Thank you for your sane comments. Your columns and most of your readers who leave comments are my support. Most of the people I know personally appear to me to be brainwashed.
Biden goads Putin so Trump will have to respond. 4 year olds on a playground with nuclear weapons. George Carlin said humans are just an evolutionary cul-de-sac. I’m sure he’s right.
Biden's advisors made the decision, as he is obviously incompetent. I can't help but think that they are petty people who love that they can make things worse for the Trump administration. Ally said something similar. These people are so out of touch with reality, that their lives have been reduced to viewing their actions as some part of a game, not even considering all the people whose lives they destroy.
Biden's "advisers" ~ ie, instructors and script writers ~ are the same as Trump 2.0's will be, and Trump 1.0's were. Just like Obama's, Cheney/Bush II's, Clinton's, and so forth.
We are seeing the very human characteristic of thinking that because something hasn't happened, it can't happen.
This occurs to me when I look at the Chicago skyline, a beautiful sight with the variety of skyscrapers, Trump Tower no exception. Then I think of ancient Rome where at one time an impressive view could be had by anyone. Then, after a few hundred years, the place was abandoned and grazing of animals was taking place at the very center of empire amid the debris of fallen columns.
This time is different? Possibly so in that grazing will not be possible on radioactive soil.
Mother Earth doesn't have ~ or Need ~ Hundreds of Thousands of Years to reawaken, Fireman1110.
She is already doing that now.
Read the Global Weather Historical Report, and about the current and recent status of Mega-Hurricanes/Typhoons, Droughts and WildFires, and other Weather-related Disasters for Humans and Other Living Beings within Gaia's Biosphere,
For, example: That this year's record for Average Global Temperature broke The Record; which was set last year; which broke the Record set the year before that,
IE: Three Years Running of getting warmer, Warmer, and WARMER.
That's right, and one must remember that man separated from a common ancestor with the chimps 6 million years ago. Compare that to the age of the earth, around 3.5 billion years, and we have been around a total of 1/5th of 1% of the age of our planet, really a flash in the pan.
When one thinks of how much we have taken from the planet in our brief time, then the percentages are astounding...of coal, of petroleum, of copper, diamonds and on and on. It is no exaggeration to say we have plundered the planet and more so with time right up to the present.
I once heard the analogy of how long man has been here on Earth in chronological time expressed as if all History was compressed into one hour our Arrival on the scene would be less than one second ago!!!
Long ago on a vacation going through a western state we stopped at a National Park Service site. On the wall they had the history of Earth represented as a time line. You would walk along the walls of rooms following the timeline and then in the last room on the final wall there was about 2 inches representing the time homo sapiens has been around. I was impressed!
There is another reading of that obscene announcement. This morning, Jeff Childers' Coffee and Covid Substack had this to say about the decision to permit U.S. missiles to be fired into Russia: "As a critical news consumer, always inventory the sources for any news claims. The bigger the claim, the more sources you usually want. This particular article coughed up seven full pages of information without even once saying where the information came from. Fail.
Even if it actually came from an inside source, no responsible journalist would agree to stenograph all this information without some kind of external confirmation. Otherwise, what makes these reporters any different from being secretaries?
In other words, since the three reporters —apparently, nobody wanted the full credit (or blame)— all soiled their midwit reputations to deliver a steaming pile of non-journalism, it seems most likely this article was a deep-state press release. So, based on evidence from the article, the deep state stirred the Proxy War pot this weekend by releasing this “news” through its pet media outlet, the New York Times.
We simply cannot know why they did it. There may be some great, secret reason. Since they aren’t saying, we can speculate. My best guess is they are trying to poison the peace well by making the Russians madder than wet Siberian huskies, in a snowstorm, even if doing so risks full-on nuclear war.
But it’s late in the game, and these kinds of maneuvers are unpredictable. They can just as easily create new possibilities as bollux things up. I note that President Trump himself posted nothing responding to the now widely-reported Times exclusive, which is a solid negotiating tactic."
I think it's a worthwhile exercise to consider all the perspectives. In the end, I know our legacy media lies and the Deep State is one of its closest allies.
