Clear and Present Danger

Submitted by Big Al on Fri, 01/12/2018 - 11:00pm

clear and present danger.jpg

There's been a lot of talk from the farther left that Trump is a symptom and not the disease. That he is simply the next step in this unfortunate reality we face, an in your face representation of what this country has devolved into and that we should not focus on him like the democratic party is doing but on the bigger picture.

I think that's true in one sense. If the disease is the One Percent, the upper class oligarchy plutocracy that controls everything. But it's not just that. What we're seeing is a rightward march in all aspects of society that we did not see under Obama. Obama, a true servant of the ruling class, did not embolden a shift to open racism, bigotry, and white nationalism. What's happening with Trump is fucking sick and should be stopped anyway possible.

There's another disease and it's one of racism, intolerance, and cruelty and it's getting worse.

I read an article earlier from Fox news that basically said Trump was right, it's time to make hard choices and we do not need those people (Haitians, etc.) in this country. The author said 63 million people voted for Trump because he would make those hard choices and clean the swamp that infests D.C. He said those people agree with what Trump said.

And it's true, not 63 million, but there's a sizable portion of U.S. citizens, mostly white, that still support Trump no matter this latest unreal episode in what the fuck ever Twilight Zone episode we've been transported into. Maybe somewhere along the lines of that historically low presidential approval rating of 35%. True believers are probably in the 20% range, like with Bush. The Twenty Percenters. We can't let them win. Shit.

The same thing is happening in Europe, we've seen that in country after country. The right wing is surging and confident. But again, they are not the majority and they need to be beaten back. That should start with Trump, he's a fucking crazy demagogue asshole that needs to go ASAP. He and what he represents are a danger to humanity that need to be dealt with. The whole fucking world knows it.

I once wrote an article about how the 99% vs 1% narrative was not accurate. Sure, the very upper percentile with the money and wealth control everything, but they have a cadre that won't ditch them when the shit hits the fan. They aren't going to be on "our" side. So it's never going to truly be a 99/1 percent thing. What percentage is accurate who knows. But I do believe that good will win over evil and that if we're to have any faith, it's that most humans have the necessary humanity to propel us to a different level.

Maybe. But we can't ignore the clear and present danger.

The problem of course is letting this become a democratic party thing. That is a dead end that will only lead to perpetuation and probably worsening of the cycle that has brought us to this point.

The only answer is in the Book of Answers, page 35. That will be revealed at the proper time.

Tags:

Rant

Trump

Racism

Vote

Comments

Submitted by earthling1 on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:20am

You are right Big Al

Trump is not the real problem. Take away his wealth and he is nothing more than white trailer park trash. Filthy, disgusting, vulgar mouth and all.
It's really not his shithead followers either. There just not that many of them, as you imagine, about 20% of the voting public.
And they're beginning to eat each other.
While reading through some comment threads at Breitbart, I came across this gem. They were mulling over Kim Jong Un and his threats to hit the continental US with a nuke and one commenter spewed "Let them hit the west coast, why do we care if those libtards get vaporize. Saves us the bullets to shoot the commie bastards anyway". Numerous upvotes followed.
Now, aside from the view that they hold such hatred for ANYONE who does'nt think like them, the fact that they would wish our demise by North Korea is abominable if not outright un-American.
And then, to indicate that if NK didn't do it, they would. This is sick.
But what is particularly sick is what followed.
Another Breibarter spoke up and said, "Wait a minute, I live on the west coast and I'm a conservative Republican too. And so are many of my friends who live here. In fact there are a lot of supporters here"
He/she got 2 upvotes.
He/she was then told that it was their fault they lived among the wretched commies and to expect no sympathy getting vaporized along with them.
Many upvotes followed.
These people are sick with hatred. I really don't know if there is a cure for this kind of viciousness, that they have no empathy for their own even.
But I definitely know who in America is consumed with killing me.
It's as though they think about killing liberals, commies, leftists, democraps, whatever, constantly. 24/7. 365 days a year. It's all that's on their minds.
Their mental illness has progressed to the point that they have convinced themselves that we ARE TRYING TO KILL THEM!
You can recognise this trait in their dear leader every time he receives criticism he treats it as an attack, and strikes back viciously.
Somehow, we have to force the sane 80% to see what is happening.
And stand up.
And that all they really have to do. Just stand up.
And be counted.

—

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

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:39am

They're feeding off each other,

@earthling1 he with them, they with him. What Trump said the other day is being criticized worldwide and yet his supporters are digging in even deeper.

Trump is not the real problem. Take away his wealth and he is nothing more than white trailer park trash. Filthy, disgusting, vulgar mouth and all. It's really not his shithead followers either. There just not that many of them, as you imagine, about 20% of the voting public. And they're beginning to eat each other. While reading through some comment threads at Breitbart, I came across this gem. They were mulling over Kim Jong Un and his threats to hit the continental US with a nuke and one commenter spewed "Let them hit the west coast, why do we care if those libtards get vaporize. Saves us the bullets to shoot the commie bastards anyway". Numerous upvotes followed. Now, aside from the view that they hold such hatred for ANYONE who does'nt think like them, the fact that they would wish our demise by North Korea is abominable if not outright un-American. And then, to indicate that if NK didn't do it, they would. This is sick. But what is particularly sick is what followed. Another Breibarter spoke up and said, "Wait a minute, I live on the west coast and I'm a conservative Republican too. And so are many of my friends who live here. In fact there are a lot of supporters here" He/she got 2 upvotes. He/she was then told that it was their fault they lived among the wretched commies and to expect no sympathy getting vaporized along with them. Many upvotes followed. These people are sick with hatred. I really don't know if there is a cure for this kind of viciousness, that they have no empathy for their own even. But I definitely know who in America is consumed with killing me. It's as though they think about killing liberals, commies, leftists, democraps, whatever, constantly. 24/7. 365 days a year. It's all that's on their minds. Their mental illness has progressed to the point that they have convinced themselves that we ARE TRYING TO KILL THEM! You can recognise this trait in their dear leader every time he receives criticism he treats it as an attack, and strikes back viciously. Somehow, we have to force the sane 80% to see what is happening. And stand up. And that all they really have to do. Just stand up. And be counted.

Submitted by divineorder on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 8:55am

Guts.

@Big Al

...

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" Matthew 7:15-20. Also, not in the bible, but beware of politicians who lack the guts to call out racism and racists, when the moment calls for them to stand up. https://t.co/VuYfBmEI59

— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) January 13, 2018

—

A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:53am

I don't understand where

@earthling1
all the hate for the west coast (specially Ca) comes from. Most of the haters have never visited the west coast, let alone lived here. How do you develop a hatred for some place you've never been?

