MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
|
|
|
From the Readers
- barefooted 9 months ago
- PeraclesPlease 10 months ago
- PeraclesPlease 11 months ago
- PeraclesPlease 12 months ago
- PeraclesPlease 1 year ago
- PeraclesPlease 1 year ago
- artappraiser 1 year ago
- PeraclesPlease 1 year ago
- PeraclesPlease 1 year ago
- artappraiser 1 year ago
Creative corner
- PeraclesPlease 11 months ago
- PeraclesPlease 1 year ago
- PeraclesPlease 1 year ago
- artappraiser 1 year ago
- artappraiser 1 year ago
From the Dagbloggers
- Michael Wolraich 11 months 3 weeks ago
- Danny Cardwell 3 years 2 months ago
- Doctor Cleveland 3 years 11 months ago
- PeraclesPlease 4 years 1 month ago
- PeraclesPlease 4 years 1 month ago
- William K. Wolfrum 4 years 1 month ago
- William K. Wolfrum 4 years 1 month ago
- Doctor Cleveland 4 years 2 months ago
- Doctor Cleveland 4 years 2 months ago
- William K. Wolfrum 4 years 2 months ago
Here's Why I Never Warmed Up to Bernie Sanders
By ocean-kat on Fri, 04/29/2016 - 4:48pm |Unemployment? Yes, 2 or 3 percent of the working-age population has dropped out of the labor force, but the headline unemployment rate is 5 percent. Wages? They've been stagnant since the turn of the century, but the average family still makes close to $70,000, more than nearly any other country in the world. Health care? Our system is a mess, but 90 percent of the country has insurance coverage. Dissatisfaction with the system? According to Gallup, even among those with incomes under $30,000, only 27 percent are dissatisfied with their personal lives. Like it or not, you don't build a revolution on top of an economy like this. Period. If you want to get anything done, you're going to have to do it the old-fashioned way: through the slow boring of hard wood.
URL:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/04/heres-why-i-never-warmed-bernie-sanders
- Add new comment
- 13791 reads
Comments
I’m sick and tired of the scolding. Jaded old liberals mansplaining to the youth how there’s no such thing as a political revolution. I would like to direct Kevin Drum’s attention to his own damn magazine, Mother Jones, named for a socialist agitator who went to prison to defend workers’ rights in the early 20th century. Her work and that of countless idealistic men and women far more radical than Bernie Sanders spawned a political revolution that created our modern world and made Drum’s lifework possible. But what does know he of Mother Jones and people like her? His weird version of American history skips the Progressive Era entirely. He wouldn't recognize a revolution if it smacked him in the face.
by Michael Wolraich on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 12:00am
Perhaps. But as you pointed out Sanders is no Mother Jones. It seems like getting arrested in '63 and paying a $25 fine for protesting was too much of a cost. Apparently bitching at the democratic party from the side lines while calling him self a socialist was the most he could risk after that.
by ocean-kat on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 12:33am
This isn't about Sanders, it's about rejecting the possibility of revolutionary change based on a misrepresentation of history.
by Michael Wolraich on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 10:23am
What structure is in place to support the revolution? Who are the leaders?
by rmrd0000 on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 3:32pm
Getting a wee bit rankled here... are we? Toughen up butter cup.
I appreciate the ol' curmudgeon for doing what's needed to be done.
That being, directing the young millennial "progressives" to get off their asses and get to work.
And that comes from a 70 year old curmudgeon non-jaded socialist liberal here.
Have a fine weekend ... I'm going sailing.
Days left till November...
~OGD~
.
by oldenGoldenDecoy on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 3:13am
Rankled indeed and proud of it. Sail on, OGD.
by Michael Wolraich on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 10:24am
I must point out one more thing. When it comes to the political evolutionary stance of a Kevin Drum or the so-called revolutionary stance of Bernie Sanders neither one would make a pimple on this mans butt who authored this.
If you haven't read it... read it.
Evolution and Revolution 1891
From: Anarchist Archives
Dana Ward - Professor Emeritus of
Political Studies at Pitzer College
"As the world revolves ... societal politics evolve..." Quack!
~OGD~
by oldenGoldenDecoy on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 3:34pm
Thanks Michael. Of course Drum is wrong here but I'm damned if I can figure out how to reach those who don't get it. Obviously, you're having trouble too. I'm not real big on the term "mansplaining" though. If it really is an acceptable term, we will also need pithy gender-specific words to describe hectoring by the likes of Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem. Plus, what about women who write articles just like Kevin Drum's, are they mansplaining too?
by HSG on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 8:15am
Ah whatever. I should have written oldmansplaining.
by Michael Wolraich on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 1:26pm
Someone's always comsplaining.
Here's a good summary for millennials.
by PeraclesPlease on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 2:58pm
Way too often it's feignsplainin'.
by A Guy Called LULU on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 2:51pm
Mansplaining is a common term in feminist writings. It's well understood within that community. It refers to men who spend time telling women how they should think, feel, or act often in the context of gender based issues. It's similar to Sanders white supporters telling blacks how they should think and feel about their racial concerns. One might call that whitesplaining.
