Open Thread - Thurs 23 Jan 2025 - Pretty Sure It's Always Been This Way

Submitted by Sima on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 5:00am

Pretty Sure It's Always Been This Way

I just recently finished reading Margaret Kimberley's 2020 book, Prejudential. In the book Kimberley writes a chapter about every President of the United States, from George Washington on, and their relationships with, and how they have treated blacks in America. It is a very good book; if you have the time and inclination, give it a read. Here's the worldcat link to the book and its eaudiobook version.


Prejudential, by Margaret Kimberley (image from the publisher steerforth.com)

I can't say I'm at all surprised at how the presidents, and politics, have treated black people through the ages. The first presidents were slave holders. I always remember that when listening to the hagiographies all of these men get. Those who were elected a bit later and weren't slaveholders weren't really that much better. And, as always, even if they tried to be better, politics got in the way. In her chapter on Zachary Taylor Kimberley writes:

Slavery lasted in the United States as long as it did because of compromise between abetting sides: keeping an even number of slave and free states; banning the discussion of slavery in Congress; passing fugitive slave laws; and determining at which latitude slavery would begin and end. The country's rulers used many tricks to keep slavery a viable and profitable institution.

She goes on to talk about how the US 'basks in the glory of a romanticized past.' It's very true. I think, also, what she describes above is how all politics works, unfortunately. Replace slavery with women's rights, with abortion rights, with workers' rights, with... whatever. And one can change locations and countries too and it all works the same. I bet people living in Africa have the same complaints, generally, about politics. Certainly European countries, and countries in the past (hello Rome and Greece and Celtic Britain and... whatever) have and had the same kind of politics - in general: divert people from what they really want and need, do a lot of grand-standing and then change at a snail's pace, if that, most of the time.

Kimberley continues:

If people like Taylor could steal half of Mexico and be labeled heroic, then modern-day presidents can invade nations, change regimes, and kill with mechanized drones and be considered heroic too. Today's propaganda differs little from that of Taylor's era. In fact, it relies on it.

It took 5 decades after the white supremacist riots in Wilmington, North Carolina in which 60 black people were killed and the biracial city council was overthrown (this was during the McKinley presidency: 1897-1901) for an anti-lynching law to be passed throughout the country. 5 decades! Sounds like politics now, doesn't it? The issues might change but the see-saw, the give the people a tiny bit of what they want and then take it back, goes on and on and on.

Thanks for reading! Here's the open thread - remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!

Tags: 
Open Thread
#black
#president
#history
#Politics
#slavery
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Submitted by Sima on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 1:30am
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Hope you are having a good day! It's cold (for here) but not as cold as other places, and it's dry (for here) but not that dry compared to say southern CA. I'm taking Nikko for a nail trim and buff today, hopefully it'll go well. He has been traumatized in the past (unbeknownst to us as the time) and so he gets very nervous.

What's up with you? Looking forward to hearing it!

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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 6:04am
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.
.
Slavery has taken on a new characteristic
in this "modern era" It is still economic in essence.
Now the slaveholders are the banking cartels.
Debt is the instrument of our servitude.

Medical debt is the largest cause of bankruptcies in the US.
Student 'loans' are not legally discharged. Mortgages, credit cards,
and fed rates shackle us into being wage slaves.
Don't expect an emancipation proclamation from the
government on this issue. Inflation and devaluation are the
burdens of the working poor, not the wealthy rulers.

Thanks for the OT Sima.

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question everything

Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:29am
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@QMS
Exactly!

Sorry to reply so late, was a weird Thursday. Hope your day was good, and your Friday and weekend step up and are better!

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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by Lookout on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:54am
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Good luck with the pet grooming, hope all goes well.

Gerald Celente describes America as a plantation of slavelandia.

Thanks for the book rec and the OT! Stay warm.

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

Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:32am
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@Lookout
Nikko will NOT let his nails get trimmed. Will NOT! He is not aggressive but he simply won't allow it. He used to, but something has changed. We've tried several different groomers, nothing works. So, we'll keep trying!

Hope your Thursday was good! Sorry to reply late, it was a weird day! Ohh, America - a plantation of slavelandia. So true!

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2 users have voted.
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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 10:34am
QMS's picture

.

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Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:35am
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@QMS
How can he play so many instruments and sing at the same time? Wow!

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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by snoopydawg on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 11:36am
snoopydawg's picture

.

Rand Paul and the judge discuss the Fauci and the lies he told us about masks, natural immunity, 6 feet of separation and gain of function.

If the blue surgical masks did not stop the virus then how in hell would cloth masks?

Apparently this is not over.

There was someone here during Covid that said masks don’t do squat. I argued with him about it, but I was wrong.
Public apology. I don’t remember his name.

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Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.

Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:41am
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@snoopydawg
And he's gotten away with it. I have no respect, none. How the hell he didn't get kicked out after his response to HIV is nuts. Just nuts.

