Open Thread - Friday, March 18, 2016

Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 6:22am

You know what really cheeses me off? Besides calling stuff that isn't cheese, cheese?

I had airline miles that were either turning into magazines or evaporating, so I started getting Time. The publication is unbelievably turgid and then this ->

I didn't even have the magazine out of the mailbox before I cussed. You mean the creators of the Southern Strategy and progeny of today's Republican Party?

Reagan’s Southern strategy gave rise to the Tea Party

Late in the 1960s the practice of political campaigning in the United States began to be transformed. New techniques meant that it was increasingly possible to disseminate messages to extraordinary numbers of potential voters, tailored to the interests and views of particular constituencies. At the same time attitudes were in flux, a consequence of the past decade’s social upheavals, and the old party machines were declining in influence. All these factors combined to accentuate the established tendency in political strategy to accentuate the negative.

When journalist James Perry wrote about The New Politics in 1968 his focus was on technique and not about how protests, demonstrations, civil disobedience, and community organizations might be shaking up the old elite. He explained how polling and marketing were becoming more sophisticated, and even drew attention to the potential uses of computers. Perry described how the moderate George Romney was taking advantage of these techniques in the race for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination. By the time the book was published, however, Romney’s campaign had collapsed, having failed to connect with voters. The new techniques could only take you so far.

The importance of a media image had been underlined in different ways in the previous two elections. John Kennedy had famously gained an advantage over Richard Nixon in the televised presidential debate in 1960, and then the possibilities of negative advertising had been underlined by one used by the Democrats against Barry Goldwater in 1964. This showed a small girl counting daisies as a missile countdown began leading toward a nuclear explosion, with President Johnson in the background urging peace. This became identified as a turning point in technique. It played on an established image of Goldwater’s recklessness. The appeal of the ad was emotional. It contained no facts and Goldwater’s name was not mentioned.

The flipping media coronated Reagan and have been polishing that turd ever since.

Reagan Revisionism And Reagan Mythology

Politico has an interesting feature about the fear among conservatives that their campaign to canonize Ronald Reagan has turned their hero into a post-ideological hero, rather than an embodiment of conservative values. A specimen of this fear is Steven Hayward's National Review essay, Reagan Reclaimed," castigating liberals for an ideological kidnapping of Ronaldus Magnus.

How Ronald Reagan destroyed the American Dream

“More like John Wayne, really.”

— Former White House Chief of Staff Michael Deaver,
responding to a question from MSNBC’s
Chris Matthews on whether Reagan was
“more like Jimmy Cagney or Jimmy Stewart.”

The John Wayne comparison comes easily when discussing Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, who was an actor himself — although one who realized nowhere near the same level of success on the Silver Screen as “The Duke.” But Reagan, who was known as “Dutch,” eventually got his casting call on the much larger World Stage — and when it came time to act there, he shed all inclinations towards B-movie mediocrity and came up with the grandest performance of his life.

Or so revisionist historians would have us believe. And many would. But they would be wrong.

Ronald Reagan was a duplicitous, god-fearing brute who spoke with a forked-tongue and used the rhetoric of apocalyptic imagery to instill a climate of fear and docility in America, while he and his rich henchmen exponentially increased the ranks of the nation’s “working poor.”

The media is in the same kind of agenda setting. The fix is in, we get to choose between a crap sandwich and pee soup. What a farce of a democracy.

2016 US elections are reminder US is not a real Democracy. Because in a real Democracy Republicans and Obama Democrats would be Voted out of Office. This can be mathematically proven!

Yesterday was the so called Super Tuesday Elections and it was yet again a reminder of what a FARCE the elections in US are. For our choices were between Utra right-wing War Monger Republicans and Utra right-wing War Monger Obama/Clinton Democrats. Yet Republicans are such lunatics, or playing such Con Job on US, to call the Utra right-wing War Monger Obama/Clinton to be "Liberal", "Left Wing", even "Socialist" & "Communist".

So lets face the facts: US elections are a Charade, a FIXED SCAM, because in a real election where Media is telling the Truth and Vote of People actually counts, then Republicans would be destroyed and Obama/Clinton Democrats would be on their last legs out. This can be mathematically proven, given the FACTS that these 2 parties have failed to put into place the most basic and necessary of Social services that ALL Developed Nations have, including Israel the BELOVED Nation of Republicans, Obama/Clinton Democrats & right-wing (Wall Street) Media. And on top of that, they waste our Lives & Money on War after War after War after War and a Gargantuan Military, using the most insane Fear Mongering lies known to Man.

To be exact, they 2 Parties have failed in putting place these essential Social services that all Developed Nations have:

* Government run Universal Socialized Single Payer Healthcare (NHS). Something so essential for the well being of a Nation that it is 100% supported by 100% of all Conservative parties in Europe, Canada, Australia, etc. developed Nations, including again Israel the BELOVED Nation of Republican Obama/Clinton Democrats & right-wing Media.

* Government funded Free or near Free, free for Taxes that People pay, College Education.

* Government funded Maternity leave, where a to be Mother receives 6 to 12 Months Paid leave at full pay, so that she can care for her new born free of fear of going bankrupt. And thus not Abort her Child out of fear of NO Healthcare and No Pay.

While these 2 Parties have supported one Waste of American People's lives & money after another, such as:

* War after War after War after War, at cost of Trillions of Dollars and killing of 1000s of American People. And they sell these Wars using Mountain of Fear Mongering lies and non-sense. Such as lies they said in 2002 to sell Iraq War due to WMD to Million time bigger lies today to sell Iraq & Syria War based on ISIS, etc.

* Gargantuan US Military budget, so Gargantuan that US Military budget is larger than Military budget of all Countries on Earth combined, while US economy is barely 15% of World economy.

Voting seems funkin' pointless.

Have a great weekend!

Soulive ->

Tags:

Open Thread

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Soulive

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Comments

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 7:53am

We can adapt. But we must start NOW.

I was going to try and make this into a blog posting, but it really wasn’t long enough to do so. I will post it here and hope we get some discussions going from it. I may be preaching to the choir here.... let's find out.