A couple of things: read a handful of the news accounts of the announcement. You'll find some language that should tip you off. The BBC story uses the word "reportedly." the AP says "it isn't clear yet" in one of its sentences, and there are no named sources, only the usual b.s. of an "unnamed official" and "three people who are familiar with the matter." So THIS is how WW3 is announced? I doubt it. I agree with Childers whom I quoted above. We have to be critical readers and one of the strategies I use is to remember that the most important part of any news article is either the penultimate or the last paragraph and that's where you can learn what's actually going on. I have no idea whether Biden said or didn't say the Ukrainians can use these weapons or what restrictions may have been put on them and by the way, restrictions have been put on every other weapon we've sent to Ukraine. So for example, at the very end of the NBC news online article, we read that "both the Defense Department and the White House both declined to comment." Every article I found contains these vague words and phrases which don't pass the smell test, much less start WW3. The whole point of the New York Times story appears to be to make life more difficult for Trump more than anything else. And certainly that's what the Deep State would like to do, especially knowing that Trump plans to end that war.
If the Kremlin specifically denied that Putin spoke to Trump, then I would take that to the bank. Outright denials can usually be taken at face value. Putin would have no reason to lie about it. Neither does Trump. And if Tehran says Musk never spoke with Iran's UN Ambassador, I would think that is also the truth. First rule: never trust anything you see in the legacy news. It's never a matter of believing; instead, it's a matter of being a critical reader, knowing what words to look for, and who the sources are. Btw, the only person whose name was attached to the missile story was an obscure Ohio congressman who thought the missile idea is great. I'm sure by lending his name to the story, he earned himself a nice campaign donation for his next run that will come in from some equally obscure PAC or bundler.
Lots to chew on, react, and respond to there, Mary Ann. Thankee [hence the "Like"]. Will get back to You in a bit after i put away my laundry, and groceries, and make some dinner.
But a quik QQ for You, if i may: If Your "first rule" is to " never trust anything you see in the legacy news," which specific News Sources DO You trust? And Why? Got any specifics?
You apparently trust the Russian and Iranian News Media ~ wholly owned, operated, and controlled by the Russian and Iranian Governments, respectively ~ as "trustworthy" reporters of The "REAL" News. At least when it comes to Trump's chats [or Non-chats] with Putin and the Iranian Ambassador to the UN.
The fact that I think it's true that the Russians and Iranians have not spoken with Trump has nothing to do with trusting their news media. I don't follow their news media and know nothing about it. What I DO trust is when any high ranking public official on the world stage absolutely denies something being said about them by others. Highly placed public officials can't afford to be caught in a lie of that magnitude. Further, Trump has also not had anything to say about talking with either man. I think that settles the matter. What would tip me off that they might have something to hide is when an official refuses to comment. That's always instructive.
Over the years I have taught myself how to spot obfuscation, falsehood, mischief-making, and lies in the media after first reading Noam Chomsky's and Ed Hermann's book, "Manufacturing Consent." Mark Crispin Miller's lectures on how the media works are also helpful. I am aware that that the media I listen to and read also can have agendas and have bias (there is always bias, the skill is in learning how to detect it) so I'm not worried about bias when I find it. I expect to find bias and find it interesting. I listen to podcasts like Rogan, DarkHorse, Devory Darkins, Mark Halpern, Meghan Kelly (who is a bit too emotional for my taste, but still....., and others. I am a retired history professor which in and of itself is meaningless, except for one skill I was taught as a graduate student: how to read critically. Historians read primary sources and have to learn that while bias is everywhere in everything, it is not something that should shatter our world view. Accept it and consider it as just how people are. And reading and listening to a whole bunch of sources, I can triangulate.
Notice something about the missile story from yesterday; it seems to have been removed from the news cycle! The Mika and Joe story has received more coverage than the coming of WW3, as has the Whoopi Goldberg cupcake saga! That's a huge clue. WW3 eclipsed by cupcakes and Joe Scarborough's pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago?
