Jeff, as you know, there are people protesting. There are people acting. (Medea Benjamin and Code Pink, for example.) There are candidates running who are against the MIC. Every movement starts small before it can grow.
Of course, the MICIMATT is a formidable foe, as is decades of pro-war propaganda. But protest isn't worthless. Your protest after 9/11 wasn't worthless.
Yes, there are people protesting, but they are not protesting at the ballot box. If they were serious about protesting they would be voting for a third party or independent candidate.
When you vote D or R (2 wings of the same bird of prey), you are not seriously protesting.
And which third party or independent candidates should they vote for, wrknight?
And what are the chances of any of those candidates having enough people in Congress who think and feel like they do to actually, really make any kind of difference whatsoever?
When has ANY third party or independent candidate made any difference whatsoever in anything pertaining to American foreign policy or its addiction to war?
What is needed is not a change in the people ~ or the parties ~ who who are running the American government.
What is needed is a complete and total change in the American system of government and governance so that the people running those systems are not owned and operated, bought and sold, and commanded and controlled by all those Vested Special Interests who profit immensely from War and the "threat" of war.
Choose whatever party offers the best chance to stop the wars, focus on the needs of average Americans, show a modicum of fiscal responsibility and reform our system. But if you continue down the path of voting for D or R, you are screwed.
You say we need a complete and total change in the American system of Government. But what you fail to consider is that a system of government is no more that a set of rules together with the people who make the rules and enforce them. You cannot change the rules without changing the rule makers. You can do that peacefully or through violence. There are a lot of ways to do that violently, but only one way to do it peacefully and that is by using using the ballot box. Personally, I abhor violence and will choose the ballot box.
You say we need a complete and total change in the American system of Government. I disagree. We desperately need reform, and the system needs some serious tweeking. There are a few agencies that probably should be removed or reorganized. Some should be better funded to do their mission and at least one should be cut way back; but with one singular exception, our system of government works pretty damned well, and I wouldn't change it for anyone else's system of government.
What is desperately needed is reform in the political system. Reform measures that are needed include: limitations on campaign spending, restrictions (or perhaps even prohibition) on corporate participation in political affairs, elimination of the electoral college, and term limits on all elected officials and appointed judges. I would also like to see elimination of all political parties and ranked choice voting. All of these are achievable, and have been achieved in the past in one or more state and local governments by electing reform minded politicians.
Bottom line: I do not want a coup and I do not want a revolution. I want reform in the system we have. I also want to shake off our addiction to the two dominant political parties, and I know that the only way we can make that happen peacefully is to exercise our power at the ballot box.
So which party ~ 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc ~ “offers the best chance to stop the wars, focus on the needs of average Americans, show a modicum of fiscal responsibility and reform our system,” wr?
The problem with the American system of government is that the current set of rules IS being followed and enforced by the people who run that government.
It is a system with rules whereby Vested Special Interests bid for the legal power, the administrative authority, and, above all, the spending ability and capability of that government to advance the agendas ~ and increase the wealth and power ~ of those VSIs. And the highest bidder gets the prize and wins. At least til the next fiscal year and/or election cycle.
And any attempt to change the American system of government thru violence is guaranteed to fail completely, and will bring about nothing but total and complete Tyranny. Which is exactly what the owners and operators, and commanders and controllers of the elected politicians, the entrenched civilian and military bureaucrats, and the anointed political appointees would LOVE to have the chance to put in place.
Also, i’m curious: Specifically which federal government agencies and departments should be removed or reorganized, which should be better funded, and what is that “one singular exception” to the department that should be “cut way back”?
But the real question is: How ~ given the current system of government and, particularly, the means, methods, and mechanisms that determine exactly Who runs that government from the White House and up on Capitol Hill ~ how is that system going to be changed to include Your wish list of “limitations on campaign spending, restrictions (or perhaps even prohibition) on corporate participation in political affairs, elimination of the electoral college, and term limits on all elected officials and appointed judges’?
And how will the people who get sent to DC if Your wish list is fulfilled deal with: 1] this nation’s $34.2 TRILLION National, Sovereign Debt; and 2] this government’s $212.5 TRILLION worth of Unfunded Liabilities [Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Employee and Veterans Benefits]? See https://www.usdebtclock.org/ for details.
One very serious problem with any “reform” of America’s current system of government and governance is the number of Americans who are totally and completely dependent upon the federal government for their incomes, and thus livelihoods, and life styles. And those who are dependent on those folks for their incomes, livelihoods, and life styles.
How many of those folks would vote to eliminate or significantly reduce America’s status as an Imperialistic Warfare State or as a Redistributionist Welfare State?
You keep telling me what you can't do, but you have yet to telling me HOW you are going to get your "complete and total change in the American system of Government".
