Youtube comments of Al Loomis (@alloomis1635).

  1. 1 of these worth more than 10,000 politicians.
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  2. i was a recent enlistee in the usafss at a special roll-call, and got my 1st intimation that the land of the free was maybe no better than yer average south american banana republic. later service in vn war cured me of any remaining respect for the home of the brave. i believe jfk was shot by a team directed from allen dulles' retirement home. it wasn't voluntary, he carried the can for the bay of pigs fiasco. he was a man who directed murder as his profession and had easy access to shooters. and he was furious.
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  3. i don't wish to be rude, but surely a better question would be, "does america need a better political system?"
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  4. a definition of irony might be the enslavement of american foreign policy, simultaneously, by israel and saudi.
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  5. saudi will find another sponsor, russia will have another income, and xi jinping will be smiling. it's rare that happiness is so widespread.
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  6. the heart of the matter is, prc is directed to raise the living standard of the nation, india is run to benefit politicians. there are many reasons why india has lagged behind prc, but that is the most obvious.
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  7. if you have some smarts, they'll send you to tech training, likely to be transferable to civvy life. combat infantry is dangerous, and you will find yourself doing things that are crimes. think twice.
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  8. the problem ain't trump: your problem is a jerk like trump can walk into politics, beat the other jerks in politics at name-calling, and become 'leader' of the nation. if you don't understand this problem, there will be more trumps, and worse.
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  9. trump is not a cause, he's a consequence of american history and culture. he's a semi-literate sociopath who may further the shredding of any pretense to ethical society in the usa, but don't blame him for being what he is. that rock was set rolling down the mountain by james madison, when he established the legal foundation of the usa. it's becoming an avalanche, but a society created to preserve slavery, empower wealth, enable ethnic cleansing and glorify imperial militarism can not complain when it looks around and sees modern america. it is just what you should expect.
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  10. stop saying 'conservative.' they are the 'greed' demographic.
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  11. stop submitiing to oligarchy, demand democracy.
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  12. the west coast should seize this moment to secede!
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  13. "respect?" she respects him? to be fair, 'respect' sometimes has the meaning of 'fear.' and she should- employment opportunities can melt away for a woman who informs on a powerful man. participating in usan political culture must be a shameful matter. if it's the only work you can find, so be it. prostitution is more respectable, but the danger of disease is probably greater. flip a coin.
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  14. another aspect of the changing world order. usa is accustomed to running global institutions for usg profit, but other power centers, notably prc, have sufficiently strengthened to establish independent institutions, for trade, banking, and infrastructure investment. very good news for the rest of the world.
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  15. no one is going to speak to a foreigner, beyond the official script. having korean is no asset. humanity sometimes goes off the rails, notably germany under the nazis.
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  16. sounds like pete, but not as slick. he does 'sincere' so well.
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  17. sense of community non-existent, political system hopelessly ineffective, economy is already a hollow shell, a two-car collision at a country cross-road might be the butterfly wings. [of doom]
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  18. i hesitate to join the first three responses. but i must say, this smells like pompeo. doesn't really matter, the murder matters, as one more measure of american diplomacy.
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  19. if you don't like be being shot at in someone else's country. leave. there is no excuse for usa presence in the middle east, beyond greed supported by brutality.
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  20. mr jansen, every time you say 'america's democracy' you reveal a carelessness with language which eviscerates what follows. the whole story of usa history is based on the fact that usa is not a democracy.
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  21. if you are incapable of democracy, then you will be ruled by an elite. every elite will rot, simply because the power to command millions is in the hands of a few. homer sappy can not resist temptation, why should he, "look on my power, and despair!" yet no one demands democracy, in the land of the free. [add sardonic laughter here]
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  22. tell you what, let's everyone recall their occupying forces to home soil.
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  23. not sure there is much room for surprise. usa founded to support slavery, enable ethnic cleansing, and ensure the poor did not get any access to the taxes of the rich. sure enough, a fragmented society results. i learned what my society was like during the course of the vietnam war, and it was sickening. flooding bamboo villages with napalm because it was thought some of the residents might be vc about summed it up. it's your problem now, chuck. there won't be much sympathy when usa crumbles under the corruption of its ruling class.
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  24. when you believe your own lies, it is easy to be great.
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  25. his legacy. one must laugh. you seldom get an opportunity in the sunset of humanity, but here is a choice little nugget.
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  26. the usa is not a democracy, it is elective aristocracy, and no should want it. the swiss have democracy and it works well. but it needs citizen quality people, in short supply in usa.
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  27. the existence of an extradition agreement is political. enforcement is like saying, ' the bullet did it, nothing to do with my gun.'  @MarkS-dd3lv 
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  28. i have a simple rule: let everyone talk/wriet. despise everyone who doesn't want to hear/read something. may have to grit yer teeth at times, but that's better than allowing censorship.
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  29. they were angry, but not necessarily young. the engine room of the sa and ss was ww1 vets like hitler, bitter about lack of employment, lack of medical support, and very familiar with army discipline and small arms. there was a widespread feeling in this group that 'we were betrayed,' because germany surrendered before invasion of germany, due to civilian starvation. there is widespread thuggery in usa, but this has different causes, which can be traced back to slavery.
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  30. china doesn't have democracy. but neither does the west. 'representative democracy' is just feudalism with the violence replaced by elections and ballots. the people in western societies don't 'rule,' or even know what their masters are doing. much like china, except that the 'mandarinate' at least subscribes to the notion that everyone deserves to survive and enjoy an austere comfort. given this rough equivalence, numbers are likely to prevail.
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  31. there are no democracies, except helvetia. most 'democracies' are in fact elective oligarchies, some totalitarian dictatorships. a few are tyrannies, in the classical sense. 'democracy' is a corruption of a greek phrase, 'demos kratia.' it literally means, 'citizen rule.' nowhere do citizens rule, outside helvetia. in fact, life in china now is better than it has ever been, and superior to most 'democracies.' have you been to prc? taiwan? if not, be less inclined to believe the usa-dominated media.
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  32. If you read history, you learn that USA was designed to be ruled by rich white men. The design worked. If you want the fruits of democracy, first you must get democracy. If you don-t know what democracy is, how can you succeed?
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  33. If this surprises you in any way, where have you been? The world is run for and by the rich. Either organise and create socialist democracy, or buy a suitable weapon and prune them personally, or relax and move to the sports report.
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  34. console yerself with the knowledge that trump's daddy was a monster, and the monster lives in the back of his head still, saying "yer not smart enough for real estate, but politics is easier- stick with it."
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  35. you get the rulers you are willing to tolerate. if you are to ignorant, too dim, too lazy, too fearful to establish democracy, then trump is a natural result. a general will be along soon.
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  36. americans kid themselves, that they live in a democracy. saves having to face reality, and do something to fix it.
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  37. it turns out, when you build a nation on slavery and ethnic cleansing, the national character of rulers and ruled is equally debased. trump is more than a monster, for he perfectly exemplifies the brutality and greed that has expanded 13 colonies huddled on the atlantic shore into a world-girdling empire of mega-corporations offering every service from banking to uniformed murder. it seems only fitting, that trump is a caricature figure, .semi-literate, compulsive tweeter, draft-dodger and abject sycophant of real dictators, he even has the trophy wife desired by defective 14 year olds. and he is america's president, the choice of the electorate once, and with an opposition of similar character, likely to stay in power. and all the while, we hear endlessly, that the usa, and the american people are the defenders of democracy. no, you are not.
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  38. democrats began as the party of slavery, were the party of jim crow until the 50's, and only became vaguely left wing in the 30's and 40's when the depression and returning ww2 grunts gave them a window of power through dispensing social benefits. this brief and shallow flirtation with the left was gradually erased by buying individual politicians, one at a time. usa was designed to be wholly owned by wealth, a functioning plutocracy. design was very successful.
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  39. read 'decline and fall of the roman empire' as a young lad. interesting for the battles, but in retrospect, the value of the denarius is equally important, and as the silver was slowly replaced by copper, so the empire declined. not co-incidence, it turns out. the evil empire can sink beneath the sea, and much of the east coast will do that, the west coast will be devastated by fire, flood and tectonic plate wiggles, and some or all of the usa will likely be visited by the supervolcano under yellowstone. so will the evil empire be erased by god, or merely shredded by greed, arrogance and institutional idiocy? isn't it exciting?
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  40. i know of one society where most people became unemployed. imperial rome.
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  41. btw, i read elsewhere that usg has applied to an usa court for permission to stop iranian ships from delivering supplies to venezuela. help me out here, does usa own the oceans of the world? is this incipient piracy with a fig-leaf of simulated respect for law? is there no one with a skerrick of decency in the whole usa?
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  42. well, the constant assertion that 'usa is a democracy' has had an effect. makes sane political discussion nearly impossible. and the notion that 'capitalism is a good thing,' for any one not rich pretty much precludes useful chat. but what can you expect from a society founded to preserve slavery. imagine selling that as a good idea. i can see how usa got to be what it is, i wish i could see a way to keep usa from killing us all. 'greed is good' on a spherical surface is species insanity.
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  43. china is probably reading your mail. the nsa is known to read everyone's mail. get over it, 'national security' is just a magic phrase usa uses to justify anything they want to do, or want you to do. usa track record, all around the world, and particularly 'south of the border', stinks. if the choice must be between usa and prc, learn mandarin. it's easier than english, and you don't have to cosy up with psychopaths like bolton.
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  44. it's all been said, anyone interested can reach a decision. i've been watching the usg with increasing dismay and occasional horror for 50 years, and no longer waste time on weighing their activities: just assume they are genuinely evil.
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  45. i wish humanity were capable of truth, justice and democracy, but i see no sign of it. our extended-family heritage of roaming african plains is written in our genes, and in a society musing on nuclear structure, quantum computing and cosmological physics, the result is simultaneously terrifying and depressing. an individual person is given the management of a giant nation, a selection process that only weeds out foreign born, and under 35. are you all demented? no one should have such power- you are not an agricultural society of coach-borne gentlemen in powdered wigs anymore. and yet, while trump's character is widely decried, no one says a word about the system that brought him to power. are you all idiots? and he is supported by a senate made obsolete by militarism, whose only visible purpose is to make usa more corrupt with each passing day. are you all brain-dead? i don't propose violent revolution, it should not be necessary. if every sane citizen simply emailed your representatives each week for 6 months, saying simply: "give us democracy" that would be enough. if you don't have effective and accessible power of citizen initiative within 6 months, it will be necessary to re-consider non-violence, but i bet 100 million emails would do the trick.
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  46. i thought it was largely indian aggression. very disappointing to see rudd supporting the indians. modi must be aggressive, to mask his governments hopeless incompetence. usual story, 'look over there!'
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  47. when the people rule, decisions will be made for the public good. while the few rule, they will profit from their rule. is that simple enough for you?
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  48. poverty = poor diet = poor resistance. born to protect slavery and wealth, and here we are.
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  49. it will make some politicians richer, that always seems like a good idea in usa.
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  50. perhaps if we call the system what it really is, we might begin to improve it. for starters, the political system is not capitalism, it's elective oligarchy. ''capitalism' refers to the economic system, it is just a euphemism for impersonal greed., mixed with intrinsic corruption. notice that the political system is not 'democracy.' the people do not rule, they have no handle on public affairs, much of which is conducted in secret. once you admit that the system is not democracy, public discussion can move on to useful questions, such as: what is actual democracy? is it desirable? is it attainable? but first you have to stop saying, 'we have it, but it never seems to work.' that is insanity, at best.
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  51. anyone who works for sky news is the definition of gutter journalism.
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  52. if collusion between politicians, industrialists and military describes 'fascism,' usa has been way ahead of mussolini. usa from birth was inclined to this triumverate. but it's called 'americanism,' because they were ahead of the italians.
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  53. 'our democracy?' one of the most depressing aspects of modern life is the widespread notion that usa is a democracy. or ever was.
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  54. If only this was a unique experience, but no shortage of thugs in USA culture. Sociopaths Everywhere and this may be homer saps fatal weakness. The cure, if there is one, is socialism and a mutual respect that comes from democracy. I don't see that happening in USA, a society hobbled at birth with a foundation document cementing contempt for others in defense of wealth.
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  55. health care is not your major problem, just most immediate. even trump is just a boil on the face of a society born rotten.
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  56. no, it's just moving faster than they dare tell you. reveal what the politicians don't want known, and a career can be over. living without democracy threatens health and life.
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  57. when are americans going to realize their political system is a sick joke? when half are sick with cv19. maybe, but i doubt it. it turns out you can't teach an american anything, gotta wait til he dies and then import a replacement that hasn't had an american education.
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  58. i presume the recent visit by pompeo inspired or more likely ok'ed the murder of the iranian scientist. israel worries about nuclear weapons held by unfriendly nations. israel could be 'civilized' by the u. n. if it were not that usa profits from a mad dog on a usa leash.
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  59. no, it happens that brown people are over-represented in poverty and poor health, but that's just usa history throwing a heavy shadow. no, the primary struggle is between rich and poor, and has been since the founding of the republic. the rich have always won. there was a brief period in the 40's when labor and soldiers were in short supply, that a few simple minded people thought things were changing. they didn't normal service returned. you can have socialism, peace and justice, through the mechanism of democracy, but first you must get it. that requires struggle. not gonna happen, innit.
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  60. in fact, the usa society is self-made, and the visible corruption above is mirrored in the cynical passivity below. so, no revolution, just banana republic. madison would be proud- his constitution has empowered the rule of the rich, and endures, 'for the ages,' as he predicted. but it is hopelessly antique, and the standard of national management is truly degenerate. when a trump embodies the nation as model and reality, it's time to teach your children mandarin.
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  61. tell me about 'american democracy,' it seems to be totally different from actual 'democracy.....'
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  62. the system was born to protect slavery, and ensure the rule of wealth. that's a formula for brutality and decadence, and sure enough usa murders abroad with impunity, and american cities are rotting from poverty and political unconcern. i can't imagine any way to improve the situation, short of revolution. but the complainers are not doers, the doers are silent, so far- or non-existent. interesting times, for those without a personal jet plane and a pelosi fridge.
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  63. she rather thought she'd like to be a senator?
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  64. began as a goldwater girl. not a person concerned with issues, just getting power.
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  65. so you are presented with a choice of a biden, or a trump. and that's ok. a nation of zombies.
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  66. get to the root of the problem: the constitution was written to make it possible for the rich to rule usa. it works. it always has, and will continue. revolution is necessary.
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  67. my father had to leave home at 14, no food in the house, had to feed sisters at home. but that was the great depression. things not so bad now, yet. but the system is basically the same, and you have been living in the 'gilded age, mark 2' for 30 years. madison designed the nation's basic law to ensure the rich ruled, and they still do. and ordinary americans put up with it, as though democracy and socialism were god-ordained to be works of the the devil. you can't help a nation of dimwits, so shithole it must be.
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  68. you can not support democracy for others when you do not have democracy yourself.
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  69. trump lying is not news, nor should it concern you. what you should be worried about is the political system that puts any individual in a position of national power without any credentials of competence and character. are you all blind?
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  70. i, with millions of others , have watched the activities of the usg with mixtures of contempt and horror. i will concede that the government of prc is staffed with humans and likely to be somewhat unadmirable, but the people who drive usa have been committing mass murder from the beginning of the nation, and i assure you, you can't go far wrong if you are against them. bri is development of trade on a grand scale. it is certainly going to improve the lives of most who participate in it. usa may be embarrassed, since their plan involves mass murder, military occupation and assassination, for the enrichment of the masters of usa. too bad. the comparison reveals them.
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  71. trump not smart enough to be a fascist, and trump is not your problem. usa has been printing money for a long time, and recent bulk production just forced people to see reality. the usa political system was designed by slave plantation gentlemen riding in horse-drawn coaches, and it is absurdly obsolete. worse, it has produced a populace incapable of facing reality, unable to conceive of the need for change, and destined for the back corner in the history bookshop. let's hope they don't destroy the world on their way out.
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  72. had chinese help, but they are dead.  @colepearson7758 
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  73. the joy at turfing trump out was always misplaced. biden may actually be more dangerous. face reality: your political system is hopelessly obsolete, your people terminally ignorant, and declining income is creating a demographic of desperadoes looking for a dictator. there may be no answer, there certainly is no public acknowledgement of the depth of the dilemma.
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  74. because politicians make the law. anyone can see that. that's why getting democracy is urgent. but you can't get democracy, if people keep saying you already have it.
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  75. last time japan attacked ussr, in mongolia, they were mauled. so they attacked usa, thinking it would be easier.
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  76. not confined to the 'trump administration,' now is it? chomsky has a long list.
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  77. have a little pity. young trumpy was driven to perform over his intellectual ability and the result is the lying and boasting, and occasional veiled threats, plus the flying hair and bloated body. a wreck of a human, surrounded by people smarter than him, although he makes efforts to create a supportive team of people dimmer still. that's hard when you suspect people are laughing at you. anyway, he has done well, not at business, but at exploiting the antique and decadent political system. unlike business and finance, politics can be done without reference to reality, in the usa, it is the world of lies.
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  78. what's the difference between 'terrorism' and the cia activity around the world? only viewpoint.
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  79. i got over maher quickly, it's not hard. but it's nice to see him being publicly skewered, ty, mr dore. afghanistan is a mess, and the usa is responsible. taliban is unlovely, but they have been resisting foreign rule, against the power of the usa and the 'northern alliance' bandits that are subsidized by the usa. who have raised their heads again, by no coincidence. it's not easy, mixing it with the evil empire, and the might-as-well, let's- get- along fellow travelers of the evil empire must inspire rage in those who resist, to the death. it's afghanistan, not switzerland. the worst aspects are largely created by the orcs who run usa foreign policy. don't throw stones unless your hands are clean, and that would be no one, in the usa.
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  80. the great lie of usa is that it is a democracy. once you accept that lie, rational analysis is impossible. orwell hated ussr for personal reasons, doubtless well founded. but when it comes to perverting language to control minds, usa is world champion. newspeak r us[a]. and that's the facilitating purpose of 'rugged individualism' - democracy would lead to socialism, [ madison said so,] so you must worship individual responsibility and allow the politicians to administer the nation as they think best. usa was created to preserve slavery, and the rule of wealth. those are the facts, admitted to in documents by the men who attended the constitutional convention. it is not a democracy, madison explained why it was not and how it was prevented. any american who uses 'our democracy' is corrupting the language, usually to suppress the poor, occasionally to wonder why things aren't going well for the nation. things aren't going well because you persist in living a fantasy.
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  81. Aristotle came to the conclusion that the most important feature of political society was the answer to the question, 'who decides?' I'm with him. From that the left answer, 'the citizens decide,' the right, some smaller group or a single person.
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  82. there is an answer in usa history. madison told the constitutional convention that his constitution would prevent democracy and its predeliction towards .using the taxes of the rich to help the poor. that impressed the representatives present to establish the constitution, and it delivered the rule of the rich,, for the rich, as promised.
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  83. when power is concentrated in a few hundred politicians, coups are easy. when power is distributed into the electorate, coups are impossible. the swiss are coup-proof, usa just had a proto-coup, organized by a dim-wit, and it was laughable. the next manifestation will be bigger, better organized, and have sufficient military support to knock-over the arthritic oligarchy of wealth. this always happens, it is almost genetic in human societies. the swiss solved this tendency by not having an army. they just have a militia. the citizens rule in helvetia, a condition known as 'democracy.'
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  84. don't think trump has a conscience, that area over-ridden by the life-long anxiety from having to appear strong and competent while somewhat dim.
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  85. you haven't got democracy, maybe don't know what it is, can't lose what you haven't got. democracy is rule by the people, not by politicians.
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  86. i'm afraid you don't deserve hatred. pity for indian people, contempt for indian rulers - that seems more likely. the two nations were very roughly in a similar position 100 years ago, china has transformed itself into the highest level of technical civilization, india lags behind. it should be a matter of shame, but indian rulers choose aggression, instead. china stumbled into the idea of a public service almost 2000 years ago, and it has a new manifestation in the communist party, modern mandarins. so they are capable of concerted effort with central direction. currently they are the most effective society in the world. their history is unique, and their chief competitor, usa, is rotten, in the grip of greed and arrogance. india cannot emulate china, modi boasts india will surpass china, with no visible evidence. india must find its own path to modern life, but its problems are many and progress will continue to be slow, and not helped by empty boasting.
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  87. if you read the constitution, you will discover the word 'democracy' does not appear. neither is there any reference to 'referendum,' or 'citizen initiative.'in fact, the constitution establishes elective oligarchy. documents relating the activity of the constitutional convention reveal that democracy was briefly discussed and refused, as it would lead to unwashed masses ruling over landed gentlemen. consequently, there is no reason to impute democracy to the structure or activities of the usa government. people who talk about 'american democracy' are delusional. why then do people do it? the best way to keep people from demanding democracy is to tell them that what they have is democracy, an improved version done for them by loving politicians, no effort required. such a lie, repeated often from childhood, creates a nation of ignorant, passive, and hopeless couch potatoes, as here we see.
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  88. impeachment and removal is vital to the social contract: no one is above the law. failing to remove trump is a minor step towards dissolution of the federation, usa has been lurching towards collapse from birth, but if you chuck out a trump, it will slow the process.
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  89. it's really simple: the professional politicians have sold out the [ ex ] working class. they are angry, and desperate, and those additional 30 million suddenly without health insurance in the midst of a callous handling of the virus are easily recruited to violence- see 'stop shut-down' marches with armed men. there is no cure for usa problems, they are baked in to the law and culture. only revolution, impossible, or military coup, very possible, can re-direct the nation. the virus, the climate, the economy, the politics stress, usa is what a collapsing society looks like.
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  90. if a creature like trump gets to be chief executive officer, sane people would conclude the political system was hopelessly defective. but not a word is heard. entire nation is psychotic.
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  91. No solution. Some societies are dysfunctional. On the way out, please avoid destroying the world.
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  92. it may take more than a president trump to re-program america. i filed the nation under 'nothing to be done' in the late 60's. there's been no visible progress towards civilization since, but its military power and tendency to use it for commercial advantage makes usa an enduring object of attention, if only to dodge the bombs. but trump opens a new page, it's been a long time since an american president has acted as a gangster and murderer without bothering to cobble together the usual 'lone gunman' nonsense. if such a vile person can present himself to the electorate and be deemed slightly less bad' than the democratic candidate, then every aspect of american politics is so debased that social dissolution seems inevitable. superficially, a very desirable step in the national history, only the compost heap remains. but what if there is a metamorphosis, not from caterpillar to butterfly, but dung beetle to liverfluke?
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  93. get democracy. stop empowering crooks to steal from you.
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  94. re-open as soon as you can, for economic reasons. that means a temp wand and a cop at every door. too warm? off to isolation barracks. haven't got temp wands? why is that? haven't got isolation barracks? where have you been? haven't got swab tests? living in the dark ages, ain'tcha.
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  95. they have something called "re-call" in the california constitution. if usa were a democracy, "re-call!" would be heard across the land. but it's not, and usans are gormless zombies presumably incapable of getting democracy, or even of perceiving the need. shame really, inheriting a national culture of wealth worship has somehow stilled the voice of those who are not rich. raised to be the slaves usa was created to preserve. irony, innit. mr hartmann and pr wolff are valuable members of usa society, alarm bells, raised voices, alternative ideas. but even a very loud alarm, a brilliant idea, is useless if there is no one with the will or power to respond. the lack of democracy turns almost all usans into labor units solely, and recently, ex-labor units. someone is going to organize those 40 million people into a political unit. i wonder if it will be a chavez, a peron , a guevara, or that old favorite, hitler. not a hitler, i think, hitler had much better material to work with. but socialism will go down well with that group, sanders may regret selling out the left.
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  96. presenter was not clear, that this missile was not an orbital rocket. it's a steerable 'airplane,' which is gliding at high altitude and high speed. new problems for defense, but not insurmountable. the message is prc is at the leading edge of missile tech, and might have other surprises, too. i hope this constricts usa aggression, but usa elite is bullet-proof, or so they think.
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  97. not more democratic, but at least doesn't lie about being democratic. currently prc is the most vigorous and effective society, which reflects badly on the western plutocracies.
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  98. there is no 'trumpism.' there is great dissatisfaction with the political system driving the usa. he tried to cash in on that anger, but had no plan to help, not any real intention to help. your nation was managed by an absurdly unqualified person because the professionals were so corrupt that a slick-talking scarecrow might have won. as he did. nothing has been done about the fundamental weakness nor will be, as the parasites remain in charge, 'normal service resumes.' since the usa electorate is too ignorant and too alienated to act against their parasites, national decay must continue.
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  99. that's what happens, when you haven't got democracy. democracy isn't cancelled, when you never had it. are you ever going to admit, to that reality?
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  100. if you are trying to scare me, i'm more frightened by the usa.
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  101. I love hearing news of the decay of USA wealth. Proves that ennobling greed is dysfunctional! And may lead to extinction. Let's hope it only leads to the end of the evil empire.
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  102. it will be a cold war, let us hope. given the visible competence of chinese and usa governments, and amount of leading technology china has already demonstrated, i recommend teaching your children mandarin.
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  103. you don't have to. but their track record is better by far than usa.
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  104. why worry about losing democracy when you never had it, and don't know what it is? in fact some states have a constitution establishing democracy in state affairs. california a good example, referendum and initiative in continual use. but the usa is not a democracy, its laws override those of california, and many states are simply medieval. you can't have a democracy with a populace of dimwits and thugs, so there is no way forward for usa- some variety of dictatorship inevitable. the only interesting question is if usa will destroy the environment in pursuit of wealth, or destroy civilization with war in pursuit of power.
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  105. there will always be a party of the rich [dems] and a party of the richer still, currently the repugnicans. it's built into the structure of the state, and the culture of usa. this is why nations disappear- their political apparatus becomes obsolete and the culture prevents change. but usually they just stagger on, reduced in power or subservient to a stronger neighbor. this looks like the future of the usa- gifted with safe borders, but unable to compete with the natural power of a resurgent china. i imagine the usa will become the 'russia' of the west, second rank power, or third. it's no use being dignified or 'intelligent,' if you are convinced the world is flat, are perfectly comfortable with the notion that the elite should rule, and the commons accept their place in life, even if it is starvation.
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  106.  @brathernumzy  well, they are not in iraq, at least, or afghanistan, or 60 other nations where usa is reported to station troops.
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  107. if you read the history of the constitutional congress, you discover that the purpose of the constitution is to make sure the rich ruled the nascent usa. until you accept the reality that usa is not a democracy, how can you change it, to get democracy? usa is a plutocracy. that is built in. complaining is useless. action is necessary.
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  108. has the english speaking world completely lost their minds? 'breaking sanctions on iran?' the usa is not yet world ruler, and its laws only extend to the borders of usa. still, we have learned that canada is on a leash to their rich neighbor, so this exercise in modern piracy has some benefit towards shaping world opinion. bombadier won't be getting any more chinese train contracts, for a guess.
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  109. if i weren't so old, i'd be worried about this. but there is an upside- reduced production and consumption will slow the climate catastrophe. there, don't you feel better? i'm pretty sure only democracy and socialism can save h. sap. from extinction, but severe economic dislocation is better than capitalism in full freedom. gives you an extra year to become a better person in a better species.
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  110. france ruined haiti, but usmc ground up the remains and sold it for animal feed. the only reason the marines left was there was nothing left to steal. but usa has no moral debts, having no moral anything. besides, they showed what they could do in vietnam. haiti may say 'it could have been worse, they didn't sow the land with poison.'
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  111. don't see why putin was wrong. nato has advanced across europe, and he decided to fight now, rather than wait to see them advancing on moscow. the aggressor is usa. as iraq will attest.
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  112. everything is done for money in the usa.
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  113. just come out and say it: "there are would-be nazis among you." in fact, nathaniel bush, dubya's grandfather, was a nazi sympathizer, that's why the family moved from connecticut to texas after the war. never any shortage of thugs yearning to be free, in the usa. for now, they have to make do with joining the local police force. 'what is to be done?' lenin's rhetorical question at least had an answer, however dubious. for the usa, perhaps there is no answer: the bad guys were in power at the beginning, and clever enough to make change near impossible. chris hedges is slightly optimistic, he thinks revolution might be possible some day. damned if i can see it. there is time pressure--- the climate collapse now in train is beginning to exert an economic pressure in most nations, which will only get worse. it may cause wars which are so catastrophic that it relieves pressure on the environment, but that is the kind of 'solution' which may be its own extinction. the right path is simple: get democracy, use it to create socialist societies which invest heavily in green power, and don't waste money on war. what could be easier? in practice, h. sap. doesn't seem to be that smart.
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  114. in the first place, you have not got democracy. clearly don't know what it is. the rich run things because the constitution was written to make that easy. and it worked.
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  115. that's about it, and worse: ngo tried to support the rule of catholic elite in a nation 90% buddhist. and most of all, a sufficiently large number of vietnamese decided the foreigners must go, and take their lackeys with them, 'whatever it takes.' american generals can't do anything about people who operate on the 'free or dead' principle
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  116. You star off by suggesting that China is constantly causing trouble. Make a list of the countries PRC has attacked, invaded, occupied, bombed or murdered in. Long list, eh? Now do for USA. Seriously, which nation is an ever present danger to world peace?
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  117. yer only half right. 70% might be a good tax rate, but the important question is always, "who decides.?" first get the power to act, democracy, then talk about what to do with it. until you get democracy, your talk is just gossip in the slave quarters.
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  118. the limit of the american voter's hope, is that some kind politician will sling a few bucks in his or her direction. this is not 'left' politics, it is submission politics. right-wing politicians do it too, it's cheaper than patrolling the streets with tanks. real left politics is shifting power into the hands of the people, typically by establishing democracy. democracy is the left, all else is various forms of elitism. politicians will never give you democracy, it has to be taken, usually with some measure of force. not enough citizen quality people in usa, so democracy will not come. but you can content yourself with hoping for a fairy god-mother in politician guise, obama played that role very well, walking on water while leaving no footprints. somehow bernie and obama seem different, probably because bernie has been slogging while obama danced . bernie is too good for the usa, although that's a low bar- a nation that elects trump when there was a least one other candidate is in dire straits. just think how contemptible you have to be, to lose to such a person.
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  119. no, this is what happens when a nation is directed by a document enacted in 1789 to protect slavery and the rule of wealth.
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  120. stop whining about the government, and organize a revolution to establish democracy.
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  121. usa has nothing to offer anymore, but threats and bogus money. they will kill people who get in their way, so smile and delay, that empire is shaking.
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  122. some states in the usa have a 'democracy' constitution, and would be a respectable democracy if independent. california would be a successful nation from birth. can't think why they don't leave the federation. most usa states have little or none of the features of a democracy - simply look for the presence of effective and accessible citizen initiative, without which, a society is not a democracy. in nondemocratic societies, corruption is endemic, and difficult to discover, because contending parties have a common interest in not informing the civilians as to the nature of their subjection. and of course, a great many tolerate corruption above and exploitation below because they are more comfortable 'going along' than they would be in resistance. indeed, many in the usa make a living in the usa expressing shock! horror! at the 'doings' of the elite, while never suggesting revolution.
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  123. still talking about democracy in the usa. that is not productive. the reason nothing changes is that the people do not have the power to change things, and the elite are happy with things as they are. as they should be - madison delivered a plutocracy, just as he said he would. first, get citizen initiative, the power to change. then talk about threats to democracy, and what to do about it. btw, lately there has been little feelers about secession on the web. worth supporting, when you see them. the westcoast could be a democracy very easily, and perhaps the north east, as well. central usa is bubbaland, leave them to their own futile fascism.
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  124. strange, i would have thought the primary question is that usa has been spending money it hasn't got, for many years, and going deeper in debt is not a solution. a solution might be, reduce military spending. or, tax the rich. is everyone in usa living in a drug induced coma?
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  125. chinese leadership has demonstrated a degree of skill in management of national economy which makes usa seem feudal, or merely chaotic.
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  126. I watched the news, safely far away, and my reaction was, of all those millions of people murdered by the USA, finally someone has found a way to strike back. The rage and disbelief usans- expressed was expectable, but should you have been surprised? You are hated by millions, for good reason.
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  127. pompeo cleared the air with an unguarded admission that he lied and murdered as an officer of the cia. no dirty business that he had not done. you can't give a sociopath credit for anything- if you can't put him in jail, at least don't believe a word from his mouth.
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  128. usa has been printing money since nixon, eventually people lose interest in thei usd. the rise of china creates an alternative. nothing to do with the fed, which cannot balance an economy that does not make things. trump may well be the catalyst, since he is blank outside of his personal welfare. think rhino in a china shop. but once again, trump is not the problem- the problem is the constitution. it permits people defective in character, intellect, education and experience to occupy the oval office, senate and house, and thereby direct the nation for their personal profit. i am not sure why the american people can not see the need for democracy, in recent years i have selected ' 'genetic defect' as the most likely explanation. but it could be defective education, supported by a quasi-religious regard for a document written to empower slave plantaion grandees to rule a nation of ignorant bumpkins.
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  129. 'our democracy' that's the problem- you think you have democracy.
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  130. if you are surprised, you deserve pity. the usa was designed by rich people to be run by rich people, for the benefit of rich people. nothing has changed or will be changed, until the people of the usa demand a new constitution. since they almost uniformly think the constitution is their friend, this will not happen, and all talk of discontent will come to nothing.
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  131. good at blowing things up, and shooting people that are rude to them.
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  132. it would. but you don't have it, and never did. the constitution of the usa was explicitly written to prevent democracy in the usa. probably you don't know what democracy is, many think voting for politicians is democracy, and it is not. democracy is rule by the people, not rule by politicians.
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  133. 30 million suddenly unemployed and uninsured are easy recruits to a para-military self-help brotherhood, you could call them "storm detachment." and explain they are available for civic repairs.
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  134. germany had no experience with democracy [nor did anyone else, but the swiss] and consequently not only had no formal tools to manage their society, they had no way of thinking about the direction of their society. government was something that happened to you. you didn't question it, any more than children question their parents. the settlement of ww1 was widely resented in germany, and that resentment put the nazis into power, a more sane settlement would have been to hang the kaiser and all of the top statesmen and generals, but that would make rulers of every nation nervous. the usa is not a democracy, and trump would be a hitler if he could. i am hopeful that he will prove to be only a mussolini, but he has the world's best army for a plaything, so even a mussolini is a serious threat to the planet and all its people.
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  135. don't they have history classes in high school, anymore? the whole purpose of the constitution is to enable the rich to rule, as they have for most of usa existence. there was a small shift caused by the great depression, which brought the seeds of socialism to usa, and the soldiers returning from ww2 needed to be employed, but the 'new deal' and 'gi bill' put out the fire. normal service returned, and the rich bought back their nation, one politician at a time. it is pointless to blame reagan, or credit him with great political acumen. he was just using the tools created for him by madison. there was never a time when the rich were not pressing for control of the nation, and using it to further enrich themselves. there is no cure but revolution, and the rich will never go quietly- they own the army. don't despair- the army is the refuge of the poor, and nowadays the officers come from that demographic as well. sometimes you get a rebel in uniform.
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  136. jews were never entirely comfortable in europe, but it's worth remembering that the jewish invasion of palestine began around 1900. not so much because of prejudice and the occasional pogrom in very backward christian nations but in large part because the collapse of the turkish empire created an opportunity for jewish conquest. it began quietly, buying up bits of land as they came on the market. but by 1925 the jewish national army, irgun, was strong enough to tell muslim palestinians to run or die. what might have been a secular nation where both religions flourished in peace, was the ulcer on the face of humanity that seems likely to bleed until the nukes start to fly.
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  137. mao laid a fundamental groundwork: universal education, equality of opportunity and participation in nation-building. there were missteps, some self-inflicted, some the result of foreign threats. deng xiao ping took china into 'socialism with chinese characteristics' which was state directed capitalism in special economic zones, widened as success became evident. xi jin ping realized the time had come for political autonomy , and asserted prc mastery of its economy and national borders. prc has blossomed under these 3 men, in a style and power not seen in modern times. india can not emulate this astonishing progress, much less catch up. prc had internal characteristics and international conditions that presented a unique opportunity. there are pockets of excellence in india, but great numbers of indians still earn a living walking behind a plow. i suspect these people are not an asset to indian progress.
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  138. it's good to be reminded just how 'civilized' the 'leader of the free world' is.. i grew up there, in the south, and the racist residue of slavery and jim crow was everywhere around me. another good reason to get out.
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  139. how can you end democracy, when you never had it? and how can you get it, if you don't know what it is?
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  140. it's nice to see the crumbling of the evil empire, but when they have nothing left but the world's biggest military, with better equipment too, do you suppose they will go quietly? it would be helpful if nato dissolved before usg started issuing orders, 'or else.' yet they complain about getting access to russian oil, but do not withdraw from nato.
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  141. i am still waiting for the first american talking head to say, "you know, our political system is shit."
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  142. important to keep before the world the reality: usn cruises off china's shores, chinese navy not visibly in the caribbean sea. perhaps if there was a presence just over the horizon from new york city, san francisco and new orleans, it would cause usa to re-think its policies?
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  143. How did it happen? Simple. When you don't have democracy, and don't know it, politics is always fragile. Only a few people involved, easily disturbed. A nation with no referendum and no initiative is no democracy. How do you not understand this?
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  144. no use pointing out that the government of the usa is acting against the interest of its people, if the people are too ignorant, biased , dim and apathetic to revolt. unless you can make a living from it. well, there is another-- your masters are storing up hatred and contempt all around the world. they won't suffer from it, but you might.
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  145. comments below suggest dr glikson has a following. presumably unwanted. i would have moved to a desert island long ago, but all the good ones are bought up and beautified by the seriously rich. only one i could find in my price range is made of floating bits of plastic held together by industrial scum. we need to prune humanity. cloud-funding most appropriate--- small prizes for individuals, larger if you stop a deforestation project. the traditional method is war, but the wrong people are pruned. in short, it appears we are doomed. wouldn't mind much if it were an asteroid, but fruitcakes and greedbags are the danger at hand.
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  146. anarcho-syndicalists have been singing this song for well-over 100 years, now. and worker co-ops have appeared here and there. but they do not flourish in a political atmosphere of 'capitalism.' they are not a cure, not even a band-aid. once you get a political umbrella of democracy, various kinds of socialist enterprise become attractive. but you must first break the grip of wealth from the law of the nation.
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  147. the problem is fundamental, a feature of american culture. americans accept an aristocracy of wealth, and while they are willing to submit, there is nothing to be done. they were locked out of citizenship with the establishment of the federation, and from that moment began to accept 2nd class membership in society. it's built in to law, and custom now. they don't even dream of democracy, it is so far out of reach. once you accept great power confined to small numbers of people, wealth will be concentrated too, and contrariwise. the rich buy power, the powerful acquire wealth. which is why democracy is feared in america- it leads to socialism. madison was well aware of this, and promoted his constitution to the founding convention as a protection against democracy and resultant socialism. the many can always rule, if they are wise enough to organize, but oligarchies keep their plebs ignorant and brain-trained. this has proved successful around the world and through-out history, as america demonstrates so very well.
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  148. makes you wonder who fired up these yahoos.
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  149. the system created trump, selected trump and rewarded trump. but no one says, 'maybe we need a new system?' the thing is, if a crooked narcissist like trump can stumble into the oval office, who will be next? a putin? are you all asleep?
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  150. as long as you let politics be something done by an elite, it will be done for the elite. if you want politics to be done for the people, the people must stand up, and demand to be masters in their nation. but democracy needs a high percentage of citizen quality people, and they do not grow in the poison land of the usa.
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  151. 'the great leap forward' was unsuccessful, and famine did result, but i forgive mao for this policy. it was inspired by the realization that china's enemies could not be deterred by the massive red army. the usa was publicly threatening nuclear bombing of chinese cities., a war of extermination, not occupation. the only effective counter-measure was getting a chinese bomb, and effective delivery system. so he threw what he had, peasant labor, into a modernization program. the situation was like modern times, with iran and north korea seeing their only defense from american aggression in getting nuclear capability.
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  152. sorry folks, there is no fixing of the usa. it was designed to be unfixable. the only peaceful change depends on the people on top of society deciding to change, and why change when you are on top? madison had heard of democracy, and he wasn't going to allow it. most of the delegates to the constitutional convention agreed with him, so no democracy.
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  153. yer way too late. aristotle boiled politics down to 2 words: "who decides?" when the people decide, through referendum and initiative, you live in a democracy, and are citizens. but you don't decide, it's not a democracy, and you are only civilians. you should know this, but you don't. no accident, your schools are training camps. worse yet, you don't have the community spirit that would bond you together to overthrow the elite. that's no accident either. freedom! freedom! freedom! if you worship freedom, you are alone, and alone you can do nothing in politics. the greeks called such people 'idiots'
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  154. it's a shame that usans don't have democracy, but you can't get or hold on to democracy without a large percentage of citizen quality people. just imagine for a moment, that usa had citizen initiative, accessible and decisive. but you don't, and you never ask 'why not?' a nation of slave-minds.
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  155. usa is worried about china's increasing lead in telephone technology, and arrests mwz to scare people into not doing business with huawei. perfectly sensible if you are incompetent, but muscular. thugs have been making a living at this theme, for thousands of years. but this was thuggery, and canada's respect for law is simple and gross hypocrisy.
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  156. i hope mexico and venezuela can survive, singly or together. i urge both to join the bri with china. perhaps invite russia to participate, with cuba as well. usa has made so many enemies that if they join together they may be able to resist. a useful report, ms iverson, thank you.
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  157. prc intends to reclaim an undamaged taiwan, however much usa wishes for war. once usa thought taiwan was part of china, when it suited them to pretend jiang would return. then usa wanted to seduce prc into their commercial net, so they admitted again, that taiwan was part of china. seduction didn't work either. it appears that commerce with taiwan will be difficult, due to intermittent military exercises for the next few weeks, or months, or years. prc can afford to be patient, since usa military expenses are driving them into financial ruin.
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  158. no use reporting the crimes of oligarchy, if you will not use the word ' oligarchy, ' if you will not describe the alternative of democracy, and point out how it will prevent those crimes. of course if you have to describe democracy, it means you haven't got it. the crimes of oligarchy are implicit in the society. every society in which the rulers are few must operate on secrets and lies, or the plebs will be aroused. at the same time, the elite are never satisfied with their share of the wealth, however great. so society collapses. process visibly advanced in my lifetime, notably in the area of education. no one discusses the relation of social structure and consequent function. that lack of intellectual investigation is terminal. florida was crooked when i lived there, doubtless more crooked now. it will always be crooked, when the people are not the masters. what did lincoln mean, when he said, ..."of the people, by the people, for the people..." that was not the usa, then, now, or ever., he was a liar, and he meant, as every politician means, 'let me rule you, it won't hurt as much as the alternative." people who put up with this are slaves by nature.
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  159. nothing has gone wrong. you just don't understand the motivation engendered by the fundamental structure of the nation. it is working just as it was designed to do. usa is not a democracy. it never was, and that was the intention of the men who shaped the nation. when you ask, " what has happened to our democracy?" you demonstrate a total ignorance of usa history. democracy is run by the citizens, through referendum and initiative, and you have none of that. still you persist in referring to our 'democracy.' i will admit, i got my basic education in the usa, and there was reference to 'democracy,' but a moment's analysis would reveal the lie, to those who didn't want to participate in a national myth.
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  160. the government of australia has sent these uniformed murderers to afghanistan for many years, under the direction of their usa masters, there can be no defense to australian honor from such circumstances.
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  161. there is something called 'democracy,' which if you had it, would ensure ordinary people had a decent share of life. why not get this 'democracy' thing, as a first priority?
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  162. what a surprise! let's hope they have a delivery system too. the only safety iran [and venezuela ] have is nuclear capability, or an ally able to supply that capability.. it seems to me it would be in the interest of prc to supply both nations.
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  163. btw-- rittenhouse jumped in his car, with gun, went to a demo, shot 3 people, 2 mortally, and walked? what kind of charnel house are you living in?
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  164. are americans constantly watched? wikileaks, and the snowden releases suggest americans are kidding them selves, if they imagine their lives are not in view. just inquire for info on home appliance, ten minutes later check the ads on your screen. nsa looks at everyone, at least as closely as the chinese. suggesting otherwise is naive, or disinformation. you don't live in a democracy, unless you are swiss, maybe not even then. does it matter? maybe not. sheep are happier in a penned field, until the day they are herded into the truck. same with humans, evidently.
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  165. it turns out that stealing a nation without totally exterminating its people creates long-tern anxiety. and wide-spread contempt. who knew?!
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  166. a whole nation insane. and stronger than nazi germany. greed and arrogance in the rich, lust for power in their political agents, and no visible way of turning the ship of state away from destruction of the whole world. if i were young i'd be worried, and very, very, angry. and it's not trump folks, he's just the symptom, not the disease.
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  167. 'democracy' is a greek phrase, somewhat corrupted into an english word, whose meaning is, 'citizen rule.' not politician rule, or general or king. elections do not signify democracy, they signify elective oligarchy. the touchstone of democracy is the power of the citizens to initiate action or law without reference to any other power in society. english-speaking societies call this 'citizen initiative.' california would be a democracy, if it were not dominated by the usa. this inconvenient reality is little known in usa, for discussing such things embarrasses people who like to imagine they are citizens of democracy.
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  168. trump might want to take usa with him, so long as he didn't have to go himself. but there is a coward in there, or at least a profound belief that his own welfare is paramount. unlike the born-to-rule pnac gang that pulled dubya's strings, he has no confidence in surviving actual warfare. whatever he says, he will shy away from triggers. be thankful- you could do worse than trump, and frequently have. otoh, the government of the usa is a rickety old georgian mansion, rotten timbers, rusted pipes, cracked windows, inhabited by self-interested politicians literally incapable of concern for the general welfare of the nation. the performance of the organs of state is about that of the latter days of the austro-hungarian empire.
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  169. the usa political system started off bad, and has rotted. abandon hope! approach any consulate you can find and plead for resident visa. claim refugee status!
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  170. voting for politicians has always been a shameful act, a visible obeisance to your betters. i f you aren't smart enough to want, and get democracy, then various kinds of contemptible people will rule you, as here we see.
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  171. so what? trump has exposed the fundamental brainlessness of the usa political system, and nobody noticed. that is a kind of failure in usa education, unless, very likely, it's all a scam to keep the cattle quiet. in any event, try to get off the stage without destroying the planet.
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  172. the only effective way of ruling others is by force and fear of force, until habit and submissive culture are established. religion has been the tool of that second phase, and is some use in the first: 'gott mit uns' was popular among the germans in the first world war. arabs put it to good use, 'allahu akbar! carried them [ and many collaborators ] from spain to kazakhstan. but when a dim-witted sociopath with delusions of adequacy picks up a bible, he was certainly coached, and is being used by various people who like being near the top of usa society, and will stay there by any means possible. trump with a bible in hand was most likely to induce widespread laughter, but it was worth the risk to remind the riders of religion that trump was on their side. in any event, watching usa history unfold is a ceaseless wonder- so many ineffectual people are driving the nation into poverty that a man in uniform on a white horse must surely be putting his foot in the stirrup. who will it be?
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  173. not many people have rights in usa. 'rights' are freedoms held by the ruling class, in the usa that is a few hundred politicians, and a few thousand plutocrats that have the politicians on speed-dial. most people have privileges, which are freedoms extended by the ruling class to useful people - employed and submissive. they can be withdrawn by the politicians, as here we see. that is the nature of privileges. if you are too frightened to fight, or too lazy, or too dim to understand that politics is about power, not wishes, then you will be a member of the lower class, in a society with an upper class. democracy is not free, and not natural. it only comes by struggle, either violent or with the threat of violence. so far, the people of usa have not understood this.
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  174. trump wasn't nearly intelligent enough to perform a coup. think of the excursion to the capitol as a temper tantrum aided by various dimwits who confused costume parties with real life.
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  175. so depressing. not the crookery, that's been going on since 1789. but the passive acceptance of a thoroughly cowed populace. and it's all done with screens and maleducatiion.
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  176.  @leroitiaks  the ussr was pretty much the tsarist russian empire with a new owner, the communist party. when the party collapsed, the non-russian captive states escaped in all directions. they weren't in the empire because they liked it, and they left as soon as they could. ukraine in particular hated russia, many of them collaborated with the nazis.
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  177. mr. damon, i enjoy your movies, but stay out of politics, there are children watching.
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  178. this is an american sanction,  @celyl 
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  179. this is a good thing, high prices encourage change to sustainable energy.
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  180. humanity needs democracy. but it doesn't know what it is, or why it's necessary, so we drift along listening to 'strong men,' all too often hopelessly incompetent, and always unconcerned about the rest of us. but we shouldn't complain about their sins, the fault lies in our own flabby submission. c'est la vie!
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  181. or you could get democracy, and legislate adequate working conditions.
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  182. what should be obvious, but no one is saying, is, 'if you want it done right, do it yourself.' in politics, that means 'get democracy.' but no one says it.
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  183. trump can't destroy usa. his presence in the wh merely demonstrates the degeneration of a contemptible society, born to protect slavery, and ensure the rule of wealth. it is destroying itself, for lack of community and dysfunctional basic law. usa can not resist greed and arrogance, for it was designed to enable them. the virus has put a light on the stinking mess of usa social conditions, but it is only an aid, the reality is obvious to the whole world. you may get rid of trump, but the evil empire will be unchanged.
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  184. not a coup. just 'happening.' coups have planning, and organized dying. this was just a frolic by good ol' boys.
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  185. singapore is no kind of democracy, but it is a very classy shopping mall, and boredom is the main political flaw. only half of india's politicians charged with crime, some violent? a credit to the 'media,' if true. perhaps if they dig harder, all could be publicly shamed. whatever the truth, the only real shame is in the electorate that allows politicians to exist. a bad habit they inherited from britain, which is known to be ' carrier' of crooked politics around the world.
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  186. You live in a backward society, not much improved from feudalism. When things go wrong, often, there is head scratching and finger pointing, but never the observation that bad rules get bad results. Have you heard the phrase, "we are a society of laws, not of men?". Well , that's not true of usa.
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  187. usg has secrets, but the grosser actions arise from structural considerations. the gop maintains a grasp on power with a smaller natural base, because the other gang is more diverse, much more alienated, and attracts less money. scotus did not turn against democracy, because usa is not a democracy. it is an elective oligarchy in structure, and functionally a plutocracy. scotus turned its back on roe vs wade because 5 of its members decided that was right. they might be venal, or crazy, but that doesn't matter. they have the power, and used it. allowing any 8 people to have that much power is a measure of the quality of all the other people in the usa. if you want to complain, step over to a mirror. there's the weak link.
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  188. Not enough to say "this isn't working right." You have to figure out why. And it's not hard. Madison created a framework for a nation to be ruled by wealth, and it has performed that role brilliantly. USA is an oligarchy, and the few are dependent on donors to get elected. Elections are not democracy. The people do not rule, the rich rule. Evidence all around you, yet you persist in talking about 'democracy.'
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  189. of course usa will survive trump. already survived even worse. but each bad president cripples the nation a little more in his term, and usually long after, the constitution has been a disaster, masked by the natural resources and geographic security of north america. the mask is slipping off. the three facets of usa government are all rotten, and the people unable to renew for lack of democracy. [no referendum, no initiative, no recall, = no democracy. you probably didn't know that?]
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  190. when the swiss were surrounded by nazis and fascists, they were asked to surrender peacefully. their response was, "give us a couple of weeks, we need to discuss, and have a referendum." answer was 'no,' about 97%. that's how civilized citizens of democracy conduct their society. by comparison, usa is cavemen sitting around a campfire and arguing over what to do.
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  191. i insist: democracy is the label for a political society ruled by its members, equally. in modern times, a society directed by regular and frequent referendum, under the control of the electorate exercised by effective and accessible citizen initiative. 'capitalism' is not even a political system, much less a democracy. it is a label for a society captured by wealth, ruled by control of wages and employment, and presence of a variety of employment contracts. actual politics is of trivial importance, since the agents of wealth hold the offices of state. and that is why plutocracy can function as a shadow government. actual democracy does not happen in the federal sphere of the usa. there is literally zero co-relation between public opinion and public activity.* somewhat surprising since about half the states might be democracies if they were independent. why in the world do they not band together and establish federal democracy, or leave the federation? because they are all ruled by a politician aristocracy. which would literally disappear if real democracy were imposed, at state or federal level. who will put themself out of work? so if you actually want democracy, it must come from outside conventional politics. difficult! on the other hand, conventional politics is destroying the planet. dilemma! * princeton uni. did a large scale analysis, with this conclusion. but - this was for the economic lower 90%. for the top 10%, very good co-relation. madison would be proud of his work, he promised the constitutional convention that wealth would rule, and he has delivered, ever since.
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  192. referring to usa as a 'democracy' is counter-productive. is not, never was, by design. how can you get democracy if you keep implying you already have it?
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  193. that would be never. but don't blame trump, he is just another milestone on the history of the usa. dubya cost you more, in money and reputation. i suspect truman set usa on the path to decline, by alienating china and vietnam, but likely he had little choice. usa was created for the rich, madison boasted about it and had ample cause. the degenerate souls in the senate have some resemblance to the ancien regime that inspired the french revolution, so there is that much hope for the usa.
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  194. have to feel sorry for hedges. a moral man in a corrupt society. americans who want to know what their nation is, have ample evidence, in part from hedges. but most don't care enough to learn more, nearly none speak out about the fundamental questions. so this is a society in decay, with no visible chance of recovery. they are also the evil empire of our times, and the decline will be painful, in and outside the nation. god help us all. [merely an expression of concern out of common humanity- god is little concerned with h. sap.- a failed experiment]
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  195. leave eric alone. with donald for a father, neither appearance nor character can possibly be appealing. he was born crippled, have pity.
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  196. watching mycountrytisofthee apply napalm and agent orange to vietnamese people cured me of patriotism. then i went back and re-read american history without the woofle-juice and wondered why anyone would be proud to be american. it's not new, folks, and trump isn't some mutant.
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  197. i wonder if a society that only uses adversarial methods of organization is really efficient? the drive to maximize profit seems likely to alienate the entire society. the normal human response is to do as little as possible, while looking for a better job.
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  198. why doesn't someone/group start a citizen initiative making the administration hold a referendum before starting a war?
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  199. 'causing offense' is not a sin. jewish supporters of israel claim to be offended very quickly. any utterance against israel causes offense, and is anti-semitic. i quit worrying about it some years ago, since they clearly thought they had god on their side. can't offend god, right? doesn't pay, anyway.
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  200. some did, but there was no way to reform the society. a lesson for the usa, but the lack of democracy leaves the mechanism of change in the hands of people 'on top.' they have no reason for change.
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  201. the significant element of these comments, is the ignorance and passivity of common humanity. government is so far away from them that society can be called 'feudal' or even 'slave society.'
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  202. not much point in analysing religion, but as a marker for brute greed, hunger and rage, it's fast and reliable.when you have an iq of about 80, it makes as much sense as science, and is pretty maleable, so any number of conmen have made a career out of it. the sad fact is, the most militarily powerful nation has an ignorant and credulous populace, and an amoral elite willing to say anything to get what they want. nothing unique about that, but our weapons threaten extinction quickly, industry only a little less quickly, and political discourse is still at the georgian level, with occasional dips into feudal banditry. young people are entitled to be really angry with oldies, but fortunately, most are too ill-educated to understand what's happening.
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  203. 'routine and systematic lying?' if only it were just lying. usually they murder as well.
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  204. i simplified my view of international affairs long ago. the process took time, but can be encapsulated by a quote from the vietnam war[crime]. "we had to destroy the village in order to save it.' and then there was mylai.... along about then, i realized that the land of my birth was ruled by sociopathic monsters. so i left. since then, the rule is, 'usa evil, the other side less evil.' it works well, apply it, and you will be on the side of the [often soiled] angels. we only have homer sap to work with, but encourage the less bad.
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  205. mr. hartmann gets one right, nature has rights, often expressed as 'bats last.' unfortunately, there is little dialogue about conservation until the avalanche is rumbling down the mountain. hear that noise...?
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  206. bernie is a politician. he does what he thinks will keep him in office. you don't have to let politicians rule you, but changing to democracy does require considerable effort, and a little smarts. much easier to simply complain, and make a living from complaining, if you can. congratulations, mr dore.
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  207. well, that's good. perhaps he should invite the south-west tier of states to rejoin mexico as well. that will get attention.
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  208. the whole world was buying from prc before the latest usa sanctions. the price was right. there is always a fundamental question, 'what's wrong wth india government,? ' if you have a managed economy, why isn't it performing?
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  209. it's possible to use another nation's currency, the euro is essentially just that. until recently i would have guessed it was stable. lately, maybe not. but it's not necessary, a small nation can maintain a stable coin, the swiss do it, and a 'sur' is only as good as the nations in it. some of them not reliable, a recent experiment with bitcoin a notable example.
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  210. when red states and delta death states are similar, even usans may begin to realize politicians are not their friends. but it is a transient emotion, quickly over-laid with more fundamental drives for some sense of security in a world visibly falling apart. politicians will offer that sense of security with some new mantra, and if it is radically opposite to the previous one, well, it turns out '1984' was written for the usa after all. for the dim and ignorant, life is a prison without the need for walls or guards.
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  211. this is the man who licensed the invasion of iraq with outright lies. his presence is presumably a measure of the value of cnn.
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  212. usa is basically a grossly larger renaissance italy, locked in greed and arrogance, and unable to capture the energy of the people, who are well-aware they are expendables. trump is not an aberration- he is the spirit of the age and usa society. there is no fix, we can only hope they subside into irrelevance without destroying the world.
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  213. 'should be' sums up usa weakness: lack of democracy gives you 2 choices, submission or revolution. they figure you will shut up and put yer head down. and they are right, things will get worse, and result will be military dictatorship.
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  214. forget about marx, just open your eyes: usa has been living on credit since the 70's, and can no longer pretend that its bonds will ever recover the initial value. recent printing of bulk dollars is the last panic reaction to an uncommon stress, but not unique- the 30's flu killed more than ww1. and the sabre-rattling is standard practice too, when lies don't work anymore, start a war. the usa political system is not fit for purpose. and the usa masters, are crooked and dim, and the usa people are ignorant and fearful. is there going to be a war? you bet! homer sap/usa is a socio-political-military threat to us all, and way too many other governments are locked into their embrace. this could lead to global war. no need for numbers, there will be only one.
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  215. i have lived at the right time: it's almost never best to be really old, but 'a hard rain gonna fall' and i'll be cozy in my grave. turns out 'homo sapiens' is not quite sapiens enough. we could have made it, but selfishness, greed and arrogance over-ruled good sense.
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  216. should you listen to scientists, or politicians? easy choice? no choice at all - politicians rule, and you let them. in the end, the ignorance, dimwit and passivity of homer sap will destroy society.
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  217. after being raped, the victims insisted on marriage? seriously? in some parts of the 'civilized' world, victims would insist on jail. if less civilized, death sentence.
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  218. poor julian. did the world a favor, no question. but i wonder if by now he wishes he had not. or at least, had hidden his identity.
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  219. distinguish between moral and military. usa hasn't been on moral high ground since distributing small-pox infected blankets to the indians. and lately, military high ground has been assumed to be sufficient. you mention 20 years, it's been more than 50 years since usa engineered a war in vietnam, out of simple lies. that cured me of anything resembling patriotism.
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  220. people are shaped by culture and law. you can dislike the result, but it as natural as rain-shaped stone. greed and arrogance were imported with british colonists, burnished with racism in support of african slavery, and contempt for the natives, enabling expropriation. there is no visible self-reflection in the usa, 3 people have half the wealth, and no discussion of social principles is evident. usa is not content, except at the top, but only the top matters, by law and custom. crash is inevitable. the only point of interest is whether usa murders the world on the way down.
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  221. no, venezuela--- easier and they have oil.
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  222. rise? more a case of less pretense.
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  223. what makes you think money will be worth anything? buy food and ammunition.
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  224. there's a living to be made, pretending usa is a land of law, morality and decorum. but the whole world has a different opinion.
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  225. does it ever occur to any usan that your political system is medieval trash? the presence of donald trump in office should a have sparked a reflective moment, but not a word is heard. you continually use the word 'democracy,' when you haven't got and show no inclination to get it. it's just license to kill, while feeling virtuous.
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  226. no, and cows can't teach themselves to fly in an afternoon.
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  227. age, infirmity, breathing weaknesses in particular, might want to take strong measures to avoid infection. the disease seems to be killing 3%, of which only 1% are 'general public.' but if whole nations follow the widespread shut-down of china and italy, resulting stress on trade might cause more problems than the disease, notably result in trump not getting elected.
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  228. morrisson not enraged by the murders, just embarrassed by public exposure.
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  229. everyday i check in here, several times. always rewarded with further evidence that leaving was a good move. there is no paradise, inhabited by humans, but it is very easy to improve on usa.
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  230. if you want to know a candidate's ideas, read. i presume they publish print documents, still. the purpose of the circus is to hear one candidate poke holes in the ideas, or personal history, of other candidates. this is not democracy folks. you ain't got it. it's entertainment, blood sport with words. you don't deserve democracy, and your masters certainly aren't going to give it away. so, relax and enjoy the show: plenty of humanity in view.
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  231. stop saying usa is a democracy. unless you get paid to keep the people ignorant. the usa is an oligarchy. it is an elective aristocracy from its heritage, a functional plutocracy by design.
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  232. i can now reveal to the world that china's time in the sun will be short: russia is the place to be.
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  233. if you had democracy, the question would not arise. but you don't, and you are willing to let politicians run your nation. a nation of watchers treat politics like a football game.
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  234. why doesn't anyone say, "we need democracy, so we don't depend on politicians?"
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  235. there is a system, but it has only one goal, 'allowing the rich to get richer.' the other consequences were considered tolerable, by the people who shaped the system.. so the system works fine, to its design parameters. if you don't like the consequences, you must change the system. but there is no visible understanding of this logical necessity in the usa. truly a nation frozen into paralysis by habit and myth. the austro-hungarian empire was a notable example of this political disease. went from 'great power' to 'non-existent'' in about 5 years time. gives me hope that i may watch the extinction of the 'evil empire' before death.
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  236. i hope the film says that green power remains a trivial part of the global power usage, and the temperature is rising faster than the switch. nothing wrong with green power, everything wrong with human management of the environment. if everyone with access to email reminded their political representatives every monday morning that they wanted action now to reverse the power/temperature relationship, it might make the difference. so you can blame ordinary h. sap. for his extinction.
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  237. the ff's did not establish democracy, neither did it creep in by stealth. they established elective aristocracy, the polite label for plutocracy. it came to be called liberal democracy when the landless men were allowed to vote for which nob would rule them. actual democracy is a different thing entirely, but as orwell pointed out, judicious use of doublethink and newspeak saves a lot of money in managing the cattle.
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  238. in democracy, the electorate could pass a 'recall' motion, and end the trump era. but usa is not a democracy. usa is an elective aristocracy, purposely designed to be a functional plutocracy. and it gets worse: people raised in a plutocracy do not develop the character of democratic citizens.
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  239. madison said he was creating a nation that would be safe for the rich. and they have prospered mightily in it. he purposely denigrated democracy, as it would lead to the rich man's taxes being spent on the poor. so he made sure the usa was an oligopoly, controlled by the rich, functionally a plutocracy. and he was successful- that's how it turned out. it won't change until the people write a new constitution, or some general decides to tear it up.
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  240. did you just acknowledge that usa is not a democracy, and its people are passive slaves of the elite?
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  241. the swiss can be beaten, it's just that it's more trouble than it's worth. they used to have universal militia membership for men, it was a condition of citizenship. and since young men love to get together and shoot at things, they were a nation of sharp-shooters. the nazis would have dealt with them, in time, but ussr was ahead on the schedule, and it turned out, that was the end of the schedule.
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  242. everyone busy shoring up the system that brought you trump, massive inflation and endless wars? and climate disasters?
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  243. never free in the usa. it was poisoned at birth by slavery. poor whites, however bigoted, also suffered, out of the submission to wealth engineered into the constitution. nothing to be done, madison created a paradise for slave plantation grandees and it flourished fo about 60 years, and poisoned the earth forever.
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  244. nothing good will come from listening to politicians. listening to them legitimises their power. the people under oligarchy must organise around the basic principle, the necessity, of getting democracy, and bringing the nation under the rule of the citizens. it should be easy, because so obvious. but usans are raised to believe that allowing their 'betters' in politics to rule them is necessary and beneficial. you would think that any half-wit could see through that proposition, but even knowing better is no help if you are afraid to act, or can not act due to an eating habit. or worse - many have been convinced they should feed their children before they raise the banner of rebellion. politicians are push-overs, folks. mass 10.000 would-be citizens around their home to deliver a polite request to establish the rule of the citizens through initiative, and they will see the logic of your request, bring rope and torch, for the slow learners.
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  245. you have no rights, unless you are in congress. they are the only citizens. you are a civilian, with privileges extended at the pleasure of your masters. do wake up and see reality.
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  246. for the record, usa is not a democracy. and a little reminder - usa began as brutal capitalism, or have you forgotten the central reason for its existence. african slavery marked the nation permanently, and its consequences will never be eradicated.
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  247. what is this 'democracy' thing? where do you buy it?
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  248. what is this assertive behavior by prc? was usa 'assertive' in invading and occupying iraq? 20 odd years in afghanistan, is that assertive? usn has been patrolling prc coast for 70 years, is that assertive? then there was vietnam. boy, i bet that qualifies as 'assertive,' am i right?
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  249. you could organize, create democracy, and socialism if most want it. you could educate every child, feed them well and enlist them in support of the nation. but you just complain when yer supply of peanuts is threatened. i sympathize, but my experience has been that if you make little effort, you get little reward.
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  250. usans like to pretend they have democracy, and it's not easy. it's not even possible. but if they admit they don't have democracy, people might ask, 'why do you put up with it?"
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  251. hyenas eat wildebeest, is that murder? not really. it keeps the wildebeest population down, saving some grass for continuing generations. so too with rich people. unfortunately, there is no check on rich people population, so they strangle their society. no use blaming them, if you have no means to control them. there is a way, called democracy. but democracy requires some social elements not widely present in human society. once you have democracy, you can raise children to preserve it, but getting it is nearly impossible. just too many people lacking the character for citizenship. these 'civilians' are the great majority of usa, and many are unconcerned with politics, and the rest see their personal advantage in maintaining elite rule. with luck, the usa empire will dissolve, and the nation join russia in the 2nd rank. there is also a possibility for the blue states to secede, leaving a diminished usa occupying bubbaland.
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  252. you should get democracy, and run the nation the way the citizens want. if that is too hard for you, face reality, yer a 2nd class human, being squeezed out of existence by darwinian law. and that is the reality - you don't know what democracy is, and certainly can not struggle to get it, as a result.
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  253. very sensible. but useless. humans will continue to propagate, presumably until the environment collapses. if there are survivors, they will have a barren earth, so the next collapse will come sooner. why are there no radio signals from deep space? life is too brief in the history of stars.
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  254. Successful war depends on many factors. The Viking bloom was partly made possible by the economic collapse of Europe. The resulting society simply couldn't put enough tough warriors into the field in response to raids. Nothing magic about it. Alfred the great put together a society in southern England which could and did limit Viking incursions in England. The Midlands, and Normandy, should have become Danish speaking nations, but they didn't. They spoke English and French, went to church and left their Nordic heritage except for a bit of local culture. Berserkers might win a battle against local farmers, they were less successful against trained armies whose viewpoint was, let's help these guys have a glorious death.
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  255. much like aukus 'hugging ' the south shore of prc? get used to it. you want to play with the big powers, you have to be brave or stupid, both possible. in fact, looking at oz politicians, brave possible but unlikely, stupid, fairly evident, crooked certain.
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  256. nobody's listening.
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  257. That's the nature of the USA political system. If you are surprised, better to be quiet, to reduce embarrassment. It was ethically degenerate at birth, and has not improved unless you are brown. At least you are not a slave anymore. The constitution was written to encourage divisiveness and prevent change - the people on top saw no need for change, unsurprisingly.
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  258. no sympathy. usa is structured as an [elective] oligarchy which has evolved into gangs blue and red, who contend for dominance over a supine people. neither party deserves an ounce of respect. and the cattle submit. if they had an ounce of self-respect, politicians would be hanging from every light pole. but they don't have self respect, neither do the politicians have any cause to be uneasy. usa is a nation taught to worship wealth, while feeling no common cause within the unwealthy. it is a national character which is a social cancer, and the threats of political thugs are merely the superficial skin lesions of internal fatal dysfunction. no sympathy. my only concern lies with the danger usa creates, for catastrophic war, or willful neglect of impending environment collapse.
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  259. ignorant and incoherent at the highest level is a worry.
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  260. didn't think kentucky could spend that much. wonder where it goes?
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  261. you could try democracy.
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  262. sensible lady. what you need is democracy, so that you can start voting for important and useful questions, and not for which hyena gets to loot the nation.
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  263. if usa were a democracy, public affairs would be public. but it isn't. the machinations of politicians may inspire dismay in the minds of the civilian population, but if they do not have the self-respect necessary to inspire revolution, to get democracy, talk is empty. barr can give an airy finger to talking heads, content in the knowledge that there is no guillotine in view, nor any large group threatening his pension. watching the american government publicly despising the commentariat has a certain charm, since it is habitual and legal. since you know nothing will be done, or can be done short of raising the red flag, one can savor the whining for flavor and endurance. and of course, the talkers make a living at it, it's all kabuki.
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  264. understandable, as long as you are 'comfortable.' but if you want change, you must find a compelling argument. national rulers have never heard a good reason to give up power. but they may have change of heart when confronted with would-be citizen militia.
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  265. a sane and ethical jew! who knew?! the original invaders, with ben gurion and jabotinsky, were clear about what they were doing. "we're strong, you're weak, flee or die!" in order to do that, you have to re-classify your victims as sub-human, not entitled to life or property. from there, only hatred can arise, in response to contempt and oppression. once you are on the tigers back, it is dangerous to get off, or so it seems. that hatred is a wound spring. it's been done, in south africa, in the usa, with mixed results. but israel has a special problem, widespread sympathy for the nazi crime, and usa support as a base in the middle east, makes apartheid seem viable, long after other conditions would have compelled some equitable settlement. 'equitable' is perhaps too kind, israel should not exist. but it does, so let's move on, as best we can. i recommend the creation of a secular state of palestine, directed by a u.n. agency, charged with unwinding property and building a workable administration. human tights violations have to be ignored. otherwise no hope of peace. this would entail the dissolution of israel. however well deserved, seems unlikely. but what else will cure the israeli situation.
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  266. if we express 'usan values' from usa history and founding documents, then greed and thuggery was the core of the nation, from the beginning and always.. until you face reality, how can you change it? the sainted founding fathers were more in tune with trump than with chomsky or hedges. and somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of usans think trump is somewhere between 'useful creep' and 'mein fuhrer.' as a practical matter, emigration has a lot to offer anyone troubled with an ethical sense. there is no way out of the pit that madison built for usa. but, hope springs eternal, 'if we just elect good people, good will result.' give emigration more thought.
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  267. it's what you vote for. if you vote for which creep is going to rule you, that's elective oligarchy. if you vote on law or action, through referendum or initiative, that's democracy. usa has never been a democracy. people who talk about 'american democracy' are deluded or cynical.
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  268. perhaps india is ungovernable? seems obvious india would be more likely to prosper if the central government could make and execute long-term plans.
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  269. i marvel that i never read or hear an american say, "we should get democracy in the federal level." most claim "we already have it, close enough." but you don't. are you lying to yourself, or can't see the need?
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  270. twice as often because twenty times more frequent against blacks? the context can change your appreciation of simple assertions.
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  271. or even a high school graduate  @JustAnotherBigAl 
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  272. at what point, mr hartmann, do you admit, that the usa is not a democracy?
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  273. the answer is quite simple.: stop voting for politicians. make them obsolete. vote for referenda, regularly and often. vote for initiatives, occasionally, as needed. there's a word for this kind of society, it's called 'democracy.' you keep talking about it, as though you had it. but you don't. is this insanity, or just national dimwittery?
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  274. american democracy? what is that?
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  275. they want you to be ruled by a god-king. themselves, not at all. and it will happen, unless the people of usa find some spine/courage/self-respect. none currently in view. you've had 200+ years of politician rule, and still can't see the need for democracy. you can't have equality between wolves and sheep.
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  276. don't know why anyone would put up with this. i guess you have to, if you are born in the usa. at least tell yer kids not to sing the anthem in the mornings. except the 'real murikins ' would beat them up. emigration worked for me.
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  277. if you allow politicians to rule you, you deserve what they do. democracy is possible, they have it in some states, why not in all?
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  278. madison told the delegates to the constitutional convention that his document would ensure the rule of wealth, and he delivered. it wasn't difficult. he understood the structure of the british society, which he admired above all. no democracy there. the wealthy ruled, and no murmur from the lower orders got far. he only left because the brits were beginning to make slavery difficult. you are living in a toxic time bubble, and it is both unjust and inefficient. perhaps worse, it raises a nation of political cripples. it is no accident that usa is a nation of one right-wing party, and a second farther right wing party. you need a new constitution. but with the populace you have to work with, progress is unlikely. it turns out, 'catch-22' encapsulated the fate of the nation. please, on the way out, refrain from burning down the planet out of childish pique. it's all yer own fault.
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  279. it's not funny.
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  280. it's quite simple: the character of the western nations was revealed by the bullying, and the chinese have learned the lesson. usa is attempting to 'bully' again. it turned out trying to make china into its cheap workshop has resulted in making china rich. it might have been a fatal misstep. but it is trying to re-institute the cordon of control, and the results are mixed. the indian government is joining usa in the attempt at repression, apparently out of shame at how far behind china they have fallen. better by far to join china in repressing usa. but that would not be good for the current crop of politicians, and their wealth and welfare is more important to them than that of indian people.
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  281. you do have a left party, last time i looked, socialist workers party were still meeting in larry's garage, once a month, to plan the revolution. but of course, gore vidal gets credit for pointing out that the usa has two significant parties, a right wing party and a farther right wing party.. nowadays they are called democratic [to obscure the fact that they despise democracy] and republican, to underline the fact that they not only despise democracy, but are willing to reveal this fact.
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  282. sorry, he was smart enough to step in to the oval office without a smidgen of experience.i am willing to believe that the whole usa political system is effectively 'dumb,' but trump is just that little bit smarter. so he's prez, and yer not. is that all you got? got anymore deep analysis? no? here's a thought: a system concocted out of brit custom, american conditions and simple greed is unlikely to be effective today. and that's why usa is sliding down the pole into historical footnote. not because trump is dumbish, but because the leadership selection process was designed about 230 years ago, to suit a small group of rich men who rode around in their carriages under a powdered wig. it doesn't work worth a damn.
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  283. guns are not the problem. but since you can not face reality, there is something to be said for reducing this particular irritation. in other nations, people go berserk too, but only have knives and swords to work with. when usa has 50 casualties, instead of 5, it is because jefferson feared the the government lapsing into brutality. so he thought the people should be able to shoot back. not a bad idea, in principle. but people don't shoot politicians, unfortunately. too far away, living on a different planet, effectively. 'costing' these massacres is a cute way to ignore the fundamental malaise of usa. it passes the time, earns a dollar, and masquerades as political analysis. usa is an insane asylum, ruled by sociopaths, and no one in the place has any notion of how crazy they are.
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  284. trump says he wants to spend 62% of the national income on the military. are you beginning to understand now why your government has to claim 'cheating' by china, in the development of technology? they spend way more on science, engineering, land reclamation, green power and tech development- and the results are ever more evident. and these facts are a mystery, because msm is just an arm of big money.
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  285. which job is that? are they hiring? i get so bored with these intimations of corruption and nepotism. i demand clear evidence. [i can be bought off, not an unreasonable guy]
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  286. this would make some sense, maybe, if usa was any kind of democracy. but it is not. worse yet, republican supporters are just tthe demographic most likely to die, in defense of their 'freedom' to refuse vaccination. as you may know, they tend to be dim, and ignorant. there is a great difference between elective aristocracy and democracy. if you don't figure it out soon, usa is history, and no loss.
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  287. i like the use of 'democratic republic.' that is the preferred euphemism for elective aristocracy. there is no democracy in the federal constitution, by intent. neither is there much knowledge of history or political science in the people, equally by intent. result, the cattle are allowed to 'participate' in elections which do not improve or even sustain their quality of life. yet they don't complain, thinking this is as good as it gets. when orwell wrote about 'doublethink' he was excoriating the ussr, but it turns out he should have been directing it at the english-speaking nations as well.
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  288. the police force work for the masters of society. in a democracy, that's the citizens. but usa is not a democracy, it is an oligarchy created to defend the rich from the mob. and the police work for the rich still, as here you see. why usans put up with this is mysterious. some combination of 'no skin off my nose' and ignorance, i guess.
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  289. madison examined 'democracy' in his proposal to the constitutional convention, and pointed out that it would lead to the many extracting taxes from the rich. he assured the delegates that his constitution would prevent democracy from occurring. and he delivered.
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  290. how? because you live in an oligarchy, lightly disguised by meaningless voting. are you surprised? i'm sorry for the toilers, and more sorry for the unemployed and homeless, but for the middle class, particularly the academic middles, i am simply contemptuous. you are querulous now, when your easy life is fraying, but you were and are unconcerned for the strugglers when reality did not impinge on your life.
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  291. don't disturb yourself. you haven't got democracy, so can't lose it. many wouldn't want it, anyway. it requires citizen quality people, prepared to think about public affairs, and a sense of community, a belief that other citizens will treat you fairly, and you will reciprocate. that's not usa, is it. in the usa, politics is chariot racing, with a blue team and a red team. no ideology, just winning and losing, and sharing the spoils. lately the sharing hasn't reached down the economic ladder very far, and the national model is creaking. it will break soon, being far divorced from reality. no matter, except that massive military might be put to use, to patch up the civil model. and that will be the end of all of us. it was inevitable that a nation driven by greed would be deformed and would acquire a cancerous military aspect. so you could say the coming gotterdammerung is inevitable, fate written in the birth of the nation..
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  292. blending? usa sends armies to serve commercial interests, and canada helps.
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  293. putin is talking about nuclear war, because usa/nato continues to talk about expanding their rule. russia has had experience with sociopaths who wanted to own ukraine, and it appears that putin has decided that he is not having usa and their nazi clients on his border. nazis? some ukrainians fought for hitler, even though hitler wouldn't allow them to join the axis - he intended to own ukraine directly, and populate it with aryans. there are still nazis in ukraine, and making noise in public affairs, you can see why putin doesn't want them on his border with usa pulling the puppet strings. really interesting times. i speculate that usa economy is in such bad shape that incorporating ukrainian wheat into the economy is necessary to prevent revolution. but the lesson is that a nation with a credible nuclear capacity can adjust its borders in the face of usa threats, because usa is driven by greed and limited by fear of destruction. xjp will be watching this with great attention applied to the taiwan question.
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  294. the most important contribution of the usa 'revolution' was to extend the period of legal slavery about 50 years. it also extended a period of a perceived brown sub-race to the present. usa has never recovered from the divisiveness of racial injustice. 'black lives matter?' clearly not so much. if you have to ask the question, you must surely know the answer. there's plenty of other things wrong with the usa, some arising in part from the race problem, some from the institutionalized rule of wealth solidified by the constitution.
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  295. in the last days of the roman empire, the denarius had no silver at all. usd paper will be too expensive for any less than $100 bill.
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  296. at some point, americans will start to use all those guns, i suppose. endemic banditry will be an easy transition from the turf wars of drug gangs. it won't do any good, and usans just don't have the political experience to knit together effective revolution. so instead of ruling with lies, their masters will have to show the losers the barrel of the gun. by then, usa will be well down any civilization ladder. progressives, so called, should move to the west coast, and prepare to break away as the federation weakens. california by itself is a viable midlevel nation, add oregon and washington, and a trade corridor from canada to south america could be established, 'south of the border' could be liberated from the cia, and the drug laws, promoting general prosperity. pack up, get moving!
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  297. of course not. you start apologizing for mistakes and people start wondering why they put up with politician rule.
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  298. madison warned that democracy would lead to socialism, and promised the grandees in the constitutional convention that his proposed constitution would prevent it. and so it was accepted by all the states. well, not quite. the government of rhode island rather liked the idea of democracy, and practised it: they put the constitution acceptance before their electorate in referendum, who refused it. the swiss come as close to democracy as homer sap has come, among nation states, and it does lead to a certain amount of quasi-socialist customs. they compensate with hard-nosed capitalism in dealing with non-swiss. this democracy is not available to usans. there's just too many of you who are functional sociopaths. democracy needs community. some states have some or all of the functions of democracy they could secede, if they acted together. give it some thought.
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  299. that would be usa in 1948, followed by military threats, including nuclear bombing.
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  300. go into politics, mr janssen. anyone who can talk as fast as that while reporting world conditions needs a more powerful audience than youtube. you are wasted, here. not sure talk is any real value, though. the visible major actors are voicing primal drives to power, wealth and simple status. they aren't listening to contrary ideas. that is the value of democracy - decisions are made by people who are searching for survival rather than dominance. too bad democracy, much talked about, is not in use, nor likely to be
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  301. the point is to make him lie, and be discovered lying, under oath.
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  302. you haven't got democracy. getting democracy would be radical. since you don't know what democracy is, getting it would be a random miracle.
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  303. if you are still listening to trump, you are the immediate threat. if you aren't, you probably think voting for biden is the answer, also wrong. what should be done? beg norway to take you in. settle for botswana if necessary.
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  304. turns out georgia sounds a lot like it did in the sixties. still ignorant, aggressive and a shame to the nation. california should secede, the whole west coast should secede.
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  305. 'our democracy ' is a myth. there is no referendum, much less initiative. voting to choose your master is just elective aristocracy, non-violent civil war.
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  306. if you don't want democracy, and consequent socialism, why complain when your masters make a good living out of killing you? if you won't fight, you must be the servants, laborers, toys and cattle of those who will fight. or more likely, of those who can hire mercenary warriors. this is nature in action, human society from the beginning,
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  307. They were not creating a democracy. Madison was explicit. It was to be a republic, parts of Georgian monarchy and parts of the Roman republic. There is the word 'senate' which might tip you off.
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  308. why talk about what should be done, when you have no power to do? anyone who talks about 'fixing' some aspect of usa is delusional at best. get democracy, first. then use referendum and initiative to change the nation. of course, there's no law against harmless chit-chat in the slave barracks
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  309. is there no one in the usa that can organize a revolution? the constitution was written to ensure the rule of wealth, and it works, haven't you figured that out yet? madison said that was his purpose, he explained how, and things have pretty much gone his way. you can't enjoy the fruits of democracy, if you haven't got democracy. and you don't. it appears you don't even know what democracy is. this is particularly strange since if california was an independent nation it would be a democracy, true of about half of american states, in some degree. citizen initiative is vital. if you don't have it, you live in an oligarchy. how's that working out?
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  310. first, you much catch your democracy. only the swiss have managed that. real democracies have no problem with oligarchs, because the citizen militia is the arbiter of last resort. oligarchies flourish because they pay the professional soldiers. a nation awash with firearms should have no trouble in establishing democracy, but since they are told daily that politician rule is democracy, only better, having guns isn't enough. brains and character also needed, and in short supply.
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  311. much less intro, i think. i;m guessing this lady knows a lot, and doesn't need or want political waffle. some experts predict cv19 is here to stay, probably in your body. this would be real disaster, since complete recovery unlikely.
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  312. i fact, the connections made in office often lead to better paying work in lobbying. trump is not gone, and when he is, the structure and culture of usa will remain. hopelessly out of date, widely despised, and i think xi jin ping has a little laugh when he thinks about it. since usa conversation never rises above personalities, what's chances of progress?
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  313. logical. emigrate, it ain't gonna get better.
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  314. don't blame the neighborhood, the problem is internal.
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  315. every now and then, prc shines an embarrassing light on western society. leading in 5g, quantum computing, and now money management. congratulations on having a modern society!
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  316. aristotle gave us, "who decides?" and mao reminded us, "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." politics is the exercise of power without immediate violence, but there must be the potential of violence, to make real the talk. if you want democracy, first you must get it. because you haven't got it, unless you are swiss. how do you get it? by asking those who have power to hand it over, or else. the 'else' must be a large body of people prepared to shoot. the simple truth is, if you won't fight or can't fight, an elite will rule you- and you won't like the result.
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  317. a large %age of chinese exports to usa are through american companies in china for cheap labor, and access to china market. labor they can get elsewhere, but if they leave, end of china market. it's not just tariffs, they can make apple, buick and walmart pay rent.
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  318. the few rich rule the poor many. they do it with the help of the middles. if the poor want a better life, they must organize, and fight. and so communism was born. mixed results, but it looks like communism was the spring board to chinese prosperity, creating the educated and organized society that judo-ed the usa. there is no hope for the usa, they don't even know what their problem is, much less display any capacity to change. another austro-hungarian empire, grand one day, trivial the next.
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  319. when you don't have democracy, politicians find that the struggle for power ultimately demands the lowest character. the people deserve no better, for if you allow a politician to rule you, you are complicit in their corruption.
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  320. backing the shah created the ayatollah ascendancy in reaction. now shooting the general will extend their rule. the saving grace of american foreign policy is its dim-witted thuggery.
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  321. am i my brother's keeper? socialists answer yes. americans, no. i hope the usa sinks beneath the ocean, with rome and the mongols, as a failed experiment in social design. spaceship earth can't afford selfishness anymore.
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  322. is trump stupid, or are the people who tolerate a political system which leaves the management of the nation in one person's hands, even more stupid. discuss.
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  323. help me out, if you can't tax the rich, and won't tax the middles, surely what's left is round up the poor and sell them as slaves or dog food.
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  324. on the contrary, it hasn't collapsed yet, and the first was the ussr. russia by itself is certainly still a player on the world stage, but putin has not yet felt it necessary to use nuclear weapons.. he may have to. can't afford to lose. usa is better placed. they just fight for greed. so they have 'lost' in several places, without seeing the use of mushroom clouds.
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  325. Why should they? USA is not a democracy, and politicians only have to be perceived to be a little better than the opposition. The people of USA are not citizen quality, for they are willing to submit to politician rule. You get the government you are willing to endure, and that situation can only get less tolerable.
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  326. you are very well-placed for the century of chinese domination. and vancouver area a good place to live. congratulations, and enjoy a well-deserved prosperity.
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  327. if biden can end it, that means usa was responsible for it.
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  328.  @scottbc31h22  i have, long ago, and you are right. my 'btw' was chiefly concerned with the rights of iran, and any nation, to oppose the will of the 'great satan.'
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  329. divert 90% of the military budget to roads, rail and bridges
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  330. your values include shooting up other countries, vietnam and iraq come to mind. chomsky has a long list of more successful operations.
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  331. it turns out the constitution establishes plutocracy, just as madison claimed. growing up in a plutocracy doesn't produce citizens of a democracy. it delivers passive people who may complain, but never revolt. so go back to talking, and submitting to politicians.
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  332. no, you need the power to make such a law, which you don't have. you need democracy, but it's too late. usa is halfway into the toilet, and it's a blackhole from which there is no escape.
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  333. mass murder is not lack of compassion, it is lack of democracy, and lack of socialism. a population of alienated people, driven to desperation by loss of work, of family, of hope, will generate a percentage of mass murderers. in the usa they have automatic weapons, other societies make do with kitchen knives. usa prides itself on the lack of concern for others, and the others respond, now and then, with unconcern for your life. it seems appropriate, 'do unto others what they do unto you, but do it first.'
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  334. it may be of some comfort to americans to remind themselves that several early caesars were moral degenerates, even psychopaths, and yet the empire flourished for several hundred years further. otoh, the romans were more pragmatic about impeachment- one moment master of the world, next a fountain of blood. i think the roman method will become popular, even as, and in response to, leaving office becomes undesired and dangerous. let's hope the usa is too weak in that era, to spread the bloodshed.
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  335. no, it ain't. justice has been raped too often since then, and all pretense of regard for personal honor left behind.
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  336. most weren't very good jobs, but even basic infra-structure construction at survival wages was better than usa today.
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  337. only god can do 're-education' on that scale. i expect an untreatable outbreak of ebola any day now.
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  338. poverty is built in. madison explained why his constitution would ensure the rule of the rich, so that the grandees who controlled the states would ratify it. [it was not an act of 'we, the people,'] it's purpose he said, was to stop the taxes on the rich being spent on the welfare of the poor. those grandees thought that was an excellent idea. and it was, it worked then, and continues to work. the people of the usa have no formal means to control the activity of the nation, no initiative power, and politicians are not going to hand over the keys to the bank. so the choice is revolution, or poverty. so far, the level of education and nutrition has prevented the idea of revolution from appearing. which is why coca-cola, white bread and contentless education is commonplace in america. a nation that talks frequently about hope and democracy, but has none of either.
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  339. better by far than creating empires by invasion, coups and assassination. chinese society has managed to make politics a rewarding profession for smart people, while 'representative democracy' commonly falls into the hands of the toxic rich.
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  340. i have no respect for fdr. he was the best on offer, but i came across a history document, of a conversation with fdr, in which someone made the suggestion that the time was right, to introduce constitutional amendments establishing democracy, and the aristocrat/politician dismissed the suggestion with a single sentence., 'no, that's too much.' but it froze my politician-meter on the 'just another parasite' mark. and now? it was always too late for the usa. the general level of political literacy remains low, the character of the people is stunted by growing up 2nd class. the only change will be by coup, which can never be good. the tell-tale is the feeling, "we need a leader like fdr..." you really need someone better than that, by far. god might fail, with only americans to work with. what you need is a wide-spread feeling that, together, we are better than any politician. you never hear that.
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  341. democracy is a really good idea. you should find out what it is, you might be glad to have it.
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  342. assuming you live in a democracy, digital cash will ensure everyone pays taxes. off-shoring won't work. but you don't live in a democracy, and the rich will never submit to passing their activity through government servers.
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  343. wrong, you need democracy first, 'power to the people!' made real. then you use initiative to make things happen. without democracy, you only get empty lies from your politician masters.
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  344. by now, everyone in the world with an interest in news is aware of the omnipresent spying of nsa and cia, and that america's phone and web corporations submit to facilitating this covert surveillance. so if huawei does the same, why are they more 'evil?' as for sanctions, it is no business of the usa if china does business with iran. are americans so blindly arrogant as to not understand this?
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  345. putting trump in jail would please many, but the establishment might take the view that keeping the cattle in line is easier done if the pretense of democracy is maintained. nixon got a free pass, by resigning. bush 2 was never troubled, although making war on a lie was worse than anything nixon did.
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  346. it's not enough to talk about the reality of usa. it won't fix itself, the rich and powerful will resist all change, and they can afford to hire soldiers for chump change. i see no engine of change in the usa. the talkers do it for money, the shooters work for the rich. but the stink is rising, and the elite are testing the water for war with china. the happy middles may soon find there is no safe ground from which to watch this history channel.
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  347. the usa government is ruled by degenerate politicians, so a usa coup is not inconceivable. the usa populace has a very high %age of ignorant thugs, so there is no shortage of violent fan-boys for trump. in the absence of democracy, there is no disinterested referee- the supreme court has lost all respect. the situation has no model in modern times, and it's a good time to be far from the usa. the situation could be stabilized by the military leadership, simply stating that they will support the winner of the election. unfortunately, the constitution is deliberately vague about who should rule the usa- the president is commander in chief of the military, and if the command structure is fractured, a military coup will soon be along. i used to wonder why the people of the usa do not demand democracy, but slowly i have come to understand they are simply yearning to be a part of a ruling gang.
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  348. glad to hear it. vote often. threaten revolution. whatever it takes.
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  349.  @stuckinthemud4352  you would think democracy leads to socialism, but switzerland is the only democracy, and world-renowned for predatory capitalism, as well. but there are welfare measures within the nation, good schools, some subsidized agriculture, affordable health care.
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  350. a useful summary of global struggle. not sure how much use it is, in a world where most people are struggling to find the rent, and feed their children. logic comes last when parasite governments drive their people to welcome war as the answer to all problems. one reason or another, a new dark age is unfolding, population crash, even extinction , seems very likely. and we remain in the grip of politicians, a group whose personal status depends on getting elected, at whatever cost to the future, whose personal wealth depends on selling their power to the rich, who never worry about the future, for they own it. homo sapiens culture is dysfunctional. it will be the death of us.
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  351. can't work together, usa is determined to be the world hegemon, china will have equality, at least. but it's wrong to talk about nations, since most people play no role in decision. only the swiss, really. usa government is an adjunct of the rich and well-to-do people, who are used to running the world for their profit. they won't compromise until they see the muzzle of a gun. and they hire people to do that. prc is developing faster, is better integrated, and suspects they are smarter. we will be lucky to survive this struggle. i believe the best strategy for the ants is to gnaw at the foundations of usa wealth and power. at the very least, stop pretending usa is directed by any principle but greed and arrogance, supported by professional murderers and thugs.
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  352. if usa has a single survival-oriented habit, it is answering the door with an ar15. if you personally haven't yet formed that habit, well, times are a-changing...
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  353. if you say 'shrinking middle class' you are also saying 'expanding lower class.' but murrukins never say that, they are not only 'untouchable,' they are invisible. human discards, surplus to requirements. not invisible to me, i was away from usa for 10 years, and when i came back, every public space was filled with rough sleepers, hundreds sometimes. something went really bad, in the 80's, and shows no sign of repair. the only place in usa where the discards are numerous and visible, is in crime fiction. there, they are background, and frequently actors in usa society. in reality, there is plenty of theft at middle and upper levels, but the grossly enlarged number of lawyers keeps most of it out of jail, or least in short-term uniformed 'resorts.' skillful crime fiction captures usa more accurately than traditional media, and more widely. perhaps that is because the society is crooked by nature? or at least, living in an alternate reality.
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  354. if you are willing to settle for the lesser evil, you will live in an evil society. for instance. usa. if you are too dim, or too ignorant to appreciate the virtue of democracy, or too cowardly too fight for it., then you must tolerate the standard of government evil rulers will deliver. much worse will certainly come, human history makes that clear. i'm inclined to say 'serves you right,' with a little added pity because of the education you got.
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  355. the 'government' of the usa used to be an administration- in the 30's and 40's they pretended to be a democracy to keep the plebs from revolution. but nixon thought that normal service should return and started saying government. he also tried out a palace guard uniform with roman helmets. didn't last long. made the cattle uneasy. face reality: usa is a commercial variety of fascism. prc will never be a democracy, any more than usa. but right now they are developing under a government that sees their welfare dependent on the support of the people. so, for the moment, they are the good guys, and usa the evil empire. no 'even-handed' about it, seriously evil.
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  356. trump didn't destroy democracy---- you never had it. he exposed the pretense, perhaps, except usans persist in pretending they have ever had democracy.. people unwilling to face reality can not hope to change it. you deserve trump.
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  357. rome fell in476. byzantium in 1453. rome spoke latin, and was pagan. byzantium spoke greek and was christian. it was a very different society, they called themselves 'roman' but were not.
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  358. in my dreams, i imagine the usa was a democracy. i imagine americans learned to despise politicians. and i've won euromillions. that last is relatively possible.
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  359. of course there is a decline, the economy of the world has shifted towards asia. to maintain the military and feed the munitions corporations, the populace of usa has been bled. homelessness is the visible lesion. the political elite have to satisfy wealth, military and people, to stay in power. the people are least dangerous to them, so they pay the price of declining share of the world economy. it's pointless to talk about what the elite should do, unless you are one of them. they don't listen to you. more useful is to talk about revolution. that might lead to productive change for the people. but so far i have no seen no substantive discussion in that area. perhaps someone is quietly plotting. but coups are never constructive.
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  360. why must india and prc be adversaries? prc has boot-strapped its way to prosperity, not only without making any kind of aggressive war, but against the will of the developed world. india is still where prc was 50 years ago, and the only effort you are willing to make is aggression? perhaps listening to generals is not optimum response. give some thought to following china's path.
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  361. a reasonable resolution would be for texas to leave the federation. sigh of relief on both sides.
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  362. just so you know, usa is not, never has been, any sort of democracy. that would explain why the government does what it wants, without consulting the people. i used to marvel that americans didn't understand this. but you get used to it, now the election of trump just prompts a laugh.
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  363. have you forgotten that the cia paid the 'northern alliance' to attack soldiers, and the supporters of the 'communist' government? or doesn't that count? "when we do it, it's not murder?"
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  364. why shouldn't they? if you had a socialist democracy, you could shape society to take care of everyone, but you don't, and even bernie only has regulation to offer. he is not a revolutionary, and whatever changes he makes [if any] can be erased later on. that's why there is only a shadow left of the new deal- politicians were slowly persuaded to peel away any of that nasty socialism. with bribes. if you are too lazy, too ignorant or too fearful to change things so they will stay changed, well, here you are. get used to it, worse to come.
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  365. amazing, a whole separate universe. have you got as far as, 'gravity is over-rated, things fall because god wants them to?'
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  366. the best way is to arm yourself, and drive towards dc in millions. the politicians will be elswhere, but burn down the whitehouse and paint a preamble to a democratic constitution on the door to the capitol. when they come back, if they don't establish democracy, start shooting. second best way is to talk a lot and watch nothing happen while wringing yer hands. third best way is to emigrate to the westcoast, put up a fence and declare yourself the 'democratic federation of west america. ' this will ony work if you acquire nuclear capability at least to n. korea standard. hey, if they can do it- get started, call me if you need help.
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  367. madison is the worst, by far. he poisoned the nation.
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  368. the useful answer is, none of your business. you are not a citizen, just a civilian. your masters will do what they think best, for them. and you, and the rest of america will let them. why is this useful? because maybe someday you will admit to yourself that you don't have democracy. this could even lead to action, but probably not. people now young will see clearly what you refuse to admit, and will be inclined to act, forced by circumstances.they will curse for not preventing those circumstances.
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  369. as compared to the current bright economic prospects?
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  370. without democracy, you can moan, wring yer hands, and yell, "dirty bastards!" but the plutocracy rolls on, smiling.
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  371. it is reassuring to note that evil nations can be easily identified by their activities. i hope the officers of the pacific island nations realise that 'gifts' of military 'oversight' is not only inappropriate, but maleficent. prc doesn't have many friends, and even if the pacific islands enter aid and development agreements, prc is not greatly strengthened. but if most, better all, of them turn their backs on the aukus vultures, it may signify that the tide is turning, and a few larger nations then are emboldened to join them.
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  372. if you won't fight for democracy, you will be the slave of plutocracy. as here we see...
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  373. i'm not surprised at all. usans live in a bubble, very loosely connected to reality. usa has 'special forces' bringing death to various nations with no declaration of war, nor any visible motive, beyond improving usa market share. much of this activity is just a device to transfer tax money to corporate share holders. yet the victims are labelled 'aggressive.' we must do what we can, to hobble the usa war machine.
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  374. or, you could get democracy, and write a new constitution which directs the activities of the nation through referendum and initiative. might not need a supreme court.
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  375. sorry, boomers are a problem, but not a new one- old people think any change is bad, and it normally is, for them. usa was briefly 'leftish' in the 1930's, but nothing came of it. the constitution was designed to keep the rich in power, and it continues to do so. it will continue to do so until some combination of desperate people and able leaders tears up the constitution. i hope the leaders want democracy, but usually they just want to be boss.
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  376. in the absence of socialism and democracy, h. sap. was unable to make plans for the management of world ecology. they simply were slaves to their dna driven greed and selfishness. c'est la vie, et la mort.
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  377. only common sense necessary, but not much in view in the usa. i grew up there, and thought it was the best nation in the world, well, everyone said so. but one day while frag bombs and napalm was 'democratizing' a village in vn, i realized i was an agent of hell. usa has not improved, since then, and looking back at the history with clearer vision, it was born evil. you can not look at reality. you dare not report what you see. so words and actions are without useful consequence. with luck, usa will recede into secondary importance, as uk has. the world will be a better place if the stars and stripes are not seen abroad. or you may destroy the world, 'to save it.' greed has metastatized into psychosis in usa boardrooms, and death may seem to be better than reduced income. death for others, of course.
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  378. c'mon! it's usa that has its 'special forces' everywhere, not china. it's china that is building infrastructure and trade around the world, not usa. the coming crash is 'made in the usa,' and it may well signal the end of usa dominance in trade and finance. not before time. and bernie ain't gonna fix it. fdr with total control of congress couldn't fix the last depression. he was only bailed out by the nazis, and later japan. the american political and economic system is simply inadequate for modern conditions. the sooner you face it, the sooner re-design can begin.
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  379. the thing is, when usa comes, they spread some bribes around and say 'see, we have modernized the nation!' but that ain't the way it works. the taliban are not a blessing to afghanistan, they are a blight. but the blight was created by the usa. it is their nation, and their great virtue is, they fought the foreigners. there's a lesson there.
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  380. so why not solve the core of usa problems, it's simple: get democracy. use initiative to make a nation of the people as citizens, not cattle. if you are unwilling to make the effort, or simply afraid, then you are cattle.
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  381. the monroe doctrine created a continental empire, in design, reality appeared in steps, and national governments that showed signs of undesirable behavior, generally came to a quick end, often bloody. most governments 'south of the border' have been visited by the us marines, if any desire for independence appeared, and in modern era, the cia would appear with assassins or bribes to inspire dictatorships of amiable locals. the failure of this assemblage of governments, marked not only by failure to attend but even more by outright disdain for usg, and expressions of support for the 3 nations currently on the usg black-list, is an occurence that will be in history books as a pivotal moment.
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  382. when i was a young lad, julie london had a big hit on the jukeboxes, many many tears ago, and there is a phrase from one of her songs that ms. iversen put's me in mind of "you can cry me a river, but..." i'm not interested. you don't want to do business in china, stay home, go to africa, but don't complain. usa is used to doing business while holding a gun in hand, but the gun's an ak47 [knock-off, prc is an equal opportunity tech vulture] in china's hand now. i'm strong on modern history, and utterly unimpressed with any part of usa culture. i quite enjoy hearing yanks complain about being pressed into unequal treaties and trade deals- long past time for 'the great satan' to pay for sins past, without number.
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  383. because social media don't rule. congress creatures rule.
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  384. it is amusing, reading the list of armies that regretted mixing in afghan affairs. afghanistan is one of those small and medium size nations that can be beaten, but it's too expensive, you get nothing to show for it, and even when you win, you daren't go to sleep without a sentry. will be interesting in seeing how pakistan copes. at least the paks will befacing away from india for awhile. but perhaps chinese money will grease these two neighbors into tolerance of each other. and prc as well.
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  385.  @fkerpants  because its their summer vacation beach.
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  386. when diverting attention from family crime by risking global war, you have to wonder if the constitution should be scrapped. giving power to politicians seems like a possibly fatal mistake.
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  387. but the answer is not donald trump, he's just using a system created by james madison. the election of hillary clinton would not have been the dawning of the age of aquarius. your political system was bad at birth, and is rotten past fixing now.
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  388. instead of talking endlessly about people, why not look at the society and political structure that puts a 'trump' in the oval office? if you do that, you can begin to think about changing things to put better national managers in office. not entirely impossible. the original progressive movement, early 1900's, organized people sick of corruption and incompetence in their state governments to re-write their constitutions. as a result, about half the states have some, or all, of the features of democracy. california is a good example, while they still elect politicians, much of the legislation is controlled by referendum, and sometimes initiative and recall, as well. until you get democracy, talking about people is wasted. it just needs one trump to trash the nation. the consistently poor management of the nation should be obvious to all. it is the natural result of the constitution, written chiefly to empower the rich.
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  389. many wanted kennedy dead, only dulles was in the murder business, and angry. not surprised if he had a few guarded conversations with lbj and 1 or 2 other mandarins, and he would have foreseen the need to kill bobby as well. any nation with a secret police has two rulers.
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  390. trump is what you get from the current political system. if you had enough citizen quality people, you could convert to democracy. if you had democracy, you would raise more citizen quality people. right away you should see the core of america's troubles. it's not rocket science. compare california [democratic constitution, several world class universities] with southeastern usa. trump voters, biden voters, and good football teams. slavery still defines usa, and the shadow of history affects education and health. not so strangely, those ignorant, biased, southerners are the core of the republican strength, and the base of the militarist psychology that makes it appear 'natural' to have special forces, assassination teams and occupying armies all around the world. in defense of democracy! usa is insane, top to bottom.
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  391. Maybe the purpose in remaining in Afghanistan was to pressure Iran. Now, priority must be given to pressing PRC in the south China sea. Rational, but still contemptible. Usa was born evil and hasn't improved.
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  392. can't stop the weakening of the pretense to democracy, because reality is abrading the fig leaf.
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  393. 'representative democracy' is just the meeting hall of aristocrats, struggling for supremacy and resulting power and wealth. it has nothing to do with democracy. the struggle ensures that as different men or groups come to power, the national direction will change course, often in reverse. meanwhile, in china, educated men with personal history of management accomplishments at lower levels are forging 5 and 10 year plans, and carrying them out. by no surprise, when they decided to do [managed] capitalism, it has performed beyond the best days of usa. china will soon be the leading society of humanity, unless usa makes war, or unless the coming climate crisis is not resolved successfully. both possibilities all too likely. but americans vote? for what? which dim-witted narcissist will rule them? that's not democracy, that's feudalism with ballots replacing arrows.
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  394. i thought it was public recognition that venezuela has friends, and the usa attacks have failed, so far. the only hunamitarian crisis is the aggression directed by that psychopath , bolton.
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  395. if she's in austin, no surprise. if she's in houston, the moon is in the seventh house, at last.
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  396. clearly, not. you still haven't understood the difference between elective aristocracy, which you've got, and democracy, which you ain't got. nor ever had. orwell was right, control the language and you control the people.
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  397. probably not a fascist. maybe just a dupe.
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  398. is the foreign policy of the usa the plaything of one man in the oval office?
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  399. before she spoke, body language was rude. i presume the ambassador was unsurprised. neither was i. i don't bother to pretend about the usa anymore. contemptible, and a clear danger to the whole world.
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  400. sorry, folks, the answer is not here. or anywhere that discussion substitutes for action. you have plutocracy, how do you like it? you don't? will you fight? if no, go back to talking. if yes, organize around a central goal of democracy, arm yourselves and present an ultimatum. not ready for that? go back to talking.
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  401. 2 in one day! too soon for hope, but pleasant none the less. have you any plans for revolution, by chance?
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  402. the only historical method of extirpating 'fascism' is to shoot enough so you can hang the rest. in a democracy, the homogenizing tendency of shared power would prevent oligarchies from flourishing, but getting democracy is nearly impossible. so, don't worry, be happy, things will turn out, or not.
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  403. any discussion that uses the phrase 'american democracy' in a non-sardonic mode, is fundamentally flawed. the struggle between prc and usa is one between private direction of capital, and state direction. easily stated, but the situation is murkier than that. some usa wealth is used for public good. some prc wealth is mis-directed, or simply stolen. nonetheless, it appears that state direction is winning in a walk. so there is a certain amount of urgency in the usa response, perhaps even incipient fear. the constant propaganda of capitalist efficiency is exposed to visible opposite reality. not only are the two economies going in different directions, the myths which sustain plutocratic rule are being eroded. it is becoming a cultural war. i would like to think prc will win, it will improve chances of continuing survival of modern society, but clearly they are a long-shot. so is the survival of h. sap.
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  404. their grandfathers kept the bullets at home, but about the time women were allowed to join the militia, and vote, it was thought wiser to withdraw the bullets from homes.
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  405. the usa was founded on lies, starting with "we, the people." less than 10% of the men could vote, and no women at all. the immediate purpose of the constitution was to preserve slavery for as long as possible , and ensure the rule of the 'opulent' over the 'mob' indefinitely. it worked and has continued to work very well. yet americans worship it, as dogs worship their masters, kind or cruel. conservatives have every reason to value the constitution, progressives nearly as much, losers don't matter. 'conservative' is simply a person who benefits greatly from the resulting society, a 'progressive' is one who is doing well from it but thinks they should have more. the 30 -50% of the populace who seldom or never vote are losers who have nothing to hope for from either party. no word for it in american, because, in a sense, they don't exist. 'loser' will have to do, but not entirely apropo, since most were never in the race. there is not much reality in political discussion, since the national myths are agreed to by the political classes, and only personal point-scoring holds the stage. when was the last time you heard "maybe we should change to democracy?" never? have you heard "why is the military bigger than the next 7 nations combined?" not often, eh?
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  406. the trade war is lost. so usg reverts to type, and threatens war. by itself it is a significant presence, but not overwhelming. so the plan seems to be, lure, buy or threaten support in sufficient size to frighten prc into submission. this will not work. actual war is suicidal. so prc will simply continue building roads and trade, and mutually advantageous treaties. 10 years from now, usa will split into 3 pieces, as gb has done, and become just innocuous 'usttabe grand' nations. or so i hope. the alternative is armageddon, quite a lively possibility. the orcs who run usa have no recent experience with successful resistance. to them, i urge that they give deep thought to the viet nam war. usa never lost a battle, but couldn't beat a people equipped with 2nd hand weapons and 1st class courage.
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  407. graduated from the usa during the vn war, that was mindless brutality or a grand scale. at least it was public. but this case, 'man in the iron mask/unperson' is in some ways more degenerate. there is an awareness of being evil. for me, after pointing these things out to ordinary people, and getting a shrug of the shoulders, i despaired of the usa, and left. i recommend it. there is no moral fiber there, on which to build a revolution.
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  408. we don't care about you. we care about the 1% who own you.
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  409. you can't destroy what you never had, and usans are deluded to imagine they ever had democracy. presumably endemic ignorance, pathetic education and organized lying by national media have resulted in a populace who think being ruled by politicians is called 'democracy.' and if they can just find a few good ones, they will be 'looked after.' no, you won't, talk about slow learners!
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  410. and a majority of the rest of usa want to see them go. but majorities don't count in usa, unless they happen to profit the politicians.
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  411. the foreign policy of the usa is simply, everything is ours, if we can take it. late-stage capitalism regards the military as a marketing tool. it is not a matter that should be in the hands of any one person, or any small group. it should be in the hands of the electorate, through referendum. democracy is the way people defend their lives from elites, who are always willing to send the chumps off to war to enrich their masters. and they are chumps. they actually imagine the constitution is a good thing. but it disconnects them from the management of their public concerns, and you see the results all around you, yet do nothing. that is chumpery, at national scale and endemic prevalence. not unique of course, only the swiss have reached democracy, almost by accident. homo sapiens simply is not that bright- sapiens only by contrast with tree sloths..
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  412. bush, easily, trump hasn't started a war. still time, of course.
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  413. the political system of the usa is not fit for purpose. the fact that no one seems to notice means no substantive changes can be made. result: usa will continue rolling down to the cliff, and over.
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  414. no doubt. sane societies would turn on the rich. start with the politicians, only need a little rope for the rich.
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  415. carter had some serious flaws, but saints can't get elected in usa. he was and is a better man than his successors.
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  416. petitioning ok. send a letter/email to congress person asking for assistance. should be publicized, and resulting action also publicized. no secrets.
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  417. someone suggest to vlad that he'll get more response with a cruise to the caribbean. a visit to venezuela likely to be welcome.
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  418. daily mr hartmann reports that usa is not a democracy, and often goes on to say, 'how can we save our democracy?' you can't save what you never had. when you say, 'we are an elective oligarchy,' you can begin to plan to change it. btw, someone called 'numuves' has done a wonderful analysis of american voting vs political outcomes. the resulting graph is easy to understand, and a stark demonstration of how silly it is to imagine usa is any kind of democracy.
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  419. you are right, many nations jumped into bed with usa/nato. their leaders have been 'persuaded' it's a good idea. usg is rich enough to buy those leaders, sometimes a threat is enough. my own view is simple: the usg is evil. avoid contact. support anyone who resists them. if you are well-acquainted with modern history, you should form this opinion yourself.
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  420. it's also in the oz newspapers, as youtube photos of sas murderers thinning out the afghan population with casual gunfire. if you find images of oz soldiers murdering foreigners offensive, bring them home. because many around the world find ozzies offensive for their slavish submission to the usa war machine.
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  421. tell you what, the chinese government knows what they are doing, if events over the last 30 years are an indicator. "opening " is in america's interest, which is why it isn't happening.
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  422. definition of plutocracy: when a talking head starts his commentary by saying 'how much money matters.'
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  423. firing a pistol at someone is not an accident. neither is the result a tragedy - it's homicide. when you pretend to kill someone, you make sure it doesn't happen. i can't think of any reason baldwin is not in a cell. prop wrangler beside him, very likely.
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  424. it's not a right, there are no rights. it is a privilege awarded by the ruling group to themselves. democracy awards that privilege to the most people - but you don't have democracy, and never will have, for you don't understand that what you will not fight for can never be held.
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  425. china doesn't steal intellectual property- american corporations give it to them, in return for cheap labor and access to the china market. the chinese are not thieves, but you could accuse american corporations of treason. but that intellectual property is theirs to give, as they please. the rule of money over politics, in the usa is called 'capitalism.' better to call it 'plutocracy.'
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  426. lessee, corporations, politicians, and plain rich people in a loose co-op to extract taxes into private hands. yep, proto-fascist since birth. but really, since this is original equipment there is no benefit in labelling it fascist. just point out that usa is closely modelled on georgian aristocracy. and do stop talking about 'democracy' in the federal government, quite inappropriate, simply wrong.
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  427. there is a 'political arrest' feature in your extradition treaty, and trump has said that it is political. i hope canadian court notices this emergency exit. @the_astrokhan 
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  428. fortunately, the citizens of a democracy can over-ride politicians with citizen initiative, i believe. is that true, pr. wolff? or mr. hartmann.? anyone?
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  429. if you ever revered the usa, go back dig again into history.
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  430. pay no attention to the interpolation of etruscan between greek and latin. they had no visible connection, still untranslatable.
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  431. a nation of slow learners. if you agree with this description of events, why do you continue to endure rule by politicians? a democracy is necessarily an open administration, for the citizens can not rule if they do not know what the public servants are doing. get democracy, at gunpoint if necessary, that's why you have the right to have weapons. but if that's too hard, stop using 'crooked politicians' as an excuse. of course they are crooked! it's their nature. the problem is the dim and passive usa people..
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  432. more shocking still if you didn't know it already.
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  433. i presume it is necessary to stir up the cattle, to pay the bills. buttigieg as 'disruptor?' you are toying with us.
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  434. if you do the cooking, poison is handy. google 'undetectable '
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  435. who is this 'we?' usa is not a democracy, and there is nothing short of revolution that ordinary people can do to affect the supreme court. until you are ready to establish democracy, stop pretending you are a citizen. you're only a civilian. the athenians were clear about the distinction, americans are not.
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  436. pakistan would make a good connector between prc and iran, and there is some progress in that direction.
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  437. the usa people could have democracy, if most of them wanted it. just takes organization, which is lacking, and determination, none visible, and maybe courage as well, probably in short supply. the usg is ineffectual and corrupt, because of the quality of the people- the politicians can get away with murder, and they do.
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  438. the fact that usa tried to press poland into attacking russia is a measure of how things will go if xjp thinks he needs taiwan to return to china. usa can bully weak countries, can buy poor countries, but the policy of unlimited greed and aggression underlying the activity of usa-nato is much less effective against nations strong enough to ignore usa, confident that usa will fold because their motivation is greed, not survival.
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  439. the usa is a plutocracy. it was designed to be, and the design has been outstandingly successful. as a result of being locked out of the national management process, the people do not acquire the education and character to perform as citizens. they are merely civilians, watchers at best, frequently utterly unconcerned with any event outside personal view. such people are the road-kill of history.
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  440. public health is a notable weak spot in usa society, so covid might make a perceptible step in the decline and fall of the evil empire. but the grossly cancerous transfer of public income to military and investor class is the fatal flaw which makes decline inevitable.
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  441. it is possible that a society that has no use for productive people will generate a percentage of deviant behavior. many years ago, i came across a report from a psychologist who created a closed environment for rats, and provided unlimited food and water. the rats went insane, ended by eating their young.. violent crime, whether for survival or frustration or amusement, is all social insanity, and usa is a national madhouse. sex as entertainment is part of that alienation, although more tolerable.
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  442. they recommend vids that make them money. everything in usa begins with money, ends with money, might be sweet words in the middle, pay no attention.
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  443. it is likely that china is already ahead in several areas. 5g networks, a. i., green energy, transportation, consumer electronics, and of course, the centerpiece: obor. a transnational trade network that will lift asia ahead of the western world. really, suggesting '1932' is pathetic.
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  444. don't complain about the quality of politicians. they have been shaped by the law and culture of the nation. and so have the people. they are raised to be 2nd class, ignorant and passive.they have revolutions in other nations, never in usa. perhaps something in the water? fluoridation? gravel means well, but talking good sense to cattle will never get them on their hind feet. maybe not never. around 1900, the middle class got tired of corruption and incompetence in some state governments, and established democracy with a new constitution. california would be the best democracy in the world, if independent. but the progressive movement didn't get far or last long. now faux-progressives are people who hope for a kind master.
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  445. a classic case of 'didn't get the memo.'
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  446. Do you think you will get anything useful from the Cato institute aside from insight into the reptile minds that direct the nation?
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  447. trump has avoided military action, beginning with bone spurs and continuing with immanent cowardice. but, to my mild surprise, his massive [inflated] ego has carried him over the edge. i think he will enjoy the results, since iran has nothing but threats to offer in return. a boost in his approval rating is likely, although most of the thug personalities are already in his camp. this would be a 'gulf of tonkin ' ploy for re-election normally, but trump's ego demands response to any attack. of more immediate interest, killing this iranian general is accounted to be a good thing, as he is in the 'got it coming' register. or so saagar enjeti asserts. who would have thought such a personable lad is in the thug personalities demographic? i will continue to watch, but now i have to run everything he says through my 'proven creep' filter. let's hope ms ball proves to be better material.
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  448. dipping in to indian news is always refreshing: new disasters of human construction generally show that things at home could be worse. "congress tried to kill modi!" just shows how little flavor elections have, in public affairs. modi is probably a disaster, himself. but india is ungovernable, being stitched together by the brits from people who didn't like one another very much. eu much the same, of course, which will dissolve first, do you think?
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  449. the american 'deep state' might have some understanding of the current chinese government, and of their own. but if what they know is, 'we are out-classed,' then the knowledge will have little value.
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  450. only congress can 'declare war,' but congress decided long ago to issue a blank check to presidents, to avoid being identified with continual military action. so various 'police actions' are carried out, often indistinguishable from war, but sometimes merely assassinations, coups, and assisted regime change. the usa is not a democracy, and the cow people watch their masters do murder abroad, and only anger when those murders draw some retribution. the usa is not uniquely contemptible, but it is in the first rank, and notable for the hypocrisy they wrap around their crimes.
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  451. you never had democracy, and are too dim to manage it if it was given to you.
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  452. one consequence of living in an oligarchy is a submissiveness in the general population to the activities of the ruling group. not merely physical, their 'doings' are like the weather, uncontrollable and often unpredictable. the usual response is to ignore 'them,' as much as possible. usa is nothing like a democracy. it's people are not active in management of the nation. they more resemble the commoners of medieval times. so i call it 'elective aristocracy.' appropriate because politicians have evolved from the ruling aristocrats, who in turn come from the warlords of post-hastings britain. why then is 'democracy' part of usa chatter? why do you commonly hear 'we are losing our democracy,' when you never had it?
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  453. every time i listen to hedges, i like him more. but liking won't fix it. if you won't fight, you will be the slave of those who will.
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  454. heinlein was, it turns out, a bit airy about worm holes. i thought it was going to be just normal engineering progress necessary for galactic transfer, so that i could join the space patrol when it was possible, and i was old enough.
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  455. let's give some thought to the phrase, "american democracy."
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  456. very heartening news. the evil empire is showing signs of decay - the mice are thumbing their noses at the cat.
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  457. no, you don't need law reform. you need the power to make laws, by citizen initiative. that's the key feature of democracy.
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  458. if usa were a democracy, the citizens would decide major questions by referendum, or initiative. but it isn't and so the people endure whatever their current masters think will profit themselves. i don't know why some writers use the word 'democracy' in reference to usa, certainly madison promoted his constitution as a protection from democracy for the rule of wealth. since the rich still rule, he deserves credit for this success.
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  459. when the nazis announced to the swiss that they would send a commission to direct the swiss for the duration of the war, two things happened: in the first 24 hrs, about 10% of the militia reported to their mustering station, and two weeks later, a referendum was held with a simple question, "shall we submit?" more than 90% of the citizens said "no." and that is what democracy is. the usa is no kind of democracy, and the people are not citizen quality. so be kind to the ozzians, they are you. the situation is no better in oz, or anywhere, because the federation of helvetia is the only national democracy in the world. h. sap. is not suited to democracy, gormless wimps for the most part, hag-ridden by predator sociopaths.
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  460. i think anger arises from perceived impotence. when you see injustice and think 'i can fix this,' anger is minimal. society is organized so that almost everyone is politically impotent, so lots of room for explosions, but generally useless. i recommend democracy.
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  461. usa has never had real democracy. being ruled by politicians is oligarchy.
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  462. " Do you think our public infrastructure should be owned by for profit groups? " i think it is none of your business, since you don't live in a democracy. if you did, referendum and initiative would settle these questions in a formal and binding manner. but you are just political cattle, children pretending to be grown-ups.
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  463. Dubya still waking around loose? What's a war Crime?
    4
  464. i do wish people would stop talking about the end of democracy in usa. it never started. what is happening is the gradual transfer of power from senate to president. see 'decline and fall of the roman empire.' call it one of the results of globalization of commerce. trump is a buffoon, but the senate is worse - senile and degenerate. they make even a buffoon look briefly competent. and he is competent, in the only test an american politician is measured by, he got elected. simply a measure of the competition, of course. will he pass the next test, re-election? perhaps not, but look at the quality and record of the putative successor, and tell me the usa political system is adequate to modern demands. that is the serious lack in usa society. the blind acceptance of a political system designed to empower slave plantation magnates, a system already obsolete when the south seceded. the constitution remains. the magnates run for-profit prisons, for-profit armies, for-profit health care, and perform politics for profit too. and seemingly no one notices. that is the terminal disease of nations. apres moi, le deluge!
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  465. language est mutable, innit. stretch yer mind, copain,
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  466. good report. i have chinese friends and family, and have lived in china, and agree with your views. xjp's brother in law showed up in 'the panama papers,' so i'm not so sure that corruption is under control, but efforts are being made, and shooting notable offenders is more than western nations do. 加油
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  467. they are an alternative. often faster than steamships, and mechanization reduces crews to just a few.
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  468. the only important fact about american current affairs is to demonstrate how backward and ineffectual public health measures are in the usa the fact that trump is a joke in any public office is a separate matter, a larger one is why you let any individual run the nation like it was his family corner shop. binding all of these visible failures together is a society whose fundamental law was written to ensure the rich ruled the many, whose culture has been perverted by consequent necessary lies and myths, to the point that americans are no more citizens than their family dog. nor much better informed.
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  469. why do you keep voting for politicians? this is what happens, and worse. will you never learn?
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  470. why is trump president? 1. republican contenders had nothing to offer the out-of workers, and could not win, 2. the democratic contender had nothing to offer the out-of workers and could win, by lying, but thought it unnecessary. 3. he needed a new job, and not fussed about public lying, to extend the pretense he was not an idiot. turned out the competition were worse idiots. pleasant surprise, eh? 4. the american electorate wanted to send a message to the elite. they did, but the elite refused to accept, feeling sure that more porridge would just enliven trouble-makers. 5. there is a limit to the long con, nearly there. but you won't be happy with biden either. people like him are why a creature like trump can be president. 6. and there will be worse than trump, and biden. it's built in to your society. why is usa declining? 1. you still haven't figured it out?
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  471. compared to the chinese or russian experience, castro strolled into power, put his feet up and ran the nation as some mixture of personal farm and marxist example. the result was reasonably good, considering the pressure usa placed on the regime.
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  472. btw, a bit of english language, evidently unknown to pm may: monarchies don't have referendums, they have plebiscites. that's because the people are not citizens, but merely plebs. or, a face-saving 'civilians.' if it had been a referendum, in a democracy, there would be no talk of the need for a people's vote, because the citizens had already decided. these are important distinctions, because it is vital that the people of britain realize they do not live in a democracy. how else can they hope to live in a democracy, if they are fooled into thinking this is it?
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  473. peaceful? suppose mexico invited california to rejoin the nation. and california said, 'yes, thx.' would biden send flowers, and a 'good luck! card?'
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  474. english is vague, about possesive. there is, 'this is our paddock, we eat here,' and 'this is my paddock, i run 1000 sheep here.' you eat in oz.
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  475. they only do it for the money. that's all right, innit?
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  476. she saw the pelosi chocolate fridge and adjusted her aspirations instantly.
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  477. the nation was designed that way. much as i would like to see change, change is unlikely. if possible, leave.
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  478. congressional politics is mainly shadow play. kabuki for chumps. if you were citizen quality, you would demand democracy, 'or else.' but you aren't, and political 'discussion' is just an emotional support service.
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  479. taxes are theft. abolish all taxes. finance public activity with a fee for the use of money- x % clipped off of every transaction. adjust x as needed.
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  480. there are no democracies. the people do not rule anywhere* and that is what the word 'democracy' means. but you don't deserve democracy. it requires citizen-quality people, and you've only got serf-quality to work with. *the swiss showed promise, but they are ruled by politicians too and lately have allowed usa 'bases' on their land.
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  481. yes, it's too good to belong to china. 1st step, break it loose. 2nd step, own it. result, raise the stars and stripes in urumqi. at the usa embassy, of course. in the green zone, of course. i don't know if there is forced labor in xj, haven't been there recently. but i do know that any opinion which suits the usa is likely to be a lie.
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  482. depressing, innit. i came to this conclusion in the late 60's. all the hoohah was about resisting military service, none about militarism.
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  483. yer own fault. could have established democracy, and laughed white fascists into silence. but would have required effort. 'not done,' until too late.' now they have answers, and you do not.
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  484. this is a political arrest, because extradition is a political decision. i await the chinese counter-stroke with great interest.
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  485. usa is a plutocratic republic, and if you won't or can't understand that, you can't change it. in a democracy, the citizens rule through referendum and initiative. doesn't happen in the usa.
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  486. if you run yer nation with referendum, initiative and recall, you don't need to follow people around. it's called democracy, you should try it.
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  487. i would admire snowden much more if he had published all that he had. there is no 'just enough' of spy society.
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  488. pretty sure prc is run by smart, and sane, people. but i wouldn't say that about usa.
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  489. harry truman laid the fuse of the vn war, when he handed vn back to the french. not just any french, either: the french in vn were taking orders from vichy, and then the japanese, and when the japanese put their hands, the french hired them to police the cities until france could send more soldiers and admin to vietnam. this taught the vietminh that friendship with the west was impossible. just too treacherous. vietminh chucked the french out, usa took over. promptly backed a government led by catholiic elite, in a 90% buddhist nation. renegeged on u. n. plan for national referendum on re-unification, phonied up a casus belli in the gulf of tonkin and started winning hearts and minds with poison crop-dusters and napalm. this was just warcrime, but usa too big to punish. so they lost, for a change. well done, peoples republic of viet nam. may have given hope to the people of iraq and afghanistan.
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  490. don't blame trump. blame the political system that put a trump in the oval office. but that's too hard for america, and that's why usa is sliding into the water. that ship of state has a rotten bottom and no lifeboats. always easier to jeer at the half-wit scape-goat.
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  491. still not down to the appropriate level. but you don't deserve any better, oz is not populated by citizen quality people. imagine allowing politicians to run things! have you no shame?
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  492. no, it doesn't. they have oil. usa must control it.
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  493. there are no democracies. swiss get an honorable mention, call it 'proto-democracy.'
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  494. this is not news. one reason the evil empire prospers is by keeping its people ignorant and fearful. 'but we'll take care of you...' the visit to saudi is almost good news: usg is getting nervous. they used to send for saudi, now they visit, and beg, and are insulted. otoh, who knows what they'll do if it becomes panic...
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  495. the education system has not failed, it is the most effective tool in supplementing the constitution as a framework for plutocracy. it has not failed , because its purpose was not to create effective citizens of democracy. it has succeeded in its design purpose, very well. the people of usa are ignorant cattle. there is no need nor much purpose in talking about economics to the people who are not citizens of democracy. one does not explain economics to pets or farm animals. prof. wolff presupposes that usa is or is nearly, or at least should be a democracy. from that base, he can earn a living as an academic, explaining what governments 'should do' if they had the welfare of the people as a primary goal. but reality is otherwise. marx made some valuable contributions to economics, but in the end, quasi-marxist societies have not flourished. political considerations have continued to rule human activity, often simple military rule, representative 'democracy' is popular, both governed for and by an elite, without much economic science. so i came to the simplistic conclusion, that getting democracy is the only goal worth pursuing. all else is intellectual wuffle dust. with democracy, the people have the power to shape their society gradually to the consensus of what is fair. without democracy, you are without the tool of the individual in society- you are done to by the elite, and they are never your fairy god-mother.
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  496. so she took the money. big deal. your fault. you could have democracy, a nation run by the citizens through referendum and initiative. but you prefer to let politicians screw you. and then whine about it.
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  497. lectures are all they can afford.
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  498. personally, i prefer that the oz government resigns before they put their voting base into bankruptcy.
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  499. yup. mr hartmann is a bit slow. but she's on the right side sometimes. if you can't have democracy, that's as good as it gets.
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  500. being a nazi in ukraine is sensible. ukraine hates russia, and they have some reasons, going back to the october revolution. lovable finnland cosied up to the nazis too, for similar reasons. it wasn't because they liked nazis, so much as needing help from anywhere, against the threat of ussr. but that was then. should ukraine trade on those past conditions to excuse current thugs, who are being supported by the usa? in fact, usa has had mixed emotions about nazis, from the beginning. dubya's granddad got in trouble for his support of nazi germany, had to leave connecticut and move to texas, which is more tolerant of nazis.
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  501. if you stop pretending you have democracy, perhaps you could do something to get democracy.
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  502. xjp is in no hurry. but he can look into increased trade, with mexico, and cuba. nicaragua and venezuela might appreciate closer ties. if he can establish a mutual defense pact in that region, usg will have some incentive to back away from taiwan.
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  503. now that i'm safely far away, i enjoy reading about the activities in usa, it turns out that nations can be psychotic, as germany demonstrated in my youth. then, during the vietnam war, i discovered i was inside a psychotic nation. the spark of enlightenment came about when some loon said "we had to destroy the village in order to save it." what he said was bad enough, but he was a army spokesman. that's the way they think. the lunacy is not new, but it is grossly inflated by the power of the government.
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  504. they are just buying cheap oil, not showing any kind of allegiance.
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  505. it was not just sold, usa is not, never was, a democracy. the nation is run by politicians, not the people, and they work for the rich. the nation was designed that way, and the design was very successful. democracy does not appear in the constitution, and the initial phrase, "we, the people" is just the first lie in usa politics. many have followed. but if yer dim, ignorant or lazy, you deserve to be fooled, surely you see that? evolution in action.
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  506. if usa were a democracy, trump would not be in office. but it isn't. madison created the position, an elective king. fdr had a radical congress, for a little while, and could have established a democracy constitution. but that would have involved elevating the electorate above politicians, and you can't expect politicians to that. so usa remains a plutocracy, it is hopelessly corrupt and incompetent, and china is going to eat your lunch. barring nuclear temper tantrum from whatever sociopath you put in the oval office.
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  507. usa never had democracy, and talking about losing it is disinforming.
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  508. it's nice to see there's a sheltered workshop for you folks.
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  509. you can buy a city car for 5000 in china. lithium can be replaced with aluminum. current prices are just market establishment results.
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  510. i wuz gonna go on at length in that vein, but really, 'shocker' is enough.
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  511. the most successful 'leftist' of our times had different view: "power grows out of the barrel of a gun." revolution is necessary. power must be transferred from politician to people. it can be done without shooting, but if democracy is the goal, the people must be prepared to shoot. it is not a co-incidence that the only democratic nation defends itself with a national militia.
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  512. usa constitution is not fit for purpose, if you are concerned about the welfare of the nation and its people. madison was charmingly frank, and outlined his goal of empowering the rich over the many. look around you - he succeeded brilliantly. no accident, he promised his supporters a world safe for jeff bezos, and here it is. no use moaning about it. if you are trained to submission, all that is left to do is to raise your standard of living by complaining about injustice.
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  513. shame on you. the invasion of ukraine deserves serious discussion.
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  514. there is a 'sociopathic' continuum in the usa populace, perhaps much larger than most western societies, anything from consistently selfish to calmly murderous. slavery and ethnic cleansing gave it a firm and continuing base, and the resulting worship of freedom and individualism dissolves the community which might resist. i think the future of the usa is grim. i am afraid that it will destroy the world with war and environmental looting. there are countervailing tendencies, but not enough. the simple fact that the political system could generate a political 'leader' such as trump should convince anyone that a new constitution is a necessity, but in fact, no usa public figure says so. what future can there be from such an intellectual wasteland?
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  515. she's not a hero, she's a politician. chelsea manning, julian assange, edward snowden are heroes, because they struck at at the government at great personal cost. aoc is just burnishing her brand with lefty talk, as convenient.
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  516.  @ishaq24722  there is absolute democracy , a society directed by its citizens. it's nearly non-existent, only the swiss have a reasonable democracy, increasingly squeezed by being enveloped by eu. among usa states, california would be a better democracy than the swiss if not dominated by the usa.
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  517. there is a certain sick pleasure in getting news about usa politics. there is continual reinforcement of my decision to get as far away as possible, good, and sadness as i watch ordinary people sink into poverty, and crime. and there is nothing to be done for the people of usa, they are incapable of rebellion. they think the solution to rule by bad politicians is to find good politicians. folks, if that was the solution, it would have worked long ago.
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  518. why tell the dnc what they should do? because you don't have any power to tell the dnc what to do. they do what is best for them. no advice asked for. why tell them? because it's a surrogate for democracy. i'll pretend i'm a citizen, and you pretend your opinion matters, and we both will feel like adults in a democracy. this is so much easier than actually getting democracy. getting democracy is hard. it's for grown-ups, in a nation of political adolescents. filled with opinions, but no power.
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  519. athenian democracy was harsh by modern standards, and did have some class constraints. we should aim to do better, nowadays. in reality, modern democracy is not democracy at all. the citizens do not rule, not even in switzerland. and in the usa, even the pretense is nearly abandoned. politics is the field of power within a society, and the fundamental question is, "who decides.?" aristotle understood that, and i marvel that contemporary 'intellectuals' do not ever examine this area. i suppose there is a consensus that 'nothing can be done.' so political 'discussion' is superficial, and without consequence - mere pot-boiling and pastime. while the people do not decide, they will always be cattle, at the mercy of some elite. why then do they not rise up? they need leadership, and there is none.
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  520. the central committee has the option of doing what the people don't want, so it is no kind of democracy. it is delivering an acceptable mix of socialism and capitalism at present. this is not the result of democracy, just a current belief that a strong china is best for an elite in danger from foreign attack.
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  521. nz maybe, oz not so much.
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  522. sometimes it is merely a game, with dollars for points scored. when someone says 'bezos is richest, ' he sleeps better. he is winning the game.
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  523. interesting times, i note that capitol police have not shot any invaders. chances are they were white. there are a great many reasons to despise usa, and if confederate flags in the capitol building don't lead to treason trials, blue states had better secede. things are not going to improve in the current usa society. better to be out of it.
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  524. trump is not threat, not until he recruits a general to his support, and that does not look likely. usa political system, essentially georgian monarchy, is hopelessly obsolete, and trump's presence in the oval office is a measure of that degeneracy, not a reward for his competence. you will stagger on for one or two more reigns, perhaps, but the inflation now built in to the economy will make military dominance hard to maintain. lackey states such as britain and australia will be forced to align with e. u. or china, and usa will be just another russia. mind you, the inability of oligarchic societies to deal with climate pollution may well end global commerce. let's hope that result is in time to prevent extinction.
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  525. no politicians were harmed by this regime change, this is normal parliamentary practice. it's not democracy, but neither is the usa. the absence of elections may puzzle you, but when you have empty elections, to replace one politician with another, you are only fooling the public. this saves time and money.
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  526. 1776 was orchestrated by the upper class, to preserve slavery in the south, and consequent shipping profits in the north. the lowers were not greatly interested. and they still aren't. riots are one thing, constructive revolution different entirely. usans come in various sizes, but there is no visible action towards getting democracy, most still talk as though they have it, poor deluded fools. imagine letting creeps like trump, pompeo, biden, dubya and cheney run yer nation- have you no shame?
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  527. unfortunately, city folks are gunless, or a pistol in the night table. it's the bubbas in the country with full-auto long guns who are going to profit from social collapse.
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  528. i guess they moved venezuela to the back burner, for lack of immediate success. bolivia is a bit of a conslation prize. morales and his team did great things, but couldn't find the money to arm and train a national militia. a nation where all the guns and gunners are in uniform is always vulnerable to coups, endless examples in south america, central america, the caribbean- anywhere where usa thinks it should rule.
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  529. meat is useful food, and has been part of our diet for a long time. but moderation in all things. what's killing the environment is i.c.e. and steaming coal.
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  530. welcome to small but growing opinion. usa is not and never was a democracy. it is an elective aristocray, captured at birth by wealth. so, a functional plutocracy.
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  531. bernie should have put a program to get democracy and socialism before the people. but he wanted to be president. no matter. young people have an interest in democracy and socialism, because more of the same doesn't work. it needs a simple manifesto of shared goals, a party to promote those ideas full time, sufficient patience to avoid unnecessary violence, sufficient determination to make continuing progress whatever blocks are put up by entrenched power and wealth. should be easy, in a web age. don't be deterred by constitutional blocks- they have no moral force. write a new one, keep it simple, a base to build on through initiative and referendum.
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  532. you complain about your masters, but it never crosses your mind to replace them with democracy. you are frozen in political childhood, submitting endlessly to the big people.
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  533. not really, but they do like the idea of a little buffer zone between the usa navy and china mainland. gives a minute or two to counter rocket attacks.
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  534. step 1: get democracy. when the people rule, police will be polite. step 2: you need step one, first, and you haven't done it. see the word from norway, below
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  535. the usa has a comparatively long and stable history, and has no need for the word 'fascism.' it is and has been from birth, 'elective aristocracy.' elective monarchy would not be wrong, but the monarch had little power before ww2. even now, when executive orders are common, the senate can over-ride. it is not a democracy, and never was. elections do not establish democracy, they are an evolved form of the civil war that used to re-set aristocracies- more votes replacing more warriors.
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  536. you might like to think about this: the only democracy in the world was surrounded in ww2, by nazis and fascists. but hitler did not invade. he pushed over france in weeks, but could not, or dare not, invade helvetian confederation. that's because the swiss had universal military training, and every ablle-bodied man had a military rifle in the closet. what's more, the monthly meeting for field and marksmanship competency was a strong bonding agent. both sides shot at the swiss, from time to time, but the swiss shot back, with great effect. in the usa, guns are only a tool for desperadoes, the notion of national community and mutual support never bloomed. might as well withdraw guns from the society. but that's not yer problem. yer problem is national psychosis, and no cure in sight.
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  537. true, in a sense: the desire of southern slave plantation owners to preserve their wealth and position led madison to write a constitution that entrenched plutocracy 'for the ages' while offering protection to the 'landed interest' for almost 70 years.
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  538. the american constitution was written to empower the wealthy to control the nation. it has done and continues to do this very well. the two party system is not broken. it is the natural consequence of the constitution and the culture of the usa evolved from its base of aristocracy, slavery and expropriation of the american indigenes. discussing the 'failure' of the socio-political system without addressing its antecedents and intentions is a nonsense.
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  539. fascism is actually like 'americanism,' but in italian. long as they speak english, you'll be fine.
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  540. it seems to happen when the government gets too much cash in the economy, papering over mistakes to get past the next election. in any event, obsolete management of the economy is common everywhere. computerized financial systems make reality clear, it is political structure which does not understand, or simply politicians buying office with cash hand-outs. any society that let's politicians run the nation is simply doomed. insoluble problem. but maybe we can get past war and contend with climate. seems unlikely. politicians have little interest in any problem outside their term of office.
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  541. maybe you should stop voting for people, start voting for action and law with referendum? it's called 'democracy.' just a thought.
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  542. it tells me that respect for the political process is much eroded. never was absolute, of course. the uppers will express shock! horror! because the political process serves their desires, without the expense and danger of a secret police. it will get worse, because the uppers want more, always, and there will less leftovers for the lowers. guns everywhere, the rich will travel with outriders soon, in armored cars.
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  543. wikileaks is not working for the democratic party, so they talked to republicans. why not. and russians, why not? ja was in the ecuadorian embassy not because he feared uk charges, but because he feared immediate extradition to usa. and he was right to do so. he owed usa nothing- he's an ozzie. he worried that usa prison might involve torture, usa does that, worried that he might get solitary confinement for life, usa does that. so he didn't submit to usa capture willingly, very sensible. really, mr. hartmann, your relaxed response to the capture of assange by usa does you no credit.
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  544. normally, plutocracies are an informal system of rule- the plutocrat subsidizes general, or politicians, or priests, who do the public management of the society. but not usa. the usa is watching a demonstration of plutocracy by direct action. marvelous! it's been awhile since i felt that old 'only in america!' feeling. i hope this scours off any feeling of democracy in the federal government of the usa. but of course, people assert that america is some kind of [ insert weasel word here] 'democracy,' better even than the real thing. this is done not out of conviction, but for convenience. orwell's 'doulbe-think' encapsulated the phenomenon well, though he thought the ussr was the chief user, poor deluded fool that he was.
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  545. kevin has to pretend that american foreign policy is rational and managed by sane and well-meaning office-holders. this is not the case.
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  546. the solution is to establish democracy. might have to shoot a few politicians, but would that be any loss?
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  547. "here's what we gotta do..." wrong. first you gotta get the power to do. the people now in charge don't want to do what you want. neither will the people you replace them with, if you had a way to replace them, which you don't. if you want the nation to look after ordinary people, you have get democracy. no one says so, because it's hard, and most of the people who promise to take care of you, if you just put them in power, are liars. you should know all this, from school lessons in political history. but there weren't any, were there. wonder why.
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  548. adelson is enough. don't have to worry about foreign money. usa is susceptible to money from anywhere, because the government is for sale. you really should get democracy, if you could, and if you understand what it is. but, can't, and don't , it seems.
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  549. why not enlist a little history on the argument? the post-war 'golden age' of the usa thought 90% marginal rate was ok. and there was a bit of socialism in health care and education, too.
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  550. politicians are no better than other humans, and frequently worse. a nation of self-respecting people would make them extinct, through establishment of democracy. but usa is somewhat retarded. a bit strange since some states have democracy. i wonder why those states don't leave the company of knuckle-draggers.
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  551. india and china have no intrinsic reasons for strife. they face in different directions. modi makes border trouble to disguise the pathetic quality of governance he offers. to be fair, india is a basket case , and it's not likely to improve under politician rule. because modi insists on starting a war over barren ground, prc must stabilize the situation with some kind of formal occupation. there is a long-term problem with water. some of india grows its food with water that comes from the chinese side of the himalayas. this could lead to war, except india is too weak to threaten prc. perhaps by being usa's attack dog, india can get control of the headwaters? i think not. it is a disastrous fantasy. co-operation and negotiation might have succeeded, but too late now.
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  552. nothing will save usa, while the rich rule. until the plebs get off their knees and establish democracy nothing will change.
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  553. you can't save 'our democracy' when it is and has always been, an elective aristocracy. it is about to lapse into dictatorship, the political 'aristocracy is degenerate and ineffectual, but trump will not enjoy the fruits of transition, some general will 'assist' him for a year or two, and then take over.
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  554. if you don't have an industrial work force, you don't have 'workers.' you just have alienated individuals fighting each other for crumbs. democracy might help, if you could get it, but you can't--- it needs communal spirit, quite lacking in usa. abandon hope-- perhaps if you spoke politely to canada, they might let you in?
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  555. it's quite simple really- the democratic party abandoned the ex-workers of the rust belt, and they showed their contempt by voting for trump. if your country makes it plain you are on your own, you are not entitled to complain about lack of patriotism.
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  556. what's happening is pretty simple, it could have been made clear in high school. but it wasn't. but that doesn't mean we should scare the cattle. instead, let's scare the politicians. really simple, just a weekly email to your local state and national hyena, explaining how you won't be voting for them until you see their plan to keep temperature rise under 4 degrees. [2 degrees is history] . tell friends and acquaintances to do the same, maybe it will catch on. after 6 months of further inaction, get angry. they are threatening your life, and your children. make them understand your reaction.
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  557. you don't need secret files to know occupying iraq was just naked empire building. the important fact of usa history, is that the people have a simulated 'democracy' to keep them quiet, and a very real elite rule of politicians and their private and corporate sponsors. you could call it 'fascism,' but it antedates mussolini and is better known as 'americanism.' and it's no secret, madison explained in detail the society he was offering to the grandees of post-colonial america. usa was never a democracy, and when peope refer to democracy in usa, you are probably being lied to.
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  558. if you had democracy, you could defend democracy with citizen initiative. but you don't. haven't you noticed?
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  559. btw, it's always nice to hear a clear description of reality, should be more of it. carry on, mr west.
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  560.  @williamlitsch5506  no, in a democracy, you vote to direct the nation with referendum and initiative. no elections needed. the fact that you don't know this explains why usa will never recover from the constitution.
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  561. don't worry, vlad, those missiles are just to stiffen nato, which has been getting wobbly.
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  562. there is a difference between invading iraq and building a modern port at piraeus.  @Internet_user777 
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  563. let's start with 'democracy.' not many people know what it means. it's a phrase in classical greek, 'citizens decide.' demos kratia. you see where we got 'democracy.' athens was a democracy, in those days. nowadays, only switzerland is, just barely. whose job is democracy? this is a nonsense question, politics is not a job in a democracy. but usa is not a democracy, never has been. this is a bit strange, because about half the states have some or all the features of democracy. notably california. if independent it would be a model democracy. not perfect, there are no politicians in a democracy. they are a hold-over from medieval days, the inheritors of the power of aristocracy. but the phrase 'whose job is...' characterizes usa very well. usa is a nation that minimizes politics, to allow maximum power for the rich. while it is an elective oligarchy formally, functionally it is a plutocracy. plutocracy exercises power through jobs, whether you have one, how much is the pay, how secure is the contract. americans talk endlessly about 'our democracy,' when they have none. somewhat like eunuchs talking about sex. presumably, the talk soothes for the lack.
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  564. the relationship is only complicated by the malevolence of the usg, and its toadies. china continues to trade with the world, and spends a lot of money to make that trade easier. contrast with usg, which uses invasion as a marketing strategy. from an ethical standpoint, usa is indeed 'the great satan ,' oz demeans itself by clinging to the relationship.
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  565. serves you right. usa is not a democracy, never was. thought it didn't matter, didn't you? thought you could pretend it was, and no one would notice...
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  566. so long as government is a prize passed back and forth between contending gangs, progress will be slow and wasteful. another argument for democracy.
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  567. athens is given credit for developing democracy, and were constantly at war with other types of polity. in the result, athens was briefly somewhat imperial. usa, otoh, has never been a democracy, and has been expanding since birth at the expense of weaker neighbors, who now are the world. i suspect a modern democracy would tend to be peaceful, simply because the activity of the state would be responsive to the welfare of the citizens, who are disinclined to send their family to war for the profit of the rich.
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  568. still haven't heard about a movement to establish democracy in the usa. why is that?
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  569. the response would be to lock-down dc until the cv19 has passed through.
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  570. trump daily gives you evidence of the hopeless ineffectiveness of the constitution, and no one notices.
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  571. doesn't anyone in usa wake up and think, "why are we letting politicians rule the nation?" it's democracy time, chillun.
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  572. simple: get democracy, write yer own laws.
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  573. freidman is one of those people who is so well-known that you can safely ignore any further opinions from him.
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  574. as mr jansen points out, many americans think they can go where they wish. this attitude will not diminish until it is demonstrated to be wrong. which is why xjp gave some thought to being the person, time and place for the demonstration. no one can be eager to risk starting ww last, but americans think there is no risk. they will certainly be wrong, probably quite soon, but xjp is clearly in no hurry. he also has no 'face.' his grip on the cpcc must be weaker.
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  575. whatever planes they were flying from june to december, the sov air force was beaten up by lack of pilot training and effective organization. after december, hitler had lost, although there plenty of fighting to do. gradually, training organization and experience, plus massive numbers bent the war into soviet favor. so western airplanes were insignificant, simply because a good enough air force and superior tanks and tank production won the war. the allies didn't send their best machines, and what they sent needed better avgas than the local birds, so welcome was always going to 'mixed.' what was valued was american trucks. they came in great numbers, were rugged, and allowed factories to concentrate on planes and tanks.
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  576. is there any active motion towards dissolving the usa? would do wonders for the world, and most usans would be happier too. only politicians would resist, but if the generals don't listen to them, that wouldn't matter. most generals would be onside, all would be closer to the top of their promotion ladder, except a 1/2 dozen at the top.
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  577. the usa constitution is archaic, hopelessly ineffective for the public good. but that was not its aim: it was explicitly written to support the rule of the rich. nothing to be done about it- it has shaped the character of the poor and rich, victim and parasite. the rest of humanity can only hope the decay of the usa does not lead to nuclear war.
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  578. you would think people in the usa should be demanding democracy--- or else! but they don't. that is mental slavery, and nothing can be done for a nation whose people have no better hope than getting a kinder master. so many guns, so little courage.
    4
  579. trump is not a brave man. he will explain away his loss and leave the country ahead of the bounty hunters. he probably understands that if it comes to force, he will not only lose, but go to jail immediately.
    4
  580. usa couldn't afford to let cuba flourish, it would give other nations ideas of freedom and socialism. khomeini referred to usa as 'the great satan,' and really, that's about it. not religious, myself, so i translated as 'the chancre on north america.'
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  581. someone so reluctant to state his thesis probably hasn't got one of any consequence. china is rising by educating its people, making plans and executing them. india can not emulate this program for various cultural reasons, but might catch a ride by special treaties with china in areas of common interest. unfortunately, bjp is in control and incapable of managing even that much good sense.
    4
  582. no, don't blame reagan. blame james madison. he wrote a constitution whose purpose was to allow the rich to rule. principle was simple: concentrate all power in a political aristocracy, and buy, rent or be in that group. the rich do that. this power is not absolute, and hartmann's father was in the generation where the grip of the rich was relaxed, by a combination of the great depression and ww2. but the constitution still prevailed, and the rich slowly bought back their dominance. democracy is the cure. in a democracy the poor and middles can use their numbers to combat the power of the rich to buy, by circumventing the politicians with citizen initiative. further, requiring assent to referendum and demanding open government obviates secret deals where money talks. it's simple really: get democracy, and be a member of the ruling class, the people.
    4
  583. what kind of jobs, how effective is unemployment measurement, and what have you got against actual democracy? why do you let politicians rule you?
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  584. can't destroy what you haven't got. this latest evidence of reality will not penetrate the understanding of the american civilian, 200 + years of plutocracy have been blindly accepted as 'democracy,' so why should the light bulb turn on now?
    4
  585. anyone who expresses surprise, much less dismay, is a hypocritical cynic or a child. bandit gangs deserve no honor, and putting them in uniform doesn't change their nature, it just lifts the responsibility to the politicians who dispatch them. until oz pollies unhook their lips from the yankee bum, these war crimes will continue.
    4
  586. why do terrorists hate you, how did trump get in office? when you come up with a comprehensive answer, cv19 will be trivial.
    4
  587. no. it is more socialist. democracy is a label for society ruled by the people. not politicians. it doesn't mean 'good' or 'kind.' the whole point of the word arises from the original greek: : 'demos kratia' literally means 'citizens rule.'
    4
  588. i often wonder why american 'progressives' don't demand democracy. they used to, back when progressives really wanted progress. that's how california came to have a constitution with referendum, initiative and recall. many other states also came to have some or all of these functions of democracy. but now, 'progressives' just want to be in office. many mean well, determined to throw a fish or two at the little peepul, while holding firmly to the fishing pole. and do the people despair of actual citizenship, clinging merely to a hope of an occasional thrown fish? what a degenerate society, high and low!
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  589. you have to do this sort of thing, in order to maintain your budget. it's why democracies might have to get along without clandestine attacks. if ever there is a democracy within human society. we're not there yet. if vlad decides uk got heavily involved, he might also decide uk is weak enough to attack. clandestine operations are not unknown to russian governments.
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  590. more than 90% of species known to h. sap. in science mode, are extinct. carefully farmed, we could get along without most of the remaining critters, in space-ship earth mode. but the parasites currently running our society can't even keep the local patch ticking over. we need socialism, to keep the world running, and democracy to keep society running., both are in short supply, and not spreading. on the bright side, the impending economic collapse may preserve the environment sufficiently for us to evolve better manners.
    4
  591. the cia is helping people who have trouble choosing between being warm and loving their usa friends.
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  592. 'our democracy?' princeton university recently did a study of usg activity vs public opinion. there was zero co-relation. zero. but that was with the lower 90% income profile. with the upper 10%, high co-relation. when madison promised a plutocracy, he delivered. this was a statistical analysis. or you can simply note the total absence of referendum and citizen initiative, and wonder why anyone would imply usa was a democracy. there is literally no connection between the word and reality. except lies, of course. every politician in usa tells you that usa is a democracy, a new, improved version that is done for you, no effort required. in fact, it's better if you don't know what's going on. you might worry, unnecessarily.
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  593. sounds like pete, but not as slick. he does 'sincere' so well.
    4
  594. well, that's interesting, but i'm still waiting for information on how to change the nature of human society, and thereby prevent extinction. not that i care about being dead, no sensible worries there, but the process is likely to be extended and painful. floods, fires, bombs, gunfire, did i mention epidemics?
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  595. no sympathy from me. you tolerate a government designed in the 1700's, for the purpose of empowering the rich. [and incidentally protecting slavery.] it was meant to weaken the people, strengthen the well connected. perhaps i should say it works very well, to its design purpose. sometimes you have to decide to change things, at whatever cost. apparently there first must be endless waffle, and whining, but someday things will change fast, with guns and blood. or you could do a bit of constitutional re-design before the wheels come off.
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  596. strange, i thought usa was owed by big oil. meanwhile, more solar is installed in china every year than combined total of usa. and they are exporting more too. turns out having a government promoting solar works better than having one owned by fossil fuel dinosaurs.
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  597. i wonder if a planned economy might do better.
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  598. he's your president, folks. his only qualification was that he was not a professional politician. that got him over the line, just. what does that tell you about the professional politicians? about the quality of your constitution?
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  599. still takes it home? i seem to remember a change, maybe 10 years ago. but you are right, the problem is the people, not the guns.
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  600. politically, usa is and always has been an elective oligarchy. it was codified by james madison in a constitution modeled on the british polity, as an attempt to make a society in which the rich would be lightly taxed and seldom restrained in their business activities. 'capitalism' dignifies this society, but it is omnipresent under many names. the rich, and/or powerful soon become powerful, and/or rich. you could call it 'fascism,' too. it is important to keep in mind that this basic model of modern human society is ruled by very selfish people. they are not acting for the good of the nation, much less for the good of the poor. those who are successful in the power side of the elite, politicians in office, have to pretend an interest in the 'civilians.' aka chumps. and some specialize in bringing left-overs to the poor. but none vote against their primary interest, the power of politicians. so if you want real change, it has to come from outside the system. if you will not discuss revolution, it's just play-acting.
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  601. the usa is not a democracy. it never was. that's why it's falling apart. get a new constitution.
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  602. no, it should suggest to americans that they need democracy with a suitable constitution.
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  603. not much choice. prc hospitals are under heavy use before the virus, so maximum prevention is needed.
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  604. when the ussr folded, usg said nato would not expand, the threat was gone. but the white-eyes speak with forked tongue. there is no end to greed.
    4
  605. you've heard about democracy, but you tolerate politician rule. why is that?
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  606. review the modern history of iraq, there are parallels which should make zelensky nervous. saddam was paid and armed to attack iran, and when he failed to conquer, he was hanged, i suppose bush was irritated at him, and also needed a fall guy for the 9/11 attacks. plus, you get control of a major oil nation, and a base to attack iran. this is multi-purposing, and also sociopathic crime on a grand scale. running errands for the usa is not a certain path to fortune. otoh, refusing to run errands is immediately fatal. one can sympathize with zelensky, but probably he looked no farther than the money.
