If you don't like DC.s latest It Girl, Neera Tanden,
you are an anti-Asian, anti-strong woman bigot. I guess I better fess up, Guilty as Charged. The Biden admin is pulling out all the stops for this particular lame appointment. The Hill has a good run down of this intrigue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9bOueAyPo8
Sheesh. I get it that this is a political payoff, by why that office? Can't she be ambassador to some inconsequential country we don't like very much? She could go to parties, have an FB about her glamorous and exotic life to make all her girlfriends jealous and let the Station Chief run the embassy. It is not like OMB has a fancy reputation or having that appointment can get you invited to the best parties. But, evidently, here is where the line is to be drawn. We, the Clintonistas claim our right to appoint unqualified apparatchiks just like the Republicans do.
At this point, about the only thing the Democrats have going for them is that they are, marginally, less incompetent than the other party, and now they want to throw away that one last advantage.
Flint has lead laced water, and the H20 on Capital Hill contains LSD? Maybe that explains why folks who are, maybe not great, but OK, in their home neighborhoods become delusional when they get to Washington.
Comments
Unqualified, but ...
a clever appointment. First, rewards the Democratic scum that got Biden into office. Second, get all the potential Congressional Democratic opponents to the appointment to fold and they will have to bite their tongues over all the likely and easily anticipated moves by Tanden at OMB. Third, she is perfect to play the role that was often inhabited by VPs such as Nixon, Agnew, and Quayle by relentlessly, and without merit, attacking the opposition. Pence didn't fill that role for Trump, but several of his appointees did.
So, who in the Senate is team Biden pressuring on this appointment? As there aren't many of Biden's old GOP "friends" still in office, the pickings are slim. It's also a dangerous play for Biden -- lose Manchin or King and the GOP gets back the majority.
I don't know which senators the Biden
team are pressuring. I wouldn't have thought they had much leverage. Why would they want an attack dog at OMB? Which would seem to be one job where you want someone who knows what she is doing.
Mary Bennett
I assumed the singular point to Tanden’s nomination
was to spite Bernie Sanders and his supporters. Nothing more or less.
As good an explanation
as any I suppose.
Mary Bennett
This has
Hillamala's fingerprints all over it, especially since I don't think Uncle Tapioca remembers much about what "nomination" means, or could pick out anyone who isn't in his current coloring book.
And yes- it is first and foremost a huge "Fuck you!" to Bernie, and to all progressives everywhere. Business as usual.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzbhbetwYFU]
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Great selection,
and thank you for the reminder of a much loved activity, Paddle Ball! I think I need to play it again ; ).
Mel Brooks' portrayal
of Gov. Le Petomaine will always be one of those immortal cinematic masterpieces, as is the entire film. My Gawd, the brilliance of it.
It's an interesting thought experiment: imagine trying to make Blazing Saddles now...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Impossible!
We've lost the ability to laugh at ourselves and others.
That movie has always been a favourite.
Doesn't matter much what
position an administration attack dog holds as long as it's high profile and she/he is really good on offense. The plus with someone like Tanden is when she spews an attack the admin response need not be anything other than "as everyone has long known, that's Neera."
You certainly do make it sound like a game,
which I believe it really is.
Unfortunately it is--
and we on the outside are handicapped by not being able to see all the pieces and players in real time.
That's so true
"and we on the outside are handicapped by not being able to see all the pieces and players in real time."
and no hotdogs either ; ).
Yeah, it's not like the head of anything
has to know how to do the work.
"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
The "universal manager"
has been/is a bad trend in US business and government. (Did this originate in the bowels of McKinsey?) The notion was that there isn't enough talent that is good enough technically and good enough at managing people. So, let's just train/develop more people managers because that's so much easier (and cheaper) than training/developing well-rounded qualified managers. The result is managers that get no respect from subordinates because they don't know the work and mostly they are only textbook people managers and not actually good at it.
(When I was young I was fortunate enough to have several superiors that were good enough on the technical or management axis and superior on the other. I would have walked on hot coals for any of them.)
The only two managers I've ever worked for who were worth a damn
were both people who had come up through the ranks doing the same types of work and projects they were now managing.
One of them is the one I still work for today. When I started this job 15 years ago, she sat in the desk next to me and held the title of "team lead" but she was one of the team of four who did all the work. Over the years she got promotions and eventually moved to an office and got the title of Manager of Publications and Communications. She has a lot of other responsibilities now but she still understands and appreciates exactly what it is I do. And she trusts me to do it, no micro-managing necessary. Thank the gods. That is why I still work here after 15 years. Personally I didn't want to go into management -- budgets, performance evals, meetings with executives, endless HR bullshit... No Thank You! But I am grateful that she did, and saved me from having to quit if they had hired some clueless MBA as our manager.
The worst times have been when they did hire some clueless person with an effing "Marketing" degree to come in and oversee something like "growth and development of new business opportunities" -- but inevitably they end up not having any idea what they are doing and they want to:
1. Rebrand the company. We need to change the logos and the color scheme and the fonts. Especially the fonts. All of them. Everywhere.
2. Update the website. It looks "dated" and needs a refresh. This will be a "quick win" and we need to learn how to "lean in" to our corporate identity. (I wish I was joking about this.)
3. Do some surveys and gather input. Lots of this. Build some audience personas and make some plans to rewrite all our stuff to better target our audiences. (Because none of us ever thought of that.)
These people are always an enormous waste of everyone's time and energy. My manager has come close to quitting twice because they hired someone like this to start micromanaging her department and became unbearably dictatorial and endlessly counterproductive.
In both cases she won the showdown and the ditzes were eventually shown the door. After a year or more of dealing with the situation. And even then, they only got fired because she finally put her foot down, her or me, and our company is small enough that upper management does realize that if she left, they would be in a world of hurt. Because she actually knows how to get the work done.
Last time she told them "never again" will she go through that. I really hope they believed her, because I do.
Classic --
You're fortunate (and know it) to have such a manager.
Like you, I never had any managerial aspirations. For the reasons you cited (too much tedious and uninteresting work), plus I'm not enough of a people person to have that constantly on my plate. However, consciously and unconsciously I did take note of how those good managers I worked for did it. Served me well on a few occasions when the management slot was open, I declined to be considered for the job, and ended up temporarily filling in. Kept things on an even keel, but still wasn't willing to turn in my interesting technical job for the higher pay and boring managerial job.
what a coinkidink!
If you don't link Harris you are racist and sexist.
Why, it's almost as if identity politics is being used by disingenuous defenders of the ruling class to crush all legit dissent.
Neera Tanden is scum of the earth
I would say that besides all the paypack for being a good russiagate attack dog all these years, there is one political reason possible for this.
Bernie is Senate Budget chair. OMB chair would be the one position that might be 'over' it, or at least heavily influence what happens or not.
I think it is a big FU to Bernie above all else, and that is what Neera wants more than anything. Because she is so nice.
If there was LSD in the water in D.C. the wars, killing, and lying would have stopped.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Excellent point.
If confirmed, Sanders chairmanship will be worthless. Biden is playing an evil game. At this point can only hope that it bites him in the ass and really hard.
Too bad that Bernie won’t play just as dirty
He can refuse to vote for her and let Biden wonder why he didn’t. Bernie could just stay silent and make no noise and not do it. Will he is the question. I think there’s a 90% chance that he just does it because he doesn’t seem to like to stand up to democrats or for us. He votes for Neera he should just go home because THAT is the fight for $15 and every other bill he wants passed. He stayed silent twice before when democrats stole the primaries from him so I’m not expecting him to stand strong. Make my day, Bernie.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
Bernie never plays dirty.
And while he can, he doesn't much like the tough guy role. He was tough on Tanden in her hearing, but he let Republicans carry the ball on her temperament. Helps that Republicans are a bit more misogynistic because on policy they don't have much of a beef with Tanden. The worst failure on this nomination so far is the so-called progressive caucus. A bunch of wimps who aren't in Sanders most difficult position. Why don't the "liberal" female senators have Sanders back?
This is my point
He seems to have lost whatever it was that was there when he stood up to Obama over gutting social security, but he doesn’t have the same vibe anymore. He could be leading the fight to unionize for the Amazon workers who are trying to do it. Imagine if he, AOC and whomever else says that they are a progressive were walking besides them or getting it as much attention as he can to make their chances better. They’re not.
Bernie did bring up the crap that Neera has pulled and that she is basically a lobbyist for special interests and that could be his reason for not voting for her. My gawd this is Bernie’s swan song years so what the hell is he waiting for?
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
I believe Bernie was threatened maybe hit a time or two also?
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
Maybe
This photo is when his brother was speaking about his story at the convention. That’s why he looks like he’s crying. He was. I don’t know what happened last time, but if I finally got my dream job only to see Biden take a shit on it with Neera I’d not stick around. He may feel he can still do some good, but if she gets in he will be defanged. Or snipped.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
That wouldn’t even be playing dirty really.
It would be standing up for a change. Tanden has consistently been against everything Sanders is for. As in actively worked against everything Sanders is for. And, as others have noted, she’s not really qualified. There’s plenty of legit reasons for Bernie to vote no before we get to the Tweets. And even then, consider all the pearl clutching over Trump’s tweets and tell me Tanden’s aren’t often just as bad.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Yes, her tweets are every bit as horrible
as Trump's were. It's a legitimate reason to oppose her nomination. However, far more egregious imho have been her policy positions, and let's add that she is totally unqualified for the position of OMB director. Her interview with Netanyhu was puke worthy.
That said, I've tried to put myself in Sanders' shoes in evaluating this situation. A lifetime of being a domestic policy wonk with almost no power and no support who nonetheless found tiny ways to make bad policies a bit less bad. For the first time in his long political career he's finally in charge of an important committee. And the first thing handed to him is a poison pill from Biden. Sanders has far more patience and is far better at taking one step at a time than I could ever be. I'd toss it all away on this hill and take down this very bad nomination. But it would be the only battle I'd win in the next four years.
Will Bernie live four years?
Does he really want "sheepdog" as his legacy?
Makes me wonder if he was ever anything else. He took me in for many many years.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Aye this
And she did that on mainstream media for the country to see and hear. It wasn’t just that she disagreed with what he was running on, but she was so gd nasty about it and she personally attacked him and his supporters. Remember that outrage when someone hung a Nazis flag at one of his events? Me neither. She said that Bernie bros were very mean and nasty to anyone who didn’t agree with them, but most weren’t, but everyone else’s campaign trolls were, but they got a pass.
This does smack of Herheinous and she is probably insisting on Neera, but it also could be whoever it is in his administration that wants her there. I don’t think Biden even knows who Neera is anymore.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
I'm not sure Biden knows who HE is! n/t
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
....
lol,,,
That’s what people are saying about republicans who won’t vote for her and they do have a good point. They stayed silent about Trump’s horrid tweets, but they draw the line at Neera's? Manchin is using a weak excuse against her and I wonder why his donors don’t want her there? You’d think they would be happy with her there because remember she wanted to take Libya’s oil to pay us back for destroying their country.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
In Manchin's case, I suspect it might not be his donors
but his constituents. WV is a hard hit working class state. Do remember that not being "nice" is grounds for firing in working class employment. I suspect he doesn't want to be asked why he approved a good job for someone guilty of sins for which "My daughter got fired".
Mary Bennett
But, snoopy,
how can you say that Sanders "doesn’t seem to like to stand up to democrats or for us”, after all the effort he put into creating a discussion around very significant issues? Yes, there’s room for critical criticism of Sanders, but I tend to put it in context of his long-life’s political and social history.
Fair point and I agree that Bernie woke up many people
back in 16 and yes a lot of good has come from it with more progressives being elected. My issue with him now is that the fight has gone out of him for whatever reason. As Marie said, he’s finally in the position he has wanted for so long and yet Biden’s goons put Neera in front of him and now he has to decide which path he is going to take.
But even more importantly is that Bernie did wake people up and they are now fighting to make their lives live able and where is he? Maybe he has been saying something about it, but the tweets I’ve seen from him were to Putin telling him to let Navalny out of prison and other Russia nonsense. But he sure has stayed silent about Julian Assange and he has been asked about him many times. Lots of what if’s around him right now. Oh yeah and he’s been yada-ing about Venezuela again just as Biden is ramping up his attention towards them. But I’ve always thought that foreign policy was his weakness because he goes along with democrats on most of it.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
‘Woke’ might be an appropriate use of the word
in reference to Sanders contribution. Sad how the word's been superficially sabotaged.
I get your drift and agree with some of it, but I also trust he's spending his mana behind the scenes.