And in terms of what it actually accomplished by way of changing anything, Bill, my 9/11 protest was very worthful for me, as an individual.
But it was totally and completely worthless in terms of making anything happen in the real world to stop what was going to happen and in fact did happen: The invasion of Afghanistan, and the beginning of "The Forever War."
There's a great speech by Captain Kirk to the "alternate reality" Mr. Spock about how one man can make a difference, Jeff. I'm not sure if you're a Trekkie; anyhow, here's the scene:
Thank You for sharing that, Bill. i have never watched Star Trek on tv or in the cinema, so am definitely not a Trekkie, and thus have no idea what this scene is all about.
But i do agree completely that "one man can make a difference." i am reminded of Thomas Paine, Gandhi, Ho Chi Minh, and Martin Luther King.
The decline of diplomacy as a viable option is reflected in the diminished role of the Secretary of the State, except as essentially another mouthpiece for conflict. Dead-eyed Blinken, whose face lacks any sign of humanity, is just another in a long line of political hacks who push for war. Starting with Albright, every one of them is a legitimate war criminal.
Well, it's all sanctioned and justified because hell, everybody knows those people don't have the same regard for life that we do. And they hate our freedoms and freewheelin' lifestyle. And (et cetera, et cetera). And besides, the Super Bowl's coming up. Get ready for a BIG flyover and plenty of uniforms ... we'll show 'em.
Every time I see one of those goddamn flyovers I imagine them dropping bombs on the stadium and the spectators within. It probably won't be much longer, the way things are going for the Empire.
At the Super Bowl this Yr. its the AF Thunderbirds, or so I heard that I'm proud to have seen and met the Flyboy Fighter Jocks. I provided Security for when they were Flying only T-38 Talons when I was in 1973 as a Sky Cop Base Security Forces--due to The Arab Oil Embargo back then..! They were conserving JP-4 Jet Fuel due to the crisis!
In the WW II Strategic Bombing study the minority opinion, you don't hear because the USAF is big profits, was bombing was "not worth the casualties and diversion of materiel".....
The 20 odd years of Indo-China war US expended more tonnage than all WW II, which supports the minority opinion, but profits!
125 smart weapons, 85 "targets" and the B-1 went in and seemingly got out!
There is only one branch of government in the US--the National Security State (NSS). The others are there just for show, to maintain the facade of democracy. What the NSS wants, the NSS gets.
When the NSS is challenged in any way, it will eliminate that challenge one way or another. When JFK said he was going to shatter the CIA into a thousand pieces, he was quickly disposed of. When Trump declared he wanted to establish friendly relations with Russia, he was subjected to the Russiagate hoax to put the kibosh on any such notion, and was later coerced into sending military aid to Ukraine to prove his fealty to the NSS. No matter who sits in the White House Congress or the Supreme Court, the NSS exercises absolute control and will take out anyone who stands in its way.
Perhaps it would be better for the end to come, since the system itself is rotten to the core and totally corrupt. All three leading candidates---Biden, Trump and RFK, Jr.---answer only to Israel. Biden prefers war against Russia, Trump prefers war against China. The only 2 candidates who speak out against war and endless militarism are West and Stein, and neither one has any chance of winning. Hence, whatever happens in November 2024, you can be sure that the rot and corruption will only get worse, barring a massive and sustained uprising by masses of people all across this country to get rid of the entire political class that rules this country for their own self-aggrandizement.
What would happen, Charlie, if a Critical Mass of American Citizens and Taxpayers ~ and the Children who they parent, teach, coach, and lead ~ who are fed up with The Bullshit got together, rose up, and demanded that The Bullshit stop? And then backed that demand with widespread, non-violent protest and civil disobedience
Will never happen Jeff - America is inevitably going to meet with the same fate as the Roman Empire. The only question remaining - how long will that be?
The key word is "if." Anything is theoretically possible, of course. Figuring out how to make it happen is another matter. And, sadly, no one has figured out how to make it happen in the USA. In the 21st century, there is no serious Left political organization in this country that threatens the status quo. Uprisings such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter come and go in a flash. Picketing and protesting and chanting are not a serious threat to the powers-that-be unless it is massive and sustained. The capitalist system ("The Bullshit") has shown itself to be remarkably resilient. If only blogging could change the world.
Not sure what kind of action you are advocating, Bill. But there is an action we can all take that is totally legal, and we can take that action in November in every even numbered year. R. J. Cormier has the right idea in an earlier comment. Get rid of both parties. Simply vote them out of office - and don't say it's impossible. You only make it impossible by believing it's impossible.
The same folks that owned and operated, bought and sold, and commanded and controlled all those Incumbents You ant to get rid of, Ray, will soon own and operate, buy and sell, and command and control whoever takes those incumbents' places.
If the problem is the system of government and governance is the problem, changing the people who are running the government will not solve the problem.
And THE PROBLEM is that this government is organized and run so that Vested Special Interests can bid for access to the government's legal power, administrative authority, and, especially, its spending ability and capability to advance the agendas of those VSIs. And the highest bidder gets the loot, or the ruling, or the decision they were seeking.
Unless and until that changes, ain't nothin gonna change for this Nation, except to continue to get worse.
You're totally correct - the system itself is the problem. For example, some House and Senate committee memberships and chairmanships require paying a "tax" to the party's campaign organization for that body. The top committees require over $1 million contributions to be in charge. Corruption isn't a bug, it's a feature.
We are a very primitive and war-like species. War has evolved as a means to eliminate competitors. We just do it better now-- think of the Ape first discovering the bone can become a weapon in 2001 A Space Odyssey when after touching the monolith is thrown into the air then dissolves / becomes a spacecraft shuttlecraft & ultimately mans greatest achievement the "Discovery" & HAL 9000 computer..! We have evolved our Ape brain to the intelligence once reserved for the spheres of the Gods. A cold frightening thought! Magnificent if used for Peace and exploration, but self destructing if used for War...
Yes.., Denise I debated using Ape or Chimpanzees our closest in relation to homo sapiens, and they are the most ruthless & violent ripping faces & quite literally the sex organs off their competitors..! Makes sense though stopping the future generations of their enemies quite immediately!!!
Certainly, early tribes lived in alignment with Nature. They didn't have the arrogance that told them they were above all the other animals. They didn't seek to control their environments on any large scale, which meant they didn't have adverse impacts on their surroundings.
So....it's only modern man, who has industrialized and developed and sought to control Nature, and who believes that, by divine decree, he's meant to dominate the planet, who wreaks destruction.
As Rod Serling put it: “Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil’s pawn. Alone among God’s primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother’s land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death.”
— The Lawgiver, (as spoken by Cornelius in Planet of the Apes)
As Orwell wrote in "Animal Farm," some are more equal than others. Three fatalities have brought three waves of attacks by the US and their British lackeys, with a promise of more to come. This sounds more like "softening up" than retaliation ... show of hands: Who remembers the USS Pueblo? The Gulf Wars? How about the USS Maine?
We'd stop at the "Golden Banana" on the Ma. N.H. Line every time we went Downhill Skiing Dennis, but us Firefighters aren't right in the head!!! :/ :o)
Gov't isn't for us Citizens anymore. No one goes into Politics anymore to give a damn, or change things. Just notoriety, ego trips, selfishness, and padding their bank accts. Never fulfill promises, but still get paid. Even Weathermen and Call Girls have a better Track Record..! My Monday Rant...As Bob Seger Sang "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then"
More from the “You Can’t Make This Shit Up” Department:
When a couple thousand people from this Congressman’s District ~ including their Children ~ are killed or maimed in a “terrorist attack” by some unknown, unnamed organization, it will be very difficult to have any sympathy for the people who voted this man into office and have kept him there…:
“PALESTINIAN BABIES AREN’T ALL THAT INNOCENT” ~ United States Congressman Brian Mast
A Republican representative believes that Palestinian babies are not innocent civilians but “terrorists” who should be killed.
Florida Representative Brian Mast made the horrifying comment when confronted by Code Pink protesters outside his office on Wednesday.
In a video, Mast can be seen calmly telling the demonstrators, “It would be better if you kill all the terrorists and kill everyone who are supporters.” [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjbZO8LCOf4 ]
When asked if he has seen the images of Palestinian babies killed in Israeli attacks, Mast says, “These are not innocent Palestinian civilians.”
“The babies?” the activists asks in astonishment.
Mast then says that the “half a million people starving to death” should have elected a pro-Israel government.
When one protester points out that much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, Mast says, “And there’s more infrastructure that needs to be destroyed.”
“Did you not hear me? There’s more that needs to be destroyed,” he says again for emphasis.
More than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed since October in Israel’s constant bombardment of Gaza. The majority of the victims have been women and children.
Mast’s horrific comments—and the chilling way in which he delivered them—should come as no surprise. In November, just a few weeks after the war began, Mast compared Palestinian civilians to Nazis and implied that they are all guilty for Hamas’s atrocities.
“I would encourage the other side to not so lightly throw around the idea of ‘innocent Palestinian civilians,’ as is frequently said,” he said on the House floor.
“I don’t think we would so lightly throw around the term ‘innocent Nazi civilians’ during World War II.”
