Friday Open Thread ~ Letters & Politics edition

Submitted by phillybluesfan on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 5:00am

A look at burning political issues and debates and their historical context within the US and worldwide, hosted by Mitch Jeserich.

Removing Trump From Office
[video:https://youtu.be/R25UDSXKvyo]

Sasha Abramsky is a journalist, author, and a regular contributor to the Nation magazine. He is the author of several books including The American Way of Poverty, Jumping at Shadows: The Triumph of Fear and the End of the American Dream, and his latest Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lotttie Dod, The World’s First Female Sports Super Stars.

He wrote the cover story in The Nation called Is Trump Planning a Coup d’État. His latest piece in the Nation is The GOP Is No Longer a Viable Governing Party: If you buy into a lethal personality cult, eventually the chickens of mob violence will come home to roost.

The Capitol Hill Putsch

[video:https://youtu.be/bV29ewMJ8fA]

Kali Akuno is a co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson and co-editor of Jackson Rising: the struggle for economic democracy and black self-determination in Jackson, Mississippi.

The Georgia Senate Runoff & What’s Ahead for the New Congress

[video:https://youtu.be/ZU84J7bl0qg]

Guest: Ruth Conniff is Editor-in-Chief of the Wisconsin Examiner and Editor-at-Large for The Progressive Magazine.

Guest: Dr. Amy Steigerwalt is a Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Justice System Journal. Her research focuses on the federal judicial selection process, as well as the role of courts as institutions and the differing influences on court operations and decision-making

Trump Pressures Georgia & the GOP’s New Election Challenge

Guest: Edward B. Foley directs the election law program at Ohio State University, where he also holds the Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law. He is the author of such books as Ballot Battles: The History of Disputed Elections in the United States, and most recently, Presidential Elections and Majority Rule: The Rise, Demise, and Potential Restoration of the Jeffersonian Electoral College.

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Comments

Submitted by QMS on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 7:26am

Lots to view here

duty calls so will bookmark for later.
Thanks for the OT philly!

—

Zionism is a social disease

Submitted by mimi on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 7:31am

the burning political issues have burned me out lately, so

I will hopefully come back to it, when I am healed. Thanks for offering an OT.

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https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by Lookout on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 8:13am

All it will do is insight and inflame his 20-30% of the population followers...like those that stormed the capitol. Trumpolini has shot himself in the foot, don't unite his manic followers! Play on his unlawfulness. Use divisive tactics to disperse not unifying tactics to unite. The dims are a bunch of lame brains!

We need to quell not stir up more violence and division. More stupidity from Pay-low-see and up-chuckie. We have become such a dysfunctional country, growing more so throughout my lifetime.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by ggersh on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 11:49am

Feature or a Bug?

@Lookout

—

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Submitted by NYCVG on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 12:50pm

Trump

@Lookout and his antics are the only topics that guarantee eyes on the cable tv.

The media will not let him go until they have to.

"Rile up his supporters? Great," say the people who profit from turmoil and chaos.

"If it bleeds, it leads" is an old media slogan.

The Democrats enjoy the confusion which covers up whatever their ineptitude will bring.

Impeachment chat is a perfect vehicle for time wasting while getting to opine on TV.

—

NYCVG

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 10:58am

Good morning Philly. Thanks for the videos. They look to

be pretty interesting, though I haven't begun viewing any yet.

Be well and have a good one.

—

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 --

Submitted by lotlizard on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 11:01am

“The challenge of Marxism”

https://quillette.com/2020/08/16/the-challenge-of-marxism/

Political economy in the U.S. has been ratcheting further and further to the Right (for some value of “Right”). Writers like this author see the larger culture as, at the same time, ratcheting further and further to the Left (for some value of “Left” that revolves around identity politics and so forth)

Thus the endless dance of liberalism and Marxism, which goes like this:

1. Liberals declare that henceforth all will be free and equal, emphasizing that reason (not tradition) will determine the content of each individual’s rights.

2. Marxists, exercising reason, point to many genuine instances of unfreedom and inequality in society, decrying them as oppression and demanding new rights.

3. Liberals, embarrassed by the presence of unfreedom and inequality after having declared that all would be free and equal, adopt some of the Marxists’ demands for new rights.

4. Return to #1 above and repeat.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 4:53pm

Endgame, or Krapp's Last Tape?

@lotlizard @lotlizard

Damn! I'm going have to go back and re-read all that stuff now that it's reality, I was only 17 and 18 when I originally read it, and the memory fades.

be well and have a good one

—

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 --

Submitted by on the cusp on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 11:23am

Good morning!

I might find some time over the weekend to check all the videos posted in the OT. Thanks for them!
Meanwhile. the 3 weeks of planning for a smooth switch of internet and phone lines from 1 building to another has gone horribly awry! All prior cables and wiring the tech guy did was yanked out by the phone company. His conferences with them did no good. Meanwhile, I have files boxed up all over the place, and will not have the shelves, cabinets, and tables brought in for several days because of predicted rain.
Oh, well, the best is yet to come.
An impeachment that brings us Pence, a false flag event, a declaration of martial law are my concerns for 12 more days.
Stay healthy, people!

—

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

Submitted by RantingRooster on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 11:59am

This...

@on the cusp is a bit concerning!

An impeachment that brings us Pence, a false flag event, a declaration of martial law are my concerns for 12 more days.

I mean the guy still has the nuclear codes after all.

—

C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 11:46am

Good morning, philly ~~

Thanks for the OT - lots to digest. I'm in complete agreement with both Lookout and OTC. Just remember - things are going to be volatile until March. Hang in there!

Enjoy the day!

Edited to add: uploaded a picture of myself but it's sideways, so have asked JtC to straighten me up! Might also go to my real name! Cheers, everyone!

—

"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

Submitted by magiamma on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 4:46pm

I just saw two peregrines in the preserve

I think one was a baby because it was crying for food. They were first in my front yard which borders on the preserve. I have bird feeders. Maybe they were having lunch. omg. far fucking out

Have a great day if you can everyone!

—

Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 4:55pm

Wow, magi. Special treat, congrats.

@magiamma

be well and have a good one

—

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 --

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 4:59pm

oops, double clutch, what to do now?

@magiamma @magiamma

Well, this has falcons and is always timely.

—

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 --

Submitted by magiamma on Fri, 01/08/2021 - 7:09pm

Wow

@enhydra lutris
Cool. Thx. The peregrines continued to hang in the preserve. They were no more than 25 ft away when I went out to look. Baby was making feed-me noises.

—

Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook