"maximizing our ability to enjoy the wonders that are all around us." Thanks for putting your name under one of my stories (the 'Like' button I mean). Boy, I sure do agree with many of the glowing sentences, such as the one I am quoting, just above. But isn't it all a sort of throwback to an earlier era? This whole "speech," the ideas of which are similar to my own, fits very neatly under (and evinces the same mood) as the Bogart clip. Which is great, I mean. Just that it sounds a little like history.
It's incredible how TDS is still running rampant. Seemingly normal, balanced, previously clear-thinking friends are no longer able to string a sentence together without mentioning Trump, fearing him, blaming him for everything that's gone wrong with this country for the last 20 some odd years.
The Democrats are experts at playing the Trump "fear card." I see it on the faces of friends, acquaintances and long-time activists. In 2016 I brought the wife of a good friend of mine, a Gold Star Mom, to tears when I mentioned I was voting for Jill Stein. (I attempted to explain to her that in Washington State we could vote our consciences, that the Democratic candidate would tally all of our delegates. Sending a message to the Duopoly is what mattered.)
They haven't had much to do with us since then, because obviously my crucial vote for Jill Stein, instead of the warmonger Hillary Clinton, led to four years of Trump.
Living in Washington State Bill, our friend Gene's vote is meaningless.
The Little Lady in Tennis Shoes, aka The Senator for Boeing, Patty Murray (D), has had that seat locked up since the dark ages. She is emulating Dianne Feinstein. LOL
Amen. Since Cornel West decided to dump poor people for woke messaging, I'm much, much, much more open to arguments about RFK, Jr.
And the person who turned me on to RFK Jr is one of the few American academics I trust: Aaron Good. He did an excellent episode, "The Leftist Case for RFK, Jr" which I'll link below.
Since Aaron is vehemently anti-establishment, I'm far more willing to trust his opinion that RFK Jr really is also anti-establishment. As if msm pretending he doesn't exist isn't enough.
Now that RFK Jr appears to be firmly breaking from the Democratic party, I will be paying much more attention to him.
You can find Aaron's podcast American Exception on any podcast player. Here's a link to the episode I mentioned earlier:
Didn't hear about Cornel West dumping poor people--it doesn't seem like him. Can you please provide specifics?
Will consider RFK Jr. His father was such an inspiration. If RFK Jr. has anything like his father's moral center, he is well worth supporting. We'll see. Thanks.
Watch his interview with Jimmy Dore and tell me if you still think Cornel West is trying to bust the establishment. I'm serious. That interview just crushed my hopes about Cornel. He sounded like a completely different person. You have to watch or listen to the audio of this interview. Once you do, I am 99% sure you will understand what I mean. Sure, he hasn't said, "I no longer am campaigning for poor people." But I believe that being woke and being pro-poor/pro-unity is mutually exclusive.
And btw, MANY people have counseled West to speak to all peoples. To not speak woke. He knows exactly what he's doing in this interview. It made me sick. Made me sick just remembering it now. This was such a massive, massive, massive disappointment.
Yes, I did watch this. I'm a Jimmy Dore fan, but I think here he was too critical of Cornel West.
I think Dore was right about the need to create the biggest possible tent for a 3rd-party run. But I think West made valid points about racism in America. Racism that certainly West has experienced in ways I can't fully imagine.
I don't think West is too "woke." I think he's too critical of Trump as a "fascist gangster" and insufficiently critical of Biden as a "milquetoast" Neo-liberal.
West needs to reject both Biden and Trump and tell us how he's far better than the both of them. I agree with Dore that West should focus on economic issues and what unites workers regardless of their race, gender, etc.
Jimmy is arguing for class-based politics. West wants to include so-called identity politics, including white supremacy. I think Dore's strategy is sounder. Unite people based on class.
But West is right that race matters too, as do other forms of oppression. It doesn't have to be either/or. Woke or workers.
It's an interesting debate. Jimmy is speaking as a child of the white working class; he's most concerned about running an effective campaign. West is speaking as a Black man who wants to run on cultural issues as well as class. Jimmy thinks West's strategy is a turnoff and maybe he's right.