The Deans of US Medical Schools and leading medical organizations, especially the American Medical Association (AMA), turned their backs on the Palestinians.
The AMA shut down a debate on a ceasefire resolution among its members and has called for “medical neutrality,” although it abandoned “medical neutrality” to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bravo Bill. for saying all this and more.! I find it increasingly difficult to comprehend how the citizens of the US stomach the murderous behavior of our president in every aspect of his murderous terror around the globe. And I find it beyond strange that people who were raised in a supposedly democratic country would find it impossible to even so much as TRY to vote for someone other than one of the two parties so obviously unfit to be in a leadership position. Neither party is qualified as is readily apparent to anyone who has been following events on this planet, yet almost NO ONE is willing to so much as chance a vote for a party that might provide an answer or two. Common sense along with even a minimum understanding of the democracy that governs us seems to be totally missing from the populace. Critical thinking has become extinct to a large extent in what used to be called America.
Ranney: The citizens of the US have stomached the murderous behavior of their Presidents and Congresses since the end of World War II in Korea and then Vietnam, and then since 9/11 in "The Forever War," and most recently, in Ukraine and Gaza.
Why is there any reason to believe that anything is going to change? And why is there any reason to believe that ~ without a Revolution ~ anything is capable of being changed, let alone going to change?
"All options are on the table" is a great slogan. It suggests toughness and comprehensive genius. And like all policy explanations for the masses it fits comfortably on a bumper sticker.
Bill and i had this exchange first thing this morning:
Me: You are starting to sound like You are beginning to get very weary [and wary] of all the Bullshit, Colonel.
The Question is: When will the American Peoples get weary and wary enough of the Bullshit to actually, really do something ~ anything ~ about it?
What will it take to get their attention?
Bill: Jeff, as you know, there are people protesting. There are people acting. (Medea Benjamin and Code Pink, for example.) There are candidates running who are against the MIC. Every movement starts small before it can grow.
Of course, the MICIMATT is a formidable foe, as is decades of pro-war propaganda. But protest isn't worthless. Your protest after 9/11 wasn't worthless.
You just never know when a spark will grow ...
Me: i agree completely, Bill.
And that was the essence of my Question: What will it take to make that spark ignite and then glow and then become a flame?
.......
i’m curious: Does anybody here at BV have any thoughts on what it would take to get that spark ignited, glowing, and then becoming a flame?
When they say that all options are on the table, they are talking about bombing options.
They should say all options are on the flight line, warming up their engines.
You are starting to sound like You are beginning to get very weary [and wary] of all the Bullshit, Colonel.
The Question is: When will the American Peoples get weary and wary enough of the Bullshit to actually, really do something ~ anything ~ about it?
What will it take to get their attention?
Jeff, as you know, there are people protesting. There are people acting. (Medea Benjamin and Code Pink, for example.) There are candidates running who are against the MIC. Every movement starts small before it can grow.
Of course, the MICIMATT is a formidable foe, as is decades of pro-war propaganda. But protest isn't worthless. Your protest after 9/11 wasn't worthless.
You just never know when a spark will grow ...
Yes, there are people protesting, but they are not protesting at the ballot box. If they were serious about protesting they would be voting for a third party or independent candidate.
When you vote D or R (2 wings of the same bird of prey), you are not seriously protesting.
And which third party or independent candidates should they vote for, wrknight?
And what are the chances of any of those candidates having enough people in Congress who think and feel like they do to actually, really make any kind of difference whatsoever?
When has ANY third party or independent candidate made any difference whatsoever in anything pertaining to American foreign policy or its addiction to war?
What is needed is not a change in the people ~ or the parties ~ who who are running the American government.
What is needed is a complete and total change in the American system of government and governance so that the people running those systems are not owned and operated, bought and sold, and commanded and controlled by all those Vested Special Interests who profit immensely from War and the "threat" of war.
Choose whatever party offers the best chance to stop the wars, focus on the needs of average Americans, show a modicum of fiscal responsibility and reform our system. But if you continue down the path of voting for D or R, you are screwed.
You say we need a complete and total change in the American system of Government. But what you fail to consider is that a system of government is no more that a set of rules together with the people who make the rules and enforce them. You cannot change the rules without changing the rule makers. You can do that peacefully or through violence. There are a lot of ways to do that violently, but only one way to do it peacefully and that is by using using the ballot box. Personally, I abhor violence and will choose the ballot box.
You say we need a complete and total change in the American system of Government. I disagree. We desperately need reform, and the system needs some serious tweeking. There are a few agencies that probably should be removed or reorganized. Some should be better funded to do their mission and at least one should be cut way back; but with one singular exception, our system of government works pretty damned well, and I wouldn't change it for anyone else's system of government.
