“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a …
Tag: Politics
Nov 06
It’s Like Incredible
Ever wonder how the fascist took control of Germany in the 1930s? Ever wonder which side you’d have been on if you’d lived in that country? Now, if you live in America: you know both. – It isn’t simply a matter of stupidity. It is more a matter of disinformation and fear. “I could stand …
Nov 04
Trump vs Democracy
Sitting here on the eve of the 2024 election, we don’t know who will be the next president. Trump may win or Harris may win. I could provide a slew of links to all that is heinous about Trump but I’d run out of energy well before I ran out of sources. And at this …
Sep 29
Oppressed for Oppressors
“And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” ~ Donald Trump
Jan 21
Thunderdome for the Poor
I saw this posted on Facebook: “Homeless Servicemen Should Come Before Any Refugee”. This is an example of a The False Dilemma Fallacy. A False Dilemma Fallacy is defined as: This common fallacy misleads by presenting complex issues in terms of two inherently opposed sides. Instead of acknowledging that most (if not all) issues can …
Aug 22
July 2023 – Quote of the Month
“Americans used to be ‘citizens.’ Now we are ‘consumers.” ~Vicki Robin, Your Money or Your Life
Jul 18
I buy civilization
I saw Mister Silverado on the road a number of days ago. Full disclosure: I didn’t actually see the driver, but I’m highy confident it was indeed a, ‘Mister’. The window sticker, ‘TAXATION IS THEFT‘ is what made the encounter noteworthy. There are some trivial times in one’s life that a person fantasizes about having …
Nov 29
Breaking News
Even though news is no not nearly so soul crushing like it was while Trump was in office, I still find myself burned out on all of it. I’ve often advocated that a democracy depends on a well-informed electorate, so I’ve felt that its almost akin to a patriotic duty to follow the news. But …
Jun 26
Power Begets Power
The people protesting the overturn of Roe v Wade outside of the Supreme Court are wasting their time. That battle has been lost at the federal level… (for now.) The American Taliban (formally known as the GOP) have sufficiently packed courts to ensure the enforcement of their crusade. (Grand Wizard Trump appointed one quarter of the …
May 27
Gun Defense In Memoriam
There is something seriously broken about the United States. It goes deep to the bone. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. ~ Second Amendment to the United States Constitution There are various readings of …
Apr 28
March 2022 – Quote of the Month
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” ~Albert Einstein
Mar 31
Not Always
Given current affairs, especially with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, I’ve seen this quote circulating a lot: There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi Sadly, it simply isn’t true. Two quick examples of long lived tyrant …
Feb 28
The Rings of Amazon
Let’s talk about Amazon’s upcoming series, ‘The Rings of Power’. Recently, we’ve learned more based on a released teaser trailer and a vanity fair promo puff piece. Naturally, I won’t spoil anything if you aren’t versed in the subject. Short Summary Don’t have time to read my ramblings? Understood. Here is my quick take: It …
Jul 29
Pro God Pro Gun Pro Life
Spotted in the parking lot of a local store: I especially like the extra special logical incongruity of the ‘Pro Gun’ pistol barrel pointing at the ‘Pro Life’ heart. The woman who (apparently) owned the vehicle was about mid-30s. White. She had a huge bag of dog food that I helped her heave into the …
Jun 28
Monuments for Slavery and Holidays for Freedom
Facebook, like most social media, has been a disappointment to me and I’ve taken to staying clear of it. But recently, after more than a half year’s absence, I did have an occasion to login and wish a friend well on a project. Naturally, I got sucked in… It wasn’t long before I came across …
Apr 27
It’s Just the Flu
In the last year, Covid has almost become the new, go to small-talk default subject, like weather. And so it was, that in talking with a work colleague, the person I was speaking with balked at the notion of getting a Covid vaccination. The person said, Covid is, ‘Just the flu’. And went on to …
Feb 11
January 2021 – Quote of the Month
“But he that sows lies in the end shall not lack of a harvest, and soon he may rest from toil indeed, while others reap and sow in his stead.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
Jan 31
Trump is Flushed but the Stink Lingers
The year that was 2020 was so challenging, it apparently decided to leak into January 2021 with an encore act called, ‘violent sedition in America in the interest of overthrowing a free and fair election’. I could vent and storm on Traitorous Trump and his minions until my fingers bled onto my keyboard. But after …
Jan 09
December 2020 – Quote of the Month
“The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.” ~ Garry Kasparov
Dec 12
November 2020 – Quote of the Month
“Not long ago, if you wanted to seize political power in a country you had merely to control the army and the police. Today it is only in the most backward countries that fascist generals, in carrying out a coup d’état, still use tanks. If a country has reached a high degree of industrialization the …
Nov 30
Trump, the Losingest Loser Loses
I’m happy to be wrong about Trump winning Pennsylvania. But why was I wrong? For starters, I suppose I was wrong because I didn’t want to let my guard down based on the surprise of the Trump 2016 outcome. I didn’t want to feel complacent. And because of my apprehension, I put more effort into …
Nov 29
October 2020 – Quote of the Month
“There’s no art in this White House. There’s no literature, no poetry, no music. There are no pets in this White House, no loyal man’s best friend, no Socks the family cat, no kids’ science fairs. No time when the president takes off his blue suit red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he …
Oct 29
How Democracies Die
We’re counting down to the election. Less than a week away now. I think there is a palpable dread in the air. My take is: even if Trump is flushed from the White House, the damage that he and his toadies have done to this country may be a fatal wound. – It will certainly …
Oct 27
September 2020 – Quote of the Month
“The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people; that public discussion is a political duty; and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg,‘My Own Words’
Sep 18
I Hope I’m Wrong