Personally, I think West should focus on fairness and opportunity for all. Focus on the big tent. Don't be identified "only" as a radical Black activist because you can't win if you're easily dismissed as "woke."
West says he has to be "authentic" to himself, which may mean he simply can't win because his message is too diffuse.
I'm with you there, Bill. Fortunately each of us has a better chance of being killed by a falling asteroid than we do of deciding any given election so I say go for it.
I like MW and supported her at her site when she announced her candidacy. But it's so hard for her to gain traction in a party that's united in opposition to her.
Is there a politician running without a massive ego? It probably takes a massive ego to believe you should be president.
That's a good point about Ukraine. It seems that, to be taken seriously within the Democratic Party, you must be pro-Ukraine and pro-war. Which is why I'm not a Democrat.
I like MW when she talks about love, about social issues, about reparations, about a new politics. But you're right: on other issues she's a conventional Democrat. She hasn't found her voice.
"Stop playing the sap and start demanding real changes that help regular folk across America. What’s most profitable for America isn’t captured by maximizing shareholder dividends but by maximizing our ability to enjoy the wonders that are all around us."
Not going to change my friend Bill.
Time for you and your Bride to start thinking about emigrating to New Zealand my friend.
BTW, I voted for the righties in Godzone here yesterday!
Tired of the woke left destroying the great egalitarian New Zealand society.
I can't tell you how much your friendship and concern for my health means to me.
I am hanging in there courtesy of Big Pharma's wonder drugs. Oral chemo. And the magic of MRI's.
The Kiwi Oncologists say my blood test cell counts are showing encouraging signs of possible remission of my leukemia. At least not cutting short my life. But the side effects of those chemo drugs are discouragingly debilitating. I am very weak at 75-years old. Kiwi male life expectancy is 83. My Dad is still with us at 94!
I count myself very fortunate to be in the care of the great New Zealand free Healthcare Scheme with Doctors equal to any in the World.
As for the US 2024 Presidential election, I think I am pragmatic and realistic.
In short, from all my listening to the geo-political/economic gurus on the internet I believe that without this proxy war ending by peaceful negotiation, all the World's other problems cannot be mitigated. A "win" by UKRAINE/US/NATO/EU and regime change in Russia will be disastrous and is impossible anyways. Ukraine cannot win and for the West to keep propping it up is madness. The US's domestic problems are not as important to me now. Except for my two daughters and my grandkids in WI and NY. As Trump said to Megyan Kelly, "I just want the killing to stop". And that for me means quitting provoking China/Taiwan as well. It's none of the US's business. (I have been lately listening a lot to Ron Paul's Liberty Report. Ron and Rand think like me.)
I think we agree that the US has one uniparty. Two cheeks of the same arse! Of all the candidate's running for the 47th POTUS I want the one to prevail to be the one with the best chance of ending the Ukraine "War" and changing US hegemonic Foreign Policy. Democrat, Republican or Libertarian. I don't care. I no longer have a dog in this fight! LOL
And I believe the untrustworthy, self-centred, egotistical, megalomaniac, nihilist guy has the best chance of doing that. And that a third-party approach is doomed.
I think Trump has a slim chance of countering the Deep State and improving the uniparty in his second shot at it. I can't see any other candidate who does. Maybe RFK Jr could, but I believe the DNC will not let him run, and history shows running as an Independant is the kiss of death.
Maybe too simplistic, but as a New Zealand resident now, that's all the thinking I am prepared to expend. I desperately need to stop letting this one thing, that I have no control over, live in my head. There are other things more important to me at this stage of my life.
I totally agree with the program you spelled out. We had something like that once under Roosevelt, and JFK was trying to get it back, but they killed him before he could get anywhere. We don't have anyone trying to do it now with the exception of a democratic few oldtimers in the Senate. We don't have people running for office with your agenda. Would you consider it? Do you know anyone who thinks as you do, who would consider it? We need people to run who aren't narcissists and/or greedy for power and money. People like you who are articulate, knowledgeable, competent with obvious leadership abilities aren't running for any office - they have better things to do unfortunately.