What is desperately needed is reform in the political system. Reform measures that are needed include: limitations on campaign spending, restrictions (or perhaps even prohibition) on corporate participation in political affairs, elimination of the electoral college, and term limits on all elected officials and appointed judges. I would also like to see elimination of all political parties and ranked choice voting. All of these are achievable, and have been achieved in the past in one or more state and local governments by electing reform minded politicians.
Bottom line: I do not want a coup and I do not want a revolution. I want reform in the system we have. I also want to shake off our addiction to the two dominant political parties, and I know that the only way we can make that happen peacefully is to exercise our power at the ballot box.
So which party ~ 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc ~ “offers the best chance to stop the wars, focus on the needs of average Americans, show a modicum of fiscal responsibility and reform our system,” wr?
The problem with the American system of government is that the current set of rules IS being followed and enforced by the people who run that government.
It is a system with rules whereby Vested Special Interests bid for the legal power, the administrative authority, and, above all, the spending ability and capability of that government to advance the agendas ~ and increase the wealth and power ~ of those VSIs. And the highest bidder gets the prize and wins. At least til the next fiscal year and/or election cycle.
And any attempt to change the American system of government thru violence is guaranteed to fail completely, and will bring about nothing but total and complete Tyranny. Which is exactly what the owners and operators, and commanders and controllers of the elected politicians, the entrenched civilian and military bureaucrats, and the anointed political appointees would LOVE to have the chance to put in place.
Also, i’m curious: Specifically which federal government agencies and departments should be removed or reorganized, which should be better funded, and what is that “one singular exception” to the department that should be “cut way back”?
But the real question is: How ~ given the current system of government and, particularly, the means, methods, and mechanisms that determine exactly Who runs that government from the White House and up on Capitol Hill ~ how is that system going to be changed to include Your wish list of “limitations on campaign spending, restrictions (or perhaps even prohibition) on corporate participation in political affairs, elimination of the electoral college, and term limits on all elected officials and appointed judges’?
And how will the people who get sent to DC if Your wish list is fulfilled deal with: 1] this nation’s $34.2 TRILLION National, Sovereign Debt; and 2] this government’s $212.5 TRILLION worth of Unfunded Liabilities [Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Employee and Veterans Benefits]? See https://www.usdebtclock.org/ for details.
One very serious problem with any “reform” of America’s current system of government and governance is the number of Americans who are totally and completely dependent upon the federal government for their incomes, and thus livelihoods, and life styles. And those who are dependent on those folks for their incomes, livelihoods, and life styles.
How many of those folks would vote to eliminate or significantly reduce America’s status as an Imperialistic Warfare State or as a Redistributionist Welfare State?
You keep telling me what you can't do, but you have yet to telling me HOW you are going to get your "complete and total change in the American system of Government".
And in terms of what it actually accomplished by way of changing anything, Bill, my 9/11 protest was very worthful for me, as an individual.
But it was totally and completely worthless in terms of making anything happen in the real world to stop what was going to happen and in fact did happen: The invasion of Afghanistan, and the beginning of "The Forever War."
There's a great speech by Captain Kirk to the "alternate reality" Mr. Spock about how one man can make a difference, Jeff. I'm not sure if you're a Trekkie; anyhow, here's the scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deq6_p47g54
This will mean more to you if you're familiar with "Star Trek." Still, there's truth here.
Thank You for sharing that, Bill. i have never watched Star Trek on tv or in the cinema, so am definitely not a Trekkie, and thus have no idea what this scene is all about.
But i do agree completely that "one man can make a difference." i am reminded of Thomas Paine, Gandhi, Ho Chi Minh, and Martin Luther King.
i agree completely, Bill.
And that was the essence of my Question: What will it take to make that spark ignite and then glow?
The decline of diplomacy as a viable option is reflected in the diminished role of the Secretary of the State, except as essentially another mouthpiece for conflict. Dead-eyed Blinken, whose face lacks any sign of humanity, is just another in a long line of political hacks who push for war. Starting with Albright, every one of them is a legitimate war criminal.
Well, it's all sanctioned and justified because hell, everybody knows those people don't have the same regard for life that we do. And they hate our freedoms and freewheelin' lifestyle. And (et cetera, et cetera). And besides, the Super Bowl's coming up. Get ready for a BIG flyover and plenty of uniforms ... we'll show 'em.
Every time I see one of those goddamn flyovers I imagine them dropping bombs on the stadium and the spectators within. It probably won't be much longer, the way things are going for the Empire.
At the Super Bowl this Yr. its the AF Thunderbirds, or so I heard that I'm proud to have seen and met the Flyboy Fighter Jocks. I provided Security for when they were Flying only T-38 Talons when I was in 1973 as a Sky Cop Base Security Forces--due to The Arab Oil Embargo back then..! They were conserving JP-4 Jet Fuel due to the crisis!