Trump is not the real problem. Take away his wealth and he is nothing more than white trailer park trash. Filthy, disgusting, vulgar mouth and all. It's really not his shithead followers either. There just not that many of them, as you imagine, about 20% of the voting public. And they're beginning to eat each other. While reading through some comment threads at Breitbart, I came across this gem. They were mulling over Kim Jong Un and his threats to hit the continental US with a nuke and one commenter spewed "Let them hit the west coast, why do we care if those libtards get vaporize. Saves us the bullets to shoot the commie bastards anyway". Numerous upvotes followed. Now, aside from the view that they hold such hatred for ANYONE who does'nt think like them, the fact that they would wish our demise by North Korea is abominable if not outright un-American. And then, to indicate that if NK didn't do it, they would. This is sick. But what is particularly sick is what followed. Another Breibarter spoke up and said, "Wait a minute, I live on the west coast and I'm a conservative Republican too. And so are many of my friends who live here. In fact there are a lot of supporters here" He/she got 2 upvotes. He/she was then told that it was their fault they lived among the wretched commies and to expect no sympathy getting vaporized along with them. Many upvotes followed. These people are sick with hatred. I really don't know if there is a cure for this kind of viciousness, that they have no empathy for their own even. But I definitely know who in America is consumed with killing me. It's as though they think about killing liberals, commies, leftists, democraps, whatever, constantly. 24/7. 365 days a year. It's all that's on their minds. Their mental illness has progressed to the point that they have convinced themselves that we ARE TRYING TO KILL THEM! You can recognise this trait in their dear leader every time he receives criticism he treats it as an attack, and strikes back viciously. Somehow, we have to force the sane 80% to see what is happening. And stand up. And that all they really have to do. Just stand up. And be counted.

—

I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise.
But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.

Submitted by Wink on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 11:45am

I've never been to

Bammy but I'm not a big fan. Or of the deep South in general. @Socialprogressive
My sister lived there for nearly a year, her hubby stationed in the military there. She could not Wait to get the hell out of there. I know there are one or two progressives there, that the South is slowly turning purple. But I'll go with Neil Young's take. I've never been to Cali, neither, but I have two sisters that have lived out there for a long time. One 15 miles south of downtown L.A., the other in Silicone Valley (as I call it), in Mountain View, a stone's throw from Stanford. They both love it, wouldn't come back East for nuthin'. I'll go with their take, suspect it's a great place to live. My point, I guess, is you don't have to have been somewhere to have a "take" on the place. And mine could be wrong about Alabama, but I'm not convinced.

—

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Submitted by Strife Delivery on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 2:06pm

@SocialprogressiveHow do you develop a

@Socialprogressive

How do you develop a hatred for some place you've never been?

Easy. All you have to do is look at America during the Cold War. How many people during that time had actually visited Russia?

Submitted by Hawkfish on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:57pm

Boeing and Northrop are out here

@earthling1

Unless these morans are serious about only using bullets (and they are that dumb a lot of them) they probably don’t want that for their own long term survival.

Trump is not the real problem. Take away his wealth and he is nothing more than white trailer park trash. Filthy, disgusting, vulgar mouth and all. It's really not his shithead followers either. There just not that many of them, as you imagine, about 20% of the voting public. And they're beginning to eat each other. While reading through some comment threads at Breitbart, I came across this gem. They were mulling over Kim Jong Un and his threats to hit the continental US with a nuke and one commenter spewed "Let them hit the west coast, why do we care if those libtards get vaporize. Saves us the bullets to shoot the commie bastards anyway". Numerous upvotes followed. Now, aside from the view that they hold such hatred for ANYONE who does'nt think like them, the fact that they would wish our demise by North Korea is abominable if not outright un-American. And then, to indicate that if NK didn't do it, they would. This is sick. But what is particularly sick is what followed. Another Breibarter spoke up and said, "Wait a minute, I live on the west coast and I'm a conservative Republican too. And so are many of my friends who live here. In fact there are a lot of supporters here" He/she got 2 upvotes. He/she was then told that it was their fault they lived among the wretched commies and to expect no sympathy getting vaporized along with them. Many upvotes followed. These people are sick with hatred. I really don't know if there is a cure for this kind of viciousness, that they have no empathy for their own even. But I definitely know who in America is consumed with killing me. It's as though they think about killing liberals, commies, leftists, democraps, whatever, constantly. 24/7. 365 days a year. It's all that's on their minds. Their mental illness has progressed to the point that they have convinced themselves that we ARE TRYING TO KILL THEM! You can recognise this trait in their dear leader every time he receives criticism he treats it as an attack, and strikes back viciously. Somehow, we have to force the sane 80% to see what is happening. And stand up. And that all they really have to do. Just stand up. And be counted.

—

We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg

Submitted by Ellen North on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:03pm

@earthling1

@earthling1

How many of these might be paid trolls, to make it appear that these are 'popular' attitudes, since we're all so eager to follow the herd, to make us lose faith in our fellows, or to freak us out, redirecting our fear and anger any which way but TPTB?

Apparently, there are hordes of these employed by multiple different factions for various and nefarious purposes and this sort of pathological ugly makes me wonder...

Trump is not the real problem. Take away his wealth and he is nothing more than white trailer park trash. Filthy, disgusting, vulgar mouth and all. It's really not his shithead followers either. There just not that many of them, as you imagine, about 20% of the voting public. And they're beginning to eat each other. While reading through some comment threads at Breitbart, I came across this gem. They were mulling over Kim Jong Un and his threats to hit the continental US with a nuke and one commenter spewed "Let them hit the west coast, why do we care if those libtards get vaporize. Saves us the bullets to shoot the commie bastards anyway". Numerous upvotes followed. Now, aside from the view that they hold such hatred for ANYONE who does'nt think like them, the fact that they would wish our demise by North Korea is abominable if not outright un-American. And then, to indicate that if NK didn't do it, they would. This is sick. But what is particularly sick is what followed. Another Breibarter spoke up and said, "Wait a minute, I live on the west coast and I'm a conservative Republican too. And so are many of my friends who live here. In fact there are a lot of supporters here" He/she got 2 upvotes. He/she was then told that it was their fault they lived among the wretched commies and to expect no sympathy getting vaporized along with them. Many upvotes followed. These people are sick with hatred. I really don't know if there is a cure for this kind of viciousness, that they have no empathy for their own even. But I definitely know who in America is consumed with killing me. It's as though they think about killing liberals, commies, leftists, democraps, whatever, constantly. 24/7. 365 days a year. It's all that's on their minds. Their mental illness has progressed to the point that they have convinced themselves that we ARE TRYING TO KILL THEM! You can recognise this trait in their dear leader every time he receives criticism he treats it as an attack, and strikes back viciously. Somehow, we have to force the sane 80% to see what is happening. And stand up. And that all they really have to do. Just stand up. And be counted.

—

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:34am

I look forward to the proper time

The shift to open racism, bigotry, and white nationalism. What's happening with Trump is fucking sick and should be stopped anyway possible.

There's another disease and it's one of racism, intolerance, and cruelty and it's getting worse.

