dagblog - Comments for "HATFIELDS & MCCOYS; AN AMERICAN PARADIGM"

I have been thinking about

Richard Day — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 09:58:57 +0000

I have been thinking about your comment and I end up with Avlon and McKinnon and that just seems useless.

Oh the right screams about growing govment and the left screams about the growing gap between the middle class and the one percent.

Oh the right screams about leftist cries for class warfare.

And the left (like me) remind folks that class warfare exists on the streets of this nation every single day and the capitalists win almost every minute of every hour of every day.

Reminds me of the antebellum South as the chains of the slaves were tightened due to the fear of a Haitian-like revolution.

To compare Calhoun's side to Lincoln's side and concede that compromise should have been had (especially with Taney in charge) is abominable.

I think the argument of the moderates goes like this:

People die every day and we regret it.

But there is only so much than we can do.

The rich have always been with us; the rich cancer victims shall always have a better chance; the rich shall always have a better chance at entering college; the rich shall always have a better chance at elective office or choosing those who should attain elective office; the rich shall always have a better chance to attain the American Dream; the rich shall always...

And so it goes as part of life.

Oh, we shall execute the innocent once in awhile.

Oh, we shall imprison the innocent once in awhile.

Oh, we shall let off the guilty once in awhile.

Oh, we shall overlook the guilty once in awhile.

Justice is a variant.

Fairness is a variant.

Equal opportunity is a variant.

Such is life.

So the repubs say:

No more taxes

But the dems do not say:

No more cuts to the dispossessed or the middle class without more taxes.

So it is the dem's fault.

I know, absolutely know that Grover Nordquist is a pig sucking on the teets of the corporate pigs.

I know, absolutely that the right is conspiring to control the proletariat and the peasants in order to solidify the corporate oligarchy.

You cannot compromise with that.

But the electorate will continue to purchase shamwows and continue to purchase cocoa puffs and continue to purchase the propaganda of the right.

And there is nothing I can do about that fact.

If the Rove's of the world win out, I cannot be surprised.

The right offers nothing of substance to humanity.

And there is nothing I can do about it.

I am helpless.

But I will not, and I never will be able to:

SEE THE OTHER SIDE

Because there is no other side except for the 1%.

Maybe there has never been another side except for the 1%.

But to rationalize this Congressional paralysis as a function of two sides refusing to act civilly is barbaric to say the the least.

I am for the pipeline with EPA controls.

I am not for the pipeline without reasonable EPA controls.

The left factions will argue over what those controls would be reasonable.

The right factions simply say that all EPA controls of any kind are unreasonable.

But I KNOW, I absolutely know that if Minneapolis shits into the Mississippi, Iowa loses and so on down the line.

And state controls do not ameliorate this situation.

And I KNOW, I absolutely know that if Kentucky allows fracking without any EPA input that surrounding states (and several non surrounding states) will end up with water that turns rabbits blue and children into corpses.

And I KNOW, I know absolutely that if banks are allowed to charge the lower 50% fees for 'unknowns' without Federal Oversight, the lower 50% are screwed with no appeal.

And I KNOW, I know absolutely that the food industry would (without malice) poison our nation by saving a buck without some Federal supervision.

And I KNOW, that Mitt Romney will aid in the shrinking of the electorate; in the shrinking of the powers of the EPA, in the shrinking of the Federal Oversight of banks; in the shrinking of benefits to the poor; in the shrinking of access to medical care for the lower 80%; in the shrinking of access to proper education; in shrinking of access to food by the lower 30%; in the shrinking of women's rights; in the shrinking of pension rights for a hundred million or more workers in this country; in the shrinking of any benefits that take away from corporate power.

But if Americans buy the shamwow ads of the repubs, that is that.

I do not condone it.

But I do know that a decade later, Americans might look up and say:

SOMETHING IS WRONG

And maybe a Haitian Slavery Revolt will finally ensue.

Vote or no vote.

Well contempt and civility

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:12:56 +0000

In reply to I believe that the real

Well contempt and civility are usually diametric opposites, or let's say civility is more than thinly masked contempt.

I believe that the real

Michael Wolraich — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:34:00 +0000

In reply to I used the ante

I believe that the real problem of partisanship (or any ideological conflict) is not rooted in differences of ideas but in differences of relation. If you disagree with someone you trust and can relate to, civility and compromise are usually possible no matter how vast the differences. But if you regard a person or people with contempt, then civility seems like weakness and compromise seems like surrender, no matter how small the differences.

I used the ante

Richard Day — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:48:28 +0000

In reply to DD, you need to read up on

I used the ante metaphorically of course, but I get what you say.

I was watching the Obama's dedicating the George W. Bush painting today.