I own the word woke
I don’t care if others denigrate it, I still use it till I find a better one. Ideas?
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
Hi dystopian
Seeing "scum of the earth" near your beautiful Bunting was jolting.
"If there was LSD in the water in D.C. the wars, killing, and lying would have stopped. Wink" - Classic!
Hey J!
yeah, sorry about that... but it was closer to 'Neera Tanden'.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
Now I'm
laughing all over again. Thanks!
It's always a good time to play this video...
Tanden is so bad she inspired Chris Cuomo to act like a journalist:
Tanden: "Jimmy Dore has created multiple videos to attack me. I ignore them, but they can be both vicious and ludicrous."
Dore: "So, when you're ignoring them, are you watching them? And then, do you ignore them *after* you Tweet about them?"
Dore: "What I do is I make fun of you for your policy. I don't make fun of you for how you were born. Neera Tanden, you weren't born a corporatist, warmongering piece of shit. You chose to be that."
"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
The OMB is the most powerful enforcer
...of the President's personal political attitudes over all Departments of the Federal Government, regardless of existing laws.
The OMB, under President Trump, was able to push US environmental policy back 20 years into the past. This largely benefits corporations that have caused catastrophic harm to public properties and people's resources and livelihoods — by releasing corporations from any liability for environmental damage. This has heaped responsibility for catastrophic environmental damage (caused by corporation's reckless greed for profits) onto the backs of the American people. The OMB largely stopped EPA inspections during the Trump administration.
Didn't see this reported in the national news? Oh, well....
To see how this evil was accomplished, see The Vanishing Federal Role in Enforcing Our Environmental Laws.
All we need is one more monstrous psychopath at the OMB partnering with another-brain injured President.
Two new "names" are being floated for the OMB position.
So, maybe, Tanden will be sacrificed. Manchen is refusing to vote for her because tweets and no Republican will cross the line for this. I have no particular liking for Manchin but I think he doesn't want to explain to working class constituents why he voted to give a high profile well paid job to someone who isn't nice. Don't forget that in WC employment not being nice will get you fired. That is especially true for women. You can have been at the tail end of a double shift but one phone call from an angry customer is all it takes.
Mary Bennett
Lots of Bernie supporters in W Virginia
As it’s been said maybe Manch is doing him a favor? It’s so effing funny that Manchin has been doing what he’s doing since he got in the senate and he has blocked some very good bills, but it’s his not voting for Her that is too much for many centrists. Seriously take a look.
HooBoy rotfl
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
Redemption
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
BFD --
can go home to tell his VT family farmers that he voted no on a nomination that was confirmed:
Although Sanders can cite a principle for his no vote and it was strictly partisan for the other six.
You keep missing my snark
Of course it doesn’t matter that Bernie did not vote for Vilsak. It’s just one more time that he stood against something in words only. We’ve already seen what he’s going to do because he’s already done it during his tenure with Obama. Besides democrats always offer a person to either vote for or against something but it doesn’t make any difference.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
Sorry -- should have got that one
with your subject line. Sanders' small bore politics have kept him in office but that doesn't make one a leader. Not that Sanders ever envisioned or aspired to being a leader. He doesn't have the requisite ego or inclination for that. He's comfortable being a milquetoast New Deal Democratic legislator.
You will recall that he did suggest to some that Obama should be primaried in 2012. So, he wasn't totally falling over backwards for the guy. There were no takers for that in 2012 or 2016. You don't think that he thought he had a chance for the nomination when he entered the 2016 primary do you? Populism, when heard, remains attractive to a majority of US voters. Gore would have legitimately lost if he hadn't late in the race found his archaic populist voice. The 2016 Democratic primary was intended to be an empty stage with a spotlight on Hillary. In such a situation, the addition of a populist voice would be heard. No expectation that such a voice (and Sanders wasn't even the best politician to take on that role) would be a contender because the deck had already been stacked for Hillary. Sanders was as shocked that he became a contender as Trump was that he'd beat Hillary.
The pre-2016 DNC convention Sanders would never have fallen in line with the Russiagate nonsense and made a second run for the nomination. As if he were a "good boy," TPTB wouldn't cheat him again. His spark was gone and one-on-one with a half brain dead opponent, he lost.