I wonder how we can change that? Our media isn't any help along those lines; anyone who is publicly known and expresses so much as a vague opinion about being open minded on a subject, gets slaughtered by our MSM as just happened to Gwyneth Paltrow - being open minded is not a quality our MSM thinks is a good thing. So now I wonder how we can change THAT!
I understand that, Bill, so I wasn't expecting you to run for the Senate or anything and you are indeed doing something useful as a writer and advocate. But I was hoping you or someone might have a suggestion about how to encourage knowledgeable, competent people who aren't nuts and who actually do have the guts to try to accomplish some of the things you named in your essay and not get bought off. And once again, I do want to remind us all that our MSM needs to somehow be brought into the solution since they are terrifying in their glee at ripping people apart. I used the recent example of actress Gwyneth Paltrow who was asked what she thought of RFKJr and she said she had "an open mind" about his candidacy along with the other Democrats, and the MSM (following the DNC lead I presume) instantly went insane for a few hours and then that wore off (I hope) . How to we tame the DNC and all these other mega organizations funded by billionires like Bill Gates, the Koch brothers, George Soros and others? Because they are the ones that ultimately control who runs.
"the 1st step is campaign finance reform so that people who run don't have to prostitute themselves for money."
I'd prefer changing the intent of 'campaign finance reform' from "don't have to", to CAN'T. (and free the MSM "presstitutes" to engage in real journalism)
Excellent viewpoint. There are a couple of major roadblock. The sovereignty of our money supply and the sovereignty of our citizenship. We, as citizens, don’t have control of our money supply—it’s in private hands. Unless and until that changes, we won’t be able to prioritize along the lines you wisely suggest. And our citizenship is under dire threat. Unless and until people go to jail (CDC, FDA, DoD, NIH, & others), there will be no change and we will be “rolled” by this time next year (before the election).
Your best hope politically is to support Donald Trump.
There, fixed it for you Guest.
If this Ukraine "war" is not stopped Donald Trump is going to win in a landslide.
A shoo-in.
Gavin Newsom.........pffft...... nobody will be voting for drug needles and human excrement on all American city streets. Or a man who chooses appointees based on their gender and the color of their skin! Revolting to all Americans
Cornel West - a goofy Professor - not a chance in hell. He puts people to sleep.
RFKjr. - On August 28 2017, the court recognized that the DNC treated voters unfairly, but ruled that the DNC is a private corporation; therefore, voters cannot protect their rights by turning to the courts. There are few Americans who will say they do not want a fair election process that holds elected officials accountable to all voters. Now more than ever, voters are calling for it. But that can't exist when private corporations define and manipulate the rules at will, and are allowed to do so because they control the entire process. Elections should belong to voters, not parties. But don't - and the DNC will not allow RFKJr to be the 2024 (D) Presidential candidate
"maximizing our ability to enjoy the wonders that are all around us." Thanks for putting your name under one of my stories (the 'Like' button I mean). Boy, I sure do agree with many of the glowing sentences, such as the one I am quoting, just above. But isn't it all a sort of throwback to an earlier era? This whole "speech," the ideas of which are similar to my own, fits very neatly under (and evinces the same mood) as the Bogart clip. Which is great, I mean. Just that it sounds a little like history.
But...but...but whaddabout Trump?!!
Exactly. I won't play the sap for Trump, or Biden, or any other phony.
It's incredible how TDS is still running rampant. Seemingly normal, balanced, previously clear-thinking friends are no longer able to string a sentence together without mentioning Trump, fearing him, blaming him for everything that's gone wrong with this country for the last 20 some odd years.
It's all Biden/Harris have: Vote for us because Trump. That's their message.
The Democrats are experts at playing the Trump "fear card." I see it on the faces of friends, acquaintances and long-time activists. In 2016 I brought the wife of a good friend of mine, a Gold Star Mom, to tears when I mentioned I was voting for Jill Stein. (I attempted to explain to her that in Washington State we could vote our consciences, that the Democratic candidate would tally all of our delegates. Sending a message to the Duopoly is what mattered.)
They haven't had much to do with us since then, because obviously my crucial vote for Jill Stein, instead of the warmonger Hillary Clinton, led to four years of Trump.