Biden is lost both mentally and morally, and cares only that he will prove himself still strong and able. And the world may not survive because of him.
Alas, the moral depravity runs so deep in Washington, Brussels and London that moving the old, befuddled man out does little to change anything for the better. What a mess....
Does the moral depravity lie any deeper there ~ in Washington, Brussels, and London ~ than it does in Moscow, Beijing, Tel Aviv, or Kyiv? Or anyplace else there is Political ~ and thus Economic ~ Power?
I don’t believe that Biden made the decision. This decision must have emanated from his handlers. If my information is correct Putin won’t have to respond with nuclear weapons. He has at his disposal missiles that the West cannot match in speed and therefore intercept. They can be armed with devastating regular „super“ bombs that will devastate western capitals and military installations anywhere across the globe. Your wife’s comments are very astute.
The Risk of Nuclear Winter just went up tenfold. Maybe this is their idea of "Cooling" Global Warming!!! Well we'll have dramatically cooling of surface temps. Winter like temps. year round! Carl Sagan must be rolling in his grave! All his enthusiastic efforts when he was at the height of his popularity in the 80's. were in vain! Time to reset the Doomsday Clock to 3 sec. till midnite. We take so much for granted maybe when this irreplaceable planet we call home is reduced to a burnt out cinder we'll get it.
Yes, Bill, you're absolutely right. But the people you're talking about are not rational, they're not even remotely sane. You're appealing to common sense from people who have none. You're asking for common decency from people who have none. They are spiteful, hateful, power-drunk ideologues, as rabid as the Nazis were, as merciless and lethal as a lynch mob, as cruel and barbaric as ISIS and Pol Pot and a host of other homicidal maniacs. "What's the point?" you ask. You answered that yourself: "They may kill and wound more Russians . . ." What? You need a better reason than that for starting WWIII and risking nuclear annihilation? Like the Talking Heads once demanded: STOP MAKING SENSE!
Hmm. Does not this stance put Mr. Waltz in instant conflict with Boss Tweed...oops, I mean Trump? We are asked to believe by MSM that Trump and Putin have been in a "bromance" for some time now, so why would Trump tolerate this appointee advocating for escalation against Russia? The Donald boasted he could end the Ukraine conflict even before he takes the oath on January 20. I'd love to see him keep THAT "promise"! Meanwhile, CNN website today suggests Trump appointee to head the Federal Communications Commission penned part of Project 2025--you know, that rightwing extremist thing Donny knows nothing about?--concerning use of electronic transmission of "information." Trump boasted he will have the power to shut down media outlets he dislikes and punish their personnel, to say nothing of politicians and public figures--watch out, Tom Hanks!--who don't bow to him. Any such action would be so blatantly anti-American (there, I said it), so unconstitutional, that any sane person would withhold such opinions in the public arena. Unfortunately, as I have been saying since 2015, Mr. Trump is severely mentally DERANGED. So anything goes from this point on, and we are up against the (alleged) old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times!" If you believe we in this country should still have freedom of speech, it is time to stiffen your spine!
I need to research which Founding Father said "A nation gets the government it deserves." The US Empire has entered its final decline and fall. And it's about damned time!!
Whoa! Apparently "A nation gets [alternatively 'has'] the government it deserves" came from French conservative Joseph de Maistre, 1753-1821. So he was contemporary with the American War of Independence and formal founding of the United States, and I imagine his thinking did rub off on some of the Founders here.
Thank You, Gregory, for that fact about de Mastre's declaration and declamation; saved me from posting it.
In any event: Bearing ever in mind Papa Joe Stalin's timeless admonition that "It's not who votes that counts, but who counts the votes"; here's how FF T Jefferson put it:
“The government you elect is the government you deserve.”
Given the fact that the Government that Americans elect is what America's Ruling Political Caste elements of The Deep State wants and needs to be elected; and
Given that the American Peoples continue to put with, accept, and just do their best to get and go along ~ and thus live ~ with all the Bullshit...
Given all that, it sounds like both de Maistre and Jefferson nailed it, wouldn't You agree.