You're right. This is getting much worse since Trump was elected. He has given people permission to come out in the open and express their true feelings about anyone who isn't white. The reaction of the police during the Charlottesville demonstrations told the racists that their actions would be tolerated. When the two sides started to become violent, the cops just watched for about an hour instead of intervening and protecting people immediately after it started. How many of the cops wanted to join the suprematists? Visit any police website and read the comments. Too many.

Children are being separated from their parents and sent to different detention centers after families present themselves to the border patrol when they are trying to come into the country. This is beyond comprehension that people will willingly do this to vulnerable people, especially the children. What type of person can do this? We know damn well what type of person can. We saw this happen in Germany and even though we aren't sending people to the gas chambers, it's still despicable that anyone can do that because it's their job.

Janis posted a picture of a German concentration camp in the Trump essay last night. The picture hit a nerve and I wondered how it affected others? And what is sad is that if this country took things that far, how many people would be okay with it?

Yep, I'm looking forward to reading page 35 at the proper time. I'm hoping it's soon.

—

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

Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:43am

I guess that's how it happens

@snoopydawg right in front of your eyes and you don't really know it til it hits you in the face. Then it's too late.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 4:14am

missed it - where is that picture? Which diary? /nt

@snoopydawg

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:32am

Here is a link to the picture

@mimi posted Thursday in the tread of the Trump asks why so many immigrants come to US from ‘s***hole countries’ diary.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 10:16am

@snoopydawg I deeply disagree with

@snoopydawg @snoopydawg I deeply disagree with the idea that Trump is a break from any previous pattern in U.S. politics, or that he represents some sort of special case. That's one of the two hearts (yes, I am a Time Lord) of my problem with the OMG Trump! narrative. The other is that there is no sensible opposition to Trump that wouldn't focus on the system that gave us Trump, especially when it's so clear that the very parts of the political establishment that claim loudest to oppose Trump--the Democratic Party and the non-Fox News corporate press--are the very ones that put him in office. And no, I'm not talking about their shameful treatment of Sanders and his supporters.

I'm talking about the Pied Piper strategy.

They. Put. Him. There.

Therefore, there is no sense in concentrating attacks on the asshole individual in office. The only kind of sensible opposition would be against the machine that produced the result of that asshole individual in office. Otherwise, even if you got rid of the asshole individual, you would get another one tout suite, produced by the same machine that produced this one. Perhaps the next one won't shoot his mouth off on Twitter. If your aim is to get more of the same, but more polite, the system will happily accomodate you, and let you think--even encourage you to think!--that you are mighty revolutionary for trying to shut down the foul mouth on Twitter while paving the way for a more polite version of the same guy.

—

"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

Submitted by dfarrah on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 11:34am

Agreed.

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal To me, the anti-trump hysteria is ridiculous. I like his out there style. At least you know what he is thinking at any given moment, unlike politicians like Obama and HRC, who smile while they are stabbing you in the back.

Clear and present danger? Give me a break. What would HRC be doing now? Anything much different?

Why are we allowing so much immigration? Don't we have enough problems as it is to solve for our own people?

As to Trump's 'racism,' maybe it's time for activists to support/fund concrete actions that might help those who experience isms instead of clamoring for a solution (ousting Trump) that is unlikely to happen.

All those women complaining about wages or harassment? Go sue the entities that are responsible. Blacks complaining about job discrimination? Go sue the entities that are responsible. And so on.

—

dfarrah

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:11pm

You like his out there style?

@dfarrah What, that he can say racist and dangerous things and think he's some kind of big shot? The fucker is a megalomaniacal demagogue, that's what they do which is why he's so dangerous. Those falling for it are no different than those falling for the smooth talk of Obama.

Submitted by nosleep4u on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:23pm

@Big Al What part of me

@Big Al What part of me describing Trump as a maniac trying to run people over with a car makes you think I "like his style". JFC. I expect that kind of "argument" from NeoLib Dems, not here on C99.

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:28pm

Read it again,

@nosleep4u my response was not to your comment.

Submitted by dfarrah on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 8:57pm

I do not agree with

@Big Al people's assessment that his derogatory comment about some countries was racism.

And I think BO and HRC are megalomaniacs similar to Trump who also demagogue (is this a verb?) as much as Trump. They just wrap it up in a prettier package.

—

dfarrah

Submitted by hecate on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:34pm

what you said

@dfarrah

Why are we allowing so much immigration? Don't we have enough problems as it is to solve for our own people?

Yeah, really: why don't those white people go back to their melanin-deprived shithole countries? Nobody invited them here. Everywhere they are making a mess. They should get lost.

Submitted by dfarrah on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:00pm

Feel better

@hecate now that you got that off of your chest?

I am talking about everyone in this country, not just the white people.

—

dfarrah

Submitted by SnappleBC on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:40pm

That's about where I'm at with it

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

I agree that Trump is not an aberration in any way except he's more honest. I've always preferred my wolves in wolf's clothing. I like Trump better than Obama for that reason. Of course, I detest them both and neither would be welcome in my living room but at least Trump is honest in his loathsomeness.

—

A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 4:41pm

I understand what you're saying

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

and I'm not talking about his policies foreign or domestic. I'm talking about how he's encouraging racists to be more bold and think that they have permission to act on their thoughts. Im talking about the extreme right wing and their hatred for anyone who isn't white.

I'm well aware that both parties are working in lock step with each other and I have often called out the amnesia that has affected the country. People are upset with what Trump is doing, but they won't admit that Obama's actions were just as bad. Or that Hillary's actions during her tenure were something that people complained about when Bush did them.

People are excited about Hillary calling Trump out on his racism on the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. But not one of the diaries on ToP celebrating this said anything about her actions there. But people on Twitter did

The anniversary of the devastating earthquake 8 years ago is a day to remember the tragedy, honor the resilient people of Haiti, & affirm America’s commitment to helping our neighbors. Instead, we‘re subjected to Trump’s ignorant, racist views of anyone who doesn’t look like him.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 12, 2018

Where the hell did that money go? You built one factory in a part of Haiti that wasn’t even affected, and it was all given to contractors with involvement in the Clinton Foundation! Trump MAY have said ignorant things, but YOU did, without a doubt, EVIL THINGS! U ruined Haiti!

— J. Mannarino (@MannarinoJoey) January 12, 2018

—

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

Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 7:55am

@snoopydawg Take George W. Bush

@snoopydawg Take George W. Bush and add a big dose of digital technology. You get Donald Trump. At least as far as racism and neo-nazis is concerned.

—

"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

Submitted by JtC on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 1:39am

Hope for the best...

expect the worst.

Eyes wide open.

Submitted by mimi on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 1:27pm

But you know when I think about the worst

@JtC
I usually automatically close my eyes while thinking OMG.

Just saying. My jaws drop though and my mouth is usually wide open. Sigh. And sorry. Just try my usual silly mode of operations.

Submitted by eyo on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 8:50am

Local city council honors racists

Edit at the top because I have no idea what party anyone belongs to anymore as I no longer visit polling stations where that info is posted for the public to see (or used to be). I've been voting by mail like a good little drone for years, so who knows what party the Lands are in, or if they even vote? Not me, I just made an ass of myself. Thanks.

