Outside the Asylum

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How do we live and make our way through this morass of propaganda that we once called a culture?

Once upon a time, we could avoid propaganda merely by refusing to imbibe conservative news. Don't watch Fox News and don't read the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Turn the radio to a different channel when Rush Limbaugh comes on, and never believe a word George W. Bush says, no matter how many people make sneak attacks on our cities. There! You're good to go.

That's how it used to be. Now we can't avoid right-wing propaganda even if we watch no television at all. Many of those who once stood with us against George W. Bush have a depressing tendency to repeat the ugly messaging of right-wing corporate news--and there is no corporate news any longer that is not right-wing. Of course, one can avoid this reality by changing the definition of "right-wing," which has been one of the goals of both the Obama presidency and the last two election cycles, and is one of the primary purposes, now, of the Democratic party itself.

Move those goalposts! If you rewrite the dictionary, all sorts of things are possible.

For those of us who aren't inclined to rewrite the dictionary, it's obvious that left-wing beliefs and policy positions have been effectively purged from most corners of the public square (as has reason itself--but we'll get to that). The opposition to bigotry is all that's left of what once was a full-fledged system of thought both philosophical and political. Publicly expressed dislike of bigots is offered up to us as some kind of proof that there is still a left in the United States, in much the same way that the Paris Accords are being offered as some kind of proof that the powerful have an interest in preventing climate change from ending human civilization.

Neither the liberal opposition to bigotry nor the Paris Accords even begins to grapple with the problems that they purport to be fighting--indeed, the "anti-racism" bruited about over the past five to ten years has been tailor-made to protect the delicate sensibilities of the ruling elites, most of whom are white, even in the current Obama era. That's why prison reform is off the menu, but it's vitally important to minutely scrutinize Tweets and YouTube videos for racism. That's why the Democrats can put Michael Bloomberg on the stage at their convention while waving Black Lives Matter signs. And it's why, when John Lewis asked President Obama to send the National Guard to Ferguson, MO, he brought some "young activists" from Ferguson to D.C. for a photo-op instead. When they rewrote the dictionary, they made sure to get to the letter "r." The word "racism" needed a major overhaul. The elites didn't want a Malcolm-X-sized, or even a Dr. King-sized pea beneath their stack of fifteen mattresses.

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Unfortunately, it's not just obviously corporate news that slings this ideological hash; there are plenty of so-called "independent" YouTube-based political commentators who do the same. So it's not surprising, I guess, when someone I trust tells me that Juan Guaido should be president of Venezuela, if only the nasty corrupt Venezuelan legislature hadn't prevented him from becoming President by calling off the election.

But those people are, at least, basically innocent. They don't know that they're passing poisoned soup down the table. That, in some ways, makes it worse, because it hurts. You don't have to give a damn if Rahm Emmanuel spews poison. He knows he's doing it, and he likes it. It's upsetting when it comes from someone who wants to do good in the world--who thinks that they are doing good by believing in, and transmitting, right-wing garbage. They think they're doing the opposite, because they've gotten their definitions from the revised dictionary.

When shit gets real, though, is when you encounter deliberate attacks: bullying and character assassination. Most of us have had that experience, and it's for that reason that I'm bringing up Daily Kos in this OT. For some time, I've felt that talking about the Big Orange was unproductive, and, indeed, played into their hands. But enough time has passed that I think it's a good time to assess what happens to the inside of our heads when we get treated like that. Because we're all taking a certain amount of damage all the time, just by existing in the middle of this ugliness, and rather than simply sucking it up in the usual American fashion and letting it pile up inside, perhaps we should share our experiences. It's possible that there could be some healing in that kind of exchange.

So I'm going to share a story. This is, actually, *the* story: the reason I left Daily Kos, long before the Ides of March. I'll ask your forgiveness ahead of time for the lost details--I'm having a hard time remembering the name of the woman primarily involved.