You're obviously a Marxist. (Sorry; couldn't resist.)
Living in Washington State Bill, our friend Gene's vote is meaningless.
The Little Lady in Tennis Shoes, aka The Senator for Boeing, Patty Murray (D), has had that seat locked up since the dark ages. She is emulating Dianne Feinstein. LOL
TRUMP 2024
Amen. Since Cornel West decided to dump poor people for woke messaging, I'm much, much, much more open to arguments about RFK, Jr.
And the person who turned me on to RFK Jr is one of the few American academics I trust: Aaron Good. He did an excellent episode, "The Leftist Case for RFK, Jr" which I'll link below.
Since Aaron is vehemently anti-establishment, I'm far more willing to trust his opinion that RFK Jr really is also anti-establishment. As if msm pretending he doesn't exist isn't enough.
Now that RFK Jr appears to be firmly breaking from the Democratic party, I will be paying much more attention to him.
You can find Aaron's podcast American Exception on any podcast player. Here's a link to the episode I mentioned earlier:
https://amp.listennotes.com/podcasts/american-exception/episode-147the-leftist-case-c8rkgZJD9KU/amp/
Didn't hear about Cornel West dumping poor people--it doesn't seem like him. Can you please provide specifics?
Will consider RFK Jr. His father was such an inspiration. If RFK Jr. has anything like his father's moral center, he is well worth supporting. We'll see. Thanks.
Watch his interview with Jimmy Dore and tell me if you still think Cornel West is trying to bust the establishment. I'm serious. That interview just crushed my hopes about Cornel. He sounded like a completely different person. You have to watch or listen to the audio of this interview. Once you do, I am 99% sure you will understand what I mean. Sure, he hasn't said, "I no longer am campaigning for poor people." But I believe that being woke and being pro-poor/pro-unity is mutually exclusive.
And btw, MANY people have counseled West to speak to all peoples. To not speak woke. He knows exactly what he's doing in this interview. It made me sick. Made me sick just remembering it now. This was such a massive, massive, massive disappointment.
https://youtu.be/YeTe9Z7Zkjk?si=oU-TSVpWFWKJGB7W
Yes, I did watch this. I'm a Jimmy Dore fan, but I think here he was too critical of Cornel West.
I think Dore was right about the need to create the biggest possible tent for a 3rd-party run. But I think West made valid points about racism in America. Racism that certainly West has experienced in ways I can't fully imagine.
I don't think West is too "woke." I think he's too critical of Trump as a "fascist gangster" and insufficiently critical of Biden as a "milquetoast" Neo-liberal.
West needs to reject both Biden and Trump and tell us how he's far better than the both of them. I agree with Dore that West should focus on economic issues and what unites workers regardless of their race, gender, etc.
Jimmy is arguing for class-based politics. West wants to include so-called identity politics, including white supremacy. I think Dore's strategy is sounder. Unite people based on class.
But West is right that race matters too, as do other forms of oppression. It doesn't have to be either/or. Woke or workers.
It's an interesting debate. Jimmy is speaking as a child of the white working class; he's most concerned about running an effective campaign. West is speaking as a Black man who wants to run on cultural issues as well as class. Jimmy thinks West's strategy is a turnoff and maybe he's right.
Personally, I think West should focus on fairness and opportunity for all. Focus on the big tent. Don't be identified "only" as a radical Black activist because you can't win if you're easily dismissed as "woke."
West says he has to be "authentic" to himself, which may mean he simply can't win because his message is too diffuse.
The Professor just announce he is dumping the Greens. Right?
Does he think that running for a 3rd Party means running for 3-parties?
He is a sad joke -Jimmy Dore has it right - he is wasting the lefts time.
Dennis, there's a military saying that comes to mind: Order, Counter-Order, Disorder.
I think West's campaign is now "disorder." I'm certainly open to RFK Jr., assuming his campaign staff is competent.
True. I don't know what he's doing. Maybe he doesn't either.
I'm with you there, Bill. Fortunately each of us has a better chance of being killed by a falling asteroid than we do of deciding any given election so I say go for it.