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  607. the swiss have democracy, the usa is ruled by a gang, that used to be called a mob, but they have long been in power, so we call them by their name for themselves. there are two wings, the democratic or republican party. they are distinguished by badges and bunting at the popular festivals, where the people congratulate themselves on being ruled by the best wing.
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  608. a never-ending source of amusement. aristotle answered the primary question of society and has been ignored ever since. from his survey of contemporary varieties of society, he extracted one key question: "who decides?" he was a much more pragmatic man than modern socialists, and willing to confront the reality behind 'who decides.' power directs human society, and if you wonder why the many get little from their labor, it is because they have little power. blindingly obvious, one might think. aristotle went on from this question, and concluded that democracy was the best that mankind could do. whatever questions might arise from execution, at least the many were trying to help the most people, themselves. when power is devolved into the people, making them citizens of democracy, it is possible to create a society beneficial to most. they have the power to act with effect, and the will to make their lives better. no other society can deliver this result.
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  609. USA was never a democracy.
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  610. is it possible cia is making sure germany remains with nato regardless of how cold they are this winter?
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  611. Both are politicians, if you let such people run your nation, serves you right.
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  612.  @stuckinthemud4352  no use talking about the economy, until you control the politics. americans are blind to the lack of democracy, so economic discussion is fruitless.
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  613. if only sky news were gone...
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  614. everywhere you look, it's rotten. that's what happens, without democracy. i have neither heard nor seen any understanding of this aspect of political reality, so nothing is going to change for the better. the elite may drive the society into collapse, foreign powers may knock the corpse over, and the passive and cynical commoners will wait for new masters to emerge. history has been like that, but there is a new element - climate catastrophe may end history.
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  615. ancient is not necessarily a good thing.
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  616. very good survey, prof. wolff- always more that could be said, but this was the core, and clear.
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  617. we think, or we like to think we think, as individuals, but societies evolve in response to daily inputs within and without the nation. national planning is always pointed towards keeping rulers in power, and wealthy. naked greed drives from the top. this evolution is driving us over a climate precipice which will certainly create great unrest, and there is a possibility of extinction. so it's time for intellectual input in the management of society, pointed towards survival. this means socialism, and would be done best under democracy. neither is blossoming yet, and if/when they show up, it may be too late.
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  618. americans still don't realize that their political system did its routine over a period of months, and trump popped out. trump wasn't sent by a malevolent demon, he is the functioning of your nation. with a bit of thought, you might conclude you need a new system. but no one has. that is why usa is sinking.
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  619. particularly at home.
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  620. the fundamental law of the nation was written to ensure that the wealthy class ruled the nation. it always has, and will always rule, until usa gets a new constitution. the clintons, reagan biden and obama are not causes of anything, they are the result of the structure of usa.
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  621. china is going to dominate the south china sea, just as the usa has dominated the caribbean sea. and south america as well, of course. but i think they are much smarter than the usa government, so relax, chillun, no war until the usa tells you. that might be never, by the time the usa works out they are economically outclassed, they may well be militarily outclassed. it only takes an announcement that mar-a-lago is targeted to shut up the president.
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  622. thx, a useful insight into minzhu. but voting for government is not democracy, either. it is elective oligarchy. only the swiss have democracy. it's not mysterious - 'democracy' is anglicized greek, 'demos kratia' a phrase which means 'the citizens rule.' not politicians, not aristocrats, not priests, not generals - there were greek words for all those types of society.
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  623. first get democracy, be citizens after you do. pretending to be citizens makes it difficult to distinguish empty role-play from useful discussion.
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  624. not that much. ike was not very political, could have run as a democrat. both parties are tools to put the power and treasure of the nation in the hands of a few. they appeal to whatever groups they can to win power. the democrats have abandonded the poor, the republicans have recruited the country people, neither party would be recognized by their antecedents.
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  625. no, i think he is more of a 'john the baptist.' he reports the truth as he sees it, but has nothing to say about how to change things. in my experience, americans think the constitution is graven on stone and stands beside the 10 commandments as a guide to social life. but in fact, the constitution was written to empower the rich over the many. by concentrating power in a few hundred people, wealth could buy them, one way or another, in sufficient numbers to create a gilded age.1 and now ga.2. one consequence of powerlessness is ignorance and passivity, a populace that can be molded by diseducation and genuinely fake news, such as the selling of iraq wmd. things are not going to improve. rome didn't fall in a day, nor will the american empire.
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  626. be such a jewel.
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  627. many brits think they have democracy. i can not imagine why.
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  628. the electoral college was formed to insure that the 'mob' did not rule america. the constitution was written to enable the few 'opulent' to rule the nation, chiefly through the senate, but with a firewall, [electoral college] of distinguished people ensuring that the president also was from and for the elite. the constitution was not a charter for democracy. far from it. it was explicitly designed to empower the rich. until americans change it, they will be second class people in their own land, mere cattle. today, electors are discussing changing the victor because the election did not get the 'right' result, in their personal view. this is no better than the founders, who had no respect for democracy. but neither is it any worse. if you haven't got democracy, and you don't, then it's rule by the strong. these electors feel strong, but it is ephemeral, they will be replaced or ignored. jailed if unlucky. or shot. america is a land without justice, and the law is only for the control of the poor. do as you please, electors, in the morning war and corruption will still be the motifs of american life.
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  629. don't worship at that church, either. there is only one cure for tax evasion, and much else: democracy, and socialism. politicians could end tax evasion instantly in an age of electronic money and total surveillance. their rule must be ended.
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  630. your problem is explained by your question. usa is not a democracy, to begin with, and the people are acculturated to passivity, hoping for a political messiah.
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  631. google employees are commonly computer freaks with little knowledge out side their field. adding a bit of world view to their employees is a good investment by gg.
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  632. i suggest you get democracy first.
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  633. not a democracy, many are evil. but a pretty good analysis.  @victoews6842 
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  634. america catches all the flak, because it's american military and cia causing the almost all the evil.  Flutter Bly 
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  635. what can the people do? revolution?
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  636. the place is run by a few hundred politicians. their base is money, corporate and private. you are cattle, too dim, or too frightened, or too lazy, to end the rule of the oligarchy, and establish democracy. things aren't going to get better, because you aren't smart enough to organize a revolution.
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  637. because the people who make your laws are crooks?
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  638. i wasted my youth reading science fiction, but it turns out isaac asimov's 'foundation and empire' series was not such a waste: a rotten society discovers 'one damn thing after another' characterizes their life, and no individual can turn the course of decay. don't blame trump, he is in office because the political system generates incompetent and selfish participants. ultimately, the education and character of the people determines the quality of the politicians, for bad drives out good with lies and empty promises. you are doomed. however, hell is only poverty and endemic crime, and h. sap. is long habituated to that. the only hard part is watching chinese swank around in big cars, throwing the occasional coin to american beggars, of which there are already many.
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  639. you think that's gonna fix it?
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  640. the sovs had an advantage over the french: hitler told them this was a war of annihilation, and it motivated their defense 'to the death.'
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  641. that would be the establishment of the constitution. you need a new one.
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  642. don't need an anti-lynching law. just need to prosecute murderers. firing police ain't good enough. but usa is beyond hope. for the rest of us, our hope is usa is pushed off the neck of the world without them blowing it up.
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  643. who said that? sounds like lenin, about 100 years ago.
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  644. pas de probleme. le pen has 23% of the vote, the rest is 'anyone but le pen.' europe would do better if it were independent of usa, a true 3rd force. but eu leaders might do worse, with their history of submission to dc. would need new ones.
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  645. that ain't fire, napalm delivered by b29 in 50 kg bomblets is fire. s&k just embarrass those capable of the sensation. by no means all, in politics.
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  646. not informed because it is not a democracy. no referendum, no initiative, and no right to information. if you don't know what democracy is, how can you say it doesn't work? the constitution was written to establish plutocracy, and it works. learn some history.
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  647. politicians make their living by appeasing wealthy donors. the 'two-party system' can quickly become a 1 1/2 party system because losing gracefully pays just as much as winning. the map of the usa is almost entirely red, outside of the cities and the reds have a grip on the senate which continues even when they lose the presidency. because the president and senate are more often red, the supremes are too. madison designed a nation that could be held by the rich and it has worked ever since. it will continue to be a functional plutocracy until there is a new constitution. there is no visible effort to get a democratic constitution, so usa will continue to rot. the democrats are not your friends, no politician is your friend. aoc will have a fine career as the token 'lefty' but you can't reform a bandit gang from within.
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  648. you could try organizing to establish democracy, should be easy in a web age. although one major element may be in short supply: citizen quality people, have to have a combination of respect for others, and contempt for elites. bravery may be required, as the elite has the police and army. without democracy, elites will always steal the nation, so there will increasing motive for revolution. but i'm afraid there are not enough would-be citizens for success. the practical solution is emigration, if you think elsewhere is better and accessible,
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  649. why does no one analyze the constitution? trump didn't come to power through military coup, much less competitive exam plus exemplary public service career. he's in the white house by the operation of a hopelessly obsolete political system.
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  650. allowing the authoritarians to run society as a 2 party elective aristocracy hands the game to them before the first ballot is cast. very easy to buy both parties, observe the dnc. the mechanics of two party, winner take all systems means the major parties prosper by having the same policies in all major questions, to even out corporate support, and seek first place with minor cultural features. getting democracy is the most important goal of every society, for elite rule is looting the planet in service to private greed.
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  651. bernie's out, and he was never in. face reality, the orcs own orcland move to the west coast and secede.
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  652. the major difference with ukraine is that taiwan is chinese, and usa has admitted this. i wonder when xjp gives up on peace with usa, what could he do? perhaps he could invite new mexico to re-join old mexico... the government of mexico would support this action, and hope california would join, as well. which it should do, historically just, and would be the best relief from federal taxation. [ 100% ! ]
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  653. about 3 times a year, the swiss discuss what their nation should do, through referendum and initiative. that's as close to democracy as any nation gets. i believe their democracy is eroding, due to pressure from e. u. envelopment. even so, when hitler had them wrapped, and announced he was sending a management team to integrate them into his europe, the swiss had a referendum on what they should do. at odds of about 100-1, they answered, 'no, you won't.' they were what i call citizen quality people. the people of usa don't measure up. nor anywhere else, of couurse, but other oligarchies are much less inclined to claim 'democracy.' so hang out your bedsheets, to replace a sociopath with a senile dement. that passes for citizenship nowadays.
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  654. the fact that putin simply decides to change things, and they are changed, should eliminate any notion of democracy in russia.
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  655. if the limit of your aspiration is being mean to the gop, you'll get nowhere. eliminate politicians entirely. public service can run the nation, under direction of electorate, using referendum and initiative. it's called democracy.
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  656. tg not anti-war. she just wants to choose the target. she'll be back with the army behind her.
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  657. why do you assume some political elite must rule you? haven't you heard of democracy?
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  658. no, you can't do anything about it. usa is not a democracy, it is an oligarchy controlled by wealth. if it were a democracy, concerned citizens could build a consensus of support and legislate over the wishes of the bought-politicians. until you recognize the need for for democracy, political chat is just gossip in the slave pens.
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  659. as she continually reminds us, she and her 'brothers and sisters' are executing orders to commit war-crime. she certainly doesn't respect human life in general. that wouldn't be a bar to high office in the usa, the whole nation is quite casual about murder done abroad.
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  660. if you cede power to politicians, this is what you get. and deserve. there is only one struggle that offers prospect of a decent life for all. get democracy, and write laws by the people, and for the people.
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  661. but the problem is, you have to talk about trump. give ignoring some thought.
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  662. i don't mind usa falling, but i will be grumpy if they take the rest of the planet with them.
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  663. bernie is a better man than fdr, but lives in a world of declining resources and real dangers. usa might have been led to democracy and responsible national management in the 30's, but now it's a war to the death with the greedy and the battlefield will be a burning planet with bigger oceans.
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  664. somebody tell trump he is digging his grave in the south china sea. the generals will start shooting on his word, or biden's and the result will be a dedicated bomb on dc. they may even have a tracker on trump, to make sure he is in ground zero.
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  665. the american constitution is hopelessly out of date, you need a new one. you, might want to get democracy, while you're at it.
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  666.  @JamesBond-fc3pb  the constitution is what got you here.
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  667. not wrong, mate. never imagine oz is a democracy. - you just pay taxes so politicians can trash the nation as they please.
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  668. don't complain about what the thugs say, or do. there's always some around, and they are always a small minority. the weak point in homer saps character is the inability of 'ordinary' people to understand the need for democracy, as they are raised without it. no accident, society's masters have long ago induced the losers to think rule by politicians is 'democracy.' result is, the chumps can not organize, can not believe in, much less effectuate, a democratic society. read what chris hedges has to say, about every salient feature of usa society, and weep. he lays it all out, and offers no hope of reward, beyond that of justified rebellion, successful or not. chomsky has been doing similar things for 50 years or more, whence the resignation embedded in his face. action may come from young people, they are very clear about the problem, many of them. i'm pretty sure they will have to shoot their way to sunshine, whatever the odds. being polite, like hedges and chomsky, gets you nowhere.
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  669. during the course of the vn war, i learned my native land was ruled by evil men. perhaps jfk had some of that opinion, and it got him killed.. rfk should have been guarded by his own men, but he was the dumb one. anyone claiming to be surprised by usa foreign policy simply hasn't been paying attention. chomsky keeps a 'crimes list,' more than a 100 entries. it doesn't matter, other nations are also ruled by vampires and ghouls, and they band together to suppress their enemy within- the people. these sociopaths in expensive tailoring are leading us to population collapse, wars, possible extinction, and there is only one defense against elite rule, we must get democracy. how? mass organization, peaceful suggestion, and if that doesn't work, violent revolution. would that work? bound to. just needs the 'mass.' and there might be the fatal flaw. nations have characters, and usa is notably submissive, on the left, such as it is. and the orcs who cheerfully do the bidding of the elite are plentiful. my guess is the talking heads will go on talking, to no avail, until some general gets tired of taking orders from someone who has never been shot at. the next phase of imperium is 'barracks caesars.'
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  670. china was smart enough to use usa investment as a stepping stone to the first rank of tech society. they may soon surpass usa. india will have to find another path, and i wonder if indian national management structure is capable of the great changes likely to be necessary. there are local patches of prosperity, but large areas of subsistence farming still.
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  671. answer: in a plutocracy, everything has a price. in a democracy, the will of the people directs public activity, through referendum and initiative. in a plutocracy, everything is for sale, even people. initially as slaves, then as wage workers, finally with pacification allowance, see 'ubi.' meanwhile, at the top, people are so rich that ordinary expenses are meaningless, a life has meaning only in the status of the great numbers reported in fortune magazine. madison would be proud. he put off the collapse of slavery but knew it would end, he created a society safe for wealth, even in its declining days.
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  672. is it possible that leaving the management of the nation to politicians is not the optimum result for the ordinary american? states with a democratic constitution, notably california, seem to manage pretty well, and you can be sure that the masters of the state are trying to maintain good conditions for the people of the state, as this is the same group. in any event, when you allow politicians to be your masters, this is a typical result. only a mismanaged epidemic, not a war, yet.
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  673. what they learned long ago, is that you can make a living from politics without winning office.
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  674. this is a really polite way to say that most americans are dimmer than they should be. but i knew that already, because i watch them vote for politicians, year after year, and expect a better result.
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  675. political parties in the usa are just gangs. there is no program for either party to improve the nation. there are empty promises, which are enough for the political empty heads of the american civilian. trump is the perfect demonstration of this kind of politics, he is in office only because of contempt for the lies of the democrats. the ex-workers of industrial america had their revenge, without concern for the nation that had no concern for them. the usa is finished. you can't compete with china while maintaining a nihilist population. to bernie supporters: pray that he loses, for if he wins, he will be charged with responsibility for all the evils about to descend on america. he at least means well, and doesn't deserve that obloquy. [ look it up, i had to.] there is a good chance that biden will implode under trump vituperation. he is very vulnerable, very fragile, and visibly in early senile dementia. the dnc anointment is a good measure of their corruption, and incompetence. dubya was a puppet, but in good health, biden is a china doll masquerading as an action figure. america does not deserve better. at the current state of education and culture, bernie would be wasted. the 'progressives' are empty-headed children, with no ideas beyond choosing a kind master. so they are unable to generate mass support. there is in fact, more mass support for authoritarian government in usa, there are a lot of people who believe supporting a master is a better survival tactic than trust in fellow 'citizens.' they may be right. anyway, watching american politics unfold is fascinating. much like 'decline and fall of the roman empire' in modern dress, and fast-forward. "lights, camera, action!"
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  676. zelensky should talk to putin. or biden. or maybe book a flight to los angeles. that seems to be the destination of choice for usa stooges.
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  677. james madison greatly admired the british monarchy of his day, and modeled his constitution after the british state. as it was a new nation, he used election to office a great deal more than the brits. but he was explicit that his document did not create democracy. it was and remains, an elective monarchy. it's easy to tell, in a democracy, the people rule. in other societies, an elite rules. the american people do not rule. they are not consulted, and frequently activities of state are done in secret. why then, do people insist on using the word 'democracy' in reference to the usa?
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  678. that would be 'never,' as a first approximation.
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  679. maybe mandarin speakers have seen which way the wind is blowing.
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  680. it's good that you people can find one another, and not feel alone.
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  681.  @westondiggs4324  wrong there. usg never restricts itself to ethical behavior, so not entitled to respect.
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  682.  @Jay...777  not quite. the problem began with the constitution, which established a political elite, who were in bed with the rich from day one. it was 'fascism,' before the word was coined. and the constitution in turn simply legalized the society, then as now, owned by the rich, and run by their political agents.
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  683. good joke, i guess. do you even worry about the quality of the people you let run the nation?
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  684. living in a different century. folks still alive remember when brown and white couldn't marry in the south-east usa. where is modi now? still in that previous century?
    3
  685. i can not quite grasp why americans talk about 'democracy' in reference to usa. can it be so simple as that they don't know there are other words? usa is an elective oligarchy. for historical reasons, elective aristocracy is more apposite. functionally, there is a shadow ruler, 'wealth.' so plutocracy would not be wrong. but using democracy is wrong. worse, it confuses discussion, for if you think you have democracy, and don't, how can you ever get it? 'democracy' is a mild evolution of 'demos kratia', a classical greek phrase which was the label for a polity in which the citizens directed the state. the word is still functional now, california, and several other states, has referendum, initiative, and recall- aristotle might admit it is more democratic than athens. but not the usa, which has none of the functions of democracy. the reason trump is president is because usa is not a democracy. it's not because democracy doesn't work, it's because you havn't got it. it's because you don't know what it is.
    3
  686. they wouldn't exist without usa support. they are usa attack dog in the middle east.
    3
  687. i hope mayor pete had his moment in the sun and is gone. but this doesn't look like a 'dead woman/live boy ' moment. i suggest you sow his flower beds with salt, and nail garlic to the front door.
    3
  688. american current events have become a serial comedy show, with frequent insertions of homicide. much like america's history, only speeded up and max volume. one might reasonably feel pity, but there is a temptation to think your troubles are well-deserved.
    3
  689. usa has never been a democracy. can't lose what you never had. can lose a fantasy- that may be in progress.
    3
  690. there is no left-wing. and all of those minor parties together would not be enough to swing most elections. elections are not democracy. elections are simply elective oligarchy, and in the usa, functional plutocracy. only a transfer of power, from politicians to voters, can save usa from collapse, and the climate with it. this is revolution, and i have never heard a usa 'leftie' with a public name say so. so, no lefties.
    3
  691. prc has kept death rate low with the lock-down program. that seems reasonable to me.
    3
  692. unlikely. military dictatorship is possible, when the army is large, and the soldiers work for pay. but trump has been rude often and publicly, to the generals. he is more afraid of them than you are. once the social contract is publicly broken, he would be pushed aside and retired to maralago. trump might be your best defense against immediate coup. is there a military dictatorship in the future? probably, but bernie might work a miracle and push it off another 10 years.
    3
  693. participating in the political process supports the system, which you should be striving to destroy. you don't need more politicians, of whatever label. you should be joining together in movements to establish democracy, rule by the people, who become citizens by exercising that power. you don't need politicians, you do need referendum and initiative.
    3
  694. you can't purge the republican party. you can't even clean up the democratic party. you are not in charge of your nation, it is not a democracy. and you aren't really citizens, you are merely civilians. why not start with the fundamental question- who decides? it is certainly not "by the people," now is it. lincoln lied, and you all swallowed the lie, out of shame.
    3
  695. india is not a democracy. it's a federal elective oligarchy, a very different thing. china and india were roughly equal 100 years ago. now the difference is stark. i ascribe this difference to a vastly better political system, capable of long-term planning and national mobilization. prc shames india's rulers, and most of them incline towards covering their failures with strident militarism and scatter-gun blame of others. hopeless case.
    3
  696. this is political 'discourse' in usa. or as close as ordinary usans get. no use not making a joke of it, the real national management happens in secret, and is narrowly focused on transferring taxes to campaign supporters. and of course, using the military to increase market share. it's good that usans can laugh at the way their masters rape the treasury and inspire foreign hatred. because if you had to be a usan, and couldn't laugh, it's likely you would cry all day.
    3
  697. 'consciousness' is a complex question, children start off selfish because they have little insight into others. repeated applications of praise, candy and leather straps give them insight into other people, vis a vis, sharing. but that;s psychology. when confronted with an adult whose guiding principle is "what's mine is mine, and so is anything else i can take," you must show him the gun. that's politics. unfortunately, usans are strangely lacking in community spirit. so the strong take what the want, pay their muscle, and drive down the center of the street. in a nation where there are more guns than people, it is amazing that the rich are able to seize and hold local domination, since they are necessarily hopelessly outnumbered. what is the matter with usans? filled with submissive genes?
    3
  698.  @ants-in-my-eyesjohnson1271  state [guided] capitalist. mao is whirling in his grave, screaming "i should have sent deng to the country for life!"
    3
  699. there is no democracy in the usa. there is just struggle for control from various elite groups. usa is a plutocracy, with a political clearing house called congress. democracy means 'citizen rule.' it does not mean 'politician rule' [ as agents of the rich ] a democracy needs citizen quality people, the usa only has consumers.
    3
  700. the american constitution was designed to be like the british 'constitution' of george 3. a king/president had limitations, particularly at home, more power in foreign affairs.. the limitations were delivered by senate, by house and supreme court, think 'house of lords.' and lord high justice. the notion of a tyrannical king was met by having a very small national army, and large state militias. elections were safely in the hands of the rich with property qualifications limiting the participation of the mob. it worked for geo. 3, and for the american rich until ww1. that brought usa into serious conflict with european continental armies, and the profits of mass munitions production. after the blip of the great depression, ww2 confirmed and magnified the shift to militarist imperial america. an empire calls for an emperor, but so far the rich have been able to hold onto their nation. it is no accident that trump comes from money, rather than battlefield. he discovered that the political rulers of america were so inbred, effete and in effectual that an arrogant ne'er-do-well with family wealth could beat them at politics. he covered his surprise well. there's a couple of billionaires in the current field hoping to emulate him. too late. america is shaky, and change may come soon. i think trump is not competent to initiate dictatorship, a man who is rude to his generals is less likely to get co-operation from them, unless he is seen as a stepping-stone by some not-so dim general. bernie? best of luck. but i suspect the result of his election might be a reprise of the spanish civil war.
    3
  701. he's forgotten because he was a bit democratic, in a nation that was ruled by an aristocracy. [of wealth]
    3
  702. start with changing the usa.
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  703. classified laws? that is straight out of feudal times. but please stop talking about 'american democracy.' there is no such thing, and if you took the trouble to read national history you would know why. a little bit of aristotle wouldn't hurt, either. btw, trump can only take away 'rights' because you have no 'rights' due to lack of democracy.
    3
  704. sorry, the drunk driver is your government- even with warning and guidance and support materials and personnel from china- still bungled.
    3
  705.  @bobbytookalook  ole!
    3
  706. sweden went for no. 1, how are they doing? reversing population growth is vital, cv19 is a step in the right direction. old, sick and fat are being selfish, young people should ignore them.i n fact we must actively prune the population. start with the rich. politicians next. lawyers then, ungenerous bartenders, fast-loan clerks- a lean and vital population would result, how can that be bad?
    3
  707. civility is necessary to democracy, but usa is not a democracy, so the mob is incited to strengthen the elite and frighten opponents. usa is retarded in a social evolutionary sense.
    3
  708. oh, dear. how long until you need two check-marks. but if the ersatz promotes illogic/ignorance i will pick them easily.
    3
  709. transfer of power is not an intellectual process, although some planning may be involved. there have to be 2 or more actors who want to take power, or hold it. success commonly involves bloodshed. trump, and jan 6, were laughable. any south american strongman would shake his head and sneer. but don't despair, you learn by doing, and failing. even lenin had a trial run. there's probably a 'special forces' colonel reading up on 'coups for the english speaker,' right now.
    3
  710. because you are not a citizen, only a civilian. in a democracy, the citizens make law. but usa is not a democracy.
    3
  711. if you lived in a democracy, you could control the government with referendum and initiative. but you don't live in a democracy, and you tolerate rule by politicians. so stop complaining about what they do, it's what you don't do that is the problem.
    3
  712. orwell only worried about the sovs. nobody was looking at the usa in those days. even now, there may be a few naive souls who don't realize the yanks were always more dangerous.
    3
  713. and still no one says, "we need to get democracy."
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  714. big mistake. learn now.
    3
  715. well, the usa tried to buy ukraine, and have been quite successful. it doesn't cost much, politicians are cheap. ukraine doesn't like russia very much, lots of bad history there. but putin gets nervous at the prospect of usa rocket bases moving closer to moscow. so he decides to occupy ukraine. could be starting ww3, but he knows the west, usa, is dollar-oriented. they will take-on small or weak nations such as vietnam or iraq, where profit seems assured. russia otoh, is dangerous, and usa doesn't do dangerous, no profit in being dead, and nuclear rockets can kill rich people, too. the vile hypocrisy of the invaders of vietnam and irag and afghanistan, too, crying "shame!" should put a bend in the spine of any usan, but usans have absolutely no acquaintance with a sense of shame. a nation founded to extend slavery, and the near extermination of the native people, can not afford to be acquainted with shame. chomsky, peace be upon that virtuous man, made a list of usa military adventures around the world, more than 100, as i recall, and most of them would be war-crime, if there was a court with the power to arrest usa. the rest were merely shameful. putin fears the usa, with good reason. he doesn't want your stooges for neighbors.
    3
  716. 230 years, and still usans haven't figured out the difference between democracy and elective oligatchy. when you are that dumb, extinction is coming for you.
    3
  717. in a democracy, you would be talking about referenda, and the occasional initiative. but you are content to vote for politicians. the politicians are mostly crap, and the few that are not are impotent against the system. but you are content. why is that?
    3
  718. bad news for bernie: it's looking like he will be at the helm when usa enters second great depression. still, it might be just what is needed to achieve some kind of socialism, for awhile.
    3
  719. “There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party … and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat.” ― Gore Vidal. you don't get marks for noticing democratic party is not left. what is a good socialist person doing connected to the democrat party? flee, ms o-c, while some principle remains!
    3
  720. you're missing the point. society looks and acts the way the ruling group wants. if you want a society responsive to the wishes of the people, they must be the masters. aristotle summed it up with, "who decides?" mao pointed out that rule comes from power, concretely, 'from the barrel of a gun.' when the people are masters of society, they become 'citizens.' otherwise, they are just 'civilians,' or 'commoners,' or cattle.
    3
  721. some success?
    3
  722. the molecule is a blocking agent. high frequency heat comes in from the sun [hot] low frequency heat [cool] escapes from the earth at night, but: co2 just happens to reflect that heat back to us. bad luck!
    3
  723. iran would be insane not to acquire nuclear weapons and global delivery system. anyone with the capability should do so, so long as the usa threatens the world.
    3
  724. oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam... the reason they talk about 'the american dream' is that the whole nation is living in a bubble of fantasy. double-think and newspeak is real, and usans are marinated in them from birth.
    3
  725. 'violating usa sanctions on iran' is insane. it is not in the legal power of the usa to to control 3rd party commerce, so this arrest by canada is doubly absurd. it is an act of war by canada, presumably under the direction of their master in the usa.
    3
  726. so that brings it up to 7000? meanwhile, back in the ussa, more die every day, and this site is not even a good propaganda device.
    3
  727. it was truman that started the vietnam war, and lnj that blew it up into a disaster. the problem is politicians. the deeper problem is ignorant and passive americans, who tolerate politician rule.
    3
  728. xi is a busy man, chairman and managing director of china, inc. he will decide what contribution prc can make to world health and prosperity without consulting failed states, such as india, and gangster nations, such as usa. the accomplishments of cop26 are so few, that it is clear xi made a wise choice in time assignment.
    3
  729. why do you keep talking about democracy? do you imagine if you pretend hard enough, eyes closed, hands on ears, it will become real? that only works in fairy tales.
    3
  730. funny, no one wants to talk about the failure of the constitution: it does not deliver good management of the nation. you wonder why china is making usa look like fools? it's all yer own work.
    3
  731. does no one in the usa get exposed to history education? from day one the usa was designed to be run by the rich, and they have done so ever since. it will continue until the people demand democracy, or much more likely, the generals run the place directly. at least 20-1 on military rule within 50 years, as civil government collapses.
    3
  732. that's an easy one, if usg official or politician says something, assume it's a lie.saves time, and the important point is, they are evil. they ain't talking for your benefit.
    3
  733. there should be one state, palestine, and it shoul be secular. israel should not exist, it is a bandit society created and sustained by gunfire.
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  734. no, the powerful are working for the rich.
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  735. this is actually a good thing. people who follow trump are not an asset to the nation. with one action, trump raises the iq and reduces the blind hate.
    3
  736. i suppose chris would have counselled ho chi minh not to resist, as the enemy was strong. and chris would have been right, usa won every battle. but uncle ho had a different view, widely applicable: free, or dead.
    3
  737. if you would stop saying or implying you have democracy, then maybe support for getting democracy would be stronger. 'democracy' means 'the citizens rule.' the citizens do not rule. is that really so hard to understand?
    3
  738. You need democracy
    3
  739. give more presence to the long view: cpprc is here to stay, but economic management of the nation will be pragmatic, and if that involves a period of 'natural' development then it will happen. but it is not capitalism because no principle or lasting direction is assumed. it's simply, let's see what works for now, with one eye on national activity, one on international reaction. it may be that 'neoliberalism' was advertised merely to induce foreign investment, which resulted in a genuine 'great leap forward,' to challenging usa in economic power. that stage has passed, simply because usa realized that it was letting private investment in china cut the usa throat. marx had something to say, along these lines, and you can bet the very smart gents in the central committee were perfectly capable of executing this kind of economic kung fu. the main mistake of western academia is to lose sight of the essential hollowness of 'capitalism' as a driving mechanism of national economy. it is just a polite word for greed, and generates no plans or policies of lasting consequence. prc is being directed on a level far above any western nation. this will continue until the corruption of power overwhelms the rational management of the nation. cpprc is the new mandarinate, come to power through victory in civil war, as is the habit of history in china. at present they look like the premier society of mankind, and likely to stay there for a long time.
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  740. perfectly natural. danes look out for one another. american elite love immigration, it keeps unions weak and wages low.
    3
  741. in my experience, you don't find ruthless warlords trekking through the jungle with a few companions to initiate a second revolution, in a second country. for those with no experience, che was playing a long odds fight for human rights out of conviction.
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  742. has either party asked for a u.n. mediation of this contended boundary? it is insane to fight over land which is nearly empty, and nearly useless. there are several rivers supporting a lot of indian agriculture, with headwaters in china. play together nicely, children, because war would be bad for both.
    3
  743. it's your 'freedoms' that are impoverishing the middle class, and making the climate unlivable.
    3
  744. and still you don't get it. democracy means 'rule by the citizens. not by bureaucrats, not by politicians. in fact, in a real democracy, politician would be an extinct profession. when the citizens rule, public business is done in public. no secrets means no cheating, and crime becomes very difficult as well. you should try it. and do stop saying you have democracy. not even close.
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  745. only 'practice' widely known is burning to death. once you give that up, you need a transition 'practice' to install disrespect, because otherwise all those widow burnings become murder got away with.. the situation is similar in south-eastern usa. once forced to give up slavery, you have to disrespect the ex-slaves, to show you still think slavery was not a crime. humanity is still half way between monkeys and angels
    3
  746. calm down people. real lefties plot in secret, and maintain a serious mien before the public as the overthrow of the aristocracy is difficult and deserves maximum effort, no laughing allowed.
    3
  747. you live in an oligarchy, and submit. you see the results, and complain. in the web age, very easy to create a voting bloc that demands democracy, on pain of retiring politicians en mass. but you don't. there's something missing from the usa character.
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  748. i just wish they didn't find it necessary to 'defend' the constitution by invading iraq. and afghanistan.
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  749. usa is not a democracy. until you face that, and change the constitution, it will remain a nation owned by money, and increasingly militarist in defense of declining financial power. sanders is only a pimple on the face of plutocracy, and if he or someone similar ever looked like getting office, another 'lone gunman' would appear.
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  750. shumer is dependent on jewish votes, and money.
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  751. democracy is what they do in the confederation of helvetia. the usa is an elective aristocracy, which runs on money, so it is a functioning plutocracy. referring to the usa as any kind of democracy guarantees that nothing of much use will result from discussion, since the premise is a lie. worse yet, it is a lie generally agreed to, a perversion of language that orwell labeled 'double-think.' this is particularly apposite in the trump dynasty, as he has the vocabulary known as 'new-speak.' and he's not alone- the republican party has crafted a large ruling minority out of yokels and political sociopaths, neither group notably eloquent. really, the career of the american empire continues to amuse because of the flambouyant retreat from reality in speech, mixed with the particular brutality available to the government with the mix of surveillance and tech striking power we call 'modern.' what crime will they commit next, what corruption of language will they camouflage it in?
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  752. no trust involved. usa not a democracy, so it's submission, or shooting.
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  753. step back a minute: trump is president by legal process, he has no history, personal or public, to suggest he should be there. he got there because the democratic party is even more contemptible than he is. those of you capable of logic would conclude that the management selection process of the usa is hopelessly ineffective. but wait! there's more: the democratic party has come up with a demented dimwit to contend with trump next time. clearly the principle is, 'any demented dimwit can beat a trump.' “If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it.” this was mark twain, clearly the design of the usg has been much the same since birth. so i suggest a new strategy, to anyone interested in making a better nation, without gunfire: stay home, never vote and send an email to your politicians with a simple message: "give us democracy. or else." repeat every monday morning, tell friends to do the same. it might get results, certainly will with mass support. voting for people was always wrong. voting for referenda, initiative and recall are the right and duty of citizens. become a citizen, by standing up to politicians and demanding decisive power.
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  754. you see here another example: a demented old man is leading the democratic nomination process, and no one questions the process. at the same time, a narcissistic sociopath is managing national affairs, and no one questions the selection process. regardless of the outcome of this election, usa will continue to decay. if you can't see where your problem is, you are not going to fix it, and americans can't even see they have a problem. this would be a great comic skit, if it were not real life.
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  755. not democratic, either.
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  756. don't worry, mr hartmann, you can't lose democracy, when you've never had it. you can lose a fantasy, a brief pain, followed by an opportunity to use the power of common interest to get democracy. and here's the problem - most usans don't like the idea of democracy. they want to be ruled by someone who will treat them well. politicians always promise to treat them well, problem solved. a nation of ignorant and passive people can not have democracy, and they won't be treated well. bummer, eh? sorry, usans, evolution in action, and you are the ustabee spear-carriers in the usa opera.
    3
  757. rule by politician is not democracy. rule by the citizens is democracy. you live in an elective oligarchy, which history has demonstrated to be a functioning plutocracy, one increasingly dominated by militarism. and never a word is heard about changing the system. not even 'too hard.' democracy now? democracy never. first you have to know what it is, then you have to strive to get it. in usa, there is political stasis. discussion is merely verbal dancing, done for a living.
    3
  758. like those old boxers, this woman will have a job waiting at the gate to maralgo for her old age.
    3
  759. until nixon got in, usa politicians referred to themselves as the 'administration,' implying that usa was a democracy, doing the will of the people. nixon took the mask off, even daring to create a palace guard wearing roman helmets. that lasted only days, but 'government' was here to stay. and yet, there was no outcry, perhaps the cattle simply didn't know the difference. or they did, and were clear about their status. usa has no referendum, and still less the over-riding power of initiative. when you refer to the usa as a democracy you debase the highest political ideal that homer sap has envisioned. worse yet, you ensure continuing servitude to politicians, and their rich patrons. why would you want to do that?
    3
  760. should allow lies, with a link to the 'truth' or an alternate view. not allowing 'lies' is censorship. never met a censor i would trust to tell the truth.
    3
  761. usa myth is much weakened in recent years, and people emerging from it often sound as if they entered a time worm-hole in barsoom which put them here. not only are they dis-oriented, they have no background information with which to process events around them. i believe their case is hopeless, you can't get anywhere good starting from where you are. the best you can do is retreat to the country, acquire a plot of land and live by subsistence farming. evidence? i recommend the careers of chomsky and hedges. two persons who broke in to reality and reported that usa has no clothes. i proffer great respect to both these people, many years of dedication to enlightenment of people in dire need of it. to no visible avail. it just doesn't work, crying out "no clothes! no clothes!" only revolution can change the course of usa decline, and consequent impoverishment of the people. and revolution does not look possible, even to initiate. some societies just die, from some genetic weakness.
    3
  762. that was then. now, because of so many immigrants, you can opt out of military service, it costs money. the eu is going to achieve what hitler couldn't, with patience and constant pressure.
    3
  763. have a little pity. it can't be fun being donald trump.
    3
  764. let's try democracy. submitting to politician rule isn't working.
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  765. and that beto creature is 3rd in some polls, ahead of pete and andy. what kind of system is that?
    3
  766. don't see how it can--- been going on since establishment of the federation, and the richos win most battles. the constitution was written to prevent democracy, and it worked. democracy would lead to socialism, and that was prevented. better still, it was made despised. '1984' showed what could be done with language control, and usa demonstrated how right orwell was: political discussion begins with 'our democracy' and it doesn't exist. little wonder usa is trapped in a time warp--they are snared in newspeak.
    3
  767. it's simple: the usa is not a democracy. the people can not act against their rulers for lack of recall and initiative power. elections are useless, since replacing one crook with another soon loses any charm. besides, the crookery is often out of sight, you have no right to know what they do. the cure is simple: get democracy. but not easy- americans are not citizen quality people. so the usa will continue to rot. almost all of history shows this cycle of growth and decay.
    3
  768.  @FakingANerve  maybe. but something like this program will energize everyone, as the climate crisis deepens. better to start now, with what you can do.
    3
  769. they are not your friends, but compared to what usa did to vn, be thankful usa not your neighbor. @jb1002haha 
    3
  770. contemptible, ain't it. but if your choice was starvation or slavery, it becomes 'voluntary.' the cure is only partly law. just as important is providing employment. if the modi government tolerates this, charge modi with a crime, maybe send him to the icc?
    3
  771. since no party offers actual democracy, you have to choose a variety of green party. real democracy doesn't have parties, since citizens vote on individual issues, and the only collective activity is the struggle to get democracy. would-be politicians have inserted themselves in the struggle, but it's an imperfect world. aim to get citizen initiative, that is the tool to get what the citizens want. greens is the best on offer, hold yer nose and push.
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  772. "perhaps 200.00 thousand dead, say the experts, but my leadership saved us from 2 million dead."
    3
  773. the management of the usa was flash-frozen in 1789, by a small number of slave plantation grandees and their smaller number of slave-importing shippers. greedy and selfish men whose grip on the economy of post-revolutionary usa determined the activity of the nascent state. their constitution rules usa still, it is no accident that the rich have a grip on the nation, that's the way it was designed to be. trump is perhaps the first usa king-for-awhile to be so dim and/or psychotic that he measures everything, visibly, for its immediate value to himself. he won't be the last. unfortunately, raised in this resulting culture, the people of the usa can not lift themselves out of servitude. many of them are eager to establish and participate in bandit gangs. the aristocrats of wealth will have no shortage of gunmen if the rules of civilization fail, as seems likely. what to do? for individuals, emigration. or retreat to a plot of land large enough to feed yourself. what to do, to save the nation? solutions are easy, but require people not widely present in usa society. so, easy, but near impossible. china was 'saved' by a dozen men who decided to realize the ideas of marx in their homeland. their task was immensely greater, in appearance. so, not quite impossible. but i have not come across a voice with a plan as yet. aspiring politicians are certainly not the answer.
    3
  774. start a citizen initiative to correct this situation, and many others. can't think why you don't. maybe you are not really citizens?
    3
  775. i think democracy is a wonderful idea, and necessary to the survival of our species. i hope we will get some soon, but so far only trivial outbreaks are visible. even the swiss are losing the little they had. so elites rule, everywhere. oligarchy is the natural state of homer sap, and the only point of interest, is what care they take of the cattle. once you grit your teeth and look at material reality, "communism" and xi jin ping are the measure of outstanding performance. for now. india is not. indian politicians can do little, and perhaps no more can be expected, looking at the cultural diversity of the nation. modi talks about surpassing china, soon. in population, he's right. otherwise, laughable. simple village boasting, by a national leader. isn't anyone ashamed?
    3
  776. good for you. but it's not enough to see the enemy, you have to shoot'em.
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  777. well, it's true usa is notably retarded, but homo sapiens in general is unlovable.
    3
  778. don't complain about trump. he is the natural consequence of american law and custom. if you are unable to envision change in the system, you are condemned to trumps, and worse will follow. indeed, dubya is arguably worse in his actions, though less blatant in his personal life.
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  779. good one. professional politicians are like professional 'lovers,' superficially pleasant.
    3
  780. i might agree if i could be bothered to plow through the language. sometime when i'm feeling stronger, perhaps. for now, i surrender the baton of pomposity to you.
    3
  781. until you stop talking about 'our democracy,' it is unlikely that anything can be done. first you have to get democracy, then you can act. or maybe, you just want to talk?
    3
  782. if only you could persuade the nazis to move to idaho. all of them. not enough room, i suppose.
    3
  783. perhaps you need democracy?
    3
  784.  @cjjaxxon  something really hard- change the way you think. decide that the welfare of the people of the nation depends on you. not alone, but acting in concert with other people who want to be citizens, not civilians. organizing a [would-be] citizen action group whose single purpose is the establishment of real democracy in the usa is absurdly simple nowadays. the only obstacle is the character of the people. it is possible that americans are so deluded, even debased, by current custom and myth, that they will ignore your call to action. easy to find out- good luck!
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  785. the rich have always been in control of the usa, although the 1930's saw a brief flowering of quasi-socialist influence on government, and warriors returning from ww2 demanded some benefits which caused the plutocracy some discomfort. but the vietnam war cemented the military-industrial-complex which inherited control of the nation. you could call it 'fascist,' but i prefer an all-american label: military-industrial-government- complex.' eisenhower canvassed friends about using that extended phrase, was advised that 3 nouns optimum, for public engagement. so migcism in america. usa was never a democracy, its people never citizens. the rich rule still and always, the people are cattle, purposely diseducated, alienated by political impotence, impoverished by capitalism. talking won't fix it.
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  786.  @dimitrisk2705  it is the usa. no human society is anywhere near perfect, but some are worse than others. so i left.
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  787.  @matthewcondie4052  barter is easy in a digital world, if nations have something to trade. and big contracts are being written in euros and yuan already. it won't be overnight, but usd already has serious competition.
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  788. i reserve the title of citizen for members of the type of nation formerly known as 'democracy.' the word has been hi-jacked to confuse the people of various kinds of oligarchy. one must specify 'direct democracy' now. if you wish to educate the cattle as to their status, simply point out that they have no power to direct the state, not any right to know what their masters are doing. in what sense can this situation be democracy?
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  789. unions are not the answer. been tried, and failed. getting democracy is the answer. when the ordinary people become citizens, the laws create a more equal society. when they are only powerless civilians, the rich flourish, because they own the people who make laws. pretty simple, really. do people want democracy? maybe not. it requires effort, and organization, and a belief in the possibility that most others are like you in wanting a society that values everyone. i'm afraid usa is filled with alienated and selfish people who have no capability of communal action. you can't have strong unions for the same reason. people can fight for unions, because the benefits are visibly theirs. the benefits of democracy are much greater, even vital, but not immediately personal. without democracy, the law will favor the rich, not the unions. pretty obvious, you would think. this has been the history of the usa, and it will continue to be an elective oligarchy, controlled by the rich. you are just not 'citizen quality.' you are raised to respect money, not people.
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  790. i'm not sure that 'social spending' by an employer is all that social. it does create loyalty to the company, i suppose, but only among a minority that have good social programs. most usans are much worse off than europeans, and frequently have neither job security nor any savings.
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  791. maybe the public service should run the country, under the supervision of the electorate. they could do it, it just needs 'more/less' and stop/go' decisions, more rarely, 'war/peace.' there is a name for this kind of nation, 'democracy,' and if helvetia is a guide, it works a treat. one draw-back, though - have to give up the idea of empire, and become peaceful.
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  792. when people do stupid things, it may be that you do not understand their motivation. a political party is a business, run by professionals for their own profit. if 'the lesson' is that they are going to lose their jobs they will refuse to learn. and they are right to do so- the 'new blues' are a minority, and junior in party power, and may come to nothing. the structure of usa society is obsolete. it is largely responsible for the relative decline in american power, and the increasing decay at home. i can see no way to stop the decline.
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  793. the establishment of modern israel was largely a european jewish operation at first. rich and politically active jews saw an opportunity in the break-up of the turkish empire and established 'colonies' by simply buying cheap land. local muslim leaders got nervous about it, but the jews had access to european money and guns. 'haganah' initially co-ordinated self-defense activity. but by 1925, their numbers and wealth and guns were sufficient to declare war on the muslim people of palestine. they made it clear, it was all going to be israel, "from the mountains to the sea." muslims must leave or die. the brits were nominal masters of the region, and favored jewish immigration at first. baldwin had promised a 'homeland' in palestine for the jews. presumably for jewish support in ww1. but when jabotinsky organized a jewish national army, british support cooled. unlike haganah, irgun didn't mind shooting brits as an encouragement to leave them alone in sub-doing the muslims. irgun got on with it, brits stalled, ww2 diverted attention. but the usa took an active interest. american jews flooded irgun with money, guns, and men. jewish refugees provided lots of manpower, greatly motivated. the muslims were killed, driven out of their homes, and into barren lands behind walls. israel should not exist, but it does. but it doesn't have to be israel. it could be incorporated in the secular nation of palestine. until the u. n. organizes this, it is the puppet of the usa.
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  794. the american government is obsolete. the simple fact that a creature like like trump can be the ceo of the nation should demonstrate this reality. get a new constitution. you could scale up the california document, since that is the most successful state.
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  795. trump as champion. is that all ya got? to any young people who wandered onto this site: flee, and learn mandarin.
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  796. rp wants to be free of the expense of supporting the poor. he follows james madison. gotta change the constitution. needs better quality cattle.
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  797. vlad, i'm pretty sure we can't be friends, but my sophistication nowadays extends as far as wishing you well, in your contention with the evil empire. there are degrees of evil, and you are not so bad as usa politicians.
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  798. that doesn't actually improve the economy. but it does lift the economy if the poor use the money to get an education. so make public education free and universal. people can't contribute if they are ill, so make free medical support universal. good idea to make sure young people get enough good food too. in short, socialism pays.
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  799. If you think you have democracy, this question May have some relevance. But think about the way the word ,king, entered the field. What you have is elective aristocracy, and you don't know it. A simple demonstration of the power of language to imprison as well as chains, with less expense.
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  800. trump is a good measure of the contempt many americans hold for the caste of professional politician. that's about his only strength, but it's a good one. not enough to get re-elected, you may think, but biden [ nothing will change! ] still leads the polls. i can not understand why americans have not yet understood the need for democracy, unless my suspicion of general ignorance and wide-spread contempt for minorities is well-founded. perhaps a history of slavery, ethnic cleansing, local and global aggression has wound a karmic spring to the 'retribution' level.
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  801. it's much simpler: in every society with a significantly different elite, the elite extract ever more from the plebs until society is vulnerable to exterior attack, or collapses from rebellion, brigandadge, or pleb flight. usa nearly collapsed in the 1930's, rescued by the axis powers. after the war, general prosperity and a sense of community spirit carried the usa as far as the 1970's, before the rich began to buy back their nation. it is their nation, by design.
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  802. perhaps you should ask pr wolff to explain, now and then, how 'democracy at work' differs from 'democracy in the nation.' i would like to see democracy in the nation, it's an attractive idea never used outside switzerland democracy at work, on the other hand, does happen, commonly called 'worker- co-ops.' but doesn't happen often. perhaps pr.wolff could explain why not?
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  803. this will be a 'lesson' to oz. hope we survive it.
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  804. and electing bernie wouldn't have done a bit of good. the government of the usa was in the hands of 'progressives' throughout the 30's, and you see the result all around you. doesn't anyone get a history class anymore?
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  805. perhaps the government of ukraine might reconsider its desire to join the usa-nato empire? clearly its people would be better off if zelensky had not sold them out. unfortunately, zelensky is better off if he succeeds in allowing usa-nato to control ukraine, and presumably will be given a nice retirement package if vlad succeeds in driving usa-nato off. this last is not certain, saddam was happy to direct the attack on much stronger iran because of usa backing, but when he failed, he was fed to the dogs.
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  806. 'our democracy' is in some danger, but that's because it's not democracy at all. because it's not democracy, it raises people who are not citizen quality. it also raises people who are told frequently they are inferior, and only seldom any use. such people cling to demagogues, and racism. usa will survive in some form, but until educated people admit they do not have democracy, they will not get it. they will have dictatorship, very likely. or the charade of elections will continue to soothe the people into submission to the rich, for awhile longer. but not much longer- standard of living will continue to fall, and the orcs proliferate, for there can only be one default state for a nation living in lies. reality will ultimately intrude.
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  807. if you are so dim, ignorant and/or lazy, that you can not operate a democracy, you can only trade one master for another. as you do.
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  808. usa people are a sad lot of passive chumps. they actually think there is no alternative to being done over by politicians. to be fair, they are told daily that being done over by politicians is 'democracy,' the modern improved version in which politicians work tirelessly to make usa a good place to be rich. but it's not democracy, and usa is not a good place to be not rich, is it. i've heard vampire victims are very passive, did that happen to you?
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  809. if you were citizens, you could rein him in with initiative. but yer only civilians. and if you are even slightly surprised, you have been living without electricity for last 50 years.
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  810. don't blame trump. don't blame the republicans. don't blame the politicians. if you want to see the face of usa decay, step over to a mirror. the 1% and their political agents are only doing what every life-form does- maximizing their resources. it's up to you to maximize yours. for the great majority of people, the method is to establish democracy. but you ain't citizen quality people, you were raised to be powerless chumps, and it worked. no amount of gossip in the slave barracks is gonna change anything.
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  811. why is there never any suggestion in usa political chat, that democracy is necessary and how to get it? instead, there is only passive recounting of the crimes of your masters. i suppose the simple answer is that you are raised to submission. even slaves complain about the quality of the food. democracy is possible. during the 'progressive era' [early 1900's] about half the states got some or all of the functions, except the vital one, of independence. and then the character of the people changed. perhaps the water was drugged?
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  812. capitalism isn't really a system. it is an economic phenomenon that results from a political system best characterized as banditry in suits. parliament, and its mutant off-spring, congress, are just the meeting of inheritors of warlords, meeting occasionally to divvy up loot and adjust boundaries. the warlords discovered the use of bankers, who smiled and were so useful that soon the bankers ruled the warlords. neither in britain nor usa has the notion that labor is entitled to a decent life entered the mind of politician [ ex-warlord, several generations removed ] nor banker [ plutocrat nowadays, why work when you own most of the money? ] the brits had some success with labor unions, but it didn't last. so did usa briefly after ww2, but it didn't last- the jobs went abroad for their health. plutocrats health that is. so unions are not the answer. politics rules economics, the gun makes decisions. if you are one of the ex-employed, or can fore-see that you will be soon, you want things to change. i should specify, get better and remain better. they will certainly change for the much worse unless there is a massive force from the unrich. if you want a society that provides a decent life for all its members, there is only one path likely to deliver: get democracy, use citizen initiative to shape the economy to include all its members. aka, socialism to whatever degree the citizens want. simple, isn't it? what are you waiting for?
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  813. revolution unlikely, everyone has enough for a week's groceries and can't miss a shift or they are on the street. needs organization anyway, none visible. coup is possible, since the generals despise the politicians as much as the civilians, and have an army of recruits from the poor. mass riots, attempted secession of richer states, army suppression follows, some general takes over, 'temporarily.' as long as you guys don't start throwing nukes around [what the hell are you doing in the south china sea? ] -- it will amusing to watch, from a great distance.
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  814. you are still legitimizing the constitution, which establishes oligarchy. you have to start over.
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  815. living on mars is much easier than living on earth. matt damon did it by himself. hard work, of course, but no competition. now can we move on to difficult problems like looming catastrophe?
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  816. get democracy, may require a bit of shoving.
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  817. not really- they have been waging banditry in search of loot since the korean war, but not defending the nation, just making enemies.
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  818. what is scary is that with a choice of 2, he might be the best you've got.
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  819. the usa has many more vessels off the coast of china, all military. are you worried about that?
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  820. they are well-paid, and the entry in the cv can be worth money. i would stand behind him for less money, except i couldn't guarantee not laughing.
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  821. now that sanders has proved to be a strawman, usa can get on with the serious business of rewarding the rich for stealing less than they might. if that is in fact the case. even in the usa, the chumps might have a breaking point. if the latest cv19 projections prove to be indicative, and the stock market bubble bursts as expected, the chumps may well decide that co-operation with their masters has no future. fascinating to watch, from a great distance.
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  822. why confront? insane requires gentle avoidance, if possible.
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  823. many usans have heard of democracy, a few know what it is. but most think they have it, close enough. a crystal clear demonstration of the power of double-think and new- speak.
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  824. a congress-person that holds shares in 'defense' industry, however loosely construed, is transferring money to themselves. those in the military profit more directly. so empires have economic cancer built-in. if you are neither politician, soldier nor share-holder, you should be pressing to establish democracy. unfortunately, effective citizenship is not taught in elite societies, indeed, the effective iq of usans must surely be very low, because there is no visible impulse to get democracy.
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  825. well, it turned out the berrnie bubble was bigger than that tech stock bubble. i think this is good news for usa. if his supporters stay home and let trump run usa the resulting crash might get americans off their knees. but probably not. the nation is unfussed by murder, blase about collateral murder, proud of mass murder and can;t detect any smell from billionaires dropping in for a shot of presidency through the democratic party. meanwhile at home, a public spirited person gets a cv19 test at local hospital, and a bill for $3000.. doesn't anyone detect a smell of decay? zombies ruled by vampires. i offer this slogan in counterpoint to maga. it is more realistic. and it explains why classical political function is ineffectual.
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  826. of course he believes in america. it's all around him, he will bump into it if he doesn't believe in it. does he respect the people in it? why should he? he's president, and you are not. a more useful question is, "is there some flaw in the management selection process of the usa?"
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  827. USA is not a democracy. Until you face reality, you can not change it.
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  828. nonsense! trump displays great courage by continuing to get out of bed each morning. it can't be easy, to have failed at every thing you ever did, and then finding out 'president' was too hard for you too.
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  829. why don't usans want democracy? if you once have a power of citizen initiative, you can make-over the nation, into something more like civilized behavior. but never a word. there is implicit acceptance of politician rule, cosmetically called 'american democracy.' but if you won't change the system, how will you change the results?
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  830. why not face reality? yer trying to run a civilized society with a political structure more suited to mafia gangs. have you thought about establishing democracy? or is the national cultural evolution too low?
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  831. no 'what we have become' about it. usa was born to support black slavery and native extermination. there was public support of lynching black men in the 50's, i was there and saw it. the sentence for mass murder at mylai was exoneration,* although the nominal leader was confined to barracks for about 2 years. no 'what we have become,' at all. what usa has always been. * this is actually 'justice' in a sense: so horrendous a crime was in accordance with usa military policy, and mylai was only exceptional in that a canadian chopper-jock saw it, and would not be silenced.
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  832. if you want truth, it's simple: usa activities in middle east made a lot of people angry, and one of them, obl, financed a demonstration of that anger referred to as '9/11,' americans were out-raged to learn, that what their government did overseas, had consequences at home.it does seem unfair, but it's not- it happens throughout history and everywhere. if you don't like it, get democracy, use it to make sure the management of the nation represents the will of the electorate. then there will be no nasty surprises.
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  833. the dems are just as crooked, so it's easy to settle for a coin flip.
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  834. he doesn't have solutions. given the quality of homer sap, likely there are none.
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  835. maybe some day usans will graduate to democracy, and make politicians extinct.
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  836. julian assange did the world a great favor with his hacking talent. except for those in government everywhere. they hate him. i will never know what fearlessness[?] prompted him to enrage the usg. however smart he is, and skilled in the world of i. t., he is clearly unwise. pray for him, protest for him, offer him legal assistance if he ever gets near a court, but he looks like a man with a bonfire in his future.
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  837. if you had citizen initiative, you could fix the usa. if you had citizen initiative, you would be citizens. but you don;t, you're just cattle. is it genetic?
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  838. clinton much smarter, but seems to be no asset in usa politics.
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  839. that's one of the best parts of coming to australia. more important for me was that it was as far as i could get from the great satan. whitlam got in as i arrived, and i thought oz was going to stand up and be independent. oops. still, better by far than actually living in usa, and what the government did with the national nose vis a vis the american bum seldom showed up in public life.
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  840. can't embrace democracy, when you don't have it, never had it, don't know what it is, and grow up being lied to on all these facets of usa culture. on the plus side, look at the flashing colors, listen to the soothing music, and be sure those kind politicians are looking out for all their wards. see, aren't you lucky to have a choice which politician will be your guardian? all are good of course, but you may find one has a more appealing smile. that's sooo important.
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  841. dr chomsky is usa's cassandra, i greatly admire his courage in continuing to tell murikins what they don't want to hear. maybe it did some good, but i doubt. it. usa needs a new constitution, but very few agree, and no one says so. einstein maybe hinted when he remarked that : "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is insanity." in any event, biden is an absurd choice, and everyone knows it. he might even re-elect trump. and that is a measure for the utter degeneracy of the usa political process. the dnc is as corrupt as the rnc, and both are in the pocket of wealth. democracy is possible, some states have it, but maybe not in a nation born to support slavery and the rule of wealth.
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  842. why complain about trump? he's an outsider, so his sins are more visible, but they don't refer to dc as the 'swamp' for nothing. when you get democracy, you will be able to clean up the swamp, not before.
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  843. when you wonder why india lags behind, 'caste' pops up. not merely hag-ridden by religion, they have god-sponsored class distinction.
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  844. if you want to make a change, stay out of government, get into revolution.
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  845. calm yourselves! you never had democracy, clearly don't know what it is, and are not citizen quality anyway. not to worry, the transition from civilian to serf is natural and nearly painless. or at least can't be avoided.
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  846. no need to explain usa with religious references, greed and arrogance are built in to humanity, from birth. most families manage to civilize their children, many fail. usa parents don't get much help from society in this area, or any other. a notably dysfunctional society blessed with good geography, which benefit has been wrung dry. finland is not scandinavian, by the way, not germanic, at all. there is no mechanism to reform usa to scandi norms, although wishful thinking is excusable, they make a better model of human life than most.
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  847. massively out thinking, too.
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  848. the fascist take-over was in 1789. usans were taught to call it 'democracy.'
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  849. who do you trust? usa has the sicilian disease, perhaps it will be the usa disease in the history books. there is no cure, short of civil war, and rich vs poor usually ends bad for poor. just another sad story in the biography, " my life and times" by homer sappy. the cure is simple, but the people inadequate.
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  850. this is actually important in a way that is seldom talked about. everyone blathers on about the the presidential candidate, but in fact, presidents don't legislate. obama should have reminded the nation, that it was designed to be static, and unresponsive to the popular vote. unfortunately, fdr had total command of the senate and house, and did not use the apparent opportunity to establish democracy with constitutional amendment. that example suggests that even if yang gets in, the usa will not be saved. it is a ship of state, one on auto-pilot set by james madison, and destined for the rocks of elite corruption. i wouldn't mind, but likely to take the rest of the world into extinction as well.
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  851. in my view, when madison excluded democracy from his constitution, he created a political aristocracy more tightly in charge of the nation than the traditional government of britsin, on which it was modeled. in any event, every elite rule must work in secret, to keep the chumps ignorant and pliable, and must inevitably rot, secrecy and entitlement have that effect on homo sapiens. it's easy to rail at trump- he is the distorted fun-house mirror of usa society, but never forget the central fact- the political system offered a choice of trump and clinton, and trump was believed to be least bad. i'm not certain that was a mistake, when you consider that the dnc is now offering a corporatist hack who can't finish a sentence or a thought, surely the system must be to blame, not the cripples it pops up. in any event- a nation incapable of democracy is not well-placed to complain of the quality of their masters. dim, ignorant or lazy never prospers and often wears chains. "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains." r. luxemburgh, a lady not afraid to move, in a society where movers were murdered.
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  852. most people think 'freedom of speech' stops at 'what i don't want to hear.' having bolton on is a very good idea, so long as there is a reminder that bolton is crazy and/or crooked. usa subsidized the attack on the soviet-supported socialist government of afghanistan, a modern, progressive government, the best afghanistan has ever had. there was a bounty for killing russians. hearing about rage at the shoe being on the other foot now pretty well sums up the total amorality of the usg. it says something nasty about the american people, too.
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  853. face reality: the usa is not a democracy. the usa foreign policy has no purpose but to enrich american corporations. to that end, the usa government will commit any crime, and support any puppet state, and invade any state that resists, if victory can be cheap. in short, when khomeini styled the usa as 'the great satan,' the metaphor was perfectly apposite. many rich jewish people are prepared to spend big money in support of israel. one can understand their motivation, while resisting their ability to subvert american foreign policy. but the real problem is the constitution of the usa. it has led to the creation of a fundamentally corrupt and incompetent government, and an equally defective people: ignorant, violent, arrogant and frequently blinded by antique religiosity. no good can happen there. i applaud attempts to resist the national myths, admire the courage, but can see no hope of success. all societies bloom, flourish and fail throughout history, and usa is entering its 'fail' time, soon to join rome and austro-hungarian empire in the history books.
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  854. europe will replace gas with solar and wind, and so will the rest of the world. this just speeds up the process. but in the transition, russia will profit, and bend western policies somewhat. putin understands this very well, and will be smiling for the next several years. he is actually doing the world a favor, in the 'speeding up.'
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  855. this passes for political discussion, in a nation where the other side is making ape-calls and scratching their ass. but if you have no power to change things, why talk about changing things. a society that is not a democracy, and shows no understanding of that reality, is talking as adolescents talk, about when i grow up. but usa never grows up, in 230 years.
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  856. if you persist in supposing that the usa is, or was, a democracy, then life will be one mystery after another, each a painful disappointment.
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  857. it was 'americanism' long before mussolini thought of it.
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  858. so yer saying, 'socialism is a good idea?' strange, no one has thought of it until now. there is a level of dumb which does not respond to education. widespread in the usa., either the water is doped, or the schools are rigged.
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  859. no use talking about 'what needs to be done.' first you have to have the power to do. since you won't face the lack of democracy, nothing will be done, aside from singing that old song, "ain't it a shame."
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  860. they are not magic warriors. it's just that by the time empires reach out to nothing, they are already bankrupt.
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  861. pleasant news, if true. but i can't think of any significant precedent for a dominant power to simply declare bankruptcy. rulers generally reach for the sword, in history, on the 'we need money, they got it' principle. there is a lot of fat, in the usa economy, and as long as nuclear war is averted, usa can prune expenses easily. even trump can see that--- who else wants to leave nato? but most of the fat is in military expense, and pruning soldiers is dangerous, 'retiring' generals more so. there is no excuse for usa military proliferation, except the transfer of taxes into share-holders pockets. share-holders are more dangerous than soldiers or generals so there's all kinds of danger in pruning fat in the usa. a dilemma with 2 equally ugly horns. most likely outcome? biden gets in, usa goes to war. let's hope the only victim is venezuela.
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  862. oh say can you see--- don't complain, because talking ain't gonna fix usa's cancer. you need revolution, and it is not possible. no one in usa knows what is wrong, or they know and concede that 'you can't get there, from here.'
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  863. i was about to say so, thx.
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  864.  @mattchew6426  google 'gore vidal quotes' - and he was not the first. "We should stop going around babbling about how we're the greatest democracy on earth, when we're not even a democracy. We are a sort of militarised republic." is my favorite.
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  865. if you allow politicians to rule you, this is what you get. why not try democracy?
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  866. i do like mr hedges' analysis of gun ownership, certainly much truth in it. but the second amendment was written to protect the people from oppressive government, and was useless in that aim. only democracy can protect the people, and that was written out of the constitution. the total refusal of usa people to acknowledge this reality makes all resistance to government oppression futile. the usa elite, of wealth and political office, rule by law and culture. the people, even mr hedges, simply can not imagine a usa with a democratic constitution. so there is no possibility of a good future for that declining empire.
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  867. democracy is the english version of a greek phrase, 'demos kratia.' aristotle used it as a label for the greek city-states, notably athens, wherein the 'demos' [citizens] kratia' [ruled]. some usa states have it, notably california. it would be a flourishing democracy if independent, but it and others, is not. neither is the federation. using the word democracy in reference to usa or its individual states is a cynical dis-education of the people, who can not struggle to get democracy when they are told daily that they have it already. a notable example of thought control through newspeak. worse still, usans learn to despise 'democracy' since the societies that 'have' it, are corrupt and plainly owned by the rich, both private and corporate. it is more than 100 years since the actual progressive movement brought democracy to several usa states. what has happened to their grandchildren, that the ideal is never raised?.
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  868. when you define 'great,' it turns out they refer to ability to shoot people, at home and abroad.
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  869. is there anyone on the usa 'left,' who sees the need, or even benefit, of getting democracy?
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  870. as usual, no one mentions that the usa is not a democracy, the people do not rule. but that is the central fact, the base upon which the rich rule america. not directly, but by renting the services of the governing party. if you want 'for the people, ' you must get 'by the people.' you only have rights, when you have power.
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  871. the sans culottes didn't have the web, you do. revolution is simple, and might be bloodless. every monday morning, send the same email to the dnc: "i will not vote democratic until an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative is the first element of the democratic party platform." tell your friends to do the same, and spread the word. when 1,000,000 people hit the dnc server the path to democracy will open. but, are there 1,000,000 americans who want to be citizens of a democracy? if there are not, abandon hope and quit public discussion.
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  872. no, not over. not even close. a few more lefties recruited. almost all usans pay little attention to foreign affairs, having no power to affect, and no reliable information. this is the normal consequence of being cattle in an oligarchy, instead of citizens of a democracy.
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  873. usa has a means of dealing with crooked or incompetent presidents, but it depends on the judgement of politicians, pretty much like the rest of public life in the usa. it's one of the consequences of not living in a democracy. if usa was a democracy, a 're-call' initiative would pluck trump out of office, and some county sheriff could take it from there.
    3
  874. maybe maintaining a large and active military affects the value of money? just a thought...
    3
  875. It's only fair. You talk about democracy as though you had it, when clearly don't, or even know what it is. Usans- are blank pages in politics, frequently marred by childish scribbles.
    3
  876. not prisoners, but cattle. ignorance and fear are your walls, and they seem to be more effective than steel. the solution is for many people to stand up and demand democracy, or else. but while prisoners do sometimes revolt, cattle never. despair seems sensible, for old people, but the young choose hope. i hope they find the courage to back hope with steel and fire.
    3
  877. george washington expropriated about 5oo hectares of iroquois land, because he wanted to, and could. things never improved, and a nation born to protect slavery and empower the rich starts off as a moral cesspool.
    3
  878. doesn't have to be this way? the people could have democracy, if enough wanted it. but there is no leadership, and probably never will be. so dissatisfaction will coalesce around fascism. murrikins are told endlessly they are lucky to be 'free.' but so are cattle till the hammer falls. usa is not a democracy, by law. neither is it a functional democracy, for the people decide nothing, but which crook, liar or sociopath shall hold office, in service to wealth. usa is an elective oligarchy. democracy is rule by people called 'citizens,' through referendum and initiative. accept no alternative.
    3
  879. the government of the usa has never been a democracy. that's why pretenses to democracy are causally knocked over as the childish nonsense they are. if you want democracy, you have to fight for it, and first you have to know what it is, and isn't. this is too hard for american intelligentsia, much less the average couch potato.
    3
  880. That is not crash. A mere warm-up bump. Burning money on useless military adventures has aconsequence.
    3
  881. "they orter..." sorry, there is no 'they.' there's just you, and your rulers, and your rulers like things as they are.
    3
  882. not quite- it was crap from birth. disguised by looting fresh fields and mines, more recently by occupying oil nations and murdering resisters.
    3
  883. americans just can not understand that trump is in office according to the rules of the constitution. and he's hopeless. at least dim, as dubya was dim, possibly psychotic. with people like that driving the ship, do you wonder why usa is rotting, while china prospers?
    3
  884.  @suebee4843  the system creates the character. get democracy and politicians are obsolete.
    3
  885. if you are unwilling, or unable, to establish democracy in athens- why do yo imagine success will come in europe?
    3
  886. if you want the direction of the nation to be 'for the people,' you first have to get the direction of the nation to be 'by the people,' can you understand that principle? until you get citizen initiative, you are living in an oligarchy, run by politicians and for politicians, which often means rich people get richer because politicians love them.
    3
  887. there is a large 'nazi' element in many western nations. not enough love as infants or similar.
    3
  888. for most americans, the government is the major enemy. it stands between you and what you want to do. if you have a lot of disposable income, you use money to bend the government to your desire. if you are one of the twenty+ millions recently severed from income and health insurance, you want your job back. and some of you will pick up grocery money marching with signs, on behalf of the rich, and surplus to required labor. which is why it doesn't really matter who is president, the structure of the state and character of the people are unsuited to modern day life on planet earth. on the way out, close the door gently, others are sleeping, cozy in their socialist homes.
    3
  889. of course he hasn't started ww3. iranians are not insane. the usa is functionally insane, that is a worry. the constitution is grossly obsolete, and makes impossible effective national management. the truly scary bit is that no one in the usa understands how absurd their political structure is. if a creature like trump can be president that is sufficient evidence to scrap the constitution, barring national insanity. but it appears they are all crazy. shooting an iranian general is bad enough, but it has become clear, that 'dr, strangelove' was a prescient description of possible american foreign action.
    3
  890. a valuable post. while usa continues to regard military dominance as the most effective tool of market control, prc just gets on with making good products at a lower price. usa is going to lose, unless the bombs fly. then we all lose.
    3
  891. china is not a democracy and says so. western societies say they are democracies, and are not. are you surprised that china's rulers get more respect? the rulers of china have delivered more economic progress than the 'democracies' ever did, and it's widespread. that gets respect.
    3
  892. what you should be asking, is: why do we put up with a system that inserts a trump into our history, a system has failed many tines to provide a decent life for its members? what have you got against democracy?
    3
  893. "get rid of the electoral college" is not an answer, because !!!! you have no power to get rid of the electoral college. 'write a new constitution,' is an answer, but only if you are willing to organize and execute a revolution. first, get power to do, then do. while you are at it, establisg democracy, then you can fix anything.
    3
  894. it will need a transfusion of technology, delivered by russia or prc. perhaps even nk?
    3
  895. 5 days later, and no shooting still. everyone says the 2nd amendment is sacred, but no one puts it to its intended use.
    3
  896. not only was usa never a democracy, people who imply there was are not your friends. i must forgive mr hartmann, he does this for a living, and can not tell the awful truth for fear viewers might stop looking, or even suicide.
    3
  897. why pick on the kochs? the bush family made money from banking on behalf of the nazis, henry ford directed his south american subsidiaries to do business with the nazis all through the war.
    3
  898. wuhan local gummint might have dropped the ball in not getting active immediately, but there is a case for not shouting fire! until you have a threshold number. in any event, when the glass was broke, the prc took fast and drastic measures, beyond the power and competence of any other nation. usa otoh, has had adequate warning of the nature and extent of the danger, any bets on how well the trump admin are going to handle their fire?
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  899. 'the only way to save your democracy,' is a phrase which contains an idiocy, or a lie. you can't save what you don't have, and if you verbally impute 'democracy' to the usa, you are lying with cynical intent, or a victim of orwellian 'newspeak.' or, in the usa, you are doing what is necessary to feed yer kids. shameful, but necessary. for those who came in late, democracy is rule by the people, not choosing which hyena runs the zoo. switzerland, or california, do it, and don't have to put up with crooks or incompetence, as they have the initiative power of law and action. study them, and ask why usa can not be a better place.
    3
  900. elites are in favor of the status quo. elite rule will never respond in time to the the climate crisis. democracies might respond, but there are none, nor any visible movement in that direction. so there's going to be a population collapse. if it's quick, it might save us, slow might lead to catastrophic changes, even extinction of most life. the next 50 years are going to be intensely interesting.
    3
  901. when you get putin to say, "l dunnit," him i will believe. in the meantime, cui bono? that would be the usa.
    3
  902. usa was never a democracy. madison said his constitution would prevent democracy, and he delivered. 'democracy' is a greek phrase that means 'the citizens rule.' that means, that the society is directed by the citizens through referendum and initiative. usa has never had those fundamental attributes of democracy. why is this so hard to understand? because you have been lied to from birth. some usa states would be democracies if independent, notably california. with that example before you, there is no excuse for referring to the usa as any kind of democracy.. why then do you do it? because if you admit to reality, you have to revolt, and you are afraid.
    3
  903. "must be changed" is what my high school english teacher called 'passive voice.' there is no agent of action. it allows you to say something when you have no intention of doing something. in this case, when you have no means of doing something. politician pocan must be good at this, their chief tool of trade is empty words. no one ever points out, that nothing can be done for lack of power to do. i don't know why the people of the usa never suggest that the lack of democracy allows politicians to rule them as cattle.are ruled. is there something in the water? there is certainly something in the schools. a severe lack of education.
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  904. There has never been democracy in the USA, and in consequence the people are not citizen quality. You let politicians rule you. A common human failing but distinct in USA because you don't know you are second class people.
    3
  905. the usa is not a democracy, not is any other nation, possibly excepting switzerland. consequently, there are no rights held by power of the electorate, only customs and privileges issued by the sovereign power. usa, and its uk lapdog, pulled the plug on assange's house arrest and will move him into worse quarters and worse treatment, because he is guilty. no judges involved in that judgement, unnecessary when you embarrass the secret police or army. hard to feel sympathy for him. instead of hiding behind anonymity and passwords, he briefly enjoyed a life of celebrity and groupies. that latter was his destruction. better than most he knew the character of the usg, and he enraged them. like those drunken fools who jump into the tiger cage at the zoo, there could be no happy ending to that activity. he gave whistleblowing a bad reputation. snowden showed how it can be done, and survive. [so far!]
    3
  906. i bet a decent public health system would emerge.
    3
  907. we take solace in the niggling troubles of the rich and mighty. ' i didn't struggle to get rich and powerful, cuz it only ends in protracted painful separation from my money, in divorce court.'
    3
  908. don't blame your masters, they are few. blame yourselves, for being so weak and passive. you can have democracy, but it needs citizen quality people.
    3
  909. usa sanctions are increasingly powerless. russia and china trade directly with iran, and make the usa look foolish.
    3
  910. if you agree with hedges, stay home. biden will fix nothing. when trump is elected, with 35% of the vote, organize the 'no' voters to demonstrate for real democracy if the political class won't comply, start shooting them. that is the purpose of the second amendment. put it to good use.
    3
  911. you can measure mismanagement of a nation by its debt, but unlike private and corporate debt, politicians imagine there is no consequence, within their lifetimes. history is littered with failed states, marked by adulterated coinage. i wonder if democracy could take a long view, since the 'rulers' would be a mix of young and old.
    3
  912. usa will not join obor, if only to avoid embarrassment. they might be refused. they have publicly denigrated the project, how can they apply to join?
    3
  913. tariffs do work, but they work for the people who own production, at the expense of the general populace. usa was founded to support the rich, and that remains the goals of the state - -it is built-in to the structure of the nation. you may be tempted to ask why usa peeps don't get democracy, so they can run the nation for the benefit of the people. yet no one ever does. an entire nation too dumb to want democracy.
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  914. roosevelt was not your friend. he was just a fireman, hosing down incipient socialism. he could have established democracy, and refused to do so. he was just another oligarch, but smart enough to bend, temporarily, to the wind of discontent.
    3
  915. usually the answer to usa problems comes down to, lack of democracy. the nation is not directed 'by the people,' so it is not run 'for the people.' it is run by an elite, to suit the elite. politics is simple.
    3
  916. yes, delicious. so many years usa pressured china to become capitalist, when they do, they excel.
    3
  917. the fastest growing economy over the last 75 years, is a directed socialist nation. they did let '100 flowers grow,' economically, but even that was and is under government control. india is mired in religions and cultures not suited to modern life. some industries and professions have succeeded in global competition, but half of india still worships cows and tills fields with motorized plows. the 'communist experiment' is over, but it didn't fail - it created the base on which prc has become the wonder of the age. the lesson is not transferable, to india, at least, but don't imagine for a moment that unleashed capitalism is the 'answer.' there is no 'answer' for india. it will have to follow its own path, apparently a painfully slow one.
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  918. trump is a liar, and would never have got near the wh, except that the professional politicians are even worse. this is not a contest between trump and biden, the whole nation is circling the drain, and whoever wins, usa loses. hard to believe that there is no clear-sighted analysis of the usa situation, there are giant brains devising new 'playstation ' issues, and activity in the inflaton field just before the big bang, but no one connects the structure of the nation with current activity. if you think biden is better, you just haven't been paying attention to his career. undistinguished, to be sure. a compliant tool of corporation rule, commonly referred to as fascism, and perfectly willing to invade any nation in search of new markets. the government of the usa has shaped a populace of ignorant and passive consumer-units, the deep state appears to have shaped the political parties into byzantine support groups of chariot races, utterly unconnected with any effective national management, and purposeless outside to lusting for the perks of office. what is the future of the usa? what good can come of this situation? except, please don't burn down the planet while you subside into the position once occupied by paraguay.
    3
  919. that's about right, but keep in mind, ussr was not putting those missiles in cuba as an aggressive act, but rather as a counter to usa missiles in turkey. usa was the aggressor then, as well as now.
    3
  920. in the first place, reality is negotiable in trump's life. in the second place, a severe shutdown would destroy the economy too. in the third place, trump is working with a 90 iq and a history of business failures that he papers over with lies an false boasting. his father must have been a horrible person. he's obese, his hair has a separation order, and his father sneers at him in his dreams. but no one feels sorry for him. so he loses his temper, often. these prospective debates with biden are going to have the sick fascination of a sword fight in the dark. no telling who will break, biden will be drugged into smiling stupidity, trump may rely on arrogance and a great supply of biden's sins and crimes.
    3
  921.  @erikb8877  it was never a democratic republic, and it's dying because the plutocrats have squeezed out most of the juice and bought islands of refuge with the money.
    3
  922. the media are a business, not a public service. the people are ignorant and impotent, unconcerned with matters over which they have little influence and no control. how else would a creature like trump be ceo, even for an instant? without democracy, news is entertainment, amusement, opiate. don't complain about the quality, it is all that you deserve.
    3
  923. if you vote for politicians, you get politicians. surprising how few people know that.
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  924. thx for being frank about the indian position. "take what is theirs." clears up any tendency to pay attention to indian views.
    3
  925. bolivia was a coup. a good one, didn't involve mass murder. not gonna smile at the usa, though. the nation was born in african slavery and ethnic cleansing, and the national character hasn't improved.
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  926. listen to uncle wolff. we may be watching the tipping point at the ukraine struggle. even if it subsides, the future seems to be with prc. with russia and iran 'proscribed' the by usa, they must join prc, and many more will see economic advantage in joining the 'proscribed' list. prc has seen the futility in measuring a nation's strength with military capability, and may even regard usa strength as a weakness, since it stresses the economy without much return. for awhile at least, they will smile and be polite to the usa and its clients, but at some point usa will discover they they have no advantage but bombs. and nuclear weapons have no use, beyond dissuading others not to use theirs.
    3
  927. who would bell that cat? usa fundamental problem is the lack of democracy.
    3
  928. if you factor in greed and arrogance, human thinking appears more logical.
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  929. who is this 'we?' congress might do something, but congress is responsible for the current situation, so why should they act against themselves? representative democracy is a nonsense. their power is exercised for themselves and their sponsors- when ordinary people talk about 'what should be done,' it's just a pastime, not the deliberation of citizens. usa government is 'right wing' bi-partisan in foreign affairs, and most internal matters, the parties offer trivial differences to satisfy the voters. haven't you noticed?
    3
  930. with the current usa government, trump is covid + could mean- he's planning to flee to russia, he's planning to delay the election until he's feeling better, he's hoping to raise some sympathy, he's actually a bit sick, he's actually very sick, he's establishing an alibi while biden is murdered. the people of the usa could have an effective and just and peaceable government, if they wanted it, but they don't. "you get the government you deserve" may be exactly right.
    3
  931. meanwhile, the president of the usa is being revealed to be a sleazy 'businessman.' and one likely to go to jail.
    3
  932. i have come across several 'mystery outbreaks' that might be cv19, before it became famous. it seems likely that it just found the conditions in wuhan favorable for break-out. health officials there didn't realize how much trouble in the disease initially, no reason they should. when the capability of cv19 became apparent, they reacted appropriately. indeed, prc set the gold standard for suppression of the disease, against which other nations failed in various degrees to match. usa is a primitive society, characterized by greed and thuggery, and now revealed to be incompetent in public health to a level which is a threat to global heath. their strident cries of "look over there!" should be assessed at the contemptible level of corrupt arrogance appropriate to a nation founded to allow slavery and the rule of wealth.
    3
  933. trump was pretty dumb, but so was the competition. he was so dumb, that biden looked good. well, good enough. but fer real dumb, look no further than the average chump voter.
    3
  934. if there are usans of taste and judgement, they should move to blue states, and secede. big 'if,' tho' - the basic law of the nation was written by a slave plantation grandee whose explicit motivation was to extend the tolerance of slavery, and ensure the rule of wealth. and yet, even today, usans generally are proud of that document, and regard the rule of wealth as a virtue. recent events in the texas gummint are typical of the usa character, and should surprise no one. censorship is the tool of evil, when it is conscious of itself. living in a nation where elected officials talk like this should be a matter of shame. but usans read daily about the need to send 'special forces' to foreign lands, and drone bombers, to kill the people there. there is no sense of shame in usa. did you know 'sonder kommando' meant 'special force? exquisitely appropriate.
    3
  935. your masters saw a use for china, and sent american jobs over there.
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  936. if it weren't damaging, they would release it. keeping it secret entitles the whole world to imagine the worst. this defective creature is president of the usa, and still no american has suggested, "maybe we need a new means of selecting the manager of the nation?" the sad fact is, trump fits right in the spectrum of american politics. the whole caste of politicians should be confined to selling used cars from a seedy part of town. well, except those of lower character, who should be offering the favors of their sister on street corners.
    3
  937. usa has never been a democracy, and mr. hartmann should be ashamed of himself for suggesting otherwise. but he has to stir the pot to keep the money rolling in, poor lad. california has democracy: administration is guided by referendum, and initiative occasionally supersedes public service direction. there is even recall of errant governors. california would be the most democratic nation in the world, if it were independent. only the swiss for competition, of course. but they are not independent. the usa is an elective aristocracy, modeled on the britain of madison's time. he said britain was the best work of mankind in politics, strange you may think for a man who was leading the decision to break away. but the brits were gradually making slavery legally impossible, so madison needed a new nation. he made sure it was not a democracy, as he explained clearly to the constitutional convention. i don't know why usans talk about democracy, except they were notably public liars from the beginning. in any event, long before orwell's '1984' they polluted the english language with political lies. 'double-think' 'r us.
    3
  938. if you imagine democrats are better, why are most office holders republican? democracy is a good thing, too bad you don't have it. too bad you don't even realize you don't have it.
    3
  939. there is a simple principle at work in the usa: when power is concentrated, wealth will be concentrated too. the rich in america can buy enough of congress to get even richer. the only cure is democracy. no one in america seems to understand this.
    3
  940. Once again, Mr Hartmann details the consequences of living in a politician ruled society. Do you think it can continue indefinetly? Democracy will cure this disease, when the people who pay the bills make the decisions, they tend to be reflective and sensible. How to get democracy? Vote against everyone in office, until they change the constitution.
    3
  941. 1. usa is not a democracy, and never was. 2. whoever holds power in the usa oligarchy is not much concerned by public opinion. 3. assange is charged with actively seeking classified information. 4. assange is a foreign national, not entitled to usa protections. 5. the usg must discourage publication of its activities, they are frequently revolting. finally, releasing assange implies initial arrest was improper. careers might be harmed. he's toast.
    3
  942. and you could imprison all the politicians on martha's vinyard, for life.
    3
  943. anyone who trusts a government is born to be a slave. democracies have administrations, and are directed by the electorate.
    3
  944. the south did not attempt to overthrow the federal government, as everyone in the south with any military experience knew it was impossible. but the masters of the south were looking at ruin, as legislation making slavery untenable began appearing. the same thing happened earlier, prompting the war of independence. that war was successful, and the grandees of the south may have thought lightning could strike again. it was not necessary to overthrow the federal government, they merely had to leave, and make it too expensive to reclaim them. so they stirred up the the southun yobbos with cries of freedom! from yankee domination and threw the dice. they got 'snake-eyes' immediately, the brits were not so firmly tied to slave-grown cotton as to mix it with usa when indian cotton would do. the french navy probably saved the recently colonial usa, british money did not appear for the confederates. no lightning for them. people go to war sometimes out of desperation. germany and japan were both facing disaster from peace, so were driven to a war cool appraisal would label 'suicidal.' the southern 'gentlemen' were in a similar situation, and made a similar choice.
    3
  945. an outsider's view is often valuable. if you listen to insiders you get what they want you to believe, certainly, and frequently what they believe and are deeply mistaken about.
    2
  946. yf saw himself as a citizen of the eu, not of greece. he might have led greece through a difficult period, but chose instead to be an international talking head. wrong decision, is my guess.
    2
  947. i have some sympathy for conscripted soldiers, but not much for people who volunteer to kill people far away on the word of some officer who is listening to a politician. but at least you broke loose from the evil. last i heard, they haven't conscripted anyone since the vietnam war. when you signed up, you handed your gun hand to someone else, and not a good person, either. i did that too, long ago, because i was not eating regularly [the replacement program for conscription] and soon came to feel, being hungry was better by far.
    2
  948. che got a bullet in the head. and the evil empire still prevails, even if cracks are appearing. evil triumphs, more often than not. only people with nothing left to lose can enter the struggle even if success seems very unlikely. that is why almost everyone only watches, and does not fight.
    2
  949. madison said that democracy would lead to socialism, and that was why his constitution was written to prevent democracy. usa was created to be a playground and gold mine for rich men. and it will be until you get a new constitution. how ya gonna do that? well, you aren't. takes more grit than you got. but there is money to be made by whining about the results, and by reading about the sins of yer masters there is a certain amount of sullen adolescent satisfaction in knowing yer screwed. they may be getting away with it, but at least you ain't fooled.
    2
  950. in the end, european jews decided they wanted palestine, all of it, and began a slow invasion in the early 1900's. after ww1, it speeded up, with the assistance of the british mandate authority. by 1925, jewish paramilitary organizations ruled palestine at night, and britain began to be a damper on zionist plans, so they came under attack as well. the zionists always wanted all, "from the river to the sea." they said they would take it, arab muslims were encouraged to leave. there can be no peace in palestine until israel joins apartheid south africa in history.
    2
  951. amazing. right-wing orcs can spell.
    2
  952. those workers would likely make a rude response, while laughing.
    2
  953. usa has been here before, in the 30's. 'great progress made' which mostly eroded away, so here you are again. the only lasting change which supports and cements all others is getting democracy. when the people have the power of law-making, they will change the nation and guard those changes with the power of law in their hands. the people must bring democracy to the whole nation, over-throwing the legal power of politicians who have always worked for the rich.
    2
  954. when you are hated and feared by the usa, it is sensible to provide whatever space you can between china and usa bombs, rockets and artillery.
    2
  955. an all too rare germane intro. the usa political system was obsolescent at birth, and is hopelessly ineffective in a global age. what is to be done? get democracy. how to do it? easy, as soon as a significant %age of the electorate want it. and there is the critical point. a nation of nongs can not strive for democracy, can not recognize the need for democracy, and a great many are so conscious of their mental incapacity that they are best occupied in carrying water for would-be dictators. in short, starting from here, you can't get there. usa is doomed, and was doomed by the conditions of birth.
    2
  956. china is out-shining the whole world lately, and they were at india's level 100 years ago. it is tempting to ask, "what did they do, and can we do it too?" this question should be asked, but the answer is "no." there is radical difference in the history of india and china, before and after that point of similar poverty. but on the 'can't hurt' list, spending more money on education for all, and less for military posturing comes immediately to mind. but that is long-term investment, anathema to western politicians, and indian as well, unfortunately. basically, india needs a mao ci dung. all you've got is modi. god help you.
    2
  957. as the republicans drift right, it pays the democrats to drift right in step, scooping up middle voters and even mild-rights. this is the voting mechanism structure. democrats would be insane to do any different. eventually, the people will be driven to rebellion for lack of champions, the resulting violence will scare 'reform' and the the cycle repeats. there are presumably intelligent and educated people in usa, but they see life as better by chasing money and using it to buy politicians. so usa will join the austro-hungarian empire in history, as a polity that could not change for lack of imagination.
    2
  958. of course it will! it transforms them into supervised field labor. and they have a home in barracks with basic nutrition they can supplement from state-operated vending machines. usa began with and for slave labor, that is its natural feature.
    2
  959. i indulge in this kind of sardonic chat quite often, it soothes the frustration. but not much, or long. for real, lasting relief, step over to the doorway and rap yer head firmly against the edge, repeating until blood flows.
    2
  960. it used to be called 'americanism,' but there's no 'scare' value in that.
    2
  961. when all pretense of community spirit is gone, appeals to patriotism seen for self-interested propaganda, impending collapse appears likely and sauve qui peut is the order of the day. and sure enough, a serious epidemic explodes into a generation marking event. don't blame trump, your troubles are spine deep and implanted at birth. it turns out that a nation founded to preserve slavery and the rule of wealth is not the incubator of justice and democracy. what can be done now? difficult to say, since the only visible means for a people to transform their government is revolution. americans are not revolution material, being afflicted with the sicilian disease, of well-based suspicion and contempt for other demographics contending for dwindling resources of food and shelter. trump is not naturally suited to management, but, like dubya, he has advisors and strokers. they will flood the nation with information about biden which will at least make this a close race, and if biden loses control, perhaps not even close. but the good news is, trump is not that much worse than biden. the mechanics of usa two party oligarchy ensure that the republicans overtly favor wealth, democrats shadow them closely with a trivial 'social' sop to the left, and everyone is happy but the poor, who stay home. sanders wanted to be president, a present to himself after a lifetime of swimming against the tide. he would have had more effect by running a socialist program and drawing off sufficient votes that the dems could never win. from that position he might have extracted significant social reform. as a 'second best democrat' he will be useless.
    2
  962. many people vote for trump because he is not a politician. because they are not getting what they want from politicians. the usa constitution is hopelessly obsolete, because it was purposely designed to make the nation unresponsive to the needs of ordinary people. since they can only vote for people, voting for trump is the only way to say, "i hate you!" to the politician caste.
    2
  963. usa loves dictators, ennobles many, and profits from having 'enemies,' when homegrown dictators resist.. but usa is a lost cause. they have managed to make prc look like the best hope for homer sap. what is the meaning of a 'trump' and a 'biden' appearing in the oval office? dim-witted psychopath, senile mediocrity, you would think the political process would tend to deliver competent place-holders, at least. when it doesn't, that is terminal decadence.
    2
  964. not a major development, because law doesn't matter. usg wants ja's head, and will have it, one way or another.
    2
  965. that's my opinion, i wish 50 million murikins agreed.
    2
  966. when is it going to occur to americans, that american 'democracy' is not any kind of democracy?
    2
  967. the usa constitution is a contemptible document. it was written to ensure the continuing rule of the rich over the many, and it continues to do so. tear it up, start over. use the california constitution as a template- it has referendum and initiative, which the people can use to develop a national document.
    2
  968. you've got it backwards. you must establish political power first, because bullets speak louder than dollars. first get democracy, use it to establish socialism.
    2
  969. do try to be gentle, he had bone spurs as a young lad and was not able to play the role of john wayne in vn. have you started a 'recall' initiative yet?
    2
  970. not a fan of wonder woman, but she is sane about american foreign policy. don't mistake her for a pacifist, but she sees lives being ruined by blind brutality driven by usg. anyone can see that- but she speaks up. will presumably limit her political career, but very valuable where she is.
    2
  971. first, stop talking about 'our democracy.' it was never a democracy. it has always been an elective aristocracy, in service to wealth. or just call it a plutocracy. second, if you haven't got the smarts and guts to get democracy, you can whine all you want, but evolution is against you, extinction likely.
    2
  972. the invasion of palestine began in the late 1800's, you could mark it with the publication of 'das judenrat in about 1897, and was initially just a trickle of humble jewish colonists, searching out palestinian land that was vacant, and paying good money for it. but when the brits took over control after ww1, the trickle became a river, pm balfour had promised jews a homeland in palestine. he was slippery, it was not a 'state,' but he got jewish support in ww1 and paid off. and the british let the jews in until about 1925, when the jewish militia split into its original 'self-defense' arm and a new organization which was publicly and frankly intent on taking all of palestine from the arab occupants. "from the river to the sea" was their motto. humble no more, they started shooting people who resisted them. even brits, who suggested that european invaders were not entitled to palestine. finally, the flood of european jewish refugees after ww2 plus the large amounts of guns and cash from mostly american jews allowed the jewish para-mitlitary groups to seize control of palestine. they were sanctified by the u.n. as it was then under the control of the usa, which saw a use for a client state near the oil fields. and, it turns out there were significant numbers of americans who believed that god would not gather them to heaven unless the jews were in control of jerusalem. evidently, the americans still think israel is a good friend to have in the oil lands. or, it is simply numbers of jews, rich and poor, subsidizing israel as an insurance policy. either way, israel is a land of bandits, whatever the u. n. says. but they continue to survive, although prosperity is hard when you are in a perpetual state of war with most of your neighbors. this struggle is not decided, but the jews would be the favorites, 5-3 or similar. and the anti-boycott laws? that's easy: there's votes in it, and not many many votes against it. if you haven't learned to despise politicians by the age of thirty- you are an orc.
    2
  973. usg has made many enemies, and some of them are forming a resistance club, anti-nato. europe is going to wake up some day and realize they are on the wrong side.
    2
  974. usa is a plutocracy. unlike the other categories described by aristotle, it is informal. the formal state is an elective aristocracy. do not confuse this with democracy, voting does not make democracy. if the answer to the question: "who rules?" is "the citizens," then it is a democracy, and usa is not. plutocrats rule through influence, exercised by money. the combination of state officials, politicians in power, and their rich masters make up the 'establishment'. it is not cohesive, but certain principles are evident, in protecting the essential bases of each of the three elements. is this a conspiracy? no. it is a culture, broader, deeper but less well-defined. a conspiracy can be busted, if you have effective police power. a culture is there to stay, and will ultimately devour its parent society.
    2
  975. it's nice that you can laugh at your society. it's happened before, that voltaire guy was the preliminary tremor to a lot of francais losing their tempers, and others losing their heads. but i'm holding out for an action man, preferably not in uniform*. your political system is obsolete, it's putrescent , it's risible- and your hopes are only that one old man is gonna fix it!? he ain't. he can't, his track record is good, by usa standards, but wafer thin and confined to a tiny morsel of land utterly different from average usa. fdr couldn't fix things, with much greater power than bernie will ever have. abandon hope, abandon ship if you can, or form up in smiling ranks with clean hair and sharp swords- meet the orcs like mensch. *tulsi might become an action woman. she's angry, widely respected, should have high credit in the 'needed the job mercenary- don't enjoy dying or killing' ranks. could see her riding a weapon carrier into dc about 20 years from now, with a few divisions of infantry. no, 20 years from now it'll be 50,000 lazer-mounted drone dogs, hopefully under human control. either way. madison's powdered wig society has no future.
    2
  976. usa is a nation in which politics is a business. it used to be war, or murder, so we must be glad of some evolutionary progress. except that usa uses murder and war when bribery and threats don't work. it is mildly surprising to hear that about half of the states have some or all of the functions of the functions of democracy, while the federal government remains firmly in the class of elite rule. california in particular is more closely a democracy than the other states, and would be the example to humanity, if it was independent. and yet, it remains subjected to a federal government that is a shame to the nation. why is there no action to install democracy in the federal government? or, failing that, why not secede?
    2
  977. usa has nothing left to bargain with, just bullets and bombs, lots of both. prc has much less of both, but maybe enough of each to persuade the usg that war is obsolete. relying on the character of usg is clearly foolish, and relying on the sanity of the usg may well be wrong. perhaps the usa satellites might whisper into the president's ear, that they are not going to support war against prc. but they are uniformly cowed into submission by their own political situation it's a very bad time to be young.
    2
  978. good news! not dying. bad news - you never had democracy, and were conned into thinking that empowering politicians was democracy. my! you are dumb! or at least lied to from birth, which gets a similar result. so you'll scratch your nose and turn to the sports channel. growing up in an oligarchy does not create citizen-quality people. that's why usa is in this state, the venal ruling the chumps on behalf of the greedy.
    2
  979. people, don't listen to this guy, it will only depress you. write a letter to the new zealand consulate, ask for immigration forms. if they won't have you try the ozzies. if they won't have you, move to the country and raise vegies and chickens. make yer own electricity and clothes.
    2
  980. trump isn't personally responsible for 2 million. the usa 'capitalist' society is. health care isn't a right, it's something you buy, if you can. epidemics highlight the weaknesses in this way of thinking, as mass death affects everyone, driver, masseuse and nanny all might die at once. your portfolio be disrupted by labor shortages. but it's not relevant, greed will go to any length, absorb any blow, to preserve the sanctity of wealth. the weakness on what passes for the left in the usa lies in their complicity in the national myth that the rich are entitled to be rich. if you would just get angry, soon you would start to think they don't even need to eat. but nobody's even angry, never mind hungry too.
    2
  981. it's just yer garden variety megalomania. usa got used to being the big dog, and making money from it. but times have changed. prc is already a credible threat to usa primacy, and some client states are moving to hedge their bet. way too soon to say 'game-over,' but there is clearly a great game in play. i rather hope prc wins. they are no better than the usual naked ape, but usa is much worse.
    2
  982. that's how the usa started, and why. a nation created to defend slavery, and ethnic cleansing, has not changed at all. no sign of revolution, little evidence of hope.
    2
  983. phosphine hunger unslated- again!
    2
  984. refreshing. people with hope. good luck!
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  985. on the bright side, you can drink up your pension fund as an optimal response.
    2
  986. what does"we must..." mean in a nation where the people do not participate in the direction of the nation? empty gossip, or pretense to status not held, and conducted for money, rather like running a dance class for bed-ridden seniles. not sure why your masters insist on holding afghanistan, but it puts some threat on iran, which usa would love to dominate. iraq is simple, oil. your masters dare not release iraq, the economy of the usa depends on the price of oil.
    2
  987. when did america get democracy? not that canada has any position to laugh.
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  988. just the usual. the evil empire has real agents, some are tricky, many just shoot. it's a living, for sociopaths. some danger involved, but less than civilian life. there, pimping, thuggery and drug commerce pays better, in principle, but death rate much higher, and long prison terms also possible.
    2
  989. i've been away long, and far, is there anywhere in the constitution that says the voters shall direct the activities of the nation, through referendum and initiative? i think not? so adjectives like 'progressive' and so forth are meaningless. can't progress if you have no power to act.
    2
  990. how about ubi plus pay for results.
    2
  991. oh, say can you see...? cops are like this in many places, or even worse. but those places don't pretend to be a democracy. just a little insight into the land of the free. free range cattle, that is. turns out a serving army officer outranks a traffic cop. even if brown. easy to understand: your masters need cops, but they fear military.
    2
  992. no, it died with the proclamation of the constitution, which madison promised would prevent democracy. the constitution was never accepted by the people, it was passed by state governments, controlled by the rich. except in rhode island: there they offered a referendum on accepting it, instead the people refused. they were smarter than modern usans. they knew what democracy was, and wasn't.
    2
  993. news flash! wearing an american military uniform is not an honorable occupation. the foreign policy of the usa is aggression, around the world, characterized by murder, bandit raids and wars of occupation to control middle east oil.
    2
  994. let's hope resignation does not lead to escape from charges for various crimes, commercial and political. usa elite have been embarrassed by trump, and might well want to let him slip down the nearest weasel hole.
    2
  995. because the president is commander in chief. usa only uses mercenaries, now, and doesn't declare war, just goes and shoots usually. congress supported iraq war, which shows that congress is just as crooked as trump. if you want an administration that functions as a democracy, first you must get democracy. in fact, if you don't have it, first you must learn you don't have ir, second, you must think of a way to get it, and third, you must act. the people of usa are simply not citizen quality, and fail all of these tests.
    2
  996. stop whining and say "let's get democracy."
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  997. there are no rules of war. there may be explicit undertakings to sustain peace, but even they have no legal force. this particular murder will have some minor negative consequences for the usa, and iran will be happy to put a shoulder to the wheel when china feels it can bully usa. at best, iran will commission some third party of desperadoes to ruin an american city with poison dust. american machinations in the middle east have created a large demographic of people who would die cheerfully in the company of americans living in dc.
    2
  998. pertinent question. the speaker can cause big trouble for biden, and his position is already weak.
    2
  999. you don't have right to anything, if you have no power of enforcement. and 'we, the people' are not masters of the nation. get a new constitution, that begins, 'we, the citizens, rule our nation through referendum and initiative.' and there's the weak point. since the people are raised to be passive and cynical watchers of their betters in government, they are not capable of common action. they can strike and demonstrate, but have no legal handle on the operation of society. usa is badly run, if the goal is common prosperity, but the goal is the enrichment of the elite. so the people must arm themselves, and organize to overthrow the government. that is the purpose of the second amendment. too hard? then continue whining. some people make a business of it, the ultimate expression of the usa ideal: politics is for money.
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  1000. aristotle was a really smart guy. when he turned his attention to 'politics,' he found that the fundamental interest was, "who decides," seems simple now, but hellas at the time was chockful of contending new ideas. so he had a wide variety of types of states to organize and analyze. the best state in his conclusion, was what he called, "demos kratia." you would guess that's what we call 'democracy. but you would be wrong. his democracy was a state, directed by the citizens, using referenda and initiative. your 'democracy' is a state run by politicians. why would you use the same word for two different kinds of control? because if you called modern 'democracy' by an accurate title, such as 'elective aristocracy', the people might be restive, while ennobling them with the title of 'citizen' helps keep them quiet.* you can see the process done in modern history of great britain: when i was young, the people were subjects, now they are citizens, but they still have a queen. and they still are ruled by 'aristocrats' of politics and wealth. only the word changed, not the reality. the gop is doing nothing new. what is new, is the education and economic place of the ordinary usan. it has decayed since the 1950's, and they are reverting to their role and position pre-war. no hope for the usa, it is frozen in the embrace of plutocracy. the constitution is the iron wall of the ruling class, and looks like protecting them to the end of time. or violent over-throw. *orwell was all over this, with 'newspeak' and 'double-think.' although the sovs weren't as good at lying as usa.
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  1001. since 1948, the usa has led a crusade against the prc, chiefly involving economic warfare through interdiction of trade. there was some shooting, in korea and vietnam, with mixed results. consequently, prc is not much inclined to co-operate in many international 'rules.' they are clear about usg intentions to dominate the world, and disagree. i can understand the chinese viewpoint. just look at trump and biden, and anyone can understand that the usg is decadent, and totally directed by secret figures. who have no interest in anything but their private power and wealth. as for your trade surplus, don't accuse the chinese. look at your own politicians, and ask, "why have you allowed this?" they will answer, "we were bribed, and well-rewarded."
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  1002. I suggest 'counter-attack' is appropriate. Should have been 'educational experience' but USA people can' learn, and their masters don't need to.
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  1003. hedges must know by now that the american couch potato is not revolution material. usa has a fatal political structure, inherited from foundation by rich slave masters- they were on top, and wrote a constitution to make sure they stayed there. rich slavers gave way to rich industrialists and gave way to rich bankers, the rich have remained masters, madison was proud of his success in his lifetime, and would be justifiably proud still.
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  1004. 'violating usa sanctions with iran' is the moral equivalent of saying, 'we don't like her, she's costing us big bucks with her superior technology.' i sympathize with canada, canadian politicians can't get elected if usa frowns at them. but really guys, show a little spine.
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  1005.  @SaurabhKumar-uo6ms  'just? call it a hint: "we don't put up with kidnapping."
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  1006. nonsense. there are no democracies, and that's why would-be oligarchs prosper. they don't have to fight with citizens, they only have to struggle with the other political gangs, while the people [who are not citizens] keep their heads down.
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  1007.  @jimstoner6884  there are flavours of oligarchy. Voting for people is not democracy.
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  1008. you are biting off a big, foul-tasting chunk of history, and not sure much good will come of it, but 'respect' for your effort.
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  1009. usa was born to preserve slavery, enable ethnic cleansing, and ensure the rule of the rich over the poor. the resulting culture reflects that beginning, although the lumpen couch potato might still protest they are better off than slaves. that culture has not changed, the people are ignorant and alienated, the democrats as crooked as the republicans. listen to biden saying 'nothing will change,' to the rich. the grip of the rich on the levers of government may well be loosened, but that has happened before, without lasting consequence. indeed, the republican party once was more progressive than the democrats. a new party of the right is not in view, so the republicans are in no danger. in fact, their grip on most of the state governments is at a high point. the only significant change possible is military rule, and usa is not quite there, yet. the army is bleeding the national budget, keeping the generals well fed, the troops employed without high casualties, so plutocracy seems stable. if trump manages to start a big war, a coup is more likely than civilized socialism.
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  1010. you can govern a nation through democracy. but not a corporation. a corporation has a single purpose , to trade goods or service for money. it regards its share-holders as people, all others as prey. democracy in the nation is necessary, for rule by elite is never just, and usually oppressive, a commercial enterprise can be and usually is, run to make a profit for the owners. co-ops are possible, and exist in the current 'capitalist' economy, but they do not flourish. they do not have access to capital, so can not grow quickly. they are therefore liable to be suffocated by the most competent organizations from the 'publicly owned' competition. co-ops are not political organizations, they can never defend their members from the state. they can flourish in a democracy by nourishing citizenship in the people. get democracy first, use initiative to shape the nation, probably into some kind of socialism.
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  1011. biden will be no roosevelt, and neither was roosevelt. the only reason usa pulled out of the great depression is ww2. what presages social collapse is simply the quality of people who get into power. exit usa. prc is having a good spell with personnel, and will glide past usa if there is no war.
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  1012. if you value freedom of information, then you have to let people say what they want. fb should also fact-check, and flag lies of fact. then readers are warned and can evaluate source with more references.
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  1013. what can be the agent of change, under the constitution of the usa? nothing, really, it was designed to achieve stasis, since it was written by rich men fearing change. that is why fdr achieved so little, much of which now long erased. usa did not recover from the great depression, it was bailed out by arms orders from europe. but go on talking about personalities, usa is more concerned with celebrities than material reality because material reality is far out of reach. no candidate can offer transformational change, you are being deluded, or at least, 'entertained,' by chat quite divorced from reality.
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  1014. babble. if you want to know what the people of usa want, ask them. use referendum to do it. if you want to make sure the right questions are asked, establish democracy, use initiative to direct and correct the administration.* submitting to politicians is shameful, if you are capable of shame. *did you know, politicians in office used to refer to 'the administration?' it was nixon that started talking about 'his government.' i think the depression and appearance of socialist parties frightened american politicians into simulated humility, but nixon felt normal order has been restored, and tried to establish a presidential guard in funny hats, like austro-hungarian army. that hats didn't catch on, the arrogance flourished.
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  1015.  @julieyoung-garayt9384  if you are aware, and don't report, then you are part of the problem.
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  1016. be quiet, serf, your masters have a plan to dominate the world, and get richer still.
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  1017. more likely he saw it as his only path out of the cage.
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  1018. what is this 'it', grasshopper? was 'it' yours, ever? i think not. when one thief steals from another, why call the police? who are the police? your cousins? folks, you are cattle, usa is a holding pen, you can not organize and make it 'yours' in the property sense because the other cattle are not your cousins, they are strangers. 'moo' all you like, your masters will decide your fate.
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  1019. 'robbing your democracy?' if you think the usa is, or ever has been, a democracy, then trump is not your problem.
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  1020. a note on electoral engineering: when a left party and a right party contend for votes, each will make concessions to 'peel-off' some middle ground votes. when the 'right' party energizes its base by drifting further right, it pays the left party to occupy the middles that the right has abandoned. this process has resulted in a two party system, famously characterized by gore vidal as "a right-wing party, and a farther-right-wing party. it is foolish to chide the democrats for leaving the poor and working classes behind- they are in the 'getting-elected' business, not the fairy-godmother business. when you discover neither party suits you, it is time to consider alternatives. the first consideration should be, politicians are not our friends. is there a system where the people control the administration of the nation? yes, there is. it's called 'democracy.
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  1021. if you are too dim to see the need for democracy, to lazy to get it or too frightened, then you will be cattle. that's why you are cattle,and will always be cattle. no use worrying about the media, your problem is close by: step over to the nearest mirror.
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  1022. of course it happened! should have been stopped, but no one was paying attention.
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  1023. it will need revolution, to democracy, to prevent war. the political parties have nothing to offer but war, against nations whose crime it is , to resist usa dominance. i see no sign of this happening.
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  1024. you can't build a bridge with mudbricks, i think. nor a sane society with americans.
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  1025. not because of trump. the entire history of the usa promotes a national character of arrogance and aggression. it just happens that emperors come in different sizes and strengths. you've got a dud, right now, but he still hasn't done as much damage as dubya, or lbj.
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  1026. by now, you should have figured out that trump is dim, and crooked. so he makes accusations as a cover for his own actions and wishes. that doesn't really matter. what matters is, what can the people of the usa do to get a good society? my guess is, you can't get there from here. are you more optimistic?
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  1027. it was never a democracy of any kind. an early example of orwellian double-speak.
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  1028. i wonder why americans don't want democracy.
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  1029. seems like germany and japan came out of occupation stronger than the victors of ww2. perhaps rebuilding from zero resulted in a more functional society.
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  1030. when the people rule [democracy] conditions suit the citizens. when a few rule [oligarchy ] the conditions suit the few. if you don't have the character to get and hold democracy, study endurance, cultivate austerity, practice sycophancy, because democracy does not come to or remain with a people content to be cattle.
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  1031. i made 1 really good decision in my life - get the hell out of usa. it was inspired by mass war-crime, but the same psychotic criminality drives every public activity, right down to screwing school-kids out of a good education. a truly evil empire.
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  1032. if you keep making fun of yer betters, they will have to step on you. gently at first, with a tax audit. i am amazed at the inability of murrikins to realize their status in society. i suppose that's a tribute to the usa public education system.
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  1033. war is investment. soldiers in, loot out. there was nothing of great value in the forests of germany, the germans functioned well in the dispersed gangs of defenders, there was nothing of value to send a legion against. augustus learned the lesson. many since have failed.
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  1034. usa is not a democracy. until you admit that, political discussion is pointless. as for promoting democracy around the world, the whole world knows that just means 'submit, or be shot, bombed or invaded.'
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  1035. your problem is not healthcare. your problem is cowardice. you could have democracy, and as much socialism as the electorate wanted, if you weren't afraid to tell the politicians to go. gun in hand, but they would take the hint.
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  1036. the problem is not trump. it's no longer the problem of the political system. it has become a problem of the character of the usa elite, and most of the usa plebs, created by the system. there is no recovery, you are where you should be, given the immanent nature of the problem. just another banana republic, except the grossly over-sized military is a problem for the world.
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  1037. biden is a safety candidate visibly entering alzheimer's syndrome. if that's the best you've got, what are you doing wrong?
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  1038. not only do they exist, they are a great comfort on a slow news day.
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  1039. there's only one decisive phrase. hasn't happened yet, probably. vlad has more bullets and bombs and men. ukrainans continue to fight, and every day of no change is in their favor. vlad must get tougher, or retire to ?argentina. he looks very tough. i think he has to win. ukraine gov will fight as long as us money and weapons last, and people to use them, and the retire to los angeles. nice home there, waiting for z. the pope is on my side, which is a worry. most of the nuclear weapons are on the other side, but i bet vlad will shoot first, don't you?
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  1040. they forgot to bring their body-armour. maybe someone lost the key to the locker? can't blame usa cops, they were raised to be dim-witted thugs and the usa police force fitted them perfectly. if they were just a little smarter, they could be 'special forces' and kill other people's children.
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  1041. you use what weapons you have, and the usg has been at war with everyone, for a long time. after ww2, their relative strength and wealth released all restraint, and formed the insensate attitude of imperial power. but dysfunctional economy has brought usa back closer in power to a few other states, and they are getting a little nervous about their position in the world. so, sanctions, threats and strange alliances. i think prc has achieved parity in strength, both military and economic. any shortfall is compensated by much better national management. so they will come to the leading position in international affairs, barring mass war and/or climate collapse. will the usa destroy the world, in order to hold on to it? that would be irrational. but they are irrational. the young must despise the old, to let things come to such a global crisis.
    2
  1042.  @Snookynibbles  the 2nd made sense in 1789, but a lot has happened since then.
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  1043. in the end, i am torn between pity and contempt for americans. pure contempt for their government, of course. but it is hard to motivate cattle to revolt, so those who see and smell what their nation is deserve pity for being unable to change things. contempt also, because they could try harder.
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  1044. usg is utterly corrupt, and if this is news to you, turn to the football channel. you're wasting your time, here.
    2
  1045. sanders is a career politician. they may stay poor, but mostly they prosper. as long as you are ruled by an elite, they will dress well. they'll have a massive fridge too, stuffed with really good food. thank you lady pelosi for giving us commons a glimpse of what we could have had, after a very long lifetime of tireless service to the democratic party, if only we had thought to get elected. usans have had some exposure to the notion of democracy, but they do not realize the 3 laws of politics apply to the usa: law 1: if you get power, you will soon be rich. law 2: if you get rich you can buy power as needed. law 3: if you do neither, suck up to the 1's and 2's, and survive.
    2
  1046. not potential flaws. built-in features with the purpose of allowing the rich to control the government. america needs a new constitution.
    2
  1047. it's not their country. their point of view is simply that the government of the nation screwed them by sending their jobs overseas. absolutely true. but that's the nature of capitalism and elective aristocracy. revolt at the ballot box is only the first step.
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  1048. actual progressives have trouble dealing with sociopaths. unfortunate, since more than half of america are selfish narcissists who only shrink from violence because they have a well-developed sense of their own personal value. once you grasp this fundamental psycho-social condition, american history and culture is revealed as the natural consequence it is. the presidency of donald trump now makes perfect sense. the hope of the progressive minority is illusory. flee to canada, unless you have the price of a plane ticket and a useful trade, then enzed is better, because farther.
    2
  1049. if you had citizen initiative, you could be citizens, and direct the activities of your nation. but you don't and you aren't. you are political beggars, pleading with the rich and powerful to throw you some coins. not very satisfying, i would have thought, but there is no visible activity towards getting democracy. a people that accepts elite rule will drift into slavery- and there you are.
    2
  1050. i often say that, but yer a clear first here, ole!
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  1051. just what the world needs, pronouncements from jp morgan.
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  1052. russia is resisting usa, that wins hearts around the world.
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  1053. so, what else is new? the usa was designed to be owned by the rich, and it is. good design. if you you don't like the results, you have to change the design. i recommend democracy.
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  1054. collective power through democracy is possible, the web makes it easy. all that is lacking is the will to act, the result of alienation from the current society. i think extinction will be met with a shrug of the shoulders.
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  1055. reagan was not the problem. the lack of democracy is the problem.. do you think usa would be in this condition, if the electorate had a power of citizen initiative?
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  1056.  @wvu05  it's better to have the state doing the will of the majority than the will of a minority. democracy does not promise anything but a means to ensure that the rich can be controlled. it's up to the people to ensure it is used wisely.
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  1057.  @technatezin  democracy works, if you have it. usa doesn't have it. democracy is not rule by politicians, it is rule by citizens.
    2
  1058. read the comments below and despair.
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  1059. they didn't have a choice, it was not a democracy. similarly, offered a choice between clinton and trump, disaster follows each one. so many people stay home, others flip a coin, or vote for a micro-party. voting for people is not democracy.
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  1060. world wide democracy hasn't begun, isn't dreamed of, and aside from the swiss, doesn't exist at the national level. so it's not at risk. foolish questions poison discussion.
    2
  1061. when are you going to accept that you need a new constitution?
    2
  1062. no need for military defense, usa protects us. may need moral defense, against usa.
    2
  1063. relying on natural immunity is similar relying on drivers to obey traffic regulations. participating in social activities requires rules. drive on the right side of the road, at the designated speed, and take medically approved means to prevent killing others by spreading disease. haven't you noticed usa has the worst response in the world, and highest number of refusees? many of whom die from covid, fortunately - improves the gene pool.
    2
  1064. when hyenas catch and eat a wildebeest, are they evil? are you surprised? politicians are crooked, incompetent and self-interested. it is their nature. like hyenas, it is foolish to complain about them. effective response is, to make them extinct by creating a democracy ruled by the electorate. it's not impossible: many state constitutions were changed to democratic ones back in the late 1800's/ early 1900's. it may be the the current american electorate is of lower character, complaint about that would be appropriate, but don't complain about politicians- they are few and you are many, if they rule, the fault is your own.
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  1065. people who talk about 'trust' are chumps. you don't need to talk about trust in a democracy because the administration of national affairs must be done in public, so the citizens can make informed decisions. when you talk about trust, you admit the nation is run in secret by an el;ite, and you admit your only hope is if your masters love you like a collective fairy god-mother. so you are chumps, 'cause they never are.
    2
  1066. there are secular saints, but many are directed to do good by a message from god. either way, homer sap must be grateful. the result is not always great, or even visible, but i suspect without the efforts on these good people, humanity would have eaten itself long ago. i disassociated myself from the usa long ago, as an act of personal salvation, and i recommend leaving for there are many better places to live. but staying and resisting deserves great respect.
    2
  1067. well said, mr j. i stopped worrying about foreign affairs many years ago, i found that time could be saved by simply saying 'usa bad' and there was little to no loss of justice. if you had watched usa forces 'pacify' villages in vietnam, with frag bombs and napalm, you would have saved a lot of time classifying iraq and afghanistan as 'war-crime' as well.
    2
  1068. ​ @robeigner4390  the founders of the usa despised democracy, and said so, and made sure it didn't happen. it would lead,they said, to the taxes of the rich being used for the purposes of the poor. and they were rich. 'democratic republic' is a nonsense. invented to soothe people like you. the word 'democracy' means the citizens rule, not politicians.
    2
  1069. mr hartmann makes a good living reporting the horrors of usa politics and culture. and yet, the numerous shootings each week seem apolitical, just common street violence. 'it just happens, ain't it a shame!' but in fact, the second amendment provides the guns, that's politics, and a thriving business. and the street crime is based on the constitution. it creates poverty, it creates a drug market, it empowers the rich to get richer, and the poor to emulate, in however feeble a manner they can. but the rich don't notice, and they run the nation. usans persist in referring their nation as a democracy, in the face of all evidence, and that level of double-think prevents any thought of change. now they are concerned about baby formula. usa has a thousand problems, and talking about this one is sophisticated thought-control. there is a potential nuclear war simmering in ukraine, and baby formula has seized your attention? in fact, the puerility of usa politics is quite uniform, near omni-present. the current and previous ceo's of usa are mental defectives. haven't you noticed? they were and are in charge of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, doesn't bother you, at all?
    2
  1070. your problem is not the web. you can see your problem in the mirror. democracy is not 'rule by politician.' it's 'rule by citizens.' but first you have to be a citizen, not a passive civilian. you can't get democracy by wishing, and if you are willing to be 'looked after' by politicians, well, how's that working out?' very well for bezos. but the other 300 million are chumps. what to do? subscribe to a demand by the people for democracy. buy a gun. if you aren't willing to shoot, you will be the slave of those who are.
    2
  1071. no such thing as legitimate elite rule. democracy is rule by the people, every thing else is oligarchy by some small group, rich, or religious, or military, and founded on force. we should get democracy soon if we are to save our species, but i see no sign of progress in that regard.
    2
  1072. i like monarchies. when you have a monarch and say yer 'democratic,' immediately i know yer an idiot. but when yer ruled by politicians and say yer 'democratic,' you could either be an idiot, or a cynical hypocrite. then you got to find out which, a great waste of time.
    2
  1073. unfortunately, prof wolff never talks about political structure. perhaps it's too hard for you. but economic questions depend on political structure. you can talk all you want about 'capitalism' and 'socialism' without achieving anything, because you, and he, are not members of the ruling group. at the end of your discussion, there is never an action statement, because you are not citizens of a democracy, you are civilians, in an oligarchy. watchers, only. yet action is very much called for. immediate and substantial change in response to climate threat is necessary, to reduce the effects of global warming. but politicians will not act in time because the immediate rewards of doing nothing will always incline them to look away. it will be someone else's disaster, 'i'll be retired, rich and cocooned in money.' and that is the use of democracy: rule by the people tends to be rule for the people. but you haven't got democracy, and no public figure suggests you better get it. much the same could be said about every society, possibly excepting helvetia. which is why h. sap. is entering a population collapse period. extinction may result, but unlikely.
    2
  1074. you don't need a union, you don't need a fairy godfather called 'bernie.' you just need democracy. is that so hard to figure out?
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  1075. interesting to inject psychiatry into political discussion, but people do what they think will benefit them, trump most notably. trump said "pump me up and they did," i presume his doctors are selected for a compliant nature. i caught a clip of one of his doctors who on the basis of 10 words suggested to me that he missed his calling as a used car salesman. he was slick and shiny, and evasive. so, did trumpy have a mild case and come out saying "don't worry about it!" did trumpy have a serious case and come out saying "don't worry about it!" cuz the uppers work until he dies next week. did trumpy have a fake case and come out saying "don't worry about it!" for sympathy and admiration. the truth is in no politician anyway, and trumpy is genuinely unclear as to the meaning of the word. in the end, words lose their value, and action must be taken from appearance. usans may imagine that their nation will be good as new, as soon as this temporary embarrassment is removed. but no. not even certain the next creature in the wh is better, even. politics in the usa is so degenerate that trump is the new normal.
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  1076. the virus is here to stay. society will have to make adjustments. temp wands at every public doorway, and immediate follow-up with swab tests and isolation. restaurants are obsolete, take-away/delivery will flourish. stadia will disappear, public transit must re-configure. virtual sex has a bright future, as soon as 'feelly appendages' are usb capable. public drunkenness will disappear, traffic accidents become rare. what a wonderful world it will be! and politicians will finally be hunted to extinction.
    2
  1077. by whom? no citizen initiative will issue from this 'suggestion,' you are just playing at pretend citizenship. mr. hartmann at least makes a living from this charade.
    2
  1078. i have been watching the activity of the usa government with increasing horror and disgust since the vietnam war. nowadays, i find it saves time to simply assume anything they say, is a lie, anything they do, is evil. the unrest in xinjiang is outside my personal experience, so i have no strong opinion. but it smells like the activity of the cia in south and central america, so that will be my initial supposition.
    2
  1079. telephonic relationships are safer in many ways.
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  1080. 'hurt us a lot?' who is 'us?' the usa elite can see their primacy in world trade melting away, simply because usa is badly managed. the leader selection process has delivered a trump, and a biden, and senate and house are also staffed by greedy jerks. the chumps who tolerate their rule cannot expect prosperity from such a crew of degenerates. high and low, usa is on the way out, for cause. the constitution is 230 years old, and written to prop up slavery and genocide. you won't be missed.
    2
  1081. what it means is 'don't rock the boat!' ---- signed d. state, for the central committee. but it's not gonna happen, trump will go quietly, and get assisted passage to moscow.
    2
  1082. doesn't matter what usa thinks, usa government is wholly owned by money, private and corporate..
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  1083. when you live in a democracy, you talk about what needs to be done, and how to do it- growing up in such a society forms citizen quality people. it is in the interests of the citizens that all be well-educated. but the usa is not a democracy, at the federal level, and many, perhaps most of its people are not citizen quality. not a unique situation, as only switzerland is a democracy, close enough. political discussion in an elective aristocracy is consequently inane- necessarily about people, little different from adolescent chat about sports stars. and yet it is vitally important that the temporary lords and ladies serve the nation well. the disconnect between this necessity and the reality of depending on politicians to act on the public welfare, when history demonstrates endlessly that they do not, has brought more than half of the people to such contempt of the government as to simply not vote. at the same time, a nation blessed by geography and resources beyond all others is clearly rotting. bernie is not the answer. but he may be a temporary reprieve, while deeper solutions are sought.
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  1084. 'released in 2021' is still possible, but looking less likely with every new action. it is wrong to publish wishes based on perception of laws, because usa does what its masters want, and canada listens to those masters too. usa is utterly corrupt, they plan and act out of naked greed. they wanted to put huawei out of business, because it would draw off profits from the west, perhaps more importantly, because they would not comply with allowing nsa to monitor their traffic. we have entered a new war, all measures short of open violence. pray it goes no deeper.
    2
  1085. money will save you.
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  1086. seems like this case has brought the orcs out from under their rocks. manly men kill before breakfast! but its the politicians that deserve more contempt. they create these uniformed psychopaths, and let them off the leash as a demonstration of their true-blue allegiance to their yank paymasters.
    2
  1087. and she ain't wrong. but usans can't wake up, drugged from birth.
    2
  1088. it is wrong to look for logic or justice in politics. getting and holding power are the only parameters.
    2
  1089. actually, it was always a tool of empire, just ask the locals, if any remain in your neighborhood.
    2
  1090. the government of the usa is modeled on that of britain circa george 3rd. quite a bit has happened since then, but both are resolutely not democratic. uk seems to be more flexible, since the law is whatever the judges say it is, unless the parliament writes something contrary. brexit, if they ever get it done, will be convenient for the usg. uk will have to drop the pretencs of independence from usa direction. disaster for the people of uk, whose future would be brighter in e. u. than usa lapdog. may not make any difference in medium term, rule by politicians generally means little to no response to the climate elephant in the room. and some governments are determined to promote fossil fuel use. take names, you children will want to hunt them down, and expose them to the power of the sun. naked, on an anthill.
    2
  1091. democrats don't lie? it is necessary for politicians to lie. you shouldn't hold it against them, part of their professional tools. the problem comes from voting for politicians. you don't have to. you could vote 'yes' to whatever referendum or initiative you like, or 'no.' just ignore politicians and they'll fade away. but you don't have referendum or initiative? whose fault is that?
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  1092. no use blaming trump, he is what he is because usa is what it is. whenever you hate on trump, give a moments thought to how crooked, incompetent and self-satisfied clinton and the democratic party had to be, in order to lose to such a creature. it;s not clear they would have been any better, now is it? certainly they had not a skerrick of character in excess of trump's. indeed, they still despise the voters so much that a stick figure like biden is deemed good enough to unseat trump. it's the system, chillun, and it's going to keep finding bidens and trumps. worse if a bernie got in the oval office they'd nail the door closed and run it from cia hq.
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  1093. when you owe a little money, you do what you are told. when you owe a lot, you do as you please. it's likely usa will never pay, and each day usd is worth less, the debt melts.
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  1094. it's a question of motivation and goals: if the goal is to make the rich richer, it functions well. usa needs a new constitution. can't get it without revolution.
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  1095. there won't be a coup for awhile, because it's been a long time since it's been necessary. the generals and the munitions investors already get a giant slice of the national cake, and most are sane enough not to ring the goose's neck. it's not a stable situation, but the plutocrats are, mostly, aware that inviting generals to step to the front didn't work, back in the 30's. there is also the possibility the wrong general might win the baton. there are potential 'hugo chaves' figures in the u.s. military. i could see tulsi riding into town in a weapons carrier about 10 years from now. most likely in a saddle on a lazer-mounted drone tiger. with about 50,000 others, all controlled from her secret base on a pacific island.
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  1096. one of the charms of real democracy is the relative unimportance of administration personnel. when public business is necessarily conducted in public, there is not much to be gained by shooting people. murder is personal. not political. jfk angered a number of important people, notably allen dulles. for him the shooting of jfk was both personal and political, and he had the resources and experience to get it done. perhaps he sounded out a few houston plutocrats, for political support, but he didn't need much. would have been seething when he totally mis-calculated the invasion of cuba, got a verbal skin abrasion, and a notice of termination of employment.
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  1097. relax. the generals like to have an answer if the politicians panic. i hope the answer is, 'we will win, but politicians will die.'
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  1098. madison was necessarily frank about the goals of the constitution, in order to sell it to the convention and nation. slavery of africans and expropriation of land from traditional users was built-in, for the purpose of allowing rich people to rule, and get richer with it. but that was the capstone on the grave of indigenous society, as well as cementing the subjection of americans to wealth. the seminal moment was actually the landing of the pilgrims in massachusetts, firearms, plough farming and european diseases spelt doom for the locals.
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  1099. what's wrong with inciting violence? usa shoots people at home and abroad, often in numbers. pretending to be civilized is understandable, but not many are fooled.
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  1100. the trouble with parliamentary government was eminently displayed: if you want a particular feature of national action, you must swallow the whole package of the party that agrees with your desire. 'brexit' was the 'must-have' of this election, and it looks like being the death of the nhs as a collateral casualty. in fact, the tories will impose endless pain on the plebs, you might feel 'serves 'em right.' if britain were a democracy, brexit would have been dealt with by referendum, but it isn't. so the plebiscite was just a device to suck in votes which otherwise might have gone largely to labor. between uk and usa, it is sometimes hard to tell which political system more crooked. also difficult to tell which populace more naive, more dim.
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  1101. btw, "nobody likes bernie" is going to be the ironic catch-phrase of the century. but only if elected, of course.
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  1102. well, you can have it both ways: native americans simply lost the war. they had no powerful friends. the palestinians lost the war, but do have powerful friends. not powerful enough, not friendly enough, for victory, but strong enough to keep some hope alive. this is not a question of justice, merely one of military power. so long as usa is strong and sees some advantage in supporting zionism, the jews win. but the crusaders held parts of palestine for 100 years, so a change of military conditions has precedent in this area.
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  1103. why do you worry about democracy? never had it, don't know what it is, won't miss it.
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  1104. mr piketty doesn't matter, nor does the usa people. they don't rule. don't know why usans don't want democracy, probably too dim to get it, maybe too dim to hold it, so why worry about politicians? just do as yer told.
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  1105. 'american democracy.' --- all smell, no burger.
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  1106. because you are brought up to accept that you are 2nd rate, and better people , aka aristocrats, should direct the nation. if you are too ignorant, too frightened, or too lazy, to get democracy, you will have to get along with whine sessions with jimmy [who makes a living by orchestrating the whining.]
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  1107. it's not enough, to say, "capitalism is bad." prof wolff ignores the inconvenient reality that politics rules economics. aristotle knew better, when he summarized society by asking: "who decides?" if you want a society fair to all, you must create a society in which every voice is heard. there is such a social structure, it's called 'democracy.' until you get democracy, elites will rule, for their own benefit. marx ignored this reality, too. it was in the 'too hard' basket. but it's really not hard. if a people wants democracy, they can have it. numbers will win. why then do elites rule? because priests, and retired academics, assure the people that things will get better without the need for gunfire. no, they won't get better without gunfire. power is never given away, and people who will not fight will always be the cattle of those who can afford to hire bodyguards.
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  1108. not democracies, to begin with.
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  1109. i suspect they will substitute warren-klobuchar at the convention. biden is just keeping the seat occupied.
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  1110. well, if you let politicians run the nation, this is what you get. should be no surprises here. i recommend getting democracy, although i confess i doubt americans are citizen quality people. too many bubbas, too many couch-potatoes. the system generated a 'trump' in the ceo position. doesn't that suggest you need a new system?
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  1111. 'subvert american democracy?' usa is not a democracy, and madison explained in detail why he didn't want democracy, and how he was planning to prevent it. and lo! it came to pass. usa is an elective aristocracy, in the service of the rich, by design. implying the existence of democracy to usa is profound ignorance at best.
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  1112. still complaining about the rules? how about facing reality. the dnc is not a public service, they have no responsibility to anyone but their owners, if you want the benefits of democracy first you must get democracy. this may be too hard for americans to understand, but more probably it requires more effort than they are willing to make. in which case, you may complain as children do, but your masters will ignore you if they wish. citizenship is not free, nor a gift. it requires a transfer of power, and commonly only happens as a consequence of revolution. this is big people's business, not suited to children.
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  1113.  @leovolont  not as bad as it sounds. the public service should administer the nation, under the direction of the electorate, through referendum and initiative. that's called 'democracy.'
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  1114. why not get democracy, and run the nation for the people, because by the people? it's really not hard, just needs a lot of would-be citizens saying 'or else,' and meaning it.
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  1115. in a two party system, one party must seek the pleasure of the wealthy, or another will be born to do so. in the usa, this party is the republican, and it chose this path at birth. the other party was never the party of the lowers, it was the party of wealth, also, but it was the party of landed wealth, the slave plantations. originally the democratic-republican party, it re-named itself after the civil war, and became the democratic party, the defender of southern whites. there was a period in the thirties, when pressure from genuine socialists pushed the democrats towards support of welfare measures, but it was never a socialist party, just an opportunist party with differing support groups. workers in the north, whites in the south. which is why both parties have no ideals, and no goals but power. and the people who work in them are largely contemptible con-men initially, amoral sociopaths with age. no one who makes a career in either party retains a skerrick of ethics, nor any real grasp of reality outside the dc ring-road. it is a waste of effort to discuss backing anyone from either party, they are all bidens, or worse. if you want to improve your nation, plan revolution.
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  1116. unlikely. the religious leaders would not have liked a secular government, but they didn't have to leave until the shah was installed. and they weren't arab, just persian nut cases of the shia variety. @Shah Suri .
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  1117. why? because they are a civilized nation run by very smart people.
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  1118. the usual mistake is "we can win! and riches will ensue." next most common is, "we must fight, or they will crush us!" [currently playing in ukraine] now and then, a little near accidental gunfire at sarajevo triggers immanent stresses. but this is not useful. we must aim at rational guidance of national capacity to achieve needs and goals. i suggest that only democracy can hope to achieve rational direction. only democracy requires public discussion of national activity, so that the directors of society, the citizens, can make informed decisions. public discussion offers the best chance of exposing faulty thinking. then, when the citizens decide, that decision will be supported by the people who must pay for it, whether money or blood. that concentrates the mind.
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  1119. inflation sounds like a good thing, if you have nothing, or maybe some land with a house on it. if you are renting, eventually not so good. but cash in hand today, tomorrow may not come. what seems clear, is that some societies are remarkably fragile, held together by everyone doing as they are expected too, and knocked over by a disease of which 1 in a hundred has, of which 2 in a hundred die, and more than half of those on a pension, no loss, economically. canada is at least trying to transition back to normality with minimum pain to its people, in obvious contrast to usa. the wrong people are running canda, and worse people running usa. there is room for science in the design of political society. there are phd's who concern themselves with this matter, why are they silent?
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  1120. the pessimists are more numerous, but silent or suicides. and it's not too late to prevent extinction, maybe, so worthwhile to fight back.
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  1121. you have to vote for someone, or stay home. it's not democracy, but elective oligarchy is better than plain old monarchy. so, syou are poiled for choice this time, for two reasons: 1-trump looks very beatable.* 2-democrat establishment reeks. losing to trump, by talking to goldman, sachs instead of visiting mid-west and offering programs is not going to be quickly forgotten. new faces very much desired, plenty have applied. old faces, even bernie, much less loved. buttigieg is smart, educated, ticked off all the boxes, and can form a good sentence, building a discourse worth listening to. a winning combination, you might think, but obama demonstrated that he could do all that, and accomplish very little. mayor pete needs to write a program, what to do, how to do it. andrew yang is equally smart, and doesn't want to be a politician- he wants to do things, has thought out ideas on what and how. his only serious weakness is that he doesn't want to sneak into office on charm, he wants to be a referendum with a face and a verbal user's manual. voters should love that, but they never have seen it before and it may require too much thinking for the electorate. maybe he should be consigliere for mayor pete. *andy yang doesn't need a party. he pulls votes from every direction. could run as an independent and put trump in power.again. yang and buttigieg should have a chat and make sure this doesn't happen.
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  1122. ole1
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  1123. usa was never a democracy. some states have initiative, the people should use it to make politicians extinct. if you don't admit reality, hard to see how you can change it in a productive way. the people usa are not citizen quality. they tolerate politician rule, natural serfs, while talking about democracy as a face-saver.
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  1124. hedges is respectable, and knowledgeable, and immediately these two charming 'hillies' look like the one-use throw-away talking heads they are. no crime in it, at least they appear to be on the side of the angels, so far as it is in their competence. american political discussion is generally useless, being little connected to reality. hedges has been toiling in the trenches, dodging the occasional bullet or bomb, and reads history. my only complaint with him is that he is not even che guevara, even less mao ze dung. america is better for having this critic, but needs a revolutionary leader.
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  1125. the swiss may be a capitalist democracy, usa is not, and never was.
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  1126. what crime? whose laws? @greymind9815 
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  1127. relax, muggles- those devious dnc slime balls have avoided the bernie trap again, biden is occupying the space, and the super delegates will retire him and insert warren in the nomination. add klobuchar as vp, roll over trump, then they dust off the fdr playbook, hire the unemployed to sweep the streets, and declare war on venezuela, iran, madagascar and paraguay. this diverts attention while they flee to new zealand with the only terminal that can access the u. s. treasury. only joking, because treating politics seriously is a chump's game. somehow the world resembles medieval italy and i wasn't sent the memo. what can you say, serious, when a stat chart acts like an ammeter with a shout circuit in the line. surely there will be large unit gun battles in every city, those absurdly militarized police units will suddenly be needed, and arson will be a popular hobby.
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  1128. australia does not play china. the morrison government has decided to be usa lap dog. that plays well, at home. it is disquieting when foreign policy is directed by domestic political advantage, but that's life in a parliamentary monarchy. in recent weeks the prc central committee has promoted oz from useless bystander to active executor of usa policies. i've forgotten the exact phrase, but the notice was our addition to a list: 'strike in the event of war.' rudd is a smart man, and sophisticated, but was unable to enlist the oz voter to empower labor. too bad, might have saved our lives. however, may make no difference. oz is badly directed, but has been 'lucky' in the past. fingers crossed.
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  1129. ask the wrong question, get a useless answer. politician rule has had 230 years to demonstrate competence, are you happy with the result? why aren't you demanding democracy? for that matter, for the last 40 years, the central committee of the prc has been demonstrating performance so much greater than usg as to bring into question motivation of usa rulers. are they a mix of fools and con-artists, all crooked in various degrees? the constitution of the usa established elective oligarchy, in service to the rich. that was the stated aim of the founding fathers. and it worked - that is exactly what you have. if you are satisfied with the result, why are you here?
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  1130. usd has been a scrap of myth for years. half the disposable income of the government is directed to military ends, and half of that ends up in elite share-holdings, off-shored, no doubt. it's like a nation of victims of bureaucrat vampires. by comparison, prc is switching to digital currency passing through bank of china with every transaction. their government can steal from itself, but no one else can steal at all. you might think an educated electorate could get democracy, and use it to make grand crime impossible. but usa chumps seemingly lose the power of active thought shortly after birth. i blame those inoculations every child must have. a nation of zombies.
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  1131. many nations are shifting to cashless commerce, in part to make fraud difficult. but that's only half the solution. the other half is making the transactions immediately a public record, accessible to anyone with a terminal.
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  1132. the gop is in control of most state governments, has always been the party of wealth and will continue to be, and suggesting they are resembling the fascists and nazis does not make them irrelevant. the fact that a noxious creature like trump can seize control says more about the dem party than the reps. the democratic party has no ideology, and was willing to pursue the rich for a share of power and wealth, and this will continue. the people of the usa are political sheep, ill-educated and conditioned from birth to worship wealth. even 'progressives' accept this primary legitimacy of wealth, and offer no plan to institute democracy. without democracy, the political management will be the agent of wealth, unless the military decide to take control. there is no visible path to justice, so - sauve, qui peut!
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  1133. the ethos of usa is built on lies, lightly obscured by myths. reality is breaking in, powered by declining standard of living and the natural alienation of any society that dare not look closely at its history. the cure is simple but too hard for usa. where it is and has been makes survival impossible. the only remaining interest lies in whether this evil empire is going to destroy the world in its struggle against collapse.
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  1134. i wish it were inevitable. jfk was a politician. he lies from nature. if you imagine a politician is your friend, your life will be endless unpleasant surprises.
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  1135. it does. as close as usa ever came to stable prosperity, but the political base was biased toward plutocracy. so they bought back their nation, one politician at a time.
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  1136. there's a living to be made, in revealing some of the dark side of usa government. but it's so hard to get insurance. if you have an alternative income, be silent, and live longer.
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  1137. one can hope the cv19 experience will shake usa into some kind of sanity, but it would be a vain hope. usa is buried in its culture, constrained by its laws, and the limit of their hope is a kind master. seldom met, and competence doesn't enter into the question, as no competence can matter in a system designed to be changeless. until it crashes. this might be soon, many fragile points are visible, but what comes out of the crash might be equally vile. trump might disgust you, but in fact he is the quintessential successful american businessman. bombastic, selfish, irresponsible, empty and fake. took him right to the top- america recognized what it loved.
    2
  1138. trump is an ineffecrual jerk. his only outstanding qualification is that he is not a politician. that should inspire wide-spread discussion about the need for a new constitution. not a word. that should inspire dread . the future of an immobile society in a changing world can only be collapse.
    2
  1139. maltese name, i believe. hard to say, but sticks in the mind. an asset, on balance.
    2
  1140. doesn't it seem strange, that the leadership selection process resembles a circus?
    2
  1141. italy a useful step. but china is already a significant presence in balkans and africa, and the port at piraeus is making money for greece that the e. u. never offered. prc politburo seems to be dancing rings around europe and usa, and maybe italy is being sensible to be early in the shift to the east. mandarin is easier than english, too.
    2
  1142. let's use basic english: the rich are greedy, politicians absolutely corrupt, and any talking head who ascribes 'democracy' to the usa is lazy-minded, at best. the usa was created to preserve the rule of wealth, it's architect said as much, and incidentally to extend african slavery in usa for as long as possible. that legal framework remains the fundamental law of the land, and there is no rule 'by the people' in it. lincoln lied, as you should expect - he was a politician. the people of usa remain as ignorant and passive as their british forebears, the natural consequence of being held in permanent tutelage. so, 'neo-liberalism' is the topic du jour? maybe you should review 'democracy,' first. once you know what democracy is, the existence of 'neo-liberalism' will confirm that you don't have democracy.
    2
  1143. don't stop there, castration is the final solution.
    2
  1144. if usa was a democracy, the electorate could save the nation, legally. but all you've got is revolution. too much trouble, eh?
    2
  1145. pathetic. when the cia organizes a coup south of the border, people die. those buffoons at the capitol were on day release for a bus trip to see the big people. if history is any guide, assassins carry weapons, not buffalo horns. perhaps it was organized by the cia, to provide a stage to launch a repression of outsiders from the political caste. if trump did nothing else, he threw a spotlight on the degenerate state of usa politics. embarrassing, must not happen again.
    2
  1146. to begin with, p51 was a long range, high altitude fighter, while fw190 was oriented towards battlefield domination. low and mid- alt performance. each could reliably whip the other in its specialty. the 190 had a feature that is seldom remarked upon in these 'what if' chats: cheap and rugged. that meant there were more 190's in the air, and numbers count, too. somewhat like the t34/85: just good enough, and lots of them.
    2
  1147. politicians often act globally to cement their position domestically, it's just one of the reasons homo sapiens should make politicians extinct. neither xi nor putin are cuddly, but their recent co-ordination in foreign affairs will, i hope, make usa + lackeys less inclined to lean on threats of war as a bargaining tool.
    2
  1148. lessee, china politiburo much smarter than american leaders. they are still holding a lot of cash, while gradually building a eurasia trading net by rail and ship, and they can plan and execute long range goals. america has trump, the senate, and lives on printing money. i wonder how that is gonna turn out?
    2
  1149. Mr h is supporting a large family and must generate a new hook every 3 hours. Sometimes the result is hilarious.
    2
  1150. the usa has not been the world's police. the world's gangster would be appropriate. when tg stops weasel-wording, i'll listen. in the meantime, she's just another politician looking for a better job. you can do worse, and often do. but entrusting the nation's law, policy and plans to politicians has made the usa a blot on the planet, starting with the '3/5ths rule' and continuing through the simple war-crime in iraq, and endemic mass murder with drones and surrogates in arabia and central america. time to give democracy a trial.
    2
  1151. nonsense. ukrainians don't vote in usa elections. and if foreign governments know something deleterious about usa political candidates or office holders, you should be grateful for the information. god knows american media are utterly uninterested in anything but making a dollar and pushing their own political cause.
    2
  1152. just by chance, does rupert murdoch own that one? the is a tell-tale waft of nazi attitude about that paper. i had to stop reading it, years ago, due to a phobia -
    2
  1153. no use figuring out the conn, if the result isn't gunfire.
    2
  1154. this is actually a demonstration of social evolution, and china is way out in front. i don't carry cash anymore, but here in sydney the banks are still leeching. but not for long!
    2
  1155. i wonder if humanity will rise to the challenge of the sociopathic strain that permeates every culture. right now, it appears that the hyena-people will triumph, while destroying the environment on which we all depend.
    2
  1156. it's good that politicians are slightly touchy about personal violence, but nothing good will come of it until they are terrified of lynching, for cause.
    2
  1157. i doubt they want to, but i'm sure they are aware that usa aggression would be much stronger if they brought taiwan back under usa dominance. so prc will do whatever is necessary to keep taiwan out of usa hands. usa is priming india and japan to be the attack dogs, as a device to make war 'safely.' for usa, that is. taiwan would be another useful base, as well as economic resource. if it doesn't come to nuclear war, prc will become the richest and most powerful nation. usa will fade from view, even as uk has. usa plutocrats are resisting with threats and plots. this can't win. will it come to war? interesting times. throw in the looming climate catastrophe and you can see extinction of the peak species as race suicide.
    2
  1158. well, that clarifies the nature of indian government.
    2
  1159. surprised the margin was so slim. swiss used to be masters of their nation, but being surrounded by eu is turning out to be more wearing than nazi encirclement.
    2
  1160. as long as you use the word 'democracy' to describe the usa, then trump is entitled to be called 'heavenly father.'
    2
  1161. nothing permanent can be done until you get a constitution establishing democracy. nothing temporary can be done until an idea is supported by congress. the usa was designed to let the rich rule, and when you are on top, you make the rules hard to change. that's why there is no referendum, no citizen initiative, in the constitution. madison said plainly he was preventing democracy, and he has been very successful. so successful that no one, not even 'radicals,' refers to the lack of democracy. it is simply unthinkable in the usa, a sign of cultural indoctrination so deep that progress is impossible. but go on talking about how many angels can dance on a pin-head, it seems to satisfy many.
    2
  1162. the process of selecting candidates for office is not a public service. it's a service- business. you put money in, you get useful candidates out. it's not rigged, it is operated to maximize wealth and power for the dnc and its clients. you live in a plutocracy, people, not a democracy. it may be that you are too ignorant to understand that, but i prefer to think that you are pretending to be shocked at the failure of 'democracy,' to save yourselves the trouble of confronting your inherited social/political disease. call it hypocrisy, or simple laziness, either way you shrink from confronting reality.
    2
  1163. the reason you have a second amendment is so you can shoot back. enough guns for everyone, in the usa, and that is real democracy: exercise of decisive power by the people. voting is better of course, but the constitution was written to prevent ordinary people from directing the nation. so get a new one, wherein you don't have to shoot to get respect.
    2
  1164. who's this 'jesus' guy? why wait for some fire-brand tomato-picker to save you?
    2
  1165. ole'
    2
  1166. be kind to truck drivers. on the other hand, don't let them direct national policy. that's the thing about not having democracy - unhappiness has no formal resolution process, and truck drivers get to thinking they should have some special power. hell of a way to run a nation. before you know it, it will spread to the army thinking they should direct policy. maybe they already do?
    2
  1167. take a walk in most usa cities, but not after dark. it's still an oligarchy, voting changes nothing, since the only voting is for politicians. in a democracy you vote for law and action, the word itself means 'the citizens decide.' there is no democracy at the national level, only elective oligarchy.
    2
  1168. no, he's not a serial killer. don't be silly- he's a dim-witted rich kid, grown old and resentful that he don't get no respect. as far as the thousands dying of the virus, not his fault. as far as the cities burning, not his fault. that's just usa society reacting to outside influences beyond anyone's control, and the tradition of american inhabitants setting fire to things they can't afford. just envy really. really not fair, here he is struggling, 3-4 days a week to get the 2nd term he's entitled to, and out of the blue, fire and plague. you have the master you deserve folks. trump is the perfect american - fat, vain, dim and won the lottery of family. i'm amazed they don;t fave a family serial based on his life. you have the means to be citizens of a democracy, and you settle for pluto-america and its temporary kings.
    2
  1169. if the hartmann pgm is 'lefty,' you can begin to understand how ignorant usans are. no hope for usa.
    2
  1170. not quite. but it will happen. the only long term prevention is democracy, and you haven't got it, don't seem to know what is, and many of those who do know, don't want it. it needs strong lateral bonds to resist the embrace of would-be dictators, and usa is notably without those bonds. the other side of town is a foreign country.
    2
  1171. 2 trillion distributed by shovel from the back of trucks would have been more useful. but this is usa. give it to the rich. if americans were francais, they'd be marching towards dc with chunks of rock in hand. as they are american, replace rocks with firearms- that's why you have them, you know. but as they are american, they scrabble off to job, 1, 2, or 3. while the chattering class wring their hands, for a living.. in that way you do resemble francais, about the time la belle marie said "if they hunger, let them come to back of the kitchen, for scraps of cake." she meant well, [not-so] poor lady, but a bit out of touch with reality. i don't see revolution in use just yet. armed militia no longer can contend with regular army. unless the grunts are from the same dispossessed class. which is almost the case. hmmm...
    2
  1172. why does trump have 'war powers?' because us congress wanted to use 'special forces' all around the world to create an empire, but did not want to get their names linked to continual acts of war-crime. so they passed a resolution subverting the constitution and washed their hands of all that nasty violence. nothing has changed, the next president will have war powers, so long as he keeps quiet about it. obama murdered thousands with drone bombs, but he didn't brag about it.
    2
  1173. you could try democracy, if you knew what it was.
    2
  1174. i hope this isn't news to you.
    2
  1175. what could bernie do, as president, so long as congress is the usual mix of right wing and farther right wing professional politicians? madison took a lot of trouble to explain to america that he despised democracy, and shaped his constitution to ensure the rich ruled. he was brilliantly successful- look around you, they still rule. not an accident. the cure is to get democracy. but no one says so. the best you will hear is, 'put me in office and i will take care of you.' that hasn't worked out, yet. want to try it for another 200 tears? the elite does fear bernie, they fear he might stir up revolution. but he wouldn't. he just a man, useless by himself, and incapable of creating revolution in a nation of slaves. slaves can not be citizens, the limit of their aspiration is to find themselves serving a kind master.
    2
  1176. somehow, the prospect of a biden-harris dynasty does not inspire interest. strange. but it doesn't matter- the usan people are not ready for revolution, and perhaps will never be.
    2
  1177. so, a follow-up question? is the usa economy 'healthy?' it seems to me the nation is being ruled by sociopaths concerned chiefly with using the tools of national management to enrich themselves, and their well-off supporters.
    2
  1178.  @jimeckland  for the first 70 years it was powered by slavery, and for a further 50, extermination of the natives, so a moral disaster, at least.
    2
  1179. we are working with human beings, and must expect individual failings to shape public activities. no one in the west can speak from a point of moral strength, so let's just stick with simple pragmatic evaluations of life in china compared to past years, and life elsewhere. china is flourishing, and the chinese government is making substantial efforts to spread the the benefits and repair the environment. that's more than you can say bout the usa.
    2
  1180. every day past the 'expectancy' is worth ten, but a little math underpinning is pleasant, thx.
    2
  1181. he may be a hero, but this is politics of the powerless. the people of the usa could have democracy, without gunfire, if only a lot of them knew what democracy is, and wanted it. and there is the problem, most don't know, not sure if most would want it. why don't they know? ask school teachers. the teachers might well say, "we can't tell the truth, we'd lose our jobs." why wouldn't they want to be members of the ruling class? because many, most? despise the other people in the nation. this is the legacy of slavery, and the determination of the rich that the many would not rule. voting for which politician shall be your master is not democracy. citizens of democracy vote for which laws shall we have, what actions shall we take, that doesn't happen in the usa, and until you get off your knees and make politicians extinct you will always be cattle.
    2
  1182. if you are too dim, too lazy, or too frightened to get democracy, you will be ruled by an elite. why talk about the results, if you are not able to affect the situation? there are some things you can do, if you get organized to achieve a simple goal: effective and accessible citizen initiative.
    2
  1183. Voting for people is not democracy. Get initiative.
    2
  1184. i find it depressing when usans chat about 'what should be done,' as though they were citizens of a democracy. your masters don't listen. and if you don't have citizen initiative, in what sense are you living in a democracy? in yer dreams?
    2
  1185. the eastern front was no place for civilized people. but i am inclined to close my eyes, and accept that ussr was fighting for its life, and did what they thought necessary. when the tide turned, they had a measure of the nazi army which encouraged return barbarity. the western nations tolerated the nazis, some even preferred them to the soviets. they won no honor from their delayed participation.
    2
  1186. good idea. but don't stop there. establish effective and accessible right of citizen initiative, and america will be rejuvenated.
    2
  1187. aoc lays out a good reason to write a new constitution. one that establishes democracy. in a democracy, you don't vote for people. you vote for plans, policies and laws, offered for confirmation through referendum by the public service. they create each referendum by assessing public opinion through polling. citizens can act directly through initiative if needed. but america is not a democracy, neither are its people of citizen quality. they will continue to be cattle in an elective oligarchy, just as james madison wanted. he explicitly said that the constitution was designed to ensure that the rich few ruled the common many. and look- it worked. aoc will fail to make a sustained difference, and if she looks dangerous, another 'lone gunman' will remove the threat.
    2
  1188. still not talking about the absence of democracy, still not talking about the submission of public intellectuals to the rule of wealth. not all, of course, but most of the others are gathered in this 4-window zoom. the fact that public education has created a nation of lumpen-consumers' is disquieting, but not necessarily fatal. but the fact the cream of the 'resistance' can not come up with an action plan, that is depressing. the beginning of the communist party of china was if anything faced with more difficult conditions, but they stood up and started action, 100 years later prc is flourishing, in spite of all usa has done to strangle it. don't like 'communism? me neither, but right now prc is a better place by far than usa.
    2
  1189. usa is an aggressor nation, they have been building an empire since the 'monroe doctrine,' and this tide has rolled up to ukraine. whatever language you use, putin is saying 'basta,' and 'not while i have an army and a bomb.' he can't be hopeful, this is the '2nd carthage war' of our time, neither hitler nor especially tojo, could have been confident of success against the usa empire, but both fought on the principle of death better than submission. unfortunately, our 'evil empire' is institutionally incapable of fear, and nuclear war will result.
    2
  1190. Homer sap is a smart enough to manage global economy, but not smart enough to control greed and arrogance.
    2
  1191. ...and he is younger, smarter, and less fuddled.
