Blue_true
Blue_true's JournalHow to refer to some groups.
We liberals have a problem that rightists don't have. Rightists quickly settle on one description of us and every one on the right repeat that exact description. An example is the right calling us "socialists" because we believe that government can and should help people live a better, healthier, more productive life. There are other examples where EVERYONE on the right refer to us by only one description, and nothing gets in the way of them doing that, they repeat it often and in unison and at some point, it puts us on the defensive.
Our side by comparison becomes too clever and fail to refer to the right or to a rightish politician in the most accurate, most humiliating term. An example is congressman Jim Jordan, the most damaging description of him and the one that ridicule him while raising questions about his ethics is Gym Jordan, not Jim Jordan, or any other name. Yet, if a thread is done on him, I see 5 to 8 or more names for him, dammit, call him Gym Jordan in unision and people making tv appearances call him Gym Jordan. Insult him, get under his skin and let people know that he is an immoral creep. Another example is us using the term alt right, fuck that, call them the "racist right" in unision and dare a republican to associate with them. Racist right is the most accurate, demeaning term for them and it lets anyone that may be on the fence about them know what they are. The alt right should become the racist right, fuck how they feel about us calling them that.
Republican Bush to republican Trump.
The Republican Party is like global warming, some Americans are sounding the alarm, but many Americans are too self absorbed or hate filled to listen.
So, Bush gets elected and we think that was the worst storm that we ever saw. But the Republican Party kept rotting internally, and then along came Trump. Can we survive the next republican president? That person's party is becoming more and more unhinged, that seems to point toward the next republican being far worse than Trump (but maybe smarter and more self aware).
I don't know about you.
But I am enjoying the republican primary vote count situation in Kansas. If I get my wish, Colyer and Kobach meet in Topeka at noon on Aug 21 to mud wrestle to decide the winner.
Portland Oregon Police.
The incident in June where Portland police stood by while Nazis attacked protesters and the incident this weekend where police aggressively charged at protesters in support of Nazis cause me to feel there is something grossly wrong with the leadership of that department. It is distressing to see Nazis complementing police.
Is there anyone here from Portland. Are my concerns off base? If not, why haven't Portland political leaders sacked police leaders?
Trump is a dangerous animal and he is cornered.
Earlier this week Trump said that he will campaign every day of the week for vulnerable republicans. Trump is a corrosive liar, but in this case, we are foolish not to take him at his word.
Trump is cornered, if democrats take the House, then they can schedule and drive investigations that republicans are burying now. Trump has no choice but to fight the midterms to the bitter end to preserve himself. If we don't stop the infighting and match his intensity second by second, we and the country are going to get seriously damaged. Trump is a cornered animal, he is going to slash with his claws, bite, spit in our eyes, anything to get himself out of the corner.
Don't bet on Mueller because without democrats in Congress making sure that the truth comes out of investigations, Mueller's work will have no more impact than public shaming, and we see how that has worked out relative to Trump and his ambitions.
Voter registration and intimidation.
I made a quick stop by a public place earlier and noticed a voter registration table setup. The woman at the table was Black. I also noticed two White tea party looking types standing a few feet from the table. Voter registration will be critical for November and beyond, I expect to see what I saw earlier, conservatives and tea party trying to intimidate people into not registering. Every person that is eligible to vote that they intimidate into not registering is a win for them, we can't let that happen.
To her credit, the woman at the registration table looked calm and determined. I am sure that with those assholes nearby, she will do everything by the book.
The complete "Otherization" of those that are different.
I just served on a jury, and frankly, the whole time that I read the supposedly offending post, I had two parallel emotions. The first was why was the post alerted on, it was clear to me that the use of a racial slur was in support of an argument against people who would use the slur. The second emotion that I had was why the poster of the supposedly offending post as so adamant in "Otherizing" a whole swath of people in support of an argument against one. I don't blame DU Admins for calling on me to serve on that jury pool, procedures are procedures and when the post was alerted on, I guess a jury had to decide.
It should be clear to anyone with a brain that white nationalists feel embolden to do horrible acts because of the antics and election of Trump and his subsequent administration's actions and behavior. But, I see a less troubling trend, but troubling none the less. The second trend I would call creeping black nationalism. Creeping black nationalism happens, in my thinking, when a person latches onto the modern and historical injustices that are or have been done to Blacks to "Otherize" all Whites, a thought process where just being White delegitimizes a person's right to complain about the use of a term, or the tone of an argument. Racism flourishes when a person successfully first "Otherize" a group, then delegitimize the humanity of all people of that group. I guess that I expect better from DU members since pretty much everyone here that is not a troll, is progressive to some measure. I guess I can go on, but anyone that have read my posts know that I tend not to write very long posts, all I can say now is that I have a degree of concern and disappointment with what I am witnessing.
A question for DUERS from Florida and other warm southern states.
When I was a child growing up, I used to see large swarms of fireflies come out as the sky was darkening and fly around for two or three hours, their little lights flicking on and off. They were somewhat of a nuisance for my parents because they would get crushed against the windshields and grills of their vehicles.
I guess I noticed it a while ago, but placed no meaning to it. Today, I don't see many fireflies at all, maybe occasionally, a small few.
What have those of you in the states that I referenced noticed? Could the change be due to pesticides? Changes in the environment that are hostile to the bugs?
DU members from Detroit area.
Any insight on Ford's decision to exit car manufacturing (as I understand the company's announcement)? Ford will make a crossover, but that market is already saturated with established players that have been doing crossovers for years.
Ford will essentially become a truck and SUV manufacturing company, if I understand the announcement right. What are your thoughts? I guess that works if gas prices don't skyrocket and if Fordsucceeds in it's goal of making more hybrid trucks and totally electric trucks.
Any ideas on what Ford's announcement will do to auto industry employment around Detroit?
On Friday a 19 year old fired a shotgun in a high school near where I live.
One person was injured, not life threatening. The 19 year has a history of mental issues and bought the gun just after the Parkland shootings via a private sale, no checks of any sort. Fortunately, after the first shot, he stopped and surrendered to one of his former teachers.
Damned insane that someone like that can come near a gun. Fortunately he didn't have an assault weapon.
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Member since: Thu Jan 26, 2017, 05:53 PMNumber of posts: 31,261