You may dismiss him as an "antivaxxer" (not true) but he does tick your boxes...
https://thekennedybeacon.substack.com/p/kennedys-independent-thoughts-are
West is the best
At what Dennis?
So you’re supporting Marianne Williamson?
I like MW and supported her at her site when she announced her candidacy. But it's so hard for her to gain traction in a party that's united in opposition to her.
Sad to read this. You do know she supports the Ukraine debacle?
Additionally. I find her massive ego to be terrifying.
Is there a politician running without a massive ego? It probably takes a massive ego to believe you should be president.
That's a good point about Ukraine. It seems that, to be taken seriously within the Democratic Party, you must be pro-Ukraine and pro-war. Which is why I'm not a Democrat.
I like MW when she talks about love, about social issues, about reparations, about a new politics. But you're right: on other issues she's a conventional Democrat. She hasn't found her voice.
Agree. My hope is she’s able to push Democratic Party to better domestic policies.
can't vote Biden
Can't vote Trump
hope things change or I sit this one out or vote 3rd party.
cheers
"Stop playing the sap and start demanding real changes that help regular folk across America. What’s most profitable for America isn’t captured by maximizing shareholder dividends but by maximizing our ability to enjoy the wonders that are all around us."
Not going to change my friend Bill.
Time for you and your Bride to start thinking about emigrating to New Zealand my friend.
BTW, I voted for the righties in Godzone here yesterday!
Tired of the woke left destroying the great egalitarian New Zealand society.
Evening Ray my friend,
I can't tell you how much your friendship and concern for my health means to me.
I am hanging in there courtesy of Big Pharma's wonder drugs. Oral chemo. And the magic of MRI's.
The Kiwi Oncologists say my blood test cell counts are showing encouraging signs of possible remission of my leukemia. At least not cutting short my life. But the side effects of those chemo drugs are discouragingly debilitating. I am very weak at 75-years old. Kiwi male life expectancy is 83. My Dad is still with us at 94!
I count myself very fortunate to be in the care of the great New Zealand free Healthcare Scheme with Doctors equal to any in the World.
As for the US 2024 Presidential election, I think I am pragmatic and realistic.
In short, from all my listening to the geo-political/economic gurus on the internet I believe that without this proxy war ending by peaceful negotiation, all the World's other problems cannot be mitigated. A "win" by UKRAINE/US/NATO/EU and regime change in Russia will be disastrous and is impossible anyways. Ukraine cannot win and for the West to keep propping it up is madness. The US's domestic problems are not as important to me now. Except for my two daughters and my grandkids in WI and NY. As Trump said to Megyan Kelly, "I just want the killing to stop". And that for me means quitting provoking China/Taiwan as well. It's none of the US's business. (I have been lately listening a lot to Ron Paul's Liberty Report. Ron and Rand think like me.)
I think we agree that the US has one uniparty. Two cheeks of the same arse! Of all the candidate's running for the 47th POTUS I want the one to prevail to be the one with the best chance of ending the Ukraine "War" and changing US hegemonic Foreign Policy. Democrat, Republican or Libertarian. I don't care. I no longer have a dog in this fight! LOL
And I believe the untrustworthy, self-centred, egotistical, megalomaniac, nihilist guy has the best chance of doing that. And that a third-party approach is doomed.
I think Trump has a slim chance of countering the Deep State and improving the uniparty in his second shot at it. I can't see any other candidate who does. Maybe RFK Jr could, but I believe the DNC will not let him run, and history shows running as an Independant is the kiss of death.
Maybe too simplistic, but as a New Zealand resident now, that's all the thinking I am prepared to expend. I desperately need to stop letting this one thing, that I have no control over, live in my head. There are other things more important to me at this stage of my life.
I hope you are well my friend. Take care.
BRAVO, Bill! Especially well said! The LOTE doctrine is getting us nowhere.
I totally agree with the program you spelled out. We had something like that once under Roosevelt, and JFK was trying to get it back, but they killed him before he could get anywhere. We don't have anyone trying to do it now with the exception of a democratic few oldtimers in the Senate. We don't have people running for office with your agenda. Would you consider it? Do you know anyone who thinks as you do, who would consider it? We need people to run who aren't narcissists and/or greedy for power and money. People like you who are articulate, knowledgeable, competent with obvious leadership abilities aren't running for any office - they have better things to do unfortunately.