    2
  1192. it certainly ain't simple-- half or more usans are sociopathic thugs well-pleased to be masters of the nation, as they think. spear-carriers have their pride, too.
    2
  1193. in my view, evil begins with napalming a village in vietnam, while the men were in the fields, leaving a target consisting of old, sick, women and children. no one in the usa is entitled to call anyone else, 'evil.' usa extends its empire nowadays, by buying puppet dictators, would-be kings, and gangs of neo-nazis. they call it 'bringing freedom.' well, they would say that, wouldn't they. it worked in iran, and vietnam, for awhile. they put someone in power in afghanistan, although he couldn't get anything done away from kabul, probably in los angeles now. usa is the evil empire, now, and nato is its european tool. but, good news! some of nato is waking up. can you imagine saudi talking to russia? and perhaps macron has had enough, too.
    2
  1194. i'm one of them too. first visit in '89, for three years, still 'communist,' but under orders to start thinking for themselves. several visits since for periods of 3-6 months, and daily communication with friends there through 'wechat.' there has been a lot of change, most of it for the better. there was poverty in '89, and still is, but much less. government corruption continues, but currently xi jinping finds it convenient to root out some of it. china remains a human society, and will never be norway. but the usa is worse in many ways, with less excuse, and the vietnam war convinced me that their society, born to protect slavery, has not improved since. considering what south africa used to be, this is an area in which serpentza should be expert. all human societies have injustices, and many are able to conceal those injustices under a veil of lies. we can only measure what is publicly visible, or in which we have personal experience. usa currently is sending 'special forces' to various countries, to do murder. at home, police shoot down brown people with neither cause nor retribution. on visible measures, usa is evil, china, not so much.
    2
  1195. guns are not the problem - they have lots in switzerland, and few shootings. the lack of democracy is part of the problem. another part is slavery, and its continuing consequences. usa got off to a horrible start, and has what amounts to national insanity. incurable, since usa is too powerful to listen to anyone else. perhaps the looming impoverishment of the nation will unleash fresh thinking, but i doubt it, and there is time pressure too - usa is a large part of the climate crisis, and may destroy our environment before they break free of the grip of the rich.
    2
  1196. if you accept a low class, the middle class will fall into it as the upper class extracts wealth. wealth and power are bound together, the only way to maintain a just distribution of wealth is to distribute power equally, once known as democracy. [see orwell's 'double-think, uses thereof.'] this was known to the founding fathers, madison spelled it out in some detail and invited the ruling grandees of the various states to establish his proposed constitution to prevent it. all acquiesced save rhode island, who put it to referendum, and refused the constitution. [temporarily, later joined, per force.]
    2
  1197. let us hope so. at 1 billion, the planet can support homer sap, if he is respectful.
    2
  1198. everywhere you look, you see rot. the rich live in a different usa. their area of the nation is golden. usa was designed to be run for and by the rich. james madison promoted his constitution with that precise promise, and you see, he delivered. you want a better nation, you need a new constitution. this will require effort, even courage. on visible evidence, the people of the usa do not have the character needed for constructive action. you will have to wait and see what the first general is offering. there will be a general soon, the political caste is degenerate, think 'last days of the roman republic.' trump, biden, pelosi? these are yer national leaders? of course, when the rich and military join together, not clear how well the rich will maintain their position. stay tuned!
    2
  1199. snowden and greenwald are only human. perhaps they are satan's agents in human disguise. so what? the information they reveal is of interest to the people of uk and usa. it helps those people measure the character and competence of their masters. if it embarrasses the personnel of intelligence services, so much the better. no where in history have such personnel been other than thugs, often monsters. " thugs," btw, is what harry truman came to call the cia, his own creation. because they really were thugs, he recanted quickly, i presume he was threatened by those self-same thugs. lately, the lizard brains have reclaimed brazil. i hope gg has made plans to move.
    2
  1200. pretty confident no one in the biden cabinet is paying attention to berlin political activity.
    2
  1201. law?
    2
  1202. doesnt have to be that way. but usans can't organize a demo, much less a revolution.
    2
  1203. 比较好的 多
    2
  1204. usa is not a democracy, that's why it does not resemble a democracy, nor behave like a democracy. murricans keep sratching their heads and asking, how come our cow don;t run like a race horse?
    2
  1205. golly, if i ever liked and admired a politician, this news would make me change my mind. but usans go on voting for them, is it a genetic deficiency?
    2
  1206. usa is not committed to anything but making money.
    2
  1207. it;s not a trade war. oz is dancing to pompeo's tune, prc is reminding oz that there will be unpleasant results. not sure why oz politicians are frightened by usa, maybe they are invited to visit and threatened with assassination. usa does kill people that they don't like. that would explain it.
    2
  1208. maybe america should try democracy? it works in some american states, notably california. elections do not get good management. they don;t even get honest triers. that's because elections are civil war, evolved from clash of armies into battles at the polling table. elections just select people who want to rule. possibly the last group you want in office. democracy is rule by referendum, not people. and citizen initiative is the sovereign law. only democracy demands open administration of the nation, which greatly reduces the scope for corruption and incompetence in national management. didn't they explain this to you in school? of course they didn't. but you can figure it out. some of you?
    2
  1209. Btw, the victor labels the result of all conflict. It is meaningless. And you call USA a democracy, which would be laughable if most of the nation were not psychotic. The Swiss have democracy, roughly. California would be a better one, if it was independent. With these examples before you, referring to USA is psychosis, or cynical hypocrisy.
    2
  1210. apparently, if you inadvertently make a promise to satan, honor requires submission. today i learned 'mayor pete' is not just another slick talker, he's one of the enemy.
    2
  1211. this will be very good news for italy, being the euro agent for china will pay much better than being the punching bag of germany. it will help turn the balkans towards china too, enriching the local area which borders italy as well. the day will come when it will suit italy to leave the eurozone.
    2
  1212. Sounds like the Mississippi of my youth.
    2
  1213. the usa is a republic, explicitly designed to prevent majority rule. so, certainly not a democracy. this suits a large number of americans who prefer rule by a minority. presumably, they are or feel they are, in that minority. democracy can only come through revolution. it need not be violent, but the minority will not relinquish power unless success seems unlikely, and failure fatal. a large organization of would-be citizens can persuade politicians to institute democracy, and this is easy to do in an internet age. but that group has not appeared. so usa will remain backward, militarist and economically mismanaged. this will result in decay and loss of power on the world stage, about like britain or russia.
    2
  1214. absolutely logical. and if you lose your job, kill your kids and then suicide.
    2
  1215. yes indeed. a good foundation of political structure is valuable in the long term, but seldom seen. so enjoy the sunshine when you can.
    2
  1216. the thing about china is, they are world leaders in green energy already. they still pollute a lot, because they have also been lifting several hundred million people out of poverty. 'meanwhile,' usa is pushing their own people into poverty, and subsidizing fossil fuel production. but politicians are not interested in reality- their profession is to lie on behalf of their sponsors. and that is why people should refuse to participate in any elite-ruled society, and demand democracy.
    2
  1217. the terrorists are located in dc. it turns out mr hartmann works for them.
    2
  1218. if you keep implying usa is some kind of democracy, when it clearly is not, you will always be surprised by the daily evidence that usa is a variety of oligarchy. madison sold his constitution to the convention members by pointing out that it would prevent democracy from happening. and sure enough, it is still the fundamental law of the nation: the people do not decide, and often are not even informed about public activity. the only use for the word 'democracy' in usa, is finding out what it is, and how to get it.
    2
  1219. morales may well be popular, but in the end, he was another 'strong man.' any individual is weak, it only needs a bullet to demonstrate. evo was allowed to leave, alive. lucky!. one of the potential charms of democracy is the devolution of power and risk onto the electorate. the binding of citizenship to participation in the national militia in switzerland was no casual mistake. politics is the exercise of power in a society, and is non-violent only when violence is clearly ineffectual. evo should have imported swiss instructors to create a national militia, while creating a democracy in bolivia. he would have been the father of the nation, instead of another fugitive strong man.
    2
  1220. when will you realize that usa, was never a democracy, inclines towards political thuggery, as a foreign policy supported by political thugs at home? the vietnam war convinced me, and more recently in iraq, naked greed inspired the subjection of a nation under the figleaf of a bigger lie than the 'gulf of tonkin.' when will some sense of shame incline you to stop wagging your blood-stained finger at others? btw, it has nothing to do with 'republicans.' lbj murdered more at home and abroad than the republicans. your problem is the character of the usa people, and the degenerate villains you vote for.
    2
  1221. how i wish to be a dinner table partner with the charming and dazzling dr. h. in a month, i would be wise, or at least sophisticated about the world at the nano-particle level.
    2
  1222. of course they are going to crash. long overdue, 4 years of notable mismanagement. [and that's a very low bar] 2020? could be the last days of the american empire. i suspect a big crash is the only way we can postpone the environment collapse. there is no escape. political institutions are merely shells on top of our dna, totally ineffectual in resisting greed. a stand-alone cabin in canada is looking like a good investment. a ring village of them with high fences and guntowers might be even better. of course, if you are 'real people' you have your private island in the caribbean.
    2
  1223. it's amusing, making fun of your masters. but they remain your masters. difficult to know if biden is your master, he might be a puppet. either way, it says something about usa 'democracy' that should be distressing. you don't have democracy. since you don't know it, you don't miss it.
    2
  1224. biden is a crook, similar to trump, but constrained by his lesser role in politics. if he were president, his son would be president of ukraine. or at least get a big pay rise. there is no part of american politics that doesn't reek of rot. and there is no visible organized effort to get democracy. so usa will subside into a 'britain,' and then into an 'argentina,' and then split up.
    2
  1225. slavery and ethnic cleansing were the drivers of the war of independence, and the constitution was designed to protect slavery and the rule of wealth, so the usa began as it has continued. the national myths manage to instill pride in what the usa is and always has been. a testament to the power of education in shaping the national character.
    2
  1226. usa has been chasing the rich man's dollar, cost effective. prc must start by chasing the left-overs. mighty banks have started this way, and prc is not short of smart people. and they can be patient. so long as the nuclear bombs don't fly, they are going to win.
    2
  1227. and, very loosely related, prc will build a nicaragua canal. bigger, deeper and cheaper than panama. the rest of central america will profit also. various treaties will emerge which will free the americas of usa grip.
    2
  1228. by no means. she has appropriated an income-stream more commonly seen in night clubs. seems a bit unfair - very few of them can do particle physics in retaliation.
    2
  1229. no, it's not. it was a lie. constitution was not established by the people, only rhode island asked its people, and they rejected it. democracy is rule by the citizens, and madison made sure that didn't happen.
    2
  1230.  @carycunningham9510  representative democracy is a nonsense. democracy means the people rule, not politicians.
    2
  1231. someone should tell the prime minister to back away from the usa bum, or this trade minister will be seriously out of step with his chums in the cabinet.
    2
  1232. no. manpower insufficient.
    2
  1233. sometimes corruption comes slowly, and good person ends while doing doing something repugnant. he counted the cost of a million? iraqi lives against against showing a black american could rise high in service to usa. amoral careerists are in no shortage anywhere - plenty currently visible in dc today. powell was at least ashamed, if i read his body language right.
    2
  1234. with trump's intellect, world view is too grand. at what point do you accept that the usa is not a democracy?
    2
  1235. ussr failed in the end, but they were the nemesis of nazi germany. and it wasn't done by magic: the germans were the best military of ww2, bar none. ussr won by a combination of 'good enough' engineering, and much better strategic management. japan did wonders in development, but simply did not have either size or resources to contend with usa.
    2
  1236. power storage with lithium batteries is already adequate for a few electric planes. but there will need something better than lithium for general purpose aviation. graphene capacitors would probably be the next step, but production techniques not yet there.
    2
  1237. look, these problems are easily solved. just publish a citizen initiative for consultation and decision by the people. i suggest a basic income, 'free money,' would be the best immediate help. but, with guidance from economists, the usa could gradually become civilized. and it wouldn't hurt to gradually defund munitions makers. that's what citizens of a democracy do, you know: direct the nation. the reason usans are hurting, is simply that they are not citizens of a democracy. why is this so?
    2
  1238. it's not rare, just thinly dispersed. chinese wages make it profitable to extract. usa has plenty, but are reluctant to hire locally. so capitalism sells out the nation, enriches china.
    2
  1239. i suggested to vlad, that he should advise the ukranians to leave kyiv, immediately, and after a week, level it with a nuclear bomb. the warning would lift him above the americans, who erased cities with no warning. and sure enough, vlad recently advised leaving the city. will the bomb follow? if it does, i'll go back to predicting outcome of horse-races.
    2
  1240. yf is a nice man, but he lost me when he ran out on greece.
    2
  1241. what is this 'fair?' why should chia be 'fair' to capitalist nations, notably usa. that tried to strange it at birth? you don't like chinese rules, go back to blockading china. but you don't, because deng xiao ping offered cheap, hard-working labor, and american corporations swallowed it, hook, line and sinker. now they can't leave, because they are addicted to the high profits, and they control the government of the usa, which ignores small business and labor. there is no 'fair' in the usa, but you complain that china isn't fair.
    2
  1242. usa has been 'over-reaching' since they crushed the iroquois, [incidentally enriching g. washington] but finally they are reaching the usual end of empire, stretched too far, enemies within and without the imperium, and a populace no longer dazzled by success, since the only success is buried in the dj report, munitions stocks. trump's milestone is his utter unfitness for rule, popping up with no senator, governor, or general in his cv. america's caligula in a sense. his presence should impel america to write a new constitution, but no one does political philosophy in usa, or they are suitably retiring, as no one is listening to academics in obscure arts colleges. he does not boost imperialism, a great many heretofore silent talking heads are musing that another president would be desirable, but trump shows the way usa is headed- decay and decline. it will continue until some barracks caesar imposes martial law plus food stamps.. i can see general gabbard in that role, about 10 years from now.
    2
  1243. usa is chaotic, at the best of times. trump is simply characteristic, and very representative of a society without principle, self-respect or even survival instinct, since even the rich are killing their golden goose. but no one looks at the big picture in public, because there is no point in it: only in democracy do the citizens take a hand in national management, and usa is no democracy, nor are its people citizens. there is no reason to expect more from biden, and dubya is still walking around, a free man, as well as a mass murderer. but that could be said of most presidents. chaos? nothing new, and worse to come.
    2
  1244. look at the numbers for the el- tube grav-wave detectors, i think that's a tight beam.
    2
  1245. by now the yellow jackets would be throwing rocks at elysee palace, but usans have not a rebellious bone in their body. and yet, outrage! if 2nd amendment threatened. endless bluster, but no shooting. must be a great comfort to usa politicians.
    2
  1246. if you lived in a democracy, you could initiate 'recall' motions and fire incompetents. but you don't, so you can't. are you ever gonna get tired of living in a backward society?
    2
  1247. you have referendum and initiative, and recall. you can force administration to be done in public. why not fire the politicians and run the state through democratic means?
    2
  1248. bring nations together with coups, assassinations, and simple invasion. doesn't anyone ever start laughing at this?
    2
  1249. try and lift your eyes from the shit on your shoe, and ask, "how does my nation come to be managed by a trump?" particularly when the other party is offering a demented old man... is there no one in the usa who can see that you need a new constitution. not merely desirable, but vital to survival.
    2
  1250. from what i've read, he sacrificed his life for egotism, celebrity, and a lot of groupies. along the way he did the world a favor. heroes are not often saints. it was two groupies who got upset and conspired to make trouble for him with swedish police. cia took it from there.
    2
  1251. it doesn't work, haven't you noticed/
    2
  1252. the chinese are human, and with wealth and power will come arrogance and exploitation. usa even more human, and farther advanced in iniquity. right now, it appears the chinese are using land routes supplemented with sea lanes, to neutralize america's naval power. not incidentally, they are bringing opportunities for trade and development to central asia, a new resource. china has a much more effective political structure, and are carving out a presence in world trade through intelligent planning. usa has no answer, but militarism. if it doesn't come to war, this is china's century. unless , of course, the environment collapses. this seems a bigger threat by far than an american military spasm. equal in likelihood, but much more catastrophic.
    2
  1253. suppose china stopped buying iphones. that is apple's largest market. or they put buick out of business, overnight. if trump succeeds in making the chinese angry, he may find out how easy it is, to lose a trade war. but i think xi regards trump as a temporary nuisance. ignore him, put a few thousand trump voters out of work, and hope for sanity to return, with a new face in the oval office.
    2
  1254. if you raise children in a political bubble, "my country, tis of thee, " then you can sell them on supporting the greedy. but it takes more than that to establish yer genuwine nazi government. hitler had an army of unemployed, frequently disfigured or crippled men who didn't realize they were beaten on the battlefield, and were easily convinced that they had been betrayed. american politicians are not of that caliber. most have never been shot at, much less fought a losing war. with all his faults, trump has not yet started a war, and it will need pressure to make him do so. perhaps pompeo will prove to be his cheney, but i think both realize that is a field out of their experience. they are trash people at the top of the usa, scary because of their power, but not truly tough.
    2
  1255. safety regulations can be used to create a tariff wall. needs commercial import, and prc will be sanctioned out of the market. usa likes capitalism, but only as far as it enriches the local plutocrat
    2
  1256. otoh, biden was lucent, however briefly. really, there should be a time limit on sexual assault allegations. about 48 hours? how long does 'respect' last when hands are misplaced? at what time do you decide a man is a creep who needs a public rap on the knuckles? 20 years later?
    2
  1257. the usa constitution was written to establish a functional plutocracy, and it worked. nowadays it has evolved into a new roman empire, but the structure of this empire is ineffectual against its latest antagonists. they are using commerce to subvert its military ascendancy, and it's working well. ironic, since commerce used to be the tool of the usa. the progress of the slow coup against venezuela is a little worrying, but iran was not knocked over in a day, either. i believe the usa must get venezuela, the oil is vital, and failure would also encourage resistance in many places. so the recent violence will be resumed unless maduro can find serious backers such as russia and china.
    2
  1258. let's face it, at the teeny tiny scale, reality is a soup. a broth. now lets move on to the challenging questions, like establishing world peace, and eradicating politicians with painless baths of weed-killer.
    2
  1259. you could have democracy, if you know what it is, and want it. while you don't, you live in the nation designed by james madison, an elective oligarchy, an effective plutocracy. why don't you know what democracy is, or why don't you want it?
    2
  1260. they understand that prc may push usa off the world hegemony.
    2
  1261. yes, and they lied about freedom too. between vietnam and iraq, it's hard to understand why usa hasn't joined the nazis in the evil corner.
    2
  1262. what you have is elective oligarchy, it is heavily influenced by money, resulting in functional plutocracy. this is open in front of you, yet still you pretend you have democracy because you don't have the courage to face reality. what's chances of things getting better? zip. people with neither courage nor education can only be serfs. but things will change. usually some general realizes the civil government is despised and kicks it into history.
    2
  1263. look at it this way: if the trade is done secretly it may continue forever. by making it public, something can be done. when people say, " don't let them communicate!" in fact they are admitting that they will do nothing, so they don't want to know. and that;s why speech should be free. any speech. it's in your interest to know what people think, and do.
    2
  1264. usa has never had any interest in democracy. the word is just a fig leaf on imperial aggrandizement. it has served even longer to hide from the people their actual impotence in national affairs.
    2
  1265. no problem here, just get democracy, use initiative to create a modern nation: well, one problem-- you need citizen-quality people to get democracy. and all you've got to work with are serfs. not so much 3rd world, more just primitive.
    2
  1266. It's not broken, works just fine. How long are usans- going to endure this government? Only revolution will help. And you better have a clear goal and strong organization. But I think nothing will be done, this is 'too hard.'
    2
  1267. they are not really sides. think of them as gangs. neither has any interest in the welfare of the nation. they offer bribes to segments of the population, in return for votes, but often do not deliver, often have no power to deliver. call it elective aristocracy, in service to wealth. democracy is something else. california would be a democracy, if it was independent. it is run by referendum, and under oversight by initiative and recall. really, the people of california would be better off if they left the union.
    2
  1268. industrial and commercial power marginal, natural resources immense.
    2
  1269. the road is a [rail] road, the belt encircles seaports, and foster is an empty talking head. china is not your fairy godmother, but unlike usa, they extend their power with loans, not invasion.
    2
  1270. h. sap. is not well-suited to life in the electronic age. there is a high possibility our natural inclinations will be our undoing. no use worrying about it, 100,000 years of evolution can not be undone. rocks ahead? steady as she goes!
    2
  1271. how to pay the soldiers? dilute the money! happens to any empire, that lasts 3 generations.
    2
  1272. that break-out of the wealth distribution would put a smile on the face of james madison, it is precisely the effect desired by his constitution. it will continue to be a nation ruled by politicians, in hock to wealth. only revolution will change things. the people must seize power, and create a democracy. will this happen, can this happen? it appears not. there is literally no visible discussion of political reality in the usa. this is the usual case, and any society ruled by an elite will crash as the greed at the top bleeds the nation to death. the only interest is in whether your masters will set fire to the world, using military power to substitute for good management.
    2
  1273. daily injection of dettol keeps me safe and cheerful.
    2
  1274. not the same, but not good for humanity, either one. democracy is the best we've come up with, shame it's seldom tried.
    2
  1275. interesting, will ginger a few people into action. but what action? there is nothing to be done. you have to take your eyes away from the petty theft, and look at the laws that make it profitable. in the end, you must change the constitution, you must write a new one. nothing less will get results. started saying so in the late 60's. and began my introduction to the national character of the usa. hopeless. by the time you are old enough to do long division, your world view is summed up by "my country, tis of thee..." they used to say the ussr was held together by empty propaganda, but they were amateurs by comparison.
    2
  1276. more or less. i suggested that bernie, tg, ay should form a new party, 'social-demoratic party of usa' a few days ago, it seems clear they have enough support to put the democratic party out of power indefinitely. from outside they have much more influence on national activity. would that hand trump the next election- very likely. but once you are clear about biden, trump is not so bad. and he will will carry the blame when the national wheels fall off, which looks very likely.
    2
  1277. if you won't get democracy, you will be ruled by some elite who will put their own wealth and welfare ahead of the common good. why shouldn't they? you let them.
    2
  1278. the nation was designed to be directed by the rich, with african slavery and ethnic clearance for prominent features. the rich still run it, although bureaucrats are increasingly obtrusive. war has become an industry, and its management diverts middle class taxes into elite share-holdings. this signals doom, for burning 1/2 of disposable taxes on unproductive machinery must surely stunt education and health. this is precisely the wrong thing to do, for national prosperity. and no, it can't be fixed. these features are embedded in the nation's fundamental law, its history and culture. the only point of interest is , how much damage to the world, will you do on the way out?
    2
  1279. capitalism is not a political system, it's just a euphemism for greed and arrogance, on a public scale. corruption is built in. it leads to war as a device to steal internationally. unfortunately, it is a natural expression of human character, so difficult to suppress.
    2
  1280. There is no 'becoming' about it, it was born that way.
    2
  1281. xi seems to be doing well, and china is smokin usa in every area but military aggression. usa got that locked.
    2
  1282. i guess you didn't notice the invasion of iraq?
    2
  1283. how could trump possibly know what he's doing? has no record of success outside of bullying contestants on his tv show. he's a good bully. his cabinet is laughable, and transient, his only firm advisors are his family, who are visibly dimmer than he is, and very possibly even crookeder. but usa doesn't care about competent management. read the constitution, 35+ and native born, and you can be king for awhile. assuming you are a competent liar.
    2
  1284. you couldn't even pass an 'affordable health care' package. one old man ain't gonna do it. if bernie got any where near passing mfa, some 'lone gunman' would pop up.
    2
  1285. which is why nations are drifting away from usd.
    2
  1286. if ukraine knows something bad about the bidens, don't you want to know too?
    2
  1287. if you want to prevent usa casualties in the middle east, go home.
    2
  1288. conservatives are not wrong, it's just that you don't understand their goals.
    2
  1289. real democracy has no use for parties. but usa was never a democracy.
    2
  1290. a few days ago i wrote buttigieg was just a thorn in warren's heel. now he's warming up to replace her. so he should: he's smarter, slimier and younger than she is- the ideal american politician. but a nation content to be ruled by politicians deserves buttigieg, or trump. sheep will be ruled by wolves.
    2
  1291. if you own fb, it does what you want. nationalize the social media, and it does what the gummint wants. so establish democracy, then nationalize, and get what the people want.
    2
  1292. a useful report, thank you.
    2
  1293. well, the only visible solution, is for blue and red states to separate, with a bit of population transfer.
    2
  1294. the elliptical wing was expensive, but added to performance. rolls royce engine not without weaknesses, but always superior. so the spit saved uk, and loved ever after. rather too much. hurricane and mosquito were absolutely necessary to the triumph in the air, hurrys because good enough, cheap and quick, mozzies because they could do so much, so well.
    2
  1295. there's a living to be made, laughing at usa hypocrisy. but it ain't really funny. they were born in the dark side. you should be sick of them, by now.
    2
  1296. if california had universal healthcare, it would be inundated by sick migrants. otoh, if it declared independence, the usa would go broke. broker. it is not ok to print money, and retribution is underway- china is moving to gold, and contracts written in yuan. eventually someone will notice that uncle sam has got no pants, much less money in pocket.
    2
  1297. eu government is incompetent. they have looted greece to cover their mistakes, and made it easy for china to offer a way out.
    2
  1298. the value of democracy is that the ruler of the nation, the electorate, has the welfare of the nation as its goal, out of self-interest. elite rule only has their personal self-interest as a guide, and it is a commonplace of history that the result is the impoverishment of the majority. but democracy needs citizen quality people, and americans are only civilians. the american elite own islands in the sun, assets in foreign lands, and armed body guards when they leave the gated community. do you wonder if they have the welfare of the nation in mind? why is there no revolution?
    2
  1299. first, find out what it is.
    2
  1300. and if the succeeding vote is 15 for, 415 against, will that be a success?
    2
  1301. the land in contention is not valuable. but both nations want to control the catchment of vital rivers. the matter is measurable and fairly predictable, so a formula is possible. but prc is not happy about indian participation in usa schemes to ring and starve prc. when the political sphere is inimical, there will be no generosity, nor even civility. india might do better by cutting connection to usa imperial designs. prc would likely reward india, since they would be a big counter in the shift of power away from usa.
    2
  1302. china is reminding the world that oz operates a uniformed organization of murderers, and morrison is upset? not 'alleged,' btw, all over the web thx to smart phones. real murderers, in the pay, ultimately, of mr morrison. wonder if he is embarrassed?
    2
  1303.  @shlee3120  there has been only one democracy since athens fell to macedonia. switzerland is close enough to democracy to demonstrate the possibility of democracy. the rest of those 'democracies' were not, they were elective aristocracies, a different thing entirely.
    2
  1304. doesn't matter. trump came to power by formal, legal means, and seemingly no one in usa has twigged that this means it time for a new constitution. it's like watching 'the decline and fall of the roman empire' through a time-scope, with american subtitles. you keep getting mad, bad and dangerous incompetents for presidents, with a side-helping of rotten politicians in congress. then there's the degenerates in the supreme court. and people keep wondering how and why things are going so badly.
    2
  1305. nah, he's just a frightened little boy trapped in a fat old man's body, in a world where everyone seems smarter. but lucky! dad left so much money it looked like it would never run out. but unlucky! it is running out, and he's still dumb.
    2
  1306. chomsky's memory is failing. protest became widespread and active when the college students lost their immunity to the draft. later, when the draft was ended, they went back to sleep. usans don't care about foreigners, in line with their contempt for anyone who lives on the other side of town. those in the country despise all who live in town. most usans get an education, but much of it is lies and selective silence. my respect for chomsky is considerable, even so. he has been saying the truth, as he sees it, when it was not fashionable.
    2
  1307. tg. and every politician, wants to be in office- usually saying they want to 'fix' things. most are lying, about intention or capability. that's because the existence of politicians is the main problem. in a democracy, there are only citizens, and public servants who carry out the commands of the electorate expressed through referendum and initiative. there are no politicians, in a democracy, and only in a democracy is the welfare of the people the primary concern of society. but the usa is not a democracy, the people are only civilians, not citizens, and politicians work for themselves, out of necessity. vote for tg if it makes you feel better, but it won't fix america, only the people can do that, and they don't have the power under current laws. revolution is necessary.
    2
  1308. english media would have us believe china is responsible for all the world's problems. i presume they are lying in all the major languages, as well. it may be too late for them. china is strong now, and has friends. the resolution of the meng wan zhou case may indicate whether usa intends war to the death, or is willing to live in a bi-polar world.
    2
  1309. usa is not a democracy, and never was. it might have become a democracy, but when it was suggested to him, roosevelt vetoed it. he was a professional politician, engaged in hosing down rebellion with very limited social support measures, but no revolutionary.
    2
  1310. it was also the glory days of income tax- 90% and the money was spent on the g.i. bill, supporting education and home ownership. as close as usa ever came to socialism, and a decent life for most.
    2
  1311. don't blame joe, he wanted to be president, so agreed to say what his handlers wanted. a decent living and a plaque on grave. blame the people who are too lazy to get democracy.
    2
  1312. 'chaz' below mentions or at least implies, one of the virtues of voting with effect: it protects elites from being torn limb from limb. the usa is an elective aristocracy, and a populace with a shred of community spirit would transmute it into democracy, at whatever cost. but elites have evolved a pacification measure, called 'election.' they go on being elites, the people go on being screwed, but nobody has to die. that has been good enough to keep the rich in control, and unthreatened. i do not understand why americans put up with this, consequently, when 'chaz' implies he'll vote with a gun i am not a believer. my guess is, the american elite are unconcerned also. elites commonly do not detect threats, being insulated by police, armies and bodyguards. but if the plutocrats with cia help can find a 'lone gunman' to kill jfk, among thousands of 'chazzes' there is likely to be one who ain't talking, just doing. this is the dawning of the age of aquarius, much delayed.
    2
  1313. if you wanna be usa lapdog, there are painful consequences.
    2
  1314. everyone that lives there has adequate clothing, or dies. but hitler sent the wehrmacht east in summer uniform. that might have ended his chances. but ussr was getting stronger everyday, and if he waited 6 months, also defeat. perhaps ussr was just too strong for germany.
    2
  1315. it's only fair, americans in general are regarded as fools, out of which are selected leaders, by a process nearly random.
    2
  1316. economics is not a profession, it's a lurk. the people who matter, in politics, only listen when it suits them so it's only fair that economists protect their personal well-being by saying what power wants to hear. a long history here, expressing shock/horror is a rhetorical device, at best. just think of all the 'advisors' in history, who have whispered in the king's ear, "we're in a bit of difficulty here, o august master, but if we don't pay the soldiers, no telling what will happen. but! i have an idea! we'll put some more copper in the denarius and presto! we can pay the soldiers, and then you can have that expensive concubine, too.
    2
  1317. saw the beginnings of this in the 1990's, on a visit to sf. socialism, anyone?
    2
  1318. i would worry much more about hindu supporters. she has lots more of those. don't need a hindu version of aipac.
    2
  1319. i learn, maybe you learn, but usa is not a democracy, and your masters do as they think best for themselves. so learning is near-useless. the 2nd amendment gives you a right to a gun, so that you can resist, perhaps overcome, a criminal government. but it doesn't give you brains or courage, so the politicians keep on smiling.
    2
  1320. this ain't funny, people. your nation is being run by faceless puppet masters, and they so despise you that the puppet is visibly dumber than the road guidance lady, who doesn't seem to know anything but the next turn.
    2
  1321. imagine for a moment, that the electorate ruled the nation. politicians gone into history, with warlords and aristocrats. no war, unless the people wanted it, no poverty, unless the people wanted it. there is such a society, called 'democracy.' if you don't have democracy, is what you've got even better?
    2
  1322. as biden crowed, "usa is back!" and israel unleashed. you have to say, supporting the establishment of israel has been a great investment for the usa imperium.
    2
  1323. maybe you could bring the 'special forces ' home.
    2
  1324. no, he's just a scavenger who noticed a rotting carcass of plutocratic republic. the 'good guys,' democratic politicians, were crooked, corrupt and entitled, and even a trump could beat them. once in power, he has frequently demonstrated tha usa is no kind of democracy because he is not a professional politician and has no allegiance to the myths the pro-polllies use to justify their power. the usa is, and always has been, an elective oligarchy. never a democracy of any kind, except the 'double-think' kind, the mystify the chumps kind. if you want a better society, you have to fight for it, but first you have to admit you have been living in a lie.
    2
  1325. in fact, a criminal charge has been recently announced, and presumably brit gov would hand assange to the americans without demur. removing the police may be an invitation to make private plans to escape to where? but also may be a trap. poor julian! assange knows better than most the moral caliber of the usa government and must suspect they will hold him or kill him. he may come to think 6 years in the embassy was the last good time in his life. i hope he is able to put together an effective escape plan, indeed, it should have been made years ago, but hard to be hopeful.
    2
  1326. 'faintest clue' is the problem, alright. '1984' was pointed towards ussr, but it turned out usa was worse, and much more successful.
    2
  1327. if yer choice is trump or biden, do you care if or how you vote? why do you vote for people anyway, haven't you heard of democracy?
    2
  1328. einstein is amusing, but a string of 'vee's' will often induce a smile.
    2
  1329. if you re lucky, you will hear a 'swwword' now and then.
    2
  1330. it's plutocracy on parade, maybe. the important point is that a state designed to be ruled by the rich through political surrogates has continued from birth to be exactly that. democracy was never an option for the usa. yet some americans, notably in california, did demand and get real democracy: referendum, initiative and recall, all in action, regularly or as needed. so the reality is, some americans saw the need for democracy, yet no one ever extends the idea to the federal sphere. surprising, since california is the economic and intellectual engine room of the usa. if they seceded, they would be the 5th largest economy in the world, i have read. i suppose they fear invasion from bubbaland if they did, all the soldiers come from there. democracy is not ending, it never began. the myth was created to keep the chumps quiet. it worked well while looting the usa natural resources, but there's an end to that in sight.
    2
  1331. i'm not afraid of xjp. he is sane and competent, from what i can see. and china is advancing daily in wealth and power. he has no reason to rip up the world. biden is senile, was never very competent, and is merely the front man for the rulers of usa empire. presumably chosen because faction leaders could not tolerate the rule of any one from that group. biden is a danger, every time he opens his mouth. he may deviate from script at any moment. what china is going to do is increase pressure on taiwan commerce, constrict foreign relations, and aim to occupy in 5 years time. by then, usa will be weaker, taiwan people more inclined to re-join china. usa will use every means to hold on to empire, short of war. but they will threaten war, for lack of attractive policies. this creates a tight-rope for xjp and several others - putin has grasped the nettle of real war, and has demonstrated that usa only will fight with money. and the money is increasingly without value. the situation is complex, but i guess prc will prevail, in some sense, because underneath the guns and lies, usa has nothing to offer anymore. prc is fresh and vigorous, building infrastructure and commerce. they are the future, so long as usa doesn't blow-up the world.
    2
  1332. you act surprised? i refer you to the demonstration that was shown on 2 japanese cities. usa has never recoiled from savagery, when profit was in view.
    2
  1333. the man who benefited most was lbj. but the man who wanted jfk dead most was allen dulles. unlike lbj, he had been killing people for a living since before the ww2. and he was really angry.
    2
  1334. voting for people isn't any kind of democracy. it is elective aristocracy, and if you don't call it by its name, you can never have democracy. you are just participating in the national lie used to suppress the people. some states have democracy, notably california, so you can't plead ignorance. choose between cynical oppression of the people, laziness, or cowardice. what is so hard to understand about this simple reality?
    2
  1335. guys, do you imagine that biden will be better? or hillary? the important part of usa current affairs is that the system is throwing up 'leaders' who should not have unsupervised control of a puppy.
    2
  1336. damn! i was just getting the hang of it.
    2
  1337. i thought that chopper jockey was a canadian?
    2
  1338. we have figured out that the usa is evil. harry truman came right out and said: "the cia is nothing but a bunch of thugs." and later he retracted, presumably because the cia threatened his family. but what to do about evil, in general, and the great satan in particular. have to do something, the baddies are destroying the planet. how about this: when your doctor says only a few weeks left, go to the white house and immolate yourself as close as you can get. not appealing, is it. not useful, either. maybe take flying lessons, light plane, bomb, yer own private 9/11. but yer afraid of heights? and it didn't do al-quaida much good. democracy is the answer, the lack of citizen quality people is the problem. the baddies are gonna win.
    2
  1339. it's been going on since the 60's, you should have noticed long ago. madison said democracy would lead to the taxes on the rich being spent on the poor, so his constitution was designed to prevent democracy from happening. it worked. better still, the dominance of the rich has enabled telling the poor they had 'democracy,' an improved model, done for them by kind and ethical gentlemen called 'politicians.'
    2
  1340. hu was clearly unwilling to leave, but it seemed as though he was confused. this clip confirmed 'something happened,' but added nothing about 'why.'
    2
  1341. the rich come to usa, best tech, if you can afford it. poor should go to cuba, they do very well with low tech. well, the poor should steal a gun and go to dc, in giant caravans and fix the public health problem at the core. just shoot over their heads, folks, most politicians have bone spurs and are easily persuaded by loud noises.
    2
  1342. if you live in a democracy, you can write gun control laws without interference from politicians. so don't waste time* on gun control, go to the heart of your problems. get democracy, and a new nation will unfold before you. *it's wasted. without democracy, little will be achieved, and it will be undone soon. with democracy, gun control is easy, peace and general prosperity will follow soon.
    2
  1343. usa claimed dominance of the americas many years ago, and still do. but either usa is much weaker now, or the central and south american nations collectively much stronger, and the claim is exposed as wishful thinking. whatever that balance, these contrary voices are good news for the rest of the world. now, if they could establish a 'confederation of south and central america' with at least trade and mutual defence provisions, what a better world it would be.
    2
  1344. still at it, so the rulers don't agree.
    2
  1345. one person cannot reshape a nation without wide-spread and active support. the election was surprisingly close, and that means that bolsonaro was offering something to a lot of people. lula must get control of the parliament, so celebrations should continue with an '*' and a 'stay tuned...'
    2
  1346. there's a living in popping capitalist pimples, and even metaphorical questions might do some good, but why not ask useful questions? frinstance: why is usa not a democracy? is democracy better than elective oligarchy? why? what percentage of americans prefer democracy to oligarchy? is corruption inevitable in societies where elites can operate in secret?
    2
  1347. war with china is a nonsense, in any strategic sense. only indian politicians, and indian commentators see any profit in posturing in the high and barren land between.
    2
  1348. which is why you need democracy. progress' without democracy is written in sand.
    2
  1349. sorry, mr dore, lots of medical scientists have said horse wormer is not a good idea for anyone. there's plenty of good places to put a boot in the establishment, better to stay away from science.
    2
  1350. he couldn't organize a chidren's birthday party, but it's not hard, and he is sufficiently sane listen to those who can. and that's all you need in usa. i try to feel sorry for people trapped in a medieval society, but really, they see their government murdering people around the world, and yet are aggrieved when a few shots are returned. god doesn't love you, no matter what that tv evangelist says.
    2
  1351. he did not say olympics! try not to see india as an enemy. the modi government is looking for trouble, to 'solve' on behalf of india. the motives are typical and seem successful. opposition to modi weak. from here india's problems are common human problem's - too many of us, not enough water, land and sunshine. has prc invited india to participate in the bri plan? india would profit from bri, much more than by being usg gun-dog.
    2
  1352. so usa can 'unleash' nato? is nato an attack dog? why, yes, nato is an attack dog. owned by usa.
    2
  1353. i participated in bringing freedom and democracy to vietnam, as a lissome young lad, and it cured me of any respect for my native land. the usg is simply evil, the people who support it nothing but orcs. flee! if you can. your immortal soul is at risk.
    2
  1354. usg thought it could seduce prc into compliance with offers of trade. prc took the money and laughed. usg hates to be laughed at.
    2
  1355. there is a way to reverse the trend: secede, enact a trade contract with mexico, as an initial step towards joining the mexican federation. best to sign a mutual defence pact with venezuela and prc, as well.
    2
  1356. she's a politician. she's all you deserve. if you, and america, demanded democracy, a referendum would get a health care system consistent with the will of the majority. but you assume you must be ruled by politicians, because the other plebs are inferior people.
    2
  1357. if you think you have democracy, there is your major problem. to paraphrase the man who wrote the constitution, 'it is necessary to prevent democracy, and my constitution will achieve that end.' he was right.
    2
  1358.  @paulmccarter908  madison wrote the constitution, and explained the import of its various provisions, in a series of essays put before the state congresses. these essays are commonly referred to as 'the federalist' papers. should be basic education in american schools, except this would make clear to school children that their elders had stolen the nation for the rich.
    2
  1359. yer only hope is that dnc is going to insert warren/klobuchar in biden's place at the convention. but people might ask, why weren't they selected before now? yer only hope is not much hope, and i'm pretty sure dnc is not fussed about 4 more years of trump. he's going to preside on 'the greatest depression." might put the repubs in the street begging for food for 20 years.. and the nation, too. but the dems have no plan to beat what's coming, so better trump carries the banner. it's going to be shot at, in many senses.
    2
  1360. there is a civil war going on in the usa, and words are bullets, not information. the sociopath in the wh has released the orcs from the need for silence. as in every pyramidal society [ the usa is a pyramid of money ] , shooting from the top is most effective. the hobbits have no effective counter, for they are not only constrained by humane habits, they are likely to be a minority group in usa population. it is truly orcland, where assassination, raids and invasions are common occurrences with only trivial gestures of justification, done from the remainder of habit. and notably, the 'hated ' nations just happen to be great producers of oil. i don't despise the masters of the usa, hyenas will be hyenas, but the americans who support the hyenas while promoting christian values and democracy are truly worthy of contempt. this is not a new war, it began with the establishment of the constitution, written to protect slavery and empower wealth over the mob. it's not even the first time the orc-nature of the nation's masters was revealed, the clearing of the native inhabitants was accompanied by frank statements of murderous intent, and contempt for the weak. so today;s usa is not a creation of trump, rather the reverse. trump is what the usa has always been, and expressing horror reveals great naivety.
    2
  1361. there was a case for voting for trump. no case for being a republican. being married to one suggests bad character or weak intelligence. either way, you are where you deserve.
    2
  1362. how shall we deter american aggression?
    2
  1363. it doesn't destroy democracies, on limited evidence. switzerland was leaned on heavily by actual nazis, and never thought of giving in. but the usa is not a democracy.
    2
  1364. opec doesn't work for putin. otoh, usg hates opec, and usg hates putin. you can see why they might conspire, or at least work in concert for their respective goals. the saudi prince, and putin are both notably unlikeable people. it's a clear demonstration of the truly despicable nature of usg, that those two should be widely admired for their resistance to usg domination.
    2
  1365.  @jackohere1878  you may agree with tg, but you aren't running for office. bernie is. virgin saints need not apply. the american political system is totally corrupt, and rewards crooks with office. that is why the nation is decaying before your eyes.
    2
  1366. Nowhere in the constitution do you see the word 'democracy.' your opinion is not invited on any matter except which politician will exploit you. The people in consequence grow up with an understanding that they are second rate. Be grateful for what your masters let you do, and have.
    2
  1367. NATO is the imperial arm of usg in Europe. Some of the leaders of nato nations are not happy to be threatening PRC, and say so. Perhaps this division will be enough to prevent war.
    2
  1368. no, america's problems are all related to biology and history. it is a primitive society, closer to the primeval clan that began in africa. if you want a modern enlightened society, you have to educate your children better. but daddy, in general, not eager to cooperate..
    2
  1369. maybe they don't want you there?
    2
  1370. name calling won't help. mass action required, to establish democracy. relying on politicians or dictators is what got us here.
    2
  1371. mixing in a pine forest, sells an smg right away. and it turned out to be good in a city, too. generals tend to be good at fighting the previous war, but stalin wasn't a general, and caught on quick. perhaps his most important contribution to winning the war.
    2
  1372. tg should not be president while sanders and yang are in the race, but it was fun to watch her roll over those rag dolls on the view. i can't think why she was there, but.
    2
  1373. "and to our constitution." that is the disgrace. that document was written to protect slavery and ensure the rule of wealth. it creates an elective aristocracy dependent on the money of the rich, that empowers men like trump to use his 'special forces' as bandit gangs, his armies as arbiter of who rules foreign nations. al; the while, releasing the rich from any obligation to support the nation through taxation. you cannot disgrace that document, it is a disgrace, and ms. gabbard sees no harm in shooting up the world, so long as her 'brothers and sisters' take no return fire.
    2
  1374. step one: get democracy. step two: use citizen initiative to shape the nation as its citizens desire. step three: enjoy. everything else is bullshit.
    2
  1375. you don't need socialism. you do need democracy. but democracy needs citizen quality people, and they are few, in the usa. once you have democracy, if you have democracy, you can have as much socialism as you [ collectively ] want. until you have democracy, you are just adolescents, of what ever age, pleading with daddy for the keys to the car. but your masters are not your daddy, and you won't get the keys.
    2
  1376. Autocratic direction of a nation gets brilliant results, so long as the autocrat agency is competent, and directed towards the welfare of the nation. PRC has had such direction for the last 30 years, by comparison, with few missteps. It won't last, qcpprc is composed of humans, and so is the rest of China. No matter, right now they reveal the selfishness and corruption everywhere seen in western elective oligarchies has results that cry out for revolution. Prof Wolff paints a clear picture but I am not convinced it is any use. H. Sap. Needs revolution, a transfer of power from politician to electorate. And you don't hear that here or anywhere. It may be that h. Sap. Is incapable of democracy, and equally, that any elite rule is leading us to extinction. We just aren't smart enough, or are too selfish, more likely. Politics is the exercise of power within a society - Aristotle captured the core very simply, it is about 'who decides.' Mao came to the same conclusion, in more earthy fashion, he listened to academics and approved of Marx, but 'power grows from the barrel of a gun.' if you are just going to talk, be prepared for failure.
    2
  1377. interesting question. will someone please tell trump to raise the confederate flag at the white house, lessee what happens.
    2
  1378. any organization with usa in it is evil. add israel, evil squared. and india yearns to be seen with the evil team. otherwise, people would wonder why prc got rich, with smart leaders and hard work, and india, with neither, has no future.
    2
  1379. last remnants of pretense to democracy. there is a structural similarity between usa and weimar- in both nations there was voting for representation in a parliament, but the military and state officers were not commanded by the will of the parliament. you might add that this was the situation when caesar took command of rome, too. the senate kept talking, but no one was listening. usans not only do not direct their 'democracy,' they don't even know what's going on, either. 'national security,' you know. is there no one in that nation able to organize an action to get democracy? all these 'progressives' making a living by suggesting something is not quite right... national psychosis.
    2
  1380. democracy? they have it in switzerland, by reputation. not seen, elsewhere.
    2
  1381. politicians are crooked by nature. a nation that tolerates their existence is a nation of ignorant serfs. when the only resistance comes from comics earning a living by trying to laugh at politicians, you can be sure that revolution isn't happening any time soon, or never. you get the masters you are willing to tolerate, if you are too busy earning a living to resist, log on to tjds and get virtual rebellion. it may be soothing, add 3 beers and it will be.
    2
  1382. listen to andy yang, about your house and truck. he thinks the truck will be driving itself soon. ready to 'retire?'
    2
  1383. trump is not yer problem, guys-- he's just the surface lesions of tertiary syphilis of the usa society. it turns out that founding a nation to empower wealth and protect slavery has foreseeable consequences. so now the alternative to trump is biden. doesn't that ring any alarm bells? have you looked at the congressional leaders, the character of the supreme court? trump was always lazy, why is he president? because the democratic party is also utterly corrupt? because clinton didn't have a word to say for the rust belt?
    2
  1384. the japanese government had led their nation into china, threatening to create an empire to rival usa. usa said "go back to your islands, or it's war." they could not retreat, as reparations to china would impoverish them. they chose to hope 'something would turn up.' and poverty came anyway. but, the over-riding fear of communism led usa to re-vivify japan, as an ally against prc. so the gamble paid, in the end, to a limited extent.
    2
  1385. this is fantasy. mice don't bell cats.
    2
  1386. people who won't fight or can't fight will be the slaves of those who can and will fight. it is no accident that the citizens of athens were the army. used to be true of switzerland too. usans can talk, for now, but since they can not organize they can never take power away from the rich, who own the politicians, who direct the police.. so go on talking, while you can, but you are still political cattle. don't imagine for a minute that trump is your problem--- the system that selected him to be your king-for-awhile is your problem, and deeper still is the acceptance that you don't need democracy, it's too much trouble. deeper still is the quaint idea that what you have is democracy. frankly, a nation of idiots only prospered because of geographic isolation, no longer true in a global age.
    2
  1387. it's not 'defense,' it's reward to the rich, who hold stocks, and poor, who work in the factories, or in the army. it's called fascism, when italians do it. usa deserves no better, but the rest of the world might worry where this will end.
    2
  1388. have you considered trying democracy?
    2
  1389.  @bonnierussell9798  manipulating dimwits, i will agree.
    2
  1390. what a charming humanizing touch. but a nation that submits to politician rule can have no complaint. you create an elite class and you must be humbly grateful if they share images of their chocolate with you.
    2
  1391. people who need leaders will be taken to the cleaners.
    2
  1392. now and then, usa resembles the middle years of the byzantine empire. particularly in the internal politics. 2 parties, they were blue and green in byzantium, and their only point of contention was winning the chariot races. this kept the people quiet while the empire got on with slow decay. you can see the resemblance, i hope.
    2
  1393. stop picking pimples, start organizing to get democracy. make politicians obsolete.
    2
  1394. your constitution is what got you here.
    2
  1395. sorry, america has problems inherited from day one.one of those problems is that anyone over 35, and born to american parent, and not in jail, can be president. that worked ok when president did little, but nowadays foreign affairs are 'imperial.' that means stronger president, and foolish congress. now there is foolish congress and jerk president.
    2
  1396. if americans had half a brain they would get democracy, charge politicians with war crime, and send to iraq for judgement. but there's the problem.
    2
  1397. the usg financed, directed and ultimately fought the losing war to maintain control of south vietnam. why? lbj said it was to save his belt buckle. perhaps it was to save his life, jfk talked of letting the vietnamese make their own decisions. he also insulted allen dulles, a man who made a brilliant career out of murder. either one might have caused his death. i continually remark that the usa is not a democracy. sometimes it is not even clear which elite group or individual is directing the nation. the advance of nato is imperialism through bribery, threats and coups. the next step would have been direct usa engagement in ukraine, but lately usg seems to realize this might be a bridge too far. biden does not seem to be smart enough to be in office. perhaps smart people prefer to pull his strings. whoever is running the nation should be aware that putin is in a win or die situation, and has no inhibitions about staying in power, whatever it takes.
    2
  1398.    many reasons trump might scrape in, but bernie is very strong in several states necessary to trump's re-election.
    2
  1399. if you start with democracy, you can have as much socialism as you want. that's why madison wrote and sold a constitution that prevented democracy. but no american politician dares to say "we are are not a democracy, the people do not rule." it would lead to him being unemployed. and americans are too ignorant, anyway: you need citizen quality people to run a democracy, and bubbaland has very few. california would be a democracy, if independent, and a few other states as well. they should secede and let bubbas look after themselves. unfortunately, bubbas are over-represented in the army, and secession might not work. it's a puzzlement! bernie is a politician, not a philosopher. so he says 'we need cheap drugs!' he doesn't say 'we need democracy, and cheap drugs will result, and many other good things.' but you can't have cheap drugs in the usa. it's not a democracy.
    2
  1400. every once in awhile, someone else reports reality, and for weeks i can assure myself i'm not crazy. usa has never been a democracy, madison bragged about it, 'federalist 10' explains why and how, and even vaguely lefty channels keep talking about american democracy as though it was not a fantasy.
    2
  1401. 2 big indian rivers begin in the nearly empty land under dispute. this makes indian rulers nervous. it should. but trying to establish control of these headwaters with military patrols is insane. prc has had enough bullying by various nations, and they don't respond with a smile, anymore. negotiation might have got treaties and water, but it appears indian politics requires military action first. seriously bad move. associating with usa in 'the quad' is suicidal. that ended any sympathy in beijing.
    2
  1402. the real lesson appears to be that americans are ill-educated and fearful always, of losing their employment. this was the implied intent, when the constitution was written, to empower the rich. the cure is establishing democracy, but it is out of reach of the frightened dimwits that plutocracy has cultivated in its national garden. worse still, the superficially aware talking heads have still not made the connection between the lack of democracy and the character of the people. no use telling fearful dimwits to stand up and take part in the direction of the nation. which is why lenin did stand up and say, 'can't wait for the potato heads to become philosophers, let's get started now.' there's been a few 'lenins' since then, with mixed results. mao would have to grit his teeth at the spectacle of state-directed capitalism in china, but he could console himself with the prospect of china as a world power, once again. revolution is a bloody business, at best. but the spectre of looming climate catastrophe demands a change of direction from human society. politicians are incapable of adequate response.
    2
  1403. or so you wish.
    2
  1404. they want the freedom for you to starve. but talking to them is a waste of time. it's a psychosis, at best, more frequently just arrested development. 4 year-olds are libertarians, and many stay there.
    2
  1405. rare earths are not rare. commonly thinly dispersed, so less attractive than the common metals. usa will just have to spend a little more money on its own mining.
    2
  1406. it's not the guns, it's the society. there is no visible leadership to significant change, and usa may soon join the trek to historical oblivion. sometimes the glass is broken and there is no going back.
    2
  1407. usa in the 30's through 50's was as close to socialism as ever will be. also more widely prosperous. it was the result of ww2. exterior threats over-rode the dark influence of plutocracy. the threats receded, the rich commenced to buy back their nation, one politician at a time. you must get a new constitution. you must establish democracy. when power is in the electorate, they will create a more equal and prosperous society. if you don't the elite will destroy the nation. it is easy to do. if most want democracy, they can demand with success. what if most don't want democracy? hard to believe? but usans have been raised to be 2nd class people, and most might be incapable of being citizens. instead, they will accept the assurances of politicians, not because they believe them to be good and capable and ethical people, but because being a citizen of a democracy requires a self-respect widely lacking in the nation.
    2
  1408. can't destroy what doesn't exist. you can blow away the the myth of democracy very easily. read the constitution. notice what it says about democracy? nothing. it establishes elective oligarchy. until you face this reality, all discussion about politics is childish pretense. to be fair, many people make a living from this pretense of discussion, but that's usa for you,
    2
  1409.  @billyoldman9209  you could say that about lichtenstein, but the swiss have some quality engineering, tourism, high end agriculture and a distinguished history of peace-mongering. plus, they said 'no' to hitler when it was hard. come back when you know more.
    2
  1410. you could have democracy, if you organized and put a metaphorical gun to the head of politicians in office. but somehow the notion of collective action never appears in usa minds. brain-washing works.
    2
  1411. "lest we forget..." usa greeted the accession of the communist party to power in china, with a ring of trade barriers, and military threats including overflights by the taiwanese client state. china owes the west nothing. the walls were removed only by the erosion of naked greed from american corporations, seeing china as an inexhaustible cheap labor base, with potential as a giant market. so those american corporations pressed nixon to sell out the american worker, which he did, to accolades all around. well, except from the industrial workers, but no one else in america cared about them. china has no respect for america, and can explain in detail why no one should do, including a lot of americans, once were workers, now are beggars. it appears china will soon be the leading human society, once again. get used to it, tell yer children to learn mandarin, it's much easier than english and will soon be the international language of choice.
    2
  1412. why look for a dream? china is flowering, a combination of good national management and decaying western competition. elite rule ensures that corruption and entitlement will do there just as elsewhere, but for now, it's the best human society can present. no dream involved, just history re-enacted in the latest hot-spot. the scandis, and finland, have better long-term prospects, through socialism, and a warming earth will be welcome there. if humanity has any long-term hope, dream in norwegian.
    2
  1413. this nearly happened to fdr, and he was a much stronger man.
    2
  1414. good question, i think the answer is his followers need commonly agreed language more than reality. this is entertainment, not discussion.
    2
  1415.  @DJAD_Kaan  you are right, but too polite.
    2
  1416. you get daily evidence that the structure of the federal government is unfit for purpose, but can talk about nothing but personalities. which is further proof. it's no accident that china is eating your lunch.
    2
  1417. fascism is the natural state of civilization. the few, of various sorts, allied against the many. oligarchy vs democracy. democracy should prevail with modern communication technology available to most, but childhood conditioning, call it 'dis-education,' has preserved the power of the few. homer sap is maybe not smart enough to survive, since he has shown little ability to play nicely with others.
    2
  1418. lack of democracy, actually. the masters of usa profit from losing small wars, winning optional
    2
  1419. i get very tired about hearing 'liberal democracy.' whenever .democracy is modified, it ceases to be democracy. western nations are elective oligarchies. they are not democracies. the people have little influence on state activities, and no, not any, formal control. when polls are taken, popular opinion is commonly against state activity. so, when westerners say, china is an oligarchy, i agree, but i add, that so is the west. i prefer democracy. but there is almost none. if you must tolerate oligarchy, china has been doing more for its people, by far.
    2
  1420. china has stolen nothing. american ceo's sold out america by moving production to china for the cheap labor. they agreed to technology transfer by simply building in china in front of smart chinese engineers and scientists. the politburo controls chinese economy, and the result has been impressive growth of china. their system is clearly better than the usa. usa will respond with tough talk and blame-shifting, perhaps finally with war. meanwhile, china seizes the ecar industry, the pvc industry, the forest reclamation and environmental improvement leadership, while usa backs away from every suggestion for saving the environment. no wonder they will in the end see only war as the struggle they can win. i have come to see why the iranian ayatollahs refer to usa as 'the great satan.' the usa government, the usa politicians, truly are in the service of satan, if destroying the planet is evil.
    2
  1421. here's the problem, cabbages: with democracy, you get as much socialism as the electorate collectively wants. without democracy, you take what your masters give you. so why don't you want democracy? because you are cabbages.
    2
  1422. btw, although western media both cry 'shame!' and 'stupid!' we will not know how successful this attack has been until ukraine submits to neutrality and dismemberment, or the russians leave. putin has not come conquer, and the piece-meal attacks may be carefully designed to hurt, 'just enough' to inspire compliance with russian demands. stay tuned.
    2
  1423. just a little reminder, usa hasn't fought a war for survival since the japanese gave up. after that, usa just fights for the 'freedom' of the rich to get richer, this became so obvious during the vn war that a conversion to a mercenary army was made. soldiers who fight for pay can be pitied, the alternate choice might be crime, or even hunger, but mercenaries are not defenders of the nation. there are no heroes in the land of the free, just survivors, and predators.
    2
  1424. think 'you' are not, 'they' are. it's not your nation, you are not citizens, you are civilians.
    2
  1425. mr. jannsen, the flaws in usa society were built in, at birth. they cannot be changed without revolution. which is why i left 50 years ago, returning only briefly to bury my parents. when politics is a profession, it is done for personal profit. how could it be otherwise. result, inevitably, is polarization. built-in, at birth. there is no hope for the usa. there is fear that you will destroy the world, to preserve your hegemony. and i hear no voice from there able to extract the source of the decay now visible. there is total acceptance of the law and custom of the nation, and uncomprehending inability to relate social problems to legal structure.
    2
  1426. since the number of planets with goldilocks temperature range appears to be somewhere between uncountable and really big-squared, a more useful observation is 'they are too far away to worry about.'
    2
  1427. usa was doomed from birth. slavery, ethnic cleansing and simple plutocracy has led to today in a natural progression, and the path ahead is more of the same. china is likely to take command of the world economy within the next 10 years. usa will join eu, russia in 2nd rank, and then into the 3rd rank with brazil and argentina. this is entirely due to the ineffectual system of government inherited from those slave plantation grandees in powdered wigs.
    2
  1428. usa is in the fortunate position of only needing war for an income. the brits burned washington, but no one since has had the will and means to threaten existence. the department of defense is an arm of the wealth distribution system of the usa. so talk about violence is frequently unconnected with what is commonly called, 'reality.' even the occasional act of terrorism is only an inducement to transfer more money to share-holders in munitions corporations. usa is defended by geography better than any other nation in the world. yet usa spends more on munitions than the next 7-10 nations, put together. this might be psychosis. but in fact, it's just a kind of commonplace mixture of corruption and arrogance. usans don't fear war, believing they are so strong that no one can hurt them. and this is true. prc and russia could do great damage, but can not contemplate a 'victory.' and contrariwise - either are strong enough that attack would lead to catastrophic loss. they achieve this safety with much less expense, which is why prc will soon be the leading economic power in the world. usa was built to protect the position and power of the rich. uk was the model, with some minor adjustments, wealth substituting for family lineage. both suffer from the unwillingness of the rich to subsidize the education of the unrich, which inevitably leads to national weakness. prc has weaknesses built in too, but the nation is so large that more smart people will engage in science, engineering and commerce than anywhere else. for now, make sure that your child has a second language and it probably should be mandarin..
    2
  1429. i have no sympathy for brits. they are incapable of even desiring democracy. but their talking heads continue to make a living tut-tuting the actions of their masters. it's all sham. their closest approach to che guevara was a shop-keeper who got above 'imself and disappeared in company with a group of noble-thugs. the truss creature is distilled britland. complaining about her is as useless as complaining about the weather.
    2
  1430. prof. wolff confuses economics with politics. he wants a different kind of society, very sensible, but is presumably unwilling to shoot anyone to achieve it. but the transfer of power requires violence, does it not? that's politics. to be fair, it is conceivable that a popular movement might confront a government with such numbers that some concessions were made. something like that happened in athens, a long, long time ago. democracy was born from threats of violence, and great numbers then. didn't last. recent athenians, notably varoufarkis, left town or submitted to the e. u. bankers. pericles, they ain't. he seems enamored of syndicalism, which is no way to run a nation. it may be a good way to run a corporation, germans like it nowadays. but it hasn't caught on elsewhere. besides the struggle between labor and management has little to do with the management of a nation. nations decide war and peace, and shall we feed old old ladies who never joined a union. for me, it's democracy in the nation, and all else follows.
    2
  1431. we can make new universes, i suspect i have made several. unfortunately, i am the relict of the one i was trying to excape from.
    2
  1432. this happens to empires. the agents of the emperor invite him to relax, 'let me do this, o mighty wisdom! ' and over time, anyone can be emperor, because the agents become the governing agency. a competent and active person may succeed to the purple, but there are so many layers of lackeys that not much can be achieved. obama would be a demonstration. the good news is, government performance is not much affected by the personal ability of the emperor. it will be uniformly poor. the bad news is, new societies will roll over the flaccid empire.
    2
  1433. no use talking about what should be done, if you won't talk about getting power to do.
    2
  1434. if you can't civilize greece, why imagine you have answers for the world? the mechanism of human management is the nation-state, wherein power is directed. talk outside is empty blather.
    2
  1435. read a book and find out. may take 2 or three books. you won't learn anything here.
    2
  1436. powell is not well-placed to talk about moral leadership. he, more than anyone else, put a 'moral' face on the war-crime of the iraq invasion. but you would be hard-pressed to find an ethical person who has participated in american government.
    2
  1437. start with nicaragua, then recruit mexico to the north american bri.
    2
  1438. the rich generally have no nation, money makes them comfortable anywhere. the poor and middles need a sense of community as a defense against the various pressures and threats of life. the british empire, the british class system, both exacerbate this stress within the nation. it has crippled the economy, and no cure in sight. 'serves you right!' similar problems in view in the usa, but the big gorilla is not yet hobbled outside the nation. i presume it will be be, the economy is held up by habit and wishes, which seems unlikely to endure.
    2
  1439.  @fastd63  the constitution established elective plutocracy.
    2
  1440. when you stop and think of it, you should vote with your taxes. the irs gives you a receipt as a book of tear-off tickets, 1$ each, and you can vote with each in city, state and federal elections. a really rich person vote himself into any office, or all of them. but perhaps competiion would arise, enriching the public coffers. this is much more direct and transparent than the current system, and would beeasier to explain to the highschool kids, who currently think something called ;democracy' is happening.
    2
  1441. no one in the usa seems to realize trump is just the result of the constitution. anyone can be president, over 35 and native born. the temporary king needs no experience, education nor even evidence of sanity and good character. and the simple reality of putting an individual in such a position of power is national insanity. but, by no accident, there is nothing the people of the usa can do to gain control of their nation, except violent revolution. no wonder discussion of politics so resembles chatting about a celebrity dance contest. and no wonder the nation is visibly decaying.
    2
  1442. edison was not a nice person. not much of a scientist, either.
    2
  1443. sorry, we all scrabble for whatever prizes please, and seem within reach. can't see an alternative, maybe a license to practice particle physics through examination? but who writes the questions, and measures the answers?
    2
  1444. the cure needs democracy, because a feature of democracy is open administration of the state- no secrets at all. it can't be otherwise- when the people are citizens and direct the state, they must know what is done and what is planned. the usa is not a democracy, its people are not citizens, and they live in a fog of lies and silence. like cattle. hardly unique, but if h. sap. doesn't lift its collective game, elites will destroy the world.
    2
  1445. Clearly his returns from face_off have been disappointing. Don't complain humble usans- you let politicians rule you, so little pride licensed corrupt rule.
    2
  1446. hillary is right, in a sense: trump in the oval office is an asset to russia. any 3rd party movement that bleeds off democrat votes make life better for trump. hillary appears to put personal venom into her statement, one can understand why- "missed it by that much!" plus "beaten by such a visible slimeball!" plus "people will think i'm stupid, corrupt and incompetent!" poor hillary- hell is in her mind. i think biden is out. he is visibly incompetent, [often inconsequential] and surely a large chunk of possible dem voters realize the hunter biden story is prima facie evidence of deep corruption. dem apparatchiks should realize that biden will be wearing an earplug into which daily reminders of his ukrainian adventure in graft will be streamed. he is the 'manchurian candidate' of our time, not trump.
    2
  1447. it should be said that this 'coup attempt' is so pathetic in design and execution that you have to wonder if its a private operation, rather than the cia. otoh, cia got full and deserved credit for the bay of pigs, which was only one level better in funding and equally laughable in execution. maybe the usg is largely staffed by dimwits?
    2
  1448. if usa were ever a democracy, you would have citizen initiative to direct or sanction errant public officers. you would also have citizen-quality people who wouldn't put up with attempts to abrade their freedom. but neither condition is true, and the resulting passivity of the people makes life easier for your masters. 'ain't it a shame' will be widely heard, but tomorrow your masters will still be your masters.
    2
  1449. 'populism' is the appeal to the people in a society that is not a democracy. in a democracy, the wishes of the electorate have direct and decisive effect, through referendum and initiative. but there are no democracies aside from switzerland. at best there is some variety of elective oligarchy. in those societies, it suits some of the contending elites to stir up the people with promises as rewards for electoral support. this is regarded as undignified by the other parties, as it might instill some aspiration to real citizenship, in a democracy. these other parties respond with their own lies, regarding national virtue, offering a sense of participation as a spear-carrier in a virtual army. democracy is the only hope for racial survival, as elite rule is always greedy and short-sighted. but it does not occur naturally, so economic ruin is visibly on-coming, and might be preferable to environmental collapse, which has a genuine possibility of extinction. if you continue to depend on the virtue of your masters, you deserve what they give you, however little. if you get off your knees and start running society for the benefit of all, you might save the world. could be an easy choice, i would think.
    2
  1450. they started shooting in the 1920's. they didn't start with any compassion.
    2
  1451. only 70%? usa and israel should be sent to the naughty corner. but other nations are ruled by politicians, and do bad things - within their more limited power. homer sap is smart enough to deal with tigers, but not himself. impending climate collapse will shake up human culture, let's hope we have a 2nd chance at escaping from the rule of alphas.
    2
  1452. fun toy, but so is a motorcycle. 4 wheels and 5 people can be put into a smaller lighter package, but china and japan and korea are already occupying that market.
    2
  1453. american companies went to china for cheap labor. screwed their workers, gave lower prices to their customers. they are still there, making millions every month and that's why you can afford an iphone. this trade is destroying america, but it's not china's fault, it's capitalism's fault. never let patriotism get in the way of making an extra dollar. you should be angry, if you are american, but not at china- they owe you nothing. your problem is, rich americans think they owe you nothing, too. but you may be too dumb to realize that, in which case trump is the best you can do.
    2
  1454. no, he's just trying to get re-elected. he'd do anything to get re-elected.
    2
  1455. @Tarchon Glitch not bankrupt, perhaps, but he has turned a giant fortune into a small one. too dim to make it in commerce, thinks politics is easier. probably is, but not easy enough. don't worry about usa--- it was hollow and brittle for 80 years, the simple fact that trump can be president should demonstrate to usans that they desperately need a new constitution. but yer average yank is dumb as a plank, and that's why trump still has a chance. every time biden opens his mouth, the possibility that he is dimmer still may emerge, another demonstration of the need for a new constitution. usa seemingly has no intellectuals willing to make this connection, which is why china is eating their lunch. you can't have a national leader with an i.q of 90 followed by one in mid stage alzheimer's and not pay a heavy price in performance.
    2
  1456. in the first place, it wasn't the people that established the constitution. that was the first lie. the federation was created by the consent of the various state congresses, largely controlled by the state grandees, unsurprising since you had to be white, male and prosperous to even vote. one state did offer the proposed constitution through referendum to the people. the rhode island people rejected the constitution. their finest hour. during the constitutional convention, madison had to be frank in selling his document, and took credit for considering democracy, and rejecting it, because it would lead to the taxes on the rich being spent on the needs of of the poor. there is no socialism, no democracy, in the foundation of the usa. and damn little since then.
    2
  1457. i hope putin invades ukraine and usa settles for more threats on the 'just you wait' line. putin doesn't want usa to plant its rockets so close that a war could be 'won' without time for effective response. like the time khrushchev threatened to put rockets on cuba, in order to get usa to remove rockets from turkey. bit hard on ukraine, but if usa did arm ukraine, they would be ground zero.
    2
  1458. don't have much respect for yv, smart man, but packed his bags and left his nation to the eu neo-libs. not a big enough stage, for yanis. he is smart, and his sketch of the next 4 years sounds very possible. but usa problems are intrinsic, bad culture arising from history, and a path to a better future will need a better mind than mine. the future is chinese, so long as usa doesn't ignite nuclear war.
    2
  1459. trouble with being raised in an elective aristocracy is, you never develop 'citizen' muscles. kevin was an interesting pm but the oz system doesn't respond to interesting. now he floats around making interesting remarks and is largely ignored. too smart for parliament, not smart enough to stay in office. ozzians don't deserve good government, and that's why they don't get it. on the plus side, if usa drags us into war with prc, you can row to nz and promise to barrack for the all-blacks.
    2
  1460. and you know this because of the polls?
    2
  1461. they did in fact attack ussr, from mongolia. [plan a ] got a bloody nose from zhukov and friends, so they went to plan b. no luck there, either. don't you guys read history?
    2
  1462. there are no rights without power. if you won't fight, you will obey those who will, or who can hire fighters.
    2
  1463. cya, we called it, when you do something that might terminate your career if it became public. saying 'rare, or never' seems unlikely, since usa military regularly engages in war crime. but some generals oppose politicians, retiring as required, and some see no problem, and some 'cya.' not sure how much cya does for you, but if you are not ready to retire, can't hurt. the usg is a cess-pool, and there is no possible clean-up. a common situation in human societies, that's why history can be interesting. there is one possible clean-up: people of usa could decide to take charge of their nation by establishing democracy. that would do it. but it needs citizen quality people, and i have been holding up my lamp and peering into faces, just to ask, what should we do? for 55 years with not a single suggestion of democracy. h. sap. relies on alpha personalities. always has done, and it's going to kill us. bernie is not the first 'savior,' many thought obama was the savior, and plenty more in modern times, none come off with great credit. so not really a possible clean-up, just a charming fantasy.
    2
  1464. that's why democracies have 'administrations' instead of government. but there are no democracies, with the possible exception of switzerland. a nation of ignorant people can not even sustain a democracy, much less get one. this will be the death of us. just too dim.
    2
  1465. china is run for the chinese, or their government, at least. america is run for the rich. why should the market be open? usa tried to starve china for decades, while threatening nuclear war, do you think the chinese have forgotten? they have stolen nothing- american companies came to china for cheap labor, and were willing to transfer technology in order to get that labor. those american companies may be said to have sold out their nation, but capitalism is like that, it has no nation and regards patriotism as a block to money gathering.
    2
  1466. what has he done? aside from assist manning and others to shine a light on the nature of the u. s. government.
    2
  1467. this is good news. the rich will have to pay taxes!
    2
  1468. ole! to whose head did you apply the pistol?
    2
  1469. 'future history' as good as we are likely to get. it turns out that the sanctions and stricture put around china from 49 to 72 created a strong national spirit, and cleared the eyes of prc leaders of any notion of respect for western ethics at government level. add a tincture of deng xiao ping on a base of 'bing fa,' and china re-emerged as the engine room of asian society, and likely soon to be better at everything than everywhere, except possibly at war. which is where mr jacques may be wrong. it is easy to see usa lashing out in desperation at falling income, with a 'limited ' nuclear war. which won't be limited at all.
    2
  1470. poms live in dreamland. that tractor engine in the t34 won the war, the merlin just kept the germans at arm's length while the sovs did the serious dying and fighting.
    2
  1471. there is nothing new about greed, and institutionalizing it doesn't make it better. but does make it stronger. being a citizen of a democracy has responsibilities, and benefits. the responsibilities arise from participation in the management of the nation, the benefits are necessary, to insure that the nation's managers all have reason to believe in the prosperity of the nation, and its people. but usa is not a democracy, the people do not rule, so they must scrabble for survival as their masters allow. you would think they would get tired of it. but, so long as 50% are ok, revolution is unlikely to succeed. are 50% ok, and which direction is the trend line? no matter, nothing will be done until the situation is much worse. then some general will seize power and throw coins to the poor. roll on, military salvation! btw, economists can tell you why, but they can't tell you how.
    2
  1472. study hard, and take voice lessons to get zee accent right.
    2
  1473. it doesn't have to be this way. if any big number of usa peeps say publicly, "i will have democracy, or start shooting to make politicians extinct." then politicians would act to save themselves. either democracy, or civil war would result. don't dare? then shut up, because powerful elites don't listen to people who prefer slavery to combat.
    2
  1474. no, you need a new constitution, establishing democracy. the current constitution, establishing elective oligarchy, has led to corporate rule, no accident, madison said he was intent on empowering the 'opulent' over the 'mob.' and he was very successful.
    2
  1475. so it's going to be one damn politician after another? trump, pence, biden? that's the choice this time? do you think this kind of management has any relation with services delivered within the nation, and foreign relations conducted at gunpoint? it's not trump, people, he's just the superficial eruption of the skin, signifying rot inside.
    2
  1476. children, children, stop yer tears. bernie hasn't lost, he's just retired to neverland where president buttigieg will keep him well-fed and happy. if there were adults in usa, i would suggest organizing a revolution to establish democracy in the usa. but i see no sign of it.
    2
  1477. no, it's oligarchy vs. oligarchy. unless the swiss are involved. their democracy is imperfect, and being eroded by envelopment from the eu, but still entitled to some respect.
    2
  1478. mr pompeo is looking out for the investor class, as you would expect. clearing the decks for war. no doubt usa is stronger than prc if it comes to nuclear exchange. but prc is strong enough to make usa a radioactive wasteland. the fall-out from both will cause mass death throughout the northern hemisphere. this will seep into the south and kill everything. have you written to mr pompeo and explained his fate if he manages to start the fires?
    2
  1479. what power failure? in a nation ruled by sociopaths, texas is the seed bed. some gopeeps threatened to secede a few weeks ago, but have gone silent. damn! should have encouraged them.
    2
  1480. usa has none of the attributes of democracy, and was designed to be ruled by politicians. the politicians serve the rich, who pay for the election support. it is an oligarchy, and a functional plutocracy.
    2
  1481. almost daily, i watch mr hartmann scratch his head and wonder why 'american democracy' doesn't work for most americans. truly, it is visible psychosis. the distinguishing feature of democracy is that it does work for most citizens, by force. the citizens vote, in referendum, occasionally initiative, majority rules. that's called democracy. 'american democracy' is a variety of psychosis. it has literally nothing in common with actual democracy. it has neither referendum, much less, does it have initiative. what is the cure for this disease? reality. this is not a pleasant medicine. reality may simply be death. refusal to acknowledge reality will certainly be death. but no public figure says, "we don't have democracy, and we must get it." so what will be the future of usa? various possibilities, but the the favorite must be dictatorship.
    2
  1482. the german system is better than the usa, lots better. but it too, is not democracy. administration by referendum and initiative is democracy, and if you are not swiss, you don't live in a democracy.
    2
  1483. it's only fair. usa politicians sic their 'special forces ' on resistant people, and that is the beginning of war crime. if they are not charged, charging individual gundogs seems pointless. you can't get ethical people to do what 'special' forces do, it needs sociopaths, and so are a lot of politicians. starting at the top.
    2
  1484. "The US Defense Department released a statement that takes China to task over last week’s missile launch. “Conducting military exercises over disputed territory in the South China Sea is counterproductive to easing tensions and maintaining stability. The PRC’s actions further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea,” it reads." it's the south china sea, not the caribbean. the provocative acts are the usa carrier groups. but the usg tried to ring-bark the prc starting in 1949. prc has many reasons to suspect the appearance of aggression those carrier groups represent. india is diverting attention from their national poverty and ineffective response to the virus. "look over there, at those nasty people!"
    2
  1485. partly true, but the other part is the submissive nature of the american civilian,
    2
  1486. when your own populace can't afford to educate their children, foreign students are a useful income for investors, foreign graduates necessary for progress in science and medicine. the presence of foreign students is an indicator of a nations future- soon it will be directed by people whose families live elsewhere.
    2
  1487. the american people don't need protection, except from their government. if you want to help the grunts, tell them to stop joining up. killing people because some politician says so is not an honorable occupation.
    2
  1488. you shouldn't trust anyone who has great power. which is why i think getting democracy is vital to the survival of humanity. but i am certain that the continuing hegemony of the usa is the immediate and chief danger we face. so, resist usa, support prc, and even russia, with fingers crossed.
    2
  1489. tg seems to have confused her position with god-hood. once she agrees trump has committed political crimes, she must vote for impeachment. trump is not less guilty because the judgement was split on party lines. she is clearly soliciting support from both parties, regardless of the facts of trump's actions. this makes her even more crooked than the republicans. but americans deserve no better. if you put your faith in politicians you are too dim to survive.
    2
  1490. if you are going to talk about the constitution, notice that it does not establish democracy. so when you say 'take back,' you are participating in a lie, for the government of the usa is in the hands of politicians, not 'us.' and that explains why the military responds to the needs or wishes of wealth. this is no secret: madison explained in some detail that he had written a constitution to empower the 'opulent,' in the quaint language of the day. lincoln lied. the usa is not ruled by the people, and that's why it is not ruled for the people. until you do something about that, political chat is just gossip.
    2
  1491. you endlessly describe the functioning of an oligarchic state, and wring your hands as you wonder why 'democracy' does not work for the people. time to examine your assumptions.
    2
  1492. i keep suggesting that americans should get a new constitution, this one only works for the rich. would be easy to do, if only americans wanted a democracy. but they don't- they prefer to listen to politicians, in the face of endless evidence that politician rule only works for the rich. can't help people who are too dim to help themselves.
    2
  1493. you never had democracy, and you can never get i, if you don't know what it is. it is not rule by politicians. it is rule by the citizens.
    2
  1494. why talk about things you have no control over? because you wish they were different? until you are a member of the ruling class, you are cattle. or just adolescents dreaming [operative word ] about what they will do when grown up. actual political grown ups want to be members of the ruling class, and when that class is most of the adults, it's called democracy. in short, first you get the power to do, then you consider the list of what should be done. pretty obvious, i suggest. why then do pundits never talk about this? because it's too hard. worse, when you talk for a living, you run out of things to say. capitalism is not a political entity. it's just a label put om greed and arrogance, that wishes there was no such thing as politics, that money bought everything the rich need, and is utterly unconcerned about people without disposable income. the political question is always, "who rules?" one, ten, a thousand? grouped as 'oligarchy." or most of the adults, 'democracy.' capitalism is no part of this fundamental question, for greed and arrogance permeates all human society in some degree. the constitution of the usa was written to preserve slavery and empower the rule of wealth. it expressly confined power to political aristocrats numbered in the hundreds, which in a nation of millions is oligarchy. the selection of these aristocrats is done by election, replacing civil war, but has nothing to do with democracy. citizens of democracy vote in referendum and initiative, elections unnecessary. so: saying 'health care should be free.' is a nonsense. it is the language of children. first become a citizen, a political grown up in a democracy.
    2
  1495. i have an idea: start a citizen initiative to achieve carbon neutral society by 2035. add criminal sanctions for politicians who fail to deliver. or, sit around and grizzle about 'somebody' not doing 'something.'
    2
  1496. the usa was born to protect slavery, and the rule of wealth. i'm hoping for a 2nd civil war, to establish democracy.
    2
  1497. americans don't have the government they deserve, unless beef cattle have the management they deserve. american myth-making and formal education result in a nation of political cattle. the cattle are told often that they live in a democracy, only it's a modern version which is done for you by selfless professionals. the cattle are a bit cynical, a bit suspicious, but never seem to realize how disconnected from reality they are. in the end, the constitution was written to achieve this goal, that the rich few rule the poor many. and it visibly has worked. mental chains and daily lies better by far than secret police, although nsa has better reach than a secret police. i can see no path to civilization for the usa. it started wrong, and has not improved. even technology is starting to fall behind, possibly excepting in some military areas. even there china might have some nasty surprises in hand- they are ahead in a. i. and communication.
    2
  1498. biden is reported to have murdered about 20 people in syria, recently. just felt like killing that day, i guess. when usa talks about human rights, it is largely a matter of distraction from their own activities. why are they in iraq? why are they in afghanistan? why are they in syria?
    2
  1499. what do you mean? revolution?
    2
  1500. more likely the political orcs in dc are using uk as a mask, allowing themselves to say, "reluctantly, we think uk is right." usa has done so much murder, retail and wholesale, that even dc sociopaths are beginning to notice the unscrubable stain on their hands.
    2
  1501. laugh all you want, turkeys. trump is president, and you ain't. the dnc managed to lose the last one, and picking biden keeps the question open: are they really trying to win? maybe the visible political activity is just a puppet show? that would correspond to activity at least as well.
    2
  1502. usa is crazy. it started off evil. little change reported. but what really gets up my nose is, there is no visible activity to improve. which means, average h. sap. usa sub-division, is without hope. and their masters control the most powerful military on the planet. god help us all.
    2
  1503. democracy is not broken, because you haven't got it. the usa is an elective aristocracy and the 'aristocrats are doing very well. and any 'what if' that doesn't have an armed militia behind it is childish fantasy. politics is about real power.
    2
  1504. machon does not make a logical case. snowden is half pregnant in his claim to release him from his oath. he is not absolutely against surveillance, just against certain areas of surveillance. my respect for him is limited, because he is motivated not by his duty of defense as a citizen, but because it over-stepped his personal taste. nonetheless, some people might decide he has done society a good deed, however flawed. making claim that he has defended democracy fails, however, because the usa is not a democracy. the people are not sovereign. he was working for the government, and betrayed them. he will go to jail, if caught. a claim by a brit to respect his defense of democracy is simply laughable. uk remains a nominal monarchy, a real elective oligarchy , better a real elective aristocracy due to its heritage. in reality, the government of the usa is less progressive in some respects, as the constitution froze the nation in a constitution modeled on the britain of george 3rd. whistleblowers are seldom without flaws, being human, and out of step with the world around them. until they live within a democracy, not in view, they must be masochists who will be punished by their elite masters, and can not be protected by the people they purport to serve. worse, those people commonly turn on the whisleblower for exposing the quality of the ruler to be a shame to all who submit.
    2
  1505. don't blame the politicians, turkeys. you've heard of democracy, but you let politicians rule.
    2
  1506. you could try democracy, if only most usans wanted to be grown-ups. but, no.
    2
  1507. the tendency of rich and powerful people to conspire to ensure they stay that way at the expense of the chumps is a natural consequence of evolution. it's called fascism, but it is 'amercanism' and many other names, for each language. the chumps can not resist effectively for lack of education, and free time. poverty concentrates the mind on local concerns. que sera, sera. but unfortunately, elite rule is fundamentally selfish and uninterested in public good, which is leading us towards environment collapse, perhaps even extinction. homer sap 'solves' this condition by enlisting poor people into protective armies for the rich. money buys laws for awhile, buys gunmen when laws fail. the process has been visible in usa, with the 'professionalization' of the military, creating an instrument of imperial aggression immediately, and a potential instrument of national control. this process is visible also in the 'militarization' of police forces. unhappy with this evolutionary course? then you must act. but first, you must imagine a different path for the nation, and a means of achieving the goal. no voices, no ideas, no visible rejection of the status quo, in the usa. so yer screwed.
    2
  1508. oligarchy? 536 people rule a nation of 340 million. it's called the constitution, and it was explicitly written to exclude democracy. are you all blind?
    2
  1509. sounds a lot like medieval italy. i wonder why americans talk about 'our democracy,' when simple and frequent events should make the notion absurd.
    2
  1510. this couldn't happen in a democracy. but usa is not a democracy. call it what it is, 'oligarchy.' and don't be fooled by elections, when the electorate has no right to know what their officers of state are doing, elections are just charades.
    2
  1511. if you don't have the brains or character necessary to get democracy, then you have to pretend you like being screwed by whoever has got to the top of the shit-pile.
    2
  1512. there is no solution. dissolve the federation and start over. first bonus is military spending-- right away you can have health care and schools, since you aren't in the empire business anymore.
    2
  1513. find their retirement pensions.
    2
  1514. trump is good at insulting people, being untroubled by ethics or sympathy. and biden might even collapse into a raging psychotic in front of a debate camera. at which point, trump turns camera and says : 'the dnc cares so little about the american people that they chose a demented old man to represent them." that could be 4 more years. and i'm not sure by any means that biden in office would be safer. are you?
    2
  1515. the interesting thing is that harris and biden are still in the race. prima facie evidence that the race is rigged.
    2
  1516. again? why does he have a license? they can afford a driver. ah! he's also senile, and enjoys being off the leash. ain't it grand, being a usa elite person. almost as good as a british duke, like that phillip guy.
    2
  1517. yang has some sensible ideas, and ubi makes good sense to barely surviving americans. but if you are eating regular and can afford to make moral evaluations, you should find out what ay has said about assange. pretty revolting, in my view.
    2
  1518. in yer high school history class you would have read the records of the constitutional convention, in which madison explained that his proposed document would put and keep the rich in control of the nation. as it did, and still does. it worked brilliantly. you didn't have that class, in yer school? not surprising, no usa school did. why is that? maybe you can figure that out.
    2
  1519. israel can not back down. they would cease to be a jewish state. the usa doesn't want them to back down, they are a handy terror base against middle east enemies. the problem is not israel, which wouldn't exist if not desired by usa. bds is an economic tool accessible to people that wish to resist their nation's complicity in war crime. deserves support.
    2
  1520. when it comes to murder in uniform, usa is the world champion of the age. thx for putting the case of reality.
    2
  1521. the cure for usa is simple. get democracy. administer the nation through referendum, under control of citizen initiative. require open administration, to keep the public service in line. homo sapiens has to come to this, to avoid race suicide. simple is not easy. but putting the proposition to the people may work over time. some states have already achieved democracy, severely circumscribed by the federal government. california should secede, it would be joined by many blue states. the resulting democracies would be very attractive to the people of the red states, and might force democratization quickly.
    2
  1522. usans can only vote for people, which is nearly useless as an input to national activity. but the pretense of democracy keeps you harmlessly occupied. from the point of view of your masters. but you can;t have democracy if you don't have the combination of courage and self-respect necessary to take rule from the politicians. sanders is just another hollowman, and all you deserve.
    2
  1523. they fear theft. china will invest in nations that do not threaten them with war, only natural. perhaps if the chinese navy starts patrolling off sydney harbor you would understand why they are uncomfortable with the usa fleet in the south china sea?
    2
  1524. never heard of c46, presumably because of this performance. but c47 looks much the same, and they flourished like mushrooms. it was war, and obvious time pressure prevented thorough design and testing.
    2
  1525. Indoor hat is surely indicative of falling subscriptions. Prof Wolff is a learned man, but not many want history lessons involving feudalism.
    2
  1526. since usa is a democracy, the people can stop violence by legislating controls, through citizen initiative. no matter how often you hear it, it's a lie. usa is not a democracy. many states would be democracies, if they were independent. but democracy needs citizens, and those 'democratic' states don't have enough 'democratic' citizens. if they did, they would secede. that would need courage, of course, that is lacking as well.
    2
  1527. just wash yer hands. you are not a citizen of a democracy. decisions are made by politicians, not the peepul. not your problem. the swiss take responsibility for the actions of their nation. they are citizens, where you are a chump in a nation of chumps.
    2
  1528. everyone is just making a living, in the usa. it's not just plutocracy, it's plutalotry*. in any event, colbert does what he does, for money. so does mr dore. so do we all, to some degree. why despise colbert? i was never captivated by barry. when he was running for president, it was clear his words were empty, just another politician- slick willy in brownface. but a charming man, like slick willy, and if you must be ruled by lies and smiles, better than dubya or biden. * i made this up, perhaps, but there is a clear need for such a word.
    2
  1529. i'm afraid you are wrong. militias don't beat armies. but a society that uses a militia rather than a professional army can avoid the burden of expense, and put the money to more productive uses. the militias didn't beat the professional armies, the societies that relied on them outlasted their attackers. even the nva didn't beat the usa in the field, but they did demonstrate that victory in the field did not necessarily mean victory in the war. essentially, militias tire out professional armies, discourage invading governments, and exhaust their taxes. the viet minh and viet cong never won battles, but, with the nva, they did outlast french and usa. even more so in afghanistan. the special forces could go anywhere, kill any resistance, but usa had no reason to occupy afghanistan so the taliban could always recover and continue their 'hopeless' resistance. the real power of militia is not their efficiency, which is variable. but the winning power of militia is in being too much trouble to beat, for small reward. the real weakness of militia is the kill ratio: it is hard to maintain courage if the enemy is killing 10 for every 1 you get.
    2
  1530. no, you need democracy. but you can't have it- not smart enough.
    2
  1531. Gabbard — a member of the House committees on Foreign Affairs and Armed Services, and co-chair of the India Caucus — do you really want a hindu 'aipac?'
    2
  1532. you don't need more parties, you need less. a democracy is a society 'ruled by the people,' not by politicians. it's done by empowering the public service to manage through referendum, and the citizens to rule by initiative. no room for politicians in a democracy, make them extinct. they are just gang bosses who have learned to lie in public and steal and murder in private. but democracy needs citizen-quality people. and that is why politicians flourish - a nation of chumps invites parasites to bleed them.
    2
  1533. puerile nonsense. you haven't got democracy, that's why this children's crusade happened.
    2
  1534. he has no chance of holding the seat, much less being premier. so he moves on before the sky falls. sensible. in other news, the gormless chooks of orstalia continue to put up with politician rule. slow learners, you have to agree. it's in the blood, they don't even realize they don't have to be 2nd class people. or maybe they do.
    2
  1535. no, you need democracy. first you get the tools to do something, then you use the tools to do something. this is the sane/grown-up order of action. talking about what needs to be fixed when you have no fix ability is symptomatic of slave mentality. or simple childishness. get an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative first. then talk about fixing things. unless you get some deep satisfaction from whining.
    2
  1536. usa is run for the benefit of a few, and those hyper-rich are thriving, and the top 10% are doing well, too. usa was designed to benefit the rich, and that design has worked well. while the people of usa remain ignorant, passive and politically crippled, prospects will not improve. abandon hope, and pray for peace. if you don't have the courage to get democracy, get used to being on your knees.
    2
  1537. in fact, revolutionary france had some notable victories before nappy came to power. great numbers and great enthusiasm overcame the small professional armies that monarchies could support.
    2
  1538. please grow up, bernie in office would be another obama, except he might try harder. but lefties would like to imagine a kindly grandfather type will take care of them. saves doing the numbers and discovering they live in orcland. move to the west coast, do a deal with india for a few nuclear weapons, and secede. that's my best offer.
    2
  1539. trump is a very convenient scapegoat for the antique political system usans have lumbered themselves with- to know him is to despise him. but keep in mind, under that fly-away hair and in that grossly obese body hides a frightened boy, iq about 90, with his father still sneering at him in his mind, and driven to lying and boasting as forlorn defense against reality. he shouldn't be president. biden shouldn't be president too. he too is a liar, boaster and an empty shell of a human being. no one should be president. kings are out of date, active kings obsolete. and electing them doesn't make them any better, see current crown holder. try democracy, why don't you?
    2
  1540. in a democracy, the nation holds a referendum, and the result is the law. in an elective aristocracy, the ruling party holds a plebiscite, and the result becomes law if the ruling party passes a law. which put corbyn in a losing position, join the tories or resist the voice of the people, feeble as it may be. so he made a principled 'pass,' another casualty of a rotten political system.
    2
  1541. folks, the solution is simple. maybe too hard for you, but simple: organize [would-be] citizen action groups, easy with facebook and youtube. each member sends a email to the dnc every monday morning. it reads, " i'll vote democrat next, when democratic party is the party of democracy. i demand citizen initiative, administration through referendum, power of recall, and immediate publication of all administration activity. " if enough people join the 'monday morning email ' activity, the democratic party will submit, or be extinct. if there are not enough [would be] citizens, you are faced with a bleak reality. at least you will have stood up. better to die on your feet than beg on your knees, don't you think?
    2
  1542. there is no democracy in uk, or usa. why ask for it in china?
    2
  1543. if you are too dim or too lazy to get democracy, you must then rely on the character of politicians. [insert sarcastic sneer here]
    2
  1544. iraq invasion was an attempt to establish direct imperial rule of middle east oil. suddenly the 9/11 attacks became the key to an empire of oil. powell explained the connection to the security council, and all nodded their heads. if there is a god, every one of those nodding heads is in hell.
    2
  1545. joining others in saying the obvious, uk polies have nailed the nation's flag to the usa pole. at a suitably lower position. and a judge could be found to say assange is guilty [usa smiles ] but in ill health [ usa frowns, mildly ] but it ain't over till he's free and hiding as deeply as he should have been when he was swanning around sweden enjoying the local groupies. if you ever have an attack of whistleblower's disease, think about julian deeply, as the usa wants, before you decide to be a hero. no amount of swedish maidens prepare you for what ja got, and more to come.
    2
  1546. those evil chicoms are stealing a march on western virtuous societies-again. they not only monitor your wechat activity, they are stopping all pretense of visible connection to market forces, by issuing digital money. there won't be any inflation or deflation or recession or depression, ever again. in principle. takes all the value out of economics as an academic study. there will be an a. i. server pressing 'more' and 'less' switches. wonder if those evil chicoms will let me retire there, if i offer oz dollars? seems unlikely.
    2
  1547. i think the koch brothers are the answer to optimism. and americans don't understand that the brothers, and trump, are the natural, designed, outcome of the constitution. until you come up with a functional constitution, you are the problem.
    2
  1548. it is significant. guarantees oz will be unwelcome in the coming age of chinese dominance.
    2
  1549. it's mueller's job to gather facts and report them to congress. he is not judge or jury. barr short-circuited this process, which is presumably why he was given this position. the american political system was corrupt from birth, and hasn't improved. it was designed to be a plutocracy, the design was successful, and like any oligarchy, lies and secrets are the binding elements of that success, a formula for corruption. currently, the political caste is hopelessly incompetent due to 70 years of small wars run for profit without oversight. they handed foreign policy to the executive, and trump is the result. not the worst, dubya killed more and spent more, lbj is the worst, in those areas. the usa constitution was a contemptible document while the ink was wet. imperial america is the result. trump is just a symptom, a pimple betraying moral syphilis.
    2
  1550. a few did mix it as combat infantry, perhaps 1000. but most served as support roles, driving trucks and aircraft.
    2
  1551. should surprise no one. usa was founded to protect slavery, and the rule of wealth, and things haven't improved. i used to wonder why americans put up with the monsters that prowl the dc beltway, but there is a genetic element to it which is hard to overcome. we've been 'alphas, betas, and gammas' from the beginning. it's quite like the hyenas strolling through a giant herd of wildebeest, each of which looks out for itself, expecting someone else will be lunch.
    2
  1552. sorry. 'someone else' is not going to save you. and you are right about american zombies. you are one.
    2
  1553. not spoiled children. thugs working for bigger thugs, who can't be touched or else the whole degenerate facade will collapse. they have become the neighborhood mafia, working in public view because the international mafia, chiefly usa, finds it very convenient to have a neighborhood 'enforcer' to divert attention. there is no saving of israel, or usa, both must remain on top, to avoid revenge.
    2
  1554.  @dr.zoidberg8666  not necessary. useful, perhaps. the power outside can simply be people in every walk of life who want to be citizens in a democracy, who announce, 'i won't vote for any incumbent who does not support establishing citizen initiative.' using unions guarantees defeat. you must mobilize citizens, not machinists. usa has been here before, and unions failed, nowadays they are even less broadly based. society is fragmented and work does not define people as closely.
    2
  1555. if we all includes prc, maybe. that is unlikely. and germany, if i interpreted you correctly, hasn't said they will stop buying, but rather russia might stop selling. nato is the nominal aggressor here, extending their political and economic zone right up to russian border. and that might cause putin to pull the plug, if things get really ugly. but he doesn't want to, can use the money. germany can use the gas. sanity can prevail. in spite of provocative western media.
    2
  1556. buying a dying industry will be a great gift to the share-holders. and you can't do it, unless the price is so high that congress gets permission from its masters. usa needs to get democracy. only a nation ruled by the people, will be ruled for the people. why do you persist in ignoring this reality?
    2
  1557. not leader, parasite.
    2
  1558. aoc is doomed. they will isolate her, if lucky she can caucus with bernie sanders for a few years, but most of the dems want nothing to do with her. and if she ever looked like rocking the boat, they will have her shot.
    2
  1559. about the time the first copper was smelted, the plundering of earth's resources began. fast forward 5000 years, and 'capitalism' doesn't even pretend to sustain air, water or people. and every society with an elite is pretty much the same. homo sapiens is a grave danger to itself. biden is probably more dangerous than trump, his recent attack of ozimandias' disease should end any notion of usa suddenly lurching towards civilized behavior. fortunately, china is coming up fast--- they may save us.
    2
  1560. it just keeps getting better. and don't blame trump, a public health function that depends on being employed is the child of both parties. is there no one in the usa that can put together a revolution to democracy? demos kratia means citizens rule, not politicians and not the rich.
    2
  1561. the word 'capitalism,' causes a mild dry retching nowadays. it was invented to refer to a society without much political mediation, to allow the rich to get richer at the expense of the rest. i just insert 'greedy' in it's place. but it's important not to blame the rich. they are just doing what they can get away with. the rest of us must oppose money with political power: establish democracy, use votes to build socialism. if we can't bond together, they win. should be an easy choice, but they also have culture on their side, 'rugged individualism.' usa has tertiary cancer, 'capitaloma,' and is incurable. we just have to struggle to contain its death throes within national boundary.
    2
  1562. mr zizek reminds me of a couple of indian 'gurus,' one of them entranced some beatles. dancing colors empty of substance. he is not dangerous, and everyone deserves to make a living by scamming lefties. it's all too easy.
    2
  1563. usa elite treat people like cattle, and can get away with it because they are cattle. they have heard of democracy, some states have it, but they tolerate the rule of politicians. i suppose the result must be ant colonies, if climate collapse doesn't inject radical change.
    2
  1564. usa was never a democracy, it was, and is, an elective oligarchy. always has been, madison explained all this during the constitutional convention. he was explicit about preventing democracy from happening, and that's why, 230 years later, you ain't got it, you never had it. you can go on kidding yourself, that voting for politicians is 'democracy,' but why would you want to, do you enjoy being screwed by the rich and their politician servants? lately, the myth has become threadbare, and the contention for power is revealed to be naked oligarchy, without pretense off rule, or shadow-play of public participation. your embarrassment lies in accepting the myth that you have it. you don't deserve democracy, it needs citizen-quality people. once you submit to the pretense, there can be no effective resistance to the oligarchy, you have legitimized it. politics is exercise of power within a state. you can not be a citizen of a democracy if you are not willing to fight for that power. until you you get management by referendum and rule by initiative, you do not have democracy. if you won't fight, you never will.
    2
  1565. no. inside that fat slug is a dim-witted rich boy who is terrified the world will not only find out just how ineffectual he is, but start laughing when his name is mentioned. in private life, you could feel sorry for him, but his failures in commerce drove him to try the world of politics. he had early success there, 'dumb' is evidently no bar to election in usa, but he is beginning to realize that boasting, bullying and lying will only get you into politics, not keep you there. the political system of the usa is hopelessly ineffective, buffoons and charlatans alternate in office with great frequency, and that is why the slide down the ladder is continuing and will result in collapse. unfortunately, the political system is rigid and can not be changed from within. rebellions and military coups are usa's future.
    2
  1566. guardian must make a living, so they publish a 'house fascist.' does you good to be reminded of the spectrum of humanity. revulsion is uncalled for. democracy is nearly nonexistent, and that is a measure of the quality of homo sap. when the bad reviles the slightly worse, appropriate response is a sour smile.
    2
  1567. it's simple really: begin a citizen initiative to restore taxation rates to 1945 levels. but you don't have democracy, do you? why not? what's wrong with you? do you imagine the constitution is sacred scripture? you can talk all you want about what needs to be done, but until you get the power to do, it's just wish-talking in the slave quarters.
    2
  1568. this is very disappointing- it turns out he went into politics, for money, fame and picking up girls, and nothing has worked as well as he hoped. he might retire at any moment. pence? biden? some woman to be named at a later date? poor usa, being king for awhile has so little charm that candidates inspire laughter.
    2
  1569. say it often. usa was established to protect slavery, and enable ethnic cleansing. from that start, aggressive wars, drone bombing and simple murder are natural activity.
    2
  1570. why is such a man the [nominal] head of your government? doesn't anyone in usa realize the constitution is obsolete? he's not the first king-for-awhile who had to be worked around, but withdrawing from the paris climate talks might make him the most disastrous.
    2
  1571. You are concerned at the expense of 20 years of war, but you are outraged at the 9/11 attacks. Much of the rest of the world approved of the 9/11attacks, as a notable feat of courage by men who gave their lives to inform the USA that they were at war, and the casualties were not always going to be the others.
    2
  1572. indian politics is just as crooked as usa. tg should not be meddling in indian politics, at all. it's very much like american jews supporting israel at the expense of usa.
    2
  1573. nato is a military organization created to 'defend' europe from ussr. why does it still exist? on evidence to date, it is the european extention of usa imperialism. putin certainly thinks so, and the recent declaration that this military organization demands the right to go anywhere, has strengthened his resolve to say, 'not here.' usa war crime in iraq and afghanistan are well-documented, and anyone who imagines that the weak are safe from usa invasion has simply not been paying attention. usa is doing its best to use stooges in recent aggression, perhaps the military budget is over-stressing usa economic capacity. poland is resisting the usa 'invitation' to start a war with russia, i hope other stooges are as clear-sighted. what is clear, is usa attempt to expand its economic dominion, 'on the cheap,' with other peoples money, and blood.
    2
  1574. it's not your country, it never was. what you need to change is 'who rules?' it's not the people, it's politicians. democracy means 'the people rule.'
    2
  1575. one good spin-off from the trump dynasty is revealing the level of education and character of americans: they see their king behaving like a street-corner conman and have no means to act against him. there will be an election, but the damage is done. worse, the other party may support someone just as bad. so they are 'handless' and passive, and the rotten juggarnaut rolls on. around 1900, the actual progressive movement led some states to a democratic constitution. california is a good example, referendum, initiative and recall in constant use. democracy is possible in the usa, but somehow the people are no longer citizen quality. so usa remains a plutocracy, designed by men wearing powdered wigs and owning hundreds of slaves. time for a re-think, about the constitution.
    2
  1576. the dnc got trump elected. if this isn't clear to you, fair enough- the dnc shows no awareness either.
    2
  1577. and yet, daily you talk about american 'democracy.' you can't get democracy, if you think you have it. which is why american politicians refer to it , endlessly. and the result is, americans imagine the constitution is their protection, when it is the instrument of their subjection. it doesn't get dumber than that.
    2
  1578. this is what happens when the usa wants to own you, and you say "no!" it happened to cuba, but cuba had a strong patron in ussr, and survived. let's hope the usa is stopped again.
    2
  1579. corruption in government is of trivial importance, climate crisis might end human civilization. corruption in government is endemic, and not confined to the trump administration, or even the republican party. corruption is what happens when humans have power to steal from the nation's treasury. and that is built in. only democracy must be conducted in public, so that the masters of the nation can manage public affairs. the usa is not a democracy, and when a few hundred elite politicians can work in silence, out of sight, corruption is inevitable and has been reported from every administration. trump's administration might not be the worst, not yet at least. the climate crisis, on the contrary, is a new phenomenon as a global threat of cataclysm. comparing it to the danger of corruption is absurd.
    2
  1580. those were the founding fathers intent on preserving slavery, and ensuring the rule of wealth. choosing them for your authority is past quaint, well into psychosis.
    2
  1581. probably happier, too.
    2
  1582. elon is a loose cannon. big rich who has made bets on green energy, and won. at times, crazy, maybe. but so far, non- violent, and usually amusing. i am with him as far as real free speech.
    2
  1583. china became powerful- by feeding its people, better than ever before. by providing some health care for everyone, and good health care for most by educating all its people, and offering the best minds access to good universities and all in spite of interdiction by the west, led by usa. there were serious mis-steps along the way. the great leap forward was a mistake. it was inspired by the threats of nuclear bombing made by the usa. suddenly, technology was the only defense, and mao lunged at it. he had reason, but simply over-whelmed the capacity of china to change. famine resulted, prc says 8 million starved. the cultural revolution was a mistake. the damage done was serious, and indefensible, since it was just palace coups riding on social upheaval. china became powerful by exploiting the greed of the capitalists, who were unconcerned at the suffering of the people whose employment they sent to china. on present performance prc will surpass usa by every measure soon, except military aggression.
    2
  1584. clearly, you don't. civics is not taught to prevent students from asking why usa doesn't have democracy. elective oligarchy is what you have, and the elections are nearly meaningless since both parties are owned by corporations and plutocrats. if you had any history, you would know madison promoted the constitution with the promise that it would prevent democracy.
    2
  1585. a.s. is nonsense. get democracy, use it to create a socialist economy. bernie is not going to be screwed, just ignored. he is not jesus christ. he's just a politician. even if president, there is little he could do, for lack of democracy.
    2
  1586.  @TheUnseenRapper  well said. 'stop-gap,' might be better than compromise.
    2
  1587. 'theft?' this guy knows he can make money, working with china, and does. america is discovering that innovation is no longer their strength, big things are happening elsewhere, notably china. usa's remaining strength is a bloated military, which has been a mercenary arm of capitalism for many years. it sucks up taxes, turns it into dividends, and occasionally does a bit of imperialism. not very successfully, being driven out of iraq by ragtag guerrillas. american elite are getting nervous, although most have bought their private island for retreat.
    2
  1588. p51 was the best long-range high altitude fighter of the war, but p47 was comparable, and both were matched by the fw190 at low/medium altitude. ms109 was intermittently as good. germany had a fuel problem which they solved with additives. when additives available, their planes as good. not available, performance fell off. war is not just bravery and skill, in the end, natural resources lacking, you lose.
    2
  1589. the constitution was explicitly written to ensure that the common people had no power to direct government activity. madison was afraid they would use that power to tax the rich. his constitution has succeeded admirably in that aim. you need a new constitution. but that will not happen. usa will continue as a rich man's paradise until it collapses. then they will leave and usa will resemble haiti.
    2
  1590. last time i looked, military expense was more than half the disposable gummint budget. as a pension plan for warriors, young and old, it might pass. but they don't return any product to the national income. inflation is built in. there is no cure. rome had this problem too. the bread and circuses gradually ceased. easy to track rome, poor bastards had to diddle the copper/silver ratio in the denarius. usg has endless flexibility with paper dollars and electronic tenners. that may be why no one in usg is worried about climate catastrophe - they are expecting to use the collapse of civilization to disguise their looting of the economy.
    2
  1591. this is a good policy. should extend it to require iq of 110+, to sustain gene pool. no, 120+, h. sap. is getting stupider.
    2
  1592. no hope for the usa. leave if you can, or move to the country and live on garden farming and barter, because the empire is crumbling, economy is floating on air, and much of the world will rejoice when the crash comes. change is not possible - the legal structure of the state entrenches the rich, the national culture is crippled by slavery, ethnic cleansing and its resultant aggressive disregard for human rights.
    2
  1593. trump! trump! trump! he ain't the problem, folks, you are. you put up with a system that puts a trump in the manager's chair with no scrap of history in character or competence. democracy is possible, but it may need a better level of people.
    2
  1594. sorry, talking about usa problems doesn't get much credit. there's a living in it, i guess, but since no one in usa has any notion about what to do, or even have much notion that something should change, you are talking to zombies, or 'broken-in' slaves. one of the consequences of living in an undemocratic society is that the populace is generally fatalist in character.
    2
  1595. well, i can tell you what they did in france, china, cuba, and many others. revolution does not always work out well, but it often improves the position of the lower class. or lefties could move to the west coast, and secede from the federation. or individual nutters could weed out the more noisome politicians. but sitting on yer ass doing the same thing over and over is slavery of the mind.
    2
  1596. should send a delegation to usa congress. that's where the trouble begins. to paraphrase president dias, 'poor canada, so far from god, so close to the usa!
    2
  1597. india is not a democracy, but formal assessment of popular opinion, as to which politician will rule, is better than aristocracy. real democracy is possible, but so far only switzerland has managed it, and far from perfect.
    2
  1598. rhetorical questions are out of place. most of usa elite would sell their nation for 2 billion, and throw in their daughters.
    2
  1599. biden gets some cheap 'great leader' points. and needs 'em.
    2
  1600. if you had democracy, you could shape the nation to serve the people. why don't you want democracy?
    2
  1601. reagan was dim when he entered office, and got worse as he went, with alzheimers. if commonplace is mediocre, usa education has made a nation of dimbulbs. but obama was bright enough, a giant in that crowd, and what did he achieve? the system was designed for stasis, and has been successful in that goal. when you don't want change, trump, biden, reagan and obama, are interchangeable.
    2
  1602. is it possible that religion has retarded the development of india? when you compare china and india, it is clear that india is doing something wrong.
    2
  1603. they are their for themselves. saints seldom go into politics. never complain about the quality of politicians. the problem is the quality of people who allow them to rule.
    2
  1604. i admire juian's accomplishments, he has done the world great service. but ecuador is about to chuck him out, uk will pass him to the cia 'black flight' and next stop guantanamo. in retrospect, perhaps he wishes he had remained undercover, as those two swedish groupies have cost him his freedom already, and soon his life. to any considering emulating ja's service, remember this: the bad guys use real bullets, and often own the police.
    2
  1605. people keep saying trump supporters are gullible, but they see something you don't: the democrats don't bother to visit the rust belt, too busy chatting with wall street. betting on trump made good sense. so he's dim, crooked and just as incapable as dubya, but the rust belt got worse under obama, and clinton was never going to help them. which means trump is better than the democrats, at least he is reminding democrats that they once had support from the rust belt, and now they don't. america will never recover from its history, until it tears up its constitution and establishes democracy. i estimate hell will freeze over first, that's life, species live and die, and societies likewise.
    2
  1606. aristotle had his off-days, notably when he told the world women had one less rib. he was a married man, had a daughter, you might expect he could count ribs before speaking. but he often was smart, and one of his best things was, the important thing about political systems is "who decides?" when the ordinary people decide, that society is called a 'democracy.' usa is not a democracy. all of usa problems arise from the lack of democracy. in the usa, politicians decide. they generally decide in favor of rich people. if you are a rich politician, naturally you decide in favor of the rich. better still, once you are a politician, soon you will be rich. usa has an elite ruling class. they enjoy being rich and powerful. they won't give it up. and you can't change this by ennobling another politician. they are corrupted by ever-present opportunity. it needs change from outside, commonly called 'revolution.'
    2
  1607. one of the good things about democracy, is that public activity must be done in public, through referendum, so that the citizens can give/withhold assent, or issue a veto with initiative. result is honesty and sanity tend to characterize decisions. it's hard to be crooked or stupid when you are watched. 'democracy' is constantly heard in the west, but never seen. the word has been gutted, because of the necessity of using the word while doing theft or murder. nowadays it just means, 'we have elections!' which have zero effect on gov activity. there is very little actual democracy among nation states, the swiss used to come close, but i suspect the embrace of the e. u. is proving to be irresistible. the rest of you zombies don't even come close. nato politicians are politicians. they do what profits their career. for many, it's 'shoulder-to- shoulder' with equally corrupt and much more powerful usa politicians. those that are 'out-of-step' are equally corrupt, but happen to see more power/money in resistance. you would think all of humanity, minus politicians and plutocrats, would stand up and demand democracy. it is currently necessary, not merely desirable. politicians are driving humanity off a climate cliff.
    2
  1608. if you are too dim, too lazy or too scared to get democracy, then you must live as a serf.
    2
  1609. never admit you watch the view. it's easy, just never watch, comes natural.
    2
  1610. usa will never be forced to use huawei. they will have a domestic substitute, probably not as good, unless they can steal the technology. the lag in 5g is a worry to usa, but they have resolved the situation in a typically american fashion: "if you can't beat them, kidnap them."
    2
  1611. still waiting for a politician to suggest establishing democracy.
    2
  1612. this is 'the land of the free' in action. it was born to protect slavery. not much change really, although brown people are better off. usa is doomed by it's structure, but likely to ruin the world, before it collapses.
    2
  1613.  @Robert_Robertson  relax, sooner or later one will succeed.
    2
  1614. in a land of illusion, image is vital.
    2
  1615.  @IndiaAniya25  don't despair- emigrate.
    2
  1616.  @robertwillard8011  no paradise, anywhere. but the scandis, finland, netherlands, oz and enzed show it's possible to do much better, with less resources.
    2
  1617. americans don't seem to realize that the structure of their government is hopelessly obsolete.
    2
  1618. chomsky is dead wrong in a system with single seat electorates and plurality wins, vote blue results in 2 right wing parties inevitably.. a bit of game theory: one party is 'welded' to the rich, and so well-funded. the 'other' party cannot mobilize its potential voters, for lack of funds. so the 'others' mimic the richos in all areas of concern to the rich, and campaign as 'moderates,' with only a few and trivial social coins thrown to the poor. result; the 'others are in office as much as the richos, and the poor stop voting, which suits both parties. chomsky may have been a useful voice in linguistics, and deserves respect as a champion of the poor, but he is a lousy political theoretician. voting for lesser evils is what got you an evil government.
    2
  1619. PRC would love to have a commercial corridor to Iran. Afghanistan would be enough, but Pakistan has sea access as well.either or both can have very attractive trade terms from PRC. The Modi government has decided that India can not stand comparison with PRC, and must divert attention with active aggression. It seems likely that PRC will establish some part of the Bri plan with Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the mutual advantage of all. India may have to turn it's attention to the sea to hide it's blunder in not joining the Central Asian community. The people of India have been betrayed by their politicians, although is is probable that history made such a result inevitable.
    2
  1620. that would be a valuable first step, but only if it leads to understanding that letting politicians rule is equivalent to letting pimps run a residential girls school.
    2
  1621. you haven't got democracy, you never had democracy, and you never will. you probably don't know what it is. democracy needs citizen-quality people, and if you tolerate being ruled by politicians, you are only serf quality.
    2
  1622. what kind of person would associate with a trump? well, of course...
    2
  1623. you get the government you are willing to endure.
    2
  1624. there may be ethical people in the usa, but they must stay out of sight, from shame at what the public figures do, from mass murder to tax dodging.
    2
  1625. we are dealing with human beings here, so i don't expect perfection, or even justice. i am so very aware of the imperfections in the usa, that i merely content myself by noting that china has lifted more people into a middle class than the entire population of usa. they have filthy air, but recognize it, and are making great efforts to clean it. they put more solar screens in operation every year than the total number usa has, a nation, incidentally that decries climate warming and promotes fossil fuel use. where usa runs new gas and oil pipelines across national parks, china recovers land from desertification. perhaps most impressive is the ' one belt- one road' plan: bigger by far than the marshall plan, it will offer transport through out asia and europe cheaper than air, faster than sea travel. it is likely that widespread prosperity will appear wher it has never been before. whatever else you ascribe to xi jinping, i suggest that you should describe him as a man intent on lifting his nation to the front rank of human society, and doing it with trade, not violence. compared to 'leaders' in the west, he is what the best of us should aim for, they are only what we have been led to endure.
    2
  1626. choosing to submit to oligarchy that is the political agent of wealth, personal and corporate, suggests a fatalism which must be terminal for the usa. democracy is possible, communication easy, only the will is lacking. things are not better in most nations, just a few manage a civilized form of socialism, only helvetia has democracy, and despairing for the future of homo not so sapiens seems to me the winning bet. but it's the only game in town, we must play or die. so please stop reporting the activity of political puppets, and insert the occasional reference to democracy as a possible cure for homer sap's terminal illness.
    2
  1627. there is no weakness in american 'democracy' except the ignorance or cynical hypocrisy that says you have democracy. you do not. nothing like it.
    2
  1628. and you still keep talking about democracy. the reason you will never have it is because you are too ignorant to know you don't have it. 'american democracy' is simply a lie. you've been lied to all your life, by everyone around you. see 'double-think.' it works, and you are the proof.
    2
  1629. when are you going to realize that you need a new constitution? establish democracy and the nation will actually be run by the people and for the people. it's not that hard, just needs a lot of people saying " i want democracy,' and organizing a program to force congress to act. really, easy.
    2
  1630. zelensky would be living in los angeles, if he could. but he signed up to front this war, fought in ukraine, between usa and russia.
    2
  1631. we are not one people. we may strive to live with orcs in human skin, but do not ascribe humanity to them. i am a graduate of the vietnam war. i was fortunate not to participate in the actual mass murder of thousands of peasant farmers, but i was engaged in support of those who did, and worked for those who gave the orders. so i am no longer a citizen of usa, my best decision. the invasion of ukraine is hard to support. but it seems clear to me, that usg owns the current government of ukraine, have done since 2015, and opposing the plans of usg is never wrong, entirely, and usually a very good idea. oliver stone is limited in what he can do, living in and working with usa people. but generally on the side of the angels. but he can't make much impression on a nation whose schools and media propagate myth and simple lies. 'better to light one candle...' but i wish more could be done.
    2
  1632. the fundamental idea of the usa, is something like 'yer on yer own.' or, 'freedom.' and the visible corollary on high, is ' let the buyer beware. ' while on low is 'let's break into this store.' a nation born to protect slavery, that prospered by ethnic cleansing and continues to prosper by murder at home and abroad, retail and wholesale, can not sustain any national character beyond brutality. on present trends, the only rational plan for usa inhabitants is to beg for immigration permission to some civilized nation.
    2
  1633. 8500 is all they can afford. the military aspect is just theater. usa will content itself with economic war, based on the usd. i hope they constrain themselves to this electronic war. we would learn how robust the almighty dollar is. there must be some possibility that russia, prc and various early adopters could float an international currency not connected to the usd.
    2
  1634. the system is not broken, it works pretty much as madison wished. i paraphrase what he said: "i have established a society which will be directed by landed gentlemen for awhile [he had no illusions about the continuance of slavery] and by gentlemen of commerce for the ages. " there are several kinds of polity, four were recognized by aristotle that are in use today. three are varieties of oligarchy, the remaining one is democracy. the usa is an elective oligarchy which is indirectly influenced by wealth. it is a functional plutocracy. just as madison designed. the system is not broken, the 'intelligentsia' is blinded by myth and miseducation, and is continually confused when the 'dog' doesn't fly like a 'bird.'
    2
  1635. there is no excuse for foreign soldiers in afghanistan, and every time they fire a gun, it is a crime. usa presence in iraq never had any excuse, being merely imperialism in action. usa stinks, and its toadies are no better.
    2
  1636. harry truman deserves to join that picture gallery.
    2
  1637. americans still don't realize that usa is a plutocracy. one consequence is that political activity is run by money. another consequence is that americans are not allowed to vote for important things. they only choose which politician will throw them more money. often disappointed. "yes, we can!" turned out to be "no, he can't" unfortunately, ww2 convinced the lizards that run the nation that munitions production is a great way to turn taxes into dividends, and the resulting employment is enough to ensure bandit raids pass for 'defense.' the government is hopelessly incompetent, and no personable 'mr. mainstreet' is going to fix it. obama should have demonstrated that to all, but americans don't get any useful choices, democracy was written out with the establishment of a slave plantation master's constitution.
    2
  1638. the outbreak caused by india, to obscure indian inability to enter modern times. participation by india in the quad is not good for india, but necessary to modi's continuing dominance of the farm vote.
    2
  1639. i used to marvel that folks thought usa was a civilized place, or ever was. but i got over it gradually- just today i learned some cemetary down south had decided to change the terms of their general contract so brown people could be buried there. i don't marvel anymore, it's clearly genetic.
    2
  1640. stop laughing. this is serious. should be serious. but usans know they don't live in a democracy, they are just ashamed to admit it.
    2
  1641. always the 'we.' but in the usa, politicians rule, not the people. and they are not your friend. they are the reason usa is what it is. are you satisfied with what they do with their nation? if you want it to be the the people's nation, you must take it from them.
    2
  1642. no, they need democracy.
    2
  1643. hypocrisy is only important in a master. but they don't need to lie, and may be frank in explaining what they do. a 'leader' must lie, for telling the truth puts him out of business. if you expect truth from politicians, never buy a second hand car on the salesman's recommendation. complaining about lies from politicians is merely a childish device to avoid seeing the source of the problem. tolerating politicians is childish. adults run their nation as citizens, through referendum and initiative. people who are afraid to be responsible citizens pass the decision power to politicians, and then complain about the result. usa is filled with people who see the natural result of handing over the keys of the nation, to a group of people who have never demonstrated any saintly qualities, at all. nor even much competence at anything, aside from lying. that's because politician rule is shoddy always, corrupt usually, dangerous frequently. you might imagine someone would say "no clothes!" but there are no people at all who say, 'together, we can run the nation better.' so, yes, usa is hopeless. and it's your fault. democracy needs citizen quality people. oligarchy just needs cattle.
    2
  1644. many people vote for trump as a stick to beat the entitled politicians. wouldn't matter if he was a skunk, so long as american-born, over 34. which tells you a lot about the democratic party, and the american political system.. i don't know why someone hasn't mentioned it before, but the usa system is hopelessly obsolete. that's why an incompetent crook can get elected, nearly anyone can. it's also why the chinese are running rings around you while politely not laughing. i don't hear any discussion about up-grading the sacred constitution, it appears that even american intellectuals can't connect national performance to the leadership quality. the 'intellectuals" are pretty dim, too. all the smarties are in quantum mechanics or share market manipulation.
    2
  1645. i'm just guessing, but what's chances usa prisons and conditions are worse than chinese 'labor camps'?
    2
  1646. iran is stronger than iraq, but can be invaded, successfully. just as iraq was invaded, successfully. after you get there, the problems begin. certainly not worth it, except to people like pompeo and bolton. they love war, so long as others get shot.
    2
  1647. biden will step aside for a warren/klobuchar ticket. he just needs to sit on bernie until the convention. hell ova way to run a nation, but usans are a backward people, mired in a time bubble.
    2
  1648. 'democracy at work' is a nonsense without democracy in government. not gonna happen until usans stand up on hind hooves and establish democracy in dc. and that is so unlikely that prof wollff looks under the streetlight, where it ain't. the swiss are a practical people, and lucky, too: they looked for democracy where it lives. "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." and their citizens got a say in government by being a member of national militia. the actual process was not up-lifting. the grand bourgeoisie were worried about emerging city socialism, and hit on the stratagem of enlisting the farmers in the ruling class with a proto-democracy constitution. it worked well, suppressing the city workers without the gunfire then widely seen in europe. this is not a path to democracy open to usa, nor is any other that i can see.
    2
  1649. please don't, you remind the world of the various levels of insanity humanity can manifest.
    2
  1650. the prize in physics has drifted far from the life of bus drivers and school teachers. public prizes are better directed toward public advancements in health, or a really cheery song. mutual back-patting among counters-of -angels-on-pin-heads is better done in latin, or mandarin, on campus.
    2
  1651.  Sabine Hossenfelder  dear dr, i will listen if you wish to write about crypto, there may be a smile in it, but my initial investigation left me feeling that it's too hard for me, or a really sophisticated scam. either way, i could not respond with value.
    2
  1652. why not forget what he is, or may be, and just look at what he did, which is allow the american people to see their government and military, in action.
    2
  1653. great news. fewer people is the simple way to save the environment.
    2
  1654. neither china nor india have democracy, india is held back by religion and illiteracy, and over-population.
    2
  1655. define 'worst.' one outcome is venus- atmospere 95% co2. and 800 degrees f.
    2
  1656. at what point are you going to realize that the lack of democracy is dangerous to your health? on present evidence, not yet. but it may simply be cowardice. organizing a revolution is usually dangerous too, and it may be sensible to wait for someone else to do it. that was the chinese view, they waited for someone else to do it, and eventually the ccp stepped up. the result is modern china--- clearly the wait paid off, right? i believe it did, for now, but the new mandarins will soon be like the old mandarins. being human is a series of unpleasant choices, which is why we are bespoiling our planet and inviting extinction. young people should be giving serious thought to these matters, for their lifetime will be decisive not just for personal well-being, but also for the species. democracy is the only tool that can accommodate change and sustainable, long-term, planning. without it, society is a plaything for a few individuals who will never suffer for their self-centered indulgence.
    2
  1657. what is this 'our democracy?' do you imagine you have democracy? whose side are you on?
    2
  1658. the new 'chinese' port at piraeus adds a wild card to the picture: it may lead to greece following britain out of eu/nato, and into yuan 'belt and road' commercial community.
    2
  1659. not failure, not broken. the system works very much as james madison intended, and promised, if his proposed constitution was enacted. it's a shame this matter is not investigated in school, but not surprising, i hope. always charming, to see the light of reason lifting its cute little mushroom head out of the muck of reality. but don't get yer hopes up: between dumbosity and sociopathy there is little scope for productive chit-chat, and none at all for real progress. it might happen, there is a random element in human history, but impending climate 'change' will knock us back to hunter-gatherers, if not extinction.
    2
  1660. Nice try, but USA is a hopeless case. On the day it was born, USA terrorized brown people, it's embedded in the culture.
    2
  1661. if you don't have the brains, or courage or endurance to get democracy, you have to put up with being laughed at by your masters. 'just you wait..' might satisfy children, but adults will realize that his replacement is equally unresponsive. you don't have democracy, folks, and you don't have what it takes to get it.
    2
  1662. irrelevant. whether consumer, worker or boss, is an economic appellation. what matters is are you a ruler? you are ruled, almost certainly, since only a few thousand rule usa, through political office. you are not a citizen, but only a civilian. that is the source of the corroding inequality that is destroying usa - - it arises from the political inequality. if in a nationis ruled by its citizens, that political equality underpins some level of socialism. that is why your constitution was written, to establish rule by the rich, and prevent socialism.
    2
  1663. powell started the iraq invasion on a lie. that disqualifies him from public belief.
    2
  1664. the roman empire fell for 2-400 years, depending on how you count. byzantines continued for another 1000, if you call them roman. usa will hang around, like russia, and be really polite to china. but the empire is already fading, and in a closed system, hard to see renovation.
    2
  1665. first 30 seconds had a sour smile on my face. these jerks are clueless. i hope they are just ignorant and dim, but you have to suspect cynical malevolence anywhere, nowadays. i despair of the usa. long ago, i just filed that whole nation under 'evil empire' and assume anything that comes from there is a lie. not sure how much good you are doing, mr janssen, there are industrial systems of lying being done, and a base of total ignorance in usa. you are a dove of truth flying in a hailstorm of lies. but, can't hurt if you want fight the good fight, damn the torpedoes!
    2
  1666. why doesn't america wake up? politics shouldn't sound like 'dancing with the stars.' you should be talking about 'what should we do,' not 'who should we hope will do something.' especially since politicians have no track record of doing anything but look out for themselves. are you all blind, deaf and dim? rhetorical question. the system only let's you play in the sandbox, so you talk about sand. this ain't gonna end well, for america, or the world.
    2
  1667. elections are a waste of time. stop pretending you have democracy. what you do have is elective oligarchy, a very different creature. voting seems to pacify the ignorant, but since you don't know what's going on in secret, most are ignorant. 'democracy' means 'citizens decide,' not 'politicians rule.' you are lied to from the first day of school.
    2
  1668. you know you are in trouble when a dictator spells out how 'elected' governments are mismanaging their nations, and he's right. but it will do no good. the usa was built on lies, and the truth has no meaning there.
    2
  1669. why not start over, with a constitution that establishes the rule of the citizens. call it 'democracy.'
    2
  1670. you survived truman, nixon, lbj, and dubya. trump hasn't started a war, yet, and the economy is lurching along as you would expect in an old and sclerotic plutocracy. why start worrying now? looming climate catastrophe doesn't bother you, nothing should.
    2
  1671. a nation of bandits loves a thug.
    2
  1672. what a silly question! rhetorical, no doubt. usa is an evil pustule on the face of humanity. it may be genetic, but more likely transmitted by education of the young in the path of evil. the death of useless people is of no concern to the uber-race. usa was born that way, and it turns out, evil prospers, when society is designed by evil. glad to hear the people of prc are surpassing usa in another area. usa is throwing every resource at them, and the outcome of this struggle is not clear yet. so long as the contest is commercial, we may hope prc will win. but they are threatening war, and god knows [and korea, vietnam, iraq and afghanistan, etc.] they are not visibly inhibited by the prospect of bringing death and destruction to any obstinate nation. usa and prc are going to play russian roulette over taiwan. i hope usa blinks, or i may not be far enough away from the fall-out.
    2
  1673. chang is famous for wanting to go to war with china. been singing that song for many years. he would be a joke except that ww3 is not an attractive prospect.
    2
  1674. if you know the game is crooked, and you enter, it's not crooked anymore- yer butting in where you are not wanted. bernie should have run as an independent, somewhat like gabbard. but bernie wants to win, rather than establish a brand. he has a brand, but it doesn't lead to the oval office. rather like a virtuous maiden who decides she would prefer to be rich, so walks in to a brothel and suggests she should be manager. listen up, yanks! yer living in a plutocracy, it's crooked, it's brutal, and it murders at every level from assassination to warcrime. if you think it's strange that bernie isn't loved by all, you didn't do yer homework. incidentally, bernie wanting to be chief thug seems a bit strange. he should have been plotting revolution all these years.
    2
  1675. in fact, they were determined not to have a significant army, as it would be a threat to the greedy plantation owners, who wanted a nation without any structure but wealth.
    2
  1676. how is it possible in america? it is not only possible, it is the natural consequence of the founding principles of the nation.
    2
  1677. half right, he's not stupid.
    2
  1678. Yes, the people who didn't suck up To the evil empire are reclaiming their land. It ain't pretty, but USA has made a mess all around the world, no reason for Afghans to hope for better.
    2
  1679. when are usans going to figure out that politicians are parasites? 'democracy' means the people decide, not politicians.
    2
  1680. left authoritarian? what's an example?
    2
  1681. virus eagerly awaited, clearly h. sap. can't be allowed to run the bus,
    2
  1682. ambassador re-assigned, pas de problem. but running a mega-nation as a georgian kingdom is absurd, and so far, no notable american has said so. if you wonder why china is powering ahead while usa crumbles, start looking at the system structure.
    2
  1683. fun, but next nov 3 you'll put biden in. visibly senile, and never much value. if you were any smarter than those two, you'd begin to think the national management selection process was not fit for purpose. but i guess the whole nation is at that level. god knows 40% still think trump is least worst. they may be right, still hasn't started a war. folks, your military is warming up for ww3 in the south china sea. you are starting it, and china can't beat the usa at mass destruction, but they can and will make winning unsatisfying.
    2
  1684. lurching from one disaster to a worse. i wouldn't mind, but this nation has the largest store of nuclear weapons, and uses them casually, as propaganda devices.
    2
  1685. the masters of rome had to add copper or lead to the silver denarius, but modern masters have it much easier: "let there be 2 trillion in the coffers of the rich, and lo! a few key strokes on a well-guarded keyboard, and it was so. [it must be well-guarded, can't have passers by fiddling with the money supply.] but inflation by another name is just the rich preparing a fast plane to a distant island, once they have used the new 'money' to buy things of lasting value.
    2
  1686. your problem is the lack of democracy. if you had citizen initiative, you could fix gun control, and then go on to solving big problems. like climate, peace and poverty. but getting democracy is too hard? you can't even control guns.
    2
  1687. the larger problem is the absence of democracy. the largest problem is the character of the people: raised to be cattle, unable to organize and demand the key to the nation.
    2
  1688. islam is narrow-minded. "there is no god but god, and mohammed is his prophet" was a very inspiring war-cry, carried them a long way. in modern times, various terrorist groups rely on fundamental islam to unite and inspire action against great odds. so, it's right to be phobic. still, have to live with them, even if everyone keeps one hand on the .45. the basic problem is the need of many people to have a religion, and as none have any scientific base, each must be supported by irrational aggression. the cure is simple, but apparently impossible. it's just homo sap. species' limitation. it won't be the death of us, unless some religious nutter gets hold of scientific weapons. which has happened, often. just another aspect of the struggle to maintain life on earth. and don't feel too superior, if you have graduated to rational and secular society. the current gravest danger to life on earth is the usa, who would claim to be one too. simple greed is a more potent danger than religion, currently. their greed has reached toxic intensity.
    2
  1689. they may be scared into action. as they should be. unfortunately, voting for politicians is not the answer. getting democracy is. since there is no visible interest for that, there's gonna be a stormy ride on spaceship earth.
    2
  1690. not capitalist greed, just plain greed. capitalist is just an umbrella word, legitimizing one of homer sap's less lovable traits. it's gonna kill us all, but i try to be philosophical about it.
    2
  1691. oh! you think you have democracy?
    2
  1692. if only we could ignore usa. not unique as far as contemptible ideas, but the heritage of madison lives on in the continuing racial antipathy, so usa has the extra burden of slavery, corrupting its national character. add on the near extermination of the natives, and it is little wonder that many usans justify their history with malignant contempt for the victims. unfortunately, this dangerous society has amassed the largest military force in the world, and uses it to create a hegemony of wealth. currently they are murdering in ukraine, by proxy, to extend their market reach. but this is process without limit, and can only result in armageddon.
    2
  1693. just stay home, people if 60% of the voters stay home, you will make your masters nervous. send this message to all your politicians "give us democracy, or else!" do it every monday morning. 10 million emails will make your masters very nervous, 50 million will get a constitutional amendment. or sit on yer ass and complain.
    2
  1694. anyone who imagines truth emanates from washington hasn't been paying attention for the last 230 years. the w. h. o. team went where they wanted to go, saw what they wanted to see, and were comfortable in saying that china had done well. the much less effective action in italy, iran, spain and particularly usa are not badly managed, because they are 'democratic.'
    2
  1695. click on this site and you immediately know why there will be no revolution. plenty of cynicism and sour laughter, no concept of action. in a plutocracy, everything is for money, and it seems to dissolve all notion of community action. somewhat resembles la belle france, louis 16, with mr dore doing a voltaire imitation. but revolution did happen there, so i suppose hope is not entirely futile.
    2
  1696. clearly retirement held no charms for this gentleman.
    2
  1697. you get the government you deserve. if you won't fight, you will serve those who will, or those who can afford to hire mercenaries. the 2nd amendment to the constitution was added for just this purpose. but no legislation can save fearful and submissive people.
    2
  1698. there is an underlying principle which directs the seeming chaos of the usg, and it's not difficult to understand: 'power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.' - lord acton, more or less. the structure of the usg creates a small body of powerful people, and that body tends to become corrupt and more corrupt with the passage of time. there is inadequate countervailing action from the electorate, because of ignorance and misinformation. this became evident in the activity of state governments in years around 1900, and stimulated what has come to be known as the 'progressive' movement. the result was that many states re-wrote their constitution with some or all of the features of democracy. california is the largest and most evident exemplar of this movement: it has and uses regularly, referendum, initiative and recall. if it were independent, it would be the sixth largest economy in the world- so democracy works well. will it work well at the federal level? i think not. the federal constitution has frozen the usa in the plutocracy created by james madison, and the resulting society can only be changed by revolution. trump is merely the latest 'caesar' in the history of new rome, perhaps not the worst, even- the pnac gang should be in prison for war-crime, which trump hasn't managed, yet. there will be more, for there is no way to change the usg, short of revolution.
    2
  1699. usa is not a democracy, its people are not citizen quality. blame education and culture, it was born to protect wealth from democracy, largely by means of a constitution that puts legitimate power in the hands of a few hundred aristocrats. 'politicians' are not commonly thought of as aristocrats, but they are the structural descendants of milords and warlords. revolution is needed, but the populace are content to be eternal adolescents, begging for bread from the grown-ups in power. if you do not stand up and demand real citizenship, in a democracy, then your life will only get worse.
    2
  1700. suppose for a moment that usa was run by a caste of quasi-sociopathic thieves and murderers. now look at the actual ruling group? can you tell the difference? i can't. i participated in yer real live genocidal war crime, usually called 'the vietnam war.' some canadian complained about what he saw in a place called 'mylai,' and nobody went to jail, although the field commander did a couple of years in barracks while they waited for the blaze to subside. 'saint' jimmy carter actually spoke up on his behalf, presumably because he saw some votes in it. about 350 women and children, machine gunned in a ditch. i began planning to leave, at that point, i don't know how you can endure the shame. the thing is, the government has always been evil, and it shaped the whole nation to be complicit. fortunately, while the nation is capable of any crime, the people in it are incapable of much planning, beyond divvying the loot. we can reasonably expect collapse will be sudden, and not long in coming.
    2
  1701. it just needs a million people in pick-ups with a shotgun in the back window driving towards dc, with one demand: give us citizen initiative, or we'll stop being polite. if you let fear stop you, you are a slave already.
    2
  1702. there hasn't been any all-in air combat with 1st rate combatants since luftwaffe put its hands up. so no one can be entirely sure what would happen. since one result is the end of civilization, another is extinction, we hope that the war gamers are kept on a short leash. right now, it's just chest bumping. this not harmless: usa is creating a potential theater of war at the prc boundary which allows for rapid kill of fight back capability. pla well aware, and i hope secret measures are in place to make retribution likely and intolerable. it's time to invite venezuela and cuba to host prc rockets. they are unlikely to accept but the discussion might wake the usa people into some disquiet at what their masters are doing. i hope prc has rocket firing submarines, they must be truly secret, until enough are patrolling usa waters.
    2
  1703. usa was born rotten, created to prolong slavery and excuse ethnic cleansing. and, not incidentally, ensure that rich people ruled the nation. the constitution establishes elite rule, responsive only to its political donor class. usa should be liquidated, to create a new nation, that is a democracy. a nation responsive to the desires of its people. this is revolution. it could be peaceful, but if you are not prepared to fight, you will never get off your knees.
    2
  1704. the corona virus may come to be a significant factor in human history, most likely by precipitating the next and disastrous global economic collapse. perhaps the resulting reduction in co2 emissions will prevent extinction, for awhile at least. always look on the bright side of life, when considering human history.
    2
  1705. which 74%? i am waiting for 74% support getting democracy.
    2
  1706. you see, the usa is not a democracy. it is an elective monarchy. it used to be an elective aristocracy, but the aristocrats have washed their hands of foreign policy. and the american are not citizens, they are just civilians. result: hopelessly ineffectual management of the nation, chaos in international affairs. but don't blame trump, because he is just the result of a constitution that has created this shambles of governance. "what is to be done?" nothing, nothing will be done. the shambles will roll on, because there is no means to change things in the people's grasp, and those in power are only concerned with their own welfare, prosperity and power. revolution is the only cure, but that needs heroes, and americans are only survivors, if they are lucky.
    2
  1707. the quote from churchill very apposite, he had a lot to do with current problems in india and pakistan. prc dug itself out of poverty, with some luck included, but mostly good management. it wasn't easy or smooth, but here they are, by some measures the premier economy of the world. the leaders of india and pakistan daily face a comparison with prc which should inspire shame. it only inspires rage. so there will be no progress. blaming prc for one's own failures can not have a good outcome. the generals will continue to hobble pakistan, the politicians will continue to bleed india, and the pundits will continue to cry, "look over there, they did it to us!"
    2
  1708. you can be honorary white, just vote for biden. dnc will buy you a beer at the bar of your choice? throw in a date with liz warren?
    2
  1709. orwell was wrong about a lot of things and here is one. he was spot on with sov attempts tp brainwash, but did not see or admit that western culture got the same results. in practice, the usa is allowed to vote for the 'least worse candidate,' and the presentation of the candiates is frequently fixed anyway. it is a choice that is no choice.
    2
  1710. prc total military expense about 1/10th usa. and taiwan is close. their expense on blockading taiwan is less than usa support, and usa is bleeding money elsewhere. current military budget is higher than all others, totaled. i think prc will just continue to press, expecting usa will go broke soon. better to reclaim taiwan, without damaging it.
    2
  1711. usa has been living off the printing press since nixon went off gold. sooner or later, someone will realize that buying t-bills is not wise. but they may find, that there is no where to go, and consequently a very slow sell-off is the best strategy. that only minimizes the sting. china is holding the balloon in the air while sliding out the door, but an authoritarian government has a big advantage here: they can cope with a financial shock much better than those societies that have been living on lies to their voters. usa can find itself a third world country, almost over-night. then the religious precept of an assault rifle in every closet will get an interesting test. i'd worry more about this, if the empty money was not matched by cynical blindness concerning climate catastrophe. the usa is the black-hole of humanity, abandon all who share the planet with them.
    2
  1712. news flash, aukus is born to do this near china. and if you imagine oz is going to frighten prc with any 'show of strength' within oz capability, you should get out more.
    2
  1713. the swiss live in a democracy. makes them proud. keeps them at peace, in principle. [the nazis tested it.] the nazis surrounded them, with help from fascism and petain. there was a certain amount of gun-fire, and trade, at the same time. tight-ropey. the situation now is more desperate, since eu likely to continue, while hitler was clearly here today, gone tomorrow. but! there is a little hope on the horizon- italy rather likes the 'one belt, one road.' maybe italy, and the swiss will simply opt out of eu, trade with prc. from here, that looks like a very attractive alternative for both italy, and helvetia.
    2
  1714. it's not democracy- you haven't got it. usa is a plutocracy, always has been. when you talk about democracy, you convict yourself of ignorance. but now you know, and nevada state has the power of citizen initiative: use it.
    1
  1715. all governments are governments of the people, and 'right' springs from the power of government to compel or punish. you may be confused by the phrase 'by the people.' it doesn't exist save in switzerland. there are no democracies outside switzerland, and theirs is flawed. it seems no one in britain knows what democracy is, but in reality they do, they simply wish to hide the reality that elective oligarchy is not the same thing.
    1
  1716. neither explains that the constitution is that of oligarchy. democracy was not stolen from you, you never had it. what's worse, growing up in an oligarchy, lied to from birth, makes a populace of ignorant couch potatoes. which is why nothing will be done, until the generals decide they don't need the politicians anymore.
    1
  1717. unions are useful, but politics is political: you must get democracy, so that ordinary people can use the vote to override the money spent by elites to control politicians.
    1
  1718. i don't see any sign of it. some societies just keep sailing ahead, bailing while they can, until they meet the rocks. there is a notable lack of public discussion of politics, even while there is scrabbling for a seat at the elite political table. so far as i know, even dernie and aoc don't dare say 'new constitution.' it shouldn't be impossible to bring democracy to the federal society, several states did it, in the progressive movement of early 1900's. but not a word is heard.
    1
  1719. no. only a john the baptist. still waiting for a che guevara.
    1
  1720. not so. democracy is the label for a polity in which all members [citizens] share power to direct the state, through referendum, initiative and recall.. there are no 'representatives' in democracy. you do not select who shall rule you, but choose what shall be done. chalk and cheese. you are confused by doublethink.
    1
  1721. nothing wrong with correcting a grammar mistake, but your choice of language implies outrage and contempt. which in turn inspires disdain from me. save out outrage for important matters, like bayoneting babies.
    1
  1722. the establishment of the american constitution as a shield for wealth and slavery created a dysfunctional society, which unfortunately was so blessed by geography and natural resource as to flower into the pre-eminent military power in the world. so, yes, we're likely to take everyone with us when we go.
    1
  1723. you were screwed when the constitution was established, and democracy smothered in the cradle.
    1
  1724. yep. sheep don't rebel.
    1
  1725. god was not visible, irgun and stern gang very visible indeed.
    1
  1726. he's a libertarian nutter, if that matters...
    1
  1727. sounds like you are going to walk everywhere and cook by burning down derelict houses. save up some money and join the gun-owners demographic. right away new vistas will be before you.
    1
  1728. we are needed, as servants, toys and worshippers, but only on low wages, variable tips, and a pat on the cheek. no use being of the 1%, if there is no mob to envy and adore.
    1
  1729. they are not perfect, the chinese government. but they didn't invade iraq, either. the road/belt will make life better for millions.
    1
  1730. what law has he broken?
    1
  1731. a simple society in which all know their neighbors has little opportunity for crime. but homo sapiens are 7 billion now, and if the sapiens part is not good enough we will commit species suicide.
    1
  1732. usa was never a democracy. never by the people, so never for the people. i marvel that the word democracy ever enters discussion of the usa.
    1
  1733. nonsense. he pretended that the exercise of power was motivated by the welfare of the nation. because, if he didn't, he would have to call for revolution. americans are not slaves, but they are cattle. miseducated cattle. if you are too dim, too ignorant, too fearful, to see the need for democracy- then you will continue to be what you are. cattle. and the politicians will go on singing 'git along, little doggie,' and you will.
    1
  1734. visit sweden, norway, netherlands, denmark, finland. let us know why socialism doesn't work.
    1
  1735. why shouldn't he? you allow him to rule, you submit to politicians, you hope they are your fairy godmother, but they are always shonky con-men. usa is not a democracy, and usa people are not citizens, they are only civilians, 'chumps' for short.
    1
  1736. yes indeed. i've been suggesting that an organized and large citizen action group could extort citizen initiative from the politicians for many years now, and the response pretty uniformly was 'they won't listen/no one will join/too hard.' so talk will continue until a lot of people have nothing left to lose. then undirected violence will lead to a police state in which resistance is impossible. history is filled with stories of 'did not live happily, ever after,' and i believe the usa is going to set a new standard for evil. i am lucky to be old.
    1
  1737. if you go to school, you speak mandarin. at home, maybe the local dialect, and that will put an accent on your mandarin.
    1
  1738. no 'becoming' about it. it was designed to be a plutocracy from its founding. the constitution was explicitly designed to empower wealth.
    1
  1739. no becoming about it. always has been, and if you trouble yourself to acquire some history you will discover that was the purpose of the constitution. power was concentrated in congress, to make sure it was not dispersed by democracy.
    1
  1740. an unhappy demographic with no access to citizen initiative will settle for throwing a sabot into the machine, so the 'winners' can feel a little pain, too. not shocking at all, except to the self-satisfied 'winners.'
    1
  1741. wrong, i fear. he is a reporter, not a revolutionary. revolution begins in a seedy storage room above a seedy bar on the wrong side of the tracks. maybe a dozen people, characterized by people whose history makes them certain that they want revolution at whatever personal cost. hedges is a good man, but he makes a good living by reporting and does not [does not dare to] say what steps should be taken to upset the elite. stop thinking that voting for a politician will ever improve things. they are the agents of plutocracy.and always have been in the usa, the constitution was written to create a nation owned by the rich.
    1
  1742. you need democracy. but the american people are not 'citizen' quality. they go about their lives, and choose between humptydee and his brother, or don't bother, since neither has anything useful to say. politicians have usurped the position at the bottom of the status ladder once occupied by pimps and child abusers, and yet there is no visible reaction from the people, who regard politician rule as ordained by god, graven on stone. they are truly cattle. 'only the people can do that!' is right, but with the proviso: 'if anyone can.' and they can't.
    1
  1743. there is a difference between an academic, and a revolutionary. academics have a salary and a public stage- they don't want action if it will disturb their genteel existence., no shame in it, but you must look elsewhere for active leadership.
    1
  1744. wow! now there are two of us.  @stevechester3504 
    1
  1745. the dawn of wisdom.
    1
  1746. since george washington. @thegreanvillepost8156 
    1
  1747. abstention is the citizen initiative for people who do not live in a democracy. you are on the path to enlightenment, grasshopper.
    1
  1748. the 'micc' is just the usa version of fascism. but i prefer plutocracy, as it is all-embacing and omni-present. the usa was founded to be a plutocracy, it always has been, and no end in sight. usually the military must assume control at the tag-end, but not there just yet.
    1
  1749. 90% of humanity have no private roof, no personal field, nor cash to harness the sun.
    1
  1750. quite simple really, terminal cancer is best ignored- nothing to be done. you can hang this one on britain, balfour was a nutter zionist and handed palestine to the jews. they wanted it all, and are nearly there.
    1
  1751. students in an american school get 'educated' to a national myth. hedges will have lit a fire of curiosity in one or more graduates, to find the reality. or maybe not.
    1
  1752. the usa spoiled the life of millions, or ended it. tough, about those blind children in rockford.
    1
  1753. greece invented democracy, but they have forgotten how to do it. nowadays they are governed by politicians like other nations, and the goals of politicians begin with staying in office, continue with looting the treasury, and end with getting after-employment from the plutocrats whose water they carried. rational resolution calls for revolution, yf can not see this, as it would lead to losing his rock-star status among the 'progressive' elite..
    1
  1754. lee, please hire a better editor, you are ruining our brand.
    1
  1755. there is no 'democracy at work' in the usa constitution. until american leaders decide they need to empower the electorate with citizen initiative, they are just empty talkers.
    1
  1756. some cities still have serious problems. but green energy will relieve them soon. and make a lot of money for china.
    1
  1757. you see every day that letting politicians run the nation ain't working, but no one says. "we need democracy," i think that means politicians are no worse than the people. and that means usa is circling the drain.
    1
  1758. not really a war. more of an invasion, occupation and subsidy of a puppet state. why? well, put pressure on iran, the anti-christ who threw off usa domination. a gateway to xinjiang, to finance resistance to prc that was to become the new anti-christ, that used usa trade to make itself rich and strong. but most of all, probably a sink into which to pour taxes while diverting some into munitions shareholders hands. inefficient theft, but not liable to detection or retribution. the people of usa are ignorant and passive chumps, the mirror image of the avaricious elite who own usa. both are weak because of the other, and both will suffer as prc assumes the role of dominant economic power. the rich will retire to their caribbean island, the poor will starve, the few remaining middles will accuse everyone else of crimes and stupidity.
    1
  1759. so you buy a political voice. just another demonstration of plutocracy in action. if you want to make everyone's voice equal, it's simple: establish democracy. one citizen, one vote, for referendum, initiative and recall. yang is trying to change an imperial plutocracy into a slightly more equal plutocracy. it didn't work in rome, and it won't work in usa. aristotle put his sword point on the key question: "who decides." now, it's a few hundred politicians in a nation of 320 millions. that is power even more concentrated than wealth, and both are bound together. in every elite-rule society. throwing bread to the masses is a good idea, and money better. but it won't break the grip of wealth and power. who decides is the key, which shapes everything else. for that, you need a new constitution. this one was written to preserve wealth and slavery. veneration for this document is absurd.
    1
  1760. the dnc created a good chance when it anointed biden. perhaps a good night's sleep and 3 pills a day can keep biden lucid till november, and trump is under great stress, he could blow-up too. it's a guess, who wins. no guess who loses--- usa chumps. why is there no public activity to establish democracy? an entire nation of ignorant zombies.?
    1
  1761. james madison deserves more recognition: almost single-handed, he created the most powerful plutocracy the world has seen. of course, his constitution only formalized the society britain had planted on the north-american shore. usa ignores him now, because he was frank about his intention to establish a plutocracy, and a little less frank about his under-lying motive in protecting african slavery. the 'america' you learned about in school had little relation to reality, a reality which has poisoned the nation past recovery. greenwald has been able to make a living while being frank about the usa, and many hope he will be able to continue. but the continuing crucifixion of assange is meant to warn the world that truth-telling is dangerous. usa is truly 'the great satan,' we should have given more respect to khomeini. perhaps greenwald can find a safe refuge in iran.
    1
  1762. why exactly does unrest in iran mean usa might go to war? normally, the cia stimulates unrest with view to installing a puppet. it didn;t work in venezuela as yet, did work in bolivia and brazil, and what else is new? tg goes on and on about this, it's her 'ubi,' but the usa is not gonna get religion any time soon. hope lies in the fact that iran would be expensive, in money and lives. it is likely subversion and attempted coup will be the limit of usa ambition.
    1
  1763. if you lived in a democracy, initiative would ensure that the nation served the people. so why do you put up with elective aristocracy? are you all slaves by nature?
    1
  1764. can't pardon ja, cause he did nothing wrong. news flash murrikins--- your gummint is nothing but a criminal gang. it's depressing, because there seems to be nothing you can do, short of throwing the deer rifle in the pick-up and driving towards dc. that ain't gonna work either, but it's easier than wishing very, very hard that they would all disappear. that would cause a headache, you'd have to cure it with a week-long drunk, and that would lose yer job, except it's long gone. back to the pick-up. there really is no happy ending here, even revolution seems impossible, gabbard is looking good for the first military dictator of usa, while with her left hand she does a bit for female equal opportunity.
    1
  1765. aoc is a politician. look for virtue elsewhere. usa has a problem, but she is not it. you are. you've heard of democracy, but you submit to rule by politicians. a nation of natural slaves can not expect to be ruled by angels.
    1
  1766. you'd think americans would be ashamed of themselves.vote-rigging is bad enough, but that's been going on for a long time, by both parties. the shame is in living in a society ruled by politicians. democracy is possible, about half the states have some or all the mechanisms, but half don't. that half are just feudal backwaters.
    1
  1767. you get the government you are willing to tolerate. you haven't got democracy, and that has created a populace of submissive and ignorant people. biased, prejudiced people. you may say that with such people voting, it's a good thing usa is not a democracy. but that's wrong, because the politicians are even worse. not happy with the way things are going in mycountrytisofthee? look in a mirror and you will see the cause of all your problems. and that, chillun, is why china is eating your lunch. all of the natural advantages enjoyed by the usa are not enough to compensate for the character and education of americans. nobody would give a damn, but you've got an absurd number of nuclear weapons and a commander-in-chief who is a trump.
    1
  1768. pr. sachs is a very welcome voice of sanity in human affairs, but it seems clear that sane and honest evaluation is of little value in the struggle of governments for dominance. we came up with the idea of democracy, which has the potential to create a society tolerable for all, and likely to sustain the human race indefinitely. but it's not a natural condition. we are the children of the african savanna still, ruled by alphas and their beta hench-apes. democracy is possible to us, but our masters stamp it out with lies and laws. prc was sanctioned at birth, and they remember well the character of western nations. now they are strong enough for overt resistance, strong enough, they hope, to demand respect. respect is not possible to western politicians, only fear. and it's difficult to make them fear, the usa military establishment is grossly larger than any other. however, it is not necessary to win a nuclear war, merely leaving the 'victor' in poisoned ruins will deter sane enemies. so we live in hope. of course, the survival of the prc will check western/usa dominance, but will not by itself lead to democracy. at best, it is a temporary expedient. a very necessary one. unopposed, the orcs who run the usa will loot the world, and destroy our environment.
    1
  1769. humanity has survived the black death, and politicians, covid is just a sneeze.
    1
  1770. well, suppose massive economic collapse happens in the next 2 years. better trump in office. also, massive economic collapse might give us time to avert environmental collapse. so, first, "please lose, bernie, and retire loved by all." second, "congratulations on your second win, mr trump, but astronomers have detected a massive economic collapse heading our way at interstellar speed, will intersect with oval office next thursday. your thoughts?"
    1
  1771. 'im waiting till they buy ford usa. then i'll laugh.
    1
  1772. 'we?' usa not a democracy. and you are not a citizen, merely a civilian. "chump," for short. don't concern yourself with matters of national decision, it's above your place. the biolabs are in ukraine, because if found in usa, the chumps would complain. but chumps don't worry about ukrainians, chumps worry about the next meal. read these comments: largely in the passive voice, ain't they? this is not the language of citizens, this is the whining of children, or cattle.
    1
  1773. mr. hedges is wrong. usa is what it has always been, an elective oligarchy responsive to its wealthiest members. it has never been a democracy, madison explicitly claimed his constitution would prevent democracy in the usa. and he has been obviously successful. if you don't know what is reality, or can't face it, how can you change it? when your constitution says, "we, the citizens of usa are masters of our nation, and our will expressed through referendum and initiative are the laws and actions within our nation," then you may say we are citizens of a democracy. but it does not, and you are only civilians.
    1
  1774. the sovs bank-rolled a modern secular society in afghanistan, and the cia decided to overthrow it, to discourage further advances in the reach of the ussr. so they financed taliban, and northern alliance, and turned afghanistan into a wasteland, as they have done in iraq, syria and lebanon. usa is the evil empire, and always have been. even the 'good war,' against nazis, was only entered when it looked like the sovs might roll right across europe.
    1
  1775. tg is a valuable voice. but of trivial importance- usa would collapse in a year if it went out of the war business. she lets the cattle see they are cattle, and a few cows might begin their journey to [would-be] citizenship. good in principle, but modern usa is heading for climate disaster and the sky will fall before usa makes it to democracy. a detour to dictatorship much more likely.
    1
  1776. obama was a 3 dollar bill from the get go. endless hope and change was never backed up by any substantive plan or action. perhaps should give barry credit for recognizing the limits of the office, but i think his only real goal was to be the first black president, and retire alive and unshot at. mission accomplished. if that's yer idea of praiseworthy, you could be a 'strategist,' too. why not invite guests who are actual people, and ask embarrassing questions?
    1
  1777. dawkins is right, but draws the wrong conclusions. brexit was the right decision, for the 'left-behind' segment, simply because they had no way to compel a better piece of the british pie. by spoiling things for the 'winners,' they offered a strong argument for a more equitable share of the british pie. dawkins doesn't care about them, so argues they made the wrong decision, which it was , for the elite. tough shit.
    1
  1778. strange that the one-time representative of athens has not a word to say about the need for actual democracy. it appears that he shares the myth that democracy means rule by politicians. rule by politicians is just another variety of oligarchy.
    1
  1779. the american constitution was written to exclude democracy. yf is strangely ignorant about history and political science.
    1
  1780. i think you are wasting your time, but i hope i'm wrong. at the very least you would make a good german foreign minister: eu and china together could smother the usa imperial dream. and this is necessary- they could blow up the world, trying to hold on to their hegemony.
    1
  1781. while the usa has peaceably shot-up the middle east.
    1
  1782. how strange, just last week modi claimed india was going to surpass prc, and i thought he was talking about national power and wealth. nope, it's the same old india. it's always the same old india. i am inclined to blame the british. they did bleed india, for a long time. and yet, china had to deal with japanese occupation and looting, not to mention mass murder. maybe it's not the british? something intrinsic to indian society?
    1
  1783. there are blueprints to democracy, and socialism. a nation of people that want democracy can have it, they may have to point a gun at the elite. once they have democracy, it's easy to get as much socialism as you want. so why is usa a functioning plutocracy? because that's the plan created by james madison. his constitution flash-froze the elective oligarchy of post-revolutionary usa, with the overt and published goal making a polity ruled by the rich. so if you are not rich, why is usa still a functioning plutocracy? because you can only make a fundamental change in the constitution through revolution. usans are not revolutionaries. not so far, anyway. there was one fundamental change made in the constitution, it needed a civil war. this did not come about through a sudden revulsion about slavery. there was some of that, but the engine room of usa was changing from agriculture to manufacturing, and wage-slavery proved to be more suited to the age, than actual slavery. so the new-rich shut down the core of the old rich. politics is simple. aristotle gave the field long and intensive thought, only to come up with. it's just a matter of 'who decides.' the rich decide in the usa, and act through their wholly-owned politicians. if you want change, that comes from the exercise of power. that means a change from the existing powerful to a new group, this is revolution. usually there is shooting, always there is an 'or else.' prof wolff never talks about power and shooting, he is a retired academic. if you want things to happen, organise, and arm yourselves. nothing is given to beggars.
    1
  1784. religion is reliable, when you need an excuse to do what you want, "god wills it!" putin needs all the help he can get. mano a mano with the evil empire! xi jin ping can give a lot of help, if he wishes. finely graduated to maximize the well-being of prc. as it should be. even a little bit, from this source, will go a long way. and putin is a desperado, with nominal control of one of the two biggest nuclear arsenals. i hope the relevant usa officials realize they are poking a man who will destroy the world, and can.
    1
  1785. usa government has gone to war. undeclared, and overt violence has been avoided so far. but they have led india and japan to make threatening demands, to test prc resolve. difficult to see how this can end well. perhaps usa envisions a conflict in which india shoots first, prc replies, usa attacks prc as a 'defender' of friend. plays well at home perhaps now would be a good moment for russia to remind the world that they will shoot ..
    1
  1786. eam js has to out-grow the mindset that nato matters. they get their instructions from washington dc. and 'fair' does not enter these activities.
    1
  1787. i thought those springs were in torsion.
    1
  1788. i don't mind criticism of usg, but it doesn't go far enough. there's enough privately owned firearms in usa so that any employed person should have one. organize yourselves into fumigation squads and put those guns to the use recommended by thomas jefferson: shooting politicians. start with local government, work yer way up to the top. but this never happens. the guns are never put to their intended use. instead, family arguments and drug wars. utterly useless!
    1
  1789. during the course of the vietnam war i learned my nation was run by rabid dogs. nothing that has happened since has disturbed that evaluation. worse, i learned that ordinary usans were unconcerned by the character of their rulers. i am old now, and it's likely that usa will out-live me. would have liked to see the whole place burn down.
    1
  1790. james madison explained in some detail how his constitution would prevent democracy, empower the rich to rule the many, and last 'for the ages.' and he was right. nothing to be done about it now, the culture provides natural thugs and would-be henchmen in sufficient proportion with each generation to prop up the plutocrats. and you still don't get it: crappy healthcare is not the problem, the problem is the lack of democracy with which to re-shape the nation peacefully. perhaps that's in the 'too hard' basket, as i think it is. but without democracy, healthcare is in the 'impossible' basket.
    1
  1791. putin can't afford to lose. he has nuclear weapons.
    1
  1792. daily, you have yer noses rubbed in the lack of democracy. never a word about changing that situation. has selective breeding changed usa into natural slaves? of course not! you get the same result immediately by poisoning the water. or maybe it's done with public 'education?'
    1
  1793. i despair! is everyone in usa brain-dead? you've heard of democracy, but you go on licensing politicians to steal and kill on behalf of the plutocrats. it's not yer country, people, it belongs to 'them.' yer just cattle. seems to suit you.
    1
  1794. your understanding of democracy is simply wrong. usa is an elective oligarchy, nothing like democracy.
    1
  1795. bernie is a socialist, so he says, and the notion he could be president is absurd. many think putting a socialist at the top would make the nation socialist, but, no. the constitution allocates legislation to congress, with some power of veto in the supreme court. but it won't come to that: pelosi isn't a socialist, and she will pull the plug early on. americans live in a dream world.
    1
  1796. no use talking to this mob- they won't know reality until it bites them on the bum.  @明叔杂谈 
    1
  1797. governments like to know more than their neighbors, and how well they are regarded by their own people. it's a 'security blanket' for governments that are not confident they are respected. but spies are seldom useful. even if the hear something interesting, generally there is nothing to be done as a result. and every intelligence service is a greater danger to their own government than ignorance. still, every leader imagines that there are threats to his power, and information will save him. endless books are the result.
    1
  1798. democracy would translate issue majorities into action, through referendum or initiative. but usa is not a democracy.
    1
  1799. black america might reasonably feel, that the only feature of recent politics of any consequence to them is the obama presidency., and biden reminds the nation of that single bright spot. the heritage of madison's slavery protecting constitution remains a cancer on the society, and there is no visible cure in a nation that is unconcerned about poverty and regards drug addiction as best dealt with by prison and shooting. regardless, lefties have had another reminder of how ineffectual is the participation in the fixed race for personal power. voting for people is not democracy, and until getting democracy is set as the goal, scrabbling for a seat at the table of political aristocrats will not achieve very much.
    1
  1800. perhaps the answer is to disband india. start over.
    1
  1801. it's these little cracks in the imperial facade that keeps hope alive.
    1
  1802. a heavy tank is a natural target, loose infantry attracts gas and dust. war will be won by missiles directed by a. i. to population centers. humans are too fragile for active role.
    1
  1803. why not just do business within the usa? no import, no export. phase out most of the military. don't need 'em when you don't do business at gunpoint.
    1
  1804. why is the right spreading? because there is no left. there is a middle, of hand-wringers. they wish everyone would be polite, and ain't it a shame that so many people are struggling to feed their kids? usa is no kind of democracy. it was designed to be ruled for the rich, by their political agents, - and look, good design! the only fix is revolution, moving the seat of power from rich to all, aka democracy. stop moaning, get busy.
    1
  1805. USA was founded to make rule by money possible. Plutocracy is an informal political system, but it infiltrates every social transaction. If you haven't got democracy, then some elite must rule. In USA that will be wealth, until the generals realise that command of soldiers is stronger than money. Not long now.
    1
  1806. your politixal system is obsolete. your intelligentsia appears inadequate to bring this to your attention. you're history.
    1
  1807. first get democracy, which is hard. then get socialism, it will be easy.
    1
  1808. reform is impossible. usa is not a democracy, and the activity of the nation is directed to the aims and career advancement of the officials of government. as they are at the top, change is not seen to be useful. no point in complaining, this is the normal human condition. h. sap. is not smart enough to see the need for democracy, and those very few who do, are incapable of revolution. this will certainly lead to the destruction of our environment, perhaps even extinction. snowden, btw, is no hero. he was, rightly, unhappy with the activity of usa secret government agencies, and deserves credit for saying so. but he does not appear to understand that activity is the inevitable result of the structure of usa society. saying 'it just needs better people at the top' is truly counter-productive. angels don't apply for these positions, and none have been sighted recently anyway.
    1
  1809. elections are not democracy. they are 'warlordism' with ballot-swords. rule by the citizens, through referendum and initiative, is democracy. there are no politicians involved, just public officers administering the will of the electorate. but this doesn't happen, anywhere. even the swiss never got that far on the road to democracy. homo sapiens in nature is ruled by the biggest man, the alpha, with help from betas who get second choice at food and women. you see the resemblance in modern life. this worked ok on the african savanna, it looks like a dead end, at 7 billion and growing.
    1
  1810. between bezos and ben salman, the moral ascendancy is not clear.. let us hope both go broke from legal fees, thereby enriching the world in so many ways.
    1
  1811. corruption happens everywhere, and the only cure is democracy and socialism. democracy only functions in the daylight, and socialism reduces the need for crime. everyone gets a free education and a share of the work. that makes crime rare and despised. this may be too hard for homer sap. in which case, greed will destroy the environment, extinction follows, or perhaps merely a reversion to pre-industrial society.
    1
  1812. "China is the big threat." strange. prc is building roads, railways and ports through asia and eastern europe usa, and its satellites, is crowding the south china sea with warships, and inviting several nations to join it in threatening blockade. then there's india's determination to stir an old pot in the himalayas. but prc is a threat. well, it is, a threat to crooked and/or incompetent governments whose performance is pathetic, when measured with prc. prc is setting an example to the world, unmatched in modern history, and making a lot of lazy and crooked elites nervous. their people's might get unwanted ideas about why poverty is not a necessity.
    1
  1813. you are entitled to believe trump said these things, perfectly consistent with his character. but despising trump won't solve your problem: the political structure of the nation is unfit for purpose. if changing that structure is too hard, then usa and the lower 80% are going down the toilet.
    1
  1814. perhaps better would be: "is this the end of the pretense to democracy?"
    1
  1815. want to do business in china? chinese rules. usa would like to demand to set rules for other nations, and has done so in the past, but the grip on foreign countries is slipping. the huawei kidnapping may be the turning point.
    1
  1816. it's all your own fault: you let politicians rule, and it's driving usa of a cliff, and the rest of the world with it. if you will not act to get democracy, you will join the dinosaurs as a failed species.
    1
  1817. 109 better all-rounder, spit a little better interceptor. didn't need to carry much fuel, for one thing. fw190 was perhaps a little better than 109, when sustainability is considered. it didn't need an airfield, and air cooling made it less fragile.
    1
  1818. never admit to being lazy. always use a vague reference to health problems. ignore inquiries about evading police - there is no good answer.
    1
  1819.  @FakingANerve  anyone in usa who can't figure out why the richest nation in the world has figures for poverty and crime more suited to african dictarorships..
    1
  1820. but he can, and he did. constitutionally. sensible people would change the constitution, fools and hypocrites demand that only saints should run for office.
    1
  1821. get democracy.
    1
  1822. stop whining. you live in a medieval congery of serfs, jongleurs, and 'aristos' that would cut your throat, wipe the blade on yer shirt, and complain about the smell of yer feet. just because your complaints are amplified by electrical magic, the character of the people is not thereby improved. the meanest rower in athen's triremes was a citizen on a level so far above yours, as to be a different species.
    1
  1823. glorious death is one thing, but prospect of victory is more appealing. a nation whose every public voice salutes the value of individualism, and despises the mutual regard at the core of socialism, can not pretend to be surprised when people look out for themselves. you don't know what democracy is, you think socialism is a dirty word, and you are surprised when people wash their hands and step away as the elite orcs dismember the corpse of the nation?
    1
  1824. since you have no power to initiate legislation, the answer is, you can't stop grifters. or anything else, really. political chat in non-democratic societies is just a pastime for most, an income for some.
    1
  1825. when war starts, you fight with what you got. not many people in japan were confident of victory against usa, but submission and retreat to the home islands did not appeal. 'maybe something good will happen,' and indeed, it did. hitler joined in, and usa fought japan with its left hand, and won more slowly. was the zero a good plane? yes, for the time, and for the money. the time passed, and cheap fighters are expensive in pilots.
    1
  1826. i'm in the 200 years club[+]
    1
  1827. being targeted by the cia is mere street cred. some of them have nothing else to do, setting targets in order of nuisance value in hopes someday of turning the list over to the action team. and just nuisance value. usa politics is just theater, prancing actors amusing the cattle, while serious business is being conducted by people who are smart enough not to make the pandora papers. i may be over estimating the 'smart: ' prc in recent years has set a new standard for really smart government, and done marvels in spite of the sanctions which usa has imposed. perhaps usg is operating at about the level of the mafia, of unlamented memory?
    1
  1828. you never had it, and never will.
    1
  1829. i would have to see video before i believe innuit society had the numbers, structure and tools to mix it with the greenland norse.
    1
  1830. wikileaks has no moral or legal responsibility to usa , to protect its secrets. consequently, usa attempts to imprison him are simply banditry. ay is smart enough to understand this, and should have said so. it appears he likes his chances of nomination and election to abandon any pretense to good character. a genuinely contemptible action.
    1
  1831. the environment should be driving ev development, as capitalism has been too slow. usa in particular has gotten into the habit of seizing markets with guns and bribes. the delay may be fatal, but we live in hope.
    1
  1832. whatever her virtues, many and strong, she begins her argument with lies. the usa was begun to save slavery. its constitution was written to ensure the rule of wealth, and wealth rules. hard to see putting a strong program from a foundation of lies. there was never a day when the people ruled, and there will be no such day until americans understand therir nation is a plutocracy, and if you want administration of and for the people, it must be by the people. not by politicians, the people. such a nation is called 'democracy,' the word means rule by the people. calling for a new constitution is a big ask. hoping the people will take that challenge takes courage at least, more probably insanity. so usa will not become a democracy. power will remain concentrated, and owned by wealth. the nation will continue to decay, in spite of these political spring flowers. and quite possibly homer sappy will end soon and badly. not every story has a happy ending. especially when you screw with mama nature and reality as americans have been doing since birth.
    1
  1833. Which is why a change in the political system is necessary. I recommend getting democracy, at gunpoint if necessary.
    1
  1834. you haven't got democracy, you haven't got socialism, you should be having these chats in shakespearean english, contemporary with usa politics.
    1
  1835. yanis should have stayed in greece, and led his nation to democracy and independence. but he preferred to be a stateless celebrity, on the big stage.
    1
  1836. this would lead to more americans. poor, ignorant americans. you can see why they do it. clearly, educated , intelligent americans should move to the west coast, take your money with you, or off-shore, and secede. westcoastia would be a tolerable murrican-speaking nation. leave the mouth-breathers to die out from inbreeding and hopelessness.
    1
  1837. aoc is a politician, not a revolutionary. you go to work in a brothel, you gotta relax yer knees.
    1
  1838. damn! still no time machine. dr h is toying with us.
    1
  1839. scomo is not often worth a comment, but i've got a thought: the usa destruction of iraq was a real pivotal moment. the mask came off, and the slavering beast of sociopathic usa greed was exposed to the world. it's decline will be milestoned from there.
    1
  1840. which bank did huawei defraud?
    1
  1841. the political system of the usa put a donald trump in the oval office. doesn't anyone in the usa recognize that the constitution is hopelessly obsolete?
    1
  1842. nationalism a good thing, if each nation was a democracy, but aside from the swiss, none are. when one person, or a very few, run a nation, they aim at personal wealth and power, at the expense of the other people, whether in or out of their nation. the u. n. has done some good, so long as the major powers are not involved. but they can not stop the imperial ambitions of the usa, for lack of military strength. no point in blaming the u. n. for american greed and arrogance. be glad for what little they can do, instead.
    1
  1843. you could organize to get democracy, or you could go on hoping the politician gang will suddenly become saints.
    1
  1844. you let two political gangs run the nation, and the states, and complain bitterly about the results. democracy is possible, but only with citizen quality people. clearly lacking in the usa. you can't blame americans, they are born into this medieval brothel and think it eternal and even admirable. pity is possible, but since they murder outside the nation at any scale from one to millions, contempt is more appropriate.
    1
  1845. neither fdr nor bernie said that justice only comes from power. they dare not, because the usa is not a democracy, and the electorate only has the power of rebellion. that's not enough, you see that lack of power all around you. only in a democracy, through the active power of citizen initiative, can ordinary people shape their nation towards justice. fdr made some progress, but it remained in the power of politicians, and has been largely eroded. the usa is in its second 'gilded age' and because of the added stress of climate catastrophe, this one is likely to be fatal. not just for the usa, but for the human race.
    1
  1846. the supine passivity of the 'progressive voter' lends weight to my theory that the nation is run by vampires, under the direction of evil warlocks. i normally just say usa is medieval, but really, harry potter opened the door to a more apposite model. fantasy of various models better explains events in usa.
    1
  1847. amusing. king charlie is living proof uk is not a democracy, visible to all, and mr monbiot has 'discovered' uk is not a democracy. there are no democracies, mr monbiot, even helvetia is in the grip of politicians. to be fair, mr monbiot is not uniquely retarded. indeed, humanity has scuffed dirt over the notion of democracy, out of shame at submission to politicians
    1
  1848. i'm way to the left of dr wolff, but marx was simplistic, at best. there's more to h. sap. society than economics, but marx, and many others refused to look there. in any event, the primary question in every society is "who decides?" if that group is small and close-knit by interest and advantage, they will prosper, at the expense of the many. see 'history.' being one of the many, i look for a different sort of society, one that prospers most. there is one, called 'democracy.' getting democracy is the first step towards civilization.
    1
  1849. the swiss have democracy, and they vote. 3 times a year, last time i checked, and they vote on referendums, sometimes initiatives, it's called 'democracy.' the usa is not a democracy, and you only vote in elections, about which thief and/or pimp gets to direct the nation. that's why many, often most, don't vote. dem, rep, it's always the rich who prosper, because the rich own both. don't complain- in the end the people get the kind of society they are willing to fight for, and american zombies got no fight in them.
    1
  1850. no use complaining about the the usa gummint, it is exactly what it was designed to be. the constitution was written to establish elective aristocracy, and it continues to do so. nothing will change until the electorate demands democracy, at gunpoint. but no one demands democracy, nor even begs for it. so all of this professional hand wringing is just theater, done for a living.
    1
  1851. there is a certain interest in hearing these two charming people verbally scratching their heads while they wonder why usa political activity seems ill-directed and ineffective. i have to hope they understand the situation better than they reveal. if not, if this is the best that usa discourse can reveal, abandon hope. for the desperadoes, emigration is the answer, i recommend new zealand. for those trapped in the kafkaesque horror of modern usa, i can only offer patience and square dancing. home distillation of alcoholic spirits may be helpful also.
    1
  1852. are you sure windows dominates the market outside usa? just asking..
    1
  1853. nothing wrong with social media. human society is in trouble, and that is reflected in sm interactions. we need democracy, and whatever socialism that results from rule by the people. that appears to be too hard for homo not-so sapiens. we are more often just naked apes.
    1
  1854. a better question is, will usa people ever demand democracy, so they will never be dependent on bribeable politicians? somewhere between not soon, and never. democracy is not natural. species extinction is.
    1
  1855. you can change things, if you live in a democracy. just get signatures on a citizen initiative.
    1
  1856. the dnc is a business, not a public charity. it exits to bundle votes and trade favors and positions for support. it wouldn't exist in a democracy, but usa is not a democracy. complaining about its activity is childish. if you don't have whatever combination of intelligence and character and experience to want democracy, then why complain that you don't have the benefits of democracy? you are a second rate human being, and the first rate humans will decide your fate, publicly in congress, privately in secret meetings.. that's the nature of elite rule.
    1
  1857. well, i am very comfortable with not connecting with stan grant.
    1
  1858. if yf was so interested in democracy, he might have stayed in greece and fought to re-establish democracy there. but that wasn't a big-enough stage. so he made himself into another useless talking head. great loss. getting democracy in one small nation is proof of concept, and inspires others. instead, just empty words. democracy doesn't come from talking, getting it is a transfer of power, and needs shooting, unless the elite can be frightened by over-whelming numbers. but yf, and nearly everyone, has convinced himself that voting for politicians is democracy. it ain't, and those that say it is are cynical hypocrites, in general themselves politicians offering "democracy, done for you by loving hands." you fall for that bs, you deserve what you get.
    1
  1859. china reported first death on 9 jan, second on 17 jan. nobody noticed?
    1
  1860. kamala harris is looking good! listen up, yanks! your constitution was evil from birth, and now is hopelessly obsolete, as well. the politicians are not going to fix it, they profit from it. they are leading you to economic disaster, and possibly climate disaster as well. and they act like they think a war might be a good tactic. so get off yer knees and demand democracy, gun in hand. i shudder to think of the usa citizenry directing the nation, but i am hopeful that simple urge to survive will get better management than that delivered by politicians.
    1
  1861. you guys are easily frightened.
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  1862. the european nations were homogenized by ww2. no moral credit in that.
    1
  1863. when those particles and antis pop in and out of existence here, they are out and in to the neighboring universe. where else would they go. qed.
    1
  1864. the police already work for the rich. 'defund' is just an expression of contempt. the militarized and brutalized police now in common view are only negative value to the bottom of usa society. someday, soon, open war will appear, flash attacks to allow looting, with bombs and snipers to discourage fast response. that's how revolution begins, not with learned discussion of socio-economic conditions but rather utilizing skills learned in foreign lands under usa uniform, public or private.
    1
  1865. wanna know what a plutocracy is? when money raising is the central aspect of elections. trump is gone, if - they keep biden pumped up on drugs and largely silent, and, the generals finally have their revenge for draft dodging. so what. usa remains usa. sliding down the toilet where it has been heading since establishment. you can't give the keys of the nation to the rich and not see it looted. and still the chumps never dream of running their nation for the welfare of all. indeed, they accept poverty, so long as some minority is poorer still.
    1
  1866. that's illogical. usa is chock full of racist people, naturally this will result in a lot of racist politicians. secession is looking better every day.
    1
  1867. it's easy to criticize oz gummint, or any other, for that matter. but things will never get better until homer sap gets off his knees, and runs the show himself. democracy necessarily delivers management that pisses off the fewest people. democracy, and resulting socialism, can not guarantee the best result, always, but it can guarantee aiming at that result. no elite rule ever reaches that standard, because the elite is always human, and look after themselves first, and usually middle and last as well. how to get democracy? more difficult than you think. is there hope? no. ozzies are not citizen quality people, they are just not raised to it. education and character, just not good enough. what's 2nd best? give the politicians 4 years to deliver a better nation. accept no excuses, fire them at the ballot box if you think they haven't delivered. don't confuse this with democracy. it's just a horse, bucking off an unskillful rider..
    1
  1868. that's what 'special forces' are for, you know. i call them 'bandits,' but they may have their antecedents in the nazi 'einsatz gruppen' of particular ill-fame. the amusing part of this news may be only be apparent to oldies: there is a graduated process which usa entered in the 60's, involving what is now the nation of vietnam . 1st, the usa financed their puppets, in a war to suppress communism. 2nd they sent advisors, to teach modern warfare and the use of usa weapons. 3rd they sent special teams, to kill pockets of communist control 4th they called up draftees and went heavy, bombs and tanks, patrol boats and air cover. 5th realized viets weren't giving in, ever. 6th ran away. i was in step 4, and learned that the land of my fathers was ruled by evil men. once the fog of myth and lies is lifted, it's clear that usa has always been evil. it was founded to preserve slavery and protect the rule of wealth. once you've got that, the whole place smells.
    1
  1869. oh, good! politicians are protecting you from lies! if you allow politicians to rule you, you are not entitled to the truth.
    1
  1870. usa is not a democracy, and you are not citizens. and what liberals should do, is organize to create democracy. then you have the tools to be citizens, and you can do whatever the electorate decides. until then, all you can do is talk, and pretend it matters. it doeasn't.
    1
  1871. polite don't work. vituperation don't work. a nation of slaves is not going to get off their knees. serves'em right- they began on the backs of slaves, and it seems to have infected the character.
    1
  1872. the only problem i have with mr janssen is that he must be under some temptation to enter politics. he would good at it. but the world needs more outsiders, capable of reporting reality, and i hope he will continue in that role.
    1
  1873. the threats come from usa, and its satellites.
    1
  1874. can't hurt, i guess. but, first, 'what climate threat?' second, 'act of god.' third, 'ice age coming, need preventive measures.' fourth, 'supreme court on our side.' but it can't hurt. by the time you get a decision, missus nature will make it irrelevant.
    1
  1875. no political party has morals. not many politicians, either. lies are their professional tools. people who let politicians rule them are no better. democracy is possible, but too hard for most people.
    1
  1876. no, the root of corruption is the lack of democracy. and there is nothing you can do about it, until the people stand up and demand it, 'or else.' but this is too hard for humanity, and it will be the death of us.
    1
  1877. and the good news is, the world is severing its relations with usa.
    1
  1878. why not start with a constitution of democracy? rip up madison's curse, and scale up the california constitution. once you have democracy, the electorate can reshape it through initiative, as required.
    1
  1879. for a little while i thought tulsi might be the leader usa desperately needs. she seems competent, not a given among usa politicians, and is aware that using soldiers to pump up corporate income is both unfair, and short-sighted. the end of that is simply military rule, which satisfies the military, top to bottom. and possibly reduced corporate income. but most people are neither shareholders nor soldiers. this plan has been tried endlessly, it's a dead end. she could ride this popularity with the grunts into the oval office, but usa would not be much improved. the main economic dysfunction arises from the bloated military. she could do nothing about that, would make it worse, since she would find herself issuing bonuses with every restiveness from the ranks. what she could do, possibly, is enlist every able-bodied adult in the national militia, for a nominal wage, something like the 1000$ andy yang was talking about. this would allow her to cement her position among the poor, offer a pathway to reducing the army, with a spin-off in creating a voter base interested in peace,
    1
  1880. they never accused him of rape. or anything else until they discovered julian was enjoying both of them. then they went to the police, and asked if he could be charged with 'something' for not using a condum. no. was the judgement of the prosecutor. two 'political' lawyers heard of the story, and told the women they would act for them. the lawyers found a prosecutor who would issue a charge to appear at interview, not a criminal indictment. julian was advised that this prosecutor and one of the lawyers had a track record of 'facilitating' activities for the cia. so he ran. so he should. the usg wants to put him in a box forever, 'to discourage others.'
    1
  1881. why not write a new constitution? "we, the citizens, proclaim that we are the masters of our nation, and every public act and law is effective when we assent in referendum, or when we command, through initiative." good start, eh? this sort of nation is called 'democracy.' there will be more in this constitution, but it establishes the fundamental power - the citizens rule. that's what democracy means, did you know that? don't worry about fascism, you had it all along, you call it 'americanism.'
    1
  1882. voting for people is empty. voting for plans and laws is democracy. and you don't have it, you don't know why, no matter who you put in office, things get worse for most. one signifier of impending extinction is blind stupidity.
    1
  1883. what's the difference between 'recession' and the initial stage of 'decline and fall?' i wonder if having half your economy dependent on military spending has an effect on a nation's viability? but i really marvel at the passivity of the usa chumps in the face of impending doom. the only ones excited are the white-right with gun in hand, apparently convinced that shooting someone will make them feel better. it probably does make them feel better, which is a revealing insight into usa society - it raises desperadoes.
    1
  1884. can't think why labour should ever win an election. industry and mining gone. there are only two demographics in uk now- winners and losers. winners includes a lot of people holding on, just, but afraid of the losers, not angry at the winners. uk is finished. usa will join them soon, although the threat of climate armageddon clouds the issue.
    1
  1885. they were kazaks, leftover from the mongol invasion, 'golden horde' spin off/successor state.
    1
  1886. usa is a primitive place, socially and politically. so it's chock-full of ignorant and fearful people, unable to participate in the activities of the nation. instant mobs, angry cattle, and even a dim-wit like trump can stir them up. fortunately, he is too dumb to be dangerous - so, no problem? well, some smarter guy will be along soon.
    1
  1887. no, it wouldn't make a difference. first you must get proportional representation with a new voting system. not gonna happen. that's why 3rd and 4th parties never flourish- under the current system, they never get a seat. usa needs revolution, to democracy, i hope. not gonna happen. madison created an elective aristocracy, under the control of wealth, and it has outlasted its parent and model, georgian britain.
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  1888. chaos? that is ground ready for plowing, by special forces, prepared by cia black ops. chaos? you may think disaster, usg thinks new colony, another sink for munitions production and even circus games for the cattle who get their news from sky tv. don't laugh at tyt, they are making a good living from 'politics as entertainment' which is the only politics the public sees. don't complain, democracy is possible, even easy in a web age. if you haven't got it, it's because you are not citizen-standard people. you are willing to be ruled by politicians!?
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  1889. citizen quality people are rare everywhere, and without them homer sap is stumbling towards population crash, perhaps extinction. 'what is to be done?' get democracy, use it to prune wealth and help the poor. get out of the war business, empires are dysfunctional, at best, and might lead to armageddon. wishful thinking. the vast majority of h. sapiens are too busy getting a meal and have no time for politics. and homo sociopathic seizes the stage and drives the race towards disaster. sensible people shrug their shoulders and concentrate their efforts towards a garden in the country. nothing to be done. israel is a blot, a pimple on the face of homer sap. it's unusual, but none the less a part of homer's repertoire, it's way too late for shock and horror. the only interesting question, is why does usa spend so much on the materials of war? is it's purpose merely transfer taxes to the hands of the rich?
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  1890. dr h, with great respect, this chopping and changing of opinion on dark matter is bringing the church into chaos, and creating disquiet among the parishioners. the coin collection boxes will soon show how unwise it is, for church fathers to reveal uncertainty about the nature of nature. repent, or the children of particle physicists will soon be begging their bread in the street outside pubs.
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  1891. india might prove to be a vital component in the resolution of the world order, after the decline of usa. so i like to listen in on local ideas, hoping to see where indian inclinations are. but it's too hard. sending 10 words to work for one is not productive. india has bent the knee to usa, just as usa begins to lose its grip on the world. bad timing for india, perhaps some local use to modi. pak islam was willing to listen to the ball player, but he has not found a way to reward supporters, so back to the dark ages. prc trying to find partners in the drive to enter the modern age, at least to stabilize the western border, but there is no 'there' there. fortunately, you've got an ocean to the west, afghanistan to the north, himalayas to the east and a swamp to the south. even if anyone wanted to bother you, clearly too much trouble. maybe that sense of geographical security is the problem?
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  1892. USA needs to change, but there is no way to change it without revolution.. that's why there was a civil war. This war will be driven by the dimwits, who are most threatened by the elite, who have no use for them.
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  1893. usa is founded on racsim, for you have to despise a person to enslave him. the shadow lingers on, and may outlast the nation, as things are going.
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  1894. 'populism' is appeal to formally impotent classes of people by elites contending for power among themselves. essentially, they hope that mass demonstrations, riots and threats of revolution will lend winning force to their side, a supplement to argument, coups or assassination. 'populism' only occurs when democracy is absent.* in a democracy, people are citizens, and they express their collective power by voting in referendum or initiative. outside of democracy, they express their opinions by throwing rocks. *which, of course, is nearly always and everywhere. citizens of helvetia, take a bow. all else, bow yer heads in shame.
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  1895. Another war crime. Was it worth it? Hard to measure the value, these things have lasting risk, your children pay the bill.
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  1896. trump appears to have backed away from iran, perhaps tg had some influence there. but unlikely- trump may just be scared of violence. in some ways a more desirable president than clinton. 'brothers and sisters?' only the special forces goons get shot at nowadays, and tg is not one of them. war has been an instrument of usa foreign policy since truman in korea. that was when usa stopped making war, and started shooting people they didn't like. the transition period came to an end in vietnam, with failure and enough casualties to energize the american zombies into revulsion and even rebellion. from then on, american 'unwars' were fought by mercenaries in uniform, without consulting the zombies. don't get excited about casualties in 'special forces' they kill for a living. tg is just building a voting bloc, enough to keep her in office, not enough to get near the oval office.
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  1897. 'no moral compass?' politicians commonly excise that appendage shortly after discovering that politics is a profession that requires little talent, less knowledge and no morals. but useless to sneer at politicians, as long as the average ozzie is willing to allow them to rule. there is the real weakness of national character.
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  1898. if she meant, "you need a new constitution," well done! but that isn't going to happen. madison put the rich in charge, he admitted it, and there is nothing to be done without revolution. the people of the usa could compel the establishment of democracy, if they were citizen quality people, but they aren't. the most they aspire to is finding a politician who can and will deliver on the empty promises issued in campaigns. simply because this charade never delivers, it is apparent that the people of the usa are mental defectives. or maybe they know they will be dudded, but hope pretending to belief will at least protect them from contempt at cowardice.
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  1899. 'most just? 'most civilized?' with a set-up intro like that you don't need a response. they were still hanging black men in my youth, for not jumping into the gutter when white men passed by. there is money to be made by telling lies that rich men want to hear, as here we see.
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  1900. democracy never started. look at the constitution, that you worship: no referendum, no citizen initiative. why is this so hard to understand? james madison came right out and said, "we're not having democracy here, it would lead to taxes on the rich spent on the needs of the poor."
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  1901. if aoc was aoc she would have said publicly at the vote "i vote no." but she's not aoc, nor even the good queen of the south. she's just a politician. and you are a nation of zombies. trillions of dollars at stake, and they can't take time to vote publicly? i may be flattering with 'zombie.' slow-witted zombie?
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  1902. the man who wrote the constitution feared and hated the idea of democracy, and designed his document to make sure it never came to usa. still, they talk of 'our democracy' in usa, in the face of reality and history. a hopeless nation of dimwits
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  1903. dubya was a puppet president, biden would be a zombie president, although trump might induce brain failure on a debate stage. perhaps 'they' will have a pliable but healthy woman as vp nominee, to handle pubic activities when biden retires. i couldn't find any american who did not have a fatalist acceptance of the american political system, most thought it was fine, even if one or two politicians were crooked. there must be something in the water.
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  1904. biden is not hard to dupe. the political process has delivered a trump, followed with a biden, and is clearly not delivering competent people to office. i am tempted to say 'decline and fall,' but usa history has other incompetents in office, it's really just business as usual. usa has flourished through geography and resources, without any need for competent direction. but the world is smaller now, and resources are diminished. you can't afford dimwits and senility. the usual solution is military rule.
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  1905. there is no danger to democracy when you not only don't have democracy, but don't know what democracy is.
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  1906. end all taxation. discontinue cash. pass electronic transactions through government servers, clip off x% sufficient to fund public activity. give money to poor people. enter the golden age of humanity.
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  1907. this hidey-hole for leftish wannabee progressives should keep in mind that most of america is scratching for the rent, and a lot are dependent on food stamps. and still they don't bother to vote, because there is no left-wing party in the usa. also keep in mind, bernies plurality is only slightly better than pete, and when all the establishment candidates pool their votes in one survivor, bernie will lose big. at least the rise of klobuchar gives them a practical human being as an alternative to the mayor-thing. on the other hand, allowing bloomberg to set the rules of the winnowing process should make you ashamed to use the the word 'democracy' in relation to the usa.
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  1908. i am happy to see that the nominal leader of the usa is a senile fool, except there is a niggling worry that someone might let him start ww last.
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  1909. well, ja is in trouble for revealing classified information, not war crimes. the people of the usa tolerate their government, most even label it 'democracy.' with that level of education and intelligence, discussion is futile, unless you can make a living at pretending to be relevant. the usa is a plutocracy, and every aspect of their society is 'for money.' even faux rebellion. the russians had a revolution, and the chinese, the french have had several, even the brits were briefly a republic. what's wrong with you yanks?
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  1910. madison wrote the constitution to protect the rich from the poor. so it is designed to establish stasis. the rich were on top at the establishment of the federation and they have stayed there, because change is very hard- the government doesn't have to respond to the wishes of the people. there is no referendum, no power of citizen initiative. worse yet, growing up in a nation ruled by politicians at the call of the rich creates a populace of ignorant and apathetic cattle.
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  1911. britland has been chaos from 1066 on. lately, it has been receding into its natural state, a minor nation spending it heritage of empire down to the dregs. don't despair, the rest of the world will leave you alone, as long as you dislodge your nose from the usa bum.
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  1912. plenty of semitic dna in european jews, but that is no claim to palestinian land. there was a tribe of indians called 'manhattan' but they will not succeed in reclaiming the island on that fact alone. you need armies.
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  1913. bbc is much like fox news nowadays. prc people need to hear and see westerners who are open-minded, at least. mr nishishei might be balancing between survival and editorial direction, in which case he better find other employment or a different assignment. you do good work, mr j, although telling the truth in usa and its tributaries must surely be stressful - they generally don't want to hear.
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  1914. run fer the hills! ...has a new meaning: 1/4 of humanity will be underwater by 2100. nothing to be done. h. sap. grew up with alpha males in charge, and has learned no better. they are not good leaders, often bad masters, invariably blind to long term concerns. homer sap has let them do it. dim-witted selfishness of a different kind. resisting alphas hard, and frequently dangerous, so let them have their way. the only bright spot is the possible quick collapse of industrial society may happen soon enough to prevent extinction. let's hope the survivors take the lesson.
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  1915. for awhile, they had most of britain, normandy, and southern italy, russia is 'russia' because of the vikings, so not bad as empires go. @sm1sm2sm3 
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  1916. popular in some ears, but selective reform has no real chance of success, and ms. gabbard is just polishing her brand. given the quality of the american electorate, general tulsi may ride into the capitol building on some combat vehicle and declare her 'guidance' of public affairs. 5-10 years from now, dependent on just how bad the civil government is managed. since there seems to be no bottom on that scale, she may still be a colone when time has come to act. as dictators go, she may be a good one, they all say, "let me take care of you," but are seldom able to inject a note of maternal love.
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  1917. you get the government you are willing to tolerate. americans didn't have government when i was young. it was the custom to refer to the 'administration.' i think nixon started saying 'government,' it went well with his attempt to outfit the secret service in a 'palace guard' uniform. nowadays, usans have been acclimated to the idea that they are civilians, not citizens, although the word citizen continues to be used. you can't recover from trump, and biden has no notion of any change. usa was designed to be an elective aristocracy, and the design was very successful. your problems began with the birth of the nation. since no one seems to realize this, chances of useful change remain zero.
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  1918. 'bend the knee' so typical of american democracy. but kb has to curtsey, being only a female. do they vote, in usa?
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  1919. get democracy, and the people become citizens. then, it is possible usa will become a society similar to your wishes. but the people of usa are incapable of getting democracy. even 'progressives' imagine complaining is all they need to do, or all they can do. but real action is necessary, and must be supported by threat of force. the rich can flee, but politicians depend on office to prosper. they will never change, until you show them the noose.
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  1920. in fact, being in the wh for the next term will be bad for the republican brand. doesn't matter much, because both parties are 'a right wing party, and a farther right wing party.' as gore vidal put it. usa is stuck in a time bubble, and i have not come across any one saying useful things for contemporary action. a great majority of the people are political illiterates, the natural consequence of maleducation and alienation from the process of politics. there are a few academics speaking on politics, but they persist in language corrupted by double-think and unable to reach any new conclusions. the politicians themselves are nothing but whores, and i may be unfairly disparaging honest sex workers by the comparison. in short, an age of liars for profit, which is why trump is the perfect fit. is there any path toward a more productive future? easy to imagine one, but since we only have modern usans to work with, i am inclined to pessimism. all societies age and die, and we are going to see a giant step in that process. because it's not cv19 that is the main actor, usa economy was a hollow shell, vulnerable to a sudden shake. recovery would need a vital political system, and the personnel in modern usg look like characters in an addams family movie, only not intentionally funny.
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  1921. the usa is not a democracy. can you connect that fact to the reality around you?
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  1922. depends. people use dogs, don't pay them, just food. is that fair? if people are content to work for food, why give them more? discuss.
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  1923. which leads to the conclusion, entrusting your nation to politicians may be bad for business, health, and survival. becuz, they are crooked, nasty and evil.
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  1924. they must have straightened him out quickly, '53 he was ordering the iran coup, as a favor to the brits who wanted their oil fields back and couldn't afford to buy the necessary thugs. but ww2 was too profitable to release, usa has been looking for wars ever since. have been careful to pick on push-overs for the most part, although iraq was a painful surprise. eisenhower is reputed to have asked friends for edit advice, "is military-industrial-complex right, or military-industrial-congressional-complex better? don't get too nostalgic for ike, he was a bit naive about yearning for less militarism in public, but check in to chomsky's list of presidential crimes, ike is as bad as any and worse than most.
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  1925. it's true, there is some kind of quasi-nazi element in ukraine. but it's common, around the world. the people of ukraine have a better excuse than most, they were treated roughly by the russians in the early days of the ussr. call it mutual hate, and understandable. but those respectable finns took a similar line, for similar reasons. the smelly part of ukraine foreign policy is the very visible activity of the usa in directing it, with bribes and military supply. it just happens that the nazis are happy to comply with usa direction. don't forget, the bush family were cozy with nazis too, the real ones. it's everywhere, a human condition, like smelly feet. which is why the bushes had to leave connecticut and move to texas, where nazis are welcome, so long as they call it 'americanism.'
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  1926. why should they? usa strong, rest of world weak.
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  1927. politicians tell the truth whenever it suits them, you can't ask for more than that. you don't demand virginity from prostitutes, why be tougher on politicians? anyone who allows politicians to run their nation is in no position to complain. you could get democracy, but it's just too much trouble.
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  1928. why should it be otherwise? you live in a plutocracy, and that means 'the rich rule', but it also means that everything is done for money. cnn is in the 'make money' business, and that means, they don't like people who rock the boat. if you can't be bothered to get democracy, why complain about not having democracy?
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  1929. they are only doing what profits them, as other animals do. a countervailing force has not arisen, as action would be difficult or dangerous, "eco-warriors, arise!"
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  1930. it sometimes even lacks a science part, but this one covers both very well. now i feel like i know more, though it's not immediately evident that the feeling is connected to reality. when you dig past microscopes, reality is very fuzzy.
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  1931. usa is going to win this war, if they have to fight to the last ukrainian. and if ww3 results, any war that makes a profit, is a good war, and if the generals get a raise in pay, hey, they delivered the profit.
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  1932. 'evil empire.' but you deserve no better, if you put up with the rule of politicians, this is what you get. you could have democracy, but that requires a certain percentage of citizen-quality people. just to get started. and there ain't any in view.
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  1933. roubini is a smart man, but it was chou, not mao. when you compare the quality of the leadership, the flowering of new technology in communication, transportation and even basic science, you are likely to assume china will win this struggle, so long as it doesn't come to nuclear exchange. then no one wins.
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  1934. labor unions can do some good, but they are not the solution to usa decay. getting a better share of a decaying pie is cold comfort. what you need is democracy, so that you can get socialism, so that every usa person can grow up educated and healthy. this is the only way usa can be the best usa it can be.
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  1935. A quibble arises: quantum communication, not teleportation. All my childhood SciFi moved physical objects.
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  1936. in fact, nazis briefly had the largest segment of the vote, which is why the president invited hitler to form a government. nothing like a majority, but that's how parliamentary systems work. don't laugh, you don't have democracy either. voting for politicians is just medieval gang warfare, with ballots replacing bullets. in fact, ballots and bullets have the same ancestor, in latin. in a democracy, the people, known as citizens, rule through initiative and the public service manages the nation, under direction of referendum. obviously, you have none of that. why is your system called 'democracy?' to fool the chumps, and keep them quiet. it works, see "double-think."
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  1937. lessee, angry, hungry, and armed. is that a revolution? no. but endemic banditry desribes the situation. usans are incapable of revolution, needs planning and patience. most are not clear on the week after next, and those with time to plan are short-selling on advice from their leased senator. watching usans cope with modern life is endlessly amusing, although trump is finally going to join the club with a need for a war. only a matter of days now, and that dim-witted psychopath selected by the constitution will fill the trifecta: plague, hunger, and war, leading to chaos. the scary bit, of course, is the orc-percentage in the american national character. one small war may not be enough for them. multi-polar nuclear exchanges will serve many purposes, do wonders for the co2 balance, reduce life load on environment, perhaps to zero. endlessly amusing, needs an asterisk.
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  1938. the government of the usa is simply evil. until they can be hanged, boycott of israel at least soothes the rage. usa has been propping up the jewish bandits since uk washed its hands of the initial crime. israel should not exist. they are the inheritors of bandits. you can say that of most nations, but israel is still in the process of mopping up resistance, and the cries of victims deserve support. it's one thing to shake our heads at historical crime, and a different thing entirely to turn away from ongoing murder.
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  1939. still owned by the 'dirty digger,' as we refer to rupe? so lost to decency that he makes a good case for satan possession. but the ny times, bbc and any mass media you care to name is nothing but a demonstration that '1984' was accurate prognostication.
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  1940. 2/3 inherited. almost all the web money based on technology created by darpa.
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  1941. Aukus in, PRC near. Have you figured out why?
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  1942. [insert disrespectful snickering] whenever i dip into the public pronouncements of politicians, i am reminded that our masters have no notable attributes of intellect or character, save one: all are grossly in awe of their abilities, which have propelled them to positions of power. 'how could i be here, in the nation's eye, if i were not the giant they suppose me to be?' and they are giants, in one area: facile liars, shameless self-promoters and conscienceless thieves. in short, amoral tricksters. i will give them this: ordinary ozzies endure these fakes out of laziness. politicians are seldom lazy.
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  1943. tg sounds good, but relying on politicians is what got you here. most of them sound good, and most of them are owned by corporate donations. not all, but it doesn't need all to be corrupt, for the nation to be corrupted. get democracy, and at least the decisions will benefit most people, not a secret few.
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  1944. not a socialist, precisely. rather a would-be citizen of democracy. it is nearly useless to talk about improving society, if you don't live in a democracy. not entirely, some nations have proportional representation and are more responsive to popular wishes. but if you have democracy, referendum and initiative give the electorate command over the nation's activities. it is very likely that democracy would lead to socialism, that's why madison made sure that his constitution prevented democracy in the usa, and empowered the rich.
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  1945. theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/ tg is good in parts. other parts, not.
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  1946. over-looked? hidden. and the rape of viet-nam? just helping a l'il buddy save democracy. the invasion of iraq? well, he was a bad man, who happened to be sitting on a lot of oil, and besides, turned out he couldn't beat iran, so why tolerate a loser? still there, too. the grossly inflated military budget is chiefly a device to transfer taxes into share dividends, but there is a spin-off in votes of soldiers and loot from raids, murders and invasions.
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  1947. and the reason you don't boycott government, as a step towards democracy is... too much trouble. the talking faces make money from talking. sometimes say something amusing, but change will not appear here. change is not necessary, decay and corruption and simple incompetence can turn a giant nation into a fragile shell. enter the flying boot of fate, and the austro-hungarian empire disappears with a penstroke. usa quite resembles ussr, in its dying months. but if not here, where? i am afraid a group of junior generals are having a few scotch and waters in an o-club, and finally one of them says what all are thinking: "there is no loyalty to the civilian government, even core trump supporters are against the others, not for him. we could offer military guidance and be welcomed." and this might even be an improvement in usa governance. but i would bet on democracy being better in the long view. imagine trump, biden and sanders all polling 45%, +/- 2. bad enough you still are ruled by a king, but 3 such candidates at the same level is a ship of state utterly bereft of leadership, without principle, and likely about to slip beneath the waves.
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  1948. this is not revolution, they left that gene out of the american heritage. americans are still brits, with kings and lords, just elected instead of born. surprising how little difference that makes. but it is civil unrest, police, soldiers and a handful of coins thrown to the mob will bring peace.democracy is rule by the people, and both brits and americans have debased the word by applying it to elective oligarchy. this is what orwell referred to as double-think and newspeak. mind control begins in primary school. no revolution is possible to people who don't even have a vocabulary.
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  1949. chaos is natural. if you prefer a regulated society, and, you require a decent life for all within that society, then you have to get democracy. democracy may lead to socialism, if most voters want it. but no elite -ruled society will deliver ' a decent life for all.' elites just need to keep the police and military happy. more is wasted money. chaos is natural, rome was chaotic for a thousand years, supported by a well-organized army. nature doesn't care about individuals. if you want peace and prosperity, active management of society is necessary. that's socialism. if you want the benefits of socialism to reach everyone, you must distribute power to everyone. that's democracy.
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  1950. if you keep saying 'our democracy, ' you can never wake up. usa is not a democracy, it never was, it was explicitly designed to be ruled by the rich, and the design has been brilliantly successful. some of the success lies in convincing people that what you have is democracy, so that social failures can be blamed on democracy. there is nothing to be done, ignorance and selfishness preclude popular resistance, usa has entered a period of decline, and resulting stress may lead to dissolution of the federation. let's hope so.
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  1951. why complain about the corruption induced by a system, if you never do anything about it? one answer is, there's money to be made, in systematized complaint. that's real corruption.
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  1952. severe social collapse, war, famine and disease, may be the only path to bringing the human load on the planet down to sustainable levels. fewer kids seems like a good idea. but more needs to be done, i suggest culling the old and useless. start with politicians.
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  1953. what 'peace settlement' can there be? at least putin is inclined to support the victims.
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  1954. AOC acts like she did something reprehensible, and is consequently 'owned' by those who know about it. You don't have to put up with politician rule, you could have democracy, if only the USA people were citizens quality. But... Cattle will be ruled by trash.
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  1955. the purpose of nato is to envelop the world, to enrich the usa. it is a proxy empire, driven by the masters of the usa. i wonder who they are? the last two 'leaders of the free world' are cartoonish defectives. in any event, plutocracy is an informal realm, political agents of laughable capacity symptomatic of fundamental national weakness. unfortunately, such people are very likely to start ww 'last.' they just don't know which button is one too many. worse, they imagine politics is primarily about enhancing position and power within society, utterly insensitive to the threats of reality. interesting times for all, and if young, you should be very angry indeed.
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  1956. in a moment of weakness, bernie went to the brothel, and announced he wanted to manage the place. the clients didn't like his plans and business fell off, so the owner's said, trial over. he's a nice guy, as politicians go, but he should have stayed true to socialist principles, as an independent. same result, no stains on his nose. democracy needs citizen quality people. would-be citizens must be willing to fight, and capable of organization. not visible. usa is mired in its history, and no more capable of democracy than china. much worse, they pollute the ideal by claiming it.
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  1957. the problem is, you think you would like to be living in a democracy, and you aren't, so you pretend you are, and then are cranky when it seems reality is strangely perverse in its actions. live in a fantasy, yer gonna bump into things. you live in an elective aristocracy, functionally a plutocracy. you are not a citizen, you are only a civilian. you don't do, you just watch. until you grow smarter and braver, nothing good is gonna happen. too bad, the climate catastrophe will be on you before you change. btw, the continual reference to 'corporations' below is reality informing you just how real the plutocracy is.
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  1958. btw, aoc destroyed nothing. the law culture and power under the hypocrisy remain unchanged. there will be no change until a lot of ordinary people want it, badly enough to fight.
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  1959. maybe the universe is just too big and too complex for a naked ape that cannot even keep itself fed?
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  1960. relax, dollar in great shape. usa peeps, many are in trouble, but that doesn't matter as long as you are not one of those. the top half just fine, top 1% even better. usa was born to be a plutocracy, and look - still works.
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  1961. there is a chance the bungle-on-the-capitol was a cynical exercise in preparation for drastic collapse of civil 'rights.' in favor is the obvious lack of brains involved, it was not meant to achieve anything but fear in the easily disturbed. against, is the consistent lack of intelligence throughout the trump interregnum. take yer choice, because it doesn't matter. the usa government is evil, but so corrupt that it is evil out of character rather than plan. they bite themselves, often. the usa constitution was written to keep the rule of the nation firmly in the hands of the 'betters.' it is consequently not responsive to the state of the nation, for the rich are the last to suffer. and the national education has been drawn to support this goal. the people are cattle, capable of the 'bungle,' incapable of citizenship, much less revolution. i wouldn't give a damn, but the aristos who direct that ship of state make war for profit and plunder the environment for profit, and are a danger to us all. the usa should be blockaded, all trade stopped, no visas issued.
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  1962. we start off, thinking in concert, dr h and i. but somewhere between the first and tenth word, i realize we are dancing to different music. fortunately, i can use a pc without understanding quantum mechanics.
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  1963. i came to regard the existence of politicians as deleterious to the health of the human race. but it's hard to get rid of them. somewhere between rats and cockroaches, and equally odious. although, i am perhaps being unfair to rats. for that matter, even cockroaches are better. boris was just a messenger, expendable. this has cia smell all over it.
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  1964. it's clear homo sapiens is responsible, but he ain't gonna pay up until someone holds a gun to his head. and who has a gun?
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  1965. and you've only now noticed?
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  1966. a political or economic elite will do as they please. it is childish to complain. get democracy and socialism, and you won't have to complain anymore, these parasites will be extinct.
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  1967. daffy duck could be a better president than the current prospects. but no one asks, "does our system work at all?"
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  1968. i never had much regard for his 'solutions,' but now i wonder about his character.
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  1969. aoc is a good person, but she doesn't tell the truth. maybe she doesn't realize it, more likely she is afraid to say it: usa is not a democracy. it was purposely designed to allow the rich to rule, and look around you, they do. which is why the democrats are just republicans-lite, there is no future in fighting for the poor. when the game is rigged, you either get out of the game, or change the rules, or sell yourself. adc doesn't say that, because she's in the game, and you can't change it from inside. change needs revolution, and she is not a revolutionary. can't blame her, it's dangerous, as the kennedy brothers demonstrated. worse, it's not possible when the people are too ignorant or too selfish to see the need for the sacrifices necessary to changing society. americans are not ready for revolution, i think they never will be. there will be ruffles on the water, there were much greater ones in the 1930s, but nothing came of it. aoc is just one of the ruffles, ho chiminh, she ain't.
    1
  1970. growth slowed to 6.9%. the best hi-speed rail service in the world. 'belt and road' already done more for world commerce than marshall plan. compared to the usa, yep, china is staggering. help me out here, didn't usa government bail out its banks with a trillion dollars of printing press money in 2008? i take it bloomberg is living in a fantasy world.
    1
  1971. well, just a thought, the green party could offer to put it self out of business by acting as the agent of revolution to democracy. non-violent, in principle, although the professional politicians might find it necessary to shoot at people who wish to make their profession obsolete.
    1
  1972. hard to believe there was no air-gap between israel and natanz. 1st assumption must be human agents. but israel deserves blame even so. they survive because of nuclear capability, and usa support. they will do anything to maintain those two assets. this is a very dangerous strategy, for the hatred they have built with their neighbors will have horrific consequences when their power wanes. not easy to see any alternative to sleeping with gun in hand.
    1
  1973. has nothing to do with democracy or communism. swiss aside, there are no democracies, and china has left communism behind, even as an ideal.china intends to rule its area, usa and its allies fear china's growth in power, technology and diplomacy. this may lead to war, but even if it doesn't, diverting attention from climate control may be even worse.
    1
  1974. sane persons have followed voltaire's advice, and taken up gardening in the back yard, or a window planter box. lies, official lies and lies with murderous intent are the common language of this day. serious lying has been done in the past, but it's rare that no pretense to verity is offered, from a government agency. communication as information is dead, and the rotting carcass will poison all society.
    1
  1975. no one seems to understand that the usg does not do caring and sharing. discussions of the effects of 'soft power' are maybe not useless, but they are certainly not effective. the usg is a sociopathic organization intent on dominating the world. since the end of ww2 there has been little opposition, and usg has grown ever stronger, and more openly evil. talk about soft power all you want, can't hurt. may generate an income. but i've been watching the usg in action for more than 60 years, if there has been any soft power, it has failed to stem the arrogance and greed of the usa. prc is now strong enough to say 'no.' usg calls this 'aggressive.' so do a lot of people and governments who travel with the usg, looking for scraps. it's time for the soft power people to support the prc, for speaking softly to sociopaths is unproductive.
    1
  1976. you don't have democracy, to begin with. voting for people is not democracy. call it 'elective aristocracy..' in reality, it is [informally] a plutocracy. you are totally disconnected from the management of your society, unless you are rich enough to bribe an officer of state. you call it 'democracy' because you have been trained from childhood to accept that your status of consumer unit is the same as 'citizen.' it is not. don't worry about the electoral college, that's a trivial distraction. you have much bigger problems that your masters don't want you to notice. and you don't notice, so your childhood training has been brilliantly successful.
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  1977. i love listening to yanks whine about being diddled by the rich. talk about slow learners. if you read some history, you would discover that the purpose of the constitution is to allow the rich to rule, through their political agents in congress. and sure enough, that's what happens. and still you are amazed.. you have the web, to make organizing easy, you have guns, to enforce your will, what's lacking is brains and character. zombie nation. normal service resumes...
    1
  1978. got any ideas about how to do that?
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  1979. can't afford it.
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  1980. will america continue to allow this? 'america' has no will. house and senate have, and power to act. the people in office, however, might decide to do something to further their personal wealth or career, which the general public doesn't want done. that is one of the characteristics of elite rule. the usa is not a democracy, and the ruling class intends to keep it that way. too bad about the kurds. and many others who got in the way of american plutocracy.
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  1981. usd greatly over-priced, soon will find its natural level, with baht, dinars and bitcoin.
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  1982. anyone who thinks politicians should rule the nation either owns a politician, or is a slave.
    1
  1983. be serious- no usa politician believes in democracy. the constitution establishes elective aristocracy in service to the rich. both parties serve the rich, although there are some democrats that try to ameliorate the resulting poverty. since the people do not rule, usa is not a democracy. since the people are ignorant and passive, the elite will continue to rule, until some general decides to take over.
    1
  1984. why would you want to? the blues should secede, en bloc, or perhaps a 'westcoastia and northeastia' confederation.
    1
  1985. it's not broken. it was designed that way. the basic rules were set by men in iron suits, who had no concept of human rights, and every intention of staying on top of society by law. not broken, so not fixable. if you want to fix it, first you have to break it. revolution. create a new society. i recommend democracy, it will lead to some variety of socialism. get busy.
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  1986. yf does not say, "let's establish democracy in greece." until he does, he is an empty talking head.
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  1987. in a democracy, you don't have politicians.* you don't need them, they are a parasite left-over from the days when kings, dukes and barons ruled in europe. the public service runs the nation, under direction from the citizens through referendum, and initiative. this is an obvious good idea,. but it needs citizen-quality people.... * already, you see one advantage of democracy. getting rid of politicians is like getting rid of tape-worms.
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  1988. help me out here, does the canadian government do what the usa says, regardless? and does the canadian government believe that chinese cyberintelligence is in any way different from the american version?
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  1989. it's genetic: understanding the need for revolution and organizing one requires brains and courage. poor brits have been bred for submission for a thousand years, and it shows. wat tyler was the last sign of resistance
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  1990. bernie is just one man. even in office he would accomplish little. have you forgotten mr. yes we can already? fdr had commanding majorities in house and senate, and could have re-written the constitution. but that was the last chance for democracy in the usa, and it didn't happen. next time there is serious popular unrest in the usa, it will be hosed down by a soldier.
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  1991. it is a bioweapon developed by a sect of true believing christians who masquerade as mormons. they keep themselves safe by regular injections of hand-washing liquid that surgeons use,
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  1992. swarming the scs with warships is newish, and sanctions and threats are newish. prc fears sudden attack with nuclear missiles, and wants usa far away, so that long range missiles can not knock them out before they can launch retaliation. in my view, a very logical desire. usa took exactly the same view when ussr offered missiles to cuba. usa agreed to remove missiles from turkey, ussr took back missiles from cuba. but now, usa is using military threats as a commercial competitive device. so now it seems attractive to gamble on nuclear catastrophe. indian government is assisting the usa, for its own internal political advantages. diverting attention from the hopeless management india has had since independence, presumably.
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  1993. so you didn't get a small-pox jab when you were little? or diptheria? there's a reason those diseases don't kill anymore. can you figure out what it is?
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  1994. melt it down, if it's silver. usd is looking shaky.
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  1995. murrikins are funny people! and stupid! usa has been a fascist state from birth, and are only now beginning to realize it. to be fair, it wasn't called fascism. it was called americanism. but since murrikins don't know what democracy is, or at least, don't want it, you have to settle for fascism. call it americanism, sounds so much better. and you were there way ahead of that italian guy.
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  1996. 'american democracy' is a nonsense. a society without referendum and initiative is no kind of democracy. that's why people riot- violence is the only alternative to submission.
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  1997. should be working to give you citizen initiative. aka 'democracy.'
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  1998. i marvel that dr h is unsatisfied by whatever money and respect she gets from her profession. invading pop entertainment seems grossly unfair. many people make a living by wearing a alum-foil hat in public, and only have that to offer for their daily pittance. entering this humble profession with degrees and academic experience seems ungenerous, at best.
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  1999. no, first we must kill all the politicians. offer an option of life in a zoo cage on a diet of coca-cola and macburgers.
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  2000. must come here more often, genuine laughs.
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  2001. ms iversen, you may have thought you had discovered a gold mine of muck-raking, but there's only a very little amount of muck to rake before the empire strikes back. i hate to recommend returning to afternoon chats with the girls about the iniquities of the boys, but there is an endless supply of would-be 'lone gunmen' out there, and the cia is well-supplied with sociopaths to tee them up and point them. don't be a hero. americans are the product of 230 years of law and culture, and the result is not worth the blood of a single martyr.
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  2002. jan 4th? wuhan reported 1 death. that didn't excite me, how about you?
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  2003. homer sap is a domesticated species. most of us are ok with having the big thinking done by others. we are also a predatory species, and the most profitable prey has long been other humans. this leads to system stability with many poor and ignorant, and a few so rich that their every desire is satisfied without much thought. so they aren't good managers of nations, and neither are the people who work for them. this is a formula for population collapse, and possible extinction. i used to worry about this, mildly, but almost everyone is concerned with more pressing matters. so, relax, be happy--- while you can. if 420 ppm is the pruning knife mm and many others suggest, either move away from the equator or get actively involved in real politics --- mass demos to get their attention and promises of gunfire to come. do not enter political parties, their business is the enjoyment of power, not the salvation of the race.
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  2004. capitalism is just warlordism, after the warriors fell into the hands of the bankers. and its stable, because the peasants fell too- when you will be hungry and homeless a week after losing a job, you are a serf for as long as the banks can get something from you, then you are a beggar, usans deserve their society- they have the web, and many are armed, but they just fall to their knees, being deeply programmed that they are worthless if no one will hire them. h. sap. goes wrong, and creates non-viable societies sometimes, and here is one.
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  2005. when is someone going to say, "let's stop begging on our knees for a kind master." and follow with, "stand up and demand democracy." but it doesn't happen, and there are no kind masters. americans are too used to begging, they are raised to it, daily told the rich deserve what they have, and what they take, and particularly what they inherit. the rich are wolves, and you are sheep. not very bright sheep, either.
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  2006. putin knows better than modi what he needs. it seems to be war, and from here, he may be right. modi should know that people sometimes go to war not because victory is assured, but because peace is certain defeat. but of course, calling for peace makes modi seem like a wise statesman. i wish he would take the same view about the border with china.
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  2007. war! is next. it will be an easy sell, usans like visiting other nations and killing men, women and children, for profit. they are called 'special forces' because generally they don't bother with declarations of war, and they are not an army, just bandits in uniform. are there any decent human beings in usa? evidently not. and when you see the police in action there, you can see where silence might be wiser than protesting. don't blame trump. usa was born this way. pretense is falling away, is all.
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  2008. anyone who is proud to be a politician is unashamed by war, poverty, and bigotry. america is despised around the world, because of politicians.
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  2009. quit blaming trump. like every human, he does what rewards him. instead, ask yourself why is such a person in a position of authority. the answer has two parts, the position exists, and he fit the criteria of selection better than the other claimants. looking at trump now, you might say, " those other claimants must be truly sub-standard people." an even more important observation would be, " it's time we stopped having presidents." democracy works, california has it , and referendum plus occasional initiative keeps the administration working for the good of the people. so why not get democracy at the federal level?" someone recently answered me [ i keep asking ] that it would need the agreement of a majority of the national office holders, which is true. but if you [collective ] present them with a democratic constitution and demand that they enact it, they will. just insert an 'or else' at the end. how many would have to sign that demand? if you think getting democracy is the most important activity in your life, because not having democracy threatens life, work, environment, even survival of humanity, then get started and keep going until you get the necessary number.
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  2010. mao educated the nation, deng seduced the usa into handing over cash and technology, and the combination has frightened the usa plutocrats. too late to strangle china, only bombs will stop them now. the new, marxist, mandarinate will continue to run rings around the rotten usa elite. but any well-defined powerful elite will rot, and china has many examples from its long history. only democracy offers any hope for stability and justice to homer sap, and he doesn't seem capable of getting it. so let's sing as we march towards oblivion, the words to "the east is red!" seem most appropriate.
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  2011. the government asks for a loan from future generations, and also answers "yes."
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  2012. india is not a colony of anyone, anymore. india is failing to develop compared to other nations, notably china, but blaming this backwardness on china is shameful. india has an ineffectual government, you might reasonably blame britain for that, but the main problem is that india was never a nation before the brits came, and still isn't, now they are gone. there is no common political culture, beyond an imposed british colonial model, which so far has just been arrogant and greedy. certainly no democracy, large pieces of feudal small holdings which cannot generate the wealth needed for development. what is to be done? follow the chinese path, they have been wonderfully successful, in the face of capitalist suppression. that would be hard of course. the chinese endured worse times by far than india, and perhaps middle indians can not be led to to that level of commitment. so blame china, so much easier. but absurdly far from the truth.
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  2013. doesn't anyone notice, that american politics is not about 'what needs to be done,' it's about 'who should we anoint?' and still you persist in talking about american 'democracy.' you pollute the word, and the ideal. in better news, it begins to appear that bernie might be the democratic candidate. popular longing for a fairy god-father/loving uncle-king might actually be rewarded. i hope he does become uncle-king, so that we may see just how resilient the american oligarchy is. they certainly out-lasted fdr, and came back as strong as ever. but conditions are much different now, bernie is going to step into a new great depression, and growing concern about the environment. this will add force to any change he proposes. will make for interesting times.
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  2014. humanity has to get democracy, and socialism, because elite rule and selfishness is ruining the planet. usa will be the last to comply, only after it's too late.
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  2015. no use getting excited about the 'working class,' they have no political cohesion and were never intended to be the directors or benficiaries of usa politics. hedges is a good person, but he sings his song to a nation of deaf-mutes. rather like noam chomsky has been doing for 60 years. and with similar prospects of effect. the parties have not betrayed the workers. they owe nothing to the workers, both are vehicles to power for sale to whoever will subsidize their election process. the people of the usa will have to build a new organization to serve their interests, but that requires a social cohesion notably lacking in usa society. it will not happen, on evidence to date. not every society survives, and in some ways usa is beginning to resemble the austro-hungarian empire.
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  2016. politics in usa is a theatrical event, american kabuki. when you don't have referendum and initiative, you have to pin all you political desires on a person who is collecting votes concerning a wide range of activities. hypocrisy, plain lying, is built in to the system, inescapable. the result is a system utterly unresponsive to an electorate who are told endlessly that 'this is democracy, see, we have voting.' orwell labeled the process double-think, but the cancer has metastasized since then. you are not entitled to complain about the results. you live in an evil society, carefully designed to ensure that the people did not rule. if you are ignorant of this reality, progress is impossible. if you understand, why complain, if you are not going to act?
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  2017. i have a conviction that humanity needs democracy, to survive. but daily i am reminded that it will not happen in usa. uppers don't want it, lowers don't know what it is. i despair of india, half of them are still burning incense to elephant-headed gods after following a cow around a field all day. china is much better, no cow but perhaps a ride on plow. russia? new tsar, but maybe an elected tsar better than hereditary. democracy? only the swiss, never perfect, and being eroded by surrounding eu more surely than axis envelopment. we are doomed. because time is not endless, and elite societies cannot deal with long term threats like environmental decay. ' now or never, and you have a choice of trump or biden. god help you.
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  2018. no, it doesn't. it is an elective aristocracy, and the elite never have enough, of anything. the main problem is that talking heads like to pretend usa is some kind of perverted democracy, which can be fixed. it isn't and it can't. revolution is necessary.
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  2019. prc hopes that taliban is sane, and will do business with them so long as that hope not badly mistaken. why should they not, much to gain on both sides. russia too has an interest in central asian prosperity, and resulting peace. if taliban hopes to remain master of afghanistan, they need some international support, both trade and military patronage, or they will soon have usa back in their land. i don't know who set off the recent bombs at the airport, i would guess some splinter group hoping to recruit on a 'holier than thou' program, with no intention to co-operate with anyone. perhaps this group will find themselves in a hill fort, eating roots and leaves. afghanistan is a basket case, ultimately the handiwork of the cia. hard to imagine the usa getting back in, while every farmer has an ak-47, and a memory. prc can transform the place, ussr made considerable progress before cia slithered into view. they aren't poor on purpose, it was done to them by usa.
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  2020. i initially thought there was little to the russia connection, beyond possible commercial corruption. trump wanted a tower in moscow, and only got serious about even being a candidate when the republican competition was so pathetic. so he became a [anti-] politician while still tangled up in commercial activities. since he is crooked by habit and inclination, they are too. ultimately, this may bite him on the bum. but the important news about trump is, remains, and shows no sign of getting better: usa political system is hopelessly ineffective, obsolete, and has created a political class reminiscent of louis 16. confronted with a challenge from a resurgent china, hard to see any thing but continuing failure for usa. that's fine with me, except- they might start a war, or they might get in bed with indian nationalists and then start a war. that would pass for high diplomacy among the american elite. reagan and dubya were bad enough, now trump. can't anyone in usa see they have zero chance against china with this level of management?
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  2021. 'normal' just means 'teacher's college.' students there will be teachers, at high school level, or lower. consolidating them with vocational colleges is probably a good idea. and the protestors won't get much support from more prestigious schools like beida. this ain't tiananmen.
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  2022. need to fight? usans never hesitated to fight, to preserve slavery, steal indigenous land, and lately invade foreign nations for profit., or even just a wage. but the people who actually do the fighting are sociopaths, civilized people are wimps. most don't even own a gun. look at the comments below: powerless people barely able to come up with a "they otta..." meanwhile, in bubbaland, these militia groups keep bubbling up, natural brown-shirts. hope it doesn't come to fighting, cuz the baddies will win.
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  2023. a professor all your adult life? very narrow.
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  2024. 'sadly' because h. sap. likes to think that medical science and social activity should improve on nature. what's really sad is gates being consulted on matters of medical science and politics. a simple demonstration of real plutocracy.
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  2025. usa politicians are an accurate measure of the quality of usa people. when you grow up in an elective aristocracy, you do not form the character of a citizen in a democracy. given a populace of cattle, it pays a politician to have the character of a hyena. politicians are hyenas, and you allow them to rule you. nothing you can do?
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  2026. see, putin not all bad. but if you need a war to change your mind, you will always be behind the curve.
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  2027. not wilful. by the time you are old enough to vote, you are brainwashed into submission.
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  2028. same is true everywhere. the french learn several languages, probably including a local dialect. but their public life is in parisian french.
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  2029. if you had democracy, you could discuss public affairs, and direct state activity according to the will of the electorate. but you don't have democracy. you don't even know you don't have it. so hoping bernie will save you is all you got. he can't. 'yes, we can." should have tipped you off, politicians are not your friends, much less your saviors.
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  2030. usa has nothing left, but a grossly bloated military. so they will use it. their captive media are painting prc as the devil, to distract from the visible evil of the usa. i wish i could see some path forward for the degenerate fraudsters that rule usa, that did not end in nuclear armageddon, but i do not. only the people of the usa can stop the usg, but they are incapable, ineffectual, and many believe the lies they are told. it turns out there is some compensation for being old, after all. try to hold it together for another 5 years, if you can.
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  2031. there are no rights, not supported by power. governments generally are run by and for its members, and if they are threatened by a person outside the power group, that person is dealt with by character assassination, or physical assassination. this is one compelling reason ordinary people should demand democracy: by getting it, ordinary people become citizens, members of the ruling group. such a society has no government separate from the people, just clerks administering the direction of the electorate . only then do ordinary people have rights.
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  2032. prof. w. is always available, i think he must be supporting a young and greedy mistress. alternatively, if his pension is enough, he neglected to acquire a satisfying hobby. his field is economics, but usa's problem is political- it's not a democracy and the ruling elite are unwilling to adjust their demands to the declining fortune of the state. he can tell you where the pain is, but has nothing to say about how to fix it. revolution is not in his vocabulary. never a word is heard about the possibility that the decay of the economy is built in to the law of the nation, from anyone. because that would lead to the observation that change is too hard, and we're screwed. but societies often develop a dysfunctional character and are unable to change because the people on top are content to enjoy their position. in simplest terms, a society with citizen initiative [aka 'democracy'] can act to create better conditions for the non-elite. but there are no democracies, except the swiss. and that's why the austro-hungarian empire disappeared, and so will the usa.
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  2033. usa was never a democracy, and voting for people is not democracy. it's elective aristocracy, effectively plutocracy, and that's what you've got. madison planned it that way, and would be pleased to see how effective his plan has been. if you use doublethink and newspeak to discuss politics, you are the problem, not the solution.
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  2034.  Flightof2Owls  aim higher, get democracy.
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  2035. dubya was a worse president than trump, but it's early days and trump has clearly got potential.
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  2036. the u.n. did not name and shame usa for the iraq invasion and occupation. so i am inclined to say that 'name and shame' is mere hypocrisy when used with u. n. actions. i recently came across a 'factoid,' that ukraine is currently the poorest nation in europe. if true, it might suggest that cia's activities in buying the government and installing billionaires in office is not good for the general population. and indeed, the demographics of the usa demonstrate this notion. ukraine has never loved russia, there was a 'ukrainian ss' during ww2, so you may surmise that russians are unconcerned about ukrainian resistance and casualties. neither are they much concerned about usa opinion, whether from usa, or its clients. but putin needs friends, and i expect one consequence of this struggle will be a stronger and more public bond with prc. both are struggling against usa hegemony, and it's getting violent.
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  2037. this is possible. find some other point to make, take a day off, if necessary.
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  2038. should be no surprise to discover usa is not a moral examplar. it was born to preserve slavery, prospered through ethnic cleansing and territorial aggrandisement. but giving voting 'rights' to convicts won't help much. voting doesn't do much good, if you can only vote for people. democracy uses voting to settle substantive matters through referendum, with initiative to over-ride bureaucrats who forget they are working for the electorate. but politicians never mention that- why should they tell you to make them obsolete?
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  2039. madison explicitly said, that he was creating a society to be ruled by the 'opulent,' that democracy would lead to taxes being laid on the rich, to succour the poor. and he wasn't having it. the american revolution was instigated to protect slave plantation plutocrats, who were threatened by the clear evolution of law in england towards ending slavery. that is why 4 of the first 5 presidents were plantation plutocrats, and adams only got one term, awarded for his obsequious promise not to disturb slavery. from that start, modern america is easily explained.
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  2040. these problems wouldn't arise if you had democracy. the notion that you should submit to politicians appears to be baked in, perhaps a genetic weakness inherited from britain. but some states would be effective democracies if independent. referendum, initiative, even recall available on citizen demand. really, those true democratic states would be much better off, if they seceded. but it never crosses the minds of murrikins, that they should rip the parasite politicians off their back. as i said, there is a genetic weakness in many, maybe most english- speakers.
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  2041. i like that woman. but you can't fix a brothel by joining it. america needs revolution, starting with a new constitution. it can be done peacefully, with mass demonstrations. but the default condition of the usa is plutocracy, arising from the structure of the constitution. madison said that was his aim, and he has been very successful- just look around you.
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  2042. but the solution to air travel is to stay home and get a bigger screen. transport can be sailing ships.with pv sails and electric motors for harbor.
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  2043. very heartening. if i live long enough and dr h keeps talking, i may well be able to tell my friends, in a casual interjection, that algebra and deep thought has made me a reliable resource person when the nature of reality enters conversation at my retirement village.
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  2044. well, you've heard of democracy, some states have referendum and initiative, and even recall. but you don't demand democracy in the federal constitution, you just whine. so many guns in the usa, just for this purpose, and still nothing. bred for submission? drugs in the water?
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  2045. as long as the suit doesn't cost much or consume much time, why not underline the moral rot in most of u. s. public life? but don't lose sight of the fact that offering to clean out some corner of the cess-pool by jumping in is unlikely to burnish a brand. tg is just a politician, and has no claim to immunity from slander. the usa government has to be cleansed from outside, by a would-be* citizen's action group. fire and sword is the traditional method, but web organization, mass demos and passive resistance might get it done. *usa is not a democracy, so you are not a citizen, just a civilian.
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  2046. this leaves comedy behind, and slides into fantasy. next you'll be considering democracy, and formal socialism.
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  2047. you haven't got democracy. you are afraid to admit you haven't got democracy. it might lead to revolution, and you prefer submission, to dangerous action. the weak and fearful will be ruled by the strong and brutal. and there you are. so go back to whining about those nasty republicans, as though they were the the problem. they ain't, you are.
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  2048. marx had no notion of democracy. neither does his successors. so we get oligarchies of apparatchiks in place of politicians. neither group much concerned about anything beyond striving for more power in the hierarchy. but until power is in the hands of the citizens of democracy, there will never be any chance of the benefits of society being widely spread, nor will there be a defense against aggrandisement by would-be elites. prof. wolff ignores political reality, it's in his 'too hard' basket. economists can tell us how to manage society, but they have no answer to the retort of politicians: "come back when you have power."
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  2049. this is a well-known device to support the continuation of the human race. people who don't see things that are not there are much less likely to marry.
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  2050. try to be a little open-minded, mr dore. usa police are controlling the most heavily armed populace in the world, with a high percentage of desperadoes, individuals and gangs. it is a kind of civil war, the coppers have the most hardware and best organization, but they are swimming in a sea of potential back-shooters. you'd be nervous too, and inclined to shoot first. it turns out that the beginning of usa created the society of today, and a beginning of evil has made an evil empire. maybe 'blade runner' should have been titled 'things to come.'
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  2051. if you allow politicians to manage the nation, this is what you get. if the electorate directed the nation, most people would be better off. that's the nature of democracy. why do the people allow the politicians to run the nation? ignorant? stupid? fearful? did i miss anything?
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  2052. why do people in the usa constantly complain that democracy is in danger? there never was democracy in the usa. the constitution forbids it. suggesting that journalism be in the control of journalists, is a nonsense. it should be in the control of everyone, which has become possible with the web. journalism was always a means to sell advertising, supplemented by a nice little earner on the side in propaganda. looking for truth in journalism is an idea that would only occur to a journalist.
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  2053. Germany is not a democracy. Like most developed nations, it is an elective aristocracy. No great shame , there are no democracies, always excepting Helvetia. But when classes are built in to the political structure, it is natural for unequal power to result in economic inequality. How could it be otherwise?.
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  2054. he is the product of the usa constitution. madison had to be frank, when addressing the constitutional convention. he said his aim was to ensure the rule of the rich over the mob,^ 'for the ages.' 230 years later, still performing as designed. ^not the mafia. the populus mobile, the landless forelock tuggers.
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  2055. it's true, the 2nd amendment offers a protection against government, and i would support holding on to it. unfortunately, it doesn't work. usa society accepts the ideas of capitalism, and poverty, gun crime and pervasive drug crime result. in principle, having a judge stand between arrest by the government and the individual is a good idea, but somehow the rich get away with fraud more often than the poor. most chinese seem well- satisfied with their government, and it's not just the current prosperity. that's clearly helpful, but i lived there in the 90's and everyone was uncertain about the future, but most thought the central committee had the situation under control. deng xiao ping is never going to be the giant figure that was mao, but his guidance was the second half of the modern resurgence of china, they should put his picture beside mao on tiananmen.
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  2056. it is not an accident that the next election looks like a choice between a dimwit sociopath and an addled alzheimer victim. the constitution is absurdly out of date, and was never worth much anyway. protecting slavery and ethnic cleansing is not a moral base on which modern humanity can co-operate. usa should give some consideration to a new founding document. but begin with a simple poll: should usa be a democracy?
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  2057. why don't the people of the usa demand democracy? is there some poison in the sir or water that induces submission to a profession that has no visible ethical standard, and no inducements to support other than lies? if, in fact, yours is a nation of natural slaves to politician rule, it can only be divine retribution for the founding of the nation to protect slavery. if, in fact, god wills it, i will change my evaluation from genetic deficiency to original sin.
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  2058. what's in a name. italians, like other sane people, don't like their government. so they try them out for awhile, and get sick of it, and flip a coin for something new. it's often done peaceful, nowadays, that's encouraging. unfortunately, it's never new - it's just another gang of politicians. the 'get sick of it' part happened over-night in limey-land, and my guess is this lot will be on the nose in a year as well. won't do any good, though. homo sapiens is just too stupid to see the use of democracy. it's genetic - several hundred thousand years of selecting for survival by saying "yessir!" to alpha males has marked our genes. the situation is not quite hopeless. there are sparks of proto-democracy here and there, although the continual use of the word for non-democratic societies is a deep worry. extinction is on the horizon, we may get a temporary reprieve from mere civilization collapse, whether from climate or war. should be lifting our game, but it's more of the same.
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  2059. voting for people is not democracy. voting for laws, actions and policies is democracy. voting for people is feudal aristocracy, with the bloodshed replaced by showing hands.
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  2060. putin has to win or die. he won't die alone. either usa/nato backs off, or it's ww3, or ww-last, as i call it. usa/nato loses face, if they back off. some usa corporations lose expected profits, presumably. but the human race continues. easy decision, you would think.
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  2061. it's nice that a shred of reality peeps through, here, and other places, but it makes no difference. usa will not change without revolution, and i see no sign of that combination of mass revulsion and effective organization needed for revolution. some societies continue on the path set at birth, in fact most. usa was a wrong turn for humanity. founded on slave labor, unlikely to generate community spirit, is it? china is the only successful example of revolution, and it appears that it will be the leading society soon, so long as usa doesn't think nuclear war is an adequate substitute for national efficiency. but even china has its own failure built in. when you only have homo sapiens to work with, no lasting edifice can result. climate disaster and accompanying war, famine and disease will prune humanity soon.
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  2062. india is not a democracy. no shame in that. humanity can't seem to get it.* your masters continually tell you that you have democracy, but it's a lie. i refer you to '1984.' *democracy is not absolutely impossible, the swiss stumbled into a rough version, call it 'proto-democracy.' politicians still run the place, but the citizens have 'initiative power' and occasionally direct the nation. we live in hope, but calling elective oligarchy 'democracy' is a powerful disincentive to getting it.
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  2063. no crossroads, there is no democracy in the federal constitution. until usans admit this, they can't get democracy.
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  2064. the usa is not a democracy. it never was. the man who wrote the constitution said so, in promoting adoption by the grandees in the constitutional convention. he feared democracy would lead to socialism, and he wasn't going to permit that, nor did the grandees. usa is not run for the benefit of its people, anymore than a ranch is run for the benefit of its cattle. human cattle have the option of revolution, to establish democracy. but that needs citizen quality people, and they are few, in a nation of cattle. prospects for the usa are not good, and similar considerations suggest homer sap might be in trouble.
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  2065. defending the nation - by supporting nazis. not a new activity for usa presidents.
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  2066. good candidates are useless without good voters. and people who vote for politicians are fools. americans have been voting for politicians for 230 years, and look at the mess it's made. so don't get excited about your non-politician, if he got near the oval office, some 'lone gunman' would shoot him. usa needs a che guevara, all they got is beto o'rourke.
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  2067. biden has a much deeper bench.
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  2068. at last, a politician whose special feature is 'don't trust politicians'. i'm holding out for a non-politician whose special feature is 'let's establish democracy, and make politicians extinct,' once you get democracy, referendum and initiative will make sure the will of the people directs the state. until you get democracy, well, look around you...
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  2069. the parties are the problem. the politicians are parasites. the people are alienated cattle. so the first thing to do is decide where constructive change will begin. i'm sorry folks, i don't see it happening. the material is just not there. lot of people moving out, ecuador fashionable, give it some thought.
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  2070. this is not irresponsible language. it's sociopathic war-mongering. crazy or greedy - some plutocrats bank-roll this kind of poison. ever since we started farming, some members of our species have been exploring new behaviors in search of reward. "lt'll be the death of us!"
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  2071. no matter how much you beat a donkey, it won't run like a race horse. the usa was designed to be static. madison knew all change was dangerous, things would never get better for the plantation plutocrats that ran the usa for the first 50 years. even after a civil war, the structure remained the same. usa needs a new constitution. it could be as simple as scaling up the california document, and then letting citizen initiative take over. but you'll go on beating that constitutional donkey, and wondering why it don't move. einstein's conjecture on insanity, demonstrated at national level.
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  2072. mr dore, if you were a citizen of a democracy, you could instigate an initiative to get m4a. and a lot more. but yer not. yer a civilian in a political aristocracy, and you make a living by being rude to politicians. politics for adolescents, except you get money from it. usa is a plutocracy and all politics is done for money. so nothing is going to change, until some usan understands what mao and many others have said, "power grows out of gun-barrels." insults and coarse language just earn you a living, some kind of concerted action is necessary for change. i recommend getting democracy, but people in usa don't know what it is, while insisting they have it. this is national insanity. in any event, making a living out of insulting a politician is forgivable. and so easy! but not constructive.
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  2073. you tolerate rule by politicians, what do you expect? get off your knees and get democracy. people will still work for self interest, but at least the benefits are widely distributed.
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  2074. 3rd party is not the answer. getting democracy is the answer. stop ennobling politicians, demand to be citizens. at gunpoint, if required. shooting politicians is not murder, if the revolution succeeds. and it's not necessary to pull the trigger, just necessary to look serious. a transfer of power, from politician to people, is the only cure for the nation's disease. it requires citizen quality people. if you are content to say 'politicians should do what's right, and i'm busy elsewhere' - well, that's how you got here. i wish you were just mistaken, but i fear you are just too weak. in which case, things are gonna get much worse.
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  2075. ordinary americans don't seem to travel much, abroad. in recent years they are to busy looking for their next meal. usa elite may be aware that china is eating america's lunch, but that suits them very well, profits are up. the elite sold out the ordinarys, it's just good business practice. in the short term. but the management of china appears to function on a higher level than that of usa. there's a clear demonstration, just look at the current pick of the constitution to be national manager. but trump is not the cause of your problem's, he is the result. it's amazing that every american does not realize this.
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  2076. aristotles book on politics was exhaustive, and had one conclusion that is very relevant today: 'democracy is the best that humans can do.' he was well aware of the limitations of homer sap. he also made an observation that modern writers fail to appreciate: it doesn't matter what label you put on the political system, what matters is the answer to one question. 'who decides?' when the people don't make the decisions, it is not a democracy. and saying it is pollutes the language, making it difficult to get democracy. 'the people's democratic republic of korea' is the leading example. but usa not far behind. people who publicly decry the 'loss' of democracy are not being helpful. you never had it, how can you lose it? i don't know why people keep worrying about the decay of american democracy, some i believe do it for money. there is no income arising from saying, "revolution is necessary!" that scares people.
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  2077. the founding fathers were a combination of slave plantation plutocrats and slave importing northern plutocrats, with a sideline in smuggling tea. worshiping those people is a large part of why usa is ruled by the rich and their military bandits. trump would have fitted right in.
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  2078. both usa and prc are oligarchies, but the people of china know who to blame when things go wrong. the facade of 'democracy' in the usa makes blame hard to assign. but talk is useless. raised to submit to whatever crook is in office, murrikins are without hope for sane and just leadership. just regard for a moment, that your political system put a trump in the oval office. god help you. and follows with a biden! it resembles 'the last days of the roman empire' with added icbms and nukes. god help us all.
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  2079. one can understand your reticence. but better to make her very unhappy for awhile, than to make both of you unhappy for 20 years, or more. for many people, growing up is painful and we distribute the pain. it's seems to work out for you. mazel tov.
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  2080. dissension in xin jiang would suit the usa imperialists, who fear the blossoming of bri. so, until i get convincing evidence to the contrary, i assume this is all a cia operation. since pompeo bragged about 'lie, cheat and steal,' and there is endless evidence of 'murder' as well, convincing evidence will be hard to find. i'm sorry the government of australia is welded to the usa bum, if they persist in their slavish submission they will end by involving oz in usa wars, not just banditry such as afghanistan.
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  2081. if you are too ignorant to get and maintain democracy, then tyranny is inevitable. any elite rule uses its power to get more wealth and more power. in time the populace is so immiserated that national wealth begins to decline, and elements of the elite begin to fight over the shrinking pie. and so power is forcibly transferred from wealth to warlord. tyrants often improve the conditions of the lowers, as a counter to the machinations of the dispossessed rich. 'tyranny' only became a pejorative in recent centuries, as the rich took control of the press. america will find it difficult to get democracy, as they grow up being told daily that they have it, in a more convenient form, done for them by selfless saints called politicians. it turns out mental barriers are stronger than barricades manned by machine gunners, cheaper and safer, too.
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  2082. hated in the west because pilots yearn for a better plane than the oppos. p39 came into service with 2nd rate engine. so every westerner said it was shit. at east front conditions, p39 was competitive with 109s and a big step up from i16s. so russkis happy, life expectancy greatly improved.
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  2083. the usa is not a democracy. it is an elective aristocracy whose members are so dependent on money to stay in office that they must placate donors. normally a few rich men. once you have grasped this, political activity in the usa starts to make sense. it is already an oligarchy "the rich" rule. but since it is a masked oligarchy, there is a great deal of informality in the operation. most of the politics that counts is simply chat at a party between donor and client. no good purpose is served by referring to the usa as a democracy. doing so is either naive, or cynical. there is no reference to democracy in the constitution, "we, the people," was simply a lie, and at the time referred only to about 10% of the male population. in discussions about establishing the constitution, madison was explicit that its purpose was to make democracy impossible. with success- more people can vote, but the rich still rule, and will continue to rule until people stop talking about american democracy, and actually get some.
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  2084. usans hate to face reality, but reality doesn't care. you are not citizens in a democracy, and you are not citizens in quality--- you are civilians, powerless cattle. so your masters do as they please in secrecy, masked by the lies of the usa myth. trump doesn't participate in the cover-up very well. he is not a professional politician. plus, he's a bit dim, haven't you figured it out yet? says a lot about your local guild of parasites that he could weasel his way into office. you are ruled by trash. i marvel that no one dies of shame.
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  2085. sorry no. you talk about 'what should be done,' but have no notion of how to do it. before you talk about 'what' think about 'how.' get democracy, use initiative to change what needs to be changed.
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  2086. The structure of USA state was designed to empower wealth, and the design works. Concentrate power in the senate, and concentrated wealth results. If you won't get democracy, and spread power, you can not spread wealth. USA is a 230year demonstration of this reality. When are you going to catch on?
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  2087. i heard the magic phrase 'democratic power over most decisions.' democracy is the best base for socialism. it may be the only sustainable base for socialism.
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  2088. if you are too dim, to lazy or too frightened to get democracy, you will be ruled by an elite, and they will have a secret police for protection from the mob. in the nature of a things, a secret police never, never is constrained by law. when jfk angered allen dulles, he learned that lesson, as did his brother, bobby. and if you think those 2 murders are unconnected, you are in the 'too dim' class.
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  2089. if yer too dumb, or too frightened, or too lazy to get democracy, then you will be ruled by an elite. elites are invariably entitled, selfish, often brutal, always greedy. letting them rule is profoundly stupid, and ultimately suicidal. and there is where you are at. there can be no elite, without a passive, hopeless and ignorant mob, and there is where yer at. this is why societies die. democracy is rule by the citizens, through referendum and initiative. and you ain't got it. i'm afraid it's too hard for you.
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  2090. "we, the people..." is the first lie. the people were not consulted about the constitution, except in rhode island. they had a referendum, and rejected it. with that start, you are warned that usa is run for the rich. much is made of 'freedom,' which includes the freedom to prosper, and the freedom to starve. i don't know why americans put up with this constitution, in other countries, they have revolutions. mostly they don;t work out, but lately the chinese revolution seems brilliantly successful. america needs a new constitution, and that means a transfer of power, and that means violence. usually. but if 90% of the people said "we're going to have a socialist democracy," the 10% might pack their bags and leave for ireland. the irish would welcome them, assuming they brought a lot of money, and everyone would be better off. right, there's the plan, execute!
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  2091. they just don't give a damn. the people that run usa. they own you. serves you right. you could organize, force the elite to submit to democracy, and consequent socialism. but usa people are alienated, ill-educated and genuinely brain-washed. concerted activity is impossible. very sad. but you've had hundreds of years to examine the constitution and its consequences. still haven't connected the dots. unlikely to improve.
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  2092. Who would be a secular intellectual in a nation mired in religion?
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  2093. usa does not have to invade some countries to get submission. they just buy or threaten governments.
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  2094.  @RussCR5187  yer right about the military. but armies frequently decide to stay in barracks. in any event, waiting with your hands folded is not the solution.
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  2095.  @rickhuttono1  the constitution is not sacred script, it was written to preserve slavery, [look it up ] and can be replaced with a democratic constitution by the will of the people.
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  2096.  @rickhuttono1  read the original constitution, they go into great detail about the 'indentured servant' read the documents chiefly written by madison in support of 'the landed ibterest' by which he defends slavery while never saying the word. the slavers were hypocrites who knew well the force of 'slavery' and so never used it. i estimate you are locked in a rigid view of history, but i offer these words to other readers, who may be seeking truth. to them- look it up.
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  2097. you keep voting for politicians and hoping for a good result. this is national psychosis.
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  2098. destructive, yes. decisive, no. the reality of the capabilities of germany and sov union pivoted in front of moscow. after that, germany grew steadily weaker, sovs stronger. the germans planned on a 3 month war, knowing they must win quickly, or not at all. that's why wehrmacht had no winter uniforms.
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  2099. the democratic party has no principles, beyond getting access to government. the only reason to vote for biden is that he might be better than trump. your political guild is rotten, the natural result of the political structure arising from the constitution. usa will never get good management from politicians- they are and must be in it for themselves. you are too dim, too ignorant, too lazy to get democracy, or even understand the need for it. and that is why a nation blessed beyond all others is sliding down all measures of civilization and effectiveness. even china is ahead in many areas, how is that possible!
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  2100. there is a cure for this kind of thing. it requires organizing a would-be citizens movement to compel congress to establish democracy in the usa. should be easy, in this age of easy communication. and if congress does not act, promptly? start shooting. democracy means 'the citizens rule,' and if that power comes 'from the barrel of a gun,' well, that is the purpose of the second amendment.
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  2101. if you don't like texas, leave. if you do, come. promise a referendum on secession, 5 years from now . both sides will agree, and texas will be free once more. and the usa will be free of texas. a principle which should be available to all states. the world would be a much better place if the usa became 50 small or middle-sized independent nations.
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  2102. you talk about living in a moral shitpile, and then laugh! first, i admire yer resilience, but then, i realize that yer masters have trained you. nothing will change.
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  2103. i hold my nose and visit fox, just long enough to see 'eminent historians' participate in the trump cult insanity. but there is a benefit to america in the emergence of trump: it shines a bright light on the total collapse of all ethics, logic and intellectual content of american political thought. truly, a nation of 'know-nothigs.'
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  2104. this only matters to people who confuse talk with action. the right is comfortable with avoiding debate, since they are happy to be a ruling elite, using money, connections, and state structure in place of majorities. there is a reason no one asks your opinion through referendum and initiative. it's simple: you don't live in a democracy. and you don't seem to understand what that means: majority opinion doesn't matter. so why debate? anyone with half a brain would know that revolution is necessary. that might devolve to gunfire, but a real majority of would-be citizens might cow the right into fear and submission. but that large majority does not exist. so you talk. there's a living in it, enjoy.
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  2105. That's nothing compared to growing risk of nuclear war with PRC. You guys should maybe try harder to get some control over your masters in dc.
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  2106. you can call it democracy as long as you want- but it never was. refusal to acknowledge reality means you can not change it. refusal to acknowledge reality assists your masters in holding their position. a people become citizens by seizing power to direct the state. this never happened in the usa. the citizens direct the state through referendum and initiative. this never happens in the usa. why do you insist the usa is a democracy? why not call it an elective aristocracy? you vote for your masters, they become superior people, making the laws and starting the wars without consulting you.
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  2107. africa and prc get benefit from co-operation. national leaders must ensure that the result is satisfactory for their own nation. this is easy for the african nation, since they can say 'stop, changed our mind.' prc has to take this risk, they need friends in their contest with usa and european satellites. african experience with europe should incline them towards partnership with asia, since the european nations are exploiters in history.
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  2108. you don't have to win, just make it too expensive to occupy. a few thousand iraqis with rifles and ieds 'beat' the usa military. @atrociousconsequences4432 
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  2109. amusing. but. the politicians go on running the nation, and no one offers a better way. there are possibilities, i like the idea of democracy, myself. but looking at modern china, even a marxist oligarchy gets better results than the usa 'elective aristocracy.' and clearly, democracy is too hard for usans. where is a mao tse-tung when you need one?
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  2110. and stop complaining about trump. you tolerate a system so hopelessly incompetent, and ineffective that a corrupt con-man with absolutely no management credentials is king-for-awhile, which happens to coincide with a new, but small crisis. be grateful the red army ain't rolling up to berlin, that was a crisis.
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  2111. taxation is theft. a civilized society would finance public expenses with a flat transaction fee, the cost of maintaining society directly measured by the 'good' you receive from being in a society. public administration would be done by professionals, working for a salary and unable to extract bribes by tax relief. a civilized society would also provide work, wages and charity to all, as needed. homer sap shows no sign of being capable of civilization, and this incapacity is likely to mean that our time as top predator will be brief.
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  2112. madison said his constitution was designed to ensure the rich ruled usa. and it worked- look around you. get democracy, or learn to love plutocracy.
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  2113. if you had democracy, the problem would not arise. since you don't have it, and don't know you don't have it, chances of getting democracy about 0.
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  2114. and still you say the dems are ok?
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  2115. difficult to argue with mr hedges, but what tyrants love to hear is "give peace a chance." i estimate that this conflict has begun because of the expansion of nato, which has rolled over the former members of the ussr, one by one. nato is an imperial organ of usa foreign policy. it's nice that they use bribery instead of bullets, but usa is extending an empire, even so. and they promised not too, many years ago. liars to the core, everyone. finally, putin feels threatened, the wolf is at the door, so he starts shooting think of it as a much-battered wife, unable to fend of with muscles, so she picks up a gun and makes a winning argument, for a change. putin is no fool, unlike recent usa presidents, and i suspect he struck back reluctantly. but the di is cast, and we all wonder how this turns out. since falling into the hands of billionaires, ukraine has become the poorest nation in europe. there should be a lesson there, but homer sap is just too dim to understand the need to get democracy, at any cost. no shame in that ignorance, it is general, and the usa suffers from it. as a result, their masters have license to harrow the planet to feed their greed. there is no virtue on either side of this conflict. johnny, don't get yer gun.
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  2116. It's quite simple, west coast and north east form 1 or 2 new nations,. I recommend democratic socialist republic of America, and leave the mediaeval residue to kill themselves with cornlikker and meth
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  2117. oh, no! not the briar patch!
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  2118. ahhh! wunderbar! i felt i had a new understanding at the 2 minute mark, but dr h kept talking, and i realized i was just as confused as before, but in many more directions. still, it was good to feel progress, even if transitory. i suspect digitation of fields is doomed to block precise understanding, but no matter: crude approximations suit beings at our level of reality. or mine at least. dr h and colleagues might well be living at a different level.
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  2119. usa crossed an 'event horizon' of culture and politics at birth, you can't get to civilization from where you are.
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  2120. and how ya gonna do that?
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  2121. china better be ready for conflict. usa ruled by evil people.
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  2122. the usa, aka 'evil empire,' intends to rule the world, or at least as much as they want, and can dominate. they bumping up against prc in the asia-pacific, and russia, in europe. it's easy to distinguish usa from russia, and prc - usa is the one with more than 700 military installations scattered around the world. "the sun never sets..' empire of britain, was trivial in comparison, simply because the stakes are nuclear war and climate catastrophe nowadays.
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  2123. Lift your eyes from the candidates, and think about the nature of a system that passes the rule of 330 million into the hands of a few hundred politicians. You wouldn't them alone with cash or children, but you must let them rule the nation? You don't. Revolution is possible, even easy.
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  2124. the legions lost battles, but won wars through logistics and accumulated wealth. after about 200 ad the auxilliary mounted lancers and archers became the first line troops. even excaped slaves, under spartacus, could beat the legions with a combination of imagination and invention.
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  2125. 17 years? whose fault is that? american companies struck individual deals with the chinese in search of cheap labor, and/or access to the chinese market. no complaints from the usa government. still no complaints from apple, or buick, and many other companies. enter trump, who has noticed america is screwing its workers with globalization. and surprise! he's president. that should tell you that american political parties are both utterly corrupt and quite ineffectual. trump won the republican primaries, remember, making the professional politicians look like effete and entitled fools? then he knocked over hillary, simply because she didn't dare visit the rustbelt/flyover cities, having nothing to offer them. it's you that don't get it. trump didn't win, so much as notice that usa is hollow and broken. don't call him 'trump,' call him 'any one not a politician.' and don't blame china. they are not strong, it's just that usa is so weak.  @mactek6033 
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  2126. if you trouble yourself to read usa history, it is likely you will discover that the usa was designed to be a functional plutocracy, and the design has been effective ever since. if you don't like it as it is, change the nation by changing the constitution. this will probably require civil war, and will likely end with military dictatorship. i see no sign that any of america's talking heads understand the lack of democracy, and resulting defective popular character. you need citizen quality people to run a democracy, and you don't raise them in a plutocracy. best advice: leave if you can.
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  2127. quaint. usa was never much troubled by ethical considerations, but in recent years a lot of the hypocrisy has been discarded. the cattle are toothless, why waste time with constricting lies? but mr hedges has seemingly not got the memo. how does he get to sleep at night, lying down in the garden of evil. possibly there is a joan of arc psychosis at work, protecting him from the miasma of corruption when he closes the door and turns out the light. 'safe in the arms of god.' best to ignore him people- you are not going to repent so why remind yourself of sunday school?
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  2128. no one in their right mind begs to be called before a political court. and i suspect the son of usa vp should not be working foe a foreign nation. are you all insane? aipac is bad enough, do you think everyone in american government is entitled to foreign subsidy?
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  2129. you might think the brits would wake up and grow up, but no. they will go on submitting to politicians, and watch their nation sink beneath the waves, expecting that sooner or later, a 'good' politician will appear. there are no good politicians. the damage done by 'testing' politicians is similar to letting adolescents drive first, then do a road test if they survive. the british model of government is simply civil war, with ballots replacing bullets. the goal is not 'delivering good national management,' the goal is 'getting power, and doing what we please.' of course, this is not unique to britain, they spread the principle widely while they conquered a lot of the world. and using ballots instead of bullets was an evolutionary step up. but it's not nearly good enough for modern conditions.
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  2130. the important news is that the dems actually lost seats in congress. if you still haven't figured out that both parties are equally crooked, there's a little bit of sunshine on the shitpile. if you have figured it out, can you do anything about it? probably not, eh? so why do you come to this site?
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  2131. trump may fail to hold office, but he is notably incompetent about anything, in office due to the notable incompetence and degenerate culture of the democratic party. there will be worse than trump along soon. but the degenerate culture of usa politicians is reflected in the ignorance and passivity of the usa electorate. the politicians can afford to be trash, because the voters are chumps. both groups are children of usa history, shaped by the constitution and culture of a slave exploiting plutocracy. abandon ship!
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  2132. no democracy problem, due to no democracy. the elective oligarchy is rotting, as any elite will do.
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  2133. everyone, well, most, has figured out that trump is a disaster. but, he's not important. what is important is that the structure of the usa government makes 'trumps' inevitable. he's not the first jerk, have you forgotten w already? the iraq catastrophe? at least trump hasn't started a war, yet. plenty more in history- truman my favorite: nuclear war, cia , vietnam, cold war- he was the gift that keeps on giving. but your fundamental problem is the lack of democracy at the federal level. maybe even deeper problem is you are too dumb to know it.
    1
  2134. the usa is not a democracy. it is elective oligarchy, a very different thing. check the constitution. your masters call it 'democracy' to confuse you. check 'double-think' and 'newspeak.' control the language and you control the mind.
    1
  2135. the management of india has never impressed anyone. let's blame the british. they were in charge , impressed their ideas and even language, and britain's a mess, too. farm laws? every farmer i've met, granddad was one, figures they should be left alone from government management - until they need a cheap loan, until they need public investment in water supply, until they need price support. they are good-time capitalists, bad-time communists. of course, the situation is much worse in india, cows are sacred, instead of a large part of agribusiness.
    1
  2136. stop whining, serfs! you haven't got the courage and smarts required to establish democracy, and make politicians extinct. it's too hard for you. but if you you don't complain, no one will know how dim and fearful you are. so smile, and pretend you are a fan of plutocrats, and hope they will smile at you as they drive by.
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  2137. pretty soon you will realize 'normal' ain't very good. trump was a distraction, not a cause. madison disconnected the people of the usa fron decision making, because democracy would lead to socialism. [ i paraphrase ] you are still disconnected, while still talking about american democracy- a clear demonstration of national psychosis. we'd be happy to leave you undisturbed in your bubble, if only you would stop 'defending democracy' elsewhere. to encapsulate your evil, a little quote from the vietnam war[crime]: "we had to destroy the village, to save it."
    1
  2138. if you understand the level of technology, the structure of the american state, and human character, snowden's 'revelations' should be no surprise at all. it is greeted with simulated surprise by many, who wish to evade embarrassing questions. but snowden did add this of value: many naive people needed a face and an insiders account to look at this part of reality perhaps there were shocked, and educated. but nothing will come of this, nsa/cia own the government. and snowden personally is not an admirable man. still, he has done some good, however fleeting, and has landed on his feet in russia. i hope he prospers there, or wherever he finds refuge, because even marginally useful whistleblowers should be cherished.
    1
  2139. Anyone who looks for honor among politicians is a fool, or a coward. Their trade is lies, and anyone who endures their rule must admit to cowardice. Democracy is possible, but only in a nation of citizen quality people. There is a certain justice in seeing a nation created for slavery become a nation of serfs.
    1
  2140. ay has some interesting patches for the the usa ship of state, but he does not address the fundamental questions. he is smart enough to file them in the 'too hard' basket. ubi is his flag feature, and it is simply the wheat issue given to romans, the bread of 'bread and circuses' and no better solution than theirs. no worse, either- a great many americans are surplus to requirement, because the requirement is set by the rich, who can only employ a limited number gardeners, butlers and dancing girls. america needs democracy, and socialism will probably result. but you aren't gonna get it. your would-be leaders just want to lead, not change.
    1
  2141. you don't have to embrace the energy, unless it happens to suit you. the energy of bernie supporters was contrary to the plans of dnc, and various parts of the deep state. not sure if the sudden resurrection of biden was due to drugs, vote rigging, or substitution of double plus cgi disinformation- but it does seem unnatural. the debate with bernie will be interesting, biden might collapse in full view, but i suspect it would not affect the publicized result. bernie's last hope, but it is no hope at all, they would arrange a fatal heart attack if necessary.
    1
  2142. a populist is a politician* who pretends the people are citizens of a democracy by seeking their support, chiefly money, and the occasional vote for himself or his desired activities. but he doesn't actually want democracy, as he would be out of a job. no, his catch phrase is, "vote for me and i'll do right by you!" * and a great many media people, who make a living by pretending the listeners opinion matters.
    1
  2143.  @command_unit7792  this has nothing to do with democracy. it might be 'enlightened autocracy.'
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  2144. the submission of sanders might raise in the inquiring mind, whether even saint bernie is more loyal to the politician colleagues than the hapless chumps he seduced. i have no pity for anyone who imagines loyalty to a leader is more important than making decisions for yourself. while this survival strategy has kept chumps alive in the past, nowadays your only significant enemy is the snake who enlists your support, and then sells you to opposition. and that is what just happened. no pity, because the snakes only flourish with the help of the chumps. how will it all turn out? well, it used to be a never-ending story, but climate catastrophe appears to offer an end to the human story, in which case the short-term survival strategy of chumps will be the doom of all.
    1
  2145. if you want socialism, first you must get democracy. can you figure that out? so long as the rich can own politicians, they will set rents at maximum return, regardless of how many are sleeping under bridges.
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  2146. india still has a lot of people following a plow around the family field. about 1/2? so talking about gdp is rather wasted. real progress is moving those people to factory and office.
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  2147. part of the problem is the education system of the usa. it has created a nation of semi-literate cattle following the lead of semi-literate hyenas. this is contrary to nature. but do not discompose yourselves. the usa started rotten, and has decomposed further. it's not your fault. the path forward is simple: go to the nearest ocean beach with personal flotation device. start paddling towards the horizon. if god wants you to prosper, a tropic island will appear and all will be well. this advice may seem simplistic, but it's for the best. real life is depends on facts and logic, not done in the usa- the land where dreams come true and lies are the natural language of commerce and politics.
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  2148. it stopped being funny when the flak wrote, 'we had to exterminate the village, to save it.'
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  2149. racism began before the usa was founded. protecting african slavery was the largest element of the war of independence. another driving element was confiscation of 'indian' lands. and there was the comparatively innocuous element of escaping taxation. usa can not escape its beginning, a nation founded to support slavery, and ethnic cleansing, and suppress taxation leads to modern usa, an imperial plutocracy bent on owning the world. really, only long-term solution is to dissolve the federation and start over.
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  2150. in fact, universal military training [and service ] is a fundamental part of democracy. the swiss used to have it, but the eu is proving more dangerous to them than hitler. they can buy out, now. since usa is not a democracy, a large army is a prelude to a big war. 'special forces' of small mercenary units were designed to keep order and collect loot around the world, very much the pirate flag vessels of the usa ship of state. they are no longer adequate, as the low-hanging fruit has been gobbled up and further income must come from dangerous victims. iran and venezuela can fight, and usa doesn't frighten russia or china any more. the military remains large, but the economy that supports the military is crumbling. and the draft would 'cure' unemployment, shifting potential rebels into defenders of the rich. universal military service is desirable. but first you must get democracy, so that the army serves the people
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  2151. bernie will do very little, and what he does will be overturned as soon as buttigieg gets in, possibly as a republican, but more likely as a centrist democrat. the fatalist acceptance of the current political structure means no substantive change can be made, not even by a bernie. i don't know what you were doing in high school, but clearly it wasn't reading history. fdr had a much more restive nation, and made gestures towards socialist support of the poor- but here you are, in the 'gilded age' mark 2 even so. there's a reason for that, if you figure it out perhaps you can make progress. wouldn't bet on it- the french have political philosophers, the chinese have revolutionaries, while americans have talk shows, politics as entertainment.
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  2152. usa is not a democracy. the good part, yer not losing it, you never had it. the bad part, you don't know what democracy, so you'll never have it. don't feel bad. not especially anyway - nobody else has got it. except maybe the swiss...
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  2153. they import about 30% of their food.
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  2154. Shhicago. But Elon is not reliable, just immensely amusing, and frequently useful.
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  2155. there is a case for letting the uighurs leave china, but usa would just use them as a military base to threaten china, so i am inclined to think holding on to xinjiang is a wise move.
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  2156. no one has a true democracy, but the swiss come close enough to give homer sap some hope for the future. not much hope, mind. if you don't have referendum and initiative, you don't have any kind of democracy at all. if you don't understand this, you don't have any hope, either.
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  2157. if i remember the constitution correctly, presidents don't legislate. not sure if aoc could get a bill through the house, but i'm certain the senate would block it. besides, pelosi doesn't like aoc, and won't help in the house anyway. everyone pretends electing a president is all you need. mr. hopeandchange should have educated you there, but americans are really slow learners, usa is not a democracy. the structure of the state was purposely designed to block ideas of value to the lower class from directing the actions of the state. bernie just wants to be president, he is not leading a movement to establish democracy. he's just another politician. you need a che guevara. no, not good enough- you need a fairy godmother.. nothing less can give justice to a people that yearn to be ruled by kind politicians.
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  2158. how strange it feels, that such a creature as putin seems like the less odious of national leaders in the news.
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  2159. americans in general are not much aware of the rest of the world. there is a feeling of 'we're the best, who cares.' which is out of date. many nations have a better standard of living, many more have a more equitable distribution of the national cake. and when it comes to making things and doing things, china is out in front, daylight 2nd. china is eating america's lunch, because the masters of usa have moved their base of production to china in search of greater profit. putting a tariff wall on china might make sense if those american companies couldn't move, but they can and have already demonstrated that they will. more importantly, china doesn't really need usa. unlike the usa, they can plan as a nation, and plan for the long term, usa can't. add in the simple size of china and anyone who picks an economic fight is gonna lose. usa has a long suit: military production and equipment, and well-trained bandits-in-uniform more politely known as special forces. they might be tempted to recover economic domain by threat of war. that can't end well for anyone, so one is tempted to assume they won't. both germany and japan began ww2 with similar stresses in play, and the elite of both countries chose victory or death. the elite of the usa is less brave, their combat aims are piece-meal commercial acts. but the invasion of iraq was miscalculated, just like the invasion of vietnam. there is really no reason to expect sanity from american masters. their greed has become a psychopathology.
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  2160. more strategists. proliferating like kudzu, but less useful. can't you find a couple of ordinary americans to talk to? maybe not. politics is a sore point with americans, many shrink away.
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  2161. if a nation can command the young and healthy to enter combat, why can they not tell health care professionals to serve when it's dangerous? if a nation hires mercenary soldiers, as usa does nowadays, why are health care workers more sacred?
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  2162.  @sherlockfan2000  in fact, soldiers are occasionally told to run at mg positions when tanks aren't available. first responders are occasionally under-gunned. you fight with what you got.
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  2163. nsa famously read merkel's mail, so what they fear is not peeking by huawei, but superior peeking to nsa capability. since huawei is leading in 5g roll-out, they should be worried.
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  2164. i save time nowadays, file every word from usa as 'lie,'
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  2165. get democracy. then talk about what needs to be done. but first you need to have the power to do.
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  2166.  @L98fiero  it's no secret that there is a shadow government labeled plutocracy, but the formal and real government is an elective aristocracy.
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  2167. can't restore american democracy, you never had it. not at the federal level. califoria has an excellent democracy constitution, should replace the federal with minor scaling adjustments.
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  2168. if usa was a democracy, citizen initiative would 'socialize' the economy. madison knew this, explained it in antique language, and thereby gained the acceptance of his constitution , which would prevent democracy. as it has to this day. america's problems all begin with the lack of democracy, but that is the problem no one talks about. solving it involves at least the threat of violence, and talking about peripheral problems relieves stress without demanding action. and you can make a living at it, much like an rc priest.
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  2169. when i was a lad, paper was used as a wrapping. we didn't notice the lack of plastic wrap, and got along just fine without. they had to grow trees to make the paper wrap, wasn't that a good idea! if we had democracy, we could direct society for the good of all. with oligarchy, we watch affairs being done to make some people rich. it will be the death of the environment if we continue to submit to politicians.
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  2170. USA foreign Office misjudged the character of their proteges . And could not understand the character of their opponents. Maybe a serious study of suntzu should be part of their training.
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  2171. keep in mind, the western roman empire unravelled for about 200 years, and eastern staggered on for a 1000. we can't wait for a natural death.
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  2172. you will hear a lot from the afghans who profited from foreign occupation. if they got out in time. my own feeling is, if the cia hadn't fomented and bank-rolled civil war, it's likely they would be in a much better situation. ussr was subsidizing a society with a parliament, a school system, boys and girls, and the foundations of medical support. can't allow that, said the orcs at the top of the cia. call in tom hanks to explain why we must destroy this nascent civilization.
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  2173. trump has 2 assets: still somewhat rich, and not a professional politician. contemptible character, somewhat dim, vain and cowardly, but even when summed up, he looked better than the anointed member of the ruling caste, and this judgement was the right one. not that he had any good qualities, except, he wasn't 'one of them.' usa is a mighty nation, ruled by a small oligarchy of contemptible people. this situation occurs in human history quite often. the body strong, the brain syphilitic. so there is a case for taking a deep breath and waiting for internal collapse of the usa. this is the core of prc planning. trump? trump is trivial trash on the dung-heap of history. but the nation might set the world on fire, from the petulance of 3 or 4 rich men. none of them trump.
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  2174. how sweet it would be! many would share tg's pleasure at success. but it takes years for a result, and the only certain outcome is enriching lawyers.
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  2175. mr hedges is correct, but the poor man is singing his song to the deaf. the usa was structured to create a populace of ignorant and passive cattle, alienated from public life and ignorant of any path to democracy. the plan was successful, many or most of the cattle are proud to be 'individuals.' cattle are individuals, people have the possibility to be citizens of a democracy, part of a management group which directs the nation. julian has to be crushed. he has exposed the workings of usg, and threatened the myths which support empire. he is a fool. he effectively called on a herd of cattle to get on hind hooves and start talking. talk about dumb! they ain't gonna. they can't. he could have been ignored. but the masters of usa were a little nervous, and there are some of them who get paid to find and crush embarrassing voices. so they do. he has to be crushed! or we don't get promoted. julian is a fool. people call him 'hero,' and 'treasure,' but no one says, 'let's march!"
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  2176. i wonder if sensible discussion is of any further use. someone is bankrolling seriously crazy stuff,,,,,,,,, which smells of 'nazi' while saying 'american.'
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  2177. if the headwaters are in thibet, be polite to prc. shouldn't be difficult for pakistan.
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  2178. he is traitor, and a fool. but it happens that he revealed an aspect o the usg that revolts many people. if the citizens were sovereign, they should excuse his treason and reward his courage. but americans are not really citizens, they are only civilians, polite language for 'political cattle,' and a great many are unfussed by murder done by their army, so long as it is done to foreigners. releasing him was the only thing obama did, worthy of respect. manning was a fool, to throw his life away for such creatures.
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  2179. did you notice, the 'south china sea' has become the the 'west phillipine sea' in usa media, and 'typhoon' has become 'hurricane,' someone in the gummint has read about 'newspeak' and thought, "what a good idea!"
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  2180. trump is not yer problem. the constitution is your problem. but i suspect usans are afraid to look there, as the cure is revolution. do you imagine clinton or biden could have, or will fix anything? the usa economy was a zombie, held up by world wide fear of collapsing usd. the virus has done you a favor, allowing you to put your systemic collapse on a pandemic, and a clown. no one asks why other developed societies cope with the virus so much better, and don't have clowns driving the bus. but that 'favor' allows you to ignore reality a little longer. that is not good for long-term survival. no matter, just spit out trump, and the sun will come out, and 'aquarius' will be heard throughout the land. why worry, be happy.
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  2181. get democracy and retire all politicians.
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  2182. talk is just talk. the constitution empowers politicians, not citizens. there must first be a transfer of power. when the people become citizens of democracy, then they have the power to act, citizen initiative, and the power to stop actions of the public service, who only get permission to act by referendum. [politicians become extinct!] how to get there from here? [would-be ] citizen action group can publish an establishment document "we, the citizens..." and enroll sufficient registered voters to compel a constitutional convention. this can be a peaceful process, but you must be prepared for armed resistance. i'm sure politicians will attempt compromise, presumably token change. be prepared to shoot a few. pour encourager les autres.
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  2183. stop whining, churls- you are lucky to have the dnc, without it you would have to face reality. you are not the masters of your nation, and those who rule you have stopped pretending they care. i'm sorry, here's a little snippett of wisdom: "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." it may not come to pulling the trigger but you better figure out a way to make them fear you. if you can't organize, if you won't fight, why should they listen to you?
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  2184. i hope this is not meant seriously.
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  2185. why do you let politicians rule you? the result is trump, and do you imagine clinton would be better? democracy is possible, it just needs citizen quality people. are there any? maybe not. in which case, why complain about the quality of the 'leaders,' when they are just a reflection of the people.
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  2186. you don't have democracy. you don't know it. your 'political discussion' is whining in the slave quarters, or dancing for quarters on the sidewalk, with electronic amplification. what passes for education, in the youessay?
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  2187. i think they don't care about disillusion, more likely testing for murderous rage. disillusioned people drink too much, and/or retire to the country and grow vegies and chooks. but the really angry ones shoot.
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  2188. it turns out, when you operate a military organization [nato] as an instrument of commercial/economic aggression, there is back-lash, of commercial/economic nature. usa was publicly pleased with their success in installing a submissive government into ukraine, but mr putin has decided, "basta!" ukraine suffers for usa aggression, now europe may suffer for supporting usa aggression, certainly they will be cold. and a lively prospect of nuclear war has arisen. the natural result would be revulsion of their government in usa and europe, for inviting nuclear destruction. alas! nothing natural about foreign affairs when usa involved. they press buttons, the resulting deaths are elsewhere. russians are notably frank,, let's hope that they will remind usg that washinton dc is in reach.
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  2189. voting for politicians is not the answer. relying on politicians is what got you here. 'would-be' citizen action group whose only purpose is to demand a constitution establishing democracy might work. easy to do, scale up the california document, use citizen initiative to fine tune. but have you got a lot of people who want democracy? probably not. which is why the politicians will continue to rule, and americans will continue to be civilians.
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  2190. get democracy.
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  2191. since biden is visibly in early stages of senile dementia, the utility of voting for people is surely obvious - zip! what a way to run a nation.
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  2192. homer sap has come up with the idea of 'democracy' long ago, but it doesn't happen in nature. our natural society is run by alpha males, with assistance from beta muscle. nowadays they are called politicians, and police. the model doesn't work anymore, if the goal is species survival. nothing to be done. the gammas are just incapable of getting democracy, and the alphas won't give it up, why should they?
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  2193. he might end up with the nomination, but not have the democratic party behind him. never forget, presidents propose, congress agrees, modifies and/or denies. and by now you may have noticed, most democrats are not socialists. people get excited about presidential nominations, remember mr. 'yes, we can?' well, no, you can't. the american constitution establishes plutocracy, so don't get too excited. it's a shame, someone comes along, andrew yang notably, and says 'things are falling apart, here's a way to fix them,' and all you get is bernie and mayor pete. bernie might at least be trying, but he has no notion of how to change things, except 'return to yesteryear.' good if possible, and you are white male, but those days are history, and led to today's failure. america's today is the direct result of madison's determination that the rich should rule. neither bernie nor andy have said 'we need a new constitution,' they don't think so, or maybe they think it's too hard for americans- andy has said their iq is depressed. but when power is held by a few hundred people, they will be bought. just look at any discussion about american politics- always money enters soon and heavy.
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  2194. in a democracy, the citizens decide. in the usa, they watch, or not, while their masters decide. mostly not. the usa is no kind of democracy. usa of the word is an orwellian double-think/newspeak tactic to keep the people ignorant and cowed.
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  2195. the interests of british politicians are not always the interest of the british people. it can be that getting elected now, while engendering future calamity, is in the personal interest of politicians. that's why democracy is necessary. h. sapiens hasn't figured that out, yet, and looks like we never will.
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  2196. too 'gangsta!' what village were you raised in?
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  2197.  @aehren1  what you really mean is you can't control oresund, so you submit to someone who can. i suggest you re-orient your interest to the nordics, and re-place usa with a nordic defense treaty.
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  2198. you don't live in a democracy, why pretend to be surprised when the cops work for the rich.
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  2199. madison explicitly designed the constitution to create a functional plutocracy, and to preserve slavery. that's why 4 of the 1st 5 presidents were slave plantation grandees, and why usa is still and plutocracy. consequently, i would hesitate to rely on the wisdom and character of the people who created the constitution.
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  2200. like any other society with a political elite, usa is rotten. the cure is getting democracy, but it requires surgery. in practice, the removal of heads. sorry folks, actual democracy needs citizen quality people, and a nation submissive to politicians will never have it. the reason you have a right to own guns is so you don't have to put up with those hyenas, but the guns won't do it by themselves. on the plus side, politicians are few, and they haven't been to war for generations, due to a desire to enjoy wealth and continuing good health. so if you just show them the front of the gun, they might retire and leave you in control of yer nation. use it wisely.
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  2201. prc reported the progress of cv19 very promptly, and invited the 'who' team to watch control efforts. perhaps not perfect, but better by far than most nations. china's only real failing is that it is 'communist' and well-managed, and a threat to usa hegemony. that can't be helped. continue to threaten!
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  2202. very glad to see that india can show good sense in dealing with the russia-ukraine war. wish the same could be said about relations with china.
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  2203. interesting, and a bit of fun. but i wonder if the birds are holding up their end of the guano cycle.
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  2204. an economist must always beg the politicians for 'sensible' or 'charitable' behavior. politicians seldom listen. why should they?. it's useful to have economists, when the structure of the state allows sensible and charitable behavior. but they are useless when the state is ruled by an elite interested only in their personal power and wealth. usa needs revolutionaries. until you change the structure of the state, discussion of desirable change is just castles in the sky. get democracy. then listen to the people about what should be done.
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  2205.  @The1Elcil  helpful, certainly. but you can contrast democracy vs elective oligarchy in 15 minutes. after that, i assume you've had a secondary education, after that it's time to talk about effective action.
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  2206. china level performance out of reach. but usa in principle could emulate helvetia. they use a system called 'democracy,' which is both responsive to the citizens, and very effective. this is also out of reach of usa, but california and several other states use it, and it works quite well- they even fired a governor. with guidance, the usa might gradually become a democracy. considering how often they talk about it, you would think usans would be longing for it.
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  2207. not strange at all. lies 'r us! is usa tactics.
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  2208. andy yang says 4 million truck drivers will become ex-truck-drivers over the next 5 to 10 years. retail clerks will disappear. fast food will be automated. a. i. will replace them all. usa will institute ubi or become a nation awash in muggers, bandits, even revolutionaries. it's not a matter of people deserving of a free lunch, it's a matter of persuading them not to take yours, at gunpoint.
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  2209. in fact, atmospheric pressure might be the trigger of of an eruption.
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  2210. if the usa people are incapable of democracy, they will be exploited by the rich. someone more capable than trump will be along soon to direct the rage into revolution. generally, the result is worse, but not always--- modern china was born from despair, shaped by marxism, and lapsed back into a new mandarinate which is likely to result in prc being the most successful society in the world. usa will not be so lucky, they seem to be heading towards dissolving the federation.
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  2211. stop laughing, it's not funny. if you let politicians run yer life, this is what you get. democracy is a different thing. not perfect, we only have humans to work with. but at least putting matters to referendum or initiative will satisfy the majority. this likely to be much better than watching politicians and their bankers suck all the juice out of society. how to get democracy? really easy, if most people want it. not sure they do-- some think they have it, some think they deserve to rule, some think if they kiss the rulers bum they will be thrown a few coins, and the left-overs might be less than half, or just too depressed and oppressed to act. h. sap. is in deep shit, entirely own fault, and survival uncertain.
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  2212. this action should surprise no one. but they will find some other place to defend their hegemony, so too early to rejoice, unless you love the taliban.
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  2213. this is not capitalism. capitalism is impersonal. this is about politics. the grossly rich buy politicians, that is how plutocracy works. the cure is simple: ordinary people organize and seize control from the rich by instituting democracy. direct democracy. with referendum, initiative and recall, the citizens shape the nation to their will. this is likely to make politicians obsolete, and the rich shrunken to a more controllable size. best of all, in a democracy, public affairs take place in public. corruption and incompetence shrivel in the sunshine.
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  2214. this is a practical demonstration of modern warfare. a shoulder-fired weapon can knock out the toughest tank, a drone missile sink a cruiser, guided bomb from orbit hit and destroy the biggest carrier, or a city. so politicians, if sane, resort to economic warfare, as usa has been doing in the balkans, and now ukraine. buy an army, give them a direction, and wash your hands. support with endless lies and measured empty promises. poor vlad has been driven to obsolete methods, as the other choice was submission and oblivion. difficult to feel sorry for him, at the same time, the prospect of a usa empire has long since lost any attraction. it's possible homer sap is incapable of survival. for lack of control over the sociopaths who drift into power.
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  2215. btw, this is not new: usa sicced iraq on iran, with money and weapons, and when saddam couldn't deliver, usa invaded iraq and hung saddam. zelensky better have plane ticket to mongolia under an assumed name.
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  2216. the 'leaders' are a reflection of the 'followers.' and stop blaming the republicans. the rot began with the establishment of the constitution. if yer unhappy with the way things are going, visit sweden and discover what can be done in a civilized nation. come back and start a revolutionary party. modern china began with a dinner party of 12 men, and a nation in dire need of change. why can't you do better?
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  2217. don't complain. part of america's problem is a semi-literate populace, content to anoint politicians to offices of power and profit, in return for a few charming lies. with such a populace, you get a politician's caste of actors and posers. usa is not a democracy, and its people are in consequence, not of citizen quality. there is no cure. blame madison, and his constitution.
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  2218. suggestion to usa-vians: get democracy, use initiative to re-establish a nation. change the name, as well. usa stinks.
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  2219. voting for politicians is not democracy. voting in referendum and initiative is democracy. it doesn't matter which politician you vote for, they all lie. voting for hospitals, or peace, might do some good. can't figure why usans don't understand this. do they dope the school lunches?
    1
  2220. truss is a politician. she says whatever gets her into office. she will do whatever keeps her in office. perhaps prc can organize variations in commerce to induce civility?
    1
  2221. modern fighters are just rocket delivery platforms, their own performance not very important.
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  2222. if you are too dim, too lazy or too scared to get democracy, you will be ruled by an elite. they are never better than human, usually worse, and get much worse. in the end, you get the government you are willing to endure. so whine if it makes you feel better, but nothing will improve until you get on your feet.
    1
  2223. and a gun in yer hand- it pays to remind politicians who is the ultimate power of the nation.
    1
  2224. julian has become the dreyfus of our age, in some ways. the biggest difference is significant though - he is guilty of the crime of crossing the usa government. hard to see the possibility of escape, when you are guilty of that crime.
    1
  2225. suppose california decided to secede. had a referendum, 70% said "leave." would they be allowed to go? ask the people of georgia. if you are in doubt, there are other states you can ask. taiwan was part of china, and usa agreed that taiwan was part of china. if the prc wants their province back, they have law and precedent on their side. taiwan can only leave prc through military rebellion. this can only succeed with usa military support. do you want taiwan so much?
    1
  2226. in the constitution, look for the phrase, "we, the citizens of usa are the masters of our nation. our will directs its actions, and writes its laws." that sentence establishes democracy. but it ain't there. madison was frank about democracy, he wasn't allowing it, as the result would be the taxes of the rich supporting the wishes of the majority. it's that simple, folks. whenever you hear 'our democracy, ' cover your ears for they should not be exposed to lies until you are very old, and don't give a damn.
    1
  2227. it's like this folks: if you are too ignorant, too lazy, too dim, or too dim to organize and get democracy, then you will be ruled as cattle are.
    1
  2228. it's simple: just vote against every person in office without distinction. that will instill an understanding that the gravy train has stopped. a revolution to democracy is necessary, but this is a useful first step. teach them to fear you, and the politicians may lead you to democracy. if they don't, they are out of office. there is a lively possibility that enough usans fear democracy that it will never come. but vote 'against,' can't hurt. there are no 'good' politicians. with luck, 'fear for my job' politicians will think democracy better than unemployment.
    1
  2229. nato is fighting on behalf of ukraine government. that will end with nuclear armageddon. on the plus side, we won't have to wait for climate apocalypse.
    1
  2230. no one on this site has any notion of how to get democracy, now or ever. it will be plutocracy, or timocracy, and the former is looking a bit feeble.
    1
  2231. you discuss endlessly the results of the government performing as it was designed to do, and marvel that those results suit the rich. if you go back to the constitutional convention, you can read madison's claim that his constitution would empower the rich and suppress the people. he delivered. so either get a new one, or stop whining.
    1
  2232. 'information' done for money is less reliable than amateur posts. neither can be believed without supporting evidence, but the amateurs may just be reporting what they see, and think you should know. professional posts have an obvious tendency to say what maximizes income. just like newpapers, and mainstream media in general. so don't fall in love with anyone who is 'monetized.' keep looking around, more different sources leads to better take on reality.
    1
  2233. the management of the usa is in the hands of 3rd rate people, and not just trump. he made the republican and democratic candidates look like fools. the constitution of the usa is obsolete.
    1
  2234. when are usans going to wake up, and demand democracy? what you've got is gang rule, nothing less.
    1
  2235. i was dunked in d. e. by an 80+ man whose body was decrepit, voice weak and shaky, but still smarter than me. except in the field of horse-racing. he was reputed to have invested his savings in 'fast' horses, possibly supported by d. e. while i was wiser in that area. that's why he was teaching undergrads when he should have been drinking daiquiris in the sunshine. never confuse intellect with wisdom.
    1
  2236. 'one person, one vote,' what music! unfortunately, pr. wolff is an economist, not concerned about political science. one person, one vote, happens in the usa, and it does not support a decent society. voting is not democracy. in the usa it's an empty pacifier. democracy is rule by the citizens. 'democracy' means 'citizens decide.' they do so by voting, but not for people. citizens vote in referenda and initiative for law and public action and thereby express the will of the nation's masters, the citizens. will they establish socialism? not necessarily. they don't have to. switzerland is the only democracy among our nation-states. they take care of one another, sometimes with laws and practices that might appear in overtly socialist societies. but they are not a socialist nation. they are a democracy. instead of 'the nation takes care of me,' they are 'we take care of one another.' certain aspects of capitalism flourish there, notably in foreign relations. socialism without democracy is possible, the ussr demonstrated why that is not necessarily a good thing. socialism without democracy can be admirable, the scandi's and a few others have made it work for awhile. but usa drifted in that direction in the 30's, and then lost it, because politician rule can be bought, and was. the constitution was designed to facilitate that result.
    1
  2237. geez,you are a slow learner. the swiss have a proto-democracy, everyone else is a slave to to money, corporate and private.
    1
  2238. go back to the states, it sounds like you have no future in china. better still, investigate emigration to oz or kiwiland. because usofa is no paradise, as i suppose you realize, else why are you in china in the first place.
    1
  2239. billionaires have more than one home. 10 might be typical. so naturally 9 must be empty. no story here.
    1
  2240. it worked because being president is a result of unmet social and economic problems. referendum and initiative resolve individual problems, with the force of the majority, often a great majority. but usa is not a democracy, and has none of that. so a 'trump' is just a boil on the face of politics, collecting angers, but not resolving them. this is why usa has no future.
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  2241. no single individual can save you, and a radical, left leaning congress in the 30's didn't save you either. the rich waited out the 50's, and in the 60's started reclaiming 'their' nation as madison planned it- slowing buying politicians, one at a time. the constitution concentrates power, and that supports concentrated wealth. result, you are now in a second 'gilded age,' which is the base state of america. aoc will put a ripple in history, but if she looks at all dangerous to plutocracy, another 'lone gunman' will appear.
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  2242. yes, keep thinking, "we just need to tamp this down a little, so it doesn't impact on the dji." no socialism here, murrikin to the bitter end. it ain't trump, it's not even capitalism. it's endemic dumbosity intersecting with terminal passivity.but it's very interesting watching modern life impinge on a society flash-frozen by be-wigged gents in horse drawn carriages. not only is health care for sale, education is freeish up to minimum wage level, then ridiculously expensive. do you wonder why usa is falling down every ladder of civilization?
    1
  2243. there is only one check on any oligarchy, revolution. recall would be enough in a democracy, but usa is not a democracy.
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  2244. of course,he wants to be sec commerce in bernie's admin.
    1
  2245. not a tyranny by any means, for tyranny is the rule of a 'strong man' on the nominal will of the poor masses. usa, on the other hand, was designed to ruled by the wealthy elite without much regard for the lower classes. as it still is today. but trump did tap into the social dynamic of tyranny- a large component of his support was the dispossessed ex-workers who had suddenly become 'shirtless ones.' bernie will be a real tyrant, a much-loved champion of the lowers of all descriptions. 'tyrant' became a pejorative word because they are hated by the dispossessed upper classes, who write the books. so we will call bernie a champion, the 'good' word nowadays.
    1
  2246. what you need is democracy. perhaps more fundamental, you need to realize that a society without referendum and initiative is not a democracy. there are other words and other political systems, but public education in the usa is conducted in the national language - 'newspeak.'
    1
  2247. so whoever gets control of congress can block the supreme court? are you sure you wanna go there? when are you going to realize that usa is not a democracy, and its state structure is purpose-built to ensure the rule of wealth. it comes down to, if you want democracy, you must tear up the constitution and write a new one. really not hard, california state constitution would serve as an interim base. but here's the core of usa's problem: most of its people are not citizen quality people. they are perfectly content to be ruled by an elite, even when that elite is typified by trump and pelosi. a few struggle to put 'their guy/girl' in the elite position, most just try to make living. they don't know or care what's going on in dc. every 4 years they are invited to choose between a sociopath and senile dement, as an exercise in 'democracy.' 40% commonly can't be bothered, an intelligent assessment of the value of such a vote.
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  2248. fortunately, it is not certain that you exist, but your image is instructive, amusing, and there is a deep pleasure in hearing from a sane, smart and educated person, even if i am fooled by a. i.
    1
  2249. maybe areal democracy would be lovable, but h. sap. hasn't got there yet.
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  2250. they spend more on science education, engineering, land reclamation, green power than usa. usa spends 62% of national budget on military, and claims china is stealing technology. even 5g, which china has, america not. question: if america has leadership of the caliber of trump, dubya, and reagan, is usa likely to suddenly reverse the trend?
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  2251. what democracy is that? where, in the constitution, does it say that the citizens decide national activity? usa has always been an elective aristocracy, under the informal control of wealth. this is 'fascism' before the word was coined..
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  2252. this is war as it should be fought. if you must have war, naturally. who would have thought that a russian despot could be the 'good guy' of world affairs, while conducting an aggressive war on a neighbor? a fantastic situation brought about by the usa and its client states, who have managed to transfer the sobriquet coined by ronald reagan onto themselves: a genuinely 'evil empire.' the continuing passivity of ordinary people in the presence of governments run by a class of nominal humans, better labeled 'orcs,' means we are heading for extinction.
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  2253. usans are a collective abused wife, continually kicked around by politicians, yet afraid to make them extinct. bernie is no solution. anyone who tells you rule by politician can work, is simply lying. it's had a 230 year trial, in usa, and never worked. you don't need politicians. you just have to be citizens.
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  2254. a crown? don't say he didn't warn you. everyone hates reforms, unless they benefit from them. i almost feel sorry for politicians, trying to do some good for the nation, while clinging on to power. that's the great advantage of democracy, by cutting out the politician middleman, the majority benefit themselves, which is better for humanity than the alternative, of minority benefiting itself.
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  2255. wolff sounds better today, but he still refuses to ask the fundamental question: "who decides?" justice and efficiency are important, but irrelevant when power to decide is elsewhere. wolff is just another mouse, talking about what he wishes the cats would do. until the people of usa decide they want democracy, and will have it by revolution if necessary, people like wolff are just talkers. americans don't want democracy. many think justice and efficiency would result in a loss of status or wealth, many others are conscious of ignorance and hope their masters will be kind. so the ship of state will sail on, largely on the path set by madison, until decay of conditions cause final collapse. climate disaster may well end the voyage soon.
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  2256. aiming to match the zero was misconceived. p40/f4f could mix with zeros, using hit and run tactics. just a matter of curing pilots of any tendency to dogfight. production was better pointed towards better planes, corsair and hellcat dominated immediately. japan was always going to lose, with limited production capability.
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  2257. canada chose to lock its judicial system into service to the usa imperial foreign policy. so canada is not unlucky to be under pressure from china to follow international law, instead. no luck involved, just a choice to be a toady to trumpland.
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  2258. this is fantasizing. politics is formalized power. aristotle wrote on politics, long ago, and said, in the end "who decides?' the person with power decides. it is pointless to talk about, 'what should we do,' if you have neither intention nor power to do anything. of course, empty talk is popular everywhere, who has not babbled on about a better world. and if you can make a living at it, so much the better. tv evangelists commonly make millions by simply explaining how to get to heaven. i may be out of date here, are there still tv evangelists, in the evil empire? but there are talking heads leading discussion about social improvement, for a living. may do some good, and amuses a lot of people. but revolution not done here, and real change needs revolution.
    1
  2259. the second amendment has a purpose: an armed populace can frighten politicians. but guns are useless, without organization and courage. how many people in usa want democracy? 10%? less...? if you are not willing to be a citizen, you must expect to be a serf.
    1
  2260. it was never a democracy of any kind, review 'double-think' for the word's usage.
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  2261. japan did in fact investigate taking a chunk of siberia, less valuable than s. e. asia, but easier. zhukov got there in time and in force, and cured them of the 'easier' notion. then he ran back to moscow, just in time to cure the nazis.
    1
  2262. every day there is some new example of medieval castle politics, and some reference to 'our democracy.' simple national psychosis. madison promised that his constitution would prevent democracy, every day there is evidence of his success, when will you admit to living in a fantasy?
    1
  2263.  thea lolo  what kind of troops don't have guns?
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  2264. if you had democracy, this question would be silly. but you have an elective oligarchy, which happens to be a functional plutocracy. politicians rule, oligarchy, there is voting, which has no effect on national policy, and nothing happens that irritates the rich. plutocracy. you deserve no better. politics is the exercise of power inside a society, and if the people are unable to control the government, it is because they are ignorant, or fearful. democracy needs citizen-quality people, armed, organized and willing to shoot a few politicians who get above themselves. in a real democracy, of course, there are no politicians. they're extinct. the public service runs the nation, under direction of referendum and initiative. but you just are not at that level of evolution. pity, it's no fun, being a serf.
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  2265. some usans live in states that have a genuinely democratic constitution- management of society by referendum and initiative. california is a notable example. people in those states should be aware that the usa is not a democracy. so why don't they secede? because the other states, 'bubbaland', would shoot them. this is depressing. a rational response would be to simply not vote. call it a warning, that 'we're not happy.' but bubba doesn't care. he goes on carrying water for the rich and is rewarded with a job, this is a stable situation until bubba loses his job. that's happening now. so, it's either democracy and socialism or military dictatorship. wonder which way usa will tip. i'm hoping the northeast and west coast find the courage to split off.
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  2266. the democratic party allowed bernie to run as a contender for the nomination, because otherwise clinton would have sailed un-opposed and ignored, or risked being beaten by an actual democrat who wasn't so hopelessly tarred by the goldmann, sachs brush. he double-crossed them by being popular. they hate him for it. he won't get any help from the machine. i think bernie should not run, his day is past. worse, he actually supported clinton, a democrat who despised the ex-working people of the mid-west. some socialist. a lot of mid-westerners might remember that. andy yang in particular is dealing with current reality in a very impressive way. he's actually running, in the mid-west, with concrete plans to get them back into american economy. there is no second choice, really. if you are not ready for ubi, many think gabbard, or buttigieg are at least presentable. but if you are not ready for ubi, there will be someone worse than trump along soon, because the bernies are just as out of touch as the clintons.
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  2267. it's not a referendum. usa is not a democracy. usans are too dumb to know the difference, or too crooked to tell th chumps.
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  2268. the electorate are better on the economy, since rheir ' special interest' is the people of the nation. it's called democracy, and really, you should try it. you've given elective aristocracy a 230 year trial, and poverty, disease, militarism and a bloated plutocracy are the result. are you never gonna learn?
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  2269. a brief lesson in 2 party, winner takes all politics: there can never be much difference between the parties because that would allow one party to make small offerings and create dominant majority. when both parties are dependent on rich donors, they both will speak for the rich. if one party gets sufficient support for a popular candidate by many small donations, this threatens the rich and the central party officers, and they combine with media to destroy candidate, and the party if it does not conform to the plutocracy. dnc got the message, and started counting the votes more effectively. you don't live in a democracy. you don't deserve to live in a democracy. you tolerate plutocracy, because resistance is too hard, maybe even too dangerous. they have plutocracy, it was built in to the constitution. they are not going to give it up to people who say, "may i have more, please?" history is useful: democracy comes from a classical greek phrase, 'demos kratia', commonly translated as 'people rule.' but the translation is sloppy, because english needs a paragraph to translate 'demos'. 'demos' actually means the citizen warriors, active and retired. if you don't fight, you don't vote. this was true of swiss democracy too, until quite recently. it should be true everywhere, militias are not suitable for invading other countries, that needs mercenaries. vietnam taught american rulers that lesson. relevance to biden vs trump? only this: you concern yourselves with flea bites, while dying of moral cancer.
    1
  2270. in fact, taxation should be extinct. civilized, digitized society should do all business on the web, all transactions passing through admin* revenue servers, where x% is clipped off. call it a fee for using civilization. *many years ago, politicians pretended to be working for the people, and dared not call themselves government. there was a pretense of democracy, now long abandoned.
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  2271. you know yer in trouble when a saudi ruler is better than usa president. but the good news is, it is now perfectly visible that anyone can say no to 'the chief.' and there are spin-offs, venezuela will be allowed to exist, for a while. we are witnessing a modern-day 'decline and fall' and the pace of decline will increase from that public view.
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  2272. suggesting that trump has any kind of coherent strategy in any field seems wrong. the fact that he is the nation's manager ensures that national management will be incoherent, and not even pointed toward the welfare of the nation, since trump is incapable of any but personal gratification. usa is lumbered with a political society that is simply obsolete. decline is inevitable.
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  2273. it's a measure of the degeneracy of the usa plutocracy. the authoritarian nations are not conducting continuous wars of aggrandisement, and in china's case, are actively improving the welfare of the people. even vlad is shaking his sword in response to the threatened envelopment of russia by nato/usa. usa is the war monger, partly to shore up its markets, perhaps even more to keep the military happy with pay and promotions. khruschev made the usa withdraw from turkey, by threatening to install nuclear missiles in cuba. vlad must by considering the same ploy - it worked last time. kennedy figured this out. lately, usa pollies are not merely corrupt, also stupid.
    1
  2274. you say ibiza, i say ibitha, poor thom worries about posing.
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  2275. it has to be bernie. i am very confident the national character will prevent him from accomplishing much, and will erase most when he steps down. but the next ten years will determine how bad the climate collapse will be, and bernie has good understanding of this crisis. he could easily be in office at just the right time to be known as 'savior of the world' among the survivors. voting for people is childish, a holdover from ancient times, a modern echo of warriors clashing swords on shields when the war leader roars " let's get'em!" but that's the usa, a brainless giant with the power to ruin the world, and intent on just that goal since there seems to be money in it. too late to become civilized, god help us.
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  2276. i would agree with your 'given' principles, except that it's an imperfect world. the alternative to attacking ukraine now would be nato/usa attacking russia later. nato/usa has no notion of 'enough,' they said so, very clearly. you can't bargain effectively with sociopaths, and that is the usg. they are driven by greed, which has no concept of enough. occupying ukraine is a desperate measure, putin no doubt gave it a lot of thought. but russia has in its living memory the process and result of 'negotiating' with sociopaths, backed by western sympathy for nazis, and there are plenty of visible public nazis in ukraine. he decided that such people only understand the muzzle of a gun. so he reminded the world of the russian nuclear capability, and started renovating ukraine. i think the situation is somewhat similar to the onset of ww2. putin is determined that this time russia will not be attacked, or the world will burn.
    1
  2277. gg has not been polite about bolsonaro. this should be no surprise. should have left with lula. but where to go? cia has been reclaiming south america and there are very few places which are willing to host whistleblowers and strong enough to resist destabilization. the only cure is revolution in usa. charming fantasy.
    1
  2278. if you haven't got the grit to get democracy, then learn to enjoy being screwed by politicians.
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  2279. how could she do that, huawei is not nsa, which can access american phones.
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  2280. i hope bernie is not in office when the wheels come off. if he is a real patriot he would lose gracefully and allow trump to preside over the 2nd great depression. but there is nothing to be done for america. the dictatorship stage is not far away. the people are angry, and ignorant. the elite entitled and degenerate. the 'intelligentsia' shallow and impotent, no one listens because there is nothing they can say of value. at this stage in china's history, 12 men met in a shanghai bistro and began the re-birth of china. can't see that happening in usa. look to russia for your future.
    1
  2281. bernie doesn't believe in democracy, he believes in elective aristocracy. like every politician, he believes in what feeds him, pays him well, and delivers high status among some of the commons. which is alright, you guys aren't ready for democracy, and not likely to get it in time to prevent climate catastrophe. so let's put our feet up and watch one charmingly crazy old man live out his fantasy of saving the usa. first up, he can't control congress. you can help there: don't stop with voting for him- every week remind your reps and senator that you want public disclosure of all activity, and your vote will follow if those votes are what bernie wants. every week! politicians have short memories, and you don't want them to be surprised by losing their seat for lack of constant warning.
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  2282. but really, why do you put up with elective aristocracy?
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  2283. 'stand for democracy, and human rights?' no democracy, and murder all around the world, and poverty at home as well. bernie confuses his personal wishes with the radically different record of the usa. and he doesn't want democracy, he just wants to be king. like trump, but nicer.
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  2284. usa was founded to extend the life of slavery, and just generally make it possible for the rich to control government. madison said as much, in selling his constitution to the enabling convention. and it worked very well. four of the first five presidents were slave plantation grandees. usa has always been evil, and in the last 100 years, it has extended its reach far, an empire of evil. the rich continue to control the government, with gross individual wealth and widespread poverty the result. nothing to be done unless the people find a path to democracy. so don't be surprised at what happens to whistleblowers. that is the natural result of elite rule of every kind. complaining about it is childish, if the complaints don't lead to revolution.
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  2285. can't think why trump complains about trade with china. usa not compelled to trade with china. for many years they refused to trade with china, and refused to trade with anyone who traded with china. american companies are in china under conditions set by china and agreed to by american companies. you might accuse those companies of 'selling out' america, but the chinese owe nothing to america. you have to wonder, is trump actually stupider than dubya? more ignorant? the thing is, if the american constitution puts such people in a leadership position, maybe china is going to win the trade war, after all. the chinese aren't stupid, or ignorant. and they can make long term plans, while usa can see no farther ahead than the next election.
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  2286. i don't need this anymore. from long ago i simplified foreign affairs: 'cia is the small satan, deformed and smelly, and daddy is the usa, more deformed, smellier and speaks with a forked tongue.' perhaps the usa is hell, and somehow we didn't notice until that iranian general was murdered. when i was young, that would have been denied, now satan boasts about it. i'm not even slightly religious, but credit where due: khomeini had the usa number long before any secular leader in the west.
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  2287. democracy hasn't happened yet, in usa. this should surprise no one, since madison explained to the constitutional convention that his document would prevent it. democracy needs special circumstances to appear, and they are not present in the usa, so it's not 'too late,' it's 'never.'
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  2288. the politicians are a mirror image of the people, they would be extinct, if usa sheeple got off their knees. but they can't, they are born free, but trained early.
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  2289. what americans should be worrying about, is their political system. the quality of the people directing the nation is reflected in falling living standard, falling industrial capacity, falling technology development, falling educational outcomes, genuinely laughable standards of public health. this is not just trump, nor is it just now.
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  2290. i love to read usa news nowadays. i woke up to the nature of the country back in the 60's, and have been hoping to see retribution before i die. things are looking up. really, electing trump is like the breaking up of a few tree roots, which releases the avalanche. khomeini will be sitting up in his grave, saying "i told you so."
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  2291. democratic strategist? the party that chose hillary has a strategy? is everyone in the usa mind-bound to medieval political structures? in fact, yes. the public service is subservient to the politician caste, and they think about getting and keeping office, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. any time left over go to family activities. the political structure of the usa was adequate when men in power wore powdered wigs, but the rest of the world has moved on. china has the belt and roar initiative, usa has discovered food stamps.
    1
  2292. he's your ceo, folks. and walking proof that your society is hopelessly decadent. which presents clear and present danger to the people of usa, and the world. you need a new constitution, and you will soon have one, in practice: some general will begin to 'advise' the degenerates in politics. consult the history of the roman empire. if things go well, that is. the potential for disaster is obvious.
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  2293. any progress in explaining why this wasn't murder?
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  2294. by the way, what is 'innocent?' suppose she was negotiating with iran, that makes her 'guilty,' in usa. the question is not about innocence, it is about sanctioning 3rd parties as a means of preserving usa hegemony. since then, china and iran have proclaimed an immense cash for oil contract, will usa 'sanction' all of china?
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  2295. disastrous? medicare for all is the standard throughout the advanced nations of the world. among rich nations, usa is the only one with social attitudes more common in dickensian britain. even the brits have moved on. without disaster. but no matter. china is replacing you as the leading power in tech and economics. 20 years from now, backward america will be an object of pity, if anyone pays any attention at all. assuming you don't start ww3 to cover your rage at being out-paced.
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  2296. all public discourse should be in public. it is necessary to democracy, that the citizens know what is said and done. but india is not a democracy. no great shame, nor is anywhere else. possibly excepting helvetia. trudeau is collecting sikh votes in canada. costs him nothing, at home, and he cares little about indian opinion. smile, and dismiss him.
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  2297. there was no democracy in the north, many states didn't even pretend. no land, no vote was common. and the south was economically more important than the north from birth - the 'revolution' was driven by southern plantation owners worried about losing slavery. remember "give me liberty, or give me death?" that was the liberty of white plantation owners to enslave black people. and it paid well, even before the cotton gin. there is no democracy in the federal government to this day. voting for 'which' master is not democracy, it is oligarchy, more specifically elective aristocracy. since politicians do not prosper unless they support wealth, the aristocrats listen to the plutocrats, and both ignore the cattle. look around you, do you see rule by the citizens? the word 'democracy literally means, 'rule by the citizens.' if you speak or read greek, you couldn't be so easily fooled. a nation without rule by referendum and initiative is no kind of democracy, 'democracy' is just a convenient myth in usa. and the people of usa will never enjoy the benefits of citizenship while they are ruled by any elite. the rich rule now, but the generals are getting restive. join the army, that's the growth industry in usa, that's accessible to poorly educated people. your masters will keep you fed and housed, unlike the rich. they have to. generals have to worry about restive soldiers, and ambitious colonels.
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  2298. zawahiri was an embarrassment. he hated usa, and did something about it. if you are a very modern major general, of pak army, life will be sweet if you please the evil empire.
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  2299. you haven't got democracy, that's why oligarchs can do as they please. since you refuse to admit you haven't got democracy, how can you possibly get it? and since the people do not rise up and install democracy, what hope can there be for usa? the people are enslaved by custom, lies and ignorance, the rich have lost any connection with the cattle, and the middles are satisfied with carving out a survival bubble for themselves. to be fair, usa was born crap, a device to rule by the rich, most of the rich being slave masters, and the middles carving out a place by massacre of the natives. where can ethical behavior grow in such an environment? well, it doesn't, as the vietnam war[crime] and iraq war[crime] demonstrated. and plenty more, of course, chomsky came up with 100+...
    1
  2300. usa is entering a period of public corruption, not the first. this may be the last, as china seems likely to dominate world affairs and possibly cause the usa to disintegrate. could split into 'westcoastia, northeastia, and bubbaland.' in preparation for this national dissolution, the current bandit gang is looting the place.
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  2301. miami pols are firmly of the opinion that they should be re-elected, and one free demographic there is the refugees from the collapse of the usa puppet, batista. nothing needs to be done, so long as you talk tough. free votes, quite a few. spanish is still a second language in miami, but you better have a few sentences handy. this smells like cia activity, and don't be fooled by the apparent vacuity of result: the report to senate cia 'over-sight' committee likes to have some visible activity to support appropriations. this was a money-generating coup.
    1
  2302. usa was never a democracy. until you admit that, how can you hope for change?
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  2303. says they voted.
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  2304. we need to hear every side. the way we do that is called 'democracy.' it's not perfect, but the alternative is elite rule, and by now you should have figured out that chiefly benefits whichever elite group holds the gun. including self-styled 'lefties.' just because you call yourself 'left,' doesn't make you smart, or ethical. that's why we have to de-personalize rule, by distributing power to every citizen. a society directed by referendum and ruled by citizen initiative will at least seek to make life tolerable for all.
    1
  2305. you can paint a turd white and add glitter, but-
    1
  2306. if you accept the legitimacy of politician rule, you are complicit in what they do. shame on you! that's a bit harsh. you can't help it, can you. find the nearest patch of grass and start munching, not much fun, but it's a living, right?
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  2307. if you had sufficient collective brain to organize a revolution, you could get democracy. then you would be citizens, not cattle anymore. citizens can write laws. think about that. courage not required. you are many, politicians few. they won't shoot, probably. but here's the problem: collectively, usans are really, really dim. comes from being human and ignorant. possibly a genetic component.
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  2308. pelosi hasn't got a visa, so prc should shoot down the plane.
    1
  2309. actually, this is a subfield of child psychology. 65 years later, with billions in inherited wealth, much reduced by his own attempts to compete with adults, he discovered he was perfectly in tune with many american voters.
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  2310. not much. t reflects badly on the prc government. usg doesn't care, and so has lots
    1
  2311. stop laughing, this is serious! it's true that a passing angel of the lord might send the entire government of the usa to hell, but they are fastidious and don't get close. so it's up to you to organize and get democracy. made any progress?
    1
  2312. most usa problems arise from a fundamental and profound weakness, usa is a functioning plutocracy, expressly designed to be ruled by wealth. this weakness is compounded by a near universal belief that usa is a democracy. i should say, not belief in some cases, rather a complicity in the national myth for personal comfort. human society is characterized by struggle for position, and any society in which some children start off with a wealthy or powerful family is an aristocracy, for wealth buys power, and power soon is rich. usa is not a democracy. its people do not enjoy the basic privileges that accrue to any society where the people are the ruling class. they never will, until they rebel. patience is not an option. elite rule is destroying the environment, mere drinking water will soon be in short supply. i see no consciousness of the need for revolution. perhaps a partial amelioration could be achieved, with secession? the west coast could leave, california by itself would be a prosperous democracy. perhaps the north-east would follow, making bubbaland impotent to threaten the world.
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  2313. you don't give up cars because people die from them. and gun deaths are fewer still. guns have a purpose, to enable resistance to oppressive government. unfortunately, they aren't used for pruning politicians. usa people are frozen out of participation in the management of the nation, so they don't regard guns as a back-up resource in politics. they are just a toy for hunters, and a tool for thugs and thieves. the fundamental problem of usa is that the people are political cattle. so they continue to let politicians rule them. politicians are not good people. they are would-be gangsters who have found a way to replace personal violence with lies. result: chaos at home, military adventures abroad. unfortunately, since you are a nation of cattle, talking about politics is fruitless, unless you do it for money.
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  2314. mr. dore, stop whining. you, and usa people, have heard of democracy, but you let politicians rule you. aoc is laughing at you. so she should. brilliant career ahead of her, pretending to care about the peepul. while you, and the rest of usa losers never dream of being citizens in a democracy. dream bigger, mr. dore.
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  2315. let's not single out trump. dubya turned iraq into a permanent war zone, created isis, obama colluded in the drone murder program and the yemen disaster, just because they are not neighbors doesn't release usa from contempt. in the american context, trump passes for 'good guy,' no new mass murder/war. although he seems to be trying in venezuela. .
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  2316. kovrig is certainly more political than meng, and may well be a stringer for cia. a reasonable pawn move at the start of the game.
    1
  2317. ubi may be necessary, but it's only a bandaid. it licenses the rich to get richer, it puts the exworkers on a leash. mr. yang is a very smart man, seems to want to fix america. but it's unfixable. even if he were elected, senate and supremes can stop ubi. the scandis use varieties of socialism to get a better result. the lizard brains that run the usa won't have that, unless the american character changes a lot. 90% marginal taxation produced the best days of america. is that really impossible?
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  2318. well, you see the consequences of letting politicians run the nation, one recent one is that the result stinks so much that totally an unqualified person with known bad character used the stink from the politicians to seize high office. rational people would regard this as a good moment to convert to democracy. but no--- you go on voting for politicians, and marvel at your bad luck if a trump is replaced by a biden. einstein said, if you repeat the same action over and over hoping for a different result, you're crazy. he was polite, more likely dim. of course, most people were dim, from where he was standing. biden isn't gonna fix things, and is more likely to start a war. at what point does usa wake up?
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  2319. not the best, but a reasonable pot-boiler.
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  2320. what you should be talking about is why the usa tolerates oligarchy. the nation has heard about democracy, some states have it, notably california, but you blindly submit to a constitution written by a slave plantation grandee whose guiding motive was ensuring the rich ruled. are you never going to stand up?
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  2321. very good news, if only because it is a signifier of declining usa dominance in asia.
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  2322. this guy has an unsightly scalp condition?
    1
  2323. trump is not a symptom of decay within the republican party. they are rotten, trump out-lied 20+ candidates. but the democrats are equally rotten. they had one candidate, anointed, a few trivial voices, and a socialist straw-man to hold interest right up to the planned result. but any political party is a business. it will inevitably look after the interests of its members, with due regard to internal status. they made the visible decision that clinton would do best accommodating wall street, ahead of the rust belt. for a party that pretends to be for the common american, that is real corruption. and it didn't pay off, a bit of surprise there even if very close. the usa constitution has corruption and entitilement built in, it was written to ensure the rule of the rich, after all. it is not a document establishing democracy, it's purpose is to make sure democracy didn't happen. 230+ years later, we can say it has been brilliantly successful in the achievement of that goal. so trump happened. a little tear in the fabric of political structure. but under that tear, real unrest- a lot of 'middle' americans have found themselves unemployed or under-employed. neither party is much interested in america's losers, and both allowed that to be obvious before 2116. trump simply lied his way into the oval office. the constitution is hopelessly obsolete. the political professionals are widely despised, and a few new faces won't change the character of the parties. there is no way for the people to rejuvenate the system, except revolution. and there is no visible call for radical change. the establishment are entitled to die in office, the people are ignorant and handless, and the few radicals seem to think they can beat the system, if only they are elected. has never happened before- even fdr did not change the system. trump really is a symptom, but of a terminal disease.
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  2324. doesn't anyone wonder why mass shootings happen? the mental health of usa is clearly a serious problem. but that is in the 'too hard' basket, so let's make it more difficult for the nutters we have created to kill us.
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  2325. if you own a lot, or are making buckets, last thing you want is change of any nature. so change is driven by those who aren't happy with current situation. the cure is simple, get democracy, use citizen initiative to shape a society that suits the majority. simple is not easy. democracy is not natural, as we are not structured for co-operative behavior. but we either get democracy and socialism, or destroy the environment.
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  2326. you don't have to put up with it. you can change the constitution. establish democracy, use initiative to install as much socialism as the citizens want. how: just create a form asking political representatives to publicly state support for writing a power of citizen initiative, accessible and effective, into the constitution. add the explicit promise that failure to do so will cause you to vote for someone who will support the creation of democracy. send that form to the politicians, the newspapers, friends and any other web contacts. see, not even hard. so why hasn't it crossed your mind before now?
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  2327. anything you do on the web is public information, unless encoded. and soon, code won't be much use either. get used to it. lead a clean life, pay yer bills, and don't make any powerful person angry. and if you are young and pretty, take this opportunity to make face masks fashionable. there's a reason they are necessary in the middle east. russia and prc are only doing what cia/nsa have been doing for many years. if you are unwilling to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to get democracy, then expect to be cattle.
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  2328. start with getting democracy. an electorate with an accessible and effective power of citizen initiative can shape the nation as they wish. until you get democracy, you are just an adolescent whining for the keys to the car. grow up. unless you can get paid to whine, as here we see.
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  2329. the thing about the end of the world is, it can be meteor strike, or it can be every little thing going wrong. usa is 'wrong' from the beginning, and the resulting rot is compounding ever more rapidly. death by one damn thing after another.
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  2330. no one has rights, who does not have power. the problems perceived in american government policy arise from the power held by the rich. they were expressly given this power by the writers of the constitution, chiefly madison. talking heads are empty faces, if they do not first address the acquisition of power. first you get the tools, then you build the house. transferring power from the politicians to the electorate, a revolution to democracy, is simple. however, it's not easy. first you have to convince a sufficient number of americans to stand up and demand democracy. this is somewhere between difficult and impossible. but it is necessary, nonetheless. this difficulty is why many 'talkers' don't address the fundamental problem. they are looking 'under the streetlight, ' and not in the 'dark alley,' evern though they know the car keys were dropped in the alley. there is no money or prestige to be gotten by telling people that they must struggle for democracy, before the prizes are given to them. of course, many talkers are just making a living, from speaking engagements, and many others are on a drip, from the kochs.
    1
  2331. have you given any thought to getting democracy?
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  2332. i'm sure this will be amusing, but are you confident 'science' will generate sufficient 'news?'
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  2333. the homeless don't have time or interest in revolution. not now, not then. too busy scratching up a meal. yer dispossessed middle class are the engine of revolution, although they might be superceded by angry colonels or egotistic generals. usa not there yet. revolution is unlikely, ever, although the rich might commission a general to quiet unrest. revolution needs ideology, quite lacking in usa public life. rebellions and coups are your fate, if indeed usa doesn't just slowly fade away, as britain did.
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  2334. politicians lie. they tell the truth, too, when convenient. this devalues truth, since you don't know which motivation directs each statement. if you let politicians rule you, you deserve no better.
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  2335. it's very easy to lie and spread lies on the web, everyday there is a new 'private' blog denigrating china. but reality is still available, because of genuine private channels such as this one. it is not difficult to spot the real evil, just look at the objective news: 'iranian government officer [and several bystanders] murdered by drone.' 'venezuelan trade interdicted by us navy' and of course there is the 16 year occupation of iraq, floating on a monstrous lie. i decided, back in vietnam days, that the government of my native land was entirely in the hands of sociopathic monsters who would hang if they did not direct the biggest military establishment in the world. if anything it has gotten worse, frequently shameless and unrestrained in their crimes. saves a lot of thought. usa--- bad! anyone else, possibly good, certainly not as bad. 'On 3 January 2020, a United States drone strike near Baghdad International Airport targeted and killed Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani while he was purportedly planning to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in Baghdad.' when did public murder become an acceptable tool of foreign affairs?
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  2336. or you could get off your knees and demand democracy. but that would lead to peace, justice and socialism. so, hey- who wants that?
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  2337. sweden has another unfair advantage, they don't pour so much money into munitions.
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  2338. biden is just occupying the vacant space while dnc decides on warren-klobuchar or klobuchar-warren. you don't get bernie because both parties are wholly owned by the plutocratic shadow government. and you don't deserve bernie. you don't need a savior, you need to grow up, and establish democracy. they do it in california, you could patch up the california constitution as a replacement for the obsolete and oligarchic federal document. but, you don't. you are raised as 2nd class people and you think like second class people. so you will be treated as second class people by the grifters who infest the politician caste. that's evolution in action. that's why usa is drifting down, china surging ahead: management quality.
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  2339. every one in usa wants an easy fix. there are no easy fixes. for a nation of ignorant and alienated couch-potatoes, that means no fix at all.
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  2340. brave new world is paradise! but we are re-visiting '1984.'
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  2341. i contend that the usa constitution is the core of the problem. by locking the people out of participation in the direction of the nation, madison created a nation of 'private' people, unconnected to one another. since their opinions didn't matter, any opinion became possible, and irrelevant. this creates the fundamental alienation which underlays the failure of 'historical' lefties to organize. why doesn't revolution happen, when conditions are right? because they aren't right, marx was clear, that a nation populated by lumpen proles was not revolution material. usa will never become a democracy, and real social progress can only come from democracy. history is littered with empires which prospered through conquest, and died from popular alienation. usa will join them. the constitution is just a document, but it codified a society dedicated to greed and created the habits of mind and culture which are throttling the nation.
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  2342. why did they demonetize her account? because google is a business.if you don;t want democracy and socialism, then why complain when your plutocratic society functions as it was meant to do?
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  2343. no, it doesn't. it means rule by a few. plutocracy is rule by the rich. there are several types of oligarchy- military rule most common. the point of oligarchy is that it the opposite pole to democracy, rule by all the citizens. but you don't know what democracy means, either, so getting oligarchy wrong is appropriate.
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  2344. not the last gasp. politicians are fuelled by ego, men have dominance rituals to go through, to establish who talks and who listens. this may be cultural to some degree, less physical manifestation here, more there. descriptions of the tactics lbj used to display dominance were somewhere between disgusting and laughable. as women enter the upper levels of power, civility may follow. roll on female dominance!
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  2345. only a few. india is polite. but india has decided to compensate for its hopeless domestic management by shaking its fist at prc, under the shade of the usa. so i am glad to learn a bit about india's view of the world, and the likelihood of initiating ww3 in the himalayas. and i learn that mr gupta hasn't grasped the essential reality of china's society: it is managed by a small group of smart people, who command a large group of smart people, who make the nation go as they think best. those people are not god-like in their capabilities, but the management of prc is visibly the best in the world over the last 40 years, with daylight second and india also ran. so attempting to make fun of their radical actions has a hollow quality. i think it is way too soon, to say "ccprc has lost its mind! numbers on share markets are sacred!" instead, a little humility would be in order, along the lines of "recent developments have left me amazed, i shall be following the progress of the most successful government in the world with great disquiet."
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  2346. the usa is an elective oligarchy. it will never be a democracy. the constitution concentrates federal power in a few hundred people who are easily bought. they are wholly owned by those few 10;s of thousands who can write big checks. does this reality make you unhappy? enough to make you devote 20 years of your life to changing it, all of your wealth and time, at great personal risk? if so, please tell us the public aspects of the struggle, to create the neutral field in which revolutionaries can write history.. this hasn't happened in the usa, not now or ever. it was born to protect slavery and the rule of wealth, and the rich still rule, without the need of feeding slaves. it has happened in other nations, marx provided a quasi-religion somewhat like primitive christianity, and ussr, prc, prvn, and even cuba followed much the same path, a hard one and long, except cuba who found the american criminal puppet state laughably weak. must revolutions be communist? pragmatically, yes. how else can you energize the millions of shirtless ones to overthrow the hired armies of the rich? well, there is real religion- iran used islam in place of marx, with some success. back in the ussssa- abandon hope. you haven't got the grit for revolution, not the community cohesiveness, and the churches are working for the rich. many of them are the rich. study the emergence of russia from the collapse of ussr. i think you are going there.
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  2347. and still you haven't figured out the need for democracy. must be something they don't teach in school.
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  2348. actually, he was wrong, it's not important. the usg does murder, at every level, from assassination to mass murder, and usa peeps just shrug their shoulders and turn to the sport news. when you are raised in an oligarchy, 'public activity' is a matter for 'them.' politically, usans are eternal children, if you want to be polite. or zombies, if you aren't feeling generous.
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  2349. pretty much as you see it. fascism is simply collusion between wealth, government and military.. familiar already. but it's called 'americanism.' the thing antedates mussolini by about 200 years. doesn't anyone red history, anymore. murrikins invented it, clever devils.
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  2350. accusing biden of liking china is only effective if you fear china, and hate it because it is stronger and richer, thanks to the generosity of those corporations, apple notable, that ditched american workers to enrich themselves even more. that would be a lot of american dimwits who see no point in learning about what is going on in the world. the american public education system is a stronger tool of enslavement than any whip or chain. i waver between pity and contempt for americans. there is fear as well- the people that roared "attack!" at iraq on the instigation of the dubya regime can not be relied on to prevent any war their masters want. orcland! no less. don't trouble yourself about biden, hardly worth talking about. he will be replaced at the convention. warren/ klobuchar look like a winning combination. dnc not much concerned about victory- someone in that organization will have realized by now that the next term in office will be unrewarding. indeed, may need tanks spaced around the major buildings in dc. better to let the republicans be hated. in those conditions, the poisoned political chalice is best presented to women.
    1
  2351. the pursuit of 'einstein-wrong' will continue to provide funds to physicists for many years. he was right about large scale events, they must pick at teeny-tiny features that are unlikely to affect the price of groceries. otoh, one little extra ray of light might make a career glorious*, and if you have no talent for web vids, plod you must. *among physicists, naturally.
    1
  2352. Yf should have stayed in Greece and led them to prosperity. If he could. Instead he decided to be another talking head. Wonder if he regrets....
    1
  2353. pf chomsky deserves great respect, he has been exposing the emperor's nakedness longer than most. but reality is, the crimes of the evil empire are built in, and it rolls on regardless of contrary voices. talk changes nothing by itself, it is barren without action. the people of the usa are defective. it happens to human beings when a capability is not exercised, gradually, you lose the ability itself. when you don't live in a democracy, you do not acquire the character of citizens. chris hedges is a similar case, and recently dr sachs has been making waves. doesn't matter what any of them say, the result is, "well said!" and "ain't it a shame!" and that represents the progressive element. in reality, they go nowhere. mao listened to intellectuals as a young man, but finally he realized they were going nowhere. the transfer of power requires struggle, most commonly civil war. "power grows from the barrel of a gun."
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  2354. governments are evil. they are not necessary. it is a fact that the politicians and public servants of the usa used to refer to themselves, and be referred to, as the 'administration.' nixon changed this custom, being willing to stop the pretense of democracy, as it sometimes was embarrassing.
    1
  2355. did you know, nixon tried to create a 'palace guard,' wearing roman helmets? that's the kind of people who search for power, and crave submission. only democracy can save homo sapiens from himself.
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  2356. the germans said they were better, but they would say that. in fact, every one, literally everyone, said the german army was the best. didn't matter: hitler said in 'mein kampf,' this will be a war of extermination, and when it became clear he meant it people stopped surrendering. german letters and diaries started reporting, "these guys never give up!" there are plenty of 'mitabins' in the conduct of the war, but the simple fact was that soviet munitions production surpassed german at the first day of the war, there was a blip while production was moved to the urals, but supremacy was re-established by the time the wehrmacht got to moscow. almost to moscow. at that point, hitler became a walking dead man.
    1
  2357. typical: they coined a new word in the red air force, a label for the process of using your propeller to damage enemy aircraft. generally fatal for both, but the reds knew '1 for1' was winning strategy.
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  2358. in a democracy, citizens vote, non-citizens don't. the voting process must identify which category you are in. but that's not entirely relevant, as the usa is not a democracy. there is voting, in the usa, but that is to select which thief and war-monger shall have access to the treasury. the people of the usa are not really citizens, so the 'citizen' id process is inconsequential: no matter who you vote for, thieves and war-mongers are selected.
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  2359. india is going through a bad time, but the survivors will presumably be covid-safe. the important part of the current crisis is the glaring light thrown on to the political management of the nation. no point in blaming modi, even if he were competent and well-intentioned, india is ungovernable. which means more disasters will be along soon. china was in a similar state 100 years ago, but no one says, "let's follow their road to prosperity." i wonder why that is.
    1
  2360. in a democracy, the citizens decide major issues through referendum and initiative. without democracy, major issues are decided by elites, frequently in secrecy. once you have grasped this reality, political discussion not focused on getting democracy seems pointless, even childish.
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  2361. 2nd amendment is not your problem. but if you haven't noticed that usa is not a democracy, and haven't used all those guns to get democracy, might as well repeal, if the police promise to disarm as well.
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  2362. 'anybody can be president' is not a unique quality of america, or democracy. it's not even a democratic quality at all, it's just elective monarchy, which was madison's design. in a democracy, the people decide, through referendum and initiative, and public servants execute. no politicians necessary, or desirable. it needs educated grown-ups for citizens, which is why usa people know so little from public education, ignorant people are easily lied too.
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  2363. The structure of the usg is obsolete. It would be absurd, except all are used to the nonsense, and imagine this is the way things should be done. So it's quaint, not insane. The world's largest economy, largest military, is run like a children's puppet show. Homer sap is not going to survive.
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  2364. during the russian revolution, lenin found it necessary to strip ukraine of food, to feed his supporters. resulting hatred made it possible to recruit a ukranian division in support of the german invasion. but hitler double-crossed them, as he wanted the food and the land. survivors were genuine nazis, other ukranians surplus to requirements. when hitler finally launched barbarosa, his army his army was in summer uniforms. so they survived the winter by driving peasants out of their homes, into the snow, without clothing. you really had to be a nazi, to go on living. so ukraine has reason to hate russia, and germany. currently, they tend to choose russia.
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  2365. ay has a number of patches for american society. but the fundamental problem is lack of democracy. he does not address this, so his patches are futile, even if he wins office. i marvel that americans do not see the connection between having power to decide and getting desired decisions. something in the water? dumbing drugs in the breakfast cereal?
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  2366. a good idea. explosive missiles are much cheaper.
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  2367. if you can't match the money, why not offer democracy? that is something the rich can not offer, that insures the rich do not bleed the nation dry. possible answer: most americans are serfs, in their minds, quite incapable of participating in democracy as citizens, most comfortable as followers of the powerful. although many states are democratic, to some degree, most are not. usa remains 'bubbaland.'
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  2368. if this is a surprise to you, arise sleeping beauty! the usa is not a democracy. it is owned by the rich. it is managed by an elective oligarchy , a duopoly known as democratic party and republican party. neither has any ideology beyond lust for power. they differ only in their origin and history, both have courted different demographics of the electorate because of this history, but both must serve money due to the structure of the state. socialism is anathema to the rich, and they fear democracy because it might lead to socialism. so their political agents fear it too. bernie was infected with socialist ideas as a young man, foreign influence, no doubt. he has survived and flourished by sticking to simple material goals that the ordinary voter wants. it may lead him to the democratic nomination, it might lead him to the oval office. but one man can make little difference without cooperation from house and senate. is he likely to get it? so don't get your hopes up- democracy and socialism is simply too good for a nation of morlocks. more than half the nation are consumed with fear and loathing of socialism, and the politicians will have plenty of support in barricading bernie in his office. he's not there yet, maybe 5-1 against. biden plus buttigieg will probably be the choice, and a good thing. prevents civil war. and besides- they might shoot bernie.
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  2369. which suggests that sane people would only participate in a democracy, unless they aim to exploit others. the whole history of the human race reveals this simple truth. why then do people tolerate oligarchy? there is evidence that evolution is making us stupider. perhaps we have passed a recovery line, and only ant society remains possible. next time you say 'our democracy,' take a moment to remember when democracy meant 'rule by the citizens.' usa has never been a democracy, it was explicitly designed to be a plutocracy, and the design is visibly successful. 'our democracy' has always been a lie, active when used by your masters, passive when you disguise your real status.
    1
  2370. it's your nation, folks. not that you are citizens, but even cattle refer to 'my grass patch.'
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  2371. a pleasant fantasy. but usa problem is not trump, it's the constitution. hopelessly out of date, unfixable, terminal.
    1
  2372. lying through teeth? what do you expect? if you are too lazy to get democracy, or too ignorant, or too fearful, then you are going to be chumped by politicians. that's natures law. ask any bird, "do you enjoy being eaten by cats?" "no," they cheep, "but i gotta sleep sometime." being a citizen of democracy requires a certain amount of spine. probably need a sense of community of interest, too, although less than you might imagine. doesn't matter, by no accident, neither quality present in usa. it's every bird fer himself. so, only incremental change, and randomly directed, often maleficent. will you last as long as rome? nope. rome had pollution, but you've got climate catastrophe creeping up on you. by the time exxon is brought to heel, too late!
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  2373. voting for people is not democratic, that's just aristocracy with ballots replacing bullets, elections replacing civil war. democracy, is referendum, initiative, and recall. none of which occurs in the federal constitution.
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  2374. if you were white, and it was just a flash of general prosperity. combination of great depression and ww2 worked to 'socialize' the nation. but in the 70's, the rich began to take back their nation.
    1
  2375. Jimmy is fun, don't khow useful he is. But someone thinks he's useful _ whenever they want censorship you can reasonably think that you are doing some good.
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  2376. can't you find a subject in which you are familiar, preferably expert? shine a light on usa, for instance.
    1
  2377. nothing will be done, because usa people are powerless. no citizen initiative for you, serf. your masters, otoh, are unfussed. they need a high percentage of crazies and sociopaths in the general populace , to fill the recruitment needs for 'special forces,' who kill children in other nations.
    1
  2378. don't blame democracy, because usa is not a democracy. neither is india. biden is just a little man who made a good career out of serving the rich corporations while talking like joe commonman. he is in the oval office for one term to catch the flak arising from usa decay in world affairs. actual power will be exercised by faceless men in the bureaucracy of the cia, on behalf of the jeff bezo's whose bribes make the wheels turn in dc.
    1
  2379. usa is run by oligarchs, on behalf of plutocrats. that is the legal foundation of the nation, expressed in the constitution. if you want better performance, you have to change those fundamental laws. this is revolution. it might need shooting, but if enough people subscribe to a plan to establish a constitution of democracy, the opposition might go quietly. until you admit that major change, fundamental change, is necessary, usa will remain what it has always been, a jungle for most, a garden for the rich.
    1
  2380. i resolved the incompatability of qg and gr one afternoon while consuming a chocolate sundae in a hammock, i remember there were pinenuts involved. but it was time for my afternoon nap, and when i awoke, the relationship was gone. this may be a tragedy, as i think interstellar travel was one of the consequences.
    1
  2381. i hope you got your money behind this tech before the vid.
    1
  2382. not alpha.
    1
  2383. fdr had control of congress, senate, briefly, and here you are, in gilded age, chapter 2. suppose bernie is in the oval office, with less control of congress and less control of senate- or none. will he achieve more than fdr? unlikely. but not hopeless- bernie does have one asset: he's got the buck in his hand when the real great depression crashes down. it will concentrate minds, maybe. it will certainly make obvious the need for system change, even if not clarify what to change. the stress will be greater than any president has had since fdr was driven to fight hitler. and bernie is not brand new. equally as important as choosing bernie is getting a good vp. andy yang seems obvious to me, if the economic crash is the main subject.
    1
  2384. after awhile, roman emperors didn't come from rome. native romans got too rich, and too lazy.
    1
  2385. britain is an elective aristocracy, not a democracy.
    1
  2386. it's nice that a few usans are angry, but anger fixes nothing. organize, get democracy, use initiative to re-shape the nation.
    1
  2387. politics as a celebrity dance contest. candidates can not tell the people what they will do if elected, simply because they can do very little with out support from congress and supreme court. and what they can do, can be undone, by the next king-for-awhile. and of course, once in office, he might turn out to be a puppet of some group called pnac, or aipec, or nra. i used to marvel that american professionals did not press for democracy to bring sanity and long-term planning to the the nation. but it turns out their world view is pretty much that of the bubba demographic.
    1
  2388. all of palestine was muslim and arab, with a few christians and jews living there in peace, until herzl initiated the zionist movement and gathered the backing of rich european jews, notably the rothshilds. the first invaders kept their heads down, but by 1925 they had a private army with modern weapons, and were in a position to tell the muslim natives to leave, as all of palestine was going to be jewish, "from the river to the sea."
    1
  2389. he embarrassed the us government. he is an unperson. unklesam wants to re-educate him, prior to erasure. execute! execute!
    1
  2390. and yet, prof wolff doesn't call for democracy. nor any other public intellectual. pretty close to al of the nation's problems can be ascribed to narrow private interests having control of government action, but no one realizes that democracy is the cure. or maybe, they think, as i do, that the great majority of voters are not citizen quality, only fitted by education and character to be powerless consumers. the athenians had a word for that: 'idiotes'
    1
  2391. they are apathetic because they play no part in the management of the nation. still subjects, never citizens. democracy breeds a better quality human being, and the lack, lesser. result is, if you don't have democracy, you don't miss it. which led me to wonder how the swiss got it. i think it comes down to several hundred years of strife making the swiss too hard to rule. not transferable.
    1
  2392. since the people of usa are not the wielders of power, debates and discussions have little value. such things are simulations of political activity, presumably to provide support for the myth that usa is a democracy. there is no referendum, people. no initiative, and no recall. so no democracy.
    1
  2393. there is no such critter as 'representative democracy.' the word democracy comes from greek, 'demos kratia. ' which simply means 'citizens rule.' it does not mean 'politicians rule.' why does 'representative democracy' exist? because it relieves pressure for the real thing. the elite tells the chumps, "this is better than the real thing, because you don't have to think, it's done for you by kind and generous people called politicians, who love you like children." chumps might not believe this, but enough do to keep the lid on. the west coast should leave, perhaps with the north east. but the people in usg would not respond favorably to their kingdom dissolving from under them. careful thought involving assassination teams and friendly generals certainly desirable. i wouldn't mind civil war and general chaos, if only you will each individually promise to keep it within continental usa.
    1
  2394. mr dore, i am sorry to inform you, santa claus is dead. he was caught in bed with the tooth fairy, and her pimp shot him for non-payment of fee. in other news, usa is corrupt.
    1
  2395. not end democracy. you never had democracy. embarrassed to admit it, apparently. back to reality: in the elective aristocracy/functional plutocracy that madison created, creatures like trump strive for supremacy, much like italy in the renaissance. wealth has displaced lineage, not a big change, milords commonly married the daughters of the really rich. the fact that a truly incompetent person such as trump can be continue to be a major figure in politics is direct proof that usa is no democracy. money put him in office, when the opposition was so entitled that even throwing a few coins to the rust belt was not thought necessary. the usa political system is so obsolete that bidens and trumps appear to rule. neither could effectively direct a corner store, and the puppet-handlers that give biden the script that he struggles to read are more concerned with their personal position than the nation. trump did rule, about like a spoiled 7 year- old. when politics is conducted by such people, talking about democracy is pointless. the people do not rule, and their rulers are contemptible. if you get the rulers you are willing to endure, usa people will soon be extinct.
    1
  2396. tell pelosi, she better first get a visa, like any other tourist. from beijing.
    1
  2397. locking up jerks doesn't even begin to address the fundamental problem facing usa peeps: there's an endless supply of jerks. progress lies in filtering them out. the usa constitution filters nearly no one. biden is no big improvement, it's just that his puppeteer is more competent. get democracy, use citizen initiative to re-shape the nation. as lincoln said, [ i paraphrase ] "ya want government for the people, it's gotta be by the people." why can't you figure that out? a whole nation of nongs?
    1
  2398. "what do you do for a crust?" "i'm a strategist." no, he can't. good thing, too. decent man, especially for a politician. in office he'd break his heart, and hand the orcs an excuse for the collapse of usa. "bernie done it!" watching usa politics is like watching a horror movie. there is an impulse to turn away, but the prospect of evil-doers finally having their way with the innocent maiden is irresistible. of course, bernie is neither innocent nor a maiden, save by comparison with orc-society all around him. really, you have to wonder what he is doing, hanging out with democrats. has he no self-respect?
    1
  2399. it's up to you to figure out where the truth is, is there is any truth in politics. but think about this: this silly old man is begging zuckerberg to be the kind of censor that everyone despises in the chinese system. z has got better sense. everyone has better sense than that.
    1
  2400. this is not a personal 'flaw.' the structure of the state is simply not fit for purpose. it is unfixable within the constitution, and no one within the usa will touch the constitution. the elite are happy with it, the rest have no power but revolt.
    1
  2401. don't confuse sanders with a saint. he's a politician. throughout american history, they have been owned by the rich. not all, and always, but enough to congratulate madison on his constitution, who said that was the intent. sanders will throw anyone into the wood-chipper, for a vote, and there are no votes in opposing american war crime. americans still characterize vietnam and iraq as 'mistakes.'
    1
  2402. they may pose a threat to elective oligarchy, but fortunately 'your democracy' is safe, in fantasy land. have you heard of 'referendum' and 'initiative?' they are the features of democracy, the tools of citizen rule, aka democracy. and you haven't got them. and because you haven't, yer not really a citizen -- yer really a chump. and that's why the nation is owned by the rich. you are duped by phony democracy.
    1
  2403. educational. i still think wind and solar, and a bit of hydro, is the way forward. batteries need to improve, but already transportation is committed to electricity. mains power from battery, hydro where convenient, bio-mass burning, can run society. the only significant block is political.
    1
  2404. start with an easy one- what is to be done with a nation that presumes it has democracy, and doesn't? it's a national psychosis. what is the use of asking, " what is to be done," when you don't have the power to do? the citizens of democracy direct their nation, with referendum and initiative. the people of usa watch baseball and gossip about the activities of their masters.
    1
  2405. is there no one of consequence in usa public life who says, " if we had democracy, the nation would deliver a decent life for all, and this should be our primary goal," answer, no. so what of elective aristocracy, in the service of wealth- what kind of life does that deliver? good enough to prevent brigandage, even rebellion? so far, yes. will it continue to be good enough? certainly not. from this base, how will usa match the growth of chinese power and influence? ineffectually. china is managed by competent people motivated to improve the nation in all human activity. the usa is managed by narciccists, dements, debased and simply dim. your estimate on how the contest is going?
    1
  2406. looked like they were having trouble flagging down a cab.
    1
  2407. by the way, there is an 'axis,' called 'the quad.' is this foreign minister ignorant of it? or does it only exist when convenient to india?
    1
  2408. making money is the reason usa exists. there is a political arm, chiefly to keep the cattle in line, and recruit them to the military wing of usa business expansion. if the usa was a democracy, you [ a citizen] could use initiative inquiry and executive power to participate in the direction of public affairs. but it isn't, and yer not a citizen. functionally, yer just a civilian labor unit. even talking about politics is a waste of civilian time, unless you do it for money, as entertainment. as i said, making money is the reason usa exists.
    1
  2409. facts don't really matter. usa is determined to crush huawei if they can. if any phone spying is done, nsa/cia intend to be doing it. we will soon know if canada is completely owned by usa, and it will turn out that the law is flexible, or not. difficult to feel sorry for mwz, visiting canada was foreseeably dangerous. usa is operating on the might is right principle, and the rest of the world must walk around the limits of their power. usa is the evil empire of our days, and the decaying economic foundation will end their rule eventually. they will have few friends, without power.
    1
  2410. be at ease,grasshopper, biden is just a seat warmer. at the convention he will admit to mild but incapacitating illness and warren / klobuchar will be slotted in. will this beat trump? how could it fail? one woman almost beat trump, two a shoo-in. don't know why americans don't want democracy, but it appears to be an article of faith. but think for a moment: in a society that accepts an elite, can the great majority ever get justice? i think not. so people who talk about politics in an oligarchy are fools, or hypocrites.
    1
  2411. sadly, i must agree. usa peeps are so ignorant, so indoctrinated, that informing them is fruitless. 'scare ' is best, cattle management relies on whips and electric wands but human cattle insist on being directed verbally. but not just scare. often one can appear to offer some benefit, as a supplement to scare. offer a candy bar first, if inadequate response, then fire a shot over the head.
    1
  2412. usa is pouring money into misrepresenting the words and activities of prc. but i'm confident that cccp despises usg and is not much concerned about what they say. you should despise the usg too. failure to say as much encourages those thieves and murderers to hope that they may hold on to world hegemony.
    1
  2413. launch a recall motion.
    1
  2414. it's unkind to call him a liar. poor lad can not distinguish between reality and what he wants. it's psychosis, the result of a demanding father and intellectual disability. the only humane treatment is to seal him into maralago, with nurses instructed to call him 'mr. president.' only fair, the nation that put him in this absurd situation is crazy as well.
    1
  2415. the usg is designed to make sure that people like bernie don't do any lasting damage to the natural order. fdr demonstrated that the design works: gilded age mark 2 in full flower. bernie is stronger in his 'left' impulse, but the situation he might inherit is much less hopeful. in office, he will discover how little he can do, and if he lives out his term, how quickly presidential directives can be reversed. americans don't want to struggle, can't be bothered to organize to effect real change, the limit of their political aspiration is to find a nice old man who will look after therm. a nation of children, at the mercy of sociopathic child-minders.
    1
  2416. during the course of the vn war, i discovered that the creatures in the usg were genuine monsters, they murdered people in 10's of thousands to shore up their personal status. the people of the usa endure this kind of rule, a great many applaud it. and nearly half of them are mothers. so, really, are you surprised? i was, but i was young and naive. there is hope on the horizon, in the rise of the prc. no saints, but more civilized by far than usa. theyt may curtail usa excesses someday soon. monsters? just garden variety sociopaths, and a sprinkling of psychotics, in such numbers as to guarantee the fall of the usa hegemony - you are widely hated, for cause, and your friends are only there for the hand-outs.
    1
  2417. in simple english, the lies that have supported widespread toleration for the performance of the nation have been blown away by reality. with little sense of community spirit, and no active functions in the public life of the nation, the people of the usa are unraveling mentally. they are alone in a world they have no place or role, where 'everyone takes care of themself' is a respected mantra, yet visibly not giving an adequate result for ever-growing numbers. in simple, the boat is leaking, the wind is rising and the pump has been sold to buy the captain's girlfriend a trinket.
    1
  2418. see what happens when you don't educate children in state schools? they grow up ignorant, and easily led into nuttery. see what happens when you don't establish democracy? alienated people subscribe to nuttery.
    1
  2419. sorry, humanity is a 3 y.o. child playing with daddy's spare pistol. 'left-authoritarian'? [insert laughter here.]
    1
  2420. i might have been able to follow this exposition many wine-glasses ago, but now i just come to watch dr. h. pretend the reality of i-numbers is a fascinating conundrum. as everyone knows, some korean car manufacturer put them to practical use, and so did apple.
    1
  2421. until you lift your eyes up from personalities and start looking at principles, the usa is doomed. and probably humanity. but let's pretend we are indeed sapiens enough to survive: the structure of american society is designed to ensure the few rich rule the many poor. the rich buy politicians, and it's easy to do, for they are few and greedy. carter might be the best of men in the oval office, but that is a very low standard. he exonerated the men of the mylai massacre, in order to get into office, so let's not pretend he was anything but a politician. if you want a nation concerned with the general welfare and in favor of peace and justice, scrap the constitution and start over: establish democracy.
    1
  2422. how charming! indians think they live in a democracy, too. it's a widespread notion, even north korea calls itself a democracy. but, uniformly, not true. i will allow the swiss claim, but you have to squint to let them by. democracy is rule by the citizens. not by politicians, or any other elite. any elite rule is 'oligarchy,' and there are various names and phrases for the various types. but all are rule by a 'few.'
    1
  2423. the system is not broken. every part of it was designed to assist the rich few to rule the poor many. aoc can't fix the system, it was tried, in the 1930's, without much result. a new system is needed. i recommend democracy.
    1
  2424. if you submit to the rule of politicians, this what you get, and deserve. worse will be along soon. i would recommend getting democracy, but i am of the opinion that it is beyond your capability. instead, learn to lie, cheat, steal, smiling as you do. you will still be ruled by scum, but can comfort yourself that it's not your fault.
    1
  2425. xi does have to come up with significant progress and show it. the chinese don't vote- but they do riot. both xi and abe are very smart and pragmatic people, they will shake hands and get some business done, with no love visible.
    1
  2426. young and educated americans should get behind a socialist party, preferably one featuring actual democracy. 4 years from now, trump will have driven the usa into the ground, democratic party discredited for anointing biden, and resurrection can begin.
    1
  2427. fascism is here to stay, it's part of the species' genetic heritage. of more pressing import is the lack of democracy. indeed, the widespread assumption that usa is some kind of democracy demonstrates the efficacy of double-think and newspeak. a society which is unresponsive to the needs of its members is susceptible to violence as a release of rage, or an attempt at revolution. the recent fracas at the capitol was near the rage end of the spectrum, no visible planning beyond car-pooling. better planing and achievable goals will be along soon, and there is nothing to be done about it. madison bragged that his society would last 'for the ages' and has had admirable success. of course, that guarantees that change will be radical, violent and catastrophic. you don't have to worry about trump's hand on the trigger, he's a coward to begin with and only wandered into power as a device to repair his declining fortune. as a commentary on the degenerate political class of the usa, his example should be long-remembered. but i suspect public attention will be hurriedly diverted. the degenerates will continue to rule and will strive to put the embarrassment out of mind quickly.
    1
  2428. painted, self-wigged, grossly fat, and i. q. about 90. the leader of the free world. you would have to search the annals of rome to find such a figure, even the eunuch generals were tougher than president piggy. and yet, he was a better choice than clinton, she yearned for war as a tick on her c. v. he might even be better than biden. but more important- with all its other weaknesses, your political system selects such people to direct national activities. aren't you scared?
    1
  2429. there is no 'left' in usa politics. the structure of the state was set by the constitution, modeled on the british state of george 3. that in turn had a lot in common with the roman republic. why is the word 'democracy' in frequent use in or about the usa? purely to discuss the difference between actual democracy and what goes on in usa. usa is an elective oligarchy. and the elections only decide which group of parasites will be empowered to reward members and patrons for the next 4 years. why do usans continue to insist on talking about 'american democracy?' because admitting to reality would lead to revolution, or public submission to serfdom. and they are consumed by fear of both.
    1
  2430. the current and former usa president have visible mental and character flaws, and allowing such people to direct a nation is a form of national insanity, as well.
    1
  2431. it's an interconnected world. $9.50/gal? if there is any way to encapsulate the parlous state of usa foreign affairs, it is this incitement to rebellion. a nation of political potatoes, zombie land, has to have car mobility. elon will be laughing all day long. and electric bicycles are going to be the commuter vehicle of choice.
    1
  2432. "what should be done?" [pace lenin] it's simple- get democracy, use citizen initiative to fix usa. help others get democracy too- the world needs fixing. one obstacle only, but it's a big one: elites never release power until they are on the wrong end of the gun. you don't have to shoot, but they have to see something worse than not being rich, or powerful. so the lowers have to organize, and have to want democracy bad enough to run towards the gunfire. the elites are casual about gunfire, if it's their hired guns shooting. don't see that happening in the usa, until it's way too late. you don't see too many sabre-tooth tigers around, do you- some species just can't adapt to climate change fast enough. that would be h. sap. too.
    1
  2433. the rule of britain is a candy box, passed around within the politician caste without thought of popular will. only natural, they are a monarchy, still. king charlie has to approve, but the people don't.
    1
  2434. don't hold yer breath. if tiananmen tells chinese to stop buying apple and buick, trump will not get nominated again, much less get elected. he'll be lucky if some american company getting rich in china doesn't have him hit.  @SouthernSteeler 
    1
  2435. my guess is prc fighter will fire a burst in front of plane, and pilot will reverse course.
    1
  2436. theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/ there is another side to tg, which no one asks her about. a hindu aipac would be much more dangerous than the jewish one.
    1
  2437. Well, either you or PRC are crazy. Have you built a rocket to The Moon? Built the largest and most modern international transport system ever seen? Invented the 5g phone system?
    1
  2438. it's easy to sneer at the usg, the cosmetics have largely fallen off, but they still direct the largest military, and the largest collection of nuclear weapons, so please, don't make them angry. which leads to 'vlad's adventure,' vlad is carving up ukraine, not clear how much he can take, or wants, but zelensky seems ready to fight to the last ukrainian. well, 2nd last - he's got a plane trip booked, to los angeles. usa has only supplied money, they print it as needed, and weapons, well, they keep piling up so giving them away does create a nice income stream for those with stock in raytheon and general dynamics. result: vlad is not making usg angry, no matter what they say. this war could go on until they run out of ukrainians, and still usg is smiling.
    1
  2439. aristotle said the essential aspect of every society is simply: "who decides?" this is not "who rules," necessarily, but the difference is not significant. in a democracy, the electorate decides. the usa is not a democracy, it is an elective oligarchy. for historical reasons, elective aristocracy is better. and the 'aristocracy' is dependent on money, so functionally, the usa is a genuine plutocracy. it will remain so until the constitution is replaced. there is no visible interest in doing so, so plutocracy will remain until the vitality of the nation is drained, at which point some military leader will announce that he [or she, general gabbard might have a new role to play] is taking the civil government into temporary guidance. talking about 'democracy in the workplace' is a nonsense. in the first place, many don't work, are they not part of the nation? more fundamentally, democracy means rule by the citizens, not rule by labor leaders. hi-jacking the 'good' word is commonplace, but still unconvincing.
    1
  2440. actually, they could save you. fry them in a giant bonfire, and liquidate their holdings into a national trust fund. the fire is necessary, to avoid recurrence of the phenomenon. the national trust fund would bank-roll the nation as you transition to socialism.
    1
  2441. the usa is not a democracy. its people are civilians, not citizens. it was designed to be that way, read what madison said about his constitution, in promoting it to the grandees of the convention. the language was antique, but the import is clear: the rich rule. since then, corporations have become dominant in the financial sphere, so corporatocracy is appropriate. 'fascism' has such unpleasant memories, don't you agree? but the formal rulers remain what they have been since 1789--- elected aristocrats called 'politicians.' the people could seize control and create a democracy, if only they were better educated, better organized, and had some collective courage. all are lacking, and usa has a very dim future. they are a danger to the whole world.
    1
  2442. it's not a democracy, it's not yours, and money has ruled from the beginning by design. ay ain't gonna change that, but he might provide a class of cattle management.
    1
  2443. assange is the latest 'dreyfus,' accused of treason to cover the treason of others. treason is a nonsense, he is not a usan. so they tie him to manning because he did publish mannig's accusations, not a crime, but also encourage manning in his crime. i am reminded of the dreyfus affair, because both involved criminals accusing the innocent. ellsberg is no champion of virtue - his wife is responsible for the pentagon papers, but this time he is old enough to speak truth to power. truth doesn't matter anymore, and it seldom has. usa is in the grip of fascism and few escape. the thugs in power are bad enough, but when a large %age of the proles are thugs as well, as in the usa, there is no path to light.
    1
  2444. not crazy at all. the nicaragua plan was about equal to panama as an engineering task, choice was 'political,' usa backed the creation of panama, got control of the canal, a money-maker and vital to 2 ocean dominance. if china gets this underway, you know usa on the way out.
    1
  2445. seen this guy flying down the motorway on a vincent shadow. just realized he was a mortal danger to self and public. had to be started for him, maybe that should have tipped me off then.
    1
  2446. h-m participated in usa plans to dominate prc. i hope they keep their stores open, and maintain staff levels, so china can walk by their doors, and spit.
    1
  2447. stop talking about revolution. won't happen. some conditions are there but usa is a nation of short-term thinkers. revolution needs planning and patience, it took more than 20 yers to knock over the warlords of china, and 50 to get usa out of vietnam. not gonna happen in usa. so i recommend that 'progressives' move to the west coast and wait for the federal government to collapse. shouldn't be long, pass the time by writing a new constitution for the democratic republic of westcoastia.
    1
  2448. trump has been an embarrassment simply by being elected. a perfect demonstration of the degenerate condition of the usa political system. he didn't force his way in at gunpoint, folks. he fell in by simply running in place while the politicians self-destructed. well, you get the government you are willing to endure, and it is widely known now that usans will vote for anything. just look different from a politician. there are any number of sinister resolutions to that condition. military officers, take note! there could be a oval office in your future.
    1
  2449. in a web age, you could put 50 million would-be citizens around d. c and educate the administrators of your nation of your desire for democracy. but no one wants democracy. a nation of submissive labor units can be allowed to talk, so long as the first words are "they otta..."
    1
  2450. uk is welded firmly to the usg ass. the people of uk and usa should be protesting continually for his release, but they do not. they don't deserve his service to them, and will regret the lack of whistleblowers in future. the establishment press have no interest in blowing up the mirage of justice and democracy, so a charge of cowardice is misplaced. the press is not the champion of the people, but nowadays, youtube can play that role, to some extent. but the weak link in human society is the ordinary person- democracy and justice are impossible with elite rule, and homer sap seems incapable of the ground level organization needed to confront the elite. the web should make it easy, so the weakness is in the genes.
    1
  2451. let's keep it simple: 1. send an email to all your national reps every monday morning. say "give us effective and accessible power of citizen initiative." "or else." 2. tell your friends to do the same. 3. tell them to tell their friends to do the same. i think 1,000,000 such emails every monday morning would cause the hyenas to reflect on what 'or else' might mean. don't stop there- twit, snap and even phone, same message. the same message creates the realization that there is a common rage wide-spread among the plebs/proleslosers who put them in office. revolution is not as hard as you thought.
    1
  2452. assange greatly underestimated the consequences of his actions. the usa has been killing people singly and en masse through covert action and uniformed banditry for many years, and julian thought he could shine a light while relying on usa respect for law. wrong. 6 years detention is actually light punishment for his miscalculation. even if he walks away from this soft jail, he could 'fall' under a train any time thereafter. whistleblowers take note: the american people will not reward you for exposing the crimes of their government.
    1
  2453. in fact, services to chinese are often better than usa. much is made of chinese surveillance through web activity, but by now americans should have figured out that the nsa is always looking at them.
    1
  2454. prof wolff likes to imply that the direction of the nation should be pointed towards peace and general prosperity. in that case, his expertise would have some value. but the masters of the usa are driven simply by the goal of career enhancement and private wealth, their own and their sponsors. so nothing will come from reading prof wolff but a cynical understanding among the lowers, that academics are useless, too. usa needs revolution. but things will have to get much worse, before dispossessed middle class can lead the lowers to the barricades. the interesting part is, will h. sap get in control of itself before it destroys the environment beyond survival? if usa is any guide, no.
    1
  2455.  @Songbird645  no, rule by politicians is oligarchy. and elections make no difference. but go on kidding yourself, lot's of people are willing to be 'double-thinked..'
    1
  2456. not even difficult. emigrate. worked for me.
    1
  2457. police can be charged, now and then. time passes, the charges dropped. you can't put a cop in jail, his life in danger. maybe some white collar nature camp, but that hardly qualifies as a deterrent. there's a saying, "which way to san jose?" "hmmm. sorry, you can't get there from here." usa began badly and is doomed. but don't despair, rome was doomed for a thousand years. maybe you'll be a rome.
    1
  2458. there is little doubt that prc tech will soon be the world leader, except possibly military. in similar circumstance, sparta beat athens. that's homer sap for you. fingers crossed - we need to focus on climate and civilized population reduction.
    1
  2459. the important take-away from the nixon regime is that if all else fails, you just retire and write your exculpatory memoirs. there might be a significance in his bringing china into the world of international trade, enriching american shareholders by sending their work to china. simultaneously enriching china in cash and technology as we see today. this would be treachery in a society that valued community, but usa is not one of those. in the land of the rich, the unrich are cattle, and there is no nation, just gated communities, and paved wilderness.
    1
  2460. well, any discussion involving 'american democracy' is not going anywhere, anymore than predicting tinkerbell will lead usans to disneyland. what sometimes happens, is that a dispossessed middle class overturns the national myth, very gently, and the pent-up rage of the sans culottes breaks everything. something new is born, always better, but not necessarily lasting. the french have had several revolutions, and never came close to democracy or any realization of egalite', poor russia even worse. i'm hoping usa splits apart, peacefully, as ussr did. china, now, is a little hopeful: their revolution has lifted china to a unique degree, and they are making substantial efforts to spread the money. the new [ marxist ] mandarinate is very suited to their history and culture, so they are likely to function well for 100 years or more. failure is built in to every human society, and prc have no magic answer to the corrosion of privilege and corruption. i think that needs democracy, which homo sapiens is smart enough to devise, not smart enough to attain. missed it by that much! no matter- climate catastrophe looks like leveling us to the ground, or the grave. so dance while you can, make sure your kids do mandarin in school.
    1
  2461. if you turn your attention to foreign news once a year, my, so much has happened!
    1
  2462. respect? that's consensual sex, innit? poor woman didn't want to lose her job, to begin with, and didn't want to be unemployable if she went public. the practical solution is to explain to the senator that she has recorded his unwanted activity and will make him famous if he gets out of line again. and she wants a raise.
    1
  2463. the usa is the evil empire of our time, a simple demonstration of what happens when a group of humans get control of power sufficiently overwhelming as to license greed and arrogance. the public assertion by blinken, that 'nato will go where it wants' is imperialism voiced by a bureaucrat. as contemptible as usa politicians are, i marvel at how many other nations and organizations are eager to follow that chariot. homer sap in office is contemptible everywhere. the cure is to make politicians extinct. get democracy, direct nations by regular and frequent referendum, under control of citizen initiative. unfortunately, homer in domestic garb is ignorant, passive and servile. bred and trained for submission. we are doomed. civilization collapse very likely, and may preserve us from extinction through war, but processes in train could wipe us out without nuclear war.
    1
  2464. you can't expect good management to happen when the selection guidelines are set by the constitution. basically, none. no experience required. no training required. no demonstrated talent required. anyone can be president, and a wide selection of 'anyones' have passed through the office. rotten management gets bad results- look around you. trump is a good example of why a sane and functional society would write a new constitution, but his presence in office is a good reason why no one would call the usa sane and functional.
    1
  2465. btw, india appears to be starting ww3. they must have backing from usa.
    1
  2466. biden and putin must not back away. biden has more time, no usa blood as yet. so putin must raise the pressure. not sure he has the backing from the kremlin. he doesn't have the red army to work with. it may come to a nuke on a city. just to reassure everyone he is in charge, and determined to win. important to remember that ukraine hates russia, and it's mutual. putin won't lose any sleep over a city of dead ukrainians, but the capitalist media would carpet bomb the news with 'war-crime!' poor putin. a dictator's life is not all roses!
    1
  2467. the masters of usa are blinded by many years of dominance, at home and in foreign affairs. they seldom hear 'no,' and assign no value to the word. the people of usa are ignorant, passive and doped by national myths. they have no control over their masters, or themselves. i think this will result in nuclear war, since neither putin nor xi resembles chamberlain, and both have the means to hurt usa severely. putin is much more likely to shoot first, since usa is ruled by people that want to live, while he is a genuine desperado. putin's best move is to tell zelensky publicly to evacuate kyiv, within a week. threats from usa should be publicly met with a list of usa cities targeted by missiles. i think this will result in usa backing down. they are ultimately ruled by money.
    1
  2468. you haven't got a democracy, lizzie, and that's why everything is working great for the rich. what you have got is a political guild that lies for a living, an elite of wealth and power that tells them what lies to tell, and a bone-ignorant populace that swallows the lies and lets the rich rule.
    1
  2469. well, at least the bernie bros will have finally faced reality. no politician is gonna fix usa. form militia groups, or mailing campaigns or go to church if all hope is lost. but the reason for the 2nd amendment is just so you can reason with politicians from a position of power. they will never give you democracy until they see a gun. or losing their seat- organizing civilian action groups to vote out any politician who does support citizen initiative as the primary law can work. but it needs more people.
    1
  2470. nice to know there is a sane and knowledgeable usan, but he must be lonely.
    1
  2471. because the prc knows the election isn't final until the cia votes. didn't you watch pompeo ignore the election results?
    1
  2472. you watch the politicians with unease, or actual horror, and never ask, "why do we put up with this?" democracy is possible, even easy if usa people want it. but you are uniformly conditioned to submission. superficially capable of political opinion, but without the motive power of character to turn discussion into action. truly pathetic. unfortunately, your masters command great power and are utterly without ethical sense. a danger to the world's people. they are currently trying to suppress both russia and china. putin, in particular is likely to respond with any combination of military means necessary. while usa media are actively stirring up war fever. does no one in usa understand the likely result?
    1
  2473. i compared the performance of the central committee of the prc cp with the leadership of the usa. feinstein, mcconnell, biden and pelosi. not one those four could be relied on to make change at a corner store. pretty sure usa will continue to decline, with that leadership. and it won't get better- all are in office by the normal action of the usa law and custom.
    1
  2474. it's not enough to put bernie in the oval office. presidents need control of house and senate to do substantive things. but not a word about this fundamental fact of usa politics. the democratic party is not his friend, and then there's the republican senate. there's going to be a 'train crash' if bernie gets in, and does little. but america will get over it. they are used to it. the enthusiasm before the election is mounted on fairy dust, and collapses without harm. in the meantime, a lot of talking heads make a living from this reality theater, biden is looking more and more foolish, no handicap in american politics, and more and more certain of success. the fix is in, he imagines. trump's presence in office should have removed all certainty, but perhaps new measures are in place, haven't had a good assassination in years. there is a morbid interest in watching a society unravel.
    1
  2475. the endless tolerance of politician rule is dispiriting. even the swiss have tolerated usa base. no hope for homer sap.
    1
  2476. it's not by accident- keep'em bare foot and ignorant, and you save money on secret police. if you trouble yourself to read the history of the constitutional convention, you will discover that the founding fathers knew a lot about democracy, and were doing their best to make sure it didn't happen. with great success. it's too late for usa, the climate crisis will be met, or not, without much help from there. they are too busy feeding themselves at one end, and polluting the planet at the other.
    1
  2477. doesn't matter. ignorant sheep will be exploited by the puppetmasters waving biden's tongue. if yer too dim to get and hold democracy, some small elite group will run the nation for themselves.
    1
  2478. they are not rare. china has a temporary market setting position because rich nations couldn't be bothered. this situation is changing rapidly.
    1
  2479. you may not like letting felons vote, but the alternative is handing power to some official as to who should be allowed to vote. i don't trust politicians, do you?
    1
  2480. getting out of syria and afghanistan may well be a good idea. mattis made a living out of war, and can't be trusted to appreciate the charms of peace. of course, one could reasonably assume trump made this possibly good call for some random reason. trump perfectly typifies the usa today: corrupt, selfish and aggressive where violence seems safe and profitable. trump doesn't see any money or votes in syria, still less in afghanistan. are you sure he is wrong? the american constitution is obsolete. trump himself should make you realize this, although he is not the first corrupt and incompetent politician to hold power in usa history. and it is not just the electoral college that is obsolete. the continual failure of national management is responsible for the state of the nation.
    1
  2481. should be done? how about, ignore it? elon has pushed ev production significantly, homer sap owes him for that.
    1
  2482. any third party candidate is a russian asset. that's objective reality, assuming they take most of their votes from the dems. but coming from clinton, it's nothing to do with reality, everything from the rage of the 'missed it by that much' loser. just 3 or 4 visits to the rust belt, a few soothing words about plans for regeneration, and it would have been 'president hillary.' but she couldn't see the need for that, in the end she was just a 'goldwater girl' again.
    1
  2483. i can see no reason for india to fear russia or prc. indian politicians seem to have chosen to be usa barking dog, in return for personal advantage.
    1
  2484.  @nanwilder2853  i come from kansas, and we are kansans. kansans are yokels, and so are usans. rhere are good yokels, but not enough.
    1
  2485. don't blame mcconnell, he's doing what he has always done. if you read the original discussion of the purpose of the 2nd amendment, you will discover a remedy for the current level of oppression by the government. not necessary to shoot anyone, but if a mass of armed citizens present a demand on congress, it will remind them of the reality behind counting votes. the demand should be for democracy. once the citizens have the power of initiative, health care will follow immediately, and many other benefits as well.
    1
  2486. he's not a criminal till some judge says 'guilty.' give him airtime so you can know what he says in his own defense. you haven't understood the usefulness of freedom of speech. you, telling me his a crook is useless. him, saying things i believe to be lies, is useful.
    1
  2487. it's not a democracy. but your masters can throw you cash if they wish. normally this is done with licenses to steal, and/or not be taxed. throwing cash to the plebs is an ancient idea, particularly the soldiers. but you are not shareholders, either. used to be field slaves, and then soldiers, and now, useless eaters. but some of the elite have realized that unemployed people with the highest percentage of gun ownership in the world are not useless after all: they are a revolutionary army or uncontainable bandit gangs. the roman solution was free bread.actually, free wheatmeal. keeps longer than bread. yand really is a smart man. he sees that it is 'free' cash, or endemic gunfire. stand up, new share-holder! unfortunately, the koch brothers are no more far-sighted than your average lizard. they think a private army, a walled community, refuge home on sunny island is a long-term alternative to sharing with the useless.
    1
  2488. seems quite simple - the usg is unresponsive to the wishes of the people, by design. the government was designed to empower the rich. because there is no referendum, no initiative, the rich and their. politician agents can ignore the people. in the absence of a formal method to participate in the direction of public affairs, the people only have the choice of submission, or violence. increasingly, submission is not survival-oriented.
    1
  2489. the society is not a democracy, and the work place is not a nation. 'democracy' is a society ruled by its members, known as 'citizens.' the people do not rule, in usa. 'democracy' in the work place is a nonsense. democracy applies to a nation, it is a label which is an answer to the vital question of any nation, "who decides ?" this particular answer is a greek phrase whose literal translation is "citizens rule." you can have a worker-directed co-op workplace, but not a democratic workplace, for lack of the decisive power of a nation. unless, of course, your worker-directed workplace has an army sufficient to ensure independence from outside control. but then you are a nation.
    1
  2490. free college is a socialist idea. also, sensible: you need educated people to operate a modern society. pete, and the republicans, hate this notion that their taxes should give the kids of poor people a chance to take jobs meant for the children of the rich. but the underlying problem is extracting money from the rich. they run the nation, and they have made tax collection difficult. tax collection should be simple, in a digital age, and it would be simple, in a socialist society: just run every transaction through government servers, and clip off x%. taxes, solved. education, solved. fair and effective national management of the nation is easy, if that's your goal. it's just that a great many americans want their fair share, and as much more as they can steal.
    1
  2491. don't get excited about dubya, his crimes could be counted in 100's of 1000's. usa in vietnam got into real millions, for no more reason than protecting lbj's 'manhood.'
    1
  2492. they can't strip you of rights, because you hold rights though power. they can take away privileges, because you submit to the rule of politicians,
    1
  2493. israel is a conquest society. they shot their way to power, although it was surprisingly easy. they had big dollars behind them, and tacit support of the usg. refusing to recognize israel is a moral position, simply because the remaining palestinians are treated worse than brown usans, and worse than brown south africans, under apartheid. they are a conquered people, and most of the world looks away.
    1
  2494. there is no 'must.' usg is unresponsive to the electorate, which is impotent and ignorant. wishing things would happen obscures reality, and makes action more difficult. usg cares not a fig about isolation, and enjoys plenty of support from like-minded client governments, anyway. so the war will continue, vlad dare not stop, usg is losing nothing, but paper money, and the ukraine government has a core support of russia-haters sufficient for active and apparently effective resistance. poor vlad, the red army beat the best military machine in the world, his poor russian army can't even cope with ukrainian nazis. i do wish lefties would be a little more realistic. just because there is a living to be made spouting platitudes doesn't license 'wishing on a star.'
    1
  2495. i was planning to say that, but no copyright.
    1
  2496. don't worry about trump. his function is to give comparative legitimacy to whatever turnip is fronting the dems. i never understood why usa doesn't want democracy. politicians are a visible curse, but you keep voting for them. that is a self-destructive personality disorder.
    1
  2497. usa is the evil empire, and evil people are generally too selfish to enjoy the fruits of co-operation. it appears prc has achieved sufficient material progress to sustain itself in the face of usa aggression. establishing a second center of power, and science, appears to have enough support to grow and become pre-eminent. good news! for humanity, although too early to celebrate.
    1
  2498. long ago i simply filed every word from the usg under 'lie.' saves time.
    1
  2499. what are we gonna do? nothing. the people of the usa are not citizens of a democracy, and their 'power to do' is near nothing. the rulers of the nation almost always forgive ex-presidents, hoping to set an example of mercy which will be given them. bush jr committed war-crime, but continues to be free, trump's frauds are not in that league, so why prosecute him?
    1
  2500. the question is not, 'who is bought?' the question should be, 'why don't we get democracy?' california has it, close enough. scale it up, for a transition constitution. and there's the problem: usans are not citizen quality people. they are defectives, willing to be owned by politicians.
    1
  2501. sacns is one of the very few usa public figures worth listening to, but since no one in power in usa does pay any attention, he has become a cassandra figure. i suspect he is strong enough and sophisticated enough to continue reporting reality. he may well outlive the usa imperium, and can dine out in his old age on his history of "i told'em..." a well-deserved reward.
    1
  2502. start a citizen initiative to control pollution.
    1
  2503. keep in mind that the democratic party couldn't find a candidate and platform that could beat trump. you would think it was easy, if your motive was justice and prosperity for the nation. but hillary chiefly wanted to make wall street happy, and the one-time goldwater girl had no time at all for the rust-belt. if you are too ignorant, too dim or simply too lazy to see the need for democracy, you must endure whatever crooked incompetence is thrown to the cattle. serves you right!
    1
  2504. the 'good americans' seem too few to control the bad. perhaps too frightened. maybe just unconcerned- not my problem. but the corrupt and brutal society has its military tentacles in many nations, and destructive power much greater than any other, so it is a threat to humanity, even the world. usa will destroy itself, process underway and evident, the only interest is how much they will ruin on the way out.
    1
  2505. just say they are hungarians and we can save time. this kind of sophistication demonstrates that cynicism can be carried too far.
    1
  2506. the people of usa can have democracy, it only needs 20% to get the change underway. but the strongest element of sustained oligarchy is the submission and fatalism fatalism of the plebs.
    1
  2507. complete nonsense. 'secret police' will last about 30 seconds in the presence of a similar number of combat infantry. but it is not certain if the soldiers will fight for the nation. every soldier hired since the end of conscription is a mercenary, though many might not realize it. and certainly it has been a long time since usa fought for survival, rather than market dominance. it would be no surprise if a significant number of soldiers 'followed orders' from a rogue general. and of course, trump is 'cinc.' the constitution has religious significance for many, but in fact it is a contemptible document, the cause of poverty, foreign wars and incipient civil war. fortunately, trump himself is visibly a contemptible man, and that makes a great difference in civil war. i will be surprised if he does not go quietly. very quietly-- a private jet to a nation not likely to hand him over to the usa.
    1
  2508. failure? the constitution of the usa was written to ensure the rich controlled the government. look around you- here is the result. china is also an oligarchy, but its rulers are smart and educated and intent on putting china back at the leading edge of human society. america's system has put a trump at the helm, with an utterly corrupt congress with no aim but self-promotion. it's only gonna get worse, and it's all your own work.
    1
  2509. it shouldn't have been considered bribery. the usa was founded to ensure the rule of wealth. what better way to achieve this goal than giving money to agreeable officers of state.
    1
  2510. beto would be happier in the republican party, and will probably wind up there. worked for reagan.
    1
  2511. no, they did it on the back of u.s. greed. that's why 'american' iphones come from china.
    1
  2512. china might not have much regard for british political and economic value, but peeling brits off the usa bum would be a useful bit of geo-strategic theater.
    1
  2513. if you don't like chinese business and legal structure, don't do business there. simple. but if you do business in china, be prepared to do it the chinese way.
    1
  2514. what a silly question? it presupposes trust in, say, usa. or any other less dangerous feature of modern life. right now, i compare the leadership of xi jinping with the [nominal] leadership of joe biden, and think prc is my mother, usa the monster of 'alien.' the fact that biden in some respect is a puppet multiplies the danger immensely, as the puppeteers work without any public restraint. xi aussi, but he has a track record of sanity and competence, not so, biden. his masters are known to be the corporate greed demographic. they must be getting nervous about their grip on the world. nervous people with the usa military machine at their direction should terrify us all.
    1
  2515. trump long ago discovered that he didn't have to pretend to notice reality. 40% of usa voters are so contemptuous of professional politicians that following trump expresses their 'anyone is better' opinion. perhaps he will not have to find another 10%, biden may stink enough to keep dems home on the day.
    1
  2516. as these richos are not in public office, why should we concern ourselves with what they want?
    1
  2517. here is insanity, speaking in a charming scottish way. children are not wholly owned property, neither should they be left to the life prescribed by their parents. health, safety and education should not be a lottery.
    1
  2518. usa does not have a democracy problem. because it is not a democracy. perhaps it has an elective aristocracy problem, but you are unlikely to think of a solution if you imagine you have democracy, and don't.
    1
  2519. electric is better, although how much better depends on the quality of coal, and the tuned performance of the car. plus it's quiet. plus you can fill up at home. bicycle better for short trips, train better for long trips. petrol is zombie walking, only noisier.
    1
  2520. you live in elective aristocracy. you comfort yourself with your 'commoner' status by saying 'milord' will look out for me. but they don't, you know they won't, most won't even try. but getting democracy is hard, and any effort is too much effort. so things change slowly or rapidly, but always for the worse. you are ruled by parasites, citizens of a democracy don't have politicians, they are unnecessary, and bad for your health. but their rule extinguishes any power of self-management or self-respect. quite like vampires, really. talk about rock and a hard place!
    1
  2521. if you are too dim to get, or even want, democracy, you have to expect the your masters will run the nation for their own benefit. so why complain? does no good. and it should embarrass you, to be the serfs of politicians. they are few, arrogant but cowardly. if 20 million voters started driving towards dc, with shotguns, they would have democracy before they had to find a parking place.
    1
  2522. usa is not a democracy, never was, read some history and you will discover it was intended to be an oligarchy ruled by rich people. and it is. the word 'democracy' means 'the people rule' and the people don't rule in the usa, haven't you noticed? why then is it commonly referred to as a democracy? to fool the ignorant. they didn't explain orwell's '1984' in my high school english class, i'm betting nor in yours. but the 'truth is out there,' if you look where your teachers shied away from.
    1
  2523. no, no, and no. usa needs democracy. without decisive power talking about what you want is just dreaming. of course, organizing a mass movement to get democracy is hard. probably impossible. so go back to wishing.
    1
  2524. good ol' uk, faithful to murrikin master to the end. and that end is getting closer because politicians are in charge.
    1
  2525. china is not the threat. usa is the threat.
    1
  2526. ain't funny. sounding more like louis 16 everyday, but you ain't got a revolutionary bone in the national body.
    1
  2527. let's start with the basics- who has the power to 'do.' not you, an individual, out side your personal space, nor the entire body of the people, for the usa is not a democracy. the government has the power to 'do,' and if you have money, you can buy the government. but they are expensive, so only the rich can 'do,' outside of government office. aristotle said the important feature of society is simply, "who decides?" he was right then, and still is. so when people tell you about their grand ideas, just ask, "have you got money, or power, or is it wishful thinking, or are you running some kind of scam? the last two are almost universally the reply.
    1
  2528. trump is not your problem. your system of government is your problem. it appears that your national awareness may be an even more fundamental problem. the management of the nation is incompetent, and no one seems to realize it. to summarize, 'anyone' can be president. so look around you, how is that working out?
    1
  2529. it's no use talking about what should be done, when you don't have the means to do. the lack of democracy makes talking futile, and makes the character of the people servile. hedges is on the side of the angels, but he is no che guevara, much less mao tse dung. the need for action is obvious, but the usa is a nation of talkers and wishers. hedges may well understand this, i pity him if so.
    1
  2530. iran should get nuclear weapons. there is no other way to deal with the usa. prc should sell them, cheaply. venezuela also.
    1
  2531. "Karma you Jerks. Greetings from Mexico." and the whole world is laughing, not just mexico. murrikans are going to discover their problems are self-made, eventually. even dim-wits can feel pain and stumble of the cause. but don't blame trump, he's just a symptom. the constitution created this problem. it was written to protect the rich, and it has and does. if you are too dim to see it, it will go on protecting the rich, and screwing the chumps. get democracy, and citizen initiative will start straightening out your life.
    1
  2532. save yer adulation for zhukov. the western front was a stroll on a sunny afternoon, compared to what the red army faced.
    1
  2533. dr sachs is flavor of the month already, and is in contention as 'the man who pulled the plug on a whole era' of human society.. he was making gentle waves, but in recent months he has switched to 'sordid-truth' reporter. the evil empire can't tolerate much of that. i suspect they are warming up a 'lone gunman' for dr. sachs, i hope they will give him an 'or else' warning. he sounds charmingly naive about the actual methods of the usg.
    1
  2534. vn and iraq had no shred of justification, afghanistan was worth no more than a 2 week raid.
    1
  2535. hitler wanted ukraine, and everything in between . there were slavs on it, they had to go. he had some notion of sov capabilities and knew that size and numbers meant 'now or never.' so he threw the dice. it wasn't stupid, although maybe it was desperation.things went pretty well, up to the sight of moscow. at this point, reality broke in- there was just too many of them.
    1
  2536. who is 'they?
    1
  2537. ole
    1
  2538. swiss have democracy, still. losing it slowly in the anaconda embrace of the eu.
    1
  2539. same reason bush jr is still walking around. murdering thousands is not a crime, if done from usa office..and they're foreigners, for heaven's sake!
    1
  2540. as soon as a ruler establishes himself by force, he begins to buttress his position with law and custom. only natural. can't get anything done in a society where a gunshot changes rulers and national direction. the same could be said about elections, assuming they are decisive and not merely decorative. measure xjp by what he accomplishes, not by what he says. so far, xjp is doing well, so well that already established rulers are nervous, and doing what they can to impede him and his nation. i am hopeful prc prevails, simply because i am well-acquainted with the world according to washington dc, and feel that view must be suppressed. they are looting the world in search of another dollar.
    1
  2541. if you must establish a kingdom, better to begin with legal title. it thins out the people pushing against the fence and begging for food and shelter. and a really large piece gives you protection from gangs who have possessed an rpg ot small mortar.
    1
  2542. why does no one in usa want democracy? is there some genetic urge to fall on your knees in the presence of a politician?
    1
  2543. comments more sensible than i expected.
    1
  2544. if you are aware that the usa is not a democracy, and that most of the crimes of the rich and well-connected could not happen in a democracy, why is not the first goal to get democracy, so that, with citizen initiative, every crime could be dealt with? no one expects a carpenter to do good work without tools, and he wouldn't show up to work with no tools, so why do you act like a citizen when you are not a citizen, you are only a civilian, without legislative tools to direct public activity. get democracy first, because without it, results of 'protest' are unlikely to be satisfactory, and will certainly be undone when attention shifts.
    1
  2545. they are invaders, successful due to american support. some people sympathize with the people whose homeland was taken from them by armed banditry. the struggle is not over.  anne smith 
    1
  2546. iran must get nuclear weapons and an international delivery system, as a matter of survival. perhaps china should sell them some, cheaply. it would certainly make the 'belt and road' more secure.
    1
  2547. 'go' is a tougher game, and china invented it. japanese are good at it, too. there are smart people everywhere, and board games are not life.
    1
  2548. ah, yes, 'must.' an imperative with no actor. you don't have power, not being citizen of a democracy, and those with power don't have any reason to listen.
    1
  2549. if i were rich and famous, i would make grand pronouncements, too. it's tempting. but, is it any use? the entire usa government could be charged with war crimes and/or genocide, and not forgetting enslavement of africans. from day one, and hardly a day missed ever since. grand pronouncements had no effect. when will it end? the rest of us gotta stop tolerating them. wouldn't hurt to shoot a few, either. the fact is, shooting usa soldiers is the only visible way to modify the activity of the usg. the chinese and vietnamese demonstrated this technique, it works, but it needs real conviction. in the usa, that conviction only arises in the angry mothers of dead soldiers. and this is why usg likes proxy fighting, nowadays. as long as it's someone else's son, no problemo.
    1
  2550. and usa won the war in a day, by blowing up the pipeline. maybe they enlisted the brit lackeys to actually lay the charges, on usg instruction. either way, europe clings to usa, or freezes. except some euros may refuse to be treated like chumps.
    1
  2551. not gonna happen. the reason you don't have democracy is to prevent the taxes of the rich being wasted on the poor. i paraphrase madison, when he was selling his constitution to the grandees of his day. since you don't have democracy, you must let the rich rule, or resist violently. so far, usa peeps can't find the way to fight, because the army is mercenary and fights for the rich, in principle. but soon this dependency on the army will inspire some general to 'organize' usa life.
    1
  2552. the world has watched the jewish invasion of palestine for over 100 years now, and only a plea for refugee relief is heard. israelis laugh. usa smiles. mission accomplished, very nearly. just a few survivors to be liquidated.
    1
  2553. if usa were a democracy, 'recall' or 'initiative' would de-legitimize trump, and the national militia would hang him in front of the lincoln memorial. but it isn't a democracy, and americans are political neuters, tv watchers is the limit of their interest in politics, voting for their masters the limit of their power.
    1
  2554. i guess there is a living to be made by pretending usa politics is sane.
    1
  2555. what you've got is liable to be eroded by 'fascism,' but that's because what you've got is not democracy. since you don't realize that, you are so ignorant as to be a push-over for someone like trump. the crisis has not arrived, because trump's relation with the military is strained, at best. but trump could be used by some general with a desire to be master of the nation. so far, none have felt the desire.
    1
  2556. trump voters voted for "something different, any thing different." they didn't have initiative to make an effective action. so they threw a wrench in the machine, to wake up their masters in the beltway bubble. many of them were ignorant enough to hope trump might actually do some positive action, in their behalf. they were right to do so: clinton was offering nothing, and certainly would change nothing. better some hope than none.
    1
  2557. what is it about americans, they go on voting for politicians in the face of endless betrayal. so many guns, so few heroes.
    1
  2558. children vote for celebrities, adults vote for referenda and initiatives, and the smart people prepare an escape home, new zealand is the flavor of the moment, sheep paddock being converted to townhouses as fast as they can go. bring money[preferably gold].
    1
  2559. i wish he had stayed in greece, and led them to democracy and independence. he is smart, educated and sophisticated. but he felt greece was too small a stage for his talents, so instead of being a national savior, he is just an international celebrity.
    1
  2560. whine, whine, whine.if you had the education and character to support democracy, it would make sense to revolt. but you don't. perhaps if you specialize in choral singing, you could charm your masters into throwing coins as they went between congress and cars. "my country, tis of thee...." should be popular.
    1
  2561. there is no american democracy. the nation is an elective aristocracy, created as a front for the plutocratic rule of slave plantation masters, and re-purposed as the front for corporate wealth after the civil war. the democratic party has since joined with the republicans in maintaining the rule of corporate wealth. why then do people refer to american democracy? to refresh the lies which keeps the people docile. it has nothing to do with reality.
    1
  2562. in an alternate reality, hilllary is in office and too busy fighting a war in iran to manage cv19. dji down even farther.
    1
  2563. i have been suggesting secession for 50 years now, centered on establishing 'westcoastia' as a nation. there would have to be a transition period, much as mr. hartmann describes. but he is working with inferior clay. usans do not cohere, the sense of community was never strong, and long since leached out by their masters. i wonder if that lack of community spirit might cause the collapse of the nation in the face of determined rebellion, but i see no sign of the resolute character needed to confront the military strength of usa. i am certain the federal government would attempt forceful recovery of 'westcoastia,' but it might fail, we'll never know. the grit ain't there.
    1
  2564. disintegration of trust is overdue. tear up the constitution and start over, with a declaration that the will of the electorate expressed in referendum and initiative is the sovereign law of the land. that's called 'democracy.' it makes politicians obsolete, curing the trust problem in a stroke.
    1
  2565. the constitution of the usa was explicitly written to ensure the rich ruled, not the people. the word 'democracy' does not appear, and that was by design. madison despised democracy, and said it would lead to the taxes of the rich being spent at the will of the mob. he was rich, and not inclined to share. consequently, bernie will not save you, can not save you. only revolution can save you, but politicians like things as they are- they dispense fish, and you are grateful . yet they never let go of the fishing pole, and you never get off your knees. until you do, you are second class people.
    1
  2566. it's true, they are getting irritated. but not nervous, as a class they have dominated most of usa history, and even in the 1930's their fundamental control was not threatened. they were bled a bit and kept their heads down, but there was no significant change to the constitution and politicians continued to rule. gradually, the rich bought them back, one at a time. so, not nervous. american politics runs on money and the rich have most of it. 3 of the top 4 dem candidates are openly in the pocket of rich donors, half the democrat reps are 'centrists,' almost all the senate belongs to the rich. bernie in office would not do much better than mr hopeandchange, and it would be undone anyway. you need a revolution, and no one is saying so. you would have to say, public education in the usa has done a brilliant job of blinding the children.
    1
  2567. there is no 'selling out' of democracy, because usa was never a democracy. since the people of usa are incapable of democracy, they cover their weakness with excuses about boogeymen. democracy only happens rarely, it needs citizen quality people that do not flourish in elite rule societies. any nation can have democracy, as soon as a sufficient number of people demand it, gun in hand. no shortage of guns in usa, severe shortage of citizens.
    1
  2568. the west coast should secede.
    1
  2569. everyone in norway can see the tax file of anyone in norway. world does not end. a great many crimes are prevented. but usa has a soft spot for crime, done with an accountant.
    1
  2570. usans have a morbid reverence for the constitution. in fact, it is the source of all your troubles. it does not establish democracy, it creates an oligarchy of office-holders, most of whom have little regard for ordinary usans. i cannot recall any public discussion of the constitution, that recognized reality. so, yer doomed.
    1
  2571. the beauty of american politics is that every action is tainted by political self-interest. "they're all crooks!" is literally true. what to do about it, is the question. i can recommend simply leaving. you may also simply 'tend your own garden' and hope the rot doesn't come to your street. or you might say, "what can i do to improve things?" if you have an answer, don't keep it to yourself, millions are waiting to hear.
    1
  2572. useless! progressives took over the democratic party in the 1930's, but it was only temporary. it's not enough to occupy offices, you have to change the constitution. and politicians will never do that, when they're on top and can act, they see no reason to change anything. so change must come from outside government, the people must organize, must become would-be citizens of a democracy, must become the decisive element of society, must write a new constitution. are usans capable of that? are they citizen quality people? on visible evidence, no. they are cattle quality. that's why in a nation of 300 million adults, and even more personal firearms, 536 aristos can rule those millions. democracy? those poor cows think voting for which master is going to screw them is democracy. no hope, in such a nation of cows.
    1
  2573. not double standards, rather, none at all. usa is run by sociopaths. politicians in general are slimey creatures, when they dispose of great funds and direct great armies, they are amoral bandits. the people of usa have no effective control of their masters, and many are no better. the world of mankind is in great danger, war and environment contend for primacy of threat and either might decimate our species. even extinction is very possible, although of less concern. parts of usa profit from every war, and the occupation of iraq was done for profit on a grand scale. macron is right, usg is driven to looting nato to prop up a degenerate usa economy. naturally, sympathy is uncalled for, european politicians are equally crooked, just less well-placed to steal.
    1
  2574. it's not a democracy because madison explained that in a democracy, the taxes of the rich would be spent on the concerns of the poor. so his constitution established an oligarchy, with an upper house called 'senate,' which spoke for the rich, and usually said, "no." and that's why usa has no referendum, and no initiative power. the people are just watchers. not citizens. they can fire politicians, but only after the damage is done, and since politicians need money to get elected, the replacements are soon co-opted by wealth again. usa is a functional plutocracy, has been from day 1. by design. but it's worse than that. the peeps are raised to think they live in a democracy, there is 'voting,' after all. it's just that it does no good. voting for politicians doesn't work, except for the rich. what is to be done? leave the usa if you can, there are more civilized places. retire to the country if you can't leave, and raise your own food. avoid paying taxes, some of it is spent doing murder in other lands.
    1
  2575. when did presidents pass legislation? bad enough to live in a bubble, but not understanding what the law is inside the bubble should worry you.
    1
  2576. don't be silly! need a government to keep the plebs under control. richees' hire personal protection, to deal with robbers, and politicians to deal with foreign robbers. private cops and armies are both expensive, but that's life!
    1
  2577. there can't be serious public discussion in the usa, due to the lack of democracy. so usans make do with school cafeteria back-biting. it's amusing sometimes, as here, but inconsequential. your masters just gave away trillions to the already rich, and not a stone thrown, much less gunfire. instead, bickering over tucker 92% 'orrible, or absolutely condemned to the fire.
    1
  2578. if you don't fix the constitution, nothing will change. usa today is the creation of politician rule. the cure is democracy. it appears this is beyond the understanding of usa people. so nothing will change.
    1
  2579. capitalism is just a polite word for greed. it can't be fixed, 'greed', that is. but every society ruled by an elite will be rotten sooner, not later. there is a cure, called democracy, so powerful that elites everywhere prevent it from happening. the cattle class doesn't have time for revolution, the elite don't want it, so it seldom appears. but without democracy the rich will eat the world. r.i.p. homo sapiens.
    1
  2580. they lost more tigers to russian conditions, ice and mud, than enemy fire, and couldn't keep them supplied with fuel. a bad machine, for the eastern front. panthers more successful when some of the bugs were fixed, but too little, too late. the sovs built for local conditions, and a design philosophy of 'good enough, with lots.' it won the war.
    1
  2581. politicians tend to be crooked- it's a necessity to tell different stories to different possible supporters. the cure is simple: make the profession extinct. get democracy and direct the nation through referendum and initiative, administered by public service. but that needs citizen quality people, and a culture of mutual respect and support. where to find, among the children of adam and eve.
    1
  2582. i guess it comes down to fate: if you start a nation to preserve slavery and empower wealth, god punishes you. i used to laugh at khomeini's 'great satan,' but using religious language saves a lot of talk. the usa was remarkably short of ethics from birth, tourists from europe often remarked on the lies and boasting of public figures, so trump is very much a traditional figure. further, the whole notion of putting public administration in the control of people with the chief professional asset of lying convincingly surely assumes corruption as inevitable. when the result is a contest between trump and biden, you are not entitled to complain. you could get democracy, and open government, and peaceful foreign relations. but most don't want those things, they just want license to steal, as americans always have.
    1
  2583. it's not good enough, to make rude gestures and cry, " nyaa, nyaa.' tolerable in children, but grown-ups should aim to change behavior they find contemptible. and that is where usa society reveals failure- a nation of political children. they may grow up, they may organize and arm themselves, but i think not. there is some piece missing in the national character.
    1
  2584. laugh if you must, but it ain't funny. the most depressing aspect is the alienation of murikins from politics, there should be mass demos, but the clever promotion of cv19 keeps everyone at home. there should be militia training on the village green, with all the free time those millions of people have, but instead they are cowering at home with not enough beer and too much tv. this is the collapse of an empire, not with gunfire, but by coughing in public. those clever chinese! a richly deserved collapse. all we need for total happiness is the death of trump and biden, trump from the virus, biden by a knock on the head by his puppet handler.
    1
  2585. will what? [insert hysterical laughter] lucky if they don't inspire another 'lone gunman.'
    1
  2586. elective aristocracy, administered by a political gang in secret, does not have 'winning' function, it only has a 'being chosen' function. no telling what rules there might be. if any. why americans put up with this is not clear to me, but one component must be genetic predisposition to submit to alpha personalities. if you want to fight for your future, stop hoping one old man is gonna fix anything. you have to do this yourself, with the cooperation of millions determined to get democracy, or else.
    1
  2587. it's true that trump is an embarrassment, but the shame lies in the constitution, that allowed such a person into power. that document was a shame at birth, is now hopelessly ineffectual. it simply doesn't generate good management of the nation.
    1
  2588. putin is your average sociopathic dictator, but when usa starts calling him nasty names you are reminded that they kill in tens of thousands, compared to putin'e handfuls.
    1
  2589. there is a reason there are not many worker owned co-ops. the idea has been around for a long time, see 'anarcho-syndicalism.' it doesn't work. many trials and some survived for years, but look around you, beyond the occasional coffee-shop, nothing. as an economic animal, it is weak, neither strong nor fast, so it is eaten. they will never be a majority, neither will there be peace between wolf and sheep. the practical choice is 'how do ordinary people resist oppression by bandit gangs?' they create a worker's co-op of all the adults, called 'democracy.'
    1
  2590. i'm pretty confident usa raises enough natural moron-terrorists to keep fbi in work. but the natural critter may average too smart for fbi.
    1
  2591. a minor problem, just fire a few people, and retrieve the watches. but don't let them divert you from what's going on at badgeries creek: there is multi-million dollar theft of taxes, under the watch of the current government of politician-thieves. it's yer own fault, you let politicians run the nation.
    1
  2592. rhetorical question invites sassy answer, but i will content myself with observing that usa civilians [ you are not citizens ] are presented with a choice presidential candidates: either a despicable politician or even more despicable person who says he despises politicians. could have gone either way, but the 'not-a-politician' squeaked in. i often suggest usas should get democracy, but it is a purely theoretical proposition: democracy needs citizen quality people, and usa only raises civilians. it's not impossible to get democracy, several states have done it. but there is a great mass of slave-minds in the usa, so even the chance of progress seems too dim to inspire action. this means the future of usans is bleak.
    1
  2593. yes, it is. face reality.
    1
  2594. there is no such thing as indirect democracy. what you get is varieties of oligarchy, some with voting for people to rule, there may be a choice, not always. 'indirect democracy' is a scam, people management through vocabulary reduction. review '1984.'
    1
  2595. too late, guys, vietnam got there ahead of you.
    1
  2596. usans deserve trump, and biden. they are a nation of serfs, who allow politicians to rule them. democracy is rule by the citizens, not rule by politicians. yet they hear 'democracy' endlessly, and nod their heads like sheep. of course, all you sheep, in other nations, are not well-placed to laugh.
    1
  2597. that would be never. there may be extinction - level nuclear war, or we may ruin the planet with pollution and over population, or we may content ourselves with some minor or major population crash over a long period of border war. since none of this is subject to rational control, don't worry, be happy!
    1
  2598. don't blame trump. he ain't smart enough for this. pompeo is the secretary of murder, and he will re-appear in cia activities. memo to usans: there was a time when 'democracy ' was thought to be a society ruled by its adult members. if usa was a democracy, you would all be culpable for this murder. but it isn't, so you can say, "gee what a shame." and turn to the sports report.
    1
  2599. disappointing. t-34/75 was not a wonderful design. and it was badly used. 3 man turret over-burdened crew, lack of radio hampered any effective group action. germans coped with it very well. t-34/85 was a different story, but they were in great numbers only after kursk, and the germans in retreat. by then, it was 10 to 1 that was the main strength of t- 34. sovs won by ruthless fighting backed by ruthless production. nothing like imminent death to concentrate the mind.
    1
  2600. buy this book- it's going to be the centerpiece of dinnertime laughter for many years.
    1
  2601. back around 1900, corruption in state governments got so bad, that a 'progressive' movement 'democratized' several states- notably california, which could be a large and prosperous nation if independent. [ hint: it's called 'secede' ] modern progressives are nothing like that, the limit of their aspiration is a fairy god mother in office over them. but i digress. it sounds like trump really is a traitor, as well as a conman. if so, it's president for life, or jail, unless he can slip out of the country and disappear. but trump is not your main problem. a political system that let's such a creature near public office is hopelessly defective, from the point of view of sane and educated people. it was never meant to be anything but a tool of slave plantation grandees, although it has staggered along as a device of rule for wealth in general. trump is not smart enough to be a dictator, but he might be a bridging face for pompeo or similar sociopaths with access to killers and bandits. life is much more interesting lately, innit.
    1
  2602. the usa is not a democracy. it is an elective aristocracy that is a functional plutocracy. voting for people is not democracy. voting for action, law and policy through referendum and initiative is democracy. democracy is rule by the citizens, that is the literal meaning of the greek phrase, it is not rule by any elite.
    1
  2603. journalism has no future. the web makes reporting easy for anyone on line. professionals are always suspect, reporting for ulterior purpose. and notoriously, passing through many hands to maximize profit. how to extract truth/reality from either pros or bloggers is about equally difficult. best solution is to gather many reports from many people, form an opinion then, but provisional.
    1
  2604. in fact, "taxation is theft." in a democracy, there would be no taxation. however, public activity would be authorized by referendum and initiative, and must be funded. the public service will pass all financial activity through their servers, and deduct a flat percentage.
    1
  2605. if you had democracy, you could fix it. if you had democracy... but you don't. worse, no one seems to recognize this reality. a people with the power to decide, through referendum and, vitally, citizen initiative, become citizens, no longer just chumps. the intelligentsia never talk about the glaring lack of democracy, because that might lead to a need, a demand, for action. and they get paid for talking, not shooting. the people can empower themselves, if they can organize and act in concert. and yet they don't. when you are raised to be a slave, you never dream of being a citizen.
    1
  2606. i wonder what his ex-wife thinks.
    1
  2607. don't imagine democrats are any better. get democracy, and make politicians extinct.
    1
  2608. there is no fresh-water crisis, but there is a too-many-people crisis. best solution is a new incurable and usually fatal disease.
    1
  2609. of course not. humanity has would-be authoritarians in its soul. democracy not impossible, but it is unlikely. there are grass-roots feel-good stories, but no visible 'nation-wide' movement to democracy. even vaguely left talking heads have no aspiration beyond getting a kind master. you need citizen quality people to start and maintain democracy, and not many grow in oligarchic societies.. bad news, eh? it gets worse: elite rule of any nature is taking h. sap. to extinction from environmental collapse.
    1
  2610. paid journalism is better than none, but not much better. better by far is to hear action reports from the people being oppressed, stolen from or shot at.
    1
  2611. this senator seems to confuse convictions with with those selfish rules from which she prospers. so in fact, she has no convictions. this should surprise no one. she is a politician. but a populace willing to be ruled by scammers and shysters is not well placed to complain.
    1
  2612. whatever irrational reasons you may wish to add, the decisive reason trump is in office is the collapse in manufacturing in the midwest. neither party protected jobs, but the democratic party simply betrayed the factory workers who had been the core of their power. out of fear for the future and rage at their betrayal, another demographic found they could vote republican, as a message. the fact that trump was an outsider made it easy. usa is a plutocracy, and politicians need support from money. the usa will remain a plutocracy until usa voters raise the red flag. they've got plenty of guns, no leadership. the climate disaster will resolve the question before politics does.
    1
  2613. in actual fact, yanis and jeremy have no interest in democracy. probably just as well- democracy needs citizen quality people, and consumers don't qualify. but as long as any narrow group runs a nation, it won't be run for the people, because it's not run by the people. if the limit of your hope is a kind master, you will always be cheated. you have to do it yourself. that's what democracy means. there are no substitutes.
    1
  2614. Charming idea, where is it so?
    1
  2615. perhaps someday americhumps will realize that public affairs are controlled by an elite who only incidentally take any interest in the welfare of the nation, and less often, the welfare of the people. but probably not, i see no sign of understanding. just in case there are still a few functioning brain cells politicians are not your friends, peeps. they are your parasites, your predators. just imagine a hyena head on top of those quality suits, and you will have the picture. not happy? yer own fault. you are many, they are few. the web is your mother- organize! get democracy, at whatever cost.
    1
  2616. the end of the empire is not here. we may be at the opening stage of the evolution into a more overtly violent and degenerate 'evil empire,' but climate armageddon is likely to decimate humanity before usa is driven from polite company. poor chris oscillates from john the baptist to cassandra with little visible impact on the evil empire. but there seems to be a living in it, and he has a will of steel, or encouragement from god, and perseveres where many would shrug their shoulders and whisper, 'i warned 'em, but would they listen?' and retire to a sunny island.
    1
  2617. yv talks a good game, but he doesn't understand the value of democracy, he thinks all the world needs is to put him in power, and he'll take care of us.
    1
  2618. for the semi-literate, the difference between democracy and plutocracy can be simple: is the discussion about national plans, policies, actions, or is it about money.
    1
  2619. usa is a corrupt and degenerate nation, and it was born that way. but everyone is indoctrinated into unquestioning acceptance as they grow up. it may appear difficult to be corrupt and degenerate at birth, but the constitution established usa with slavery and ethnic cleansing, and overt plutocracy, rotten from the start. so 'progressive' voices content themselves with "ain't it a shame" at the latest pustule of violence, but there is no public wondering if, just maybe, the fundamental rules of the nation are the source of the endemic brutality.
    1
  2620. not me. didn't like supporting a government of murderers. where to go? depends on your assets. enzed best, but they are picky. oz ok , civilized and english speakers, but too close to usg for comfort. if you have some spanish, s. america.
    1
  2621. prof wolff is not clear about the difference between democracy, and elective aristocracy. the usa is the latter. once you make this blunder, further discussion is often futile, gossip in the slave quarters. 'demos kratia' is the greek from which english derives the word 'democracy.' demos kratia literally means, 'the citizens rule.' aristotle thought this was a good idea, on balance. democracy does not. not in the federal government of the usa. there 435 people rule 300 million - an oligarchy if ever there was one. california would be a true democracy, if independent, and i often wonder why they don't secede. some usans know what democracy is, but can't be bothered to get it. but we have elections! sorry, elections are not democracy, for you are deciding nothing except who will be your master for awhile. why don't people want democracy? one reason is because you are told endlessly that you have it, in a modernized version where the hard work of decision is done for you. if you believe that, you are a child, or a natural slave. no manacles needed, just lies.
    1
  2622. military is sacred--- great investment, great employment, wonderful marketing tool, and shooting the competition may keep foreigners in line. ike gets credit for pointing out the obvious, but nothing came of it. munitions is the wet-dream investment, no contact with a real market limitation. usa is beyond hope, should start over, but there is no consensus on what should be done, so nothing will be done. some nations decay from lack of intellectual resources, they simply do not respond to conditions around them. emigrate if you can, great opportunities in china, but even canada is a big step up.
    1
  2623. tg is building a brand- i expect her to drive into dc at the head of a special forces unit, with interdiction air cover overhead. it'll be a coup, but successful coups often have popular support. that's what she is doing now. i think the contempt for the usa political system will ensure a largely bloodless action, establishing a genuine tyranny. not as goos as democracy, but americans did not display any great affinity for democracy at home, none at all outside. when? her guess is what counts, perhaps ten years, could be less, in view of the utter inability of the politician caste to mimic public competence or concern.
    1
  2624. 3 minutes in, and file under, 'sour laughter.'
    1
  2625. your grasp of history is weak, your report of the establishment of the constitution is laughably wrong, and if you are sincere, you destroy your argument.
    1
  2626. prc crushes separatism, but muslims flourish in xinjiang. india tried to hold on to pakistan [and bangladesh] and failed, much bitterness ever since. have you forgotten? prc, iran and af/pakistan have a strong incentive in binding together with trade and mutual defense, the usa is a vulture preying on any weak state the world over, and lately india has decided to join them. not clear if this is wise, certainly a cynical and amoral political ploy to repair the face of indian politicians who have failed utterly to match prc progress for the last 100 years.
    1
  2627. you get the government to are willing to tolerate. usa was designed to be run by rich people, and look around you, it works! so long as you keep voting for politicians, nothing will change. unless your masters just take their money and leave, then generals inherit. now go back to complaining that democracy doesn't work. i'm beginning to understand why the neanderstals aren't with us anymore.
    1
  2628. i figured out the reason for these local variations in the density of space a few months ago. i was pouring anise into vodka at the time, and all became clear. should have studied physics, so i could spread enlightenment to the world. but no one listens to you when they hear 'vodka,' and after all, particle physicists have gotten along well enough without me so far.
    1
  2629. india is a political basket case. all elective governments are run by people who put their political careers ahead of the welfare of the nation. it is hard to see how it could be otherwise, working with homo sap. india has additional disadvantages, arising from history. so the short answer is, 'going nowhere.' the cure is administration by a public service, under supervision and direction of the electorate. i have a name for that kind of society, 'democracy.' how to get there? i wish i knew. only the swiss have come close. not very close, at that.
    1
  2630. shame on you! the chance is not zero, but more immediate questions should be asked of usa leaders: there is a rumor, that nato agreed not to expand into the former ussr nations. if true, putin's action is defensible, and understandable. if true, usa government is lying about a matter likely to provoke general war. please inform.
    1
  2631. first, the usa is not a democracy. second, politicians don't support democracy, as it would make them extinct. third, americans are vaguely aware that voting for people is not useful, since candidates lie about their intentions and capabilities. and that is why americans don;t vote. many american states have democratic constitutions, california has referendum, initiative and recall, all effective and in use as required. that is democracy, and the federal government has none. so why is the word 'democracy' used as a label for the usg? when you face reality, you can change it. if you want democracy, and don't have it, you can get it. but when you pretend you have democracy, and don't, then it's useless to complain about the results. don't blame politicians for being parasites, low character is part of their job description. instead, blame the people who put up with politician rule.
    1
  2632. the super delegates will insert warren-klobuchar in the seat biden is keeping warm. sure winner, and as right-wing as you could wish.
    1
  2633. andy yang is pulling votes from all directions, maybe bernie figures he should be doing the same, if he can. maybe he is trying to distance himself from the dems. because so many people remember them putting trump in office by ignoring outofworkers. maybe he is just reminding the usa that fox watchers vote, legally, so they are entitled to hear what he says to their questions. both party organizations are uniformly enemies of the people, and if bernie doesn't run as an independent. the most likely reason is, he wants to be president, and pretending to be a democrat improves his chances. well, he is just another politician, and he used to have a brand of his own. no more.
    1
  2634. chief conclusion, dr h is a magnificent lecturer. and in her 2nd language! when have you heard a politician communicating at this level? do you see why homo sap is doomed?
    1
  2635. poor chris. just another hopeful fool who thinks you fix a forest fire by getting in the middle and pissing in all directions. to be fair, it's a token effort wildly unlikely to succeed. and one can sympathize with the despair his personal crusade has generated, by the lack of visible response. usa needs revolution, not more politicians, even well-intentioned. so many guns, in the usa, there for the purpose of resisting government, but no heroes.
    1
  2636. you, too.
    1
  2637. don't blame putin. american elections are always for sale.
    1
  2638. what's wrong with americans? you've heard of democracy, some states have democratic constitution, and yet you accept the rule of politicians like they were god's messengers, or backed by the gestapo.
    1
  2639. funny, the invasion of iraq on a visibly empty lie didn't arouse any upset in nato.
    1
  2640. perhaps spacetime is static, and we wander around it, nonetheless, and organize the differences we experience as time. hey, anyone can do this. need a degree to get published, tho'
    1
  2641. pompeo is the secretary of murder. but i don't expect more from the biden cabinet. they will preside over a declining empire, and excuse themselves by attacking china. wolff recently made the comparison between inter-war germany and current usa, and there is some similarity. i hope the specter of nuclear armageddon leads to a better outcome this time,
    1
  2642. sanders is old, and decided to stick with the political club where he has lived most of his life. so, "you win, joe, let's have a beer and talk about you getting elected without having to finish a sentence." what do americans have against democracy? why don't you want it? or, less politely but i really want know, "are you all spineless slaves that want to be ruled by trump, unless biden can be electrified sufficiently to appear alive, and his history sufficiently suppressed that he seems good, next to trump? don't imagine that ms turner is any kind of savior. your problem arises from depending on/submitting to individuals.
    1
  2643. hood was the child of the nutty oic of the admiralty, who came to believe that a fast ship was hard to hit, with big guns that could hit at extreme range, didn't need much armor. turned out the germans disagreed, the nerve! and were right, dastards! look up 'battle chuiser vs battleship.' hood should never have been mixing it with a battleship, it was intended to be punishing commerce destroyers that battleships couldn't catch.
    1
  2644. i became disenchanted with the usa during the vietnam war. so my reactions to more recent usa activity tends to be, "so what else is new?" it's not that putin, and xjp, are flawless defenders of justice, but simply that anyone who resists the monsters who direct usa is automatically endowed with a substantial number of tolerance tickets. in my view, uncle vlad is entitled to use a certain number of nuclear weapons to restrain usa advances in eastern europe. usa has already used 2, to pacify japan, so are not entitled to complain. perhaps if vlad nominates the first city in advance, zelensky will flee to los angeles and allow peace to occur.
    1
  2645. have you heard of the 'death by a 1000 cuts?' apple will soon be in a position to translate it into modern commercial activity.
    1
  2646. i bet mr modi is getting a great price. while participation in the quad helps him point a big pistol at vlad's head. vlad is not a forgiving guy.
    1
  2647. [insert uncontrolled laughter]
    1
  2648. there is a myth, that usa is a nation of laws, not men. there is no foundation to this myth, beyond repeated lies and wishful thinking. the federal government of the usa is not a democracy, and never was, and never was intended to be. it is an elective aristocracy, with the aristocrats very dependent on their bankers and so very attentive to the banker's desires. that's how plutocracy works. and that is why america's military is in constant use: not at war, just in use. it is a military in service to corporations on the direction of a government equally in service to wealth. tg has made a career out of complaining that service men and women are being misused. in fact, they are not misused, she simply doesn't understand the goals of the nation. or refuses to say so, since that would quickly lead to revolution, or assassination. the attack on iraq was war, and war-crime. all the activities of 'special forces' and drone bombs are simply banditry and murder. this has been clear for many years, so concern for military personnel is misguided- they are mercenaries, murderers in uniform. indeed, very often the plutocratic nature of the usa expresses itself in private armies, very evident in iraq.
    1
  2649. never has taken down democratic republics, for there is only one, and the swiss remain smugly aware of their advanced political evolution. fascism has knocked over several elective oligarchies, but that is just a transfer of power from one elite to another,
    1
  2650. depps a creep. heard married him. presumably for money. put them in a room and lock the door.
    1
  2651. usans live in fantasyland. trying endlessly to bend reality into a 'democracy' framework, when the actual frame of usa is a constitution explicitly written to prevent democracy. endless headscratching, about why the nation treats most of the people badly, 'shouldn't democracy be kind to the people?' well, yes, it should. but, you hopeless idiots, you haven't got democracy! you never had democracy! you aren't meant to have democracy! but, i have been dancing up and down for 50 years about that non-existence of democracy in usa. never penetrates. i think european nations experience more variety in their history, and become more sophisticated. in usa, the children are told they have democracy, and they never recover.
    1
  2652. more to a nation than gdp. when hitler was encircling moscow, ussr was a ruin economically, but war production was growing rapidly and the crisis was met, very narrowly. but today's russians may not be as tough as then. impending annihilation concentrated the mind then, mere poverty may not get the same result.
    1
  2653. tj's words are empty--- he didn't believe them himself. perhaps they soothed his conscience. usa is built and maintained on lies, not a unique human situation.
    1
  2654. not if they can help it.
    1
  2655. how i wish these giant brains would turn to politics and statecraft. but, being really, really smart, they never do.
    1
  2656. this an on-going war of usa against russia, just part of the struggle for world domination since germany and japan put hands up. this chapter has the added feature of ukrainians dying for usa gains. but you should expect this, usa installed a puppet government in 2015, as a launching pad.
    1
  2657. i'm guessing the finns never thought they were part of sweden. [ what is 'just you wait...' in finnish? ]
    1
  2658. usa political parties don't have ideology. their motivation is simply to get elected, reward their donors so they stay elected, and use power to enrich themselves. madison outlined this precise reality for the delegates to the constitutional convention, and so it was enacted. and it has delivered the future madison promised. the reason that usans are profoundly ignorant about their history and the myths that support it, is simply the design of the founding fathers. you would be better served by making politicians extinct. but that would require a populace of citizen quality, so that they could direct the public administrators in effective fashion. you can't get there from here. what you can do is organize the individual states that have a democratic constitution already, to secede. it is your only hope for a successful future. otherwise, it's banana republic or 1984.
    1
  2659. that's the way the usa began, property vote, black slavery, ethnic cleans..., no let's be frank, mass murder. if you are at all surprised at how the usa turned out, just review how it started. the poor are many in the usa, but not enough to change things, the middles are struggling but unwilling to raise the flag of rebellion, lest they lose what remains. the rich are not frightened, yet, and have a private jet and a comfortable home in monaco in reserve. so usa is going to boil for awhile. and don't get your hopes up, revolution is much less likely than military coup, anyway. the education and general knowledge of americans should be enough to support a second 'progressive era.' the first installed democracy in many states, but failed at the federal level. usa could have won through to civilization, but something went wrong. the heritage of slavery probably at the core. in any event, yer screwed. try not to blow up or burn down the world as you slide down the ratings ladder.
    1
  2660. i recall reading that revolver carbines had a problem with burning gases from the cylinder cooking the support hand. but cavalry likely had wristguards on gloves.
    1
  2661. the political system of the usa was designed to enable rule by a small minority of rich people. and, sure enough, it worked. change the system, if you are finally getting tired of the result.
    1
  2662.  @DarthVader1977  NK can't deliver. trains and trucks are rolling prc-iran pretty much daily. i think it's a possibility.
    1
  2663. if you continue to tolerate elective aristocracy, then all of politics is a matter of people, which 'noble' to support, or oppose. grown-ups prefer to leave that kind of politics in the history books, and get on with achieving democracy. many usa states would be democracies, if they were independent, but they are not. the people in those states should leave the federation, and establish a federal democracy. the swiss have been doing it to varying degree for more than 170 years, under threat at times from every direction. they are more civilized than every other nation. why not learn from them? mcconnell? if you listen to people like him, it will harm your brain.
    1
  2664. just suppose the usa was a democracy: the public service drives the nation, under instruction of regular* referendum, and occasional citizen initiative. no need for politicians at all. they are after all, the inheritors of warlords and landed aristocrats, with no connection to democracy. politicians are necessarily crooked. they hold their jobs by pandering to minority interests, at the expense of the majority. that's where they get the money to advertise their 'virtues.' but you are not entitled to complain, if you let them do it. * the swiss did this 3 times a year, last time i checked. still had politicians though.
    1
  2665. no, you can't. this is not a personal matter. chauvin was an agent of the state. in the usa similar things happen every day. sensible people would organize and get democracy, because in a democracy, the police work for the people. but it won't happen. getting democracy is hard, rioting is easy.
    1
  2666. huawei must provide data to prc government. public knowledge. usa phone cos must provide data to nsa, secret. indeed, nsa spies on literally anyone and everyone. so go with huawei, go with china, at least china isn't shooting up the middle east.
    1
  2667. still haven't figured it out? usa was designed to be ruled by the rich, the design works. if you don't like the results, you must consider changing the design. that is revolution. it would be nice if most people could agree on changing to a system run by and for the people. but there is no sign of this being even thought of, much less visible action. this has happened before, most societies collapse when confronted by new conditions. the only interesting bit is if the usg will destroy us all in their struggle to stay on top.
    1
  2668. wrong. your problem comes from ennobling politicians, allowing them to rule you. you need democracy, to rule yourselves.
    1
  2669. india is not a natural nation, but a collection of very different cultures and religions, bound together very loosely by the british raj. little wonder that concerted action can not even be formulated. don't get your hope for overtaking prc very high.
    1
  2670. no. it needs a new constitution. it needs a better quality people. since you don't realize this, nothing useful can be done. a nation of passive, ignorant people will be exploited by an elite, it is natures law. when you say 'new party,' you are recognizing this reality. instead of asking, "how can we take control of our nation? you ask "do we need someone to save us?" there is no one who can save you, who wants to. plenty who will offer themselves as your savior because they like the idea of being the next elite.
    1
  2671. the purpose of the second amendment is to frighten the politicians with the prospect of armed revolution. but it ain't enough. revolution needs organization and widespread anger. more important than anger is despair. so all the talk on the public web is just gossip. the gonna-do-somethingers, if any, will be quiet. it is comforting to imagine them plotting away in a backwoods cabin. the gds demographic is sparse at the best of times, and not every society raises them. still, we live in hope that the hopeless will stand up. even a wobbly would be heartening.
    1
  2672. so 8 people run the usa. what a surprise! not a personal concern, i gave up on the usa when calley and his company murdered 350 women and children at my lai. not the first or only, either. it just got into the news when some canuck chopper plot was sufficiently sickened to raise a fuss. but you guys are living in a 21st century version of nazi germany. god help humanity when putin seems like a choir boy compared to usg.
    1
  2673.  @patricialongo5746  civilization destroying war and plague are the best hope
    1
  2674. tg makes a useful whistleblower on aspects of american foreign policy. but she has made repellent comments on homosexuality and been ambivalent about torture. as a practical matter, she can't be elected president with that widespread weakness. i would worry about her hindu support, too- she seems to be the poster child for a hindu aipac, potententally much more dangerous than the jewish one. perhaps she is just pumping up her prospects for a senate seat?
    1
  2675. because they aren't. jainism is silly. they will never lead a people to dominance over others, and that is a function of religion.
    1
  2676. ay had some insight to the usa national health, and some ideas to improve things. but the political structure of the nation aimed for stasis, and ideas are not welcome. but don't romanticize him, he lost me when he turned out be another fanboy of the cia. a bit foggy about american foreign policy too.
    1
  2677. at least you have a female president, a step forward compared to usa.
    1
  2678. can human society survive is the better question. current political systems are unresponsive to threats not pressing within an elective cycle. politicians are too busy getting elected, and many are working for small numbers of special interest groups, notably the rich. result: china prospers while doing more for the environment than 'democracies'. we're doomed.
    1
  2679. i have broadened my appreciation. there was a niggle in the back of my mind as to why this goddess of intellect with a cushy and secure salary, should be 'begging' for money from curious teenagers. begging in a very genteel fashion, no rattling of cups here. but the world keeps moving on. it appears that particle peerers can now be hired for a pittance, as they should be, and raise their income to comfort by mesmerizing curious youth. as it should be. neoliberalism is not totally without value, after all,
    1
  2680. or, you could try democracy. until then, politics is voting for people. puerile nonsense, at best, even forest gump realized, 'you never know what yer gonna get.'
    1
  2681. you may not know, but speaking chinese is no big deal. not only are there lots, and lots, of chinese, but more, and more, non-chinese see it in their personal interest to speak mandarin, and the good news, it's easier than french, or even spanish. simplest structure of any major language, very few anomalies, no sounds that are hard for english speakers. tones? well, do yer best and they will probably understand, and smile politely. musical people will catch on, the rest of us just plod on.
    1
  2682. there's a lot of chinese and they come in every size and taste. strong work ethic, family and county connections, possibly overseas cousins, naturally plenty of wheelers and dealers. amazing how china has been immersed in socialist ideology for three generations, with little change in national character.
    1
  2683. nothing is changing. society is resilient, but that just means as the impact of current events fade, it returns to original form. you want real, lasting change, you must break things. in politics, that's revolution. revolution needs organization and planning, on a base of anger and hope. no hope of revolution in view.
    1
  2684. simulated economy for a simulated democracy.
    1
  2685. try to be optimistic? think about that. homer sap is heading towards an environmental catastrophe and resulting population drop. this may be a good thing as far as racial survival goes. no guarantee, greed and arrogance rule the western nations, and i suspect asia is much the same. africa is already in post-catastrophe condition, thx to the 'developed' nations, but doubtless they will be driven lower. and the orcs who drive usa national policy may add general war to the mix, to bolster their declining share of the global wealth. trying to be optimistic is putting a bucket on yer head and chanting, "fdr will save us, from the grave, if we dance around it, singing songs of contrition." there will be no salvation. individual survival may be possible, but walled villages with mgs and rfgs and internal water supply are the best bet. get far away from cities, those crazies in montana and idaho may turn out to be right.
    1
  2686. typical lefty, decided to make a statement about politics, and nothing in the house but a hammer. plus, couldn't deliver a blow. probably only played soccer as a kid. which is why the oligarchy is safe, barring nuclear attack.
    1
  2687. i believe trump wanted to broaden his tv brand.
    1
  2688. laugh if you wish, but you are not citizens in a democracy. you are only civilians, members of society, but inferior to politicians, who make decisions about the nation. when you consider the actions, words, personal history, of those politicians, why do you let them rule you? by now you should have figured out that politicians are not your friends. they are concerned about their career, about their personal enrichment from their position, but you go on voting for them. one is slightly less bad than another? that voting strategy guarantees that both will exploit you, both parties will sell you to the rich, as you can see. so stop voting. a turn-out of 30% will discredit the winner. then demand democracy. at gun-point.
    1
  2689. organize the sane and educated portion of humanity to establish democracy, socialism will be necessary, and enter a one child policy for the whole world. is it possible? donno, but if you don't start now, tomorrow may be too late.
    1
  2690. strange, i thought prc was under a trade sanction from 48 to about 75. usa, and its clients can do anything they want, so long as they don't force nuclear war. kennedy understood that. not sure about the usg puppet-masters now. putin seems ill, and has gone meek, but if he has a use-by date, he may throw the switch to full-tilt war.
    1
  2691. murdering bin laden or anyone else, on orders, is contemptible. humanity doesn't need killers. even if bin laden was responsible for the fall of the towers, it was only token reprisal for the endless crimes of the usg. those 'special forces' are not heroes, they are just bandits. if trump loses, likely, you will find out biden's character is weak, and he dances to music from the plutarchy. war will be more likely the result--- trump was a coward.
    1
  2692. 1. oz is not and never was, a democracy. 2. voting for which gang will rule you is elective aristocracy. [they call themselves best qualified to run the nation. ha!] 3. they nominally work for the monarch, in reality for themselves. 4. ozzies are ignorant enough to swallow the idea that democracy is something 'done for you, and better.' 5. it is not. democracy is done by the people, who in concert rule the nation with referendum and initiative. 6. you have neither - that's a clue. but, as i said, ignorant. looks terminal.
    1
  2693. listening to political discussion of usa conditions has become a reliable amusement, ever since i got out of there. not easy to laugh while actually in the shit-pile.. only revolution can begin to fix usa problems, but the materials are not present. military coup is more likely, but the generals are content with a big salary, investments backed by insider info, and a chestful of trinkets. at least for now. so the rot will just fester. and mr dore can make a reliable living by laughing at the socio-political train-wreck. quite resembles the last years of louis 16th. can mr. dore be the modern voltaire?
    1
  2694. he can be stopped, and another 4 years of trump might energize the usa to fundamental change. if there is a crash, better trump wears the blame.
    1
  2695. and those usa troops are there at the invitation of the iraqi government? here's me thinking they were unwelcome.
    1
  2696. soul? usa? a contest between the great usa con man and the great usa political hack? the crisis point for usa was its formation. only rhode island asked its people, who said. "no." the proportion of orcs to people has not improved since then. so plutocracy, slavery and ethnic cleansing were empowered and unleashed. the rich still rule, invasions are 'liberation,' assassination is boasted of, coups commonplace, blockades and sanctions of nations who resist usa hegemony are called 'foreign relations,' and you talk of 'american soul?' my granddaddy's pigpen had more souls than washington dc. trump is no mutant, he is as american as apple pie, biden is no saviour, except very possibly to the share holders of big pharma and blue shield.
    1
  2697. poor guy, he still thinks the democrats are the candidates and office-holders. there's a third group, and their concerns are sometimes opposed to the politicians. none of them are your favorite aunt. they are parasites enjoying the salaries and perks of power, while throwing empty lies and promises to the ignorant and passive people who hope to be 'taken care of.' chumps are never taken care of. if you want a society 'for the people;' it has to be ruled 'by the people.' not politicians, the people, through democracy's mechanisms of referendum, initiative and recall. but that's too hard for a nation of chumps.
    1
  2698. Allons enfants de la Patrie Le jour de gloire est arrivé ! Contre nous de la tyrannie L'étendard sanglant est levé Entendez-vous dans nos campagnes Mugir ces féroces soldats? Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras. Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes! Aux armes citoyens Formez vos bataillons Marchons, marchons Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons
    1
  2699. isn't anyone interested in establishing democracy? why talk about web creeps, joe uber-driver is hurting, and no one is making the connection between concentrated power and concentrated wealth. or are you more familiar with web creeps than ex-soybean farmers.
    1
  2700. he can walk and talk like a human, if you don't look closely.
    1
  2701. there was no democracy in the usa, madison bragged about stamping it out. equality? and actual slavery? in fact, usa was as close to british aristocracy as madison could make it. he only participated in the revolution because british common law was making slavery legally impossible. otherwise, he was british aristo to his toes. capitalism made no promises, it was just a label for licensing greed. it certainly didn't promise equality, but it allowed people to become rich by their own efforts, as well as by inheritance. a step forward, but a surprisingly small one. the rich mimicked the aristocrats and often married them to bring a title into the family. wolff has tried to resuscitate the notion known as anarcho-sydicalism. there's a good reason the name and thing are not much seen these days. it doesn't work. there are co-op workshops and small enterprises, the integral participation of labor unions in german indusrty is a stunted child of this ideal, but every where the state controls all smaller units of society, and a-s can never flourish. which is where democracy should enter: the state manages, the electorate controls the state. a simple principle, even an academic can understand it. but democracy is hard, and as rare as a-s, or more so. easier to chase a unicorn if you are not going to catch it.
    1
  2702. i was speaking with chairman xi a coupla days ago, and asked him if he was paying attention to activities in usa. "no time, he replied, would be nice to laugh at other people's problems, but i got a good guy on cv19, the central committee is full time on repairing the economy, and i like to get 4 hours sleep every night. but my grandkids tell me that trump has hours to waste on social media - envy him. i haven't got 10 minutes to waste. on bowel movement"
    1
  2703. building popular support for peaceful and productive relations between usa and prc is a good idea, and must have a beneficial result. but the ethical quality of the usa government is so bad, that i think offering them anything but distant silence is a mistake. talk to the people of the usa, directly, yes, by all means. but their government has occupied iraq and afghanistan for nearly 20 years, continues to threaten iran daily, and just recently announced they were building air bases in syria, conveniently close to oil wells. the only suitable response for people who value ethical behavior is to at least 'shun' them.
    1
  2704. it seems usa history is not mentioned in usa schools anymore. a national army was regarded as the tool of kings, to oppress the people, and locally controlled militia was the means of resisting. but people in the usa are told daily that they have democracy, 'done for you,' and they should submit to their 'democratically elected' masters. of course, de santis is a local would-be nazi, but when you don't have democracy, refuse to admit that you don't have democracy, and don't even know what democracy is, choosing between submission to local nazis or national nazis, is a choice which is not pressing. making up your mind about chocolate vs strawberry ice cream seems more important.
    1
  2705. they might, if driven to it by angry and organized voters. is that gonna happen? not soon.
    1
  2706. trump hasn't had his war as yet, and he may decide it is necessary to re-election. if germany, russia and britain said "don't," he might listen. but getting those 3 to agree is not likely. best method may be to have the chinese ambassador visit the white house and whisper in trump's ear, "your life depends on peace."
    1
  2707. trump personally is an almost pitiful figure. only in a degenerate society could such a defective human being find himself briefly in the oval office. monarchies have to put up with this problem, but elective oligarchies can at least hope for smart crooks. but he was in office simply because the professional political caste is degenerate. crooked, self-serving, senile and entitled, and unable even to pretend to concern for public affairs. all trump had to offer was braggdocio and a principle , 'not one of them' and that was enough. a visible dimwit with well-documented contemptible character, was at least, 'not one of them.' and then you get a biden. i wonder when you will realize that you need a new constitution. but it's too late for that, the next step is for some general to take over. the sad truth is, societies are knit together, top to bottom, and weakness at the top is a measure of the character of the commoners. cattle are inevitably ruled and abused, because they can be.
    1
  2708. there is a lot of talk, on the theme, "[scratching head] why doesn't my life continue unaffected by time, resources and accident. ?" the answer is unwelcome: you have let politicians run the nation, for the welfare of the rich. it's worse- madison said he had wrote a constitution 'for the ages' which would ensure that politicians would run the nation, for the welfare of the rich. refer to: "those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it." ignorance generates passivity, generates submission, as here in the usa, we see demonstrated not the first time im history. i used to ask people, if they wouldn't prefer democracy. "of course!" you may think, but you would be wrong. many people think they have it, a triumph for diseducation, quite a few respond with a visible air of superiority, " heavens, no! that's just mob rule." it comes to this: trump is no mistake. he's not even the worst president since ww2. the political system of the usa is mired in the mud of time, based on the arrogance of wealth, rotten with entitlement of great inherited fortunes, hobbled with the impotence of general ignorance resulting from poor education. and it will soon join the ranks of ustabees among nations. let us hope the rage of the disappointed doesn't bring widespread war.
    1
  2709. indian politics is mildly interesting, watching people try to build a bridge with no materials but a surfeit of noodles. better than military dictatorship, most likely, but very hard to make progress in any particular direction. is it possible that there are too many politicians? not enough leaders? no ideas? plenty of opinions? india will soon be the largest nation, by population, but it's not clear to me that it should be a nation at all, since the task of governing it is beyond human capacity. indian politicians as a profession have utterly failed to maintain and promote social progress. the comparison with prc is obvious, and should be shaming to indian politicians of every flavor.
    1
  2710. i figured that out half way through my 3rd beer as an undergrad. nonetheless, we must express awe for particle physeeks and encourage them with a living wage and occasional prestige badges. they are our only hope for eternal life, or even world peace through free beer.
    1
  2711. after the absurdity of saying biden had a bad day on tuesday, i'm afraid your opinions are neither interesting nor ethically reliable.
    1
  2712. "who decides?" said aristotle. smart guy. he nailed the key question of human societies. who's the boss? the boss is the person with the gun. in a more generalized and larger society, who causes things to happen? economists hate politics. powerful people or groups interfere with economists instructions, on how things should be done. politicians laugh at economists, and say, "do it my way, or i'll shoot." there is a reason co-ops are rare and small, authoritarian businesses are intrinsically stronger. they have the law on their side. if you want a socialist economy, first you must get the gun, get a socialist political structure. there is one, it's called 'democracy.' until you have it, co-ops will be rare and small.
    1
  2713. think about this: fdr had much more support, and did accomplish something, but in the end, the rich are back in charge. i believe this means lasting change requires a new constitution, establishing democracy. only the electorate, operating through referendum and initiative, can protect themselves from the rich and their politician agents.
    1
  2714. amazing! fox does sarcasm, masquerading as insanity. or this woman is simply nuts?
    1
  2715.  @jean6453  logic is all that is left, when disappointment cools passion. that's why chomsky has looked and sounded like bad news from the specialist, for most of the last 50 years.
    1
  2716. saw an indian blog today, casually mentioned there had been religious lynchings in punjab a couple of days ago. reminded me of georgia, in the 50's, pruning uppity blacks. and now i learn anti-vaxxers think biden is dead [1], and nurses are witches.[2] suddenly international relations seemed logical: nations like india and usa, peopled by mouth-breathing thugs with neither brains nor education, are naturally going to gang up on any more civilized people, because they only have violence as a tool. usa-india! [1] this is illogical. why replace a real senile slimy fool with a false senile slimy fool? why not upgrade? [2] whatever you think about nurses, keep it quiet. in everyone's life there comes a time when you are alone with a person that has powerful drugs in a nearby cabinet. and let's be practical, no one will miss you,
    1
  2717. there is a large segment of the usa that follows trump, because he's not 'them,' the successful, educated people. the number of those 'us' is increasing, as the middles fall into poverty and discover they are no longer 'them.' trump would be easy to beat, a warren/klobuchar ticket with m4a would rolli n. but the dems are wholly owned by big money, biden has been on the prudential drip throughout his career. dnc would rather lose with biden. they might have to strip back a few phone answerers, but the drip would continue. usans deserve no better. evolution works on societies just as on species, and usa is on the way out. ignorant societies just can't run as fast as smart ones, patriotic elites vitalize their nation, selfish elites enervate their nation. a nation born to preserve slavery and empower wealth has no claim on sympathy, large and small scale murder and theft do not burnish the brand.
    1
  2718. the problem is not what is best for india, but what is best for india's rulers. that's why ordinary people might struggle to get democracy, if they knew what it is, and how to get it. both conditions seldom seen. so politicians rule for their own profit, without much fear of anything but even slyer politicians supplanting them.
    1
  2719. shouldn't you be talking about enviroment, war, and social issues? why is politics in america always 'dancing with the stars;' only no music.
    1
  2720. we'd all be much better off with fewer of us. but making more is so much fun that i despair of breaking you of the habit.
    1
  2721. you will prosper in part because you are a 'wang now' and in part for, many other character assets. but in the new age of chinese pre-eminence 'wang now' is a solid base. your children may take it even further and use 'wang' as their family name. 3 generations later, and 'janssen' will just be a bit of family memorabilia.
    1
  2722. no sympathy. usans have the 2nd amendment and the web, revolution easy to organize. but people raised as slaves don't form the character of citizens. just whiners.
    1
  2723. it's not just jews vs muslims, israelis vs palestinians. it's also the evil empire maintaining a client state in the middle east. vietnam, iraq, afghanistan, and currently ukraine are all part of empire-building, lately with money rather than soldiers. they are trying to include taiwan in the program, but that could really blow up. usg doesn't care, they are just cynical careerists who will be far away and richer when things get bloody. i feel a little sorry for young people. they are a generation who will watch human society collapse, painfully. plenty of blame to go around, but the top of the list should be the usa. khomeini was laughed at when he characterized usa as 'the great satan,' but he saw clearly, even if his language was unfashionable.
    1
  2724.  @brianniegemann4788  i judge the civil war to be a conclusive test, although no law involved, just plain old 'me strong, you weak.' but if the west coast and northeast decided to leave, in concert, there would be no war. simply because it is the strong deciding to kick free from the backward.
    1
  2725. you don't have to put up with lying politicians. except if you are too lazy, ignorant or dim to organize to get democracy. the public service could run the nation, in public, under direction of referendum and initiative. but i guess that's too hard?
    1
  2726. the zero was a good engineering solution to the task-resources equation and was briefly competent against all opponents. but japan was hopelessly out-classed by the resources of the west, and even the f4f could survive and win with good tactics, succeeding aircraft soon dominated the sky.
    1
  2727. china didn't steal the technology, they bought it from american companies that wanted to do business in china.
    1
  2728. capitalism is just a polite word for greed. greed only innovates when necessary, more commonly it leads to theft. on a national level, it leads to war and slavery.
    1
  2729. indian politicians have a big problem- they have led, or presided over, a 100 year period in which prc has passed them and surpassed them. they must be prickly, as the 'why?' must never be heard. why? perhaps they just inherited a religious society unfit for modern life. life's a lottery, on the grand scale as well.
    1
  2730. 'fails to save us' is the key phrase. who is going to save you? no one. in a democracy, the people [i call them citizens ] act to save themselves. they are the ruling class. but usa is not a democracy. no one seems to realize this, which makes political discussion inconsequential. some do, naturally, but they take the view that 'nothing to be done', so ignore the gorilla at the dining table. in future, keep an eye open for the use of passive voice constructions, an immediate tip-off that you are wasting your time. no one is going to save you, your mother doesn't rule, anymore than you do. those who do rule are happy with the system, although constantly looking for more power and consequent bigger bribes. get democracy, nothing else matters.
    1
  2731. as long as you talk about the economic system, you lose. america's problem is that it is an oligarchy, not a democracy. the problem is political, not economic. solution simple: get democracy. use citizen initiative to reshape the nation. the reason you don't have democracy is because madison wanted the rich to rule, and wrote his constitution to exclude democracy. he was successful. his great success is that you don't know this, and you think if you wish hard enough, a fairy godmother will fix things for you. sorry, there are none, and if you don't have the intelligence and character to be a citizen of democracy, then you must be a civilian in an oligarchy. that never works well for the civilians, it has always worked well for the elite.
    1
  2732. the problem can not be solved by one politician, it is built into the structure of the usa. tg sees the result, but not the cure. 'make me your leader and i will fix things' is the endless warcry of would-be dictators, and they never fix things, most don't even try. usa has to want democracy, [no sign of that] and want it bad enough to struggle for it, to the point of revolution. then the people who must fight war can decide if it is warranted. relying on 'leaders' is what got us here, on the brink of extermination if the bombs fly, or if we don't stop co2 production. no sign of that? we are doomed.
    1
  2733. during the course of the vietnam war i learned to despise the government of the usa. so when i turned my attention to the history of my native land, a had no trouble to discover it was always evil. it hasn't gotten better. should surprise no one: born to support slavery and the rule of wealth, a fatal neighbor to the original people, a dangerous exploiter of nations to the south. ultimately an octopus of greed and aggression around the world. old in its evil now, and the vigor of china exposing its weakness. there will be a dangerous period as military action seems necessary to compensate for scientific and commercial inadequacy. perhaps we may come to welcome the coming climate catastrophe as a diversion from nuclear war.
    1
  2734. gun violence within the usa is necessary to provide the human material to bring gun violence to other nations. sociopaths in sufficient numbers have to be nurtured in a violent society. just think of the creeps who infest the cia, do you imagine they are products of good families and just societies?
    1
  2735. he is not buying the election. he is buying people and organizations, with the intent of affecting thee outcome. perfectly legal. if you don't like the result, don't blame bloomberg, or the people he bought. if you are too dim , too lazy, too frightened, to get and use democracy, them submit to your place in the social ladder. it's evolution in action.
    1
  2736. i think that the refusal to face the lack of democracy stunts all political discussion. an electorate with an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative can control the power of money. without it, nada. that's why madison said frankly that he feared democracy, and made sure that there was none in the constitution.
    1
  2737. they didn't overwhelm the hospitals in china. they had flatpack hospitals on tap, and up in a week. but that's planning for you. mericans wouldn't know about that, since they only plan to survive the next week at one end, and add another million at the other end. see the w.h.o. report, led by a canadian doctor, who thought all had been done that could be done, in china. meanwhile, with 2 months warning in the land of the free, little has been done, aside from assertions that we will be 'back in business by easter.' voting for trump was a good idea, in principle, but it turns out kicking the democratic party in the face was useless. like giving a life-saving shot of adrenaline to a mummy. revolution also useless. best bet is to move to the west coast and secede. with good skills and c.v, keep going, oz and nz better than california, and no immediate worry from the 'special forces.'
    1
  2738. russia gets nothing from sabotage, usa locks-in germany with sabotage. figure it out...
    1
  2739. surprised oz government is not outraged by several vids showing murder of bound captives, that certainly bothered me more.
    1
  2740. you can applaud tg all you want, she won't be president. you can like what tulsi says, but no one important is listening to her, or you. that's because you don't live in a democracy, so the people don't rule. they don't even know what's going on. the few rule the many with secrecy and/or law. much cheaper than military control, and much less danger from uppity generals. you can applaud, but you can't organize a revolution, your participation in politics begins and ends with listening to stand-ups make fun of your masters. there is not a ho chiminh, not even a thomas paine, in 300 million.
    1
  2741. that didn't seem so bad to me. if you compel people to use m4a, the rich and good doctors will leave, and take their money and skill to monaco. pete's an empty suit, but this was a reasonable response.
    1
  2742. if 'one china' means anything, it's not taiwan's air defense zone. which is why pelosi's plane should have been turned back. the fighter escort made it a military incursion.
    1
  2743. 'special forces' used to be called bandit gangs, before usa took up the habit. every one in a usa uniform will hang, if the u. n. suddenly grows a set of teeth.
    1
  2744. you deserve no better. you've heard about democracy, they have a good democratic constitution in california, and a few other states, but you tolerate a constitution written by a couple of slave masters to protect their plantations, and wealth in general. seems to me, a nation that accepts plutocracy should give up whining and pretend they like poverty. there are no honest politicians, and i include aoc. you go to work in a brothel, you sell your body, in congress, gotta throw in your honor as well. no loss, in most cases.
    1
  2745. simulated politics, for brain-washed sheep. the usa is not a democracy, the democrat party despises democracy, the media and schools create ignorant cattle, and things will have to get much worse before there is any change. eisenhower was not a republican. he asked both parties if they would support him, reps offered the best deal. he was just a general who wanted to be president. no surprise that he mentioned that the nation was drifting into militarism as well as plutocracy, the surprise should have been that congress was in bed with the generals and ceos. he had nothing to say about any of the military industrial congressional cabal while he was in power, much less before, while he saw a prize for going along. ike was just a climber: sucked up to macarthur when that was useful, so you know he was never troubled by any principles.
    1
  2746. you let politicians rule, when you have heard of democracy. why is that? are usans naturally submissive?
    1
  2747. murrikins are so ignorant that this counts as news.
    1
  2748. if we have a compass which points toward an 'attractor,' it seems likely that the the bang happened at the end of that line, and the 'attraction' is actually a repulsor. so easy to get the signs wrong in this deep physics. or perhaps it is an attractor, but the initial impulse of the bang remains stronger. imagine getting paid for this kind of activity, why wasn't i told? more coffee!
    1
  2749. many people equate 'democratic' with 'good' as a special kind of good particular to the political world. wrong. a democracy is a particular kind of nation, specially characterized by the rule of the citizens. not by kings, not by generals or colonels, not by politicians. the word 'democracy' is an erosion by english-speakers of a greek phrase 'demos kratia.' which simply means, the citizens [hold the] power. not politicians, etc. a democracy is not necessarily a kind place, and saying 'all institutions are democratic' is a nonsense. in a democracy, only one institution is 'democratic,' and that one is the state. in our world, a democracy would be characterized by a constitution which states that the electorate are the masters of the nation, and directs the nation, through a process now called 'referendum*' and the citizens must be informed of all questions of public import. finally, and crucially, there must be an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative, to mobilize action when the public servants fail in their duty. their are no democracies except helvetia, and that one needs tolerance to hold the label. so, is democracy impossible? i suspect prof wolff thinks so, he never talks about democracy in a nation. and democracy in the workplace truly is a nonsense. co-ops are certainly possible, but that has nothing to do with democracy. i think it's 'impossible' too. there are little flickers of democracy here and there, but oligarchy seems to be the limit of our capabilities. one reason for the limitation is ignorance: no one ever told you what democracy was. but now you know. do you want it?
    1
  2750. no use saying the u.s. gummint is a crew of sociopaths, it amuses them, because you are such mugs to put up with it. if you were would-be citizens of democracy, you would be appearing in d.c. in great numbers and armed. but you aren't, and don't. instead we are treated to stand-up routines about how nasty your masters are. there is a certain sick amusement to it, i confess.
    1
  2751. does he insist on driving on either side of the road at whatever speed seems right to him?
    1
  2752. stop complaining- you embarrass yourselves. even the dimmest should have grasped, by now, that usa is not a democracy. if you are not making substantive preparations to get democracy, then complaint is hypocrisy, or idiocy, or cowardice. or, 'a nice little earner.'
    1
  2753. americans can't talk about plans or laws or programs or policies, because it's not a democracy. they can only talk about people. so 'popular ' politics is just a celebrity dance contest, no content, just gossip and smear. hell of a way to run a nation nowadays. sort of like louis 16 france. lots of talk, no consequence. so they moved on to revolution. usa shows no sign of revolution, even the talking heads are participating in the 'celebrity smear show.' but the roads schools and hospitals are decaying, while the army metastatises. there's a general in your future, because only the army is hiring.
    1
  2754. do you really think one old man can save you? he's not even a democrat, do you think the dnc is gonna support him? "save us, bernie, we beg you!"
    1
  2755. still trying to prune the tree of oligarchy into the fruit bush of democracy. the constitution only needs one change: creating an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative. from that root, democracy grows. without it, usa will follow all oligarchies into history
    1
  2756. politically, usa is mired in an obsolete system, and the people are ignorant, passive and suspicious of neighbors. too much evil history. so no amount of chit-chat is going to fix it. decline is evident, the advantages of good borders and natural resources are no longer able to mask the intrinsic weakness of selfishness and arrogance as the public character of the nation. young people should leave if they can. if you must make the most of the usa, work to divide it into three successor nations: westcoastia, northeastia, and bubbaland.
    1
  2757. it's tragedy when voting for any politician is necessary, but catastrophe when voting for democrats is the lesser of evils. why not change to democracy?
    1
  2758. every so often someone inadvertently shines a light on the internals of usa society. the view is commonly stomach-turning, it's basically a giant pustule with a once-shiny coat of paint, now worn off in many places. can't expect any better, the nation was born to protect and extend african slavery, coyly hiding behind talk of 'indenture.' the founding fathers were distinguished by brutality, hypocrisy and arrogance, white-washed into pioneers of ethical humanity. and it hasn't changed, as the constitution flash-froze the attitudes and laws of the time. no democracy in it, nor ever will be, if you look at the abject submissives that live there now. not sure why your masters want abortion control. perhaps the attitudes of arrogance common in rich people require dominance of the sexual machinery that will produce a son. no matter, there is so much wrong with usa that this matter is not particularly pressing. just one aspect of dysfunctional society that threatens the survival of our species.
    1
  2759. why say 'admits?' it's not a crime. russia is in battle with usa, and needs help.
    1
  2760. usa began as a cozy embrace of slave plantation masters and northern shippers. that "we, the people" was just the first and biggest lie. corporations and banks have colonized these positions of power, and allow a theatrical production of popular participation called elections. you should get democracy, folks, if you can. you certainly can because the great majority will certainly be better off in a society directed by the majority., but character may be lacking. there is a notable supine passivity in america, inherited from britain, which contracted the disease in 1066 from a group of norman tourists.
    1
  2761. i see an action statement with no actor. empty waffle. if your aim is a society tolerable for all, then all must participate in the management of the nation. that means 'get democracy first.' but are the people capable of organizing themselves into would-be citizens? seemingly not. when the materials are not present, political discussion is empty. this probably means, homo not-so-sapiens has no future.
    1
  2762. they got out front with digital currency, and that looks like the future.
    1
  2763. americans cling to the notion that they have some kind of democracy simply because admitting to reality would expose them to whatever sense of shame accrues to accepting that they are modern serfs.
    1
  2764. don't like to listen to chris. he is often on target and reporting some aspect of looming doom. there is no real need for me to immerse myself in further bad news. cia is evil? when did you figure that out? the whole society is rotten. does he do any good? probably not. the facts he reports should inspire universal revulsion, immediate revolution. but homer sap is unconcerned. too busy getting rich, or too busy finding a meal, or too busy enjoying middle class life, 'why make waves?' chris is a symptom of a very sick society, but not a revolutionary. i think he doesn't believe revolution is possible. so he plods on, making a living from bad news [ pure americana! ]and perhaps assuaging some religious drive to do good. god help him, either way.
    1
  2765. this is useless. if you start with the notion that usa, or anywhere, used to be a democracy, then nothing you say can be relied on. usa in particular, was explicitly designed to be an oligarchy at birth, and one in service to the rich. the structure remains the same, and sure enough, so does the economic distribution. no magic involved, all done publicly. sustained by lies, one of which is that 'rule by politicians is democracy, a new, improved version, done for you so you don't have to think.' it seems no one teaches actual history any more, and very possibly sustained lying by teachers has created a nation of ignorant idiots. but here is simple reality: 'democracy' comes from a greek phrase meaning 'the citizens rule.' it does not mean the politicians do it for you. you can tell a democracy - the activity of the state is directed by referendum and initiative. this happens in california, and a few other states, does not happen in the federal nation. why not? because madison sold his constitution to the constitutional convention, and set oligarchy in stone.
    1
  2766. total lack of surprise. explains why truss was 'in and out.' apparently, uk gov is on blinken's p.a'.s speed-dial. really tired of seeing these defective would-be ozymandias creatures in public office. shines a light on the quality of politician rule, and even more discreditable light on the people who tolerate their rule. much as i yearn for democracy, i am afraid it's just too hard for homer sap.
    1
  2767. it's simpler than that. the marine core hymn is nearly a list of places they have been on behalf of american corporations. since mckinley, american uniformed bandits and latterly cia spooks, have been adjusting the business environment of reluctant nations with guns and lies and bribes. very pleasant to hear this old history being recounted by a well-informed young person, some evidence that the american myth-making apparatus has not been completely successful. it's oil in the middle east, it was bananas in central america, debt collection in haiti, simple suspicion of left wing ideas in salvador and nicaragua and guatemala and chile, and venezuela has both.
    1
  2768. just in case there are any left yearning to spell as the ancestors did, that should have been 'corps.'
    1
  2769. this is not rocket science, sheeple: wealth and power are conjoined twins, and if power is narrowly held, so is wealth. madison knew this, and put all power in the hands of a few hundred elected officials. his purpose was simple, he was himself rich, and wanted to ensure that the taxes of the rich were not spent on the poor. and that is why the usa is an oligarchy, not a democracy. there will be no change in the distribution of wealth unless the wealthy are threatened by angry mobs. but a professional army can deal with mobs, very often. the only long-term solution is getting democracy. when power is dispersed, so will wealth be. but this 'solution' requires citizen quality people. people raised in an oligarchy are generally not of this quality, and not every story ends 'happily ever after. carter has aged well, and perhaps he regrets some of the things he felt he had to do to be president. but he lost my respect when he exonerated the murderers of mylai. a trivial matter, compared to the body count rolled up by every other president, but an indication that there are no good politicians, and we should make them extinct.
    1
  2770. despising trump is easy, thinking about the american political system is hard. worse, there's no money in it. but he is not the first or last or even worst idiot in office. since there is no visible activity to change the system, you can be sure more and worse will come. i pity usans, just a little. but not much. they have the means to be better people in a better nation, but it's just too much trouble, and who cares what the usa does to foreigners anyway? murder and theft ain't murder and theft if you can get away with it, right? now extend that notion to your internal activity, and you can see where a dimwitted paranoid liar can prosper as the leader of the free world.
    1
  2771. there are no rights, not supported by force. when the ruling elite has command of army and police, the people can only have privileges. these are activities they may perform for as long as their masters find convenient. if you want rights, you must establish democracy, and support it with citizen militia, instead of a professional military. gabbard is just another would-be dictator, "vote for me, and i will take care of you." a standard sales pitch. save your loyalty for someone who wants to organize the people to be masters of their nation, citizens of democracy. of course, if you realize you are incapable of citizenship, from lack of education and character, then seek a big shark to affix your lips.
    1
  2772. not psychopaths, in general. most are sociopaths, thugs with good suits and command of shooters at all levels of murder.
    1
  2773. lessee, saudi buys from rooosia, big mark-up, sells to eu, then splits the difference with putin. they are both laughing, and eu leaders are happy, too: we showed'em! eu peeps are paying more, but that natural, vote for politicians, serves you right.
    1
  2774. it's good that the ignorant, selfish and twisted have a place to get together and reassure each other that the rest of the world is crazy. and you can further enrich murdoch while you do it, he likes your money, and will continue to provide this sheltered gossip spot.
    1
  2775. he's not a hero, just a naive idiot. public letters are not the way you communicate in the u. s. army. or any other. if official communication didn't get a response that suited him, he should have resigned and then wrote letters. but usa society is rotten everywhere, rules are not respected because the society is rotten. it's time for a new constitution. but americans will go on complaining that the current one just needs to be followed. sorry, no. it's not followed because it doesn't deliver results. do you want democracy? if not, turn the page. what will you do to get democracy? nothing, but complain? turn the page. how many want democracy? and there is the problem- not many, not even enough to affect a local election. if yer still reading, yer screwed- you live among slaves. so leave. or move to the west coast and establish a new republic, a socialist democracy.
    1
  2776. more blather. another demonstration that we generally don't know, what we don't know. still, it's nice that he suspects things aren't going well in the usa. why should it? it was designed to go well for plantation slave masters. you can train a pig to run in a horse race, but it ain't ever gonna win.
    1
  2777. you imply there are 'good' politicians, and 'bad.' this could be naive, or cynical. but most likely is, you think some politicians are better than others, and since usans are incapable of democracy, it's best to pretend that your masters are not monsters. fortunately, the monsters come in two colors, so it's really easy the separate bad and really bad. merely bad can play the role of 'good,' if you squint yer eyes. and yet, there are blue monsters who are visibly screwing the whole nation. when is the pretense going to penetrate?
    1
  2778. no use talking about what's wrong, if you have no power to change. if you don't like the way the politicians run the nation, you have to replace them. i recommend getting democracy, and directing the nation by the electorate, through referendum and initiative. make politicians extinct.
    1
  2779. things not going well for vlad. he may have to kill a city to get back on top. exciting times.
    1
  2780. no accident. using a functional pistol is a crime. putting bullets in a 'prop' gun is intention to kill. someone wanted the movie poisoned., for a 1st guess.
    1
  2781. ok, bernie's in office. congress hates him, except 4 brown women who should join bernie in the socialist party. nexr.... be interesting to watch.
    1
  2782. selective quotes of trump create the feeling that he is smarter than his generals. they are losers, to some extent. but they didn't lose alone, political considerations limited their success. nowadays, america's 'wars' are not wars, they are optional wars, or in antique language: banditry in uniform. trump appears genuinely dim, but so did dubya. his war was a real disaster, but at least usa remains in possession of iraq. the management selection process of the usa is hopelessly obsolete, that's why it's decaying. no one in the usa seems to understand this, and that's why it's decaying also. somewhat like the last days of the austro-hungarian empire, let us hope the collapse is equally fast and smooth.
    1
  2783. surely donald trump is the ideal american? rich, famous, and president?
    1
  2784. so ever more people on a sphere has no dangerous consequences?
    1
  2785. clearly strikes can't work, or you wouldn't have to do it twice. what they should do, is suggest a citizen initiative creating free education for as long as tests are passed and national need not filled. there is no citizen initiative? then there is no democracy. so, first get democracy. how? mass strikes will work, because democracy is good for most people. when 60% of the work force stay home one day, the elite will pack their bags and flee.
    1
  2786. no use considering rational management of spaceship earth, if you are unwilling to adjust the political rules that empower short-sighted and selfish people.
    1
  2787. does biden run usa? unlikely. but whoever is calling the shots is no patriot. they are protecting wealth corporate and private, at whatever cost. bad luck for the serfs, but their control over public affairs is nil. ironic in view of the continual reference to 'democracy.' which they have never had, the elite having grasped the principle of newspeak and doublethink way ahead of orwell. there is no 'good guy' in this struggle, but prc is being directed for the improvement of the nation, with visible and remarkable results. doubly admirable since being accomplished in the face of fear and hatred from the evil empire and its clients. will they win? good guys always win, since winners define good guys. virtue has little place in human affairs. 20 years from now, the struggle may still be visible, if nuclear warfare is avoided. alas, usa has demonstrated a willingness to exterminate cities, russia and prc will certainly strike back. interesting times...
    1
  2788. i love to start my morning with a demonstration that the 'how many angels can dance on a pin-head' tradition of deep thought is about 50% alive, and 50% purple.
    1
  2789. there was a time when we were in africa, when the 'human race' was less than 1000 individuals. a passing virus might have done for all of them. other animals since have probably thought 'we should have done more to blot them out.' now h. sap. is master of the planet and also likely to blot himself out. we acquired some bad habits while expanding from that 1000. greed, arrogance and selfishness paid off and flourished. now we can't escape it.
    1
  2790. many americans simply do not grasp the implications of living in a society that is not a democracy. they are full of opinions about 'what should be done,' but have nothing to say about how to do it. they can't 'do' anything. because usa is not a democracy, there is no citizen initiative power. they must hope the 'ennobled' real citizens in office will do the right thing. it never happens. the interests of the elite, with power, are different from the great mass of chumps, without. so political discussion tends to be empty, wishful nonsense.
    1
  2791.  @stuckinthemud4352  have a look at moore's 'where to invade next?' and oz and enzed leave you for dead. you should travel a bit, might learn something?
    1
  2792. the debates are just a show, almost irrelevant to the political processes of the usa. presidents don't legislate, and most of the canned "i will.." nonsense is utterly out of their control. i frequently call it kabuki, but lately i realize i should search american culture for an empty show of foolish promises. pole dancing? fdr briefly had total control of congress and court, and yet here we, gilded age re-born. greed is like kudzu. only flame and poison will beat it. i hope bernie loses the nomination fight, and [insert name here] carries the can to defeat by trump. the economy will collapse, and the resulting great depression will give usa a chance to choose a new path.
    1
  2793. the planet is already over-loaded, and anyone who thinks infinite growth is possible should keep his opinion secret.
    1
  2794. sorry folks, but yer screwed. rotten government works for the rich, it was designed that way, and the design works. the only cure is revolution, and usa peeps aren't smart enough, aren't brave enough, and can not escape their culture. sink slowly into slavery, that's how you started, but please don't get a nuclear war going, there will be no winners.
    1
  2795. quite right. most people are useless, in an economic sense. we have to prune population while issuing a minimum subsistence 'citizen salary.'
    1
  2796. a nation born to extend slavery and execute ethnic murder doesn't need the label, 'fascism.' they are way out in front.
    1
  2797. i want graphene hi-vol caps.
    1
  2798. yer too dim, ignorant and lazy to get democracy, so why complain about politician rule?
    1
  2799. what is a 'right?' i suggest it is a freedom of action held by a member of the ruling group. important to distinguish from a privilege, which is a freedom extended to a non-member. such a privilege can be terminated by the ruling group at any time. so who is the ruling group? in the usa, it is not the people, it is politicians. so usa is not a democracy, and if the politicians decide they don't like you, they make a law which ends your happiness. or your freedom, or your life. allowing politicians to rule is dangerous. i recommend revolution.
    1
  2800. considering the quality of the american government, one can reasonably have mixed emotions about the 'on' or 'off' switch. the democratic party allowed trump to win. they threw the rust belt under the bus, into the dumpster, sublimely confident that their votes would never go to a republican candidate. they are contemptible people. they will win the next election, without making any attempt to help the poor. but the election after that will see even more 'progressives' in congress, and there will be token help extended to america's losers. but the society formed by the constitution will never be anything but a plutocracy. that was the purpose of the constitution, and it has delivered the desired result. so military coups are the likely engine of change, there is a 'peron' in america's future.
    1
  2801. if you wonder why india can't seem to enter modern age, here's a little hint. slapped? what a slap that must have been.
    1
  2802. yer own fault, you've heard of democracy, some states have it--- but you are unwilling to do whatever required to get it. too much trouble to be a citizen, being a civilian is good enough. if result is that your masters destroy the nation, not yer fault, right?
    1
  2803. the 'founders' were not interested in democracy, madison said plainly that it results in the taxes of the 'opulent' being spent on the desires of the 'mob.' the president of the usa was constructed to be a king [for awhile] with the powers of george 3, madison's greatly admired ideal society. gossip all you wish about your betters in offices of power, but you are not citizens of democracy, only mere civilians in an oligarchy. your masters will throw you a few coins and tell you many lies, and that must satisfy you, because that's all you deserve.
    1
  2804. there is some speculation venus was once much like current earth. what tipped it into the current hell-hole is probably some smart and greedy critter much like zberg.
    1
  2805. the thing is, usa is not a democracy. and you are not citizens. the usa is, always has been, an elective oligarchy, and you are just civilians. why are these words not used? because control with language pollution is much cheaper than regulation backed by violence. because the people do not rule, while members of the elite may contend for power, they support one another against the people. 'russell may be a racist bigot, but he is our racist bigot.' 'we can't have the people setting standards around here, or they might get above themselves.' what is wrong with the people of usa? why do they endure politician rule?
    1
  2806. Can't demand, not a democracy. Could beg, like serfs }:‑)
    1
  2807. you could have democracy, and socialism. but you would have to get off yer ass, or knees. and there's the fundamental problem. yer used to being screwed, think it's inescapable, and willing to settle for whining. i'm betting yer grankids will be tougher, those who survive what's coming.
    1
  2808. depressing to hear good sense, since it is largely disconnected from the way h. sap. conducts society. it's not that we don't know 'what should be done,' some do, notably pr sachs. but the rulers are sociopaths, the commoners cattle, and together we are driving the environment to unliveability.
    1
  2809. privacy is just a screen for theft, tax evasion and immoral behavior. transfer to digital money is inevitable, and desirable- most crime becomes impossible.
    1
  2810. if you are surprised that usa regards making war as a 'nice little earner,' then you haven't been paying attention. this is a nation born to enrich its masters, by any means at all, initially through enslaving african people.
    1
  2811. complain all you want, but know this: the american people could have democracy as soon as they wish, but they do not wish. foolish of them, i say, but there you are. they are raised to be cattle, and they are. talk 'revolution' all you want, but you are kidding yourself if you hope for progress from this herd.
    1
  2812. someone has to ask usans some fundamental questions, if you want fundamental change. evidently, all are satisfied with things as they are. this will continue until you are in the next demographic to be consumed by the cancer resident in dc. that will be too late.