In my mind the dedication does much more for the prestige of Obama than some campaign speech. I mean Barry looks and sounds and feels Presidential.

You cannot buy that kind of media coverage.

To a great extent, we have some sort of moety system going on here. One half of our 'tribe' seems to reside on the coasts and in the north and the other half covers the South and Southwest with inroads into northwestern states like Utah.

Of course you will find conservatives everywhere and liberals everywhere; the powers of the various sides varies according to geography.

The problem lies in the fact that there are not two solutions to every problem but rather scores of possible solutions.

To me the liberals will offer ten or twenty possible solutions and the conservatives offer one.

How can there be give and take if you only recognize one possible solution?

But just thinking about this brings me right into the game, a game I do not wish to play.

I marvel at the fact that conservatives screamed about liberal and moderate courts making new laws and the conservative court decides to include the fictional corporation created by charter into the definition of 'person' and then supplies this fiction with 14th Amendment rights; in some cases more rights than accorded human beings pursuant to the new Patriot Acts.

See. I am finding myself right back in the game.

Hypocrisy is not even a viable standard or term anymore. It is meaningless.

I really feel that if I were faced with 20 people of varying political and social and religious affiliation, I could cross examine them and prove that only one or two had even the most basic idea of what the 14th Amendment is; let alone how certain rights supposedly were accorded Americans over the last 150 years.

And me?

I have read some books and hundreds of articles on climate change.

But I aint a meteorologist and I really do not understand the concept.

So I 'choose' sides based upon the best available info that I think I understand.

Which means all I have is my opinion.

How in the world therefore could I attack the opinion of Inhoffe on the matter and how in the world could he properly attack my opinion on the matter?

I do know this:

Inhoffe and his ilk have one opinion; erase the EPA.

Liberals have a hundred opinions on how to curb global warming; protect our drinking water and protect our air.

Again.

I find myself back in the game again!

On the other hand Inhoffe can vote on a bill and I cannot.

So I let go of that one fact.

What they should do is limit campaigns to 60 days prior to an election.

And then it is up to our elected representatives.

DD, you need to read up on

Michael Wolraich — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:48:00 +0000

In reply to HATFIELDS & MCCOYS; AN AMERICAN PARADIGM

DD, you need to read up on your Game Theory. It's got nothing to do with poker antes, but it has much to do with this blog. One of the most successful game theory strategies of all time is called Tit for Tat. (It's also a very well named strategy.)

Tit-for-tat is so simple and effective that it's built into our DNA. You shoot my brother, I shoot your son. You call my internet buddy a troll, I call you a moron.

The strategy works because it leads you to reward people who are good to you and punish those who are bad to you--which encourages cooperation and helps you avoid getting your ass kicked all the time.

The trouble is that when two evenly matched opponents both employ tit-for-tat, it can produce the dreaded "death spiral," which the Hatfields and McCoys took literally.

We got death spirals all over the place these days. Filibuster death spirals, attack ad death spirals, obstruction death spirals. Republicans have been doing a lot of the tatting lately, and some folks want the Dems to tit 'em right back--no holds barred politics b/c that's what they do to us.

Me, I'm not so sure.

Every couple of years I go

Richard Day — Thu, 31 May 2012 15:42:16 +0000

In reply to This brought to mind the

Every couple of years I go back to my three volume set of Twain's essays.

Now you got me thinking.

Hell, I can make a couple of clicks on the pc and try my hand at white washing fences. hahahah

There is the fire in the belly, the hate and then there is the excruciating losses.

This brought to mind the

Donal — Thu, 31 May 2012 15:21:41 +0000

In reply to HATFIELDS & MCCOYS; AN AMERICAN PARADIGM

This brought to mind the Grangerford-Sheperdson shooting feud that Huck Finn falls into when separated from Jim and the raft. I recall being very shocked by the death of Buck, and Huck crying over his body. I should read the Sawyer and Finn books again.

Hahahahahaah Okay, I hereby

Richard Day — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:50:14 +0000

In reply to The Hatfields had it

Hahahahahaah

Okay, I hereby render unto McQoy the Dayly Line of the Day for this here Dagblog Site, given to all of him from all of me!

The Hatfields had it

McQoy. — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:35:36 +0000

In reply to HATFIELDS & MCCOYS; AN AMERICAN PARADIGM

The Hatfields had it coming.

Lyin', thievin', bastards.

- McQoy.

Although we have a different

Resistance — Thu, 31 May 2012 05:41:49 +0000

In reply to The last couple of weeks has

Although we have a different approach or view on how to get to where we want to be, I know you want the best for American families, as does Ramona.

At first I loved the jousting back and forth, the mind exercise; but at some point it becomes fruitless and bitter.

There is still time, to come together and "put our petty differences aside"