@Raggedy Ann the quotes in your sig.

to no one.

@vtcc73
Herd animals. all restless at the storm but waiting for someone else to start the stampede. When it starts, it snowballs.

1. All the herd (90+%) know somethings wrong but are waiting for guidance.
2. Finally some individuals start doing something
3. Like a cascade, more and more fall in line behind that someone, because -- herd animals

Marketeers know this well and provide the faux stampede.

Bernie started the stampede then ran it back right to the old do nothing leaders. If we had the brain of a COW, we would have kept running until exhausted. But we aren't even that smart. Just following the other cows up the chute where the big guy with a hammer is waiting.

The first indication that Obama wasn't who he said he was and wouldn't do anything he said he would was his picks for senior staff, federal agencies and departments, and his cabinet. Biden's picks are looking worse than Obama's which tracks with his history. All of them since Billy Boy Clinton have been on the same track. Any hope that the US will stop circling the drain is in vain.

One very good friend who you might be inclined to call a nice liberal with a big ego sent me a message on Friday lamenting the state of the republic. I would disagree with the label although he's never been able to accept that Dems are as much a problem as the Reps or trump. Saying that he thinks we're glad we left the asylum, not in those words exactly, tells me he may be getting to the point that he understands. That's reassuring to me but the question to which there is no good answer is, "But what are we going to do about it?"

The most likely answer is quite unsatisfying: Let the swirling continue. History and human nature suggests that only when life sucks bad enough for enough people will they do anything that is useful to change. Right now about half the people love living in the cesspool, love the extra shit poured in during the past four years, and gleefully shout,"Sir! May I have another, Sir!" The other about half is appalled, thinking they actually did something that matters by electing Biden. Of course, many of the rest of us know nothing will change but can't think how to answer the question if the answer requires upsetting their current life, sucky or not so much. I don't know if it's inertia or the "stickiness" in their brains that won't let them change their thinking. Either way nothing will change absent a catastrophic event.

And, yes, I'm immensely glad to have left. It's one of those few times I've made an excellent decision about my personal life.

@lizzyh7 Expecting one word, one sentence, or one anything to be the answer is ridiculous. Books can be written to simply define a few of the more basic problems. How to fix the problems is far more difficult. The problems aren't simple so why would the answers be?

I very much agree that the question is used by the lazy and those who wish to shutdown discussion. People don't even talk to each other much less discuss difficult issues rationally and with respect. Getting people to talk to each other is one of the first things that need to happen. Until then, forget any progress on anything. People are the fundamental barrier to finding solutions.

that idiotic question "what is your solution then?" as someone who simply does not have an argument and one who refuses to even engage in any criticism of their big hope for big change. It's a debate tactic, and a really shallow one because by asking it, it shows that the person one is attempting to ask to really think about what the real problems are is not interested in real answers but magical thinking. The magical thinking of Americans in particular is that if one is going to criticize or analyze, one MUST have an easy-peasy, simple, one word or phrase "solution" to all the problems. It is a sign of lazy thinking, IMHO.

The problems we have are so many and so complex, interconnected in so many ways, there IS no one phrase solution. "Stop voting for Republicans!" Well, good then, but what about the slimy Democrats? "Well, they're better than R's!" REALLY? Show me how. But they can't show you how because there is simply no truth at all in their position, is there? They'll blather about racism, sexism, etc. but not much more, ever. When you point out that racism and sexism would indeed be "addressed" by changing our corrupted system where people are not pushed to fight each other over mere crumbs, they'll say that's simply impossible, and you just have to be a realist. When you mention that won't really fix anything since it's what we've already been doing, then you are simply another Republican or whatever pejorative they can throw your way. But that doesn't solve the problem you say, possibly along with the many perfect illustrations of just what a fallacy that really is....

By pointing that out to them, that whole cognitive dissonance thingy is awakened somewhat in them, and they cannot bear that. It's why they immediately go to that good old lame question, "then what is your solution?" And when they don't get an easy, one phrase simple answer, they walk away and say YOU are hopeless and are just a whiner. That does make them feel better and I imagine it shuts down that little nagging voice in the back of their heads that tells them, hey, there IS NO easy answer and shit howdy that negative nelly just might have a point....

@earthling1

The US is already careening into chaos. Both leaders are highly regarded by their people. Both have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of their people and have made amazing progress. By New Year, China will lift the last of its people out of poverty. They've created jobs or subsidies for all of them, which keeps their domestic economy healthy. They have many more five and ten year Plans underway — all of them to benefit the people and society. The Party of the Chinese People — with 12 million Party Members providing oversight throughout the country — always complete their challenging Plans and make their deadlines, with full transparency along the way.

China and Russia are not competing with the US to become the supreme Ruler over all nations and all people in the world. They do not have the resources to do so, and they aspire to their own national goals to create healthy, well educated citizens and grow a sustainable society for the future.

It's really up to the rest of the world how this all plays out. Will the nations of the world help the US achieve its monsterous goals for Empire by participating in crippling sanctions imposed on China and Russia in order to harm the People? Will China's and Russia's access to global resources be blocked by the rest of the world? Will the 21st century infrastructure that China is building to facilitate trading and transportation throughout the Eastern Hemisphere be bombed and destroyed? Will the proposed new trading routes to bring prosperity to land-locked countries be sabotaged? Will the rest of the world participate in destroying China's economy to boost the power of the United States?

It could go that way.

However, the world has reached a technology milestone where the progress and development of China and Russia and other nations cannot be held back. They will continue to work to empower their people for success. Those countries can now sustain themselves and they can still help other countries that reach out to them.

The question is, what will become of the geographically isolated the North American Plantation?

Resistance is futile. All the levers of the government, economy, and military are in the ruling classes hands.
Our only hope is in the success of the enemies of our rulers, Putin and Xi.
Only they can effect a regime change so badly needed in America.
It's going to get very dark and ugly.
The denizens of Zero Hedge quip "Learn to code". They are so wrong.
Learn to farm.

@MrWebster

Each day brings another person saying that Biden shouldn’t go after Trump for whatever crimes he might have committed. Lots of blue check Twitter have been busy today tweeting about it. Centrists are pissed, libs are laughing really loudly.

My bet is that Trump will walk free. Nothing for what he did in office and NYC will not go after his taxes. Hell he’s already gotten away with charity fraud. People in power are rarely charged for anything unless they hurt their rich friends. Trump is gonna be on Ellen after the next Trump has been in office 1 year.

Otherwise imagine the staff, appointees, and cabinet Biden would have appointed.