Thanks for the video and sorry to be responding late!

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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 11:42am

Musk

After Elon Musk made an apparent Nazi salute at an inauguration rally for United States President Donald Trump, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) rushed to defend the SpaceX founder.

The self-described anti-Semitism watchdog and “leading anti-hate organization in the world” dismissed Musk’s raised arm as “an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm” in a social media post on Monday....
Months earlier, however, Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the staunchly pro-Israel ADL, compared the Palestinian keffiyeh to the Nazi swastika.

Activists say the contrast between the ADL’s hurried defence of Musk and its efforts to demonise Palestinians and their supporters shows that the group is more focused on silencing voices critical of Israel than it is on fighting anti-Semitism.

“The ADL is being crystal clear about where it stands,” said Beth Miller, political director at Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).

“They have made it as clear as possible that they are not a reputable source of information when it comes to anti-Semitism. They are not actually prioritising the protection of Jewish communities at all.”

Miller called the ADL a “hateful group” dedicated to smearing Palestinian rights advocates.

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Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:42am
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@gjohnsit
But we are supposed to support it! If we don't... Nazi!

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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by on the cusp on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 12:23pm

pictures of Democrats saluting:

www.techarp.com/politics/clinton-obama-warren-harris-nazi-salute/

edit: I did a Google search for Democrats giving a salute. This popped up first. I didn't bother reading the content, not asserting the content is good, bad, or otherwise.

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

Submitted by Bring Back Civics on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 6:54pm

@on the cusp Thank you for posting that. It saved me the trouble, as I read/saw that a couple of days ago. As for the declass, I am hopeful, and T deserves credit for at least taking that step as he promised.

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Submitted by Bring Back Civics on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 6:54pm

@on the cusp Thank you for posting that. It saved me the trouble, as I read/saw that a couple of days ago. As for the declass, I am hopeful, and T deserves credit for at least taking that step as he promised.

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Submitted by usefewersyllables on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 3:51pm
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an EO forcing the release of the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassination files.

Right. Sure. You betcha.

Wake me up if it actually happens, and if they aren't simply page after page of black redactions, with only the occasional comma or period left visible. The recipe for the making of that bunch of sausage can't possibly be released into the wild.

I'd love to be proven wrong on that, but I sure as hell am not gonna hold my breath.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/declassification...

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Twice bitten, permanently shy.

Submitted by on the cusp on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 3:44pm

@usefewersyllables I just read it.
I am praying to the Spaghetti dude to cause ink to disappear in DC, make it impossible to redact to oblivion.
I have waited for the truth since I was 11 years old on JFK.

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

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 3:59pm
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@usefewersyllables @usefewersyllables
.
What deep state does.
Deception is the name of the game.
No pardons needed.
诈欺 zhà qī = deception

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Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:44am
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@usefewersyllables
As you said, probably even most of the punctuation will be blacked out. heh.

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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 6:09pm
QMS's picture

From 18 years ago.
First I saw it. Pretty funny.

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Submitted by Bring Back Civics on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:10pm

@QMS The Deep State is in trouble. It's entirely possible that it is on the ropes, and that T learned something from his 4-year education in its ways and means. He now has a B.A. in Deep State destruction.

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Submitted by Bring Back Civics on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:15pm

@Bring Back Civics I also liked the E.O. revoking the security clearances of the 51 criminals who signed the letter that Hunter's laptop was "Russian disinformation," which most on this site (excepting gjohnsit) realize was totally false.

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Submitted by QMS on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:18pm
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@Bring Back Civics
.

with a minor in 'dancing with the wolves'.
Perception management would be the major.

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Submitted by Bring Back Civics on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:26pm

@QMS Well, the "managed perception" that the MSM subjected us to was that the HB laptop was Russian disinformation. Do you still subscribe to the narrative that this was the case?

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Submitted by QMS on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:49pm
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@Bring Back Civics
and never will
disinformation for dummies

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Submitted by on the cusp on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:41pm

@QMS Brilliant!
Thanks, friend!

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

Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:52am
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@QMS
Dang. I laughed out loud! Thank you for the fun!

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2 users have voted.
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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by on the cusp on Thu, 01/23/2025 - 11:34pm

Royals, serfs. Chinese Emperors, concubines. Roman Emperors, slaves. Indian Castes. Genocide when possible. Muslims killing/enslaving others.
Whites over blacks, reds, browns, yellows.
Religions based upon one race as the only race worth living, everyone else is sub-human.
But white over black in the US is noticeable, although not in statutes, to this day.
I have said since I was maybe 16?, starting college, that the world is a better place that I was not born a black woman.
Thanks for the OT, chica!

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

Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 12:51am
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@on the cusp
Blacks selling blacks for slaves (African slavery at the start), chinese selling chinese, whites selling whites... over and over again.

I'm really realizing it never really changes, does it? But I keep hoping, maybe this time it will! Doh, stupid me!

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2 users have voted.
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If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so