Yesterday BigAl wrote a great article here - “The Bank Owns This Property” - In the discussion he wrote this comment (bolding is mine)

“What I've been arguing is that we the serfs are not making progress here with Bernie, we're not on the cusp of anything new and revolutionary. The history of the chains on serfs is literally thousands of years, this is how the human race rolls. It's going to take something fantastic to change that. It's going to have to be a turning point for the human race, that's actually what we need. An evolution to a higher plane.”

Well, I hate to be a downer, but it is coming. It won’t be “fantastic” It will be painful for a majority of people. And it is coming at us like twin runaway trains. And the brakemen are asleep at the switch. Have been for decades.

Climate Change and Peak Resources (fossil fuels, mineral fuels, water, fertile land, etc.) are pretty much past their points of no return, and we are on the downhill slide. The momentum will only build from here.

And the changes will cause an evolutionary event in Humankind and all other living things on this Planet. Some will survive, those who can adapt will survive.

Those who can’t or won’t, will not.

We are past the point where anything we can do is going to stop the coming changes. But we CAN mitigate the pain and suffering…for a relative few. We can adapt in small groups and ride it out. We can start planning and building now for the future.

And we have to stop looking at governments to do it FOR us, because they cannot, and they won’t. Neither will the business class. When Rome finally fell, and the Dark Ages descended, people still lived and worked and made do with little and some thrived. Considering the level of ignorance (not stupidity) they innovated. They learned. For the times they lived in, in some places they actually lived well.

And we have an advantage now that they didn’t have. We have been educated. We can read. We have tools and ways of doing things they didn’t have. And, though some of us are spiritual and/or religious, we are not stupid and we are not superstitious to where we cannot accept science. We can build upon what those first survivors did and add our own knowledge to the mix.

We must start now in adapting. Yes, we go on pushing our “leaders” for change… but WE must change (and sacrifice) too, and far sooner than they ever will. Nothing good ever comes from the top…it grows up, from the bottom…just like good green shoots should.

We are approaching an evolutionary moment for Humankind. And those of us who want to survive it, must begin adapting. NOW.

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Submitted by rmwarnick on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:16am

Apocalypse not now

This isn't the end, or even the beginning of the end. Despite the wars that are going on, the world as a whole is enjoying peace. In my lifetime, our planet's population has more than doubled to 7 billion people. The consequences of that have not been as dire as predicted. Warnings about peak oil have been sounding for 30 years or more, but the fossil fuel industry remains competitive with alternative energy. Climate change is with us, and the human race will have to deal with widespread consequences such as sea level rise, more storms, and drought. All is not well, but I'm confident the Dark Ages won't return.

—

"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:56am

I think the people of the ME would disagree with you...

as do I.

We may not enter a Dark Ages per se... but we are going to see some horrific times to come.

"Warnings about peak oil have been sounding for 30 years or more, but the fossil fuel industry remains competitive with alternative energy."

Is THAT why we are scraping up sludge in the Alberta Tar Sands and melting it out of rock with fracking?

"In my lifetime, our planet's population has more than doubled to 7 billion people. The consequences of that have not been as dire as predicted."

Is THAT why thousands upon thousands of people go hungry everyday?

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Submitted by Sunspots on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:22am

Dark Ages people had some skills most of us don't

I'm reading recommendations to learn some of them, learn how to use hand tools, and how to care for small livestock and grow some food.

Permaculture is a good thing to learn and begin practicing, under whatever conditions we find ourselves: Self Care, Earth Care, People Care.

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:57am

EXACTLY!!!

I think the thinking of today that ancient peoples were stupid is so wrong... in many, many ways they were smarter or at least AS SMART as we are. Just in different ways.

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Submitted by rmwarnick on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:22am

Food for thought

I usually link to sources when I say things on a blog, but I was pressed for time earlier this morning. Here's some food for thought:

Michael Lind: The world is actually more peaceful than ever

If the world today is far safer than it was only a few decades ago, and generally more peaceful than it has ever been in human history, then why don’t we feel safer than we do? Partly it is because of the continuing genuine threat of terrorist incidents like the Boston bombing, which are unnerving because they can happen in places like our own neighborhoods, far from the few remaining war-torn regions of the earth. Partly it is the intrinsic sensationalism of the media, which prefers headlines about “the Long War against super-empowered terrorists” to “global political violence in historic decline.”

Russell Gold: Why Peak-Oil Predictions Haven’t Come True

For decades, it has been a doomsday scenario looming large in the popular imagination: The world’s oil production tops out and then starts an inexorable decline—sending costs soaring and forcing nations to lay down strict rationing programs and battle for shrinking reserves.

...But a growing tide of oil-industry experts argue that peak oil looks at the situation in the wrong way. The real constraints we face are technological and economic, they say. We’re limited not by the amount of oil in the ground, but by how inventive we are about reaching new sources of fuel and how much we’re willing to pay to get at it.

“Technology moves so quickly today that any looming resource constraint will be nothing more than a blip,” says petroleum economist Phil Verleger. “We adjust.”

Justin Fox: Why 'The Population Bomb' Bombed

Paul Ehrlich wrote the 1968 bestseller “The Population Bomb” which forecast the imminent breakdown of the world’s ability to feed itself.

First of all, half of Ehrlich’s prediction came true. He forecast in the book that global population, about 3.5 billion at the time, would double by 2005. He was only six years off on that -- world population hit 7 billion in 2011 -- which I figure counts as getting it right.

What Ehrlich famously got wrong was the planet’s carrying capacity. Sure, global population doubled. But thanks to the Green Revolution, per-acre grain yields went up much faster than that. The inflection point in global agricultural productivity, in fact, came just as Ehrlich was finishing his book.

Today, food waste is an issue -- not famine. People do go hungry, but that's a problem of food distribution not supply.

Bottom line is that we live in a peaceful world compared to most of human history, and technology has allowed 7 billion plus people to inhabit the Earth without running out of fossil fuels, water, or arable land. Predictions of imminent apocalypse have been proven wrong again and again.

Anyway, rejecting governmental solutions and going back to a subsistence economy would be like taking the right-wing YOYO (you're on your own) society to an extreme. If you abandon technology then the world's population will have to collapse and get a lot smaller. I like "The Walking Dead" as a TV show, but who wants to live like that?

BTW no, I don't support fracking. I see it as a problem, because cheap oil is slowing our transition to clean energy sources.