...
The lot next door was flipped by a local speculator named Lands. It is a family business, very similar to what my dad and bro used to do, I think: buy up land, build a building, sell if for profit. Repeat until the economy collapses, go bankrupt, start again. It is crazy stupid, regressive, devolves the ecology, blah blah blah. "That's the system."

The compound is around the corner, so I pass their big ass flag hanging on the fence (how respectful) and notice the "Trump 2016 Build the Wall" sticker on the back of the pickup truck as I walk to our Facebook Community Market. This is Koch country at heart, look at the font used for our City UPDATE. 98% unconscious military thought, they are pretending to be "Sonoma Strong" I think, but it is a war on the poor. City Recap:

Finally, Cayler reported on improvements at the Second Street Park Snack Shack. “Last week, I toured the work being done by Todd Lands and his father, Greg, at the Second Street Park Snack Shack. (The Lands) have been generously donating their time to make improvements and repairs at the ball field snack shack building. The city is purchasing the materials for the work. “Improvements include redoing the upstairs score keepers’ area with a new window, improvements to the storage area, better installation, new interior painting, new light fixtures and repairs to the exterior siding,” he said in his report.

Old boys in Sonoma County stick together, they all register "NPP" like me now. No Party Preferred.
Why don't Ds ever buy votes like the Rs do? Even GWB sent everyone a check for $300 or something, less tax of course. Bloody Obama just raised the cost of everything through the roof. Good luck getting people to vote against their wallets.

Sonoma County companies jump on employee bonus bandwagon after GOP tax cut

Companies across the country have started handing out employee bonuses in the aftermath of the $1.5 trillion tax package signed into law last month by President Donald Trump.

At Comcast and AT&T it was $1,000 per worker. North Carolina-based bank BB&T Corp. doled out $1,200 per employee. The benefit was $2,000 per worker at Express Employment Professionals, an Oklahoma City-based staffing company.

Local businesses also are jumping on the bandwagon. Summit State Bank in Santa Rosa has distributed $2,000 checks to its almost 80 employees, while Jordan Vineyard and Winery in Healdsburg gave out $1,000 bonuses to its 85 employees.

“We are a business where we rely on our employees,” said Jim Brush, president and chief executive officer of Summit State, which specializes in serving small businesses and nonprofits.

Most people have no idea the bonuses are a political ploy in concert with media brainwashing, why care? If it feels good, do it. The middle-class is dead, long live the middle-class.

Don't Fight It, Do It

go man go
our house is made of love

Submitted by Meteor Man on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:12am

Sons if Champlin Rock!

@eyo
I haven't thought of them in 30-40 years. Had two of their vinyl albums back in the day.

Oh yeah. Good comments too eyo. Nostalgia triumphs over substance I guess.

Edit at the top because I have no idea what party anyone belongs to anymore as I no longer visit polling stations where that info is posted for the public to see (or used to be). I've been voting by mail like a good little drone for years, so who knows what party the Lands are in, or if they even vote? Not me, I just made an ass of myself. Thanks.

...
The lot next door was flipped by a local speculator named Lands. It is a family business, very similar to what my dad and bro used to do, I think: buy up land, build a building, sell if for profit. Repeat until the economy collapses, go bankrupt, start again. It is crazy stupid, regressive, devolves the ecology, blah blah blah. "That's the system."

The compound is around the corner, so I pass their big ass flag hanging on the fence (how respectful) and notice the "Trump 2016 Build the Wall" sticker on the back of the pickup truck as I walk to our Facebook Community Market. This is Koch country at heart, look at the font used for our City UPDATE. 98% unconscious military thought, they are pretending to be "Sonoma Strong" I think, but it is a war on the poor. City Recap:

Finally, Cayler reported on improvements at the Second Street Park Snack Shack. “Last week, I toured the work being done by Todd Lands and his father, Greg, at the Second Street Park Snack Shack. (The Lands) have been generously donating their time to make improvements and repairs at the ball field snack shack building. The city is purchasing the materials for the work. “Improvements include redoing the upstairs score keepers’ area with a new window, improvements to the storage area, better installation, new interior painting, new light fixtures and repairs to the exterior siding,” he said in his report.

Old boys in Sonoma County stick together, they all register "NPP" like me now. No Party Preferred.
Why don't Ds ever buy votes like the Rs do? Even GWB sent everyone a check for $300 or something, less tax of course. Bloody Obama just raised the cost of everything through the roof. Good luck getting people to vote against their wallets.

Sonoma County companies jump on employee bonus bandwagon after GOP tax cut

Companies across the country have started handing out employee bonuses in the aftermath of the $1.5 trillion tax package signed into law last month by President Donald Trump.

At Comcast and AT&T it was $1,000 per worker. North Carolina-based bank BB&T Corp. doled out $1,200 per employee. The benefit was $2,000 per worker at Express Employment Professionals, an Oklahoma City-based staffing company.

Local businesses also are jumping on the bandwagon. Summit State Bank in Santa Rosa has distributed $2,000 checks to its almost 80 employees, while Jordan Vineyard and Winery in Healdsburg gave out $1,000 bonuses to its 85 employees.

“We are a business where we rely on our employees,” said Jim Brush, president and chief executive officer of Summit State, which specializes in serving small businesses and nonprofits.

Most people have no idea the bonuses are a political ploy in concert with media brainwashing, why care? If it feels good, do it. The middle-class is dead, long live the middle-class.

Don't Fight It, Do It

go man go
our house is made of love

—

"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

Submitted by dfarrah on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 11:50am

Even though these bonuses,

@eyo raises are a manipulative ploy, at least some people are getting more $$ in their pocket. At least Trump, and the right, are talking about how earnings have deteriorated over the years. At least Trump and the right wing are talking about bringing jobs and manufacturing back.

What did the dems have to say about it: jobs are not coming back, and fu for asking about it. Obama said he was focusing on raising ecological standards and income in other countries so that they are not undercutting the US. Yay. Glad he was working so hard for other countries.

And re-training is a joke.

Further, we need our own manufacturing to maintain our independence, if for no other reason.

Edit at the top because I have no idea what party anyone belongs to anymore as I no longer visit polling stations where that info is posted for the public to see (or used to be). I've been voting by mail like a good little drone for years, so who knows what party the Lands are in, or if they even vote? Not me, I just made an ass of myself. Thanks.

...
The lot next door was flipped by a local speculator named Lands. It is a family business, very similar to what my dad and bro used to do, I think: buy up land, build a building, sell if for profit. Repeat until the economy collapses, go bankrupt, start again. It is crazy stupid, regressive, devolves the ecology, blah blah blah. "That's the system."