    1
  2813. 100 degrees? south florida in the 50's had higher than that. but maybe not 110. some places are becoming dangerous to live in, but those places were not comfortable before - people only live there for lack of choice. the real problem is too many human beings. there's an equation relating population, temperature, famine and war. the solution is currently 'extinction' but as each term varies the resulting solution may be living homo sapiens. basically, we must pray that t, f, and w, reduce p radically and soon.
    1
  2814. iran may feel that they can get nuclear capability while usa busy with china. but strikes from israel are likely, and iran has not been able to stop them.
    1
  2815. meanwhile back at the celeb dance contest, there are further episodes of back-biting as the vital question of real authentic membership of the democratic party is brought up to a boil. the thing is, it's all done for money, it's all entertainment, kabuki for the electronic age. one might reasonably wonder, when political discussion is scripted by the people who used to do soap-opera when radio was a thing, is it any wonder that national management is in the hands of the trump creature?
    1
  2816. 'syria?' what is a 'syria?'
    1
  2817. if you had democracy, if you knew what democracy is, if you had the brains to defend democracy, creatures like trump and biden, would not exist. but they do, because you are not democracy material. it needs citizen quality, and you are not raised to it.
    1
  2818. this story is simply not true. usa has been evil from birth. there was a brief flurry of vaguely socialist response after the '29 collapse. that was erased or squeezed gradually, in the 60's and 70's. usa is not a democracy. there is voting, but it achieves nothing. purely symbolic. populism is what happens when elite rule is threatened. token efforts to relieve the pain felt by the populace. it is intended to prevent demand for actual democracy. and it usually works. the cattle do not have the time, energy, or education to organize revolution, and the discontented middle class only wants enough change to be comfortable themselves. so, almost always, human society describes the same trajectory, ending in decay and collapse. usa has entered the decay phase, but don't get your hopes up, that military establishment will sustain the empire for a long time, and will become the internal ruler soon. the political system is degenerate and can not function any longer. a 'trump' and a 'biden' appearing in the executive office should demonstrate this reality to anyone.
    1
  2819. you can fathom it, i hope. societies evolve, but tigers do not arise from willow trees. think about where the usa began, and plutocracy is perfectly natural. can revolution arise from the current situation? certainly not, for far too many americans are still invested in the national myths. america will continue to decay, as it is bled of money and talent, and the generals will inherit the husk.
    1
  2820. btw, it's your own fault. the people could become citizens in a democracy, if they were citizen quality. but yer not.
    1
  2821. until you get democracy, money will rule. money and power are bound together, democracy spreads the power, and that spreads the money. and there is a spin-off, when the people who will do the fighting and dying decide on war or peace, there is less war and more peace.
    1
  2822. why is there no movement to bring democracy to usa? are you so impressed with politician rule that democracy seems unnecessary?
    1
  2823. a planned economy sounds good. but who can we trust to do the planning? the fatal mistake was allowing agriculture to supplant hunter gatherer. it wasn't allowed, of course. it created kings and priests, and it was all down-hill since. democracy is the cure, if only homer sap was citizen quality. butttt...
    1
  2824. if there is a human involved, probably on a cia pay stream. cui bono? usa/nato. removes temptation from germany to prefer warm to usa sanctions.
    1
  2825. still complaining about politicians? why should they care about you? you vote for them anyway. or don't vote. what you don't do is stand up and organize, to make them extinct.
    1
  2826. difficult to prove anything so long after the fact. ms. reade should have worn a wire at the time, collected conversation, threatened to publish, extracted a large severance payout. but it's hard for women to come out of these situations ahead. now, it's impossible. there is some consolation in making electoral trouble.
    1
  2827. usa is hobbled with a political structure designed for stasis, and incidentally, corrupt in its inherent function: money buys politics, and secretly, too. usa is unlikely to participate in bri, it would be a catastrophic loss of face, and might not be admitted, due to the moral danger of associating with the great satan. so poverty will increase, 'nazification' will flourish, and a competent dictator will lead usa to nuclear extinction of life on earth, with the rest of the world helpless to prevent. memo to young people: if you want a different future history, get busy!
    1
  2828. as much concern about assange as one might expect. but so what. the state and its lizard brain string pullers will make a frightening example of assange, 'pour encourager...' but the penny does not drop. it never drops. 'democracy' the word is often heard, yet no one realizes that it does not exist. not in the affairs of state. why complain if there is no intention to do anything about it? the word democracy does not occur in the usa constitution. its absence is no mistake. there is nothing to be done about it. the people can not change the constitution, and politicians don't want to.
    1
  2829. back in the 60's i figured all of this out. but when i looked at socialist alternatives, the were none. there were a few other oddies, but not enough to organize a beach volleyball game. it's not much better, now. usa society does not generate socialist character - there may be a higher percentage of would-be fascist thugs. so i left. a personal solution, but usa remains, a danger to the world, and to most of its people.
    1
  2830. who is 'we?' if you are referring to that collection of crooks and simple sociopaths that infest the the dc ringroad, then , yes they abandoned the kurds. but since there is not a skerrick of character among those parasites, betrayal is so commonplace as to be unworthy of mention. but you may have meant the entire nation of usa, in which case, you do yourself and your compatriots too much honor. your role in national affairs is negligible.
    1
  2831. iq squared? more like the square-root. there is no democracy anywhere, with the very limited exception of helvetian confederation. many usa states would be as democratic as the swiss, but the federal government negates their individual freedom. brits think voting for politicians is democracy, a common mental affliction. their society is an evolved aristocracy, with a real monarch. quite insane, to imagine that is democracy. in fact, there is a wide-spread application of double think in this area, n. korea and britain are sisters of a different mother, fathered by big brother. 'democracy' means rule by the citizens, not politicians. even the swiss don't quite make it. no one else comes close.
    1
  2832. people who despise trump should wonder how such a person came to be president. the short answer is that the democratic party ignored the millions dispossessed by globalism while courting those who prospered from it. those millions of dispossessed made the intelligent choice of voting for someone who acknowledged the problem and promised to fix it. it's true that trump is an unlikely savior, based on his personal history, but the alternative was so busy raking in speaking fees on wall street as to be even less of a hope. the fact is, the structure of the usa government is unresponsive to the needs, much less the desires, of the lower classes. this was the purpose of the constitution, explained in detail before and at its establishment. the usual course of elite rule is decadence and collapse into military rule. things don't get better because there is no legal way to improve them. revolution might lead to a better society, for awhile at least, but military coup is much more likely.
    1
  2833. it's nice that they are referring to the constitution, instead of shooting, but the structure of the federal government is not fit for purpose, if your goal is the welfare of the nation.
    1
  2834. if the purpose of a nation is to provide a civilized standard of living to its members, then the notion of a labor shortage is a nonsense. but if the people of a nation are regarded as labor units in some elite's desire for great wealth, then a shortage is possible. you will understand how little concerned i am about your 'labor shortage.' i am concerned that the nation seems to be run for and by sociopaths.
    1
  2835. it's yer own fault. madison told you his constitution would enable the rule of the rich, and look! it worked. the cure is revolution. the web makes it easy. just needs would-be citizens. but usa only raises civilians, so they whine as they submit. bummer!
    1
  2836. ay changed nothing. that's why he is getting out. it's not easy to change a society of 320 million, who have been fed a steady diet of lies for 230 years. which is why, with geography and resources unmatched anywhere in the world, the waste and rot are catching up with usa. happy to see it sink, but the bloated military machine might ruin the rest of the planet, the psychotic denial of the climate crisis will ruin the planet, and the decision of the election might well affect the survival of humanity. we would have a better chance of survival if american political decisions were done with dice, rather than if reliance continued on either electorate or politicians
    1
  2837. and no, bernie ain't gonna save you, even if elected. the nation is gutted, already. fdr was the last chance, and he wasn't up to it.
    1
  2838. you don't build the base, you can't have the tower. "you can't get there from here." mr h makes a living from talking, but he doesn't have any answers, because he, and you, have no power to do. you need a revolution, you need a plan for a better society, to recruit followers to revolution, and you got neither. instead, you are trying to make this broken clock-work train perform as though it was whole, and a real train. and you, and he, are pretending you are real grown-up citizens, when you are only civilians, permanent political adolescents. sorry, gotta break the bubble, no matter how scary.
    1
  2839. bernie wants to be president, and in charge of handing out fish. but what the american people need is the fishing pole. you don't need a kind politician, you need democracy.
    1
  2840. A society in which the citizens make the decisions is a democracy. There are not many. Just Helvetia. Without democracy, society is inevitably tribal, as small groups struggle to be the elite, or to support the elite in hope of reward.
    1
  2841. in a way, the prospect of trump on the bridge as usa copes with cv19, oncoming economic recession/collapse, and continuing story of china taking the lead in science, engineering, and foreign relations is a very comforting view. who better to carry the disgrace of inadequate management? if the disparagement of climate crisis results in near-extinction, isn't it better that trump becomes the boogeyman? usa is going to slide down the ladder rapidly, as corruption and gross over-spending on munitions have gutted schools, public health and community cohesiveness. the utter lack of public interest in important matters is natural, given the structure of society, but it makes proper allocation of funds and planning quite impossible. not a great problem by itself, 'great' britain manged to step off the top tier without disaster, but how can usa turn off the tap to munitions production without enraging both generals and plutocrats? war and/or military coup seems inevitable.
    1
  2842. not good enough. it's gabbard in 10 years with tanks around the whitehouse and heavy air cover.
    1
  2843. the good part about ignoring bernie is, that america does not discover that bernie in office could accomplish little. so they can go on wishing for a miracle, instead of organizing a revolution. when a nation is collectively dumb as a bag of rocks, evolutionary principles suggest steady decline to a tipping point, then collapse. and look around- do you see the slipping and the sliding? hold on tight!
    1
  2844. i just call the usa 'orcland,' it saves time.
    1
  2845. It,s not a law, it'just that the density of the aether is too thick for current technology.
    1
  2846. i pray each night that satan delivers a bomb to iran with global range rocket. as n. korea has demonstrated, that is the only way to have peace with usa. god, of course, is under contract to the usa. or so they say. if russia or prc wants to sell such a capability to iran, they would be doing a great service to humanity.
    1
  2847. first you have to learn what democracy is, then you have to struggle to get it.since the first step is ignored, the second step is unnecessary. right, that's taken care of, what's fer dinner?
    1
  2848. capitalism is just a polite word for greed, commonly used when greed is industrialised. it's easy to lose faith in, as there is neither god nor experience behind it. but it is supported by rich liars, so rich that they can hire strong support. people have to start from basic principles, to break through the lies. then they are confronted by naked force, police, army, assassins. prospects of change appear dim. revolution is not impossible, and a web age can muster such large numbers that resistance crumbles. if, that is, there are large numbers who demand change. in my experience, talking is the limit of exertion. fear, laziness or ignorance is the first and strongest defense of the elite. homer sap is unlikely to survive much longer, as the elite will eat the world.
    1
  2849. politics doesn't pay as well as banking. so you get smart people in banking, dumb ones in politics. both equally greedy. don't laugh at either one - smarter than you. a nation that lets politicians rule under the guidance of bankers will in fact get dumber. it's evolution in action. since you have to take what they deliver, their product will rise in cost, and quality decline. just look at the intellectual standard in recent presidents, 'anyone can be president' carried to logical conclusion. i used to urge people to get democracy. use it to make politicians extinct, and put bankers on a leash. but i've come to realize that the window of opportunity passed some years back. average i.q. has slipped down past citizen quality. now you can only hope to die before they pass you through the dog-food chipper.
    1
  2850. the usa is a bigger danger than china, and oz should only trade with the scandis, netherlands and costa rica. and a mutual defense pact with switzerland.
    1
  2851. aristotle wrote a book, about political structures then visible in the world around him. he concluded that the essential element in labeling and analyzing a polity was, "who decides?" if the people decide, then that society was a 'democracy,' which was from a greek phrase which meant 'the people rule.' smart man. there were lots of democracy examples around, in his day, left over from the primacy of athens. but all had fallen under the control of other political systems, monarchy in various forms. democracy has been popular ever since, but only as an aspiration of those enduring some form of elite rule. while elites hate democracy, and used to say so, they have come to see the utility of labeling their rule as a variety of democracy, an improved version that requires no effort or actual power of the people. just put an adjective in front of democracy, and tell the cattle to relax, 'we'll take care of you.' that is america, today. any number of americans think being allowed to choose which politicians shall rule them is all there is to democracy. a clear demonstration that orwell's warning about thought control through language manipulation fell on deaf ears . capitalism is not failing, it does what it always does, seeking profit. what has failed is humanity's capacity to control capitalism through political means. the result looks like being the death of the ecosystem, and very possible mass extinction. we need democracy, and socialism. it may be too late, but it is pointless not to struggle to bring exploitation of nature down to survival levels.
    1
  2852. power and wealth are bound together. so disperse the power [democracy, for short] and spread the wealth. madison knew that, and didn't want it, and the grandees of post-revolutionary usa agreed with him. so,,, "we, the people..." except the people had nothing to do with it, most of the people had no vote.the constitution began with a lie, and society founded on lies must rot, as other lies are made to cover the early lies. the rot is all around you. i marvel that you can live with the smell. how exquisitely appropriate that soon you all will be covering yer noses. all the survivors, that is.
    1
  2853. i used to do that. but the democrat/ic party has no ideology, it is simply a device to transfer money from voter to politician. you could call them red or blue, as the accompanying charts and drawings often do. i intended a slur, but it was useless , whores are not bothered by phrases like, 'easy virtue.' water off a duck's back. and it's not really fair to despise politicians, or whores. we all have to make a living, and until there is a 'universal living allowance,' then anything goes. of course, if you must despise someone, choose politicians, they always lie and steal , honest working girl is perfectly possible. but think about this: someone invented democracy, yet you go on supporting rule by politicians. maybe the weak link is you.
    1
  2854. nato is a military pact, aimed at ussr, and now, russia. it has advanced by buying governments, simply bribing officials to sell their nations to usa commercial interests. this commercial war has rolled up to russia border. putin finally decided 'too far,' and went for the gun. think of him as a much-beaten wife, who decided to shoot the bastard. will he succeed? quien sabe? but unlike the last two usa 'leaders,' he appears to be sane and well-informed. would ukraine, the whole society, be better off as an independent buffer state? very likely. since it came under the control of billionaires, ukraine has become the poorest nation in europe.
    1
  2855. "parliamentary sovereignty is the only rule that matters." absolutely right. you do not live in a democracy, and brexit was 'advisory'. uk is a dog's breakfast. my guess is parliament will stall around until brexit fades away.
    1
  2856. no danger to usa democracy, you never had it, seemingly don't know what it is, and can't seem to understand that every oligarchy kills itself with greed and arrogance. so usa is going to join uk in the 'support actors' list, if you don't destroy the world to maintain hegemony. a lively danger - long ago, when i was young, i heard a pr officer claim "we had to destroy the village in order to save it." that's when i began to understand that "my country, tis of thee..." was a giant lie. usa was born to protect slavery, and it worked. things haven't got much better.
    1
  2857. usa is not a democracy. there's a simple test: do you have an accessible and effective power of citizen initiative? so you can whine all you want, your masters do as they please. getting democracy is simple. only vote for 'one-purpose' politicians, who seek office just to establish democracy. are there such people?
    1
  2858. you keep sending encouragement to ukraine, and vlad will get mad. from the far side of the world i can wonder what a mad vlad will do, in a semi-relaxed state. people in europe should worry, a bit. maybe a lot.
    1
  2859. the underlying problem is the usa hand in the japanese puppet. the current, and usual japanese government, feels strong enough to threaten prc because of the usa hand on their shoulder. but this aggression is fragile, being utterly dependent on usa support, and possibly on usa demands. which makes it possible for russia to remind japan that dreams of a greater east asia co-prosperity sphere were just dreams then, much more so now. i would feel sorry for the japanese people, who are continually endangered by right-wing nutters in government, except that there are elections, and the right wing nutters usually win. these are the people that led japan to destruction in ww2, and being usa sock-puppet will not save japan from prc strikes if the bluster turn hot. the modi government, is doing much the same, acting as usa surrogate to win votes at home, while risking general war with prc. in my view, politician rule is threatening racial extinction. those are real rockets and real bombs. and threatening russia and/or prc is not going to end well.
    1
  2860. get all the shudda/cuddas off you chest, but usa is not democracy now, or ever on current information. considering the number of orc personalities evident on public media, not even sure the hobbits could hold a democracy if given. but it is depressing that well intentioned people are so universally silent on possibility for change. i avoid chomsky even though i admire him- a long public life in orc culture has leached out his life. the process of change is simple, in a web age- it just needs a lot of people wanting it. instead, a nation of zombies ruled by a dim-witted sociopath.
    1
  2861. demonstrations are the politics of the powerless. which is why they seldom have any result. the only power americans have is choice of master, from a choice of ten, or two. but, if 1,000,000 people told the democrat party to offer effective and accessible power of citizen initiative, the threat of never being in office would force the democrat party to become the champion of democracy. easy to do, send an email to the dnc every monday morning.
    1
  2862. becoming a client state of prc is not the worst situation for pakistan. if the alternative is becoming a client of usa, as india has chosen, then at least pakistan will be valued, prc having few friends right now.
    1
  2863. every brit seems to think they live in a democracy. a national delusion. what they actually have is elective aristocracy, somewhat masked by residual monarchy. democracy is easily discovered: does the will of the electorate direct the activity of the nation? if 'no,' then it's not. brits don't even know what their government is doing, much less direct it. why do they call their system democracy? to disguise reality of course. orwell captured the aim and practice very well when he coined 'doublethink.' the commoners are called 'citizens' now, but there was no change in their political status. they are commoners still.
    1
  2864. the usa started with more usable space than any other nation, abundant resources, and no threatening neighbors. could be the best place to live, but it isn't even close. you're doing something wrong.
    1
  2865. some usa states would be democracies, if independent, but the federation is not. it is run by a small political elite, who are easily bribed. which might suggest to the thinking usan, "we should get democracy in the nation." but are there such creatures? apparently not.
    1
  2866. you can't have rights without power. if you are not willing to demand citizen supremacy in the management of the nation, then you can only beg for privileges. how to demand? organize and arm yourselves, and explain to politicians that their time is over. too much trouble? might lead to shooting? turns out, you don't mind being screwed by the rich and powerful after all.
    1
  2867. america has a right-wing/racist problem? who knew?! just about everyone, outside usa. and many inside. spent some time in mississippi, in my salad days, saw the 'colored folks' lining up to go to their 'separate but equal' facilities, which weren't equal to begin with, and read about the occasional murders of 'uppity' coloreds. folks, usa was born to protect slavery, and protected the thuggery of white nazis from the day of emancipation. and it wasn't just ignorant southron good ol' boys neither. bush family had to leave connecticut after ww2, as it was filled with rich jews who resented their support for the nazis, and could do something about it. so bushes became texians, bought big hats and 'spreads', so they fitted right in. of course, florida has their own little colony of right wing quasi-nazis, fugitives from castro revolution. calle ocho will be right behind the candidacy of ron desantis.
    1
  2868. cv-19 not the problem. vampire capitalism supported by elective plutocracy created a usa and similar societies with the resilience bled out. worse, it created a usan population of ignorant zombies, ill-suited even to complain, much less reform. best outcome? some kind-hearted general will invite congress to take an extended holiday while he rebuilds the nation. more likely, simple collapse as usd becomes worthless and looting leads to feudal gangdoms.
    1
  2869. yes, indeed!
    1
  2870. let's just say they are tougher than iraq, and how did that work out.
    1
  2871. town crier kind of cute, but usa needs a che guevarra, this is serious.
    1
  2872. you complain bitterly about your masters, then ask, "is our democracy at risk?? there is no mention of democracy in the constitution, no referendum, no citizen initiative. where did you get the idea that you have democracy? is everyone in the usa insane?
    1
  2873. unfair to say 'fail.' did very well with the materials available. just not quite strong enough to beat ussr. the 'failure' was in appreciating ussr capabilities. even there, came very close. or you could say the 'failure' was in hitler's demand to attack, when the risk/reward equation was uncertain, and failure was catastrophic. on the other side of the world, the japanese were in a similar situation, but had much less reason to think success was possible. humans close their eyes and yell 'charge! sometimes, and afterwards we wonder, 'what were they thinking?'
    1
  2874. doesn't matter what you need, you get what your masters leave for you. you want socialism? get democracy. be the masters. a populace with citizen initiative will soon have as much socialism as they want.
    1
  2875. Yes and clearly visible. Any one says they believe in either is deceiving you, or themself
    1
  2876. after all the pomp and sentiment, they will mention that britain is a democracy. maybe. homer sap is a dimwit, but the poor sap is lied to from birth and only gets whatever education makes him useful to his masters. no matter, sing and dance as we prance towards extinction.
    1
  2877. why don't americans want to get democracy? voting for politicians is what got you here, do you think if you just keep bashing your head against the wall, it will start to feel good?
    1
  2878. unfortunately, americans have been bred for dumb and beautiful. most are just dumb. a few are dumb and beautiful, and front fox news. came across a copy of chomsky's 'requiem for the american dream' last week, and thought that it should be the core text of civics course in every american high school. but apparently, if you don't get approval by the texas state school board, you can't sell your book. chomsky is not well regarded in texas. folks, politicians are not your friends. if you were a wildebeest, they are hyenas. fire them, run the place yourself. used to be called 'democracy.' probably too hard for you, but if you don't try, you don't know.
    1
  2879. it's a device to keep bush from being prosecuted for dealing drugs. or selling state secrets. retirement pension just not enough for his social life.
    1
  2880. if you don't like the way the rich run things, why don't you get democracy, and socialism?
    1
  2881. anyone who uses 'american democracy' in non-ironic fashion is lying to listeners. politicians are parasites, and will destroy the nation in pursuit of their personal success.
    1
  2882. the cure is to get democracy, and bring the politicians to heel. but i don't hear anyone saying so. expressing disgust while offering no action is useless, at best.
    1
  2883. hard to take a long view in a society that manages politics as a celeb dance contest. is there no [ would-be ] citizen action group trying to establish democracy in usa? the thing about democracy is, instead of ennobling politicians with your vote, you vote on laws, policies, plans, even peace or war. politicians optional, better without. you are talking about two men being in contention for the role of king protemps, and both should never have any power over a puppy- and you know it, and do nothing. usa is a nation born shameless, and not viisbly improved with time. forcible indenture is gone, but for profit prisons restored the moral balance. ethnic cleansing is gone, but casual banditry and murder abroad restores the balance again. european tourists in the 1800's report habitual lying and boasting in public officers, et voila: trump. madison boasted he had created a plutocracy 'for the ages,' and indeed, he appears to have flash-frozen the national character.
    1
  2884. usa was born to support slavery, and the subjection of indigenous peoples. it was born to provide a means for the rich to rule the many. usa is what it is, by design. one result is a populace of crazy people, gun violence arises from insanity, and would be 'sword violence', or 'club violence' if guns were not available. guns are available, so that ordinary people can resist oppressive government. a good idea at the time, but obsolete. the guns are there for a good purpose, perverted by an oligarchic rule. resistance to government oppression now can only be done by getting democracy, and making government extinct. replaced with administration directed by referendum and initiative. 'of, by and for the people' will greatly reduce the incidence of insanity. but that is too hard. so we'll pretend to attack the problem by ignoring the oligarchy, and resulting insanity, and blaming guns.
    1
  2885. crap. its true climate variability arises naturally, but we are doing it with the rapid release of co2. soon the methane will be released from the seabed by the temperature rise from co2. then its goodbye earth, hello venus.
    1
  2886. now that aoc is taking counsel from pelosi, talking to her must be filtered. and enthusiasm greatly moderated. she's still better than the latina ring-in from the republican party, but that is only if you imagine the contest is serious. it will be an extended joke on aoc's loss of credibility, leaching out belief and support from now on.
    1
  2887. easy to see why corbyn was smeared. he was among politicians, always dangerous. i hope humanity will come to see the need for democracy and socialism, before we burn down the planet out of greed and arrogance. but it won't happen in britain. those people think democracy and monarchy are the same thing, so long as the state is managed by aristocrats and bureaucrats. endemic insanity.
    1
  2888. the system is not broken, it was designed to be like this. the usa elite are much the same as other such groups in history. usa losers have the means to change things, personal firearms and web communication that mao and lenin couldn't even dream about. but usa losers have been alienated from their peers by history and education and systematic lies from media. they can not combine. so prospects are not good. eventually* conditions in usa will resemble the last days of the manchu dynasty and a leader may appear. more likely, generals will takeover soon. *perhaps impending climate catastrophe will make all prediction useless.
    1
  2889. if ozzies were smarter, there would be no politicians. politicians are just parasites. but they ain't smart, and creatures like barnaby put hand on heart and reveal that he's an honorable man, and i've had my sour smile for the day.
    1
  2890. i have made a note, never ask dr h for a donation, it lifts her from disdain to frothing rage. almost reassuring to notice this premium human displaying a minor weakness.
    1
  2891. she might not show up, because she has no chance of getting the nomination. so she can suit herself as to what she says, and where. it costs money to campaign, another aspect of life in a plutocracy. but public recognition, and establishment of a political 'brand' will serve her well in future endeavors, whether in house or senate.
    1
  2892. stop laughing, it ain't funny. the funny part is, they get away with this because they own the government, and the cattle let them. i choose 'cattle' because the situation is very like the relation between wildebeest and hyenas: the wildebeest don't like being killed and eaten, and they wouldn't be -they have horns and hooves - but they don't defend one another, they let the hyena gang knock over 'someone else.' in usa everyone but family, is 'someone else.' democracy is possible, but very difficult, it needs a sense of community lacking in usa. so you have people making a living laughing at corruption and oppression, when a sane society would revolt, and establish democracy.
    1
  2893. iran needs a credible nuclear delivery system. it is the only defense against the usa. i am surprised prc or russia do not supply one, 'over-night delivery,' as it seems to be in their interest to have distributed strike-back capability against the evil empire.
    1
  2894. honest discussion? that would start by saying, "usa is not a democracy, never was, designed to be run by rich people, and always has been."
    1
  2895. bbc used to understand the utility of apparent even-handed reporting, but somehow murdoch has convinced them that malice pays. made him rich, so you can see the temptation.
    1
  2896. prc not humiliated. the islanders will use their offer from china to extract an offer from usa. it will be a much higher offer than was the custom before prc entered the area. usa, and its quad/aukus clients may not meet the chinese offer, much less beat it. then prc will be back, still smiling. do grow up, this is just basic haggling, no humiliation involved.
    1
  2897. she should blame goldwater. that's where she learned about politics.
    1
  2898. btw, both prc and usa are long on record as agreeing taiwan is part of china. its 'separation' is only through the operation of usa forces initially, in the vain hope that jiang would rise from the dead. they abandoned that hope to support another, that chinese labor would make usa corporations richer. now that hope too, has turned to ashes. so they return to asserting taiwan is not part of china. china will not retaliate, hawaii can remain part of usa, even though the largest national background is japanese.
    1
  2899. i guess you are saying that the republicons are smarter than dem supporters? because usa has none of the characteristic functions of democracy. don't confuse wishing with reality, it doesn't pay. if you think you have democracy, and don't, you can't struggle to get democracy, and will never have it.  
    1
  2900. gall and gallic!
    1
  2901. asking for radical economic solutions from a society firmly in control of wealth seems like an exercise in academic point-scoring. calling it angry is worse, from implying action is imminent. rome 'decayed' for about 300 years, and usa might do as well, if it were not for the climate crisis. so no human-directed change is visible while physics directed change is visible, but so slow the frog in the pot hypothesis will be tested at last on humans.
    1
  2902. the system has offered you a choice, will you have a dimwit paranoid sociopath or mid-stage alzheimer puppet from big pharma to be your king for awhile. the rational response is "how do we get a new constitution?" indeed, a more pressing conclusion might be, "have they got room for me in canada?"
    1
  2903. no erosion, the establishment of israel was a process of 'buy, frighten, shoot.' from the beginning. the intent was to build a jewish state, current occupants, largely muslim would have to leave. with near-success, the jewish bandits have started to white-wash their elders. 'this was always israel, we just took it back." if this principle was followed everywhere, the last human standing would feel he had to shoot himself in the head. and it suits the usa to assist. for no cost, in principle, the politicians get large chunks of usa jewish money for their election expenses, and their grandchildren's university fees. it was an invasion, it is an invasion, and israel has located itself on a bomb-sight. no immediate danger, middle east nations have been too busy dealing with cia plots, ethic hatred and historical violence, and no one is capable of troubling israeli military..
    1
  2904. the americans willing...? foolish question. a bit of history: when hitler said he was sending a management team to switzerland, then surrounded by axis powers, the swiss reponded, "give us a moment, we'll get back to you." and they had a referendum. about 98% in favor of shooting any german who stepped over the border. the thing is, usa is not a democracy, and your masters will decide what to do about ukraine. doesn't matter, about 'willing.' in the first place, usa media will all tell the cattle what to think, they call it thinking.
    1
  2905. buttigieg deserves praise. smart, capable of reasonable discourse in well-structured sentences, with a shout-out to god, he is a veritable philosopher king compared to american politicians of either party. have heard him compared to obama, which struck me as a good comparison. but by now even americans must realize that obama was an empty suit with a smooth line of chatter. tg has gone on a different path: usa is a bandit nation. not an easy path, eh? just the truth, and it deserves to be heard. but tg has not much to offer outside this moral whistleblowing. worse, she is fronting for hindu right-wing nasties, who seem to think there is room in american politics for a hindu equivalent to aipac. i hope this isn't going to catch on, but usa is very likely to embrace these crazies, as a counter-weight to rising chinese power and influence. might want to look elsewhere for sanity in american foreign policy. give some time to andrew yang- not as slick as buttigieg but even smarter. may be too smart for american voters, most of whom can barely spell, much less evaluate a. i. and the need for citizen salary.
    1
  2906. the fundamental problem is simply biology : homo sapiens can't seem to break out of the alpha-male dominated social pattern. in spite of endless lies about democracy, there is none, among nation states. and it always suits the elite to use violence in pursuit of wealth and power, since they don't do the dying.
    1
  2907. tell your kids to learn mandarin. that way they can run a rickshaw for prc tourists, even though usa neglected to give them an education.
    1
  2908. stop talking about parties. direct action by single purpose citizen action group, determined to get democracy, is the only cure for american politics.
    1
  2909. ghee whiz! yer problem is the constitution, and you haven't noticed that, and not much you can do about it, without shooting. the economic underpinnings of the nation will eventually drive a change, but the usual change is overt dictatorship, by or backed by the military. politicians can not help you, they are a group self-selected to preserve their rule, and the result of their rule is all around you.
    1
  2910. nice old lady, living in dreams. usa has had 230 years to overthrow the oligarchy and establish democracy, never came close. you can't have democracy, unless a lot of people want it. about 50% of usa states have some or all of the features of democracy, in their state constitution. california, if independent, would be a model democracy. it's not like the concept is utterly foreign. and yet, progressives never raise the subject of revolution, or secession. i guess they are too comfortable. and that's why nothing is going to happen. democracy at work? a nonsense question. the real question is, democracy in the nation?
    1
  2911. while the giant minds of the youth naturally gravitate towards the challenging and rewarding fields of digital money, creation and re-distribution thereof, the somewhat less gifted attempt to shake research grants out of grants committees of particle physics, and beyond. perhaps intonation matters, and beyond! dr h is being somewhat unkind to these would-be discoverers of the ultimate fabric of reality. she is well-placed to know where the bandarillas go and there's money in this, too. from the gods, the view of each is distant but amusing, 2 bob well spent.
    1
  2912. help me out here, nsa reads everyone's mail, silence. huawei might read everyone's mail, shock! horror! it appears that usa grip is slipping. sooner the better.
    1
  2913. usa is stronger by far than any other nation, so why should the american people fear anyone? it's because the american government uses murder, drones, special forces and armies in pursuit of corporate profit around the world. the enemies it has made has brought fear to the american people. and occasionally, death. even cornered mice will fight back to what extent they can. america's victims are necessarily braver by far than america's citizens. those 'citizens' are moral defectives who don't mind murdering foreigners, but are outraged that their own lives might be in danger if their victims manage some retribution..
    1
  2914. there are various kinds of nations. usa is a flop house for about half, a nation for about 40%, and one of several addresses for the rich. all of it belongs to the rich, but most is of sol little consequence that a site manager has to identify himself to owner when he calls. healthcare is not any kind of issue in usa. it's something you do yourself. your life doesn't matter, health even less. there is no resistance to the rule of the rich. a nation filled with guns, a right guaranteed for the express purpose of resisting oppression by government or gangs, can not raise a revolution while half are still eating, and don't care about those who aren't. 2nd amendment didn't deliver, but might yet. just needs more hungry/angry people, at least the guns are there. 'our national security infrastructure?' who is this 'our,' whiteman? it belongs to bezos, gates and their hired agents, trump and mnuchin. your security is just a good lock on the door.
    1
  2915. a populace of nongs cannot expect to be treated as anything but cows. if you don't see the need for democracy, if you don't know what it is, then you are cattle. telling cattle to stir about a threat to their feed is useless, except if you can make a living from it, as here we see.
    1
  2916. well, at least they are forced to try for sophisticated bullying. but i save time nowadays- if it's from usa gummint, its bad at best, and frequently evil.
    1
  2917. in early december '41, the master plan to beat ussr ran onto a rock, just outside moscow. from then on, hitler was just postponing death. there was no strategy because war of attrition was favorable to ussr, and blitzkrieg had failed.
    1
  2918. the people, united, can never be defeated! but examine that 'united,' less possible in usa than anywhere among developed nations. of course, you don't need everyone. if 20% of the middle class said, "give us democracy! [or else!]" you would get democracy. but hard to find 20% who wouldn't be hungry in week 2. you see the evil genius of capitalism. between hunger and mortgage payments, there will be no revolt. usa is unfixable. not sure homer sap has any future. interesting experiment, but redesign clearly necessary.
    1
  2919. it is a dream. the swiss have democracy, and stay away from the eu as much as possible. they know what democracy is, and practice it better than anyone else. not much competition. there can't be transnational democracy, only transnational bureaucracy- a very different thing. yv should have stayed in athens, and brought democracy back to hellas. just to demonstrate it could be done in a small theater. but that wasn't a big enough stage, or maybe just too hard. so now he's a transnational talking-head, but democracy means 'the citizens rule,' not talking-heads.
    1
  2920. actually quite smart, if you are working for pete.
    1
  2921. once you grasp the real fact, that the head of the cia may not be working for the welfare of the nation, then it becomes useful, even necessary, to seek information from foreign sources. their intelligence may have dirt on american politicians, that usa agencies do not have, or more likely, are holding to extort performance from that politician. trump is an outsider. he will never know anything from cia, that is not given him to benefit cia. true of any politician, but trump is unpredictable, until the intelligence 'deep state' gets some extortion power on him. this should be easy, and we are currently watching the process unfold.
    1
  2922. k. fired allen dulles, who planned the bay of pigs. dulles presumably was acting with support from business and political powers, but even from out-of-office he commanded support from the cia. so dulles killed kennedy, that was his fundamental professional skill. easy-peasy. no question in my mind as to the character of k's death. then they killed b. k, necessary as in office he would have been a grave danger to his brother's murderers. between these murders, and the grand-scale genocide in vietnam, i learned to despise the usa. there is little good in it, and endless evil.
    1
  2923. the cure is democracy and socialism. immediate action may prevent extinction. how to do? ideas welcome.
    1
  2924. still you don't hear the truth- the constitution is responsible for trump holding office. it is obsolete.
    1
  2925. everyone's tax record should be public. whyever not?
    1
  2926. my hope is different. i hope the s/c americas become usa-free. a public burning of the monroe doctrine would be effective theater, accompanied by "free at last!"
    1
  2927. there is evidence the germans feared the yak 3 most.
    1
  2928. less inspiring than most. seems to confirm my childhood observation that results are always less than hopes.
    1
  2929. if you ever had a class in usa history, you might have learned that madison wrote his constitution for the express purpose of enabling the few rich to rule the poor many. bloomberg buying his way in is a perfect example of plutocracy in action. madison was successful, he created a plutocracy. you don't live in a democracy. never describe usa as a democracy, because that pollutes the word. maybe you are happy with the way things are going. more likely, unhappy. either way, no change will happen until millions of people organize to establish democracy. i see no sign of this happening. whining doesn't count. action counts, and there is none in the usa dna.
    1
  2930. prc took early and decisive action, and americans wrung their hands and "we couldn't do that, that's authoritarian!" it's no accident the president is an incompetent social disaster, he effectively reveals the american national character. cv19 is widespread now, many scientists say containment outside of china was always impossible. humanity will have to live with it, or die from it. it will be interesting to measure the level of response around the world, and the impact on trade and production. there might even be a welcome blip in co2 production.
    1
  2931. it's your fault. good bet you didn't vote green 40 years ago, and every chance since.
    1
  2932. have lost, bernie, have lost. but in debate there is a chance biden will demonstrate senile dementia of such visible quality that the superdelegates will have to nominate - someone else. not bernie. in fact, they may nominate buttigieg, warren or beto, but not bernie. [or tulsi.] the political system of usa is so contemptible that i wonder why anyone takes it seriously.
    1
  2933. you worry about breaking seals? they're volunteer murderers, with a free pass to kill anyone the president doesn't like. they're not stressed, they're living in sociopathic heaven. btw, they're not endless wars, they're bandit raids.
    1
  2934. and you lost, because the nation was designed to submit to wealth. fix? get democracy, and design a nation to serve the majority.
    1
  2935. if yf had met this challenge by asking the greek people to elect him and like-minded people to government, i would admire him. but he did not. he moved on to the big show as an international talking head. he says he is 'european- minded.' an empty title, but more money in it, i suppose.
    1
  2936. can't hurt to inject a few facts into the story, but this not a debate. it is a struggle for power, and the individuals involved are secondary to the forces very roughly represented by the democratic party and the republican party. lies are simply tools, an alternate reality sufficiently connected to reality to provide cover and recruit soldiers. so don't get excited, impeachment process unlikely to succeed, and might not change the result of the next election. the dems are just as crooked, and if bernie passes for an honest politician in that field, it would be of little use, the democratic party is addicted to money too.
    1
  2937. germany, and japan were well aware that chances of success were less than even. so both tried to deliver knock-out blows before opponents were prepared. hitler prepared to fight a 3 month tactical war with all the guns shooting on day 1. so he didn't need a long range bomber. and when he went sideways at moscow it became a longer war, and lost. so, was the lack of a bomber a mistake? no, but dreaming of victory was crazy. likewise the japanese, even more so. tojo was much less crazy, but initial success against china was so extensive that reparations if he retreated would have ruined japan. when nations are directed by individuals, the win or die mindset happens all too often.
    1
  2938. believe me, usa cares nothing for anything but profit.
    1
  2939. so now china is the bad guy, because it's showering development money on central asia and africa? if american politicians believe a word of what they are saying, they are insane. more likely it is merely hypocrisy on a grand scale.
    1
  2940. but first you have to get democracy, so you have the power to do those things.
    1
  2941. there is a moral crisis in china- due to the fact they are human. but i do wish westerners would walk around the seedy districts of their own cities first. in l. a. the problem is less pick-pockets and more automatic gun-fire in the streets, as 14 y. o.s contend for drug turf.
    1
  2942. if you want everyone to have a decent life, that's socialism. if you want socialism without government control, the people must become citizens of a democracy. if you want democracy, you must be prepared to fight for it. sorry, the elite never go gracefully. guns must be in view, and overwhelming numbers. changing society is not easy. but if we don't, the elite will eat the planet, and kill us all. good luck!
    1
  2943. you are not citizens in a democracy, so you talk about the activity of your betters with disrespect, but do nothing to improve your nation. 'trained' to submission from birth.
    1
  2944. congress does have power to defund federal activities. that might be enough to get what they want.
    1
  2945. in reality, your problem is a guy named james madison. he wrote the constitution, designed to ensure the rich ruled, and it has worked very well indeed, to that purpose. trump has two assets, enough in 2016: member of the richman's club, always useful, nearly necessary, and not a politician, uniquely useful, just this one time. the reason for that: professional politicians have run the usa so badly that a lot of people figured 'anyone but more of them.'
    1
  2946. the fix s to get democracy and retire the profession of 'politician.' but the people of usa are at different stages of evolution: california would be a democratic republic if independent, while alabama is still at the feudal level and south dakota more of a herd and hunt tribal society. and that's just the the newcomers.
    1
  2947.  @georgefurman4371  in fact, democracy started in the navy. athenian navy that is.
    1
  2948. madison laid the bet with the constitutional convention, and it has paid off ever since. but capitalism is a parasitic notion which has been used to mask the reality of oligarchy by politicians. the parasites are running out of victims, they have bumped up against 2 strong nations, in prc and russia, and either is a danger to the usa hegemony. negotiation is impossible. usa is wholly owned by sociopaths. usa has already demonstrated that it will use nuclear weapons, and recently has strengthened the threat. difficult to believe putin will fold. logically, humanity must resolve this situation with nuclear extinction. interesting times!
    1
  2949. the depressing element of american political life, is the apparent lack of self-awareness. america is as close to plutocracy as you can get, in western history, only the roman senate of republican days is more formal. yet there is continual reference to american 'democracy.' if it were an elite plot to use double-think, it could not be more effective as a pacification device. but i think it is more likely just colonial boasting, at replacing the british aristocracy [with limited monarchy] with american aristocracy and a limited, elective, monarch. the usa is a plutocracy. and everything in america is imbued with a reverence for money. a simple example: the current election process will choose a king-for-awhile. discussion of the process has two aspects. how many people say they will support each candidate- and how much money each candidate has to buy attention. plutocracy, from the ground up. from the top down aspect is obvious: someone named bloomfield decided he would like to be president, spent a few hundred million dollars, and a few weeks later is polling better than all but two or three. at what point do you say, "we are a plutocracy?" please stop talking about 'democracy now.' you pollute the word. you muddy an ideal that humanity desperately needs to realize. you legitimize all the venal hyenas who 'lead' society with lies. even 'democracy tomorrow' would be a similar lie, for no one in the usa says a word about how to get, what they assure one another they already have.
    1
  2950. surging from 1% to 2% support. usans haven't even figured out that they don't have democracy, but they might want socialism? who is gonna hand it to them?
    1
  2951. 'not really our doing' suggests you don't understand what entering into an extradition treaty means. hint: your government serves the usa.
    1
  2952. everyone is making a living from information now, or opinion sometimes offered with supporting facts. probably a good thing, if you can evaluate accuracy and possible bias. but if you are getting a wage or a fee from a commercial entity, there used to be a commercial advantage in accurate reporting. so when the scmp chooses biased language, you are entitled to pay no further attention to them. but people do. not only is there an incentive to broadcast lies to suit the publisher, there is a biased market unconcerned with any reality that conflicts with their wishes. and that is the great advantage of the web age: a multitude of voices from most of the world on any subject. if you are interested in reality, it is findable nowadays. carry on, mr janssen, add yer rivulet to the river of knowledge. in that respect you have chosen the right time to be young.
    1
  2953. if you don't understand that the usa is a purpose-built plutocracy, you can talk all you want, but only money is heard. change the constitution so that the people rule, through referendum and initiative, it's called 'democracy.'
    1
  2954. you know what they are made of, and they know you. i f you are content to ber uled by politicians, you must learn to endure their rule.
    1
  2955. stop whining mr dore, you are making a living by pretending usa people need to know about how their masters treat them. they don't need to know, they already know. they have been diddled by politicians since the founding of the nation, and done nothing. they are cattle, and should be soothed not irritated.
    1
  2956. good luck. but things were tougher back in the 1930's, and token efforts were done to stave off revolution, economy saved only by ww2. so long as you don't have democracy, and you don't, gains will be illusory and temporary. the rich will always buy back the government, one politician at a time. need a new constitution, folks: it should start off by saying "we, the citizens of the usa are masters of our nation, and all public activity is done by our consent through referendum and initiative." ojeda may pass for a good man, i suppose, but he made a career out of shooting up people whose crime was resisting the government of the usa. truly good people would have been shooting at the government.
    1
  2957. there is an endless list of urgent to-do's in the usa, and instead of discussing them you have this.
    1
  2958. in all this 'discussion,' no suggestion to establish democracy, and tell national administrators what kind od nation you want, through referendum and initiative. there is uniform acceptance of civilian status, not citizen. slavery through mental conditioning, stronger than chains.
    1
  2959. everyone face towards dc, and radiate rage, contempt, hatred, disdain, any or all. at least once a day, for at least 2 minutes. i believe their leaves will turn brown, and the weaker politicians will suffer constipation.
    1
  2960. i am confident that putin wishes he didn't have to shoot his way to ukrainian neutrality. but he sees clearly that usa intends to own all the world. they said so, "nato can go anywhere." putin's goals are more modest: he wants a buffer state between him and the evil empire. russia is not entirely isolated, prc is sympathetic and they are a power bloc by themself. the modi government appears to be conducting an anti-prc foreign policy, which seems strange - modi might get something from it, but india will not. perhaps not so strange.
    1
  2961. complain about the election if it makes you feel better, if you are content to be ruled by politicians, you deserve to cheated.
    1
  2962. or any other religion. but if you hope to live in peace, they must confine their religion to their home, or place of worship. in a majority hindu nation, set the example by ending public celebrations of religion. not going to happen, is it.
    1
  2963. it's not censorship, it's a commercial decision. plutocracy infiltrates every aspect of society. usa is not a democracy. you are not citizen quality. [ you are willing to be ruled by elites in politics, under the influence of wealth ] no referendum, no initiative, no democracy.
    1
  2964. Jefferson raised and sold slaves as a business. Shared a laugh with Washington about the profits. Less talkative about his black concubine. USA was founded to preserve slavery. And the rule of rich slavers. They should get a new holiday.
    1
  2965. i recommend getting democracy. politicians are parasites, unnecessary and pernicious. that would require a large number of people to actively persuade congress to replace the constitution with a transition document, based on the california constitution. however, usa people are not capable of that kind of purposeful organization and consequent action. so yer screwed. they win. comfort yourself that only the swiss got anywhere near democracy, and they only by luck. homersap in general just isn't citizen quality, and this may lead to extinction. so, don't worry, be happy.
    1
  2966. if you had democracy, initiative would reshape the nation to better serve the people. if you inspire a million people to visit d.c. next july 4 each bearing a simple document saying: "give us an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative, and you can stay in office, for awhile." and plaster each to the capitol, the politicians might see reason. if they don't, many more people, with guns.
    1
  2967. biden will not fix things. he will be the face of usa aggression against china. i suppose prc will continue to establish trade, through individual treaties and any groups they can form or join. that is the pragmatic response to usa military threats. recent asean treaty a good sign, but there must be more. a few european nations have signaled interest in joining bri, and more is needed. in the long term, if their is one, helping african nations develop can be the most important move, moving them into global balance beside china will be decisive. but will usa start shooting first? defense treaties with iran, venezuela, cuba and pakistan would be logical, and the loan of a few ballistic missiles from china might well put the usa on the path to peace, if not virtue.
    1
  2968. more of a protracted slump, with boils, bleeding sores, rising laughter from afar. when the rot is deep enough, collapse.
    1
  2969. monbiot is part of the problem. no use talking about democracy when you haven't got it, don't know what it is, an can't imagine living in one. so the only fruitful subject for would-be progressive talking heads is democracy 101. and i can't off-hand recall monbiot or anyone else explaining how the cattle can become citizens.
    1
  2970. doesn't kill. simply doesn't care about surplus to requirements people. so more die. evolution in action! if usans gave a damn about others, they would have democracy, and some level of socialism. but they don't. childhood training works, in this case for the elite. oh! say, can you see.. not forgetting the 'one nation under god, ' if you aren't happy, god doesn't think you should be happy.
    1
  2971. a good presentation , but times have changed since nixon: there is currently a much wider perception that both parties are moral degenerates. so trump supporters can hear his sins, and be unembarrassed, 'he may be a creep, but so is your guy, and this one is ours.' democracy is the cure for what ails america, but it turns out that americans are not citizen-quality people. anomie is the label, i call it the sicilian disease. so it's more of the same for the usa, tailing off into military rule of each of the rump survivor states- westcoastia, northeastia, and bubbaland.
    1
  2972. can you fix greed? and who are the fixers? and why should they change a society in which they 'fix?' these people live in fantasy.
    1
  2973. politicians are not your friends. they are parasites,, hanging on from the men in iron suits day. you want a society run for the people? it's easy: get a society run by the people. make politicians extinct. manage affairs by the public service through referendum. control activity by the citizens through initiative. really, it's easy. but only if you are citizen-quality people. if you are willing to let politicians rule, then you deserve what you get. slaves will find masters.
    1
  2974. meta is just a business. you have much worse problems. for instance, the lack of democracy. worse, the failure to understand why democracy is necessary.. and worse yet, the existence of a large percentage of adults with the social development of a rabid dog. which is why usa is crumbling before your eyes. it turns out that a foundation document intended to ensure the rule of wealth was in the end a fatal disease, flowering slowly like cancer, but now everywhere evident.
    1
  2975. somebody should remind bernie that a long time ago, politicians didn't talk about 'government,' but about 'administration.' it was part of the myth that usa was a democracy. but i suspect bernie has abandoned hope of instituting democracy. you can't make citizens out of couch-potatoes.
    1
  2976. being dependent on s. korea is no improvement on being dependent on usa. any nation that intends to be free must be prepared to fight. but s. korea does have one advantage, they are too small to threaten europe. usa is quite different, in that regard. not only do they threaten, they shoot, they bomb, and poison. humanity should band together, to resist that nation of orcs in expensive suits.
    1
  2977. there's a career in pointing out usa dysfunction, but so far, no one has suggested how to improve. this is going to be another austro-hungarian collapse, with luck. or it could be extinction, if homer sap has a really bad headache. my solution was to get as far away as possible. elon appears to think he may need to move to mars. clearly, he will be far enough to improve chance of not joining the extinction, for awhile at least.
    1
  2978. it is normal. the usa is not, never was a democracy. it is ruled by political aristocrats on behalf of financial princes. the constitution does not establish democracy, and begins with a lie" "we, the people " is a lie. the constitution was empowered by action of state congresses, all dominated by the grandees of each state, in which only property owners could vote. except in rhode island: there the constitution was offered as a referendum to the people. their decision was "no." i can't respect to people who impute democracy to the usa. they make it impossible for the people to demand democracy. this is doublethink in action, and it works.
    1
  2979. usa always prepared for war. even eager. "special forces" are shooting somewhere, in defense of empire. macron recently opted out of starting ww3, apparently defending ukrainian puppet regimes doesn't seem sensible. he ain't just a pretty face.
    1
  2980. tax havens are created by the usa, to suit their plutocrat masters. in an electronic age, taxes and customs are inescapable, unless your government wants its friends to escape.
    1
  2981. so when do americans grasp that if you want the benefits of democracy, you have to first get democracy. of course, if you are content to be treated like cattle, saves effort.
    1
  2982. this is more captivating than any serial romance program. and who is that woman with the african/explosion hairstyle? are such people allowed into science discussions?
    1
  2983. rescue democracy? you never had it. usa was born an oligarchy, by design, and the design has performed brilliantly. you are merely trying to rescue the pretense. perhaps for the cynical goal of continuing to fool the chumps, or maybe out of simple ignorance. regardless, there has been no democracy in the usa, and never will be, on present performance.
    1
  2984. the only reliable check is democracy, which is why madison made sure the usa did not have a constitution establishing democracy. and that is why revolution is necessary, if you want substantive change.  @DavidJ222 
    1
  2985. usa is making war on china, all methods short of visible violence. prc is ducking and dodging with some success. if the bombs don't fly, they will win. of course, rome 'fell' for 200 years. but, on the bright side, austro-hungarian empire went in 5. alas, usa more 'roman.'
    1
  2986. have you been to china lately? their performance with cv19 is so much better than any one else, that w.h.o. said, 'this is the way to do it.' because this is the way to do it. then there is usa, where 'what not to do' is in full view. and saagar can not endure the performance comparison, so he spews contempt and suspicion in all directions. fortunately, the number dead in usa today is about the number of total dead in china over 4 months. unbiased people will have little trouble in making up their minds as to where the real contemptible government and lackeys are.
    1
  2987.  @RR-tw2ox  36,000 dead and rising, vs 5000 and declining. and usa had a choice of trump or clinton, going to have a choice of trump or biden. elections are good in principle, but not absolutely.
    1
  2988. @Alvin Bi usd is looking a bit shaky, if they fail to get control of venezuela, may crash. in any event, china can make and execute long term plans, so not in their interest to prop up usa. they can see world domination 10-20 years from now, and side-lining usa now will be a powerful start.
    1
  2989. just stay indoors. locked doors.
    1
  2990.  @grmpEqweer  i suppose there are individuals, but not enough to rent a back room in a pub, and plan revolution.
    1
  2991. the war went sour, in front of moscow. after that sov resources and manpower were likely to prevail. stalingrad was a demonstration of that reality. war is not chess. the germans, even more the japanese, knew they were entering a war against stronger opponents, but humans let desire make their decisions. "something will turn up!" in the way of opposition blunders, or 'gott mit uns.'
    1
  2992. if you want the benefits of democracy, you must be prepared to fight for them. whining may make you feel better, but changes nothing.
    1
  2993. how many national languages in india? may have some connection to 'muddling along.' there are regional dialects in every large country, often many. but just one national language. when you have to 'nationalize' many local dialects, it means the center is weak. and so - muddle. nothing to be done, in the short term. actually, there is something, a bit embarrassing, but functional. make english the sole national language.
    1
  2994. india is one of many nations, still in the grip of religion. mostly muslim, nowadays, hinduism confined to india, but that is a big confinement, some christian nations still pay attention to god. and the jews are rabid in their defense of religion and nation, being surrounded by enemies who have very good reason to hate them. but there are many secular nations, sometimes nominal. they have problems too. humanity seems too stupid to survive. we have real problems, arising from over-population of the planet. survival needs planning and action, directed by intellect, and our masters are only interested in getting and staying in office. sometimes through election, sometimes through a cosy understanding with the military, occasionally through claimed appointment by god. not good enough, we can see the sand castles they have built being destroyed by the tide of time.
    1
  2995. why talk about 'doing something,' when you have no power to 'do.' get democracy first. then talk about what to do with ruling power. how to get democracy? i think it's both easy, and impossible. 'easy' because it only needs a lot of people to want it. 'impossible' because no one in usa wants it. you can't have democracy, in a nation of chumps.
    1
  2996. more germany to succeed.
    1
  2997. there was car-pooling, obviously. but no visible sign that anyone knew what they were doing, beyond the possibility of marketing selfies at the local vfw hall.
    1
  2998. israeli fascists won't get much comfort from a 'democratic socialist.' but maybe they are merely acting as a washing-transit from a usa plutocrat who has jewish interests/contacts. usa politics are complex, crooked, and dangerous to any not well-connected to the usg. you would think the non-rich would revolt, and build a new society, but they are passive if they have enough to eat, and too busy finding a meal if not. revolution comes from the alienated middles, but in the usa they are only blogistes.
    1
  2999. ja is an idiot. he exposed an aspect of the vile cancer on the face of humanity commonly called 'united states government.' he knew better than most the nature of the people who infest that institution, and took no precautions to avoid what is now happening. he even boasted publicly about his role in exposing the ethical cesspool centered on the washington monument. what did he think was going to happen? ja deserves pity, the way a drunk who plays in a tiger cage deserves pity, but there should be no surprise in the result.
    1
  3000. sensible, for a change. putin is levels ahead of the management usa and uk are getting nowadays. usa doesn't need good management, because their game-plan is simply, 'get more, of everything, using threats, bribes, actual murder and invasion.' a monkey could run it. putin doesn't have the assets of usa, but great natural resources and threat of nuclear war are sufficient to support resistance to usa. he is showing signs of stress and it may be shaping his activity, but no matter: he will have some success or die trying, possibly killing many others as necessary. interesting times.
    1
  3001. amazon can do no wrong. richest man in the world can buy congress by himself, or just rent a few for current purposes. there is a living to be made saying "there's a big leak in our boat," but it won't be of great interest when there's no repair, and new boats too expensive.
    1
  3002. interesting times, but trump biden or bernie matters less than you think. usa is over-stressed and collapse is built in to the economy, climate crisis not being addressed and a slightly out of the ordinary plague may deliver the final hammer blow to the american imperium. if you look at the american political system and recent history from a distance [i am as far as i could get] it truly looks medieval and without the saving grace of energy. just look at the fact that 3 tired old men have come to the fore, none with any record of achievement, nor do the parties show any vigor, or concern for anything but power. the american republic is exhausted. its reach is imperial already, but there is no room for growth, decay is everywhere visible and the struggle for productive activity has left the house, last seen on a ship for china. in truth, the next session in the oval office is better left to trump. he is a vile person, let him wear the accusations for what is coming to america.
    1
  3003. trump is a cartoon character, but usa is a cartoon nation. very strong on cartoon characters, and very backward on social evolution. cv19 is god's comb, and i wonder what will fall out of that golden comb-over. has the usa ever had such a blatantly vain and arrogant buffoon in office before? in my lifetime, there has been no one so visibly in contempt of the people who put him in office. rightly so, of course, he knows better than anyone how defective he is, and still the people's choice. this is fundamentally a condemnation of the democratic party. if you can't beat a trump, you are far gone in corruption and incompetence. i marvel at the faces meeting trump this time, still a crew of the walking dead, and poor bernie- hasn't got a functioning socialist party, and wanted really badly to be president. i would liken him to a virgin come to a whorehouse with a mission to reform, except that yer average sex worker is a better person than anyone in the dnc, and all that's gonna happen is that one of the regular workers is gonna be picked, i hope, or bernie gets his heart broken. fronting for this party is a forlorn hope.
    1
  3004. small town cop is one step up from mall guard. they ain't, in general, sas retirees. the mass shootings will continue, symptomatic of severely alienated people in a society where rich and poor can enjoy 'freedom.' freedom for the rich works well, for others, not so much. the coppers are alienated too - 'hey, i could get dead, or ruined here, and for what?' james madison set usa on this course, he was very frank: the rich would direct the proposed 'usa,' to prevent the many from taxing them. and his constitution delivered that result. elective oligarchy in service to the rich is functional plutocracy. get a new constitution, this one is malignant. i recommend one establishing democracy.
    1
  3005. trump did not take the usa to war. he just murdered a prominent iranian general. in iraq. if he did the same thing to xi jin ping's favorite general, usa and the world would find out what chinese capabilities are. but iran can only bluster, and plot secret attacks with poison dust. otoh, the middle east is filled with people who would die cheerfully if they could take a few americans along, and this murder has energized many of them. congress effectively handed over the war power to the president about 20 years ago. they wanted war, good for business, but didn't want to underwrite it. don't complain, the constitution has turned a blind eye to any number of outrages, from birth. you put up with it because there is nothing you can do, short of revolution.
    1
  3006. prc has big problems, the largest are caused by economic warfare chiefly directed by usa. there are some internal problems resulting from that war which beijing must address, such as maintaining adequate employment and health services. but usa is in much worse condition, internally, and the largest military will not solve those problems, and is the source of those problems. not easy to see which will emerge as the hegemon in 10 years time, both, and human society generally, might crash with the climate crisis and and general war proving unmanageable.
    1
  3007. california would be a civilized democracy if it were independent. but it's not, so usa losers tend to move to cali, for the social services that they don't get in their state of birth. this puts a heavy strain on cali tapayers, who might reasonably complain of injustice. the cure is secession. the whole west coast should leave. maybe sign a mutual defense pact with prc? otherwise the dc orcs might go to war to reclaim the golden goose.
    1
  3008. so fortunate to have dr h, to straighten these guys out. really, men will say anything, to get a few lines in a journal.
    1
  3009. if you have money or a trade, talk to new zealand consulate. australia a good second best, and more welcoming.
    1
  3010. the sad state of affairs is that people who purport to take an interest in public affairs regard the political system with fatalist equanimiity. right before your eyes you see the office of national manager being 'selected' by methods more suited to a tv game show.
    1
  3011. it's like you can't meet the car payments, the bank reclaims its car. after 20 years, the afghan collaborators still had no control outside the kabul suburbs, and the expense of feeding them grew, even as they visibly failed to deliver. so some bunny with no future and a desire to write his name in history is chosen to preside over the bankruptcy-sale. the next president will have no blood on this hands. well, they all do, but this particular spot will ride away with good ol' joe,
    1
  3012. does anyone wonder if this is an effective national management system? is it possible that the long and increasingly visible decay of the nation is tied to an obsolete political system? this kind of action and the resulting gossip might happen in a student council contest, but is it tolerable in a nation of 320 million?
    1
  3013. roubini calls that 'nuclear option' and unlikely. they would be tearing up their own money. 'unlikely' however is not 'never.' trump loses his mind, usa goes over the falls.
    1
  3014. who is the boss, in the us? in a democracy, the answer is simple: the citizens, acting in concert to carry out their will expressed in referendum or initiative. but the usa is not a democracy, and the answer boils down to, who will the army obey? often how many will obey, a, b, or c? the usa constitution is a contemptible hold-over from a powdered wig age, written to make sure the be-wigged enjoyed the fruits of slavery. they dispersed power hoping for stasis, madison was perfectly aware slavery was on the way out- but not in his life-time if his constitution could prevent it. and now the shameful mess is in your hands, and every american can not detect the smell, but can see the seams of society pulling apart. much headscratching, but little understanding of the nature of your heritage.
    1
  3015. in '71, i decided to emigrate. mutual relief, very likely. but i recommend it, to anyone with a portable trade or profession- enzed is best, as they have turned away from the usa. not paradise, but civilized. usa, otoh, is mired in greed and selfishness, and thinks nothing of murder, raids and military occupation in search of money. vietnam cured me of mycountrytisofthee psychosis, but there are plenty of other examples- chomsky keeps a list.
    1
  3016. i kind of admire this man, he does whatever he can do to report and repair injustice, at considerable personal cost and no little risk. but the world needs revolutionaries. usa needs its ho chiminh, they only have bernie sanders.
    1
  3017.  Gunsandrosalina Padtwo  bernie can't fix it. magic can't fix it. needs revolution, with most of america behind it. not gonna happen. most stories end badly in the real world.
    1
  3018.  @titaniumismagical8643  'democracy' means 'citizen rule,' not 'politician rule.' representative democracy is a lie, to pacify the chumps.
    1
  3019. i try to be kind to murrikins, i know the kind of education they get. but, gee fellers, you live in a cesspool, and that smell ain't roses. i know they told you it was roses, but compare it to the flower. different, eh?
    1
  3020. you don't live in a democracy. you are too ignorant, too passive, too lazy to do anything about the constitution that keeps you penned in the sheep pasture, so railing about the sins of your masters is unproductive. step over to a mirror and see your real problem.
    1
  3021. i am convinced that humanity can only survive if we establish democracy widely, since it is visibly clear that elite rule creates sociopathic rulers. threat of war and now climate catastrophe comes with them. prc is about as far from democracy as you can get, without lapsing into psychotic society. even so, i find myself agreeing with their government, in its struggle with the usa. in spite of the pretense to democracy, usa is, in fact, psychotic. a danger to us all. and there is nothing to be done, no cure. we must walk a tight-rope between submission, and triggering nuclear war. 'we,' of course, is primarily the managers of prc. i'm sure xjp takes great satisfaction in being the current great helmsman. but, how well does he sleep?
    1
  3022. fortunately, there are mountains between, so war is not natural. modi must talk tough to disguise the reality that china has jumped ahead of india, probably because chinese government are smart and indian politicians are crooked. i notice complaints about cashmere. brace yourself - - if modi stays glued to usa bum, worse to come.
    1
  3023. cv19 is no longer containable in usa. i wonder what steps other nations will take to prevent infection from usa. declare 'plague nation' and block trade?
    1
  3024. once you figure out that politicians work for themselves, your next action should be, let's get rid of them, and run the nation ourselves. that's called 'democracy.' if you think the electorate of the usa is too stupid to do that, why worry about what politicians do with the nation? they are, you admit, your 'betters.'
    1
  3025.  @serpenshitandlaowhy86arebo72  a fellow spirit, although i refer to him [rarely] as 'snakey.'
    1
  3026. this is evolution in action. americans are too dim to understand why their society doesn't work, unless you are rich. pathetic, of course, but instead of che guevara, you worship bernie sanders, following a che is too scary. bernie is safe: just elect him and good things will fall from the sky. sorry, even if you did, good things won't happen. you have to change the system, not your master.
    1
  3027. playing politics will always win. that is the nature of the usa. depressing, but reality. if the administrators of usa [public service] put before the electorate a referendum on medicare for all, it would romp in. but the usa is not a democracy, and the people of the usa are too dim, or too selfish, to want democracy. many think they have it, poor souls. many don't want democracy, because it would lead to 'socialism!' [gasp] so there will be no referendum, certainly, and no medicare for all, until aoc is joined by hundreds like her. then they have to get the senate. then the supreme court. no law against hope, but the smart money is on madison: madison was proud of his constitution. he bragged about it, saying it would ensure the rule of the rich, would prevent democracy from happening, would stop the taxes of the rich being spent on the poor. he was entitled to brag- 230 years later it was still delivering for the rich.
    1
  3028. membership signifies joining with other european client states in extending the power of usa. i hope they got a good price. if putin decides to win in ukraine, finland just jumped to the top of 'next' list. but can he win? his health is failing, he may just retire. or he may have nothing to lose...
    1
  3029. what are you smokin'?
    1
  3030. something is rotten, but that something is the system, the rotten tree, not the rotten apple. picking a man with no qualifications preferred by just under 1/2 the electorate [voting] because he was not a professional politician, should tell you something of fundamental significance about the quality of professional politicians. the fact that no one wants to go there is a good measure of the quality of the commentariat, the fact that the electorate were satisfied with the choices offered is a good measure of the national standard of education. in short, trump is america, more than abe lincoln, and all the self-satisfied lies americans tell about their society are becoming more obvious lies as the nation decays.
    1
  3031. i was hoping for insight from india, but poor mr gupta has trouble finishing a sentence, and by the time insight arrives, if, it is buried in dependent clauses. not a crime, but inappropriate from a speaker whose platform is 'cut the clutter.'
    1
  3032. he's wrong. don't need a new party. need a new constitution, which is revolution, you may hope non-violent. voting for which politician will rule you is not democracy. citizens of a democracy vote for 'what shall we do,' not 'who will screw us.'
    1
  3033. i love to hear about the august deliberations of the evil empire [of the world, provisional.] the human trash that consistently finds its way into public office can only signify the utter incompetence of the chumps who vote for them. the crooked ruling the dim. the charm is somewhat reduced by the continual reminder that the crooked dimwits have the largest army in the world* and are constantly shooting up some nation, for fun and profit. currently, the e. e. is shouting "look over there!' about poor ukraine carrying the can for nato's latest expansion. but i am a graduate of the vietnam war, and can testify that when it comes to war criminals, usa presidents are numero uno. *they spend the most, anyway. i suspect they don't get value for money, much of the taxes being diverted to share dividends.
    1
  3034. what a jerk. of course china is not the friend of usa. does no one study history in usa? china didn't steal intellectual property, they traded access to chinese labor, and chinese market to those companies that agreed to tech swap. you might say those companies are traitorous, but that's capitalism for you- their only nation is money. to be fair, buick would be out of business without chinese market. so, not treason, just survival.
    1
  3035. nations with democracy have citizen initiative, those without have riots. riots may loosen the grip of the rich, but only a little, and temporary. but that deals with mobs. actual change needs organization, planning, and a militia. no sign of visible thought, just rage, so the downward path will continue. there's a big difference- protesters are obeying the rules, and frighten no one. rioting and looting inspire fear in the middle class who support the rulers, this has often caused trouble for rulers, so trump is threatening 'vicious dogs,' and no desert for dinner. if usans were citizen quality people, they would have demanded democracy long ago, but they're not, so the cops will go on murdering people, and the politicians will incite war to cover their crimes at home. i've lived in china, and the usa, and there are many differences- chinese cops don't carry guns, and the people are not burning down cities.
    1
  3036. in the short term, begin a public movement to separate the federation. perhaps two groups of states could act together, to make violence impractical. ideally, westcoastia and northeastia could leave bubbaland to itself, unloved at home and abroad. peace might breakout globally, prosperity to follow, climate crisis dealt with.
    1
  3037. to summarize, usa is not going to cope with coronavirus.
    1
  3038.  @mizzc-xrpandvet3708  but it's worse than that. public 'intellectuals' and 'progressives' have nothing to say, beyond 'vote for so-and-so, and all will be well.' continuing decay inevitable, 'strong man' organizing his soldiers, when martial law looks good, he'll step into the camera.
    1
  3039. it's your nation. not in the sense of, 'i am a citizen...' but rather, 'it's my patch of grass, where the real people let me graze.'
    1
  3040. your country doesn't need you, its just a place on the map. your nation is not yours, except in the sense that a cow might say 'this is my field, while master wants me to eat here.' the swiss own their nation, it is a democracy. usa is not, and you don't. while you are willing to be cattle, listen to people like tg, who promises you green grass, if you make her a master. or you could organize, arm yourselves- that is the purpose of the 2nd amendment- and establish democracy, to lift yourself from cattle to citizen. you don't need more politicians, you need more courage.
    1
  3041. it is not a democratic society. read the constitution. nowhere do you see any allusion to 'the people rule.'
    1
  3042. homer sap doesn't have the political systems to compel adequate response to the climate collapse. government by elites will always be slow to change anything, and will sacrifice the lowers rather than their own comfort. democracy would work, but homer ain't smart enough to get it. 'interesting times' ahead, with the fascinating prospect of extinction one of the possible outcomes, see 'venus.' but with luck, nuclear war, mass famine, and various old and new diseases, will knock off the co2 production to a sustainable level. fingers crossed!
    1
  3043. shambles? dog's breakfast? fubar? chaos above and below? draw close, children, and hear a truth: usa has long preached that the best government is the least government, and here you see that philosophy in maturity. hopeless structure, degenerate personnel, boasting and lies in place of thought and action. and it is not just at the top- there is no social or political structure capable of repair. it is chaos, or revolution, or military coup. the latter is your best hope, you are incapable of revolution, and chaos is mass death from hunger and violence.
    1
  3044. if you are struggling to survive, it is bad news to hear there are additional people with superior skills in the market. it is sensible to exclude them from the market, because they are too tall, or too brown. this wouldn't matter too much if everyone was going to survive, but that kind of society is labeled 'socialist,' and it is too tall or too brown, if you are greedy. i'm pretty sure humanity is too dim to survive, simply because greed leads inexorably to war, famine, disease and resource depletion. resource depletion may say us from environmental collapse, but current indicators say, 'not in time.'
    1
  3045. the wind won't change while the usg can use force or bribery to stop change. it's a shame usa is not a democracy, citizen initiative could stop the suicidal greed of the usa elite. but it isn't. by design. madison made a nation that could be ruled by wealth, and the design continues to work well. pr. wolff won't change the wind, he's only an economist, not a magician. i think this matter is beyond human control. 'if usa were a democracy....' the people could stop it. but it isn't, and no one wonders why it isn't. that is profound idiocy, genetic in nature. so the juggarnaut will roll on to ultimate destruction, of the nation, and the world. we are not only watching history unfold nowadays, there is a lively element of potential extinction riding with national decay. not merely, "interesting times," we have graduated to "fascinating times."
    1
  3046. you get the government you are willing to endure. laugh all you want.
    1
  3047. might amaze you, but i wuz around when hilly was a goldwater girl. she has returned to her roots. "nobody" in her lexicon means no one except poor or young or lefty.
    1
  3048. i fear dr h is making more money from instructing the unwashed [sciencely] than peering into the mystery of teenie tiny. think what message that sends to youth...
    1
  3049. when you haven't got democracy, you must endure what politicians do, and hope there is enough left over for personal survival. you might think it obvious, that ordinary people would band together to establish democracy. but it doesn't happen. some species have a genetic defect, like pilot whales, that inspires suicidal behavior. homer sap is another obvious candidate for extinction.
    1
  3050. the usa constitution is the legal instrument establishing elective oligarchy, effective plutocracy. and yet, usa 'progressives' fall to their knees in worship when it is mentioned. folks, the constitution is what got you here, and you want more of it? don't defend it, unless you profit from the rule of oligarchs. as many do. but salvation lies in revolution., not in submission.
    1
  3051. the only reason i'm not a russian asset is i don't have russian. and it's cold. but they have provided a refuge for snowden, doubtless laughing their heads off. orstralia otoh, speaks english, sort of, and is warmer, and is even farther from hillary clinton. so if you want to be an asset of anyone, but the 'great satan.' come on down!
    1
  3052. There is no democracy anywhere, outside Helvetia.
    1
  3053. people who run usa may be reckless, but not stupid. they are at least sly. the people who vote for them may be stupid.
    1
  3054. the usa is failing because of its own laws and customs. the decline is built-in, the natural result of selfishness and greed. we all enjoy watching it, although they are ruining the planet on the way down.
    1
  3055. you could extort a commitment to democracy from the 'democratic' party by simply saying "i'll vote democratic next, when effective and accessible power of citizen initiative is at the head of the democratic platform." email the dnc and your local candidates every monday morning. tell your friends and family to do the same. get democracy, reshape the nation. easier than violent revolution.
    1
  3056. the employment called 'politician' is corrupting. some resist, to some degree. all serve themself, ahead of the nation. which is why getting democracy is desirable. in a genuine democracy, there would be no politicians. expert professionals in public service would run the nation, openly. under direction of the electorate through referendum and initiative. we haven't managed that yet. swiss make a reasonable proto-democracy, no one else even close. politicians are the successors of aristocracy, who were the successors of warlords. no democracy in that history. many claim to be doing 'democracy' for you. that's a nonsense. they are blatant liars. and you go along with the lie, because resistance is hard. the result will be collapse of society as environment makes radical change under rising temperature.
    1
  3057. so they stay home. who is hurt? themselves, if education will do them any good, by no means certain. their parents have to go to work, or no pay. capitalism! the flower of human civilization. are people in usa more stupid than others, so that the value of socialism escapes them? very possibly. a lifetime of bs about 'rugged individualism' creates functional stupidity. more directly, law and custom make change impossible. a society locked into dysfunctional behavior has no future. perfectly willing to watch the crash, but please, don't wreck the planet on the way out?
    1
  3058. they want to get out of the nation with the money they stole. the transfer of capital from state to private hands created endless opportunity for theft.
    1
  3059. there is only one tool available to americans. it's crude, its unappealing, it needs patience. you must stop voting. at the same time, you should email your normally supported party saying, "we're through." tell your friends, ask them to do the same. put the democratic party out of business. out of this scorched earth, will appear new parties, i hope some will set getting democracy as their premier goal. this is your only hope.otherwise, it's slavery or revolution. you must become a citizen of a democracy, playing an equal role in directing public affairs. if you allow any group to 'do it for you,' they will do it for themselves. if you haven't figured that out by now, pray for saints to enter politics. hasn't worked in the past, but if you keep hammering your head, maybe it will be fun, in time.
    1
  3060. good news. now fire 90% of the military, and become civilized. seems unlikely, powerful elites do their best to hold power, and force the rest of the world to serve them. as economic dominance fades, military dominance will be used to sustain the wealth, private and corporate, of the usa elite. or so the history of homer sap indicates. as i read about the activity of the usg, i marvel that such dim, ignorant and selfish people should 'lead' the world's super power. although, you have to wonder if the surface of usa political society has any particular program in mind, beyond preening and posturing in the news of the world. whatever the economic and military strength of the usa, the intellect and character of those 'leaders' seem more like the decadence of louis 16th france.
    1
  3061. usa is rotten. start planning replacement with socialist democracy. won't be easy, since americans are vague about democracy, many think they have it, and fear socialism as it leads to atheism and dancing in the streets. but persevere. elite rule will not deal with the climate crisis, as they will suffer last, and don't want to pay taxes now.
    1
  3062. the whole history of the usa is the struggle of a few rich people to control the not- rich many, without relying greatly on force. madison knew what he was doing in the design of the constitution, and it continues to perform that function. but it's a different world, and new stresses are going to rupture the constitutional framework of the nation. de-industrialization has created a large group of newly poor people no longer fooled by the democratic party. pursuit of global dominance has created an army aware that it is a tool of capitalist greed, and so not inhibited by any nostalgic loyalty to nation. keeping control of these social elements is increasingly difficult, and has led to desperado tactics, as both parties try to pretend that the relict america of the 1950's is essentially preserved. trump is the 'desperado' of the right, a person so contemptible that he could only be elected, narrowly, because the newly impoverished americans despised clinton even more, and the hopelessly corrupt democratic party chose her for a candidate without even suspecting they were more despised. biden will be the 'desperado' of the dems, he is a democrat, which is the only qualification he has, and it is enough- he authenticates the party, they can tell themselves they don't stink, trump was just a random obstruction. if trump beats him, a new party will be born. although, good sense doesn't get much play in usa politics, the horses might return to the burning barn. not sure horses are that stupid, americans, very possible. 'bernie?' he would lead the new party, but he's too old. if he is selected by the dems, unlikely, and wins, possible, he will preside over an unmanageable government, and carry the can of resulting failure.
    1
  3063. you add the size of the usa military to the size of the average usa iq, and the rest of the world is even more scared.
    1
  3064. i wish bernie would talk about getting democracy. fdr talked like bernie talks, and what he accomplished was largely wiped out by the patient application of money to the political system. only democracy can make changes that last, and only democracy can make empty promises obsolete. the problem is, americans don't believe in democracy, because they think they have it, and it doesn't work, for them. but you don't have it, and that's why it doesn't work. the only promise you need to hear, and make real, is the establishment of effective and accessible citizen initiative. that is the foundation of real democracy, and with it you can make america be what the people want it to be. so don't get your hopes too high, bernie is offering a bandaid, and your nation has bone cancer.
    1
  3065. he ain't ridiculous. he is commander of the 2nd largest nuclear force in the world, and he is committed to separating ukraine from usa/nato. nobody with half a brain is laughing
    1
  3066. you need a citizen action group demanding a new constitution, or else. an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative inserted into the current constitution would allow a smooth transition. at the same time, create a shooters club--- field shooting at ranges 20-500 yards, with a national ladder, and small prizes. when well established, add field picnics with paintball guns. simulate city conditions as well. don't settle for less than democracy.
    1
  3067. the people are not masters of the nation, and never have been, by design.. notice the complete lack of 'democracy' in the constitution. notice also that madison promoted the adoption of the constitution as a protection against democracy. the fact that you don't realize this demonstrates the power of maleducation.
    1
  3068. they are politicians. if you let them rule you, you are complicit. allowing any elite to rule you is immoral, it corrodes their character and leads to widespread anger. the second amendment was explicitly passed to put the means of expressing discontent in the hands of the people. if you are unwilling to fight, you will be the slave of those who command soldiers. usa is a nation of the unwilling to fight. they are also mortal dim: they think they have democracy, they think politicians are doing democracy for them. dim!
    1
  3069. vogue, kanye? i just finished a rant involving the usa bubble of fantasy [elsewhere] and here you are suggesting something similar. the american dream is all too real, maybe i should have watched 'matrix' after all. see if you can get a p.r. visa to oz or enzed, folks- that ship is sinking.
    1
  3070. james madison would nod his head, and say, with some appearance of pride, "this was my intent, and i am gratified that the the opulent still rule the mob."
    1
  3071. i report, tediously, that usa is not a democracy, and less still is uk. you can figure out the truth from behavior of the governments, but the behavior of the peoples is also 'undemocratic.' they are passive civilians, bystanders in the management of their nations. they are not citizen quality. the use of the word 'democracy' as a description of either society is totally wrong, and no accident. it's a lie. see '1984.'
    1
  3072. get democracy. or, if you are dim, or lazy, or fearful, or simply ignorant, relax and turn the channel to soothing music and prancing maidens. the evidence of your subjection is daily rubbed in your eye, but nothing inspires action. that was the evil genius of james madison. he created a choice, submission or revolution, with a high threshold of pain, to protect the rule of wealth. usa is not yet at the revolution level, not even close. just at the whining level. a matter of mild interest, but time is not unlimited. decisions must be made about climate action, and your masters will not act time to prevent mass death.
    1
  3073. power is narrowly held in china, just as in the usa. and i believe the children and grandchildren of the current masters of china will be just as selfish, greedy and arrogant as the current crop in usa. but for now, china is a new society and the masters are performing relatively well. h. sap. needs democracy, and until we get it, corruption and incompetence will rule us. it may be too late, the climate crisis is not being addressed adequately, in most places not at all.
    1
  3074. sorry, mr dore, your snicker is misplaced. usa is a jungle. or a sewer. of course, european politicians are the usual crooks, but eu is a level higher than usa. that is not difficult.
    1
  3075. aoc is a smart, educated, and compassionate woman who is trying to make usa a better place for the bottom 50%. this is not possible. sorry, aoc, you will fail. but perhaps some incremental change will happen, enough to excuse the androids in the democratic party. usa will continue to decay, the military will takeover at some point, the west coast will split off and the center of human society will move to east asia. assuming that society doesn't collapse completely under the stress of climate change.
    1
  3076. the 'american revolution' was chiefly motivated by actions in britain to end the african slave trade. slave plantation grandees [ "give me liberty, or give me death" ] were the major motive power, and in the north- the ship-owners whose business was chiefly concerned with delivering the slaves were also eager to continue the trade. remember that in colonial 'america' only male property-owners had any voice in the management of the colony. except rhode island, they were quite democratic. war fever was whipped up in the lower class with indignant reminders of taxes and tariffs, even so, half or more of the colony residents were in favor of remaining 'british.' if there is a second 'american revolution,' it too will serve the rich. and it may happen: the mask of 'democracy' is slipping off, some usans are at least puzzled at the vast distance between the label and reality, but the effective' revolutionaries will be the 'bubbas' and 'bucks.' the country folk have the guns and the attitude of contempt for city socialists to make them an easy foil for left unrest.
    1
  3077. btw: communist revolution? doesn't anyone want democracy in the land of the free?
    1
  3078. the democratic party has no ideology, their only principle is 'get in office, loot the nation.' pretty much the same as the republicans, surely you've noticed the similarity? you deserve no better. a nation of chumps will always be exploited. if you had an ounce of self-respect, you would demand democracy, at gun-point. but you don't, so go back to hoping for 'a kind master.'
    1
  3079. folks, i'm getting very cross with you. stamping yer feet and wringing yer hands while crying out "betrayal!" is not grown up behavior. expecting politicians to work for the people in the face of daily evidence to the contrary is stupid past the survival line. yer gonna make yerself extinct. the world would be a better place, but yer children would go hungry. so get democracy and make politicians extinct. how to get democracy? easy, just scare the shit out of politicians. leave that up to you as an exercise in community thinking.
    1
  3080. the american revolution was not 'progressive.' it was a device to save slavery from british judges, who were making it uneconomic through common law decisions. usa is a plutocracy, and every elite in history uses its power to get more, and give less. the shift of wealth from the 70's to now is a second 'gilded age,' and perfectly natural, it is the default condition created by the constitution. it was no accident that slave plantation plutocrats were 4 of the first 5 presidents, neither is trumps accession to power- the politician caste is so crooked and unconcerned about national justice that a political sabot was thrown into the list of presidents, simply because he was an outsider. the political structure of the usa began rotten, by common notions of justice, and has gotten worse: 3 people are reputed to command half the wealth of the usa, and there is no sign of rebellion. there is some ferment in the democratic party, and hope arises. don't get excited- there was more, much more ferment in the 1930's, but fdr put out the fire with some make-work programs. wouldn't have worked for long, but ww2 saved the plutocracy.
    1
  3081. how do you know they are cia?
    1
  3082. you've heard about democracy, but continue to tolerate rule by politicians. when the politicians stink bad enough, even a trump sneaks in. i'm sorry folks, yer problem is not trump, it is universal ignorance, compounded by national habits imprinted on you from birth. since you aren't smart enough to see your problem, how you gonna fix it? only prayer holds out any hope, and the devil is laughing his head off, so it's not clear if prayer will help.
    1
  3083. there are not 'so-called,' they are your actual morality police. iran was a civilized place, with a secular parliament, until the leader said to the evil empire of the day, brits, "yer gonna have to pay a lot more for oil." brits begged usa to organize a coup, they did, cheap oil flowed. 'bp' is the child, avoid giving them money. but iran, like prc, has been around a long time, and they were not inclined to put up with the puppet shah. so, revolution, bye, shah. unfortunately, he had killed all resistance, and only the religious leaders remained, with any public respect. they spear-headed the new regime, and continue to justify their presence with religious laws. poor iran. just another reason to despise usa, and uk. believe me, endless reasons in reserve. chomsky, for instance, 'has a little list,' with more than 100 entries.
    1
  3084. do you think you live in a democracy?
    1
  3085. not a coup. merely a demo. trump and his stooges couldn't organize a boy scout afternoon cook-out, much less a coup. severe lack of iq in that demographic. but perhaps there was some dim, vague, hope that magic would occur. usa was built this way, never intended to be efficient or effective. madison and friends wanted to flash-freeze the nation in georgian aristocracy, to preserve slavery and the rule of the rich. and it worked. brown people moved from slave to exploited under-class, but only because 'rich' shifted to factory from farm. usa is obsolete. long overdue for revolution, but it staggers on, propped up by bloated military and moated by oceans. prc has its own problems, but i'ts big, energetic and well-led. if civilization survives the rising temperature, they will be the leading society for awhile. if you are young, learn mandarin.
    1
  3086. since the electorate do not vote on plans, or actions, or laws, corruption is optional, dependent entirely on the characters of those who lie their way into office. a moment's thought will suggest that bigger lies are the winning strategy. there is no way to tell what someone will do in office, so voting is pointless. little wonder that usa politics is a circus. the cure is democracy. but i'm pretty sure americans can not get it, most don't want it. maybe most don't know what it is. you certainly won't learn in school.
    1
  3087. imputing democracy to uk reveals a serious flaw in dr sachs understanding of political science. they have a monarch. they are a monarchy. in reality, politicians direct the nation, but politician rule is not democracy. the word democracy is a description of a society in which 'the citizens rule.' not kings, not politicians. in a democracy, the citizens direct the nation through referendum and initiative. that doesn't happen in uk, or usa. or anywhere except helvetia.
    1
  3088. i wish them well, those who wish to transform america, assuming for the better. but i see no sign that they understand how it has come to need transforming. so what's chances of success? not far north of zero. what's worse, every politician is the problem, and their viewpoint is inevitably looking in the wrong direction.
    1
  3089. if you are too dim to get democracy, or too ignorant to even know what it is, then you must endure some politician running the nation to suit themselves, as here we see. californians are smart enough to have a democratic constitution, and they use citizen initiative and referendum regularly to keep the local pollies in line. this brings a revulsion from federal politicians as they fear that democracy might be a communicable disease.
    1
  3090. pr. sachs is a breath of fresh air, but i'm worried about his health. somewhere in the depths of langley, another 'lone gunman' is being prepped for murder.
    1
  3091. before you put up a building, you have to build a foundation. in a state, that might be a published document called a constitution. usa has one, and that foundation has shaped the state built upon it. everything you see around you was shaped by the constitution. most notably, the usa is not a democracy. it is an oligarchy- in a nation of 300+ million people, a congress of 535 people rule. whence the word 'oligarchy,' rule of a few, from greek. so lincoln was just another politician-liar, usa is not, never was a state ruled by the people or for the people. burning cities, murder by police, endless wars for profit, these are not markers of democracy. all politicians are parasites, not just the republicans. don't imagine that replacing trump will fix your nation.
    1
  3092. 'succeeded' is more apposite than at first sight.
    1
  3093. difficult to imagine what life would be like without the evil empire. they seem to be involved in everything nasty. i presume they are responsible for everything nasty - saves time, and seldom wrong. if usa people had a sense of shame, and controlled their nation, the world would be a better place. but one of those suppositions is clearly wrong, and perhaps both. princeton university demonstrated the total lack of control recently, academics are not completely useless. but nothing came of it, when there is 'total lack of control' it doesn't matter if you are ashamed.
    1
  3094. talks a good game, but you can accomplish nothing while people support pelosis.. usa needs democracy and does not know it. elective aristocracy is not even close to the same thing. marx had a word for it, lumpen-proletariat, but he had no cure. mao found a cure, but it wouldn't work in the usa. aoc is going to break her heart, and watch the usa crumble around her. i found a cure- emigrate. not widely useful. voltaire raged against his rotten society, but came to saying, "cultivate your garden." if that's the best homer sap can do, we are doomed.
    1
  3095. humanity believes in sacred cows, mormonism is nearly as sensible as that. this should depress no one. voting for politicians, otoh, is compulsive self-harm, and its prevalence must presage the extinction of humanity.
    1
  3096.  @AsishKumar-xe8rd  not afghanistan's friend, anymore. may change tomorrow, of course.
    1
  3097. usa presidents keep bumping into 'lone gunmen.' there is no part of that nation not corrupted by evil laws and the worship of wealth. what amazes me still, is that both kennedys bumped into lone gunmen, no political connection, and the voters of usa swallowed that story without a hiccup. compared to lbj, nixon was a boy scout.
    1
  3098. they don't support trump because he's a wonderful person. many support him him simply because he is not a professional politician. if you don't have democracy, the only recourse you have against a despised elite group is to support an outsider. any outsider- the measure of your contempt for the elite is the low character of your champion. the usa political system is degenerate past repair, anyone who participates is immediately degraded, and reform from within is impossible. coup by the military is the likely 'cure,' revolution by the people needs better quality people.
    1
  3099. i do wish people would not refer to usa as a democracy. it is not. technically, it is elective oligarchy. a few people rule. they do as they think best, under some constraints of law and custom. very often they do things against the will of the people . do things that harm the people. so it's not democracy, of any kind. it's often called 'representative democracy,' but that's simply a lie, to trick the common people into imagining they are citizens, equal to all. since they are visibly not equal, that's a hell of a useful trick. instead of ruling with patrolling soldiers, you just reiterate lies. elections are not democracy. they are non-violent battles in a nation ruled by gangs. better than the old-fashioned sort, sorted out by spears and arrows, monarchies for the most part, but nothing like democracy.
    1
  3100. you vote for politicians, year after year, and still you never learn.
    1
  3101. but he still doesn't see the need for democracy. authoritarian societies will always arise when most people are ignorant, powerless and afraid of the future. the people of usa haves been betrayed by what passes for intellectual voices in the usa. prof chomsky saw early and spoke often about the fatal flaws in society, but implicitly accepted the premise that politicians should rule. from that stance, disaster was always likely, and here it is. politician rule is just aristocracy, with money replacing blood-lines, so the will of rich people over-rides the wishes of the commons. perhaps worst, such a society generates a people, 'who known their place,' and never dream of being citizens participating in democracy. no, worse still, it generates a people many of whom yearn to be a hench-creature of the rich. it's no wonder political discussion is trivial, usa has swallowed the kool-aid, long ago, at birth.
    1
  3102. it's easy to be angry. i was angry back in the 60's and 70's, but 'what should we do about it' was always met with blank stares and shrugged shoulders. in a web age, it seems very easy to organize a demand for democracy, with 50 million signatures. but the people of usa are brain dead. if you find 5, you are more persuasive than me. the elite are decadent, degenerate, and frequently rude. but the proles are in their own way, equally far from the character of 'citizen,' mirror images of their masters. i suppose this is why some nations just crumble into history, fracturing with the slightest stress.
    1
  3103. usa was never a democracy. if you don't know this, the world will be a mystery to you.
    1
  3104. now worse.
    1
  3105. not concerned about extinction, that resolves itself. continuing to live under the rule of politicians, that bothers me.
    1
  3106. in vino veritas, or in wino weritas, please. the word actually means 'evil.' and so, appropriate. american politics is endlessly amusing.
    1
  3107.  @Tarotlynx  amazing. many people know the usa was never a democracy, but they been those that are glad of it.
    1
  3108. the romans were not invincible, throughout their history they suffered severe, even catastrophic defeats. but the society was notably resilient, and kept finding new reserves of hardy farmboys to lead into battle. the usa is in a different age, where technology and economics play the decisive role in international competition, and china appears to be pulling ahead in both areas. the usa elite will not be able to adapt to this struggle, so defeat is very likely. fortunately for the whole world, there is a good chance the transition to chinese dominance will be peaceful. we can reasonably hope nuclear weapons on both sides has made war obsolete. britain has shown the way, perhaps usa will follow this model. american plutocrats may simply leave and take their money with them, leaving usa to be a hollow shell, and a backwater.
    1
  3109. stop whining. julian is a fool who thought to parley his hacking skills into a nice little earner with endless groupies. clearly an 'intelligent' man, but strangely illogical: if you identify the usg as a sociopathic and murderous organization, surely it is unwise to do so publicly? while that offers some protection against cia assassins, playing with strange women becomes dangerous in many more ways. as here we see. btw, has anyone done a recent extended interview with assange? they could poison him, or merely xray him daily, to cook him slowly. british law is no protection against execution by stealth.
    1
  3110. she was on fox. what else do you need to know?
    1
  3111. maybe it's time to stop electing a king? and aristocrats? try a little democracy, you'll like it.
    1
  3112. the constitution should be destroyed. it is the legal instrument that legitimizes the rule of politicians. it blocks the rule of the citizens. the path to actual democracy begins with tearing up the constitution.
    1
  3113. the fundamental problem is not trump. it is the lack of democracy. when the electorate has effective and accessible citizen initiative, you can talk about 'what should be done.' talking about 'who should rule us' has nothing to do with democracy, and is visibly crazy- look at the current choices.
    1
  3114. professor wolff is a sane and learned voice, but che guevara, he is not, much less mao ze dong. and usa needs revolution. not gonna happen, unfortunately. so he and a few others will leave a record of mild dissent, as this vile nation brings war to the world while falling apart at home.
    1
  3115. don't despise obama. he got through 8 years without being shot, while being black. if you thought he was going to do more, you don;t know the usa.
    1
  3116. biden is the dem candidate. only way he can fail, is to open his mouth. capeesh?
    1
  3117. sorry, earthlings - if you want a society with justice, peace and security for all, except the rich, you have to get off yer ass and establish democracy. it's not easy to get, not entirely easy to maintain, but seems to deliver a decent life for most. the swiss came closest, and for now are resisting the death by a thousand cuts that envelopment by the eu is conducting. scandis, and 1 or 2 others don't have democracy, but maintain a reasonable standard of living with socialism, for now. getting democracy hard, and the bad guys will do all they can to prevent getting or keeping. the great difficulty is that the orcs who control elective oligarchy prevent the education that makes democracy possible. homo sapiens does not attain democracy easily, it is not natural. but if you do not get it, you will die out, as the orcs are incapable of maintaining the planet in life-sustaining condition. and that's the morning mail, from planet aurora.
    1
  3118. such a militia is useless against an army. but they can be useful in frightening would-be coup leaders. the iraqi army was useless against the usa, but the jihadin drove them out.
    1
  3119. all around the world, multiple companies share the copper wire [increasingly glass ] to sell electricity and entertainment, and information. it might not be efficient, but it is reality. i am mildly surprised that yv is unhappy about this. there are more fundamental problems. in my view the most urgent problem is the lack of democracy. without the power of veto and initiative, common people have no defense against the greed and arrogance, and corruption, of elites.
    1
  3120. you know yer in trouble when yer political 'discussion' is a joke. keep in mind, the gross wealth of these few men is based on the gross ignorance and submissive character of almost all usans. the rich couldn't be what they are, if you weren't what you are.
    1
  3121. considering that usa is shooting and/or bombing someone, somewhere, at any given moment, it's only wise to remind usa that prc is not iraq, and even afghanistan was a bridge too far. indeed, in spite of usa pressure and occasional bandit attacks from israel, iran remains outside of usa control. china is done with being polite to the evil empire.
    1
  3122. btw mr dore, you yell "he's lying!" as though this was an unusual occurrence. never met a lying politician, before?
    1
  3123. w.h.o. did investigate, early on, made no finding of 'escaped from lab.' recent re-opening is likely to be black ops warfare, supported only by assertion and bribery. doesn't really. matter. prc got on top of the virus, usa notably bungled. and several other nations bungled, or did well. the virus is a big problem, but good management makes a big difference. usa will pursue prc to hide their bungling. the takeaway is the the usg and its infra-structure public and private, is ineffectual and corrupt. in stead of maintaining 1st rate public health, you maintain a military grossly over-sized and frequently criminal. being banned might signify letting a little light shine on the evil empire, but letting a corporation decide whether to publish you is not necessarily a sign of public value.
    1
  3124. he had formative experiences as a young lad.
    1
  3125. of, by and for the people? you lost me there, mate. the revolution was fought to protect slavery, and create access to the thinly populated native lands. the constitution was written to protect wealth, notably the wealth of slave plantation plutocrats. 'american democracy' is a monstrous lie, madison dismissed democracy, as it would lead to the 'opulent' being taxed 'to provide for the poor. so he wrote a constitution mimicing as closely as possible the structure of georgian britain. no democracy, that. the people were never asked to participate in establishing the constitution, it was done by the grandees in and controling the state legislatures. except in rhode island- there was a referendum there, and the people turned it down. there was no promise of american democracy, and that's why the rich continue to rule as they have from the beginning of the nation.
    1
  3126. just a renovated crop-duster.
    1
  3127. it's nice to have this little corner where you can say rude things about the people who run the nation. i wish i thought even 5% of america agreed.
    1
  3128. why do you refer to rule by a political party as 'democracy?' by now adults would have figured out that politicians are neither ethical nor competent, if the goal is the welfare of the nation. if you hand the keys to the car to a 14 y. o. sociopath, the whole world would call you foolish, at best.
    1
  3129. welcome to reality. i got the fast course, in vietnam. every one between w. f. calley and lbj should have done life in leavenworth. although lbj should do 2 lives, i'm pretty confident he played a role in murdering jfk.
    1
  3130. first, did you consider balloons? how about candy-dust dispersed by every airliner?
    1
  3131. not good enough to put trump back in, dnc don't care. so what's yer leverage, in the charade called 'american democracy? when are you going to start voting green? won't win right away, maybe never- but if the old way don't work, and it never has, then the sane person starts modifying their program.
    1
  3132. and, btw, neither did jefferson.
    1
  3133. no, you won't wake up. the usa bubble-universe will simply contract, resulting discomfort will be blamed on others in the usual h. sap. manner. not sure anyone in the usa understands what is happening, am pretty confident the structure of usa state guarantees that there is neither will nor ability to prevent decay. inflation? minor problem. gross over-investment in military hardware, major problem, and incurable. connect the two? too hard! usa was always intended to be a convenience for rich persons, just as a cow is a convenience for ticks. but the ticks are carrying serious disease, and the cow is terminal.
    1
  3134. fortunately, i out-grew lensmen and worm-holes before they became impossible.
    1
  3135. No surprises. I think India would go better as China's friend. They need friends and can offer everything but food. Which may be why Modi is embracing the evil empire.
    1
  3136. lincoln lied. government is not by the people: no referendum, no initiative, no recall. equals no democracy, and so not for the people. politicians will tell you that politics done for you by politicians is better than democracy- you don't have to bother your wooly heads, just line up to be shorn or butchered, and you will be otherwise free to find your own grass, if you can. well, it is better- for them. and better for the rich, who own them. tg is a politician. believe her at your own risk. andrew yang is not a politician, you can reasonably believe what he says, except where he says he's trying to be president. he himself can't believe that. he actually wants to make a better usa. which is a different thing. but you can't build a space ship out of horse shit, so ay is doomed to disappointment. then there's bernie. he's a religious guy who appears to think that americans can be brought to socialism if he just talks long enough. ain't gonna happen, because the fundamental law of the land is that the rich own america. stop and think: fdr had total command of congress and a populace desperate for change, but he accomplished little, and most of it was lost by the 70's, because power remained in congress, not in the electorate. and congress will always be bought. bernie doesn't have those conditions. doomed to disappointment, even if he gets in office. 10, 20 years from now, there will be radical change. climate catastrophe and valueless usd will bring civil war, and a military government.
    1
  3137. to be fair, some earlier brit pm promised jews a 'homeland' in palestine, not mentioning that other people were living there and might object. talk about empty politician promises becoming real through theft and murder. from that base, the latest crime seems minor. so difficult to make new friends when half the world was under the british boot. so start yer pm-ing by fist-bumping old accomplices.
    1
  3138. i don't get it. you don't live in a democracy, but you like to pretend you do. why can't you figure out, that if you base your thinking on a fantasy, a useful conclusion is unlikely? the structure of your society creates the injustice all around you, and if you want a better result, you need a better system. i recommend democracy. find out what it is, and get it with revolution.
    1
  3139. bernie people should join a socialist party. so should bernie. the system must be changed, you don't do that by joining it.
    1
  3140. the dnc has one or more clever people, so clever they can see the tactical advantage of a second trump term: it's gonna be a horror for whoever is in office. when trump leaves, dems will be a shoo-in for 4 years at least. it's quite possible they won't be able to fix anything, but they will have a genuine boogey-man to blame for everything. an absurd way to run a nation, but usans are too dim to see reality, too passive to do anything about it, anyway, and ten years from now are going to be living in their own variety of russia. i watched the pelosi fridge interview, thought as everyone does, "marie antoinette, you lost your head and no one took note." but the important lesson is, among its many failings, the management selection process of the usa is frozen in time, and madame p. confuses herself with la duchesse de california. no wonder usa is lurching towards decadence.
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  3141. you can't put people ahead of politics. but if you put people in charge of politics, then they can take care of themselves. that's called "democracy," and until you get it, the people will be counters on the poker table of politics. in an elective aristocracy, such as the usa, politicians promise fish, sometimes they even deliver fish, but until they hand over the fishing pole of power, the people are on their knees, hands out-stretched begging for fish. you might think 'the peepul' should be smart enough to figure this out, but evidently not. lucky for politicians, eh? ms gabbard is not the first to cry, "make me president, and i will throw endless fish from the motorcade as i travel around town receiving supplications written on paper, wrapped around rocks." the paper will be re-cycled for use in the toilet. no, not the first, but she does have a novel claim to precedence, in suggesting that loyal gunmen shouldn't be wasted abroad, when they would be safer and more valuable protecting the presidential motorcade. they could dispense fish, small fish, as well.
    1
  3142.  @graywalkerjoin3rdparty74  i occasionally suggest getting democracy, but the blank faces, or those that smile as they say "we have democracy, an advanced form done for us by those wonderful people in politics!" has long since extinguished any hope of progress. you need a new constitution, which begins "we, the citizens of the usa, are masters of our nation and direct its activities through referendum and initiative" this is not an amendment, this is revolution. and the people of the usa are not citizen quality people, since they are content to be ruled by politicians. so the ship of state will sail on, badly managed and riddled with rot, insensible to reefs, and leaking faster than the pumps can throw. a common story, from rome to the austro-hungarian empire, one can only surmise that h. sap. is incapable of good global management, and is hard pressed at any society above village level.
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  3143. you can't get socialism, unless the masters of society give it to you. so first you must get democracy, and use it to make society tolerable for all. or you can believe some dictator will 'take care of you,' as the russians did. i think citizen rule is better than dictator rule, and better than oligarchy, the current situation. but nothing good will happen, until the people get off their knees and demand democracy, gun in hand. talking about socialism, without revolution, is childish.
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  3144. tell me again how india is going to surpass china, i'm having trouble visualizing india as a modern nation.
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  3145. prc says 'no,' ft says 'yes.' believe who you like. or neither. hyper could be a bit useful, radical change of course and speed would dismay current defense tech. but only a bit - most of the flight must be orbital due to fuel constraints. the problem is that hyper defense of local targets doesn't prevent a bomb going off, and 'local' gets fried. sane people don't regard nuclear weapons as anything but a doomsday deterrent. not that usa doesn't have tactical missiles, just in case. gotta spend some money some time, taxpayers need a steady diet of acceptable use of taxes. 'token' usefulness' is good enough.
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  3146. he has a hammer and all he sees are nails. politics rules economics. if you want the general welfare, disperse power. the usa constitution was written to give legal foundation to the rule of wealth, and this will continue until a new constitution supersedes it. get democracy first. use citizen initiative to reshape the nation legally. or whine about capitalism all your life to no result.
    1
  3147. their bias is so popular in usa as to be part of the national character. tg decided to be the voice of the grunt, similar to ay headlining with free lunch. ay made the better choice, usa lives for 'war.' usually not real war, more often is banditry in uniform, assassination and pacification through occupation. lives for 'war,' and dare not give it up. tg will never be elected while usa media have a word to say. ay has a very broad program of patches for the rotten ship of state, but ubi is !socialism! and the ship of state will be allowed to sink before that happens. neither one of them had any chance of success. the people of the usa will get what they deserve. it won't be much, but if you are ignorant, maleducated and submissive in character, well, that's evolution in action.
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  3148. usa was born to protect the wealth of slave plantation owners. many of the 'founding fathers' were such scum. the constitution they created was the instrument of that protection. the worship and protection of wealth continues, and will continue until that constitution is over-thrown. what are the prospects of revolution? not visible, and a large proportion of usans are two-bit sociopaths born to be the orcs of usa society, licensed by their masters to kill at will.
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  3149. people could organize to demonstrate that the great majority want democracy. but they don't. do you imagine that a tiny minority of activists, most fixated on symptoms rather than causes of injustice, can change any fundamental aspect of their society? on evidence to date, homo sapiens does not have the qualities necessary to survive, in the age where its only significant threat is its own weaknesses of character and intelligence.
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  3150. democracy dosn;t depend on a king, not even an ersatz king. but usa is not a democracy, and the cheap pageants of the oligarchy are long ago exposed to all but children and dimwits. madison made the senate master of the nation, no great stroke of genius, a mix of house of lords and roman senate, clothed in monstrous lies about the equality of men,. he had recreated the britain of george the 3rd, but secured for the rule of rich white men, most particularly masters of enslaved brown people. modern americans often worry about their 'democracy.' i can't think why. you have got along without it for about 230 years, and never had it as a british colony, why worry now?
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  3151. let's not digress? 5 minutes in, no subject/proposition in sight. but it's hard to get any understanding of what's going on in india, so we persevere.
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  3152. this not a war any more, if it ever was. it is invasion, expropriation occupation - on the road to murder. learn who supports isael, and despise them.
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  3153. sorry, usa was rotten from birth. and a lot of people knew it. but most didn't want to know it, 'i'm doing ok.' lately, fewer are doing ok. more are noticing it, often because they find themselves living in a car, or on the street.
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  3154. obama liked being president, and he liked being alive. anyone who believed he was going to stir the pot deserves to be ruled by politicians on behalf of the rich. there is a culling process in the darwin's selection by fitness to survive, and it is just as powerful in human society as the african plains. if you are too dim, too ignorant, too lazy, too fearful or too corrupt to see the need for revolution, then at least be silent among the powerful. obama disappointed many people, but they were one or more of the afore-mentioned non-survivor types.
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  3155. they were explicitly and clearly against democracy, and very much in favor of slavery, although they had to clothe it in talk of 'indenture.' socialism and capitalism were not explicitly mentioned as the economy was too primitive to sustain such societies. madison and jefferson were not entirely agreed, but both were very much in favor of preventing any taxation that did not guard and extend the freedom of the rich. there were contrary voices at the constitutional convention, but they did not prevent elective aristocracy, nor slavery, so they were not, in the end 'founders.' jefferson had a lot to say about the 'rights' of man, but it was mere hypocrisy, he didn't perform as he talked. of course, he may have classed field slaves as 'sub-human, ' while looking after his concubine well enough.
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  3156. for a long time, it was a condition of citizenship, that able-bodied men must participate in the swiss militia. there was no professional army outside training officers. that is how democracy works- the citizens, assembled, are 'the force.' that's why i seldom refer to people of other nations as 'citizens.; they are not. they are merely civilians, when i'm feeling polite, chumps otherwise. don't complain about the quality of your masters- that is just the reflection of the quality of the people.
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  3157. sorry, folks- you haven't got democracy, and never had it. madison promoted his constitution as a protection of the rule of the rich, against democracy, and he delivered. if you talk about 'our democracy' in the face of history and present reality, you are not merely foolish, you are part of a psychotic society. and many make a living from the lie-- every politician does that. sorry, folks, persistent wilful ignorance will make you history's roadkill.
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  3158. mayor pete has a bright future in politics, he says what the rich want him to say. not gonna win this one, but he'll be back, there's a president pete in your future too.
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  3159. the government is people, and they do break the law when they wish. this can't be avoided. who will guard against the guardians? however, i believe if we disseminate power widely, to the electorate, 'the wisdom of the crowd' will get better results. compared to relying on the probity of small elite groups- such as politicians in office. that is why i bore myself, and others by saying, as often as i can, the primary need of human society is to establish democracy. with democracy we may be able to build a sustainable world. without it, we appear to be on track to extinction.
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  3160. chomsky has never impressed as a political theorist. more a 'heart in the right place guy.' try to be kind - he was pointing a disapproving finger before you were born, and often. people who don't do politics for a living are likely to realize reality more clearly than those who sing the same song for the same people, for a wage. there is a case for 'lesser evil' until the usa voter develops a spine, and a brain. neither likely in foreseeable future.
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  3161. 'should not have gone,' is not good enough. officers of state should not indulge their personal feelings in international affairs, it can lead to 'accidental war.' almost worse, perhaps this was a mere re-election ploy, to counter husband's drug charges. this is no way to run any nation, and when the greatest military power of this time any other appears to be run by a caste of casual entitled grandees, we should all begin to look for bomb shelters.
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  3162. well, that's it, then, it's president biden, hooray! doesn't anyone in usa understand that you need a new constitution? your whole political society is an antique;
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  3163. the scandis are trying out democratic socialism for us, with mixed success. one problem is that they don't have real democracy, only elective aristocracy. this is true in many nations- democracy is a must-have word, but doesn't come naturally. it is almost a universal lie, in varying degrees. the swiss come close to democracy, but they are being squeezed out of it by the e. u. getting democracy in the federal government seems possible, since the original progressive movement, circa 1900, did re-write the constitution of many states to democracy, california a notable example.
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  3164. why does no one remark on the fact that the usa political system generated a national manager like trump? not merely incompetent, but psychologically dangerous. isn't it time to give some thought to a new constitution?
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  3165. they don't have to pretend anymore. the people are cowed, the politicians all drinking from the same cask, the intelligentsia reduced to twittering birds,-, valuable only for variegated plumage. i marvel. even china found a way to revolt, and they had nothing to fight with. usa began with with widespread possession of fire-arms and literacy, and still can't even dream of getting democracy. i suspect usa drinking water has been drugged. i blame coca-cola. in any event, if your view of salvation involves voting for 'better' politicians, you are the problem, not the solution.
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  3166. i am deeply disappointed that prc didn't shoot down the plane carrying pelosi, if the warning shots were ignored. but we will now be very clear, prc can be bullied still, and the brand new chinese airforce is just a decoration. taiwan is free! until xjp is replaced, which will take awhile. he certainly consults the central committee, and the generals haven't fought wars, so have no prestige.
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  3167. i love it when bernie supporters are robbed. they are eternally surprised by the crookedness of their society. grown-ups would assemble around a table in a cheap pub and plan revolution, but american lefties are part of the elite and soothe their outrage with an ice cream cone. every aspect of american politics is a business, including 'rising,' and the dnc. they 'selected' clinton last time, and they will 'select' biden and/or buttigieg this time, if they can. they are in business, in the oldest plutocracy on the planet. little wonder the rot is becoming obvious. incidentally, calling the dnc rude names is childish. you tolerate the system you inherited from 'landed gentlemen' in powdered wigs, you are the problem. passive complainers are not the solution. revolution is not impossible, it just needs citizen-quality people, and there is the central and fatal character flaw of the usa.
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  3168. secession is the only solution.
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  3169. trump wants to devote 62% of the american budget to the military. i guess he wants to win re-election with some help from the generals, plus the workers in munitions factories. this might work. meanwhile, china is doing business everywhere. usa can not match this, their only strong industry is war, their currency only held up by saudi. the usa management caste would be pathetic, except their motivation is not national success. it is personal enrichment, which seems to be going well, if you don't look ahead very far.
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  3170. who is this 'we?' it is not the people of the usa. they do not rule. and they don't want to, a cause of some continuing amazement. about 99% of all the species that have lived on earth are extinct, and it should be clear by now that humans will join them if the american contribution were the norm. the are some rays of hope, china is already doing a lot to clean up its part of the world, and they will soon dominate world culture. some parts of europe have the message too. but don't talk about 'we' from the usa, some americans see a dollar in green tech, but the rulers do not. too heavy in oil and coal.
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  3171. nothing new about that. usa 'illegally' in many places. nothing to be done about it, until the elite have bled the treasury dry. when the soldier's wages can't be paid, the empire will crash. not nearly soon enough to save the world.
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  3172. usans are continually talking about 'our democracy.' they think the have democracy, in spite of the fact that they don't. it comes from being lied to continually when young. but this does not inspire pity, because anyone can see through the lie, it is more obvious than santa claus. continuing to believe stems from some mixture of shame and fear. result: talk is endless, and fruitless. it's a national psychosis.
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  3173. usa has always been a fascist state, from birth. it was designed to put the 'better sort' of people in charge, by which madison meant the rich, particularly slavers, who were the industrialists of their day. he was explicit that the senate would rule, not the people.
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  3174. not to worry, 'special forces' developed for this purpose. go to foreign nation, seize factory, run at gunpoint.
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  3175. progressives like to pretend they live in a democratic society. the pretense removes the need to actually change the society. but usa is not a democracy, and its people are at a lower level of evolution. bernie doesn't make mistakes on purpose, it' just that his plan may simply be inadequate to beat the corrupt oligarchy of the entrenched elements of 'the establishment.' dominating conversation in the happy little bubble of 'the hill' watchers does not represent useful activity in the actual environment of the usa. super tuesday simply compared the bubble to reality, bubble broke, temporarily. you will have to recreate the bubble, when you have no hope of real change. on the positive side, leaving trump in charge as the uss america slides onto the reef has the virtue of consolidating blame. just as trump personifies american culture, so too will his failure and the nation's be entwined. there is a man generations will love to despise, and so very american!
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  3176. the sas does not defend the nation, they are raid killers, bandits in uniform. canada recently disbanded their version, oz should do the same. but the real crime is higher up, with the politicians who create this kind of assassination unit. but they won't go to jail. they would have to lose a war, and endure the victor's justice. that's the beauty of special forces, only the thugs and chumps in the field have to pay.
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  3177. bernie should drop out, as continuing association with dnc has ruined his reputation, he didn't learn the first time? he could retrieve some face by continuing to run as an independent. he would draw off more votes that way, and re-electing trump is not the worst thing that could happen. usa economy is going to crash. leaving trump in office would let the republicans cope, and fail. some good might come of this. electing biden will put republicans in office for decades. naturally, there is no good answer to what should we do? madison fixed that when he excluded democracy from the constitution. the usa empire is flaking and shaking, and will be unmissed by most.
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  3178. in ancient times, selecting a vp with different history was a peace offering, effectively saying 'we're not so different.' but bernie is very different. if he doesn't invite ay to be vp, secstate or similar, then he's not different, after all. the rest are all politicians, and useless. maybe usa needs a 'marshall plan' for the usa. but call it a 'yang plan.' talking about vp just reminds the world how hopelessly obsolete the constitution is.
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  3179. i have no problem with the behavior of politicians, or hyenas. they are as nature made them. people who complain about either one are just gossiping, nothing comes of it, unless the gossiper is making a living from it. but pretending to be upset is hypocritical- without politicians, gossipers would starve. otoh, if you would have the usa behave in a different way, gossip won't do it. you need revolution. and there is the real problem: a nation of apathetic slaves, who endure politician rule.
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  3180. Voting for politicians is not democracy, and doesn't get good government. Unless you are rich. But if you enjoy poverty, drug problems, and sending special forces to kill people in foreign lands, to create enemies, just watch sports, or cooking shows.
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  3181. google translate prevents this [trivial] mispronunciation.
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  3182. mixed emotions- anyone with a good word to say about usa must be viewed with caution.
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  3183. if you don't like the way politicians rule the nation, leave, yourself, or make the politicians extinct. that's difficult. takes effort, organization, possible violence. in my experience, not one usan in ten thinks the system needs change, and that one thinks it's impossible. which is true, in view of the other nine. so continue to whine about the situation, there is a living in it. but do try to put an element of light-heated sarcasm in the presentation. we all need a laugh rather than a moan. anyone who thought biden was going to be an improvement on trump will be gravely disappointed. 'america is back! is as close to a threat as you can get, without naming a victim.
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  3184. Not all like that, naturally. There are lovely communities green and spacious. Frequently inside a wall, with a guarded gate. Usans- call it capitalism, ain't it wonderfull? Their nation is a functional plutocracy, but they never say that. The elite don't like to hear it, the plebs never heard of the word. No one cares what they think, anyway.
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  3185. aristotle was smarter than you. he wrote a book about politics, classical hellas was chock-full of politics, and he came to several important conclusions: the fundamental question to ask about any society is, "who decides?" depending on 'who decides,' various labels appear, 'aristocracy' is rule by the best. monarchy is rule by a king, timocracy is rule by the generals, autocracy is rule by one, and democracy is rule by the citizens. usa is an aristocracy, although many would argue that politicians are not the best of humanity. others would contend that they are, particularly when they are, or seem to be 'the people's choice.' regardless of your opinion on this matter, the president, congress and supreme court rule the nation. certainly not the people. so the usa is not a democracy. consequently, when you hear someone say, "we need to do away with the electoral college," or "they should limit the term of justices," you are listening to a child dressed in his parent's clothes, or a fool, or a cynical liar intending to fool you into believing your opinion is valuable, when it is not. you have no formal input into the management of your nation. politically, aristotle would call you one of several disparaging words, but a not a 'citizen.' among those various kinds of political society, aristotle came to the reluctant conclusion that democracy was best. only because the others were worse. democracy is not unknown in the usa, several states have democratic constitutions and use them. but most of the people in the usa are simply not citizen quality. elites always rot, usa aristocracy is typified by donald trump. thing won't get better, the materials are not there.
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  3186. stop whining, miserable serfs! you have heard of democracy, some states have it, but you continue to allow politicians to rule you. people of feeble mind and weak character must expect to be exploited by the strong and sly. it's nature's way of improving the species.
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  3187. "Politicians are supposed to work for you, instead they serve billionaires?" who told you that? to be fair, anyone who presupposes that usa is a democracy hasn't read the constitution. never bought a used car, either. usa schools apparently are dedicated to lying to the children in their care. parents are unbothered. the whole nation is living in fantasyland. and the scary bit- the rulers of this intellectual black hole direct the biggest military in the world. god help the human race.
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  3188. nato is a military treaty directed against the ussr, because they were 'commies.' the russians are not commies, and they are much more peaceable than the usa. a low standard, of course, but still true. but they don't like nazis, if you have any history, you will understand. when mr z banned those parties he doesn't like, he didn't ban the two neo-nazi parties, that he does like. perhaps those gop politicians sympathize with this position?
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  3189. bernie might have done better to stay away from debates, present a socialist program, and retire with honor. he is simply better than americans deserve. there was never a chance of success, i suspect the occasional appearance of obama represents a warning from cia, that a 'lone gunman' was warming up, and only support of biden could save bernie, absurd notion, isn't it. not in today's america, and it wouldn't be the first time, either. stay home, bunnies- supporting the dnc pick will never get a progressive.
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  3190. it's simple really, just ask daddy why he didn't get rich first, start a baby next.
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  3191. lately, i get one 'like,' which is a big step up from the more usual 0. if it's a single fan, thank you!
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  3192. not a war? they don't do war, they do 'special-forcing,' they do drone bombing, they do cia black ops, commonly involving murder retail and wholesale. the usa is conclusive proof that heaven is far and uninterested in homer sap, hell is centered on dc, and the devil has a dedicated line to the whitehouse.
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  3193. compared to usa, prc is peaceful and progressive. came across a post today that mentioned usa maintains 750 military bases, all around the world. but there are endless reports of many bases, perhaps only 100? too many. then there's the actual wars. and coups, and political murders. and proxy insurrections. costa rica doesn't have an army. they figured usa would buy the generals and own the nation.
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  3194.  @wistfulthinkn6982  prc figures their best way to fight civid is frequent local lockdowns. there is digital tracking, it makes a lot of crime difficult. it goes on in the usa, too. nothing on the web is secret. chinese prisons have a better reputation than usa, but i can't say if you have to work in them. i do know mississippi required field labor to work, if you wanted to eat, it was common in the black prisons of the south. would guess it continues. and of course, usa police kill often, when the target is brown.
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  3195. what? can't trust a dictionary?
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  3196. one day while watching a wildlfe doco, hyenas filtering into a massive herd of wildebeest, i suddenly understood why homo sapiens is not interested in democracy. it doesn't pay. instead of meeting the hyenas with horns and hooves, they just shied away, confident someone else would be an easier target. no sense of community in such a large herd. so too with h. sap.- just keep yer head down and the elite will pick on someone else. depressing, since we have the intellect to manage democracy, if we are in it, and it makes the life of the great majority better. it's just that getting it in the face of pressure from human hyenas is too much trouble. we are literally our own worst enemy. julian is probably a jerk. up himself, due to being smart, and very good in i. t. field. but: for whatever personal reason, he did the chumps of america particularly and the world in general a great favor. ' here is the reality of america, look on their works and despair.' it should have inspired every chump in the world to send a postcard to the american government, promising to visit with fire and sword. nope!
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  3197. talking bout the democratic party is a waste of time.the rich run america, because that was the purpose of the constitution. its structure is simple: concentrate power in a few hundred people, and buy them. it has worked very well, and until 'progressives' get out of the way so real reformers can change the constitution, not much can be done about plutocracy. this may be impossible: 'progressives' accept elite rule, they just fantasize that somehow a political elite is going to 'look after' the helpless mob. has never happened, but the alternative involves sustained struggle. too hard for middles, and the poor are too busy with survival. usa is doomed, and unfortunately this time political collapse will accompany, and cause, environmental collapse.
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  3198. nonsense. he has a 'wire' in his head. but he does say foolish things anyway, because the duty 'talker' gets bored.
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  3199. chinese vassals? you almost feel sorry for usg, they used to just pick up the phone and instruct. now, their only arguments are empty insults. but not sorry at all. the world will be a better place when usg joins uk on the 2nd level of international significance.
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  3200. usa 'democracy' is not being taken down. you ain't got it, never had it, and i suppose you don't know what it is. the myth/facade of democracy is wearing out, as the rich elite assume public control of politics once again. the stress of the great depression and ww2 required a brief flurry of superficial 'democracy,' but that has long been suppressed. i marked it as 'recovered' when nixon referred to 'my government' instead of the 'my administration' of 40's and 50's. i don't know why usans talk about democracy, i guess the uppers do it to pacify the credulous lowers, the lowers do it out of ignorance, or shame. chalk it up to 'newspeak,' born before '1984.'
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  3201. maybe can't afford any more. didn't kill anyone, says trump. sounds like he is looking for a a way out. and so are the iranians. sigh, ww3 may have to wait. iran did well with this barrage of entertainment rockets, preserved face while allowing trump to back away. surprising to see peace seeded into the program. but surely this ends iran's participation in any de-nuclearization agreement. trump has made it clear that only nuclear weapons and delivery rockets count with the usa.
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  3202. being a bell wether is not a good thing. they work for the station master, and have no balls. chris gives you his view of what is wrong, but he has little to say about fixing it, because he thinks revolution is a bad thing. and there is no fixing usa without revolution.. it might be bloodless, but only if the people have over-whelming strength, and frighten resistance. revolution is the transfer of power by force or threat of force. no one hands over power in response to a 'please?'
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  3203. people, democracy is rule by the citizens. you ain't got it. you never had it. you should stop using the word, you devalue it by misuse. you mistake the nature of the democratic party. it is not your proxy in public affairs, and you should be ashamed to admit you ascribe virtue to the politicians and apparatchiks who infest it.
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  3204. you have a grossly misplaced regard for the presidents of the usa. fdr was more sophisticated.
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  3205. china has no need to deal. usa is destroying itself, so gets all the room it needs.
    1
  3206. you can say 'eliminate,' but i prefer 'murder.' israelis are successful bandits, and the middle east franchise holder of the evil empire. itself built on the labor of slaves and the extermination of natives. not forgetting their ease in demonstrating a willingness to exterminate whole cities with nuclear bombs. these militant gangs are an inconvenience, continually reminding the world that european jews stole a whole nation with help from uk, and later patronage of the usa. but it's clear that the world is just going to avert their gaze from this particular genocide.
    1
  3207. trump is an ordinary sort of crook, unlikely to go to jail because he is rich. but the important thing is, the professional politicians couldn't beat him to the oval office. that should tell every rational american that their political system is hopelessly dysfunctional, simply obsolete. and that is why china prospers while usa sinks. and no public figure says so. possibly excepting andrew yang. he is not so frank, as he hopes to be elected by ordinary voters, but his suggestions are symptomatic of clear thinking about the future. i think he can't win, he is a walking, talking accusation against the character and competence of the democratic party, who couldn't even deal with a trump. the best americans can hope for is pete buttigieg, they may be dumb enough to select beto, or crazy enough to go with gabbard, who is a great whistleblower but not suited to high office.. not clear who she's working for. really interesting times. and then there's the looming climate catastrophe that america's political elite is ignoring. really interesting times.
    1
  3208. the usa was never a democracy. if it had been, the people would have been citizens, not pawns. with citizen initiative they could have controlled plutocrats, and made politicians obsolete. but madison explained that his constitution would prevent democracy from happening, and he delivered. anyone who talks about loss of democracy, is simply ignorant. at best. often they are cynical liars. until you face reality, you can not change it. nader and hedges have a long history of speaking for the pawns, but their contribution resembles the soothing of serfs by priests - 'nothing can be done, but heaven will receive you.' only revolution can fix the usa. but this needs a people who see the need for transfer of power from politician to citizen. chris, and ralph, do not see this. so they are just 'soothers.' or, perhaps they see that usa people are incapable of revolution, and offer soothing as a political pill. a pain-killer.
    1
  3209.  @fedos  funny you should say that, in latin it was just, 'add more copper to the silver mix. '
    1
  3210. it might be that ms gu thinks prc is a more civilized place than usa. an easy conclusion to reach.
    1
  3211. well, it does expose the dnc in the sense that they remain what they have always been, a device to make money from politics. the usa is not a democracy, the democratic party has no ideology [they used to be the party of slavery, and then jimcrow!] but americans deserve no better- if you are willing to be ruled by politicians, you should stencil 'chump' on yer forehead, in reverse, to remind you every day why the usa is going down the gurgler, and you not knowing how to swim.
    1
  3212. inflation begins when the government wants to increase the money supply.. they had to dilute the silver in days gone by, then paper money saved effort, now electronic transfer creates money out of literal nothing. greedy corporations is a nonsense. of course they are greedy, always have been, and are. but that is irrelevant. the core of inflation is buying something useless, absurd quantities are spent on 'defense,' and this does enrich the greedy corporations, but the shareholders get that money by enriching the politicians, who are not only greedy, they have the 'more money key-board' in their hands.. usa is an oligarchy, not a plutocracy. there are no literal plutocracies, the rich can only beg, and bribe. but the few who decide policy, law and action, are the rulers. the money they take from the rich is very real, but it is extra-political. no politicians stands up and says , "i vote 3 billion dollars worth of 'no,' the total worth of the 'yes' vote is only is only 300 dollars, so the motion is defeated." if you don't like rule by politicians, i recommend getting rule by citizens, aka democracy. why does no one suggest this startlingly obvious solution to usa political corruption?
    1
  3213. if yer too dumb to get democracy, then learn to love yer place in society, whether high or low. high is easier, of course. but with practice, you can master the curtsy, and if master's son pats you on the bum, giggle and run, if you can. i don't know why usans don't want democracy, but it is a common human failing, so no shame in being stupid, i suppose.
    1
  3214. it's difficult to say, if usa is king of the world. there was always some of the world where they were not king, because they didn't have any interest in bhutan and similar. they were masters of iran for awhile, through their puppet shah, and when iran escaped, usa looked a little weaker. so they try, endlessly, to recover that dominance. when your power is fading, it is vital to maintain appearance, or others will leave as well. china has stood up, able to defend itself, and to direct its foreign relations for its own advantage. if they see some value in commercial relations with iran, who can frighten them? usa can frighten many, still. elected officials of many nations fear the usa, for sanctions indirectly lead to loss of position. but increasingly, usa sanctions are revealed to be naked assertions of power in pursuit of profit, and implementing those sanctions become also dangerous to politicians of client states. e. u. states are shifting to trade with china, because it benefits them, not usa. greece and italy are well advanced toward this policy, spain is likely to follow, perhaps even france. they have been exploited by germany and since germany trades with china it will be difficult to forbid that trade. the e. u. was an excellent idea, for germany. they achieved with words what hitler could not get with armies. but is fracturing, chiefly because it is such a good idea, for germany. perhaps china will inherit the excapees?
    1
  3215. voting is the scam that feeds the politicians. voting for people is not democracy. nowhere in the constitution can you find any reference to democracy. the word means 'rule by the citizens,' and that does not exist in usa federal government. but you keep hearing 'democracy' and imagine you have it. 'newspeak' controls you, better than guns.
    1
  3216. a few other people think it's an antique circus, but few in the usa, unfortunately.
    1
  3217. this is not cp instability, it's just common sense. we will soon have a chance to observe other nations coping with cv19, i would suggest following advice and example of prc, to whatever extent possible.
    1
  3218. i read 'decline and fall of the roman empire' when i wuz a young lad, and was amazed at the quality of men who found themselves wearing the purple. crazy, lazy and dim, many of them. and it turns out, elections don't improve the quality at all, at all. now we've got a climate crisis and a choice of biden or trump, and usa seems determined to start a war, somewhere. god help us.
    1
  3219. it's true, china is not operating a free rescue of moribund europe. but if the choice is usa or china, go with china. for now at least, they don't negotiate with guns.
    1
  3220. clearly, our next phone should be a huawei.
    1
  3221. not to worry, trump will tell you the truth.
    1
  3222. maybe grown-ups should consider getting democracy, and stop ennobling politicians with elite power. there is no evidence that politicians are superior in intellect or character to the electorate. they are certainly inferior in character if you ask how public agents on a salary earn millions in their spare time
    1
  3223. the republic is mutating, it resembles rot. american democracy never existed, why does the word feature in your vocabulary. military rule is next, but there will be a smooth transition, by militarizing police activity. it will be necessary as poor people quit trying to make a living and sink into banditry.
    1
  3224. the concept of free speech does not seem to have penetrated far.
    1
  3225. doesn't have to be like this, americans could get democracy, and make politicians obsolete.
    1
  3226. red states get less public health? who would've guessed. but people don't believe fake news, they just hope you do. usa started to preserve slavery and protect the rich from taxes imposed by the poor. and the natural result is all around you. and no hope in sight. even though half the states have some or all the features of democracy, no one calls for democracy in the federal level. there is something wrong with american people. a sickness of character.
    1
  3227. it's not theft, it's custom. but a people so debased that democracy is unwanted deserves whatever their masters wish.
    1
  3228. the swiss are no one's idea of a socialist state. but it is a democracy. not perfect, but the only one. because it is a democracy, every one has an equal input to the state activity, and the result is some kind of income protection for everyone. every dairy cow in switzerland gets a state subsidy about equal to the cost of educating a swiss child. socialism without democracy is fragile, as the 'communist' experiment demonstrated, democracy is necessary, socialism optional.
    1
  3229. because they intend to own everything. only gunfire gets their attention, as putin is demonstrating.
    1
  3230. celebrity dance contest- old guys got the moves, but legs gone. in biden's case, brain failure possible, but not significant. he was always dumb. didn't bother reagan, or dubya, and yang would be run-away leader if brains mattered, but it's a dance contest. , brains don't count. the american political system was devised to preserve slavery, and ensure the rule of wealth. and they worship the constitution that brought them dubya, trump, reagan and truman.
    1
  3231. jefferson was a world-class hypocrite, well aware of injustice but not inclined to forego the pleasures of wealth extracted from that major injustice which shamed the usa from birth.
    1
  3232. usa was never designed to be well-run. the people who designed the usa, chiefly james madison, wanted a nation that was static. slave plantation grandees were on top, and he did all he could to make sure it stayed that way for as long as possible. with great success, 4 of the first 5 presidents were those grandees, and the 5th promised not to rock the slave ship. but after the civil war, slavery was illegal, but the management of the nation was locked away from the people, still. the constitution has precluded good management, on purpose. the rich were meant to rule from the beginning, and still do- it's not an accident. so, in 20 years, prc has come from nowhere to 2nd biggest economy in the world, while usa has decayed. any oligarchy will decay, since predation is much easier than development, and the desire to enrich one's children regardless of their capabilities means too much development money is in the hands of selfish and greedy incompetents.
    1
  3233. what normally happens is that the mercenary captains realize they don't have to wait to get paid, neither does the other side, and they divvy up the loot.
    1
  3234. there is only one solution to a nation's problems: only democracy offers a chance that decisions will improve the life of most of the people. government by any elite will only help a minority of people, the elite and their supporters. there are no democracies at present, possibly excepting switzerland, so it may be this is a solution beyond the normal capabilities of humanity. if so, we are doomed. voting for politicians is not democracy. elections are just non-violent civil war, creating an elite ruling group small enough to be bought, rented, occupied or bribed by the rich. that was the express purpose of the constitution, and it has worked well for the rich from the beginning. democracy is possible, some american states would be a democracy, if independent, and the word is in constant use since it has charms for the ordinary voter. but that use is lies to keep people from democracy by insisting you have it, when you don't. rule by politician is leading humanity off a climate cliff. changing politicians won't fix it, you just get a buttigieg in exchange for a trump. so, wake up, or die.
    1
  3235. why has no one organized a 'let's get democracy' movement?' if you had citizen initiative, usa would start improving quickly.
    1
  3236. bolton is a comic book villain, unfortunately with some real power. usa deserves him.
    1
  3237. feel a little sorry for moore, 'he means well.' but usa was set on its trajectory before its birth. the combination of british aristocracy, slavery, and a continent thinly populated by hunter-gathers and hoe farmers has led to trump as surely as gravity setting which direction an apple will fall. the system is what it is, you must replace it with a better, or endure its continued course, which seems to be dragging humanity to extinction. 'it's not fair' is not an adequate description of the usa constitution. of course it's not- it was purpose built to empower wealth over the mob. worked very well, too. we either get democratic socialism very soon, or the alpha males will destroy the environment, while enlivening the collapse with war for resources.
    1
  3238. usa is an elective aristocracy. not a democracy. public figures will only talk to the public when it advances their career, usa people deserve no better. their masters are, in general, amoral scum. they could be replaced easily if the usa peep was not an ignorant, prejudiced political blank. but there you are. democracy must be won, and held, through struggle. this requires a certain level of knowledge, and energy, to get and maintain democracy. neither present in modern usa. so, what to do? leave, has appeal. but you must have professional skills and a good second language, so usa will hold you, and rot within. even prc can weave rings around usa politicians, simply by requiring competence to progress in the party. usa politicians are self-selected for greed and venality. intelligence and knowledge not required, or even useful.
    1
  3239. i think you are wrong, u. s. continues to occupy afghanistan and iraq , and as others have noted, endless war is the desired end-state. iraq, in particular is ideally situated to dominate the middle east. the recent "we are leaving note" from the commander in iraq was amusing, but the soldiers are still listening to the politicians.
    1
  3240. no, because reagan was only restoring the economy to its original purpose. if you won't face the necessity for a democratic constitution, you will never have democracy. or anything else, because the selfish greed empowered by madison's constitution is destroying the environment. time is running out.
    1
  3241. be cheaper in the short run to just buy san francisco bay and convert it to pasture.
    1
  3242. can't you find people with actual jobs to talk to?
    1
  3243. a reasonable idea, but people who grow up in the usa don't think like citizens of a democracy. they are clients of political gangs, and have no hope beyond getting a favorable gang in power.  @trusty_bear-v1h 
    1
  3244. the dems used to be the party of slavery, then jimcrow and the kkk. they created the viet nam war. they have always been corrupt....but the problem in the end is the ignorance of the american electorate- raised to be the clients of political parties, instead of citizens of a democracy. @J Jackson
    1
  3245. Laugh if you wish, but you get the government you are willing to endure. Democracy is better than politician rule, but it needs citizen quality people. Most of USA is chump quality, as demonstrated by the myths they swallow.
    1
  3246. the titanic went down slowly, there was time for chatting, ballroom dancing, maybe even orgiastic sex. but for many people there was no escape, as the design of the unsinkable ship didn't include sufficient lifeboats. the usa is much the same. no citizen initiative, as it was intended that the aristos would remain in charge 'for the ages.' but the ship is sinking, and some of the passengers would like to prevent it. yet there is no provision for direction by the plebs except violent revolution. usans can be successful thugs, mercs and brothel door guards, but they are an apolitical people, quite handless at revolution. so the ship will sink, slowly, with much chat, but no substantive action.
    1
  3247. it's actually your fault. you keep voting for politicians. you can do better than that, but it would require effort, and yer not used to treating politics as a personal concern. but if you let politicians rule, this is what you get. now, think hard - what is the weak link in usa society?
    1
  3248. india was turned into a nation by britain, for it's convenience. not a natural gathering of people and two chunks broke off as soon as britain lost its grip. perhaps more would be better off outside than in. in any event, the government of india is not fit for purpose. maybe indian people would be better off in separate states, with a common defence treaty. but the politicians are as one in holding on to their rule. your various gods are not taking proper care of you. surely they would approve of dissolving 'india' and reverting to the states before british rule?
    1
  3249.  @nnbg8000  you are wrong, didn't forget. never knew, but unsurprised. churchill was a blight. at home and abroad. sustained british rule clearly resulted in the nation being exploited, they weren't there for india's welfare, but their own profit. in any event there appears to be no interest in starting over, without the much mangled british government structure. the last 40 years has shown what can be achieved by a unified nation directed by a government devoted to the modernisation of the state, and the education of the people. prc is simply unique in its achievements. the contrast with the achievements of indian government should be a matter of concern. 'what are we doing wrong?' should be occupying your mind, not 'strength to strength.'
    1
  3250. why must putin do anything? well, i suspect he 'must' drive ukraine to its knees, if he is to remain in power. that won't be easy, ukraine is well-supplied with patriots, and if they happen to be nazis, so what? and there is good ol' uncle sam, bankrolling the proxy war. plus, state of the art weapons, and a few 'special forces.' this equation resolves with a nuclear bomb on a ukrainian city. and if that doesn't get their attention, a second city. usa is not entitled to display shock, horror. they did the same to the japanese, with less excuse. the japanese were begging to surrender. and in fact, the underlying reason was to tell the red army to be polite. so, no shock, no horror.
    1
  3251. there is democracy, and various kinds of elite rule. in usa, the best label is 'elective aristocracy,' with the implicit understanding that the economics of the voting system make the politician/aristocrats susceptible to the demands of wealth. so, in an informal sense, usa is a plutocracy. and money rules, in every aspect of society: throughout a campaign, there is little or nothing said about what a candidate will do, a great deal of reporting on his/her financial resources. this political system is so corrupt, so degenerate, so dysfunctional, that a donald tump came to be president with no visible talent or experience or plans. more astonishing still, his success in gaining office has not impelled any interest in examining the system. nor can there be: there is no function of public action, no power of initiative. the politicians are embarrassed that an outsider can break in, but have no interest in disturbing the system that rewards them well. the people of the usa are political morons. they are raised without education in politics, it would be wasted on someone whose role is work, when needed, disappear when not. they put up with this when most are in work and the rest can survive in drug distribution or prostitution. but work is less, alternative trades over-subscribed. civil violence has begun. the response of every official is invariably the same-- jail them! that will work for a long time, but it creates a criminal class with a political background.
    1
  3252. sorry, that's all there is. and gold is no better. money is just grease, you have to have enough to service the economy.
    1
  3253. why don't you want democracy? if the people had an effective power of citizen initiative, they could be citizens, instead of chumps. how to get it? only vote for candidates who promise to change the constitution. too hard? sorry, being a citizen instead of a chump requires a bit of effort.
    1
  3254. well, the good news is, usg noticed africa. bad news is, looting likely to result.
    1
  3255. i wuz gonna say, 'biden's best strategy is to let trump talk while he stays silent.' verbal rope-a-dope. but the word is widely out, so let's talk about yer political system, which is the source of all, yes all, your troubles. trump perfectly exemplifies the character selected for leadership by your system, while biden's brain failure truly exemplifies the intellectual value of your system. but it's not just rotten at the top- the uncomprehending silence from the people about the medieval society you are born into completes the trifecta. you are living in an historical puss-pocket. there is daily interest in watching america flail about as trump tries to disguise his various inadequacies, most recently by offering to throw 1000 dollar bills at any one who will vote for him. this is a common practice in america, but it used to be sufficient to buy a round of drinks in the pub. what will he do tomorrow, raffle off his wife and daughters?
    1
  3256. perhaps she wanted to be vice-president? in any event, tg was never any kind of progressive, and endorsing biden is not wildly surprising.
    1
  3257. it makes sense to globalize trade, so long as everyone profits. so establish a national trade fund to hold the profits of global trade, and distribute them to citizens. socialism is necessary.
    1
  3258. is possible, but only for light hearted people.
    1
  3259. usa not a democracy.. you are only a civilian, you do not participate in the management of the nation. so, only called a 'citizen' as a means to obscure your status. the fact that you are surprised to learn that politicians put their private concerns ahead of public duty brands you as marvelously ignorant, at best.
    1
  3260. ahhh! 'watch,' you've finally caught on. usa is not a democracy, and you are just a watcher. not a citizen, just a civilian, or less politely, a chump. 'our constitution,' like it was sacred- it was written to protect slavery and 4 of the first five presidents were slave plantation grandees, and to ensure the rich ruled, they still do. usa education is pathetic. bernie won't save you- fdr could have, with 75% control of both houses, but didn't. bernie would never get close to that number.
    1
  3261. so, injecting 11 trillion is the cure for a financial crisis. [ insert cynical laughter here ]
    1
  3262. mr musk will deliver a tunnel-boring machine to mars, cheaply, as he has one handy. marssaps will be pasty and near-sighted, but safe and cozy. needed ingredients will be added by impact, from the conveniently handy and unattended asteroid belt.
    1
  3263. one of the problems arising from not living in a democracy is, you can't vote for a plan, policy or law that you think would be good for the nation. the only thing you got is voting for a person who says he/she will deliver it, in office. if you are old enough to vote you should have discovered they can't deliver 'it.' or they lie, and have no intention of delivering 'it.' you know this, if you are not an idiot. still, everyone in usa pretends they are citizens, when secretly almost everyone knows they are just chumps. i am confident andy yang is sincere about his intention to deliver ubi, but he skips over how. in case you don't know, presidents do not vote in house or senate. andy yang has no vote at all, about actually putting ubi into practice. no wonder he skips over it. so, how does america change? usually not at all, that was the intent of the constitution. that's the main reason china is eating your lunch. the only significant change in the history of usa was the eradication of slavery. that was not legislation, entirely, it needed civil war, and the result was segregation, jimcrow and kkk. they were still lynching brown kids in my distant youth. and police murder them by mass gunfire to this day. so, not eradication, so much as re-shaping. usa was born to preserve slavery, a reality that has poisoned the nation ever since. can andy yang save the nation? unlikely, don't you think, even god given up on you. ubi will happen. when bandit gangs of unemployables begin to disturb the middle classes, electronic cash will begin to seem necessary. may be too late to save the nation, but you got off to a terrible start. maybe there was never a chance.
    1
  3264. most mornings i wake up, and congratulate myself that income is not closely tied to solving these sorts of problems.
    1
  3265. wealth and power are conjoined twins, and if you want a society in which wealth is widely shared, power must be widely distributed. oligarchies can be 'socialist,' but the power holders will be corrupted into using that power for their personal advantage. a new financial elite will always emerge from a political elite. modern china is the obvious example. aristotle suggested that a democracy would tend towards socialism, as was the case in athens. madison agreed with him. since he intended to build a state ruled by the rich with his constitution, he explicitly concentrated power in a political elite for the purpose preventing the distribution of wealth by political means. so the usa was born a plutocracy and remains a plutocracy.
    1
  3266. 'planet of the humans' has been reviled for suggesting the only salvation of humanity involves substantial reduction in population. but i think it's just common sense. the revulsion springs from many aspects, perhaps could be summed up as "too hard." so let's look for salvation over here under the street lamp. in fact our most likely salvation is radical pruning, through war, plague and starvation. that's never too hard, in our history.
    1
  3267. usans go on whining about their masters, but no one talks about getting democracy. a nation of 2nd class people, and content to be so.
    1
  3268. madison told the grandees at the constitutional convention that his proposed constitution would empower the rule of wealth, block the rule of 'the mob,' in those days short-hand for 'landless men.' he knew about democracy, and he was certain that rich people would not like it. it was well received. and it works today, although actual slavery has been replaced by wage slavery and prisons-for-profit. prof wolff has done you a service, if you are one of those who imagine that usa is in any way superior to other nations. au contraire! then there's militarism, for profit, at home and abroad. it would be banditry except that the bandits have a national uniform.
    1
  3269. test them in kansas, please. i think it might cure them of idiocy.
    1
  3270. usa protects human rights? well, they started with slavery, 'progressed' by unleashing soldiers to break strikes with volleys of gunfire, and chomsky keeps a list, more than 100 instances of american violent interference in foreign states, notably the overthrow of the parliamentary government of iran. south and central america are littered with the corpses of american respect for human rights. it turns out that china does 'capitalism' better than usa too. their hi-speed rail system makes usa look like toonerville, they are about to flood the world with 5g phones beyond the technical capability of the usa, and they are putting more solar screens up every year than usa has in total. the changing perceptions outside usa are quite right, china is the new leader of the world many important areas. and plutocracy, exemplified by usa, has become toxic.
    1
  3271. usa wouldn't need a bernie, if it was a democracy. because it isn't a democracy, bernie will change little. no one person can change a culture, and americans have put up with politician rule for 230 years. it's a normal as breathing to them. while bernie lives, they can hope for a kind master, but most masters are not kind. get off yer knees, people! stop begging for fish, take the fishing pole away from the politicians.
    1
  3272. fortunately, no nation in the eu is a democracy, and eu politicians can sell their services to the cia without fear of losing their job, or head. it's only good sense to accommodate the usg, they pay well, and what can it hurt? anyone would do it, if they had something to sell, right?
    1
  3273. if you want to wipe the smile from yer face, just drop-in on chris. so far as i can tell, usa had doom built in, at the founding of the nation. the politics is rotten, side to side, top to bottom, and there is no saving it. the people are cattle, the rulers are scum, but scum with mass death at command, and sufficient money to buy or frighten foreign politicians into compliance. but the evil empire seems to be crumbling, which is 'goodish,' except they are likely to set off ww3 as a device to hold power. is chris going to stop them? nope. neither did chomsky, and dr sachs has joined the new cottage industry of shouting "evil!" and "doom!" with equal results - nil. this is not a matter of individuals remarking on current events. it is a national culture born bad and essentially immovable. the only cure i can imagine, is for a large part of usa people to get off their knees and demand democracy, at gun-point. clearly not gonna happen. no one even thinks about it. 'cattle' was cruel, but accurate.
    1
  3274. i love to hear about constitutions. especially britlands, 'invisible' constitution. you have to write down the rules, if you want people to know what the rules are, so britland has no rules. just tradition and opinion. the fore-lock tuggers don't know the rules, and it keeps them nervous and submissive. usa has a very old constitution, written to facilitate the enslavement of africans. and more broadly, the rule of wealth. it does both very well, but gunfire superceded pen and ink. wealth was untroubled and remains in charge. both nations constantly talk about democracy, to obscure the fact that neither is or ever has been, a democracy.
    1
  3275. i suspect the high cost of usa education is built in. college diploma is the best insurance against unemployment, and likely to pay off in high salary. so make them pay for a chance at a good life. this is america. and perhaps there is a motive of control in imposing heavy debt on educated people. for the nation, it is disastrous. unemployment generates crime, and ill-educated people must choose between hunger and crime. it will lower the national capability at every level, except perhaps at the very highest, brilliant foreigners can be bought in. the mind-set of usa is utterly selfish. everything is about money, and there is simply no long-term aspect to national management. how can there be, where 'show me the money!' is the core of every conversation? but there is nothing to be done. this is bed-rock usa character. it will contribute to the decay of the nation, but there are several worse problems, such as militarism, which are more pressing.
    1
  3276. as soon as mr. reich becomes god-king of usa, he can reasonably ask, "shall we get rid of billionaires?" while he's just another talking head, perhaps he should explain how he's gonna do anything, but talk.
    1
  3277. it wasn't an accident. at best it was criminal failure of care. there may have been malice as well, retribution, for some casual [perceived] insult to one of the support crew. baldwin's career is over, the movie is dead, millions wasted. and several people should be in jail.
    1
  3278. no, you need democracy.
    1
  3279. you let politicians run yer nation, and complain bitterly that they are politicians. there is a difference between talk and action and i wish someone would find a away to bring action into the mix. you would think it's easy, on a web age: just needs a lot of usans sending a tweet once a week, saying, "i want government subject to initiative and referendum.' or you could just say, 'i want democracy.' but the word is polluted. if you are feeling really bold, you could add "or else!" the important thing is to stop voting for any politician who does not promise immediate action to institute democracy.
    1
  3280. around 1900 the omnipresent corruption and incompetence of state governments caused a 'progressive ' movement that resulted in democratic constitutions for some states. notably california, 100s of referendums each year, occasional initiative and recall. california could easily make its way as an independent state, why don't they secede?
    1
  3281. if the ukraine gummint wants to use nuclear weapons, usa will supply. i suspect putin will shrug, and say, 'you want war, i give you all you want.'
    1
  3282. by the way, they are contractors, but the common term is 'mercenary. ' still, contractor does distinguish from the other mercenaries, in national uniform.
    1
  3283. not funny, hombre
    1
  3284. haven't you noticed the smell? i noticed the smell when i was helping the usg brutalize vietnam. poison dust? napalm? machine gunning women and children and chucking them in a long ditch? and listening to lbj moan about how being a maniac war criminal was so expensive, no end in sight, those stupid viets just wouldn't give up! krushchev got tired of seeing missiles based in bordering states, and took the obvious remedy of planting a few in cuba. fidel was willing, usa threatened imminent re-establishment of usa rule. kennedy was sane, did a deal. leave fidel alone, move missiles away from ussr. but usa doesn't have national policies, since it is not a democracy. it's principles change with rulers. lbj left cuba alone, they had backing from a nuclear power. poor vietnam did not. should have done, you would think, but prc wasn't there yet, ussr was not unhappy that prc was threatened by usa. usa is evil. immensely powerful, and run by politicians on behalf of wealth, private and corporate. they can do what they want, and don't start off with any ethics at all. only the people of usa can change things for the better, for themselves and the world. i see no evidence of substantial revulsion by the people, of their government, and its world view. indeed, more and worse is quite popular. so i got as far away as i could, and have joined voltaire in gardening rather than hoping for sanity in humanity.
    1
  3285. there seems to be no consensus on what needs to be done. i've never heard usans say, "we need democracy, at whatever cost." but how else can you enlist most of the nation in a movement for change, if you do not offer political equality?
    1
  3286. @Blue Traveller the problem with that is, it won't happen in a plutocracy.
    1
  3287. i wonder which states contribute most taxes to the federation.
    1
  3288. trump couldn't organize a children's birthday party. but maybe vladimir is his consigliere. unlikely. vlad knows better than hiring incompetent jerks. the operation of usg is looking very ragged lately. there would be red faces, except that everyone in it has an unconcern for anything but personal advancement. this is not new. usa was founded to advance the fortunes of politicians, and their plutocrat sponsors.
    1
  3289. brought to you by the good folks at cia. they are defending usa from attack all around the world, generally in a proactive way, before the enemy even thinks to be rude. the only visible solution is for decent people to move to states with a democratic constitution, and then secede from the usa. go on, you know you want to do it! the roe vs wade decision might be the turning point. turn that anger to useful action. shouting at tv cameras is not gonna do it.
    1
  3290. help me out here, has the congress of the usa no power over financial activities of the state? or has the president become a king? or a dictator.
    1
  3291. well, a golf pro would be a very unthreatening ambassador, and a very typical feature of the emergence of a cosmopolitan middle class in prc. they aren't a communist nation, anymore. barely socialist. better to think of them as a new mandarinate, educated professionals who claim to rule the nation as the inheritors of marx, lenin, mao and deng. no tincture of democracy, nor ever likely to be, but a much better sample of china than the usa politician rulers, whose only expertise is lying, bribery and the occasional brief career in law. cp-prc is trying to control corruption, with some success, future may be less rosy. right now they are running china very well, and tired old usa can not compete. so usa will consider going to war, that is their only remaining strong point. i hope prc is strong enough to dissuade them. there would be no winners. the recent asean treaty shows that china's neighbors are at least remaining neutral, and even oz and japan want a piece of the pie, while conspiring to throttle china with military strictures. interesting times.
    1
  3292. smith is not the first inflated ego to mistake his inner child's 'i want' with the command of god. but let's not dignify this petulant display with anything other than 'hyper-narcissism.'
    1
  3293. there is a superficial community of interest from xin jiang to iran through af/pakistan that should bind these nations into a trading community. prc would act as a military guardian, as well. how could it fail? well, there are varieties of islam, which might dissolve the material benefits.. fingers crossed, that reality will not be ignored because of a religious flavor. and of course, cia money will be dispensed to all who might keep violence the theme within afghanistan. no one loves the taliban, but they are the only effective resistance to endure 20 years of usa-cia hegmony in their land. it is useless to complain about the aspects of modern 'liberal' society that are lacking, their detractors were not in view as questioning the usa occupation, and allied iraq invasion and occupation. the world deserves the taliban, and if you don't want more of them, start saying 'no' to usa aggression.
    1
  3294. have you been to china?
    1
  3295. mr hartmann is wrong. jeffersn insisted on the bill of rights, because without them, the constitution would establish an aristocracy of wealth.. with the 2nd amendment, citizen militia was about as strong as a national army, having the same weapons and greater numbers.[potentially]. there are public documents discussing these matters. the 2nd amendment no longer is effective, because military technology has overwhelmed private arms. but the big lie, is the notion that the constitution establishes democracy.. it does not. madison was very clear, that his proposed document prevented democracy because democracy was a bad idea. it would, he said, "lead to the taxes on the few rich subsidising the concerns of the poor many." and he wasn't having it. neither were the grandees at the establishment convention, so they approved the constitution. and that is why millions of americans are homeless, and plutocrats can play with rocketships.. america's problems is not guns, it is the lack of democracy. the word 'democracy' means 'the citizens decide.' not politicians, citizens. people who claim usa is a democracy are dis-educating the nation.
    1
  3296. the profound naivety of usans occasionally still has the power to surprise. when it shows up in faux-reporters/pundits such as these charming people, it raises a smile, and adds depth to my opinion that usa is living in a time bubble. that spike on a graph will not inspire revolution, unfortunately, usa not ready, now perhaps never, but it is the harbinger of large scale violence to come. going to be a lot of hungry desperadoes in orcland, and even poor people can get guns there.
    1
  3297. when are you going to stop talking about democracy in usa? the management of the nation is the toy of politicians, and they are subservient to people and corporations who subsidise them. the word for that is plutocracy.
    1
  3298. hunter biden had a non-job in ukraine, and got 50,000usd for it. on the strength of that, the emails are probably real. his personal history makes him unsuited to any position but janitor, or go-between. the dem establishment are white-outing reality not to merely to protect the election, but also to prevent biden being seen as the president from ukraine. they regard the resulting reality that actually being the president from ukraine is tomorrow's problem, and the president might not be extorted.
    1
  3299. i can't imaginge why anyone would say chinese and japanese are similar, unless you have some rare-to-unique language facility. but you are putting it to good use, and enjoying life as young people should. i'll check in for more of your story as it unfolds- good luck!
    1
  3300. if you won't fight, if you won't learn, if you won't organize, why do you think you will prevent anything?
    1
  3301. surely not that bad?
    1
  3302. all they have is a flexible commitment to imperialism. they call it defending democracy. on the plus side, fewer people believe it in recent years. pelosi is a clear demonstration that the usg is obsolete. it has become a visible pseudo- aristocracy of senile oligarchs.
    1
  3303. the dems began as the party of what madison described as 'the agrarian interest.' by which he meant the agency of the slave plantation plutocrats in the political sphere. when commerce eclipsed agriculture as the main money power, the republicans came to federal power, and decided slavery had to go - why feed workers when they weren't working? they owned the usa from 1870 to 1904, and were crooked as hell. the dems began to recover, on a base of the south and poor whites in the north. the dems did briefly drift 'left' in the 30's, fdr used the economic collapse to cement dem rule with a few 'socialist' programs. but he refused to modify the constitution to democracy, and the republicans gradually ate away at the social gains. they bought congress back, one politician at a time. democracy means 'rule by the citizens' and usa is not a democracy. it will never be a democracy, until the people demand a new constitution. which looks like 'never.'
    1
  3304. unsurprising. they stopped selling cheap goods, started calling usa an imperialist monster. the people of korea, vietnam iraq and afghanistan have clear evidence that prc is right. actually, it's my opinion, prc leaders are more polite. but the evidence is visible to the whole world. unfortunately, 'opinion' nowadays is whatever usg says. reality is lost in the orchestrated lying.
    1
  3305.  @rey82rey82  shame on you. you can't jail the rich, they own the jails.
    1
  3306.  @technatezin  find out what democracy is first.
    1
  3307. what it means is, the whole knows what the usa is, and some are willing to say so. putin ain't scared of trump, neither is tg. she ain't even scared of msnbc, which is more dangerous to her career at least.
    1
  3308. [world] i don't pay my editor enough.
    1
  3309. if you get far from usa, hatred fades, only pity and contempt remain. have you bombed any children, today?
    1
  3310. xjp may well despise 'american democracy.' it is not democracy, at all. prc might be more responsive to the wishes and needs of its people, and they have recently claimed to have eliminated dire poverty in china. usa is more notable for the increasing numbers living in their cars, or under bridges. worse, they are quite unconcerned about it. democracy is a wonderful idea, so good that even n. korea is 'democratic.' in reality, only the swiss have come close, and they are losing it. homo not-so sapiens is not naturally suited to democracy, and it appears that ant colonies will be our future, if we have one.
    1
  3311. tax evasion would get him in jail. bad look for the profession. so once he's out of office, he an elder statesman, an over-colorful uncle kept away from punchbowl and daughters at family gatherings. in that respect, usa is more civilized than rome. not a lot on the corruption side, but at least many of the caesar's rode with the army.
    1
  3312. if you could just strain a square meter of time out of the spacetime soup, dry it out and weigh it, we could have a productive conversation about the fabric.
    1
  3313. tsarist russia was knocked over by japan. soviet russia beat germany. so marxism-leninism not entirely discredited.
    1
  3314. complex, and more important than most of the world knows. putin wanted to be tsar, and it was pleasant and rewarding for awhile. but the elephant has taken to jumping, not gliding, and there is no way down. i suppose putin and xi must fight, back to back, against the evil empire and its many satraps, distracted by indian mosquitos and ukrainian wasps, and longing for the days of iron curtain and clear enemies.
    1
  3315. no, but they had a few social support programs, pointed towards encouraging big families.
    1
  3316. forgive this old white intellectual: right on, brother!
    1
  3317. [insert laughter here. hysterical laughter, tailing of into weeping.]
    1
  3318. do away with taxation, replace with digital money and a transaction fee.
    1
  3319. changes nothing, in reality, although it might expose the tawdry lies usg must use, to cloak their naked greed and arrogance. the reality is, meng has joined assange in the 'no-case, but we don't like what she did' category. fortunately, meng has powerful friends and might be released once a face-saving deal is thought of by the orcs in usg.
    1
  3320. if usa were a democracy, you would be a citizen. but it's not, and yer not. yer a civilian. or a chump. a passive 'done-toer' watching yer betters wrestling for the cash and power reserved for the real people. so trump is not stealing your election- it's his election. or biden's, and if you imagine that's a step up, yer a dreamer, as well as a chump.
    1
  3321. be more precise: elective aristocracy in service to the rich. but don't blame the rich, or their political agents who wouldn't last a day if the ordinary people were not spineless nongs.
    1
  3322. Prof Wolff resolutely refuses to recognise the existence of political structure. Which limits his influence on reality. The fundamental fact of human society is 'who decides?' talking about what should we do is pointless if you don't have political power. Aristotle knew this, and Mao said so, but prof Wolff wasn't in class that day.
    1
  3323. that's an easy one: no. usa is living in a fantasy world. change comes from the application of force. but force must be directed to be be productive. i believe the only productive change can come from the collective demand of the citizens of a democracy, because elites always look after themselves at the expense of the many. but the usa fantasy is, that they already have democracy, no change needed. worse, those who see the need for change imagine that someone else will give it to them. no struggle required. between those who are content with usa as it is, and those who will not fight to change it, there is too much dead-weight to permit change. nations decay, in such circumstance, perhaps even collapse. but this kind of 'change' is not desirable.
    1
  3324. getting democracy might work, but while a few hundred politicians decide for 300+ millions, they can be bought, and they visibly are bought. so obvious that failure to mention the plutocratic nature of usa society makes discussion empty. 'politics' as entertainment.
    1
  3325. they are not nutty. they are getting what they want, by whatever means available. very human, and usa society accepts this behavior. it is a society of hyenas, ruling wildebeest, in concert with rich lions.
    1
  3326. hmm, it seems encouraging ukraine to keep fighting is going to change the indian diet. it's an interconnected world, indeed. encouraging ukraine to keep fighting when you are unwilling to enter the combat yourself could be labelled 'immoral.' but you are getting off cheaply, no hell-fire, just cold food.
    1
  3327. usa has never been a democracy- the people do not rule, never have, and the constitution was explicitly written to ensure they never will. so the usa began as an oligarchy. more precisely, an elective aristocracy is appropriate, as it was closely modeled on the british polity of george 3. in reality, madison intended that the rich should rule, 'for the ages,' and he has been successful in that aim. part of his success has been the 'double-think' perversion of the language so that the cattle are soothed by the title of 'citizen' in a 'democracy.' how has this 'democracy' been changed into an oligarchy? it began that way, and the masters are getting careless about masking their power.
    1
  3328. now that i must admit that bernie is looking good, tell me that senate and house will back him. i love a good fairy tale, but only with a happy ending.
    1
  3329. if you trouble yourself to read history, you will discover that the constitution was written to prevent democracy, and it has succeeded admirably. anyone who asks this question demonstrates the success.
    1
  3330. 'our democratic institutions?' when you ask a question like that, you make the problem worse. the problem is, usa is not, never was, a democracy. you don't have, never had, democratic institutions. the problem deeper still, is profound ignorance and cynical misinformation. you can't have democracy, if you are dumber than a rock, as evil as a politician, and too busy to fix either one.
    1
  3331. the usg was designed in the 1780's, on the british model of the day, with intention to protect the rule of wealth, particularly the slave plantation wealth. it is hopelessly obsolete, and can not be fixed from within, unless you expect politicians to vote themselves out of work. so it must be revolution. or continuing decadence ending in military coup. usa is a write-off. the only interesting question is whether the elite will attempt to hold power by starting ww3. that is what they are doing, portraying china's skill in commerce, science and engineering as a military threat, when actually it is only in military threat that usa has any dominance.
    1
  3332.  @dirkgonthier101  well, it's not that hard. madison said that was the aim of his proposed constitution, and it delivered.
    1
  3333. there is no clear path to peace. the usg reacts as the great commercial forces of the usa direct, and they fear declining wealth, since it is already clear that usa iis losing market dominance. similar conditions led to ww2, and usa is in the habit of using military force to shape and control world markets. i think, i hope, prc is already strong enough to deter actual war by the principals, but peripheral wars are certain. venezuels remains under immediate threat, iran is struggling under sanctions, but recent contracts with china and russia may relieve the stress. the usa people are going to solve nothing. they have no power to direct their nation. they have heard of democracy, but prefer to be ruled by politicians, acting for plutocrats. they are not citizen quality people. sorry, mr janssen, you don't have the power to ease tension, and those who do, don't want to.
    1
  3334. no one will do business with the usa, while national policy changes at the whim of a shady real estate promoter. you can't do business with such a person. the whole world is waiting to see the end of trump. unfortunately, the next president may be even worse. imagine leaving national policy as a prize for contending sociopathic individuals.
    1
  3335. what was the invasion of iraq labelled by the eu parliament? but i summarise by saying that politicians are a criminal element of human society. if we were capable of democracy we could make them extinct. but we aren't, so we are ruled by this mafia class.
    1
  3336. that wooden stock is inefficient. still better than the other guys.
    1
  3337. 'should.' that encapsulates the fundamental flaw in the usa constitution. since it is not a democracy, the people do not have the mechanism of power in their hands. without initiative, they can suggest or beg, but not command. worse, they are taught that they have democracy, an improved version, 'done for you' by superior people called 'politicians.' there can be no hope for a populace of ignorant cattle.
    1
  3338. don't need taxes, anymore. digital currency, passing through state servers, clip of x percent of every transaction. but that implies a rational society aiming for efficiency and justice, and homer sap just isn't capable enough.
    1
  3339. well, usa insisted taiwan was part of china, for many years. because usa owned the guomindang government of taiwan, and would have owned china if their stooge could get back in control of china. the actual government of china agrees that taiwan is part of china, just as usa insisted - it's just the prc is not going to be a stooge of usa. there is no intention to invade taiwan, it is unnecessary. unless usa uses it as a base to threaten prc, as it has done, in the recent past. has everyone forgotten these inconvenient facts? the president of philippines announces his intention to follow usa direction in dealing with prc. we can safely imagine that some combination of threats and bribes has re-shaped his opinion. pity is appropriate, philippines and its president are poor, and easily threatened and /or bribed. they may be on the wrong side of history, but we will have to wait a bit. in the meantime: take notice that usa has no tools but bribes and threats. prc relies on trade and mutual respect. the only aggressive actor on the world stage is usa, it is not china.
    1
  3340. the thing is, nato nations reneged on their undertaking to stay out of eastern europe. when they rolled up to vlad's neighbor, with a publicly exposed coup, he formed the opinion that it was better to start shooting while he could. nato/usa can't lose here. ukrainians do the dying, russia is bled and smeared, and usg is laughing. but vlad is yer basic russian: win or die. they didn't beat the nazis with better weapons or better generals. it was courage and determination. the orcs who run usa don't understand this, perhaps they just don't care. they won't die, others do the dying, as in ukraine. it won't get much worse, in ukraine, it will get much worse in europe and north america.
    1
  3341. i knew they were useless, but few are harmful. some try to harm, but are pitifully obvious about it. we all try to make a living, as best we can. best not to throw stones...
    1
  3342. don't blame manchin. the rules of usa society allow him to do what prospers himself, using the powers of office. corruption is built-in to the usa constitution, and that was madison's intention. the great majority of people in the usa would be better off with a constitution that created democracy. but getting it would take effort and ability that seems too hard for the people of the usa. so you live under a law that protects and enriches the already rich. there is nothing to be done. the principles of evolution have shaped the nation and the people, in a few more generations the uppers and lowers will be separate species, morlocks and eloi.
    1
  3343. don't hold yer breath. president has to be impeached, not charged. as long as republicans hold the senate, unlikely to convict. but if he loses the election, he might be charged, but unlikely- politicians hate to inform the public they are chumps for voting for a crook.
    1
  3344. it doesn't matter what they want, usa not a democracy. when was the last time you had a referendum, in the usa? where in the constitution does it say that citizen initiative is the supreme law of the land? it turns out that 'matrix' was a documentary, but no one got it.
    1
  3345. fyi: this is a demonstration of the difference between 'referendum,' which sd ain't got, and 'plebiscite' which is what your masters camouflage the lack of democracy with. with a plebiscite, if they like what the commoners want, you got it. if not, 'naughty children, go back and vote right.' but don't be angry, as far as i can tell, no one in the usa knows about these things, or if knowing, has no notion of getting democracy since the rest of society are natural born serfs.
    1
  3346. politicians are not your mothers. like any gang they maximize their collective power while pursuing personal power and wealth as convenient. unfortunately, usa was established as a north american arm of great britain as it was in the reigns of george 3 and 4. independence required a few minor changes, to defend slavery and enable westward expansion. but democracy was belittled and explicitly excluded by the constitution. every political party are parasites by intention, 'doing good' as much as possible for supporters only, and driven to public good only by necessity of avoiding foreign domination and active revolution at home. democracy is rule by the citizens, and that doesn't happen in the usa. it never will, while the limit of public hope is a kinder master.
    1
  3347. usa is not, never was, a democracy. don't blame trump- madison created the elective oligarchy that is so responsive to wealth that plutocracy seems the best title. grow up, the people do not rule in america, they commonly don't know what's going on much less control national activity. claiming democracy falsely pollutes the word, and demeans the nation. childish braggarts, at best.
    1
  3348. not as clear as throwing baskets of cash out of high windows. the process was slowed, perhaps masked, by handing checks to large institutions, after dark in seedy bars. the first result will be immediate retirement of ceos of large institutions, as they move to monaco and swiss francs.
    1
  3349. the usa was never a democracy, that's why congress could pass such a law. in a democracy, such laws are decided by the electorate, in referendum. basic political science,.
    1
  3350. omar seems to be speaking from reality, i wish more american voices supported her.
    1
  3351. isn't there some sense of shame? why hadn't you made a public declaration of disinterest in all men you had not been introduced to by your mother?
    1
  3352. in a democracy, citizen initiative would settle this. some usa states have democracy, why don't they leave the federation?
    1
  3353.  @oswarz  most notably california. they would be the 5th or 6th largest gdp in the world if independent. google 'states with initiative or direct referendum.'
    1
  3354. if you can't distinguish between democracy and elective aristocracy [ in service to wealth ] then life will be unending mystery and intermittent agony. in fact, that's darwin manifesting himself in usa society. just as the neanderthal couldn't cope, so too, will you find those tricky chinese pulling ahead in every area. be humble, it will be gradual and with luck you won't have to learn mandarin. your children will, and they will translate what you need to know. if you ever did a history of usa course in high school, you would have read and discussed the aim and method of the madison constitution, which he submitted to the assembled members of the convention. he promised a society ruled by the rich and explained how it would happen. he delivered, and still does. in fact you never did such a course, i'm not even sure young people do any history nowadays. grown-ups certainly show no signs of understanding how they got here, and why it isn't going to get better.
    1
  3355. i have free will, and would loan you some if i could. i choose to get up every morning, as the alternative is hunger and fouled bedclothes. but i do sleep late now and then, just to exercise free will. a little late, a little free. and i'm fairly certain that the appearance of free will is as good as any 'real' free will.
    1
  3356. if you can get white nationalists away from trump, that doesn't make a brainy asian guy a white nationalist. it means even proto-nazis can see reasonable ideas and support them. but explaining reality to americans is hard, and deserves a pay-check. in yang's case, whatever pay and beneys go with the oval office.
    1
  3357. biden is a place-holder, warren/klobuchar will face trump. bernie is not going to happen. nor should he- he would have been briefly relevant in 1931, but that window was sealed with ww2.
    1
  3358. i hope they are effectively buying out gm. they can use the factories, but not the managers.
    1
  3359. the pretense of national community has been largely scrubbed away by the stresses of failure to cope with the virus. it was just a pretense, always, but now lies, personal and organized are common currency and all measures short of violence are in use to preserve the rule of the elite. the 'children's crusade' at the capitol is actually a trivial occurrence, symptomatic of the rage infecting the dispossessed exworkers, but not representing any effective resistance. this is not the end of days, societies often struggle on with rebellions bubbling away, look at french history. but it will require military force to keep the lid on, in future. emigrate, if you can. learn subsistence farming if not. usa is a long way from done, unfortunately, but it's breaking up.
    1
  3360. trump appeals to the dim and angry demographic, of which usa is chock-full. trump is one of them, only much richer, thx to daddy.
    1
  3361. you are offered a choice of trump or biden. and no, not one, public voice says "let's get democracy." you deserve a choice of trump or biden. a nation of sheep will be ruled by dogs on behalf of corporations.
    1
  3362. not fair, exposing the underside of usa society. fortunately, the real people live on the other side of town, in a gated community on the far side of the golf course. they are untroubled. what's the use of being rich, if the unwashed can trouble your appearance of a conscience? the constitution established plutocracy, under a thin mask of elective aristocracy, and those richos have held on ever since. even fdr and the great depression could not shake that constitutional base, although i suspect fdr didn't try much. he just did enough to contain those socialist troublemakers, and becoming the armorer to the western allies did the rest. nothing will change, if the people do not demand democracy, for the elite will never give it to you, and populist leaders will not, either- why risk my position? so it comes down to the character of the people: do they want democracy? no visible evidence of it. the limit of their wishes is a kindly old fairy godfather. still, bernie better than biden, better than trump. even a temporary respite from decay saves a few lives. but your grandchildren will spit on your graves, because temporary patches don't fix fundamental problems, and the coming environmental collapse will be a doozy. except, a second, even greater depression is widely forecast. it might save the civilization, for awhile at least. they'll still spit, but be alive to go on doing it. oh! what interesting times.
    1
  3363. you do have a problem, but so far, no one grasped that it all began with the constitution. that is the rock on which american society is built, and it is the foundation of oligarchy, in the control of wealth. the founders had no need for religious control, but their inheritors in the republican party do, so it is used. it is in the interest of most politicians that the electorate be ignorant and frightened of the outside world, religion prospers here too. between them they have made americans into malleable chumps. nothing to be done about it, madison made a nation unresponsive to its people, out of the well-founded fear that democracy would lead to socialism, and the destruction of the rich with taxes. so it's revolution, or decay. decadence seems very likely.
    1
  3364. there is very little democracy around, to support my opinion, but i think people who live in a functioning democracy become citizens while growing up and being educated. as a matter of course, they know their opinions will, collectively, direct the actions of the polity. they learn some basics about economics and social interactions among equals. when referendum day comes around each year, the questions will have been examined and discussed publicly. now and then, a group will put before the electorate a question the administration has neglected or proposed inadequately, and that initiative will be decisive . because, in a democracy, the people rule. perhaps they manage things in this fashion in switzerland, nowhere else among nation states. some of the american states operate this way. and that's about it. much more common is elective aristocracy, where a few hundred people make all the decisions, and can hide from the people the reason for a decision. in such a case, you can be certain that corruption is endemic, incompetence commonplace, and national planning chaotic. equally bad, a populace raised in such a society is ignorant, cynical and alienated. elections are not democracy, and choosing which politician, or political gang is elevated to power is simply a medieval level of social evolution. no wonder 'representative democracies' and 'parliamentary democracies' find it difficult to demonstrate any level of competence in an electronic age.
    1
  3365. national leaders hate informal violence, it might be infectious. formal violence, by military or clandestine killing is perfectly acceptable to them, what's use of having power if you can't kill inconvenient people, or governments?
    1
  3366. so many homeless in usa, petrol stations and restaurants, bars and supermarkets would be overrun..
    1
  3367. politicians work for the middle class at local level, mids and uppers at state level and uppers at national level. that's the way the federation was designed. lowers are occasionally appealed to, when convenient to the aspirations of an aspiring politician. aoc an outstanding example, in recent events. she got in, and discovered she could do nothing if she crossed the [very] old hands. rich and middles don't worry about police, so they hire the cheapest labor and 'suggest' the lowers are all crooks, just not yet caught. so in the result, cop/murderers are frequent enough to convince lowers to stay out of sight. usa was designed to be a hierarchical society, landed gentlemen on top, brown slaves at the bottom. the occupants of each level have evolved, but the places remain. nothing to be done. at best, civilized usans could migrate to blue states, and secede. or just emigrate. neither blues nor reds seem interested in democracy, yet establishing political equality through democracy is the only way to control plutocracy. so, move- farther the better.
    1
  3368. why? it is the result of churchill's unreasoning frenzy resulting from the murder of his cousin, the tsar. of course, the cia poured salt into the wound.
    1
  3369. unfortunately, all you vote for is politicians. in a democracy, citizens vote for laws, public action, and national plans. referendum and initiative are the tools, and accessible public administration are the foundation. but usa is not, never was, a democracy. it is a variety of oligarchy, effectively a plutocracy, with help from politicians and generals. and its people are not citizens, but only civilians. seemingly endless resources, no strong neighbors, if ever a nation should have flourished, it is ol' tisofthee. instead, a brutal, murderous sewer, sinking into general poverty, while threatening global war. really, god must be laughing.
    1
  3370. tg has nothing to offer, beyond reporting on the misuse of american soldiers. that should be valuable, but is not, because usa society is rotten past reclamation. biden remains the favorite, god help you, and even if bernie gets in office he could do little without support from the dems, most of whom hate him. none of the candidates can save you, you need a revolution, not a fairy godmother. you arecnot strong enough for revolution, and there are no fairy godmothers.
    1
  3371. it's your fault: you let politicians run your nation. that's as stupid as letting pedophiles run a residential school. but that's the way things are. if you want change, it has be done outside the government. aka, revolution. doesn't have to be violent, when enough people subscribe to the demand for democracy, the politicians will fold. so what are you waiting for? while i'm here, if you read political novels, 'the border' by don winslow is a thinly veiled tour of the iillicit drug universe of usa and points south. your government is complicit. right to the top. at what point will someone organize a revolution? are you all zombies?
    1
  3372. pence's pardon, mentioned below, might well have some charms. but it's really not important. by now even slow learners and no learners should have figured out that the constitution is absurdly obsolete. if you leave your nation's direction to a dim-witted sociopath, who happened to be more appealing than the alternatives- what does that say about them, and the selection process?
    1
  3373. www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/15/erdogan-syria-turkey-democracy-dictatorship betrayed turkey!? what are you smoking?
    1
  3374. where is this 'democracy' for which you hold fear? perhaps yf would have done better to bring democracy to greece, if possible. or was that too small a stage?
    1
  3375. the solution is simple: get democracy. use citizen initiative to re-shape the nation. simple. also impossible. who wants democracy? not many. who even knows what it is? not as many as you think. how many know what it is, and hate it? quite a few. starting from here and now, you can't get there. usa will continue to decline, ultimate failure built in at birth. meanwhile, ticking over slowly, the climate crisis will overwhelm human society. collapse certain, extinction a lively possibility. depressing prospect? glad i'm not young. abandon hope? can't- it's the only game in town. but if you are young, get off your ass- politics is more important to you than anything else. organize, act, or die young, gasping for air.
    1
  3376. this is not a war of conquest. putin is using war as a bargaining tool. and it's working, perhaps: ukraine/zelensky has admitted to talks about neutralization. without foreign 'encouragement,' none of this would have taken place, the war is the result of usa/nato policy of 'enrolling' every nation in europe. this is imperialism though threats and bribes. putin finally decided the risks of war was less than those of passivity. he may have made the winning choice, , too soon to tell.
    1
  3377. after being beaten in siberia by a very busy elsewhere ussr, plan b, japan reverted to plan a, being beaten by the usa, but not today. the conquest of china was a more reasonable goal, but even that was just too hard. the militarist fantasists of the tojo government were simply out of touch with reality. even the japanese naval command had better sense, famously evaluating the situation as ' ... last about a year, against usa.' this is not a matter of strategy, more a psychological event acted out by japan: 'when previous crimes ensure death, may as well keep fighting.'
    1
  3378. julian had his own reasons for sticking a wrench in the gears of the evil empire. it certainly can't have been public spirit, as there is no 'public' as a group, just millions of spiritless serfs. don't blame the government, they are hyenas, being hyenas. and the people are cattle. they are not citizens of a democracy, they are raised to be cattle, and they are.
    1
  3379. easy to see why he will not be president. he may come to regret participating in the dem primaries, he could have run a low key educational campaign that would have done more good for usa. but he owes usa nothing. he told the truth, as he sees it, but a nation of cattle can not expect to be treated kindly by the wolves who own and run the ranch. don't know why americans are so dim, i ascribe it to the culture framed by the constitution, a document written by wig-wearing slave masters. but maybe it's a tribute to the educational system.
    1
  3380. don't laugh at trump, he's president and you ain't.
    1
  3381.  Stevie Blue  are you sure biden is better?
    1
  3382. why don't usans realize that politicians are the descendants of nobility, that elections are evolved civil war, and usa is not a democracy. and why don't they demand democracy, at gun-point? because they are serfs, slaves of a culture which regards democracy with horror, as it would lead to socialism, and limitations on personal wealth. nothing to be done for them, for they can not do anything for themselves.
    1
  3383. tj was a contemptible man, by modern standards. no reason to hate him, he's long dead. you can reasonably despise him.
    1
  3384. over-population is the fundamental problem. we should be at 10% of our current number. now, which 90% should go, and how to convince them to leave in an orderly fashion? one obvious measure is wealth: poor people don't enjoy life, often struggle to eat, they won't be missed. but another scale comes to mind: cull from oldest first. not losing much, often poor, and if they have any property, better in the hands of the young. a third possible criterion arises from the second: richest first. elon and zuckery could make thousands comfortable, if we can persuade them to cash in their chips. really doesn't matter how we select, so long as it get's done. how to do it? a lottery! but instead of drawing a losing ticket, and depending on people to go quietly, you get a winning ticket, which authorizes you to prune 9 people. the surviving 10% will be happy people, with no enemies!
    1
  3385. if any politicians cared about the nation, they would work to establish democracy, and put the keys of the house in the hands of the people. but they have a natural tendency to believe they should be in power, so they won't. so eat , drink and dance- and let the politicians ruin the world. or organize revolution. simple, innit.
    1
  3386. it's pleasant to be amused by the pointless chatter in the slave quarters, but my time is nearly done, and no revolutionary action is visible. of course, it might be secret. i live in hope.
    1
  3387. firing would-be union workers? never happened in usa, i bet! actually, it has. many times. in fact many times usa employers fired on, or fired at, workers. sometimes hundreds of casualties. as for long hours, that's as old as capitalism.
    1
  3388. capitalism is weakened, but this parallel also weak. the black death destroyed the labor force. cv19 didn't put a blip in the population curve, and the high incidence of elder casualties made a bit more room for the young. capitalism weakened by bleeding national surplus into private islands and sending jobs to other nations. previous standards of health became shaky, and the impotence and unconcern of government exposed the fragility of society. there are now large numbers of recently employed, but never again, members of the lower middle class who feel cheated and are not much interested in being told to lay down and die. banditry will ensue, but not revolution. the internal friction of endemic violence will drive the rich to their islands, and some general will inherit the rule of a wreck. see africa.
    1
  3389. and the fishing boats in shenzhen harbor still had functioning sails. 50 years later, and china leads usa in some aspects of electronics, centering on this one-time fishing village. if you doubt the capacity of prc government to surpass usa, think about that.
    1
  3390. not true, recent announcement of leaving syria should be welcomed. as the chinese say, "even a blind cat can catch a dead mouse."
    1
  3391. yer own fault, yankee fools. you've heard of democracy, some states are democracies, california would be 6th largest economy in the world, but you put up with politician rule, on behalf of the rich. is it something in the water? endemic dunbosity?
    1
  3392. the tory party put rs in power, has nothing to do with opinions of the plebs. torys will put anyone in power, not excepting darth vader. the immediate hands-out to modi may reassure india, and there may be an element of 'empire strikes back' satisfaction. uk is a very backward nation, and so is india. both have pockets of excellence which may make for a fruitful , complementary partnership. and both have sacred cows. made in heaven!
    1
  3393. the thing is, brits are really, really dim. so when they get a pm who might be dimmer than trump, they just shrug their shoulders, and say, "who could've guessed?" "just bad luck, really."
    1
  3394.  @ByDesign333  just me and you, really.
    1
  3395. presumably, pakistan, afghanistan and iran will profit greatly, via bri, with assorted trade and infra structure projects based on prc, india could do the same, in principle, but the modi government has welded the nation to the usa. seems like a mistake to me. but not clearly so. if we presume that actual war is avoided, then india has blundered. if usa aggression does lead to general war, india might be on the winning side, except that very likely there is no winning side. but if india joins its neighbors in the fruits of bri it will certainly be on the winning side, for usa can not go to war without india. maybe on balance, modi is destroying india's place in the modern world for some personal political advantage? just look at the character of the people who run usa, can it possibly be right to associate with such creatures?
    1
  3396. he doesn't disgrace the military, they are mercenaries. hard to disgrace people who kill for cash. but it's similar to prostitution- a choice between poverty, even homelessness, and military disgrace is forgivable. i am less inclined to forgive the voters of the usa, who tolerate elective plutocracy and its consequent predatory militarism. and politicians are not the answer- like soldiers for hire, they are part of the system that disgraces all who participate.
    1
  3397. you haven't got democracy, but pretending does save some effort. madison explained how his constitution would prevent democracy, and why: it would lead to taxes paid by the rich being spent on the poor. it still works. no democracy, poor social services, rotting infrastructure, and an electoral system that resembles kabuki theatre. when you get referendum you can regulate the expenses of administration. when you get initiative you can direct administration. until then, you are just petulant children pretending to be grown-ups.
    1
  3398. the puppet shah was a pretty useless person, but he did suppress the secular resistance so well, with direction from the usa, that only religious alternatives were able to survive. so thank the usa for this iranian government. something similar happened in afghanistan. the taliban are their reaction to usa 'nation-building.' if the religious people are right, presumably every usa politician is going to hell. i have no problem with that, but the damage usg has done here on earth is what we have to live with, and it is extensive. indeed, they are a plague on the face of the earth.
    1
  3399. madison built a nation ruled by wealth, "for the ages," and has been spectacularly successful. there are cracks appearing, a vile incompetent won the prize office simply by not being a politician, so change is likely to happen. it won't be a good one, there is neither educated populace nor public-spirited intelligentsia born from plutocracy. rome circled the drain for hundreds of years so don't be hopeful on that score. and homer sap is facing population collapse and possible extinction from climate pollution, and response so far inadequate--- indicators still pointing in the wrong direction. if i were young still i would be organizing a culling process, starting with politicians.
    1
  3400. democracy is not under attack, for there is no democracy.* elective oligarchy is bought by wealth, private and corporate, and a desperate class of wage slaves and unemployed see their rescue in a 'strong man,' commonly from the military. autocracy is born. the rulers tell the descamisados, "we give you a form of democracy, you can vote for one of us at regular intervals and we take over there, deciding what to do, too hard for you." "call it [adjective] democracy, modern and easy." this behavior is common in human history, and the [insert lie] democracy is just the successor to religion in controlling the serfs. but people who aspire to describing modern events, in historical context, should not be willing to swallow the 'democracy lie.' use elective oligarchy, for that is the reality. *the swiss stumbled into a reasonable form of democracy, and have profited from it. the process was more or less random, and not easily duplicated. no on else has been so lucky.
    1
  3401. he probably was developing plans to attack u.s. army personnel in the middle east. but they deserve it. best way to save their lives, is to send them home.
    1
  3402. this general should be sent to training school. since taiwan is part of prc, it must be reclaimed gently. otoh, visiting usa officials, without visa, are invaders, and can be shot.
    1
  3403. they're not used to it, supposed to be screwing the losers. when you use 'middle class' you abandon any moral high ground.
    1
  3404. the dnc is not a public service, they are in business for themselves. they owe bernie nothing. they may think it is in their long term interest to nominate someone else. your political system is not a democracy, and if you don't have whatever it takes to get democracy, you will live on your knees forever. in or out of oval office, bernie can't fix the system- that has to be done from outside, where revolution is born. my guess is that americans are simply habituated to submission, and god is punishing you for your national birth in slavery. god has a real sense of humor, who would have guessed? so you will go on whining, and the strong will roll down to the chinese consulate and beg for a guest worker visa. they will soon be paying better than chipotle.
    1
  3405. 'left?' not yet in iraq and afghanistan. defeat? not until they actually leave. waning power? i hope so. but in the meantime they continue to ruin other nations, iran and venezuela come to mind.
    1
  3406. solar already competitive. and new screen composition likely to improve efficiency substantially. don't bet the farm on small smr. though clearly there will be niche markets, such a submarines.
    1
  3407. usa is not a democracy. the oligarchy is offering you a choice of trump or biden. neither will rule personally, either through incompetence or senility. their handlers are 3rd rate people that could not be trusted to manage a pawn shop, either ethically or effectively. and the usa people are useless cattle. there is a grossly over-sized military that demands to be fed. and used to create promotions, as well as commercial opportunity. strange that such a large nation, with no shortage of academics, can produce no intellectual underpinning for progressive revolution. revolution does not begin until the middles are frightened. that leads to change, in one direction or another. look at the military, and foresee who will be on top when the political house of cards no longer can enforse obedience. it doesn't matter how or if the elections are conducted. you are not offered any useful choices.
    1
  3408. good in principle, but fdr was just putting out the fire of looming revolution. my father was a recipient of the government largess, being 'employed' in a logging camp doing support work for coffee, pancakes and cigarette money. glad to get it, of course. what really saved fdr and my father, was hitler. usa did not recover from the depression until production orders for munitions started pouring in from europe. there was talk about establishing democracy in the federal government, but fdr refused to act. he was perfectly content for the monied elite to run the nation, he was one of them. and so was lost the opportunity to create a usa genuinely ruled 'by the people.' when it comes to betrayals of the people, fdr is leader of the pack.
    1
  3409. many americans might think this is good stuff. it is at least critical of the msm. ms. ball appears to have talked herself out of employment, which deserves respect. but it's pretty useless. 12 people met in a shabby restaurant in shanghai, 1921, and founded the communist party of china. a lot has happened since, not all good, but china has truly stood up, has created a state controlled capitalist economy, brought technology up to equal world's best, and lifted most of their people out of dire poverty. that's what usa needs- revolution. not chit-chat about the greed-mutants who run the nation. andrew yang is the only candidate to offer a program to meet today's conditions, but remains a sideshow. the election process is not going to turn america's economy around, even bernie is treated badly by the msm, and i believe he would achieve little in office, anyway. usa needs revolution, because the structure of the state is immutable. break it, or continue decay into extinction.
    1
  3410. to be generous, a mistake. alas, so many!
    1
  3411. your implied respect for the constitution is grossly misplaced.
    1
  3412. what is broken in america? nothing. it's performing just as its progenitors designed. it's meant to be run by the rich. the constitution was written to achieve this end, and it works. it can't be fixed, without amendment, and that amendment must be fundamental. not gonna happen. currently, the usa is waging war on venezuela, by covert means, although so visible that it is clear. you are living in gangsterland, and no one of these candidates says so, except gabbard. she doesn't say so either, but at least she suggests the military methods aren't working well. i don't find this appealing. she has nothing against violence, just wants it done better. she has reason: china is running rings around usa, not least because their system at least puts competent people in power. there will soon be an economic bloc called 'asia' and knit together by commerce. frankly, none of the candidates would make it to the politburo, except maybe yang. poor guy only has america too work with. lucky for him, he won't be candidate, or in office, and won't be joining the list of lack-lustre politicians that are not making america great again.
    1
  3413. voting for politicians is not democracy: it is civil war, with bullets replaced with ballots. mayor pete is light on plans and programs, because he is honest, and saw what happened to obama. usa was designed by people on top, and they wanted stasis. so nothing will happen until house, senate and oval office want it to happen. the supreme court might still block progress. the people of the usa live in fantasy land, if they imagine a personable and intelligent president can save them. nothing can save them, but an act of god, or revolution. neither likely.
    1
  3414. finland is not a magic place, and they are subject to all the human constraints. they are not uninvadeable. but, like the swiss, they maintain a large militia and aim to make invading finland not worth the effort. i don't know why they suddenly became afraid of the russians, but i suspect usa made an offer they couldn't refuse.
    1
  3415.  @seppo8383  reasonable. but ukraine in 2015 was 'bought' by usa. there are actual public records of usg officials discussing who to buy.. instead of joining usa, threaten to join russia, and cia will offer much more money. still, finland liked hitler more than stalin, so you might see a natural affinity there.
    1
  3416. you are allowed to own guns in order to allow people to revolt against the government. with effect. but it doesn't work.
    1
  3417. what, not who, is a good question. answer is difficult for americans, because the only formal input to government that they have, is 'who?' in a democracy, the citizens determine 'what.' but in an elective oligarchy, 'who' is the only question, and the choice is very limited. connecting the who with the result is next to impossible, since many candidates have no intention of carrying out promises, and many others find that holding their office depends taking bribes and betraying supporters. why do americans put up with a corrupt and ineffectual management system? because they have abandoned hope and lost all connection with their masters. usa began with a constitution that was sold to state grandees as likely to ensure the rule of rich over the many. it worked so well that it continues to imprison the minds of americans, they never dream of revolution. bernie makes trump nervous, because he has beaten the usual corrupt democratic candidate, and bernie is different. it's quite possible bernie might beat trump. but that is not the primary question facing america. bernie in office doesn't change the political culture of america. it will remain an elective oligarchy until someone writes a new constitution.
    1
  3418. it's not the gop. dems as bad. the culture of the nation, set by constitution and history has created a duopoly of agents for an extra-political rule of wealth. only revolution can break those chains, and given the quality of the electorate, less than even money of a good outcome. so here's the good oil, as we used to say in oz: emigrate if you can- ecuador looks good. if you can't, study sustenance farming. facility with firearms also good idea.
    1
  3419. looks like gore was conservative, will all be gone soon.
    1
  3420. while it suited them, usa agreed that taiwan is part of china. now they are 'defending' taiwan from china. tomorrow? short memory, usa. china remembers the last visit from the japanese army. there will be no welcome. japan has already had 2 atom bombs, from usa. it seems to have created a lasting friendship. 2 more from china is only fair and may also create a lasting friendship. usa has no memory, only greed. to be fair, they didn't hang the emperor, just in case they needed him. as here we see.
    1
  3421. india never had democracy, and any elite rule will hide corruption and oppression, to minimize resistance. but inevitably it emerges, as the elite extend their grasp of wealth and power. india is following the usual course, and there is no reason to think justice and prosperity will emerge from this society. nothing to be particularly ashamed of, all of human history is variations of the same story. i think only getting democracy can save humanity from the cancer of elite rule. but can we get it? probably not.
    1
  3422. americans deserve their masters. they got guns, but not brains or guts.
    1
  3423. if you have a vision of a better usa, but no one supports your opinion, you won't get it, and probably shouldn't. if 60% of the citizens heard your idea, and supported it, very likely to be a good thing. that's why you should want democracy. can't think why you don't.
    1
  3424. i don't agree with xjp this time, i would have shot down pelosi if she didn't turn back. but at least she looked foolish, and left. japan has a special place in chinese hearts, and the right-wing gummint is lifting its head in foreign affairs and extending its claims between okinawa and taiwan. this puts them at the head of the 'to-do' list when fist-shaking is replaced by shooting in moderation. shooting in moderation is hard to do, though.
    1
  3425. you can explain the benefits of democracy and socialism to a child, they can understand and approve. but they don't vote. by the time they can, the lead-in doco seems like sacred dogma. the bad guys own the schools and the advertising. what to do? 1. leave usa. by far the most practical. there is no heaven on earth, but there are sane and humane societies. 2. organize revolution. i wish you well, but you are attempting to build a big bridge with wet noodles. 3. go into politics. this will not save usa, but there is a good living to be made by bleeding it a little more.
    1
  3426. usa worships selfishness. this is necessary to sustain greed. greed is the taproot of usa culture, the founding fathers were necessarily explicit in their aim to establish an elective oligarchy which would be the political agent of the rich men of the day. not much has changed, and there will be no change until greed has led the nation into disaster. disaster will not likely lead to civilization, usually the result is a banana republic.
    1
  3427. to simplify, prc is now strong enough to resist the usa empire. by demanding space around it, somewhat like the monroe doctrine, it seeks to limit usa imperial habits in the neighborhood. indian government wants the security of usa embrace, and becomes another barking dog for usa. fortunately for prc, india is so badly run that the additional threat is small. what's more, a nation that likes to be friends with russia is entering an embarrassing dilemma - russia is increasingly unloved by usa. but they get along with prc. modi may find that russian resources are suddenly unavailable.
    1
  3428. No, because usans haven't got democracy and their masters don't love them. No use complaining about being exploited if you have neither gun nor courage.
    1
  3429. the default setting of american society was well-characterized by the phrase 'gilded age.' america was designed to be ruled by the rich, and mostly it has been. reagan gets blamed for restoring the normal conditions, but the blame lies with the founding fathers, and the current populace, a nation of submissive whiners. it's not going to improve. the next step is military takeover, perhaps 10 years from now.
    1
  3430. when i was a young lad, some army flack said:"we had to destroy the village, to save it.' a few hundred people got the frag bomb-napalm 'saving,' and my journey to revulsion of my native land took another step. you've heard of 'my-lai?' it was not unique. usa is run by monsters. and it began that way. and it continues that way. mr putin is no saint. but you can hear the truth occasionally, from unlikely sources. the only cure, is revolution: transfer of power from politician to people. aka 'getting democracy.'
    1
  3431. apparently americans don't read their own history. fdr had lots of socialists around him, one was vp for awhile. but not much came of it, look around you- gilded age mk 2. you need to change the constitution so that the electorate is the sovereign power, not congress. congress can be bought, and usually has been. and no public figure says this, so you can be sure no substantive change will endure. a nation of ignorant cattle has no future.
    1
  3432. maybe a decent publlc education would result.
    1
  3433. if you are surprised to discover that the dnc is a 'business' or even a gang, actually, welcome to reality. you get the government you are willing to tolerate, and americans are content to be 2nd class people. in a democracy, every one counts. in an oligarchy, maybe 1%.
    1
  3434. no, unfortunately not. when the towers fell, usa didn't wake up, they just used this 'crime' to justify more. only nuclear extinction is available to any power, and that has little attraction.
    1
  3435. tg is a useful whistleblower, and a plausible candidate compared to some who have occupied the oval office. but sanders is the only person who has a notion of a functional nation with justice for all. that's because he isn't a democrat. the party is rotten, and deserved to lose to a trump. when biden said 'nothing would change' he was simply re-iterating party policy. but bernie is old, and an outsider who will get no help from congress or supreme court. even in office he would accomplish little. there is no salvation for america. the militarism that is the core of tg's appeal infects her own vision, she just wants better results for the uniformed banditry. most politicians owe their office to lobby support, in turn dependent on donations from saudi, israel and mcdonnell douglas. the nation is so rotten it is hard even to imagine a path to morality.
    1
  3436. if you can draw a pay-check with hypothesizing about a multi-verse, good enough reason. as long as i'm not paying.
    1
  3437. macron is just a politician. still, if he expresses distaste at the evil empire, credit where due. in a democracy, the people are 'citizens,' and they direct the nation with 'referendum,' and 'initiative.' you don't live in a democracy. [unless you are swiss] you live in an oligarchy. 'rule by a few.' you are sometimes pacified by voting for politicians, which is called 'democracy,' but obviously isn't. don't know why you put up with this, best guess, defective genes. born to be 'chumps.'
    1
  3438. stone would be a fool if he were not searching for government approval.
    1
  3439. milankovich cycles are irrelevant. h. sap. is driving itself to extinction through pollution and over-population. the only visible cure appears to be putting a pistol to the head of every politician in power, and asking: "are we gonna hurt each other?" not practical. i have suggested getting democracy and thereby making politicians extinct, but the response was not favorable. i assume the value of this plan is obscure to most, or all.
    1
  3440. in fact, truman was a disaster, but usa in his time was king of the world.
    1
  3441. my country, tis of thee, sweet land of liberty. freedom to make war on anyone they don't like. that's a lot of people now, because a lot of people don't like them. you might think americans should feel shame, and perhaps some do, quietly. but the ones who count are sociopaths with guns.
    1
  3442. or you could simply establish democracy, let the citizens run the nation by referendum and initiative, and forget about labels on people. spin-off benefit: politicians obsolete.
    1
  3443. Xi Jinping is not much impressed by secret assurances, since USA generals are as crooked as USA politicians. Milley should have begged for congressional action.
    1
  3444. the important element is not science or logic or honesty. people say they are denialists for fun, for profit, or to satisfy hatred of some group even loosely associated with acceptance of warming. so this report may recruit more active support for emissions control from neutral or mildly supportive people, but will have little effect on denialists. better to ignore them, and make a case directed towards people beginning to accept/believe.
    1
  3445. voltaire made a career out of the insanity of his government. but this is usa. no insanity there! sociopaths, otoh, there is no shortage. many in government. but that's nature for you. a nation of ignorant fools will not be governed by philosophers, much less by angels. the concept of rule by color-labelled gangs was trialed by the byzantine empire. it was meaning-less thuggery then, much like the red-blue contention in modern usa. the actual business of government goes on out of sight, utterly unaffected by popular opinion. that's why a populace of ignorant fools is harmless - the real people are in charge, relax. naturally, they are looting the nation, and the world, but that is evolution. future-man will be orcs ruled by degenerate wizards. for awhile, anyway - this is heading towards extinction.
    1
  3446. the people of the usa could have democracy and socialism, if most wanted it. but they don't. in a nation of orcs and hobbits, orcs rule.
    1
  3447. re-say the line above. add: until the hobbits outnumber, or out gun, the orcs, nothing will change. dialog is useless with rabid dogs.
    1
  3448. politicians are your enemy. they are predators and parasites. get rid of them, and run the nation by the public service, under the control and direction of the electorate. [it's called 'democracy'] how to get rid of them? present them with a document establishing democracy, and offering the choice of submission or death. pretty sure the document will pass through house and senate rapidly. the new constitution can be short and simple. it only needs to establish the power of the electorate to direct the nation through referendum and initiative.
    1
  3449. really doesn't matter what is wrong with trump. the real problem is the usa is managed by a single man of contemptible character who came to office by the usual process. usa system is crazy.
    1
  3450. shame on you. hehe.
    1
  3451. has the usg denied the bio-weapons lab in ukraine story? and there are neo-nazis in ukraine, you can find them on the web, for yourself. and in the usa, for that matter. more in ukraine, probably. they sent a division to fight for hitler, after all. but today's lesson is 'myths.' there are plenty in usa, notably the idea that usa is a democracy. is not, never was, and judging by the blind acceptance of the lie in the usa, never will be. you can't get what you never had, if you don't know what's missing. what's missing from usa 'democracy, is 'rule by the citizens.' there are other words, for various kinds of elite rule. elective oligarchy is precisely right for usa. usa is built on endless lies.
    1
  3452. good for bernie. but i wish he had said, "we will invite congress to institute democracy in the usa.' because you won't get what he says he wants without democracy, and when he's gone they will take back any gains he makes, without democracy.
    1
  3453. not critical? the son is a walking reflection of the politician. but let's not despise politicians, most of us would take the gig if the alternative was going down a coal mine, or pimping women on hollywood boulevard. they are dangerous while being a politician is merely despicable. but i wish you guys would stop voting for politicians, it's not necessary, certainly not useful, and it encourages them to steal more and kill more.
    1
  3454. a few are smart: they have reminded the democratic party that they are not born to rule. so far the dems haven't acknowledged the lesson. but if hillary had spent a few days in the rustbelt, outlining her plans to bring employment to the area, she would be president today. coudln't be bothered.
    1
  3455. now is the time to start a 3rd party. offer democracy, and socialism. just a little joke. the american character is not ready for either, and the wheels are falling off elective aristocracy, due to terminal greed and moribund health care. all yer own work, and if you surpass italy in the casualties you may expect laughter instead of sympathy.
    1
  3456. i already know all this, i need someone to organize mass-action to change. and i need to see a seething atmosphere of discontent, ready to boil over in to revolution. instead i see a nation of slaves, a froth of hyper-rich grandees, accommodated by a preening political guild. usa ain't france, ain;t russia or china, ain't even cuba or venezuela. is it something genetic, or have they tamed americans with drugged fizzy drinks? i blame marvel comics. they have schooled americans to look to the sky, where plutocrats in flying armor hover looking to save drowning kids. plutocrats don't fly, folks, or save kids. they hire poolboys to do that, for fizzy drink wages. no matter, those nice guys in china will save us, once we promise to stop running errands for the yanks.
    1
  3457. don't wait, visit as many consulates as you can find, there are livable nations if you have professional skills. if not, learn to build cabins in deep forest, and hunt and forage for food. usa is incurable, the disease is genetic. usans like to talk about capitalism, but that's the first mistake. usa political structure is elective oligarchy, functionally in the control of any concentrated wealth, personal or corporate. 'capitalism' is just the sugar coating on reality. the cure for all your problems is getting democracy. a nation with citizen rule through initiative will have as much socialism as it needs, and may even be peaceful, since the deciders are the same people who get shot and bombed and gassed. getting democracy is easy. the only reason you don't have it is that usans are not citizen-quality, being raised, educated and trained to be alienated servants of wealth. can't see reality, can't bond with others, afraid of dying but unable to live. as i said, leave if you can, withdraw if you must. unions are not useless, but you had them, in the 30's and 40's - yet here you are. they are not the fix. you must transfer power from congress to electorate. that is revolution. it might be peaceful, but if violence is out of your repertoire, learn to live on yer knees, if they will let you. leaving is the personal solution. the social solution is revolution. good luck!
    1
  3458. not that simple. bernie is only running for the democratic nomination as a matter of convenience, he is not a member by allegiance. i'm confident he would wish to run as a democratic socialist, except that he wants to win. and the democratic party has never been interested in democracy, it's just a political gang. so, ironic, yes, but the real sour smile is the acceptance of politician rule by the chumps who believe they are citizens of a democracy.
    1
  3459. if you could vote for dubya, beto should appeal. one of the consequences of not having democracy is that elections are beauty contests, since your vote has no reliable connection to any material outcome. beto is dumber than yer average politician, don't laugh, they have to be sly at least while bernie is less lovable.he's only offering a smidgeon of socialism, while beto gives you a big smile and tells you he was born to rule. just takes one texas oilman to put beto out front in the money race, that americans are taught to call 'democracy.' in all history, was there ever such a nation of chumps?
    1
  3460. a good demonstration of the difference between elective aristocracy and democracy. you might imagine swedes would get tired of politicians, and take over the nation themselves. but it won't happen here, or anywhere else*. homer sap just is not suited to modern technology. *the swiss wandered into a reasonable form of democracy, pretty much by accident. i think they are losing it, the embrace of the eu is proving more deadly than being surrounded by fascists and nazis.
    1
  3461. neither will russia. usa does best - mangles ukraine, bleeds russia, and off-loads 30 billion in military equipment. this is good business, for usa.
    1
  3462. usa organized a trade barrier against china for decades. now they want to be in china, but don't want to play by china's rules.
    1
  3463. they are not 'your' representatives, either. democracy is possible, but difficult to manage, and more difficult to get. a genuine democracy would not have politicians at all, much less let them rule. no use being informed, if all you can do is choose between one politician or another. why don't usans want democracy?
    1
  3464. well, you see, that's why madison made sure usa was not a democracy. this kind of information might stir people up, but it has little immediate effect. no citizen initiative, no referendum, no recall initiative- no democracy. worse, a populace so ignorant and alienated that little scraps of information have no effect. result, usa is a nation of zombies, ruled by hyenas on behalf of vultures.
    1
  3465. plenty of nazi admirers in the usa.
    1
  3466. more 'strategists?' you only need one consigliere, in former years these people were known as gofers. but more pressing matters: i do wish someone would say the obvious: america's political system is absurd. democratic politicians are wholly corrupt. bernie isn't, but why is he masquerading as a democratic politician? short answer? he wanted to be president really bad, and had to turn tricks so they would let him in. perhaps he would have done better as an independent. he's leftovers. maybe gabbard will prove to be the smartest. being outside that political pig-pen preserves her brand, and whoever is in the oval office in 4 years time will have the lowest approval in history. not excluding nixon. are you all blind? this is serious business being conducted like a medieval opera by a cast of moral degenerates. your nation is in the hands of dim-witted hyenas.
    1
  3467. get democracy, people. don't you know that much?
    1
  3468. sorry, it doesn't work that way. by the time anyone gets to the oval office, all morality is forgotten, and if the cia doesn't like you, you die.
    1
  3469. no, you need democracy. but you don;t know it. sigh.
    1
  3470. as long as you think a politician is your friend, you brand yourself as a fool. democracy is rule by the citizens, usa is not a democracy, you are not a citizen. you can make yourself into a citizen. organize, subscribe to a constitution establishing democracy, invite the congress to make it law. if they don't, you may have to shoot them. transfer of decisive power often requires shooting. but not this time: not many in congress have seen the front of a gun. they dispatch 'special forces' to kill foreigners without blinking, for them, killing is the stroke of a pen. mass displays of disrespect will deal with the parasites, the prospect of real democracy will win wide support, what are you waiting for? is yer fairy god-mother gonna do it for you?
    1
  3471. why? in a bipolar world, they have chosen to side with satan. can't blame them, pay and perks substantially better. the only labels that matter any more are 'good' and 'evil.' read the description for the necessity of the the 2nd amendment, and ask what is the use of legal and moral license to march on dc in armed battalions, if the spine of usa people is over-cooked spaghetti? why doesn't congress oppose? why should they? you don't deserve freedom, so you will have peonage.
    1
  3472. the democratic party rules will be followed, as they exist at the convention. nothing to do with democracy, but the americans don't have a clear idea of what democracy is, so that's appropriate. there is a good reason americans are not educated in these matters, it would lead to democracy and socialism.
    1
  3473. this provides a decent respectable living for a few thousand smarties who might otherwise be stirring up trouble on planet a. happy for them. if they should come up with a way to avert climate catastrophe, money well spent. but it appears that's too hard for them, as for us.
    1
  3474. 'american democracy?' read the constitution. what gave you that idea?
    1
  3475. are you surprised? the whole purpose of capitalism is to put x in take y out, with y much larger than x. mericans put up with it. hard to change it when this mechanism was the foundation of the nation, not only there when you are born, but worshipped as much as any golden statue of antiquity. but you shouldn't get angry, it's bad for your health. better to make sick jokes about it so no one will despise you for being a chump. if you can whistle a happy tune, you are merely ignorant, can happen to anyone.
    1
  3476. uncle vlad should do what uncle sam did: drop a nuclear bomb on kiev. usa said it shortened the war. perhaps it might need a second bomb, but it will shorten the war in ukraine.
    1
  3477. the constitution of the usa is a toxic document, that begins with a lie, and was written to ensure the rich ruled america. and it worked. no use complaining about the consequences, if you will not address the cause. if the usa was a democracy, you could straighten out the justice system. you could end bandit warfare for corporate profits you could institute medicare for all americans. you could provide quality education for all children, through university for those with interest and ability.. because most citizens want all that, and america can pay for it. so, why don't you want democracy?
    1
  3478. or, you could tax the rich, reduce the military and spend the money re-building america.
    1
  3479. khomeini characterized the usa with the phrase 'great satan.' it seemed accurate at the time, if a bit florid- i'm not religious. but he was right enough, usa seeks profit through murder, piecemeal and wholesale. so, while i applaud any effort to educate ordinary usans in understanding prc, i am inclined to think it will not change the nature of usa politicians and public officials. there is also a great number of ordinary usans who are simply sociopaths, unfussed at murder done abroad is search of a market. you won't meet them on this site, i suppose, but they make their presence known elsewhere on the web. as a simple example, consider the presence of usa in iraq and afghanistan, sanctions on iran and venezuela [plus a coup attempt!] and the continuing story of cuba. and there's plenty of sordid history in south and central america. so i wonder if becoming friends with the great satan is suitable to people striving for ethical life. shouldn't we be attempting to sanction usa?
    1
  3480. no, they don't. they are not your friends. politicians are parasites. their continuing grip on power should be a shame to every adult.
    1
  3481. what is a 'strategist?' do they have a classification number? is someone watching the emergence of this profession carefully,with a view to controlling it, with poison or fire? is the near disappearance of 'flack' related to burgeoning 'stratigist' numbers?
    1
  3482. i wonder why people sit in front of a screen, discussing the loss of privileges* and are not moved to act? many states have a democratic constitution, due to the real progressive movement, circa 1900, so you might imagine the possibility would cross the mind of some people. but no. the national mindset appears to be the hopeless submission of slaves. ^you have privileges, which your superiors may ignore or change. rights are the freedoms of the sovereign class, the elite and their agents in government. ordinary people can only have rights in a democracy, which the usa is not, because the ordinary people are the sovereign class.
    1
  3483.  @mahlina1220 that accusations of 'hate' covers your shame, ' but in fact. pity is more accurate, for most, and contempt for those you choose to be your leaders.
    1
  3484. tear up the constitution, and start over: "we, the citizens of the usa declare to all, that we are the masters of our nation, and all actions and laws have effect from our assent to referendum and initiative." politicians become extinct. public service runs the nation, publicly. secrets are crimes. socialism will likely follow, to whatever degree the electorate wishes. peace will break out and the military will reduced to a few technicians. participation in the national militia will be a condition of citizenship.
    1
  3485. all censorship creates a powerful elite. they can get away with theft and murder, because the cattle are ignorant. and censorship begins with education. 'americans' think they live in a 'democracy.' there is nothing that can be done for a nation that believes in lies.
    1
  3486. this is not the first time a general has defied a president. truman fired macarthur for this sort of thing, about the only good action taken by truman. cometh the hour, cometh the party hack. trump can't do that- there's 3 old drunks in an alabama vfw shed whose votes trump needs.
    1
  3487. particle physics is one of those charming professions, like politics, wherein words per month count as output. and it is more secure than politics as most of the words are impenetrable to tax-payers.
    1
  3488.  @MegaRzen  don't like yer chances, applaud yer courage.
    1
  3489. is the $1000 a month gummint subsidy held up, then? folks not getting the grocery money are naturally upset.. it comes down to this- hold usa society up close to the light, and it's just rag-tag trash. bad luck trump is in office? or senator turtle? nah. just normal luck, plus idiot system. 'idiot' if aim is to give everyone a decent life. really good system if yer rich and selfish. that's the trouble with these protestors- not rich, and not smart. but fer $50 a day they will march and wave guns. they better be empty, don't wanna kill somebody on a wage of $50 bucks. going rate is $100.
    1
  3490. you can't have rights, if you are not a member of the ruling group. you often have privileges, which are extended to you by the ruling group, while you make yourself useful to them. in the usa,the ruling group is the congress, supreme court and president. not the people. who are not citizens, they are civilians. a populace of ignorant, passive and alienated people can never be more than civilians, and frequently less. i'm sorry, you have no future. revolution is very hard and conditions in the usa are unsuitable. to begin with, the country people have most of the guns and will support the politicians. so there will be no shortage of police and soldiers defending the government. and forgive me, you think the electoral college is the source of your problems, you might even think trump is a one-off, delivered from mars by space balloon. from that intellectual base, you are not going to achieve anything.
    1
  3491. if you let politicians run yer nation, this is what you get. that's why getting democracy is important. but don't blame the baddies for being bad. the cause of them running the nation is the weak character of the average chump. homo sapiens is usually not very smart.
    1
  3492. stop complaining. you have it in your power to turn usa into a democracy, through organized disruption and naked threats. that's why there is a 2nd amendment. but being armed is useless without brains or courage. the elite rules because the cattle submit.
    1
  3493. btw ms iversen, vn worse by orders of magnitude. you may feel you have to stir the pot to generate income, but there are about 55,000 names on the stone in the ground where usa hides its shame, and that's just the face of evil. god knows how many burned, shot and poisoned vietnamese were killed and maimed by the usa. afghanistan is just another pimple on the vile history of mycountrytisofthee.
    1
  3494. it's not reagan, it's madison. he created the oligarchy and blocked democracy with the establishment of the constitution. read what he said. if you want to be a citizen of a democracy, you must act like one. this will require organization, and determination - the oligarchs will not smile and hand over power. in the end, the 2nd amendment is there for your use. anyone can have a rifle in the usa. but that's only half the equation. organize! or just whine.
    1
  3495. when ya gonna grow up and be citizens of a democracy? stop voting for people, people. start voting for schools, for hospitals against war and assassination.
    1
  3496. the usa people bought a cow, back in 1789, which it has suited their masters to call a race horse. it doesn't win races, they don't even hope for milk, and they are endlessly perplexed at its lack of performance. there is something wrong with the character of the usa people, they have heard of democracy, and don't want it. they are told they have democracy, and they are satisfied, even though their 'democracy' is unresponsive to the will of the citizens. they complain endlessly at the activities of their masters, and accept their station, as serfs. the resolution of these dysfunctions is prevented by a public education system that invented double-think and newspeak before orwell was born. between mal-education and continuing mystification it is unlikely that usa will ever recover from its birth as a society devoted to slavery and the rule of wealth. even people making money from complaining can not see the roots of their discontent.
    1
  3497. when politics is a dance contest, judges are 'strategists.' youtube is like a wormhole to barsoom.
    1
  3498. it's japanese yen, chinese yuan. they both think the difference is important. but carry on, this is vital history- not least because energy trading is drifting away from usd in a big way.
    1
  3499. i'm trying not to like this woman, but ir's hard. the comparison with other american politicians is so starkly unflattering to the whole caste that i am tempted to open a new classification for tg. 'angel' may be appropriate, it means messenger in early greek, and would serve for 'whistleblower' in ethical situations. the american government is a irruption of hell in the d. c. ringroad, and angels are needed.
    1
  3500. at core, the ruler of a democracy, is the citizens assembled at voting stations, directing the affairs of the nation. the 'directing' is absolutely effective, because the citizens are also the army. a nation with a professional army can never be a democracy.
    1
  3501. the usa is the evil empire. if i believed in god, i would beg him to sanction it. if i believed in the devil, i would beg him to claim it. but they are just the current black spot on the face of humanity, skin cancer but not immediately fatal. we must be patient. while we are waiting, don't contribute to their wealth.
    1
  3502. war, plague and starvation all have their contribution to make in reducing over-population, but the insanity of ruling elites can greatly magnify their contribution to adjusting the burden on planetary ecosystems. here is an area where usa is making the biggest contribution. this is a natural result of plutocracy - the smarties go into business, the dummies go into politics, and between greed and arrogance magnified by wealth and power, there is little chance of poor old mother nature feeding her children. science could have informed the managers and masters of the nation how to restrict the virus, but neither group were much concerned with anything out of sight. letting politicians rule you is shameful, it is dangerous, and in time it will prove to be fatal.
    1
  3503. they won't listen. it's not good enough to beg for mercy. politics is about power within a society, and you have to have power to play a role in the management. if you won't or can't, get some power, don't waste yer breath.
    1
  3504. -just add murderers in cop uniform and you have fascism. and here we are.
    1
  3505. if you don't like what politicians do, get democracy.
    1
  3506. usa talks about democracy, but is not a democracy, and doesn't seem to know what the word means. the capitol 'happening' was not a coup, it barely got past 'demo.' but a couple of people died, almost by accident, so it's worth discussion. the root of the problem is the lack of democracy. the current political system is elective aristocracy, and it is not responsive to dissatisfaction among the cattle class, the political descamisados. there are lot of them now, angry, and have nothing to lose. many have to go to jail, and creating political criminals in large numbers is not a long-term solution to usa stresses. the constitution must be scrapped. this won't happen, since the people on top are not going to change the document that supports their wealth and power. this dilemma is commonly resolved by revolution, but there will be several fruitless demos first, while the shirtless ones learn how to break a nation.
    1
  3507. perhaps ukraine has no jews left, and nazis had to re-align hate to other groups?
    1
  3508. what reform did you have in mind? why not terminate sc, rely on general assembly?
    1
  3509. socialism is an economic idea. but politics rules. if the masters of society don't like socialism, you can't have socialism. so if the majority of people want socialism they should first get control of politics. this is called 'democracy.' democracy, by the way, is rule by the citizens, through referendum and initiative. it is not enough to get elective oligarchy, even if it is called 'democracy.' elections are not democracy, and in the usa they have no visible effect on the functional plutocracy. socialism without democracy is possible, but it is unstable. rule by any elite results in corruption and oppression.
    1
  3510. ahh, sweet reason! but you are wasted in science dr. h, the human race needs you in politics. i realize that would be a much more difficult field, but i'm confident a few months seclusion, with aerobics and philosophy, would fit you head the u.n. general assembly, world peace to fall into view in a year.
    1
  3511. never doubted it. usa history is one damn thing after another, and after you make war on vietnam and iraq. squashing an inconvenient bug like julian is like swatting a mosquito, although slightly less moral.
    1
  3512. this is pixies chatting with fairies about what they will do when they are in charge of the world. economists have their role in society, but it is not decisive. aristotle fixed a base to human society: begin with, 'who decides?' the answer to that question has been various individuals and groups, whose common feature is the direction of decisive force. politics is about force. there is 'autocrat' at one end of the spectrum, then groups - 'oligarchies,' and then 'democracy' which is rule by the citizens. democracy is usually too hard for h. sap. and autocrats tend to meet a dagger, or poison. human society is commonly ruled by a few. when that few is voted for, it is often called 'democracy, ' but this is a lie. it is elective aristocracy. the lie is told to poison the mind of the people. it works. you can't struggle to get democracy if you are told daily that you have it. elective aristocracy has corruption built in. look at the character of the people who hold national office. they are political whores, doing favors for the people who pay for their advertising. it is literally impossible to be successful in politics unless you are crooked. in some states, people got tired of this corruption, and attempted to suppress the opportunities for corruption by creating some level of democracy in the state constitution. this did work, to some extent, but democracy was not carried to completion, and corruption does continue. only when all public activity is in fact public, can corruption be erased. in the federal government, you have no right to know what is going on, much less power to correct it. why does prof. wolff talk about 'democracy at work?' beats me. not much democracy in the usa, and co-ops don't have 'force.' but he doesn't want to talk about reality, it's too depressing. there is a reason co-ops are not much seen, and plutocrats rule usa. it is immanent in the foundation law of the state.
    1
  3513. stop worrying about american democracy. start worrying about thinking usa was ever a democracy. orwell had some useful things to say about 'doublethink' but no one reads, anymore?
    1
  3514. eventually you notice the symptoms of dysfunctional law and custom. disquieting, how long that takes. blame the national mythology. finding causes and cures is much more difficult, will presumably take much longer, no progress visible there, and time to act is running out. action is effectively impossible. the populace of usa is largely alienated, ignorant and passive. the rulers of usa are sociopaths, interested solely in personal career and wealth. so usa is a large part of the problem and will contribute little to the existential crisis of climate collapse.
    1
  3515. why do you refuse to face reality? usa is not run for any public benefit, it's run for the rich. if you lived in a democracy, initiative and recall would straiten out uvalde. but you don't. since you don't understand that, nothing is going to change.
    1
  3516. trump is a cornered rat, and would sell the usa for a get-out-of-jail card, in a flash. if you don't understand this, you should leave politics to grown-ups. but that doesn't mean the professional politicians aren't grifters, and murderers too. yer problem isn't trump, or the politicians, it's more fundamental: usa is crooked, top to bottom, left to right, from birth. and the people who grow up in this society seldom escape the national psychosis. there is no good-guy vs bad-guy in the usa story. that is childish when children believe it, among grown-ups it's insanity.
    1
  3517. democracy seems like our best hope to survive. but there's not much around, and it simply may require a better type of human being. elite rule of various types has a long and disrespectable history, but it grows naturally from the alpha males of our naked ancestors. how to beat that heritage...
    1
  3518. whenever i need a little laugh, i log on to a report from the great satan. i almost feel sorry for americans, it's clear they have been bred for passive submission to pain.
    1
  3519. rebellion is easy, revolution is hard. although even rebellion in the usa may be too hard, due to the surprising power of the cultural conditioning of the youth. i cling to the hope that some competent revolutionaries are beavering away among young people, creating citizen-quality warriors for democracy. very faint hope. you won't find it here.
    1
  3520. aoc wants to be the little mother of her supporters, they want whatever coins she can squeeze out of the masters. they are too poor to fight a revolution. revolutions begin when the middle class get angry. that may be never, although the recent addition of 25 million unemployed might contain some people who thought they were middles. most were hanging on lowers, and their 'revolutionary instincts' only lead them to henching for the masters. see placard wavers for 're-open.' i can sneer at aoc, but underneath the original tough talk is the usa reality. forgive her, she lives in the real world. the french revolution began with the middles, the sans culottes didn't get in until they had to, since stalemate was starving them. something similar happened in russia as well. so, usa middles, forgive aoc, or develop a spine and start collecting guns and molotov cocktails.
    1
  3521. don't blame politicians- they have power, they use it. for themselves. if you want democracy, first you have to be citizen quality people. if you are willing to be ruled by politicians, you are not a citizen, you are a civilian, 'chump' for short. in a democracy, the citizens rule, through referendum and initiative. you don't live in a democracy, and it appears you don't want to. people slavish in nature should not complain about their masters, it draws attention to themselves.
    1
  3522. xjp will help putin with tech support, as needed. it's in prc interest to have a functioning russian state.
    1
  3523. usa society is a natural organism, and every part of it is shaped by the rest. when the people are passive lumps, the elite are lazy and self-indulgent. when the society shapes most of the people into passive lumps, with education and law, then that is what they are. don't laugh or sneer, unless you are sure you are outside of society, with some independent character and view. people do what it profits them to do. in a society with great variation in wealth, there is a good living to be made in supporting the masters over the mob. if you don't like this, what have you done to change the society that generates this behavior? most will answer, nothing. there is widespread dissatisfaction with the structure of human society, but no visible means to change it.
    1
  3524. only the swiss have any kind of democracy, flawed and being degraded by being encircled by eu. many usa states have some or all the attributes of democracy, except the vital one of independence. usa is an elective oligarchy, not a democracy. the politicians tend to be rich, and usually in the service of wealth, private or corporate, so it can be called a functional plutocracy. prc doesn't pretend to be a democracy. it is an oligarchy, dependent on the pla for its authority. even so, for historical reasons, the central committee tends to look after the welfare of nation and people much better than usa. because initially 'communist,' the whole world was their enemy, and the strength of the nation was the only defense of the party. the chinese people are not citizens, merely civilians. they play no role in the management of the nation, much less direct it. this equally true of all nations, except the swiss. why then, is 'democracy' claimed and discussed? because applying the word 'democracy' to all those varieties of oligarchy has killed the meaning of the word, and reduced chances of the people organizing to get democracy. it works wonderfully well.
    1
  3525. i don't know why most usans don't want democracy. elective aristocracy creates a few hundred people drunk with power, blind to any reality that conflicts with their desires.
    1
  3526. by now, fidel and che would be gunned up and heading for cuba. americans on their knees just ask, "will joe save us?" it's god's punishment for slavery and land cleansing. or maybe it's fluoridation? the willingness of americans to submit to politician rule has bemused me for many years. joe won't save you, and neither would bernie. you have to get on your feet and tell the politicians "times up."
    1
  3527.  @jf8461  a democracy is rule by the citizens. only switzerland comes close. you may well despise americans, they are an ignorant, lazy, and none-too-bright group, but they don't have democracy. you, otoh, appear too despise everyone.
    1
  3528. in a plutocracy, political power is measured by money. instead of talking about 'what should be done?' americans talk about 'who should rule us?' and vote for the noisiest or not at all. they call it democracy, but it's nothing like democracy.
    1
  3529. everything in the usa is driven by money. even rebellion. genuine would-be revolutionaries* are not public figures, too busy gathering support while avoiding discovery. generally, public speech against, or for, the state/establishment are just the political version of the television preacher. *see no evidence of a lenin or mao, nor even a che, in usa society.
    1
  3530. usa can never be trusted, they have made criminal attacks on governments around the world for more than 100 years, and appear to have venezuela lined up next. kim and his generals understand this, and are just dancing with trump to get more development time for their weapon systems.
    1
  3531. 'reckoning?' ' 'no doubt?' don't be silly, nothing is going to change in the usa because the masters are happy, and the cattle are dim and leaderless. nobody in a suit will have any answers- he is just another talking head. hedges is john the baptist, no che guevara. an admirable man in a nation of sheep and hyenas. must be intensely frustrating, and he should retire. chomsky has been saying similar things for 50 years, and that is why he looks so jaded. retire to a sunny island mr hedges, you are preaching to a nation out of your reach. they don't deserve you.
    1
  3532. strangely, mmt quite resembles the ancient monetary theory of rome. need more money, stamp out more coins, with less silver, finally none at all. inflation is the old man's killer of nations, and usa is well on the way. at the same time, prc is moving to digital money, which will make printing money unnecessary, at all, at all. but i think they get daily modulation of the economy and , if used wisely, a powerful tool of economic management. they will be wise, for awhile....
    1
  3533. putin is conducting a 'slow war,' since his goal is a neutral ukraine. zelensky is being given time to realize that his puppet masters are using him to destroy ukraine, as a propaganda exercise against russia. but zelensky is wholly-owned, and can not negotiate neutral-state ending. soon putin will accept defeat, or reset goal to conquest. bad news for ukrainians, since putin can not lose, and remain in power. the good news is, usa will shrug shoulders and watch ukraine submit, those who survive. no ww3 today. usa/nato is determined to rule the world. review that blinken quote, if you doubt me. usa is not patient, but violent resistance will stop them, temporarily. that may be good enough, the evil empire is creaking with economic diseases, and already much weaker than when they rolled over iraq.
    1
  3534. not my idea of a good guy. quite relaxed about foreign policy, approving of locking up assange, forget about human rights. but no dummy- he can see the symptoms of economic decay, and was willing to talk about them with suggestions for repair. should have been a useful contribution to the selection process, except usa politics is a profoundly unintellectual process. americans can only talk about people, not about ideas. so yang was extraneous to the process, much like gabbard.
    1
  3535. there was a swp, last time i looked. and the wobblies briefly flourished. and the democratic party was superficially left, for awhile in the thirties. the idea has been tried, but it doesn't work. and that is because of the electoral system- a close second gets you nothing, 'winner take all.' a party that never appears on the national radar, withers greens, swp or dies -wobblies. and if a left party won a few seats, the democrats would smother them with a left twitch, as they did in the 30's. so no, a new party is not the answer. but go ahead and try, if that's all you got. history is a guide, not necessarily destiny. but you haven't got democracy, and haven't got the brains or character to get it. do you really think another batch of politicians will treat you better?
    1
  3536. usans like to pretend they have democracy, and attendant 'rights.' but they will not make the effort to get democracy, and consequently will be endlessly surprised and often outraged, when they are reminded by reality that their 'democracy' is pretense. as it happens, madison designed an elective aristocracy, which he thought was good 'for the ages,' and which has survived largely as he wished. it was evil from birth and obsolete now, but usans have no thought of change. they cannot. only those in power can change it, and they are well-satisfied. no referendum, no initiative, no democracy, no change. until it fractures, of course.
    1
  3537. smart man, yf. but he has no solutions to offer. nor does anyone else. human society is not directed for the benefit of human society, because most of us have no power to direct human society, and those few who do are concerned chiefly, or entirely, with their own wealth and power - the maximizing of. democracy is the cure, if cure there is. but getting it is too hard for homer sap. it would require revolution, it would require the mobilization of large percentages of a nation's people to support revolution, and on evidence to date, not gonna happen.
    1
  3538. amusing, but you won't hear much of use from retired academics. revolution is necessary, because continuing elite rule is driving h. sap. off an environmental cliff. this needs angry and active people, in large numbers, with a central goal and smart direction. none in sight, although we may hope they are working quietly. marx was a failure, although a few national revolutions worked his ideas into their program. prc is the poster child of this pragmatic approach, and is currently flourishing under a mix of 'controlled' capitalism and cp supervision right down to the village level. cpprc is just another elite, and is already struggling to control corruption and popular alienation. but for now, they are are active and effective, and shine a harsh light on western decadence. stay tuned!
    1
  3539. you see, 'capitalism' is not really a political term. in the political sphere, functional government is by an elective oligarchy. by no accident, those oligarchs are in hock to large money, corporate or private. so, the 'meta' government is plutocracy. but capitalism sounds so much better. an experiment with lab rats revealed, that if food was supplied in excess, rat culture decayed and became utterly dysfunctional. it works that way among homo sapiens superbus, as well. in time, society collapses, if only because no one will fight for it. impending climate catastrophe adds a piquant touch, this collapse could save extinction, through reversion to hunter-gatherer society, or hasten it with catastrophic wars over remaining livable land. interesting times!
    1
  3540. in the land of the free, only members of congress are citizens. the rest are civilians, just watchers. why should they wake up? voting for politicians just validates their rule. democracy is possible, but it needs citizen quality people- in short supply in 'the land of the free.'
    1
  3541. for the slow learners: politicians lie for a living. don't blame them, it's necessary. otherwise chumps like you wouldn't vote for them. if you were democracy-quality people, you would make politicians extinct, and run the nation yourself, with referendum and initiative. but there you are, wondering why you let serial liars diddle you, over and over. it's because you are only civilian-quality people, aka chumps.
    1
  3542. my rule of thumb is simple, anything said that might assist the maintenance of usa hegemony around the world is a lie. i used to be a naive and loyal nephew of uncle sam, but during the vietnam warcrime my eyes were opened. things haven't improved.
    1
  3543. btw, 'progressives' give the game away by talking about the 'working class.' the last election was lost, narrowly. by ignoring the 'ex-working class'. this will only get worse, since working two jobs, on call/or not, will destroy effective political participation. but i despaired of american politics, long ago. marx was right in one area- 'lumpen-proletariat' ratio may be too high to dream of revolution. they are couch-potatoes now, but equally fatal to hopes of progress.
    1
  3544. tg has a support base, the military. and, i suppose, some principles of her own. she's not interested in democracy, neither is anyone else in usa politics. neither are you. just fanboys of various politicians.
    1
  3545. extradition treaties are a political decision. @bloodhun23 
    1
  3546. usa has no claim to south china sea.
    1
  3547. 50 nuke rockets is all you need for immediate response. maybe add a year after high school for universal military training. the rest is simply transferring taxes to shareholders, and buying votes in bubba states. but it's too late, the cancer has a grip on the usa which only death will release.
    1
  3548. stop kicking that corpse, sonny, you'll catch some disease!
    1
  3549. biden's a democrat, which means he despises democracy. real democracy would put him out of office. bernie is a socialist, but he hasn't said a word about getting democracy. he is following fdr's path to personal power, but does not commit to putting real power in the hands of the citizens. bernie will do some good, we may hope, but it will be eroded by the corrosive power of money in a plutocracy. don't blame politicians for holding on to power, every elite group does the same. instead, blame the common people who do not dream of a society in which they are equal members, but only hope for a master who is kind. you can pity such a people, but their future is bleak.
    1
  3550. it's no use saying the president is too powerful, you gotta come out and say "we need a constitution which establishes democracy". and don't say "congress let's him get away with it" and think that's the answer. of course they do, whenever it profits them. if you want a nation 'for the people,' it must be ruled 'by the people.' i'm sorry, it's democracy or chaos followed shortly by extinction. naturally, if you think the people are f***wits you must hope some saint-like figure will come to power and save them. what's chances?
    1
  3551. so, throw a few dollars to venezuela now, because usa is embarrassed, screwing europe to get ukraine, what a tangled web we weave.. i hope maduro charges a very high price, to sell out to a nation that has a visible intention to destroy his own nation. if maduro ever needs anything from russia, or prc, the price may be too high. but maduro is hurting, and putin won't mind, so long as the price is high enough. europe can resolve the situation by simply washing its hands of nato. i wonder if this idea is present in any members. surely some can see their present danger is from usa?
    1
  3552. after you have seen a few examples, you can construct a principle. you test the principle, from time to time, but you use it without test, most often. that saves time, and you can do other things. my experience has been, usa is the evil empire. what to do about it? personally, put as much distance as possible between us. for the human race? resist when you can, refuse aid, when you can, label them 'evil' whenever convenient. because there may be some who haven't penetrated the lies yet.
    1
  3553. a non-question. more worrying is that a creature like pompeo got near the decision making process. not the first sociopath in usa gummint bush-cheney were much more dangerous, and did much greater harm. sooner or less sooner, some creep is gonna start ww3. can't really blame usans, they have about as much input as a children's summer camp on national activity, o t o h, harmless civilians have been dying elsewhere from usa bombs, bullets, poison gas and napalm. there won't be much pity. but go back to yer cosy bubble
    1
  3554. it's only fair, now you are 'quaded' and the sun of usa will shine on your face. merely submit to the evil empire, and they send a junior quadite to soothe your brow of all worry.
    1
  3555. yes, that's the difference between politics in a democracy, where talk influences referendum and initiative, and politics in an [elective] oligarchy, where talk just passes time and feeds talking heads.
    1
  3556. no amount of modification will turn an elephant into an automobile. the only society capable of rational performance is democracy. and you haven't got it, and either don't know you haven't got it, or don't want it. so you live in a primitivel society, driven by struggle for personal power. 3 people own half the wealth, and that is 'natural' to americans. in the face of that, squabbling about medical service is just substitution activity, pretending to be relevant.
    1
  3557. 'oh, say can you see, ...' if fact, there are fewer of these charlatans than when i was in the neighborhood. and they may seem funnier. but not so. symptomatic of a diseased society. since usa was formed to extend the life of african slavery, and indian extermination, usans may reasonably feel they are making progress towards civilization. not so. just widened your field of criminal behavior, and learned to lie about what you are doing, or ignoring remonstrations. this guy is not right-wing. he's just a dim-witted con-man drumming up enthusiastic church cows to fill his collection bucket. no politics involved, so, not right-wing.
    1
  3558. i have no direct evidence of conditions in xinjiang, i have considerable evidence of usa machinations around the world, causing death and destruction in search of power. so i file reports like this under 'who knows' what the truth may be. second and third hand reporting is not good journalism.
    1
  3559. if you lived in a democracy, every citizen could help direct the nation towards peace and justice. but you don't, you let politicians rule you, and they listen to themselves, and the persons who fund the election lies, so you don't deserve peace, or prosperity, you are not citizen quality, you are slaves, working towards your own destruction and the wealth of a few.
    1
  3560. no, they are not all assault weapons. you can kill a person with a single shot bolt action rifle, or a kitchen knife. but an mi6 is purpose built for armed combat. personally, i see no reason why every sane and responsible adult should not have an m16 in a gun-safe if you think you might want to resist government control. but be clear, it's to kill people when needed. predatory militarism, old-fashioned banditry, is part of the usa national character, and ms gabbard has no idea what to do about it. nor does anyone else- usa economy would collapse instantly if peace broke out. so she is not a serious candidate. my problem with ms gabbard, is that she chose the hindu religion as her guide to virtuous living. for people not born in india, that is insane. america has brought the world scientology, and latter-day saints, snake worshiping baptists - there is no need go to the far side of the world to display the fracture in your sanity.
    1
  3561. usa was born fascist. but without the roman heritage, they were content to call it 'americanism' in public, 'plutocracy' in private. you have a political elite, and hyper-wealth for a few, wide-spread and growing poverty, and you are trained to think this is 'democracy.' i wonder what the future holds...?
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  3562. a nation that keeps wondering what is wrong with our democracy can't be fixed by a new book. you don't have democracy, you don't know what it is, you never had it, and you never will. what you do have is elective oligarchy, and a national psychosis.
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  3563. Both are politicians, if you let such people run your nation, you deserve to be exploited.
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  3564. the constitution was written to protect slavery.
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  3565. i suppose a few people have recently realized they are 2nd class in the usa, or worse. and there is no shortage of guns. assassination or revolution may become a popular pastime. but the only likely change is increased recruitment of paramilitary 'first-responders' and increased staffing of communication over-sight technicians. unless a. i. has already colonized this activity . actual gunfire will not increase, because there is no ideology in the usa tradition to offer success in rebellion. this is why usa politicians can talk like ancien regime aristos and feel no disquiet. i think usa in the mid-term will resemble russia, in the long term more likely atlantis.
    1
  3566. if usa were a democracy, public actions must be discussed in public and in advance, so that the masters of the state [ that would be you ]could make informed decisions. but the usa is not a democracy, and secrets are fine with the actual masters, although there is point-scoring about individual instances. this pot-and-kettle nonsense may satisfy curiosity among the naive, and create an income among the 'informers,' but it can have little consequence.
    1
  3567. fortunately, i am old. otherwise i would track this woman down and gaze at her with adoration, from whatever distance german law sets for nuisance nutters. where else do you get insight into particle physics and allied subjects that leaves you feeling like you very nearly understand it?
    1
  3568. much of the world is reading this, and shaking their heads. i think usa has the highest death rate among developed nations, and the slowest vax rate, possibly excepting uk. i'm nominating the usa for who is dimmest in the world?
    1
  3569. if you think usa government is a democracy, laughter is built in.
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  3570. in order for ordinary people to have rights, they must first have decisive power. first you get democracy, the power of the people to decide. then you decide to direct the nation as the people wish. talking about rights when you don't have power is wishful thinking. you can talk about privileges, freedoms extended by your masters, and curtailed and ended, as they wish. but living with privileges is how you got to here.
    1
  3571. what it goes to show is, that life without democracy is much different from life with.
    1
  3572. the basic problem is that usa is not a democracy. on top of that, most usans believe it is, due to the dis-education they are fed while growing up. on top of that, the resulting level of political discussion is useless noise, since the basic facts are unknown. all is myth and lies. voting for politicians is not democracy. citizens of a democracy direct their nation by referendum and initiative. i return you to mr reich, and myth, and lies.
    1
  3573. at last! something useful from hanson.
    1
  3574. start with a hopelessly obsolete political system, add plague, on top of a culture of 'yer on yer own buddy,' and presto! creaky old usa falls apart. and the beauty of it is, not enough able-bodied to start a war. roll on, cv19!
    1
  3575. see above.
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  3576. it's not tricky at all, and aristotle explained it 2300 years ago: a society in which the citizens direct the activities, and make the laws, is a democracy. currently, that list is short, just helvetia. no others. many call themselves '[adjective] democracy' because it pacifies the cattle. orwell caught this kind of political manipulation well when he coined 'new-speak' and 'double-think.' it's gone as far as n. korea, but usa is equally guilty. what it strange is, california would be a very effective democracy if independent, but the californians do not struggle to leave the national oligarchy. there are several states that would join them.
    1
  3577. well, it's not democratic socialism, the scandis are a monarchy, effectively ruled by politicians, so you could reasonably style them an 'elective aristocracy.' the usa is similar, but a republic, so an 'elective oligarchy.' the only democracy among nation states is switzerland. no one would call it a socialism, but because it is a democracy, there a lot of socialist functions buried in their rugged individualism. why is the result so different? history, of course. slavery in the usa infected every public activity, and the results are visible in many areas. the mutual hatred and contempt arising from slavery and civil war makes it impossible to create a national sense of community. division among the ordinary people makes it easy for the rich to sustain their power. as politicians go, sanders is sensible and well-meaning. but you can be a successful politician without selling your soul, so if he runs for president some unpleasant features will appear. he is old, and has seniority in the senate, he should stay there.
    1
  3578. things are playing out as you might have expected: bernie has solid support, but it's not a majority. everyone else* is a lack-lusture hack held up by money and patronage, until it runs out. looks like it's biden vs trump, either one a disaster. disaster is what you deserve. yer too dumb to get democracy, most don't even know what it is, those that do are generally contemptuous of their compatriots and are happy to leave the nation in the hands of politicians.. so you have to watch biden vs trump without knowing which is worst. at what point will usa blossom into a modern nation? never. there is a national culture which is too pervasive to be changed, even self-styled 'progressives' have no notion of real change. even 'radical' bernie only proposes bandaid level changes. trapped in a time warp, by a constitution written by slave masters wearing powdered wigs. *andrew yang was a creative influence. he had no substantive proposals, but ubi was a useful crutch in propping up a moribund society.
    1
  3579. i'm sure that prc has plans to attack every usa target, from guam to dc. and usa was talking about nuclear bombing prc back in the 50's, i'm sure they have updated those plans. but i am very confident that usa will strike first, they have a record of imperialism which began with the war of independence. they are even now grooming india to be the fall-guy in an attack on prc. prc, otoh, has only recently achieved a credible nuclear strike capability, and has no empire. when it comes to aggression, usa numero uno, second place nowhere.
    1
  3580.  @dianemitchell1717  not necessarily. democracy is only possible when the great majority of people want it. the army will not resist if enough people sign up. but the threat of military action is necessary - -the transfer of power from elite to populace will be unwilling.
    1
  3581. the significance of usa being a plutocracy is not simply the image of a daddy warbucks picking up a phone and telling his lobbyist to 'persuade' a useful vote, with attached 'support.' money is apparent everywhere- people do politics for money, without a smidgen of public interest entering the discussion. i don't know what it would take, to transform the usa into a democracy, but clearly it is impossible in one sense: democracy needs citizen quality people, and usa is a nation of economic units, whether signing billion dollar contracts, or turning 50$ tricks. it appears warren's team have re-purposed her as a useful 'progressive' face in the biden government, a consolation prize now that victory is out of reach. fewer people on the dance floor, with only bernie and biden on their feet still, although the billionaire jump-ins add a certain characteristic smell to the dance floor. i love the smell of burning money in the morning!
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  3582. coups flourish when the political system is independent of the life of the people. they can't happen in a democracy. just another demonstration that talking about 'american democracy' is a nonsense. either delusional or lie, for the purpose of controlling the ignorant. both real, but the lie most relevant. the masquerade of 'american democracy' is exhausted, and the chumps have discovered that the elite have no claim to power beyond naked selfishness. their 'gang-rule' will soon have many competitors.
    1
  3583. i may have to give up my atheism, so that i may add my prayers to those from the middle east, that usa will leave, preferably the planet.
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  3584. you can't steal actual democracy. you can blow away the pretence of democracy, that's why it's easy. usa is not a democracy. what's worse, the people are not concerned about this lie. because they are raised in an oligarchy, they are clear that government is done by 'others.' they are lied to, and accept the lie, whether for convenience, or to mask embarrassment. either way, usa will sail on, and ultimately meet some destructive reef. i think it won't be defeated, but simply unable to pay the soldiers. and the states will go their own way.
    1
  3585. the democratic party is unconcerned with democracy, never has been. they were happy to have bernie as a foil for clinton, as a debate opponent, although he was alarmingly popular. that the debate loser might turn out to be the people's choice this time around pretty much brands the dnc as wholly-owned by the rich. much more convenient to the brand if bernie is not nominated. but the fundamental american problem is a constitution written by a slave plantation plutocrat to keep the rich in power. corruption built in, and no solution but revolution. since that is not going to happen any time soon, americans are screwed, from birth. "but bernie will save us!" to paraphrase mr. 'yes, we can,' 'no, he won't.' no one man can undo 230 years of culture and law by saying 'just needs $15 minimum wage.' because bernie won't decide, even if he wins. he would need the support of house and senate to get anything done, and even a lot of democrats hate him.
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  3586. uk is a nominal monarchy, but they still like to talk about democracy. no use hoping for better, the whole nation lives in a political black hole.
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  3587. so prc shows what can be done with good management, now bangladesh shows what can be done with good management. maybe good management is a desirable feature of political life? who knew! so where do you get it? elective oligarchy is not the answer. that much is clear. i like to think that democracy is the answer, but obviously, there are no examples, except possibly helvetian confederation. that leaves plain old oligarchy, plus a desire by the oligarchs to spread progress and prosperity widely. it's a lucky nation that has that kind of oligarch. the other sort, much more common.
    1
  3588. snowden is not a hero. he blew the whistle for his own reasons, but never said that the nsa/cia are dysfunctional, even anti-patriotic. he just had a different threshold of tolerance for police-state activity. the reality is, the machinations of nsa and cia are visible to anyone who has sufficient experience of humans wielding power in secrecy. just look at a history book. unlike assange or manning, he made effective provisions to remain out of usa power. still, he rubbed the american nose in the nature of their government, and provoked some discussion. nothing has come of it, so far.
    1
  3589. madison made it very difficult to change the constitution. it was written to protect wealth, and the people were not able to act through initiative, democracy was dismissed as dangerous to wealth. consequently, the rich will rule until the poor find some extra-legal means of changing the constitution. this is revolution. revolution seldom succeeds, but may be necessary when stasis is fatal. unfortunately, the army and technology make successful revolution impossible. so i believe the usa will drift into overt military rule, this is almost traditional, and life will simply get worse for most americans.
    1
  3590. the quality of your masters reflects the quality of the people. citizen quality people dispense with masters and direct the nation themselves. serf quality people let the elite rule for lack of education and communal feeling. lenin coined the phrase 'vanguard party' to deal with this situation, with mixed results. mao took lenin's ideas further and created a society strong enough to compete with the usa. deng xiao ping built on that base with a little economic kung fu and china will soon re-take its usual position as the most advanced human society. can usa recover? not clear, but i think not. china's path won't work, there is little communal spirit in the usa. sociopaths? of course they are, in varying degrees, it's not a black and white condition. any politician must lie frequently and often, and not worry about conscience. and of course, you must be attracted to the notion of moving other people's money around, for pay and perks. only sociopaths need apply. are democrats different from republicans? not much. you are ruled by sociopaths, and excuse your state by saying "they lied!" you knew they were going to lie, but you don't want to say, "i let them lie, because i am fearful, lazy and ignorant."
    1
  3591. waste of money. with luck, they'll have a joke on the bulletin board at langley. i'm pretty sure cia directed the murder of jfk, why not start there.
    1
  3592. if you are not going to give people a living subsidy, a 'ubi,' just to pick a name, and yer not going to re-start business, what are you going to say when starving people mass up in front of the capitol? especially when many brought guns as a replacement for health insurance. watching usa politics unfold gives endless enjoyment, although i will have to turn my eyes aside when children are being sold in front of the state capitols.
    1
  3593. i drop in to fox news to enjoy the insanity.
    1
  3594. aristotle suggested that the most important feature of a society was, "who decides?" in a democracy, the electorate decide, through the functions of referendum, initiative, and recall. and as they are the sovereign body of the nation, they demand knowledge of all public activities. the usa is not a democracy, so the people do not have access to public records, neither do they have means to enforce their will, short of revolution. usa was never a democracy. and it appears that it never will be, in as much as no one seems to understand what democracy is, much less how to get it, or even what its value is. usa was rotten from birth, and the survival advantages of geography and weak neighbors are exhausted. china threatens in a way that ussr never did, by being better at commerce and science than the usa. out of desperation, the american aristos are resorting to brigandage, kidnapping and contrived wars to supplement their one-time commercial superiority, and the resulting dilution in the power of law and professional administration of the nation has put a sociopathic dwarf in the oval office, the only person willing to champion the economic losers in america's failing economic world position. not that he cares any more than any of the american richos, but he was willing to lie , and the degenerate political caste were exposed in their incompetence. trump is karma made manifest, the comic-book caricature of the successful american. usa deserves him.
    1
  3595. taiwan is not an island nation. it is an island province. of prc.
    1
  3596. you are hearing, by implication, that usa sheep should stand up and demand democracy. unfortunately, sheep don't understand implication, or democracy, so money will continue to rule usa, the founding fathers intended. so put yer heads back on the grass, if you are lucky enough to have any.
    1
  3597. be serious. no tank was visible, nor serried ranks of rebel soldiers, neither did death squads break into the white house. much less threatening over-flights of fighter jets. this was not a coup. trump was hopelessly incompetent at public affairs, and had no military friends, or experience. someone might think such a florid leader was a revenue raising device.
    1
  3598. the russia question is trivial. no russian national cast a vote. american media have lost interest in trump, he has become dispensable. when you consider the real problems usa has, wasting time on 'russiagate' is a measure of the degeneracy of american politics.
    1
  3599. taxes are theft. a civilized nation would finance its public expenditure with a flat fee for the use of money. emoney, of course, collected for every transaction.
    1
  3600. when you say 'should,' you admit you are not a citizen, just a civilian. the only business of usan civilians 'should' be getting citizenship. how? demand effective and accessible power of citizen initiative, and if polite don't get it, think of more compelling means.
    1
  3601. prof wolff hasn't grasped the fundamental question of politics. strange, aristotle got it a long time ago. "who decides?" is the key question of politics, and its shadow is everywhere.. you can't have democracy at work. because you don't live in a democracy. the laws permit privately owned businesses with wage workers, and co-ops, and co-ops are very few indeed. there's a reason for that: less effective. democracy is the label aristotle coined for a society ruled by its citizens. it means literally, 'citizen rule.' this label is not applicable to co-ops, because they are subject to state rule. perhaps prof wolff would like to live in anarchy, with no state supervision or control. this has been suggested, but to no one's surprise, it hasn't caught on. even less effective than co-ops. if you lived in a democracy, perhaps co-ops could flourish with appropriate laws. but you don't.
    1
  3602. the usa was designed to allow [slave plantation ] plutocrats to direct the nation. much has happened since then, but wealth still rules. madison said that was his purpose, when he was promoting his constitution to the grandees who controlled state legislatures in post-revolutionary america. the senate was intended to control the nation then, but presidents now are much more important than in his day, as the nation becomes an empire. very like the evolution of rome. but it boils down to this: wealth and power are transmutable, and if the nation's goal is widespread prosperity, then power must be widespread too. it is not- madison rightly feared democracy, as it would lead to the taxes of the 'opulent' being spent on the children of the 'mob.' he made sure it didn't happen. this conversation is pointless. the usa is not a democracy, and change is not possible without a second revolution.
    1
  3603. surely distance and speeds involved make mining impractical. or at least so expensive as to frighten off sane investors. this is a subject for sci-fi lit, with warp-drive as background tech. not there yet, and likely never.
    1
  3604. there was a bread and circuses element to the roman empire, which seems to be appearing in the american empire. no cause for joy, it is symptomatic of the collapse of the middle class. already, the military is the largest element in the national budget, which is why the roads and bridges are rotting. bad news, folks, ubi may be necessary, but it creates a supplicant voter base, to the political gangs that run the nation.
    1
  3605. there is no hope for the usa. the orcs control the legal structure of the nation, and rebellion is futile. the only point of interest is if they can use the massive military machine to destroy the planet, as currently seems likely. naturally, if a large proportion of usa peeps were citizen quality, they could turn things around quickly. but they aren't, they are raised in a pig sty, and can only 'oink!' when prodded. and a surprising percentage of the cattle see no future but active submission to the orcs. so even well-directed revolution would fail. things are looking grim, for homer sap.
    1
  3606. And so the bandit raid is concluded. Now to get out of Iraq. That won't happen soon, must punish Iran for darling to resist USA. The evil empire is crumbling, but will do more destruction for many years
    1
  3607. don't have to do anything about china, china already spending more on green energy, land reclamation and carbon reduction than usa. starting from farther back, due to poverty and usa sanctions. but better national management is showing its effects. usa will soon have to accept a secondary position in the world, or go to war. that last bit is a worry, but if china announces that it is targeting the private islands of rich americans, peace may prevail.
    1
  3608. no use talking about "what we should do," if you have no power to do anything. really quite adolescent, but much less forgivable. come back when you have a plan to get democracy.
    1
  3609. the nva never destroyed or defeated usa, but they won anyway. they used the swiss principle: 'free or dead.' usg got tired first. so there is a case for ukraine to continue fighting. except this time, the 'yanks aren't coming.' it's just a chess game for the usg, 'use other people's blood to expand our empire. they 'win' regardless of what happens.
    1
  3610. bbc is the voice of the brit gummint. i assume they are lying.about the weather, the time of day, and their mother's virtue. save time, don't visit often.
    1
  3611. the deep state must frighten prospective whistleblowers, with any means at hand. tc just didn't get the memo. perhaps he will be spoken to soon. julian was a fool to work in the open, his egotism put him in the open, groupies created a hook, cia has grabbed that line and reeled him in. let this be a lesson to any would-be whistle blower- the little people you serve can not protect you. most are uninterested in your fate. unless you truly must have a brief celebrity followed by a lifetime of pain, keep your mouth shut. thx, jd, you are a mixed egg, but good today.
    1
  3612. you live in a plutocracy. you are too lazy, ignorant and brain-washed to get democracy. and that's why bezos can laugh at you, in the unlikely event he even thinks about the cattle.
    1
  3613. the important part of the capitalist system is first, it's not a system, and a better label is 'greed' in big suits. if you don't like the results, you have to create a system. the tool of creation is normally the will of the new military master, but if you have read about dictatorship and are unimpressed , i recommend establishing democracy. the rule of the citizens, expressed in referendum, initiative and recall, is the opposite to dictatorship, and tends to offer a habitable life to all, while allowing some variation in performance and reward. getting democracy is hard. but living without tends to shorten lives.
    1
  3614. i presume usa will be driven to compete with some or all of the features of drmb. with smaller domestic mass and starting 2nd, plus many nations yearning to be dollar-free, this could be a turning point in world power.
    1
  3615. so dispatching armies of occupation to iraq was not a 'black eye?' how do you feel about vietnam? usa is evil, to the core, and always has been. do you think history began yesterday, and is only made by republicans?
    1
  3616. you haven't got democracy, you are not citizen quality people, and your masters don't care what you 'need.' evolution works on nations, too. and here we see the results. dim, ignorant, lazy are not survival quality characteristics.
    1
  3617. i wonder what would happen if china closed the doors on the iphone factory.
    1
  3618.  @nicholausbuthmann1421  truth hurts?
    1
  3619. china is going through the 'unfettered capitalism' phase of national development. you can tell similar stories about uk and usa, probably all industrial societies are similar. but china is not in the 'shoot up the world' phase that currently is the core of american capitalism, so moving to china seems like a good idea. just don't disturb the government.
    1
  3620. there was civil war, at the atomic level, and the bad guys lost. that's why we call them 'anti.' we 'pro' matter real atoms prospered. i am beginning to resent the presence of giant intellects in the public infotainment sphere. this venue should be left for otherwise unemployable.
    1
  3621. BBC News has become a student of Fox News.
    1
  3622. theft might be a back-up plan, but on present activity in the democratic run-up, i think the dnc will arrange for him to win legally. clearly the great majority of politicians see no need for reform of the society which has enriched them, and put many in power. change will not come from politicians, it will from the people, unlikely, or from the generals, fairly certain since traditional.
    1
  3623. what it needs is for h. sap. to get off his/her individual knees, and put the digital age to good use with democracy, and some level of socialism. love won't do it, as the baddies only respond to death or imminent fear of.
    1
  3624. sometimes it pretends to be shakespearean tragedy, sometimes it's just punch and judy routines, but it's always just entertainment.
    1
  3625. talking about capitalism is a waste of time. talk about the lack of democracy, because that is your fundamental problem.
    1
  3626.  @iriscollins7583  without democracy, you can not change things. 1st things 1st.
    1
  3627. she can't go. usa has admitted taiwan is part of china, and beijing will never give her a visa.
    1
  3628. if you are willing to let politicians rule you, you deserve to be cattle. it's genetic, really - african savannas, alpha males and beta side-kicks, homer sap began by letting the big guys have their way while the rest scurried around picking the left-over berries. hey, it worked. doesn't look like it will go on working cuz the alphas and betas are destroying the environment, but keep yer eyes down and hope for a miracle.
    1
  3629. demanded? should have laughed.
    1
  3630. retired colonel, i presume. refreshing to hear commonsense from any usa military figure. zelensky is necessarily a puppet, anyone surprised by that is foolish. but i wonder just who is pulling biden's strings?
    1
  3631. chomsky put together a list of usa meddling in other nation's rule, more than 100 examples, many involving mass murder. for me me, vietnam made me realize i wanted to live elsewhere, as being usan and not devoting my life to assassination of politicians would have been morally intolerable.
    1
  3632. if usa was a democracy, you could direct the administration of the nation by citizen initiative but you can't, because it ain't. so when they tell you they are defending democracy with troops in foreign nations, it ain't. but it's none of yer business, yer not a citizen of a democracy, yer a consumer of a plutocracy. no use whining about it, change is too hard. why are troops in about 60 foreign nations? think of it as a uniformed marketing agency.
    1
  3633. or did you think african slave labor didn't count?
    1
  3634. unlike stalin, who thought dictators were socially acceptable, the brit soldiers and workers knew a political dinosaur when they were exposed to him for 50 years. winston was not very right even when sober and seldom entirely sober.
    1
  3635. to be more precise, it is an elective aristocracy. functionally a plutocracy. and it has never been a democracy. there was no golden age, returning soldiers from ww2 demanded a better share of the cake, from the elite, and got cheap housing and education- but that was a gift, not a right. the people have never ruled the usa, and it appears they never will. too dim and/or too ignorant. but a dim and ignorant nation will be carrying water for china and india soon.
    1
  3636. the usa does not have referendum or initiative. it is not a democracy. it is an evolved aristocracy, wherein elections replace civil war. this degrades the electorate, but at least no one needs to die, and the productive capacity of the nation is not immediately destroyed. i see no sign of recognition of usa political dysfunction. it's always talk of personalities. but there are no fairy god-mothers. in fact, politicians more often resemble used- horse dealers..
    1
  3637. nothing to do with reagan. read some history and discover 'reaganism' was built in to the constitution.
    1
  3638. the charm of your exposition lies in creating in my mind a notion that particle physics is little more that common sense, and i have joined the inner club of 'illuminati.' comforting sensation, often lasts about 10 minutes.
    1
  3639. m4a is ridiculous, in the usa. you are 'free' in the usa, to check in to an expensive private hospital with the best specialist md's, just bring your credit card. and you are 'free' to die in the gutter if you haven't got one, although mother theresa might give you a night's lodging, while you get the dying done, if you just say "i believe,:" warren is right to equivocate, she's a politician. they live by lying. you expect them to lie, unless you are a fool, and you are complicit in this fundamentally corrupt political process. this is another reason, there are many, to demand democracy, at gunpoint if necessary. unfortunately, if you grow up in elective aristocracy, you don't acquire the character necessary to get democracy. you prefer to be lied to, and cheated, and sent off to war, or grow up in poverty. it's easier. and everybody lies, anyway.
    1
  3640. usa politics is not a game, with rules and umpires. pretending it is a democracy, of/by/for the people is not only childish, it makes it impossible to achieve lasting reform. complaints about 'rigging' are a nonsense.of course they are rigged. the democratic party exists to advance the interests of its members, much like a mafia gang, allowing them to conduct the selection process would be absurd, if americans were competent adults interested in promoting justice for all. clearly they are not. americans have inherited a political system, complete with supporting myths, that was designed to ensure the rule of wealth. worst of all, they are indoctrinated with these myths so successfully that even 'progressives' can not conceive of changing the system- the limit of their aspiration is a kind master.
    1
  3641. thank you gentlemen, for shining a little light on tibet. i'm not sure it does much good, the orcs who control usa are not interested in truth, the ignorant racist people of usa are no better. but resistance is a duty, and we can hope to add to its result. btw, mr rein, the jewish occupation of palestine is not a stain, it is genocide.
    1
  3642. 'occupy' is politics for the powerless. i do not know why usa people do not organize to get democracy, and move decisive power to the electorate. is it ignorance, or simple dimwittery?
    1
  3643. there is only one cure for usa problems: getting democracy. elite rule has had a 5000 yr trial, and by now you should have noticed it doesn't work. worse, the climate crisis by itself may end us. we don't have time for further trials, or even patience.
    1
  3644. not enough to talk about this stuff. gotta arm, organize and present politicians with a demand for democracy. lotta trouble, i know, but rot doesn't fix itself, and it just gets worse. btw: the explanation for the 2nd amendment was the necessity for a means to deal with corruption. nothing illegal about either arms or organization. in fact, the state armies, originally designed to control federal corruption, were co-opted by the feds into a 'national guard.' just to protect the politicians. so you have to build new militias.
    1
  3645. i'm sorry to add to your woes, but you should know that your troubles are the result of endemic brain disease, possibly exacerbated by chronic character failure. or in simple language, yer too dim to realize that letting politicians run the nation is fatal, and too lazy to organize a revolution.
    1
  3646. its possible that at its root, the taliban is a construction of the cia, by accident. they liked nibbling at the edges of the soviet union, to justify their salary.
    1
  3647. talking to a 'strategist' strikes me as less valuable than picking a passer-by from the street outside, who may tell the truth, may have valuable insight into his neighbor's opinions, and may be able to relate his living conditions to political activity. none of which can be expected from a 'strategist.'
    1
  3648. Honor is no part of USA politics,pretending otherwise is empty posturing. Tg is equally a politician, In or of office. Running bio-war labs is the measure of USA public life, compounded by using a puppet government.
    1
  3649. the usa is not a democracy, never has been. and its people are not citizen quality. not just the politicians, either. they are courtiers of the plutocracy, as you can see. but the ordinary people are weak- alienated often, angry occasionally, but incapable of the concerted action by a large community which is the strength of democracy. usa history provides insight into the current national character, but does not offer much hope of change. not for the better anyway- military rule is always a possibility. chomsky and hedges are not hopeful figures. they've being doing their best to educate for many years, with no visible effect.
    1
  3650. 'asset' implies too much capability. he's just a desperate dupe. the core of the problem has always been intelligence, not much, and anxiety at being forced to appear competent, when he ain't. his personal disaster is not a matter of great interest. what should bother you, intensely, is that the political system put such a creature in the oval office. and followed with a biden. then consider, when a competent person, obama, occupies the office, he can accomplish nothing. and was smart enough not to make waves. your political system is a disaster, it has shaped a society that is driving off a cliff and cannot respond. and no one has noticed.
    1
  3651. expecting gentlemanly war is asking too much of homo sapiens. the usa started this war by continuing the process of expanding the reach of nato, a military alliance which usa uses to exercise hegemony in europe. finally putin cried "basta!" and the shooting started. but the war was merely entering a new phase. i have some sympathy for ukraine, but not much. they are usa chumps, cannon fodder led by bought politicians.
    1
  3652. gabbard is dismayed to realize that america goes to war for profit. but usa has always gone to war for profit, and iraq was a notable example. so either she's dim, not possible, or another politician hypocritically staking out a position she doesn't believe in. no one who fought in iraq has clean hands. if you were duped, keep your head down and your mouth shut. enough dimwits in power already.
    1
  3653. usa will be lucky to fall like rome. the roman empire nominally lasted about 300 years, the republic added about 300 years as a major force in the middle sea. you can call the byzantines roman if you wish, but they spoke greek and the structure of the state owed little to rome. i think the usa won't fall. just wither. the big money will leave, the smart scholars will leave, eventually it will dissolve into successor nations: westcoastia, northeastia, and bubbaland.
    1
  3654. putin nuts? biden senile, trump narcissist sociopath, and you are concerned about putin? well, so am i. he's not happy with the effects of advancing age, and he's confronting the evil empire daily. between personal and public stress, he's entitled to look a bit frazzled. he is still much more capable than the cartoon figures the usa system has come up with recently. i hope xi jin ping is sending him chinese comfort food.
    1
  3655. if murrikins ever grow up, they will get democracy. the nation will be managed by professionals, the public service, and directed by referendum and controlled by initiative. politicians will be extinct. california has the mechanisms of democracy, but the electorate is divided sufficiently to preserve the rule of rich men. people of california may come to their senses, but right now they seem to be afflicted with dumbosity.
    1
  3656. democracy and socialism go together. that's why you don't have democracy, madison explained that it would lead to the taxes of the rich being spent to help the poor. and he wasm't going to let that happen! so he wrote a constitution whose explicit purpose was to make sure the rich wrote the laws. it has worked very well. america is and will remain a plutocracy until the people demand democracy, or the generals take over, which is much more likely. one can pity americans, their future is bleak, but that's nature, red in fang and claw. nations come and go, and america has started going. it may be a slow process, and the possibility of active general war may extend its power for awhile, but in the end, wealth comes from production and creation, both out-sourced nowadays.
    1
  3657. dealing with iran is not illegal except in the usa.  @sleepingkirby 
    1
  3658. the problem began with the establishment of the constitution. that solidified the american nation into an elective oligarchy. thereafter, struggle within the nation by small groups for particular advantage became the only effective political action. it became impossible to separate national activity from political advantage. if the usa had been established as a democracy, 'big questions' could be discussed and decided by referendum and initiative. people could agree on good ideas, without getting involved with extraneous questions. but madison wanted an oligarchy, to protect slavery and wealth in general. he sold this plan to the grandees of the individual states, and he delivered: slavery lasted another 70 years, and the rich rule still. there are any number of toxic effects of oligarchy, not least is the effect on the character and education of the ordinary american. americans are notable for ignorance about history and foreign affairs, and personal aggression is continually revealed in crime and terror at home, assassination, coups, raids and invasions abroad. and they describe their military adventures as 'humane interventions.' the nation lives in a giant thought bubble, an island of collective insanity. the green new deal is an injection of sanity into american discourse. and it is so far out of the confines of the national myth as to stimulate incredulous laughter. god help the usa, for they are beyond human assistance.
    1
  3659. you can't buy democracy. you either have it, or you don't. that's because democracy is not a thing, it's a condition. "who decides?" aristotle asked. the answer is the label on your society. when the answer is "the citizens decide." then you live in a democracy. but that is not the case, in the usa. politicians rule, in the usa. that is not democracy. why then do people talk about 'our democracy?'
    1
  3660. refusing vaccine would be psychosis if an individual did it, but mass refusal has a political element, mixed with the nuttiness. usa was born crooked, and no cure in sight. most don't even recognize the national insanity.
    1
  3661. because deng xiao ping sucked greedy usa corporations into subsidizing china's growth. no one in india could deliver a similar package, so it remains mired in cow power agriculture and cow-dominated education, indian government is a bad joke, driven to look for foreign enemies to explain domestic bungling.
    1
  3662. 'delta' makes the guessing scientific. as close to an admission of impending disaster as a politician can get. if the dems had an actual candidate instead of a card-board cut-out, it would be a wipe-out. but biden inspires no-one, and this election might depend on the weather.
    1
  3663. why do you complain about elite rule? you have heard of democracy, they have it in california, and a few other states. why is there no movement to chuck out the constitution, and invite states that want democracy to join a new federation? think big!
    1
  3664. fdr was a very conventional president, even conservative. but he was faced with radical challenges which might have led to socialism and even democracy. he saved america as a plutocratic state by a few welfare and make-work programs, most of which are now gone. social security was the most important long term success. in 1938 the new deal was a spent force and the economy was sinking again. hitler saved america from socialism- the prosperity arising from munitions sales to allies began america's golden age. unemployment vanished, and so did any burning need for socialism. which is why i don't get excited by bernie or andy yang. america has been through worse economic challenges, and the constitution survived. it was written to prevent change and it works well. conditions are different now: climate crisis suggests more of the same is suicidal. if radical change is necessary, usa is soon extinct. unless more efficient societies can make up for usa fecklessness.
    1
  3665. ironic. sweden had a nazi element, backing the wrong side of history in search of private power and wealth. now they are attaining the usa model of elite politics. humanity maintains a strand of sociopathic behavior in every society and it's often dominant. little wonder they are pressing to join nato. very depressing, sweden has been a bright spot in the human mosaic - but not any more.
    1
  3666. hu jin tao didn't get the memo. maybe senility, maybe simple regret at leaving behind the pretense of relevance. there was a change of support leaders, the government of prc has goals and needs new people to execute plans. anyway, xjp has 5 more years and a cooperative team to lift china one more step. in fact, prc is number 1 in some measures already. only nuclear war can stop him now. as it happens, usa is perfectly willing to exterminate cities - a valuable characteristic when peace is unattractive. prc has begun to shift money into munitions, and has lots of money. they can threaten retaliation in the area of rocket bombs. usa is fighting ground war, somewheres, always. presumably very sharp. prc can't match that. in spite of all the rude words thrown at them, prc prefers peace. pretty sure usa could beat them, on the ground. but if war comes, it will be rockets. no winners. which is where putin interjects an uncertainty factor. the russians know all about rockets. and putin is not a sentimental man. not in his interest to face usa alone. he must keep prc healthy, which seems likely to mean public support of prc. it also means he can erase a ukrainian city, and no one dares to strike back.
    1
  3667. all of main stream usa culture creates zombies, fox is just the refuge, more than the school.
    1
  3668. childish fantasy. usans can't organize anything bigger than a bbq. riots, banditry, endemic arson, very possible. revolution, no.
    1
  3669. prof wolff is strangely misguided in his explanation of the mis-named 'revolutionary war'. the war was necessary to preserve the position of the richest people in the 13 colonies, the slave labor based grandees of the south east. their position was being undermined in the british law, which was gradually making slavery impossible. you probably didn't get this explanation in high school, but you should have. on to current events: your government, the inheritors of those slave masters, is determined to maintain the financial, economic and military dominance it has gradually won over the last 150 years. since ww2, they don't even pretend towards humility, and greed has assumed its rightful place in their minds. will this lead to war? certainly. usa has no peaceful means to maintain dominance, to feed the greed. and this is the really interesting part, for all out war means extinction of civilization, and possibly of all life. but the twisted sociopaths who run your nation think they can achieve their goals with 'limited' war. they are teeing up india and japan to use some mix of 'incidents/raids/sinkings' and thereby frighten prc into submission. i estimate the chances of usa maintaining dominance over prc at about zero. japan and india may get a painful lesson, and then watch their patron wash its hands and claim, 'nothing to do with usa.'
    1
  3670. there is no honor in being biden's vp. if he dropped dead on day2, you would be president over the worst depression ever. or you would be foot-note if he lived 4 years, and replaced as a scape-goat.
    1
  3671. ty, dr h, for reminding us once again, that the reality we sense, and that of deep thought and expensive experiment, are only loosely connected. we are all just the high frequency remnants of the primordial 'bang!,' in the over-stressed fabric of the previous cosmos. makes you want to mix a pina colada and watch the sun set.
    1
  3672. btw, those two 'american women' probably went to an 'american school.' there is a chicken and egg aspect to their existence. clearly the result of the national standard of education, and at the same time, setting the necessary level of performance of national management at 'stupefying ' one can see what inspired hg wells in 'the time machine.'
    1
  3673. USA had about 18 years to turn Afghanistan into a constructive ally, and failed, if that was the aim. When India offers to act as proxy in pacifying that nation, you can only hope Indian politicians are being offered a massive personal bribe. No matter, India's support of Taliban aims will disappear under USA direction, and Pakistan will be encouraged to profit from the Bri. Afghanistan is likely to join Pakistan and other Stan's in a mid-asia consortium with prc offering umbrella and trade.
    1
  3674. when are americans going to wake up to reality? elective aristocracy [in the service of wealth] is never going to deliver good management of the nation, and complaining about unfair treatment is puerile- of course it's unfair, the whole nation was designed to be unfair. instead of campaigning for ubi, mr. yang, why not campaign for democracy, and strike at the heart of the national corruption?
    1
  3675. its already ermptied the shelves of the local aldi of toilet paper and small bottles of soda water. the neighbors will be digging personal bomb shelters next.
    1
  3676. well, she's wrong. not oligarch. would-be plutocrat, in a refreshingly direct sense- you seldom see plutocrats buying a seat of power, normally they just buy whatever android is holding a seat.
    1
  3677. wolff is a persistent voice for 'something different,' and that is somewhat valuable. but he has given up on democracy, as i suppose marxists must. since prc went 'full-tilt' capitalist' plus [communist] mandarinate, it's hard to see any future in marx, as a nation builder. democracy might work, they do it in california, perhaps the path forward should be secession. west coast and northeast could peel off, and leave the rest to the bubbas.
    1
  3678. those provisional numbers seem to close out the race.
    1
  3679. it's only fair, cia/usa/nato is using old media to promote the envelopment of russia. when that bureaucrat said "nato will go where ever it wants" that was a public declaration of war by a military organization. btw, have you dealt with the fact of usa using ukraine to manufacture bio-weapons yet?
    1
  3680. it may have hurt the talking heads most.
    1
  3681. 'strategist?' doesn't anyone in usa have a sense of humor? politics in usa is comedy, a substitute for reality.
    1
  3682. 127 amendments?
    1
  3683. usa killed upwards of 100,000 iraqis, several million vietnamese, and south and central americans by the dozen, or hundreds. it's a shame more people haven't watched footage of bamboo houses being cleared with napalm, it might awaken revulsion at the government of their nation. prosecuting julian seems like such a trivial thing by comparison. there is no limit to the depravity of american politicians, so you might well get nervous when the cia disappears people, into bagram, guantanano or abu graib. but the only cure for that fear is getting democracy. government by the people is the only protection of government for the people.
    1
  3684. make america great again! ok, you've discovered a little trail of bad smell. the more you follow it, the bigger it gets. maybe you catch glimpses of the rotting carcass of lies and myth. but yer great grandies knew more about it, and couldn't fix it. nor can you. it was designed to be unfixable. madison boasted about how he had secured the rule of the rich, 'for the ages.' he had reason to boast. of course, if you have conviction, organization and courage, there is revolution, but so far, none is visible. mostly, societies rot, slump, subside and disappear from history. rome 'declined' for 4 hundred years, but it just looked like re-organization for the first 300, so america has no cause for panic. but, fair warning, rome didn't have a china, and climate change was nearly invisible. so no more great. you inherited a cow, and were told it was a race horse, reality is breaking through.
    1
  3685. That is the purpose of the senate, and the reason you don't have democracy. There is only one cure, getting democracy by public demand - 'or else!' Get citizen initiative,, and become citizens of democracy. Or don't, and remain chumps of oligarchy.
    1
  3686. usa can't get over personalities, but the important part about trump is how did such a person become manager of a nation? because the management selection process is absurd. the constitution is hopelessly obsolete. you have put a person in that office of known bad character, known low iq, and zero experience in any relevant area. so what if he eats in bed, if you expected anything else, who's the idiot? but it's worse than that! the other party put up a candidate perceived to be worse, by just enough voters. maybe they were right.
    1
  3687. calling usa a democracy is a bit cynical, too. it never was, and it never will be while what you have is referred to as 'democracy'.
    1
  3688. wish it were so. but roman empire rolled on for hundreds of years with frequent insertions of incompetent emperors.
    1
  3689. it's pleasant to hear what seems to be a voice reporting reality, in opposition to the lies broadcast by the elite. but in the end, the cattle just say, 'shame.' no action results. and that is why your masters have hi-jacked the word 'democracy,' see '1984' for a description of newspeak and double-think. the cattle could revolt, it's really easy nowadays, nearly everyone can read and write, and have web access. but they don't. 'opposition' is just a niche profession of the entertainment world. so elites will continue to loot the planet and crash the environment, made possible by eviscerating the word, 'democracy.' democracy puts power in the hands of the people, who become citizens. when power is distributed to all, the will of power provides life to all. accept no substitutes.
    1
  3690. planned management will prevail, barring nuclear war. the trick is too make sure the sociopaths now running the usa understand that the bombs will fall on them, too. and that might not be enough.
    1
  3691. denmark!? are you mad? do you know what taxes are collected in denmark? not gonna happen. at what point are gormless usan hobbits going to admit that being screwed by the rich is not going to stop because they say, "please stop." is there any 'basta' point in the hobbit character? i will admit the hobbits are a minority group in orcland, but it is possible for the small to beat the. big, with the exercise of courage. hellas vs persia come to mind. but it needs character, determination not currently visible in those lovable hobbits who call themselves 'progressive.'
    1
  3692. the greatest threat is the notion that you have democracy. mrs windsor should tip you off. a 'house of lords?' but it's a useful delusion, keeps politicians from a life on the streets, begging for beer money. the greatest threat really, is national insanity.
    1
  3693. china coped with 2008 by spending money on infrastructure, and the bri is still developing.around the world. the contrast with usa management is farcical. usa is trapped in selfishness as a political model, medieval europe comes to mind. in any event, it is hard to see any hope of a good outcome for the usa. beijing will soon be the world's center of gravity.
    1
  3694. its quite simple really, a magnetic launching track, a 5000 liter steel sphere with enough compressed air for a day, and retrieval by helicopter in the pacific. steam powered space shuttle between earth and mars. land on mars with rubber net.
    1
  3695. that's what happens in every elite society, for there is no limit to greed. the need for democracy should be obvious, but americans are raised to be civilians, not citizens, and most think they have 'democracy.' there is no happy ending folks, people raised on their knees never dream about standing up.
    1
  3696. at last! call to revolution. but not quite. revolution is ringing the congress with armed [would-be] citizens* and telling the politicians to vote for and publish the [would-be] citizen's constitution establishing democracy. controlling the democratic party has been done before and achieved little. in the end, you are still willing to be ruled by politicians, so you are not citizen quality. politician quality is uniform, they make pimps look good. you can't have democracy until most of the people want it, and are willing to get it, by force if required. at the end of the process, politicians are extinct. supplanted by an electorate of citizens. * - citizens don't vote for politicians, they vote for change to law, and public action.
    1
  3697. ay is implying that allowing government to be directed by wealth seekers is a bad idea, assuming you give a damn about the health of the nation. it seems to me that he doesn't go deep enough. in simplest terms, if you want government to be 'for the people,' it must be 'by the people.' that means the constitution must be replaced by one establishing democracy. no one says this. maybe no one thinks this. and that is why elections are just a charade. everyone is pretending this is democracy, when it simply isn't. so bernie ain't gonna save you , or andrew, even if they get in the oval office.
    1
  3698. 1st, let's use 'murder.' assassination tries to lift the process away from the grimy reality. 2nd, iran will avoid shooting, they cannot win. instead, they will strengthen bonds with other usa nominated pariah nations, china, pakistan and venezuela come to mind. 3rd, patience will be rewarded- usa has been declining for long enough that even italy is ready to leave their embrace. this process will continue.
    1
  3699. china has responded with moderation so far. am curious to see what they have planned for 'getting angry, now."
    1
  3700. yep, that's why democracy is a good thing. too bad you haven't got it. too bad you don't know what it is, much less how to get it. dysfunctional behavior leads to bad results, even extinction. those bad results should impel exploration of alternative behavior, but usa society is already stressed heavily, and most have no time or energy for reflection. that's why history is littered with dead nations. usa will join austro-hungarian empire soon, unless incompetence elsewhere allows survival. letting politicians run your nation is fatal.
    1
  3701. we do? usa not a democracy, and the plebs do not do anything, but submit or rebel. rebellion is painful and usually fruitless. i cannot imagine why usans don't get democracy, unless it is some genetic malfunction?
    1
  3702. eventually everyone will realize trump is a dimwit. but there are lots of them, they recognize one of their own nature, and he will be able to command some attention for many years to come. usa public education is necessarily crap, it is a vital tool of plutocracy. blunts a lot of young minds. so 'progress' is nearly impossible. madison built a stable political culture, on the model of georgian england, and usa can not escape its heritage. try not to blow up the world, on the way down.
    1
  3703. not nothing but, yet when they have nothing constructive to say, they must say anyway. otherwise, the silence would suggest they are not valuable at all.
    1
  3704. the science is clear, warming was predicted back in the 1850's, from simple physics demostrated in the lab. the problem is not physics, it's politics, and psychology. it's very likely that homo sapiens has developed into an evolutionary blind alley. at the very least catastrophic population collapse is the most likely medium-term path. i believe we must get democracy, to have any hope of survival. only when every adult is active in directing society, will that direction be towards the general welfare. while elites rule us, greed and arrogance will destroy us. this is not impossible, merely very difficult. get started soon, the last sand is pouring swiftly through the glass.
    1
  3705. i guess i should pity people who 'wonder' why democrat politicians vote as they do. but the people of the usa could get democracy if they organized enough voters, and threatened to vote for 'pro democracy' politicians, regardless of party. but they are just too ignorant, too lazy, too dim. if you are willing to let politicians rule you, this is what you get. and it's what you deserve.
    1
  3706. democratic because it was originally the democratic-republican party, the party of landed gentlemen, or slave plantation plutocrats, depending on view point. and that's how the party of the people in the north became the party of jimcrow, in the south. neither party had a skerrick of actual principle, and they have almost changed places in the last 50 years.
    1
  3707. only fair that they have a few nuclear weapons, too. but israel and palestine should be amalgamated, under u.n. direction, as a stateless entity for the location of u.n. offices currently in new york city. displaced people to be inserted into usa society at a great distance from each other. jews would be happy in new york, or california, arabs in utah. [they have plural marriage too, should get along well.]
    1
  3708. the problem with elective government is that politicians like being in office, and will do whatever it takes to stay there. but what are the alternatives? dictatorship, or democracy. but, working with homer sap, these 'alternatives' are respectively, unpleasant, or impossible. be grateful for 'mifted,' eu is fracturing, and this crisis might have broken the dish. still might.
    1
  3709. it's not a question of 'what is best for usa?' it's a question of, 'it's my money and you can't have it.' the people of the usa could have a civilized society, if they organized and demanded democracy. but that requires citizen quality people. you've only got americans to work with, and they don't measure up.
    1
  3710. news flash: saudi oil is what is holding up the usd. the usd is hopelessly over-valued, and if oil trading were not done in usd, it would collapse. and other nations are beginning to write contracts in other currencies, which is why usg is relentless in trying to gain control of venezuela, and iran. but it doesn't work anymore, threats are empty, and the stink of the iraq war makes it difficult to mask the naked aggression of usg foreign policy. it's hard to get elected when you call your government criminal, so tg just says 'mistakes' are made. she's a politician, trying for a raise in pay and power. things aren't going to improve, until the american voter gets sick of politicians, and demands democracy. what's chances of that? zip. so the ship of state cruises on, incapable of course change, mudbanks and rock reefs ahead. some societies just wear out- usa is beginning to resemble the austro-hungarian empire.
    1
  3711. usa is hopelessly obsolete. silly fools are still letting politicians run the place.
    1
  3712. stalin killed many, it's true, but so did dubya.
    1
  3713. the discussion resulting in adoption of the constitution reveals the intent to create a nation ruled by wealth through an elective aristocracy. this is the structure of fascism with a different name. "americanism" slavery and genocide were the driving elements of the war for independence, quite like the nazis. murrikins went west, nazis went east, but otherwise quite similar. it is no co-incidence that the bush family profited by its connection to nazi germany.
    1
  3714. since it is not democracy at work, there is no democracy in the federal government, i presume everything said here is a lie, or an error.
    1
  3715. hillary is returning to her roots, as a 'goldwater girl.' there may be no progressives left in the usa, no public figure calls for democracy. without democracy, government is inevitably corrupt and self-serving, as here we see: the significance of trump is that any vile creature can be president, if the opposition party is equally corrupt.
    1
  3716. the parties did not betray anyone, neither claims to be anything but a better manager- for the rich. people who rely on the parties are fools. the usa is not a democracy- and its people are not citizens. they are civilians only, watchers as their masters run the nation for their own benefit. if you are incapable of democracy, then you must suffer elite rule. the suffering increases, but still no one, not even hedges, calls for revolution. well, hunker down, chumps, it's just gonna get worse.
    1
  3717. by now the 'loser' class is approaching 50%, and the massive recent job losses inject a note of panic. in france they'd be writing a new constitution, but usa is stable, as political control is completely divorced from popular input. smash and grab robbery will likely be the solution, for a while. the federal government can not act for lack of will, state and local governments will have to find food and shelter for a massive increase of homeless people. this might be good news- the stage will be set for states to secede from the federation.
    1
  3718. you don't need a panel, just a video player stacked with biden quotes. in view of biden's increasing fragility, you may have to stop the first trump-biden debate for medical reasons. it appears that there is a deep state parallel government, run by sociopaths if not megalomaniac psychotics, determined to install biden and lose to trump. bernie will be lucky he is not in office. they want him out so much, dead must be an alternative.
    1
  3719. you are wrong, mr janssen, to blame corrupt politicians. they are what they are because to social/political structure selects them. hyenas are unlovable, and watching them may disturb the softhearted. they are the politicians of the veldt. politician and hyena both evolve from nature. this should be obvious to all. the nation was born to protect slavery, enable expropriation of the natives, and ensure the rule of the rich. the constitution reflects those goals, and guides the character of the nation. the rich are entitled, the politicians crooked, the people cynical and frustrated, and frequently desperate, whence the shooting eruptions. there is no quick and easy cure. in my view, there is no cure at all. there is no non-violent way to make massive change, and neither is there sufficient leadership in view to undertake radical change. as a nation, you will follow rome into decay and history. please don't destroy the earth on the way out.
    1
  3720. it was rigged by james madison, and you can't fix it. if yer not happy, visit the nearest enzed consulate and apply to immigrate. they are choosy, try oz as a reasonable backup.
    1
  3721. one more wave and the sandcastle of usa economic power will dissolve. in principle, good. but they have this big military, and when big numbers of murrikins start throwing rocks at passing gummint convoys, some bright spark will say, "i have it, let's blame the world for not listening to us anymore and shoot them until they are more polite!"
    1
  3722. the important point here is not that trump is a shame to the nation. that is well known. but the important point is that biden and his family are using their position to extract cash from the ukraine. that was not widely known. both parties are crooked machines existing to enrich their public officers. that should be widely known. the blind acceptance of biden corruption should not be obscured by the even worse character or the trump government. they are only less vile because of temporary lack of opportunity. put biden in office and one can reasonably expect him to scale up his aspirations of wealth. dc is often referred to as 'the swamp.' i have read that there are 10 professional lobbyists for every elected official. there should be none, if fair administration of the nation was the mission of the government. but they don't even pretend, anymore., nor even notice corruption, being long habituated to the smell. and the people accept it. nothing to be done, god wills it. so there can be no hope of substantive improvement. the limit of american aspiration is that they enjoy an occasional brief period of relative prosperity due to an indulgent king. good king fdr comes to mind, perhaps abraham lincoln as well. can't think of a third...
    1
  3723. when is usa going to wake up, and establish democracy? no sign of it yet, and tg is no revolutionary. she is an economic disrupter, which is why she is being ignored. bernie is looking good, except, wait for it, mayor phoney has more delegates. all of the remaining candidates, tg is not one, represent 'anyone but bernie' constituencies, so his good early showing may represent his high-water mark. i'd like to see him in the oval office, he is the only hope for change, but still a very long shot. let's face it, the usa ship of state, plato's very authoritarian phrase, is set on a course of self destruction since launching. it will take a lot of sinking, but there is no mechanism of repair, the best we can hope for is peaceful collapse.
    1
  3724. anyone actually trying to understand american society should start with the constitutional convention, where madison spelled out his goals and methods to the state grandees who could establish his document. then and now connect smoothly, even considering the transition from actual slavery to wage slavery to gig survival. the guiding principle has always been, that there should be no bar between the desire of a man with money and his interest. he was pragmatic enough to allow limited restrictions, stealing from the rich could best be prevented by government sanctions, transferring the cost of protection to the public. the immediate situation is the collapse of a social and political system hopelessly incapable of managing public affairs today. corruption and incompetence are inescapable, and reform is impossible. the usa must start over, if it wishes to survive. but there is so little community spirit that 'it' has no consensus anywhere, there is no 'it.' i am reduced to hoping that a reasonably civilized state will emerge on the west coast, and another on the north eastern corner, and the rest will sink into obscurity, as bubbaland.
    1
  3725. on numbers of warriors and munitions production, germany had no hope of success. german training and 'best-practice' integration of army and air force, plus chaotic management on the soviet side, offered a window of hope. the window closed in front of moscow, although much hard fighting remained. as with the japanese, barbaric war methods made surrender impossible.
    1
  3726. no, usa society turned your son into a monster. it often happens. young men who grow up without prospects will not only be poor and unattractive, there will be burning resentment. so they join gangs for emotional support. criminal gangs offer money, or release through violence, political gangs add assurance that society is wrong, failure not personal. modern life requires socialism, and socialism is best delivered by democracy. neither available in usa. fascism results, and don't complain : yer own fault. you wish a decent society would be handed to you, by rulers who are happy with being on top. not gonna happen. fascism was there from the birth of the nation, it's 'americanism.' if you won't learn, if you won't fight, what's chances of change?
    1
  3727. italy often demonstrates a sense of pragmatic survival. with italy and greece on board, and increasing presence in balkan states, prosperity may come to eastern europe, along with chinese new year celebrations.
    1
  3728. it's so hard to run a local celebrity pol dance contest, some of the pols can't dance, and some of the judges don't know how to get the right result. it's buffoonery like this that made temujin so effective- his guys were tough little boogers, but the opposition was always more numerous and usually failed only for lack of leadership. americans, be at ease: there is no temujin in your society, there's only bernie. he means well. but he's a only sheep dog in a cattle stampede. the election will solve nothing. you don't cure cancer with an aspirin. to those few who may be wondering, "maybe there's something wrong with the system" i will offer this thin reward: congratulations on noticing the obvious, you are one in 10,000. write to the nearest nz consulate, ask them if they need you in the south island to manage the sheep.
    1
  3729. both parties are just gangs, collecting votes and dispensing favors. it's a very primitive form of society. so, too, are the people who support them. democracy is possible, some states have it, but, as a nation, americans don't want it. not badly enough to get it. that needs effort. if you choose to live in a nation ruled by an elite, you choose to be a 2nd class person. . yet you complain at the result. add 'childish' to the 2nd class.
    1
  3730. there is no turning going on. madison intended that the rich should rule, "for the ages." he was more circumspect about slavery, even though that was the base of his politics, on behalf of what he referred to as "the landed interest." usa is not a democracy, it is a plutocracy. plutocracy is generally done in secret, and is commonly corrupt, how could it be otherwise? it depends on ignorance in the commoners, and submission arisng from ignorance and awareness of inferior position. the great strength of every elite is the weakness of the lowers, not their own qualities, which are often unremarkable. i think usa is doomed, a nation whose masters are pedestrian, whose lowers are ill-educated and have no motivation beyond hunger will be surpassed by nations blessed with better qualities. 'doom' is relative- took rome hundreds of years to succumb to its weaknesses. but usa will be much quicker, the planet is over-burdened and small weaknesses magnify around the world. americans are disconnected from the management of their nation, the only input is 'which master shall i support.' they are consequently likely to vote for trivial considerations, or simply not bother to vote. in fact, the whole theater show is nearly useless in directing the fortunes of the people. why no movement has emerged to get democracy is a mystery., it happened before in the progressive movement. but since then the character of the people has seemingly degenerated. the music continues to play, the people, some, continue to dance, but the charade is wearing thin.
    1
  3731. this needs to be said, because usa education is not politically neutral. but, what good does it do? homer sap is drifting towards a bee-society structure. that's assuming we don't make ourselves extinct.
    1
  3732. needs more than a cease-fire. needs u. n. occupation of israel.
    1
  3733.  @satvikvarun6386  not to every teacher. and if kardasian is a generic human, then some vitrue will occasionally be found. now, back to this fundamental tool of analysis, refreshed by a dose of philosophy.
    1
  3734. freedom of speech might be more palatable if it was known as 'freedom to know.' don't you want to know what people are thinking, and doing? i think you should, it prevents nasty surprises. so let everyone talk, however much you disapprove of what they say. chomsky is right about this matter, and speaking out about the vn war when it was unfashionable should have earned him more respect.
    1
  3735. if you were citizens, if you lived in a democracy, you could talk about matters of concern to the nation, such as murdering foreigners because the cia says so. instead, you have celebrity dance contests in which tired old men with visible dementia are credited with being electable.. against another tired old man who is a paranoid narcissist. are you all crazy?
    1
  3736. usa was never world's police, more of a bandit gang. to be fair, iraq was invaded by the gang that could not shoot straight. getting in was cheap and easy, but when the smoke cleared, rumsfeld was heard to say, "hmm, now what?" but tg is just another politician. you can't get elected by telling the truth, so it's 'special forces,' not 'bandits.'
    1
  3737. sounds good, hope it's true. but i quit believing anything said by usa or its surrogates years ago. the viet nam war cleared my eyes, and there has been little truth from them ever since. i have lived in china, have friends there still. prc ain't paradise, due to being filled with humans, but compared to usa, close enough.
    1
  3738. you won't go far wrong if you simply disbelieve every word spoken by a member of the usg. pompeo boasts about lying. trump can't seem to tell the difference between reality and what he says. and they are not the worst: lbj created the vietnam war as an ego reinforcement. dubya and his handlers created the iraq war to seize the middle-east. chomsky thinks he has evidence that every single president since fdr has committed war-crimes, and i'm confident he is right.
    1
  3739. nato is a military pact, initially directed against ussr and prc. they were commies, you know. now they are 'in the way' of usa world domination. getting russia and prc 'out of the way' will be a task too far, even for the bloated military of the usa. joining usa is entering a suicide pact. if it comes to war, there may be no survivors, certainly no winners. if the contest is not violent, prc likely to win. betting on usa is understandable, but the smart bet is to be neutral.
    1
  3740. youv'e heard about democracy, but you are too lazy to get it. that's why there are no sabre-tooth tigers, they were too lazy to catch dinner. long as you let politicians run things, you deserve what you get, which is nothing.
    1
  3741. this is shameless click-bait. shame on you!
    1
  3742. the occupation of palestine should be a crime, although the support of the usa makes the crime unprosecutable. full marks, ms iversen, for adding your survey to the public discourse.
    1
  3743. "The mainstream media is failing to report what is going on, be that in Ukraine of with the right-wing" how can that be? how do you know? so far as i can tell, everyone in the usa lives on a different planet. you talk about democracy, but have no power to affect events, except assassination. in california, they have referendum, initiative and recall, and call that democracy. you have none of those features in the federal level, and call that democracy. this is insanity. or a cynical hypocrisy. what is the use of talking about politics, when you are utterly disconnected from reality?
    1
  3744. you have too many parties, and not enough citizens.
    1
  3745. lured? wave a few bucks and keys to a shiny car would have done it. gbs, and special forces, are tools of bandit nations, such as usa, and dim-witted thugs are ideal recruits.
    1
  3746. trump is pompeo's hand puppet in foreign policy, and cia doesn't do diplomacy, just murder. you will never get a modern constitution from politicians, it would disturb their position in society. please consider the alternative.
    1
  3747. and yet, it's not what bernie says, it's what bernie can do. what can a president do, when most of congress and court hate him?
    1
  3748. marx came up with the phrase 'lumpen proletariat' as a reference to the people without hope, without energy, without self-respect. they do not rebel. most of usa are 'elpees.' lenin's response was to act, in their name, with a vanguard of the outraged. this legitimized him, in his own eyes. but the result was a new elite, better than the old for awhile. but in the end, a dead end. inspiring an active group to establish democracy in usa should be easy, since about half the states have some or all of the aspects of democracy. it is not 'unknown.' but no one tries to do that! partly because the word has been degraded through co-option by the elite, more because usa people are visible 'elpees.' dead from the neck up. in the 60's i started asking people if they would join such a movement. response was a universal, 'no hope.' people who would demonstrate, who would get themselves jailed, who would build bombs, would not waste their time trying to organize a public movement to democracy. so i left the usa. my best decision, by far. there has been no visible improvement. even those who like the idea of 'socialism,' either do not understand the necessity for citizen rule, or imagine that the elite can be importuned to spread the wealth, if they just beg harder. it don't work, sport. you have to fight. and there are not nearly enough usans with 'fight' in them.
    1
  3749. the democratic party is not an agent of democracy. they are not even honest brokers. it's just a political gang. it must have money and votes, and has discovered that money buys votes. it has also learned that losing gracefully to the republicans can pay well. it's not going to be an agent of change. bernie brings hope to people who haven't had a party since johnson tried to expiate his sins with a bit of welfare, and this might get bernie into office. but right now, his plurality of votes in dem primaries is not enough even for nomination, assuming most of the supporters of the other candidates vote, 'anyone but bernie.' vietnam opened my eyes about the nature of my native land, and i started asking people, "why don't we get real democracy?" it turned out, americans are mental slaves, unable to conceive of real change in the system. so it won't change, even if bernie gets in. it needs more than one old man, it needs a change in the national character. not gonna happen.
    1
  3750. i was worried about my biden and buttigieg prediction, but someone found a flask of maiden's blood in the fridge and an injection to biden's brain has him walking and talking again. briefly, but there may be an adequate supply of maiden's, hopefully volunteer, to re-spark every 3 days. buttigieg will get his reward in cabinet, or vp. and that's the reality of american politics. zombies ruled by vampires.
    1
  3751. has india solved the 'untouchable' problem? are muslims happy there? being silent about xinjiang is very sensible.
    1
  3752. if usa were a democracy, communication must be unfettered, so that the masters of the state, you, could make informed decisions. but it is not a democracy, and you are not citizen-quality people. how could you be, after growing up in a elective oligarchy so responsive to money as to be a shadow plutocracy. so it doesn't matter all that much what you know, what you don't know will always rule you.
    1
  3753. moore means well, but. politicians are not team-players. complaining about lack of team spirit is childish. politics in usa is not a square dance, it's a bar-fight. and this is why usa is decaying- the society does not generate good management.
    1
  3754. i'm an ozzie now, and not much impressed with mandatory voting. it underlines the reality that oz is not a democracy by compelling participation. it encourages random box-ticking by people who should be at home watching the cricket. on the plus side, saturday elections are an obvious good thing, and paper ballots are much harder to miscount.
    1
  3755. who is master of the usa? a few hundred politicians direct the nation, 'on behalf' of a few hundred million people. it is necessary to lie to these people to prevent rebellion. the money to broadcast these lies must come from the rich, personal or commercial, and these people have 'their' pet politicians on speed dial. in a time of declining national income, the squeeze will be felt from the bottom up, and ultimately the myths that support the rule of the rich will be worn away. usa is not a democracy. that should be obvious, but the word is in constant use, so the 'lies' are still effective with many people. there is another consequence of the absence of democracy.which is less obvious: when you grow up in a fog of lies, reality is not obvious, and the character of a citizen does not form. the people are cattle, willing to be ruled by politicians, so long as they are lied to. nothing can be done with such people. poverty and dictatorship is the usual result.
    1
  3756. everyone is crooked. how else do you get to rule a nation? which is why we should get democracy. it's hard to be crooked when public activities must be done in public.
    1
  3757. strange, i seem to remember more indian soldiers carrying rifles, a few chinese carrying shovels. perhaps they were putting up border markers? and india thought in the wrong place? no matter. prc has been a pariah state from birth, as they do not worship wealth as the usa does, and currently, the indian government is trying to distract from the normal chaos of domestic politics with adventures in the mountains. a nuisance to prc, but no more. perhaps the usg will smile on them as a result. to be fair, indian foreign affairs are also chaotic. i wonder if the various ministers speak to one another? have a plan?
    1
  3758. assignation is a good thing, it features heavily in period romance novels. assassination used to be a bad thing, until american presidents took to killing people they didn't like.
    1
  3759. so long as russia and china want tp support iran , it will survive. i think putin and xi are laughing at usa, which will be paying higher oil costs.
    1
  3760. i'm waiting to hear how a socialist society would capture a capitalist empire, with the largest military in the world and state of the art surveillance technology. so far there is a total lack of discussion in the blather-sphere on how to transfer power from the current oligarchy, to any other demographic. much as i prefer the notion of democracy, even prc is delivering better governance with its own oligarchy of pseudo-communists. without the 'transfer of power,' talk is just just a pastime, although in true usa fashion, technology has commodified gossip. insurance only concerns those with something to lose. increasingly, usans are a people living on credit. they've pawned everything, and will soon be begging for slavery, under some other name. the really rich already have 'their people,' when this filters down to the top 10%, usa will have regained its original nature, a mix of lackeys and slaves, getting bread and little else from their masters. insurance? that's a luxury.
    1
  3761. assassins all over the world are nodding their heads.
    1
  3762. 4 of the first 5 presidents were slave plantation grandees who settled labor unrest with whip, castration and murder. trump is merely a narcissistic dim-wit who demonstrates the degeneracy of usa plutocracy. he might be dangerous if not so dumb. and cowardly, btw. carter says "i fear for our democracy," and that makes him much more dangerous than trump. he is re-enforcing the myth that usa is a democracy, and that myth is what makes usa a 'very stable' oligarchy. but not so stable, anymore. the oligarchy is fracturing under the economic stresses of greed and arrogance and simple brutality, diverting national wealth into personal wealth. carter should say, "i fear for our plutocracy," but he is a politician, however pious. he relieved calley from charges of over-seeing mass murder, not because he was innocent, but because such cases if prosecuted to source, would have destroyed the usa government. easy to understand why he did it, but no amount of 'good works' will save him from hell. the usa today is what it has always been, even the slave pens are replicated in the privately run prisons, making a dollar from the children of slavery. american atrocities in s. e. asia just carry on from indian 'clearances.' and now there are 'special forces' bringing organized murder to lands in disfavor with usa presidents. the notion that carter is a revered figure in the usa only measures the depravity of usa society in general.
    1
  3763. calm down, mr dore. your opinions are not important. why rupture some internal organ about something of concern only to your masters? when the people of the usa change their character and show some interest in getting democracy you may hope to become relevant. but this has not happened, and it may be never. so keep laughing--- you are in the entertainment business, after all.
    1
  3764. you are on the side of the angels, more or less, but the devil bats first, last, and when he wants. greed and arrogance characterize every elite, and the usa version has overwhelming military power to support its masters. if sanity prevails and war is prevented, prc may come to be the most powerful nation. at present, that seems like the best situation available. usa must be humbled, if we are to survive. but prc is human too, so this can only be a reprieve, not a solution. we must get democracy as the only possibility of establishing a balance with nature and population. elites must always have 'more,' citizens can be satisfied with 'enough.'
    1
  3765. a command society will out-perform oligarchy, in principle. but prc is not what it was, and getting commands obeyed is not as easy as one might wish. but the competition is a degenerate republic trying to herd equally corrupt client states, directed by an elite body of people more resembling renaissance italy in their composition, arrogance and greed vying with treachery. so prc brings brains and energy, russia brings resources and soldiers, and they may well overturn the old order. hard to be enthusiastic about homer sap's prospects. between war and climate catastrophe, we will be lucky if population collapse is merely enough to prevent extinction.
    1
  3766. democracy doesn't happen on twitter, or anywhere else in the federal government. but if you think anyone should have access for whatever purpose, well done. a public utility is good analysis. well, it would be, except it's a business in a society in which politics is a business. so you should leave and twitter should be free to conduct their service as they wish. it's an imperfect world, particularly in the usa.
    1
  3767. is there no one in the usa willing to say something constructive, like "put trump on a plane to icc, charge him with murder."
    1
  3768. well done, dr h! now i can be authoritative at the local pub in an area of increasing public concern.
    1
  3769. nonsense - bin laden got murdered, dubya is walking around free as a bird, should be in a cell for mass murders in several nations, and large amounts of public money got moved to private hands. triumph for 'capitalism.'
    1
  3770. don't blame msnbc. they're just making a living. blame james madison for his constitution, that cast the american people forever as 2nd rate, the supplicants of politicians. and if you think politicians should rule the nation, this is the result you deserve.
    1
  3771. so you can walk down the street spreading a frequently fatal disease, as your 'right.' speaking of texas, is it a right to practice your marksmanship with a pistol by shooting at pigeons around city hall?
    1
  3772. why don't you get democracy, and become citizens instead of fanboys?
    1
  3773. i am having difficulty with the notion that huawei can not do business with iran, because usa says so.
    1
  3774. there have been worker directed co-ops, ussr had 'soviets' initially, but quickly fell under cp rule. germany nowadays has worker reps on the board which may occasionally bend activities/rewards towards worker welfare. one of my uncles was involved with a timber.plywood co-op in oregon which was still going until the 1950's. but this has nothing to do with democracy, which is the political label of a nation directed by its citizens. that is not the usa. but some american states would be democracies if independent. california is a notable example, larger than most nations, and richer. initiative and referendum in continual use, and recall as needed. the simplest way to move the usa from 1789 to modern times would be to scale up the califormia constitution and replace madison's successful attempt to ensure the rule of the rich.. can't think why every 'progressive' academic isn't promoting this plan.
    1
  3775. At least you may form the opinion that Mr Sachs believes what he says. Much less common than you might believe in public discourse. I pity him. An ethical person is at a great disadvantage in dealing with politicians. It is better done with an AK-47 as an amplification device.
    1
  3776. don't sneer at the political system that has brought a [ presumptive ] contest between a lying, preening sociopath and a hack lackey of corporations with loose hands and oh, loose brain? usa has the system and the candidates they deserve. the quality of your masters exactly represents the quality of the people. it will be depressing to realize, embarrassing to admit, but you tolerate the situation, many insist on saying 'world's best' when it is visibly deficient in just about every measure but military power. as a bandit nation, you remain supreme. what to do? emigrate. failing that, move to a west coast state and support gradual secession.
    1
  3777. the various "save us, tulsi!" comments below show that usa is not a democracy, and the people are slaves. citizen quality people would be advancing on the ring road with fire and rope.
    1
  3778. a democracy does business in public, so that the masters, you, can follow activity and decide what should be done. there is little scope for crime in such a society, and rewards only come to those who help the nation. and that is one reason madison devised a constitution which makes democracy impossible, and sold it to the grandees who controlled the various states.* he and many sociopaths after him, took the view that he was entitled to all that he could get/steal/find, and hold as much as his strength allowed. the masters of the usa have established the opinion that market direction is inefficient, market limitation should be little, and the resultant economic convulsions are good for a society, compared to the alternatives. they defend this nonsense with the laws arising from that constitution. and laughing at this situation causes wondering frowns, for the constitution is sacred script. there is no hope for a people so enmired in absurd myth. *the first lie embodied by the constitution was the phrase "we, the people." the people were not consulted, except in rhode island. there the constitution was presented for approval by referendum, and rejected. and you talk endlessly about american democracy...
    1
  3779. free will is a nonsense. but ignorance about what the future holds is an adequate substitute.
    1
  3780. usa is not a democracy, so you don't have rights. you have privileges, offered as bribes when some politicians needs more votes, and withdrawn when he doesn't need them. ignorant, passive people will be ruled by some elite, whether born aristocrats, military junta, or political gang. in the usa, it's the gang. if you want a better life, you have to be part of the ruling group. for most people that group can only be as the citizens of a democracy. but how to get democracy? you can't get it by voting for politicians. the transfer of power must come outside the laws of the nation. the laws maintain the power of politicians. revolution need not be violent, but it does require a lot of people willing to say, "or else!"
    1
  3781. still no mention of the usa interdiction. or the attempted invasion. start there someday...
    1
  3782. not the root of all your problems- that is the constitution. the absurd financial system is a result from the perceived necessity of running the nation for the convenience of the rich, while singing 'my, country, tis of thee in schools.' get democracy. only then will decisions be made to benefit the majority. right or wrong, at least they will be trying for that result. currently, the rule of the rich is making them richer. as you would expect.
    1
  3783. if you are content to live in elective oligarchy, you are not entitled to complain about the results. americans can get democracy if they want it, but it's too much trouble. and most don't want it, feeling political equality would diminish their wealth or status.
    1
  3784. usa is a failed state, while being the world's hegemon. imperialism and mass psychosis in one package. i think shooting sprees are an unlovely feature of the usa culture, but really only a minor feature of much worse problems. the problems are insoluble. the structure of the nation was set at birth, and only revolution can change it. revolution looks very unlikely. i characterize the usa as a cancer on the body of humanity, inoperable, terminal, but slow, for now.
    1
  3785. pipeline is uneconomic. seawater distillation merely very expensive. might be cheaper to move the people to the mississippi basin. best long term solution is to reduce the population west of the rockies with starvation.
    1
  3786. has anyone ever explained the charms of democracy to you? if done thoroughly, there are no politicians.
    1
  3787. don't complain about trump, he is the natural expression of american history and culture. you don't want democracy, don't want socialism, don't want an educated people, don't want a healthy nation , and feel entitled to invade any nation with oil in it. trump fits right in.
    1
  3788. doen't matter if you like his ideas- what matters is if congress likes his ideas. pretending to live in a democracy is dysfunctional.
    1
  3789. occupy is for children, or slaves. real revolution does not come from shaking your fist at your masters. shaking your fist inspires fear from everyone with something to lose, so they back the government. organize everyone with nothing to lose, and vote against every politician in office. that will get polite attention from the survivors, and that will recruit more from the 'unhappy' demographic. you need a new constitution. this can only happen with violence, or a sustained and focussed pressure at the ballot box. try voting first.
    1
  3790. there are no chinese warships, posturing outside indian cities, so who is the bully? Philippines has been threatened by the usa, and bribed, very possibly, to join this masquerade, but they can be forgiven, they are weak, and poor. india, however, is merely corrupt. kissing the usa hand to cover the hopeless inadequacy of the indian government. if the usa insists on war, there will be no winners, and survivors may be few. if the conflict remains non-violent, prc will knit together the supporters of peace and commerce, so that mankind can deal with the problems of population and climate. the interesting question is, will the greedy and arrogant burn down the planet in a vain attempt to maintain their position?
    1
  3791. always glad to hear a report from china pointing out reality.
