This is why I watch The Voice, moments like this. Not only did Alicia Keys turned around for Felicia's performance, but they then did this amazing duet (starting around 3:15).
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
DeVos thought segregated schools were school choice
And this woman is Secretary of Education? Really?
It's not the town hall participants who are paid off
This is why we have town halls in the first place, to legitimately challenge our representatives when they don't represent us but instead shill for the 1%. We are not the ones paid off here.
Wilkerson: Twamp's $54 billion increase in defense spending
Is not for national security but to enrich the military-industrial complex. And to pay for that increase Twamp will cut social programs to below subsistence levels. So the truth is Twamp is going to make America great again for his rich buddies and a third-world nation for the rest of us. Wilkerson was former Chief of Staff to former Secretary of State Powell in the W. Bush Administration.
Fascist police state taking shape
217 Inauguration protestors were indicted on federal rioting or inciting to riot charges with up to 10 year prison sentences. Even though there were some instances of property destruction there isn't evidence that those so indicted caused them. A number of those charged were merely in the vicinity of such activity, and because they were wearing dark clothing (or skin) or face masks it was assumed they were guilty of either committing the crimes or at least inciting it. It's yet another example of the Twamp agenda to criminalize the very act of protesting to silence all dissent. Welcome to Amerika.
Sanders laughs at Twamp
It's hard not to do so with the Biggest Clown. This time it's over Twamp's statement that nobody knew how complicated health care is. All of us with a brain have known this all along.
Hartmann on Perez as DNC chair
A caller asked him a good question about why should progressives keep supporting the Dem Party since they've proven yet again with electing Perez that they are just Wall Street cronies. Hartmann noted that President Obama was the one that put Perez over the top, lobbying voting members of the DNC. He thinks it's the last gasp of the establishment, corporate Third Way that refuses to hold the banksters accountable. He also correctly acknowledges that said establishment Dem policy doesn't work.
And yet Hartmann still thinks it's possible to take the Party back to a progressive people's Party. How many times does the Party have to spit in our faces and thwart every attempt to do so before you wake up? They will never allow the progressive wing to take over the Party. Never. To continue to keep believing that we can is to waste our valuable time and energy when we could be using it to start a real progressive party. Sanders has to also wake up to this reality and spearhead this movement. It is the only clear and sane path for returning our government to the people.
And yet Hartmann still thinks it's possible to take the Party back to a progressive people's Party. How many times does the Party have to spit in our faces and thwart every attempt to do so before you wake up? They will never allow the progressive wing to take over the Party. Never. To continue to keep believing that we can is to waste our valuable time and energy when we could be using it to start a real progressive party. Sanders has to also wake up to this reality and spearhead this movement. It is the only clear and sane path for returning our government to the people.
Jon Stewart's message to the media
On Colbert last night. In short, grow some balls. Only he makes it much funnier. Colbert sets him up with the news of media outlets being banned from a White House press briefing last Friday. Stewart then goes into Twamp's constant lying, and how the media must hold him accountable.
Republicans vote to keep Twamp's tax returns secret
Imagine that. Every modern President has had a duty to release their tax returns in order to make their conflicts transparent to Congress and the public. After all, this high Office is supposed to be in the public interest. And this has been accepted by both major Parties in times past. But no longer. After a resolution was introduced using a 1924 law to examine a President's tax returns, it was blocked by 224 House Republicans.
This knowledge is particularly important in light of FBI and CIA investigations into the Twamp campaign having ties with Russia. But the Republicans want to quash that too because they don't care if our election was hacked by a foreign government, or if our President has ties with the Russians that border on if not outright indicate treason. They'd rather not have the public know this information in order to maintain their power and get their draconian agenda passed to screw the public. Which is really their overall agenda, totally antithetical to the very foundations on which our country was founded.
This knowledge is particularly important in light of FBI and CIA investigations into the Twamp campaign having ties with Russia. But the Republicans want to quash that too because they don't care if our election was hacked by a foreign government, or if our President has ties with the Russians that border on if not outright indicate treason. They'd rather not have the public know this information in order to maintain their power and get their draconian agenda passed to screw the public. Which is really their overall agenda, totally antithetical to the very foundations on which our country was founded.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Resistance Report on Perez and the DNC
See this article for the details. The hacked DNC emails shows that Perez conspired with the DNC to denigrate Sanders in the primaries, trying to paint him as only popular with white kids. We did in fact see this strategy played out, even though it was not true. The bottom line is that the status quo in the Party want to maintain their power even at the cost of elections.
Just look at how their corporate Dem strategy has cost them significant State representative and Governor seats in the last 6 years. People don't want Republican lite, they want strong progressives that have the guts to take a firm stand. But that's just too radical for those corporate Dems. And we the people will keep suffering because of their ineptitude.
Just look at how their corporate Dem strategy has cost them significant State representative and Governor seats in the last 6 years. People don't want Republican lite, they want strong progressives that have the guts to take a firm stand. But that's just too radical for those corporate Dems. And we the people will keep suffering because of their ineptitude.
Republicans will not pursue Twamp campaign ties to Russia
Imagine that. Russia used to be a legitimate threat to the US. But on Tuesday the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee will quietly vote against a formal Congressional inquiry into the Russian connection, despite the FBI and CIA conclusions such connections exist. And they'll do so in face of their oaths of office that require “that I will support and defend the Constitution of
the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” So much for the Constitution when they will get their despicable agenda rubber stamped by a (not my) President who is also making a mockery of the Constitution. This hypocrisy should be pointed out repeated in the 2018 mid-terms.
Coward Twamp won't attend White House correspondents dinner
What a whiny little girl that can't handle some comedy directed at him. I hope they rip him a new one at the dinner.
Sanders calls for Party overhaul
Yet he still thinks this can be accomplished after Perez got the DNC chair? Sanders said the Party has to fight the big banks and big business and return to representing working people. But Perez is a paid lackey of the very industries that Sanders thinks we need to oppose. Isn't it time you woke up Senator Sanders and became the leader of a new progressive Party and get rid of the dead weight of the other half of the Wall Street Party?
Twamp coming after legalized pot
Yep, the Federal position has changed. It used to be that the Fed would allow the people in the States the authority to vote in legalized recreational pot. But the Biggest Loser is changing that policy and will federally prosecute users and merchants in those States. So much for the much touted Republican notion of State sovereignty and abuse by the Federal government.
Even Dubya Bush has to correct Twampler
In this piece the former President commented on Twamp's war with the press:
“I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. We need an independent media to hold people like me to account. Power can be very addictive, and it can be corrosive.”
You know the US has gone to hell when Dubya has to set the record straight on a free press. He also commented on Twamp's Muslim ban.
"I understood right off the bat ... that [the executive order] was an ideological conflict. I am for an immigration policy that is welcoming and upholds the law.”
“I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. We need an independent media to hold people like me to account. Power can be very addictive, and it can be corrosive.”
You know the US has gone to hell when Dubya has to set the record straight on a free press. He also commented on Twamp's Muslim ban.
"I understood right off the bat ... that [the executive order] was an ideological conflict. I am for an immigration policy that is welcoming and upholds the law.”
Making whites great again
And that's about it. This story wonders why Twampler has been silent about Indian-Americans were killed by a white terrorist. Not to mention the whites incited by his racist rhetoric that are threatening the Jewish community in droves. Twamp did comment on that but we don't believe him one bit. And yet the Biggest Loser will make up stories about Muslims killing people in Sweden. For Twamp if you ain't a white nationalist (aka Nazi) then you don't count. Yeah, that's making America great again, but for whom?
Sunday, February 26, 2017
The Dictator's first 100 lies
One thing Twamp is number 1 at: telling the most lies the quickest. This lists just the first 100 lies that he and his staff have told in just the first 36 days of the Presidency. And it will likely keep up at this rate so buckle up. Just the first 10 are below; see the link for the rest.
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White House press secretary Sean Spicer falsely claimed the crowd on the National Mall was “largest audience to ever witness an inauguration.” (Jan. 21)
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Trump falsely claimed that the crowd for his swearing-in stretched down the National Mall to the Washington Monument and totaled more than 1 million people. (Jan. 21)
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As Trump fondly recalled his Inauguration Day, he said it stopped raining “immediately” when he began his speech. A light rain continued to fall throughout the address. (Jan. 21)
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During his speech at CIA headquarters, Trump claimed the media made up his feud with the agency. In fact, he started it by comparing the intelligence community to “Nazi Germany.” (Jan. 21)
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During his speech at CIA headquarters, Trump repeated the claim that he “didn’t want to go into Iraq.” He told Howard Stern in 2002 that he supported the Iraq War. (Jan. 21)
DNC shuns Ellison, chooses Perez
It's so funny to hear some progressives claiming Perez is just as progressive as Ellison, hence Perez getting the DNC chair is not much of a difference. Meanwhile actual progressives quite clearly see the differences between them. Ellison is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Perez is not. Perez might have voted progressively on social issues, but he is most certainly an establishment corporate Democrat on financial issues. And that's exactly why he won the chair, as that's what the establishment Party has become: corporate cronies.
US fascism has arrived
The list below is from the Holocaust Museum. If we fail to remember history we are doomed to repeat it. And repeat it we are.
10 spiritually transmitted diseases
An oldie but goodie. See the article for the details; I'll just post the bullet points here. A specific malady within the broad category is kennilingus, which exhibits most if not all of the symptoms. I'm also reminded of the related illness altitude sickness. Also seems the author is a student of Marc Gafni. I wonder is she applied all this to him?
1. Fast-Food Spirituality
2. Faux Spirituality
3. Confused Motivations
4. Identifying with Spiritual Experiences
5. The Spiritualized Ego
1. Fast-Food Spirituality
2. Faux Spirituality
3. Confused Motivations
4. Identifying with Spiritual Experiences
5. The Spiritualized Ego
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Twamp news network
Fallon satirizes how Twamp's entire Presidency is pretty much a reality tv show with no connection to reality.
Smith at Fox: CNN is not fake news
Poor little dictator Twampler is getting reamed by his own network.
Deconstruction of the administrative state
Hartmann discusses Bannon's frightening recent declaration. It's the executive branch's job to administer the laws we have for public protections against the oligarchy and Bannon wants none of that. Hence most all the Cabinet picks chosen specifically to destroy the offices they are sworn to administer.
Press We Can
Maher's New Rule about the press finally starting to grow a pair and calling out Twamp on his lies. The press was complicit in getting the Biggest Loser elected by just airing all of Twamp absurdities without challenge just to get ratings and make money. But there are a few instances of them now starting to wake up to their public responsibility. Too bad it took Twamp trying to derail them via his libelous and slanderous lies.
Since freedom is a big conservative talking point, we must retain freedom of the press to maintain our democracy. And that includes the press being free of corporate influence to promote the people's freedom.
Since freedom is a big conservative talking point, we must retain freedom of the press to maintain our democracy. And that includes the press being free of corporate influence to promote the people's freedom.
Republicans defund Planned Parenthood
How is it possible to have a conversation with people that hate women and want to take away their healthcare? Where is the common decency to begin a dialog?
Friday, February 24, 2017
Spicer said banning media is a dictatorship
Yes, he said this, there is video proof, an actual fact. Of course this was before he got the job as White House press secretary. And now he's banning media sources from a government-funded news briefing. Spicer was right then about this being an example of a dictatorship, not a democracy.
Leaked draft of Republican insurance company profit Bill
See this story for the draft and the details. We can't rightly call it a healthcare plan because it's about corporate profits without the least consideration of our health. The Bill will slash subsidies to those in need and eliminate the Medicaid expansion in Obamacare that is helping many poor people. It would eliminate the individual mandate as well as the taxes that fund Obamacare. It also bans federal funding for Planned Parenthood despite that only about 3% of its services are for abortions, and not one of those abortions is paid with federal funds. With the funding measures above eliminated they will also charge the elderly up to 5 times as much for their insurance as young people. One result of all this is that fewer Americans will have any coverage.
White House bars news outlets
The fascist regime gains strength by the day. Now they've barred CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Politico from an off-camera press briefing today. Of course those who value freedom of the press are up in arms. But let's see if any in the Republican Party give a shit about one of the prerequisites of a free democracy.
Congress is cutting public protections
See this article by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Already the new Congress has overturned the Stream Protection Rule that protecting streams from mining pollution. Not surprisingly, the sponsors of the Bill received more than $1 million from this industry. A new bill has been introduced to remove an EPA rule to improve safety at chemical storage facilities. Again, the sponsor received large donations from that industry. There is new legislation to overturn the Methane and Waste Prevention rule, which provides protections on how oil and gas are extracted on federal lands. And yet again, the sponsors are receiving large payouts from the industry. See the article for more examples with the details. Bottom line as usual: money over people and the environment.
Why liberals and conservatives can no longer communicate
These used to be able to honestly debate their differences of policy. So what has changed? This article proves that it's because conservatives no longer agree to have facts as a common ground from which to then discuss how to implement the facts. For example take immigration. Conservatives believe that most immigrants are criminals pouring into the US at a record rate and that they suck up our welfare programs. The facts: Illegal immigration has been net 0 since 2009; Obama deported more immigrants than any other President; only about 7% of immigrants are criminals, and the rest are less likely to commit crime than other US citizens; they don't qualify for and don't get welfare benefits.
Greenwald on the DNC chair race
See this article here. The battle between the establishment, corporate Dems and the progressive wing of the Party is still going strong. That's why the corporate Dems chose Perez to challenge Ellison for the chair of the DNC, to be decided this Saturday. Perez is part of the status quo that doesn't want to shake things up. Hence they don't want a progressive like Ellison who will do just that, favoring policies conducive to the people, not the oligarchs.
Another issue is that Ellison is a Muslim. And a key oligarchic Dem financier hates Muslims. He called Ellison an anti-Semite and he vowed to veto Ellison's candidacy. This oligarch wants profiling and surveillance of Muslims in the US. He was a big fan of both Clintons, and spent considerable social time with them. And the corporate Dems really want his money to keep flowing to them.
This Saturday should prove once and for all if the Dem Party is worth reforming and redeeming. My guess is that it is not.
Another issue is that Ellison is a Muslim. And a key oligarchic Dem financier hates Muslims. He called Ellison an anti-Semite and he vowed to veto Ellison's candidacy. This oligarch wants profiling and surveillance of Muslims in the US. He was a big fan of both Clintons, and spent considerable social time with them. And the corporate Dems really want his money to keep flowing to them.
This Saturday should prove once and for all if the Dem Party is worth reforming and redeeming. My guess is that it is not.
Take Twamp's media poll
Twamp did a media poll and didn't like the answers he got so he's doing another one. Please take it and give your honest answers. I'm sure he won't like this one either, so will either scrap it like the first one or, like Republican polling places, just not count the results he doesn't like.
Word of the day: scapegrace
We just know that Twamp was this sort of kid in school, as he is this same sort of kid as an adult.
scapegrace \SKEYP-greys\ noun
1. a complete rogue or rascal; a habitually unscrupulous person; scamp.
scapegrace \SKEYP-greys\ noun
1. a complete rogue or rascal; a habitually unscrupulous person; scamp.
Tell Senate Homeland Security committee NO on Bannon
For a seat on the National Security Council. Here is their contact form. The committee must approve Bannon's nomination so encourage them to vote NO.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
EPA head Pruitt's emails released
This is why the Republicans wanted to hurry up his confirmation to the post. The emails reveal his Koch brothers connection while he was Oklahoma's Attorney General, appeasing them by rolling back environmental regulations on the fossil fuel industry. There it is, proof he is a paid stooge to pollute the environment and he's now the head of the Environmental Protection Agency? Come on people, wake the fuck up and smell the exhaust fumes. They don't want to protect the environment, or you for that matter. They want you dead because your protection stands in the way of their greed.
Obama's accomplishments
That's why the 1% keeps trying to program you into believing you are suffering under his Presidency. It's a ploy to distract from the fact that many of his programs have curtailed their rampant, unbridled greed. This article lists Obama's many accomplishments that cause the average American well being. Unfortunately for the 1% our well being equates to their 'suffering' loss of all those profits they could have made had we just believed their lies and manipulations. That's a weird definition of suffering though, since they are rich beyond compare just the way things are. But no, they want it ALL. A partial list of Obama's accomplishments follow, which drives the thieves up the wall.
Gays and Lesbians can now marry and enjoy the benefits they had been deprived of.
When Obama took office, the Dow was 6,626. Now it is 19,875.
We had 82 straight months of private sector job growth – the longest streak in the history of the United States.
Especially considering where the economy was when he took over, an amazing 11.3 million new jobs were created under President Obama (far more than President Bush).
Obama has taken Unemployment from 10% down to 4.7%.
Homelessness among US Veterans has dropped by half.
Obama shut down the US secret overseas prisons.
Gays and Lesbians can now marry and enjoy the benefits they had been deprived of.
When Obama took office, the Dow was 6,626. Now it is 19,875.
We had 82 straight months of private sector job growth – the longest streak in the history of the United States.
Especially considering where the economy was when he took over, an amazing 11.3 million new jobs were created under President Obama (far more than President Bush).
Obama has taken Unemployment from 10% down to 4.7%.
Homelessness among US Veterans has dropped by half.
Obama shut down the US secret overseas prisons.
Bannon admits the destruction of public protections
The so-called brains behind Twampler, Bannon, today openly admitted that his ideological goal is to "deconstruct the administrative state." This means to destroy all those federal agencies that "ensure we receive such things as clean air, clean water, fair labor
laws,fair housing standards, anti- discrimination laws, financial regulations, food and drug safety, national education standards" etc. Why? Because they get in the way of the 1% draining our economies for their own profit. So it's no wonder that all the Cabinet positions are being filled by the very people that want to destroy those departments; that is exactly what they were appointed to do.
Bad choice: School choice gets a bad grade
Let's properly frame what Secretary of Education DeVos calls school choice, which means taking public funds to pay for private schools, all in the name of a better education. See this article detailing the poor performance results of private schools: They are dismal compared to public education. So don't let regressvies get away with framing it as if this provides freedom of choice to parents for their children. It provides profits for the 1% and poor performance results for children. They are lying and manipulating you for their benefit, while not giving a shit about your kids or your choices. Let's call it what it is: Bad choice.
Send chickenfeed to your Republican Congressman
Great idea for those many chicken Republican representatives that are afraid to have town halls and face their constituents.
Ben & Sarah
1st place Invitational Jack & Jill at Halloween Swing Thing 2016. This is completely improvisation. As a west coast swing dancer myself I'm really appreciating and learning from Ben all the time.
Arizona Senate goes full tryant
Continuing from the last post, see this story. The AZ Senate voted to "expand racketeering laws to allow police to arrest anyone
involved in a protest and seize their assets, treating demonstrators
like organized criminals." It also allows the police to arrest protesters even when they think a demonstration might turn violent. This law would extend even to those just planning a demonstration. Tyranny is upon us folks. You better resist this right now before it's too late.
The 7 signs of tyranny
See the video below for the details. Sound at all familiar? Are you supporters sure this is what you voted for? The 7 signs are:
1. Exaggerate their mandate to govern.
2. They turn the public against journalists or media outlets that criticize them.
3. They repeatedly lie to the public.
4. They blame economic stresses on immigrants or racial or religious minorities.
5. They attack the motives of anyone who opposes them, including judges.
6. They appoint family members to high positions of authority.
7.They keep their personal finances secret, and draw no distinction between personal property and public property.
1. Exaggerate their mandate to govern.
2. They turn the public against journalists or media outlets that criticize them.
3. They repeatedly lie to the public.
4. They blame economic stresses on immigrants or racial or religious minorities.
5. They attack the motives of anyone who opposes them, including judges.
6. They appoint family members to high positions of authority.
7.They keep their personal finances secret, and draw no distinction between personal property and public property.
Travis Smiley interviews George Lakoff
See and read it in this link. He discusses how framing is used to manipulate people. E.g., the Twamp swamp wants to get rid of regulation, seeing them as preventing freedom. But freedom to do what? Eliminate protections for clean water and air. Freedom to eliminate protections for safe and effective drugs. Freedom to get rid of protections against vampire banks that rip you off for their own gain. Yeah, it's freedom for the corporate oligarchs, but certainly not freedom for you and me.
Unfortunately, to counter the effects of all the lying frames created takes repeated vigilance. And many Americans have not been trained to effectively counter it so ultimately just unconsciously succumb to the oft repeated lies. If one has been inculcated in a strict father, authoritarian morality then that will trump knowledge that what their fed is a sack of lies. It's the unconscious moral structure that matters.
Lakoff describes this moral universe quite well in the link. And how to talk with those so inculcated. Like focus on how they care about others in their community, how they contribute to charity, or how they helped a neighbor in need. Reinforce their nurturant side. When they are so engaged you frame government as being protective of our rights, or caring for our health, of supporting clean water, all things that engage our nurturant side.
Unfortunately, to counter the effects of all the lying frames created takes repeated vigilance. And many Americans have not been trained to effectively counter it so ultimately just unconsciously succumb to the oft repeated lies. If one has been inculcated in a strict father, authoritarian morality then that will trump knowledge that what their fed is a sack of lies. It's the unconscious moral structure that matters.
Lakoff describes this moral universe quite well in the link. And how to talk with those so inculcated. Like focus on how they care about others in their community, how they contribute to charity, or how they helped a neighbor in need. Reinforce their nurturant side. When they are so engaged you frame government as being protective of our rights, or caring for our health, of supporting clean water, all things that engage our nurturant side.
A Muslim in Twamp's White House
Yes, this is the account of that Muslim, who lasted therein only 8 days. She was a member of Obama's National Security Council and stayed on but could not tolerate the chaos. There has been an unbridled, authoritarian takeover of the government isolated to those few insiders with a neo-fascist agenda, like Bannon and Miller. Executive Orders were not based on consultation with experts but issued like edicts from those insiders. An entire aura of alternative reality has been created based not on fact or expertise but on this authoritarian ideology that denigrates the press for factual reporting and anyone who dares to even question that authority.
Punish employers for hiring illegal immigrants
Hartmann and former Republican Congressman Tancredo discuss this issue. It goes into a tangent about illegal immigrants voting that gets heated, neither side convincing the other. But on the issue of punishing employers that hire illegal immigrants they agree. Too bad Twamp or the Republicans in Congress don't agree, instead going after mass deportations of said immigrants.
Republicans can't handle town halls
You know, when the people they represent come to ask them why they are supporting certain policies, like the repeal of Obamacare. So now Republicans are trying to defame their own constituents by saying they are paid agitators and not really their voters. No, these are in fact your voters who didn't vote for you to do the things you are now doing. You simply don't want to take responsibility for your actions that are contrary to what the majority of your voters want. Quit blaming others or lying about them and face the results of your actions, you whining little girls. And just maybe start listening to the democratic process instead of your big money masters. Yeah, like that will ever happen.
Alex Jones counsels not my President
Yes, Twampler gets some of his information and advice from paranoid conspiracy nut job Jones. What have we come to?
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Twamp normalizes hate of Muslims
Good discussion of how hate groups are increasing in numbers directly due to Twamp's statements. And their hatred is not based on any evidence, as the Muslim crime rate is much lower per capita than the crime committed by these very hate groups.Twamp dwellers are the real terrorists in the US.
George Will: Twamp is a political sociopath
O'Donnell interviews staunch conservative Will who left both Fox News and the Republican Party over the Party allying with and normalizing Twamp.
Michael Moore's 10-point resistance plan
See the details here. I'll just provide the bullet points below.
1. Call Congress daily.
2. Visit your local Congresspeople at least monthly.
3. Have a personal rapid response team.
4. Join organizations that support the resistance.
5. Join in resistance marches wherever you can.
1. Call Congress daily.
2. Visit your local Congresspeople at least monthly.
3. Have a personal rapid response team.
4. Join organizations that support the resistance.
5. Join in resistance marches wherever you can.
Forbes article on rapacious capitalism
When even Forbes publishes this sort of article the collaborate commons must be having an impact. If capitalism is left unchecked humanity will be literally starved by 2050, with valid scientific evidence to back it up. Then he discusses how we must change our socio-economic system to one of distributed ownership and governance, one where local people have a local stake in social and environment health. Mondragon co-op is cited as the most popular example. It also mentions holacracy and a distributed management business model. It's a start when Forbes allows such heresy.
White nationalism now runs our government
Good article showing how Twampler's neo-Nazism might set back democracy for 150 years. A large part of that ideology is displayed in hatred of immigrants contaminating our pure whiteness. Hence the implemented policy now taking shape in trying to ban Muslims and deporting en mass Mexicans. Even though slavery and segregation have been previously outlawed, white nationalism sees that as wimpy liberal multiculturalism infecting our purity.
But they also realize many Americans have indeed evolved beyond those more extreme expressions so they couch their ideology in more palatable framing like the dangers immigrants pose, or they're stealing our jobs, or they are criminals by definition, to arouse resentment in those who are indeed struggling to make ends meet. But make no mistake: it's the same racial purity inherent to Nazism but with new makeup on that old pig.
But they also realize many Americans have indeed evolved beyond those more extreme expressions so they couch their ideology in more palatable framing like the dangers immigrants pose, or they're stealing our jobs, or they are criminals by definition, to arouse resentment in those who are indeed struggling to make ends meet. But make no mistake: it's the same racial purity inherent to Nazism but with new makeup on that old pig.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
There was a Swedish terrorist attack after all
But it was by white supremacists burned down a Muslim association house. This sort of terrorism is indeed on the rise in Sweden. Last year 92 attacks all against asylum seekers and refugees. So it is Twampler and his ilk that are the terrorists, not the Muslims. However for the last decade overall crime rates have been going down there, even after taking in all the refugees, so it's not the refugees engaging in crime, let along terrorists attacks. See the video below for more factual information.
How Twamp has already betrayed his supporters
Reich sums it up in this FB post, copied below. And on this in just his first month in office. I know it's hard but you supporters have to face up to the truth, admit you were conned, and vow to undo the mess you created in the next elections.
"1. He called Hillary Clinton a crook. You bought it. Then he paid $25 million to settle a fraud lawsuit.
2. He said he'd release his tax returns, eventually. You bought it. He hasn't, and says he never will.
3. He said he'd divest himself from his financial empire, to avoid any conflicts of interest.
You bought it. He is still heavily involved in his businesses, manipulates the stock market on a daily basis, and has more conflicts of interest than can even be counted.
4. He said Clinton was in the pockets of Goldman Sachs, and would do whatever they said. You bought it. He then proceeded to put half a dozen Goldman Sachs executives in positions of power in his administration.
5. He said he'd surround himself with all the best and smartest people. You bought it.
He nominated theocratic loon Mike Pence for Vice President. A white supremacist named Steve Bannon is his most trusted confidant. Dr. Ben Carson, the world's greatest idiot savant brain surgeon, is in charge of HUD. Russian quisling Rex Tillerson is Secretary of State.
"1. He called Hillary Clinton a crook. You bought it. Then he paid $25 million to settle a fraud lawsuit.
2. He said he'd release his tax returns, eventually. You bought it. He hasn't, and says he never will.
3. He said he'd divest himself from his financial empire, to avoid any conflicts of interest.
You bought it. He is still heavily involved in his businesses, manipulates the stock market on a daily basis, and has more conflicts of interest than can even be counted.
4. He said Clinton was in the pockets of Goldman Sachs, and would do whatever they said. You bought it. He then proceeded to put half a dozen Goldman Sachs executives in positions of power in his administration.
5. He said he'd surround himself with all the best and smartest people. You bought it.
He nominated theocratic loon Mike Pence for Vice President. A white supremacist named Steve Bannon is his most trusted confidant. Dr. Ben Carson, the world's greatest idiot savant brain surgeon, is in charge of HUD. Russian quisling Rex Tillerson is Secretary of State.
Republicans want poor school kids to starve
By cutting the free or reduced-price school lunch programs. Republicans are not happy with feeding kids in need so they are proposing legislation that will cut the number of kids eligible for this program. They will do this by providing block grants, meaning a set amount of money. When, not if, these schools exceed the limited money for the program then let the children starve.
They are also trying to roll back the nutrition standards for school meals set by the Obama Administration, which did so in the hopes of curtailing the obesity and diabetes epidemic in school children. Again, the Republicans would rather kids can have junk food and drinks in the name of freedom of choice. Yeah, their food and drink choices cause these diseases, which incur enormous healthcare costs that we all pay for in taxes. So much for our freedom in not having to pay for your bad habits.
They are also trying to roll back the nutrition standards for school meals set by the Obama Administration, which did so in the hopes of curtailing the obesity and diabetes epidemic in school children. Again, the Republicans would rather kids can have junk food and drinks in the name of freedom of choice. Yeah, their food and drink choices cause these diseases, which incur enormous healthcare costs that we all pay for in taxes. So much for our freedom in not having to pay for your bad habits.
Colbert mocks Twamp on Sweden
Following up on this post, Colbert made mince-meat of idiot Twamp's claims about a terrorist attack in Sweden. Very funny with accurate facts. See, facts can be fun.
The Pope on immigrants, climate science and terrorism
Good article on the Pope's letter to grassroots organizations and social movements meeting this week in California. Therein he once again criticized the dehumanizing forces of neoliberal capitalism. He reiterates that a Christian doesn't turn away a neighbor but helps him, whether within our community or from without our borders. He also emphasized that terrorism is not associated with any one religion, so to do so is to empower terrorists of all stripes. Finally he said we must recognize climate science to nurture the earthy source of our sustenance. To do otherwise is suicide.
Monday, February 20, 2017
FDR on organized money
Being just as dangerous as organized mob. Pretty much same difference. Hartmann celebrates Roosevelt on President's day by discussing how he came to be President by opposing those organized criminals that caused the big depression with their greed and inhumanity. Hartmann of course compares it to what we have going today, with the same result. We'll need another FDR in 2020 to turn the country around, namely, Senator Warren. The FDR clips start around 3:00.
Twampler lies about immigrants in Sweden
See Reich commenting on this article. Twamp implied that immigrants to Sweden launched a terrorist attack which was a lie. When confronted Twamp that blamed Fox News for misinforming him. That's where he gets his news? So he changed his story to immigrants are causing a rise in Swedish crime, also a lie. So he again changed his story to not one of facts, since he obviously doesn't have any, to one blaming the media for not reporting on immigrant crime in Sweden. I mean, WHAT THE FUCK?!
Another liberation theologian
This from another Catholic into liberation theology, San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy. Note that he supports disruption of bad policies but does not blame people who unwittingly support such policies through ignorance or manipulation. He encourages us to create good policies to help everyone in need, including those so misguided. An excerpt:
"Well now, we must all become disruptors. We must disrupt those who would seek to send troops into our streets to deport the undocumented, to rip mothers and fathers from their families. We must disrupt those who portray refugees as enemies rather than our brothers and sisters in terrible need. We must disrupt those who train us to see Muslim men, women and children as forces of fear rather than as children of God. We must disrupt those who seek to rob our medical care, especially from the poor. We must disrupt those who would take even food stamps and nutrition assistance from the mouths of children."
"Well now, we must all become disruptors. We must disrupt those who would seek to send troops into our streets to deport the undocumented, to rip mothers and fathers from their families. We must disrupt those who portray refugees as enemies rather than our brothers and sisters in terrible need. We must disrupt those who train us to see Muslim men, women and children as forces of fear rather than as children of God. We must disrupt those who seek to rob our medical care, especially from the poor. We must disrupt those who would take even food stamps and nutrition assistance from the mouths of children."
Track Rep. and Senator votes for/against Twamp
538's new vote tracking for reference come the mid-terms and 2020 elections. It also shows how our Rep. or Senators should be voting based on how much Twamp won or lost by in their States. E.g. in CA Twamp lost by 30%, so Senator Feinstein was expected to vote with Twamp about 26% of the time. Instead she is voting with Twamp 44% of the time. Harris, the other Democratic Senator from CA, was expected to vote with Twamp the same 26% and is doing so. What's up with that?
Christian woman defends Obamacare
Liberals need spirituality to reach everyone
Following up on the last post, I especially liked these Fox quotes, something the Ning and Facebook integral postmetaphysical spirituality forums are seeking to remedy:
"The left in America tends to be so secular, in the sense of anti-religious, and I think it's a big mistake, you know? Because, look at the red and blue states. The red states are kind of into religion, so we should be confronting bad, and hypocritical Christianity. [...] I think it's time for us to really get proactive, with the hypocrisy of all these so-called Christian politicians who are running things. And so, I think the left is really dumb, if it thinks that you can change America without addressing religious concerns."
"The left in America tends to be so secular, in the sense of anti-religious, and I think it's a big mistake, you know? Because, look at the red and blue states. The red states are kind of into religion, so we should be confronting bad, and hypocritical Christianity. [...] I think it's time for us to really get proactive, with the hypocrisy of all these so-called Christian politicians who are running things. And so, I think the left is really dumb, if it thinks that you can change America without addressing religious concerns."
Bannon allies with fascist wing of Catholic Church
See this article. It's part 2 of a discussion with Matthew Fox. In part 1 they discussed how Twamp was compared with the rise of the alt-right in Europe, and how both compare to the rise of Hitler. The Pope has brought liberation theology to the Vatican, which previous Popes have fought against. Hence the Pope's scathing criticisms of neoliberal capitalism. The fascist Catholics like Opus Dei are in an uproar about this sort of thing. Bannon has a direct link to this faction in Cardinal Burke, a theofascist. But the Pope demoted Burke and sent him to a far off, irrelevant post. So the religious war is on, detailed in the article.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
McCain reams the Twamp swamp worldview
In a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. He doesn't mention Twamp by name, but rather his and his swamp dweller's entire worldview. He said:
- "[The founders of the Munich conference] would be alarmed by an increasing turn away from universal values and toward old ties of blood and race and sectarianism.”
- “They would be alarmed by the hardening resentment we see towards immigrants and refugees and minority groups -- especially Muslims.”
- “They would be alarmed by the growing inability -- and even unwillingness -- to separate truth from lies.”
- "They would be alarmed that more and more of our fellow citizens seem to be flirting with authoritarianism and romanticizing it as our moral equivalent."
Sanders on net neutrality
Following up on this post, and the one linked within it, Sanders comments on this article about losing net neutrality:
"Net neutrality is an issue of enormous consequence for our democracy. At a time when a handful of giant media conglomerates control much of what we see, hear and read it is imperative that we avoid corporate control of the internet. What net neutrality means is that everyone has the same access to the same information regardless of whether they are rich or poor, a major media outlet or a small blog. We have to close the digital gap, not expand it. We have to make certain that Trump, his FCC chairman and Republicans in Congress do not make the internet any less democratic than it is today."
"Net neutrality is an issue of enormous consequence for our democracy. At a time when a handful of giant media conglomerates control much of what we see, hear and read it is imperative that we avoid corporate control of the internet. What net neutrality means is that everyone has the same access to the same information regardless of whether they are rich or poor, a major media outlet or a small blog. We have to close the digital gap, not expand it. We have to make certain that Trump, his FCC chairman and Republicans in Congress do not make the internet any less democratic than it is today."
Where Twamp lies about voter fraud lead
Senator Sanders commented on this story, saying:
"Republican cowards understand that they would lose seats they now hold if free and fair elections were held in many parts of the country. Their response: Hold rigged elections. Make it harder for the poor, people of color, young people and senior citizens to vote and participate in our democracy. When Trump and his friends lie and make delusional statements about "voter fraud," what they are doing is setting the stage for a massive increase in voter suppression. Our job. Fight back. Expand voter turnout. Overturn Citizens United. Fight gerrymandering. Create a vibrant democracy."
Severe voter suppression happened in the last election, so much so that the very tight race for President would likely have gone the other way were in not for so many uncounted votes. And Twamp and Republicans only hope to make it far worse going forward so that the US can never again return to a democracy. We must wake up and fight this one with all we got, for if we lose even more ground we won't have anything left.
"Republican cowards understand that they would lose seats they now hold if free and fair elections were held in many parts of the country. Their response: Hold rigged elections. Make it harder for the poor, people of color, young people and senior citizens to vote and participate in our democracy. When Trump and his friends lie and make delusional statements about "voter fraud," what they are doing is setting the stage for a massive increase in voter suppression. Our job. Fight back. Expand voter turnout. Overturn Citizens United. Fight gerrymandering. Create a vibrant democracy."
Severe voter suppression happened in the last election, so much so that the very tight race for President would likely have gone the other way were in not for so many uncounted votes. And Twamp and Republicans only hope to make it far worse going forward so that the US can never again return to a democracy. We must wake up and fight this one with all we got, for if we lose even more ground we won't have anything left.
God and the Between
I started this book by William Desmond. Balder has a Ning IPS thread on Desmond. He started the thread with this, quoting the Wm. Desmond Reader:
"The theoretical core and signature idea of Desmond's thought is the 'between,' which leads him to describe his work as a 'metaxology' (from the Greek metaxu). The metaxological can be thought of as a different way to relate to the same and different, in contrast to the Hegelian way of 'dialectical' mediation, which unites them in a higher unity. For the upshot of Hegelian mediation, he argues, is to close the circle between the same and the different and thereby to subordinate everything to the rule of a higher integration and sameness. The 'between' means to keep this circle open and in that way to preserve difference. Never attaining the ground of a higher totalizing and integrating unity, the 'between' occupies the open space that preserves the distance of the same from the different. The same does not return to itself through the different; rather the space of the play between the same and the different is sustained, allowing for relations of otherness, difference, and plurality to obtain along several orders -- between mind and being, immanence and transcendence, finite and infinite, and singular and universal."
Just reading the Preface, I like the metaphor of porosity, which refers to the spaces within rocks. It's akin to what Edwards calls the 'space between,' though he usually uses it to refer to those spaces between two or more holons. But I also like the reference to the spaces within an individual holon like a rock or a human.
"The theoretical core and signature idea of Desmond's thought is the 'between,' which leads him to describe his work as a 'metaxology' (from the Greek metaxu). The metaxological can be thought of as a different way to relate to the same and different, in contrast to the Hegelian way of 'dialectical' mediation, which unites them in a higher unity. For the upshot of Hegelian mediation, he argues, is to close the circle between the same and the different and thereby to subordinate everything to the rule of a higher integration and sameness. The 'between' means to keep this circle open and in that way to preserve difference. Never attaining the ground of a higher totalizing and integrating unity, the 'between' occupies the open space that preserves the distance of the same from the different. The same does not return to itself through the different; rather the space of the play between the same and the different is sustained, allowing for relations of otherness, difference, and plurality to obtain along several orders -- between mind and being, immanence and transcendence, finite and infinite, and singular and universal."
Just reading the Preface, I like the metaphor of porosity, which refers to the spaces within rocks. It's akin to what Edwards calls the 'space between,' though he usually uses it to refer to those spaces between two or more holons. But I also like the reference to the spaces within an individual holon like a rock or a human.
Twamp violated Emoluments clause with China
See this story. While a public citizen Twamp tried and failed to get a trademark for his brand in China. Now that he's President, and after honoring the One China policy, he's now getting that trademark and financially benefiting from his Office. It's a blatant violation of the emoluments clause and Republicans will do nothing about it, thus also complicit in that treason.
Monbiot on changing our story
From this article:
"Those who tell the stories run the world. Politics has failed through a lack of competing narratives. The key task now is to tell a new story of what it is to be a human in the 21st century... A few of us have been working on this, and can discern what may be the beginning of a story. It’s too early to say much yet, but at its core is the recognition that – as modern psychology and neuroscience make abundantly clear – human beings, by comparison with any other animals, are both remarkably social and remarkably unselfish. The atomisation and self-interested behaviour neoliberalism promotes run counter to much of what comprises human nature."
"Those who tell the stories run the world. Politics has failed through a lack of competing narratives. The key task now is to tell a new story of what it is to be a human in the 21st century... A few of us have been working on this, and can discern what may be the beginning of a story. It’s too early to say much yet, but at its core is the recognition that – as modern psychology and neuroscience make abundantly clear – human beings, by comparison with any other animals, are both remarkably social and remarkably unselfish. The atomisation and self-interested behaviour neoliberalism promotes run counter to much of what comprises human nature."
GOP healthcare plan: crawl in a hole and die
Typical, I know. The NYT article details their plan, which also contains a link to the GOP outline. While it does expand the number of people that need help it also cuts funding for States providing Medicaid. It also changes Obamacare tax credits by giving everyone a flat fee based on age regardless of income. That means an older billionaire would get more than a poor young person. Also if anyone could not afford to pay the gap if their healthcare costs more than their tax credit, too bad: Crawl in a hole and die. See the article for much more.
Also see this article, which confirms that fewer low-income people under Medicaid will have coverage. And Medicaid coverage would be capped at a certain cost, unlike it being unlimited now, because States will get a certain limited amount of Fed $. So again, after your costs exceed your limit: Crawl in a hole and die.
Also see this article, which confirms that fewer low-income people under Medicaid will have coverage. And Medicaid coverage would be capped at a certain cost, unlike it being unlimited now, because States will get a certain limited amount of Fed $. So again, after your costs exceed your limit: Crawl in a hole and die.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Fox News on Twamp's press conference lies
Shepard Smith has a program on Fox News and he's tired of Twamp's lies. He breaks them down in the recent press conference. I'm still waiting for the Biggest Loser to now call Fox fake news.
Shields and Brooks on Twampler
They start this dialog noting that the US is really divided into two camps that don't want to communicate. Brooks is not sure if that's just people as usual belonging to different camps. No, it's the distinction between people that accept facts and science and those that don't. They are not just different but equal groups.
Then Brooks call Twamp's new conference "mildly deranged." Mildly?! Are you fucking kidding me? Twamp is full bore psycho and we don't need to normalize him with this 'mildly' bullshit.
Shields makes the accurate accessment that it wasn't the fact that Flynn illegally communicated with Russia, as Twamp knew about that weeks ago. It was just that the public found out about it. So much for national security in this Administration. He also noted that for Twamp he needs the constant reinforcement and limelight of campaign mode, which is the ongoing TV reality show we are daily (and at times hourly) subjected to.
See the clip below for more.
Then Brooks call Twamp's new conference "mildly deranged." Mildly?! Are you fucking kidding me? Twamp is full bore psycho and we don't need to normalize him with this 'mildly' bullshit.
Shields makes the accurate accessment that it wasn't the fact that Flynn illegally communicated with Russia, as Twamp knew about that weeks ago. It was just that the public found out about it. So much for national security in this Administration. He also noted that for Twamp he needs the constant reinforcement and limelight of campaign mode, which is the ongoing TV reality show we are daily (and at times hourly) subjected to.
See the clip below for more.
Black Magic Woman
Ayla covers it. Even though she adds her own flairs here and there and not the usual note for note precision, still it's pretty good.
Maher on despicable Republicans
They frothed over Clinton's emails yet Twamp uses a phone he had before becoming President which could easily be hacked but not one word. Republicans won't comment on Twamp defending Putin or criticize him for holding a national security meeting in public at Mar-a-Lago. Maher goes on and on listing several of the things Republicans would have had a fit over were a Democrat in the White House. And he doesn't mince words. They are morally bankrupt, despicable and deplorable.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Fallon as Twamp news conference
Pretty funny. He beats SNL to the punch on this one, as I'm pretty sure they were planning to have Baldwin do a skit on it.
John Dean on Twampler
Dean was White House Counsel for Nixon during the Watergate incident. He pleaded guilty to one felony count for helping to cover it up, for which her served time. In this clip Dean tells Hartmann that he's never seen a new conference like Twamp's, and he's seen many of them. He said Twamp is denigrating the office of the President and is flat out lying just about everything.
2 Democrats cinch Priutt to head EPA
WTF? How could 2 Democratic Senators vote for Pruitt to head the EPA? Those Senators are West Virginia Joe Manchin III and North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp. Surely they know Pruitt's history of suing the EPA as OK's Atty. General. Given that one Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, voted against Pruitt, and the fact that McCain was not present to vote, had those 2 above Dems voted against Priutt there wouldn't have been the 51 votes needed to confirm him.
What is postmetaphysics?
Following up on this post, I'm
curious if anyone into stages theory thinks they are orders of complexity as
ideal and objective forms as Plato would have described it? Does anyone
see that as a problem for postmetaphysics?
To answer my own questions: No, the Model of Hierarchical Complexity (MHC) is not postmetaphysical in the way integral postmetaphysical spirituality (IPS) forum has come to define it. I've argued elsewhere at Ning IPS that the postformal stages as defined by MHC may or not express postmetaphysicality, but the latter is not a condition included or even recognized in the MHC. They might indirectly include it in their descriptions of pomo, but only under the general category of relativism and challenging ultimate truths in modern representation.
But the MHC itself, and its premises per above, is not postmetaphysical. Which is why I use postmetaphysicality as the fulcrum leading into what I consider postformal operations. Yes, one can do tasks at what the MHC describes as meta-systemic, paradigmatic or cross-paradigmatic, including some MHC practitioners, but they still contain metaphysical premises and elements. That's why I proposed the 'fold' in the hier(an)archy, which is a different take on states, stages and the WC lattice.
So what is postmetaphysics then?
As for a very broad definition of postmetaphysics, it doesn't negate metaphysics--the study of what is real--per se. It just means it no longer accepts the sort of metaphysics that posits we can directly know or experience the real as it is.
Hence my criticism of the MHC above, which posits objectively real Platonic, mathematical forms that correspond to what we can know and manipulate to define stages of development. The likes of Lakoff e.g.show math itself is constructed from our perceptual apparatus. Lakoff et al. don't deny the real, just that there is a direct correspondence of our embodied tools with that reality. It's what they call embodied realism, differentiated from the MHC's symbol-system realism.
To continue, from Philosophy in the Flesh (pp. 94-96):
To answer my own questions: No, the Model of Hierarchical Complexity (MHC) is not postmetaphysical in the way integral postmetaphysical spirituality (IPS) forum has come to define it. I've argued elsewhere at Ning IPS that the postformal stages as defined by MHC may or not express postmetaphysicality, but the latter is not a condition included or even recognized in the MHC. They might indirectly include it in their descriptions of pomo, but only under the general category of relativism and challenging ultimate truths in modern representation.
But the MHC itself, and its premises per above, is not postmetaphysical. Which is why I use postmetaphysicality as the fulcrum leading into what I consider postformal operations. Yes, one can do tasks at what the MHC describes as meta-systemic, paradigmatic or cross-paradigmatic, including some MHC practitioners, but they still contain metaphysical premises and elements. That's why I proposed the 'fold' in the hier(an)archy, which is a different take on states, stages and the WC lattice.
So what is postmetaphysics then?
As for a very broad definition of postmetaphysics, it doesn't negate metaphysics--the study of what is real--per se. It just means it no longer accepts the sort of metaphysics that posits we can directly know or experience the real as it is.
Hence my criticism of the MHC above, which posits objectively real Platonic, mathematical forms that correspond to what we can know and manipulate to define stages of development. The likes of Lakoff e.g.show math itself is constructed from our perceptual apparatus. Lakoff et al. don't deny the real, just that there is a direct correspondence of our embodied tools with that reality. It's what they call embodied realism, differentiated from the MHC's symbol-system realism.
To continue, from Philosophy in the Flesh (pp. 94-96):
Twamp's cost to taxpayers
Since Republicans and twamp swampers can only understand the economics of behavior, maybe they'll understand Twamp's cost to taxpayers. Reich explores it in this FB post. Twamp and his family use Air Force One to travel to Twamp's properties, like Twamp Tower, Mar-a-Lago and his other resorts, mostly for personal reasons and not the people's business. But not only is there the frequent transportation costs for him, his family and the secret service, but Twamp is directly profiting when he, his family, his staff and the secret service stay at his expensive resorts, from which he has not at all divested. Again, taxpayer money. See Reich's post for many more details.
Twamp's fake news conference
We can rightly call it a news conference, since the word news implies the reporting of facts. He said that reports from intelligence services on his campaign's connections to Russia were 'fake news.' No, those reports are the facts. Only in Twamp's bizzarro reverse world are facts the fake news. He claims his tenure is working like a "fine-tuned machine," completely ignoring all of the disasters that it has created in just three weeks. Instead of facing his own inadequacies he blames everyone else. He claimed to have won the largest electoral college vote since Reagan. When confronted with the actual history he then said someone had given him that information. This Biggest Loser is living in a sick fantasy world divorced from reality. But that's who idiot America chose.
Greenwald on the Deep State v. Twampler
Good Democracy interview. Twamp and Breitbart accuse the intelligence community of trying to stage a coup. Kristol noted that while he prefers democracy, he'll take a Deep State take down of Twamp if it comes to that. Democrats are even supporting the spies to dethrone Twamp. Of course Greenwald sees this a problem, since the spies are lying, unscrupulous and killing bastards that operate outside democracy and threaten its very existence.
Greenwald makes the case that the spies are mad because they favored Clinton's policy about going to war with Syria. Since Twamp opposed that therefore the spies are out to undermine and subvert him for getting in the way of their war. They won't even give the Biggest Loser critical intelligence because he's too dumb to know what to do with it. Greenwald argues that while Twamp is indeed a disaster, by going along with the Deep State to subvert him defeats the purpose of and subverts democracy. There are other, democratic means for overcoming Twamp, some of which are working: courts overruling him; Cabinet posts resigning or dropping out; mass marches etc.
Greenwald makes the case that the spies are mad because they favored Clinton's policy about going to war with Syria. Since Twamp opposed that therefore the spies are out to undermine and subvert him for getting in the way of their war. They won't even give the Biggest Loser critical intelligence because he's too dumb to know what to do with it. Greenwald argues that while Twamp is indeed a disaster, by going along with the Deep State to subvert him defeats the purpose of and subverts democracy. There are other, democratic means for overcoming Twamp, some of which are working: courts overruling him; Cabinet posts resigning or dropping out; mass marches etc.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Senator Sanders has questions about Twamp's Russian ties
See this video for the details. He asks:
1. Did Twamp campaign collude with Russia?
2. Is Twamp susceptible to blackmail?
3. Are we jeopardizing our alliances?
4. How far does the relationship go between Twamp and Russia?
5. What's the real reason Twamp won't release his tax returns?
Since Twampler refuses to answer these questions Congress must take its Constitutional duty seriously to get answers. We already know Republicans won't do this because they only pay lip service to the law when it suits their insatiable lust for power.
1. Did Twamp campaign collude with Russia?
2. Is Twamp susceptible to blackmail?
3. Are we jeopardizing our alliances?
4. How far does the relationship go between Twamp and Russia?
5. What's the real reason Twamp won't release his tax returns?
Since Twampler refuses to answer these questions Congress must take its Constitutional duty seriously to get answers. We already know Republicans won't do this because they only pay lip service to the law when it suits their insatiable lust for power.
Republicans don't give a shit about high crimes
In this video Cousins accurately analyzes how Republicans will let all the Twamp Administration crimes go uninvestigated, let alone unpunished. Rand Paul let the cat out of the bag by saying it didn't make sense for Republicans to investigate Republicans, not even for high crimes. Will they investigate the Russian ties of Flynn or Twamp's staff? Will they investigate Twamp's yuuuuge conflicts of financial interest, a direct violation of the Constitution? Will they push for prosecuting Conway's direct violation of federal law by publicly hawking Ivanka's wares? Of course not. Republicans are always whining about putting criminals behind bars, but when it comes to investigating those who give them power and money forget it.
Greenwald on the Flynn-Russia leaks
He said they were indeed illegal but wholly justified. However it is justified if such leaked information is in the interest of democratic transparency. In this case Flynn himself committed a crime and revealing such crimes is most certainly in the public interest to hold our officials accountable. Greewald sees such leakers as heroes.
Warren counters Twamp's lies with facts on financial regulations
Here' Warren questioning Fed Chair Yellen on the agency's semiannual monetary report to Congress. Warren starts by noting Twamp wants to reduce the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Dodd-Frank regulations to rubble. Twamp claimed that such regulations prevent business loans. Yellen provides facts to the complete contrary. Twamp's economic adviser claims that banks have been forced to build and hoard capital instead of lending to clients. Yellen again destroys this lie, noting that while regulations require have adequate capital to back their loans and investments, there is no requirement that prevents them from loaning that capital. Again, the Twamp swamp is wrong. Another claim is that regulations are stifling bank competitiveness in world markets. And again the opposite is true, US banks competing effectively with record profits in world markets.The facts just don't line up with the lies. And we can see why Republicans don't want Warren to speak.
11 media tactics that manufacture consent for the oligarchy
Good article. See it for the details on how you're being manipulated. The bullet points follow.
1. Lying by Omission
2. Controlling the Debate
3. Selecting the Right Anchors, Casters and Presenters
4. Scripting and Synchronizing News
5. Politicizing Everything
6. Using the Language of Separation and Labels
1. Lying by Omission
2. Controlling the Debate
3. Selecting the Right Anchors, Casters and Presenters
4. Scripting and Synchronizing News
5. Politicizing Everything
6. Using the Language of Separation and Labels
The Twampler plan for theocracy
While alt-right (Nazi) fanatics are freaking out about the non-existent takeover of America by Sharia law, they meanwhile plot the Christian take-over of our schools. As of 2014 Bannon and Conway were both members of the Council for National Policy (CNP), which recently "released a five-page manifesto on how to dismantle the federal
Department of Education and bring 'God' and 'historic Judeo-Christian
principles' into education." DeVos, the Education Secretary, is not a member of the CNP but her mother is and her father-in-law has twice served as its president. See the link for the shocking details, which completely subvert the separation of church and state so fundamental to our Constitution. Christian Sharia law, Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
When, not if, Trumpler leads us into war
Following up on this post, this Krugman piece wonders what will happen when the Twamp swamp leads us to war. We know that Bush's approval ratings were plummeting when he took us to war with Iraq, which turned that around in a hurry. We also know Twamp's approval ratings are the worse in US Presidential history at this point. We also know Bannon thinks we are already at war with Islam, and that Twamp has a hair trigger in his foreign relations. Combine all that with DonCon being Putin's puppet and it is near certain we will be going to war during his tenure.
Will the Attorney General find complicity with Russia?
The new Attorney General Sessions is head of the Justice Department, who is investigating the Russian ties with Twamp dwellers. Sessions has personal ties with at least two of those under investigation, as well as being a Twamp campaign adviser. Typical DOJ procedure is to recuse oneself if they have personal ties with those under investigation.
So are we to think it's a coincidence that he was nominated, and now confirmed, as Attorney General? Do we really think Sessions will recuse himself? Do we really trust that he won't quash, or at least manipulate, evidence of Russian ties? Come on, we're not that naive. We are becoming Russia under this Administration.
So are we to think it's a coincidence that he was nominated, and now confirmed, as Attorney General? Do we really think Sessions will recuse himself? Do we really trust that he won't quash, or at least manipulate, evidence of Russian ties? Come on, we're not that naive. We are becoming Russia under this Administration.
Twamp blames leakers, not Russian ties
Leave it to the Biggest Loser to try and deflect his corrupt ties with Russia, instead blaming the intelligence agencies for leaking. So when someone reveals the truth they are the bad guys. And ties to Russia by a US President are not the issue? This is going to be so sweet when Twampler's Russian ties are revealed and he is impeached.
Trump campaign in constant contact with Russia before election
So it wasn't just Flynn who bargained away sanctions against Russia before the election; it turns out it was many in Twampler's campaign. So says US intelligence and law enforcement agencies with phone records and intercepted calls. These allegations have been repeatedly denied by Twampler's cronies and now we know they have been lying. As yet the content of such records and calls has not been released. Twamp himself was briefed on this evidence so he cannot deny it. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the end of Twampler's fascist regime.
Saving science from Twampler
Yes, the Biggest Loser has motivated US citizens to start saving scientific data in the likely event Twampler starts editing or eliminating said data from history. I don't recall any time in US history when scientists, programmers, professors or librarians found it necessary to build such guerrilla archives, but here we are. See the link for more details on the project.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Meyers on the security fiasco, Flynn & more Twamp lies
This is a good line Meyers attributes to Pence: "A lie is just a truth that hasn't gone through conversion therapy yet."
Lauer tells Conway she doesn't make sense
At least the media is finally challenging Conway on her obfuscation and misdirection. In this case it's concerning the resignation of Flynn as National Security Adviser. Hopefully the next step is to quit inviting her on to any media outlet to spew her lies and spin. Doubtful though, as the media knows she get ratings and that is their key motivation, not our country.
Colbert on Mar-a-Lago (in)security
In his monologue last night, among other issues like Miller's recent fascist performance.
Twampler is the biggest national security risk
The Muslim ban was supposedly about our national security, which has been proven false time and again. The real risk is the Biggest Loser in the White House. He was informed of the North Korea missile test while having dinner at the resort. Instead of moving to a secure location to discuss this national security issue, he just had his staff discuss in right there at the dinner table while civilian onlookers took pictures. This sort of reckless disregard for sensitive security information is the real risk we need to worry about.
The Dem Party is still clueless
In this article the Dem Party is trying to figure out how to channel the energy of the Twamp resistance movement, which has so far emerged organically without the Party. That's the point: The Party is not a Party of the people so we've had to take matters into our own hands. We don't want your meddling, as we've seen how downright pathetic you are at representing our needs or winning elections. They think that the resistance is just about being against Twamp, and that by manipulating that resistance just by focusing on being against Twamp and the GOP that is enough.
Remember Clinton did that in the election and lost, as did the establishment Dems generally in several past elections. Just being against something or someone is not enough. The Dems have to learn from Sanders and Warren that the majority of people identifying as Dem want progressives with a progressive agenda. And we won't buy just spin from Clinton or other corporate Dems. If the Dem Party won't listen and reform, and there is no indication they will, then it's time to have a Progressive People's Party.
Remember Clinton did that in the election and lost, as did the establishment Dems generally in several past elections. Just being against something or someone is not enough. The Dems have to learn from Sanders and Warren that the majority of people identifying as Dem want progressives with a progressive agenda. And we won't buy just spin from Clinton or other corporate Dems. If the Dem Party won't listen and reform, and there is no indication they will, then it's time to have a Progressive People's Party.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Morning Joe discusses Miller's fascist statements
Miller: "The powers of the President to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned." Holy fuck! Several Miller clips are shown first from recent interviews. Then Mika exclaims: "Oh my God!" Still think we're not headed for fascism?
Unfortunately Scarborough goes off on his usual rant and doesn't let Mika or anyone else talk, so personal disgust for him as usual detracts from the message .
Unfortunately Scarborough goes off on his usual rant and doesn't let Mika or anyone else talk, so personal disgust for him as usual detracts from the message .
Establishment Dems still don't get it
And they never will. They still think to cling to corporate money with a 'third way' agenda is what the people want when clearly it is not. And it's why the Dems have lost terribly in several past elections. Even if Ellison gets the DNC chair, the power and money behind the Party will sidestep him at every turn. So why the hell do Hartmann and Sanders still believe the Dem Party can be reformed?
Conway's tactics and a complicit media
For never answering the question asked, always deflecting it to something else. She doesn't win debates; she avoids them altogether in spinning an alternate fake reality. And since that is all we'll ever get from her, it's the fault of those media outlets that give her a platform. Just stop inviting her, please.
How to counter Twampler's bully handshake
Justin Trudeau shows how to disable Twamp's bully jerk in handshake. Trudeau grabs his shoulder and comes in close, thereby defusing the typical Jerk jerking his opponent.
Alt-Jesus
In other words, if you promote these sorts of things you ain't Christian: It's fake Christianity.
Bannon leads the charge to war
Following up on this post, this article further documents Bannon's lunatic ravings about how we are at war with Islam and China and every other anything that is not white Christian nationalist. It details Bannon's obsession with Strauss and Howe on The Fourth Turning, and how we must defend alt-right paranoia lest we lose white supremacy forever. This is some seriously sick Nazi shit folks. And it comes from the puppet master in the White House.
Horesh on growing a spine and fighting
Good article with an excerpt below. This
reminds me of Senator Warren's comments to the progressive caucus: grow
a spine and fight like hell for your values. She has been a firebrand
in the Senate and was recently silenced by the Republicans therein,
which incited progressives everywhere.
"… The willingness of Republicans to hold up the appointment of Obama's Supreme Court pick, Merrick Garland, demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the rule of law, because if Democrats did the same, it could go on until every last member of the court died and the court itself fell into disrepair. But no one expected Democrats to hold out, because most of us expect them to make nice. After all, until rank-and-file Democrats realize the logic of Republican intransigence—however disgraceful it may appear to politically passionate liberals and progressives—playing nice will continue to win them support.