The compound is around the corner, so I pass their big ass flag hanging on the fence (how respectful) and notice the "Trump 2016 Build the Wall" sticker on the back of the pickup truck as I walk to our Facebook Community Market. This is Koch country at heart, look at the font used for our City UPDATE. 98% unconscious military thought, they are pretending to be "Sonoma Strong" I think, but it is a war on the poor. City Recap:

Finally, Cayler reported on improvements at the Second Street Park Snack Shack. “Last week, I toured the work being done by Todd Lands and his father, Greg, at the Second Street Park Snack Shack. (The Lands) have been generously donating their time to make improvements and repairs at the ball field snack shack building. The city is purchasing the materials for the work. “Improvements include redoing the upstairs score keepers’ area with a new window, improvements to the storage area, better installation, new interior painting, new light fixtures and repairs to the exterior siding,” he said in his report.

Old boys in Sonoma County stick together, they all register "NPP" like me now. No Party Preferred.
Why don't Ds ever buy votes like the Rs do? Even GWB sent everyone a check for $300 or something, less tax of course. Bloody Obama just raised the cost of everything through the roof. Good luck getting people to vote against their wallets.

Sonoma County companies jump on employee bonus bandwagon after GOP tax cut

Companies across the country have started handing out employee bonuses in the aftermath of the $1.5 trillion tax package signed into law last month by President Donald Trump.

At Comcast and AT&T it was $1,000 per worker. North Carolina-based bank BB&T Corp. doled out $1,200 per employee. The benefit was $2,000 per worker at Express Employment Professionals, an Oklahoma City-based staffing company.

Local businesses also are jumping on the bandwagon. Summit State Bank in Santa Rosa has distributed $2,000 checks to its almost 80 employees, while Jordan Vineyard and Winery in Healdsburg gave out $1,000 bonuses to its 85 employees.

“We are a business where we rely on our employees,” said Jim Brush, president and chief executive officer of Summit State, which specializes in serving small businesses and nonprofits.

Most people have no idea the bonuses are a political ploy in concert with media brainwashing, why care? If it feels good, do it. The middle-class is dead, long live the middle-class.

Don't Fight It, Do It

go man go
our house is made of love

—

dfarrah

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:24pm

You don't think the left has been railing against stagnant

@dfarrah wages and wealth inequality? Certainly the republican party has not so your inference that the "right" is "talking" about it must not include that party but then you compare the right to the dem party, which is not the left. You have a problem with the dem party and Obama but don't come in here and try to justify Trump and the republican party as anything better, that's ridiculous.

And Trump's talk is just that, talk, no different than Obama's talk. His actions so far have proven that beyond doubt. The only jobs he's been involved in bringing back are in the military/prison/security industrial complex.

Submitted by dfarrah on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:09pm

I am talking about the democrats

@Big Al in office, the usual neo-liberal office holders. The ones who told everyone, tough s---, the jobs are gone; the ones who said, what income inequality; the ones who supported the very policies that caused the recent depression, and so on.

I don't confound the left with the typical democrat.

And I had been, as a precinct committee chair, been going to the usual dem events, and before and after the depression years, I heard one congress critter utter the notion of 'more jobs' just once. One single time.

I hate to break this to you, but having Bernie and Trump talk about jobs and wages was a breath of fresh air.

—

dfarrah

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 5:25am

think that fits to your essay ...

Hedges and Derber on the Failures of the American Left (Video). We have no conversation about capitalism...we don't have a left ...
[video:https://youtu.be/2C4aCCihy7s]

Submitted by Snode on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 8:40am

The rightward march seems inevitable

Ever since Vietnam the center has moved rightward. Each unchecked outrage became the next cycles permission. The democrats were either ineffective or collaborative. With Bush 2 I had the feeling the republicans were preparing their end game, the fulfillment of their agenda. Today I think they are close to being there. While they don't have a permanent majority they are adept at halting a weak willed opposition when not in majority, as if both sides agree on the republicans power to shape all legislation. I despair the democrats will do what what they always do, pander to their #hashtags and tinker with laws they hope the republicans will let them pass. But it's the republicans I fear, because they've always told us what they wanted to do. Once they attained that, what next?

Submitted by Ellen North on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:33pm

@Snode

@Snode

Incremental change... until the pot boils over and bits of frog splatter all over the ceiling.

—

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Submitted by nosleep4u on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:10am

Who's more dangerous?

The maniac driving the car trying to run you over, or the asshole who pushes you into the road?

The point is that Dems and Trump work together. There's a million votes on record to confirm this. That latest being the 702 vote.

Dems ululating about Trump this and Trump that is all for show.

So.

First: smash the guy pushing you into the road. Then dodge the car. After that we can talk about trying to get control.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 10:07am

@nosleep4u So damn smart. Thanks for

@nosleep4u So damn smart. Thanks for this.

—

"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

Submitted by ggersh on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:33am

Tinyhands is the puppet, strings are being pulled elsewhere

Trump, he's a fucking crazy demagogue asshole that needs to go ASAP. He and what he represents are a danger to humanity that need to be dealt with. The whole fucking world knows it.

Cause the ~~resistance~~D's is definitely on board w/tinyhands

Glenn Greenwald
✔
@ggreenwald
Right. If you combine today's news with yesterday's, the bipartisan commentary amounts to: "Trump is a racist, corrupt, mentally unfit degenerate, and it's imperative we give him the power to spy on Americans without any meaningful checks or safeguards." https://twitter.com/trevortimm/status/951901548774215680 …

4:48 PM - Jan 12, 2018
61 61 Replies 1,077 1,077 Retweets 2,299 2,299 likes

—

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 Ellen North on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:37pm

@ggersh

@ggersh

... Trump is a racist, corrupt, mentally unfit degenerate, and it's imperative we give him the power to spy on Americans without any meaningful checks or safeguards." ...

And they forgot about the part where he's a puppet of a non-Likud foreign regime...

—

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Submitted by ggersh on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 8:25am

Sometimes they forget themselves ;-)

@Ellen North

—

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 Cant Stop the M... on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 10:06am

They are what they have always been.

They were emboldened, not by Trump, but by Reagan. Anything Trump gives them was already given by George W. Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. There is nothing about Trump that makes them more dangerous or more powerful than they were from 2000-2008, and probably nothing about him that makes them much more dangerous than they were from 1980-2008.

As for Obama, things certainly did march rightward under him. Pretty much every policy marched rightward under him except LGBT rights, which is probably why LGBT folks are largely still loyal to the Democrats. As far as racism and bigotry goes, the racists and bigots were empowered by their rage at a Black man being president, just as they're now empowered by their sense of vindication at a racist being president. The far right holds a point of view which is basically always empowered, because they gain as much from their rage at losing as they do from their "Hell YEAH!" at winning. The Nazis are a perfect example of this, which is why I don't understand why people anxious about the far right, and prone to identifying the far right with the Nazis, don't understand the current far right better. They aren't like us; they don't get depressed. They get enraged, and since their rage has easily accessible targets, they often take their rage out on those targets. That was the story of the original Nazis, and it's the story now.