Bombing!
In the WW II Strategic Bombing study the minority opinion, you don't hear because the USAF is big profits, was bombing was "not worth the casualties and diversion of materiel".....
The 20 odd years of Indo-China war US expended more tonnage than all WW II, which supports the minority opinion, but profits!
125 smart weapons, 85 "targets" and the B-1 went in and seemingly got out!
Turning Iraqi and Syrian sand into glass.....
The Air Force loves any excuse to use what's left of the B-1 fleet.
Those B-1's would never make it to their target in RUSSIA or CHINA.
Their modern advanced air-defense systems and missiles would blast them out of the sky.
Their pilots on suicide missions.
And of course, that goes doubly for the B-52 anachronisms.
Thank you, Bill, for saying what’s true.
There is only one branch of government in the US--the National Security State (NSS). The others are there just for show, to maintain the facade of democracy. What the NSS wants, the NSS gets.
When the NSS is challenged in any way, it will eliminate that challenge one way or another. When JFK said he was going to shatter the CIA into a thousand pieces, he was quickly disposed of. When Trump declared he wanted to establish friendly relations with Russia, he was subjected to the Russiagate hoax to put the kibosh on any such notion, and was later coerced into sending military aid to Ukraine to prove his fealty to the NSS. No matter who sits in the White House Congress or the Supreme Court, the NSS exercises absolute control and will take out anyone who stands in its way.
Hopefully Trump has figured it out Charlie.
And he will not let those assholes roll him in his 2nd term!
It's the only slim chance America has!
Any of the other the current candidates becoming the 47th POTUS will be the end of America.
TRUMP 2024
Perhaps it would be better for the end to come, since the system itself is rotten to the core and totally corrupt. All three leading candidates---Biden, Trump and RFK, Jr.---answer only to Israel. Biden prefers war against Russia, Trump prefers war against China. The only 2 candidates who speak out against war and endless militarism are West and Stein, and neither one has any chance of winning. Hence, whatever happens in November 2024, you can be sure that the rot and corruption will only get worse, barring a massive and sustained uprising by masses of people all across this country to get rid of the entire political class that rules this country for their own self-aggrandizement.
What would happen, Charlie, if a Critical Mass of American Citizens and Taxpayers ~ and the Children who they parent, teach, coach, and lead ~ who are fed up with The Bullshit got together, rose up, and demanded that The Bullshit stop? And then backed that demand with widespread, non-violent protest and civil disobedience
Will never happen Jeff - America is inevitably going to meet with the same fate as the Roman Empire. The only question remaining - how long will that be?
The key word is "if." Anything is theoretically possible, of course. Figuring out how to make it happen is another matter. And, sadly, no one has figured out how to make it happen in the USA. In the 21st century, there is no serious Left political organization in this country that threatens the status quo. Uprisings such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter come and go in a flash. Picketing and protesting and chanting are not a serious threat to the powers-that-be unless it is massive and sustained. The capitalist system ("The Bullshit") has shown itself to be remarkably resilient. If only blogging could change the world.
Yes, Charlie. Sadly, my words (and the words of so many others) aren't enough. Action is required--sacrifice--and guts.
But exactly What ACTION is required, Bill?
What did Occupy or BLM actually accomplish in the Real World?
How did and/or has Anything changed whatsoever since those folks had their time on the evening news and in the headlines?
Not sure what kind of action you are advocating, Bill. But there is an action we can all take that is totally legal, and we can take that action in November in every even numbered year. R. J. Cormier has the right idea in an earlier comment. Get rid of both parties. Simply vote them out of office - and don't say it's impossible. You only make it impossible by believing it's impossible.
Again: Vote them out of office and replace them with Who and/or What?
And replace them with who and what?
If the system of government and governance is the problem, changing the people running that government will not fix the problem.
The same folks that owned and operated, bought and sold, and commanded and controlled all those Incumbents You ant to get rid of, Ray, will soon own and operate, buy and sell, and command and control whoever takes those incumbents' places.
If the problem is the system of government and governance is the problem, changing the people who are running the government will not solve the problem.
And THE PROBLEM is that this government is organized and run so that Vested Special Interests can bid for access to the government's legal power, administrative authority, and, especially, its spending ability and capability to advance the agendas of those VSIs. And the highest bidder gets the loot, or the ruling, or the decision they were seeking.
Unless and until that changes, ain't nothin gonna change for this Nation, except to continue to get worse.
You're totally correct - the system itself is the problem. For example, some House and Senate committee memberships and chairmanships require paying a "tax" to the party's campaign organization for that body. The top committees require over $1 million contributions to be in charge. Corruption isn't a bug, it's a feature.
The problem is starring you in the face Jeff.
It's not the gubmint that is the problem!
But the too many asshole American people!
Too many lawyers and ex-military!
That will never change - not in your lifetime my friend.
Do You see the logic of the reasoning behind my diagnosis of exactly what The Problem is with the United States?
BRAVO on your last paragraph, Bill.
We are a very primitive and war-like species. War has evolved as a means to eliminate competitors. We just do it better now-- think of the Ape first discovering the bone can become a weapon in 2001 A Space Odyssey when after touching the monolith is thrown into the air then dissolves / becomes a spacecraft shuttlecraft & ultimately mans greatest achievement the "Discovery" & HAL 9000 computer..! We have evolved our Ape brain to the intelligence once reserved for the spheres of the Gods. A cold frightening thought! Magnificent if used for Peace and exploration, but self destructing if used for War...
In terms of existing in their natural habitat and doing no harm to the planet, apes are actually a lot smarter than we are.
"You maniacs! You blew it up! Goddamn you! Goddamn you all to hell!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWphqA1Slrw
Perhaps the most powerful ending to any post-apocalyptic movie that I've seen.
Whereas the ending to "On the Beach" was the whimper and not the bang.
Preceded by the bang.
And that's how the next one will end.
Unfortunately, it's all too likely you're right.
Another fine one - and one of the best of its era / genre.
Yes. It very convincingly conveyed the utter hopelessness of the aftermath of even a limited nuclear war.
I've often thought that it should be a part of everyone's education and social development..
The latest science is suggesting Denise that we folks in New Zealand will survive the aftermath of a nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere. Barely.
Literally a hunter-gathered existence.
Agreed. What a potent scene! Ironically, acted by armchair warrior (and weapon-lover) Charlton Heston, no less.
Yes.., Denise I debated using Ape or Chimpanzees our closest in relation to homo sapiens, and they are the most ruthless & violent ripping faces & quite literally the sex organs off their competitors..! Makes sense though stopping the future generations of their enemies quite immediately!!!
Yeah, but....any non-human animal is smarter than homo "sapiens" when it comes to existing in concert with nature and not wrecking the planet.
Study the Aussie Aboriginals Denise.
They existed in concert with nature and not wrecking the planet........
........for a gazillion years.
But the Aussies say they are lazy no-good assholes.
And treat them as such.
Go to the Custer Battlefield Museum in Garryowen, Montana Denise
Marvel at the old black and white photographs of 105-year-old Plains Indian Tribe Chiefs - in perfect health!
Then sadly drive through the nearby reservations where we white man caged them!
Certainly, early tribes lived in alignment with Nature. They didn't have the arrogance that told them they were above all the other animals. They didn't seek to control their environments on any large scale, which meant they didn't have adverse impacts on their surroundings.
So....it's only modern man, who has industrialized and developed and sought to control Nature, and who believes that, by divine decree, he's meant to dominate the planet, who wreaks destruction.
Study the Bible - nary a mention of the animals!
In fact, it was only a few years ago the Pope degreed that animals went to heaven!
The story is he came upon a little girl - distressed and crying over her dog's death.
He told her not to worry, her dog would be in heaven.
Changing centuries of Catholic dogma!!!!!
As Rod Serling put it: “Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil’s pawn. Alone among God’s primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother’s land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death.”
— The Lawgiver, (as spoken by Cornelius in Planet of the Apes)
Profound wisdom there!
Serling was indeed profound. I couldn’t help myself with that quote, one rarely finds an opportunity to work it into a conversation. 😎
As Orwell wrote in "Animal Farm," some are more equal than others. Three fatalities have brought three waves of attacks by the US and their British lackeys, with a promise of more to come. This sounds more like "softening up" than retaliation ... show of hands: Who remembers the USS Pueblo? The Gulf Wars? How about the USS Maine?
How about the Gulf of Tonkin? Or Pearl Harbor? Or what Cheney and Company called "the second Pearl Harbor," 9/11?
Any port in a storm, jg ...
Heh. Especially when and if it is a storm of Your own making so as to accomplish the next item on the Agenda.
Which ~ for the United States for the last 126 years since the USS Maine False Flag ~ is to figure out how get into and have another War.
The same people that believe the Government cares about them are the same people who believe the stripper loves them...!
How true! But at least the strippers put in an honest day's work.
I loved those go-go dancing strippers in the 70's, Bill
In Tacoma WA the dive was called "The Flitter Inn". Next to the Army and Airforce bases.
That tall one in the nude, just wearing her glasses, still appears in my dreams.
