dagblog - Comments for "Republican Spank Bank"

"Occupy" inspired a lot of

PeraclesPlease — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 20:41:08 +0000

In reply to I can see why you and others

"Occupy" inspired a lot of Bernie supporters, brought home the 99% vs 1% meme, and possibly forced the government's hand to more prosecutions than it might have. Could they have done better? Likely. But they didn't act violently or very disruptively either, camping out in 1 park per city being minimal disturbance. Their bigger problem was probably not articulating particular goals, but that's also part of our representatives' responsibility, especially when the problem is so obvious but still ignored.

Somehow, telling the truth

rmrd0000 — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 18:09:41 +0000

In reply to I, for one, would say

Somehow, telling the truth has become hyperventilation. We may hurt the feelings of reactionaries and racists if we call them by name.

I, for one, would say

stillidealistic — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 17:00:47 +0000

In reply to I can see why you and others

I, for one, would say everything I said in front of David and anyone else I was discussing donald with.

I don't believe I said anything that was inaccurate, but when you list it all item after item, it could sound a little like I'm hyperventilating, but that's the point. He has done, and is doing so many offensive and unethical things so quickly that it raises alarms. Add to it what the republican Congress is doing and to not be, what would be a kind word? Upset? would be impossible for most rational people.

donald has created this war. We are not his opponents, we are his enemies. He is not attempting to "change" Washington, but to turn it on its head. He is taking an institution that was designed, intentionally, to move slowly so that we can make sure that the changes we think we want are really what we want, and he/they are setting up changes so quickly, and so many at the same time, that we have little time to breathe, let alone think these things through. It's all about defeating us. And to top it off, he hates Obama, and is hell bent on erasing him from the history books - getting rid of every single thing that he accomplished, so as to make it like he never existed - right down to getting rid of the play set outside the oval office. How juvenile is that?

As is happening now, even the people who voted for him didn't think he would REALLY take their insurance AWAY from them, but would make it better and more affordable, even though he PROMISED he would do away with it. He said he'd leave Social Security and Medicare alone, but the Congress is attempting to fast track privatizing them.

They talked about the deficits, and now they're willing to blow them up. They talked about jobs, and although they may save some, they are destroying others. I hope someone is keeping a tally, because the number of jobs added in the medical field will be shrinking pretty dramatically.

Many Americans pitched a hissy fit in 2016, from both the left and the right. In thinking there was no way someone like donald could actually be elected, the media chose not to thoroughly vet him during the primaries, and even in the early days of the actual contest. For ratings, they wanted a horse race, so they worked to make it close. They gave him an incredible amount of publicity, played up the false equivalence of "both sides do it," and fawned over him like they were puppies.

In the meantime, Bernie "softened up" Hillary for the repubs, according to Kelly Ann Conway, the Bernie bros brutalized her, the Russians meddled, the FBI broke from normal practice and aided and abetted them all, and we find ourselves with a man/child, a tyrant, a person with almost zero intellectual curiosity, a parson so impressed with himself, so unaware and uninterested in even knowing how much he doesn't know, as our leader, surrounding himself with yes men, billionaires, and people who hate the agencies they are being asked to lead.

How could anyone who is paying attention not be scared? They OWN the government. And sitting back and giving them a chance, does not seem to be a rational option. They are GOOD at this. We are not. But we'd better improve quickly, or the America we have worked so hard to build, will be unrecognizable in just a few short years.

I am an optimistic person by nature. I almost always see the glass half full, and am very good at ferreting out silver linings when it appears at first glance there are none.

When it comes to donald, all that goes out the window. He is out for himself, and if a few of his friends benefit as well, he can handle that. But the rest of us are pig swill. He will use us for what he can get from us, but any actual benefit we receive will be purely accidental.

And I'd say it all to anyone. And more. Unfortunately, even all this, is just the tip of the iceberg.

By your rational, Moral

rmrd0000 — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 16:49:08 +0000

In reply to Yes.

By your rationale, Moral Mondays was of no value. The protests began before the laws actually went into effect. Black people should not have mounted an effort to protest voter suppression because the United States acted to suppress votes in other countries. Blacks should not be upset the Trump, Bannon, and Sessions are racists because the United States is a flawed country. It is fortunate that black people feel no need to suffer because of the philosophy you espouse. President Obama and Eric Holder will be involved in a movement to fight the nationalized voter suppression we can expect under Trump. Waiting for Trump is to make the first move is irrational. The argument you make is that minorities, the poor, Muslims, and women should suffer because of actions taken by the government of the United States they had no ability to control. There is no morality in justifying doing nothing for one group because another group is suffering. Trump and Sessions have telegraphed their plans. The time to act is now. You say that you are certain that we will see Trump,abuse power. You are certain of the bad outcome, yet you advise that warning people about impending danger is hyperventilation. Preparing for the danger should not occur until the danger is already at hand. It is immoral and nonsensical.Your disgust over actions of the United States does not justify suffering of ethnic groups in the United States.

Edit to add:

If you are aware of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions' record in the Senate and do not see a wolf, I can't help you.

Yes.

Flavius — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 13:13:53 +0000

In reply to A foreign power acted in an

Yes.

Attempting to arrange the election of our preferred foreign leader is as American as apple pie.

Any white supremacist is disgusting. When we find out how influential he is we'll learn whether he is also dangerous.

I'm not saying we shouldn't worry. Or closely scrutinize Trump's every move. We should. I'm saying that the time to shout "I've seen a wolf" is when we see a wolf.

As we almost certainly will btw.

Sounds good on the surface,

stillidealistic — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 03:41:34 +0000

In reply to Maybe one way to think about

Sounds good on the surface, but you've got to know, no matter what, it will always be our fault, and with the cowardly media to help spread the word, they will be fine. The rethuglicans are like the Phoenix that rises from the ashes over, and over and over.

A foreign power acted in an

rmrd0000 — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 03:38:30 +0000

In reply to I can see why you and others

A foreign power acted in an attempt to elect Donald Trump. Donald Trump has a white supremacist as an advisor. Do you think that is hyperventilation?

I can see why you and others

Flavius — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 03:32:24 +0000

In reply to Flavius, you're equating a

I can see why you and others drew that conclusion. I should have segregated the topics .

Certainly "Occupy" was completely non violent. I would also say " ineffective"or even counterproductive but that's just a personal impression.

I remain concerned that what you categorize here as factual claims regarding Trump seem to me to verge on hyperventilation . I yield to no one in my disgust with Trump and many -not all- of the current crop of Republican legislators. But mostly I think it's just inaccurate to describe them with demeaning language. And not useful.

I was surprised during the summer when David, a politically sophisticated liberal friend, who meets Trump occasionally, disagreed with a table-full of us discussing him in the sort of escalating language that I and others use here.. Now, I sometimes first ask myself : would I say this in front of David?

Maybe one way to think about

moat — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 02:54:05 +0000

In reply to Republican Spank Bank

Maybe one way to think about it is as a happenstance of trading places. The people who complained for so long that their suffering came from the hands of evil forces from the Left are now in power and can chart their own course.

It is a remarkable change. The victory of the Right in this election means that they can no longer object to objections to their program as something the other side never gave a chance. They are the party in power. I would never give them this power if it was in my power but there it is: The next several years belong to them.

Let's make them pay for that.

Well, when you put it that

stillidealistic — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 02:38:15 +0000

In reply to I need someone to talk me

Well, when you put it that way! You always have a way of making me feel better, even when it isn't in the way I had expected!