Displaying 661 To 690 Of 13,190 Comments History, Is It Being Taught Anymore? So the point of your touching cow-judging anecdote was what, then? If not to make the point that ignorance is no obstacle to getting it right? (A point I happen to disagree with, except in the case of stopped clocks twice a day.) As Sue mentioned earlier, it’s odd to say something and then immediately deny that you meant anything of the kind. Nobody said you were advocating FOX, although I doubt you’d admit that they promote a number of falsehoods on an almost daily basis. Putting words in my mouth is a bit weak. Which was also the case with the Saudi Arabia and Sweden comment, and the implication that I said they should/do police the world. Never said that. Never would. “Hopefully this will not be the case always.” Well, it’s going to be difficult for anyone else to assume the job of policing the world as long as the US refuses to give it up — largely because it’s so incredibly profitable. As for the “not following” I’m very sorry you weren’t able to comprehend what I said. But — to cut to the chase — I think the real reason for your presence here is much less a desire for honest dialogue than it is an attempt to indulge in endless and meaningless sophistry and — more importantly — to waste people’s time. We’ve had quite a number of visitors here who’ve wanted to play that game. It gets tedious. So excuse me if I decline to play along any further. » Posted By kesmarn On November 10, 2014 @ 11:44 am Is the right actually arguing now that teaching history in schools is not a good idea? The masses in Germany enthusiastically supported Hitler too (yes, I did go there because it actually is relevant) — for a while. The masses aren’t inevitably going to choose the best person — especially when they’re ill-informed. There’s no automatically magical wisdom in a herd of people. Lynch mobs being a prime example. Guessing the weight of cows and deciding on the leadership of the most powerful country in the world are hardly equivalent. In the case of the US, the better educated the electorate, the better off the country is. For many reasons — not just for the purposes of voting. And when people are being systematically fed lies — as on FOX “News” — it’s even more important that they get facts while they’re in school. As for the US policing the world… Maybe folks who own a lot of stock in Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Academi, or Boeing believe that. The rest of us think it’s time for the world to grow up. Are countries like Saudi Arabia too poor — both in terms of money and humans willing to die — to defend themselves? Or it is just a lot easier to outsource that unpleasant task to a nation that in their view craves violence and the profits it creates anyway? » Posted By kesmarn On November 10, 2014 @ 8:23 am What Dubya heard as: “Baghdad! Attack! Attack!” was actually: “Dad’s mad! Go back! Go back!” (To Texas, that is.) » Posted By kesmarn On November 9, 2014 @ 3:39 pm And apparently none of his so-called advisors did either, nirek. They should have called themselves the No-Brain Trust. Or — better yet — the No-Brain No-Trust. » Posted By kesmarn On November 9, 2014 @ 3:23 pm Dang, Homie!! How could I have forgotten that! Dubya’s transcript of God’s words in the private chat room that they share trumps book larnin’ every time. » Posted By kesmarn On November 9, 2014 @ 3:21 pm Nirek, thanks so much for the kind attribution to me for that Texas Tech video. I’d seen similar things before, but this one was a real eye-opener because these were college kids, not random folks on the street. I think all of us would have hoped for a little bit better from them. Recently a number of us here on the Planet have been talking about how to revive the Democratic Party. People have mentioned the need to get involved on the most basic, local levels — Boards of Elections, City Councils, School Boards. Well, that School Board part seems to be especially important now. People who are not religious or political extremists need to get control of curricula. They need to be the ones deciding which text books are used. And we really don’t need to teach revisionist history cranked out by Texas text book publishers under pressure from RW fundamentalists. And then, as Sabreen noted on another thread, we as parents have to step up to fill the gap. It’s actually pretty fun to take younger kids with you when you go to vote. I did, and I even used to let the kids hit the button I pointed to on the touch screen so they’d have the feeling that they’d voted too. They loved it. And then when they got to be of voting age, voting wasn’t at all intimidating to them. We also “talked politics” as a family — even debated at times (without getting personal or yelling). So they got the impression that being informed and studying the issues was nothing out of the ordinary — just what any citizen was expected to do. We took them to museums and historical sites, so they had a sense of connection with the past. And they were lucky enough to have had a grandfather who’s now 92 and could actually tell them what the Depression and FDR were like firsthand. Nothing like living, walking talking history! When Dubya was initially trying to drum up support for the Iraq war, I remember talking with a group of friends. Decades before in college, I had taken a two semester course called “Islamic Civilizations.” I recall mentioning to my friends that the Sunni-Shi’a split was going to be a major factor in this war, that it had been in existence for hundreds of years, and that Dubya was not going to “fix” it over night. In retrospect, I sure wish Dubya had bothered to take a course in Islamic history. » Posted By kesmarn On November 9, 2014 @ 9:06 am The Weekend Music Thread-Personal Favorites This really is perfect, isn’t it Beatlex? 😆 » Posted By kesmarn On November 8, 2014 @ 1:20 pm An Open Letter to President Obama: Let Republicans Play with Their Own Boehner Thanks, ExFan! I think this should be the Prez’s anthem for the next two years. » Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 7:10 pm
» Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 3:08 pm I’m joining the chorus, PPO! Please write this article! » Posted By kesmarn On November 13, 2014 @ 7:34 pm I have to blush 😳 and give the credit where it’s due — to Nirek — for finding this gem. » Posted By kesmarn On November 10, 2014 @ 7:34 pm PPO, thanks so much for posting these clips! They really are wonderful. » Posted By kesmarn On November 10, 2014 @ 5:01 pm The GOP Wave Pool: Money, Lies, Ignorance and Democratic Apathy I apologize. I forgot to include misogyny and religious fanaticism on that list. » Posted By kesmarn On November 10, 2014 @ 11:52 am True. It wasn’t entirely racism that cost Dems in the Tuesday election. Dark money and Citizens United had a huge amount to do with it. The Koch brothers and their PACs had a huge amount to do with it. Now the task ahead is to reverse Citizens United. And to reform campaign financing. » Posted By kesmarn On November 10, 2014 @ 8:34 am 2010 and 2014: The Election Sequel of Dumb and Dumber KT, that Romney video…GAG!! Honestly — it looks like a parody. A sick parody. That Thurston Howell III outfit he’s wearing. Did that come from the costume department at MGM? Gotta love the way Romney consistently mis-characterizes the positions of both parties. The Dems allegedly think that everyone should be poor. And the Repubs try to pretend that everyone can be a billionaire. (Pay no attention to real economic theory.) They live in a world of lies and it’s gotten to the point where they don’t/can’t/won’t acknowledge the truth — even when their Florida mansions are being washed out to sea right under them. » Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 3:27 pm Good to see you, Sue! They’d love to represent Dems as being the “taker” party, while the GOP is full of millionaires. But as AdLib pointed out, there are millions of broke, white GOP voters. And as much as it stings them when they’re called “dumb” — well, what else would you call it when the chickens vote for Colonel Sanders? » Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 12:36 pm If anyone’s sense of well-being is totally dependent on his bank balance, I would suggest that there will never be “enough” then. There’s an empty place in the human spirit that can never be filled by money. » Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 12:02 pm Being willing to “give all of [one’s] focus, energy, drive, intelligence and application to acquiring wealth” sounds like a valid reason to seek professional mental health care. What a dreadful existence that describes. Which party one supported would be the least of one’s worries. » Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 11:05 am They do indeed, coveark, and we really have to prove them wrong. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 7:26 pm Exactly, AdLib. The media aren’t even pretending to be objective anymore. As you know, I don’t have cable, but I am able to get the local NBC affiliate, local Fox {{shudder}} and PBS. Fox locals used to be a bit more restrained than that cable “News” channel. Now they’re much more in-your-face GOP propaganda purveyors. NBC is almost indistinguishable from them. And PBS is a few notches above both of them in integrity, but still nary a word from them on the Kochs or dark money in elections. Too much Koch money in PBS these days. When they’ve succeeding in buying more of the econ and history departments in a few more universities, it will begin to seem as though women and minorities never did have the right to vote, the Civil War was fought over states rights, labor unions have always been a communist plot, the free market and unregulated capitalism were designed by God Almighty, and Social Security is contributing to the growth of a whole parasitical segment of society that is growing fat and lazy off the work of others. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 7:06 pm He really has been in a tough spot, hasn’t he? I think it may take a long time before history delivers a more balanced verdict on this presidency. Along with Paul Krugman, I think he will be found to have been pretty effective in very difficult circumstances. Not perfect of course. But nothing like the GOP portrayal of him. Too bad history takes so long to be written! 😀 » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 6:31 pm AdLib, thanks again for a terrific article. One of the things that caused me the most dismay when I got home from working the polls and turned on the television was the way that the media so consistently and repeatedly referred to yesterday’s election as a referendum on the President. This was supposed to have been the reason for all the GOP wins — everywhere. Not a single word about the power of dark money, the consequences of the Citizens United decision, and/or the influence of people like the Koch brothers. Are they saying that the results of this election had nothing to do with any of that? How dumb and/or dumber do they think we are?? » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 5:31 pm I think it was the part that went something like: “He’s a gutless, cowardly motherf**ker” on immigration (the guy in the middle) that made me wince, monica. Ouch! » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 5:23 pm This is a terrific video, monica. (Although the severe Obama-bashing in the last three minutes did go over the top, imho.) » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 4:27 pm Why The GOP Will Have A “Good” Night Tomorrow Nirek,I’ve often said that it’s really too bad that history is taught so poorly. (Often by the football coach in recent memory.) People end up feel that it’s boring and irrelevant. Then later we find out that living it all over again is anything but boring. Anything but irrelevant. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 2:14 pm funk, that certainly worked for liberal Marcy Kaptur yesterday. For over 30 years she has stayed true to her own principles. What a concept. And people respect her for it. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 2:10 pm Murph, after the fact it looks as though you nailed it. I think one of your paragraphs really summed it up: Both GOP and Dems are ignorant. They do not, as a body, know how government works. They do not know the candidates, party performance, issues, or strategies. They have impressions from ads, tv talking heads, and their friends. They have vague ideas from the same sources. They have their own internal biases. All of it comes down to a gut reaction which leads them to either vote or not vote, and if they vote, to vote “from the heart.” I’d further add that they most certainly do not know history. I’m perpetually astonished that the very party that gave us Watergate, Iran-Contra, the phony Clinton impeachment, the trumped up/costly war in Iraq and a major financial crash is so currently beloved by so many. It’s as though none of that ever happened. Here in Ohio, the fact that the President saved the auto industry while GOP Gov. Kasich turned down millions in federal dollars for education and a high speed rail project is totally forgotten. Instead, the myth of the Kasich-induced “Ohio Miracle” prevails. Because that’s what all the Koch-bought ads on television call it. Voters seem to operate in a totally emotion-based mode — with the primary emotions being fear and anger. And there are plenty of operators who are more than willing to exploit that to their own advantage. The GOP sought to portray the Democratic Party as effeminate, lazy, out of touch with reality, impotent and corrupt — with some degree of success to judge by yesterday’s election results. Frankly, I don’t have the slightest notion of how that gets fixed. I know the analogy has been used before but it’s like a battered spouse situation. Amnesia about past abuse. A fondness for the abuser. And the eternal conviction that “everything is just about to change for the better.” Good luck with that, America. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2014 @ 6:13 am What Are Athletes Actually Learning In UNC? Nirek, I think the kids who got sucked into this fraudulent degree program should be offered an opportunity to go back and take real courses with real requirements (and tutoring help, if they need it) in order to get a credible degree. I realize that may seem to be a pretty “soft” approach to them, but I think they may deserve a little slack (especially those who are the first in their families to go to college, because they may have been under the impression that this is just “the way it’s done”). Now, the people in administration and faculty who participated? That’s another story. Time for some consequences for them! » Posted By kesmarn On October 24, 2014 @ 5:17 pm The Science of Fox News: Why Its Viewers Are The Most Misinformed Or “How I Learned to Bend Reality to My Libertarian Will Using Only My expired VISA Card,A Ouiji Board and FOX “News”? » Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 12:30 pm This is fun, AdLib! What can I say? 😆 » Posted By kesmarn On November 7, 2014 @ 12:09 pmComments Posted By kesmarn
Thanks for posting!
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