Although Donald Trump & other right-wing nutjobs are my usual target for political satire, I'm an equal opportunity critic. The reign of terror that is just beginning under Trump 2.0 is partly the fault of the Democratic establishment, that has not given a proper voice to the populist, progressive views shared by so many people in this nation.
Few represent the decrepit, corporatist, out-of-touch Democratic establishment better than Sen. Chuck Schumer of NY. However effective he may have been throughout his career, Schumer & the party leadership have failed to truly recognize and organize against the absolute assault on American society by President Musk & demented Uncle Donny. These old-guard Democrats are totally clueless on how to deal with the immediate, existential threat to democracy and the American institutions being rapidly executed by The Trump Republican Party™.
Granted, it is tremendously difficult to fight back against the fascist shitstorm that is upon us, especially when it being perpetrated by such insane stupid assholes... but, hey, that's what you fucking signed up for when you became a national political leader!
If you want an example on how to address the current situation, look to Congresspeople like Chris Murphy, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, and of course, the people's champ Bernie Sanders, who is organizing "Fight the Oligarchy" events. In the alternate timeline where Bernie became our President, perhaps we wouldn't be swirling down a corporately-controlled regressive dystopia in this country. Back here in so-called "reality", at least he is trying to communicate with & mobilize the citizens. The power of the populace needs to be harnessed to push back against the systematic repression of social progress by the various monied interests controlling our government and economy.
Anyway, all that Sen. Schumer has been able to muster, in the face of these barbarians recklessly dismantling the federal government, is some disgruntled condemnations & cringe-inducing press conferences. Schumer's signature "sternly looking over the glasses on the tip of his nose" has become a meme in itself. So, I thought that I should properly memify "Concerned Schumer," as seen above.
As I watched Sen. Sanders explain the issues clearly & with the sincere conviction that he is known for, I was thinking, "Damn, this is the man who should be President-elect right now... but instead we're stuck with Bozo the Corrupt Clown." We'd be facing a much brighter future with Bernie Sanders as President, where the concerns of the average worker would be the priority, not the further gratification of the wealthiest 1%.
Instead, the DNC and the Democrat primary voters pushed Hillary Clinton into the general election. She had no chance of winning over those who already saw her in a negative light, but she still managed to gain more of the popular vote by over 2 million people. The same antiquated winner-take-all Electoral College system that gave us George Dubya failed us again. Hillary was definitely a flawed candidate, but to me, she was the pragmatic choice over the inevitable disaster of the fascist man-child. Everything people hated about Hillary Clinton is exponentially worse in Trump.
In the town hall, some of the voters said they didn't really believe that Trump was going to do all the insane things that he said during the campaign. Bernie incredulously asked, "So, you voted for someone hoping they were lying?" It's just so damn stupid & crazy...
Now, all Trump's lies are already falling apart, before he's even sworn in:
• "Drain the swamp"
• "Lock her up"
• "Build the wall"
• "Repeal Obamacare"
• "I'll release my taxes"
• "Divest from Trump businesses"
• etc., etc., etc...
It was all bullshit- ridiculous slogans for people who were all too willing to be conned by America's premiere con-man. Now America's facing the most blatantly & unapologetically corrupt administration imaginable, with a pathetically thin-skinned, narcissistic, authoritarian grifter in charge.
To make it worse, he also has a radical right-wing Congress in power that is chomping at the bit to dismantle Social Security, Medicare, and any other program that benefits the working people or the less fortunate. All the horrible decisions the GOP are getting ready to implement makes sense, when seen through the lens of their ultimate goal- to destroy the United States government from within. Do you think this is hyperbolic? Ask Trump's top advisor, dark-sider Steve Bannon:
Now, as the gold paint is already flaking off, Trump is being exposed for the piece of shit that he truly is. I try not to degrade other human beings or see people negatively. However, this man represents the absolute antithesis to everything I value in life. Trump is greed, ego, hate, exploitation, and (worst of all) willful ignorance personified. If you have to tell people you're smart, you're probably a fucking idiot.
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure
and the intelligent are full of doubt."
- Bertrand Russell
Many people recognize that he is a serious danger, not just to this country, but to the world. The writing is smeared with Trump's tiny fingers all over the wall. His supporters don't care and treat this like the winning team of football game, turning their backs and refusing to see it. Instead, they are seeing the gold-painted turd & still think there's value in it for them. When it inevitably hits the fan, they'll realize there's no real gold there, and the entire country will be covered in his crap.
I made the graphic at the top of this post to express this sentiment, realizing that respect & decorum are no longer relevant with this vile, small-fingered vulgarian.
In a sense, I feel like I did back when I started this blog, during the Bush/Cheney Dark Ages. The constant outrages perpetrated by that cabal of neo-cons gave me focus and caused me to become more aware of my personal humanistic values. This new administration, full of predatory swamp creatures, is already shaping up to be even more of a menace. Time is cyclical, and somehow I knew that this descent back into madness was coming.
Many, including myself, will feel energized to fight back against the regressive forces that want to stifle human progress. The best we can do is not be overcome by the foul stench that will be emanating out of DC with Trump & the Republicans running the shit show.
The President of the United States is going to be casino magnate, shitty businessman, con-artist, and reality TV host, Donald Trump. It's so ridiculous. I love surrealism and absurdity, but this is mind-boggling.
Trump was able to win because of the miscalculation by the Democrats that America would rather have a compromised, establishment politician like Hillary Clinton instead of an independent politician with real convictions like Bernie Sanders. I truly wish we could have seen a true outsider, populist match-up between Bernie & Trump. The difference is that Bernie actually works for the average citizen, while Trump works hard at screwing them over.
When I made the graphic below, back in 2011, it seemed inconceivable that such a wacked-out scenario could actually happen. I wish my Nostradamus-like visionary powers weren't so strong. It's a blessing and a curse.
Now we are not only faced with 4 years of President A$$hole, but an emboldened Republican Congress that will push regressive policy affecting millions of people.
I'm trying to have an attitude of 'fuck it'. The optimist in me wants to that think maybe the conservative majority can listen to the will of the people and implement meaningful change. However, the realist in me thinks this is laughable. I think it's more likely that things are going to get bad with the short-sighted ideologues who make up the majority of the GOP running society.
As President Obama has said, the sun will rise tomorrow. Relatively speaking, this is a flicker of light off a wave's crest in the dance of an endless ocean. However, for those of us participating in this lightshow of maya, this seems like a truly odd and almost unbelievable phenomenon. I'm old & jaded enough to not be truly surprised by anything. I woke up this morning and saw the results on my phone, and could just shake my head & look out the window.
People will still keep fighting for what they believe in, and the endlessly complex interplay of human beings will continue on. However, the idea that we have to put up with this jackass being arguably the most powerful person in the world is just mind-blowing. I'm strapping myself in & getting ready for the ride!
I'm sure the first order of business will be renovating the White House, it will be tremendous:
Well, today is the day where The United States of America chooses its representatives in local & federal elections.
The citizens have a choice for President between two flawed, but distinct candidates. On the one hand, there's a career politician- the former First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, and possibly the first female in the Oval Office if she's elected. On the other hand, there's an obnoxious, narcissistic man child- a shitty con artist of a businessman and reality TV star, who wasn't even allowed to stay in control of his own Twitter account because he was so goddamn stupid & reckless.
I started out rooting for Bernie Sanders, one of the few politicians who identifies as an Independent and has real integrity. I have never been a fan of Hillary Clinton, but for me and many others, this is a matter of keeping an unbelievably ignorant & downright dangerous Donald Trump from leading us back down into the ditch that modern Republican presidents inevitably drive us into.
I wish we had better choices on both sides. Unfortunately, with our winner-takes-all system, a vote for a third party is a complete waste. It really has been a complete shitshow of an election, especially with The Donald's antics throughout the process. As I've said before, I wanted him to win the Republican primary just so he could keep wreaking havoc on the political establishment & tear apart the decaying Republican party. Now, I just want him to go the hell away.
Statistically, it looks like Clinton is likely to win, but it ain't over till it's over. I'd like to see her crush Trump, just so he has less ground to stand on when he inevitably refuses to concede and claims everything is rigged. The guy is utterly delusional & I don't expect him to start accepting reality now.
So, today we'll see what we're stuck with for the next four years. I think Hillary Clinton, despite all her problems, is at least smart, competent, and knows how government works. The same cannot be said for Trump, who seems to lack even a basic understanding of our most fundamental governmental & social institutions. It's been a truly crazy ride- an election season that is unlike anything most people have seen in their lifetimes. Hopefully, it turns out to be an anomaly and doesn't prove to be the new norm.
I've posted many times about politics over the years. However, during this election season, I don't feel as connected to political news as I have in the past.
It's partially because I cancelled my cable TV subscription and don't subject myself to the relentless onslaught of meaningless chatter from the talking heads. If there's something happening that I'm interested in, I go online and find objective information about it. Then I look to see what people are saying about it. Another factor in my disillusionment is the unfortunate reality that both candidates are not choices that I feel excited about.
I'm registered as an Independent, so I don't pledge blind allegiance to any party or affiliation. I was solidly in favor of Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primary, who I've seen fighting for the citizens of this country for years. Bernie represented the highest aspirations of progressive-minded Americans, with a vision for remedying the core problems facing this nation: campaign finance, the private health care mess, and unscrupulous banking practices. At the same time as the Democrats were debating the important issues facing the country, I recognized the entire Republican field of candidates as the pathetic clown car that it was- totally void of any substance or insight into the real causes of people's everyday problems.
When Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination, I shared the lack of enthusiasm that so many others experienced. I don't think America should be in the habit of electing political family dynasties, regardless of whether they are Clintons, Bushes, Kennedy's, or any other recognizable name. Hillary also seemed like she had a lot of baggage, especially with her ties to Wall St., and was disliked by many people. At least she has extensive experience in government and has worked to make positive change on various fronts.
As much as I personally despise Donald Trump and everything he represents, I was actually rooting for him during the GOP primaries. All the other candidates were absolutely friggin' horrible, and at least Trump was exposing the absurdity in the whole political process. I felt a guilty sense of entertainment at watching Trumpzilla stomp across the landscape of the conservative establishment and tearing the party to shreds.
I was thinking, as bad as Hillary may seem, nobody would really vote for such a vile and dangerous ignoramus like The Donald... right? The guy is a con-man, a self-promoting charlatan. He cheats small businesses, has the mentality of a toddler, rips off the public in numerous ways, possesses a poor understanding of even the basic political issues, has a fascist and hateful disposition, and is just a complete asshole. There's NO WAY he can be President... RIGHT?!?!?!
Well, I began to be disturbed by the many people who were saying they supported Trump and planned to vote for him. I can understand not wanting to vote for Hillary, but everything that's wrong with her is exponentially worse with Trump. All the things Trump fans accuse Hillary of embodying- lying, incompetence, greed, lust for personal power, indifference to the country's problems, etc.,- all these things are fully manifested and completely unfettered in Donald Trump. However, people are under the delusion that Obama has destroyed this country, we can build a wall around Mexico to keep out scary illegals, and that the U.S. Government should really be run like a for-profit business. Trump feeds this fear and ignorance by talking about the United States like it's a dangerous & poverty-stricken shithole from coast to coast.
Trump is a shitty human being, and a shittier businessman. However, people somehow still like the guy and think his shady business experience qualifies him to be President. Despite having a pretty strong revulsion toward him, I tried to keep an open mind going into this first Presidential debate.
Despite making a legitimate argument against NAFTA and other trade deals early on in the debate, Trump quickly devolved into the cartoonish cretin that everyone with a minimum of common sense knew him to be.
I watched in disbelief as the things spewing out of his mouth defied facts, logic, and elementary school grammar. I had prepared for the debate by dulling my nerves with a large whisky on the rocks, and indulged in a couple additional beers to make it to the end without losing my mind. How Hillary generally maintained her composure in the presence of such lunacy is extraordinary.
I'm not going to get into the minutia of the debate, there have already been countless posts & articles analyzing every aspect. It was hard to appreciate in real time, but Sec. Clinton repeatedly goaded him into subtle confrontational traps. Trump, in his sheer ignorance & arrogance, stepped into them everytime, while flailing around with no idea he was ripping his own limbs off.
I couldn't believe the horrible, stupid fucking things he was saying:
Yeah, he ripped off small business contractors & didn't pay them... He's smart because he doesn't pay taxes like a normal citizen... Everyone agrees Rosie O'Donell deserved getting called a fat pig... We can blow an Iranian ship out of the water & it won't start a war... Stop & frisk policies are constitutionally sound... He never said the Chinese invented global warming (he did)... and on and on and on...
There were many, so many, ridiculous quotes that made me go "WTF?!?!" but my favorite had to be:
"I don't know if we know it was Russia who broke into the DNC, [Clinton is] saying Russia, Russia, Russia. Maybe it was. It could also be China, it could be someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."
This remark had everyone in the room absolutely dying from laughter. It was unbelievably silly and over-the-top, even for Donald.
The more I watched Trump speak, the more I felt like it had to be some kind of disturbing hallucination. This couldn't be real. Every time he closed his eyes, he looked like a strange, pouting creature with three mouths on his face. Luckily, I'm not the only one who thought this, and of course the Internet had produced images illustrating this weird perception:
In the past, I've been flabbergasted when the mainstream media pundits declared George W. Bush or Mitt Romney successful in their debates, no matter how bad they performed. Therefore, when I saw that pretty much everyone who didn't have their head up their own ass (including conservatives!) said that Hillary trounced The Donald, I knew that it wasn't just me who saw Trump as a loser of epic proportions. As Donald himself would say... "Sad!"
Despite the stark contrast in the two candidates, I don't think the debate changed the minds of any firm supporters of either side. Democrats backing Clinton would never vote for someone who is clearly more dangerous, unqualified, and unhinged. If you are already a diehard Trump supporter, you are likely impervious to all the facts and reason that show what a disaster he would be. The funny thing is, he doesn't give a crap about his supporters or anyone else. All Trump cares about is the Trump™ brand and his own wealth and power. He is the very ugliest aspects of the ego, personified.
If you were an "undecided" voter beforehand, though, I can't see how Trump's pathetic showing would inspire any confidence whatsoever. Especially next to Hillary Clinton's relatively calm demeanor & competent grasp of the issues, the only way he could have looked less Presidential would be if he flung his own poo at the moderator.
It ain't over until it's over, though. There are two debates left, and I guess some unthinkable turn of events could take place. The world will keep watching and hoping that the joke of a Trump Administration doesn't become a seriously disturbing reality.
Despite my deep interest in politics, I haven't commented much on this Presidential election. Since Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race, it's just become a pathetic shitshow- the ultimate choice of a lesser of 2 evils.
However, this election season has been a rich source of absurdity & downright insanity. Just when I think things can't possibly get any stranger... it inevitably does.
I saw this video by Mike Diva this morning, and was in awe of its craziness & pure genius.
This Presidential election season in the US has been the craziest, in every sense of the word, so far.
Despite my prediction of a showdown between Bernie Sanders & Donald Trump only being half right, I think it's still very much a battle between ideologies & worldviews.
One thing that this election has brought to the forefront is the self-reinforcing "echo chamber' that can result with any party, when supporters of a candidate or cause have limited sources of information. People tend to practice confirmation bias, and only seek out media or narratives that fit their existing conceptions.
I try to avoid this with my own views, by approaching media that doesn't necessarily fit my thinking. I am registered as an Independent voter, but I tend to see myself as a progressive thinker. Therefore, I often expose myself (begrudgingly) to conservative media such as Fox News, or right-wing comment boards. This gives me some insight into the mindset of people with different perspectives. Sometimes it actually changes the way I view a particular topic, and sometimes it makes me shudder in horror.
This article was an excellent look into how the seemingly vast and diverse resources of information on the Internet & other media can actually lead to the propagation of misinformation and outright falsehoods.
I try to be very aware of what content I'm consuming and how it reinforces or contradicts my worldview.
If the population at large did this, we'd have a much more discerning group of citizens. It would go a long way to improving the dismal state of political dialogue in this country & the world.
Way back in the Bush years, I was still writing on this blog and posted a lot more political stuff than I do now. I don't feel the need to continually comment on the state of the current Presidential race, but it's such a bizarre & downright crazy situation that it's hard not to talk about.
Bernie Sanders has been my pick since the day that he got into the race. I have watched cable news and followed politics for many years. Bernie is one of the few politicians/talking heads who I thought was authentic, principled, and had a vision that resonated with the way that I would approach the big problems our country faces. I also saw that he was (as a democratic socialist progressive or "liberal") always willing to go on with Fox News or conservative radio hosts and really debate the issues and their merits.
So, I still think he would still be the best person for the seriousness & vision that a role like the Presidency of the US should require. I'm glad he's at least giving Hillary a run for her money, because she embodies the corrupt power structure of the political & financial establishment. I think Bernie Sanders is going to keep winning, & I hope the political movement he's led will continue even after the election is over. He is the only one who will at least attempt to initiate fundamental changes in our twisted web of national interests.
On the other side, the Republican field is like a train wreck smashed into a clown car. All the candidates are horrible in their own unique ways. However, their seemingly unstoppable frontrunner, Donald Trump, is simply a human phenomenon.
He is like a weird mix of a nightmare, a comedy, and a cheesy late-night infomercial. I saw this article by Rich Lowry &, for once, I agreed with him- Donald Trump is definitely the Billy Mays of The GOP!
When seeing his absurd press conference/product presentation after the recent primaries, I was just awestruck at the insanity of it all. The guy is touting "Trump Steaks", "Trump Water", "Trump Magazine", all of which are basically just products he supplies to his private clubs & resorts. It's all bullshit, but Trump is a media expert and knows the public will eat it up. Unfortunately, he leaves a bad taste in many people's mouths.
I thought the Dalai Lama had a wise analysis of the type of politics that Trump, especially, is bringing to the campaigns.
"Cheap" describes Trump perfectly, despite his reported wealth. He's like a piece of gaudy expensive-looking costume jewelry, that is actually made of crappy materials and has no real value. Worst of all, when you actually wear the jewelry, it gives you a horrible rash.
Donald Trump is American Ego gone absolutely berserk. He only wants to help the country and its citizens in the sense that it's good for the Trump™ brand. I hope to God and any higher power that he doesn't get elected, but seeing him stomp across the political landscape and shattering the facade of our social norms is absolutely awesome to behold.
We'll see how everything turns out... but if Donald J. Trump ends up being elected President, this is how I envisioned it:
President A$$hole
Months ago, I knew he was striking a nerve, so I was hoping for an election between him & Bernie. That would be the ultimate race between two iconoclast symbols of the opposite ends of American political values, known as right-wing (conservative) & left-wing (progressive).
This is my completely un-biased look at the political divide:
Last night, I was able to watch the entire debate between the Democratic candidates for President. I wanted to post a few quick thoughts about it.
First of all, it was much more of an adult conversation than the perverse spectacle put on by the dozen Republican candidates in their debates. I would rather have any of the Democrats on the stage in the Oval Office before any single one of the Republicans. The GOP have knack for putting forth horrible candidates, and they are mostly only pandering to the lunatic right-wing fringe & big money donors that have come to dominate the party.
As far as the Democrats, I am sticking with my man- the Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders. Bernie came out swinging in his opening remarks, blasting his top issue- economic inequality in this country.
Overall, I think Bernie was pretty strong. Someone who I was watching the debate with (who is fairly conservative) commented that he was the most forceful out of the group. He spoke clearly about the serious issues facing this country, and he explained where the U.S. is behind compared to other industrialized countries- wealth disparity, lack of universal health care for all citizens, absence of paid family leave, no tuition-free public education, etc.
He was also the only one with a realistic view of gun control in this country. He emphasized the importance of mental health in preventing gun violence. He was also correct to believe that we shouldn't be going after gun manufacturers with lawsuits if their products are used for evil purposes. It would be the same as suing a car manufacturer if someone uses a car to run people over. I'm not a big gun advocate, but the reality is that there are millions of people with guns in this country & that's not going to change. What we need to do is to make it more difficult for psychologically disturbed people to aquire guns & get these people the mental health care they need.
Hillary Clinton did very well in the debate. I'm not a big fan of her & definitely think we need someone other than a Clinton or a Bush in office. However, she came off as empathetic to the needs of the people in this country. She is undoubtedly a war hawk, but that's perhaps compensation to look like she'll be tough enough to handle a foreign policy crisis. She clearly has no love for the Republican party, who have demonized her relentlessly over the decades.
Martin O'Malley is someone who I was unfamiliar with, but he impressed me during the debate with insightful answers and a vision for how to lead the country, including the goal of clean energy independence.
Lincoln Chafee seems like a nice guy who made clear he is "scandal-free". I think he is well-intentioned but I'm not sure he has the mass appeal of the other candidates.
Jim Webb is a typical military guy who has serious experience & credentials, but he kept complaining about how he wasn't getting enough time to talk... which wasted a lot of time. It also made him look like he was whining.
Like I said, any one of the Dem candidates would be a better choice than a Republican. However, I'm sticking to my choice of Sen. Sanders while looking forward to more debates in the coming months.
Although he hasn't been getting as much air time so far from the corporate-controlled media as Donald Trump, Senator Sanders has an ever-growing tide of online & grassroots support. My dream was probably prompted in part by the story I read last night, about Sanders drawing another crowd of tens of thousands, this time in Massachusetts.
Although he has served about seven years in Congress as an Independent, Sanders is running as a Democrat. Siding with the Democrats wisely prevents him from being a third party candidate- who would draw votes away from any other Democratic nominee & result in a Republican president (which in recent history has usually resulted in disaster).
Although Hillary Clinton has been seen as the likely Democratic candidate, this conventional wisdom was proven wrong last time around. As time passes, it becomes more apparent that Hillary's flaws and lack of conviction on important issues are preventing her from gaining the enthusiastic, widespread support that Sanders is gaining on a daily basis.
After the Democratic debates, more people will be familiar with Bernie Sanders, his voting record, and his proposals. When people become familiar with Bernie, they tend to like what they see & hear. For decades, he has worked tirelessly for the majority of people of this country.
Sen. Sanders has been constantly fighting for the benefit of the average person while exposing the true "welfare queens" of our society, the Wall Street mega-banks, multinational corporations, and the top 1% of the super-wealthy- who are all siphoning off & hoarding the nation's wealth, so they can have more money than could be used in dozens of lifetimes. Meanwhile, reform & investments in infrastructure, education, health care, and the general welfare of our country are neglected.
I have no idea who could possibly emerge out of the current Republican circus to be their nominee. I think the most interesting matchup in the 2016 Presidential election would clearly be Bernie Sanders & Donald Trump.
The reason this would be so interesting is that it would be a clear-cut war of ideologies- Capitalism vs. Socialism. Trump is the epitome of American-style capitalism, in which wealth, power, & ego reign supreme. Sanders, on the other hand, is an open advocate for Democratic Socialism, in which pursuit of profit is not the only goal of a society. Instead, some of the nation's wealth should be pooled together to reach common goals that benefit everyone.
"Socialism" has become a somewhat dirty word in this country, thanks to unrelenting corporate propaganda from Fox News, right-wing radio, and other conservative media outlets. However, Socialism is basically the use of tax money to fund effective government & public programs. Anyone who doesn't like the idea of socialism should stop using public roads, the mail, the service of the police, or any other public service paid for by our tax dollars.
I agree that government can be horribly inefficient, but that means we should work to improve it. It does not mean we should continue to privatize public assets, making already-rich people even more money at the expense of the general population. The problem with the conservative approach to government is that they want to destroy it from within, not improve it. This helps no one, & degrades the state of our country as a whole.
Having Trump & Sanders debate the merits of their respective ideologies would give Americans the clearest choice yet of how we should collectively choose to lead this country into the future. I actually think both systems can co-exist, with different aspects of society using socialist or capitalistic means, depending on which achieves the most effective outcomes.
It would be a hell of a comparison, though, and perhaps it would also be the contrast that people need to properly set our priorities as a nation. I am supporting Bernie all the way, but I think there needs to be a substantial debate from both sides about creating a vision of how to run our society. We'll see if we get this debate in the coming year.
Growing up, I never had a interest in politics or current events. I always had a pretty good idea what was going on in the country and the world, but never really cared about who was President or what Congress was doing.
That changed completely after George W. Bush was selected by the Supreme Court in 2000, and we subsequently entered an 8-year neoconservative nightmare. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, my 23-year old self sat up and started to pay attention, like so many other people. This blog served as an outlet for my frustrations and disbelief at the insanity being perpetrated at the time.
Along with the rest of the world, I watched with horror as Dubya and his puppet-master Dick Cheney launched (unfunded) trillion-dollar wars of invasion & occupation in the Middle East. It was perfectly clear to anyone with even a bit of insight that these wars were meant to exploit the region's resources, gain imperial footholds, and enrich defense contractors & investors. Waging war & fighting terrorism are often a means of making more money for wealthy, unscrupulous people.
The occupations of Iraq & Afghanistan were giant historical blemishes on America's foreign policy, but there were countless other problems created in those years- resulting from the incompetence of the Bush administration and short-sightedness of conservative policy, in general.
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, a giant sigh of relief swept over much of the world. Although Obama's terms have been, in many ways, a vast improvement over Bush's, it has become clear that he is not the progressive savior people thought he would be. In fact, the U.S. government under the leadership of President Obama has continued or expanded some of the worst abuses of the Bush administration. Unfortunately, it seems like there is only so much a President can do to change the mind-numbing bureaucracy of the government, the power of the military industrial complex, or the intransigence of an opposition Congress.
So, what should the citizens of the United States do?...
Should we throw our hands up and refuse to vote or participate in our democracy, claiming the system is hopelessly rigged for the benefit of monied interests? The answer is, "No!"
Politics, as vile as it can be, affects everyone in our society. It is much too important to leave to the devices of those who would seek to control or disenfranchise us. There is strength in numbers. Only by overwhelming consensus and cooperation can we, the people, overcome the imbalance in political power wielded by the top 1% in control of the wealth of this country.
As this election season started to add potential Presidential candidates for 2016, it looked like we might be doomed to an un-inspired choice of Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush- either way, a continuation of a political dynasty backed by Wall Street and big money.
Then, out of the blue, came Bernie Sanders from Vermont- the only Independent U.S. Senator. I've viewed a lot of cable news & have followed politics closely throughout my adult life. Having watched him over the past decade, Sen. Sanders has been a consistent voice of common sense policies and responsible government that functions for the benefit of the majority of working-class citizens. After hearing the incessant bullshit spewing from the other national politicians and TV talking heads, it was always refreshing to hear Bernie Sanders speak to the issues in a way that any reasonable person would understand and agree with.
One thing is certain, he is a more authentic champion for the average American than Hillary Clinton, or any of the corporate puppets that the Republican party can shove into the spotlight.
The media will try to marginalize him at first- by depicting him as a "fringe" candidate, the political equivalent of a crazy uncle, or *GASP!* a Socialist.
As support for his campaign continues to grow, he will become a force to be reckoned with. If enough people hear his message he will have a real shot at becoming the President and bringing some much-needed real progressive policy to the White House.
So, on the day of his campaign announcement, I'm enthusiastically supporting Bernie Sanders and what he stands for. I'll be spreading the word about this man- who has the proven integrity, honesty, and solutions we need to address the complex and seemingly insurmountable problems this country faces.
Here is the full video of Sen. Sanders' speech announcing his candidacy, in which he details his ideas for changing the American political landscape for the better:
In honor of the birthday of this great country, here's some words of wisdom from one of the few sensible people in the madhouse of Congress. I'm referring to the Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders.
The big political battle right now I think is the developing tax proposal. The more progressive Democrats are balking at it's generous benefits for the wealthy & of course the most conservative Republicans will oppose it for any concessions to liberal causes.
The only truly Socialist senator, Bernie Sanders from Vermont, led a non-'filibuster' for over 8 hours to protest the tax bill. I think Sanders is too much of an ideologue on certain things, but overall he puts his voice to work for the benefit of the vast majority of working people.
Despite any good intentions he may have, when I visited Huffington Post I saw one of the funniest headlines ever. I laughed out loud from the ridiculous headline & picture.
Unfairly, they made him look like a total crackpot.
The article about the speech was less sensational:
I watched alot of the first couple hours of his epic speech & he was not incoherently rambling. He was laying out the case for the damaging effects of our nation's crazy social priorities.
On the other hand... In defense of this upcoming deal, President Obama gave the stage over to the ever-loquacious Bill Clinton. I guess the hope was that ol' Bill could polish this legislative turd, that really stinks to the majority of his fellow Democrats. I've always liked Bill Clinton & it's generally agreed that he was a relatively good President. However, with the help of a Republican Congress he also presided over such foundations for institutional failure, such as NAFTA & the de-regulation of the banks.
Obama should have just left right away to go to his party, instead of conceding the podium for that long & having to stand there while Clinton soaked up the spotlight. It seemed a little awkward, but Bill Clinton is knowledgeable and can make a hell of an argument. Hopefully, though, Obama can learn soon not to keep yielding his platform.
Anyway, I think Obama's trying to be tough with his base because they are being unrealistic, to an extent. At the same time, they're also correct- that he appears to be surrendering the debate waaaay to fast, without hammering away the point that some of these "compromises" are a huge detriment to the budget & the economy. He is definitely trying to be a 'moderate' at all costs. Maybe it's just his unavoidable nature, or maybe he's trying to position himself as a true independent leader for the next election.
I think a recent The Word segment from Stephen Colbert had a great take on the need for a fighting spirit when approaching these kind of serious negotiations with a wrong-headed opposition.
Both the greatest & worst thing about the Internet is that everybody can have a voice.
You have your skoalrebels giving their barely coherent opinion, but you also have voices of reason, too. Bernie Sanders is the Independent Senator from Vermont & the first Senator to identify himself as "socialist." Regardless of what labels he or anyone decides on, he always makes rational points regarding the issues being discussed when I seee him on TV.