Long, long ago, before #MeToo or #BelieveAllWomen, there was a Twitter movement called #YesEveryWoman. It was largely ignored by the media outlets and politicians who would later hawk #MeToo and #BelieveAllWomen like snake oil salesmen. Probably that was because it was real. Basically, the woman who started the thread made the point that every woman had experienced some kind of violence or disrespect because of being a woman. A flood of stories followed, and the hashtag became famous, and, of course, incurred reactionary anger and attacks along the way.

In this context, a woman called Trish or Tricia (I think?) posted a diary on DailyKos, telling the story of her rape. In the comments, a young man whose handle began with Z, started making off-color jokes. Trish told him he was making her uncomfortable, and asked him to stop. He kept on. Trish then accused him, not unnaturally, of engaging in the same kind of sexism that #YesAllWomen was objecting to in the first place--and all hell broke loose.

People poured into this woman's diary--to defend the man. Now, I have no idea whether Z. really was aiming to hurt Trish, or whether he was just clueless and a bit selfish. Sometimes I think the whole thing was a set-up, because of the way people swarmed the woman's diary. But for me, the worst point was when Denise Oliver Velez accused the woman of having made up the story and posted it in order to lure the man into a position where he could be accused.

Now, I'm guessing many of you remember Denise Oliver Velez. She was a powerful voice on DKos. She purported to be a black woman ardently devoted to civil rights and the ending of bigotry. Given who she claimed to be, she was the last person who should have made such a horrendous accusation. But there she was. And the princess-and-the-pea administration of DailyKos, all the way up to Markos himself, just sat there and let her do it. Let all of them do it.

My family found me sitting at the table in the basement in front of my laptop, with tears running down my face, staring numbly into space. "You're dissociating," they said. "It's time for you to get off that damned website."

They were right, and I did. It was many years ago, and obviously, I'm fine. But I've still got tears in my eyes as I write this. What was the damage done? I don't think it's much, because this was just obvious brutality, rather than the much more poisonous lies, denial and irrationality that we get fed on a daily basis (those screw me up much more).

What are your stories? How have you been hurt by propaganda? Please share what you're comfortable sharing. And obviously, these needn't be stories from Daily Kos. What has been hurting you? What are the legacies of those hurts?

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lotlizard's picture

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12 users have voted.
Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@lotlizard

It's like a fountain of poison.

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11 users have voted.

"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

Raggedy Ann's picture

What distressed me the most about TOP was the piling on. It always seemed planned and there was always someone there to jump in to try and make you feel less than. It happened to me more than once and I resented those people. It made me comment less and less. I was so happy to find c99p - thanks for your hand in creating it.

I find folks are more civil here and don't pile on - or when they do, I'm not as aware. In any event, this is the place to be for me!

Enjoy the day! Pleasantry

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18 users have voted.

"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

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Raggedy Ann

Wouldn't have happened without a whole lot of people. JtC in particular, who pulled the fat out of the fire and then used it to cook us up something tasty.

Huh, that metaphor kinda got away from me. I haven't had breakfast yet.

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11 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Raggedy Ann

It always seemed planned and there was always someone there to jump in to try and make you feel less than.

It *was* planned; at one point, somebody discovered that a group of people from DKos were organizing these attacks in a Facebook group.

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14 users have voted.

"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

Raggedy Ann's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
it always felt planned - glad my senses were correct!

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9 users have voted.

"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

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

I know it's a less than chipper OT this morning, but I thought it might be useful to stop ignoring the damage, for a moment.

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12 users have voted.

"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

it was triv33 (who is a member here), not Trish.

The asshat who started it went on a 2 or 3 day whine-fest that spilled over into joanneleone's What's Happening and Joe's Evening Blues. It was drama personified.

TheMomCat and ek hornbeck backed triv vociferously and were both banned for it.

That episode was a big shit stain that DKos still wears.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@JtC

I didn't know she was here, or I would have considered more carefully before telling the story. Triv, if I caused you any upset by bringing this bad old shit up, please accept my apologies!

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9 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@JtC

An awesome guy, who did good work.

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10 users have voted.

"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

mimi's picture

@JtC
I joined the site I think in March 2004 and was dropped like a hot potato in 2015 after I politely told the folks "good bye".

So, I had a lot of a busy life and have really no memory anymore what I said in comments.

I went to the site and tried to find my very first comments (out of 28223) and any blog designer of a blog like TOP, you would think, would design the site in a way that any user, banned or beloved should have an easy time to find the first and oldest comments he/she ever made.

Not so. You can"t even display your old comments sorted by time with oldest first. (If that is wrong, pls. pm me how to do it). It would be very interesting to me how I reacted when to what kind of events. Twisted out of politeness or anger I was. It would be a learning curve I want to retrospectly analyze. I was even frigging polite to Denise. (though I remember my own fakery).

I went back to Summer 2015. But I like to know what I commented on in 2004-2007.

Sigh.

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4 users have voted.
mimi's picture

@JtC
and searched for the shitstorm story considering Triv33. Names came back to my memory. Terrible. I wished I would still remember where they stood. I wished I could analyze my own comments of the years between 2004 to 2010. But TOP has the shittiest archives there are.

Now I am mad that I even tried to find something out over there. Not worth a rotten peanut.

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6 users have voted.
Raggedy Ann's picture

Just want to drop this great Caitlin Johnstone article here. It describes exactly what is going on and how challenging Pelosi is the only course of action to bring about the engine of change. Read on!
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2020/12/16/the-revolutionary-struggle-is-a-...

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12 users have voted.

"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

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Raggedy Ann

Thanks for posting it.

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6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

I never joined TOP. But I lurked and read the essays for years. Avoided the comments.

I wouldn't have been able to tell you exactly why I did these things. But some sixth or seventh, whatever, sense alarmed me and I had no wish to participate.

DK felt like a lies of omission website. It felt like propaganda. Half truths.

Propaganda intends to hurt its participants. It browbeats.

I'm sorry that so many good people have been harmed by the self-serving Loser who runs that junk heap.

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14 users have voted.

NYCVG

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@NYCVG

After all, Markos was a self-proclaimed former Republican military man who was originally from El Salvador and had been offered CIA training and had, supposedly, turned it down. Then he started a liberal, anti-Bush website. These facts combined with the history of El Salvador and its relationship to the United States make Markos a person that, were I to meet him today, I wouldn't trust. But in 2003 I was considerably more trusting than I am now. I didn't understand the concept of cultural herding.

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14 users have voted.

"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

makes a cesspool look inviting.

Good morning. I like your insights.

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12 users have voted.

Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Tall Bald and Ugly

Thank you.

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7 users have voted.

"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

lotlizard's picture

in which a TOP denizen with the handle Dave from Queens tracked down an astroturfing clique that gathered to hatch their plans at a website called UGOG.

https://davefromqueens2.blogspot.com/2009/03/meet-real-david-weintraub.html

Weintraub / DFQ reportedly exposed the same clique as up to its meta-no-good on Democratic Underground and a since-defunct forum called Free Speech Zone, as well as TOP.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@lotlizard

Interesting.

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8 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@lotlizard

I'm certain the same kind of thing happens all over the political Net. It's one way of colonizing our conversations.

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8 users have voted.

"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

lotlizard's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal  
in person at TOP is MBNYC / Michael Bouldin.

https://davefromqueens2.blogspot.com/2009/03/michael-bouldin-two-faced-k...

If I recall correctly, I ran afoul of his clique in, what else, a discussion of Israel–Palestine.

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Anja Geitz's picture

I just remember how I always felt I needed a shower after visiting that place. Subtle at first, like an itch that stays with you after you’ve logged off, you’re not quite sure what is happening. When you do, it’s even worse because you now know it’s deliberate. They want you to feel violated. The political pie fights were bad in that they were frustrating in a get under your skin way. But the drama of those diaries paled in comparison with the identity culture wars I remember operatives waging over there. If it felt professionally done, I’d simply say your instincts are good. Can I prove it? No. But that’s part of the feature of it isn’t it? Made room for the gaslighting that inevitably followed.

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12 users have voted.

There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier

usefewersyllables's picture

Sturgeon's Law: "90% of everything is crud." At this point, I get my news from the BBC, and I read things on the web only for entertainment. In this post-truth world, I've come to realize that Sturgeon was an optimist...

