622 Comments

I can't verify this number and I don't understand why your message doesn't show up.

Expand full comment

I'm not going to continue to answer your questions, you are capable of looking up the answers for yourself, and honestly, I don't care what the answer is to most of them, as it doesn't make a difference in my thoughts about any of it, at all. I suspect that Russia DID attack Ukraine provokedly, as Putin hisself stated that he attacked, albeit he tried to provide cover for doing so, but he has given at least 3 reasons for doing so that I know of, and possible more. Regardless....he is a fascist leader as notorious for lying as DJT is and aren't worthy of my bothering to give either of them very moch more space in my brain. I am bored with both of them and exhausted with the daily rehetoric and lies that come from them and the people who support them or those that sit on the fence about either of theml.

Expand full comment

Oh, now may 29 thw news = A deal on debt? No default? What did I write a few days ago. " No chance America was about to default." Worry and incessant talky talk = waste of energy and time.

Expand full comment

I think this should be a warning to average people in this country to start paying some more attention to what is going on in politics. I realize a lot of people are really not interested in politics because it does not seem to be immediately relevant to average everyday concerns. I believe Kevin McCarthy and his ilk got elected by a vocal minority that regularly votes. Too many average people do not bother to vote. The wealthy very consistently vote and give a lot of money to politicians that promote what the wealthy want. My hope is that a lot of Generation Z voters that were born 1997 to 2012 may very well be our hope to voting out Kevin McCarthy and his ilk. Here is the link to the wikipedia article defining Generation Z: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z

The oldest members of Generation Z turned 18 in 2015. The youngest members of this cohort will turn 18 in 2030. The US Constitution allows people 18 and older to vote all across the United States. The Red political Tsunami that was expected to happen in 2022 did not materialize because of the vote

of the Generation Z members who were 18 years or older..

I better not forget the Millenial Generation that was born from 1981 to 1996. Here is the link to the wikipedia article about the Millenial Generation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials.

I am estimating that both Millenials and Generation Z will constitute over 100 million people in the United States t hat could be a large enough voting block to topple McCarthy and his ilk in probably 2024. In 2024, the members of Generation Z born in 2006 will be of voting age in 2024.

Expand full comment

Hi Eric, have you ever heard of Jude Wanniski and his 2 Santa's strategy?

Expand full comment

I think you sound more like an idealist than gullible. Idealists are my people. If you can't see the ideal, the beautiful, you are destined to wander in fog. But, if there is any hope of fulfilling our ideals we have to be able to articulate what we see, so others can join in. The opposition will call anything you/I describe as shiny empty promises." There are no promises, just hard work toward what we want.

Have you considered running for office?

Expand full comment

Trump supporters don't know the meaning of truth, clearly anyone who believes his ridiculous statements is not playing with a full deck.

Expand full comment

WAR...unnecessary destructive war is how money is horribly spent. I am not interested in how either party is wasting as long as the waste doesn't involve "collateral damage". Can it get more hideous than that?

Politicians on both sides line their pockets with taxpayer money. This is not a new game. Read some history. It has always been this way. But killing our 'so called enemies' as well as our sons and daughters is UNFORGIVABLE.

Expand full comment

YES! YOU ARE CORRECT! We very much CAN show them our disapproval!

Expand full comment

"I think we should live in harmony with all living things"… what a beautiful idea. Unarguably something to strive for. As we have said earlier, strife enters when needs are in conflict. This is what is at the core of each of the trouble spots we’ve talked about… when one species, community’s or person's needs deprive another of what they need.

Nature resolves these situations by who/what is the smartest, strongest, or has the most perseverance. Humans hope to resolve conflicts in some way both sides get what they need, which we often call fairness. We try to step in when the strong, powerful, wealthy use their strength to treat the meek or less fortunate unfairly... through principles by which we write laws. Freedom and order are at opposite poles but complement each other.

We have seen a long expansion of freedom. Now, we are telling ourselves we are bringing order back or we're simply in an ordering mode. To live in harmony, to reorder up, this process requires the good will of participants. Restrictions work just the opposite. Our goal is elevated a person to BE better... to become a better person requires as full an education as possible, autonomy and responsibility over personal decisions and behaviors (self-governance), and a sense of belonging.

Currently there is a faction who think they know what is 'TRUTH.' And, they are willing to use their animal nature to power over other people's difference of opinion, other's needs, others safety. As you see, it creates stress, chaos, deaths, AND destroys the ability for harmony to happen. It takes no little faith in our fellow humans.

Expand full comment

"Harmony" in nature doesn't exist. There are larger ecological systems that when working do look somewhat harmonious but within even those systems, there is violent death, since there are living things that prey on other living things to survive. Humans, however seem willing to engage in killing, just for the heck of it, or for power or getting somebody else's resources, despite the fact that we may claim that life is precious. And, does living in harmony with all living things exclude the billion food animals that are killed yearly in the US? I would like to see us actually be more respectful of all life, but as long as there are humans eating hamburgers and pork chops, that is a fantasy. What's so disheartening about all of this, is that having the chance to experience life is a precious gift, and we are too willing to waste the lives of humans and other animals for the stupidest of reasons. Death is forever.

Expand full comment

Thanks J., I agree about the preciousness of life. Being able to appreciate life is an harmonious gift too. Part of that existence however is death; our precious earth some day will perish. So you have me pondering what I mean when I say harmony... even music stops... cymbals clash... drums pound... Does it mean working together toward some higher purpose? I'm off to the dictionary.

Expand full comment
Comment removed
May 27, 2023
Comment removed
Expand full comment

Hi frankly, As someone who has been protesting my whole life, I am stunned and stumped by your response to my post to Chris. Though maybe we could begin understanding if you could help me understand what you mean by, "their desires represented."

Expand full comment
Comment removed
May 27, 2023
Comment removed
Expand full comment

Hi frankly, Have you ever sat through a school board or city council meeting. One after another person stands up and wants something, often in opposition. If you assume honorable intend on behalf of the elected official or staff, it is easy to see how difficult these decisions are. There is rarely a simple choice. I've seen decision made that I agreed with that most in the room didn't.

But, you seem to not assume honorable intent. I do believe we have a healthy oligarchy influencing major decisions that move money in their way... created by Reganism. We can uncreate it if we focused on do it. Instead people are all atwitter about social issues. Oligarchy couldn't care less about social issues, other than a distraction.

I would guess 90%+ of decisions are honestly made... because they are constitutional, the law, or the best choice given the decider's values. That why we have elections. Decisions like Citizens United have devastated the country. Work to overturn it if you feel all our problems are money in the hands of a few. But, for heavens sake don't give comfort to those who want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

You seem like a genuinely decent sort too. Thank you.

Expand full comment

Excellent analogy!

Expand full comment

It’s less likely to happen again with a Senate, House, and White House that is steered by the adults rather than the recalcitrant teenagers with under developed frontal lobes! Vote ‘em out!!!

Sue from Florida

Expand full comment

"recalcitrant teenagers". Did you mean to say "juvenile delinquents"?

Expand full comment

Thanks for those good wishes 😊

Expand full comment

The media is having a fine time covering their version of what they call news. I watch BBC, CBC, EuroNews and even Reuter News more and more and NBC, CBS and ABC and CNN less and less. And I think the Democrats (and I am unfortunately one) have acted like idiots and should instead have framed the discussion around return the tax cuts from trump’s time in office or increase the debt limit.

Expand full comment

That's great, Jackie. MSM doesn't deserve our eyeballs. But if you want to REALLY make an impact, find all their major advertisers, and tell THEM you're no longer watching. Send emails to the major drug companies, the car companies, major retailers; that's who pays the media, and if that faucet gets shut off, so does NBC, CBS, et al. That's what I've been doing. Go for it!

Expand full comment

Did u see the progressive caucus's meting with the media? There was no mistaking they plain outright said this is exactly what Gaetz called it when he said we aren't willing to give up our hostage. The progressives said "how is it that they made the debt and now they have taken a hostage and yet they want us to make a concession? We aren't willing to concede anything for you to beat up and bully any more poor and needy people. You made the debt so stop trying to force the most vulnerable in the nation to go into starvation or inability to go to the Dr or get their meds or pay their rent instead of making the rich pay the cost on their own dam luxury boats and luxury airplanes! There is nothing they have offered that is negotiable! And that's the absolute truth! GO BLUE 2024

Expand full comment

Who or what are the "voices" that can break through the RED WALL? Seriously, is it the big pocket donors? These folks are so afraid of being primaried, that they are failing at legislating!!! Who can end this madness?

Expand full comment

The GOP themselves can. They manufactured this whole crisis simply to please their wealthy donors by letting them keep their tax cuts There is no reason that those who make more than 400k a year should not have to pay their fair share of taxes. The most vulnerable of us should not be forced into not having enough to eat or to go without medical care or medication for their illness solely in order to allow the rich NOT to pay taxes on luxury yachts and luxury planes. Kevin McCarthy cannot pass the vote to raise the debt ceiling because the MAGAT'S in his party are threatening to take his gavel. Well guess what Kevin? You shouldn't have loaned your gavel to the bullys in your party to use in beating you up! Either stand up and take it back....or get beat up! We aren't willing to give you anything so you can let your rich friends have more pie, they have already taken 7 of the 8 pieces of pie there is. Let the poor and the kids and our veterans in America have at least one slice, I mean seriously, how many more times do those in need have to go without so the rich can gorge themselves even more? Stop being gluttonous. This is nothing short of disgusting...and what's even more disgusting is that you have already stated that the minute we would give in if that were even a choice, is that you are still going to impose drastic cuts in social security and Medicare and medicaid in the budget negotiations which come next up in your burn the country down attitudes! So the answer is a loud and sound NO WAY. MAKE YOUR BUDDIES PLAY FAIR AND PAY THEIR SHARE! SHAME ON YOU! Our seniors and our veterans and our children are not political pawns, they are people who have served our nation and have done their years of work in the trenches and earned their ss benefits and our children are the future. How dare you think it's ok to injure any of these people simply to give the rich a freebie by allowing them to have luxuries tax free? How dare you ? Have some respect, for God's sake!!!

Expand full comment

Actually, I don't think they did it just for their rich donors; they did it to damage Joe Biden politically, enough, they hope, to allow Donald Trump, their leader and demigod, to win back the White House.

Expand full comment

That too, like Mim said below. Check one box for your correct answer Eric!

Expand full comment

That too, Eric. Sadly.

Expand full comment

Thank you for saying what needs to be said so clearly. "Negotiation" as a descriptor has bothered me also but most of the media uses it. Why is that so? Fox News is not the only outlet.

Again, thank you!

Expand full comment