I’m writing this, having just learned that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died. Vladimir Putin’s puppet, Trump and Moscow Mitch will steal another position on the Supreme Court. Last weekend, I had an occasion to drive across Pennsylvania. I saw Trump signs out number Biden signs at a ratio of about 100 to 1. And …
Mar 30
Wondering Where the Lions Are
COVID 19 is the mainspring of the day. It’s hard not to make note of it this month. Here, at the end of March, we’ve watched as the virus has risen from footnote to a driving force of the world in about a month’s time. Remarkable. Even now, there is a struggle with the concept …
Jan 09
December 2017 – Quote of the Month
“National boundaries are not evident when we view the Earth from space. Fanatical ethnic or religious or national chauvinisms are a little difficult to maintain when we see our planet as a fragile blue crescent fading to become an inconspicuous point of light against the bastion and citadel of the stars.” ~ Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Dec 30
A Rainbow of Stone
I wanted to write a post expressing my frustration and outrage at the train wreck of modern conservative politics, but I just finished a long post on my password protected Friends and Family section and I’m out of steam. These things need said: flares of distress need sent up. Spotlights of attention must be shone. …
Nov 13
October 2017 – Quote of the Month
“Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.” ~ Albert Einstein
Aug 18
Monumental Mistakes
Since Dear Leader Trump’s recent comments regarding the Charlottesville demonstrations and related violence, I’ve seen many people on my social media channels offering a defense of the Confederate monuments. (Supplemented with bogus stories about the Confederate flag.) First, an overview of where I stand on some related matters: I’m heartfelt advocate of freedom of speech, and …
Apr 07
March 2017 – Quote of the Month
“Besides, as the vilest Writer has his Readers, so the greatest Liar has his Believers; and it often happens, that if a Lie be believ’d only for an Hour, it has done its Work, and there is no farther occasion for it. Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it; so that when Men …
Mar 09
February 2017 – Quote of the Month
“A good deal of tyranny goes by the name of protection.” ~ Crystal Eastman
Jan 29
Mother of Exiles No More
Trump has made cowards of us all. No immigrants from any of the seven countries on the list — Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and Somalia — have killed Americans in terrorist attacks in the US. Not one. What immigrants and refugees from most of those countries are doing, however, is fleeing repression, violence, …
Jan 20
Mourning in America
“A fascist is one whose lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends.” ~ Henry A. Wallace
Jan 20
Farewell President Obama
I didn’t always agree with him, but I believe him to be a man of great integrity, intelligence and heart. Easily the best president in my lifetime. He will be sorely missed. Save
Jan 12
December 2016 – Quote of the Month
“The split in America, rather than simply economic, is between those who embrace reason, who function in the real world of cause and effect, and those who, numbed by isolation and despair, now seek meaning in a mythical world of intuition, a world that is no longer reality-based, a world of magic.” ~ Chris Hedges
Dec 01
November 2016 – Quote of the Month
“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.” ~ Wendell Berry
Oct 25
Trumpster Fire
Dump Trump We’re on the cusp of the election and it looks like Donald Trump is going down in flames. Beyond all of his lies, beyond the misogyny, xenophobia and calls for violence , Trump’s latest trick is to attempt undermining the foundation of our democracy: the expectation of a fair and honest election. There is …
Sep 29
Guernica and the E Street Band
Friends from work were aware that I had the privilege of seeing Bruce Springsteen from ‘the pit’ (now a great term BTW) a couple of weeks ago. During our lunch conversation, one of my friends said he wasn’t interested. He doesn’t like how Springsteen gets involved in politics; that he thinks artists and the ilk …
Sep 01
August 2016 – Quote of the Month
“The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history.” ~George Orwell
Apr 30
Trumped Trump
Donald Trump could almost qualify as a cartoon character, except for the dark rancor that spews from his round, orange mouth. What at first might have seemed like an extension of one of his reality TV shows has long crossed the border into scary fascism. Here is why I think the man is a danger …
Sep 28
An Absolute Monarchy in the Minds of Men
For all of the humanistic conventions and relative progressiveness of Pope Francis*, that is enchanting the people; here, at the bedrock is what continues to disturb me: the fostering of supernatural, magical beliefs. If the disservice and damage that this magical mindset does among the everyday individual is disturbing enough, it is downright scary when …
Jan 24
Too Bad Boko Haram Didn’t Deflate a Football
A ridiculous amount of national news cycles has been spent on America’s favorite tax dodgers – the NFL and their latest sports cheating scandal, “Deflate-Gate“. – I’ve watched the story either lead, or take second on the TV news all week. As if there weren’t already entire series of channels devoted to covering sports, such …
Jan 12
November 2014 – Quote of the Month
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its …
Nov 14
October 2013 – Quote of the Month
I have always found it quaint and rather touching that there is a movement [Libertarians] in the US that thinks Americans are not yet selfish enough. – Christopher Hitchens
Oct 27
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others
Increasingly, politics leaves me infuriated. The October GOP induced government shut down and threatened debt ceiling default had me almost shaking with anger. This is a self inflicted wound that is the result of so many wrongs ranging from the control of the popular media by the rich few to political gerrymandering. I’m afraid that …
Aug 28
50 Years Later – The Dream Lives On
The man had tremendous courage and he forfeited his life for his ideals. His lesson of non-violence and humanity for our fellow humans is a lesson that still needs taught, still needs to be full realized but today. Today, on the 50th anniversary of his famous 17 minute speech, “I Have A Dream”, we celebrate the …
Dec 05
November 2012 – Quote of the Month
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge. ― Isaac Asimov
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