—

"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:05am

Well for one thing...

"...But a growing tide of oil-industry experts argue that peak oil looks at the situation in the wrong way."

What ELSE do you expect the oil industry experts to say? Experts told us that smoking was safe... that nuclear power was safe... that fracking is safe....Ad nauseam. Sorry, I cannot accept their propaganda anymore.

And right now I am not going to get into the "Green Revolution" other than to say it is harming far more than it has ever helped, and it us unsustainable.

—

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Submitted by Haikukitty on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:23am

I'm not at all confident they won't return

Everyone seems to think climate change is going to continue to be this nice slow change that we can adapt to. But that's not how extremely complex systems act when feedback loops get going.
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/abrupt/story2.html

According to ice cores, the Younger Dryas came on extremely abruptly, in a period of just a few years:
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/div/ocp/arch/examples.shtml

We are not at all prepared for that kind of change. Not even close. We can barely support the population of the planet now with our ideal climate.

Submitted by dkmich on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:16am

I don't know the answer.

Until we do, we need a shotgun approach. I think the left needs to quit voting for the Clintons and Obamas no matter how painful the alternative may be. If we can make them lose, they'll learn to watch their backs. In the meantime, how can the left be so ineffective if it is so smart? If the Tea Party is so dumb, why are they cleaning up? I'm done playing the establishments game. Nothing to replace it, but I'm done letting them use me. Same is true for dkos. I go there in the am to read the BNR. I refuse to click, rec or comment while I'm there, but I do read one or two things. I cannot believe the Bernie supporters still there letting themselves be abused.

delegate chart.jpg

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by Lisa Lockwood on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:46am

i'm working on it...

Meaning, I'm working on getting myself steeled up to not vote for Hillary, if it comes to that. Morally, in my soul I realize that this would probably mean a tRump presidency, and all the evil that entails. Real world suffering, real people suffering. Hell on earth, dogs and cats living together...
But hell, if the 1%ers Hillary represents 'know' they can count on 'us' voting for her and her type because in the end we'll hold our collective noses out of a real, and justifiable fear of what a tRump presidency would do to this country and the planet, then they will just keep on winning, and change cannot and will not happen. Why would anything change as long as they keep getting elected out of fear? As long as 'they' know that, in the end, they can win because they're a little bit less evil, then where's the impetus to even listen to us, much less change course? They'll just keep on incrementalizing us to death, and we'll keep on eating shit sandwiches because it's a little bit better than a full on sewer soup.
So, I have some deep soul searching to do.

—

"When the powerless are shut out of the media, we will make the media irrelevant" ~Anonymous~

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:58am

Me too.... me too.... :-/

"So, I have some deep soul searching to do."

—

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Submitted by Sunspots on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:27am

Hillary did some horrific things as Secretary of State

Would she decide she could bully Russia? What other countries would she decide to attack? Would she really not support the big corporations who've been flooding her with money?

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:32am

Only "good" thing is, she stays bought

So if you know who bought her favor, you know what she'll do.

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 2:20pm

The US and NATO are already bullying Russia

Not much has been written about it of course, but they are building up troops in countries that surround Russia. The reason for this escaped me, but I have the link on my ipad and will try to post it later. The dogs have decided that we need to go for a walk RIGHT NOW.

And of course she is going to support those corporations that gave her money. She will appoint the same people Bill and Obama did to her cabinet.
Hell, Obama appointed Holder as head of the DOJ knowing that he came from a law firm that defended the banks. Did he think that holder would go against his old law firm where he now back at?
Sure he fined them a few million, but they had made billions in profits and never had to admit any wrong doing. And no one was charged with the fraud they committed.

—

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

Submitted by rmwarnick on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 1:06pm

There will be only 7 battleground states

There will be only 7 battleground states in the 2016 presidential election. I've written this in blog comments so often I have them memorized: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Virginia. Another way to put it is that this election has already been decided in 43 states and the District of Columbia.

Unless you cast your vote in one of the 7 swing states, there's no need to agonize over the "lesser evil" question. By all means vote, third parties and local candidates need you!

—

"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Submitted by Shahryar on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 3:12pm

those who don't like us will never agree with us

if we vote for Hillary and she wins we'll be ignored. They'll have proof they can abuse.

if we vote for Hillary and she loses we'll be blamed, no matter what the evidence is. As we all know, 60,000 Dems crossed to vote for Nader in Florida while 300,000 Dems voted for Bush. The 300,000 are never castigated.

if we don't vote for Hillary and she wins we'll be ignored because not enough of us didn't vote for her. We'll be seen as ultra fringe-y, too slim a group to be considered.

if we don't vote for Hillary and she loses we'll be villified. Instead of rationally thinking that Hillary might be/might have been a poor candidate to represent the members of the Democratic Party, those who run things will consider us the problem.

In general a Hillary win confirms that they're on the right track. A Hillary loss will mean they need to move further right, becoming as Mussolini-like as the new President.

I think I'll try to make one "convert" a day, see if that helps.

Submitted by Caerus on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:34am

Many agree with you

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/elections-2016-florida-voters-anti-donald-tr...

Submitted by orlbucfan on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 6:03pm

Reponse

America, Where are You now?
Don't You Care about Your Sons
and Daughters?
Don't You know We Need You Now...
We Can't Fight Alone
Against the Monster!
--Steppenwolf

This 2016 choice for POTUS is the worse garbage I have ever seen.

Bern**Baby**Bern!!

—

Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:19am

Real change will come with a redirection of human motivation

Right now everyone's caught up in the Big Capitalist Game. Spend your life pandering after money, and die with the most toys. If you want people to "save the earth" you must convince them that "saving the earth" is more important than what they're currently doing.

—

"there's something so especially sadistic about waving the flag of a country that you're actively destroying" -- Aaron Mate

Submitted by dkmich on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:27am

I love you Cass, but we can't even get Bernie elected.

Maybe we have to "evolve" into it, but I think we're out of time.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by Sunspots on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:48am

Don't write him off yet

Don't buy their propaganda. He's come from much further behind already. Halfway there, he's close enough that "they" finally have to acknowledge him. This discouragement is why they scheduled the red states first. It's the response they wanted from us.

