With the Hand We've Been Dealt We Should All Bid No Trump

Here's the latest reason to believe that Trump is simply enjoying all the attention and is using that to do his latest publicity stunt.

He should be ignored, which would drive him nuts; but that won't happen because the media likes stupid and controversial. It's shocking and it sells newspapers, magazines and on-line advertising.

If you take the trouble to watch the video note two things. One, he is enjoying using his shocking foul mouth like Don Rickles does in Vegas(I have personal experience of Rickles, and two, notice how the crowd reacts with glee to his foul mouth.

Idiots we will always have with us.

Leanderthal

Democracy, Inc.

Here's Chris Hedges' piece about the demise of democracy.

Any time I read what he writes I know it's going to be slanted against whatever people in power are willing to do, and who show almost no regard for the plight of the powerless.

What grabbed me about this piece was his denouncing of government intrusion in the lives of
Americans. Sounds to me like Tea Party, Libertarian doctrine. What do you make of it?

When I read what is said about Libertarians, I am struck by my whole hearted agreement with their stand against unnecessary wars. At the same time I am appalled by their lack of compassion for those who are both powerless and in mortal danger.

Somewhere back in the day I recall reading that Ben Franklin cautioned against siding with those who promoted extremist actions, of whatever ideology, and who suggested that what one supported had to survive the test and scrutiny of reasonableness.

Leanderthal

Easter Evidence for the Power of Meaning

Here's more evidence that" the spirit of God is within you".

I am an atheist on the idea of a God who is old, wears a long white robe, has a beard and involves himself in the affairs of men. To say that God is dead is meaningless because that God never "was".

I am agnostic on the idea of God as a Great Spirit within me. An agnostic is "One who holds the view that Ultimate Reality - as God, is unknown and probably unknowable".( Merriam Webster Online Dictionary). By that definition it seems to me that all sentient beings would have to agree. We don't and can't really know.

But why is there anything anyway? Some higher power, that which animates all of creation, must "be".

James Carroll's piece, linked to above, is the best I've read from a man of faith. Someone said that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. However faith exists only in the presence of doubt. Otherwise God would be a certainty.

Carroll's most trenchant line is, "Resurrection is not resuscitation".

Leanderthal

What Kind of Species?

Read this piece and tell me to what species and country the Gitmo interrogators belong.

They certainly are not human.

And they most certainly are not American.

Homo Cheneyiens?

Leanderthal

Make It Go Viral

Glenn Greenwald, here, cries, as in shouts, in the wilderness about the president's blunder in declaring Manning guilty before his trial. It must be a blunder because Obama is not only not stupid nor ignorant, he is a recognized constitutional scholar.

But the blunder is the just the tip of the iceberg of the president's failings. All the other points Greenwald makes about Obama not bringing previous war criminals to trial need to be passed on, indeed shouted out.

In the current Internet lingo I guess that's called "going viral".

This is the kind of post I had not anticipated writing when I was beating the tub for Obama's election in 2008. It pains me to write about these things, but Obama has to learn that his supporters are not stupid and know that he's taking them to be suckers, just like his predecessor did.

Leanderthal

Who and What Contributes to the Obvious Gullibilty of Too Many Amercans?

Here's a pretty good article about how the media contributes to the more and more obvious gullibility of far too many Americans, who, frighteningly, we have to assume, vote.

First of all, it's important that I define what I mean by the "media" in this context . It would be easy and facile to limit my definition to the likes of Fox News. It's now assumed, by anyone who bothers to think, that Fox News, whose motto is Fair and Balanced, is anything but.

No, the institutions of the so-called Main Street Media must be included in the definition of media who aid and abet the problem of feeding voters stuff which they don't bother to check for facts. A lie, an implication, a slanderous statement, told often enough becomes a fact for those who believe most everything they hear and read. They are the voters who don't want to be bothered to think.

Leanderthal




















it's Fox News

The U.S. and its Western allies are sure to do whatever they can to prevent authentic democracy in the Arab world.

PLEASE READ this essay by Noam Chomsky published by Tom Engelhardt at TomDispatch.com to understand what I'm trying to get at in this post and share with you.

I wonder if you decided to read this post because of the rather provocative title I gave it. It's a quote from the article. I used it intentionally in the hope of getting your attention just as the author of it got my attention by virtue of making that startling claim.

Once again I have to admit to being embarrasingly naive when it comes to what's really been going on with respect to foreign policy in all the occupiers of the Executive branch of our Federal Government Administrations since WW II.

I've been disillusioned with Obama for being just another president who's been rolled by the Pentagon. Now I have to admit that I was not giving the devil his do. Obama is not stupid, so
he must have bought into the post WW II premise that the U.S. has as its mission, hegemony all around the world, hypocritical disclaimers notwithstanding.

During the last presidential campaign I began to think that there would not be any real change in our foreign policy regardless of who won the election. I shared that worry with all of you back then. I have to admit, sadly, that I was correct in my concern.

Now I have to try considering the possibility, however distasteful, that such a mission has and still is, worthy of us. Why, because all of our presidents since WW II have continued, or so it seems, to support that world hegemony mission.

Tom Engelhardt of TomDispatch.com has as his mission exposing what, sadly, must be revealed as The American Empire. I wonder how many more of our year long rides around the sun will happen before someone writes about the Rise and Fall of the American Empire.

Being in my 70's now, I don't expect to be around to read it. And being in my 70's I'm keenly aware that younger generations are not particularly open to the warnings of their elders. Hell, I wasn't back then in the day either.

PLEASE READ this essay by Noam Chomsky published by Tom Engelhardt at TomDispatch.com to understand what I'm trying to get at and share with you.

Michael Klare another of the brilliant thinkers whose essays Tom Engelhardt publishes has
written truths about the threats of Global Climate Change. I add this because it is another example of a problem which younger generations don't want to take seriously.

Far too many of us want to focus on our daily practical problems at the sacrifice of paying attention to the larger picture. My hope is those of us who now are mostly relegated to the status of Jeremiahs will somehow find a way to get the attention of our progeny, and ask them to at least pay attention to, in the climate issue, reputable scientists who support their theories with documented and easily confirmed facts. We need to ask them to consider the source whe hearing denial about climate change. What's at stake for them if they deny the need to deal with this threat right now.
Generally speaking, all one needs to do is to follow the money trail.

Leanderthal

Glenn Greenwald on Media Hypocrisy

Here is a well informed article by Glenn Greenwald of Salon.

He calls out the editors of The Washington Post for their blatant hypocrisy in calling for painful cuts in safety net programs which they claim must be made in order to reduce the deficit, while all the while continuing to support increases in debt raising Defense budgets, and their ongoing support of any and all wars America has waged in the past and, they claim, will have to wage in the future.

It lays specifics on the problems which are leading us to the demise of what now, sadly, must be called The American Empire.

Leanderthal

I Don't Know But I've Been Told

Pentagon truth is put on hold.

How's this for white washing? The level of hubris, hypocrisy and outright lies
is staggering.

Leanderthal

Dems: Take The Case to the Voters

Here's a right on analysis of Federal politics by Paul Krugman. He shines a bright light on credible pundits, like David Brooks, who claim that Obama doesn't want to get to know and try to work with people like Ryan who want to decimate the government's social contract with American citizens; as in Brooks' claim that Obama should invite Ryan to lunch at the White House.

Bullshit!

As Krugman correctly observes, we are a democracy, so let the voters decide; and make the gap between GOPher and Democratic views as stark as it really is.


Leanderthal

Social Security: What To Do and Not Do About It.

Here's a fine piece in today's 4/17/11, Cape Cod Times.

This prof has some great advice about what should and shouldn't be done to Social Security.

I was surprised by some of his comments, but overall they made sense.

Leanderthal

No Trump

I bid eight(years) no Trump, doubled and re-doubled.

Leanderthal

Have You Met Kevin Drumm?

Kevin Drumm is a progressive columnist who writes for Mother Jones.

Here is his contribution to Obama versus Ryan.

It's worth a full read.


Leanderthal

Michael Klare: Truth Teller re: Planet Eaarth.

Please read this essay by Michael Klare who writes the truth on the topic of Planet Earth, or Eaarth if you prefer.

He is the author of Resource Wars and other trenchant essays about our home planet and how we residents of it are doing our best to destroy our own home.

Leanderthal

Obama versus Ryan

Updated Below.


Here is Paul Krugman's take on Obama versus Ryan.

And here is David Brooks take on it.

Would you believe they are talking about the same subject?

It's what passes for dialogue in partisan DC,
Liberal columnist versus Conservative columnist.

It's not dialogue at all of course. It's two opinionated
men talking past each other, playing the old blame game.

And we wonder why our society feels so toxic.

The two columnists quoted above write for the NY Times.
When I got to the Washington Post I found these two
diametrically opposed opinions.

Here is Charles Krauthammer's take.

And here is Eugene Robinson's.

All four of these columns are worth reading in full
and I urge my readers to do so because all four
writers are articulate and intelligent, and make
their arguments well. Agreeing or disagreeing with
them, it's important to understand their position
if you hope to be an informed voter.

Leanderthal

The Realist: Glenn Greenwald of Salon

My experience has it that Glenn Greenwald understands the writing on the wall better than most DC pundits. Here he pulls the wool back from our eyes on why the president seems to be, actually is, caving to the GOPhers on budget cuts, taxes and other GOPher demands.

It's his re-election strategy, and he's counting on not losing progressives even when he abandons them. Who else are they going to vote for; Romney, Trump, Gingrich, Pawlenty, Palin, Bachmann, Paul and other assorted clowns?

Is this what is called "realpolitik"?

Leanderthal

Juan Cole on Who Values Democracy

Here's Juan Cole's take on American's and Arab's commitment to democracy.

Leanderthal

An Indicator of American Level of Intelligence

And we wonder why America seems to be in decline.
This article says a lot about it.

The actors in the TV hit Jersey Shore are given obscene raises.
Why? It's simple. This sleazy show is watched by huge numbers
of Americans, and we have to assume that they vote.

It's hard not to believe that the level of intelligence of a
large segment our population must be considered
at least challenged.

It's no wonder that the wing nut
GOPher Tea Party fringe can fool so many voters with
their bald face lies, convincing the gullible to vote against
their own interests.

Leanderthal

It's Still the Oil Stupid

It's always all about oil. Noam Chomsky doesn't pull his punches. Leanderthal

B for Bastards, P for Pissers

If this news item doesn't piss you off I doubt that anything could.

It speaks for itself.

Leanderthal

Hate War? Don't Dismiss the Value of Physical Competition .

Talk about pie in the sky. How could we homo sapiens ever channel the aggressive aspect of our being which, clearly, we came to quite naturally and essentially through what is called Evolution?

That process depends and thrives on awarding the victor over the vanquished, the survival of the fittest, and, to use the more euphemistic and less barbaric term, Natural Selection.

But, as a retired athlete and participant in many competitions, I was part of how civilized people do channel their aggression in healthy ways.

Right now MLB has started again, the NBA is moving toward the end of its season and the men's and women's collegiate basketball season is ending with the usual March madness.
Football, which comes as close as any sport to the old Roman games, will start up in the Fall.

We've turned the Roman Colosseum fight to the death athletics into a mostly positive and mostly healthy activity.

Thinking outside the box, what countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen
need is an active sports culture, for both men and women.

If my ancestors could have competed with today's homo sapiens sapiens in a sports arena, we Neanderthals just might have survived. After all we were bigger and stronger physically, though it seems perhaps not as smart. I bet you know some of today's athletes like that.

Leanderthal