We'd stop at the "Golden Banana" on the Ma. N.H. Line every time we went Downhill Skiing Dennis, but us Firefighters aren't right in the head!!! :/ :o)
Gov't isn't for us Citizens anymore. No one goes into Politics anymore to give a damn, or change things. Just notoriety, ego trips, selfishness, and padding their bank accts. Never fulfill promises, but still get paid. Even Weathermen and Call Girls have a better Track Record..! My Monday Rant...As Bob Seger Sang "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then"
More from the “You Can’t Make This Shit Up” Department:
When a couple thousand people from this Congressman’s District ~ including their Children ~ are killed or maimed in a “terrorist attack” by some unknown, unnamed organization, it will be very difficult to have any sympathy for the people who voted this man into office and have kept him there…:
“PALESTINIAN BABIES AREN’T ALL THAT INNOCENT” ~ United States Congressman Brian Mast
A Republican representative believes that Palestinian babies are not innocent civilians but “terrorists” who should be killed.
Florida Representative Brian Mast made the horrifying comment when confronted by Code Pink protesters outside his office on Wednesday.
In a video, Mast can be seen calmly telling the demonstrators, “It would be better if you kill all the terrorists and kill everyone who are supporters.” [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjbZO8LCOf4 ]
When asked if he has seen the images of Palestinian babies killed in Israeli attacks, Mast says, “These are not innocent Palestinian civilians.”
“The babies?” the activists asks in astonishment.
Mast then says that the “half a million people starving to death” should have elected a pro-Israel government.
When one protester points out that much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, Mast says, “And there’s more infrastructure that needs to be destroyed.”
“Did you not hear me? There’s more that needs to be destroyed,” he says again for emphasis.
More than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed since October in Israel’s constant bombardment of Gaza. The majority of the victims have been women and children.
Mast’s horrific comments—and the chilling way in which he delivered them—should come as no surprise. In November, just a few weeks after the war began, Mast compared Palestinian civilians to Nazis and implied that they are all guilty for Hamas’s atrocities.
“I would encourage the other side to not so lightly throw around the idea of ‘innocent Palestinian civilians,’ as is frequently said,” he said on the House floor.
“I don’t think we would so lightly throw around the term ‘innocent Nazi civilians’ during World War II.”
Source: https://informationclearinghouse.blog/2024/02/02/palestinian-babies-arent-all-that-innocent/08/
The Deans of US Medical Schools and leading medical organizations, especially the American Medical Association (AMA), turned their backs on the Palestinians.
The AMA shut down a debate on a ceasefire resolution among its members and has called for “medical neutrality,” although it abandoned “medical neutrality” to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bravo Bill. for saying all this and more.! I find it increasingly difficult to comprehend how the citizens of the US stomach the murderous behavior of our president in every aspect of his murderous terror around the globe. And I find it beyond strange that people who were raised in a supposedly democratic country would find it impossible to even so much as TRY to vote for someone other than one of the two parties so obviously unfit to be in a leadership position. Neither party is qualified as is readily apparent to anyone who has been following events on this planet, yet almost NO ONE is willing to so much as chance a vote for a party that might provide an answer or two. Common sense along with even a minimum understanding of the democracy that governs us seems to be totally missing from the populace. Critical thinking has become extinct to a large extent in what used to be called America.
Ranney: The citizens of the US have stomached the murderous behavior of their Presidents and Congresses since the end of World War II in Korea and then Vietnam, and then since 9/11 in "The Forever War," and most recently, in Ukraine and Gaza.
Why is there any reason to believe that anything is going to change? And why is there any reason to believe that ~ without a Revolution ~ anything is capable of being changed, let alone going to change?
"All options are on the table" is a great slogan. It suggests toughness and comprehensive genius. And like all policy explanations for the masses it fits comfortably on a bumper sticker.
Bill and i had this exchange first thing this morning:
Me: You are starting to sound like You are beginning to get very weary [and wary] of all the Bullshit, Colonel.
The Question is: When will the American Peoples get weary and wary enough of the Bullshit to actually, really do something ~ anything ~ about it?
What will it take to get their attention?
Bill: Jeff, as you know, there are people protesting. There are people acting. (Medea Benjamin and Code Pink, for example.) There are candidates running who are against the MIC. Every movement starts small before it can grow.
Of course, the MICIMATT is a formidable foe, as is decades of pro-war propaganda. But protest isn't worthless. Your protest after 9/11 wasn't worthless.
You just never know when a spark will grow ...
Me: i agree completely, Bill.
And that was the essence of my Question: What will it take to make that spark ignite and then glow and then become a flame?
.......
i’m curious: Does anybody here at BV have any thoughts on what it would take to get that spark ignited, glowing, and then becoming a flame?