Nope
But I was surprised when he took off and the crowd sizes kept getting bigger and I thought that he might have a chance. I had no idea that democrats would rig it so blatantly. And again in 20 when they pulled Obama off his fun tour and got everyone needed to drop out and rig it right in front of the world after bitching for 4 years that Trump/McConnell were blocking election security
Makes sense in hindsight because that’s what I thought about Hillary running. It was more like a coronation not an election, but then Trump surprised her by running on populism. And I bet that if Pelosi had passed the Covid bill that had lots more in it and especially calling for $2k checks then he’d have won and republicans would have kept the senate. Biden barely beat him as it was.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
I already commented that
Tanden's tweets were as horrid as Trump's.
The first Hillary coronation was in the 2008 election, but "not Clinton" was strong enough within the Democratic primary voters bloc that she was upset.
Trump lost fairly decisively. The predisposition of US voters is to give a POTUS a second term, but I do think that Trump fatigue had set in. However, imo Covid took him down in two ways: 1) his totally inept handling of it 2) changes to casting ballots without contracting Covid. While in earlier days #1 would have done it. (Carter's missteps were tiny in comparison and he lost big time.) But #2 was the biggie because it reduced the ability of the GOP to engage in voter suppression. Why do you think Trump fought against those changes?
He didn't lose - He quit!
In my book that's a cardinal sin. You keep fighting all the way even if you are doomed. Yes, that's machismo, but it's better than being a whipped dog!
I realize we differ in social class, ethnicity, gender, and maybe a lot more. I can't say my way is more intelligent. I think the intelligent thing to do is to be a kissass toady like that MIT recruiter suggested to me. But no no no, it ain't me. I'd rather die a stallion than a gelding. Yes, I know that's a sexist thing to say. I'm sorry for that, but it's honest.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
When did he quit?
(will respond further to your comment once I know exactly what it was that you viewed as Sanders quitting)
Quiting his campaign as soon as he lost SC to Biden
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Funny --
I recall that it was Billionaire Tom, Mayor Pete and Amy K that dropped out after SC and endorsed Biden. Combined in SC (the worst showing for Pete and Amy), those three racked up 22%. (Also recall the dropouts after NH: Patrick, Bennet and Yang who also endorsed Biden.) That teed up Super Tuesday three days after SC. ST wasn't quite a bloodbath for Sanders but it wasn't good. Then Bloomie, who was in double digits in most ST states, dropped out in favor of Biden the next day and Warren followed suit the next day.
Against one well-known Clintonite, Sanders did well. Against many flavors of not well known Clintonites, didn't do so well. Perez played his hand very well -- probably the only thing he's ever played well. Plus Sanders make his mark with retail politics that was necessarily suspended due to Covid which left him without the venues he needed to come back from ST. Sanders choices after the March 17 primaries was limited to being either a gracious or sore loser.
I'm going to add that through 2016 nothing about Sanders life or political career was inexplicable to me. After that too often he perplexed me, leading me to conclude that some new and undefined variable(s) came into play. Very odd for an old person who doesn't appear to be suffering mental decline. Hell, Biden is losing his marbles and he's still completely predictable.
They all quit
What a farce. All those bewildered kids wondering what happened to their revolution. So we get the Catfood Commission on steroids. Got a panicky call from my sister with one off his appointees sounding off about SS running out of money so payments must be cut in the next four years. SS is all she has now. At least she won't be thrown out by my daughter. Daughter called me today venting about her aunt acting like she (my daughter) is still 16 instead of 50. Hard times. The good times are long past. My first 25 years were 1945-1970, the best times for American working men, My father's first 25 were 1916-1941. He got Spanish flu in 1918, followed by prohibition the Great Depression, unemployment culminating in Pearl Harbor! No wonder, nothing after that fazed him. His one regret was not living to see the year 2000.
Oldest grandson's first 25, 1990-2015, more disappointment and betrayal. No wonder he trusts no one but me, his one lifeboat in a sea of troubles. My Uncle was right, maybe it was time (2010) for the family to move back to Italy.
I voted for Howie Hawkins, although he had no chance. Maybe i should have voted for Trumpolini, but he didn't have any more chance in Illinois than he did in California. Besides, I have a real problem voting for a carnival barker. Never going to vote for a sleaze like Biden. Trump is a stupid con man. Biden is evil. Doesn't he make your skin crawl? Obama was at least a slick professional con man, not an obvious idiot like Trump.
