tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post2231478179351648206..comments2024-03-28T14:52:13.218-05:00Comments on Stonekettle Station: The Latter Days of a Better Nation, Part IIJim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-87517605189248336542016-08-13T18:07:43.012-05:002016-08-13T18:07:43.012-05:00Thank you for this! You. Are. Awesome. Need more i...Thank you for this! You. Are. Awesome. Need more independent, critical thinking people like you where I live... it's getting scary. Beck Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12305946833924790523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-41599379138351251182016-07-22T16:39:58.395-05:002016-07-22T16:39:58.395-05:00I can't believe that we have to wait 7 years f...I can't believe that we have to wait 7 years for the SLS rockets to come online. I want the flying cars and orbital hotels I was promised in grade school (in the 60's) dammit.<br /><br />Fear and scapegoating is a time-proven method of perverting the short attention span of America, just the idea that the HUAC should be reconstituted sends a cold shiver down my spine. I'm not afraid of the snake oil they're peddling, I only truly fear the fearmongers themselves. It's like the barely-cold zombied carcass of Dick Cheney has stumbled back into the room slurring "be 'fraid" while frantically trying to push a long-disconnected threat level orange button.<br /><br />They've sold us out before. <br />I know they'll sell us out again if we let them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-628941688766415522016-04-14T15:13:19.173-05:002016-04-14T15:13:19.173-05:00Correction. In the paragraph that starts:
You know...Correction. In the paragraph that starts:<br />You know, I once saw a man beat the hell out of a woman. <br /><br />3rd sentence: He chased her *out out* of a building...<br />Comma between or was only 1 intended?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-28296952427274168972016-03-31T18:33:54.988-05:002016-03-31T18:33:54.988-05:00Good reading post. Thank for share with usGood reading post. Thank for share with usWhite noise systemhttp://www.hubnames.com/health-beauty/best-white-noise-machine-reviews/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-27238866364520470392016-03-22T20:51:11.879-05:002016-03-22T20:51:11.879-05:00That just isn’t true. She is and has always been ...That just isn’t true. She is and has always been distinguishable from the GOP. She has spent a life time fighting for better education, healthcare, equality and the environment. Look at her voting record while in the senate. Look at the bills she sponsored and cosponsored. Based on her voting record she was more liberal than 85% of senate. She sponsored bills that were aimed at improving education, healthcare and the environment. Bernie was standing behind her way back when she tried to get universal healthcare and had to settle for insuring millions of children through CHIPS. The rest is all right wing conspiracy and talking points created to attack her. Bernie and Hillary agree on 93% of the issues. Both candidates would make fine leaders for this country and both are FAR better than the alternatives.Jennifernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-74143170290146068452016-03-16T18:21:37.390-05:002016-03-16T18:21:37.390-05:00It may not count for much, but my vote will be cas...It may not count for much, but my vote will be cast for a Libertarian candidate. I don't expect the world to change overnight, but I can go to bed and sleep peacefully knowing that I have voted my conscience.grumpyone99https://www.blogger.com/profile/09215896745038386991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-84213316492148192632016-03-12T21:46:35.181-06:002016-03-12T21:46:35.181-06:00Im ready to 'feel the Bern' but 40 yrs lat...Im ready to 'feel the Bern' but 40 yrs later, Im still traumatized by what the liberal media did to McGovern.<br />Wheres the sanity? <br />Elvis inspires, shoot your TV... Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16937163381216018604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-2395702843212312982016-03-11T12:49:10.413-06:002016-03-11T12:49:10.413-06:00Trump's followers won't accuse him because...Trump's followers won't accuse him because he will be busy blaming someone else if anything goes wrong, and they'll accuse the object(s) of his blame. Trump will remain blameless in their mind.<br /><br />-LucyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-34077056068795842452016-03-05T19:07:36.431-06:002016-03-05T19:07:36.431-06:00Yes. My British husband said at the time of 9/11, ...Yes. My British husband said at the time of 9/11, "What American should do in response is -- nothing." He was so right. I'm sure it never occurred to Bush and his handlers. Would it have to Obama? We will never know.Barbara Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05463074148195784152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-32049453340362682242016-03-05T18:54:34.071-06:002016-03-05T18:54:34.071-06:00Yes. But here's a problem as I see it: When re...Yes. But here's a problem as I see it: When religion and politics are so intertwined, the politicians ("doing God's work") become as inerrant as the religion's dogma (however irrational & loopy). Which is why nothing is sticking to Trump: he can do no wrong.<br /><br />The infantile evangelicals that support Trump cannot see reason or his faults because he is now their secular god/daddy/protector and will be followed & loved, no matter what.Barbara Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05463074148195784152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-29844444333838569092016-03-05T18:42:59.965-06:002016-03-05T18:42:59.965-06:00I've been a Canadian Landed Immigrant (came wi...I've been a Canadian Landed Immigrant (came with a so-called draft dodger in 1965) and now have duel citizenship. Lived through many, many U.S. elections. <br /><br />This is the first time Canadians are talking so much about it, how much they like Bernie not Hillary, how immature and embarrassing the GOP candidates are, esp. Trump whom they seen as the bloated, blowhard embodiment of the many arrogantly ignorant Americans. <br /><br />They are not laughing. <br />I am grieving my country's descent into a dystopian madness and the decline of its democratic values, the erosion of its voting rights, the destructiveness of its extreme inequality.... <br /><br />Growing up in Orange Country, and in a right-wing, evangelical household, I understand the rabidness of closed minds. So glad I left: <br />I would pray for America, if I believed in god.<br /><br />I can only wish you all, still there, well. <br /><br />And I just voted in the Primary for Democrats abroad. There are 700 of us in Ottawa, Ontario. :D (Bernie, of course.)<br /><br />From a broader cross-border perspective, may I recommend<br />journalist Rex Murphy of the Canadian Broadcasting Company broadcasts who is providing thought-provoking insights into America and Trump:<br /><br />Here is just one:<br /><br />http://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/rex-murphy-donald-trump-1.3360301Barbara Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05463074148195784152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-58981848122808786092016-03-05T18:09:33.128-06:002016-03-05T18:09:33.128-06:00Eight years ago young people were behind Obama and...Eight years ago young people were behind Obama and got him elected -- his was a message of hope. And because Democrats didn't vote at the mid-terms, we do not have a Congress. The GOP will do anything, including gerrymandering, voter suppression, voting machine fraud, dark money, lies in negative campaigning, etc. to win, but not to govern.<br /><br />Bernie Sanders comes along with another message of hope with solutions to real problems, real issues...has massive grassroots support in donations (3x what Hillary can get after a primary), and what does the media do? suppress his success with young people, ridicule his economics (when as many say they would work)... <br /><br />Rallies of 25,000 people go unreported. Has the media been so co-opted by big money? Has the 1% decided Bernie is not manipulable, so will squash his message? <br /><br />Have we become so cynical in 8 years that we now believe Bernie can't win because we are told he can't by the DNC even when polls say the opposite? <br /><br />What is this teaching young people?<br />Barbara Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05463074148195784152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-81976062712963157552016-03-05T13:20:49.845-06:002016-03-05T13:20:49.845-06:00We're not ready for a female president or a &q...We're not ready for a female president or a "socialist"? Granted, both are quite different from the 'traditional' image of a President (ie - those whose pictures grace our currency, among others).<br /><br />But consider that this country elected a Black President not once but twice, with the 2012 election being Romney's to lose which he most certainly did.<br /><br />Who thought we would have seen a Black President in our lifetimes? Wasn't that a major change from the "traditional" President? <br /><br />Many back then said the same thing that you (and many others) say today about Bernie and Hillary.<br /><br />But past performance does not guarantee future profits, or whatever those financial disclosure form things say.<br /><br />So consider this as well: on this date, Saturday March 5, Donald Trump is on a path to secure the Republican nomination. True, he is only pulling about 30-ish% of the primary voters but it is still enough to not only keep his campaign alive but has him in first place (subject to tonight's primary results in 5 more states).<br /><br />The RNC is in a panic, looking desperately for A Savior now that Jeb! is gone and Marco is tanking. Romney is apparently lurching once again to his 1%-er feet to save the party. Romney, a moderate former Republican Governor who was reviled by his own party in 2012 as not nearly 'conservative enough'. The guy who lost the 2012 election that he should easily have won.<br /><br />Today, talk of a brokered Republican Convention is flying around the Interwebs. I do believe the RNC is seriously considering this option, and I believe they are setting the groundwork for a brokered convention in place right now.<br /><br />But what about the day after the Republican Convention this July? <br /><br />Imagine a Romney nomination coming out of the convention. What then?<br /><br />Will the Trumpistas, the 30-something percent who voted for him in the primaries, simply follow the RNC override of their candidate (Trump)and vote for Mitt?<br /><br />Mitt the loser (according to Trump)? Mitt, the very anthesis of what The Donald stands for? <br /><br />Sounds like a split ticket to me if that happens. Trump, signed pledges to the Republican Party notwithstanding, would certainly run as an Independent or even mount a write-in campaign in those states where he could not run as Independent.<br /><br />I believe that would draw off sufficient voters to spoil any chance Mitt might have in this scenario, making him a 2nd time loser and this year by a much larger margin than in 2012.<br /><br />Further, it opens the door for electing either the first Female President OR the first self-declared Democratic Socialist President.<br /><br />My crystal ball gets fuzzy that far out, heck it gets fuzzy just deciding what kind of sandwich to have for lunch, but I truly believe that a brokered convention that kicks Trump out of the Republican camp will hand this election to the Dems.<br /><br />It is all fun and games, predicting the future or playing what-if scenarios. <br /><br />The point is that if anybody is voting in the primaries based on what they _think_ might happen in the General then they are playing a fools game.<br /><br />Instead, vote for the candidate you BELIEVE in - not the candidate you think might win the WH for the Dems.<br /><br />If enough people started voting their hearts instead of voting for a presumed 'safe' outcome, the change Jim writes about would take its first step.<br /><br />Yes, I would rather see a Dem in the WH than a Republican (especially any of THIS crop of Repub candidates) - but I vote with my heart dreaming of a better future and try to persuade others to do the same.<br /><br />History is full of examples of people who made changes, not by seeking the safer path towards quicker gratification but stepping onto the long, hard path dreaming of a day when change would not only come but be accepted as a new normal. <br /><br />It starts with each and every one of us. Dream a better world, a better future, and act on that dream in every way you can.<br /><br />~RF<br /><br />RF Dudehttp://rfdude.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-33851004634756787132016-03-05T12:33:54.710-06:002016-03-05T12:33:54.710-06:00Jim, I've been reading you for quite a while n...Jim, I've been reading you for quite a while now. I cannot add to the superlatives used to describe your postings, let me just say that you speak for many of us out here who know we are not alone and provide a much-needed nexus to connect us.<br /><br />My comment on Fear is this: If somehow this country elects a President Trump or President Cruz, could this be a tipping point for the rest of the world to start viewing THIS country as _the_ dangerous threat?<br /><br />I'm not talking about the Usual Suspects who already have this view, but rather our 'allies' around the world who are presently watching this country askance and waiting to see which way the winds blow.<br /><br />Indeed, several of our European allies are undergoing internal change due to the economic pressures of the EU combined with massive refugee movements. These countries are seriously considering governmental changes that could fundamentally affect the dynamics of who they consider 'friendly'.<br /><br />During the "debate" last Thursday, I caught a statement about a "...crazy world leader with nuclear capability..." and, without missing a beat, the images of at least 3 of the 4 candidates on that stage flashed through my mind (the statement was actually in regard to N.Korea)<br /><br />During the BILL Clinton administration, I naively thought that the world had somehow turned a corner and we would be able to devote our great resources to the very items Bernie talks about. Education, health care, infrastructure, etc. The Soviet Union had collapsed, the fear of instant nuclear catastrophe that I grew up with (through the 60s) of instant nuclear catastrophe had vanished overnight, and I had great hope for a better future.<br /><br />That dream came crashing down with our _response_ to the WTC destruction, _not_ the actual event itself.<br /><br />I thought we were better as a country, that we were a nation of responsible grownups, and that we could take a sucker-punch, get up, dust ourselves off, and continue to build a better world.<br /><br />Instead, the most powerful nation on the planet unleashed War into remote and impoverished areas of the world, creating chaos beyond belief.<br /><br />Instead of using our great wealth to make lives better, we squandered our wealth and young people to destroy and (if possible) make the bad conditions that gave birth to the WTC attack even worse.<br /><br />Which brings me back to my original point (I think...) - given our tendency to lash out with Destruction to any provocation, does the path we tread as a nation lead to the rest of the world taking action to make sure that WE are no longer a threat to THEM? I do not seek to diminish the tragedy of 9/11, but our excessive response to it has damaged the entire world far more in ways we can both see and also cannot imagine. The outfall of our actions will continue far beyond our lives and our children's lives.<br /><br />Just a rambling thought. I admire your eloquence and appreciate your insight, and I will continue to read your postings with great interest. You strike a chord with me and many others!<br /><br />~RF<br />RF Dudehttp://rfdude.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-70544140934159270832016-03-04T18:43:53.264-06:002016-03-04T18:43:53.264-06:00This just in…Trump out! Romney in… via a brokered...This just in…Trump out! Romney in… via a brokered convention! Romney came very close to winning in 2012. Hell, Rove called it on F’News. I watched! Despite the fact that almost 50% of voters wanted Romney, he didn’t get the 270 electoral votes (not even close) to win his 2012 presidential bid. Yet, with such a weak Republican field in 2016, Trump, with probably 16% of likely voters overall, is not attracting new adherents. He doesn’t have a chance. Stop the hand-wringing, people! <br /><br />This is what may give you sleepless nights. Romney looks sane compared to the current candidates. There’s no way this country, at this point in time, will elect Bernie, an avowed socialist, to be president. I’m his biggest fan and on the same page philosophically/politically, yet the time is not right. <br />So Hillary! Man, she’s been vetted for 24 years. They, the Repubs, can’t find anything that sticks, and they’ve had a generation to do it (Whitewater, Vince Foster, and the stupid “bone that dogs won’t give up” Benghazi. Also, the trope “I don’t trust her!” This so resonates with my family and “friends”.<br />She’s the best we’ve got, but may not be good enough in an election where “dicks rule”. White dicks, it seems! <br />We’re not ready for a female president in the reactionary and very patriarchal political universe we inhabit. Sad and stupid at the same time. Yet that’s where we are in 2016. Lots of possibilities in 2008 that didn’t pan out re: our expectations. <br /><br />Yet here we are!. Mark my words, and I hope I wrong…happy to be so…when the convention ends in Cleveland (my home town) Romney will be the torch bearer, and probably the next president. I hate thinking, not to mention writing this. I do hope I’m wrong. I’ll celebrate that, big time! Fuck! I never wanted to live long enough to see this happen to my kids and grandkids. I'd had a better world in mind for them. Guess they're on their own now. <br />TC Langhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10320519973690667692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-70183612244423281722016-03-04T16:54:36.562-06:002016-03-04T16:54:36.562-06:00The best description I have heard of Trump's r...The best description I have heard of Trump's rise is that conservatives are voting with their middle finger. No, he's not Hitler or Mussolini, he's General Sherman. After and seeing their democratic will overriden by "deemed to have passed" Obamacare, unconstitutional executive orders, federal judicial overreach, and being betrayed by their own supposed change agents, they've decided its high time to send someone to Washington for the express purpose of burning it to the ground.<br /><br />Of course, when Trump gets there, he will loot the place and install his own ruling class, and they will once again be betrayed, but there is no convincing them of that. Do they really think he's spending millions of his own money so he can altruistically "make America great again"? No, my friends, this is a financial investment with unlimited upside. He's been buying politicians for decades. Now he'll be on the sell side, and the inventory is "yuuge".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-15447736844480386972016-03-04T15:55:13.133-06:002016-03-04T15:55:13.133-06:00Richard, I've been thinking about the French ...Richard, I've been thinking about the French Revolution lately. When Trump doesn't get his way, he ups the ante or throws a temper tantrum. I would expect a lot of that, if he were President. That could have disastrous consequences for the whole world. BB's comment about the rabble turning on him is where the French Revolution comes in. I don't think the result would be impeachment. That would be too organized. These people hate government, see it as the oppressor. I'm thinking it would be civil war. Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08344115621163474891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-61128337834703910242016-03-04T15:39:31.569-06:002016-03-04T15:39:31.569-06:00Our Grandkids do. They are generally clear-eyed a...Our Grandkids do. They are generally clear-eyed about what they are facing, and they are behind Bernie in a big way. We've got more time now (retired), and they have the idealism and energy. Its an ideal match. Bernie is willing to lead, we have to follow in a big way. Absolutely vote, but also get involved making things better.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08344115621163474891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-40892523927112235382016-03-04T13:44:34.869-06:002016-03-04T13:44:34.869-06:00I've had more time to let the point of this pi...I've had more time to let the point of this piece sink in, and I take back that BZ. <br />Bettering democracy is an constant evolution, not an end point.<br />I'll say instead Well started. FNGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02548774297687965245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-80383535830596159062016-03-04T09:39:51.549-06:002016-03-04T09:39:51.549-06:00As a liberal for 48 years I have never failed to v...As a liberal for 48 years I have never failed to vote except in one primary.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-86520530490330046512016-03-03T22:46:39.603-06:002016-03-03T22:46:39.603-06:00Not your best effort, but I'll share it anyway...Not your best effort, but I'll share it anyway...Mike Rampleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10827138320956589921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-63364431499996102452016-03-03T18:47:28.762-06:002016-03-03T18:47:28.762-06:00Voting is a duty. How about, instead of a fine, i...Voting is a duty. How about, instead of a fine, if you don't vote, you have to do 2 years mandatory service in the armed forces of your choice, or something similar say humanitarian work in the third world?<br />Anonamoose Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-40037261084610573082016-03-03T10:50:05.360-06:002016-03-03T10:50:05.360-06:00The A-10 is effective in ground support, but is vu...The A-10 is effective in ground support, but is vulnerable to MANPADS, something that didn't really exist when it was originally designed. The F-35 on the other hand, is too valuable to risk in direct engagement and is limited to standoff situations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-25923443753563923842016-03-03T10:10:21.859-06:002016-03-03T10:10:21.859-06:00I kept running into your writing on Facebook and l...I kept running into your writing on Facebook and love it. This essayed caused me to track you down and set up a monthly contribution...you are as important as PBS to me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12409223780183576356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-5379318015597903212016-03-03T02:34:03.957-06:002016-03-03T02:34:03.957-06:00Richard T,
What will happen when Trump's blov...Richard T,<br /><br />What will happen when Trump's bloviating doesn't pan out is that the rabble will turn on the rabble rouser and accuse him, rightly, of letting them down. Same way it always happens when presidential candidates promise what presidents can't deliver. <br /><br />I'm sure Trump, if he got in, which I strongly doubt he will, would not be able to resist the temptation to use the office to try to make money, and will cross a line he won't even notice until it is too late, and the country will spend a vast amount of time and money impeaching him. He won't have the congress on his side, he won't have the states aor the local politicians of any stripe on his side,he won't have the police, he won't have the military, he won't have the civil servants, he won't have anyone except his little court and some rabble rousing hacks. It would be a disaster for the country, but it will quickly descend into farce. <br /><br />BBnoreply@blogger.com