As for Donald Trump, no one has explained to me what his racism does for American racists that George W. Bush's didn't, since Trump does nothing racist that Bush didn't do aside from shoot his mouth off on Twitter. In fact, Bush did far more racist things than Trump did, but that's being slid down the memory hole. One of the most significant things about Trump is that he's being used to induce selective amnesia in the left, and in America generally, about President Jim "I murder Iraqis" Crow Bush.

If you believe that Donald Trump's incendiary talk on Twitter makes him a more clear and present danger than Bush, Cheney, et al were, then that says more about Twitter than anything else. I agree that Twitter is a poison in the country's system, run by bastards and crawling with operatives, which is why I left. But that would suggest that Twitter is the clear and present danger, not Trump.

—

"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

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 10:31am

Then maybe we should tell the rest of the world to

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal not worry about Trump, worry about Twitter. Ya, makes sense. Maybe Twitter has an even bigger button.

They were emboldened, not by Trump, but by Reagan. Anything Trump gives them was already given by George W. Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. There is nothing about Trump that makes them more dangerous or more powerful than they were from 2000-2008, and probably nothing about him that makes them much more dangerous than they were from 1980-2008. As for Obama, things certainly did march rightward under him. Pretty much every policy marched rightward under him except LGBT rights, which is probably why LGBT folks are largely still loyal to the Democrats. As far as racism and bigotry goes, the racists and bigots were empowered by their rage at a Black man being president, just as they're now empowered by their sense of vindication at a racist being president. The far right holds a point of view which is basically always empowered, because they gain as much from their rage at losing as they do from their "Hell YEAH!" at winning. The Nazis are a perfect example of this, which is why I don't understand why people anxious about the far right, and prone to identifying the far right with the Nazis, don't understand the current far right better. They aren't like us; they don't get depressed. They get enraged, and since their rage has easily accessible targets, they often take their rage out on those targets. That was the story of the original Nazis, and it's the story now. As for Donald Trump, no one has explained to me what his racism does for American racists that George W. Bush's didn't, since Trump does nothing racist that Bush didn't do aside from shoot his mouth off on Twitter. In fact, Bush did far more racist things than Trump did, but that's being slid down the memory hole. One of the most significant things about Trump is that he's being used to induce selective amnesia in the left, and in America generally, about President Jim "I murder Iraqis" Crow Bush. If you believe that Donald Trump's incendiary talk on Twitter makes him a more clear and present danger than Bush, Cheney, et al were, then that says more about Twitter than anything else. I agree that Twitter is a poison in the country's system, run by bastards and crawling with operatives, which is why I left. But that would suggest that Twitter is the clear and present danger, not Trump.

Submitted by divineorder on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 11:48am

Heh.

@Big Al @Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

...

Oh, but they are https://t.co/d3n93KLtAd

— Ole Sanvig (@sanvig) January 3, 2018

They were emboldened, not by Trump, but by Reagan. Anything Trump gives them was already given by George W. Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. There is nothing about Trump that makes them more dangerous or more powerful than they were from 2000-2008, and probably nothing about him that makes them much more dangerous than they were from 1980-2008. As for Obama, things certainly did march rightward under him. Pretty much every policy marched rightward under him except LGBT rights, which is probably why LGBT folks are largely still loyal to the Democrats. As far as racism and bigotry goes, the racists and bigots were empowered by their rage at a Black man being president, just as they're now empowered by their sense of vindication at a racist being president. The far right holds a point of view which is basically always empowered, because they gain as much from their rage at losing as they do from their "Hell YEAH!" at winning. The Nazis are a perfect example of this, which is why I don't understand why people anxious about the far right, and prone to identifying the far right with the Nazis, don't understand the current far right better. They aren't like us; they don't get depressed. They get enraged, and since their rage has easily accessible targets, they often take their rage out on those targets. That was the story of the original Nazis, and it's the story now. As for Donald Trump, no one has explained to me what his racism does for American racists that George W. Bush's didn't, since Trump does nothing racist that Bush didn't do aside from shoot his mouth off on Twitter. In fact, Bush did far more racist things than Trump did, but that's being slid down the memory hole. One of the most significant things about Trump is that he's being used to induce selective amnesia in the left, and in America generally, about President Jim "I murder Iraqis" Crow Bush. If you believe that Donald Trump's incendiary talk on Twitter makes him a more clear and present danger than Bush, Cheney, et al were, then that says more about Twitter than anything else. I agree that Twitter is a poison in the country's system, run by bastards and crawling with operatives, which is why I left. But that would suggest that Twitter is the clear and present danger, not Trump.

—

A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 1:01pm

@Big Al Given that Twitter is

@Big Al Given that Twitter is the vector through which he spews his emboldening poison at lightspeed, perhaps we should.

—

"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

Submitted by Granma on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 11:42am

This is one of the few times I disagree with you, CSTS

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal GWB was not regularly threatening to drop nuclear bombs. In addition, I think the people he surrounded himself with had enough influence with him to stop him had he considered it.

They were emboldened, not by Trump, but by Reagan. Anything Trump gives them was already given by George W. Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. There is nothing about Trump that makes them more dangerous or more powerful than they were from 2000-2008, and probably nothing about him that makes them much more dangerous than they were from 1980-2008. As for Obama, things certainly did march rightward under him. Pretty much every policy marched rightward under him except LGBT rights, which is probably why LGBT folks are largely still loyal to the Democrats. As far as racism and bigotry goes, the racists and bigots were empowered by their rage at a Black man being president, just as they're now empowered by their sense of vindication at a racist being president. The far right holds a point of view which is basically always empowered, because they gain as much from their rage at losing as they do from their "Hell YEAH!" at winning. The Nazis are a perfect example of this, which is why I don't understand why people anxious about the far right, and prone to identifying the far right with the Nazis, don't understand the current far right better. They aren't like us; they don't get depressed. They get enraged, and since their rage has easily accessible targets, they often take their rage out on those targets. That was the story of the original Nazis, and it's the story now. As for Donald Trump, no one has explained to me what his racism does for American racists that George W. Bush's didn't, since Trump does nothing racist that Bush didn't do aside from shoot his mouth off on Twitter. In fact, Bush did far more racist things than Trump did, but that's being slid down the memory hole. One of the most significant things about Trump is that he's being used to induce selective amnesia in the left, and in America generally, about President Jim "I murder Iraqis" Crow Bush. If you believe that Donald Trump's incendiary talk on Twitter makes him a more clear and present danger than Bush, Cheney, et al were, then that says more about Twitter than anything else. I agree that Twitter is a poison in the country's system, run by bastards and crawling with operatives, which is why I left. But that would suggest that Twitter is the clear and present danger, not Trump.

Submitted by Dr. John Carpenter on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 12:53pm

Axis of evil

@Granma @Granma I know the axis of evil comment wasn’t exactly the same, but I sure do remember it invoking some of the same reactions in people. Bush wasn’t as inflammatory, but he didn’t need to be. He just pushed the dialogue a little farther to the right and Trump is following in his footsteps.

And before that, there was Reagan’s “we begin bombing in five minutes” joke...ha ha.

Not saying Trump’s BS is acceptable in anyway. I just don’t think it’s totally without prescident.

