maternal Grandmother, and my own Mother)
I'm very happy for you that you will get to be at her side during her final days, or hours. That always means a lot.
Take good care of yourself.
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Sending love and good thoughts, Eagles
I am so sorry that you are losing your grandmother. I hope that you will remember all the love and kindness she gave you and that it helps you through this difficult time. There is something very special about grandmas isn't there? Sunshine and butterscotch...
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
your grandmother
Peace, Love, Mercy and Rest be upon her! Nihil umquam in oblivione est! (nothing is ever forgotten)
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides