False bias equivalence

This article in Perspectives on Psychological Science (2019) refutes the notion that liberals and conservative are equally biased, and when liberals more accurately and objectively claim something that cannot reasonably be called bias. There is a clear distinction between fact and fiction and to draw an equivalence between them is absurd at best. Just because a source has a liberal focus does not mean that they are not using accurate or factual information, or that their interpretation is someone tainted due to bias. Colbert was right when he said that "reality has a well-known liberal bias."

"Epistemic virtues are more prevalent among liberals than conservatives, and these conclusions are closer to the truth of the matter when it comes to current American politics. [...] There is also a good deal of evidence that liberals perform better than conservatives on objective tests of cognitive ability and intelligence.  Conservatives, on the other hand, appear to be more gullible. They also score higher than liberals on measures of self-deception. Social scientists are increasingly finding that conservatives are more likely than liberals to spread 'fake news,' political misinformation, and conspiracy theories throughout their online social networks."

Dua Lipa on The Late Late Show

Last night Corden had a virtual show, teleconferencing with a variety of performers. For me the best performance was Dua Lipa's due to the great use of tech to bring in the musicians and dancers, all at separate locations.

Dump admits he hates more people voting

TYT discusses the voting provisions Dems wanted in the bail out bill, like requiring mail-in ballots and extending the voting period. They provide a clip of Dump calling such measures crazy and admitting that he doesn't want more people voting because Repugs would never win again. He openly admitted what Repugs have been doing but lying about for years, suppressing the vote. So why isn't corporate media reporting on this? Rhetorical question because we know why.

Amazon worker fired, strike begins

Continuing this post, the worker who organized the walk out was fired so the workers organized a strike. I'm just waiting on the Department in Injustice to declare strikes illegal now.

"Employees at Whole Foods Market nationwide planned a work stoppage Tuesday, while a former employee at parent company Amazon considered legal action after his dismissal for participation in a labor walkout Monday. Workers for the supermarket chain [...] are demanding improved workplace safety and benefits including hazard pay and sick pay for employees who may be sick but haven't been tested for the coronavirus."

From capitalism to the collaborate commons

Recall this:

"Dawlabani (2018) still sees Whole Foods’ original intent as integral, but when its bottom line of profits fell the investors decided to change its business model, especially after Amazon bought it. 'This real Orange threat forced Mackey to start thinking differently.' Hence Mackey’s 'long-term prospects of continuing a culture of Conscious Capitalism at Amazon are highly unlikely.' As I noted above, the dynamics inherent to capitalism tolerated his conscious approach only as long as he made them money. When competition drove down its profits and share price the forces of capitalism drove out the conscious aspect in favor of its own inherent values. As expected, Mackey lost the bargain with the devil capitalism, as any such bargain inevitably will as long as it remains wed to it" (89-90).

That's capitalism for you

As noted earlier, the pandemic is exposing time and again corporate capitalism's many flaws. In this case workers from Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods are walking off the job because they want unions, adequate protective gear, better pay for the hazardous conditions and paid leave. The protective gear is to safeguard not only the workers but customers, since the workers could transfer the virus onto purchases.

But the companies do not care that the workers protest and walk out, or that inadequate safety precautions might contaminate customers. Instead they are taking advantage of the rising unemployment situation and just replacing the workers with people desperate for any job and any rate under the same conditions. This exactly exemplifies corporate capitalism at its very core. Welcome to America, where our new motto is just go ahead and die already.

Ana discusses Cuban coronavirus wonder drug

Based on the Newsweek article about Interferon Alpha-2B Recombinant (IFNrec). Cuba and China have been experimenting with the drug with some positive results. The drug reportedly "'prevents aggravation and complications in patients reaching that stage that ultimately can result in death,' Cuban biotech expert Luis Herrera Martinez said, according to a recent Yale University Press Blog feature written by the University of Glasgow's Helen Yaffe."

Kaye: Bernie should have stuck with FDR framing

Krystal and Saager interview Professor Kaye, who claims that Bernie was right to initially tie FDR to his own policy proposals but then later abandoned that framing. For example, here is Bernie's 45-minute presentation on demsoc doing exactly that. So Bernie has been doing an excellent job at messaging democracy, the FDR legacy etc. And he does so time and again when asked about socialism, exactly emphasizing democracy in democratic socialism. His framing is good but his message doesn't reach older voters who are stuck with corporate media which constantly makes a boogie man out of it. 

Perhaps though, with the corporate media and the Dem Party itself demonizing ANY form of socialism, he chose to quit using that framing and just focus on the policies inherent to demsoc to avoid THEIR constant and deceptive counter-framing. If he would have followed Kaye's advise he'd still be responding to their negative framing, highly ill-advised to framing expert Lakoff. Bernie was right to change the narrative focus.

Also, Bernie was not just fighting a far more powerful meme machine in the Dem Party and corporate media; this f___king pandemic created a lot more fear on top of the socialism scare those forces constantly reiterated.  Numerous psychological studies have demonstrated that constant fear leads most people toward conservative narratives and policies, while safety leads to more openness to new ideas and narratives. In this triple threat narrative it's expected for people to go with what they perceive is the safer option in Biden or Dump, even though that perception is wrong because Bernie is the real safer option.

 

Die quickly of C-19 or have a worse fate?

This piece highlights the bills one can be left with if hospitalized with the pandemic and they survive  without insurance (or shitty insurance, same difference). They could owe up to $73,000. It just adds another incentive for those hospitalized to quit on life, for to survive is a long, slow, torturous path to hell. A path, I might add, intentionally created by a broken capitalistic system that places money over human life and suffering. If there was any time for Medicare For All in the US that time is now.

Dump thwarts the law, again

Just one more step on the road to complete fascism. In order to pass the pandemic Bill Dems required transparency of where and how the $500 billion corporate bail out was to be apportioned and spent. A Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) was assigned for this task. Dump turns around in a signing statement and said screw that, I'm not going to obey it. I guess it will be challenged in the courts, that is, if Dem leadership has the spine for it. And I guess when it makes it way to the Supreme Corp they will uphold it. Say bye bye to democracy for good if the Dump is re-elected.

The smartest man in the USA

Plane with 5 passengers on board: Donald Trump, the Pope, Dr Anthony Fauci, Bernie Sanders, and a ten year old school girl. The plane is about to crash and there are only 4 parachutes.

Dr Fauci says “I need one. I have to help develop a cure for the global health crisis that is COVID19!” He takes one and jumps.

The pope says “I need one, I have to help spiritually guide people through the global health crisis that is COVID19!” He takes one and jumps.

Trump says ‘‘I need one, I’m the smartest man in the USA.” He takes one and jumps.

Then Sanders says to the ten year old "you can have the last parachute. I've lived my life. Yours is only starting."

The 10 year old says "Don’t worry, there are 2 parachutes left. The smartest man in the USA took my school back pack."

Need a break from isolating with your spouse?

Stayin' Inside

Great take off on Stayin' Alive for these times.

Access Star Trek Picard for free

CBS All Access is offering it for free for one month. Now's your chance to catch this hot new series.

The mightiest military in the world is defenseless against this

So sure, let's give it more money and compensate by defunding pandemic response. Brilliant.

Likewise a-hole

Biden is a FAR lesser evil in comparision

And if you choose to not accept this reality then you are complicit in the fascism to come and partly responsible for the horrors that follow. Yeah, the Dem Party is too but I'm talking to YOU now.

Listen up liberals

See what the Dumpsters are doing and what they will continue to increasingly do if we get 4 more years of this. Realize we are already well on the road to complete and total fascism the likes of the last world war. I know, Biden is not a progressive like Bernie. But as long as we continue to add more progressives to Congress in down-ticket races they will at least get a hearing and have some influence on Congress and Biden's administration. With Dump we will be vilified and ignored. The literal end of democracy is at stake. Our current right to complain will even be outlawed and punished. That ain't no exaggeration. We need to stop the fascists so swallow your pride and make fighting fascism your top priority, not whining about not getting every little thing you want. Grow up and get a grip!

EPA suspends environmental rules indefinitely

Yep, the Environmental Destruction Agency is using covid-19 as an excuse to let big business pollute unhindered. No surprise, as the Agency, headed by a former coal lobbyist, said industry will have to regulate themselves! This is exactly the sort of coronavirus capitalism Naomi Klein warned us about.

Lynne Koplitz stand up comedy

Take a humor break from the horror of our lives.

Dump threatens media to not run accurate ad

This is the ad Dump has threatened TV stations not to run because it quotes Dump's own statements on the virus timeline. Share liberally. Give him 4 more years and he will silence any and all criticism.

AOC shames Repugantan corporate bail out

Why we the people love her: She passionately fights for us and just as passionately goes after the greed and corruption. Trouble is, the Repugs have no shame because they really don't give one shit about we the people.

TYT: Bernie's influence on Senate pandemic Bill

Granted the Bill contains huge, corrupt hand outs to corporations, it nevertheless has some provisions for the rest of us that Bernie demanded to be included, like expanded unemployment insurance and increased funding that covers everyone at a better rate. They show clips of Bernie reaming his Repugnantan 'colleagues' (villeins) who initially refused to provide such benefits.

AOC's petition for a better pandemic relief bill

Sign it here. Her blurb:

"Republicans in the Senate have sold us out. They’ve handed the House a COVID-19 response bill that has one of the biggest corporate bailouts in history and gives working families just crumbs in comparison.

"We have been forced to choose: Hand over billions to massive corporations or our communities get nothing.

"Take action right now. Fight alongside us, and demand an additional COVID-19 bailout bill that puts our hospitals, our medical workers, and our families first."

Stein: A war broke out in heaven

See Zak's reflections on how the pandemic signals the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. This could be an opportunity to transform our dominant cultural worldview if we but accept the responsibility and get busy enacting it. Just the brief excerpt follows. Click on the link and be rewarded with the rest of this inspiring scripture.

"One world is now gone and a new one has yet to emerge; we are now at the beginning of the beginning. We are living in the liminal: a time of pure potential and change, a time between worlds. This is it: we have arrived at the end of the world. Finally. Now we can start to build a new one."

New translation of the Bible

The white nationalist Evangelical translation. An excerpt:

Rhodes: Dumpsters are a death cult

Randi explores how Dumpsters and Repugnantans want old people to die for the sake of the economy. That is, other old people, not the cruel old bastards themselves telling other people to die for their cult leader.

