February 28, 2018

"On the other hand..."?!?!? I hope you're not serious!

In case you were actually serious, I must strenuously object.

These capabilities in the hands of the State will pretty much always be used to suppress legitimate dissent, and will rarely - if ever - be used to "fight terrorism, mass shootings, and riots."

Terrorism strengthens the State - the only reason to appear to "fight terrorism" is to impose increasing limits on the freedom of its citizens.

Mass Shootings - the only way to "fight" mass shootings is to limit the kinds and numbers of weapons in circulation. The State cannot surveill its way into the inner thoughts of gun owners. The number of gun owners needs to be severely limited, as well as the kinds of guns they are allowed to own.

Riots - Several elements to consider:

(1)This really depends on what you consider a "riot". Are you talking about surveilling sports fans to prevent them from getting drunk and running wild in the streets? Good luck with that.

(2)If you're talking about the idiot "Black Bloc" so-called anarchists who show up to break windows and shit during legitimate demonstrations, first determine how many of them are actually law enforcement undercover plants.

(3)And please bear in mind that authoritarian governments LOVE to characterize peaceful demonstrations as "riots" - I hope you know that.

There is no good to be had for ordinary people from governments having this kind of surveillance power. None.

February 23, 2018

We citizens need to make all association with the NRA totally toxic.

It's been heartening to see a few corporations recently ditching their NRA discounts, and some NRA events being cancelled.

Democratic office holders and candidates ought to continually excoriate the NRA as apologists for child killers, as a terrorist organization.

We must stop cowering in fear of the NRA - we need to spit in their eye, give them the finger, call them out relentlessly.

We can defeat the bogeyman - like Dorothy throwing the bucket of water on the wicked witch.

February 21, 2018

K&R - thank you, Hollywood Liberals!

I'm more than fine with "Hollywood Liberals" - putting their money where our principles are. What could be better? That those who have the means, give to the causes that are working to make for a better world.

Their help is welcome! Fuck the troglodytes!

February 21, 2018

Yes! Thank you! David Brooks is, unfortunately, an idiot.

I say "unfortunately" because every once in a while he seems to seriously flirt with rationality. And, stupid me, I get my hopes up that he will finally eschew and repudiate whatever delusional ideas he still clings to regarding being a "conservative".

But he never fails to disappoint.

I read this piece of crap editorial by Brooks earlier, and just wanted to vomit.

Oh, PLEASE!!!

Yes, I definitely WANT to "destroy their (damn, idiotic, stupid) culture" - their "culture" is totally fucked up. Their "culture" is toxic. Their "culture" is backward and ignorant and pathetic and disgusting. Damn right they are "despicable" - and it's way past time they were told so and fucking told off!

They have NO fucking "morality"! Why the hell should any actual sentient being defer to such unevolved troglodytes?

These are the people who are directly responsible for the degradation of our democracy - they are responsible due to their willful ignorance, their stupidity, their firmly closed minds.

FUCK THEM!!!

February 16, 2018

Exactly. These are people who would have no compunction about shooting the "other"

if they've been riled up enough to believe that the "other" is immediately endangering their way of life.

"Liberals" are definitely among those who qualify as "other".

February 16, 2018

Guns/NRA/GOP - what if it's not just the money/campaign contributions?

(I can't sleep, I had this awful thought & just had to get out of bed to write it out.)

What if the ultimate reason behind the GOP's steadfast refusal to entertain even the very mildest of limits on the wide-open availability of every kind of firearm and ammunition, is that they actively WANT their supporters to be as well-armed as possible, in anticipation of an actual hot civil war? A civil war between the RWNJs and the much-maligned "Liberals" that develops into a real, actual shooting war?

There is nothing that the GOP and the right wing/fascists won't do to stay in power. They have no interest in governing, only in ruling. They have no interest in policies that would benefit the citizens of our country as a whole, and certainly no interest in compromise. Their only interest is power, and the financial rewards that come with it.

Their goal has long been permanent Republican majority, and they will cheat, lie, steal, and break any law, break any norm to achieve it.

And if their actions eventually bring on a new civil war, they'd be fine with it. Because they will have made sure that their most fanatic and zealous supporters are armed to the teeth, and are ready and willing to mow down any and all resistance with the arsenals they have accumulated.

What if the GOP isn't just comprised of assholes - what if the GOP has an inner core of adherents who are not just willing, but are actively preparing to promote a real war with the aim of eliminating all opposition to their permanent control of our country?

I can't sleep...

January 27, 2018

And that's the difference between the Republican mind and the Democratic mind in a nutshell.

Republicans: show them a bogeyman and they'll come running, salivating like Pavlov's dog, because they're wired to respond to fear.

Democrats: show them a social/community problem and they'll want to rise up to solve it, because they're wired to respond to human needs.

October 17, 2015

Victimhood - gotta have some of that sweet, sweet victimhood.

As with all things filtered through, and appropriated by, the dominant culture, victimhood is a prized commodity.

The claim to victimhood cancels out all notions of White Privilege. "How can you accuse me of White Privilege when I'm a victim, too?"

So, we have Sanders cast as a victim, which allows his followers to cast themselves victims as well - and they have little patience for what they perceive as competing claims of victimhood from those groups who have actually been historically oppressed.

August 4, 2015

You've posted some good things in this thread, but you really stepped in it here:

The AA community does not give a rip about what "Bernie supporters are trying to get across to the AA community", they want Bernie supporters to listen to THEM.

This white privileged attitude - that if white folks just keep explaining what they think will help the black folks, those black folks will eventually "get it" - is the core of the disconnect.

It's paternalistic, condescending, disrespectful, and totally dismissive of the possibility that white folks just might have something to learn from the AA community - if only they would get off their white privileged high horse long enough to actually LISTEN to what the AA community has to tell them.

All the resistance I've seen from Bernie supporters to the message in the bravenak's OP comes from this place of presuming to know, better than the AA community knows, about what's good for them. And the refusal to consider that there might be something to learn from the AA community.

As long as there's no listening happening, it just demonstrates disrespect and dismissal. Why should people who are not being respected, who are being dismissed, who are not being listened to and their messages heeded, who are brushed off as if they had nothing to teach, give any respect or bother listening to what you have to say?

The fact that we have just one mouth but two ears ought to be a constant reminder that we need to listen twice as much as we speak.

July 23, 2015

Let me break it down to you in the simplest terms I can think of.

Stop trying to defend yourself, and defend the Black Lives Matter protestors instead. Period.

No caveats, no offering advice, no telling them they should do their thing differently. JUST DEFEND THEM and be on their side.

Anything less than that is just a message that you know better, that you don't respect their own decisions about how they want to fight for their own cause, that you think your world view is superior to theirs.