The anger expressed here by me and others was justified. I am now beyond angry. Read this Rant.

[shockey80]

Our country is fucked. The news media mislead us when the report was released. They did a terrible job. That made things worse. This is a cover up. Trump conspired with Russia. Trump Obstructed justice. Anyone who says different is a fucking liar. I do not care about the Mueller report anymore. The Mueller report could say Trump fucking shot somebody and nothing would happen.

I am 100% convinced what we are about to witness over the next few of years will be an American tragedy. The American people are destroying themselves and our democracy. There is not a fucking thing in the world that can stop it. Voting Trump out of office will not stop it. If we elect a Democrat in 2020 the so called Republicans will block everything. Their delusional voters will vote against all their best interests. It will be the same shit over and over again. Half the people in this country cannot tell the difference between night and day, let alone right or wrong. Half the people do not believe in democracy anymore. You can't fix that with an election.

What we are living through will not end quietly, peacefully. The people will not all of the sudden come to their senses. What we are living through will end in a major disaster. There is no other way this can end when half the people do not believe in reality. Millions of Americans will have their lives destroyed and after we wreck our lives and it has run it's course, then and only then will we come to our senses. Then we will rebuild and make things better like we always have.

I will vote against Trump in 2020. But, I am done being hopeful. The American people have lost their way. That's the truth.

[theophilus]

1. Rachel did not mislead me. Others on MSNBC did not mislead me. Your concern is noted.

Keep fighting and don't discourage the rest of us, please.

[mr_lebowski]

7. The TV media has come to suck, apart from a handful of people like Rachel and Lawrence ...

Even NYT and WP have become unreliable.

This OP is, sadly, pretty much what I think going down as well.

It certainly appears as if Corporations have won, and The American People, and our experiment in Democracy ... didn't.

We allowed the stupid to spread like a f***ing plague. RW Hate Radio, Charter Schools, Regulatory Capture ... while we were distracted with bounty and baubles and mindless freaking TV.

We probably also should've done a lot more 'protectionist' shit, and not been so 'global free-trade' all along. We should've better protected Unions and manufacturing.

Just because Trump is on the protectionist bandwagon right now ... it is totally contrary to what the GOP has always stood for, and it is what I thought was a better approach ... for long before he came along.

Unfortunately, it's WAY TOO LATE now for what he's trying ... to actually work. Esp. because he actually has NO INTENTION of accomplishing what he's pretending to. He doesn't give two shits about the workers and their lives. He just thinks the USA is like his own little 'corporation' and he wants to be able to point at some particular set of numbers that he 'understands as a businessman' ... like 'trade deficits' (which of course he DOESN'T understand, because it's not a P&L statement), so he can proclaim that he's made the Business of the USA 'profitable' under his 'leadership as CEO'. A concept that by definition doesn't account for workers well-being or happiness.

But ... we should've been protecting our manufacturing and union base since the 1980's, and most American workers realize that, and that's why he pretends to 'care'.

Anyways, it's true we've fucked up, collectively, and there's no easy way out.

[sm6]

9. Charter Schools?

I understand the rest, but please enlighten me.

Thank you

[mr_lebowski]

12. Which aspect of Charter Schools do you not understand in the context? (nt)

Welcome to DU, BTW

[sm6]

30. Thank you for the welcome!

I was referring to the "We allowed the stupid to spread like a fucking plague....charter schools... Sorry I should have been more specific.

Thanks

[Hekate]

23. The "choice" people were persuaded they wanted involved taking money away from public schools...

...and giving them to private schools, which is what charter schools are, except on our tax dollars.

This is my observation going back to when this scam was started, and has been borne out since then, 20+ years.

Public schools, which have always been the great leveler in American society, the place where nearly every kid in town went K-12, are destined to become the place of last resort for those parents too poor, parents too disorganized, and kids too nonconformist, underachieving, handicapped, or misbehaving for schools that can pick and choose their students.

As long as homeschooling and private schools were confined to the margins, I don't think there was a problem. People who wanted their children raised in a theocracy had their pick of parochial-type schools, and they paid for it themselves. Parents who had lots of money and social ambition could choose very expensive very socially exclusive private schools, which they paid for themselves.

But everyone else in town, regardless of wealth, religion, color, or whatever, went to a school paid for with everyone's tax dollars. Their parents could run for the school board or serve on the PTA. Within reason the kids received a similar education and certainly got the message about what we thought this country's ideals were. I'm not saying it was perfect -- but the solution was not to take all the money away.

Now we are heading for a society where the visible divisions start early for everyone. I just find it indicative that the same people who pushed for religiously based homeschool programs also pushed very hard for tax money to be sent their way and then also started pushing for tax money to go to charter schools and then hybridized it.

I have a lot more to say on this, but that's the gist.

[sm6]

31. Gotcha. Thank you for the feedback

[Grasswire2]

11. where do you get this "half" assessment?

It's not so.

And it's not too late if Dems will just re-frame as the workers' party, not the party of coastal elites.

[certainot]

19. there sure the hell is an easy way

most of this shit has resulted from the left ignoring 1500 coordinated radio station blasting the country all day long with corporate think tank-scripted bullshit, short circuiting democratic feedback and making national fact based discussion impossible.

democrats need offense. a few hundred rw radio blowhards and the fox blockheads can sit back and attack all day for trump and generate hate calls and mail and threats, hiding behind producers and call screeners.

they're taking free potshots at our favorite politicians all day and then we blame them for being ineffective. all those rw radio stations and the pro teams and 88+ universities that broadcast sports on them can be protested and all those advertisers boycotted.

it wouldn't take much before the ad industry started having to ask advertisers if they actually support trump and global warming denial to avoid their clients potentially getting negative publicity. the monopoly would fall apart as stations began dropping rw talk for music and sports talk to keep advertisers. some stations might try to offer balance.

without their talk radio advantage, the only real advantage they have, they're screwed.

by ignoring rw radio the cons have taken the country 20 points right and we end up blaming symptoms - like corporate media OTHER than invisible unreadable rw radio, money in politics that resulted from deregulation sold largely by rw radio, fox -which depends on rw radio to do the unchallenged repetition, and so on.

talk radio is the only real advantage the cons have and they would fall apart without it

[mr_lebowski]

21. Preaching to the choir, certainot ... btw, I admire your dedication to the issue :) (nt)

[certainot]

26. thanks. artificial intelligence really will make the ad industry sit up and notice

the stop rush activism from a few people did a lot of damage but AI makes it so much easier to list advertisers and associate them with content - with little listening required

at the moment the ad industry just wants to put clients on those loud stations and they'll bundle and package and move clients on those shows giving clients little control, but when the ad industry sees a stoprush x10 affecting all rw radio on the horizon they will have to start asking clients if they support trump and global warming denial - then it's over

i hate seeing people giving up, real or not, or blaming dems like in 2010, for this ongoing disaster when it should bve clear a lot of it comes out of team limbaugh's collective ass and it only works because it's invisible to the left/dems

[UniteFightBack]

2. ....

[Hoyt]

3. The sad truth is, it's not trump. Every one knows he's a POS. It's the people who voted for him,

those protecting him, and those who will vote for him -- or another GOPer -- in 2020. They'll still be here when trump is gone.

[Peace06]

38. Trump rally

Someone smarter than me on posting photographs should gather pictures of all the worshippers of hitler before he destroyed their country. They could then draw the analogy of the "worshippers" at trump rallies.(Even tho I believe half or more are paid to attend trump rallies with a bonus for insane behavior)

[bluestarone]

4. I hear you!

I know how you feel. My ONLY difference with your words is, I have to have COMPLETE faith in our system and The DEMS. that are fighting the fight! It will be a LONG battle for sure, BUT I'm SO glad i'm on this side of the fight!! I wouldn't have it ANY other way! I'm not sure why MSM has not been more involved in a way i feel they should BUT then again can't change that! VOTE VOTE VOTE that's the most important thing anyone of us can do!!!

[kimbutgar]

5. We need a fairness doctrine back and disclaimer saying if a show is fact or opinion.

Until then the truth will be harder to change people’s minds.

I work with young kids now trying to teach them the difference between fact and opinion. Even the little kids in kindergarten are learning the difference at the school I teach at.

[shockey80]

6. Our only hope is the young people.

[not_the_one]

37. Agreed

The democrats should spend the huge portion of time and energy courting the young people and non-voters.

The young are the ones who will be living the nightmare we have created. The non-voters will vote if they are given some hope.

They both, on the whole, see turdface as he is, a joke and a con man.

Get them registered and get them to the poles.

[Rizen]

8. We have to take back the Senate and White House in 2020

Republicans can't block a majority. And don't give up on Mueller's report because Barr, who has a history of covering things up, released a 4 page summery of the summery. Wait until the Dem controlled house reviews the actual 300 page report.

[jalan48]

10. Climate change will be impossible to spin. Food and water shortages will be real regardless

of what Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the propagandists say. Citizens will want their government to respond to the crisis and when our government and current corporate state are unable to do so change will happen rapidly.

[Hortensis]

13. Didn't you just do another "our country is fucked" OP

or posts? I'm pretty sure I responded to one. Basically urged whoever it was to hike up the ol' shorts and settle in for the long haul.

If it wasn't you, please don't give up so quickly and unnecessarily. We're not even half through this battle. The election's 583 days off, and it'll continue after that.

So you need to pace yourself. Joining committed political activists right now would probably do wonders for courage and perspective and would greatly lessen the stress of feeling helpless, because you wouldn't be.

[shockey80]

14. The truth hurts.

[Hortensis]

25. What's happening now was very predictable, and

some, Rachel and others, warned that it could roll out this way, pointed out that Mueller was putting information in the indictments that he didn't need to just for them, that Barr was hired to hide the report, etc.

So...surprise? I mean, did you imagine the news media were telling the truth when they pushed the message that Hillary was unlikeable and dishonest for 2 years and more?! That a job requirement for appearing on MSNBC and CNN during the daytime was pushing the approved theme and never leaving anyone with a positive thought about her? That they HAD to report Judicial Watch's swiftboating allegations every week in prime time without fail even if there was no news?

Gimme a break. The New York Times sabotaged her with its coverage every day for over two campaign years and just over a week before the election lied blatantly to the world that the FBI had found nothing significant in its Trump-Russia investigation. A lie so blatant it was discovered immediately. The NYT. On Sunday 60 Minutes opened with a dramatic announcement that Trump was exonerated. Period.

Every time the Republicans need the news spun big these days, the Tax Heist, Kavanaugh, this story, others before that, many media with reputations for ethical journalism expose a very different side of themselves as they push blatant untruths, presumably on both orders from above and with approved neglect because no honest giant international conglomerate would allow what's being done.

Big shock if it's new news, but the vast right wing conspiracy, giant billionaire, social conservative and religious factions pulling together, has been embedded in every industry, including purchasing most of our media, and working to the purpose of oversetting liberalism and progressivism in government for 40 years, and it's been both accelerating in power and and inevitably being outed faster and faster as it's been nearing its goals over the past 15 years. The term "vast right wing conspiracy" first appeared in 1995, well into it. And Jane Mayer's "Dark Money" was only published in 2016, two decades later.

Remember when a day didn't go by without someone parroting the line that we had to get off the backs of big business? That was over a generation ago now. We mostly got off, and that was only part of the acceleration in the transfer of power.

We're probably going to win, though. Our grandparents were in similar position before and did, and we have 200 million registered voters these days. But it had to become this bad before people began to understand. And now every day more do. Being outed by their own actions as they use their power to push harder and faster for their goals is a huge danger point for what is no longer a hidden conspiracy. Trump's raging bull presidency is overall a gift to us, and we probably should thank the Republican "base" for their pathetically deluded attempt to rebel against those who'd taken control of their party. Promising to kill the ACA! Bet that gave the conspirators still chortling over Barr's coming through a nasty clutch.

[Sherman A1]

15. Okay

[Meowmee]

16. Lets see what happens

It will be a lot better with dump and his traitors gone.

[Mr.Bill]

17. Having grown up in the 60s, I have still got a little faith

in the resilience of our country. At least now we are not drafting people into the military and sending them to a meat grinder on the other side of the planet 50,000+ of them will be slaughtered for the profits of the military industrial complex.

[handmade34]

36. I have faith when

I interact with, read about, or see people and organizations doing good and acting humanely... but that faith is waning...


I think your example is inaccurate... we don't have the draft now but that means the people that serve our Country are becoming less diverse and less of our population is affected by the ongoing wars... we lost over 50,000 people in Vietnam and because of technology and other factors now... we have only lost 6000+ in the Middle East, but we have 100's of thousands disabled and emotionally scarred; I don't see vast improvement...


until the majority of our population understands and acts on Civic Responsibility, votes, involves themselves in the workings of Government (of and by the people), and protests the inhumane, immoral, and disgusting present administration and all who engage in that type of behavior we are in trouble

[dchill]

18. The media now willingly catapult the propaganda.

That's at best PR. It's not journalism. Even MSNBC daytime is just TrumpTV Lite.

[defacto7]

20. I agree, but I'm passed ranting. I did that 3 to 4 years ago

to pretty much deaf ears and seemed to be pegged as an alarmist. I repeatedly said, "the Anschluß is coming. Prepare to fight it." Now, here we are. I'm out of rant. All there is left is to pick up and fight until whatever the end is and I'm not about to give in.

[Bettie]

22. It is hard to stay hopeful when

everything seems to be working against us, against we the people.

I'm afraid too, but aside from occasional freakouts, I'm working hard to keep that spark of hope alive.

I have kids who are reaching adulthood and I have to believe that while the next few years might suck, we'll find our way again.

I'm not sure how old you are, but I'm 52 and what I see is that the groups coming up behind me? They are AMAZING overall...they are better than my grouping overall. The group behind them? Even better.

There is hope, the big thing we need is to get the rich old white guys to let go of the reins. They are driving us off a cliff because they refuse to admit that there is a turn in the road.

Hang in there. It will probably get worse before it gets better, but this nation has weathered a whole lot. We can survive this.

[Cold War Spook]

24. Why worry about the Republicans,

climate change will probably kill off most of Homo Sapiens in less than 100 years. See, you should always look on the bright side.

[former9thward]

33. Not a single scientist agrees with you.

Is this your personal theory?

[NewsCenter28]

34. Downplay Russian US interference, downplay climate change

I’d be interested in knowing which parts of the Democratic agenda you actually agree with, if any, presently 9th, and if an ideology diametrically opposed to Democratic ideology perhaps suits you more?

[former9thward]

40. The poster I replied to does not represent the "Democratic agenda".

Please name a candidate for president who believes the human race will be eliminated by the end of the century. Please name a scientist who believes that. I won't hold my breath.

[Kurt V.]

27. i don't believe in hope or hopelessness. Neither one is usually the truth.

[Joe941]

28. You are not wrong. I could not have said it any better.

[lostnfound]

32. Pockets of delusions and madness, nurtured on the Internet

A leftie friend is caught up in conspiracies that walk right through the “you
can’t trust the media“ and “both sides do it“ territory. I’m starting to think that you can almost order your own custom designed conspiracy websites, selecting from a menu: anti-VAXer’s, climate change is a hoax, Russia gate is a hoax, there’s a plot to take away our guns...

[Generic Brad]

35. I felt that way on Monday, but then...

...Adam Schiff helped me realize all is not lost. I hope you feel better about things soon.

[Peace06]

39. After Adam Schiff

Yes. I was the same. Mr. Schiff gave me renewed hope, then I read Barr's second letter to congress that some say is a backtrack of his summary. Also, the regs seem to say to me (not an attorney) that the report must go to congress with AG's explanation of anything that is not in keeping with SC's recommendations. So today, I feel more hopeful.

[Duppers]

41. From another thread...

Not totally hopeless, yet, but here another example of Republicans...

Brunei is in Southeast Asia. If you dont even know where it is, don’t play the American “I know nothing, here is my opinion” game.