Labor Day should be more respected than just advertisements for items being on sale. You write, Heather, that the same arguments which occurred in the 1800’s still exist in 2023. Union workers everywhere, are going on strike for better wages and benefits. Look at what is happening to the writers and staff for Hollywood and tv shows. The …
Labor Day should be more respected than just advertisements for items being on sale. You write, Heather, that the same arguments which occurred in the 1800’s still exist in 2023. Union workers everywhere, are going on strike for better wages and benefits. Look at what is happening to the writers and staff for Hollywood and tv shows. The CEOs are raking in millions upon millions upon millions of dollars while the front line people struggle to eat or take care of themselves. Greed is atrocious.
Amen. But Greed is far beyond atrocious. It's a giant, cancerous blob which will never be satiated. I can't help but think of the image Matt Taibbi gave us in his book ("Griftopia") about Goldman-Sachs during the 2008 Bailout Scam. I believe he called them, "A giant vampire squid stuck on the face of Humanity." Goldman-Sachs was overleveraged 330 times to 1--1 being the amount of capital G-S actually possessed at the time of the crisis. Yet, the government bailed them out dollar for dollar to cover that giantic loss from spectulation. And G-S was joined by many more "too big to fail" scammers.
Our political leaders/administrators are mostly controlled by greed of one form or another. I just wish they didn't have so much control over our lives. It's embarrassing to allow such corrupted people to rule us.
"Yet, the government bailed them out dollar for dollar to cover that giantic loss from spectulation. And G-S was joined by many more "too big to fail" scammers."
Yet, the republicans have the shamelessness to refer to stepping up to big pharma to negotiate for lower (ridiculously high) drug prices as communism. The irony is indigestible....
Hedydon, your remark: " I just wish they didn't have so much control over our lives."
It is frustrating that the disinformation/misinformation machines (Fox, OAN, Alex Jones and Newsmax) can so easily peddle their wares to an audience that wants to hear what they have to pitch. They believe it because they want to - confirmation bias. Somehow, perhaps beginning at least in the 6th grade, we could begin teaching our children critical thinking processes. Confirmation bias is the first fact to teach and examine.
Think of something that you believe is true . . . .
Richard, Haydon, and anyone else who may read this, there's a book; The Life Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit, by John Petrocelli ISBN 978-250-27162-4, that you may enjoy. Cheers.
And may I suggest another interesting book: “The Confidence Game - Why We Fall for It…Every Time” by Maria Konnikova. It describes those bullshitters to a “T”.
Richard, I suspect it will take A LOT of teaching to override the human need to belong. A major part of scientific thinking and teaching is geared toward recognizing the many ways personal bias can slip into our observations and "analysis." It is wise to keep in mind the propositions of Steven Pinker (Harvard psychologist) in which he contends that "In many circumstances, social connection is actually more helpful to your daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea. People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs, so one function of the mind may be to hold beliefs that bring the belief-holder the greatest number of allies, protectors, or disciples, rather than beliefs that are most likely to be true.” In his 2018 book on "Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds" James Clear points out that "truth and accuracy are not the only things that matter to the human mind; humans (as essentially herd animals) also have a deep desire to belong. In many circumstances, social connection is actually more helpful to your daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea."
These contentions seem a very accurate depiction of our current political scene!
JohnM, I think that the points are well made. I grew up in Jim Crow Texas in the 1940's and '50's. I never liked the "good ol'boy' culture. When I got to California courtesy of the U.S. Army, it was a breath of fresh air. I never returned to live in Texas. I've concluded that in many cases we believe "what we want or feel compelled to believe" for personal reasons. I cite Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D. as an example of this. Collins was co-chair of the Human Genome Project. If anyone understands DNA and its origin, it has to be Collins, yet, even knowing that all living things on earth (plants, animals, insects) all share the same DNA, coming down to us from LUCA, a creature (one-celled) that came to life 3.5 billion years ago, Collins is still a fundamentalist Christian. Why? I suspect that he doesn't want to "die." That compulsion overrides his critical thinking capacity. Why do MAGA/KKK support Trump? He represents their racism, among other elements. It's complicated, on the one hand, and simple, on the other hand.
Richard, thanks for this interesting post about Collins. I am in the middle of a book called The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science by Alan Lightman, a scientist. He has a whole chapter that really focuses on the fear of death and some early writers like Lucretius who gave a material explantation (atoms) in contrast to a divine explanation for things in an attempt to relieve people of the fear of death. He also gives figures for how many people in this country believe that there is a heaven and a hell....way too high a percentage in my estimation. He is also very well read and cites quite a number of people throughout. I bought this book in a book form from Powell's (the workers are on strike today) in Portland. I want to make another order soon, but I won't cross even a virtual picket line.
To explain my own point of view a little, I consider my birth as a white male to be a chance matter in the broader scheme of things. I could have been born a female raccoon or a male shark. We all have the same DNA. It just so happens that I came along as a white, Ango-Saxon male. I take absolutely no sense of pride in it or that I should necessarily identify with other white males, or males of any race, or whites of any gender. It's all simply a matter of chance. This makes it virtually impossible for me to identify with KKK/MAGA types.
"People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs" I add and the way they look.
Whilst living in the US I was lucky to have lived in Topanga Canyon, not only a place of great beauty but a haven of original thinkers/artists/musicians. IF I had not lived there most decidedly I would have left before the 22yrs I had.
I was outspoken and wore clothes I liked which (when in the City of LA) were cause for many stares and people making up their minds about what I was like.
Many people were like sheep..same clothes/toys/opinions.
Yes! That’s liberal arts education which we have mostly abandoned. Today repeating what I learned in graduate school about the liberal arts education i had been receiving since eighth grade: the international scholar who was teaching the class I was taking, who had graduated from Harvard with a PhD said that he had received that degree “while Harvard was still a university--the year before the Business School
opened.” Education is not about jobs (as some would say “per se”), but about learning how to discriminate between fact and fancy.
I agree with that last statement. When I was a student at Whittier College (1965) I remember my Russian history professor, Harry Nerhood, telling me: "Richard, we're not about teaching you what you need to know on a job. That will come on the job. We're about teaching you how to think." Amen.
Interesting. My personal experience on that was studying Criminology at Southern Oregon State College (now SO University). My first year taking lower division classes, I had one professor say "We are not going to teach you how to be cops; that is the job of your agency. We are here to teach you the history, foundations, applications, and how to apply that knowledge to the basics of policing." I had professors who had been street cops who got Ph.D.'s, lawyers, one who had been a cop, then a lawyer, and another former juvenile system worker. None of my coursework centered on the mechanics of law enforcement, and the only class I ever took that required any sort of actual law enforcement time asked for us to do a ride-along with an agency, ask a set of questions that pertained to what we were studying, and then write a paper on it.
Taught critical thinking, how to write, how to recognize bias, and some other really useful things...
Yes! I remember hearing that thinking was what we were after: use good sources, what the good sources were, discriminate among sourced. Learning a bit of Latin and Greek was a plus too. It taught appreciation of language and its appropriate use. I used the formula learned to conjugate Latin verbs to teach French verbs. My favorite Monty Python remains: “If you don’t know the Latin, you have to do the hackin’ and the hewin’. I learned my smattering of Latin and French phonetics at the same time in my small country high school in rural Virginia from teachers who had liberal arts degrees and maybe one “education course.” I taught imitating to the best of my ability the best teachers I’d had. It worked! (But teaching was what many on both sides of my family did, so maybe it’s genetic. Salesmanship and loving the what and the whom you’re teaching.)
My Russian history prof at the UO was Gustav Alef. One day a person in the class made a comment about what he thought was the uselessness of history and the importance of having trade. Dr. Alef then told us that his father, a prof in eastern Europe, given what happened to intellectuals in Europe at times, told his son that as a backup, he should also learn a trade and he did: electrical engineering. That shut up the student.
Virginia....this started when I was still working in eduction in the 90s with a new principal (a jerk who we finally sued) who insisted that certain classes had to be about careers. I consider such a position undercutting critical thinking among other things as well as kids learning basics about how to do certain things in ordinary life. Now everything is about money. As for the constant drumbeat contrasting universities and trades. I say we can do both and must do both as we need both physicians and plumbers for example. We did our graduate work at Oregon and have followed some of their sports teams for years. Now in pursuit of money we have the athletic program joining the Big Ten and others leaving for other conferences, so there is only two schools left in the venerable Pac 12. This is determined by TV payouts, so Fox and ESPN rule. Too bad about the athletes who next year will have to travel across country. People in Oregon complain nonstop about PERS, the public employee retirement system. Who gets the largest PERS payout per month....Mike Belotti, the former UO head football coach.
Can we put Shop classes back in high schools? Computer classes are already there. Employers can train. If they get well-educated employees, it’s faster. I have been entertained by the speed with which Ukrainian soldiers have learned weapons that American military thought would take months, reminded that if you must learn two languages and two alphabets in primary schooo, your brain is well-prepared for learning what follows.
Honestly, all kinds of life skills have to be taught in school, and they can't wait until high school. Kids are exposed to advertising (barraged might be a better word for it) of all kinds everywhere at all times from early childhood on - sometimes even by their parents based on the products those parents bring into the household and the TV channels they keep on, and that advertising interferes with their ability to assess what is real and what is valuable. They have to be taught - in school - critical thinking skills from childhood on, and then over time how to budget, how to change a tire, how to clean the dishes and vacuum a house, how to clean a bathroom and a kitchen, how to cook simple meals, how to assess quality of ingredients to buy at the store and figure out what to substitute when the ingredients aren't available or are too expensive, AND computer skills, shop and basic electrical and plumbing skills so they can get and keep a job they want - because their parents aren't teaching this stuff, either because they themselves can't, or don't have the time after working two jobs, or are taking care of elderly parents, etc. and on and on. And this stuff all needs to be taught to people in the public schools, not in after-school or post-12th grade programs which they have to pay for individually, because a lot of the people who need these skills cannot afford to pay to acquire them.
Here in Salem, we have shop classes at a large career center near us and another one not too far away. I see that that the one we pass often has a beauty school element. As far as i know certain shop classes have remained where I worked. One of the problems even when i was working is that people can make more money elsewhere and don't have to deal with school problems.
The one thing most politicians don't want is a thinking population. This is why some of them try to ban books. No book ever hurt anyone, but books can lead to thinking and that is not good for many politicians. Texas has specifically banned the teaching of critical thinking because they don't want children to question what their parents teach them. Such B.S. is unbelievabble, except in the mind of a conservative who knows their position is weak and doesn't lend itself to close examination.
That is one tricky process. Dont count on it working extensively, but id never stop anyone trying! Even critical thinking is a form of indoctrination, ie a trained process which needs to be internalized and practiced, and... it isn't easy. Not only that, it takes little trouble to throw up superficial media roadblocks, esp when its' organized. Climate change, small example.
Touchstone Discussion Project (TDP) offers schools and volunteers short, text-based, leader-led discussions, designed in convey (in under an hour a week) the essential skills of reflection, critical thinking, listening, and
deliberation and mutual respect.
Maybe offer TDP to your local school, community center, children & grandchildren?
You know what, Jean (Muriel,) you are right, and I could take my own case to prove it. When I was six years old I lived in a rural part of Texas, which at the time had a population of no more than 2 million. There was virtually no ambient light. At that time, "the stars at night were big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas." The sky was brilliant. I used to try in my mind to travel to the edge of the universe, but of course, I couldn't. I could never get there. Infinity is beyond human comprehension and, of course, we cannot get past the edge of the universe into, what? How can there be anything on the outside of the universe. So, even at six I was having these questions. I could have used the critical thinking process then. I also had the same question about whether there was a God. Ultimately, I came to believe that the idea of God and everlasting life were mere vain hopes. It does end. As the poet said: "Gather ye rosebuds while you may, for tomorrow will be dying."
Richard, thank you for the questions........however....... maybe turning off their source of news......except they are at church several times a week .....a nest of reprograming for the"Rs".
Dear close relatives were sharing a meal with us last evening. They are strongly supporting the "Rs" ..... we did not argue nor could we discuss with reason....we just enjoyed our evening. My sister-in-law asked."You don't hate us do you?" Of course we responded, "NO". I thought....why would I hate you....why would you even think that having an opposing opininion would cause me to "hate" someone. (Maybe concerned about your sense of reality ...but surely not "hate". )
It is a complicated matter, Emily. Those who support Trump actually are saying that they approve of his dismantling the Constitution and establishing a dictatorship. We're definitely at a tipping point in this country - white autocratic dictatorship vs. a pluralistic democratic constitutional republic. Perhaps we should be talking about what they understand the government would be under a Trump presidency. I will ask some of my old buddies who are MAGA Republicans.
Yes, The bailouts that began in 2007 and went through 2012 in various forms and were supported by BOTH parties actively and were the most disgusting thing I have seen in my adult lifetime.
Millions of homeowners washed out into the street but Big Banks were bailed out, NOT the homeowners.
All of the players on Wall Street who CAUSED the crash, a crash that was underpinned by the legalization of derivatives (i.e., mortgage backed securities) in 2001 by the Bush administration, were bailed out.
Every single bad actor who caused the crash: A Republican administration that had legalized derivatives, Goldman Sachs, Big Banks who knew better, were ALL bailed out.
The bailout started under Bush, but Obama amped it up when he became President (and then earned $200,000 for his first post Presidential speech at one of those banks). Obama's deficit spending was breathtaking as he tried to funnel money to the rich to cloak the Republican caused depression.
In fact, we should have bailed out not one bank, not one investment house and then let the economy sink into a depression for 10 years.
Then??? People would remember George W. Bush NOT for his illegal wars BUT for his disastrous Great Depression.
NOBODY would be voting Republican today. Everybody would still remember living in the streets due to Republican policy.
I am in sympathy with your sentiments. Maybe not totally with your solution. Certainly, most of the Federal bailout money should have gone to the homeowners who were cheated. We who have signed mortgage papers know how mind numbing it is. And the mortgages of that day were nuts.
We needed a loan to get from one property to another residence/small business. A mortgage broker sat at our kitchen table, took our SS numbers and said I'll get back to you. Next week he said you are all set. I said: "Don't you want to know our income?"
"Nope, I'll fill in what works for the underwriters." It was a "stated income, no doc loan". 1% interest for 3 months. Then LIBOR plus some adjustable percentage. Payments would explode over time.
We paid that loan off quickly - used it as a bridge loan. But how many unsuspecting homeowners were trapped in such a way? And was that unlicensed (not required then in Maine) broker ever held accountable for selling dangerous junk loans to unsuspecting people? No.
Obama's bailout could have taken different forms. Homeowners first. Let some banks gobble up some other banks that were under capitalized. I really doubt that the entire financial system would have suffered for very long. The vultures would have swooped in and eaten the carcasses of Goldman Sacks, etc.
Obama had two disadvantages. One was that he was afraid of being too "populist". He wanted to be a president for all of us - including Wall Street. The other was that his cabinet was infested with money pushers from guess where. An imperfect leader.
But on the other side of the coin, he did bail out the Detroit car industry with loans that were repaid. What if the government had done something similar for Wall Street and AIC - holding a chunk of ownership to allow Americans to reap some profits along with the oligarchs? But wait! Oh, no! That sounds like "socialism"! Sounds like "Bernie talk", eh? Sign me up.
“Socialism”? That’s the right-wing’s reply to any intelligent suggestions or solutions by the Democrats or anyone else for that matter…all the while the, those who are retired readily accepting their Social Security checks.
As has oft been repeated on these pages, Republicans by & large don't seem to possess a clue as to what that dreaded moniker, "socialism" actually means. They brandish it like a sword and use it to label EVERYTHING Democrats propose, with it often being a MISnomer instead. They keep their base misinformed about it, never really going into what it is, only that they have to be against it because . . . ? Well, it's "socialism". Isn't that bad enough? Just like HCR points out was done by Republicans in the 1880s and "90s, they use it as a scare tactic. Nowadays, it's to SWEAR that we will end up like Venezuela, Cuba, or North Korea, which of course is laughably ridiculous. The ones fomenting the lies about it ARE afraid of "socialism" because deep in their shriveled up, cold, capitalistic little hearts they know if we developed democratic socialism as practiced in Europe, Scandinavia, or other industrialized countries, THEIR days of raking in obscene amounts of profits would be seriously curtailed. THAT is what they're afraid of. Once the people get used to having more, it will be hard to put that genie back in the bottle. Corporations in those places exist and still do make large amounts of capital, but not to the ridiculous levels of entities here. They pay their workers more, pay more in taxes, and provide many more services for their employees, with the difference being their bottom lines of profit are less, but they do still exist. AND guess what, the populations of those countries still have the power of the vote to change things as they see fit. The top percentages of wealthy people here keep managing to convince the middle and lower income people that it is in their best interest to do all they can to fight against "socialism" (as they see it), when the exact opposite is true. There is no amount of money these uber-wealthy entities won't spend to keep convincing their constituents of the evils of "socialism" and that THEY, the wealthy, need to keep being able to earn countless billions and also dispense with any regulations on that. I wonder how much longer they will be able to hoodwink their base? Now they're trying it from the "cultural wars" angle, that Democrats (and "socialists") are all for killing babies, confusing their children about their gender and sexuality, taking away their rights, and making them "woke", whatever that is. No wonder Europeans look at us and think, "WTF?!?"
You speak the truth. When engaging with those worried about socialism, I often ask them who really needs more than a billion dollars? Or 500 million for that matter.
Yes, the malicious have gotten a lot of mileage through inflaming the people with the ominous, threatening "socialism".
Of course, there are multiple reasons the "socialism" message has been so well-drilled into Americans' heads. I was a child and young adolescent during the '50s. I remember the anti-socialist/communist films with themes of treating the "reds" as though they were an insidious disease which needed to be found and dissolved. Even the newsreels at the movie theaters were continuing with clips degrading U.S. enemies. Propaganda grew in development and use, super-charged during WWII. Shortly thereafter (1947?), television began to be available and coupled with the government propaganda machine, the authorities were able to distribute their "messages" to the masses. The Cold War, the Iron Curtain, McCarthyism, et al--they all came to us through the newspapers and magazines, radio, TV, and films. There must be a hundred films of the '50s based on that anti-red message; and the music/soundtrack is always dramatic, threatening, fearful. The message was drilled into Americans' heads like some osmotic radio wave which goes straight into the human brain.
And voila! We have today's perception of socialism for most of the U.S. It's passed down through generations. It may become epigenetic. I'm reminded of the film "1984" with the rally against the current enemy. We need to find a way to change that archaic mentality. For example, I think first of Denmark. Not only does the population look healthy, there also often ranked #1 or #2 in the U.N. Happiness Survey, a detailed survey to cover all aspects of their lives.
You’re not serious?Obama should have let the economy sink into a depression for 10 years? All so a Republican would be remembered as having caused it? I don’t think so.
Bush was considered one of the worst presidents anyway. He started needless wars that destabilized the world. He cut regulations so the greed could run wild. He was so bad that Americans elected a charming, slightly center-left Black man. That gave a bloated sociopath a path to bring out all the racism, divide the country, and not only bring back greed but double down on corruption.
But Obama is not just charming. He is also a patriotic American who carries two burdens: racism and equality of opportunity. He is working on both solutions with Eric Holder via fair voting.
Obama was the kind of person who America should have as a president. He was smart, well educated, and thoughtful. He made some mistakes in situations in which all of his choices were terrible. He knew he couldn't be too aggressive or the racism would have been even worse. I feel (my opinion) that his major fault was that he overestimated the American people and the morality of the Republican Party. He thought that enough people would easily reject the crazy conspiracy theories. He thought the Republicans were a still part of a democracy and would negotiate. He gave the Dems too much confidence that the world had changed. They lost the state legislatures because no one paid enough attention to the dark money funding Republicans.
I agree with you, Kenneth, it is so easy and comfortable to spout those cheap assessments well after the fact without also listing all the ways people would have gotten hurt by a system they had no voice in. The ramifications of letting GM expire, for one instance. would have been global, the U.S. would have sunk to the level of a Trump-described as a "shithole" country, and we would have been easy pickings for other powerhungry governments . Our dollar might have gone extinct.
If the US had been allowed to sink into a depression for 10 years, then the world would have sunk into one as well. Imagine what the Putin's of the world would have done with that...
Mike, The Big Short is a book that everyone interested in how greed destroys should read
How to prevent a devastating collapse of an entire economy based primarily on the faith of the dollar and the cash flow that “credit” requires is a no man’s land of speculation into “what drives that faith”
Yes, all that talk about a self-correcting market was just talk. No way Paulson and his ilk were going to let the market proceed naturally. I could tell by the panicked look on Paulson’s face, he knew he was going to be wiped out if nothing was done and the big speculators took the hit--when the market made the big correction. So of course they changed the rules. Legislators had an opportunity to put some regulations in place to shield residential housing and take care of people but they let big money take care of the market. I think legislators may have become full on puppets at that point in time. Corporate power replaced legislative power at that point. My 401K took a hit but it was not wiped out and luckily I was still working at the time. The music stopped but I still had a chair you might say. Just look at housing costs now--still ridiculously high. We are becoming a land of renters. Big money, big exploitation was protected. I was disappointed with Obama. I am of the opinion he didn’t understand what was happening and so relied on advisors. I may be wrong in this assessment but when I look at residential housing--when I see how much of a person’s income it takes to have shelter today--when I see all the homelessness--when I see the massive rates of incarceration--I think I might not be far off. Big money preaches the wisdom of the market--letting it do is thing--but big money knows better. It’s like the priesthood peddling virtue. The many believers following the path of virtue form a protective screen behind which the priests in power can proceed to do whatever they want. I think of 401Ks as the screen of big money. Have I got a deal for you. I think the whole correction should have been allowed to happen but as I said I was still working at the time and did not lose my job--so easy for me to say. Who knows really if the legislators at the time had the ability or character to legislate. I would bet no.
I can't remember the book I read several years ago by a guy who went to DC as an assistant secretary of the treasury to administer the aid to mortgage holders, and was then completely stonewalled because the money was reserved for the "big guys."
Mary, if not for the manipulations of the market that prevented a complete crash, you may have lost your job; who knows. Those that had a life vest survived, those that didn’t drowned
Thanks, you nailed it. And it is why "Greed" is listed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. In my book, it is numero uno and the foundation of our problems as a society.
Marlene, you have hit the nail on the head. Stores aren’t closed, businesses aren’t closed, people have to work on this day. Sales! Trying everything they can to get that almighty dollar out of peoples pockets.
Corporations keep their employees working so they, the big cheese behind the big desk that’s at home 🏡 this holiday can line his pockets with more money.
Wow, all the talk here over could'a, would'a, should'a's. The poets and the guitar toting bards of the world have been trying to turn our attention to all of this corrupt behavior for a very long while. Think George Harrison, "Living In The Material World" , or "Within You , "Without You". It's all right there! Our brains are far too easily diverted by massive floods of distractions. Think TELEVISION. Or, maybe follow the NFL draft a while. How about those Kardashians bro! This, and more, owned by rich white men who steer us by the nose. Steve Bannon is published somewhere talking about how easy the pickings are of millions of Americans to persuade them in to buy into, and believe the biggest lines of lies. Navigating Tipping Points requires courage and determination. With the ear-bud clad, phone obsessed here, I just don't see the intestinal fortitude needed. I hope I am proven wrong next November.
And it holds many appalling absences. It's frightening to me that Republican legislators are trying to get the Ten Commandments up in schools and public buildings. There's no commandment against slavery. There's no commandment against rape. There's no commandment against child abuse. There's no commandment against torture.
In short - there are enshrined commandments against minor offenses but none against atrocity. That's no model of a justice system.
Kathy, yes, 100%. But I've found that among those Christians who have never really considered everything that's left out of the Ten Commandments - there are at least some for whom it's a real revelation when those omissions are pointed out. We have to do what we can!
If you're banning books for teaching the "wrong" lessons or for sexual and/or violent content, the Bible is the first book that should be removed isn't it?
Alexandra.....there's only the compassion of God, providing Himself, "the Lamb of
God" as the sacrifice for our sins, appearing as human and existing as both God and Man living with us.....demonstrating love by showing us to trust in Him when we are afraid and feeling helpless, by healing the sick and lame, by loving and accepting the rejected.....even including as one of His disciples, one who would reject Him and turn Him in to those who wanted to kill Him......for just a few coins.
We do the same today.
When preaching to a multitude.....and as the day was passing, a disciple mentioned to Him that the crowd was appearing to be tired, but would not leave Him ....that the people may be hungry. Jesus asked them to find someone with food. There was a young boy whose mom had packed a basket of "loaves and fishes". Jesus asked the boy if he would like to share. The young boy gave his food to the disciples and Jesus multiplied the food so that everyone had some . There were even leftovers.
Jesus summed up the 10 commandments by commanding those of us who claim to believe, to love one another as we would want to be loved. As true believers, we have the opportunity to live out these words every day. How do we treat the ones closest to us, those we worship with, our neighbors, our family members, those who have chosen to worship differently, fellow humans who are dressed with a different color/shade of skin, who do not speak our language, those who are in desparate need fleeing towards the "hope" they have been told our country offers....those who are broken by disease, those who suffer with depression, those with
deep physical and mental struggles....Do We Love and Care for These Precious Lives as We Would Want to be Cared for? Jesus asked us to love our enemies. And He showed the way by allowing Himself to be arrested, beated, lied about, brutilized, betrayed by one of His disciples, abandoned by most of His disciples.
Because of His example, those who use Christians or those who claim to be Christians, but are not.....infuriate me.
And those who push lies are laughing all the way to the ballot box.
Alexandra, all persons using the WORD OF GOD for evil will stand before a Holy
God someday. God sees all....He holds eternity "in His hand".
Meanwhile, let's work for freedom...whatever your faith....if you are for Democracy and keeping our country free...VOTE FOR JOE BIDEN....the Democrats while not perfect....are our best voice and they are working hard to build up this country, to build strong positive relationships with world leaders, to provide for those who are confronting dictators with their life's blood....to encourage opportunities and hope for everyone.
“Greed is atrocious” and understanding that it is currently driving the capitalist system of economy and politics should encourage us to think outside the box when it comes to solutions. The traditional approach of Labor vs. greed driven owners is a paradigm that keeps us in a perpetual struggle of “us vs. them.” Approaches, thinking and solutions beginning 140 years ago does not work in the universe of vast multinational corporations. When our next inevitable meltdown comes, we need to be ready with a blueprint for a new system that comes from thinking outside the box of a democracy controlled by ultra-wealthy capitalists. We must envision and implement a new economic and political system based on labor’s ownership of industry, utilities, retail and banking. In other words, Cooperative owned businesses, banks and industries. We already have some of these operating quite nicely. I have worked at a worker owned Co-op supermarket in Hayward CA. where the workers are the owners of a large well managed supermarket. I have shopped at Bi-Mart a chain of over 70 discount department stores in four northwestern states that are a worker and customer owned cooperative. There are more than 40,000 cooperatives of all types currently in the U.S. that provide more than $25 billion in wages. According to a University of Wisconsin study cooperatives have an estimated 350 million members. www.uwcc.wisc.edu There are no worker vs. owner disputes, the workers are the owners. The outside the box solution to unsustainable corporate dominated democracy is in a new model of “Economic Democracy,” where business is owned by the workers and not the “atrocious” greed driven capitalists. https://www.proutinstitute.org/policy-solutions/economic-democracy-the-alternative-to-corporate-rule . Our next economic collapse will be our next great opportunity: lets be ready with new solutions.
My background is rather unique in that I've been both a senior executive in a Fortune 100 company, a highly ethical one no less, and a member of the AFL-CIO Musicians Union, before right to work laws were passed. The blizzard of 1977 in Boston was at its height during rush hour and the roads became clogged with cars stuck in heavy snow. An emergency order prohibited people from driving on the roads for several days meaning employees couldn't get to work for an entire week. My company, Digital Equipment Corporation paid the hourly workers a full weeks wage anyway because it was the "right thing to do" even if it cost Digital about a million dollars. GE didn't pay its hourly workers for that week because there was no rule in their contract with the unions that said they had to. Digital never unionized because it was a highly ethical company who lived their motto of "Do the Right Thing" and treated its employees very well. The moral of the story is that large companies can be ethical. Ethics start at the top and our company had a wonderful man at the top, Ken Olsen. He not only had a vision for bringing computing to all people, he also had an organizational vision that was very egalitarian. Here's a short video on Ken, my mentor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6We6VDtyHY Our networking products and our large role in defining the Internet protocols and its access by everyone was basically exporting our corporate culture. We knew we were changing the world ... and we did. My solution to workers today being ignored by mostly highly greedy corporate management is to have workers get enough shares in the company so they are significant shareholders and therefore get a share of the profit they produced. We, the People, all of us this time!
Sorry, but greed is universal. We all have some greed in us, if only the desire for a higher wage, a better place to live or a secure retirement. Greed, like all impulses, has to be managed. How and when to do that are questions that bedevil us.
I just don't get it. Fawn all over Veterans 4 or 5 days a year, but how many of today's super "military supporters" actually served, or even have a family member serving? Where is the support for VA funding, PTSD care, financial assistance to Veterans who just cannot get by? Another thing that sticks in my craw: Veteran's Day is a biggie, it celebrates all veterans, but really commemorates the end of WWI (the 11th month, the 11th day, the 11th hour). Memorial Day honors combat deaths, springing from the Civil War aftermath, where graves of the war dead were decorated with flowers. First "Decoration Day" then "Memorial Day".
And the Republican politicians vote against funding for Veterans time and again. McConnell and the Senate Republicans couldn't find a single vote for the burn pit legislation until they were humiliated by the press. And there have been other times as well.
They always brag about funding the military, but it's the Democrat's that have given the military the largest increases in pay and benefits over the years. Most of the defense budget goes to the defense contractors.
We heard a mash up band last night that called themselves Southern Rocks Finest. It was comprised of former members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Pure Prairie League and Molly Hatchett. Anyway, the played the national anthem dedicating it to Veterans for Labor Day. Everyone in our group looked around wondering if we were the only ones that thought this was the wrong holiday for this.
Labor Day should be more respected than just advertisements for items being on sale. You write, Heather, that the same arguments which occurred in the 1800’s still exist in 2023. Union workers everywhere, are going on strike for better wages and benefits. Look at what is happening to the writers and staff for Hollywood and tv shows. The CEOs are raking in millions upon millions upon millions of dollars while the front line people struggle to eat or take care of themselves. Greed is atrocious.
"Greed is atrocious."
Amen. But Greed is far beyond atrocious. It's a giant, cancerous blob which will never be satiated. I can't help but think of the image Matt Taibbi gave us in his book ("Griftopia") about Goldman-Sachs during the 2008 Bailout Scam. I believe he called them, "A giant vampire squid stuck on the face of Humanity." Goldman-Sachs was overleveraged 330 times to 1--1 being the amount of capital G-S actually possessed at the time of the crisis. Yet, the government bailed them out dollar for dollar to cover that giantic loss from spectulation. And G-S was joined by many more "too big to fail" scammers.
Our political leaders/administrators are mostly controlled by greed of one form or another. I just wish they didn't have so much control over our lives. It's embarrassing to allow such corrupted people to rule us.
"Yet, the government bailed them out dollar for dollar to cover that giantic loss from spectulation. And G-S was joined by many more "too big to fail" scammers."
Yet, the republicans have the shamelessness to refer to stepping up to big pharma to negotiate for lower (ridiculously high) drug prices as communism. The irony is indigestible....
Hedydon, your remark: " I just wish they didn't have so much control over our lives."
It is frustrating that the disinformation/misinformation machines (Fox, OAN, Alex Jones and Newsmax) can so easily peddle their wares to an audience that wants to hear what they have to pitch. They believe it because they want to - confirmation bias. Somehow, perhaps beginning at least in the 6th grade, we could begin teaching our children critical thinking processes. Confirmation bias is the first fact to teach and examine.
Think of something that you believe is true . . . .
1. How SURE are you that it's true? (0-100%)
2. What is the SOURCE of the belief?
3. What are your REASONS for believing it's true?
4. How could you FIGURE OUT if it's true?
5. How would you FEEL if you were WRONG?
6. What facts would CHANGE YOUR MIND?
Richard, Haydon, and anyone else who may read this, there's a book; The Life Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit, by John Petrocelli ISBN 978-250-27162-4, that you may enjoy. Cheers.
.My office mate used to have a spray can labeled "Bullshit Detector." Wish it were that easy.
Thank you for this, Steve. I just ordered it for my Kindle from Amazon.
!
Got it, and it's true, we all do B.S. Kindle is great.
I got the condensed summary, which, in my view, is itself bullshit. Don't buy the one by Robert Tina.
And may I suggest another interesting book: “The Confidence Game - Why We Fall for It…Every Time” by Maria Konnikova. It describes those bullshitters to a “T”.
Great book by Maria. I got it back when it first came out.
See also: "Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic"
https://www.amazon.com/Knowing-What-Know-Transmission-Knowledge/dp/0063142880/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3I3QT6422TO4W&keywords=knowing+what+we+know&qid=1693838539&s=books&sprefix=knowing+what+we+know%2Cstripbooks%2C111&sr=1-1
I just reserved the book online and will pick it up at the library tomorrow.
Richard, I suspect it will take A LOT of teaching to override the human need to belong. A major part of scientific thinking and teaching is geared toward recognizing the many ways personal bias can slip into our observations and "analysis." It is wise to keep in mind the propositions of Steven Pinker (Harvard psychologist) in which he contends that "In many circumstances, social connection is actually more helpful to your daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea. People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs, so one function of the mind may be to hold beliefs that bring the belief-holder the greatest number of allies, protectors, or disciples, rather than beliefs that are most likely to be true.” In his 2018 book on "Why Facts Don't Change Our Minds" James Clear points out that "truth and accuracy are not the only things that matter to the human mind; humans (as essentially herd animals) also have a deep desire to belong. In many circumstances, social connection is actually more helpful to your daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea."
These contentions seem a very accurate depiction of our current political scene!
JohnM, I think that the points are well made. I grew up in Jim Crow Texas in the 1940's and '50's. I never liked the "good ol'boy' culture. When I got to California courtesy of the U.S. Army, it was a breath of fresh air. I never returned to live in Texas. I've concluded that in many cases we believe "what we want or feel compelled to believe" for personal reasons. I cite Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D. as an example of this. Collins was co-chair of the Human Genome Project. If anyone understands DNA and its origin, it has to be Collins, yet, even knowing that all living things on earth (plants, animals, insects) all share the same DNA, coming down to us from LUCA, a creature (one-celled) that came to life 3.5 billion years ago, Collins is still a fundamentalist Christian. Why? I suspect that he doesn't want to "die." That compulsion overrides his critical thinking capacity. Why do MAGA/KKK support Trump? He represents their racism, among other elements. It's complicated, on the one hand, and simple, on the other hand.
Richard, thanks for this interesting post about Collins. I am in the middle of a book called The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science by Alan Lightman, a scientist. He has a whole chapter that really focuses on the fear of death and some early writers like Lucretius who gave a material explantation (atoms) in contrast to a divine explanation for things in an attempt to relieve people of the fear of death. He also gives figures for how many people in this country believe that there is a heaven and a hell....way too high a percentage in my estimation. He is also very well read and cites quite a number of people throughout. I bought this book in a book form from Powell's (the workers are on strike today) in Portland. I want to make another order soon, but I won't cross even a virtual picket line.
Librarians aren't on strike; you can borrow, read, then decide whether to buy. Support your local library!
At least it shows science can thrive to some even fair degree amongst even evangelicals, allowing for "sore spots". ie evolution
Yup! ...and yup again. 🙂
To explain my own point of view a little, I consider my birth as a white male to be a chance matter in the broader scheme of things. I could have been born a female raccoon or a male shark. We all have the same DNA. It just so happens that I came along as a white, Ango-Saxon male. I take absolutely no sense of pride in it or that I should necessarily identify with other white males, or males of any race, or whites of any gender. It's all simply a matter of chance. This makes it virtually impossible for me to identify with KKK/MAGA types.
"People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs" I add and the way they look.
Whilst living in the US I was lucky to have lived in Topanga Canyon, not only a place of great beauty but a haven of original thinkers/artists/musicians. IF I had not lived there most decidedly I would have left before the 22yrs I had.
I was outspoken and wore clothes I liked which (when in the City of LA) were cause for many stares and people making up their minds about what I was like.
Many people were like sheep..same clothes/toys/opinions.
Not surprised US has a problem now.
This is the argument Hillary Clinton makes in her piece in the Atlantic "The Weaponizing of Loneliness" She totally nails it
The need to be part of a group outweighs truth and facts
Pretty much hit it on the head!
Individuals???
Yes! That’s liberal arts education which we have mostly abandoned. Today repeating what I learned in graduate school about the liberal arts education i had been receiving since eighth grade: the international scholar who was teaching the class I was taking, who had graduated from Harvard with a PhD said that he had received that degree “while Harvard was still a university--the year before the Business School
opened.” Education is not about jobs (as some would say “per se”), but about learning how to discriminate between fact and fancy.
I agree with that last statement. When I was a student at Whittier College (1965) I remember my Russian history professor, Harry Nerhood, telling me: "Richard, we're not about teaching you what you need to know on a job. That will come on the job. We're about teaching you how to think." Amen.
Interesting. My personal experience on that was studying Criminology at Southern Oregon State College (now SO University). My first year taking lower division classes, I had one professor say "We are not going to teach you how to be cops; that is the job of your agency. We are here to teach you the history, foundations, applications, and how to apply that knowledge to the basics of policing." I had professors who had been street cops who got Ph.D.'s, lawyers, one who had been a cop, then a lawyer, and another former juvenile system worker. None of my coursework centered on the mechanics of law enforcement, and the only class I ever took that required any sort of actual law enforcement time asked for us to do a ride-along with an agency, ask a set of questions that pertained to what we were studying, and then write a paper on it.
Taught critical thinking, how to write, how to recognize bias, and some other really useful things...
Yes! I remember hearing that thinking was what we were after: use good sources, what the good sources were, discriminate among sourced. Learning a bit of Latin and Greek was a plus too. It taught appreciation of language and its appropriate use. I used the formula learned to conjugate Latin verbs to teach French verbs. My favorite Monty Python remains: “If you don’t know the Latin, you have to do the hackin’ and the hewin’. I learned my smattering of Latin and French phonetics at the same time in my small country high school in rural Virginia from teachers who had liberal arts degrees and maybe one “education course.” I taught imitating to the best of my ability the best teachers I’d had. It worked! (But teaching was what many on both sides of my family did, so maybe it’s genetic. Salesmanship and loving the what and the whom you’re teaching.)
I went to school in England and we had to take 2yrs of Latin.
Although I have had trouble with languages Latin has helped me so much. Vocabulary and learning French.
NO idea why they stopped teaching it.
My Russian history prof at the UO was Gustav Alef. One day a person in the class made a comment about what he thought was the uselessness of history and the importance of having trade. Dr. Alef then told us that his father, a prof in eastern Europe, given what happened to intellectuals in Europe at times, told his son that as a backup, he should also learn a trade and he did: electrical engineering. That shut up the student.
Virginia....this started when I was still working in eduction in the 90s with a new principal (a jerk who we finally sued) who insisted that certain classes had to be about careers. I consider such a position undercutting critical thinking among other things as well as kids learning basics about how to do certain things in ordinary life. Now everything is about money. As for the constant drumbeat contrasting universities and trades. I say we can do both and must do both as we need both physicians and plumbers for example. We did our graduate work at Oregon and have followed some of their sports teams for years. Now in pursuit of money we have the athletic program joining the Big Ten and others leaving for other conferences, so there is only two schools left in the venerable Pac 12. This is determined by TV payouts, so Fox and ESPN rule. Too bad about the athletes who next year will have to travel across country. People in Oregon complain nonstop about PERS, the public employee retirement system. Who gets the largest PERS payout per month....Mike Belotti, the former UO head football coach.
Can we put Shop classes back in high schools? Computer classes are already there. Employers can train. If they get well-educated employees, it’s faster. I have been entertained by the speed with which Ukrainian soldiers have learned weapons that American military thought would take months, reminded that if you must learn two languages and two alphabets in primary schooo, your brain is well-prepared for learning what follows.
Honestly, all kinds of life skills have to be taught in school, and they can't wait until high school. Kids are exposed to advertising (barraged might be a better word for it) of all kinds everywhere at all times from early childhood on - sometimes even by their parents based on the products those parents bring into the household and the TV channels they keep on, and that advertising interferes with their ability to assess what is real and what is valuable. They have to be taught - in school - critical thinking skills from childhood on, and then over time how to budget, how to change a tire, how to clean the dishes and vacuum a house, how to clean a bathroom and a kitchen, how to cook simple meals, how to assess quality of ingredients to buy at the store and figure out what to substitute when the ingredients aren't available or are too expensive, AND computer skills, shop and basic electrical and plumbing skills so they can get and keep a job they want - because their parents aren't teaching this stuff, either because they themselves can't, or don't have the time after working two jobs, or are taking care of elderly parents, etc. and on and on. And this stuff all needs to be taught to people in the public schools, not in after-school or post-12th grade programs which they have to pay for individually, because a lot of the people who need these skills cannot afford to pay to acquire them.
Here in Salem, we have shop classes at a large career center near us and another one not too far away. I see that that the one we pass often has a beauty school element. As far as i know certain shop classes have remained where I worked. One of the problems even when i was working is that people can make more money elsewhere and don't have to deal with school problems.
Yes exactly right Ms Witmer
Thank you, Ms Stajninger.
The one thing most politicians don't want is a thinking population. This is why some of them try to ban books. No book ever hurt anyone, but books can lead to thinking and that is not good for many politicians. Texas has specifically banned the teaching of critical thinking because they don't want children to question what their parents teach them. Such B.S. is unbelievabble, except in the mind of a conservative who knows their position is weak and doesn't lend itself to close examination.
That is one tricky process. Dont count on it working extensively, but id never stop anyone trying! Even critical thinking is a form of indoctrination, ie a trained process which needs to be internalized and practiced, and... it isn't easy. Not only that, it takes little trouble to throw up superficial media roadblocks, esp when its' organized. Climate change, small example.
Frank. can you elaborate on your reference to climate change? Are you saying or suggesting that "Man-Made Climate Change" is real or a hoax?
thought i implied it is real, very real. The opposition is funded by vested interests in petro, which is picked up by the GOP.
Touchstone Discussion Project (TDP) offers schools and volunteers short, text-based, leader-led discussions, designed in convey (in under an hour a week) the essential skills of reflection, critical thinking, listening, and
deliberation and mutual respect.
Maybe offer TDP to your local school, community center, children & grandchildren?
Do not wait until the 6 th.grad. Children absorb and digest much faster than we honor.
But, Richard , your thoughts are correct!! Thank you.!
You know what, Jean (Muriel,) you are right, and I could take my own case to prove it. When I was six years old I lived in a rural part of Texas, which at the time had a population of no more than 2 million. There was virtually no ambient light. At that time, "the stars at night were big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas." The sky was brilliant. I used to try in my mind to travel to the edge of the universe, but of course, I couldn't. I could never get there. Infinity is beyond human comprehension and, of course, we cannot get past the edge of the universe into, what? How can there be anything on the outside of the universe. So, even at six I was having these questions. I could have used the critical thinking process then. I also had the same question about whether there was a God. Ultimately, I came to believe that the idea of God and everlasting life were mere vain hopes. It does end. As the poet said: "Gather ye rosebuds while you may, for tomorrow will be dying."
Richard, thank you for the questions........however....... maybe turning off their source of news......except they are at church several times a week .....a nest of reprograming for the"Rs".
Dear close relatives were sharing a meal with us last evening. They are strongly supporting the "Rs" ..... we did not argue nor could we discuss with reason....we just enjoyed our evening. My sister-in-law asked."You don't hate us do you?" Of course we responded, "NO". I thought....why would I hate you....why would you even think that having an opposing opininion would cause me to "hate" someone. (Maybe concerned about your sense of reality ...but surely not "hate". )
It is a complicated matter, Emily. Those who support Trump actually are saying that they approve of his dismantling the Constitution and establishing a dictatorship. We're definitely at a tipping point in this country - white autocratic dictatorship vs. a pluralistic democratic constitutional republic. Perhaps we should be talking about what they understand the government would be under a Trump presidency. I will ask some of my old buddies who are MAGA Republicans.
That is an excellent question, Richard. I would be hugely interested in what your friends have to say.
Heydon,
Yes, The bailouts that began in 2007 and went through 2012 in various forms and were supported by BOTH parties actively and were the most disgusting thing I have seen in my adult lifetime.
Millions of homeowners washed out into the street but Big Banks were bailed out, NOT the homeowners.
All of the players on Wall Street who CAUSED the crash, a crash that was underpinned by the legalization of derivatives (i.e., mortgage backed securities) in 2001 by the Bush administration, were bailed out.
Every single bad actor who caused the crash: A Republican administration that had legalized derivatives, Goldman Sachs, Big Banks who knew better, were ALL bailed out.
The bailout started under Bush, but Obama amped it up when he became President (and then earned $200,000 for his first post Presidential speech at one of those banks). Obama's deficit spending was breathtaking as he tried to funnel money to the rich to cloak the Republican caused depression.
In fact, we should have bailed out not one bank, not one investment house and then let the economy sink into a depression for 10 years.
Then??? People would remember George W. Bush NOT for his illegal wars BUT for his disastrous Great Depression.
NOBODY would be voting Republican today. Everybody would still remember living in the streets due to Republican policy.
Mike,
I am in sympathy with your sentiments. Maybe not totally with your solution. Certainly, most of the Federal bailout money should have gone to the homeowners who were cheated. We who have signed mortgage papers know how mind numbing it is. And the mortgages of that day were nuts.
We needed a loan to get from one property to another residence/small business. A mortgage broker sat at our kitchen table, took our SS numbers and said I'll get back to you. Next week he said you are all set. I said: "Don't you want to know our income?"
"Nope, I'll fill in what works for the underwriters." It was a "stated income, no doc loan". 1% interest for 3 months. Then LIBOR plus some adjustable percentage. Payments would explode over time.
We paid that loan off quickly - used it as a bridge loan. But how many unsuspecting homeowners were trapped in such a way? And was that unlicensed (not required then in Maine) broker ever held accountable for selling dangerous junk loans to unsuspecting people? No.
Obama's bailout could have taken different forms. Homeowners first. Let some banks gobble up some other banks that were under capitalized. I really doubt that the entire financial system would have suffered for very long. The vultures would have swooped in and eaten the carcasses of Goldman Sacks, etc.
Obama had two disadvantages. One was that he was afraid of being too "populist". He wanted to be a president for all of us - including Wall Street. The other was that his cabinet was infested with money pushers from guess where. An imperfect leader.
But on the other side of the coin, he did bail out the Detroit car industry with loans that were repaid. What if the government had done something similar for Wall Street and AIC - holding a chunk of ownership to allow Americans to reap some profits along with the oligarchs? But wait! Oh, no! That sounds like "socialism"! Sounds like "Bernie talk", eh? Sign me up.
“Socialism”? That’s the right-wing’s reply to any intelligent suggestions or solutions by the Democrats or anyone else for that matter…all the while the, those who are retired readily accepting their Social Security checks.
As has oft been repeated on these pages, Republicans by & large don't seem to possess a clue as to what that dreaded moniker, "socialism" actually means. They brandish it like a sword and use it to label EVERYTHING Democrats propose, with it often being a MISnomer instead. They keep their base misinformed about it, never really going into what it is, only that they have to be against it because . . . ? Well, it's "socialism". Isn't that bad enough? Just like HCR points out was done by Republicans in the 1880s and "90s, they use it as a scare tactic. Nowadays, it's to SWEAR that we will end up like Venezuela, Cuba, or North Korea, which of course is laughably ridiculous. The ones fomenting the lies about it ARE afraid of "socialism" because deep in their shriveled up, cold, capitalistic little hearts they know if we developed democratic socialism as practiced in Europe, Scandinavia, or other industrialized countries, THEIR days of raking in obscene amounts of profits would be seriously curtailed. THAT is what they're afraid of. Once the people get used to having more, it will be hard to put that genie back in the bottle. Corporations in those places exist and still do make large amounts of capital, but not to the ridiculous levels of entities here. They pay their workers more, pay more in taxes, and provide many more services for their employees, with the difference being their bottom lines of profit are less, but they do still exist. AND guess what, the populations of those countries still have the power of the vote to change things as they see fit. The top percentages of wealthy people here keep managing to convince the middle and lower income people that it is in their best interest to do all they can to fight against "socialism" (as they see it), when the exact opposite is true. There is no amount of money these uber-wealthy entities won't spend to keep convincing their constituents of the evils of "socialism" and that THEY, the wealthy, need to keep being able to earn countless billions and also dispense with any regulations on that. I wonder how much longer they will be able to hoodwink their base? Now they're trying it from the "cultural wars" angle, that Democrats (and "socialists") are all for killing babies, confusing their children about their gender and sexuality, taking away their rights, and making them "woke", whatever that is. No wonder Europeans look at us and think, "WTF?!?"
You speak the truth. When engaging with those worried about socialism, I often ask them who really needs more than a billion dollars? Or 500 million for that matter.
Yes, the malicious have gotten a lot of mileage through inflaming the people with the ominous, threatening "socialism".
Of course, there are multiple reasons the "socialism" message has been so well-drilled into Americans' heads. I was a child and young adolescent during the '50s. I remember the anti-socialist/communist films with themes of treating the "reds" as though they were an insidious disease which needed to be found and dissolved. Even the newsreels at the movie theaters were continuing with clips degrading U.S. enemies. Propaganda grew in development and use, super-charged during WWII. Shortly thereafter (1947?), television began to be available and coupled with the government propaganda machine, the authorities were able to distribute their "messages" to the masses. The Cold War, the Iron Curtain, McCarthyism, et al--they all came to us through the newspapers and magazines, radio, TV, and films. There must be a hundred films of the '50s based on that anti-red message; and the music/soundtrack is always dramatic, threatening, fearful. The message was drilled into Americans' heads like some osmotic radio wave which goes straight into the human brain.
And voila! We have today's perception of socialism for most of the U.S. It's passed down through generations. It may become epigenetic. I'm reminded of the film "1984" with the rally against the current enemy. We need to find a way to change that archaic mentality. For example, I think first of Denmark. Not only does the population look healthy, there also often ranked #1 or #2 in the U.N. Happiness Survey, a detailed survey to cover all aspects of their lives.
Bill, First, thanks for taking the time to writ such a thoughtful reply.
Yes. Apparently anyone could get a loan and did.
I’m glad you made out ok.
As for the car company loans, that was ok with me too. But the massive giveaway to banks who paid bonuses in the Spring of 2008?
Criminal.
You’re not serious?Obama should have let the economy sink into a depression for 10 years? All so a Republican would be remembered as having caused it? I don’t think so.
Bush was considered one of the worst presidents anyway. He started needless wars that destabilized the world. He cut regulations so the greed could run wild. He was so bad that Americans elected a charming, slightly center-left Black man. That gave a bloated sociopath a path to bring out all the racism, divide the country, and not only bring back greed but double down on corruption.
But Obama is not just charming. He is also a patriotic American who carries two burdens: racism and equality of opportunity. He is working on both solutions with Eric Holder via fair voting.
Obama was the kind of person who America should have as a president. He was smart, well educated, and thoughtful. He made some mistakes in situations in which all of his choices were terrible. He knew he couldn't be too aggressive or the racism would have been even worse. I feel (my opinion) that his major fault was that he overestimated the American people and the morality of the Republican Party. He thought that enough people would easily reject the crazy conspiracy theories. He thought the Republicans were a still part of a democracy and would negotiate. He gave the Dems too much confidence that the world had changed. They lost the state legislatures because no one paid enough attention to the dark money funding Republicans.
I agree with you, Kenneth, it is so easy and comfortable to spout those cheap assessments well after the fact without also listing all the ways people would have gotten hurt by a system they had no voice in. The ramifications of letting GM expire, for one instance. would have been global, the U.S. would have sunk to the level of a Trump-described as a "shithole" country, and we would have been easy pickings for other powerhungry governments . Our dollar might have gone extinct.
I am serious.
Agreed. Social / economic catastrophe is a bottom line.
If the US had been allowed to sink into a depression for 10 years, then the world would have sunk into one as well. Imagine what the Putin's of the world would have done with that...
The world did suffer.
I really do think in this case the medicine was worse than the disease.
Mike, The Big Short is a book that everyone interested in how greed destroys should read
How to prevent a devastating collapse of an entire economy based primarily on the faith of the dollar and the cash flow that “credit” requires is a no man’s land of speculation into “what drives that faith”
I saw the movie The Big Short but thanks for the book reference.
How to avoid economic collapse? Don’t ever vote Republican.
That’s a big 10-4 Mike
The book digs much deeper than the movie
Also, the Documentary “Inside Job” narrated by Matt Damon lays out the process bankers used to enrich themselves at society’s expense
"Inside Job" is great.
By Michael Lewis. We should also hear from fellow HCR responder (and former infamous stock broker) Sandy Lewis: fascinating.
Yes, all that talk about a self-correcting market was just talk. No way Paulson and his ilk were going to let the market proceed naturally. I could tell by the panicked look on Paulson’s face, he knew he was going to be wiped out if nothing was done and the big speculators took the hit--when the market made the big correction. So of course they changed the rules. Legislators had an opportunity to put some regulations in place to shield residential housing and take care of people but they let big money take care of the market. I think legislators may have become full on puppets at that point in time. Corporate power replaced legislative power at that point. My 401K took a hit but it was not wiped out and luckily I was still working at the time. The music stopped but I still had a chair you might say. Just look at housing costs now--still ridiculously high. We are becoming a land of renters. Big money, big exploitation was protected. I was disappointed with Obama. I am of the opinion he didn’t understand what was happening and so relied on advisors. I may be wrong in this assessment but when I look at residential housing--when I see how much of a person’s income it takes to have shelter today--when I see all the homelessness--when I see the massive rates of incarceration--I think I might not be far off. Big money preaches the wisdom of the market--letting it do is thing--but big money knows better. It’s like the priesthood peddling virtue. The many believers following the path of virtue form a protective screen behind which the priests in power can proceed to do whatever they want. I think of 401Ks as the screen of big money. Have I got a deal for you. I think the whole correction should have been allowed to happen but as I said I was still working at the time and did not lose my job--so easy for me to say. Who knows really if the legislators at the time had the ability or character to legislate. I would bet no.
I'm still upset that the Obama administration bailed out just the 'big guys" and not the working class people who lost so very, very much.
I can't remember the book I read several years ago by a guy who went to DC as an assistant secretary of the treasury to administer the aid to mortgage holders, and was then completely stonewalled because the money was reserved for the "big guys."
There were many shenanigans happening then. But weren't the "big guys" the mortgage holders themselves?
“It’s like the priesthood peddling virtue.”
A brilliant analogy!
Mary, if not for the manipulations of the market that prevented a complete crash, you may have lost your job; who knows. Those that had a life vest survived, those that didn’t drowned
Yes I know of course I was lucky. Like I said, I still had a chair when the music stopped.
Yes. Sometimes nasty things need to happen in order to see the wood from the trees.
Yes!
Yes that whole debacle was atrocious. All of the financial companies plus insurance companies were bailed out. Big UGH!
Indeed!
Thanks, you nailed it. And it is why "Greed" is listed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. In my book, it is numero uno and the foundation of our problems as a society.
Under regulated capital markets have suffered financial crises repeatedly, never learned how to manage it, often with bailouts.
I wonder where we'd be now if we had allowed all the "too big to fail" miscreants to go bankrupt...
Better off.
Marlene, you have hit the nail on the head. Stores aren’t closed, businesses aren’t closed, people have to work on this day. Sales! Trying everything they can to get that almighty dollar out of peoples pockets.
Corporations keep their employees working so they, the big cheese behind the big desk that’s at home 🏡 this holiday can line his pockets with more money.
As usual Marlene, you are right on, my friend!!!
You’re my biggest cheerleader, Daniel! 👏🏼👏🏼
Happy to wave the pom poms for you!!!
Wow, all the talk here over could'a, would'a, should'a's. The poets and the guitar toting bards of the world have been trying to turn our attention to all of this corrupt behavior for a very long while. Think George Harrison, "Living In The Material World" , or "Within You , "Without You". It's all right there! Our brains are far too easily diverted by massive floods of distractions. Think TELEVISION. Or, maybe follow the NFL draft a while. How about those Kardashians bro! This, and more, owned by rich white men who steer us by the nose. Steve Bannon is published somewhere talking about how easy the pickings are of millions of Americans to persuade them in to buy into, and believe the biggest lines of lies. Navigating Tipping Points requires courage and determination. With the ear-bud clad, phone obsessed here, I just don't see the intestinal fortitude needed. I hope I am proven wrong next November.
Well, it IS one of the seven deadly sins after all. Even if you don’t believe, the Bible holds many truths.
And it holds many appalling absences. It's frightening to me that Republican legislators are trying to get the Ten Commandments up in schools and public buildings. There's no commandment against slavery. There's no commandment against rape. There's no commandment against child abuse. There's no commandment against torture.
In short - there are enshrined commandments against minor offenses but none against atrocity. That's no model of a justice system.
Thank you. Separation of church and state is a must.
Yes, except we're moving in the completely wrong direction.
You hit on everything, Alexandra!
It really makes my blood boil, Marlene. And all this MAGA outrage about sex trafficking - well, how about starting with a Commandment against it?
“Thou shalt not commit egregious or heinous crimes against Blacks, Asians, Mexicans, or Jews, girls and women, children of all gender.”
“Thou shalt not threaten or kill fellow man/woman because they are different than you are.”
YES!!!!!!
A product of its times - and let’s face it, written by men.
Therein lies the problem.
Kathy, yes, 100%. But I've found that among those Christians who have never really considered everything that's left out of the Ten Commandments - there are at least some for whom it's a real revelation when those omissions are pointed out. We have to do what we can!
If you're banning books for teaching the "wrong" lessons or for sexual and/or violent content, the Bible is the first book that should be removed isn't it?
Seems reasonable to me.
Alexandra.....there's only the compassion of God, providing Himself, "the Lamb of
God" as the sacrifice for our sins, appearing as human and existing as both God and Man living with us.....demonstrating love by showing us to trust in Him when we are afraid and feeling helpless, by healing the sick and lame, by loving and accepting the rejected.....even including as one of His disciples, one who would reject Him and turn Him in to those who wanted to kill Him......for just a few coins.
We do the same today.
When preaching to a multitude.....and as the day was passing, a disciple mentioned to Him that the crowd was appearing to be tired, but would not leave Him ....that the people may be hungry. Jesus asked them to find someone with food. There was a young boy whose mom had packed a basket of "loaves and fishes". Jesus asked the boy if he would like to share. The young boy gave his food to the disciples and Jesus multiplied the food so that everyone had some . There were even leftovers.
Jesus summed up the 10 commandments by commanding those of us who claim to believe, to love one another as we would want to be loved. As true believers, we have the opportunity to live out these words every day. How do we treat the ones closest to us, those we worship with, our neighbors, our family members, those who have chosen to worship differently, fellow humans who are dressed with a different color/shade of skin, who do not speak our language, those who are in desparate need fleeing towards the "hope" they have been told our country offers....those who are broken by disease, those who suffer with depression, those with
deep physical and mental struggles....Do We Love and Care for These Precious Lives as We Would Want to be Cared for? Jesus asked us to love our enemies. And He showed the way by allowing Himself to be arrested, beated, lied about, brutilized, betrayed by one of His disciples, abandoned by most of His disciples.
Because of His example, those who use Christians or those who claim to be Christians, but are not.....infuriate me.
And those who push lies are laughing all the way to the ballot box.
Alexandra, all persons using the WORD OF GOD for evil will stand before a Holy
God someday. God sees all....He holds eternity "in His hand".
Meanwhile, let's work for freedom...whatever your faith....if you are for Democracy and keeping our country free...VOTE FOR JOE BIDEN....the Democrats while not perfect....are our best voice and they are working hard to build up this country, to build strong positive relationships with world leaders, to provide for those who are confronting dictators with their life's blood....to encourage opportunities and hope for everyone.
WE DO NOT WANT TO BE RULED BY DICTATORS!!!!!!
“Greed is atrocious” and understanding that it is currently driving the capitalist system of economy and politics should encourage us to think outside the box when it comes to solutions. The traditional approach of Labor vs. greed driven owners is a paradigm that keeps us in a perpetual struggle of “us vs. them.” Approaches, thinking and solutions beginning 140 years ago does not work in the universe of vast multinational corporations. When our next inevitable meltdown comes, we need to be ready with a blueprint for a new system that comes from thinking outside the box of a democracy controlled by ultra-wealthy capitalists. We must envision and implement a new economic and political system based on labor’s ownership of industry, utilities, retail and banking. In other words, Cooperative owned businesses, banks and industries. We already have some of these operating quite nicely. I have worked at a worker owned Co-op supermarket in Hayward CA. where the workers are the owners of a large well managed supermarket. I have shopped at Bi-Mart a chain of over 70 discount department stores in four northwestern states that are a worker and customer owned cooperative. There are more than 40,000 cooperatives of all types currently in the U.S. that provide more than $25 billion in wages. According to a University of Wisconsin study cooperatives have an estimated 350 million members. www.uwcc.wisc.edu There are no worker vs. owner disputes, the workers are the owners. The outside the box solution to unsustainable corporate dominated democracy is in a new model of “Economic Democracy,” where business is owned by the workers and not the “atrocious” greed driven capitalists. https://www.proutinstitute.org/policy-solutions/economic-democracy-the-alternative-to-corporate-rule . Our next economic collapse will be our next great opportunity: lets be ready with new solutions.
My background is rather unique in that I've been both a senior executive in a Fortune 100 company, a highly ethical one no less, and a member of the AFL-CIO Musicians Union, before right to work laws were passed. The blizzard of 1977 in Boston was at its height during rush hour and the roads became clogged with cars stuck in heavy snow. An emergency order prohibited people from driving on the roads for several days meaning employees couldn't get to work for an entire week. My company, Digital Equipment Corporation paid the hourly workers a full weeks wage anyway because it was the "right thing to do" even if it cost Digital about a million dollars. GE didn't pay its hourly workers for that week because there was no rule in their contract with the unions that said they had to. Digital never unionized because it was a highly ethical company who lived their motto of "Do the Right Thing" and treated its employees very well. The moral of the story is that large companies can be ethical. Ethics start at the top and our company had a wonderful man at the top, Ken Olsen. He not only had a vision for bringing computing to all people, he also had an organizational vision that was very egalitarian. Here's a short video on Ken, my mentor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6We6VDtyHY Our networking products and our large role in defining the Internet protocols and its access by everyone was basically exporting our corporate culture. We knew we were changing the world ... and we did. My solution to workers today being ignored by mostly highly greedy corporate management is to have workers get enough shares in the company so they are significant shareholders and therefore get a share of the profit they produced. We, the People, all of us this time!
Yes!
It's built in to our system, which is based on -- and honors -- a particularly predatory brand of capitalism.
Sorry, but greed is universal. We all have some greed in us, if only the desire for a higher wage, a better place to live or a secure retirement. Greed, like all impulses, has to be managed. How and when to do that are questions that bedevil us.
I just don't get it. Fawn all over Veterans 4 or 5 days a year, but how many of today's super "military supporters" actually served, or even have a family member serving? Where is the support for VA funding, PTSD care, financial assistance to Veterans who just cannot get by? Another thing that sticks in my craw: Veteran's Day is a biggie, it celebrates all veterans, but really commemorates the end of WWI (the 11th month, the 11th day, the 11th hour). Memorial Day honors combat deaths, springing from the Civil War aftermath, where graves of the war dead were decorated with flowers. First "Decoration Day" then "Memorial Day".
And the Republican politicians vote against funding for Veterans time and again. McConnell and the Senate Republicans couldn't find a single vote for the burn pit legislation until they were humiliated by the press. And there have been other times as well.
They always brag about funding the military, but it's the Democrat's that have given the military the largest increases in pay and benefits over the years. Most of the defense budget goes to the defense contractors.
Typical Republican hypocrisy.
We heard a mash up band last night that called themselves Southern Rocks Finest. It was comprised of former members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Pure Prairie League and Molly Hatchett. Anyway, the played the national anthem dedicating it to Veterans for Labor Day. Everyone in our group looked around wondering if we were the only ones that thought this was the wrong holiday for this.