"… The willingness of Republicans to hold up the appointment of Obama's Supreme Court pick, Merrick Garland, demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the rule of law, because if Democrats did the same, it could go on until every last member of the court died and the court itself fell into disrepair. But no one expected Democrats to hold out, because most of us expect them to make nice. After all, until rank-and-file Democrats realize the logic of Republican intransigence—however disgraceful it may appear to politically passionate liberals and progressives—playing nice will continue to win them support.
Australia is not your doormat Twampler
An Australian Senator turns the tables on the Biggest Loser's abrupt treatment of Australia in a recent call.
Functional and flawed democracies
Following on on this post, I posted that information in this FB discussion on Wilber's article on Trump. A side discussion ensued about developmental models like Spiral Dynamics (SD). See Jon Freeman's comment here (and the one following) defending SD. My response follows:
I'm with you on a new system. That is exactly what the P2P Foundation, and others like Rifkin, are documenting in the collaborative commons. However that sort of system also needs government participation via policy and investment, e.g. a move to a renewable energy policy with research and development investments. Which requires as a prerequisite a functioning democracy of the sort that countries already moving in that direction have.
I'm with you on a new system. That is exactly what the P2P Foundation, and others like Rifkin, are documenting in the collaborative commons. However that sort of system also needs government participation via policy and investment, e.g. a move to a renewable energy policy with research and development investments. Which requires as a prerequisite a functioning democracy of the sort that countries already moving in that direction have.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Sanders responds to Bernie for a People's Party movement
Following up on this post, in this Sanders interview today Todd asked him (at 4:30) about this draft Bernie for the People's Party movement. Sanders said we need to enlist the American people to build a strong progressive agenda. And right now that effort is devoted to reforming the Democratic Party, not starting a new one. You're wrong about this one Bernie. There is also plenty more in the first part of the interview.
Republicans face resistance in town halls
Robert Reich commented on this article discussing a contentious crowd at U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock's town hall. McClintock spun the resistance as 'anarchists' when if fact it was "gray-haired retirees worried about Medicare and workers fearful of the Republican plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act." Others questioned the Muslim ban and the rollback of environmental rules. The article makes clear that such resistance is democracy, not anarchy.
There was no disorder at the meeting and everyone, while rightly angry, still remained courteous. But McClintock characterizing it as anarchist hell-bent on revolution indicates that he and his ilk are ginning up tightened security where none is needed. Even Speaker Ryan is now suggesting increased security at future Republican town hall meetings. It's a specific totalitarian technique used to silence dissent of any kind, much used by the Biggest Loser. But like Senator Warren we will be neither violent nor silenced. This is still a democracy, though fast moving away from one.
There was no disorder at the meeting and everyone, while rightly angry, still remained courteous. But McClintock characterizing it as anarchist hell-bent on revolution indicates that he and his ilk are ginning up tightened security where none is needed. Even Speaker Ryan is now suggesting increased security at future Republican town hall meetings. It's a specific totalitarian technique used to silence dissent of any kind, much used by the Biggest Loser. But like Senator Warren we will be neither violent nor silenced. This is still a democracy, though fast moving away from one.
Sullivan questions Twampler's mental health
This clip starts with CBS News starting its weekly evening news with Twamp's insane ravings as "divorced from reality." Sullivan (and many, many others) thinks it's because the Biggest Loser is indeed insane. Does any sane person really question the voluminous evidence to this fact? And his main point is that it is the duty and responsibility of the press to not only call Chump on his lies but to question his sanity when strong evidence indicates it is in serious doubt.
McCarthy does Spicer again on SNL
She portrays the White House press secretary again with the same humor and aplomb:
Thomas Frank on Bannon
His article is here. Bannon used populist messaging to win. He criticized how none of the bank leaders were prosecuted during the financial crisis, a common concern of the populace. But it wasn't really their fault you see; it was those hippies. He combines the financial crisis with the culture wars against those damned liberal values. It was those hippie values of free love that led the financial bigwigs to behave irresponsibly toward others while indulging themselves.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Draft Bernie for a People's Party
Interview with a Sanders staffer that says the progressive wing of the Dem Party has been trying for decades to reform it without success. It is a lost cause and he suggest forming the People's Party headed by Sanders. There is precedent in how Lincoln came to power. I so hope this comes to pass because I too think the Dem Party is done and trying to reform it is a waster of time. See more at Draft Bernie for a People's Party.
Reich on the immigration crackdown
See his FB post here. Why the big crackdown now? It's not because of an influx of illegal immigrants, because that has gone down. It's not because they're criminals because per capita they commit less crime than other Americans. It's not because they're terrorists, as they is no evidence to support that. They don't take jobs away from Americans because they do the jobs we won't do. Enforcing illegal immigration costs more than all other major law enforcement combined. So why? Because we have a wannabe dictator that has to create fear and scapegoats to maintain power.
Maher interviews Senator Franken
On topics of impeachment, voting down Twamp's Supreme Corp nominee, the resistance, and all mixed with humor.
Make America learn again
Maher's new rule on the decimation of education, knowledge, science and facts in the US. The result? Look at the White House.
A good week for the resistance
Maher's monologue last night discussing and joking about surviving the Man-Baby. He covers the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals slapping the DonCon, Conway and Flynn investigations for misconduct, and overall how he is the Biggest Loser.
Dynanic systems in development
Relevant to my lengthy discussion in the real/false reason thread:
Fischer & Bidell (2006), "Dynamic development of action, thought and emotion."
"The major models of development describe psychological structure in static, formal terms. Concepts like universal stages, innate linguistic modules, and innate cognitive competencies portray psychological organization as fixed and unchanging, insulated from variation in context and feedback from activity" (313-14).
"Structure refers to the system of relations. [...] Form is an abstraction from structure—a fixed pattern that can be detected in a dynamic structure. [...] The concept of sphere is an ideal form that applies across myriad realities. [...] A structure/form problem arises when an abstraction used to describe reality is confounded with the reality described. People commonly expect patterns of phenomena in the world to conform to their underlying abstractions, instead of determining which patterns fit an actual object or experience. [...] The spherical shape is an abstraction of a common pattern across different objects, not an independently existing form that somehow dictates what the objects should be like" (314-15).
Compare with Commons on the Model of Hierarchical Complexity:
Fischer & Bidell (2006), "Dynamic development of action, thought and emotion."
"The major models of development describe psychological structure in static, formal terms. Concepts like universal stages, innate linguistic modules, and innate cognitive competencies portray psychological organization as fixed and unchanging, insulated from variation in context and feedback from activity" (313-14).
"Structure refers to the system of relations. [...] Form is an abstraction from structure—a fixed pattern that can be detected in a dynamic structure. [...] The concept of sphere is an ideal form that applies across myriad realities. [...] A structure/form problem arises when an abstraction used to describe reality is confounded with the reality described. People commonly expect patterns of phenomena in the world to conform to their underlying abstractions, instead of determining which patterns fit an actual object or experience. [...] The spherical shape is an abstraction of a common pattern across different objects, not an independently existing form that somehow dictates what the objects should be like" (314-15).
Compare with Commons on the Model of Hierarchical Complexity:
Friday, February 10, 2017
DonCon Chump backs down on China
The Biggest Loser talked a big game about defying China by telling Taiwan he didn't support the One China policy. But he backed down today upon advice from this new Secretary of State. Chump is weak, all talk and no action, not the strong leader he convinced his swamp dwellers to believe. He let his supporters down by engaging in exactly the sort of capitulation and compromise he accused his opponents of.
No evidence of terrorism in countries included in the ban
Continuing with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision (linked in the last post), contrary to Twampler's lies about the necessity of the ban due to security issues the Court said:
"The Government has pointed to no evidence that any alien from any of the countries named in the Order has perpetrated a terrorist attack in the United States. Rather than present evidence to explain the need for the Executive Order, the Government has taken the position that we must not review its decision at all. We disagree, as explained above" (26-27).
In other words, Twampler doesn't feel the need to provide facts to support his ban because as King he is beyond question. Wrong! Sad! Loser!
Meanwhile, shortly thereafter in the decision the Court notes that the States "have offered ample evidence" to support their case. Fortunately, still being a democracy, one still needs to provide evidence in support of an argument. It Twampler has his way not so much.
"The Government has pointed to no evidence that any alien from any of the countries named in the Order has perpetrated a terrorist attack in the United States. Rather than present evidence to explain the need for the Executive Order, the Government has taken the position that we must not review its decision at all. We disagree, as explained above" (26-27).
In other words, Twampler doesn't feel the need to provide facts to support his ban because as King he is beyond question. Wrong! Sad! Loser!
Meanwhile, shortly thereafter in the decision the Court notes that the States "have offered ample evidence" to support their case. Fortunately, still being a democracy, one still needs to provide evidence in support of an argument. It Twampler has his way not so much.
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