Displaying 61 To 90 Of 19,504 Comments A Tale of Two Vancouvers But Mostly Mine, the Best One You can always edit and add to it if you’d like but just for the record, I enjoyed it too. » Posted By AdLib On January 5, 2022 @ 7:50 pm Weekend Music Thread – Low Budget I listen to all the songs posted on the thread and many Planeteers just listen but don’t post. So every song is appreciated. So you know, I enjoy your picks. I know some of the songs and artists, am introduced to new ones, I like rebellious and challenging songs and appreciate variety. Just because I post older songs that I’m most familiar with to go along with the theme, doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy everyone else’s picks. That’s what the thread’s all about. So thanks for posting! » Posted By AdLib On October 17, 2021 @ 12:44 pm So we’re on the same page! They do look dashing! Dash it all! » Posted By AdLib On October 19, 2021 @ 10:27 pm So lovely! And may I say, what a dashing couple? » Posted By AdLib On October 19, 2021 @ 9:54 pm Here are the photos! Thank you so much for sharing these with us! https://planetpov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/A0E61143-C787-4DD8-B2BD-9E765CB6FD89.jpeg https://planetpov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CDF03483-2620-49A9-88E5-0F72AE644DAF.jpeg https://planetpov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/32364331-1816-4402-BE78-743A298ED07B.jpeg » Posted By AdLib On October 19, 2021 @ 9:53 pm A Letter From the Island of Misfit Toys Very cool. Indeed, I grok. Wow…that was a much shorter way to have said all of the above. » Posted By AdLib On September 26, 2021 @ 12:23 am I really appreciate how you examine difficult truths in your life with a sardonic yet self-aware sense of humor (insert wry nod here). Also, combining that with references to Disney, comic book movies, Doctor Who and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was just the cocktail I needed today. First off, your terrifying (at least it would have been to me) experience being carjacked, mugged and kidnapped is pretty shocking to hear, especially told in such a zen-like, casual way. It sounds like you handled it at the time very smartly and pragmatically. As matter-of-fact as you may be about how you cleverly engaged with them and turned them against each other, that was rather brilliant. And your perspective on it all is impressive. On families, they can be as hard to solve as peace in the Middle East (though more brutal at times). There are many families where it all works out relatively well and comparably effortlessly but not so much among most people I’ve known. Conflicts with parents and siblings often continue on in some form in adulthood. It’s so unnecessary, if only everyone in a family was insightful enough to see how short life is in the end and that admitting some responsibility for conflicts and pushing the reset button would make everyone’s life more rewarding. But if everyone was that insightful, they wouldn’t be in conflict in the first place. The old joke about parents and kids, “How do parents know how to push your buttons? Because they’re the ones who wired them in.” Some families do eventually try to hit the reset after so many years go by or the reality of old age and death approach. It’s just too bad that’s what it takes and all the years they’ve missed sharing together will never come back. As to other issues, I was a big comic book fan as a kid, mainly DC but I liked all the Marvel heroes. The “dream” for many kids like me back then was that one day they might make movies of them. But with the inundation and exploitation of these characters, it’s turned into a smothering annoyance. For me, comic book heroes were about outcasts persevering in the face of unusually terrible trauma and conflict and emerging as dedicated to protecting others from suffering the tragedies they did. And there are real-life heroes among us who’ve done exactly that with their lives. They’re who I’m a loyal fan of nowadays. There was humanity behind superhero myths and a gratifying feeling that the bad in people and the world can be confronted and defeated as long as people are determined and dedicated to doing the right thing. These are valuable principles for children to learn and adopt. But like anything that becomes mainstream and very financially successful, it’s been corrupted into simplistic moneymaking. Superhero movies from Marvel are so cookie-cutter now. The beats are so redundant, the same things happen in each movie, it’s like putting the same Barbie doll in different outfits and claiming each time, it’s a new doll. Comic books were and are modern-day Greek Mythology which also was a vehicle for examining the remarkable nobilities and the petty, self-destructive flaws of human beings and human nature. You can see many straight lines connected between the two, Hercules and Superman, Hera and Wonder Woman, Poseiden and Aquaman, etc. In fact, Wonder Woman incorporates the Greek Gods as part of that mythos. So stories about widely-known characters that are a reference point for many in a society, something they share in common, who overcome difficulties to become empowered and care about humanity have historically contributed to society in a positive way. This theme does compliment your companion theme about being different and having others seek to make one feel less-than because of it. The plain truth is that even though there is an unfair stigma projected upon those with mental health issues that impact their lives, that learned behavior of seeing mental health as different from physical health issues (which can be very intertwined) is ironic because the percentage of Americans who have mental health issues is pretty substantial but not well known. Johns Hopkins puts the number at 25% of the population but since there is a stigma to admitting or addressing it, I think it’s a lot higher. We’ve seen many different instances of people who have been incredibly successful in their careers and personal lives because of how they deal with their mental health issues and at the other end of the spectrum, we’ve seen people capable of horrible things as well. And most are all kinds of in-between. When one considers the nature of being an organic computer that uses chemicals, organic electrical impulses, and a biological organ as a data storage device, it is astounding to think about how our brains work as well as they do. And the exact combination of these things is different in each of us. Our brains are formed like the rest of our bodies, uniquely and prone to imperfections. Just as the operation of other organs and physical processes vary from person to person, brain chemistry and brain processes vary from person to person. The majority of people function similarly in general but we’re far from identical, on the outside or inside. Then comes the influence of “nurture” and environment which are also different in their influence, through different circumstances and how they are perceived by each individual (even siblings in the same household can view their experience of their parents and childhood very differently…and may be treated differently by parents as well). Putting together the imperfect nature of being an organic computer with the most powerful and influential experiences from growing up and having the prism of emotions color both how we perceive and engage, is a pretty damn complex system that many people don’t even think about (with their organic PC of course). But one constant in human society throughout history is the fear of and the need to feel superior to and apart from “the other”. Whatever makes someone different than the “norm” is a reason for some to attack them or denigrate them because they threaten the fragile security of those types who are emotionally dependant on being part of the group and that group being defined as including only “normal” people like them. So that conformist mentality is of course messed up and IMO, reflects personal issues that such people have and should be dealing with. Another aspect of being a unique human being with a unique organic personal computer in our heads is that we don’t all process the same data the same way. Some people don’t get humor or are prone to misunderstanding it. Some people don’t understand that they don’t understand things. One person’s brain could use a programming language that doesn’t produce the same results in another’s. So misunderstandings are common but when it comes to emotionally potent matters, they can be profound. One last thought on this is that our own perceptions of ourselves and the thoughts of others are necessarily subjective and personalized. It goes to the old question, are we who we perceive ourselves to be or are we who others perceive us to be? I think about the idea that even the most evil people in history have seen themselves as good people and righteous while some of the greatest people in history never saw themselves as being great. I think that the way a person is best defined is by the choices they make. This can be a very objective way of trying to view the truth of one’s identity as long as one doesn’t try to rationalize away choices that were wrong, destructive or hurtful. Under this principle, someone who chooses to be dismissive or insulting towards someone else purely because they are dealing with a health issue, mental or physical, is defining themselves negatively, not the person they assail or disrespect. And odds are, that person has his/her own issues that, unlike the person they’re dissing, they’re not dealing with. As for the family and parent thing, it is absolutely a personal choice and there is no right side. I have friends including couples who didn’t want kids and never had them. And of course, having a child, I was around more people who do have kids. There are those who are judgemental about needing everyone to conform to the way they live, some parents do look down on people who don’t have or want kids. But to be fair, I’ve known many people, especially in my 20s and 30s who were very dismissive and derogatory of people who had children. The most powerful influences each of us has about family comes from our personal experiences as a child with our parents. This