Can those who read this blog indulge me for three very personal rants?
We face so many major problems in this country right now (can we spell LA?) that it seems terribly self-indulgent to focus on a few annoying aspects of civic debate. On the other hand, I think at least a couple of the behaviors I find so exasperating are symptoms of the inability of We the People to productively address the bigger issues. (Anyway, that’s my justification and I’m sticking to it!)
#1. I recently posted about an emerging argument over regulation. Proponents of taking a closer look at our regulatory processes aren’t the knee-jerk GOP scolds who define “free market” as “free” from any government rules; the concern (as I said in that post) is to guard against over-kill. But I immediately got an email from an acquaintance saying, essentially, “finally, people are realizing that we need to get government out of the way!”
Now, I’ve known this particular correspondent for a long time, and he’s not stupid. But he drank the Kool-Aid back when the GOP’s plutocrats were insisting that government just needed to get out of the way and let good-hearted business-people run their enterprises as they see fit.
We’re beginning to see what that would look like, as planes fall from the sky. Do we really want to get rid of FDA inspections to ensure that supermarket chickens are safe to eat? Do we want to turn a blind eye to that factory discharging toxic waste into the local river? Stop requiring clinical trials before approving the sale of medications and vaccines?
Bottom line: We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto! We don’t grow our own fruits and vegetables and go into the backyard to kill one of our own chickens for dinner. In a modern society, government regulations are essential. As I said in my post, it isn’t an “either/or” proposition; policymakers need to determine what regulations are needed, and how much is too much. That’s a lot harder, of course, than spouting ideological idiocies.
#2. This platform, like so many others, is a place where people with different perspectives but generally similar civic goals come to argue about THE question: what should we do? What actions can citizens take in the face of an existential threat to the America we thought we inhabited?
Those discussions may or may not be experienced as valuable, but one (probably inevitable) response drives me up the wall. It is the comment–in a lecturing tone–to the effect that such-and-such will clearly be ineffective, that it is simply “virtue-signaling” and unlikely to make any difference. It would be one thing if the person pouring cold water on a proposed activity ever followed up with a helpful, do-able suggestion–if the put-down was ever followed by a thoughtful “here’s what we should be doing instead,” but it never is.
One of the defects of Internet conversations is the absence of tone and body-language. Perhaps if we could see and hear the individuals who post these put-downs, they wouldn’t seem so sneering and self-important–but that is certainly what these “I know better than you and what you propose is stupid” comments convey.
#3. I am OVER the Democrats who keep wallowing in “what went wrong” and “who was to blame” and “why the approach of those of you on the (insert ideological position) is dooming our chances in the future.” I am especially over the focus on Joe Biden, and the utterly stupid accusations of a “cover up”–as Robert Hubbell has pointed out, a “cover up” of the cognitive state of a man who was appearing daily at campaign events, delivering addresses to Congress where he outwitted the entire Republican caucus, providing interviews to major media outlets, and guiding America through a period of stable foreign relations and successful domestic policy. Biden aged in office –and we all saw that–but he was a transformational and incredibly effective President. Should he have withdrawn sooner? Probably. But for goodness sake, GIVE IT A REST.
Meanwhile, we have a President whose election was at least partially due to the refusal of the mainstream press to give anything close to equal time to his embarrassing stupidity, his obvious mental illness (not to mention his age-related decline from what wasn’t a high bar to begin with). Even the aspects of his “character” (note quotation marks) that do receive coverage–his racism, his felonies, his rapes, his constant lies (are his lips moving?), his “out and proud” corruption –are still being normalized and sane-washed. WHY?
Okay. I’m done. Thanks for indulging me. I think I feel better.
Good hearted business owners wouldn’t need rules to insure the food they provide is safe. That their waste stays out of rivers, etc. They would pay those doing the work that makes them wealthy a good wage. There are, I believe, some around. Not enough!
As the dictatorial actions coming from the Trump Administration escalate it has become clear that protests are having little effect. Republican members of Congress seem to be immune to our pleas for them to check the unConstitutional behavior of Trump. The courts appear to be powerless to enforce their own rulings.
IMO we have reached the last point of defence from this attack on our government. Now it is up to the people. The question is how.
We do not have a nationally recognized leader at this time… no Martin Luther King to show us the way. However, that great champion of freedom did teach us the lessons of non-violent protest. It is up to us, we the people, to put those lessons to use starting this coming Saturday.
Totally agree. Love your wisdom and your eloquence. I will be out in the streets protesting the current administration for No Kings Day in San Diego. Not giving up hope for a better tomorrow.
Okay, I look at things from a different perspective, and generally, not to be a nuisance to others. But I suggest, that the citizens and taxpayers in this country, strike! If everyone quit paying their taxes, but absolutely would put the government in a bind. Unfortunately, many people don’t touch their money to be able to withhold taxes. It’s done automatically by the government, taking your money out of your account or your paycheck.
I’d say if the politicians do not abide by their sworn oaths to the general welfare of their constituency, then the government is null and void, especially as a protagonist for the people. The tea party, not the morons in 2008, but the tea party in Boston, was an example of being taxed without representation. And we find today that that’s exactly what they’re doing. Turning freeways into tollways, this tariff nonsense, selling public land and rolling back the clean water act. Every time they do something, it hits the average taxpayer right in the pocket. And maybe a little around the front. Why should the taxpayers tolerate these goofballs who can’t even spell general welfare. And I’m not talking about welfare Queens or Kings. But they will claim that’s what we are talking about. So they can short circuit the debate. There’s so many other things, pick certain corporations and definitely don’t purchase anything from them. If there’s 200 million people striking and not paying their taxes in the United States, and boycotting certain companies, that will have them stand up and take notice. After all, I doubt if they’re going to ship two or 250 million people into some military black side gulag, but you never know!
Passive resistance. Sit down, literally and figuratively. Yes, the thugs will still be aggressive, intimidate with weapons at the ready. Sit down. Don’t engage. Ghandi knew what he was doing.
Ironically, the same people who advocate for a free market are standing at the feed trough to receive ample handouts from the politicians to whom they donate money. I wouldn’t mind the free market types yapping if they weren’t such hypocrites. When I was researching the pollution emanating from Ohio CAFOs that killed Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Celina, the local environmental group’s president told me that the politicians know who is polluting the water. Still, they’re afraid they’ll wipe out their meat-producing companies in the state if they order them to clean it up. So, pollution wins!
As long as we teach young business professionals that their primary goal in business is profit maximization, it reinforces the human character defect of greed. As long as we reward greed, expect corruption. Capitalism requires numerous internal controls because unfettered markets can exploit resources to generate profits.
While I understand your Biden pet peeve, entertainment media outlets are using Jake Tapper’s book to try to whitewash their complicity in the administration’s efforts to protect Biden’s mental acuity from hindering his performance. Our illustrious Fourth Estate was complicit in the cover-up, just like they were complicit in attacking Bernie Sanders in 2016. The DNC also prevented AOC from getting a top-level committee position in favor of a 70+ year old with cancer.
Until the DNC’s leadership and structure are blown up and they return to representing the people’s interests, they will be a matter for discussion of what’s wrong with our democracy. Biden’s presidency was a stark example of what was wrong with our democratic institutions, including politics and the media. And, it’s why the people don’t trust either.
No King’s Day – June 14th, and stay away from your televisions that day.
First, they came for Trump’s prosecutors
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a prosecutor
Then they came for the judges
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a judge
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the people of color
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a person of color
Then they came for the LGBTA+’s
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a person who
identified with this group
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
The utter and collective stupidity and outright wickedness of the Trump administration is showing what a tyrannical dictatorship looks like American style. The WANT confrontation from the citizens so they can use their muscle to suppress it and take total control over everything. And we know that the red-blooded American citizen will not remain peaceful forever. That’s EXACTLY what these thugs want.
It is inevitable that with Saturday’s coming mass demonstrations everywhere that confrontations will occur. But until we the people, as Todd suggests, are organized enough to actually “storm the gates” and be successful, we will continue to careen toward open civil war.
There are still millions of MAGA idiots who will grab their guns and come to the rescue when the military is not available. Yes. Stay away from the TV on Saturday. I’m going to our demonstration in Denver, and at age 83, I can no longer run away from rubber bullets.
One of your best, Sheila. Thank you.
One thing that hanging out in the tech world of software has taught me is that our individual perspectives (which are based on the truly minuscule part of our environment that we can sense and therefore interpret) are limited to the words we know to name each thing we perceive. Authoritarians who believe they are entitled to control others gain authority through their behaviors, of course, but also because they effectively assign names to perspectives that give them the power they need.
A couple of examples in the long-term training leading to the pox now infecting our ineffective government are words like ‘overreach’, ‘conservative’, ‘fiscal responsibility’, and ‘states’ rights’. They are all legitimate English words, but have been redefined to convey meanings that people susceptible to the message will believe.
Every year, Congress adds new laws and regulations based on the perceptions of various groups of lawmakers. The problem is that the books full of words that manage our lives are poorly curated and edited, so many are obsolete or regulate our behaviors ineffectively, contributing to the challenges of our progress. “Overreach” of government is, therefore, a fact. Still, that fact is meaningless unless it is applied to the words of a particular law, and even then, areas of overreach are eminently debatable.
We can and do use the Federal Court System to stage that debate by considering the onslaughts of words by lawyers, each with a specific meaning implied by the English language, defending relevant facts, versus another onslaught of words advocating the opposite, all adjudicated by Federal Judges.
The wonder is that after 250 years of that, and in a world now that was inconceivable when early laws were put on the books, the system is overloaded in every possible direction, one being overreach.
Some day, Artificial Intelligence systems will have been developed beyond the primitive stage they are in now and become word processors that most of us can agree are superior to any individual set of humans in making complex judgments.
But until then, we are stuck with us individually and collectively, and we just aren’t up to the job of determining if and where specifically any government set of words is too regulating, requiring some editing.
Realize that Trump doesn’t give a damn about the rule of law. The totally corrupt SCOTUS has made him immune from prosecution for his crimes. Until the military leaders rebel, things are only going to get worse.
Sadly, pathetically, this is EXACTLY what this tin-pot dictator wants. He NEEDS to show military strength against the nation’s own people so he can feel strong. His psychopathy drives his actions and words. He is truly a madman in charge.
Sadly, all the pearl-clutching and hand-wringing isn’t going to change anything.
I’m a capitalist, who believes strongly in socialism. Not every function in society works well enough in a free market to “promote the general welfare and provide the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.’ That’s a big part of why we are here. For example, it doesn’t promote anybody’s welfare to deny healthcare to millions of people.
We all know that the best way to effect change is to vote the bums out. The problem is that too many people are disconnected from reality to bring about thoughtful discourse on who the bums are and, more importantly why they should go. We need to try different ways to get the attention of the non-voters. Subliminal advertising might be the key.
Biden may be old, but he was a very good President. Frankly I think his staffers did him an injustice with the no audience clause for the debate. Biden needs people. He gets energy from his audience. Check out the State of the Union Address. In fact, after the debate, Biden went to, if I recall correctly, a Waffle House. He spoke with the people there and he seemed like good old uncle Joe. The lesson to take here is: Never give an old man a strong antihistamine before a debate!
@Peggy – Are you taking an antihistamine today? 😉
And Vern, your former Texas Governor, is calling up the National Guard for what he calls “riots.”
I just read an article from a right-wing journalist claiming that No King’s Day is underwritten by one of the Walton family heiresses, and of course, it’s connected to Soros. I enjoy reading the comment section, and the MAGA crowd is foaming at the mouth over the Mexican flag-waving in LA. They are losing their shit!!
If I can find a Mexican flag or shirt, I’ll be wearing it to No King’s Day in solidarity with my Mexican brothers and sisters. Oh, and I’ll be carrying a concealed weapon just in case some MAGAs get ideas to break up the protests.
AMEN TO NUMBER 3!!!!!
It worked for Ghandi. It worked for Rev. King. It will still work today. Non-violent protest works because the more violent the oppressor becomes, the more people will oppose him. There will be individuals who are harmed by his violence, but many fewer than would be harmed as a result of living under a dictator. There are already people dying in the U.S. and around the world due to the actions of this administration. The longer we fail to respond, the more people will die.
Instead of just thanking the veterans of past conflicts, honor them by joining a non-violent protest AND doing whatever else you can to support the resistance.
👍🏻 # 3 – the Dems must concentrate on going forward rather than pearl-clutching about the past! (and I’m a congenital democrat)
Kkenna -you are so right! Perhaps, if we had more Coops and ESOPs that might happen. Another thought, how about giving tax breaks to those who self-regulate?
John Sorg – reflecting “real” resistance – hurt their earnings, hurt their brand, make them respond to their losses. Sitting down and holding signs doesn’t do it.
I will be shocked and amazed if any police bother demonstrators on Saturday. If there is any violence, it would come from extreme MAGAs. More likely, criminal elements might start looting, etc.. The perfect setup for The King!
No judgement. I agree.
Huzzah!
How can we overcome if we don’t try to overcome by whatever means is rationally available!
Regulations, tailored to the issue and industry, help the competent to thrive and the grifters to get out of the business.
Joe may have faltered but he never gave up and always tried to do the right thing for the country- which included stepping back. On the other hand- TACO.
“+The assumption of the unique moral virtue of the United States.
+The assertion of its mission to redeem the world by the spread of republican government and more generally the “American way of life”.
+The assumption of the unique moral virtue of the United States.
+The assertion of its mission to redeem the world by the spread of republican government and more generally the “American way of life”.
The Manifest Destiny goal of Trump’s belief for all others way of life and right to live as an American is leading to the removal of the rights of any and all who disagree with him. Can we trust our own military who are now active in stopping those using their 1st Amendment rights of free speech and to assemble to protest. Manifest Destiny governing played a part in the invasion of Mexican lands in Texas and California as the right of the United States to invade and claim as United States’ owned lands for new states to be laid out. This appeared in Trump’s early claim to takeover Canada and Greenland as part of the United States and return to control of the Panama Canal; no different except for the absence of invasion as of Russia’s into Ukraine, and that war is ongoing with Trump’s blatant support of Putin. He has written an Executive Order to rename the Gulf of Mexico; what is the actual legal status of all of his Executive Orders? The United States is not totally innocent in its staking claims on foreign lands and removing the civilization inhabiting the land. Trump has staked his claim and now has squatter’s rights to decide who is a citizen and who has a right to be here protected by the government.
Trump’s obvious mental derangement appears to on its way to his creation of another Pandemic of a different ilk. He has RFK, Jr., actively doing away with scientific research into and provision of vaccines to protect our physical lives while he and MAGA spread mental derangement and fear to weaken our ability to put an end to him and his insufficient administration.
“Things That Make ME Crazy”
Todd, governor Hotwheels is a Trump wannabe. Always has been. He is cruel and projects his “challenge” to his politics. Add the idiot Lt. Governor, Dan Patrick and the fundamentally corrupt state AG Ken Paxton and you have the same sort of core assholes that surround the oval office.
Texans aren’t very smart, no matter what the media presents. They keep electing dolts and wonder why they’re last or nearly last in all social, environmental, educational and infrastructure measurements. Everything Republicans touch dies. Read my book, “Killing the Dream …” and anything by Molly Ivins. That will confirm my “critique”.
Great post snd great comments. Thanks, everyone.
Todd, to call those right wing papers journalism is a step much too far!
Free market advocates have been looking for opportunities to loot the public, take their money, take their health, take their lives, if it means a bit more of a profit.
Of course Trump wants confrontation, so he can declare martial law and, once again, call off any future elections.
On June 14th, I will be driving through, or, rather, now, around D.C. on the way to somewhere else; not especially looking forward to that part of the trip.
trumps never takes responsibility for his actions and scapegoats others to blame. How weak he looks to point the finger at Biden while he’s making a mess of everything. The tariff fiasco, the war on immigrants, disregard for Constitution, bill of rights and rule of law, using the powers of presidency to persecute and prosecute his opponents and ridicule American citizens, inciting violence and insurrection while he continues his continuous massive grift are just some of his abuses and derelictions of his job.
Freedom of speech and peaceful protest are Americans rights and I’m sure using those does have an effect on the current situation. Though a lot of news stations haven’t given them much coverage, the politicians are aware of the unpopularity of their Maga positions. Holding up signs in solidarity with other Americans claiming our rights and showing democracy in action is building. People on the sidelines are joining in, and the media coverage is picking up. No kings Day protests will be a counter to the military parade in Washington DC that day showing” We the People” using and standing up for our rights.
Todd,
I’m on a lot of meds, but nothing that would make me crazy. I’m guessing you’re referring mostly to my words about Biden. Note that I didn’t call him a great president. IMHO, he screwed up royally in his support for Netanyahu. Never give thousand pound bombs to genocidal autocrats, or to anyone else for that matter.
Looking at what he did accomplish, he passed a lot of really good bills, bills that still might change the lives of many Americans. We had four years of Infrastructure Week. Biden gave us actual infrastructure. He brought manufacturing back to support our industry when there’s a disruption in the supply chain, like during a pandemic, which is much more likely now that RFK Jr. is in charge of our healthcare.
After all those years on the hill, he knew how to get things done. I wish that he had done what he said he would. He said he was going to be a transition President. I suppose he had such a good time being President he just didn’t want to quit.