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7 users have voted.

Twice bitten, permanently shy.

Raggedy Ann's picture

@usefewersyllables @usefewersyllables ,
they are, bottom line, mainstream media. Question everything.

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11 users have voted.

"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

usefewersyllables's picture

@Raggedy Ann

that the signal-to-crud ratio is marginally better there than with any domestic source. Post-truth: apparently it's not just a good idea: It's The Law. Or something.

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4 users have voted.

Twice bitten, permanently shy.

earthling1's picture

@usefewersyllables
First thing that comes to mind is Skripal.
I catch them in lies all the time. Douma anyone?
Now thats entertaining.

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9 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

does anybody know what's going on with Tim Black attacking Jimmy Dore for his M4A video?

I am a Patreon of Tim Black, and if he's really gone over to the dark side, I want to retract my support. But I don't want to retract my support if this is all a tempest in a teapot.

I haven't yet waded through all of Tim Black's stream, which is of considerable length, to find what he said. If anybody knows what he said, please let me know so I don't have to put 45 minutes into figuring out what the hell is going on.

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6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

"Asking the Squad to vote against Pelosi is tantamount to asking them to give up their jobs. At least admit it. Be real about it. Also, admit we don't have the votes to pass M4ALL, so in the end it's an exercise to "root out" faux progressives. Good night."

Then he posted a gif of a black guy sleeping, with zs coming out of his mouth.

H/t to Jamarl Thomas for bringing me this news, and for accurately responding to Black:

"I wasn't aware the Squad worked for Pelosi. I didn't know she paid their salaries."

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9 users have voted.

"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

earthling1's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

Just after HER denounced M4A as "never gonna happen", Cecily Richards (as head of Planned Parenthood) endorsed HER in 2016, I remarked that it made since because who would go to PP if they could just go to their own doctor under M4A?
After a big pile on I was banned.
In hindsight, I actually feel good about it.

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9 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

has been cancelled. The attorney with a mild case of COVID-19 could participate via zoom, but the 3rd attorney started having violent symptoms last night. She hasn't been tested, but :all night vomiting, food tastes awful, right side of her body is going numb...What does that sound like to you?

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6 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@on the cusp

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6 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal Thing is, 2 adults came in the office, dropped their masks, allowed a toddler to crawl all over the conference table, and I resorted to standing in an adjacent room, more or less yelling advice to them. I attempted to sanitize, but I am not a pro at that. I am going to lose tons of money, but I think I am going to bar people from my office for a few months. I have to get through Friday with 2 people in a room to themselves. Afterwards, I will have to sanitize my computer, as well as the room.
If I do zoom appointments only, I eliminate people with no internet, and the elderly. Times are very tough right now.
Toss in Texas secession, and we have major GOOD TIMES!

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11 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

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5 users have voted.

"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal @Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

from nekked capitalism
but didn't get thru
oh well
came to this site from an invite
from dkmich I believe ?
on dkos about 2016
never went back
cleaner vibes here
cheers!

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8 users have voted.
Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@QMS

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1 user has voted.

"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

October 7,2020. When the subject is "science" here is what a hostile, condescending, demeaning dog pile looks like:

====================

Final and binding conclusions delivered without any citation whatsoever, coupled with sarcasm, condescension and contempt:

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Do I really need to spend time explaining that there is an obvious conflict of interests in the declaration by MDs associated with AIER?

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The few sentences you quoted claims evidence not verified as true. Specifically, herd immunity (any immunity for that matter) is far from scientifically confirmed to exist with COVID. [Note the assignment of the burden of persuasion, also undocumented.]

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Just don't be surprised when you can't peddle obviously flawed articles with an agenda to knowledgeable people who can think for themselves. I've found most of us here to be smarter than we look.

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AIER has simply found epidemiologists that agree with their right wing libertarian viewpoint. They are out there. They are not in the majority.

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The idea they are promoting is not new
And has already been proven to be a lousy one.

.

Years from now we may know just how good or bad Sweden did but ten months into a long term event is insufficient time to draw conclusions on which to base decisions to risk lives. I look at it pretty simply. Your economic life means squat all if you're dead or, the greater risk IMHO, your health has been wrecked. Many are in the unenviable position of having no choice but to take otherwise unacceptable risks. Saying its a great idea for everyone to do now isn't the same thing. Anyone who objectively looks at how the US is doing shouldn't need an explanation why.

.

To make the argument that requires herd immunity gives away the game though. If these doctors appeared at this event without agreeing with fundemental reason the hosting organization exists, they are idiots

.

Sounds like a load of crock and those MD maybe well known, but they are spouting claims about COVID and the Corona virus that are no longer considered as valid as first thought.

.

I have never understood the point of rhetoric like that on message boards. Of course I have seen it before and I am sure that I have indulged in the vice often over my 20 years indulging this strange habit. It is not persuasive. Quite the opposite, it looks to me like an attempt at intimidation. But who knows why people post stuff on the internet?

Out of Left Field has remained positive and polite in the face of provocative rudeness, which makes his point of view far more persuasive to me. Beyond that shallow, but real, emotional response to sneering "arguments," Left Field does not oversell his point. Some people with some level of credibility dissent from the current mix of policies in certain ways.

Why does that provoke such bitterness?

Thank you, Left Field. I learned a lot from seeing what responses you provoked.

============================
.
.
But these points are "correct" so the shitty attitude is justified, right?

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5 users have voted.

I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.

lotlizard's picture

@fire with fire  
https://pbfcomics.com/comics/deeply-held-beliefs/

Treating people badly actually strengthens their conviction — the assumption is that if the one doing the bullying and berating were truly in the right, they wouldn’t feel compelled to Be A D—k about it. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”

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5 users have voted.

self censoring my comments, fearing time out or bojo might be the result of free expression of my thoughts. I mostly lurked, but was pretty obsessed with the Deepwater Horizon blowout and crisis mismanagement.

I valued the wide range of experience shared on that forum, but cared more about honesty, freedom of expression and a mob free way to include diverse and sometime conflicting POV’s. I have no regrets leaving the faux gate stormers behind. This place has been oasis of clear thinking and mutual respect while we all navigate these turbulent and difficult days.

Thanks to all of you, lurkers, commenters and posters for making this a remarkable community and a special thanks to our founders who saw the writing on the wall early on and prepared this safe haven for all us exiles.

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10 users have voted.

Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@ovals49

I'm so glad we did. Mondo thanks to JtC, in particular.

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1 user has voted.

"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

enhydra lutris's picture

time to dive into right now because I have to run up to Berkeley for a dental appt.

The topic sentence for the rant I will not be giving is that it was only ever easy to avoid the propaganda that we recognized.

I was raised in a milieu that was a sea of propaganda, all the usual, in spades, constantly. As a part of the othering aimed at N. Korea+Red China and the World Wide Communist Conspiracy(tm), we were taught all about both brainwashing and propaganda and to be aware and on the lookout and even report suspected instances of such. Slowly it dawned on me at a pretty early age that this too was brainwashing and propaganda, in the news and in the pews, in schools and churches and none of it would stand up to meticulous analysis. I also sorted out about "othering" as a major weapon. This wasn't disclosed, named, or identified in the harangues; but became obvious, and not only Japs, Gooks, Krauts (WWII was still recent and old habits were slow to die), but, "hey, what's all this shit about sinners, eh?"

Non-conformists were openly a named target of all right thinking people, but I found that I identified with a great many of them and quite few "normal" people. I was already somewhat "the weird kid" and somewhere in Junior High, I decided "you bet your sweet ass I am". I am the other, the one you fear and I won't buy what you are selling and I will figure out what's what and go with that and do that. (That attitude + yoga + Taoism + Buddhism (Zen) left me able to simply scoff at a lot of otherwise hurtful stuff, so I won't discuss that aspect of your OT.) My point is that if you reflect back, especially when you were a captive audience in your youth, you've been propagandized, in a broader, less extreme fashion, about everything, your whole life. We all have.