So the Question then becomes: SO WHAT about that Fact Of Life in 21st century America? And NOW WHAT?
Can all ~ or even Any ~ of that be changed? And if so, by WHOM? And HOW?
Ah, so Jefferson put a little different spin on de Maistre. Having spent time in Paris, perhaps TJ even exchanged some thoughts with the guy. I have come up with another way to characterize what happened on Nov. 5: "A weak-minded people craves a 'strongman' to tell them what to think--though they prefer to avoid that painful activity--and do." How does "a Great Nation" produce scores of millions of alleged adults who swallow the most absurd "conspiracy theories"? Americans (yes, I'm generalizing) tend to be allergic to critical, independent thinking. And the whole planet is paying the price. Solution? The ultimate collapse of the Ecosphere will end this and all other human inanity. Sorry, I don't have a cheerful projection of our future. "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." --T.S. Eliot
My six word analysis of Election 2024: "The triumph of HATE over reason." CNN said exit polling about what issues motivated voters' choices showed concerns about the economy deemed twice as important to folks as immigration. I don't buy that!! Yes, consumer prices, especially for food, rose on Biden/Harris watch in very painful fashion. [Just watch produce prices if Trump can live out his dream of deporting all those who do the backbreaking, under-compensated work of harvesting our food!! Or will he grant them temporary residency status?] But Trump made immigration his Topic #1 from that initial campaign speech in 2015 when he implied all Mexicans are "rapists, murderers, drug carriers." (That first category of Bad Guy is just slightly ironic--intentional absurd understatement on my part!--coming from Sexual Predator DJT, but his type doesn't even understand what irony is.) A large Trump sign in my neck of the woods read "STOP THE INVASION! SEAL THE BORDER!" Also, please don't read this as suggesting that the Democrats have REASON on THEIR side. But the GOP played people's fears of THE OTHER like a Stradivarius, to use an old saying. Racism and xenophobia, I contend, energized the Trump base--Haitians are eating pets in Ohio!!--and once again GOP voters had the energy and enthusiasm on their side of the scales.
My feel for "the state of the people" is that after decades of watching the Very Rich evolve into the Obscenely Rich while Ordinary Joe and Jane sprint frantically on the treadmill, going nowhere, there is a feeling that SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM. But Joe and Jane are steered away from pointing the finger of blame at runaway Capitalism and encouraged to blame all our woes on THE OTHER, be they undocumented migrants, people of color, people with "aberrant" sexual orientation, the list goes on and on. Oh, and Jews! Yeah, they must be at the bottom of this mess! Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany quite legally in 1933. And behold in what direction that nation then went. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." --G. Santayana
Thank you for your sane comments. Your columns and most of your readers who leave comments are my support. Most of the people I know personally appear to me to be brainwashed.
Most of the people that we "know," Doctor Londe. ARE brainwashed.
It comes with that portable 1984-esque "Telescreen" we all carry in our hip pocket pockets and purses.
Biden goads Putin so Trump will have to respond. 4 year olds on a playground with nuclear weapons. George Carlin said humans are just an evolutionary cul-de-sac. I’m sure he’s right.
And Trump will respond exactly as he is instructed and scripted to respond.
Biden's advisors made the decision, as he is obviously incompetent. I can't help but think that they are petty people who love that they can make things worse for the Trump administration. Ally said something similar. These people are so out of touch with reality, that their lives have been reduced to viewing their actions as some part of a game, not even considering all the people whose lives they destroy.
Biden's "advisers" ~ ie, instructors and script writers ~ are the same as Trump 2.0's will be, and Trump 1.0's were. Just like Obama's, Cheney/Bush II's, Clinton's, and so forth.
The substance (or non-substance) of the duopoly is the same. The end goal is making money.
We are seeing the very human characteristic of thinking that because something hasn't happened, it can't happen.
This occurs to me when I look at the Chicago skyline, a beautiful sight with the variety of skyscrapers, Trump Tower no exception. Then I think of ancient Rome where at one time an impressive view could be had by anyone. Then, after a few hundred years, the place was abandoned and grazing of animals was taking place at the very center of empire amid the debris of fallen columns.
This time is different? Possibly so in that grazing will not be possible on radioactive soil.
Eventually Mother Earth will reawaken, but it will take time-- hundreds of thousands of years..!
Mother Earth doesn't have ~ or Need ~ Hundreds of Thousands of Years to reawaken, Fireman1110.
She is already doing that now.
Read the Global Weather Historical Report, and about the current and recent status of Mega-Hurricanes/Typhoons, Droughts and WildFires, and other Weather-related Disasters for Humans and Other Living Beings within Gaia's Biosphere,
For, example: That this year's record for Average Global Temperature broke The Record; which was set last year; which broke the Record set the year before that,
IE: Three Years Running of getting warmer, Warmer, and WARMER.
That's right, and one must remember that man separated from a common ancestor with the chimps 6 million years ago. Compare that to the age of the earth, around 3.5 billion years, and we have been around a total of 1/5th of 1% of the age of our planet, really a flash in the pan.
When one thinks of how much we have taken from the planet in our brief time, then the percentages are astounding...of coal, of petroleum, of copper, diamonds and on and on. It is no exaggeration to say we have plundered the planet and more so with time right up to the present.
I once heard the analogy of how long man has been here on Earth in chronological time expressed as if all History was compressed into one hour our Arrival on the scene would be less than one second ago!!!
Clif: also Earth is estimated to be not your estimate, but 4.54 Billion years old...!
Oops!
Long ago on a vacation going through a western state we stopped at a National Park Service site. On the wall they had the history of Earth represented as a time line. You would walk along the walls of rooms following the timeline and then in the last room on the final wall there was about 2 inches representing the time homo sapiens has been around. I was impressed!
There is another reading of that obscene announcement. This morning, Jeff Childers' Coffee and Covid Substack had this to say about the decision to permit U.S. missiles to be fired into Russia: "As a critical news consumer, always inventory the sources for any news claims. The bigger the claim, the more sources you usually want. This particular article coughed up seven full pages of information without even once saying where the information came from. Fail.
Even if it actually came from an inside source, no responsible journalist would agree to stenograph all this information without some kind of external confirmation. Otherwise, what makes these reporters any different from being secretaries?
In other words, since the three reporters —apparently, nobody wanted the full credit (or blame)— all soiled their midwit reputations to deliver a steaming pile of non-journalism, it seems most likely this article was a deep-state press release. So, based on evidence from the article, the deep state stirred the Proxy War pot this weekend by releasing this “news” through its pet media outlet, the New York Times.
We simply cannot know why they did it. There may be some great, secret reason. Since they aren’t saying, we can speculate. My best guess is they are trying to poison the peace well by making the Russians madder than wet Siberian huskies, in a snowstorm, even if doing so risks full-on nuclear war.
But it’s late in the game, and these kinds of maneuvers are unpredictable. They can just as easily create new possibilities as bollux things up. I note that President Trump himself posted nothing responding to the now widely-reported Times exclusive, which is a solid negotiating tactic."
I think it's a worthwhile exercise to consider all the perspectives. In the end, I know our legacy media lies and the Deep State is one of its closest allies.
So, Mary Ann:
Are You saying that Biden didn't Actually OK Kyiv using US-built and supplied long-range missiles to strike Russia?
Sort of like Trump not Actually since his "victory," talking to Putin [ at least according to Moscow]?
Or that Musk didn't talk with Iran's UN Ambassador, at least according to Tehran?
So WHO is one to Believe? And on what Grounds?
A couple of things: read a handful of the news accounts of the announcement. You'll find some language that should tip you off. The BBC story uses the word "reportedly." the AP says "it isn't clear yet" in one of its sentences, and there are no named sources, only the usual b.s. of an "unnamed official" and "three people who are familiar with the matter." So THIS is how WW3 is announced? I doubt it. I agree with Childers whom I quoted above. We have to be critical readers and one of the strategies I use is to remember that the most important part of any news article is either the penultimate or the last paragraph and that's where you can learn what's actually going on. I have no idea whether Biden said or didn't say the Ukrainians can use these weapons or what restrictions may have been put on them and by the way, restrictions have been put on every other weapon we've sent to Ukraine. So for example, at the very end of the NBC news online article, we read that "both the Defense Department and the White House both declined to comment." Every article I found contains these vague words and phrases which don't pass the smell test, much less start WW3. The whole point of the New York Times story appears to be to make life more difficult for Trump more than anything else. And certainly that's what the Deep State would like to do, especially knowing that Trump plans to end that war.