Also, depending on how much you accept the Deep State theory or not, one can make the argument the same people that would have prevented W from dropping the bomb are still around running the show. I hope we never have to test this theory.

—

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

Submitted by Granma on Mon, 01/15/2018 - 7:44pm

I hope that too.

@Dr. John Carpenter

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 7:47am

@Granma Of course, Trump is far

@Granma Of course, Trump is far more dangerous on the topic of nukes than GWB was. I was talking about racism, bigotry, and inspiring neo-Nazis and the rest of the far right to be more emboldened. On those two fronts, the two guys are interchangeable. The constant BS Trump spews on Twitter is really the only difference.

On the question of nukes, Trump is interchangeable, not with George W. Bush, but with Hillary Clinton (skip over the dumb stuff about red-baiting and get to the part where Hillary is talking, at 4:26):

"The United States will treat cyberattacks just like any other military attack....My first act as President will be to conduct a new nuclear posture review, so that our nuclear arsenal will be ready for any threats we receive."

—

"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

Submitted by mimi on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 7:58am

HRC, tough talk, do you know when she said that?

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal
thx for the link with that clip in it.

Horrible. I can't believe I didn't see or heard that before. Thank You. I hope she doesn't try to run for anything again.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 10:36am

@mimi The Jimmy Dore Show

@mimi The Jimmy Dore Show uploaded this on Oct 13, 2016. Not sure exactly when Hillary said it, but it was probably not long before that, as he generally tries to be current. Probably in Sept or Oct 2016.

This was the one that terrified me.

—

"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

Submitted by WaterLily on Mon, 01/15/2018 - 9:50am

I remember it.

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal Not the exact date, but back when I actually still listened to NPR, they reported on it.

I was driving at the time and almost ran off the road due to rage.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Mon, 01/15/2018 - 10:38am

@WaterLily The rage came

@WaterLily The rage came later, for me. She actually managed to shock me. I didn't think she could do that anymore (my standards for her have gotten so low).

Later, I became enraged, as I realized that I now have to go back to the constant fear I had in my teens. Back then, I actually had nightmares about nuclear war. I thought we had gotten past this, at least.

—

"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

Submitted by WaterLily on Mon, 01/15/2018 - 12:52pm

I hear you.

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal IIRC, you and are are in the same age cohort. I spent the majority of my tween and early teen years scared shitless of nuclear war. Being assigned to watch The Day After in 8th grade did not coalesce well with my need for sleep.

Good times.

Deja vu all over again.

Submitted by Granma on Mon, 01/15/2018 - 7:32pm

I didn't know Hillary said that about nuclear arsenal

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal I didn't listen long enough into that clip if that is when she said it.
I apologize. She is worse than I thought.

Submitted by edg on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 1:03pm

I appreciate Trump.

He's brought to the surface many of the simmering problems that have dogged the US for more than 50 years. There's still racism. There's still classism. There's still a whole bunch of -isms. People ignored them for a while under Obama, but they still festered beneath the surface.

Do you think if Hillary were president there'd be a #MeToo movement to expose and (hopefully) reduce sexual assault and harassment? Shit no!! FemLibs would be telling women to shut their freakin' mouths so that Her's re-election chances weren't damaged.

All in all, Trump has been good for America and good for Americans. It's harder now to ignore our idiotic war mongering. It's harder now to ignore the underpaid working class. It's harder now to ignore the pussy-grabbing libs in Hollywood and Silicon Valley and Broadway.

If you ask me, the clear and present danger is us. We've allowed our system to devolve to its current state. We voted for the Democrats that sat idly by while the American Dream was dismantled through NAFTA and repeal of Glass-Steagall and the creation of body-armored, Humvee driving police forces.

Trump is merely a symptom. The disease dwells much deeper.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 1:42pm

oh yeah, one really needs a Trump to understand that

@edg @edg @edg
(edited spelling mistakes)
"there is still racism, there's still classism, there's still a whole bunch of -ism".

Sorry, I don't need Trump to know that, and I don't need Democrats, who don't know that, and I don't need Republicans, who use both to make them feel ok with themselves.

Pfffttttt... Don't pee on C99p readers, please and apologies to be in attack mode. You know the false alarm nuclear missile attack in Hawaii just blew me up.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 1:25pm

Yeah, clear and present danger, indeed, some

deep f&*^%cksh=*&te just managed to send a false alarm of an incoming nuclear missile attack on Hawaii to all Hawaiian mobile phones. Tulsi Gabbard issued minutes later this.
Ballistic Missile Threat aler to phones was false alarm.

Call from my son made me aware of it. I called it a hack from a fucktard. And my son couldn't believe I use that kind of word ... in my age.

Holy shit. Some people should just thrown into the pacific to be eaten by sharks.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 1:39pm

the page is already gone

@mimi

NEWS
JAN 13 2018, 1:43 PM ET
Hawaii ‘ballistic missile threat’ alert to phones was false alarm, officials say
by ERIK ORTIZ and PHIL MCCAUSLAND

Residents of Hawaii were thrown into a panic Saturday morning after an emergency alert was sent warning of a ballistic missile threat. But officials minutes later tweeted that it was a false alarm.

"NO missile threat to Hawaii," the state's Emergency Management Agency tweeted at 8:20 local time (1:20 ET).

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, tweeted: "This is a false alarm. There is no incoming missile to Hawaii."

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Tulsi Gabbard
✔
@TulsiGabbard
HAWAII - THIS IS A FALSE ALARM. THERE IS NO INCOMING MISSILE TO HAWAII. I HAVE CONFIRMED WITH OFFICIALS THERE IS NO INCOMING MISSILE.

7:19 PM - Jan 13, 2018
1,064 1,064 Replies 12,481 12,481 Retweets 9,980 9,980 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Hawaiian officials in November said they were reinstating air raid warning sirens because of rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This a breaking news story. Please check back for update

the wonderful world of fucktard tweeting idiots.

Submitted by Strife Delivery on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 2:17pm

What we're seeing is a

What we're seeing is a rightward march in all aspects of society that we did not see under Obama. Obama, a true servant of the ruling class, did not embolden a shift to open racism, bigotry, and white nationalism. What's happening with Trump is fucking sick and should be stopped anyway possible.

I don't know, I might push back on this one. Obama really was not the defender of anything.

LGBT rights? Stolen valor. He was against it and people fought for it through referendums that then went to Supreme Court. Now suddenly he is the defender.

BLM/Criminal Justice? From my viewpoint, he never offered support. In fact, more offered his critiques of people "doing something" than having the most powerful person in the world doing something. The various protests in cities like Ferguson, cops going free, Dylan Roof, etc.

A lot of those rightward movements festered and grew under his presidency without him challenging it. With Trump it seems some folks now feel either comfortable or empowered to go out there and show their true colors. But this is a phenomenon growing up to this point, not a sudden shift.

