40 Comments

I like reading your essays and hearing your voice. Do both if you can.

Thank you,

Peter Anderson

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tnx BA; i prefer your podcast option, given my compromised visual acuity which obnubilates your eloquent words w/in 5 minutes of aiming what remains of my failing visual apparatus on your written hortations. concomitantly, you have a duvetyn, soothing, inspiring voice.

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When Kennedy made public his views on Palestinians, I had some minor hope that as he'd changed his view on Ukraine, someone would have a come to Jesus conversation with him on the savagery of the Israeli state he supports. Alas, his hardheadedness on this raises a concern I simply cannot park to the side. It is all too plain he possesses a fundamental moral flaw that is inexcusable. I like his attention to regenerative agriculture, which as an old farm boy I see consistently lacking in political priorities even though our health and food supply are so fundamental to how we treat our land and watersheds. But I cannot be a one issue voter for this and excuse genocide.

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Independents now make up over 40% of US voters, likely for the reasons you state. The Parties give us nothing. They are controlled by money and power, and their candidates are a bad joke. Harris being more ridiculous than Trump.

At least we survived a Trump presidency once, and he got us in no new wars. I have no faith in Harris being Commander in Chief. She has done nothing to earn that serious a position. Her lack of accomplishments for so many years in politics is shocking. She doesn't inspire me to think that the killing going on in Ukraine and Gasa means anything to her. She's frightening superficial.

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I think RFK Jr. is a good man tho. with strange ideas plus the chances of an Independant can win a presidential election is zed, or nil to none. The other two "the lesser of two weevils" comes to mind. The Biden & Harris team have lead us into chaos . Right now I'm swaying to Trump, Vance, but probably won't decide definitively until I'm in the Booth. Personally the leadership stinks (as our Cousin used to opin. about Yaz.) all the way around.

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Thank you. I agree with the gentleman who said do both of you can.

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Well done Bill. Miss having you on my show. Allbest.

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Thanks, George. Hope all is well with you.

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Good stuff - more of this.

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Interestingly, Bill, upon hearing your voice I Had a flashback to the Podcast By George episode where you were the guest. That episode introduced me to Bill Astore's Substack, Bracing Views. Any word on George? I have not seen anything new by him in several months. I hope he is okay and not laid up with a hockey injury.🏒 I saw you mention his podcast a few days ago.

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You're right: I haven't heard from George in a few months. But he does seem to be active on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcastbygeorge/?ref=embed_page

You might try dropping him a line there.

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Thank you for the tip. I am not a FB user. 👍 It gives me the eebie-jeebies.

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Praise The Lord and Pass The Barf Bag... :

TRUMP TELLS CHRISTIANS THEY WON'T HAVE TO VOTE AFTER THIS ELECTION by Tim Reid / Reuters 27 Jul 24

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told Christians on Friday that if they vote for him this November, "in four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not gonna have to vote."

It was not clear what the former president meant by his remarks, in an election campaign where his Democratic opponents accuse him of being a threat to democracy, and after his attempt to overturn his 2020 defeat to President Joe Biden, an effort that led to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump was speaking at an event organized by the conservative group Turning Point Action in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump said: "Christians, get out and vote, just this time. "You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians."

He added: "I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote," Trump said.

If Trump wins a second term in the White House, he can serve only four more years as president. U.S. presidents are limited to two terms, consecutive or not, under the U.S. Constitution.

In May, speaking at a National Rifle Association gathering, Trump quipped about serving more than two terms as president.

He referred to the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, the only president to serve more than two terms. The two-term limit was added after Roosevelt's presidency.

"You know, FDR, 16 years - almost 16 years - he was four terms. I don't know, are we going to be considered three-term? Or two-term?" Trump asked the NRA crowd.

Trump's remarks on Friday pointed to the need for both parties to energize their base voters ahead of what will likely be a closely fought election. Trump has enjoyed loyal support from evangelicals in the past two elections.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-tells-christians-they-wont-have-vote-after-this-election-2024-07-27/

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Good podcast. Personally I prefer to read as I can do it more efficiently. Although I do listen to some podcasts on YouTube, where I can see the speaker and the guest, if any. I'm curious which you find easier - writing or podcasting.

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I don't prepare a script for my podcasts--I just speak off the cuff, so it's easier than writing.

But it is more time-consuming for listeners, so I'm going to shoot for short, 10-minute, podcasts, just as an adjunct to my main job which is writing.

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Ten minutes is a good time frame. Thanks.

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With a transcript immediately available, it offers both options: to read or to listen.

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Entertainment wing of the MIC ... I'd not heard that before but how true it is. Shitty entertainment, but then we don't seem to be picky about what we clutter our minds with these days.

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Bored with voting Team Red or Team Blue?

Fed up with, as wrknight put it earlier, having a “choice: between Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum”?

Consider the real Alternative To and Antidote For the “choices” America’s Ruling Political Class is giving Americans for ELECTION2024:

Write-In “None Of These Candidates,”

Check the chart in this Wiki article to see whether Your State allows Write-In Voting for President or any other elected Federal office. And if so, what, if any, the requirements are to be able to do that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Write-in_candidate .

The Poll Takers need to ask the following Question: Who do You prefer to be the next President? ___ Trump ___ Biden ___ Neither .

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Outstanding idea, Bill. And the Best part of it is that it includes a Transcript.

As i've noted a couple of times here on BV: It takes about 2 to 3 minutes to scan the script of a ten-minute audio or visual, during which time one can determine whether listening to or watching it in its entirety is worth it.

As others have said, Please do more. And a question: Have You considered going beyond aural to visual presentations?

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I think I can do video, Jeff, but all you'd see is me (boring). The audio file is smaller and thus easier to handle.

I think I'll try to do one once a week. And I'm glad it has a transcript; I wasn't sure that would work.

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re Video: i wasn't thinking of just You being all there is to see, Bill; but with visual and graphic presentations, as well. As i imagine Your History lectures probably included.

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Rog on smaller and easier. And Great on trying an audio once a week. Looking forward to it.

Something else to consider is having an audiofile of Your posted BV articles as a readily available option for those who may prefer listening to reading. Of which there seem to be at least some.

And have someone else read it, like The Chris Hedges Report is always "Read by Eunice Wong" and immediately available as an option to reading it.

Perhaps Mrs Astore would be interested... . Have a Great Saturday.

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Well said, Bill! And nice to hear your voice.

A small bit of hope- my 80 year old mother ain't buying the Kamala rebrand. She's voted consistently her entire life, usually for Democrats. And boy was I so proud of some things she said on the phone today.

Basically, my mom still has common sense. She doesn't see anything Kamala has done as positive, and she also questioned why in the world our border was so open. I was just so happy and grateful for a conversation partner who was actually looking for conversation and not just a place to repeat corporate media talking points.

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I really enjoyed hearing your audio take on the election, Bill. Keep it up, if you have the time.

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