If the Kremlin specifically denied that Putin spoke to Trump, then I would take that to the bank. Outright denials can usually be taken at face value. Putin would have no reason to lie about it. Neither does Trump. And if Tehran says Musk never spoke with Iran's UN Ambassador, I would think that is also the truth. First rule: never trust anything you see in the legacy news. It's never a matter of believing; instead, it's a matter of being a critical reader, knowing what words to look for, and who the sources are. Btw, the only person whose name was attached to the missile story was an obscure Ohio congressman who thought the missile idea is great. I'm sure by lending his name to the story, he earned himself a nice campaign donation for his next run that will come in from some equally obscure PAC or bundler.
Lots to chew on, react, and respond to there, Mary Ann. Thankee [hence the "Like"]. Will get back to You in a bit after i put away my laundry, and groceries, and make some dinner.
But a quik QQ for You, if i may: If Your "first rule" is to " never trust anything you see in the legacy news," which specific News Sources DO You trust? And Why? Got any specifics?
You apparently trust the Russian and Iranian News Media ~ wholly owned, operated, and controlled by the Russian and Iranian Governments, respectively ~ as "trustworthy" reporters of The "REAL" News. At least when it comes to Trump's chats [or Non-chats] with Putin and the Iranian Ambassador to the UN.
Can You explain Why?
The fact that I think it's true that the Russians and Iranians have not spoken with Trump has nothing to do with trusting their news media. I don't follow their news media and know nothing about it. What I DO trust is when any high ranking public official on the world stage absolutely denies something being said about them by others. Highly placed public officials can't afford to be caught in a lie of that magnitude. Further, Trump has also not had anything to say about talking with either man. I think that settles the matter. What would tip me off that they might have something to hide is when an official refuses to comment. That's always instructive.
Over the years I have taught myself how to spot obfuscation, falsehood, mischief-making, and lies in the media after first reading Noam Chomsky's and Ed Hermann's book, "Manufacturing Consent." Mark Crispin Miller's lectures on how the media works are also helpful. I am aware that that the media I listen to and read also can have agendas and have bias (there is always bias, the skill is in learning how to detect it) so I'm not worried about bias when I find it. I expect to find bias and find it interesting. I listen to podcasts like Rogan, DarkHorse, Devory Darkins, Mark Halpern, Meghan Kelly (who is a bit too emotional for my taste, but still....., and others. I am a retired history professor which in and of itself is meaningless, except for one skill I was taught as a graduate student: how to read critically. Historians read primary sources and have to learn that while bias is everywhere in everything, it is not something that should shatter our world view. Accept it and consider it as just how people are. And reading and listening to a whole bunch of sources, I can triangulate.
Notice something about the missile story from yesterday; it seems to have been removed from the news cycle! The Mika and Joe story has received more coverage than the coming of WW3, as has the Whoopi Goldberg cupcake saga! That's a huge clue. WW3 eclipsed by cupcakes and Joe Scarborough's pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago?
I cannot even begin to describe how I feel about Biden's insane actions. What on earth do these lunatics hope to achieve? Armageddon?
Whoever said, "the inmates are running the asylum" was right on target.
No, not Armageddon.
Just Total and Complete 1984-esque POWER. Much more profitable.
Biden is lost both mentally and morally, and cares only that he will prove himself still strong and able. And the world may not survive because of him.
Alas, the moral depravity runs so deep in Washington, Brussels and London that moving the old, befuddled man out does little to change anything for the better. What a mess....
Does the moral depravity lie any deeper there ~ in Washington, Brussels, and London ~ than it does in Moscow, Beijing, Tel Aviv, or Kyiv? Or anyplace else there is Political ~ and thus Economic ~ Power?
It wouldn't surprise me if Tomahawks will soon be on their way or are already there.
The launch tubes at the US ‘Aegis Ashore in Rumania and Poland are compatible with Tomahawk cruise missiles which are nuclear capable.
This is a bigger deal than shooting small warhead, limited range ATACMS, or JASSM.
Another reason to reach for the antacids and Pepto....
I don’t believe that Biden made the decision. This decision must have emanated from his handlers. If my information is correct Putin won’t have to respond with nuclear weapons. He has at his disposal missiles that the West cannot match in speed and therefore intercept. They can be armed with devastating regular „super“ bombs that will devastate western capitals and military installations anywhere across the globe. Your wife’s comments are very astute.
Those "handlers," Karl, being the same individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions that handled Trump 1.0 and will handle Trump 2.0 .
Just like they have done Biden, and did Obama, Cheney/Bush II, Clinton, Bush I/Reagan, Carter, and so forth.
The Risk of Nuclear Winter just went up tenfold. Maybe this is their idea of "Cooling" Global Warming!!! Well we'll have dramatically cooling of surface temps. Winter like temps. year round! Carl Sagan must be rolling in his grave! All his enthusiastic efforts when he was at the height of his popularity in the 80's. were in vain! Time to reset the Doomsday Clock to 3 sec. till midnite. We take so much for granted maybe when this irreplaceable planet we call home is reduced to a burnt out cinder we'll get it.
Yes, Bill, you're absolutely right. But the people you're talking about are not rational, they're not even remotely sane. You're appealing to common sense from people who have none. You're asking for common decency from people who have none. They are spiteful, hateful, power-drunk ideologues, as rabid as the Nazis were, as merciless and lethal as a lynch mob, as cruel and barbaric as ISIS and Pol Pot and a host of other homicidal maniacs. "What's the point?" you ask. You answered that yourself: "They may kill and wound more Russians . . ." What? You need a better reason than that for starting WWIII and risking nuclear annihilation? Like the Talking Heads once demanded: STOP MAKING SENSE!
Got Your e~, John. Will respond in a bit.
Hmm. Does not this stance put Mr. Waltz in instant conflict with Boss Tweed...oops, I mean Trump? We are asked to believe by MSM that Trump and Putin have been in a "bromance" for some time now, so why would Trump tolerate this appointee advocating for escalation against Russia? The Donald boasted he could end the Ukraine conflict even before he takes the oath on January 20. I'd love to see him keep THAT "promise"! Meanwhile, CNN website today suggests Trump appointee to head the Federal Communications Commission penned part of Project 2025--you know, that rightwing extremist thing Donny knows nothing about?--concerning use of electronic transmission of "information." Trump boasted he will have the power to shut down media outlets he dislikes and punish their personnel, to say nothing of politicians and public figures--watch out, Tom Hanks!--who don't bow to him. Any such action would be so blatantly anti-American (there, I said it), so unconstitutional, that any sane person would withhold such opinions in the public arena. Unfortunately, as I have been saying since 2015, Mr. Trump is severely mentally DERANGED. So anything goes from this point on, and we are up against the (alleged) old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times!" If you believe we in this country should still have freedom of speech, it is time to stiffen your spine!
If Trump is, as You say, "mentally deranged." Gregory...:
What does that say about the 50.1% of Americans who voted for him to be POTUS Maxximmuss XLVII in Election2024?
I need to research which Founding Father said "A nation gets the government it deserves." The US Empire has entered its final decline and fall. And it's about damned time!!
Whoa! Apparently "A nation gets [alternatively 'has'] the government it deserves" came from French conservative Joseph de Maistre, 1753-1821. So he was contemporary with the American War of Independence and formal founding of the United States, and I imagine his thinking did rub off on some of the Founders here.
Thank You, Gregory, for that fact about de Mastre's declaration and declamation; saved me from posting it.
In any event: Bearing ever in mind Papa Joe Stalin's timeless admonition that "It's not who votes that counts, but who counts the votes"; here's how FF T Jefferson put it:
“The government you elect is the government you deserve.”
Given the fact that the Government that Americans elect is what America's Ruling Political Caste elements of The Deep State wants and needs to be elected; and
Given that the American Peoples continue to put with, accept, and just do their best to get and go along ~ and thus live ~ with all the Bullshit...
Given all that, it sounds like both de Maistre and Jefferson nailed it, wouldn't You agree.
So the Question then becomes: SO WHAT about that Fact Of Life in 21st century America? And NOW WHAT?
Can all ~ or even Any ~ of that be changed? And if so, by WHOM? And HOW?
Ah, so Jefferson put a little different spin on de Maistre. Having spent time in Paris, perhaps TJ even exchanged some thoughts with the guy. I have come up with another way to characterize what happened on Nov. 5: "A weak-minded people craves a 'strongman' to tell them what to think--though they prefer to avoid that painful activity--and do." How does "a Great Nation" produce scores of millions of alleged adults who swallow the most absurd "conspiracy theories"? Americans (yes, I'm generalizing) tend to be allergic to critical, independent thinking. And the whole planet is paying the price. Solution? The ultimate collapse of the Ecosphere will end this and all other human inanity. Sorry, I don't have a cheerful projection of our future. "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." --T.S. Eliot
My six word analysis of Election 2024: "The triumph of HATE over reason." CNN said exit polling about what issues motivated voters' choices showed concerns about the economy deemed twice as important to folks as immigration. I don't buy that!! Yes, consumer prices, especially for food, rose on Biden/Harris watch in very painful fashion. [Just watch produce prices if Trump can live out his dream of deporting all those who do the backbreaking, under-compensated work of harvesting our food!! Or will he grant them temporary residency status?] But Trump made immigration his Topic #1 from that initial campaign speech in 2015 when he implied all Mexicans are "rapists, murderers, drug carriers." (That first category of Bad Guy is just slightly ironic--intentional absurd understatement on my part!--coming from Sexual Predator DJT, but his type doesn't even understand what irony is.) A large Trump sign in my neck of the woods read "STOP THE INVASION! SEAL THE BORDER!" Also, please don't read this as suggesting that the Democrats have REASON on THEIR side. But the GOP played people's fears of THE OTHER like a Stradivarius, to use an old saying. Racism and xenophobia, I contend, energized the Trump base--Haitians are eating pets in Ohio!!--and once again GOP voters had the energy and enthusiasm on their side of the scales.
Again: Bear in mind that, at last count, Trump got a total of 50.1% of the Popular Vote.
Which means that 49.9% of Americans who voted, voted Against him.
So what are Americans ~ as a Peoples ~ REALLY concerned about?
Does Trump and/or the RNC actually know and/or care? Does Biden/Harris and/or the DNC really know and/or care?
And.., Gird your Loins!!!
Yes, girding always a good idea!!
Tac nukes for Christmas! Armageddon or Bust!
My feel for "the state of the people" is that after decades of watching the Very Rich evolve into the Obscenely Rich while Ordinary Joe and Jane sprint frantically on the treadmill, going nowhere, there is a feeling that SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM. But Joe and Jane are steered away from pointing the finger of blame at runaway Capitalism and encouraged to blame all our woes on THE OTHER, be they undocumented migrants, people of color, people with "aberrant" sexual orientation, the list goes on and on. Oh, and Jews! Yeah, they must be at the bottom of this mess! Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany quite legally in 1933. And behold in what direction that nation then went. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." --G. Santayana
i repeat what i posted to yesterday's BV:
Given that Biden just authorized the use of U.S. long-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes deep into Russia [ https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-lifts-ban-ukraine-using-us-arms-strike-inside-russia-2024-11-17/ ] ; and
Given that Russian lawmakers have declared that Ukraine strikes on Russia with US missiles could very well lead to world war [ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-strikes-russia-with-us-missiles-could-lead-world-war-russian-lawmakers-2024-11-17/ ] .....
Folks may not have to worry about what Trump does if World War III starts before January 20 and his inauguration.