I once wrote an article about how the 99% vs 1% narrative was not accurate. Sure, the very upper percentile with the money and wealth control everything, but they have a cadre that won't ditch them when the shit hits the fan. They aren't going to be on "our" side. So it's never going to truly be a 99/1 percent thing. What percentage is accurate who knows. But I do believe that good will win over evil and that if we're to have any faith, it's that most humans have the necessary humanity to propel us to a different level.

It's mostly various tiers of guards so to speak. You have the 0.1% who control everything, the 1% who act like bodyguards, and then the top 10% who act as gatekeepers.

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 4:37pm

I think that's what I was saying S.D.,

@Strife Delivery that Trump has "emboldened" the right to beat their drums. I didn't say Obama was the defender of anything except the ruling class.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 4:58pm

It is what I'm saying

@Big Al

I acknowledge everything people have said about Obama and I have said worse things about him and what he did to not only the Middle East, but especially this country and how his policies will affect for decades like Bill's did.

I think people are throwing in the whole forest when this essay is about how encouraged the racists are. Yes the cops beat the shit out of the various protesters from the left and Barry stayed silent. But Trump basically told the Charlottesville protesters that he agreed with their actions. "Fine people don't want what those people want, nor do they plow down people in streets with their cars.

Good essay and discussion again. I apologize for not being present in the essay I wrote. I was getting a migraine when I wrote it and then it moved in big time.

—

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

Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.

Submitted by Big Al on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 5:07pm

Exactly s.d.

@snoopydawg "throwing in the whole forest when this essay is about how encouraged the racists are."

If people don't think Trump has not basically incited the right wing then I don't know what else to say.

And no need to apologize, good essay yourself and hope you're feeling better.

Submitted by Strife Delivery on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 7:32pm

@Big Al Sorry, perhaps I just

@Big Al Sorry, perhaps I just focused a bit much on:

(Obama) did not embolden a shift to open racism, bigotry, and white nationalism

Those in the media or even certain circles (Dems for instance) make this seem like a new phenomenon. It's been growing and festering for a long time. Obama might not have emboldened it, but in one sense I might throw out there that if he had squashed some of these elements or dampened those sparks we might not see it out more openly today.

This isn't to excuse Trump, merely meant to place in the overarching theme I suppose.

Submitted by janis b on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 8:41pm

I agree with that observation.

@Strife Delivery

Had Obama taken advantage of his privileged place and the understanding he possesses he could have “dampened those sparks [and] we might not see it out more openly today.”

What a shame.

Submitted by Cant Stop the M... on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 1:03pm

@Strife Delivery You said nothing to

@Strife Delivery You said nothing to suggest that you are defending Trump.

—

"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

Submitted by Bring Back Civics on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 6:23pm

Ruh-Roh!

DT is vulgar with retrograde policy preferences, but (like others above), I prefer my wolf in wolf's clothing when choosing a lesser evil. It is a huge mistake to think the Dem establishment is the answer. In fact, we may not have to worry about it much longer IFFFFFFFF the MSM is finally forced to report on this: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-13/doj-unseals-11-count-indictmen...

Submitted by Ellen North on Sun, 01/14/2018 - 3:59pm

@Bring Back Civics

@Bring Back Civics

Thanks for the post and link, which I've read.

Frankly, while anything is possible, since the reporting previous to this post-electoral RUSSIA!!! EVERYWHERE!!! outburst was all about Bill Clinton arranging meetings between Uranium One and other interests and various foreign government officials, amid concerns about whether his wife, Secretary of State Clinton, would 'like' various deals or not, while just happening to make a couple or so of small fortunes as a happenstance,

whereas this FBI investigation seems to be all about RUSSIAN!!! OFFICIAL!!!! EXTORTION AND THREATS!!! forcing people to bribe them and sell them uranium, and apparently to launder money for them rather than for the Clintons regarding the donations which those Canadian and other Uranium One investors are known to have provided and to have passed in amounts well over a hundred million through the Clinton Fundation Laundromat, Bill having had that entirely normal, completely unsuspicious half-million pay-off from a Russian bank said to be connected to the Russian government for a doubtless charming speech given by him, I'm keeping a truckload of equine salt-licks handy until I see who gets blamed/charged in the end...

And I wonder how long it'll be before we 'discover' that all Wall St machinations, all bankster criminality EVAH! is all due to an evil RUSSIAN!!! PLOT!!!

They always accuse others of doing what they do themselves and there's been an awful lot of that around anything regarding the Clintons, a tangled web of deception, of blame redirection, propaganda centred around a daily 24 or more hours of hate campaigning and confusion tactics, and somehow The Right People - despite still reeking of obvious corruption - never being held accountable for anything they have committed, regardless of all proof and existing law which we're supposed to believe they're somehow 'above', while herds of patsies go freely flying under the bus and some poor bugger(s) at the bottom wind(s) up rotting in prison.

All in the search for some 'plausible' 'public-persona' excuse for TPTB to attack/invade Russia and a whole lengthy list of other, long-targeted countries in the ongoing War Against The World, the one where they'd rather destroy planetary life altogether, if they can't entirely own and control it all themselves.

In any event, anything that purports to support the official propaganda lines, so very evidence-free and freely spewed, with some rather noticeable fakery (as with added 'Russian' data detected as being planted on documents, etc.) being involved in various of these 'RUSSIAN!!!' claims - as opposed to than anything at least supported by more reputable sources not involved in censorship/disinformation attempts - will be regarded with great suspicion by such as myself, even if they do start taking more care in more plausible efforts. Not that I place faith in Russian crony capitalists not to be corrupt; simply that I know how fatally and suicidally corrupt is the US crony capitalist system.

And even had the Clinton/purchased DNC contingent started with any degree of plausibility, they'd long since have used it up, but they started at a sewage level and worked their way down from there.

Trying to view this to proof, keep getting 'can't find the site'... AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! Finally got through and it shows the thread OP where the more easily readable version of this ought to be, with the text for 'Add New Comment' above that...

Just going to try to get the damn thing to post, if it will, and any typos or poor phrasing can just rot, lol.

—

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sat, 01/13/2018 - 9:46pm

Oh, oh. Say it isn't so

@Bring Back Civics

Based on what the FBI knew – including evidence which purportedly includes a video of Russians preparing briefcases of bribe money – the Uranium One deal never should have gone through. Moreover, both Robert Mueller and current deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein were directly involved – and current Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other Justice Department officials appear to be covering for them.

The darling of the left Mueller? No. He's trustworthy, right?

In short, the FBI had ample evidence of the Russian bribery plot before the Obama administration approved the Uranium One deal thanks to their embedded mole in the Russian nuclear industry.

The informant – outed as energy consultant William Campbell - was "threatened" by Obama admin AG Loretta Lynch to keep quiet with an iron-clad gag order, according to his attorney – former Reagan Justice Dept. official and former Chief Counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee Victoria Toensing. After Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-VA) demanded Campbell be allowed to testify in front of Congress, the gag order was lifted.

The republicans investigation into this is just another nothing burger. Move along, nothing to see here.

—

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

Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.