Submitted by crescentmoon on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 12:28pm

I believe we are being played

I believe we are being played with the same old fear mongering tactics that somehow always cows us. Personally, my gut tells me that Trump's rantings are mainly theatrics. What we actually believes is anyone's game. What we do know is that the Clintons and the Trumps are friends and that Trump has contributed to Clinton's foundations and to previous campaigns. Fall in line sheep. Trump is the scary fascist. And now he is spewing misogynistic comments at the female candidate. All you good feminists need to be appalled. You must stand with Hillary. I see Trump as the theatrical representation of fascism to scare us into falling in line behind the candidate who represents the incremental march toward actual American style fascism. We are being played. Keep the faith and keep supporting Bernie. I believe the Trump rally violence is the reason Bernie did not win Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. Fearmongering works.

Submitted by rmwarnick on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 1:10pm

Bill Clinton denies calling up Trump and asking him to run

"Did you call Donald Trump and ask him to run for president of the United States?" Stephen Colbert asked during an interview with Clinton on "The Late Show" ...

"No. No," the former president said, to which Colbert responded: "Because that would be pretty smart, man."
Clinton's response: "Yeah. Yeah, I get credit for doing a lot of things I didn't do like that."

—

"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:59am

And THAT is where the sacrafices come into play...

and somehow we have to show that living without "stuff" is not only a good life, it is a BETTER life.

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Submitted by gulfgal98 on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:08am

This is exactly where we are at right now

and still most people do not get it, including nearly everyone I know. Capitalism will not save us.

If you want people to "save the earth" you must convince them that "saving the earth" is more important than what they're currently doing.

The earth will be just fine in the grand scheme of things. What will not be fine is its habitability. Most people think of climate change as something in the distant future. But the velocity of climate change is far exceeding even the most pessimistic of predictions and it is now. I think if the framing were changed, maybe more people will get it.

—

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Submitted by hester on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:21am

great comment. imho

it's long enough for it's own essay.

—

Don't believe everything you think.

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:07am

Thanks! Considering the response I have gotten here...

I am working on a longer post.

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Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:50am

There are forces operating beyond our control.

You guys would think I'm crazy if I gave you my actual thoughts, based on readings and my own intuitions, because it's probably too "new agey," so I'll just tell you the steps we are taking.
We own 21 acres. We are self-sustaining, solar and wind. We catch 2700 gallons of water, when we get moisture in this desert, but need to get more tanks to catch off roof space not yet guttered. Living in rural America, we have our own well, which is not producing well because of the crops being raised for our disastrous decision to sustain dairy farms in the desert.
We are considering getting some shipping containers and burying them, creating a livable space underground.
We are growing more and more of our own food - inside during the winter. It's working.
Unless Bernie is elected POTUS, it won't matter if it is Drumpf or HRC. We will be screwed either way, so stop fearing Drumpf. I will write in Bernie, if he is not the nominee, no matter what. My vote will express MY voice. I will no longer bend over for the establishment.

—

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Submitted by Haikukitty on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:06am

I wouldn't think you are crazy

Not at all. But I've been accused of being "new-agey" myself.

If I had the ability to grow my own food and capture my own energy, I certainly would. Unfortunately, I can't economically afford to do so and it pisses me off. I would like nothing better than to be as self-sufficient as possible. Unfortunately, where I live now, I can't even get rooftop solar because of the tree coverage. But I am pleased to see rooftop solar panels popping up like weeds everywhere around here.

Someday, in the next few years, I hope to move out to WV/PA in the mountains, but we're not even close to being there yet.

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:15am

If you think you sound "New Agey"....

Just wait till you read my soon to be published journal (I am not using "diary" here)....

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Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:32am

I like journal.

I journal, regularly. Great idea.
Are you going to talk about moving dimensions of consciousness? That's what I'm referring to.

—

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Submitted by mhagle on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:54am

Not crazy - just connecting the dots!

Good for you! Solar, wind, and collecting water! Wow. You are just connecting the dots on climate change. You are the sane one - the rest of us are crazy for not doing it too! If Bernie doesn't get elected, we are screwed.

Have you read about earth ships? They are houses built in the ground from many scrap materials that are self-sustaining. Burying shipping containers might do the trick too.

http://earthship.com/

We live on 60 acres in Texas. Currently growing tomatoes and peppers in my greenhouse in the winter and mostly cold weather crops outside now. The last two years the growing season outside was only a month long due to the polar vortex and 100 degree summers. The two years before that, the grasshoppers ate everything to the ground. I am with you . . . because of climate change you almost have to grow your garden in a controlled environment. Since this year so far is much hotter, I have some warm weather crops already going outside. Hope it doesn't freeze again!

I like what these guys are doing . . . http://www.pharmpods.com/solution
Also, I think a shipping container could be perfect for mushrooms.

You are living my dream. My husband - a really great guy - just doesn't feel the need to be self-sustaining. I hope he will eventually evolve on this issue. He helps me a lot with my gardening projects, so that is cool.

We have 4 shipping containers on site. 2 are workshops, 1 for storage, and 1 is a music studio. I love them.

Thanks for sharing.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by mimi on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 12:41pm

I don't think you are crazy either

just how many people do you think would be able to buy 21 acres and build that up what you have, all by themselves?

Not understanding much of anything, the thing that gets me most upset is that corporations are allowed to buy land and take it all away from people who used to be small farmers. I get upset about construction companies, who are allowed to buy huge chunks of land and put up housing and malls, THEY think are for the good of the people. Most of these developments are not at all good for the people. They are soulless, profit-generating, class inducing tools to enslave its future owners or tenants to THEIR thinking. They shouldn't be allowed to buy that much land. How many small businesses and small farmers are killed out their livelihoods, just because they can't own land on their own anymore and can't create their own small businesses.

Small farmers and small craftsmanship businesses, small factories are all killed by huge corporations and banks, networked and enabled by the internet technology. They own the land and the technology, and they shouldnt. Now it's a fight to use the internet to give back what the little people have lost in independence by owning their own little piece of property, land and businesses, to them. They shout out digitally, are heard, and nobody gives a damn about it. Corporations own the internet and they own the media to manipulate your little people's voices and suffocate them.

It's no fun. Most people don't own land and don't own their small businesses. In many regions of the world, the little local people lose their land to huge corporations, who on top of stealing their land, also pollute it and poison the local population.

You have to be able to decentralize the power and the technology away from international corporation and give it back to the local little people. The little people will organize also digitally to make their own decentralized businesses successful without growing into the same shitty huge corporate powers that they have to fight. The little people so far have always survived overall, going through one enslavement and disaster after the next. So far somehow enough of us survived.

The climate change apocalypse is also used to manipulate our thinking.

I liked dkmich saying she refused to "be used". Spot on.

Submitted by UntimelyRippd on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:26pm

An example of why I had to leave dailyKos due to

the time-suck it was for me: I wrote an off-hand comment regarding the California drought and the folly of growing lettuce in the desert. Rather quickly I got pushback (and not particularly polite pushback as I recall) from a Californian: "we don't grow lettuce in the desert".

so I pissed away the better part of an afternoon reading California Department of Agriculture reports discussing the climate classifications of various parts of California, and the crops found in each of the regions.

and of course, the Californian was wrong, and I was right. whoop de doo for me. the lettuce planting continues nonetheless. Evidently, there are some Californians who drive through those green fields and don't even realize they are in a desert. They just reckon 8 annual inches of rain is "normal" for an agricultural center.

—

The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

Submitted by dkmich on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:09am

Good morning everyone...

Waking up to a beautiful sunny morning. Then the world sets in.

Obama Stresses Need to Curb Entitlements While Skirting Details

President Barack Obama said the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid is creating “huge problems” for the nation’s finances that must be dealt with “in a serious way.” He’s just not taking the first step.

Endless money for endless war, but we can't afford health care. Obama was the one that expanded Medicaid. Clintons and Obama - worst than Bush/Cheney.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:14am

Cheese

Everytime Conservatives attack SNAP and WIC I have a WTF moment. FU kids, hunger builds character!

—

The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -

Submitted by jiordan on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:35am

Why does no one ever stress the need to curb

our random killing of innocent civilians around the globe?

Always, always we need to take food, clothing and shelter from the poor, sick and elderly in this country because they've--what--got it so easy? But never do we need to NOT build a bomb and take the savings to vaccinate kids, or NOT build an aircraft carrier and put the savings back in the Social Security trust fund it was stolen from (wasn't that another gift from Ronnie the Annointed?).

And the Very Serious People who nod along on television and intone that yes, this whole giving people food and healthcare is bankrupting our nation...frosts my ass.

Submitted by ghotiphaze on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:43am

When I hear 'entitlements'

I think of the folks in my house. The people putting their muddy boots on the furniture. Slopping cheeseburgers, lasagne, and red wine on the carpet and couch. They blow their nose on the drapes and wipe their ass with the hand towels. They overboil the sauce pan and empty the fridge before leaving it open. And after all that, not even consider putting cash toward rent.

Yes, I'm talking about energy and banking industries. If you're going to trash my house rent free, at least quit robbing my piggy bank.

—

There is no such thing as TMI. It can always be held in reserve for extortion.

Submitted by Sunspots on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:57am

Damn it, we PAID, and pay, for those "entitlements"

over our whole working lives! FICA got to be a larger deduction from my paycheck than state taxes. And Medicare isn't free - just a reduced price for limited coverage, so you still need to pay for supplemental insurances.

We worked so hard to help elect that rotten bastard, and he immediately turned on us.

Submitted by Haikukitty on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 12:10pm

Yep, we were played...

Well and truly. But I imagine that's why so many more people see through Hillary now.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 2:21pm

Yep, watch for Hillary, if she wins, to lead the charge on that.

—

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

Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:10am

Amen

—

Submitted by jiordan on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:12am

I'm not certain

this planet will be able to sustain human life for much longer. And I'm not certain that's a bad thing..but the question tends to paralyze me sometimes. This is the only planet we have, and no matter how much money the elites have, if there's no food, they'll starve and die like the rest of us...later than the rest of us, perhaps, but in a society where everything is broken down to survival, money won't be relevant.

And if we're on a slow, spinning ride to oblivion, does it really matter if we bomb ourselves out of existence before the planet cooks us all?

When I ponder questions like that, the Southern Strategy, Ronald M'fer Reagan, Bush, Clinton, the Establishment...they all seem like chairs rearranged on the deck of the Titanic.

Sorry, that's a downer of a way to start the day, but I had a rough week at work and I'm just now getting back on my feet. Truthfully, by Monday afternoon I wanted the world to burn to a cinder...better now, but still going through recovery

Submitted by dkmich on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:19am

I feel your pain.

I've been pretty grumpy all week too. You know the elites will be the last to go. They'll take your food and water without batting an eye. Boy, are we a cheerful pair.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by Lisa Lockwood on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:51am

Someone on GOS made a comment yesterday

that fits here. It was something about seeing a cartoon, in which Hillary is crowing that she's 'kept the lights on', and the visual is a picture of the Titanic sinking, one end higher than the other as the low end sinks into the sea, with all the ship board lights blazing brightly....
I feel your pain.

—

"When the powerless are shut out of the media, we will make the media irrelevant" ~Anonymous~

Submitted by PastorAgnostic on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:52am

there is a natural rhythm to life.

Cyclical, repetitive, endless. It happens in every field, including social and political spheres.

For the past 20-25 years, conservatism has been all the rage. So were conservative christian cults and sects. Both are receding at an increasing rate, ebbing from their roles in shaping and forcing American decisions and values. What Newt and Saint Ronnie started and shaped, W, NeoConMen (and Hillary), and TeaBuggerers have effectively destroyed. People are turning away from their bad, very bad, and horrific ideas, and moving to more rational positions.

One example - religion. Conservative christians made a pact with conservative GOPers. They even had meetings where they laid out their plans. The Moral Majority, top billionaires and millionaires, and GOP leaders sat and plotted America's take-over. They actually succeeded. For a time.

Today, that marriage from hell is in shambles. Each side blames the other for not listening to them, not working in conjunction with their "brilliant" ideas. Instead, the TeaBuggered movement is dead in its tracks. It has pockets of brain-dead believers, but overall, their policies, their political games, and their underlying "Drown govmint in a tub" basis for being hit a dead end.

Today, the christian coalition is looking at its empty pews, seeing mega churches go BK, listen to the yute of the country proclaim IN PUBLIC that they are atheist, agnostic, humanist, or non-affiliated. They have reached the same dead end as the Teabuggerers, and probably for similar reasons.

Political parties are also decaying, as shown by the GOP being stuck with a three No Trump bid, while holding 13 clubs and no way to lead them. Hillary, to some extent, shows the flaws and fractures in the Democratic side. Both are terribly flawed and dangerous candidates, and both managed to manipulate the shells of the parties into this Hobson's choice from Hell.

But the thing about rhythms, cycles, and natural progression, we can say this: It was bound to happen. Excess is always replaced by moderation, and the pendulum swings the other way. Excessive religious overtones in political speeches will give way to open atheists seeking office AND WINNING. Excessive TeaBuggerism leads to moderates and progressives seeking office AND WINNING.
It may not happen as quickly as we would like, but it is happening.

Here's another example. For a time, Fox News was the station for conservatives. Because of their "popularity," that meant that everyone watched it, even moderates. It made and broke politicians. It championed bad socio-economic policies as the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Today, its viewership is limited to folks 10-30 years older than I, white, grey-haired or bald, fat, lazy, unread, uneducated, unable to accept change, underwear sporting, beer guzzling, bible beating, gun fondling morons. Fox is losing viewers as fast as MSNBC, but for Fox, it is because their viewers are dying off. Another news entity will pop up, probably not cable related, and most likely far more liberal and progressive than anything out there. Because the cycle that governs news and entertainment has passed its conservative phase and is shifting left.

Submitted by Sunspots on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:40am

We need local self-sufficiency as much & as fast as possible

Look for low-tech ways to take care of yourself and a few other people. It will help with bills if nothing changes (!), and it can be very satisfying (growing things, raising small livestock, learning new skills). Helps slow down global warming a little, too. As the Mormons argue, a year's stock of food would help a lot if you suddenly found yourself unemployed.

But also keep trying to change the system.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 2:22pm

Micro grids, community gardens, buying co-ops are all

good starting points.

—

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

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:06am

I hear you...and have been where you are....

But....I honestly do not think we are facing an extinction event. Will Humankind be "downsized".... yes... definitely. But LIFE always finds a way to maintain. And Humankind IS adaptable. It is our greatest strength. So I have LOTS of hope. Again, like I said before. Those who choose to pay attention and start adapting NOW, will survive as will those around them. Those who don't or won't.... well, they will go the way of the dinosaurs.

—

Please help the Resilience Resource Library grow by adding your links.

First Nations News

Submitted by Haikukitty on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:09am

I feel the same way

Try not to give into despair - but people don't realize, at all, how quickly things will go down if the climate changes enough to interfere with the giant crop-growing areas of the midwest. People almost no longer realize that food still has to be grown, and still depend on weather.

Its all so depressing, and we are supposed to be an intelligent species.... ha!

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:51am

Worse still, Imperial Valley, CA

A really shocking percentage of our food comes from that tiny area between the Salton Sea and the Mexican border. It's intensively irrigated hot desert, sucking up every drop of what's left of the Colorado River by the time it reaches that point, and the runoff is directed through two heavily polluted rivers to the Salton Sea - from which it just evaporates, leaving toxic salts behind.

If anything goes wrong - if the Colorado flow falls so low that the irrigation can't be maintained, and/or if the toxic residue burden becomes so high that agriculture can't continue, OR if there's another monster Colorado flood like the one that created the Salton Sea in the first place - well, a minor consequence is that you can forget about having strawberries year-round at an affordable price.

Next time you're at the supermarket, check the fine print on your veggies and see how many of them have "CA" as a point of origin. They probably come from Imperial Valley.

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by PastorAgnostic on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:21am

Economically, we will never run out of fossil fuels,

The only reason that oil prices have crashed is because demand is down. Demand is down because incrementally renewable sources are becoming an important factor, every time I drive thru Ill in noise, I see more wind power. The wind farms also grow corn, soy and other crops.

Oil is losing its appeal. Coal is dead meat, and its RIP date is coming sooner than expected because of debt and Bain Capital. They gambled and took on so much debt that they bankrupted themselves. Peabody was a monster in energy, until their brilliant bleeder-ship got so greedy and made a huge bet. They lost, and will soon lose their company. It could not happen to a more deserving company.

Pity the workers and pensioners get screwed, though.

Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:35am

I wouldn't say that

One of our problems is cost analysis methodology. If public health costs and ecological costs are factored in, then carbon based fuels do not make sense. What we really need is better control of lobbying, campaign finance and the levers of power that allow coal and oil to undermine alternative fuels.

—

Submitted by PastorAgnostic on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:47am

good point.

The built in corporate welfare for Big Oil, Gas, Coal and nukes is astounding, when you consider the immense profits they brought home. The whole system is ass backwards.

In one way, it reminds me of that incredible decision by a governor.

Alabama’s Republicans have worked tirelessly to prevent their citizens from making a living wage – but as usual, those rules don’t apply to themselves. Governor Robert Bentley recently banned his state’s cities from increasing the minimum wage – but just gave four of his cabinet members a colossal $73,405 raise. That’s a staggering 80% raise from their previous $91,000 a year salaries. Alabama’s 1.8 million workers make an average of $39,180, the 37th lowest in the nation.

The Alabama Political Reporter announced that “Alcoholic Beverage Control Board Administrator Mac Gipson, Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Jim Byard, Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee and Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling each received massive raises of $73,405 per year. Medicaid Commissioner Stephanie Azar received a $64,008 raise.”

The hypocrisy is astounding. The very same Republican legislator who proposed the law which allowed the governor to raise cabinet salaries, Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur), just proposed a different bill that would deny food stamps and temporary financial assistance to families who own a car. He also voted for the bill (HB 174) that prevented the city of Birmingham from raising their minimum wage from $8.50 to $10.10.

http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/03/17/blocking-2-85-minimum-wage-raise-r...

I realize that this is Alabama, and it is hard to find people who argue that the state has left the 19th century, but still. Do they try to piss off those in need on purpose?

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:56am

I love that pic of Bush/HRC at Nancy's funeral.

It speaks volumes. It is shouting at us, ENOUGH US ENOUGH! It emboldens me to write in Bernie in November, if he is not the nominee. I have the courage of my convictions to follow through.

—

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Submitted by mimi on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 1:01pm

to me it shouts out something different

it shouts out that the poster of that image abuses a specific frame of a video clip that caught that moment of Clinton and Bush interactions for manipulative purposes. Or not the poster of that image, but the person who cut out that frame out of a publicly available video feed and posts it on the internet. It's thereafter used to manipulate persons in the context of whatever thread it has been posted.

Visuals are highly manipulative to one's feelings. It's used. One of TOP's changes over there is the distinct emphasis they put on their visuals on top of any diary they write there. I call that abusive usage of visuals for the purpose of manipulating feelings of the readers.

If people were as responsible with visuals as they are with their verbal expressions, it would help a lot. Visuals are good to have, if they can prove some facts (which often they don't - therefore I am a fan of old photos, that hopefully don't get photo shopped into lying visuals for PR purposes).

Just saying.

Submitted by Unabashed Liberal on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 1:33pm

The Bushes and Clintons spend time together at Kennebunkport

(at least) every summer.

About two years ago, I posted a C-Span video of Barbara Bush glowingly saying that 'all her boys' refer to WJC as 'a Brother, by another Mother.'

Some of the two families' political hacks co-founded 'No Labels.' Part of the mission was to annoint FSC and Jeb as the two legacy parties' nominees, in order to carry out this organization's agenda.

(Which is to balance the budget by cutting taxes for corporations and 'the wealthy, offset by slashing entitlements.)

This was a good plan, (if it had worked) because neither of them (FSC or Jeb) would have attacked the other, due to their close family ties.

Also, their candidacies would also have 'neutralized' the family aristocracy/legacy meme.

Unfortunately, enough of the Dem Party Base is either too malleable, or flat-out so propagandized, and therefore, too low information, for any of this to make a difference.

*Sigh*

IMHO, this photo needs to be re-tweeted and reposted, ad naseum, to wake up those 'disengaged' Dem Party voters who keep on electing corporatist neoliberals, and then wonder, 'What happened to the Democratic Party?'

Have a good one!

Mollie at C99P & Daily Kos
elinkarlsson@WordPress

"We must stop looking for our salvation in strong leaders. Strong people, as Ella Baker said, do not need strong leaders. Politicians, even good politicians, play the game of compromise and are too often seduced by the privileges of power.

. . . Integrity and courage are powerful weapons. We have to learn how to use them."--Chris Hedges, Author, Journalist, Activist

—

Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 2:37pm

To some extent, that is strategic. Look at mining company

history in this country and you see the same pattern. Near the end, the officers, execs and shareholders, often times heavily overlapping, bleed it dry with bonus, dividends, high interest rate insider loans, and the like and then declare bankruptcy and walk away from it.

—

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

Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:30am

I agree

Not only is it likely we have reached the global warming tipping point, but it is likely to accelerate. Then there is potable water, superbugs, genetic engineering gone awry, annihilation of the soil biosphere, extermination of the bees, death of the birds, rise of the insects, violent weather, death of the oceans, ...

—

Submitted by Sunspots on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:45am

We know there are tipping points

We just don't know exactly where/when they are. As bad as climate events have been lately, tipping points tend to be sudden and catastrophic.

Submitted by Martha Pearce-Smith on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:13am

Some think we have already past it.

2015 a 'tipping point' for climate change: experts
January 18, 2016 by Marlowe Hood

—

Please help the Resilience Resource Library grow by adding your links.

First Nations News

Submitted by mhagle on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 6:27pm

The tipping point is past . . .

That was a great link. Thanks!

I read the many articles, especially about catastrophic warming in the arctic, where scientists say this is true. But I also see it all around me in Navarro County, Texas. We have had 4 (coming into a 5th) major climate change events in the past five years.

2011 - The summer of heat, drought, and wildfires followed by a warm winter
2012 - At my home, we lost hundreds of Soapberry Trees to the Mexican Soapberry Borer Beetle as confirmed by the Texas Forestry Service Scientists. The previous warm summer and winter allowed them to swarm.
2014, 2015 - The Polar Vortex brought extremely cold temperatures to Texas, reducing the growing season for vegetable gardens to about one month. Also, the winter wheat crops failed due to cold weather.
2015 - 80 inches of rain. The annual average rainfall dating back to the mid 1800s was 34.5 inches. We broke the daily record 3 times. The winter wheat seeds washed away last fall giving us another crop failure. (Winter wheat is one of the most dependable crops grown here. I had never seen a failure before last spring.)
2016 - This is a very warm winter. Temps are in the high 80s in March. Does this mean it will be in the 90s in April, 100s in May, 110s in June, and 120s in July? Hope not!

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by hester on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:35am

seems like those apple engineers may quit

rather than comply with a court order.

“If someone attempts to force them to work on something that’s outside their personal values, they can expect to find a position that’s a better fit somewhere else,” said Window Snyder, the chief security officer at the start-up Fastly and a former senior product manager in Apple’s security and privacy division.

“In the hierarchy of civil disobedience, a computer scientist asked to place users at risk has the strongest claim that professional obligations prevent compliance,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “This is like asking a doctor to administer a lethal drug.”

The gov't has tried this before. Lavabit refused to comply w a gov't order to give their digital encryption code to them when they were trying to take down Edward Snowden. Rather than comply with the $10,000.00/day fine, they shut their doors.
It's a form of civil disobedience with which I concur and am familiar (in another realm). Good for them.

—

Don't believe everything you think.

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:58am

They must stay strong.

It's time the people are protected.

—

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Submitted by Steve15 on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 1:16pm

I've been thinking about Apple's options

The best one I have come up with so far is to update the OS with an optional "self destruct" feature that would wipe the data from the phone if a user selected password were not entered every so often. Of course, there is another possibility I haven't seen discussed. I find it interesting that the NSA is opposing the FBI on this. I wonder about the possibility of a super secret back door that has not been revealed to anyone including law enforcement and is only available to a very select few.

Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:39am

It's all a bunch of noise and show

Edward Snowden: FBI's claim it needs Apple to unlock iPhone is 'bull****'

—

Submitted by dkmich on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 8:57am

I think Clinton and Obama

are responsible for the Tea Party. What real alternative for dissection is there? Tea Party is so determined to have a revolution, they'll cut off their noses to spite their face. The left? Ha, what a self-serving joke.

—

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Submitted by gulfgal98 on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:42am

I agree

The Democratic party as a whole has abandoned the idea of serving the people in favor of the monied interests. That left a vacuum of anger that the Tea Party has pounced upon and co-opted. Even though the Tea Party does not offer solutions, they do offer an outlet for the anger.

—

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Submitted by hecate on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:07am

i'm confused

as to why people speak of anger as if it's somehow okay. Psychologists will tell you "anger is a corrosive emotion that can run off with your mental and physical health." There's nothing good about it. Nothing positive is achieved or attained through anger. In my own life, I can't think of a single time anger brought me, or anyone else, any benefit, at all.

Submitted by gulfgal98 on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 11:44am

On a personal level, I agree

But when people see everything they worked for in their lives slipping away and their circumstances getting worse, they look for someone or something to blame. It is basic human nature. Instead of using the critical thinking skills that we used to be taught in school, they latch on the most overt and convenient outlet. The Tea Party has been that outlet and now in the Presidential campaign, Trump is that outlet. His supporters are the poorest and least educated of all of the Presidential campaigns.

—

Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Submitted by Sunspots on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 12:10pm

Anger can fuel resistance to evils

In that sense, it's a survival mechanism. Would it be better to not care, and just accept wrongs?

Submitted by Haikukitty on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 12:15pm

I don't think anger is always negative

There's anger that leads one to positive action in order to change the situation. That's healthy, I think. As long as the anger doesn't outlive the action taken.

Then there's that simmering, resentful anger that looks for someone, anyone to blame. They really are two different things, but English is not the best language for expressing subtleties.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 12:21pm

Anger is the perception of injustice/unfairness

Unfocused anger is bad, because it doesn't do anything but create a negative state of mind in which anyone can be the target.

Anger at a specific thing, person, or action is much better, because it spurs action. Just need to ensure that the action is appropriate to the offense.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Indrasnet on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 1:52pm

Gandhi Quote on Anger as a Constructive Force

This is on my fridge in a place of honor:

"Healthy discontent is the prelude to progress."

-- Mohandas Gandhi

Submitted by hecate on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 5:03pm

discontent

is not anger.

Submitted by NCTim on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 9:46am

I think Mercury poisoning is responsible for The Tea Party

—

Submitted by hecate on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 10:00am

jill lepore

is a Harvard historian who focuses on the Founding era. When the teabaggers arrived, she went out and moved among them, uniquely qualified to compare them with the people they claimed to emulate. The result was a fascinating book called The Whites Of Their Eyes. She determined that the baggers came together because, to them, "everything about Barack Obama and his administration [is] somehow alarming, as if his election had ripped a tear in the fabric of time." The baggers wrapped themselves in the mantle of the American Revolution, because "nothing trumps the Revolution," and this "conferred upon a scattered, diffuse, and confused movement a degree of legitimacy and the appearance, almost, of coherence."

She also wrote this:

In 2010, nationwide polls reported that people who identified themselves as sympathetic with the Tea Party were overwhelmingly white, although estimates varied, and the Tea Party didn’t appear to be much whiter than, say, the Republican Party. Whatever else had drawn people into the movement, some of it, for some people, was probably discomfort with the United States' first black president, because he was black. But it wasn't the whiteness of the Tea Party that I found most striking. It was the whiteness of their Revolution. The Founding Fathers were the whites of their eyes, a fantasy of an America before race, without race. There were very few black people in the Tea Party, but there were no black people at all in the Tea Party's eighteenth century. Nor, for that matter, were there any women, aside from Abigail Adams, and no slavery, poverty, ignorance, insanity, sickness, or misery. Nor was there any art, literature, sex, pleasure, or humor. There were only the Founding Fathers with their white wigs, wearing their three-cornered hats, in their Christian nation, revolting against taxes, and defending their right to bear arms.

In eighteenth-century America, I wouldn't have been able to vote. I wouldn't have been able to own property, either. I'd very likely have been unable to write, and, if I survived childhood, chances are that I'd have died in childbirth. And, no matter how long or short my life, I'd almost certainly have died without having once ventured a political opinion preserved in any historical record. Except that none of these factors has any meaning or bearing whatsoever on whether an imaginary eighteenth-century me would have supported the Obama administration's stimulus package or laws allowing the carrying of concealed weapons or the war in Iraq. Because I did not live in eighteenth-century America, and no amount of thinking that I could, not even wearing petticoats, a linsey-woolsey calico smock, and a homespun mobcap, can make it so.

"What would the founders do?" is, from the point of view of historical analysis, an ill-considered and unanswerable question, and pointless, too. Jurists and legislators need to investigate what the framers meant, and some Christians make moral decisions by wondering what Jesus would do, but no NASA scientist decides what to do about the Hubble by asking what Isaac Newton would make of it. People who ask what the founders would do quite commonly declare that they know, they know, they just know what the founders would do and, mostly, it comes to this: if only they could see us now, they would be rolling over in their graves. They might even rise from the dead and walk among us. We have failed to obey their sacred texts, holy writ. They suffered for us, and we have forsaken them. Come the Day of Judgment, they will damn us.

That's not history. It's not civil religion, the faith in democracy that binds Americans together. It's not originalism or even constitutionalism. That's fundamentalism.

Submitted by mimi on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 3:46pm

Bernie walks out of an interview in Phoenix - Great !!

I hope he is showing it to some smug reporters over and over.

Sanders defended his wife against a**hole Arpaio and I like that. Have a look. I saw Sander's wife being in the tent city I think through a video link in the BNR.
Have a look at the actual interview:
Ahead of Phoenix rally, Sanders abruptly ends 12 News interview

The comments at TOP to this short diary over there are more telling than anything else I have seen there.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Fri, 03/18/2016 - 3:54pm

Would you accept a role as vice president...

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them

I'm starting to get a feel that the Hillary Campaign and their surrogates are actually REALLY fucking worried. As in "What do we have to OFFER this guy to get him to drop out?"

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.