is our primary frame of reference for what a family truly is (as opposed to ideal tv families that some believe are attainable). But here again, the reactions to one’s family life can differ. A childhood with strict, principled parents could result in a responsible, conscientious adult, or that same child could rebel and be unprincipled and inconsiderate of others. Many children who have gone through difficult traumas in their youth, have acted like heroes (as similarly referenced above) and risen above it, vowing to be a better person and parent and committed to giving their child a happier childhood. Other children adopt the hurtful behavior they’ve been subjected to and inflict it on others, including their children. Families can be a comfort or a minefield in one’s life. I will end with a few notes on the most important topics in your post. 1. It was just announced today that Russell T. Davies, who revived Doctor Who with Christopher Eccleston then David Tennant, is returning as the showrunner to Doctor Who in time for the 60th Anniversary next year. To Whovians, this is a dream come true. Also, I would’ve gotten your Jessica Jones/David Tennant joke and appreciated it. 2. I like The Crow, I think The Avengers movies were mostly much ado about nothing, and while I was big on Superman as a kid, I have to go with Batman as being the most compelling superhero. Stan Lee did steal the work of others and take credit for it. Marvel also stole and copied many heroes and villains from DC but did tackle racism and prejudice remarkably well with the analogy of the X-Men. Walt Disney was anti-Semitic and Disney hides behind its family image to be one of the greediest and most cynical entertainment companies in the world. 3. Disneyland is mainly aimed at families and children especially so it’s not unusual at all not to pine for going there again (though there are some adults literally obsessed with Disney parks and films, I was at a young couple’s apartment once, they dedicated an entire room as their “Disney Room” with a collection of all kinds of Disney merchandise). My daughter preferred Six Flags and insane rollercoasters and that worked for me. When I think of traveling somewhere nowadays, I too don’t think of going to attractions, I think of going to a region of the country or world that I want to experience, explore and enjoy. 4. The answer to life, the universe and everything is indeed 42. Or a well-mixed Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. » Posted By AdLib On September 24, 2021 @ 2:29 pm Weekend Music Thread – I Will Remember You BTW, this is a fun song. The sentiment of just enjoying life in the moment (going on and on like a VW Beetle) is perfect. » Posted By AdLib On September 12, 2021 @ 1:54 pm Khirad, this is how we change it up, by having people like you share their music and introduce folks who grew up with music of a different era to newer songs they haven’t heard. Studies show that most people solidify their musical tastes in their 20s, they can include older and newer music but the most memorable music that people seem to have bonded most closely with seems to be from teens into 20s. There is new music that I like and I do like to discover new music but the music that comes to mind most when taking up the music thread challenge is naturally the music I know best. That said, I have been introduced to a lot of new music through my daughter, her fave is Tyler the Creator, she likes Rex Orange County too who has a great voice but his lyrics seem so simplistic to me. I do enjoy Lady Gaga, she’s incredibly talented, and others as well though for me, the earlier era of music had both great musicianship and poetry in their songwriting. IMO, the latest musical era does have a lot of good lyrical work but lacks musicianship in many cases, opting instead for computerized and redundant backing tracks that are far less creative. Similar to the rock era, a segment of modern music is derivative and low brow, not surprising, all entertainment fields have their share of simplistic, uncreative work chiefly intended as cookie-cutter money-making. The film business is the same as is tv. But there are golden eras in art when the craftsmanship of artists is remarkably prolific. As there was the Renaissance for painting, there was the 1940’s and the 1970’s in filmmaking, the current era in tv series (that started a decade or so ago) and such eras in music too. IMO, which is not wholly objective due to the cementing of music tastes as mentioned above, I see much more depth and variety in what was mainstream musicianship and songwriting in the 60s and 70s, more experimentation and aspiration to explore different sounds and expression in lyrics. A reason I am also fascinated with the early days of filmmaking, silents and early talkies, when there were no established ways of making films and they had to invent as they went. I think lyrics of every era are reflective of that society at that time and there are always powerful, poignant and cleverly written lyrics so that’s consistent in virtually every era. But musicianship is something I’ve always enjoyed, whether going back to the classical masters, the Swing Era or the 60’s and 70’s rock era. The substitution of musicianship for electronically programmed drum and music tracks that are unadventurous and the increased reliance on sexuality or posing as an outrageous person as the primary selling point of music, makes some of modern music seem so pre-calculated to be shallow and exploitative. Admittedly, there was a good deal of that in the rock era as well but in many cases, it was backed up by great musicianship and lyric-writing. Just sharing why I have a strong appreciation for a lot of older music and it is more memorable for me so of course it comes to mind more often what when I’m trying to think of songs that fit into a theme. Sharing your musical tastes though will help expand mine and others and give the music thread a new flavor and direction so please keep it up. » Posted By AdLib On September 12, 2021 @ 1:44 pm This song reminded me of the old Vera Lynn song (most known now for playing at the end of Dr. Strangelove).
» Posted By AdLib On September 12, 2021 @ 12:45 pm I don’t understand the “circle jerk” comment or the idea that sharing songs in a music thread is having feet in the grave and not helping Progressives. The music thread is a weekend break from the intensity of politics and just intended to be an enjoyable social event for folks here to come together and play a game of coming up with songs that fit a designated theme, sharing one’s favorite music with others. It’s reinvigorating to take a break and recharge by thinking about one’s life, the music and art that has been a part of it and connecting via art with friends and colleagues. I hope you might reconsider how you view the music thread, it’s just supposed to be fun (or poignant as it is this weekend) and it would be great to connect with you over the music you enjoy and see what songs fit a thread in your view. » Posted By AdLib On September 12, 2021 @ 12:38 pm Great pick! Gives you goosebumps. » Posted By AdLib On September 12, 2021 @ 12:22 pm This reminds me of my childhood, I remember it from back then. Such a gentle and nostalgic song. » Posted By AdLib On September 12, 2021 @ 12:21 pm Just heard this on the radio:
» Posted By AdLib On May 29, 2021 @ 11:58 am See Me, for I Too Am Made In God’s Image! We’re very pleased to publish your always-thoughtful and well-written articles, TW. Why people act the way they do sometimes seems a logical conclusion. Tribalism and racism are so frequently acquired in childhood from parents and environment. Officers do live in a very tribalistic culture. The Blue Wall and all. I have officers that have homes and kids in my neighborhood. I’ve had cops knock on my door just to let me know my car’s trunk was left open and waited as they asked me to make sure that nothing was stolen. Good people protecting and serving. It would be just as mistaken to stereotype all cops as being bad or good, racist or altruistic but the issue I think is that so much power is given to an officer that having anyone who would abuse it, especially based upon prejudice, must be recognized and confronted. There must be a way to reform the police as a whole, away from this militarized and siege mentality and I think it will take the federal government under a Dem admin to do it. » Posted By AdLib On May 7, 2021 @ 9:17 pm As always, really appreciate your writing and perspective. I think about the psychological programming that leaders of societies and militaries have used in the past and continue to use to go to war and kill other people, the dehumanization they promote of a particular group of people. Through campaigns to de-humanize “the enemy”, leaders effectively brainwash people into seeing them only as less-than-human threats and since they are de-humanized, empathy and conscience are derailed from preventing people from assaulting them with hate and violence. After centuries of the perpetuated myth of the “angry black male”, generations of white people, police, politicians, etc. have grown up with an instant and of course racist response to just the sight of someone who is black and male. Even shy, skinny teenagers can be instantly seen as a potential threat just because they are black and male. What is hard for many people in the majority race of a society to really understand is what it feels like to be immediately judged and viewed as a threat, especially by police, simply because of the skin color that a person just happened to be born with. Skin color representing the character, intellect, values, principles and intentions of any human being is so absurd on the face of it but it is the result of insecurity, ignorance and tribalism that has been intentionally perpetuated throughout the years. As you address, racism and the fear of black men is in direct conflict with the very basic concept of humanity, that all people are people and created equal. And when a society that has long promoted the perception of a group of people as violent and dangerous, putting a gun and the power of the state in the hands of someone who has been fully indoctrinated into this bigotry is terribly dangerous. What is disappointing to me is that I don’t think people like the cop you describe have any conscience about how prejudiced they are. I think they see themselves as realistic and sensible, in their minds, black men are de facto likely threats period. To bigots who are often surrounded by other bigots, it is a shared “truth” that they all agree on. They lack the wisdom and objectivity to see themselves as the threats they are to a decent society, they think they’re protecting it when in fact they are seriously damaging it. I don’t know that such minds can be changed, prejudice is so deeply rooted in people and parts of society, like policing (not to say that all cops are bigots but many clearly are) so it would seem that government, federal government being probably the best party since some states and their governments are so dominated by racism, needs to provide robust oversight of law enforcement to root out racism in police forces and keep it out. To be a police officer is to be imbued with great power from government, the power to dominate and seize citizens, to physically assault them and to kill them. This power is too great to be allowed to be abused. If hearts and minds can’t be changed to help officers and sometimes entire police forces to see all people as created equal and entitled to equal respect, then the government needs to identify and remove those abusing that power and enforce restraints on all police departments in the country that allow or promote such abuse. No human being should be intimidated or made to feel like a suspected criminal simply because of their skin color any more than because of their eye color or hair color. And a cop who disagrees with this basic principle of humanity is de facto unfit to wield the power that comes with a badge. » Posted By AdLib On May 4, 2021 @ 9:49 am He was so memorable and singular. I’m sure you’ve seen this but I came across it during a search, really enjoyed it.
» Posted By AdLib On May 1, 2021 @ 10:38 am Even When NC Tries To Get It Right… First, on this not-so-important and ancillary thing, I agree that whoever titles bills usually does a poor job. Even if it isn’t intuitive, I’ve seen “walks of life” most often used to describe people in different professions as opposed to different lifestyles. As to the more pertinent issues, I strongly oppose the exclusion of health care from the bill but wonder if this is the mess that is created when a legislature with bigoted members decides that they will pass what they can and omit what they know will be blocked. This is a defective way of working for the people and while I haven’t really explored the best approach to term limits, perhaps if there were shorter term limits, politicians would make decisions more often about doing the right thing instead of having the specter of re-election haunting every vote they take. The bigger picture is, that this shouldn’t have to be done piecemeal, state by state. Like all civil rights, this should be a federal law especially because some states have such bigots in power that it would never pass there and people would continue to go unprotected (as black Americans, women, etc. have for centuries). While outreach should be a mission for all representatives, the impetus should be on them to become informed and educated about the lives and views of their constituency, it more often falls on the people to be more aggressive about educating their elected officials about policies that are needed to help and protect them. I hope your dealings with your State Representative are fruitful. Additionally, the alternative route would be in 2022, for Dems to come out to keep control of The House and increase their majority in The Senate so they could kill the filibuster and pass many urgently needed laws including protecting the civil rights of all Americans, including LGBTQ Americans of course, without prejudice or limitations. This is simple and basic fairness and respect. It is this generation’s responsibility to sweep away this renewed Trumpist “pride” in bigotry. They must be steamrolled by the majority of people in this country who do appreciate that all people are created equal and deserve equal protections under the law. » Posted By AdLib On May 1, 2021 @ 11:04 am A Proposal: Mitigating the Damage From Climate Change Thanks for the read! It took a bit of research and I learned quite a lot doing it. Yes, instead of spending billions to fly wealthy people into space, billionaires could all chip in and redeem themselves in the eyes of history by financing a major program like this to save the country that gave them their billions. Mitigating floods and droughts, harvesting and generating billions of gallons in potable water and reducing the costs, suffering, deaths from Climate Change would leave them a legacy their hoarding of wealth would never buy them. And it would make sense for our government to do so as well and corporations especially farming and food related since the decreasing availability of water will harm them too. » Posted By AdLib On September 18, 2021 @ 4:40 pm The Commission On The Insurrection Must Take Place I like your analogy and it inspired another one that came to mind. The filibuster is like that ugly piece of furniture you never got rid of but a vindictive family member has moved it to block the front door. It doesn’t serve the purpose for which it was originally created and it is just used in a belligerent way to prevent everyone else from going anywhere. The filibuster was an invention that did not come from The Founders or the Constitution, rarely used and when it was, it was for providing a Senator the opportunity to delay passage of a bill and using that delay to argue their opposition, possibly rallying votes against it. Then of course, like all tools, it was corrupted prior to the Civil War, used simply to block the majority from passing civil rights measures that would undermine slavery. Fast forward to today and it is purely a cudgel for the minority in The Senate to comfortably deny action that a majority of The Senate and the people want. They don’t even have to stand on the floor and speak to use the filibuster, they can just claim it then go home and relax as they bask in having such enormous power to effortlessly stop the U.S. government from functioning. That is a perversion of a tool that was undemocratic in the first place. Dems should just call it out for what it is. A perversion. A corrupt and abused tactic that is no longer legitimate (if it ever was), anti-democratic and worthless in promoting bipartisanship, as the cowardly Manchin and Sinema hollowly claim. I would ask these cowardly Dems, how much bipartisanship did the filibuster bring about in the Trump term? In the Obama terms? In Biden’s term so far? It became wildly abused during Obama’s presidency and has been completely broken ever since. I would challenge Sinema and Manchin to prove their disingenuous, self-serving claim that the filibuster helps the cause of bipartisanship. Let them name a single instance since 2009 after it became a tool of a minority party’s denial of the majority’s power. They would lose that challenge. And where we are now is on the edge of a choice between retaining a corrupt procedure with racist heritage or retaining a representative democracy, in the face of Republicans rigging elections in state after state. Without the filibuster killed, we will never have a commission investigate and inform the country about who was responsible for the attempt to overthrow our democracy on 1/6. We will never pass voting rights protections, immigration bills, Climate Change laws, gun control bills, police reforms, etc. McConnell and Repubs rely on the filibuster to keep Americans oppressed and divided, it is the only path they have to win elections. They simply do not want Americans to live comfortable, satisfying lives because their campaign themes of fear, resentment, racism and anger only work with an unhappy and upset public. This is nihilism. This is their only philosophy for their sole goal of holding power. All Dems may not be altruistic but I think most are dedicated to making the lives of Americans better. The dynamics here are stark. The conscientious party of helping people vs. the cynical party of taking power by making people suffer. This is it, this is the only moment Dems will have to prevent the autocratic takeover of the country because without passing the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill, all the corrupting of state election laws by Republicans will build a wall that keeps Dems, majority rule and American democracy from having a say in America’s embedded autocracy. This is existential for our democracy. This must happen and whatever it takes to cajole or pressure Manchin and Sinema to trash or profoundly reform the filibuster must be done. There may likely never be another Dem majority in The Senate in Manchin’s and Sinema’s careers and potentially, in The House and the WH for at least a generation if not permanently entrenching a one-party, minority rule autocracy. This is not optional, this is our country’s future and our democracy hanging by a thread even with Dems having unified power in DC. They will never have another opportunity if they don’t jump on this one. It must be done. » Posted By AdLib On March 18, 2021 @ 4:11 pm I completely agree, a 1/6 commission needs to be created and empowered to do three things, uncover the full truth behind the incitement and the insurrection (including the participation and planning of Trump and his circle, the dark money and who’s behind it), to prosecute everyone responsible for participating and put the fear of God into those who might try it again. However, here’s the fly in the ointment. It can be filibustered by the Repubs and will be. They strongly dislike the intentions of Speaker Pelosi and Dems to have a majority of Dems on the commission AND they’re very upset at the scope including the lead-up and incitement over the previous month. Because, of course, it will be confirmed that a number in the GOP helped incite it. Some Dems have also expressed their dissatisfaction with having any Repubs on this commission because aside from a few exceptions, they promoted The Big Lie or stayed quiet to let it propagate and promote the insurrection. Dems believe it is necessary to have a bipartisan commission to have it appear as legitimate as it will likely be anyway. But the only two ways to do that with the filibuster in the hands of McConnell is to either corrupt the commission to his satisfaction so it will be worthless or…get rid of the filibuster. How could Sinema or Manchin make the case that it’s furthering bipartisanship to let Repubs keep the filibuster to prevent a bipartisan commission from being created and insurrection being confronted head-on instead of allowing it to fester, grow and reoccur? What bipartisanship is there in an autocracy that sweeping 1/6 under the carpet would very possibly bring about in 2024? I would also suggest that no current politicians be on the commission, at least to make the statement that it’s not political even though Repubs will cry that complaint no matter what is done. Constitutional lawyers, ex-federal prosecutors and judges, retired politicians who are respected by both parties, leaders or ex-leaders of social organizations devoted to the people, etc. could be among those who make up this commission. I don’t think current members of Congress should be on it. Get rid of the filibuster or at the very least, restrict its use from anything related to protecting our democracy (including voting rights bills) and this can happen as it needs to. » Posted By AdLib On March 16, 2021 @ 4:20 pm How to Solve the Manchin and Sinema Blockade of the Biden Agenda Well, it’s always been possible and remains so for Manchin to switch parties if offered enough of a political bribe by Repubs. But Dems attempting any of the three items I suggested would not be causing that to happen by doing any of them. Some pundits are spreading the worry that if Dems push Manchin too hard, he could flip. Maybe so but it would have been just as self-serving for him to have done so when Obama was president but he didn’t do it then. Sinema doesn’t have that option and then survive. AZ went for Biden, intentionally elected 2 Dem Senators and a Dem president. Sinema would doom herself as betraying her voters for the Trump-led GOP. That would be political suicide. Manchin could flip but his betrayal wouldn’t necessarily destroy his political future. But he would be seen as an untrustworthy Senator by both sides after that. Add to that, Manchin has been very vocal in attacking Trump. Would he really agree to bow to Trump which he would have to do or be primaried by a Trumper? In fact, now that I think about the situation Manchin would find himself in, either he kneels before Trump and become his zombie or loses in a primary against a Trumper, I don’t think Manchin would switch with those inevitable results. He’s happy with being able to beat any Dem in a primary and be re-elected and leverage his disloyalty to be more powerful and influential. If Repubs gain a Senate majority over 51 in 2022 or if Dems gain a majority of 52 or above, Manchin will have burned his bridges and will lose this power grab position. So now, as I progressed through this reply, and thanks to you for laying this proposition out there, I don’t think it is a likely possibility at all that either Manchin or Sinema would switch to becoming Repubs. » Posted By AdLib On March 5, 2021 @ 2:11 pm Panels at CPAC That May Surprise You Couldn’t be more grateful for the kind words! » Posted By AdLib On February 26, 2021 @ 7:09 pm Really appreciate the props! Taking my genuinely humble bow now… » Posted By AdLib On February 26, 2021 @ 7:05 pm Thanks so much, twilson117! » Posted By AdLib On February 26, 2021 @ 7:01 pm Remember Jan 6, We Almost Lost Our Democracy! I completely agree with you on the GOP. It is a hollowed-out shell of a political party. It has far more in common with a criminal enterprise and/or a cult. No principles, no platforms, they have one and only one goal, grabbing power and using it to dominate the majority of Americans and put money in their pockets and those of the wealthy who finance them. It’s easy for Repubs to support, applaud and collaborate with traitors to our democracy because they share the same and only goal, installing a dictatorial leader who will harm their enemies and empower them. The GOP should be RICOed. It is a criminal operation and if the FBI and a 9/11-styled commission finally present the facts, I am confident we’ll see evidence confirming the collusion between Republicans in Congress and the attempt to overthrow our democracy (we already have proof of this, the Repubs who voted against counting electoral votes were very clear about doing so to undermine the confirmation of the winner of the presidential election as president. This is a very dangerous time but made more of a threat because even the media won’t deem the GOP as a corrupt, anti-American cult because the concept is so outrageous and foreign. But this is where we are. The GOP is continuing to promote The Big Lie which is an engine for insurrection. They actually are whipping up a civil war, period. Even now. The followers of the GOP are as brainwashed and blindly committed as those in Germany were towards the Nazis. This is exactly how tyrants take over countries, through a cowardly political “party” that bows to Dear Leader and the propagandizing of that party’s followers into seeing themselves as victimized and righteously entitled to hold power forever (instead of those non-white and reasonable enemies of the state). And religion is firmly entwined with this fascist movement, the evangelical fundamentalists are using the same absolutism, entitlement, racism, and fear-mongering to whip their followers into helpless mental slaves, convincing them that they must follow God’s will which is to be a soldier for Trump and authoritarianism. There is going to be a lot of pressure on AG Garland to wage an all-out war on white supremacy and this insurgency. He said that’s exactly what he sees as Job One and he has the background to confirm that. The fear of imprisonment and losing all they have must be seared into the minds of those who would threaten, hurt and kill other citizens and politicians who stand up for our democracy. That is a meaningful way to undercut this dangerous and destructive cult of nihilism and authoritarianism. » Posted By AdLib On February 26, 2021 @ 2:54 pm You hammered home a lot of the most important aspects of this sedition. I have been trying to zoom out on all of this to truly recognize what the scope of all of this truly is and what we’re really dealing with. I know it has been said in different or similar ways but what this looks like to me, considering how the Republican politicians have stayed on board with Trump despite his attempt to overthrow our democracy and adding in the violent, racist, and foaming-at-the-mouth followers of Trump, the GOP is now a genuine terrorist movement. It is no longer a political party that believes in vying in elections. The attempts across over 30 states to suppress voting and prevent democracy from occurring, paired with the nature of Trumpian zealots to threaten and even physically attack anyone who does not bow to their cult leader, is sadly a combination of a modern-day Confederacy and pro-Nazi authoritarianism. At least 30% of this country’s population supports the violent overthrow of our government to install a dictator permanently in power. Let that sink in. They want a white nationalist plutocracy where people of color, Jews, Muslims, women, etc. are oppressed and harmed while white privilege and superiority are restored. Trump does have an army behind him and he knows it, including a majority of Repubs in The House, some in The Senate, and a majority of Republicans in state governments. This is real. But it can be smothered. It needs to be. AG Garland (he should be confirmed tomorrow) has already sworn to put prosecuting the 1/6 insurrectionists and white nationalists at the top of his list. This is reassuring news. As more and more of the 1/6 seditionists are arrested and their trials and convictions are publicized, many of the cowardly racists in the Trump cult will back away. As leaders of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are taken down, the leadership vacuum should also grow and undermine their momentum. A very interesting take I heard today was that COVID-19 is helping to prop up QAnon and the white nationalists. As people have more time at home to get hooked into all the conspiracy BS and feel helpless and disconnected from others, they are more vulnerable to joining this would-be civil war because at least they would feel they belong to something that gives them the comfort of feeling smarter and more at ease due to the state of the world being easily understood through simple-minded conspiracy theories. Chopping the head off the snake, scaring off followers by imprisoning those who commit crimes in the name of their sedition, preventing Republicans from shutting down our democracy through voter suppression, arresting, removing and voting out Republican politicians who have been and are conspiring with this insurrectionist movement and getting back to normal life after COVID with people socializing in person again could disintegrate this “movement” But for now, I think it’s important that the rest of us see this terrorist, anti-democratic movement for what it really is, a self-confessed adversary of the U.S. and our democracy. » Posted By AdLib On February 22, 2021 @ 5:49 pm A Farewell to Trump: Oh the Bad Places You’ll Go My pleasure, Kes! Hope things settle down for you soon! » Posted By AdLib On February 5, 2021 @ 1:28 pm I saw a tweet saying Nixon’s ghost is probably jubilant after being seen as the worst president for 40 years. Nixon’s no longer “The One”. He’s Number Two, in every respect. » Posted By AdLib On January 20, 2021 @ 11:38 am I’m actually glad Trump wasn’t there, it was a very unifying, proud and soothing event that included everyone…except Trump. It didn’t hurt Biden, it makes Trump look like an outcast and reject. There will be many places he will not go…once the prosecutions are completed. » Posted By AdLib On January 20, 2021 @ 11:36 amComments Posted By AdLib
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