Church and School and all those "civic" organizations all pushed some one or more chunks of a narrative and often used known propaganda techniques, whether knowingly or not, in doing so. The sixties bumper sticker "Question Authority" was wrong only in that it was too narrow, it more correctly should have said "Question Everything". There is a narrative that evolved over centuries and more accelerated the last one or two of them, and every decade, that encompasses everything. Everything that was ever "marketed" or advertised. Every value assignment, work good, sloth bad, money good, obedience and conformity good (but think for yourself, snerk), dress right/well, and it needn't even be false "eat a healthy breakfast" (arguably good) consisting of fried eggs, bacon, hash-browns, toast with tons of jelly and a small bowl of sugar-frosted oat bombs (arguably not so good). "Cleanliness is next to godliness", wash early and often, which, to some extent, does your microbiome no good at all, which evolved into use antimicrobial products to render every surface in your life "germ free", etc. With your "complexion" (whatever narrative construct that is) you should wear (blah, blah, blah), and on and on and on.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris

is only the start of the solution.
yes, it has been a constant flushing of
independent thinking. Kudos to the dream
interpreters for their successful wipe.
Of what is more possibly a better future.
For us, the aware thinkers. Alternatives.
Hope the dental agents get to the root of
your toothinesses. Wink

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

the relics of old trauma. Thanks for the good wishes.

be well and have a good one

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6 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

mimi's picture

@ enhydra lutris
and you still are.

Thanks for sharing. Smile

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6 users have voted.
enhydra lutris's picture

@mimi

be well and have a good one.

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3 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

mimi's picture

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10 users have voted.
enhydra lutris's picture

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4 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

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0 users have voted.

"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

mimi's picture

[video:https://youtu.be/J7tPNgrNYVw]

We speak with Nina Turner, one of Bernie Sanders's top allies, the day after she announced she is running for Congress in Ohio to fill the seat of Congressmember Marcia Fudge, who Biden tapped to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner has promised to hold the Biden team accountable and pressure the incoming administration to enact a progressive agenda. "I'm running in service of the people," says Turner. "We need more, not just bold voices, but people who will take action and will be fearless when it comes to standing up for what is just, for what is right and for what is good." Turner is a former state senator from Ohio who served as president of Our Revolution, the progressive organization spun out of the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign, and national co-chair of Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign. If elected, she will join the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Congress.

heh, that is nice, isn't it?

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10 users have voted.

@mimi

selective advertisement of political memes
it sickens one to listen how stratified it has become
like NPR and so many other nationalized propaganda
broadcasts, it suits the master class, not us.

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5 users have voted.
mimi's picture

@QMS
friendly clowns more than serious ones. YMMV.

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4 users have voted.
magiamma's picture

Que buen suerte!

Hard hit southern California to receive 5,000 body bags and 60 morgue trucks

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/15/california-coronavirus-dea...

Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, said Tuesday that the number of average daily deaths has quadrupled from a month ago. The surge is forcing an urgent scramble for more staff and space, a crush that might not abate for two months despite the arrival of the first doses of vaccines this week.

The number of average daily deaths now stands at 163, while positive cases have surged to more than 32,500 each day. Of those new cases, an anticipated 12% will wind up in the hospital and 12% of those hospitalized will crowd already stretched intensive care units.

Oh well... I am truly at a loss for words.

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8 users have voted.

Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

Sucks. It's a commercial venture that once it had enough registered users, winnowed out the dissenting voices to create an package attractive to the Dem establishment. 600? roses for Pelosi in the middle of an economic meltdown shows you where Kos's heart is, next to his wallet. Just another capitalist influencer propping up the well to do while lip servicing the causes du jour.

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6 users have voted.
lotlizard's picture

@Snode  
with the rest supposedly going to Walter Reed Medical Center.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=roses+markos+moulitsas+nancy+pelosi&ia=web

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snoopydawg's picture

@Snode

Pelosi of any democrat the old time regulars come out to scold people and tell them how wrong they are. One criticized Pete and said that he was the token gay person on Biden’s team. But mostly it was about how unqualified he is for the position.

Don’t dare say anything about Pelosi either. Sad that the best writers have fled to the winds.

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6 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.