Frontiers in Science on the coronavirus

Here is their knowledge hub. The blurb:

The Frontiers Coronavirus Knowledge Hub provides an up-to-date source of trusted information and analysis on COVID-19 and coronaviruses, including the latest research articles, information, and commentary from our world-class scientific community.

Frontiers has also waived Article Processing Charges (APCs) and established a priority peer-review process for manuscripts submitted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will further help ensure robust scientific research becomes openly available as soon as possible, for other researchers to build on and to enable evidence-based and factual decision-making for public authorities worldwide.

As we pull together as a community – calmly, responsibly, and resolutely – during the COVID-19 outbreak, we are keen to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to send your ideas for new research directions, stakeholder engagement and initiatives around coronavirus and the current global health crisis.

Speaking of capitalism

Just a reminder about my Integral Review article: From capitalism to the collaborative commons. The abstract:

This is an edited summary compilation of my work in several Ning Integral Postmetaphysical Spirituality (IPS) forum discussion threads listed in the bibliography. It will lay out the slow decline and endgame of capitalism, while also highlighting the emerging new socioeconomic system of the collaborative commons. It also criticizes the notion of clinging to conscious capitalism, as if capitalism could be redeemed if only the right consciousness were applied. While conscious capitalism may indeed be a healthy transition step toward the collaborative commons, in itself it is not enough and to the contrary retains many of the inherent elements from a bygone and no longer effective socioeconomic structure.

Why did Dump delay on the virus?

Same reason he wants to declare it over so quickly: Money is far more important than human lives. If you disagree then vote him and his Congressional cronies out. That is, if we even have an election in November.

How does the US fare worldwide?

As expected. We do have a sale on bootstraps though.

Orwell was right

Frighteningly so.

Don't blame us when establishment Dems lose

Blame your corrupt, corporate Party.

Ball: Suspend capitalism

And do not resuscitate. This pandemic has exposed that capitalism in not only not up to the task of a fair society but insures we will never have one under it. Instead of letting old people die to save the economy we need to permanently pull the plug on corporate capitalism  if we ever hope to have a humane society.

Boeing doesn't really need our money

They admitted it. They're offered $billions in the new bail out Bill but it comes with some conditions, like no stock buybacks. So after complaining they're going broke they have now said they don't need the bail out cash. They just want to scarf up the bailout money for themselves and refuse to actually share it with their workers, so no deal. To paraphrase Lt. Colonel Kilgore from Apocalypse Now: I hate the smell of capitalism in the morning.

Dump's Christian sacrifice

It's mighty compassionate of him to celebrate Easter in this way. What's sacrificing a few (million) old folks to resurrect the economy, eh? Jesus would do this, right?

Covid-19 is just the beginning

This is what scientists found in a melting glacier. We are only just beginning a series of pandemics due to our greed and foolishness.

"Scientists have unearthed 28 previously undiscovered viruses, which were trapped in glacial ice from 15,000 years ago. The team collected the samples from the Guliya ice cap in Tibet, and published their work to the pre-print website, BioRxiv. As glacial ice and permafrost around the world continues to thaw, scientists are concerned that ancient pathogens and toxic chemicals may be released into the environment."

We can't return to normal

And which Dem Presidential candidate wants to go back to normal and which wants the necessary change we need? So why the f___ are we choosing the 'normal' guy?

Dump wants millions to die

So he and his buddies can retain their wealth. That's your Presidunce, not mine.

"Trump expressed an openness to scaling back his efforts to combat contagion. Writing in capital letters in a tweet late on Sunday, the US president said: 'We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself. At the end of the 15-day period' – of White House guidelines to enforce physical distancing and other measures which began on 16 March – 'we will make a decision as to which way we want to go.'"

AOC to Susan Collins

You tell her AOC:

.@SenatorCollins can keep her crocodile tears.

She voted and fought HARD to strip pandemic prep funding. She helped drive the lack of preparation that we had leading up to this. What’s actually disgraceful is her “I’m a Moderate Lady” dance to cover up brutal policies and votes. https://t.co/sY2Iv4y3fT

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 23, 2020

Change is here, like it or not

So who do we need in charge in this time of drastic change? Just maybe someone who has planned for it all along?

AOC on the Repugnantan coronavirus Bill

It's just another big giveaway to the rich while further screwing the rest of us. AOC provides the details.

Ball: How Bernie can implement his policies

Krystal's brilliant idea is that Bernie conditions dropping out of the race on letting him lead on the coronavirus, which he's pretty much doing already. This is the ideal time to permanently implement those FDR-style progressive policies. People will get the relief they need immediately, and over the coming months after the pandemic is over grow to understand that those policies need to be permanent in order to rectify our corrupt system and restore justice to we the people. 

Is Joe planning on his VP taking over?

In his teleconference with Georgia donors he said his VP pick "has to be someone who, the day after they're picked, is prepared to be president of the United States of America if something happened."Hmm, he must know something that we don't. But we do have our suspicions.

Why is Congressional insider trading legal in the first place?

It's not legal technically according to the Stock Act. But those legislative scoundrels have nonetheless found their way around it.

"Members of Congress can nonetheless be prosecuted for insider trading when the information they act on comes from a company, not through the legislative process."

Bernie, AOC, Tlaib, Omar, virus rountable

This is what leadership looks like during these troubling times. The more we elect this kind of progressive into office the more our country will look like it belongs to we the people.

Hartmann: Pandemic exposes capitalism's flaws

Thom does a good job of showing how all the measures we are taking to combat this crisis indeed exposes how capitalism is so flawed in the first place. Which of course is Bernie's broader message, that capitalism in itself is a crisis that needs to be addressed right now during this pandemic with permanent instead of temporary solutions.

Rising on a 3rd Party

Krystal and Saagar agree that it is best to form a strong progressive coalition and eventually take over the Dem Party rather than forming a 3rd Party. To do the latter would not only be daunting and ineffective but would only help the Repugs to maintain control of our government and lives. Perhaps we progressives need to take a deep breath and calm our reactive fears and anger so that we can take the most effective path forward.

AOC leading on the crisis

Like Bernie, AOC criticizes Dump's failures and what we really need to do to adequately address this crisis. If this crisis is teaching us anything, it's who are the real leaders we need to be running this country, while also exposing those so-called leaders that are only in this for themselves.

Cutting off their nose to spite their face

What the Dem Party is doing and the result is going to be pretty ugly. But maybe for the better in the long run?

Bernie's emergency response to the virus

See Bernie's detailed plan here to address all aspects of the crisis, as well as his video below. This is what a real President looks like, so why he is not the Democratic front runner speaks volumes to the corrupt media machine and Party politics that are at the root of our nation's crisis. Yes, we'll eventually get over the virus crisis, but the underlying crisis of failed government will still be with us until we finally wake up and vote in those like Bernie who are committed and have the guts to make the necessary and urgent changes to get we the people back on track.

Forget Jared

This is worth more than diamonds now.

A helpful comparison

What are you wearing Jake from State Farm?

Mother Nature: Practice or die

Klein: Coronavirus Capitalism

Here's Naomi's video on the crisis. Yes, the crisis can cause positive change for everyone or it can be appropriated to further enhance the corporate status quo. The latter are doing their best to make it go their way. As usual Naomi makes us aware of the situation and offers solutions to combating it, like The Green New Deal. We're seeing this crisis offer up some progressive solutions that Bernie has been proposing, so there is some hope that this crisis can indeed produce some positive change for all. Keep up the pressure world patriots!

Biden's response to his glaring absence

Joe said it's above his pay grade to be out front on this. Seriously? I guess Bernie is in a higher pay grade then, which should tell us something important, doncha think?

Would Dumpsters still support him if?

Here's Borowitz's question:

"The question is no longer whether Trump's supporters would vote for him if he killed someone on Fifth Avenue. The question is whether Trump's supporters would vote for him if he killed thousands of Trump supporters."

The answer is yes, they would, because they would just call such mass homicide (like poor pandemic preparedness) fake news. Their brain rot is itself a pandemic plague.

Where is Joe?

While Bernie is very busy coordinating coronavirus responses Biden is missing in action. The former is acting Presidential, the latter not so much. How the hell is it that people have been fooled into voting for Joe? Oh yeah, the massive, corporate media machine and the establishment Dem monster. But how the hell is that those megaliths chose such an inadequate lackey? Oh yeah, corruption.

Star Trek analogy to politics

Continuing this post where Biden and the DNC are the Borg and the Dumpsters are Species 8472. In this 2-part episode of Star Trek Voyager, the history of the Borg and 8472 is such that the latter is far superior and has destroyed many Borg ships and worlds. However the doctor on Voyager, in treating Ensign Kim from an 8472 sting, devises Borg nanoprobes to attack and defeat the illness Kim has. The doctor then creates a bioweapon against 8472 based on this treatment, which Captain Janeway (the progressive) uses to negotiate with the Borg.

This is analogous to how the DNC-Borg was easily defeated by the Dumpsters-8472 before, and likely will be again if they do not accept the cure-weapon of progressivism designed by Bernie and Liz (doctors) as negotiated through Janeway. The Borg has already refused the Bernie gift-horse. Its last chance to defeat 8472 is to name Liz as VP. If they do not they will be utterly destroyed, which in itself is not a bad thing. But they will take the entire Federation (we the people) down with it.

Enjeti reveals Senate Repug bailout cruelty

Saagar is the principled Republican at Rising, one of the few around these days. And he lays out how the Senate Repug Bailout Bill cruelly and drastically reduces the cash payout to the most vulnerable who need it the most. WTF is up with these sick bastards?

Gabbard assimilated by Borg DNC

From the Babylon Bee:

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The DNC Collective has assimilated yet another species, the Borg King Joe Biden proudly announced Thursday morning.

Species 10027, Tulsi Gabbard, was successfully injected with nanoprobes and assimilated into the Borg's campaign, according to Biden's statement. Gabbard quickly lost all principles and independent thought and began tirelessly working to further the purposes of the mysterious Borg species, sources inside the Borg Cube indicated.

"We will add your biological and political distinctiveness to our own," the Borg King told Gabbard in a speech celebrating the acquisition of her body into the Borg Collective. "Your campaign will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile." The crowd of gathered Borg erupted in drone-like applause to indicate their approval of the new addition.

"Joe Biden is the best choice for our nation," she said dutifully as soon as the process was complete. "There are five lights. War is good. Biden is good."

Gabbard—or Species 10027, as she is now known—was spotted shortly afterward distributing campaign buttons for the Borg King, who sneered at his new prize,

"Human. We used to be exactly like them. Flawed, weak, organic. But we evolved."

New Republican Dump ad

From the Republicans for the Rule of Law on Dump's incompetent virus response.

We the people are dying, we the people need the help

Corporations are not people; people are people.

Biden v. Dump

I'm looking over comments in a number of different progressive groups. They are rightly angered that Bernie has been thwarted yet again. But a lot of comments argue for not supporting Biden in the election. How can they forget the horror that has been the current Dump administration? And if re-elected we will likely descend into full-blown fascism the likes of world war 2. That is not an exaggeration but a reality. And while Biden is not what we want that scenario will not happen under him. Get a grip people and quit your snowflake whining. The fate of what's left of the free world is at stake and that's far bigger than your little hurt feelings.

Cenk and Ana argue over Warren as VP pick

I agree with Cenk on this. Ana's criticisms are valid but also tainted by her (and our) hurt feelings. It would be the smart thing for Biden to do if he really wants to unite the Party and get some progressives to vote for him. Warren as VP would at least give progressives some hope that we will get some influence in the Administration. Plus when Joe goes completely senile she can take over as President. Yes, we'd have to give up our hurt feelings for Liz refusing to support Bernie when she dropped out. But she is the 2nd most progressive Senator and having her one beat away from the Presidency is the next best thing since Bernie isn't going to make it. Now will Joe do the smart thing and select her? To be determined.

Are Repugs outflanking the Dems?

Are the Repugs going to win by out-progressing the Dems? This Rising clip shows how the Repugs are backing a UBI-like cash payment of $1000 to working people in this time of pandemic. Meanwhile the Dems proposals are far less, except for Sanders whom they ignore. So will the Repugs be more progressive than the Dems in this time of need?


It's exactly what Dump did in 2016, promising all sorts of progressive policies to the left of Hillary. We knew it was all lies but it worked for his ignorant supporters. And it's what Dump and Repugs are doing again and it will work again unless establishment Dems will start promoting the sort of progressive policies that Bernie has. Biden has made a start in that direction but we progressives have to keep pushing the Party that way so that the common voter actually believes they are authentically genuine about it, not mere status quo stooges. Let's not lose again on issues that the Dem Party used to own while the Repugs outflank us. 

It's almost come to this

Funny but not funny.

What's up with immediate cash payments?

This is what the Dumpsters are proposing to help us out in the pandemic. I've seen some suggest that it's a progressive economic policy that will outdo the Democrats. That perhaps Dump will even move in a progressive direction overall to defeat Biden. Don't be fooled. This is not universal basic income. UBI is a monthly payment, not a one and done like what Dump is thinking. One and done will help for a month and then we starve thereafter. It's a stunt, nothing more.

Toilet paper apocalypse

JP reassures us it will be ok, eventually. In the meantime, what do we do when we're out of TP?

Biden adopts a plan from Warren and Bernie

And now for some positive Biden news. He's adopting Liz's bankruptcy plan and Bernie's college tuition plan. This is the power that we the  people can exert on Joe and the Party by continuing to support Bernie and Liz's agenda, and demanding that Joe and company comply with our wishes. Just capitulating and going with the status quo will only get more of the same. Keep up the fight patriots!

Dump on tape cutting pandemic team in 2018

Of course he lied about this recently but that's nothing new.

Choose carefully

AOC calls out Biden

And he needs to answer, because we can be sure Dump and the Repugs are already on top of this.

We got fooled again

I suppose we should not expect Dem voters to be more informed, critical thinkers who evaluate accurate information. They too have been decimated financially by the status quo who keeps them struggling just to make ends meet so don't have spare time to investigate politics. Hence they are more susceptible to spin from leaders who they want to trust. Thus the status quo seems safe and reliable in these troubled times, especially with the coronavirus pandemic. But they are fools, and they have indeed been fooled again.

Ball on Biden's lies

Not that truth matters much anymore, even to many Democratic voters. But still. Here's revelation you won't get from corporate media, whose well-funded and effective spin matters far more than the truth in influencing people.

TYT on the debate

Cenk agrees that Biden did not flop. Granted the bar was low but there it is. And that's what Bernie needed to win over enough voters and that's not going to happen.

Yes, Bernie was right in his challenges to Joe's record, especially on social security. Yes, Bernie accurately pointed out when Joe blatantly lied. Yes, Joe made big promises but provided no details on how he could get there (who is the dreamer now?). Yes, Bernie has the far better and more practical policies, and has a proven record of authentic belief and action on them. Yes, Bernie better understands the climate crisis and what's necessary to address it.

Does any of that matter? It all depends on where voters are coming from, status quo v. real change, and we've seen that in the vote count so far. This debate isn't going to change that much if at all.

Tragic, yes. We progressives will just have to accept it and continue the fight in other races and arenas. It is also practical to continue with Bernie's candidacy to at least garner enough leverage in the Party platform and get at least a few spots on DNC committees. Ironically, our revolution is going to have to accept incremental change over the long haul, like it or not.

Vote by mail

But Repugnantans don't want more people to vote because they know they lose in that situation. In fact, the do their best to prevent people from voting. Watch and see which States adopt this and which don't, and which Party controls their voting laws.

Bernie is better

Not that the truth is going to help much.

The Bernie Biden debate

I'm watching the debate right now and Joe has not melted down, just made a few minor mistakes, as did Bernie. I don't see that the debate will have much if any change on the voting behavior going forward. Yes, they have the same differences in policy that were again reiterated. And yes, I still think Bernie's policies are far better, especially on climate action. But those issue differences have not helped Bernie so far and this debate is unlikely to change that, given most voters are not following those differences that closely.

House's paid sick leave Bill only covers 20% of workers

Why? Because this is what the Blight House and Repugs required in order to pass the House. Great job you bribed, corrupt lackeys protecting big business and endangering human lives in the bargain. Remember this come voting time.

"The bill guarantees sick leave only to about 20 percent of workers. Big employers like McDonald’s and Amazon are not required to provide any paid sick leave. [...] The White House and congressional Republicans, who insisted on the exemptions as the price of bipartisan support for the legislation, bear the primary responsibility for the indefensible decision to prioritize corporate profits in the midst of a public health emergency."

The majority support Medicare For All

Up to 70% overall, 85% of Dems and 52% of Repugs. And yet the majority of Dems are voting for Biden so will never get what they not only want but desperately need. Well, there is voter suppression and fraud, and big money meme manipulation too influencing them.

COVID-19 under a microscope

The MAGA virus is even more virulent and deadly than coronavirus.

Our agenda

We're coming for you establishment.

If Biden is the nominee

Yes, I'd vote for him, but only because Dump must go. I'd still fight like hell to implement Bernie's (our) progressive agenda, and to install progressives in Congress and the Senate who support it. But we're not there yet. In the meantime I'll fight like hell to nominate Bernie because he is the best and safest bet to defeat Dump. 

Unfortunately, I've seen at least some progressives openly state they will not vote for Biden. And I'm guessing many of the young voters that support Bernie will figure to hell with it if Biden is the nominee. So chances are good Biden will lose to Dump. If we really want to beat Dump then we really need to nominate Bernie.

Consciosness goes deeper than you think

We've investigated Damasio's various forms of consciousness, from proto to core to narrative, as well as Dehaene's 2 forms. This Scientific American article reiterates at least the 2 different kinds.

"Jonathan Schooler has established a clear distinction between conscious and meta-conscious processes. Whereas both types entail the qualities of experience, meta-conscious processes also entail what he called re-representation. [...] Attention plays an important role is in re-representation; that is, the conscious knowledge of an experience, which underlies introspection. Subjects cannot report—not even to themselves—experiences that aren’t re-represented. Nothing, however, stops conscious experience from occurring without re-representation. [...] Clearly, the assumption that consciousness is limited to re-represented mental contents under the focus of attention mistakenly conflates meta-consciousness with consciousness proper."

Ball: Vote blue no matter who is BS

Krystal lays it out. The establishment Dems including Biden are spitting in progressive faces, calling us mean dreamers and refusing to even consider highly popular and well planned policies like the Green New Deal and Medicare For All.

They treat us like dirt and then expect us to turn around and just accept their candidate who is antithetical to nearly every value we have. No, I don't think so.

If we just give up then we lose any power we might have to leverage the Party platform and legislation going forward. But that's what the establishment wants of us: Total, unconditional surrender. Nope, ain't happening.

Whole Foods, conscious capitalists?

See this story. Remember CEO Mackey's dreams of conscious capitalism? I guess this is what he meant.

"Whole Foods could afford to offer employees unlimited paid sick time during the Coronavirus outbreak. Instead, they have suggested that employees donate their accumulated paid time off to their coworkers."

“'Considering [Whole Foods] is a billion dollar company, I think it is selfish asking the retail workers to figure it out within themselves,' a Whole Foods cashier wrote to Motherboard in an email. The cashier spoke to Motherboard under the condition of anonymity because they fear retaliation from Whole Foods. 'The response from [Whole Foods and Amazon] has been quite poor, being a front end cashier I feel like we are the most exposed to the situation...Some of us have sick family members [whose] immune system is weak and [it] could be quite dangerous if they catch this virus.'"

Btw, I specifically deal with Whole Foods and conscious capitalism in my Integral Review paper. E.g.:
"Dawlabani (2018) still sees Whole Foods’ original intent as integral, but when its bottom line of profits fell the investors decided to change its business model, especially after Amazon bought it. 'This real Orange threat forced Mackey to start thinking differently.' Hence Mackey’s 'long-term prospects of continuing a culture of Conscious Capitalism at Amazon are highly unlikely.' As I noted above, the dynamics inherent to capitalism tolerated his conscious approach only as long as he made them money. When competition drove down its profits and share price the forces of capitalism drove out the conscious aspect in favor of its own inherent values. As expected, Mackey lost the bargain with the devil capitalism, as any such bargain inevitably will as long as it remains wed to it" (89-90).

Biden's virtual town hall

And this is the establishment's champion to go up against Dump? Seriously, WTF!

Konst: We're still with you Bernie

Nomiki's heartfelt encouragement for Bernie to keep fighting for us, for we will never quit fighting for him. We're with you all the way Bernie!

This is far from over

I've been hearing from some Democrats who like the progressive agenda but claim that it's over and we need to rally around Joe. I will keep fighting for Bernie and criticizing Joe because this is far from over. If you like Bernie but are giving up and voting for Joe than YOU are the problem, not me.

AOC goes on Pox about Covid-19

Since Pox Views tends to spew Dump's lies about it, AOC took it upon herself to appear there to get some facts out and call for real action. She said:

“I usually don’t go on FOX on principle, but misinformation about coronavirus has made me concerned about risk. [...] It almost seems like the more wealthy and powerful you are, the more able you are to access a test. We need to dramatically expand #COVID-19 testing and *processing* capacity. It’s imperative to our public health that everyone who needs a test can get it easily and for free as quickly as possible ― no matter whether you’re a sports star or a single parent.”

#DemExit2

An email from Kshama Sawant copied below. The time has come to leave a Party that has repeatedly proven it represents big money, not we the people. She said:

Sign our petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/demexit-we-need-a-new-party

"The Coronavirus is spreading, global markets are in chaos, and we need a political revolution now more than ever. Now is the time to deepen our fight for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and socialist policies that benefit working people, not Wall Street – to take our struggle against the billionaire class to a new level.

In all this, we will continue to face the relentless opposition of the Democratic Party establishment, whose priorities have been on full display over the course of the primary. Faced between the choice of Bernie Sanders’ political revolution and risking a likely second term of Donald Trump, the party leadership has ferociously chosen the latter.

While Joe Biden’s third attempt at the presidency seemed all but dead in February, over the past two weeks, establishment politicians and pundits have dragged his political corpse into a clear lead, dramatically altering the course of the election. After sweeping gains on Super Tuesday, Biden will now walk away from “Mini-Super Tuesday” on March 10 with decisive victories in Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri.

“The waters parted for Joe Biden like no other candidate has ever seen,” said CNN’s chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, describing the wild swing in his direction. “It’s almost as if he’s standing there saying, ‘What? What? I’m here?’ Because he did everything wrong. He lost a couple times, he came in second or third. This should not have happened, but it did happen to him.”

This abrupt change was no accident. A corrupt elite has poured huge amounts of money, air time, and political capital behind Biden.

AOC on the bank bail out

Banks yes. We the people, f___ you. You do realize you'll just get more of this with Biden, right?

Reich: Wall Street gets another $1.5 trillion bail out

For the corona virus. Per Reich's FB post on this article:

"Today the Federal Reserve announced it would inject more than $1.5 trillion into Wall Street to mitigate the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. Yes, you heard that right: 1,500,000,000,000 dollars sent to Wall Street in a split second. I am so sick and tired of the establishment telling us what we can’t afford. If we can find over a trillion dollars for Wall Street in a heartbeat, we can find the money to cancel student debt, provide universal healthcare for all, and enact a Green New Deal. America has socialism for the rich, harsh capitalism for everyone else."

#DemExit

How to successfully build a 3rd Party by Kim Iversen.

Bernie's press conference

After losing the majority of delegates yesterday. He acknowledges that he needs to win over older voters. He admits that he's heard this refrain repeatedly: "We're with you on the issues but feel Biden can better beat Trump." Granted that narrative is being sold hard and fast by establishment Dems and the media. Bernie said he will address this in Sunday's debate with Joe on the issues, which he thinks will prove Bernie is the best candidate to beat Dump. I hope he's right but the bar for Joe is so low that if he doesn't make a complete fool of himself it will be considered a victory. Even if he does there will be lots of excuses and more fear mongering. We'll see. A lot is riding on this debate: Either it turns things around for Bernie or it doesn't.

If job#1 is to beat Dump, can Biden do it?

If job#1 is to defeat Dump, and as Wayne described Biden as a "doddering old man completely under the control of folks like Jamie Dimon,"is it our fault for pointing that out what will help Dump win or the establishment's fault for supporting an inadequate candidate and scaring voters into it? Is it our fault that younger voters, after being told their agenda is pie in the sky, likely won't support Biden now in numbers needed to win? That is exactly what Rising and Uygur discuss in this video. It seems more of a deliberate establishment strategy to silence the progressive wing of the Party than anything else.

Cenk does make a good point at the end, that since younger voters just aren't coming out in numbers for Bernie to win, even if they don't come out in the general election there are plenty of older voters frightened of change that it might be enough to get "nothing will fundamentally change" Joe over the hump.

Note: Although I think Cenk is wrong that the Party will dump Biden at the convention for someone else. That would be a blatant omission of what they already know, that Biden is inadequate to the task, and another pick would surely lose to Dump. They made their bed and now have to lie in it for better or worse.

The People's Party

On the other hand, there is a movement to start a new Party. Some key endorsements: Cornell West, Abby Martin, Oliver Stone, Chris Hedges. From their website:

Our vision is a coalition party that will deliver what regular people take for granted in so many other countries: single payer health care, free public college, money out of politics, an infrastructure jobs program, a $15 minimum wage, financial regulations, and more. 

We need actual representation in our government. A majority of people in the US don’t feel represented by either the Democratic or Republican parties. We’ve watched these parties turn their backs on us to answer every call of the billionaires and donors. Overwhelming numbers of Americans understand these parties cannot be salvaged. Polls show that almost two out of three Americans are now calling for a major new party.  It’s time to build the party we’re looking for — one that brings us all together.

 

The fight against the establishment will go on

Biden is still the lesser of two evils. He is part of the corrupt system that created Dump in the first place. It's true that he and the Dem establishment are a more subtle, insidious threat to all of us that isn't as blatant as Dump, but just as destructive to democracy.

Unfortunately at this point it seems Biden is going to be the nominee. While we need to keep supporting Bernie to the end to at least give him some leverage in the platform, we also need to keep up the fight for progressive representatives and senators. It's a long-term struggle to change the Party so let's keep up the good fight. The establishment wants us to feel defeated and give up but TFB, we're here to stay.

Some days I think the Dem Party broken beyond repair, some days I have hope that it can be changed. But the latter is going to take time. The progressive caucus in the Party is growing with each election and it can reach a turning point where they'll have the majority of votes. While it will take time it would be less time than starting from scratch with a new Party.

Ball: Warren is a typical politician

Krystal has some tough, accurate comments for Liz. Quite a difference from some of Liz's staff. I guess our expectations for her are our own fault when the tea leaves have always been there.

Warren organizers back Bernie

At least they know which candidate is most like Liz and have the courage of their convictions. See their letter here. An excerpt. See the rest of the letter at the link with the signatories.

Team Warren to Sanders,Mar 10

"We, former members of the Warren for President Team, are proud to have worked for a candidate who fights tirelessly for a country that works for all of us. Elizabeth ran a campaign on intersectional policy issues like Medicare for All, a Wealth Tax, a Green New Deal, cancelling student loan debt, providing universal free college, expanding Social Security, legalizing marijuana at the federal level and erasing convictions, and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Now that Elizabeth has told us that her campaign is concluded, we know that she is considering how to best continue the fight for big, structural change. We respect that process and trust that she, as she always does, will do what is best to advance this movement.

"We also understand and respect that many Warren supporters are still processing their feelings as well. We urge them to take care of themselves first and we stand ready to welcome them back into the fight when they are ready.

"We, the undersigned former employees and fellows of Warren for President, are ready to get back in the fight for a just and progressive future. We know that we need a bold, ambitious policy agenda for working families, marginalized communities, and our planet. We know that we won’t beat Donald Trump by simply talking about a return to business as usual. We hold these values close to our hearts because we’ve spent months talking about them with community members and volunteers in the field on behalf of Elizabeth Warren.

"That’s why the best option for Warren Democrats right now is to support Bernie Sanders for President, in addition to fighting for Democratic victories across the board in Senate, House, and local races."

Biden ad

Believe him when he tells you.

Turn around is fair play

Not that the establishment Dems would have a clue about that. Oh, and they are not in the least moderate: they are status quo and that is horrific. Talk about being mean to us in real life.

New movie: Shittalkers

Satire on the movie Windtalkers. Not far off. I know, the snowflakes with cry how mean this is when it's actually Hillary and Liz who were the mean ones to Bernie.

Biden would veto Medicare For All

If it was approved by Congress. Meanwhile Biden supports the current health insurance industry which drives up our costs of healthcare far higher than the cost of MFA. And also leaves millions either uninsured, underinsured, and/or incapable of affording deductibles, premiums and co-pays. Yeah, great job Joe.

Returning to 'normal' ain't good enough

When normal is the following. The establishment is using the very real fear of Dump to get us to go back to the usual conditions that made Dump possible in the first place: The rigged system. Sorry, ain't good enough.

Quantitative evidence Bernie Bros is a myth

I know, the establishment Dems won't accept this evidence because it debunks their fake narrative, but here it is.

"There is quantitative evidence, too — reaped from studying hundreds of thousands of interactions online — that reveals the Bernie Bro myth as, well, a myth. Jeff Winchell, a computational social scientist and graduate student at Harvard University, crunched the numbers on tweet data and found that Sanders' supporters online behave the same as everyone else. Winchell used what is called a sentiment analysis, a technique used both in the digital humanities and in e-commerce, to gauge emotional intent from social media data. 'Bernie followers act pretty much the same on Twitter as any other follower,' Winchell says of his results. 'There is one key difference that Twitter users and media don't seem to be aware of.... Bernie has a lot more Twitter followers than Twitter followers of other Democrat's campaigns,' he added, noting that this may be partly what helps perpetuate the myth."

Naomi Klein: Bernie is the real safe choice

For we the people and the environment. Biden is the safe choice for Wall Street, oil and insurance companies, and the war machine. Who really makes you feel safe? Vote accordingly.

Why Booker and Harris endorsed Biden

Same reason all the others are doing it: It's good for their careers. Cabinet posts anyone? This clip discusses how Booker and Harris strongly and legitimately criticized Biden earlier, even questioning his mental acuity. What changed? They see that Biden will likely win so they're looking out for themselves. This is exactly why we the people are sick and tired of establishment politics. It's not in the least about us. We are mere tools to be manipulated by their lying rhetoric. Well, with the one exception and we know who that is. It's why he and we are losing this one, again.

Bernie is asked about Joe's mental issues

When confronted with this question Bernie diplomatically refuses to accept the framing and instead highlights real policy differences with Joe. He is taking the high road here which I suppose deserves some credit, but the establishment, including Joe, has time and again taken low shots at him that they really don't deserve this consideration. I guess it's up to us so-called (by the snowflakes) mean Bernie Bros to raise this legitimate issue. Dump, Pox and the Repugs sure as hell will like they just did in this town hall.

Lady Gaga - Stupid Love

New music. I love me some Gaga but this one seems to borrow a lot from Born This Way.

Compare the top 3

Forget the lesser of two evils and go with the greater good.