I wonder how we can change that? Our media isn't any help along those lines; anyone who is publicly known and expresses so much as a vague opinion about being open minded on a subject, gets slaughtered by our MSM as just happened to Gwyneth Paltrow - being open minded is not a quality our MSM thinks is a good thing. So now I wonder how we can change THAT!
I'm not a politician; it's just not me.
I hope I'm doing something useful as a writer, blogger, and advocate for what I think is sanity.
I understand that, Bill, so I wasn't expecting you to run for the Senate or anything and you are indeed doing something useful as a writer and advocate. But I was hoping you or someone might have a suggestion about how to encourage knowledgeable, competent people who aren't nuts and who actually do have the guts to try to accomplish some of the things you named in your essay and not get bought off. And once again, I do want to remind us all that our MSM needs to somehow be brought into the solution since they are terrifying in their glee at ripping people apart. I used the recent example of actress Gwyneth Paltrow who was asked what she thought of RFKJr and she said she had "an open mind" about his candidacy along with the other Democrats, and the MSM (following the DNC lead I presume) instantly went insane for a few hours and then that wore off (I hope) . How to we tame the DNC and all these other mega organizations funded by billionires like Bill Gates, the Koch brothers, George Soros and others? Because they are the ones that ultimately control who runs.
I think the 1st step is campaign finance reform so that people who run don't have to prostitute themselves for money.
But few in Congress and none in SCOTUS seem concerned about the moneyed interests and their capture of American politics.
The interesting "alliance" between Matt Gaetz and Ro Khanna may point a new path forward. We'll see.
"the 1st step is campaign finance reform so that people who run don't have to prostitute themselves for money."
I'd prefer changing the intent of 'campaign finance reform' from "don't have to", to CAN'T. (and free the MSM "presstitutes" to engage in real journalism)
Good point! Though I'm sure they'd argue "money is speech" and "How dare you infringe upon speech, i.e. my greed."
Excellent viewpoint. There are a couple of major roadblock. The sovereignty of our money supply and the sovereignty of our citizenship. We, as citizens, don’t have control of our money supply—it’s in private hands. Unless and until that changes, we won’t be able to prioritize along the lines you wisely suggest. And our citizenship is under dire threat. Unless and until people go to jail (CDC, FDA, DoD, NIH, & others), there will be no change and we will be “rolled” by this time next year (before the election).
Our best hope politically is to support RFK, Jr..
Your best hope politically is to support Donald Trump.
There, fixed it for you Guest.
If this Ukraine "war" is not stopped Donald Trump is going to win in a landslide.
A shoo-in.
Gavin Newsom.........pffft...... nobody will be voting for drug needles and human excrement on all American city streets. Or a man who chooses appointees based on their gender and the color of their skin! Revolting to all Americans
Cornel West - a goofy Professor - not a chance in hell. He puts people to sleep.
RFKjr. - On August 28 2017, the court recognized that the DNC treated voters unfairly, but ruled that the DNC is a private corporation; therefore, voters cannot protect their rights by turning to the courts. There are few Americans who will say they do not want a fair election process that holds elected officials accountable to all voters. Now more than ever, voters are calling for it. But that can't exist when private corporations define and manipulate the rules at will, and are allowed to do so because they control the entire process. Elections should belong to voters, not parties. But don't - and the DNC will not allow RFKJr to be the 2024 (D) Presidential candidate
https://ivn.us/posts/dnc-to-court-we-are-a-private-corporation-with-no-obligation-to-follow-our-rules
Running as a 3rd Party candidate - historically the kiss of death!
Marianne Williamson - not a chance. <5% of the vote.
Hillary Clinton - sadly, a good chance of that I say! (She's already starting Russiagate AGAIN I see -oh dear!)
The Donkeys after Biden are pissing in the wind my friend.
And Orange Man is up >50% in the polls against all the other (R) deplorables.
This dumb amateur political analyst thinks a Trump/RFKJr ticket would be unbeatable!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDrFDFAOWoQ
Amen!