I found it amusing that michael would use it in a way that was so out of context, as if anytime a man speaks to anyone about anything it's mansplaining. I understand that some men object to the term. That may be a legitimate discussion. But don't you guys bother to read feminist women writing about feminist issues? I ask because you clearly don't understand how the term is conventionally defined in that community.
by ocean-kat on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 7:43pm
I am very familiar with the term "mansplaining" just as I am with its cousin "whitesplaining." I oppose the use of both portmanteau words and any others that attribute bad behavior to immutable (or nearly immutable) characteristics like sex and race. Likewise, I believe the "words" are ill-advised since they often serve to and in fact are consciously used to divide people whose common economic interests should make them political allies. I addressed this very issue at length here and here in articles I never cross-posted at Dagblog. One more reason to bookmark halginsberg.com.
by HSG on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 9:47pm
That is one of the largest problem many have with Sanders. It appears to many that Sanders sees those common economic interests as by far the most important issues and rarely speaks or attaches much importance to racial or gender disparities. When he does address them it appears he doesn't really understand and trivializes their concerns. Some think racial and gender issues are as important as economic issues. rmrd has put considerable time and effort trying to explain that to you.
by ocean-kat on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 11:06pm
Nothing I wrote suggests I don't believe racism and sexism are pathologies we should do our best to eliminate. In fact, that is exactly what I (and Bernie Sanders) believe. I also believe that both flourish in an environment where there are vast disparities in wealth and power and lose much of their power and impact where there is economic justice. That's one of the biggest reasons I supported Sanders for President.
Does the fact that racism and sexism remain problems justify using words attributing bad behavior to gender and race? Are whites and men the only demographic groups that provide long-winded often irrelevant or flat-out incorrect explanations for various phenomena? Do only whites and men tell other people how they should live their lives? Do all or nearly all whites and men engage in these actions? Does using terms like whitesplaining and mansplaining lead to better or worse relationships between groups of people? Do those who use them sometimes employ them for the purpose of closing off or shutting down arguments they don't like but which aren't necessarily wrong?
Obviously my questions are designed to provoke in the reader's mind the idea that the terms whitesplaining and mansplaining are offensive, inappropriate, counter-productive and mostly unilluminating. To the extent they may have explanatory power, that power is greatly outweighed by the harm they do.
by HSG on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 11:57pm
Terms that describe negative behavior are inherently negative and will offend some people when used. They are also indispensable to discuss negative behavior. Racist, bigot, sexist, misogynist, all are likely to offend someone. I imagine Andrew Dice Clay was offended when his comedy routine was called sexist, racist, and misogynistic. He might claim it's all just a joke. I'm guessing even the Grand Wizard of the KKK might be offended when called a racist and an antisemite. He might even claim he has nothing against Jews and blacks he just wants to keep the white race pure.
Mansplaining is a very clear descriptive term for a type of negative behavior, just as racism. antisemitism, and misogyny etc are. It's impossible to eliminate all nouns and verbs that describe negative behavior nor should we want to. Negative behavior exists and must be discussed in clear terms to understand and deal with it. The important point is whether the use of any of these negative terms can be shown to be true when used in a specific instance with at least a convincing argument.
You know, It wasn't my intention to discuss the legitimacy of the term mansplaining. I tried to move the conversation into other issues but you kept pulling it back. My original point was the point Inigo made in the Princess Bride, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
by ocean-kat on Sun, 05/01/2016 - 6:43am
Excellent and succinct summary of what is wrong with the Bernie Revolution.
One candidate in one election, in a nation divided by Party - one cynical and obstructionist- realizing the checks and balances in our government are there to preserve the status quo....one event cannot progressively and radically alter the politics, financial/banking, wealth distribution, judicial decisions, educational funding, health care payment/plans and/or energy profile of the US. It will take a lot more, and some Bernie types are saying 'we'll now wait (to vote?) for (a miracle?) in 2020'.
by NCD on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 2:13am
Breathe
Bernie's OK. He was re-elected as mayor with increasing margins. He had most of the problems of any major city without the staff that, say,Lindsay had to (not) plow the streets.
Madeleine and Gloria are OK. They've paid their dues. The remark about Bernie's young women fans just looking for a date was dumb. So shoot them! Who hasn't made a dumb remark? Read on I'll make several.
Kevin Drum's OK. Mostly says stuff that we mostly agree with .And if we don't we can civilly disagree. Or play "You say you want a Revolution".
Although what we really need is not a revolution but a new tax code. Or rather an old one like the one pre Ronnie. See my favorite blogger's Walk down Memory Lane just to the left.
Signed
A non y mous
Have a good weekend . Get out in the sun. Or drink a lot. Whatever.
by Flavius on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 11:57pm
Cher A non y mouse,
Mais oui, les boissons et du soleil - tres bon avis. But I'm looking for a piece of cheese, please. I have a nice Claret and a Bordeaux when that runs out, but a piece of fromage would make tout complet (with a baguette at hand, bien sur).
I appreciate your perspicacity and would value any sage advice.
Merci from a wee souris
by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 05/01/2016 - 6:57am
Customer: "Waiter I'd like the daily special ....and a few kind words."
Waiter:"Coming right up ,sir".
Customer "How about the kind words?"
"Don't eat the cheese.".
by Flavius on Sun, 05/01/2016 - 4:07pm
Quel dommage. "Garçon, is that a fly in my soup?" "Mais oui, monsieur, but not to worry - he doesn't tip either."
I suppose you'll be wanting some of that wine now.
by PeraclesPlease on Sun, 05/01/2016 - 4:53pm