So i voted Green in 2016 and 3030. DNC says I might as well have voted (R). Maybe I will next time, if someone humanoid is running.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Lamenting the plight of
working class men from 1973 when their incomes began to flat-line doesn't exactly elicit empathy from me except from a macro-social-economic perspective. They got what they asked for at the ballot box beginning in 1966. (A shame Walter Reuther died in 1970 because he was the only real leader they had on their side.) Still they didn't exactly keep the pressure on DC to repeal Taft-Hartley.
Ever ask how your good first twenty-five years were for working class women? They weren't so good for AA men either, and AA women had it even worse. Working what heretofore had been an exclusively male industry, I had to put up with a lot of shit from male co-workers who were my age. (The older guys were secure enough in their jobs that I was no threat to them. They sort of enjoyed the novelty of a woman in their ranks and later I gained their respect because I was good at the work.)
Why did white working class men choose to make women and minority working class men and women their enemy? Couldn't take the competition? Accepted that the employee wage pie fixed and therefore, women and minorities were taking away from them? Rot. The owners began grabbing more and more because they had divided and conquered the working classes.
Sounds as if your Sis is becoming less saintly. For a news junkie how did she miss Biden's long-held view that SS must be cut? Or for that matter, GWB's and Obama's attempts to do so? Did she overlook that Hillary was in the same camp? (Not that there have been many alternatives to vote for.) It may be small comfort to her that so far the SS cuts proposals don't include current recipients; although that does get massaged by shortchanging cost-of-living increases. The financial ramifications of getting screwed professionally never go away. However, as long as one of homed/housed and has enough to eat, contentment isn't difficult to achieve. (Personally I'd prefer to live in a hovel around a wide variety of ordinary people than in The Villages in FL or any similar upscale retirement community.)
Voting Green at least demonstrates a social conscience. As does declining to vote for any of the clowns or unqualified candidates. ("none of the above" in NV gets far too few votes considering the pathetic choices on offer.)
There is a back story to that.
While campaigning in Iowa, Bernie promised a roomful of mostly organic farmers that, if elected, he would do two things:
1. Appoint an attorney general who would enforce anti trust laws, and
2. Appoint a Secty of Ag who would be sympathetic to medium and small sized farms. Bernie was careful to say all smaller farmers, not only the organic ones, but that was enough for Big Ag to get their lobbyists on the case. I believe, can't prove or document, that those statements are why the Dem central committee pulled out all the stops to deny Sanders his Iowa victory.
If I am right, it appears Bernie isn't above a bit of payback.
Mary Bennett
Interesting backstory
Thanks! Be interesting to know how many congress members own big factory farms. Quite a few republicans do, but I don’t know if any democrat does.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
I'll bet that's true
"Don't forget that in WC employment not being nice will get you fired. That is especially true for women."
I am waiting for that omnibus bill --
combining the Grand Bargain with the Trans-Pacific Partnership. 50 Democrats in favor, 50 Republicans opposed, with Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote.
Yay Democrats!
“The loyal Left cannot act decisively. Their devotion to the system is a built-in kill switch limiting dissent.” - Richard Moser
These trade “agreements” ought to be classified as “treaties”
Then they would require ratification by a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
Allowing international treaties with the force of law to be classified as mere “agreements” and passed by simple majority = just another trick the Powers That Be employ in order to cheat.
You might be thanful for Manchin
when it happens.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
What wit, Nastarana,
and commenters. Appreciated.
Water testing and accounting is a useful tool. Detecting LSD in the Capitol area makes me wonder who it comes from?
Here in NZ the ministry of health checks the sewage/water for evidence of covid as well. It’s been helpful in gaging the degree of community spread, or not.
If I don't like Kamala Harris,
Am I anti-Indian, anti-woman, or anti-Black?
I'm so confused.
"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
Yes.
All of those. Of course.
BTW, I had a dream last night that you made an appearance in. It was some sort of meeting and you were there giving a talk. You looked exactly like your avatar! LOL. It was nice to 'see' you though. You gave quite a rousing speech. I wish I could remember it!
The only thing to ask now is what does Neera have on Joe?
"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin