Displaying 331 To 360 Of 13,190 Comments Election Day Thread – The 2016 New Hampshire Primary Annnnnnd… this gives you a perfect 10, AdLib, on your predictions: » Posted By kesmarn On February 10, 2016 @ 12:27 pm Dagnabbit, AdLib, your powers of prognostication are uncanny! You won this one handily: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cnn-chris-christie-drop-out » Posted By kesmarn On February 10, 2016 @ 7:59 am LOL! I actually forgot Carson was still in this one. » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 6:37 pm You always find a way to make me feel better, AdLib! 😀 I did hear this evening that K-sick is also running out of money. So he may not be on the Koch’s BFF list after all! » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 6:12 pm So glad to see this one in the win column for Bernie. But I’m not happy to see Kasich in 2nd place. He is a dangerous guy, to say the least. » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 5:39 pm I can definitely see Carly bailing tomorrow, but I have a sense that Christie is just a little too stubborn and in denial to give it up just yet. He’s going to have to be down to his last donut to face the reality that he’s not going to win it this year. (Or ever, truth be told, Chrispie.) » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 4:37 pm Will Hillary’s Use of the Gender Card Backfire? That’s really awful, e’cat! There’s just no excuse for that. I really admire John Lewis and he has every right to have his own opinion on this or any other issue. I’ve gotten some poor treatment from some Hillary people too. You know — the “traitor to your sex” accusations, and the “stuck in the 60s with your tired old hippie boyfriend” remarks. Sigh. I think online discourse has coarsened conversation across the board. It’s like everything has suddenly turned into the YouTube comment section. It’s everybody’s loss. And one reason I really value the Planet more than ever. » Posted By kesmarn On February 11, 2016 @ 5:42 pm Meant to add also, Fergie — I am so impressed by the hard work and persistence you put into the process of getting your degree! You really deserve to be commended! I didn’t have a free ride, by any means, but I was fortunate in having both parents there during the struggle. It’s true — contrary to popular myth — the Boomer generation has not been carried through life on little fluffy soft pillows! » Posted By kesmarn On February 10, 2016 @ 8:31 am I am right with you on protesting against Boomers being dubbed the source of all evil, Fergie. It wasn’t Boomers who developed and used the atomic bomb, had a love affair with DDT that poisoned the earth and streams in so many areas, and blithely waltzed into unwinnable wars like Korea. That would be the so-called Greatest Generation. Boomers were — however — involved in the Civil Rights movement, the first environmental protection movements, women’s liberation and anti-Vietnam protests. Which doesn’t make that generation perfect, but does balance out the picture a bit. I’m not so sure, though, that Bernie is doomed to be defeated by any GOP candidate. When we consider that the GOP has alienated many African Americans, quite a number of women, most Hispanic folks, virtually all Muslims, college kids/grads struggling with debt and anyone who is interested in peace and rationality — do they have a majority left? A huge number of voters under 40 do not view the word “socialist” as a pejorative the way that older people were conditioned to. As for the lofty goals of free college education and single-payer medical care, it’s true Bernie can’t get those things done single-handedly. But I can’t fault him for aiming so high. If other countries can do it — are doing it, in fact — there’s no reason the US should say it’s impossible and just “settle.” I think the millennials are weary with “settling.” They’re had enough of half-loaves. They’re ready for revolution, and maybe the corporados should thank their lucky stars that they seem to crave a non-violent political revolution. » Posted By kesmarn On February 10, 2016 @ 8:27 am Monica, I loved the line about “Bernie’s clever strategy of saying the exact same thing for 40 years.” This woman can write! One of my other friends did make the point that millennials have tended to be conspicuously absent at the voting booths in those important mid-term elections, so they have little ground for scolding their elders. Okay — point well taken. But there’s much worth thinking about in her article too. » Posted By kesmarn On February 10, 2016 @ 8:04 am If anyone is interested in a very well-written, witty (if scorching) representation of a millennial feminist woman’s opinions on this issue here’s an article that will get you fired up (on one side or the other): » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 8:07 pm e’cat, I do love your dream team of Warren/Brown and if they ever opted to run in the future, they’d get my vote. Alas… no chance this year. One of my friends who is a Hillary supporter said to me that when she saw Hillary firing back at Bernie in the last debate, she relished the moment because it felt like (as she put it) “the way I’ve wanted — all my life — to fire back at every patronizing white male bully-boss I’ve ever had!” When I heard her say that it was the first time I felt that I’d gotten an emotional window into what her experience had been and why she felt the way she did about Hillary’s candidacy. (Although I have to say I couldn’t quite go with the “bully” image when it came to Sanders.) I think a lot of the way that we feel about these candidates is indeed rooted in our life and career experiences. The woman I mentioned above really had/has been on the receiving end of a lot of career sabotage and prejudice during her tenure in university administration and teaching. Hillary’s “shouting” was very cathartic for her — since the message she’d been getting for much of her professional life had been to “sit down and shut up.” Having worked in health care for most of my adult life, I had a different set of experiences. (When I was bullied it was by women. LOL!) So Bernie’s aspiration to move toward universal single-payer health coverage is really important to me. We may not get there within the next four years. In fact, it’s not terribly likely that we will. But I appreciate the audacity of that vision. As so many have said, though, either of the Dem candidates would be head and shoulders above the so-called “best” of the GOP field. » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 4:24 pm Looking forward to that next article, AdLib! (And I was one of those people who wrote Bernie off as unelectable when all this started. I was sure that the “Socialist” label would doom him. I was wrong and I hope I’m proven even “wronger” when he’s elected President.) I’m with you in believing that Steinem and Albright are not bad people. (I have to admit that I was surprised by Steinem’s “Where The Boys Are” comment, though. That seemed unlike her.) But millennial women — for whatever reasons — just don’t think in those terms. As so many have noted, in this race the older candidate is actually the person with the younger ideas. Bernie gets millennials (while not pandering to them — or anyone else) and they get him. » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 3:51 pm This is a really remarkable conversation, and one of the things that makes PlanetPOV the best place on earth for political conversations. Last night (before I turned the television off due to temporary political burnout) one of the pundits in a group who were discussing Madeline Albright’s (and Gloria Steinem’s) comments said: “Any time in politics, when someone tries to “guilt” people into voting for a given candidate, it virtually never works.” I think that’s true. I really, really admire Steinem (she’s from Toledo, OH after all), Albright and Hillary in many ways. What they’ve accomplished takes more chutzpa and endurance than I could ever have mustered in a lifetime. And — in truth — I think Madeline Albright made her comment in a somewhat light-hearted tone, although the message was still meant to hit home with younger feminists. As with everything else in this campaign season, it has certainly been parsed and analyzed to death. But I think millennial women are almost inevitably going to be offended by those comments (at the same time that they’re more than a little baffled as to where they’re coming from…they simply did not grow up in the Albright-Steinem era). As a woman, seeing the inauguration of a woman president in my lifetime is important to me too. But it’s not the most important thing to me. The older I get, the more I’m convinced that economic factors and conditions are at the root of virtually all forms of discrimination and oppression. If those factors and conditions can be addressed, greater justice will follow in many, many different (and sometimes unexpected ways). I can’t recall who said it, but a Black woman was quoted recently as commenting: “I can’t make you love me, but I can see to it that you are compelled to treat me fairly.” There it is. Economic justice — once achieved — is much more than half the battle won for social justice. And which candidate is pushing most forcefully for economic justice? At this point, I believe it’s Bernie Sanders. If Elizabeth Warren were running in this primary season, the fact that she is also a woman would put me over the top. And she would have gotten my vote. But she would have gotten it primarily because of her record on economic justice. I think millennial women feel the same way about her. They love her. Because she’s a feminist? Possibly. But more likely because she understands the difficulties that they face — and always has. I will most certainly vote for Hillary if she’s the candidate, but I can’t deny that her corporate ties worry me. I understand what she’s saying when she says that “everybody does it” (accepts money from Wall Street and corporate donors), but if there’s one thing that we all have learned over time about Wall Streeters and corporate executives it’s that they rarely invest money in any venture without expecting a return on their investment. When Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs said that he viewed people like Bernie Sanders as “dangerous,” that was the best endorsement I could possibly have heard for him. » Posted By kesmarn On February 9, 2016 @ 10:26 am Weekend Music Thread – Message in a Bottle There’s really no way I can fit this neatly into this week’s theme, but I just discovered it and it’s so darn pretty I couldn’t resist posting it!
» Posted By kesmarn On January 30, 2016 @ 8:08 pm Satire Declares Bankruptcy After Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump Stock in Astonishment and Disbelief were trading strong as of this morning, though. Loved this one, AdLib. Truth really is stranger than fiction, satire, or Sarah Palin. » Posted By kesmarn On January 23, 2016 @ 8:36 am I love this comment, PPO! 😆 » Posted By kesmarn On January 23, 2016 @ 8:33 am CHAT LIVE TONIGHT! Pres. Obama’s Final State of the Union Address! Tonight at 6:00pm PST! Oh — and here is one person’s answer to the “Ryan smirk problem”: [img]https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xal1/v/t1.0-0/p600x600/5245_10153416801527831_1560429395156648893_n.jpg?oh=f72c51fefc462f8a515214a6cda403a9&oe=573EEBBA[/img] » Posted By kesmarn On January 13, 2016 @ 10:53 am It was a wonderful speech, wasn’t it Kalima? He was in his best form. Speaking directly to the American people — right over the heads of the GOP. » Posted By kesmarn On January 12, 2016 @ 7:56 pm The 5 Changes to Elections We Need to be a Genuine Democracy So well-thought-out and clearly written, AdLib. I know that many of us have mentioned some of these reforms at one time or another, but it’s really wonderful to have them gathered together in one easily-understood article. This is a real gift. Thanks so much for getting these important Ideas out there — just when they’re most needed. No matter what the system of government in any country, it seems the risk is always the same: that those with the most wealth will sooner or later control everything. Our country started out as (at least an attempt at) a democracy. Granted — people of color and women were not included in that initial attempt. But at least the ideal was supported. Sadly, it’s been moving rapidly toward being an oligarchy over the last few decades. If the reforms suggested in this article were adopted, we’d have a real shot at getting back to what the Founders intended before we were Reaganized, Koched and Trumped. » Posted By kesmarn On January 7, 2016 @ 6:33 pm 2015 – The Year in Graphics at PlanetPOV It’s just great to have all these graphics gathered together in one place, AdLib. It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite. But the Star Trek series is just brilliant! Thanks so much and Happy New Year! » Posted By kesmarn On January 1, 2016 @ 4:38 pm Trump Flattered By Satan’s Compliments What a delectable Christmas Eve treat, AdLib! Just wonderful. Well, if Satan’s plans work out as he expects, later on there will be a few more guests at his Eternal Hot Springs Spa. Trump, Assad, Putin and Lil Kim will be roasting their chestnuts on an open fire one of these Christmas seasons. Happy Holidays! » Posted By kesmarn On December 24, 2015 @ 8:04 am It Couldn’t Happen Here – Or Will It? Sue, you were right in 2012 and you still are. I know that it’s often said (about almost every election) that this upcoming one may be the most critical one of our times. But truly this time I believe that is the case. If someone like Trump or Cruz gets in and they succeed in getting a GOP Congress in place, there’s no telling how far they’ll go. And it won’t be pretty. We’ve all said it and heard it many times but — this election it’s crucial to get out the vote! » Posted By kesmarn On December 18, 2015 @ 8:39 pm Michael, this is an incredibly valuable piece of research. I doubt that many Americans are aware of how prevalent this odious practice has been for a long time. And what also surprised me was how low most of the awards for damages have been. Awards in the $20,000 dollar range for serious injuries? Ridiculous. I’ve often wondered whether the job makes some people sadistic or whether sadistic people are drawn to this line of work. Regardless, this is a frightening fact of life for anyone who has to deal with law enforcement. One of the things that really creeped me out was the warped sense of humor that would invent the term “screen test” for something that could be so lethal. When people in any profession can joke about something that could make a person a quadriplegic for life, that’s a warning bell. Of course every profession has its ways of dealing with stress via humor (it happened in nursing too), but that one seemed to go many steps beyond just therapeutic kidding around. It really should be a “firing offense” for any officer(s) to transport a suspect without safely securing that person. There should be zero tolerance. And awards for injuries should be much higher. As others have said — hitting these departments in the pocket book might produce change when nothing else works. Isn’t it a shame that financial damages have to be the “weapon of choice” because appeals to human decency haven’t seemed to accomplish anything? That’s a sorry state of affairs. And I wish I were smart enough to come up with a plan to fix that. I know about open heart surgery, but unfortunately I don’t know how to fix the human heart in the area of basic decency. If anyone ever invents the “conscience transplant,” that will be a great day for all of us! In the meantime, I’m hoping and praying that Baltimore stays safe after this announcement of a hung jury. And also that justice is eventually done for the whole community. Thanks again for a terrific article. » Posted By kesmarn On December 16, 2015 @ 5:00 pm Trump Sews a Swastika Onto The American Flag Agreed that having Trump become the GOP candidate is a bit of a gamble, AdLib. But as you say, it’s one that progressives are likely to win. And when the GOP loses, it will be in a truly spectacular way. » Posted By kesmarn On December 9, 2015 @ 7:29 pm Kalima, I think this used to be called “damning with faint praise.” This neo-Nazi leader dubbing Trump “the real deal.” Kind of like Wayne LaPierre complimenting Dick Cheney on his accuracy and safety with a shotgun. He even goes on to state that the Trump candidacy is “like a throwback to an earlier era.” It sure is. The era of a KKK with hundreds of thousands of members? The McCarthy era? The Know-Nothing era? The George Wallace era? There’s a series called “The Man in the High Castle” on Amazon and it describes what life would have been like had the Axis powers won WWII. Pretty grim stuff. But — after all — fiction. Apparently Trump and his supporters would like us all to see if we can give that concept a trial run in real life. No thank you, Mr. Real-Except-For-My-Hair Deal! 😀 » Posted By kesmarn On December 9, 2015 @ 7:27 pm You know, AdLib, I’ve been wondering the same thing, but didn’t want to actually put the words: “It might be for the best if Trump won the nomination” into print! (Maybe I’m superstitious.) I have thought this as well. Since he actually does represent the way a lot of the GOP base thinks/feels, let him go out there and preach it. Then let him go down in a blaze of inglory. » Posted By kesmarn On December 9, 2015 @ 7:02 am AdLib, thanks so much for such a clear and timely statement of the truth about the GOP and the Trump candidacy. I was really nauseated by Paul Ryan’s “way-too-little-way-too-late” statement rejecting Trump’s latest insane plan. There’s Ryan — daintily washing his blood-red hands and “tsk-tsk-ing” in ladylike horror — condemning the monster that he and the other Doctors Frankenstein in the Republican Party had been creating for years! Puh-leeze. Dalia Mogahed was a guest on the PBS NewsHour tonight. (She’s an expert on Islam in the US.) She said that — although this may seem quite counter-intuitive — anti-Muslim sentiment does not spike when there are violent episodes like the San Bernardino shootings of last week. It tends — instead — to spike during election cycles. She came right out and said that the GOP deliberately fans the flames of ethnic and religious bigotry in order to rally their base to turn out and win elections. It was the most direct and blunt statement of that truth that I’ve heard to date. Until I read your excellent article! Truth. Americans need to hear a lot more of it. » Posted By kesmarn On December 8, 2015 @ 7:38 pm THE TEXT: President Obama’s Address to the Nation on ISIS Great idea, PPO! They’re the ones who are always saying that white shooters are suffering from mental illness — and are never “terrorists.” Let them put their money where their mouths are! » Posted By kesmarn On December 8, 2015 @ 5:54 pm And, of course, those suspensions only elevate these clods in the eyes of the FOX “News” demographic, Homie. The angrier, the better for them. That’s why they love Trump. » Posted By kesmarn On December 7, 2015 @ 4:38 pmComments Posted By kesmarn
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