    1
  3792. not sure why julian does what he does, suspect some variety of nerd egotism. so he enjoyed his celebrity instead of staying under cover. some of that 'enjoyment' involved two swedish women who became disenchanted with julian and narked him to the swedish cops. julian ran, wisely but too late. eventually this sexual episode, resulted in being bagged by the uk gov, acting as the usual handmaid to usa, where julian will finally come to rest. lifetime in concrete, to regret his casual way with two swedish dollies. is he a hero? no. neither is he a criminal, not even in sweden. he is just an embarrassment to the usa, a life-threatening condition
    1
  3793. one of the charms of actual democracy, is that public business must be done in public, so that it can be assented to, or refused, by the ruling class, who are the citizens. really hard to be corrupt in such a society. getting democracy is easy, for citizen quality people. perhaps impossible for submissive, dim, and/or ill-educated chumps. why is it, that usans don't have democracy?
    1
  3794.  Jeff Jordan  absolutely right. i wish lefties were as well informed about their history. but my question was directed to those would-be lefties, why don't you admit you don't have democracy, so that you can organize to get it.
    1
  3795. usg is entering cold war against prc, after discovering that using prc as cheap labor has long-term down-side. usa peeps are now being conditioned with hate-speech, to support the notion that the usg works for them. it doesn't. looking for logic from usg only works if 'logic' is in aid of usa corporate profits. then 'logic' excuses war, murder and endless lies.
    1
  3796. if you let politicians rule you, this is what you get. if you want a better society, get democracy, and socialism.
    1
  3797. sodium will replace lithium, simply because there ain't much of it. graphene caps can replace lithium in phones, maybe, since recharge easy.
    1
  3798. democracy is the english version of demos kratia, a classical greek phrase which means precisely, 'citizen-rule.' it does not mean king-rule, nor general rule nor parliament rule, nor president rule. the swiss have it, barely, but no other nation. and the nature of the ruler sets the quality of the people. if you don't live in a democracy, you are a second class person. you can laugh at your masters, perhaps, but they laugh at you, and their laughter is well-founded. clinton is a charming example. slick willy still is suckering the chumps. i don't know why the people of usa put up with politician rule. there is a sickness there, a consciousness of inferiority, a yearning for a kind master, but no determination to become a citizen of democracy.
    1
  3799. some are above the law. and this will always be true until homer sap figures out a away to get democracy. i fear that is a bridge too far for homer, and the resulting elite rule is visibly destroying our home. 'trump?' his presence in the whitehouse underscores the absurd nature of usa fundamental law. quite simply, the constitution is obsolete. the direction of a nation should not be a lottery.
    1
  3800. nato is obsolete, and dangerous to peace in europe. any nation can leave, at will. ussr is not a danger, usa is.
    1
  3801. not his fault, he was in office when opec decided to instruct the west in the foundation of their happiness. jc counts as a good man, among american politicians- a very low standard. never forget, however, that to support his aspiration to be president, he called for the murderers of mylai to be exonerated.
    1
  3802. it appears you are having too much fun. congratulations!
    1
  3803. it will always be pretend politics, because the people are not the masters of political activity, and the elite will continue to take care of themselves. i can not understand the pretense to relevance of talk shows like this, except in the very american plutocracy aspect, 'there's a living in it.' why don't americans demand democracy? is there something in the water they give the children?
    1
  3804. the elite of usa are simply sociopaths, and the 'excuses' for their crimes are not intended to represent reality. the lies don't have to convince, because the usa public has to accept any lie, or else admit that they submit to rule by criminals. they won't admit their 'leaders' are criminals, because they are afraid to oppose them. and most other nations fear and obey as well. the usa is psychotic, living in various inter-locked bubbles of irrationality. they will destroy the planet if not checked. the rise of china may be our only hope, if prc can become strong enough to limit the imperial violence of the usa.
    1
  3805. there is no visible left, in the usa. madison created a political society of 'rich' and 'cattle.' he boasted about it, in documents arising from the constitutional convention. strange, how usans don't know their own history, and worship the constitution that ensures most of them struggle to survive, and many turn to crime.
    1
  3806. politicians are the effete descendants of norman warlords. instead of having battles, they have elections, instead of arrows, ballots. bernie on fox is the old warrior showing the young that he's still got it. may change a few votes, more important is to give the notion that ballots should settle the war, not actual violence. nothing to do with democracy, there is no democracy in the constitution, by no accident. hard to see bernie winning, the democrat party is not his friend, much less the republicans. but he has a great asset- he's running against trump. surely that's enough?: except it wasn't quite enough last time, when the democrats thought it was in the bag. really confusing- neither party gives a damn for ordinary people, and the chumps are beginning to figure it out. this is symptomatic of empire collapse. andy yang is the blue bird of the spring of the new order- a bit ahead of his time, but rome found it had to give away bread, to eat at the circus, and usa will be ubi soon. the exworkers will briefly be happy, but ubi is just a bandage on a skin cancer. a nation unwilling to tax the rich has no future, although madison would be proud that it had this much of a past.
    1
  3807. this is what my english teacher called a 'rhetorical question.' the response can be varied, and possibly non-verbal. sour laughter might be appropriate, if outdoors, you might spit. grift is built in to the usa law and culture. any elite rule needs mystery, to prevent endless dissension. but reality keeps poking up, and brews contempt for rulers at least equal to the contempt the elite have for the chumps. mutual contempt engenders disregard of law, morality and finally mere politeness is dropped. usa will continue, but the elite will soon be traveling in car convoys, heavily armed mercs ahead and behind. you, otoh, will be lucky to own an old bicycle.
    1
  3808. that's strange. who would have guessed that the dept. of murder would use language typical of sociopaths?
    1
  3809. useful survey. the prize will go to the group that demands adequate action from politicians, at whatever cost is necessary. i say group, because a threat will be needed. of losing office at one end, public execution at the other.
    1
  3810. you can't fix democracy, if you haven't got it. if you don't even know you haven't got it, you don't have any direction to move, being ignorant past instruction. for lack of an educated populace, the nations of the world are directed by an elite of some kind. an elite is on top, and any change is unwelcome. this is going to lead to disaster, possible extinction. if, suddenly, democracy were general, and the people were educated to their role as masters of the nation. disaster could be averted. but that window of opportunity passed, and in reality it was never in reach of homer sap. didn't miss by much, we can see what we should have done, if we were a little more civilized, and less submissive to the sociopaths who generally direct our nations.
    1
  3811. usa was constructed to be a 'fascism' at birth. nowhere in the constitution is there 'democracy,' 'referendum' much less 'citizen initiative.' usa was intended to be ruled by officeholders in collusion with rich men, and look around you, what do you see? if you refuse to acknowledge reality, you are not serious about changing it. indeed, one can reasonably see cynical exploitation of the ill-educated people who were told they have democracy in school.
    1
  3812. ev's are greener than ice's even with coal-fired electricity. but it's a good masking ploy if yer money is in ice. you have to pity people whose wealth is threatened by new technology. but not much, they generally are nasty people who made the servants push their bicycles when they were young, being too grand to pedal themselves.
    1
  3813. madison built a society 'for the ages,' with great success. but a plutocracy of landed gentlemen wearing powdered wigs in horse drawn carriages is no longer effective in a world inconceivably more complex than slave auctions and horse breeding. the lack of popular control, [or democracy, as we oldies say] inevitably rewarded inheritance and private connections. this leads to a lack of performance which causes a society to eat itself as outside competition becomes too strong. call it decadence, i prefer rot. rome fell, for hundreds of years, but i think the pace is quicker now. on-coming great depression in concert with cv19 might transform usa into uk, or russia, or even paraguay in a decade. it just needs international currency rectification to transform america's place in the world. the simultaneous assault of depression, plague and political de-legitimization can be a real magic wand.
    1
  3814. in the early 1900's, the real 'progressive' movement re-wrote about half the state constitutions with varying degrees of actual democratic functions. california is the most obvious, with rule by referendum, initiative and re-call, all in use as required. the need is equally obvious at the federal level. but modern 'progressives,' in the democratic party, have no notion of democracy. the limit of their aspiration is getting a kind master in office. slave minds deserve corrupt masters.
    1
  3815. capitalism is not a political category. nowhere do capitalists direct the movement of armies. in the usa there is a political structure, commonly called 'democracy.' that is a lie, the usa is not, never has been, a democracy. the lie serves to blind and soothe the powerless population. the political structure of the usa is an elective aristocracy. politicians are allowed to rule because the founding law of the nation establishes them as the legal rulers. their moral 'right' exists through the notion that they are 'the best' able to direct the nation by virtue of their character, education and experience. none of this is true, but there is no way for the populace to dispute it, short of revolution. nonetheless, usa is a 'capitalist' nation. this is a euphemism for plutocracy. capitalism rules through the extra-political means of bribing politicians. the result is to create a society that is efficient at maximizing the wealth of the plutocrats. it is not efficient at delivering a decent life to all, or even most, of its people. is capitalism in decline? no, greed is always part of the human character. but greed corrupts the efficiency of the nation, and a capitalist society will eventually consume itself. the obvious example was the export of manufacturing to china, further enriching shareholders at the expense of labor. the usa is in decline, because the parasites of wealth have made it weak. the decline of the usa was built into the structure of the nation at birth.
    1
  3816. the problem is not the republocrats, it's the constitution. when the people become citizens and establish democracy, the politicians will become extinct, like the men in armor whose role they inherited.
    1
  3817. don't let the tan fool you, he's just another slick willy. actually, slicker willy, there's folks still admire him.
    1
  3818. america is a nation with metastatic cancer, talking endlessly about facial acne. it's a living, for talking heads, a thermometer for the rulers if they listen, most don't. difficult to believe trump will be re-elected, he is visibly not delivering anything but pain for many of his supporters. but the functional intelligence of the american voter is not high. and the dnc stinks, many have figured out they are not the friends of the poor. even american voters woke up last time, enough to 'educate' the dnc. they may educate a second time, on the 'nothing to lose' principle. what continues to amaze, is the level of intelligent political discussion. there is none. talking about the value of biden vs bernie is nothing more than assessing the difference between pancreatic cancer and brain cancer.
    1
  3819. aoc is a politician. in the usa, that means joining the brothel and getting the disease, or working outside and chatting for a living, as here. revolutionaries are few, working in secret, mostly in someone's country shack wearing an aluminum radiation protector on the head. no hope for the usa, madison boasted that he had shaped a plutocracy 'for the ages,' and he's looking good so far.
    1
  3820. get democracy. socialism will follow. peace will break out. murder will be a crime, no longer a tool of foreign policy.
    1
  3821. tg has chosen to pursue a narrow and winding path to power. difficult to imagine either party would let her be president. i think the goal is to own a demographic sufficient to cement her grip in house, and later senator, or perhaps governor. she can do this as an independent. 10 to 20 years from now, she could be an independent president.
    1
  3822. ay is doing what he can, but he doesn't understand the need for democracy. maybe he does, and simply thinks getting it is impossible. either way, he isn't going to be president any time soon. he might achieve more by becoming governor of some progressive state.
    1
  3823. left and right are empty labels nowadays. in byzantium they used red, white, blue and green, the colors of chariot race stables. no political significance, because the people had no power. so too, in usa. you can stir the water, but never turn the helm. the people of usa could stand up, establish democracy, and make themselves into citizens. theoretically. but, by no accident, usa public education produces alienated and ignorant consumer-units, one pay-check away from hunger, and querulous but submissive. rioting will grow as more become hungry, but soldiers eat regular, listen to the sergeant and quell the riots. just like firemen, really. usa is not finished yet, but the prospect is depressing. action is needed, and no leaders in sight.
    1
  3824. don't blame manchin for what he is. the political ecology of usa creates such people . the toothless, handless people of usa are his natural prey. if you are too ignorant, too lazy or too busy to get democracy, you will live like a serf, and milord manchin will ride on your back.
    1
  3825. if you ever wonder whether usa is a democracy, or a plutocracy, when they talk about money instead of plans to improve america, it should come to you.
    1
  3826. the people are frozen out of the management of the nation, so talking about what your masters do is pointless. unless, of course, there is a big difference between them. but there isn't. the mechanics of the voting system makes it profitable for all politicians to agree on what the rich want, so they will subsidize 'elections.' which is why tweedledum debates tweedledee. it's also why congress-things age and degenerate in office, the cumulative investment of the rich makes turn-over very slow. usa is not a democracy, it's people are 'citizens' only by courtesy, it's rude nowadays to call 'commoners' common. and since they are powerless and ill-educated, they are very common indeed. it's true to say, "you get the government you deserve," but if your society shapes you to be ignorant, passive, how can you deserve better. and that's why usa decays, infrastructure mirroring character. this self-reinforcing loop means there is no way out, short of violent revolution, and that will only happen when wide-spread starvation sparks desperadoes to run towards the guns, careless of life. don't worry about china, worry about yourselves.
    1
  3827. usa not a democracy, so people have no interest in pretending to be citizens. they interest themselves in personal things, consumers rather than citizens. the rich elite like it that way, the intellectual elite disparage the consumers, 'supporting those who exploit them, foolish cattle.' but the cattle see things as they are, and discomfiting the intellectuals is at least emotionally satisfying, when none of the elite concern themselves with lower class welfare.
    1
  3828. oh, dear! driven by hunger, or insatiable narcissism, dr. h has left the relatively clear waters of physics and dived into the murky fluids of biochemistry. a field in which human understanding is hopelessly incompetent to encompass. perhaps it is a tentative experiment, to generate funds for a mediterranean holiday?
    1
  3829. what a surprise! gas deal just fell out of heaven. there's a reason usa is not participating in the icc, and not allowing democracy within the usa. why the usa people put up with this is difficult to understand. cultural conditioning is most likely the central reason, kids grow up being told repeatedly that government is too hard for ordinary people, fortunately politicians volunteer to run the nation for them. there is no limit to the greed of the usa ruling clique, but putin has control of a comparable nuclear weapon system and may have decided to re-establish the ussr in some form, to discourage the advance of nato. my guess is he is a man who will throw the switch to ww3 if he loses control of ukraine.
    1
  3830. doong-syoo
    1
  3831. it's the wrong question. it does exist. it is reputed to have a significant nuclear strike, it's military has shredded objecting neighbors, they don't shoot anymore. and it seems to have a reliable grip on the usg. presumably usa jews buy allegiance from members of the government. so it's here to stay, for the foreseeable future. and it suits the usg to have a reliable attack-dog in the oilfields. recently, russia and saudi have announced they are good friends. this is a material blow to usa economy, and if it continues 'foreseeable' may be very short indeed. sbm may meet a 'lone gunman;' if he doesn't come to his senses. personally, i suggest the u. n. should supervise the creation of a secular state of palestine, including and terminating israel. that would be as close to justice as we can get. but homer sap rarely achieves justice, and israel is just another smelly spot on the pages of history.
    1
  3832. be polite. mr hartmann is earning a living, for several people, and allowing some dissent, and occasional laughter.
    1
  3833. carry on. not sure anything can stop the usa war machine, but you are at least on the side of the angels.
    1
  3834. you can't save it, because you never had it. you can't get it because you think you had it, when you don't know what it is. but it's 'really good,' everyone says so, even stalin.
    1
  3835. 'mouth-piece?' thx for the tip - don't believe a word from hindustan times.
    1
  3836. this is not democracy. it is gang rule. but smart gang rule, bribery instead of gunfire.
    1
  3837. if you had democracy, it would be an interesting question. but you don't. madison was explicit, that his constitution was not a democracy, that he intended that the 'opulent' would rule, and they do. history has lessons to teach, in this case, 'how we got here' and where 'here' is. 'here' is a functioning plutocracy, by design. it is very hard to get democracy, when you think you have it, and don't. orwell described the control of the proles through language, double-think and newspeak, in '1984.' worth a re-visit.
    1
  3838. trump is not stupid, he is president, and you are not. hillary is stupid, she lost an 'unlosable election' out of blind arrogance and greed. people who put up with the usa constitution are stupid. it brought you a choice of hillary and donny. how dumb is that?
    1
  3839. you still get mail? amazon will takeover soon and 'car-wash' emps as they come in.
    1
  3840. plutocracy is not a formal political system, like democracy or timocracy. it is a society in which 'everything' is for sale. the formal officers of state are responsive to the rich, the ordinary people measure status and presumed influence by wealth, and the sanctions of 'justice' are prison for the poor, fines for the rich.. the usa is a plutocracy.
    1
  3841. usa was never a democracy. so you didn't lose anything.
    1
  3842. The US says Russia after Ukraine's bio-lab | Russia claims the US making bio-weapons | English News - YouTube
    1
  3843. 6,000,000 might get arson and gun battles. but revolution needs planning and philosophy [ yes. ] what yer gonna get is arson and gun battles. because hungry and armed and angry people do that.
    1
  3844. obsolete constitution, 3rd rate public education, 100th rate public health, no job security, declining national competitiveness, and sure enough, a high percentage of desperados float to the surface, the mirror image of the defective human who wandered into the wh because the professional competition was even more degenerate. the usa truly is in deep trouble and many, perhaps most, of its people have every reason to be anxious. not least because there is no significant number of voices reporting the problems above, and pointing out the comprehensive action needed to save the ship. barring national idiocy, this may well be the result of general recognition that the usa is terminal in its current form.
    1
  3845. this is evolution in action. yer usual american chump ain't smart enough to organize a revolution, and will soon be extinct.
    1
  3846. "the usa is a nation with a right-wing party, and a farther right-wing party." -gore vidal.
    1
  3847. daily you are confronted with the evidence that usa is a plutocracy by design, was intended to be a plutocracy by the man who wrote the fundamental law, and yet you exclaim, " this is not democratic!" as though you opened your christmas present and the box was empty. you can get democracy. the web makes organization childishly simple. all that is lacking is self respect. and that is fatal: you consent to domination by politicians who are the agents of wealth. well, revolution is hard. best to accept you status and mask your shame by pretending great respect for your masters.
    1
  3848. lessee now, who do i think is bluffing. the guy who is already shooting or the guy who urged yelensky to join nato, and then turned his back? that's easy. but this puppet has since had a change of instructions and is sounding 'tough,' now. perhaps another way to evaluate these men is on entire career.
    1
  3849. no, the problem is not the parties, they are the natural result of the constitution. they evolved to be what they are, under the conditions imposed by the constitution. i suggest that a constitution establishing democracy, national management by referendum operated by the public service, under ultimate control of the electorate through citizen initiative, would deliver a better nation. because, when decisive power is dispersed to the people, they will require that national wealth be widely distributed too. in short, stop voting for people, start voting for action.
    1
  3850. yer in bad trouble when the only true report on reality comes from a stand-up comic. the usg is simply evil. the us people are simply cattle. so useful action is impossible. but humanity is resourceful, jimmy makes a living by reporting political terminal disease, hey, it's kind of funny. in a way. the ship is sinking, but let's keep on dancing.
    1
  3851. the dnc is not running a public service. they want a winner that will not radically change america. america as it is suits them, with just the one change- their face in the white house, and as many of their stooges in congress too. party politics is not the worst way to run a nation, but it's obsolete. unfortunately, usa people are not citizen quality, so they will have to let politicians run down the usa while ruining the planet. where is a tom paine, when you need him, eh?
    1
  3852. that would be never, ma'am. but that's what happens with voting for politicians. if you had citizen initiative, gun control action would happen as quick as people want. my guess, pretty quick.
    1
  3853. abandon hope.
    1
  3854.  Blue Star  if israel survives another 1000, you'll have an argument. now nothing but hypocrisy and brutality.
    1
  3855. kevin seems confident war will not interrupt trade talks. if trump was in charge, reasonable. i worry bolton is pulling donny's leash.
    1
  3856. a respectable dictator would not associate with saudi. but vlad is wrestling with the world hegemon, so we must give him access to whatever help he can get. this fracture is possibly a mortal wound for uncle sam. the evil empire is under heavy stress, and this could be a turning point. isn't life interesting, when empires creak and groan, and new powers start slapping old faces!
    1
  3857. people who believe a politician's promises deserve pity. some cause they're mortal stupid, mostly because they're too lazy to get democracy. i say 'lazy' to be polite, other failings of character are equally possible.
    1
  3858. 'capitalism' is not a political system, it is a fig-leaf label on functional plutocracy, effectuated by elective oligarchy. in simple terms, usa is gang-ruled on behalf of rich patrons. but that doesn't matter. most human societies are similar, and that's the best we can do, having only hairless monkeys to work with. if you were smarter, you would get democracy and mix it with socialism, and manage the world in a survival- oriented fashion. but, collectively, yer just too ignorant. result is traditionally wide-spread misery, and lately there is a lively prospect of racial suicide.
    1
  3859. stop whining, serfs! the 2nd amendment was enacted so that you could threaten armed insurrection. but no action. no use having guns, if you are short of courage. in a democracy, the citizens discuss what needs to be done, then they decide to do it, with referendum and initiative. but you can't have democracy, without citizen quality people. in a plutocracy, the civilians chat about what they think is happening, and have a sour laugh. politics is entertainment, in the slave barracks.
    1
  3860. you want big headlines? start with ," science nerds predict end of human race, by next thursday! or following monday at latest." life is chockful of irritations, anomalies and even more proximate threats, like what is going on in ukraine. my own favorite is 3 nuclear armed nations squabbling over himalaya run-off. that has armageddon written in small print at the asterisk. now, about those neutrinos...
    1
  3861. to be fair, china excluded google and fb first, about10n years ago, fearing they were agents of nsa. and they were- merkel can tell you about that.
    1
  3862. people who are unwilling to lift a finger to get democracy are allowed to complain about the results of plutocracy. if you won't act, you don't count.
    1
  3863. ruling elite everywhere benefit from the economy. that's one of the reasons to get democracy.
    1
  3864. bernie has a good list of 'what needs to be changed.' but he ignores the fundamental change necessary: the people must rule, not politicians. when you want 'for the people, you must want 'by the people.'
    1
  3865. don't know if democracy would work. seems unlikely. but i do know letting politicians run society is leading us off a cliff, just look around you. the smart money is on extinction, winnings presumably collected by residents of mars.
    1
  3866. one part of history is that nazi germany tried to carve off part of the ussr, and the bush family tried to help them. there are nazis everywhere, visible in ukraine, and usa. history can be embarrassing. of more recent relevance, blinken says nato can go anywhere and recruit any nation. this is imperialism, so far effectuated by bribery rather than violence. very easy to buy a nation's leaders, particularly if they are rich, and want to join the rich man's international club. putin has watched usa buy up the former ussr states, and realizes that this reduces russia's pool of trading partners, and decided to cast the dice. so far, so good. usa/nato has proven to be talkers, not fighters. ukraine wheat will be sold to russian housewives, somewhat like iraqi oil being sold to usa distributors. when it comes to imperialism, usa is no.1. although the iraqis don't seem to like it. usa finally admitted they had no visible purpose in afghanistan, and only stayed there because, hmmm... the history of the usa gives you no base from which to preach virtue. those young republicans are right: stay home. and clean up your own house.
    1
  3867. the us marine corp owned and operated haiti for nearly 20 years, and it remained a puppet state right through to 'baby-doc.' it is a graveyard nation looted to total poverty. a warning to other nations thinking to resist the usa, and an inspiration to other nations to die before letting usa enter.
    1
  3868. usans have no control over their government. most politicians take money from corporations and plutocrats.
    1
  3869. (insert laughter) usans- are defective. They heard about democracy, but they put up with this (insert expletive), and pretend they like it. Many do, of course. USA styles itself land of the free but many add on- for me. Born to protect slavery and land of the free. Bringing freedom to Vietnam with frag bombs and napalm.
    1
  3870. is there no one in the usa who has figured this out? a whole nation of idiots? get democracy, use initiative to make usa livable for all. how to get democracy? organize a mass of would-be citizens to present the federal government with a demand to establish effective and accessible power of citizen initiative. add 'or else' at the end. if that doesn't get results, either start shooting or emigrate, or take up subsistence farming. [emigration in place]
    1
  3871. you can call trump by any number of rude names, but the fact is, americans are too dim to get democracy, too lazy to improve oligarchy, too ignorant too avoid pandemics, and should thank trump for revealing the hopelessly ineffective political system bequeathed you by wig-wearing southron slave masters. i will admit whining about current conditions is better than suffering in silence, but i suspect the incidence of idiocy means sharing the misery will not have productive results. what end is served by calling trump a fascist, if you will not lift a finger to change the system that put him in office?
    1
  3872. oh, look, another kennedy. are they barons, or baronets, in that family? if they are stopping pay, they should start with office-holders in congress and president, second should be the armed forces, they are volunteers nowadays, just mercenaries. should continue to pay the forest service, god knows the trees need all the help they can get.
    1
  3873. by the way, sky and fox are frothing in joy at the aukus, which should tell you how bad it is. oz politicians are being bribed, and/or threatened by usa, and it appears all of them are too greedy, or too frightened to resist. has the entire nation lost its mind?
    1
  3874. the argument for usa action is simple, why construct double-fake possibilities when the usa grip on nato is strengthened and billions of rubles of russian construction is turned into scrap iron. i saw some of what usa did in vietnam. in that period, i realized i was fighting for the wrong side. since then, nothing has happened to improve my evaluation of usa history. they started off as slavers and genocides, and have been consistent ever since.
    1
  3875. and trump will take credit for holding deaths under 2 million. your president is a dim-witted sociopath, driven to pretend competence by a monster father. and the democratic front-runner is nearly as bad. here's the bad news, folks: no one in america has noticed how hopelessly ineffective your national management system is. presumbaly because it is written in stone, by wig-wearing slave plantation masters of god-like intellect and character. trump is pathetic, a nation that allows such people to present themselves for selection is difficult to believe. are the concepts of 'character,' 'intellect. 'experience'' and 'education,' entirely foreign to you?
    1
  3876. a new federation? not a bad idea, msr macron, since usa is not your friend, and russia doesn't love you either, chiefly because you have been in bed with uncle sam from birth. msr macron has seized on the moment to re-shape europe, no brilliance needed, but at least a statement of reality. if the result is a bit of daylight between europe and usa, this can only be a good thing. it creates the possibility of saying 'non' with force. but no reason for joy unconfined in european commoners. you still are the prisoners of politicians. if you let them rule, they will sell you as convenient. investigate 'democracy.'
    1
  3877. solution obvious: eliminate taxation. end cash transactions. pass all electronic transactions through government servers. clip off 'x percent' to pay government expenses. simple, really.
    1
  3878.  @mariokart8054  no trust involved. unlike taxation, this is visible to all.
    1
  3879. using what??
    1
  3880. instead of saying, endlessly, 'ain't that a shame,' how about saying, 'not gonna put up with politicians anymore, we will have democracy, or guillotines.'
    1
  3881. usa doesn't love you, you console yourself with the company of other outcasts. unlike the axis, these new groups are intent on commercial war, an area where usa and its clients are weak. usa is naturally greedy, it's in the constitution, under 'slave labor.' so clients only get table scraps.
    1
  3882. 'average person' is likely to be ill-educated, possibly dim, possibly sly and selfish. just look at president trump. very average guy, with a rich sociopath for a father. my father saw a very faint blossoming of socialism in the 30's, and there was a certain amount of military welfare in the 45-60 period. but still usa has returned to a 'gilded age.' that is the default position of the usa constitution, its design center. without constitutional change, progress is illusory.
    1
  3883. it's time to put all those guns to use, people--- the 2nd amendment had a real purpose, and a degenerate government was the intended target. if you won't fight, can't organize, learn to beg.
    1
  3884.  @JTuaim  the right answer.
    1
  3885. it will travel under a different name as the preferred airplane for internal service of kazakstan. maybe turkmenistan as well, if things go well. obviously boeing and the usa certification process can not be trusted.
    1
  3886. ;going to do for the PEOPLE!' there's yer problem- americans live on their knees, hoping for kind masters. there aren't any. get democracy, if you can.
    1
  3887. if you had the intelligence, education and courage to be a citizen in a democracy, politicians would be extinct. but you are not smart, you are ill-educated, and wimpy. the rowers of athens were classier people, the swiss during the course of ww2 ran the world's only democracy while under continual attack by both sides which i think retired the trophy for courage and self-respect. and all you can think of is a very mild plague, and whether you should choose king1, a dimwitted phoney with nothing but money, and contempt for the people that fear him, or king2, a stock politician, the lackey of corporations, and loose with his hands. oh, and senile. a nation born to protect slavery is never going to be classy, but you could try for reasoning and humble. nah- 230 years and not a speck of either. the truth is, trump and biden distill the essence of usa in their body and character, they are usa. embarrassing, but there you are.
    1
  3888. dr h is addicted to the imperial 'we,' and i fear her end goal is empress of all. the replies column suggests she is well on the way.
    1
  3889. As the New York Times reported in 2013, "For years, the Pentagon has knocked on Silicon Valley's door in search of programmers to work on its spying technologies". The CIA funds a venture-capital entity that invests in dozens of companies whose products could be useful in spycraft. Moreover, the US government has surreptitiously used private companies, including Verizon Communications and AT&T, to collect data on American citizens as well as foreign nationals. so, it's very possible huawei is an agent of the prc government. but so what? they are just catching up. this is not trump's doing, i think. too sophisticated for him. more like the 'deep state' taking advantage of the whitehouse chaos to slow down chinese progress.
    1
  3890. iran can block the hormuz gulf. but first, the usa must attack iranian ships.
    1
  3891.  @thalesnemo2841  northern half is flat, and swiss plan was to retreat to mountains in the south. but wasn't necessary. hitler was under time pressure, and decided he must deal with sovs first. as it turned out, that was last, too. he could have beaten the swiss, probably, if he had nothing else to do not easy, though.
    1
  3892. first, voting for people, is not democracy. it is elective aristocracy. the usa is not a democracy. when you repair that flaw in the national character, you can begin to look for a better national constitution.
    1
  3893. running oz as a subsidiary of the usa has costs.
    1
  3894. if you were older, you would know there is a lower limit on age, but that's it. relax, doesn't matter who wins, usa is falling apart and being in office while it does is only a ticket to contempt.
    1
  3895. why do no public figures in the usa mention that the nation is not a democracy, and that rule by political parties is just a form of aristocracy? both parties are just political gangs whose only constant feature is to reward the members by looting the public treasury. why does the usa populace endure these parasites? they have heard of democracy, some states would be democracies, if independent, and still the people do not revolt. one of the features of non-democratic societies is apathy in the people, who never learn to respect themselves.
    1
  3896. i knew tulsi was suss, being on fox settles it.
    1
  3897. i do think putin was offered a retirement package in monaco. usg is very content with sustained civil war, expecting to inherit the corpse and a base to lean on russia, by diverting wheat to usa. this is yer government in action folks. there are reports of about 25 bio-weapon labs in ukraine, sustained by usa black money. there are neo-nazi groups in ukraine publicly yearning to be sheltered by their usa friends in government. what puzzles me is, why don't usans use those 'democratic' tools of citizen referendum to control the aggression, greed and arrogance of the usg.
    1
  3898. i read 'decline and fall...' as a young lad, and it was educational. there were some colorful characters in roman history. but many years later, the lesson is more general: a society that concentrates wealth while eviscerating its populace ultimately is unable to defend either wealth or people. insert 'usa' here. china is not a threat, but usa rulers will call it a threat, to cover their own sins. china is a magnet for investment, which usa wealth has responded to heartily, eviscerating american industry. china builds all around the world, usa sends 'special forces ' instead, bandits and murderers in uniform. china is not the threat, folks, it's the usa. trump is not the disaster he might be. hasn't actually started a war yet, clinton promised one. his economic activities are pointed towards looting the economy of its last drops, presumably he will join the american elite on some private island. don't blame trump. blame your failure to get democracy. don't blame politicians, blame the electorate who are willing to be ruled by politicians. if you haven't got the spine to stand up and say "democracy, or else," then don't complain- evolution does not favor the dim and spineless.
    1
  3899. don't get excited by bernie. he's just a politician, neither magician, nor saint. the american people deserve what they get, because there's enough firearms among them to compel the establishment of democracy, and socialism. but they are too ignorant, at best, submission-trained more likely, to offer any useful rebellion. like cattle, they will be herded, and slaughtered.
    1
  3900. what trump has done, is remind the world that usa is not a democracy, and demonstrated that leaving the management of the usa in the hands of politicians results in a corrupt and incompetent elite. so incompetent, so corrupt, that even a 'trump' looked better. the management selection process is visibly unable to deliver good management. the constitution needs to be replaced.
    1
  3901. there are usa states with democratic constitution, why hasn't it been applied to the federal government? politician rule [on behalf of the rich ] is clearly not generating efficient management. haven't you noticed?
    1
  3902. sooner or later, city people will realize that the 2nd amendment is a good thing, and use it while they can. if everyone carries, the people win, through numbers. be quick, unidentified goons are late-stage collapse of society, a month from now a sling-shot will be all you can find.
    1
  3903. lincoln lied. the constitution established a government of the people it was not by the people, so it was not for the people. tg is just like the rest- make me ruler and i will take care of you. they never do. take care of one another, demand democracy.
    1
  3904.  @rrpearsall  good question. but american soldiers often have no other choice. unless starvation, pimping your sister, or dealing crack counts as a choice. i put the blame on everyone that votes in an american election. not that voting has much meaning, but large organized groups of voters can scare politicians towards democracy. american middle class is just too dim/lazy/crooked to lift a finger.
    1
  3905. the financial system is not the problem. oligarchy is the problem. when a nation is run by a few, count on it - it will be good, 'for the few.' btw, in the dim mist of time, when a child could see 3 short films on saturday morning for 10 cents, a pound was worth, or could be exchanged for, usd 5. in fact, pommyland has been since slipping before the kaiser tried his luck. i don't know why the brits let fascists run the nation, perhaps their water is drugged? another possibility is the quality of the opposition. when both sides stink, whoever can finance the best lies is in with a chance.
    1
  3906. they are texicans, and should be allowed to exercise their right to secede at their earliest convenience. cruz is an inheritor of brit aristos, going right back to norman warlords, and he doesn't work for texas. they work for him. serves 'em right, they probably heard of democracy, but want no part of it. it would lead to degenerate behavior or even socialism.
    1
  3907. i suggest that usa needs a new constitution. as the document written by slave plantation owners in powdered wigs, to ensure the rule of wealth, is hopelessly ineffectual in dealing with modern life. or progressives should move to the west coast, proclaim the independence of the 'democratic federation of westcoastia' with initially a scaled up california constitution.
    1
  3908. stop whining serfs! your masters will let you know what you need to know, and tell you what your opinions are.
    1
  3909. the reason 'political discussion' never rises above personalities and gossip, is quite simple: usans are not citizens, they are only civilians. your opinions are never called for about peace or war, more tax, or less, better schools, better hospitals, etc. except in some states, and not peace or war there, either. you don't live in a democracy, so you do not act like, or think like, a citizen. can't be helped, but this kind of cafeteria back-biting doesn't help yer brand.
    1
  3910. sometimes societies are unable to respond to changing conditions, and disappear. i think usa may be one of these. madison said he had created a polity 'for the ages' and usa is already much older than most nations, and still clinging to a constitution that was obsolete when established. it is very stable. when you are preserving plutocracy, stability is fatal, for the rulers are the last to be affected by exterior change. just think of the quality of the people who have been in the oval office, trump might not even be the worst. the management of the nation is simply poor, and the quality of the foreign and domestic activity makes that obvious. andrew yang is an interesting candidate, so was obama. neither can greatly affect the culture of a nation. the fact that political discussion is directed towards, 'who can save us, who is a fairy godfather,' means the culture creates a lower class unable to envision participation in the management of their lives. democracy is beyond their reach, beyond their imagination, and there is never a fairy god-father in politics. so i suspect the usa will be joining the qing dynasty, the austro-hungarian empire, and rome.
    1
  3911. nsa has a stronger grip on usa than chinese government has on its people. in both nations, the people are cattle, but the chinese know it, americans don't.
    1
  3912. a genuine public service. thx. 'everyone' knows' they are many and everywhere, but more concrete evidence has greater power to stir action.
    1
  3913. unions are not the answer. democracy is. civil administration controls unions, and they should, because no small group should control the nation. replacing one elite with another doesn't establish justice. democracy is the answer, for many reasons. one is, unions will flourish in a democracy, because their total membership will be a large part of the electorate. union rule has been tried, in the soviet union. it collapsed into party rule immediately because it was not founded on democracy. union bosses are no better than politicians, and that is a very low ethical standard. civil administration controls the nation, always. the big question is, who controls the public officers. it should be the citizens. any other answer is oligarchy, and consequent exploitation of the people.
    1
  3914. don't blame the media - they do it for money. blame the people who are tolerant of plutocracy.
    1
  3915. if h. sap. were capable of democracy, we might be capable of organizing society to benefit most people. but we are not, and so we take care of the rich and powerful, while they eat the planet. no use complaining about how nasty they are, the weak link is us- we let them do it.
    1
  3916. just when you thought cia set a new standard in bungled coups, at the bay of pigs, this pops up. you may reasonably hope that the trump admin played a big role in this farce, as the cia normally doesn't get this comical. planned by 'security guards?'
    1
  3917. first tell me how you are going to get power. everything else is wishful thinking. when you get democracy, the people become citizens and can shape the nation with referendum and initiative. until then, political discussion is gossip in the slave quarters.
    1
  3918. this is not trump. he is dancing on some cia string. i would guess bolton could be the puppet-master, he's nutty enough for anything.
    1
  3919. democracy is a society ruled by its citizens. you ain't got it, never did. not only do the people* not rule, they generally don't even know what's going on. usa was born a fascism, but, not being italian, they call it 'americanism.' lies, myths and simple ignorance make it easy to control the cattle. *people, not citizens. 'citizen' requires a certain level of education and character, and life in the usa does not encourage either. as to today's question, a- no, b- you can't, c- you can teach a dog to walk on its hind legs, but it still doesn't know what democracy is.
    1
  3920. 'school men' of the middle ages notoriously were reputed to discuss the number of angels that could dance on the head of a pin. a waste of brain power, but intellect was constrained by culture. and still is, in the usa. a civilized human society will be talking about 'what needs to be done', and 'how to do it', while americans are chatting about which financial warlord will win the jousting, and meet the black knight with the ogre crest.
    1
  3921. well, they would say that, wouldn't they..... but i find, if you invert any pronouncement from the usg, and/or their brit poodle, you are closer to the truth. usg is the warmonger. vietnam, iraq, afghanistan.... and endless small shoot-ups around the world.
    1
  3922. in fact, the nation today is one shaped by fdr. he was no hero of revolution, and was satisfied to put out the fire of socialism. the result is all around you. biden not so different. aside from being demented, which is no great defect in presidents, pompeo does a lot of trump's thinking for him, as cheney did for dubya. even mrs. wilson should get a mention as presidential puppet-master. someone will write biden's scripts, if he gets in office. difficult to guess who will prevail when trump is faced with a short-fused dement. there is an any-one-but-trump demographic who presumably only require a televised image of biden moving his lips.
    1
  3923. hedges is a valuable national figure. but information is not enough. the only energized warriors are the would-be thugs joining right-wing militias. the majority of usans are passive, either disinterested or incapable of organizing resistance to the oligarchy. change is coming to the usa,, and it may be radical, but it won't be good. and still chris manages to spread the news--- this is a brave man. he is also a target. i presume his experience makes him better able than me to estimate risk and take whatever defensive measures he can, but i wish he would give up on the usa, and choose to live. a live hedges speaking on the web from a secret location is more valuable than a dead martyr.
    1
  3924. china uses its power in a better way than usa, notably they haven;t turned the middle east into a shambles, neither have they interdicted cuba, or venezuela, not did they assassinate an iranian general.. china does have a lock on world production in some areas, handed to them by the greed of american corporations. stoller should be allowed to speak, but somewhere else, unless you subscribe to pompeo's world view?
    1
  3925. 'americans' never have a useful choice, as they are not citizens of a democracy. usa is ruled by political gangs, masked by the euphemism 'party.' there are only two, of consequence, and there is some difference between them, from the viewpoint of the cattle. one is bad, the other worse. neither offers a decent life to ordinary people. recently, the emergence of prc as a contender for global dominance has cast doubt on the principles of usa governance. the performance of china so far over-shadows anything in the history of usa that suddenly the tawdry lies of usa history are revealed to all, and even 'americans' are beginning to question the notion that usa is the standard of human social performance. it turns out that running a nation with methodical planning by educated professionals gets better results than submitting to politician rule. are you surprised? you shouldn't be surprised. but history is not taught in the usa, beyond a few myths designed to turn children into submissive labor units. pr. wolff is quite wrong. suggesting that 'elections should have given 'americans' choice' is a nonsense. it implies that politicians 'owe' voters, when the actual status of ordinary 'americans' is that of cattle. you don't give cattle a choice, you don't 'owe' them, you herd them. usa is not a democracy. until you acknowledge that reality, you can't get democracy. without democracy, political discussion is just wishful gossip. or the mooing of restive cows.
    1
  3926. keep poking the bear and we all find out.
    1
  3927. anything that began as a grapefruit has a center. i feel sure: just put the tip of thumb and little finger on opposite sides, and in between the tips, voila! wear gloves, but.
    1
  3928. if nixon can rise, if dubya can be re-elected, this guy could be president for life. slicker than slick willy and barry, been to war and a sincere christian. 'made in a lab politician' about covers it. some may be upset by his 'coming out,' as a supporter of the war machine, and the murder machine., but that has never been anything but an asset in america. he's also 'come out' about his sexual orientation, which can only mean he thinks it is a neutral or positive aspect of his character. congratulations to the gay community, accepted at last.
    1
  3929. get democracy, and stop the senate.
    1
  3930. the ceo of the strongest nation on earth was a dim-witted would-be crook, and there is never a word about the ram-shackle obsolete political structure that 'selected him.' that is a society unreflective and decadent, and likely to dissolve from the stresses imposed by better-organized societies, even if they are nominally weaker.
    1
  3931. any alliance of the unloved is subject to varied criticism, but when the theme is self-preservation against the evil empire, and its hangers-on, a certain virtue appears, as well as logic.
    1
  3932. what is a plutocracy? a society where a rich man decides, 'i'd like to be president,' and he is immediately a contender. what is a nation of fantasizing fools? one where the same thing happens, and people wonder, 'what is happening to our democracy.?'
    1
  3933. gates may be a creep, but being unvaxxed in a pandemic is a shame to your parents.
    1
  3934. USA is in Syria because usg wants that. USA people are not consulted. USA is not a democracy. This is simple and blatant fact. Why then do you complain? If you are slave quality, face it and shut up.
    1
  3935. so the crisis is political, not economic. so is the cure.
    1
  3936. nice one! but there is a place for your maiden uncle chatting about the days events with other nice old ladies
    1
  3937. any government that needs to hide its activities is an evil government.
    1
  3938. anti-vaxx is insanity. sotomajor has the best record of pro-people of any supreme. this show has lost the plot. vaya con dios!
    1
  3939. fear not, hillary will not jump into the race. that would destroy her illusion of relevance, and decimate her fan club.she much prefers to live in the world of 'nearly, shouldda.'
    1
  3940. why not ask a useful question, such as- "if usa were a democracy, would the electorate vote for tax cuts for the rich?"
    1
  3941. the american political system is antique, a purpose built shadow plutocracy realized through political agents 'responsive' to wealth. nothing to be done, but junk it. who will replace it? democracy, i wish. but the traditional successor is a cabal of generals and their rich sponsors, propping up the facade of congressional rule with obedient puppets. not much change from current situation, but dispensing with the clutter of courts and bureaucrats to some degree. the roman senate continued for hundreds of years in similar situation, but the usa is faced with a more potent competitor by far in modern chins. they will bleed usa into irrelevance, and dissolution. a modern balkans will result.
    1
  3942. Didn't pull the trigger. Well then, clearly god wanted that lady dead, and stepped in.
    1
  3943. there are plenty of 3rd parties, the constitution makes sure they don't prosper. and it doesn't matter what 62% of chump voters want- because usa is not a democracy. what you should want is democracy, rule by the electorate through referendum and initiative. but i guess that's too hard for you.
    1
  3944. you keep complaining about the quality of your masters. this is the thought process of children, or slaves. you could make politicians extinct, and run the nation yourselves, guiding the public service with referendum and initiative. if you were adults, or free. but you don't. think about that.
    1
  3945. when will someone ask, why don't we have democracy? a nation with referendum and initiative could replace children's chatter with adult action.
    1
  3946. it is a truth not widely known, that 'rights' are the fruits of power. no power, no rights. that is why, when citizens of a democracy are dissatisfied with the activity of their administrators, they act to discipline those administrators with citizen initiative, that citizen power is the law of the nation, superior to any administration act. and you haven't got that power, so you have no rights. the usa is not a democracy, and you are not citizens. you are merely civilians, which is the modern euphemism for 'serf.' why then are you called 'citizens? i refer you to a book called '1984.' you didn't meet it in high school civics class, but you should have. in fact, usa education is little more than myth and arithmetic, you can hardly expect to be told that 'matrix' was an allegory. but do stop complaining, it is unseemly in the labor unit class. democracy needs citizen quality people, and you are not of that quality, plainly.
    1
  3947. there is a war going on between usa and prc, and both sides lie about anything if it might advantage them. no excuse to get holier than thou, usa murders people with drone bombs every week, set a new record for bombs dropped in a year, on afghanistan. explain why yer there, again?
    1
  3948. it's wrong to say politicians are making a mistake, when in fact they are operating from a different premise. they are not looking for justice, or even peace. they are maximizing their power and wealth. and it's no use saying they are taking great risks. even if true, they will not believe you. which is why humanity must find a path to democracy, because elite rule threatens extinction.
    1
  3949. if usa was a democracy, it would be in the interests of the electorate to have a national 'forum,' where information could be shared without fear of censorship. usa is not a democracy, stop kidding yourself, grow up, and elon is just making sure that he has a world 'forum,' to make money, and protect himself. but right now, he sounds better than the previous owners. enjoy while you can. you deserve no better. a nation that lives on its knees to politicians can not expect any better treatment than the plutocrats want you to have. the essential element of being a citizen of a democracy is being ready to fight to get there, and stay there. usans just wish their masters were 'kinder.' no fight in them, and you will see little kindness.
    1
  3950.  @pwilki8631  real egalitarians don't use caps.
    1
  3951. symptomatic of the empire crumbling. interesting times ahead, and climate crisis looming over all. so fortunate that usa has a group of philosopher kings guiding your destiny, the fruit of a constitution written by slave plantation plutocrats. [insert laughter here, optional]
    1
  3952. i want putin to win. he is unlovable, but he is resisting the expansion of the evil empire, on his own doorstep. try to remember, jfk threatened nuclear war, when khrushchev assisted the defense of cuba with a few missiles. and that was 200 miles of ocean away. but talking about ethics with the evil empire is a waste of breath.
    1
  3953. metric? last i heard, usa has no notion of the incidence, so no notion of the death rate. business, and wages are burning. so he's going sooner, rather than later. better to ignore the unknowns than endure the knowns. if yer a politician. if he guesses right, hero. wrong- it's their fault. 'their' to be selected at the time, those 35 medical advisors better have passport and travel maps ready.
    1
  3954. sanders won't save you, folks. even if elected, he won't save you. the system is rigged. it was designed to be run by the rich, and the design works. even fdr, with his 75% majority in both houses, couldn't, more likely didn't want to, establish democracy. so the rich waited him out, and began buying back their nation in the 60's. since reagan, plutocracy reigns again. bernie isn't gonna do that well, 'progressives' nowadays fear him, and the ex-working class have reason to back the republicans. not that they like trump, but they need to stick a finger in the eye of the 'progressives,' and trump is the finger. i f you haven't got sense enough to see the need for democracy, yer too dim to survive. you if haven't got the guts to get democracy, well, learn to enjoy life on yer knees.
    1
  3955. let me simplify: ukraine loves usa. ukraine has active nazi organizations. ukranine harbors about 25 bio-war labs for the usa. so i find myself sympathetic to russia and putin. it's not that i have abandoned my desire for democracy, it's that the enemy of autocratic russia is so much worse. let me simplify even further: since my naive participation in the vietnam war, i can resolve foreign affairs with this mantra - "usa bad! others better!"
    1
  3956. holding munitions shares is like a hidden tax relief, but needs military action and threats. peace will not happen.
    1
  3957. prosecute actions, not speech. allowing governments to define what can be said has maleficent consequences. but the lack of popular control allowed the flowering of the evil empire currently trying to dominate the world. and it also allowed poverty, drug addiction and violence to characterize the internal nature of the nation. chatting about free speech may pass the time, but since the people of usa have no control on the activities of the nation, it has no real significance beyond demonstrating a national psychosis, a bubble in space-time disconnected from reality.
    1
  3958. political education is needed for every american. the system put trump in charge, and you still haven't grasped that means the system is inadequate.
    1
  3959. this may be useful. red and blue states will meet covid in different ways, and may impel blockade at the state line. a step further and the civilized states could declare independence!
    1
  3960. it's nice to be reminded that reality as i see it is shared with others. but usa, its people, government and quite a few significant client states have imposed their view widely. the likely result is earth will join the great silence of our galaxy.
    1
  3961. i guess ditching the local chumps has been seen to be a bad look, after all. whoever runs the usg, not as certain or clear as you may imagine, they manage to combine ethical deformity wth intellectual incapacity, resulting in endless drain at the coal-face of violence. this might ultimately lead to revolution, but i see no sign of constructive elements in usa public life, so it's a: no change, or b: worse to come.
    1
  3962. foundation myths must be dispelled, since many or most are at least thinly entwined, from childhood indoctrination. but reality is simple. the fundamental question of every society is, "who decides?" or so aristotle thought, and wrote. seems good to me. let's extend; if every adult member of a society participates in decision, it is a democracy. if only a few, then it is 'oligarchy,' which simply means, 'rule by a few.' there are flavors of oligarchy, depending on which 'few' rule. commonly a group of army commanders, sometimes a group of bureaucrats. either group might be responsive to bribes, and their patrons might be a [hidden] few. capitalism is not a political system, it is just a euphemism for an oligarchy very responsive to bribery. the rich patrons of the bureaucrats rule not through debate, but with a phone-call. if you do not examine who decides and how, all discussion is pointless. you must turn attention to rulers, not talkers.
    1
  3963. right-wing populism is enlisting angry people in support of demagogues of the right. the right is committed to authoritarian rule, but they offer emotional participation in the management of the nation. that's enough for most people. the left is no better, their pitch is also simply, 'put me in charge, and i'll throw benefits to you.' right or more-right, the usa major parties are so degenerate that their campaigns consist of catch-phrases: "i'm not a politician!' or "he's a liar!" actual discussion of planned programs have disappeared. neither side offers anything substantive: the left could offer a real alternative, democracy. they would say, join me in creating a democracy, and you will own the benefits the nation can provide, by participating in the management of the nation. not many people have experience of democracy, a few usa states would be democracies if independent, the people in most just hope for a kind master. so long as most are satisfied with hoping for a kind master, no real progress can be maintained. bad masters come along at regular intervals, which is why usa is decaying.
    1
  3964. "they are not serious people." so you say. they are serious, so i say. they vote, they influence people who vote. unless you intend to conduct struggle for power with guns, then you must talk to people who will not listen. not to win them over, but to invite them to speak with and on your platform. it creates the impression you want to conduct society by talking. at the very least, you get moral authority. and there is a pleasant spin-off: andy yang can talk there and get favorable response. that's because he talks about ideas to help americans. he gets a favorable response on progressive venues too. same reason. that's why dnc ignores him. usa is not a democracy, and americans are not citizen quality people. no shame in it, it's history, it's culture, you inherited it. but you can only vote for people, so all politics is a struggle for power. in a democracy, you vote for plans, laws and policy, so politics is impersonal and questions can be discussed on their merit. too bad usa is not a democracy. elective oligarchy is hopelessly inefficient, and that is why the future is slipping away from america.
    1
  3965. the man who wrote the constitution thought the british common law was the greatest work of man. he created a republic as close to that monarchy as he could. so it is nothing new that trump might resemble a british king, why did madison support rebellion? because british common law was drifting towards making slavery unlawful.. so madison jumped ship, and created a republic much like britain in which slavery was lawful. it was a magnificent piece of weasel wording, in which 'slave' never appeared. and it achieved its goal, prolonging slavery for a further 70 years. madison died with a smile on his face, i'm sure. so did jefferson, who never ceased to spout progressive speech while never stinting himself on the fruits of slave labor. then there was the expropriation of native land, only complete when geronimo died in 1907, still a prisoner of war, and a money-making exhibit for his captors. the usa is just ordinary evil in its people, but wealth and military power in the service of greed have elevated it to first place in modern blights on the planet. hitler remains the devil for the foreseeable future, but usa has a lock on 'great satan.'
    1
  3966. Save time, blame USA for everything bad in foreign affairs. Things at home not good, either. Starving childen, giant fires, two idiot presidents in a row. Abandon hope!
    1
  3967. sound an alarm if this ever intersects with reality.
    1
  3968. if on the other hand, you look for lower dimensions, there is endless evidence. the breadth of politician lying by itself is more convoluted than string theory.
    1
  3969. mr. hartmann does not see the significance of aristotle's foundation observation in 'politics.' who decides? the people do not decide, they only pay. worse, they seem incapable of getting off their knees and announcing: "we pay, we decide."
    1
  3970. is norway a member of eu? not quite. clever norwegians!
    1
  3971. they don't serve national security interests, they create threats through aggression. tg is a politician and must lie about usa foreign policy to stay employed.
    1
  3972. the constitution does not deliver effective government. this should not be a surprise. trump is merely the latest example, and not the worst.
    1
  3973. strangely enough, i have read she is very popular with, and supported by, hindu nationalist organizations. perhaps they hope to create a hindu aipac. yang is not at all popular with capitalists- he is promoting socialism, even though he is careful not to say the word.  @cogentP 
    1
  3974. not to worry, some general will volunteer to extract him. then you will have a new worry. it won't come to that- trump is aware at some level just how paper thin his position is.
    1
  3975. i've been cashless in oz for a couple of years now. the future is rolling over us, and not all good. but convenient.
    1
  3976. if you imagine that the machinations of politicians in office have any connection to democracy, you are deluded. the people who wrote the constitution were clear, explicit, that the usa was not a democracy. it is an aristocracy, those aristocrats in senate and house control your life, and you can not prevent whatever harm they do. often they work in secret, so that you can not punish individual members of the elite through election. democracy is simple: the public service runs the nation, under direction of the electorate, through referendum and initiative. their activities are a matter of immediate public knowledge, so the citizen vote is informed. you have none of that. talk of 'american democracy' is delusional, and usually based on cynical hypocrisy.
    1
  3977. sanders is not a revolutionary, he's a politician. and you are not citizens, only civilians in an oligarchy. but keep waiting for godot, it passes the time.
    1
  3978. if you are too frightened to stop them, history will repeat. but the main problem is ignorance among the lower classes, and comfort in the middles. so far as i can tell, no one in usa knows what democracy is, or what it's virtue is, in consequence..
    1
  3979. perhaps china would not take an interest in the south china sea, if usa and its clients were not murderous war-mongers. china needs a buffer space to create time to react to rocket attack. the situation is much like that when ussr offered to base ballistic missiles in cuba. the usa took the other side of the argument then--- has everyone forgotten?
    1
  3980. it is the duty of corporations to maximize profits. complaining about profits is just cheap preening in front of cameras. if you don't like being gouged by corporations, establish democracy and socialism. if that is too hard for you, elect more people like aoc, and hope she doesn't morph into another pelosi. the important point is, just like other politicians, aoc doesn't say 'follow me and we will establish democracy.' she just says, 'vote for me, and hope i'm a saint.'
    1
  3981. it all boils down to aristotle, who decided to write a book about 'politics,' and discovered that the fundamental question was: "who decides?" who rules, in other words, but decides is better, because often a visible 'ruler' is relying on a clerk to inform him on what to do. by shaping the information, the clerk decides. aristotle came to the conclusion that democracy was the best structure of society, and i'm with him. unfortunately, it is not natural to human societies. we got our fundamental structure from the extended families that wandered around africa, eating roots and berries, and learning to throw rocks at predators. no democracy involved, the biggest males got between hyenas and weaker members, and presumably got first pick of females and provender. this generated bigger males, and more ego and arrogance. and yet, democracy works well in modern conditions, or so i suppose- there is hardly any in view.
    1
  3982. the stink is not trump. it is the political structure that resulted in trump being president. the usa constitution was contemptible at birth, since it was explicit in establishing a political elite to ensure the rule of wealth over the many. ethical people can not participate in the political system, for corruption is built in. what is to be done? i see no clear path to peaceful, fair and equitable society. you can't get there from where you are. my only remaining hope is that you don't burn down the planet in a vain attempt to hold power.
    1
  3983. so, the winner didn't get the bump from iowa, and late-arriving billionaires [so fashionable] are eligible in nevada. they must be really alarmed, not even trying to appear even-handed. i like to see ham-handed crookery, so even the slowest wit can see the rot. but in the end, you get the government you are willing to endure. and yanks will endure a lot so long as their masters assure them they need protection from godless socialism.
    1
  3984. no 'evolution' about it, ms aoc. the usa was designed to be run by the rich, and the design has worked well. it's revolution, or submission. revolution should be easy, but most of the privately owned weapons are in bubbaland, which loves fascism, under an american name, of course. sorry, lefties, you ain't got the moxie! or the guns.
    1
  3985. look at this nonsense below, and stop talking about evolution.
    1
  3986. i have lived long enough to hear prc instructing usa how to live. i wish it were that easy. but the usa is a very stable genius of a nation. it won't change until it breaks. i hope that is soon, because current performance is pathetic, and dangerous to the world.
    1
  3987. half credit for clear sight. 2nd half awarded if she got out of germany safely. no use being a martyr to a lost cause, it diminishes the gene pool.
    1
  3988. they are desperate to discover others are equally bad.
    1
  3989. educated adults might have decided the american political system was unfit for purpose. unless the education began with, 'selfishness is godliness'. some education, but that's the american heritage. there's no cure. i suppose the;r 'friends' will disappear as their power degrades. but such a large military has to be fed, and when you factor in climate change, canada will soon be joining the stars and stripes. perhaps greenland as well. not enticing now, but better every day.
    1
  3990. usa is at war with prc, by all means short of visible violence. never get between the very rich and a dollar, if there is any chance that more will be lost. prc means to lead the world, and probably will.
    1
  3991. must be heaven, surely. at my age any other 'attractor' has no charm.
    1
  3992. usa is not a democracy. politician rule is a variety of aristocracy.. they avoid prosecuting the other gang, on the hope their own crimes will be ignored. which is why nixon 'retired.' usa people deserve no better. ignorant lumpen-consumers will always be the door-mat of the rich, or generals, or priests. or even con-artists. see comments below--- plenty of discontent, but no statement such as "i am starting a citizen initiative to prosecute trump for treason." that's because you don't have initiative, and aren't citizens. unless cattle are citizens of their feed-lot.
    1
  3993. call in the chinese. i suspect they would be able and willing to stabilize the italian economy.
    1
  3994. see what happens when you let politicians run the show? if you would get up on yer hind hooves, you could 'baaa' for peace in concert and get it. cuz they're nothing without your submission.
    1
  3995. you see, there is a down-side to allowing politicians to rule you. they can be bribed, cheaply. and it's killing you. i wouldn't mind, if only you weren't insistent on calling usa a democracy. it's not only a lie, it's a lie with catastrophic consequences.
    1
  3996. not a grab, putin owns russia already. but perhaps a bit of re-organization and re-vitalization. just because putin is an autocrat doesn't mean he is some crazed fiend. look at it as a hobby gardener weeding and replanting for spring. the real crisis will only come when putin is very old, and perhaps losing his grip.
    1
  3997. first ask, can we abolish the monarchy? not without violent revolution. second ask, what would we get in its place? probably not democracy, as the british people are commoners still, and have no aspiration to citizenship. third, ask, perhaps better to emigrate, to a place with a better climate?
    1
  3998. i am one of the generation that is lucky to be old. still, curious to see as much as i can of the great unraveling. homer sap has not grasped the utility of democracy, so the alphas will continue looting the planet. 3 people own half the wealth of usa, seems insane, dunnit? well, it is social insanity. they already own their flight- home, in enzed. and enzed is putting up the barriers to immigration - bring money, lots. massive shift of population is the good news. there are one or two time bombs in the environment which may wipe us out. the alphas will still survive, in planet- bound 'space-ships,' but even that might not last any great length of time. homer sap needs a 'great leader' to create and implement a concerted plan to save the species. none in sight, and current 'leaders' are the problem, not the solution.
    1
  3999. xjp must be embarrassed, at least. not surprised if he 'retires.' but the chinese have had to develop a 'long view' in foreign relations, and they are capable of 10 year plans, or longer. politician-ridden societies commonly don't know what's happening now, and are often surprised by changes of course, or masters. so perhaps xjp will still be directing prc 5 years from now. certainly not true of biden, pelosi, maybe. 5 years from now, prc likely to be stronger, usa weaker. or ten years. cpprc will still be driving china, while no one can say who will be directing usa, or how well. and that's why xjp didn't shoot down pelosi's plane. he thinks he's going to win, so long as there is no war. he's probably right.
    1
  4000. well, no one owned an automatic rifle, so this is merely amusing. but are people angry from thwarted greed, or imminent starvation?
    1
  4001. half of humanity is to busy surviving from day to day, most of the rest see no harm in taking all they can get, a just reward for hard work or well-chosen parents. this place could be a venusian hell within 100 years. there is hope though, the looming economic collapse may win us some time to get wisdom. [insert maniacal laughter here.]
    1
  4002. what is wrong? the constitution. it was designed to enable the rich to rule the many, and it works. what's worse, electing a fairy godfather won't fix it. but an ignorant and passive populace can not organize a democracy, and it will not be given to you. so, you're screwed. blame james madison, and yourselves.
    1
  4003. there are no kurdish civilians. they all must fight to survive. they have been screwed by everyone since the brits and french shared out the middle east after ww1,
    1
  4004. funny, ozgov perfectly comfortable about parking nuke subs off the south china coast. maybe a prc base in the solomons will give them some insight into the notion 'as you sow, so shall you reap.' rather reminds me of the time ussr thought to install missile base in cuba. suddenly usa realized missiles in turkey were not all that good of an idea. some people never learn, until the bombs actually fall.
    1
  4005. difficult to expel a person chosen by ballot. but that's only one problem presented by elective oligarchy. a worse one is the willingness of the people to accept 2nd class status. you've heard of democracy, i presume, yet you let politicians rule you.
    1
  4006. voting for people is insane. voting for plans, policies, activities- is democracy, assuming the result is binding. but usa remains in the middle ages, locked in by its history, and the resulting poor management is why china and india are going to be humanity's leading societies. not an immediately attractive prospect, but simple reality. hell, even e. u. might ease into 3rd spot. the candidates don't have positions, just lies, chosen for ease of exposition. even forrest gump knew this much: "you never know what yer gonna get." but yer average american ain't as smart as forrest. and american talkng heads not much better, but they have to say something, they don't get paid for silence.
    1
  4007. the cops know whose fault it is, as much as anyone, but admitting they are cowards unsuited to conflict employment would lead to unemployment. easy to despise these cops. but the people who support them are no better. in fact, usa society is a social sewage pond..
    1
  4008. 250 die from poverty. is that in every state, or every city.
    1
  4009. can't fix the root cause, too hard. so people talk about superficial stuff, some useless, some better than nothing. nations accumulate myths and culture, often called history, but with little connection to reality, the resulting inflexibility leads to decay, perhaps dissolution or even conquest by more effective neighbors. not every story has a happy ending.
    1
  4010. in a real democracy, the public service runs the nation, under direction of citizens through referendum, and initiative. politicians are in history books. of course, that needs citizen quality people.
    1
  4011. /theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/ no one is all good. tg might have too much bad.
    1
  4012. i occasionally describe american politics as 'kabuki,' because both are stylized nonsense. but that's unfair to japanese art, because it's art, while usa politics is a chaos of meaningless noise hiding corrupt power play.
    1
  4013. 10 pounds in 3 days? why waste time with youtube or physics - the fast money is marketing this disease.
    1
  4014. not designed. just the natural consequence of history and human nature. socialism is necessary, to fit our population to available and sustainable resources. democracy is necessary, to ensure the nation is conducted for the benefit of all. is it possible, for homer sap to get and maintain democracy? on present evidence, no. and we don't have much time to improve. the elite is raping the planet, and it cannot endure much longer.
    1
  4015. just for a moment, let's everyone assume that capitalism as practiced in the usa is [evil] put your own 'bad' adjectives, i like 'evil.' so what? are you gonna start a citizen initiative to begin reform? no yer not. there is no citizen initiative, and you are not a citizen, just a civilian, chump for short. so what? are you gonna organize a revolution? nope, good game on tv tonite. are you gonna organize a [would-be] citizen action group, to explore ways to get democracy without shooting? well, maybe, but i see no signs of such intent, much less activity. all i see is a video of mutual hand wringing, done for cash. plutocracy infects every public activity in the usa. food is crap, nowadays? there is considerable evidence. but so is politics, so is the vacuum where other societies have community spirit, and foreign affairs? just naked greed carried on the arms of special forces, known in my youth as 'bandits.; why should you have decent food, when your army is spreading death by bayonet and drone bomb, hired assassination and poison dust? you are ruled by hyenas in expensive suits, under rules set down to extend the stink of slavery, and make eternal the rule of wealth. and the only smell you can detect is maybe the hotdogs aren't healthy?
    1
  4016. i am beginning to take a biblical perspective on the usa: "burn down their cities, plow their land with salt, kill all the people [except a few lissome maidens, even biblical prophets had to have some me time ] and forbid any further promoting of coca-cola. american ex-patriates who happen to be living in civilized nations can be dealt with as individuals, many left to escape responsibility for the crimes of their nation. trump, or biden. what kind of political system serves up two such champions for public consideration? well, there is some resemblance to early imperial rome- the chaotic stage with rapid turnover.
    1
  4017. this removes any incentive for germany to disturb the usa control of nato. indeed, all of north europe is going to have a cold winter. but they will survive, and sever connection to russia. smiles at langley, the actual masters of usa foreign activity.
    1
  4018. no one in the usa is promoting the writing of a new constitution, establishing democracy. to my mind, the failure of 'progressives' in the usa would be contemptible, unless it is possible to call oneself 'progressive' while being ignorant and self-satisfied. then it is merely laughable.
    1
  4019. calm down, make a cup of cocoa. the world is filled with ice cars and trucks, and most will still be on the road in 10 years time. the expense of infrastructure replacement, the unwillingness of politicians to disturb mighty corporations, the simple fear of new in the general population will prolong the way things are done. which is too bad - environment is already collapsing, and ice engines are a big part of the poison.
    1
  4020. it's hard, being a politician that is simultaneously dim, ugly, and come to office because the more presentable were in office, when the great blight of '22 happened. full marks to dutton for carrying the banner forward when all hope is lost. unless, this is the only job he can do. people submit to politician rule out of habit. this is a non-survival oriented behavior.
    1
  4021. not the same script, if hunter biden is holding a position/salary as a favor to senior biden.
    1
  4022. i wish india was only crazy, but in fact the assault on reality is under direction of the usa, so i may presume modi sees some value in playing fetch-dog for usg. let's hope it does not end in tears, because india is playing in a league way above its capabilities, and usg has been known to throw its servants out of the sleigh when the wolves get close.
    1
  4023. yep.
    1
  4024. can't hurt. and if you use them to make bags for supermarket, it keeps on giving by getting plastic/fossil carbon out of the stores.
    1
  4025. obama was an empty suit when he ran for president, but the important point is, both major candidates are just puppets. when you have 2 empty suits, choice by complexion is easy. 'we haven't tried chocolate...' democracy is choosing laws, policies and actions, by referendum and initiative. voting for people is not democracy. enduring the lack of democracy deadens the spirit and dulls the mind. presumably that's why people talk about 'american democracy' as though there was such a thing.
    1
  4026. you can chat, you can whine, but you are not a citizen of a democracy, and you can not act. aoc might screech a bit for you, and that might make you feel better. but when you try to lodge an initiative you find there is no such thing. recall! whazzat? and nobody notices, and nothing happens, except saagar and krystal feel good, and get paid for feeling good. usa needs a revolution, and all they can come up with is "what's on yer radar? yer only real choice is revolution or emigration. i recommend enzed, but they are choosy, oz as a reasonable substitute.
    1
  4027. dr h, you are correct. i don't know enough about physics to laugh at content, but the presenter is charming, and frequently amusing.
    1
  4028. i should be grateful that i never had to earn a living in cosmology, and more grateful still that i didn't have to explain reality to passers-by. now, if i didn't have to experience reality, how much more rewarding life would be. you begin to see the charm, of religion, and opiate addiction.
    1
  4029. liberals say they need government, because they assume the government is working for all americans. this has never been true. it works for the rich. it was designed that way- it is not a democracy. the 50's was mildly populist, the result of measures taken after the great depression to prevent revolution, but more because ww2 production put everyone to work, and returning soldiers had to be rewarded. those brief improvements depended in part on a 90% marginal tax rate on the rich. when society stabilized in the late 50's, the rich began buying back their nation. you are now in the second gilded age. social collapse is imminent and the usa will not recover because there are no longer any reserves of natural resources, and the financial structure is floating on massive unsecured debt, the product of bandit wars and refusal to pay for war with taxes. the rich reward talking heads that explain away their blind greed, but reality will ultimately prevail. perhaps very soon- professor turchin thinks the next 5 years will be 'turbulent. so does anyone with any experience.
    1
  4030. certainly progressive. come from nowhere, in the last 40 years. peaceful? they'd like to be, they are winning the peace, hands down. which is why usa has declared war. only economic war so far, but if that doesn't work, they will discover a reason to 'save the people of _______' by invasion and occupation of china. insert ukraine or taiwan or anywhere. which is why prc talks a lot tougher nowadays, reminding the world they are not poor old iraq. the prospect of nuclear war is no longer unthinkable. the usg developed 'tactical' nuclear weapons for just this purpose. they yearn for winnable war. prc can hold off the evil empire only with city-eraser bombs and an effective delivery system. the orcs who run usa have an optimism common to sociopaths, but even they know there is nowhere to hide from 10 giant hydrogen bombs.
    1
  4031. this lady is chock-full of riveting dinner-table conversation, and sings well, too.
    1
  4032. how about- "let the citizens direct the nation?" it's called democracy, it leads to peace and socialism* and certainly ends the idiocy you currently are watching in the primary candidate selection. *probably. madison thought it would, which is why his proposed constitution promised democracy would not happen. he was right, democracy would lead to taxes on the rich being used to help the poor, and his constitution has limited this situation.
    1
  4033. i wish she was passionate about getting democracy. but instead, she is just saying that the system got it wrong this time. the system often gets it wrong, which is why china will be the next world leader, and soon.
    1
  4034. oh my! there are two of us, that have noticed. the swiss would disagree, but wisely keep their heads down.
    1
  4035. sorry, there is no democracy because growing up in elective oligarchies does not form 'citizen quality' character. passive submission does not even dream of democracy, thinking passive submission to the rule of politicians is democracy.
    1
  4036. gives you some hope for humanity.
    1
  4037. this may be truthful, and a rare source of pride, most of his scams fail.
    1
  4038. pompeo bringing democracy? still waiting for usa to be a democracy. while we are waiting, usa is bringing murder, bombing and invasion to the world.
    1
  4039. to be fair, biden might not even be consulted. the establishment is back in charge, and serves you right. you don't have to put up with this. if you had half a spine and half a brain, you could organize a voter action group to demand democracy, 'or else.' but the collective character of the usa voter is less than half of anything. but, please, try to stay out of iran? iraq is more than you deserve, afghanistan would be shameful, if anyone in usa had a sense of shame.
    1
  4040. looks like mayor pete is gonna save you from socialism. nick of time, too. this really is more entertaining than yer average celeb dance contest. about the same as far as politics goes, every one knows the handsome young outsider is going win in a final rush. the atmosphere would be tense in france, they know how to do rebellion there, even revolution, but usa has not yet grasped that the people running the nation are their mortal enemies.
    1
  4041. don't need taxes, do need democracy.
    1
  4042. no one who says she will protect you as soon as she is commander in chief should get anywhere near the whitehouse. usa has no significant foreign threats, except those enemies it has made by invasion and assassination. you don't need protection, you need jobs and health cover and education. bernie may be inadequate, but you have no one else half as good.
    1
  4043. if trump were at all competent, he would be a possible danger, but he is notably dim. the dangerous people are already in office. they might hang him, as an example to other outsiders. but your problem is not trump. your problem is the structure of the usa state, and the resulting character of the people who rule you. on a deeper level, even more true to say the character of a people who endure this type of government and the sociopaths who flourish in it, ensure the collapse of usa society. you looted a virgin continent, with no serious military threats and every natural resource, yet every city has areas you dare not go after dark. don't you realize you are doing something wrong? why do you have 'special forces?' that last nation to do that was the sonder kommandos of nazi germany. they are simply bandits, in your uniform. your politicians uniformly support this banditry. why do you put up with this?
    1
  4044. while usans are willing to tolerate politician rule, [ they call it 'democracy,' how quaint! ] they will be exploited. if you can't think, you must fight, if you won't fight, you must endure, if you can't endure, you will die. animal evolution is like that. usa is at the 'endure' level, death appearing on the horizon.
    1
  4045. if you get to an advanced age, and still don't understand the existence of greed and arrogance, enter religious orders, buddhism most suitable.
    1
  4046. You get the government suited to your level of political evolution. You think like commoners, you are ruled by politicians. you might think self-respect would lead to democracy, but so far something is lacking.
    1
  4047. the usa 'declared war' in 1949, have you forgotten? prc told the world it was communist, and usg went into frothing rage. then it defended s. korea from becoming part of 'korea.' and commissioned the army to advance to the yalu river to establish 'korea' too, only as a usa puppet. a little later on, macarthur made a public assessment of which 25 chinese cities should be nuclear bombed. prc by then came to the conclusion that it must have a credible and effective nuclear strike force, at whatever cost. there is zero trust in beijing, for usa politicians. with good reason. the people of usa would be wise to distrust their government too. plenty of reason there, as well. in some ways, prc is already stronger than usa, partly because they don't burn so much money on military matters. usa remains the primary danger to the world, and its sinking economic capability is beginning to raise the possibility of catastrophic war. vietnam, korea, iraq and afghanistan have taught them that having the best military, doesn't always get what you want. they have already demonstrated a willingness to use nuclear bombs as a tool of imperial dominance, they will do anything to own the world. fortunately, russia and china, together may frighten even the entitled masters of the 'free world' into simulated civilized behavior. fingers crossed, everyone.
    1
  4048. why are you laughing? you should be ashamed to allow politicians to rule you.
    1
  4049. i keep hearing 'democracy' in reference to usa, when it is not a democracy. if you don't know who runs your nation, is political discussion likely to be fruitful?
    1
  4050. should have more. usa less.
    1
  4051. when a scorpion such as mbs can roll the president of the usa, it is clear that the evil empire is losing its grip on the world. not a bad thing, by itself, but you have to wonder what new evil homer sap will devise.
    1
  4052. making the world safe for politicians has nothing to do with democracy. democracy is direction of the society by referendum, under the control of the electorate by initiative. you don't have democracy at the national level. since about half the states have some or all of the attributes of democracy, you can't plead ignorance. you are not citizens of a democracy, for lack of self-respect. or, more likely, out of contempt for others. either way, oligarchs run the place, and pretending otherwise will not save you from the next tyrant. trump was notably incompetent. he only came to power because the charade you call 'democracy' was so degenerate that the politicians thought they could stroll into office without effort or plan. the next one will be tougher.
    1
  4053. good news! usa has come to threatening mexico, instead of merely telling them what to do. this is a big crack in the wall.
    1
  4054. greed and arrogance are common in human society. the cure is democracy, which might even change human character over time. but getting democracy is hard, since the rulers of every society stamp it out wherever it appears. aoc talks a good game, and is presumably committed to doing what she can, rather than picking up a gun and proclaiming revolution. but revolution is necessary. no real progress can be made by legitimizing the organs of oppression through participation.
    1
  4055. people given a basic income show a tendency to get more education, and make useful things. but greed and arrogance are powerful motivations, towards satisfying selfishness. there's no doubt democracy and socialism produce a better society, for most people. but the incidence of would-be rich and powerful people is an endemic psychopathy which has crippled society from earliest days. not sure talking about this helps. discussion doesn't cure primal drives to dominance. best plan is to carry a gun, and shoot anyone you hear promoting anti-social ideas.
    1
  4056. dr h is beginning to remind me of voltaire. i suppose our society has some resemblance to 'ancien regime.'
    1
  4057. biden run? no. push a disability frame, possible. no talented person wants to be president, they are too busy being rich and getting richer. they can have a w.h. placeholder on speed dial if needed, although normally they 'have people for that.' neither trump nor biden are competent at anything, trump didn't even have what little it took to get elected, except hillary for an opponent. and in fact, she may pop up next time, won't she look good compared to what happened? but don't vote for her, she needs to make war for a second term. usa will continue to decay, no one in public life has a clue about how to arrest the decay, only revolution can save the evil empire from collapse. military coup is much more likely.
    1
  4058. on the side of the angels, but he sings to the deaf. usa needs a ghe guevara, john the baptist not good enough.
    1
  4059. don't blame trump or the republicans for the collapse of the working class. this began when deng xiaoping decided to show usa how 'capitalism' worked. the politicians and ceos that colluded with deng were not necessarily stupider than deng [but very likely] - they just saw no reason to plan ahead, since immediate rewards would come to them ,personally, resulting national disaster would be someone else's problem. that would be you. you see politicians ruining your nation, year after year, and go on voting for them. who is at fault? "fool me once, shame on you, ..."
    1
  4060. canada is participating in trade war through kidnapping. usa is contemptible, canada only slightly less so.
    1
  4061. if their mouth is open, they're lying. if yer listening, you do it fer money.
    1
  4062. ozgov under whitlam broke away from usa, and then bungled out of office. couldn't cope with the petrol squeeze from the producer nations. ever since, labor and liberal have been welded to the usa bum. in the long term this is likely to be a strategic mistake, but politicians don't do long term thinking. can't afford it. so ozzie 'special forces' go to nations the usa want to control, and help them do it. there is no national defense in this, this is greed and arrogance idirecting the service of men who like being uniformed killers. and a few women, too. of course, support troops get to learn a trade, very often. but the specialist shooters are there to kill. not nice people, no credit to oz. worse are the politicians who dispatch them for this genuinely dirty work. why do you let people like that run the nation? assange has become the man in the iron mask, not sure why he became a whistleblower, and he did it badly, but the whistle needed to be blown, and he has disappeared from view, in oz. oz politicians of every party truly are scum.
    1
  4063. just imagine that usa had citizen initiative. think what you could do, to make a better life for most usans. democracy is the only society not run by and for an elite, and yet, no no one in the usa suggests getting democracy. that is either terminal stupidity, or a whole nation of hopeless slaves. call it karma, for living in a nation begun to protect the wealth of slave plantation plutocrats.
    1
  4064. the purpose of the american constitution was to create a state in which the 'opulent' ruled the 'mob.' that's why it is not a constitution of a democracy. madison did not want his taxes spent at the will of the majority. this principle he sold to the grandees who controlled state congresses, the establishment of the constitution had nothing to do with "we, the people," that was just the first lie. rhode island did ask the people, who rejected the constitution. the other states accepted, and in the end, rhode island went along. neoliberalism is not new. it's just a euphemism for greed. the rich hate politics, which in principle is blind to wealth. so they promote the idea that less government is good government, which it is, for them. they like informal 'government,' secret meetings and money changing hands. nothing new about that. don't blame the rich for being hyenas. blame the poor for being sheep. both are doing what is natural, but it chiefly benefits the hyenas. open yer eyes, sheeple.
    1
  4065. in my lifetime, the most criminal president was g. w. bush. making war for profit used to be called 'banditry,' but the head bandit is walking around loose. of course, the war in viet nam had much worse consequences, but the blame is spread over three heads. trump is a crook like a used car salesman putting wood shavings in a worn-out transmission. kennedy, johnson and nixon performed mass murder, in varying degrees. trump is a trivial person, except as an exemplifier of ethical vacuity in the highest office in the nation. nothing new, there. usa was started as a device to continue african slavery and ethnic cleansing, all of those presidents would be hanged if they were not in public office, at the nominal choice of the usa electorate. doesn't reflect much credit on the national character, does it.
    1
  4066. none visible.
    1
  4067. still complaining about 'them?' if you had democracy, you could shape your nation so that all had an adequate share of benefit, none would be obscenely rich, and maybe wouldn't have to support a military bigger than the next 10 nations. so the weak link is not 'them.' it is 'us.' 'us' is many and if the usa people knew what democracy was, they could get it immediately - press a gun against the heads of politicians, and you have a constitution establishing democracy.
    1
  4068. should be 'hoist.' if you undertake to educate the multitude, be accurate, as they will rely on your words utterly.
    1
  4069. saves time. evidently american media don't ask impolite questions?
    1
  4070. they can know china, if they wish. there are many westerners in china now, lots of jobs for educated professionals. there are a few who maintain a blog, where you can get pictures and chat with chinese people, living a better life than ever before, and immensely proud of china's progress.
    1
  4071. of course not! that's my opinion, but it depends which language you speak. in american, of course it is! my opinion comes from history--- athens and all that. since the word itself comes from greek, and means 'of course not! ....but you shouldn't joke about important matters when young people can hear. democracy is our version of 'demos' and 'kratia' run together as the greeks did. it means 'citizen rule.' it doesn't mean politicians rule, it doesn't mean the rich rule. the greeks had plenty of words-- politician rule iis oligarchy, rich rule is plutocracy. but rich and politicians want you to think that their rule is the same as you rule [with other citizens ] only better, because you don't have to waste time thinking. they don't want you to think. think about that. so they created the phrase 'democratic republic' and gradually just let the 'republic' shrink. you don't have democracy. perhaps most of you don't even know what it is. certainly the usa populace is too ignorant to get democracy, even if it was explained to them. just asking this lead question is a nonsense-- the rich own you, plutocracy, and the politicians rule you, oligarchy. everyone knows this, where does the notion of democracy come from, ? it comes from systematic and sustained lies, i refer you to '1984'.
    1
  4072.  @Atmost11  yes.
    1
  4073. ipo should be written on a gravestone, in the blood of people killed getting and keeping command of oil.
    1
  4074. 'insult my prophet, and you insult me!' standard human reaction, if you have a prophet. and it's more widespread, 'insult my football team, and i will chastise you with a flying beer-bottle!' but the 'prophet' end of the spectrum is dangerous, wide-spread death and destruction used to result. fortunately, muslim nations tend to have few nuclear weapons, or none. even so, it is a mistake to be rude to the central figure of the 2nd largest religion on the planet. how these spokes-persons came to have an office in the bjp should be reviewed immediately.
    1
  4075. many good ideas for useful employment on a gummint payroll. but here's the thing. economists may suggest, but they don't rule. and the people they talk to don't rule either, since they are not citizens in a democracy. so the only suggestion worth a damn is, get democracy first! then we'll use initiative to do what needs to be done. it's not enough to know what should be done, if you can't do it.
    1
  4076. why should they? if you don't know enough to see the need for democracy, then the nation will remain the prize of the next person/group of incompetents or crooks.
    1
  4077. if you were smart enough to get democracy, you wouldn't have political parties. or politicians. but homer sap is not that sapiens.
    1
  4078. a nation of slaves must do as they are told. a nation of dimwits can't imagine not doing what the bosses say. a nation of ignorant, dim-witted passive couch-potatoes, will call themselves 'the land of the free.' don't complain about the politicians. they are few. despise your fellows for not being 'citizen-quality' humans. and yourself, of course. you could have democracy, without a shot-fired, if only you wanted it, and could organize a lot of other people with similar desire. and there's the problem--- you want someone else to rule you, of saint-like character, while you sit on yer ass and watch the ball-game. you think you deserve it.
    1
  4079. 1400 years?
    1
  4080. mr sirota is not looking at the big picture. all that is wrong with the usa is encapsulated in the constitution. it establishes elective aristocracy, from whence all kinds of evil flows. ms sinema is a trivial pimple on the face of a nation laboring under terminal cancer.
    1
  4081. why? because yer ignorant. visit shanghai or chongqing,and learn what big is.
    1
  4082. the creatures that make the decisions don't do the fighting. and they will be elsewhere when the bomb falls. which is why humanity better get democracy soon.
    1
  4083. the chinese have an old aphorism, "even a blind cat can catch a dead rat." being on the same side of a question as anti-vaxxers is embarrassing, but not fatal. you are venerable due to over-reliance on silicon editors, ignorance and cultural conditioning also causes venerability, too.
    1
  4084. and still 'venerable.'
    1
  4085. the whole nation is ignorant, brutal, racist, and at the top, a man who adds dim to the list. oh, and grossly self indulgent, you don't get a body like that by accident. or a comb-over. the youessofay has become a serial comedy, spiced up by cop murders, political murders, and the occasional war for profit. did i mention that the middles demand that workers stay home, in a society where health care and eating require work?
    1
  4086. a nation of slaves must bow when the chariots pass by. if you haven't got the courage to fight, you will work for the rich and their politician agents. in a web age, it is simple to get democracy,and use it to make usa a better place. all that's lacking is the character of the people- 'a nation of,,,'.
    1
  4087. in fact, gates was a ruthless businessman from beginning. part of usa culture, shouldn't blame him unduly. but he was never the kindly philanthropist that he spends money to shape in public opinion.. gates is just symptomatic of usa culture, as is the pathetic combination of submission, envy and anger that characterizes ordinary usans. you don't live in a democracy, you aren't, in general, of citizen quality, and a few such as mt dore make a living by rubbing yer noses in the unlovely mess that is is usa life. the passivity you see in these responses is the ironic outcome of a nation and culture born to make slavery survive a further 60 years. and gates is the inheritor and modern form of the slave plantation magnates whose "give me liberty or give me death" did not extend to their african slaves.
    1
  4088. if you don't have the courage to fight, it's no use having a second amendment. but usa basic problem is, not only is it not a democracy, its people are not citizen quality. whine and moan, they can do. organize and arm, that's too hard, and scary. the army of athens and helvetia were the citizens, and vice versa. there's a lesson there. democracy is never given to you.
    1
  4089. no use saying journalism needs to be protected, if you are unwilling to call for democracy. assange irritated the usa govenment who, through uk government, has kept ja in a box for years. likely he will be in a usa box, for years. this is the natural result of government, which likes to keep their nasty side secret. a democracy has to be run in public, so that its masters, the electorate, has the facts needed for decision, and can protect itself from over-ambitious officers of state. with no secrets, no need for censorship. no use complaining about government, the problem is in the people, raised to be cattle, and content with that status.
    1
  4090. china achieved a strong national government, of people determined to lift china into the front rank of nations. india is a collection of feudal fiefdoms of politicians whose only common characteristic is a burning desire to be in office. china reveres education, much of india reveres cows. the others have a fixation on a god with an elephant head. depends on which creature is pulling your plow, i suppose? china had communism, japanese occupation and usa investment. who would have guessed the result is contending with the usa for world domination? poor india only had animism and british occupation, neither of which greatly stimulated education or foreign investment. i believe modi is aiming at foreign investment, from usa, by acting as the local military stooge, in the struggle against prc. this plays to india's strong point, it is a practised military stooge, from long years of dying for the british crown.
    1
  4091. no elite likes democracy, and politicians will not hand over their power until they are forced to. since usans think voting for politicians is democracy, this will never happen. i'm sorry, folks, ignorant and dim will never have democracy--- that is a bi-partisan policy.
    1
  4092. there's a restaurant in l. a. waiting for him, and a place on the last plane out of ukraine. just so long as he bleeds vlad as long as possible. they have to promise and deliver an adequate reward for service, as there are many more wars to start, and many more stooges to recruit.
    1
  4093. china doesn't need western terminology. you are witnessing the ascension to power of a new dynasty, won by the pla, and administered by the mandarinate of the cpprc. china remains china. the base of their society is marxism, 'for chinese conditions,' and lately it has been performing wonderfully well. so long as they deliver a prosperous society, no one in china will give much thought to western labels and concerns. china is not much troubled by religion, and are flexible in consequence. mao brought independence, won with the gun, deng brought prosperity, largely by applying kung fu to usa investors. a natural child of suntzu, he induced usa to give him the tools to surpass usa. mao shook his head at deng's ideas, but at least was practical enough to keep him on hand for when economic kung fu became profitable.
    1
  4094. Actually, the Red army won, the liberation army inherited and protected.
    1
  4095. well, there were elections, and the baddies lost. and walked. not much resemblance to chile. cia growing soft.
    1
  4096. there can be no peace and justice from the usa, it is firmly in the grip of politicians who themselves owe their power and wealth to the even richer. i plead for the establishment of democracy, but 99 out of 100 usans think they have it, and the other one says 'no hope.' a populace of unthinking cattle, driven by agents of wealth into subsistence wages so that manufacturing jobs can be sent to foreign lands, for the further enrichment of shareholders, have no hope.
    1
  4097. India is not a democracy. It is an elective aristocracy. Big difference. It is not even a nation, more of an Empire of disparite duchies, held together by residual political mechanism of Britain's visit to the region. Little wonder that progress is slow or none.
    1
  4098. i wish it was the beginning of a new political movement. the laws create the culture, and allowed the small gains of the 30's to be washed away. the structure of the usa government were explicitly designed to give wealth power over people, and they visibly have worked to maintain that goal. still, no one in usa dares to suggest the necessity for a new constitution. worse, what passes for intellectual discussion does not even raise the question. what are the chances for progress? zip. in the 2 months since the previous post, no response. a nation of zombies.
    1
  4099.  @dinnerwithfranklin  never catch on. they don't mind talking, but they can't face the necessity of organizing, and demanding action, at gunpoint. mao made his share of mistakes, but he caught the kernel of transferring power- "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
    1
  4100. let's keep in mind that the plurality bernie wins is much less than the total for the establishment candidates, and as they drop out, their supporters will not go to bernie.. lt is looking like klobuchar made a good decision to hang around, even at the yang level, since biden's support has crumbled, and buttigieg is looking rancid. but it's still s celeb dance contest, a parody of democracy, 'suvivor' without the young bodies.
    1
  4101. the american companies can go back to usa, and sell in usa. but they want to stay in china and sell in china, they went there in the first place because market and labor better than usa. perhaps they would send a message to trump, educating him in this area. america is a bull in the spanish ring, picadors and bandilleros have done their damage, and the bull is near the end.
    1
  4102. aux armes, mes citroyens, ... france is as crooked as the rest, and the only cure is democracy. but that is too hard for homo sap. just can't quite get there. extinction looms, if we don't.
    1
  4103. it must be difficult to direct a nation, nowadays, when some nations take religion seriously, and some don't. and the more different religions involved, the more toes to step on. add in instantaneous sound and pictures, ahh, modern life. not so modern, really. the simple solution is to call for silence about religion, but the simple solution doesn't work. that's because many nations regard religion as central to life. islam blossomed as a warrior religion, 'good news, everyone, there is a god and we will teach you to worship him, with a sword.' it's likely that this message would still be collecting believers, except it turned out the devil is on the other side, and stronger still. conclusion? humanity is ruled by ignorance, and it will be the death of us.
    1
  4104. madison came right out and said, "accept my proposed constitution, and the new usa will be a wonderful place to live, if you are rich." i paraphrase, and i should add, "and white, and a man.." but that was understood. i don't know why murrikins swallow that nonsense about what a wonderful idea the constitution was. 230 years ago, not having 'milords' and kings was radical, but it's just medieval nowadays. so leaving usa is a no-brainer, if yer not rich. many better places, if they'll let you in. americans are not automatically welcome, everywhere.
    1
  4105. are prices rising? or is the value of a dollar falling. maintaining the world's largest military is expensive, and useless, except as a transfer device, taxes to dividends. usa is hopelessly corrupt, an austro-hungarian empire of modern times. let's hope it disappears as easily, but without a world war as a catalyst.
    1
  4106. you can't stop them. speaking out against such men, 'in usa, is a trade, provider of entertainment for the masses, a nice little earner. but it's not politics as pericles practiced, nor even che. there is no will behind it, beyond the desire for money, catering for a desire for another pastime. however pathetic he may be, trump is accustomed to doing things, the freedom of great wealth, so he bought a position at the top of government. what could be more american.? usans are just watchers, listeners, but have no power to do, in public affairs. not citizens, just inhabitants.
    1
  4107. reform of the usa constitution is next to impossible, but in a nation of gun nuts, there must be many who would love to bag a politician. one point for a representative, two for a senator, five for a president. extra points for difficulty, adjudicated by a panel of other gun nuts. relatively normal people could throw rotten fruit, in a junior league. but please no more whining about how bad trump is. he is your creature, american to his blow wave. if you won't act in either league, be silent in public. think of john wayne or gary cooper. did they whine? in public?
    1
  4108. this is just the restoration of the gilded age, and that is the glorification of wealth which madison aimed at in his discussion of the purpose of the constitution. there was a blip caused by the first collapse of the economic system in the 1930's, but ww2 saved the economy, and put usa on the path to fascist blend of money, militarism and jingoist de-education of the people. it is clear to me, that the total lack of any discussion of the failure of the political system to deliver sustainable and equitable lives to the people of the usa [they are not citizens, only civilians] means progress has stopped, fdr's 'new deal' was the best attempt at civilization in the usa, and it fell far short of the necessary revolution. america's current condition didn't start with reaganism, that was simply the restoration of the default condition planned by madison at the birth of the nation. the path ahead is well known. economic failure will be blamed on evil enemies attack will be masked as retribution and ww3/last follows. but the grandees at the top of america may be sane enough to realize they will not survive nuclear gotterdammerung. homo sap may draw back, and the grandees content themselves with domination of a much-reduced nation. less like britain, more like russia.
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  4109. looking for quality in a politician should be a matter of embarrassment, kept as secret as possible. but don't blame them - they see a good living in the profession and take it. the shame lies in the people that allow politicians to rule them. homer sap is a natural slave. it will be the death of us.
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  4110. was the taliban a usa creation? funded to trouble the afghan government and its russian patrons? i love the smell of irony in the morning!
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  4111. if the people are incapable of democracy, they will be ruled by an elite. in the usa, that elite has been the wealthy, 'shaping' the conduct of the office-holders. this is unstable, but usa has already been 200+ years with what is functionally plutocracy, so little wonder that cracks are appearing. the next phase will necessarily involve overt control of the people with violence - see the equipment of recent police forces. they are ready. the usa 'intelligentsia' is useless, long since co-opted into service to the rich. perhaps a cesar chavez will attempt resistance, but the usa army is a mercenary force nowadays, so they will fight for their paymasters, with splendid encouragement from the mass media. so who will save usa from descent into peronism? no one. the rich and their handmaidens in schools and media have created a people incapable of effective resistance. yer cooked. homo sapiens may also be done. what hope there is lies with prc and its supporters. maybe they can keep the usa from destroying the world. the irony of relying on a 'communist' scarecrow to save the world is not lost on me, it is just pragmatic judgement. the smart money is on emigration, to mars. elon is not as crazy as you think.
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  4112. any nation that can elect a dubya or a trump to be king for awhile has no future, and usa is paying the price for being a society created to preserve slavery. yang would be very unlucky to be elected, he would die of frustration and rage. usa started with great resources, safe borders and unlimited energy. planning not necessary. but it's become a small world and a nation with no capacity to plan past the next election will have a grim future.
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  4113. this is a war between russia and usa, prosecuted by usa through ukrainian stooges. there would be no war, if usa did not direct and fund it. cia has kindly explained what they have done, in picking targets and supplying suitable arms. difficult to feel sorry for putin, but in fact his role has become the last war chief of the [native american] indians, transposed to eastern europe. perhaps the russians will end up on nato reservations, but they are stronger than the comanche. more important than this report, by far, is the news from moscow, that the victory day speech from putin was essentially submissive. no ww3, in immediate view.
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  4114. Once you grasp the reality that usg is the core of the evil empire of modern times, you will cease to be stunned. Really, you get used to the lies..
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  4115. Good review. The Japanese bit off more than they could chew, but really had no choice after crimes in China. The Germans were led by a maniac, but one with combat experience who was sufficiently confident to bring the high command with him into France. When France fell apart, Hitler looked too good to oppose. Perhaps if France had been tougher, the generals would have deposed Hitler.f
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  4116. i think usa must have new client states to bleed, at regular intervals. unfortunately, average homo sapiens survives by letting the elite harm 'someone else.' it's quite like the relation of wildebeest and hyena. the 'beest could make hyena extinct in an afternoon, but it suits them to see others slaughtered. allowing the elite to have their way can only end in nuclear armageddon, and screwing with vlad looks like precisely the end of the world, "prelude."
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  4117. 'democracy' is a polity in which the citizens decide the major questions concerning the nation. "plutocracy' is a polity in which the rich decide the major questions concerning the nation. i paraphrase aristotle, but he coined the phrases which we use today as our political vocabulary, so i think his usage deserves respect. the usa is an elective oligarchy [aristotle, again] that is responsive to the wishes of the rich. simply think how much politics revolves around large amounts of money. think also, that ordinary people have no input about the management of the nation. usa is no kind of democracy. referring to it as any kind of democracy pollutes the language, in that way george orwell labelled 'doublethink.' when someone refers to the usa as any kind of democracy, they are lying to you. why would they do that? people who think they have democracy will not struggle to get it.
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  4118. the only practical benefit of this channel is to establish that reality is more complex than i can understand. fortunately, the hard part has little or no visible relation to my life. so, i can be a little humble, yet relaxed. time spent here has medicinal value.
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  4119. the founders intended that the rich should rule, unimpeded by democracy. don't know if this guy is ignorant, or paid to lie.
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  4120. the purpose of the democratic party is to employ and enrich democratic politicians. suppressing the green party is sensible, from that base. if it upsets you, you are living in fantasyland. if you haven't got sufficient brains, character and education to understand the difference between democracy and rule by the democratic party, then you deserve trump. if you assume the electorate of the usa is too dim, ignorant and/or lazy to get or use democracy, which is the initial assumption, then why worry about trivial variations between which crook rules you?
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  4121. the usa is not a democracy, its institutions are those of elective aristocracy, in the service of plutocrats. you elect your 'kings' but that is not democracy. democracy is rule by the citizens, through referendum and initiative. they do it in california, and a few other states. why not in the usa?
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  4122. doesn't anyone in usa realize that congress is not their friend?
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  4123. because they were white.
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  4124. Rats! I thought USA was rotten, and you tell me now it's is slightly worse. I am sending My boy scout sash back to hq.
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  4125. where is this democracy? pelosi is notably crooked, and may be trying to deflect attention from current investigation of her family finances.
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  4126. THE FALL OF THE US EMPIRE By Vassillis K. Fouskas and Bulent Gokay dense at times, but excellent survey of where the world is, and how it got there. get a copy if you can.
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  4127. brazil has never been a democracy, and often has been a military dictatorship. bolsonaro was a minor figure in the last one. you might say he has restored default conditions. but, he won an election. the other guys didn't deliver, for enough people. you can't create a democracy from illiterate descamisados. one can reasonably forecast a bright future for bolsonaro, he will win any future elections easily, or not bother with them. the rabid right in the usa will love him and defend him. too bad for brazil.
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  4128. just holding disparate states and cultures together is difficult, but there is something more that keeps india backward. i compare with prc, who have had much greater success over the same time period. the brits were not helpful, but the japanese much worse. and india hasn't had the usa trying to throttle them, for most of the post war era. i suppose the brits could be blamed for the ineffectual public service, and corrupt political caste? but what would india be without them? native culture was not notably progressive.
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  4129. of course you don't have democracy. the activity of the nation is not directed by referendum and initiative. voting for people is not democracy, it is aristocracy with civil war evolved into elections. instead of hiring soldiers, the would-be aristocrats offer bribes to the civilians. anyway, madison explained that democracy would lead to the taxes of the rich being spent on the concerns of the poor, which is why his proposed constitution prevented democracy.
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  4130. despair is sensible, because the usa is designed to be out of reach of the ordinary person. it is an [elective] aristocracy, almost always in the control of wealth. but young people want a future, and old people must make a contribution to getting that future. mr sanders has done what he can, and seeks the power to do more. but i believe his efforts are misdirected. humanity needs democracy, not old rulers, even if those old people are occasionally well intentioned. it's not hard to get democracy, it only needs a lot of people signing a declaration demanding an accessible and effective power of citizen initiative. a concluding 'or else' statement will concentrate the minds of politicians. are there a lot of people who understand the need for democracy? if not, not bernie nor superman, can help you.
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  4131. there is no danger to democracy when you don't have democracy, and presumably don't even know what it is. trump is some danger to the empty myths americans like to use, to justify poverty at home and murder abroad. trump is rightly contemptuous of the people who put him in power- the democratic party, as they call themselves. he is rightly contemptuous of any american who despises democracy while purporting to defend it. trump knows what his nation is, sociopaths like himself or hypocrites who wrap themselves in various virtues while screwing the poor and murdering for profit abroad.
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  4132. minimum wage laws are a mixed blessing. do little for homeless people unless they have a job. california has a 'democratic' constitution and this has encouraged some socialist law-making. result is to encourage the unemployed to move to california, over-loading the welfare system. it also encourages employed people to move to other states with lower taxes. the federal constitution prevents democracy and socialist policies, which limits what individual states can achieve. the obvious solution for states like california, with a 'democratic' constitution, to band together and secede from the usa. can't think why they haven't done so, long ago.
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  4133. i can admire ja a little, he is brave, and on the side of the angels. but! he knows better than most the quality and reach of the people he was defaming. strutting around stockholm enjoying the groupies was not survival- oriented behavior. all that can be said about his fate is, if you are thinking about crossing the usg, wear a mask, or get a p. r. and stay in china.
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  4134. usans are finally paying the price of submissiveness. you allow politicians to rule you, they find it profitable to serve the rich, and the rich always want more. there is such a thing as democracy, and if you had it, you could use the power of citizen initiative to make the nation a livable place. but you don't do it. it needs initiative in the people, and energy, and courage. but you remain on your knees. instead of getting together in demanding democracy, you remain passive, and hope some kind master will screw others first. no future in that.
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  4135. Subsidizing free standing homes seems unfair to apartment dwellers.
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  4136. news flash, yanks! you put up with a crooked and obsolete political system, this is the result you get, and deserve. you have some democracy in usa, scale up the california constitution, use citizen initiative to shape a national democracy. or sit on yer collective bum and complain- yer choice.
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  4137. this is not an appropriate question. better would be, "do you trust the people who rule usa to act in your best interest?" if you answer 'no!' then the discussion can begin. if you answer 'yes, ' discussion is useless, for you are an ignorant fool. they are not your friends.
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  4138. prc should send a substantial naval visit to cuba and venezuela, perhaps with stops in south america along the way.
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  4139. admit it - yer ear felt unscratched.
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  4140. it wasn't citizens united. it was the constitution, madison promised the constitutional convention that his proposed constitution would preserve the rule of wealth over the landless many. and it worked. not by magic, but by concentrating power in a few hundred people, and bribing them. they in turn gave you the citizens united decision. that is why you must have democracy. by spreading the power of decision into the whole electorate it becomes impossible to buy decisions.
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  4141. good report, mr j, i wish i thought it would prevent war. can't hurt, i suppose. but the usa government is simply evil. sold their soul to the devil, because the price was attractive. there was never a day when there was hope for usa, it was born to preserve slavery, exterminate the natives, and ensure the rich ruled. prc is run by humans, but currently they are the only power that can resist usa with effect. we everyone should do what we can to ensure usa feels too weak to attack china, your efforts are in the right direction, 加油
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  4142. how come 30% of american families need food stamps to feed their kids, while working 3 jobs?  GR Reed 
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  4143. the news is mixed, which is depressing, until you soothe yourself with the reflection that until recently, the evil empire inspired widespread submission. 'cracks in the wall' is reasonably good news.
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  4144. and the germans were much better soldiers. beaten by numbers and munition production by ussr, with some help from usa and brits.
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  4145. biden looks good, actually, compared to trump. but where trump was a dim-witted narcissist, inside he was insecure, even fearful. so he didn't start ww3. biden, unfortunately, is dim and senile. might not be as worried as he should be about telling xi and putin what to do. a measure of a society's decadence is the caliber of its nominal leaders. on the plus side, xi and putin can be confident that mere patience is going to re-arrange the global power. no shooting required.
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  4146. easy to admire people who resist governments. but it is futile. if you want to change things, throwing a rock through the window of cia hq is not constructive. save your admiration for someone who can organize mass resistance, of such weight to compel change. is there such a person, or group? so far, no. mao and ho made things happen in their nations, but the usa does not have their equal, or simply differing societies have different capability for change. usa was locked into a dysfunctional world view at birth, and may be doomed by it.
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  4147. only democracy can hope to require truth, because only the people have an interest in truth. in every elite society, part of the means of a few ruling many is lies and limited education. this kind of question is always answered with 'they oughta...' 'they' won't. you have to do it, by getting democracy. while you allow elites to rule, you will suffer.
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  4148. what was this russian influence? the release of facts about the clinton campaign may have changed some votes, but is this a bad thing? is the truth a bad thing? clinton didn't lose because of russia, or wikileaks, or assange. she lost by raking in money from addresses to bankers and brokers and ignoring exworkers in exdemocratic states, rust belt land.
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  4149. the fact that trump came to power by legal, formal, means should enlighten usa that the constitution is obsolete. but there has been no discussion above school-yard name-calling, which suggests that growing up in the usa does not develop citizen quality inhabitants. certainly, the office holders are no better than the passive civilians they 'represent,' and the supremes are useless too. the whole society is rotten, public, parties and officers of state. "what is to be done? said lenin. turned out, he didn't know. nor does any usan. i suggest that you can't get anywhere, from here- go back and start over. but you will do nothing but argue about the respective virtues of biden and trump, when you should be seceding from this vile federation. in short, you deserve a trump, and there will be worse soon.
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  4150. clearly chileans are more politically advanced than usa. nothing like overt dictatorship to educate. but usans seemingly will never learn. there was a genuine 'progressive' movement in the usa about 1900, when several states re-wrote their constitutions, establishing various levels of democracy. california in particular is a real democracy. referendum in constant use, initiative and re-call as needed. if it were independent, it would be about 5th biggest economy in the world. you might think other u.s. states would want to follow. unfortunately, places like mississippi are firmly in the grip of local gangs, known as 'political parties.' and these states collectively allow national gangs, known as 'political parties,' to suppress any real democracy in the management of the nation. it's a very stable nation, usa. controlled by a mafia, known as 'political parties.' congratulations to chile, let us hope they achieve democracy. but that would only be the 2nd democracy in the world, and chances a slim. as long as the cia exists, slimmer still.
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  4151. rand paul hates the government. prof wolff ignores the government. is he an anarchist? but most of us live in the real world were national societies have a government. the government is the answer to aristotle's famous foundation statement, on which politics is built: "who decides?" his answer was various officers of state, oligarchy, or the citizens, in a democracy. usa is a variety of oligarchy, more precisely, it is an elective aristocracy. the officers of state 'decide.' not the people. and that is why, among other disasters, not many workshops are co-ops, and jeff bezos can be the richest man in the world. worse yet. a dim-witted narcissistic buffoon can briefly be ceo of the nation, and nominal commander in chief. not because people like him or respect him, but because the ruling elite are so hated that any public figure not a politician, even a trump, can seem like a useful choice. why don't you have democracy? because the people of the usa are still living on the 1600's, + technology. they regard politicians as aristocrats. a measure of their own debasement.
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  4152. relax, he's obsolete. decisions are made elsewhere, and have no connection to usa public opinion. have you figured that out? you can vote all you want, your masters will do what they want. maybe no interest to you, but right now they are daring 2 big nuclear powers to resist usa plans. if the bombs fly, yer gonna wish you at least made a protest. if you don't, you can only blame yerself.
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  4153. for many years, usa did all it could to limit trade by china, or cuba, while saying, "look how poor they are, their governments are no good.' it now appears that the government of the usa is no good, and they complain bitterly about china cheating. china owes nothing to the usa, and the usa deserves any treatment they get. indeed, these complaints by the clown in the oval office probably inspire smiles around the world.
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  4154. socialism without democracy is a car without an engine. if you get democracy, you can use citizen initiative to shape your nation as the citizens direct. without democracy, you only get welfarism, as much as politicians think is good for them. in usa, very little. but how to get democracy? just sit on yer ass and wish hard. to be a citizen of a democracy requires people with education and character. damn few, in usa, so nothing will happen, in a nation of wishers. usa was born to protect the rich from the poor, and extend the use of slave labor. modern usa is an accurate reflection of that beginning. abandon hope.
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  4155. the virus will continue to mutate. extremely virulent strains will thin out the human race, until the remainder are immune. just what we need, although not many realize it.
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  4156. it's amusing to listen to americans talk about money in elections. twice as funny to hear them refer to 'american democracy' in the same sentence.
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  4157. the good news is, sanctions are ineffective. the bad news is, usa will move on to war. oh, already doing that.... hmm, perhaps if we give zelensky a few nuclear weapons...?
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  4158. unlike in usa, prc plutocrats are very polite to gov officers. where in usa, plutocrats hire and fire politicians, in prc, the personal freedom of even the richest can be curtailed at any time. and for cause; you can't get from 1990 to great wealth without crookery, and they every one know they are fragile flowers. several have disappeared from public view, most notably 'jack' ma, but many others, and a few got a bullet in the brain as well. prc has economic problems, and many of those are caused by the recent discovery by usa that feeding the tiger makes it stronger and usa weaker. prc will need good management to surmount problems, internal and external. but they have good management. compared to western nations, and particularly usa, very good management indeed. the notion of an internal market replacing foreign trade is plausible in theory, but needs a plan for stasis, since you can not feed a growing population on limited land and resources. prc is better placed to attempt this, but threats from abroad demand a growing military capability, which ruined the ussr. presumably usa is beating the drum for that reason. xjp may have trouble getting to sleep, but usa is nominally directed by a man who can't stay awake in public. the gray people who pull his strings can have no motivation but their personal position, because their life depends on giving great thought to simple office connivery. which hand would you rather play?
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  4159. once again, no 2nd referendum, because there has not been a 1st referendum. there was a plebiscite, and the difference is that a plebiscite is not binding. but the word is never seen in britland, as it points out that you are a pleb, not a citizen. sorry, there you are- a pleb. the real people, the grown-up people, the people who matter, sit in parliament. you are not one of them, and your opinion doesn't matter. not legally. but telling you to your face that the plebiscite was just a clever politician's ploy, that happened to get the wrong answer, well, even cattle can be dangerous if insulted. will there be a 2nd plebiscite? i don't know. would it get a different answer? i don't know. maybe no one knows the answer. britland is in a froth, because some politician tried to quiet opposition in his own party. hell of a way to run a nation, but primitive people must expect primitive masters. all in all, one must wonder if the arrow in alfred's eye was not an eternal disaster for residents of the british isles.
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  4160. it's widely believed that biden will win, so long as he says very little. already a trump possibility, but the bigger question is, biden wins, are you better off? your political system was devised to enable slave plantation plutocrats to govern the nation, and it worked very well, as 4 of the first 5 presidents were such people. the odd man wrote to jefferson and crawled for his support, promising to do nothing to constrict the 'peculiar institution.' well, slave plantation grandees don't rule now, but their inheritors in banking and commerce do. and the common people are wage slaves. things aren't going to get better without revolution. so amuse yerselves with pop culture politics, but the bankers still own you.
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  4161. who is guilty of treason, and how do you know? in civilized society, arrest and trial precede sentence.
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  4162. calm yourselves. usa in death throes. no pretense to civilization. in actual fact, the human race is bifurcating, winners and losers, winners will eat, losers not much. may have to review that h. g. wells novel, i think the losers start eating the winners, in the deep future.
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  4163. 加油
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  4164. mr hedges is mistaken. political parties are concentrated power,and attract bribery inevitably. since their purpose is to put individuals in power, compromise is inevitable. the attractions of office erode any original virtue, history is littered with examples. which is why only actual democracy has any hope for sustained management of society in the interests of the people. the democratic party started off as the party of the 'landed interest' in post-revolutionary usa, the 'yeoman farmer' whose interest actually shielded the slave plantation plutocrat, the first ruling elite of america. parties have no lasting ideology- look at the 'communist' party of the prc. which now finds allowing some to get get vastly rich is a good thing. and that is why mr hedges and many others, can talk forever without result: if you want general prosperity, you need diffused power, aka democracy. any concentrated power will soon have concentrated wealth, visit beijing and shanghai, if you need convincing.
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  4165. what can you do about it? got a citizen initiative handy? could beg your rep for action, but your rep, in general, is how you got here in the first place. besides, they shouldn't listen to you, a single person pleading for special treatment. no on owns usa democracy, but if you can find, take it home and feed it for a pet.
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  4166. of course they can. but will they tolerate governments that create this condition? probably. war is likely to result, nuclear conflagration to follow. but look on the bright side: reversion to hunter-gatherer society might preserve the chance of a second flowering.
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  4167. i think i am unlikely to meet a tau neutrino, or at least recognize it if it bumped me. i have decided that everything is made of primordial 'goo,' distinguishable only by the speed and direction and size of local turbulence. whoever wins a nobel through bringing this observation into scientific rigor, don't forget to mention my name.
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  4168. the democrats never had democratic ideals. they are a political gang. their goal is political power, and resulting wealth. the republicans are completely different: their goal is wealth, and resulting political power. they are a gnag, completely different. now that you are clear about that, google 'secession movements in usa' and promote the one you think least looney. the trouble with growing up in a plutocracy is that the real power is informal, and the actions of the formal state consequently follow seemingly illogical patterns. result: ignorant and mystified people. recently, bloomberg stepped out of the shadows and commenced to buy the presidency. just a pastime, apparently, as he was completely unprepared for the dance routines politicians traditionally use to display their feathers. nonetheless, here is 'real' plutocracy, and many watchers simultaneously laughed at his ineptitude while applauding his public spirit. here was a champion for sacred capitalism, just when biden and buttigieg were seen to be inadequate.
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  4169. but this is asking a cat to bell itself. useless.
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  4170. don't get excited about aoc. red-hots have controlled congress before, in the 1930's, and nothing came of it. that's because they did not not use their brief period of power to re-write the constitution, into democracy. consequently, the rich began buying back their nation in the 1960's, one politician at a time. it will happen again. politicians always think of getting power for themselves, never think of transferring power to the electorate.
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  4171. the most important thing was that afghan farmers had a ak47 and an aversion to foreign dominance. the swiss were absolutely surrounded by the axis and under continual attack, yet survived free and independent till the axis was beaten. the swiss national militia prevented immediate invasion, their airforce was effective against nazis and allies, and almost all swiss subscribed to the principle of 'free, or dead.' 'compelling ' nations only works if the people are unarmed, or unpatriotic. the taliban are unlovable, but it's their nation. the vietnamese held off the best of usa and it's clients, and the french before them, because they had weapons and an aversion to foreign rule. give these people's credit: they didn't win because their attackers made mistakes, they won because they had the means and courage to fight. usa will explain its failures as the weakness of 'someone else.' but usa is an imperial aggressor, and its failures owes most to its own moral corruption.
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  4172. who will watch the watchers? an eternal problem, for which there is only one solution: democracy, and its consequent requirement of public and timely record of public activity. no secrets. usa is vulnerable to coups and civil war, simply because the constitution does not establish democracy. the people are trained to passivity, and do not have organs to make their wishes decisive. the swiss have citizen initiative, small professional army, and a national militia. this has supported an independent and cohesive state for about 150 years, the only democracy in the world. usa since vietnam has only professional soldiers, no initiative, and a long history of mutual suspicion of the latest immigrants, and a festering sore of racial history. a coup would be welcomed by enough to make military rule easy. but the civil government will remain in place, while the plutocrats fear the generals, and can buy them. as they should- it won't be president gabbard in 2020, but it might be generalissimo gabbard in 2040.
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  4173. well, not to worry, mar-a-lago well protected, and even rocket attacks unlikely to succeed. so el maximo presidente is secure and directing the defense of america with all the combat experience he needs: pompeos guiding hand up his dress.
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  4174. there is a basic flaw in homer sap. we have a naked ape brain with which to manage a world-girdling society, are driven by animal instincts with electronic communication and nuclear destruction as tools to realize our desires. prognosis: terminal.
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  4175. very useful. once i despaired of h. sap. ever getting any significant democracy, i quickly came to the realization that if it must be oligarchy, better to recognize and support the currently most successful. 'success' being a decent standard of living for the people, and legal freedoms sufficient for productive and rewarding life. prc is way ahead, right now. usa was never as good, and is visibly decaying into brutal plutocracy at home, imperial murder abroad. we may expect prc wins the struggle for world leadership, because they have very efficient state directed by smart people who intend to reach that goal. the tension in this documentary arises from the struggle of the usa plutocracy to hold their dominance with military measures. [aukus?!] everyday, new excitement!
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  4176. 'occupy' might have made people feel good, but it changed nothing. there's two ways to change society, shooting is second choice. first choice is to change the law, starting with the constitution. get democracy, use citizen initiative to shape the society by majority opinion. how to get democracy? depends on how many people want it. needs more than half, doesn't it? still, the web makes peaceful change easy, if the people want it. turn elections into a referendum: tell a candidate to publicly state support for a constitutional change to democracy. will this work? why not find out. my own experience is 'no,' and consequently usa will continue sliding into political decay. but i hope i'm wrong.
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  4177. as usa loyal dog, india is trying to peel iran away from prc. not sure iran will welcome this outreach, but nation's do change policies. look at india, now dependent on a smiling usa to give their people some sense of security in a world that is outpacing india every day. it hasn't always been a fan of usa, do you remember?
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  4178. do you think charles is unique? kings commonly act like this. and rich people. especially if very rich, by inheritance. an unhealthy situation, but that's homer sap, for you. the real pity is that kings and plutocrats could be gone in a day, if homer could organize. in the meantime, some poor brit earns a crust by wiping charles's ass.
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  4179. you don't have democracy, you never did. why worry about 'losing' it? the word means 'citizen rule,' and you don't even know what's going on, much less contribute to national direction. anyone who implies you are losing something you never had, is part of the problem. if you don't see clearly, it's hard to think clearly. polluting the language is a primary tool of rulers who want to stay on top without gunfire.
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  4180. credit where due, you may think. but bernie doesn't rely on jewish votes, or jewish money. a great many politicians do. they will continue to genuflect towards tel aviv, or jerusalem when/if that is the capital. don't blame them- that is the way the usa works, and usa people are happy enough, most of them, to sling a few billion at their useful side-kick. the usa government is a corrupt and murderous organization. the usa people are unfussed, it's been that way from day one. bernie isn't going to change things, he can't.
    1
  4181. don't mind the theft, it's the lying, hypocrisy and murder on mass scale. but don't get me wrong - usa now is not worse than before, it's just that modern conditions have revealed the depravity more clearly.
    1
  4182. you are too kind. should add -'and a mortal danger to our species.'
    1
  4183. recently, blinken announced that nato would assimilate any nation it wanted. since nato is a military organization, and has mopped up the former sov states, putin decided losing ukraine would expose russia to economic and military pressure. so he began to conquer ukraine, and dared usa/nato to risk ww3. it turns out usa/nato is full of moral talk, but afraid to shoot. there will be economic strictures, for show, but the economic center of the world is shifting to asia, centered on prc. russia has already begun to join this emerging reality, and will survive, may even flourish. zelensky has said some rude things to nato recently, apparently he has only now discovered the moral character of the evil empire and its associates. poor lad, he is the point man of a sugar lance.
    1
  4184. make a note, macgregor is one of those talking heads you needn't waste time on. let's hope he gets paid well to sound like a fool.
    1
  4185. the constitution of the usa was written to ensure the 'opulent' ruled the 'mob.' madison's words. and it worked, look around you. and that's why you need revolution: a transfer of power from the rich, to the many. simple, innit. yet no one says so. that's because the talking heads may wring their hands, but they ain't hurting. they are making a good living from the society they decry. so they are talkers, not doers.
    1
  4186. if you haven't got democracy, don't know what it is, then your society is unresponsive to the needs of the people. that didn't matter much, in olden times, but that was then. nowadays, if you expose a ballot box to a pleb, he is likely to bite you in a sensitive place. serves you right- anyone who cannot connect lack of democracy to populism deserves a nasty bite.
    1
  4187. relax, comrades. the war is over, they won. emigrate if you can, retire to nowheresville and take up subsistence farming if you have no foreign languages. the war was lost when the constitution was established, slavery and ethnic cleansing poisoned the character of the nation from birth.
    1
  4188. blame usa. there are other possibilities, but very remote. it is simply war, clandestine and economic, but the results will be many deaths and economies ruined. that will teach you to connect yourself to russia. usa is your master, and don't forget it.
    1
  4189. 'media analyst?' that's a thing? but, tbf, real people are busy doing real things.
    1
  4190. unfortunately, swp britland counts as 'major.' but pommies know nothing about democracy. usans have no excuse- some states have it.
    1
  4191. have you noticed the increasing resemblance between the usaf and the terminator movies?
    1
  4192. a large chunk of the voters thought brexit was the most important question, and only tories offered it. democracy is better- you can have brexit without tory. but uk doesn't do democracy.
    1
  4193. if shooting people counts, then 'yes.' if invading other nations counts, that's a big 'yes.' this is a rhetorical question, i presume. and shooting jfk, and following with rfk, that definitely influenced successive elections. usa is a kingdom of lies and myths. held together with occasional murder and prospering from war. i say 'kingdom,' just to underscore the reality that usa is no kind of democracy. which is a reflection on the character of the people. just not citizen quality, only suited to serfdom. perhaps marx's 'lumpen proletariat' would be more appropriate.
    1
  4194. search for a post from 'numuves' on a study done at princeton university, connecting voting vs political result. one graph will educate you better than 10,000 words.
    1
  4195. it may be useful to remind usg that germany has alternatives. but it works both ways - now germany has a hostage from prc. meanwhile, scurrying around in the undergrowth, ordinary people wish their masters would play together peacefully. the solution here is democracy. democracy is a wonderful idea, which deserves a trial. but so far just switzerland has dipped a toe in it, while elsewhere the idea is degraded by calling politician rule 'new, improved democracy, done for you by loving and omniscient saints.' why anyone would allow politicians to rule them seems insane, but we inherit it from ancestors right back to african birth. getting political equality seems to be just too much trouble.
    1
  4196. by the way, very impressed with your 汉与, did you study before going there?
    1
  4197. if usa were a democracy, national service would make sense. but it isn't. which is why the draft was stopped. the gummint's war in vietnam provoked enough commotion that a professional army, more clearly, a mercenary army, was thought necessary.. and to this day, they are the fist of the usa rulers. national service is a nonsense in a nation of civilians, who are not citizens. draft soldiers in such a society are just slave soldiers. and that is a dangerous expedient, they commonly decide to elevate a popular leader to the purple.
    1
  4198. cool down chillun- dnc brought bloomberg in when biden was clearly a loser. he embarrassed when his nevada debate performance was disappointing, but he and the other 'more of the same' candidates only have to keep bernie from a majority, and bernie loses. but suppose bernie wins. who will be his friend? not the republicans, and not the democrats. what legislation can he pass? none. he could somewhat de-militarize foreign policy, give tg the reins there. and that's about it. not nothing, but they will ride him out, just as they out-lasted fdr. and bernie will never be as strong as fdr, unless the looming economic collapse fills congress with socialists. let's hope so.
    1
  4199. biden's quality reveals the nature of usa politics. 'anyone' can be president, and trump followed by biden underlines the essential lack of any public concern for the nation. anyone is good enough. fortunately, crap politicians are supported by the laws, if positive qualities were required, usa would sink into history without a trace. they are just 'front-men' for the rulers of usa, people who have politicians on the speed-dial of their personal assistant's phones: "call that dimwit and tell him 3 is not 2!"
    1
  4200. a lot of fighting still to do, but hitler may have realized the gamble was lost.
    1
  4201. how ya gonna do that? presidents don't legislate. tg might defang the imperial military, just a little bit, but too much money riding on endless war and constant threats. only revolution can save americans from their masters, and they are uniformly too ignorant to recognize their enemies.
    1
  4202. a little strange to see prc celebrate 'victory' over the japanese. but not entirely wrong, about 2/3 of the japanese army was tied down in china, so life in the u.s. marine corps was doubtless easier. there was never any prospect of victory for japan, once they attacked usa.
    1
  4203. of course there is no free will. they only assume it so they can put me in jail.
    1
  4204. tip to women who resent this activity.: it will only get worse, leave now. if you jab hard to eye you may save someone else's job, but this is optional.
    1
  4205.  @OMGAnotherday  sorry, for many societies, as with all those species now extinct, there is no answer. but you must struggle, none the less. the burden of being alive.
    1
  4206. before you can have 'anti-democracy' you first must establish 'democracy.' the myths that support elective oligarchy are wearing thin, and military support will soon need to be extended, along with militarized police and 'cia-internal.'
    1
  4207. the notion of debating is a nonsense. the recent spectacle should have alerted usa to reality--- but my! they are insenible.
    1
  4208. this is funny, except you are laughing at the normal functioning of your nation. that ain't funny at all.
    1
  4209. in general, an excellent scientific news report, with added humor for adolescents and cynical old men. but minimize the contact with presidents, a respectable lady must guard her reputation.
    1
  4210. why assert that intelligence of any nature should be de-classified, as though your opinion on this matter has relevance? your masters survive on civilian ignorance, and revealing their activity would be suicidal. so, they have secrets. way above your status.
    1
  4211. if usa was a democracy, you wouldn't need 'fairy godmother' politicians. and there aren't nearly enough to go around. worse, living in an elective aristocracy, as you do, does not foster a citizen quality electorate. bernie might do some good, in the oval office, but probably not much. have you forgotten mr. 'yes, we can' already? that's because, 'no,we couldn't.'
    1
  4212. the constitution was written to provide political stasis, and worked pretty well. the major goal was to insure the rule of wealth, 'for the ages,' and they still do. to get concern for the needs and desire of the poor and middles, you need a race of politicians of saint-like character, or you need a populace of determined would-be citizens of democracy. not sure if they must be armed, but can't hurt. that's what the 2nd amendment is for. you will see systemic change, for the worse, but this will not provide for the needs and desires of the poor and middles. as the rich squeeze out the last drop of productive wealth from the system, the passive and cynical populace will at last encourage revolution. this doesn't always turn out well, but plenty of change.
    1
  4213. 'who knows what will emerge.' that encapsulates the weakness of the usa. can not plan past the next election. the chinese government is smarter than that of the usa, has long term-plans, and is pouring money into national development. the usa has trump.
    1
  4214. patience, bernie will have a depression to deal with, probably the worst in history. it will be socialism, or war for survival.
    1
  4215. everyday usans are reminded that the difference between socialism and capitalism is that socialism feeds its people. capitalism, not so much. and the cure is democracy, but not a hand or a voice is raised. what's the point of the second amendment if you are scared even to suggest a re-think of the management of the nation.
    1
  4216. very old idea- the roman elite handed out wheat flour to clients, in lieu of ubi. it prevented starvation, and rioting. the chinese, under communism, simply gave everyone a job, for the same low wage, adjusted upwards annually. not very efficient, but everyone could buy food, in principle. ubi may be better, in that with free time, people might find or create additional income through paid effort, presumably of value to someone. i think yang is too far out in front of american culture to succeed in getting office. even in office, the american plutocracy is structured to prevent new ideas from disturbing the status quo. the senate is currently republican, the supreme court reactionary, ubi unlikely to get past them. i think switzerland is a better model than imperial rome, or communist china. but it would be even harder to re-shape usa into a democracy.
    1
  4217. there were several turning points, but the first was indicative: failure to capture moscow suggested that the gerrman war plan of blitzkrieg had failed. thereafter production, resources and manpower were all dominated by ussr. and they had some superior weapons, too: the t34-85 was crude but cost-effective, 'tatyana' rocket launchers and shpagin sub-machine guns delivered a lot of fire-power for the money.
    1
  4218. usa can not peacefully co-exist, half their national budget goes into munitions, the soldiers vote, and much of that budget lands finally in share-holding class. hard to justify that kind of budget with out enemies and occasional explosions. it's rime for everyone to say, "usa is our mutual threat," and we must show them the muzzle. otherwise they are going to start ww3 out of toxic greed.
    1
  4219. rise up? no. usans can't even organize a polite request to establish democracy. more than half would resist the suggestion- they think supporting the politicians will maintain their place in society, and climate catastrophe will happen in the future, if at all. the politicians diseducated usa, the primary tool of peaceful domination. usans live in a bubble, which may be shrinking, but the only result of that will be war. i suppose mr hedges makes a living from playing the prophet of doom, but it can't be much fun. no one is listening, or at least, few are acting.
    1
  4220. why is a 'conservative' headlining the ads here? what have i done wrong?
    1
  4221. "we aren't going to..." who is this 'we.?' americans skip over this part. most have no answer. 'we' is the masters of usa, a group of politicians who direct the activity of the federation. there's only a few, so i classify the usa as an elective oligarchy. it is certainly not a democracy. the government commonly ignores the opinion of the people, frequently engages in activity that endangers the people. it is absurd to label such a society as any kind of democracy. but it happens often, because 'we elect them.' sorry, elections are not democracy. they are non-violent civil war between gangs who have agreed to count votes instead of warriors. ballots matter, not bullets. the resemblance is not accidental- both come from the same latin word, for the lead slug warriors used to sling at enemies. democracies are managed by referendum, under the control of citizen initiative. both are present in switzerland and california, and work well. neither is a feature of the usa. once you know who 'we' is, many awkward questions resolve themselves. that's why aristotle came to the conclusion that the defining feature of every society is: "who decides?" in the usa it's a group of defective humans who shouldn't be in charge of a zoo, much less a state. and the people that let them rule are defective too: self-respect dissolved out by education and custom. deserving of pity, i suppose.
    1
  4222. get democracy. use citizen initiative to 'socialize' the nation. but usa was designed to be a plutocracy, and the design was effective. no use talking about 'what should be done,' until you get the power to do. simple, innit.
    1
  4223. the usa is not a democracy. the democratic party cares nothing for democracy. if bernie doesn't win the first ballot, it appears he will not be the nominee. if the dnc desides to support someone else, very likely trump will win. they prefer trump to bermie. to the american people: i assume you realize that the usa is not a democracy, by now. a great many of you are perfectly content to be ruled by politicians, since democracy would lead to some amount of socialism. it might even lead to recall off your armies and special forces. can't have that. but what if the result was that every state with a genuinely democratic constitution decided the federation was dysfunctional and proposed secession? to the residents of those states, it's up to you to pressure the politicians to give up power, to the electorate. if you won't fight for democracy, stop pretending you have it.
    1
  4224. it doesn't matter what you think, you don't live in a democracy. worse, you don't realize that it makes a difference. if you bring up a child in a prison, they think it is normal to be constrained by guards and walls. or, more politely, you live in a society in which almost all the adults are life-time adolescents.
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  4225. it's all about motivation. when the rich control a nation, they promote and defend what makes them rich- yesterday's wealth makers. mostly inherited wealth, current holders have no ability to innovate, so stifle new technology. the constitution of the usa is hopelessly obsolete. but that's appropriate, the people are hopelessly ignorant.
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  4226. to be fair to fox news, they are not subtle. you immediately think, 'what a bunch of bs!' but i could watch that young lady make a fool of herself for hours, if only she were closer. that's evolution in action- if yer a dim beauty, you find an environment where they flourish, fox news is the place. did they popularize the word 'foxy?'
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  4227. politicians are parasites, and much more dangerous to health nowadays. but homer sap decided to do what the big monkey wanted, long ago, and the habit persists when the fur is gone.
    1
  4228. stop whining, mr dore. the dnc knows what it is doing. it's possible losing the election is part of their plan, involving personal retirement packages established in the cayman islands, but that is none of your business, is it. any one stupid enough to let politicians run their nation can not expect good management, they've been doing it for 230 years, and look at the result!
    1
  4229. yet another 'strategist?' does this have any resemblance to coronavirus? is anyone counting the efflorescence of this fungus? don't you know any real people? mm got his results by talking to actual humans. don't be shy, most are at least polite to digital simulacrums.
    1
  4230. madison told the nation, this constitution aims to preserve the dominance of the landed interest [slavery] and ensure the rule of the rich. and it did, and does. usa is a functional plutocracy, built on a structure of elective aristocracy. one result is the modern american is a debased zombie, incapable of constructive political activity, and coerced by poverty into military service in support of that plutocracy.
    1
  4231. well done, ms iversen! my own reaction was similar, but much quicker, because i have no trouble in believing that fbi/nsa/cia have no interest in the truth, and might well want biden in the whitehouse on a string. so getting an investigation from outside, whether ukraine or china, is a good idea. and in fact, we have learned a bit about young biden's adventure in ukraine that is in fact giving off sufficient odor to warrant further investigation.
    1
  4232. foreign media have no immediate interest in india, but might talk at length about what india should do, to align yourself with usa aims, for mutual profit. modi increasingly has done so, and praise begins to flow. i hope aukus and quad do not lead to ww3 [likely last] but it suits india to talk tough to prc, perhaps i should be more precise, suits modi to join anti-prc organisations, in the expectation that some 'most-favored-nation' benefits will appear. possibly, but dangerous in the extreme. usa goes to war in pursuit of a dollar, and standing near them invites return fire.
    1
  4233. usa is a gangocracy. until you stop using the word 'democracy' as a label, you are part of the cancer. the corruption of language out-lined in '1984' has come fruition in modern usa. but the rot lies not in the elite, it is their natural state. the handless passivity of the usa people arises from national education and myths, exacerbated by impotent public conversation, better described as gossip. much as it pains me to say it, only a vanguard party of revolution can create the possibility of real change. none in view, nor any word of revolt. the best you've got is ' let's beg one of the gangs to be kinder to us.'
    1
  4234. depends, do you have law-making power? no, huh. so, that's a rhetorical question.
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  4235. trade and mutual protection make cooperation between prc and agh/pakistan extremely attractive. the resulting connections from prc to iran and indian ocean with investment from the bri initiative make both trade and protection from usa interference the only sane choice. and it is likely that taliban see the need for a global partner, to counter the ever present usa threat.
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  4236. when are you going to realize that the government of america is not a democracy, and you will never have fair and reliable management of the nation until you write a new constitution? never, i'm afraid. "save us, bernie!" ain't gonna do it. fdr was in a much stronger position, and you are the dispossessed inheritors of his failure,
    1
  4237. if you are afraid to shoot, you will be ruled by those unafraid.
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  4238. last i looked, reps owned the most state governments. no immediate danger of disappearing. and there has to be a party of wealth, or even two- the dems have their hands out, too, and they pay must off. as long as americans are willing to be ruled by politicians, there will be scum willing to politicize. the pay is ok, very decent retirement plan, and the only real skill involved is lying. little wonder that real estate developers find it easy. the people of america accept their servile status, and only require that their masters appear humble. this has been difficult for trump, and may be dis downfall.
    1
  4239. sorry, no. no one person can do much. it needs wide-spread rebellion. not gonna happen.
    1
  4240. "the russia invasion is collapsing, and that's a good thing." easy to believe, because 'invasions are bad, except when usa does it.' and of course, usa invasions bring peace and prosperity to the fortunate nations. write yer own list of lucky nations. but i have a policy: usa speaks with forked tongue, and anything they say or do is probably evil. when you live in an era of mass lying, this policy generates reality in a world of illusion. and saves time.
    1
  4241. bit surprised, dc is primarily black, and there must be slum housing there. moving in to such a neighborhood and taking snaps to show from the floor of the house might embarrass the politicians, briefly.
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  4242. there was no theft of intellectual property, it was sold to china in exchange for cheap labor.
    1
  4243. is it invasion, when you re-occupy a province held by a dissident party backed by foreigners? not many people think taiwan is, or should be, an independent nation. and that includes the usa. they claimed that taiwan was part of china while they were backing chiang, and more recently when they were trying to colonize china with usa corporations. their opinions change with their prospects for making money. prc will reclaim taiwan, if they can. they are sane, and avoid violence when possible. but usa may require the use of violence, as they use it habitually. there a possibility of catastrophic war there, and spreading to whole world. chomsky published a list of usa foreign activity involving violence, more than 100 occasions, and there have been many more since. i don't know why usa is tolerated in civilized company, can it be because they shoot people, one, or one hundred thousand, at a time?
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  4244. one of the charms of democracy is that the army and the citizenry are much the same group. 'coups' are impossible, very nearly. but usa is not a democracy. in an oligarchy, the soldiers don't fight for the nation, they fight for a paycheck. when the army was professionalized, back in the 60's, it was time to realize that , in no sense, is usa a democracy. i couldn't understand, then, why people talked about 'democracy,' when there was none. now i'm wiser, and the concept of systematic lying to smother resistance is clear. no one in usa politics tells the truth, because all have an interest in passive and ignorant people. i have some respect for orwell, but not much - the usg - lies 100 times more effectively than the ussr. newspeak is modern usan. is usa ready for a coup? no. the senior officers do not command the respect of their men; there are commanders of active special forces who have seen action and formed a military bond with the men. but i think they don't have the widespread respect needed. and remember, more than half of the serving soldiers are just there to learn a trade, for civilian life. not the best fighting men, in a civil war, but not negligible. and you don't need a dictator. a drooling idiot like biden, a schoolyard bully like trump, as a front, enables the deep state to run the nation for their personal sponsors, and retirement wealth. if there is no nuclear war, usa is tumbling into history, another 'yustabee' like uk. if the orcs who run usa blunder into war, that's it for homer sap. are they that crazy? maybe. their only expertise is office politics. history is a mystery. so they are fearless. immense temptation, "if we just press prc a little harder, they'll fold, and we're back on top."
    1
  4245.  @niminsuresh4249  doubtless. but i'm aussie.
    1
  4246. harley went for a segment of the market that didn't need edge engineering. sensible, they simply didn't have the national market size to support it. but eventually every one else decided to make old man's cruisers too, so hd is going to lapse into a niche brand, somewhere between guzzi and indian. as for trump getting angry, bad luck, but he'll go away and hd will still be with us, however shrunken.
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  4247. tg is a russian asset in a sense, if she bleeds off some votes and changes the nomination. but she doesn't have many supporters and is only likely to harm bernie. bernie is not gonna win, if the political professionals have their way. so this is just personalities. tg says rude things about clinton, and implies worse. clinton is in a state of simmering rage, fearing the whole world is laughing at her, as she should. so she strikes back. harmlessly, but the intent is there, as is the laughter.
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  4248. this general is lying, it appears. .youtube.com/watch?v=aq1XKw5lKxM is one of several reports that a who team has made from china. i don't either expect truth or diligence from the hill team, why should they be any different from fox? but this was easy to check, and mr enjeti has left all pretense to objective reporting behind.
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  4249. if you don't want democracy, you must accept a political elite. in america, they are owned by the rich. always have been, because that is the purpose and design of the constitution. madison explained that democracy would result in rich man's money being spent on the poor, and he did his best to make sure that didn't happen. there has been some leakage, but the design worked brilliantly, the rich still rule, and many pay no taxes at all. if you don't want democracy, then don't complain about your government, it reeks of hypocrisy, or stupidity.
    1
  4250. you might be surprised how little sympathy oz has, outside the english speaking world. it's not the cartoons, scomo, it's the videos of casual murder by oz soldiers. so, please, stop talking about honor and insult.
    1
  4251. neither germany nor russia made the vital step of connecting the welfare of the people to the power of the people. when the people rule, demos kratia, they can legislate to provide a decent life for themselves. politicians, and revolutionaries, will not. they are human too, and take care of themselves, whatever they may say.. the workplace is where you work, if lucky enough to have a job. but the nation must belong to all, and be directed by all. workplace socialism is a nonsense, although there is nothing wrong with co-op work places. socialism is a condition of the nation. it can only thrive in democracy. so get democracy first. if you can't, learn to live with elites in power. because there has already been enough talk of workplace democracy to know it leads nowhere.
    1
  4252. this particular bot thinks ms weng is unlucky, but if canada doesn't think of a way to release her, a lot of canadians are going to be unlucky too. and she can be released, extradition can be refused if the charge is based on political considerations, which is pretty well established.
    1
  4253. when are you going to figure out that usa is not a democracy? when will you realize that letting politicians rule is leading you to disaster?
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  4254. You don't have to put up with it. Secede. Emigrate . Revolt. Long as you just laugh, it will get worse.
    1
  4255. everyone should know that elective oligarchy runs on lies. the voters lie too, when they sooth themselves by labeling their society as 'representative democracy.' there is such a device, but it is not democracy, at all. when you lie to yourself, progress is impossible.
    1
  4256. nope. been tried, usually fails. you need a pro-democracy everyone party[ ,,, the rich won't join, don't worry.] democracy leads to socialism, that's why you don't have a democracy constitution. madison knew it would lead to socialism, and he was rich.
    1
  4257. would like see a mutual defence pact among venezuela, iran, pakistan, and china. then usa can go back to bullying cuba, until they join too.
    1
  4258. nuclear fusion is a life-saver, if only it wasn't 50 years away. has been 50 years away for 50 years, so let's concentrate on pvc and wind.
    1
  4259. if you imagined for a moment that usa was any kind of democracy, you should sue your state public education department. usa has never been a democracy of any kind but 'illusory.'
    1
  4260. you probably get an american education, which used to be as thorough as anything the children in n. korea get. equally unrealistic, in a different direction. the myths are wearing thin, as the post-war [ww2] prosperity disappears. no hope for usa, even the 'wonderers' are clueless.
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  4261. all too much like usa, but without the distractions of elections. elections are not desirable, anywhere. if you are going to be ruled by an elite, better that they be good at it, and have the nation's interest in mind. currently that would be prc, which is why they are rolling over the corrupt and degenerate usa. but even philosopher kings have nephews and mistresses, and soon they will be just as corrupt and degenerate as the usa, or qing china. i think the long term survival of homer sap depends on getting democracy and socialism, the only system that can maintain stability, but it may be too hard for us.
    1
  4262. what you need is democracy. but first you need an education. and a de-toxing, to clean out the myth that what you have is 'democracy.' rule by any elite will benefit the elite, at the expense of the many. if you can understand that, you are on the path to enlightenment. in reality, i think usans are not crazy, not ignorant, not dim. they see reality, more or less, but are too depressed, and too oppressed, to think salvation is possible. once you are in that condition, there is no hope. for you. so go on pretending that your politician masters have bad ones and good ones. it's a silly religion, because there is real evidence that politician rule is evil- just look around you at the results. but expecting a kind god up in the sky is also popular, with no evidence at all, so there is no limit to the nonsense people will believe. gop! oogah-boogah! dem! our salvation!
    1
  4263. nato is a military alliance against ussr. now it is also an engine of imperial expansion for the usa. putin has decided to resist. not clear if this is better or worse than submission. it is clear that many will die because usa wants to own ukraine, and putin doesn't want that kind of neighbor. the situation is somewhat similar to the cuba excitement between kruschev and kennedy. that was resolved when usa withdrew nukes from turkey, and krushchev turned the ships around. but now usa feels it is able to ignore the threat of nuclear war. probably they can. but the cost of losing this bet is so high that sane people would not make it. the government of usa is insane.
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  4264. BBC report, USA gov source.
    1
  4265. the taliban are not lovable people. most are presumably narrow, ill-educated farmers with an ak47 and good eyesight. there are a few technicians among them. not good neighbors. but, how did this come to be? afghanistan was becoming more modern until the cia took a hand, and it turns out that the only remaining resistance to foreign domination was those hard-case farmers. afghanistan was sown by the cia, and i find the resulting sour fruit intensely amusing. indian participation in the foreign domination was insane, but getting into bed with the usa is understandable. indian politicians are to blame for the vast disparity in development between china and india, and , as usual, foreign war distracts from domestic failure. pakistan will cultivate trade and protection with china, if only in self-defense, as india is emboldened by usa 'support.' or stimulated by puppet-strings of cash. they have an interest with iran as well. the sunni-shia problem is there, but the paks are not crazy, reality may cause them to be liberal in this area. even the taliban should make this adjustment, but that could be a bridge too far.
    1
  4266. as you laugh at biden, remember he is the latest product of your management selection process. is there no one in usa who realizes how absurd the constitution is?
    1
  4267. the swiss are citizens of democracy. no one else. the rest of you are deluded fools, believing national myths created by your masters to make cattle management easier.
    1
  4268. homer sap should be so lucky. terra has been unlivable in the past, and homer is driving the climate in that direction.
    1
  4269. i think some people find it necessary to 'legitimize' other religions, in the hope it will be returned. are there any admitted atheists in india?
    1
  4270. the dnc is not a public service, they are a private corporation wheeling and dealing in the cesspool of usa political structure. if you are too weak to establish and maintain democracy, please don't whine, it makes me feel sad for you.
    1
  4271. in discussing the features of the constitution he wrote and was promoting, madison was frank, it's purpose was to ensure the rich ruled the usa. it worked, they do. evincing surprise at this late date, can only be wilful ignorance, or cynical misdirection. he said he was creating a polity "for the ages," and deserves respect, for the key features have survived, and another plutocrat is president. only revolution can change the path of the usa in a constructive way, because the people have no formal access to law, and the law-makers have little incentive to listen to voters. recent 'progressive' additions to the house are hopeful. but the plutocrats survived the new deal and veterans benefits, survived total control of government by democrat party, with many socialists in office, and gradually bought back their nation, one politician at a time. the 'new blue wave' is as yet, nothing like as powerful as fdr's congress.
    1
  4272. yer wrong, mr dore, in the world of politicians, 'friend' just means 'colleague' in the profession of politics. if the used the normal sense of sympathetic person, they would have no friends. bernie made a good living out of being 'a champion of the poor,' but politicians are never your friends, like whores, they do it for money, not love. people who let politicians rule are lacking in self-respect, and probably hire 'love' as well. 40% of the electorate never vote, and have made the most accurate assessment of the value of participation in the usa political myth.
    1
  4273. trump fits the office perfectly. he exemplifies usa culture perfectly. your discomfort arises from the fact that usa was born to be vile, and hasn't improved with age. but no one in usa notices the smell. raised in a sewer, your collective nose smells nothing. you do notice when a trump doesn't bother to simulate 'virtue,' the nation runs on hypocrisy. black men being casually gunned down by thugs in uniform is typical of the national culture, not an aberration. murder is done abroad, casually- 'we didn't like him, so we killed him." "we wanted iraq, so we took it. they shouldn't have resisted." now you are winding up the lumpen-chumps for war, the usual fig-leaf of criminal incompetence at national management. iran, venezuala might be within reach, but the cretins currently infesting the whitehouse actually are threatening china. god help the human race if pompeo is let off the leash to re-elect the orange creature.
    1
  4274. i'm sorry guys, but the problem isn't trump. he's just the pimple. the underlying disease is the political system of the usa. imagine letting a person be president with no visible experience, and a well-documented bad character. are you all insane?
    1
  4275. more! more!
    1
  4276. umm, usans love profit, right? more profit, more love, right? i f you suddenly discover democracy and socialism is better than oligarchy and capitalism, first you have to change the laws, beginning with the constitution. children want their ice cream right now!, but grown ups have to act with deliberation, unless they are big children, like trump, and many, many others.
    1
  4277. on time or not, the usa will be ruled by politicians, leavened with a narcissistic sociopath. or several, possibly all?. the standard of national management in the usa is visibly incompetent and corrupt. worse, the character of the people is weak, magnified by ill education and social myths. if it weren't for the bloated and aggressive military, everyone would sell usa stocks and bonds, and get into yuan securities. where is obi-wan when you need him, and no one else is any use? the usa constitution is obsolete, and was never more than a handle on the nation for the rich, initially slave plantation owners. the notion of a president is absurd, the qualifications should inspire terror, it's harder to get a car license.
    1
  4278. too late for bernie. better get started on a democratic socialist party, if bernie supporters all join, you can ensure the dems never hold office again. this is euro politics, results in minority parties holding one or more important cabinet positions. better than nothing, which is what you get if you let the dems scare you with another 4 years of trump.
    1
  4279. good to see one, but we need tens of thousands pouring in. should be easy with oz production extinct. car sellers should be clamoring for product. but politics is in the way. gummint has joined the 'english good, chinese bad' mantra.
    1
  4280. pakistan, afghanistan, iran and china have strong reasons to form some collection of trade and mutual defense treaties. it's a corridor to africa and the middle east, and there must be some comfort in meeting the threat of india/usa together, let's congratulate these peoples, and wish them peace and prosperity.
    1
  4281. not true. they don't make money if they don't get the right candidate into office. making money is a private concern, affecting the election process might disturb some people. but you don't have democracy, don't seem to want democracy, so why get excited about the normal operation of a plutocratic nation.?
    1
  4282. sorry, folks. yer knackered. it's because god hates you - you keep voting for politicians who you know are crooks, and you shoot up other nations, if they don't do what your crooked politicians want. i think it's that karma thing. no amount of clever standardization can fix a system that is determined that the rich will rule, no matter how stupid they are. the existence of private schools, and religious schools means a lot of murrikins are determined that their kids will have an advantage over ordinary kids. it also means public schools are starved of resources. no talk of standardization can fix a nation like that.
    1
  4283. and the celeb dance contest rolls on. it's all kabuki, so you can't expect any real passion, half the dancers are zombies. but it keeps the americans mesmerized, and there is no visible effort to establish democracy. you can't expect politicians to put themselves out of work, and citizen action groups require citizen-quality people. none in view. once a society decides politics belongs to politicians, they are doomed.
    1
  4284. 3rd party is counter-productive due to the election system. you need proportional representation to make it work, and the major parties will not allow that to happen. sorry, folks, if you aren't willing to fight, you will be cattle. 'power grows out of the barrel of a gun.'
    1
  4285. Any voice speaking against the standard modern western principles of society deserves a hearing. But, forgive me, prof Wolff is a false profit. At least, keep looking, although no-one has come up with a good way to conduct society. The swiss prosper with democracy and peace, but it seems no one can take the lesson.
    1
  4286. peaceful, progressive,revolution? the greed orcs have the army, the police, the mass media, and and a large proportion of lumpen bubbas. not only is change unlikely, usa is just going to get worse. if the west coast and northeast combine, they may have sufficient muscle to secede without war. a long shot. if successful, bubbaland will be defanged, on the international field. but usa progressives are not that unified, not that smart, and not that brave. so they will be eaten by the greed orcs, who have the mindless patience that comes to anyone with no interest in anything but wealth and power.
    1
  4287. the 'capitalism' they do in china has been working well for nearly 30 years. it's state capitalism, economics under political control. maybe usa should try it?
    1
  4288. he was only a fill-in folks, yanked off his tractor in a wheat field in montana. probably a notable donor to trump campaign, usually they score an all expenses year as ambassador to fiji. but turnover is rapid in the trump cabinet, and a face was needed to slap this uppity parking lot skipper, so there you go. farmer will score his island holiday, parking lot skipper is slapped, just another day in orcland, more amusing than most. pay no attention to cheers from the lower ranks. one of the hopeful signs of the trump dynasty is the failure to connect with actual military commanders. god help you if he stops pissing them off.
    1
  4289. afghanistan was worth 2 trillion of other people's money. even 10% is 200 billion, and more than that would have wandered into corrupt hands. plus you can pressure both iran and prc, this is the 'mistake' that has endless possibilities. usa is so crooked that even the parasites have their own parasites, and once money leaves the bank, it enriches every crook on the planet. you'd think usa chumps would wise up, but no. some stupid is terminal.
    1
  4290. why not implore prc to send a mission to modernize india? they are doing so much better, inspite of japanese occupation, civil war and usa thuggery.
    1
  4291. you have to punish snowden, severely, to frighten others. when yer government is evil, it must act in secrecy whenever possible. snowden is liable, he signed a gag contract. assange, did not. he is not an american and did not commit an act of spying. he only publicized the revelations of others, on the sins of the usa. justice will not be done, for either. how can it be, when the judges are complicit in murder?
    1
  4292. you might want to cry for the usa, but they are a danger to the whole world. we may be drifting into armageddon, but there is no visible means of curbing the orcs who run the usa. humanity needs democracy, but can not get it as the elites are too strong, and too selfish. it's a good time to be old- if i were young, i'd be very angry and inclined to start shooting at any politician i could find. would do no good, they are crab grass, but it takes planning and organization to execute a revolution, and none is visible.
    1
  4293. 'people' is right. but your vote has brought you here. if you were a citizen, your vote in referendum and initiative might have brought you to peace and climate control. but you are not a citizen because usa is not a democracy,
    1
  4294. his intention seems to be to make money by dancing on your screen. you aren't going to learn anything there. but you have to figure that out for yourself.
    1
  4295. if you are too dim to get democracy, you have to expect to be exploited by whatever combination of liars and murderers combine to seize power.
    1
  4296. no, he changed nothing. you won't be saved by a politician. he ran for president, couldn't even beat clinton. but he made good money by being the 'token people's candidate.' now he's making more from a book, in the traditional path of usa pols.
    1
  4297. if bernie gets into the oval office, tg would be handy in the dod.
    1
  4298. grasping at straws has some value, and creating and maintaining excitement puts money in the account. one of the characteristics of plutocracy is that at every level, politics revolves around money. but if 'you can't count bernie out,' he's finished. had to have a big majority before the dnc would be forced to accept him. the remaining hope is that whatever drug is stimulating biden's return to relative competence loses its force. unfortunately, this is only likey to occur after he has the nomination. trump will stir personal attacks back and forth, and that is likely to frighten many voters away from a clearly demented man. on the bright side, whoever is in office will be in charge of a sinking ship. plague, econocollapse, and environmental crisis will all be met by trump. badly. he will be the boogeyman that ran uss america aground, maybe even sank it. better it should be trump.
    1
  4299. more personal weapons in the usa than anywhere else, and never a twitch of revolutionary spirit. 2nd amendment turned out to be useless.
    1
  4300. if you were a citizen of a democracy, you wouldn't comment. you would decide, through referendum and initiative. but yer not. and in fact, the information that comes before the public is certainly tailored to get the desired response. yer participating in a charade. and buck-passing, when things go wrong, you will hear, 'the people spoke.' you are not of citizen quality. i refer to the people of the usa as 'civilians,' when i'm feeling polite. you know your politician masters are destroying the planet, making wars and simply stealing from your children. their future. and you put up with it.
    1
  4301. to begin with, the dnc is not 'rigging' democracy. you don't have democracy. you don't know what democracy is. but the dnc is trying to keep you ignorant of your status. that's why they call themselves the democratic party. you are easily fooled, aren't you. the dnc is a business. the business is getting members into power, to spend public tax money to stay in office. since the only reliable national manufacturing income is munitions, anyone who suggests a little peace would be welcome can not be allowed to be president. a nation that is incapable of democracy will be bled to death by the endless greed of the elite. that process is visible in the usa, and only revolution will save you. there is no ho chiminh in sight.
    1
  4302. why ask a question whose answer is, "doesn't matter what i think, i'm not in charge of the government.? if you don't like the way things are going, how can you change them? and why should your opinion matter? the short answer is, get democracy, and mix your opinion with that of each citizen. or you could say, 'i'm satisfied that the rule of degenerate sociopaths is best for usa.' that requires no effort, it happens naturally.
    1
  4303. usans have little visible understanding of reality. not surprising, children assimilate lies very naturally, and usa has been lying to itself from birth. police reflect their society, and the notion that they can be reformed is absurd.any oligarchy will be concerned with controlling the lowers and concealing injustice, how else can a government of hundreds stay on top of hundreds of millions? but why complain, if you are too ignorant or too crooked, to see the need for democracy, then submission to an elite and its enforcers is inevitable.
    1
  4304. living on a sphere and dependent on sunshine should tell everyone, that stable population and limited energy use should be a rule, rather than a goal. capitalism is just looting, of nature and society.
    1
  4305. 'why do we keep doing that?' there are thousands of bureaucrats who are paid large salaries to do that. why does usa want to do that? to enlarge national markets, occupation without invasion is more cost effective. money driven politics characterizes every part of usa activity, often with absurd results. 'doing business' without an ethical compass will be the death of you.
    1
  4306. fdr was no fdr either. the usa economy only recovered the same way the german economy recovered: war economy for both, and usa was on the winning side.
    1
  4307. americans can use the word 'democracy,' but only in the same sense as they do in north korea.
    1
  4308. the trouble with yelling at web cams is, one's russian or chinese accent becomes apparent, and you are immediately characterized as a foreign troll. why can't usans organize to get democracy? because most of them don't want it. the rest can't be bothered. but anyone can complain on the web, and so many do that the secret police only pursue notable examples, like snowden and assange.
    1
  4309. the jewish occupation of palestine was a crime. uk and usa were complicit, it suited their national objectives, and israel continues to serve usa as a guard dog in the oil lands to this day. but this crime is more than 100 years old, so one can not be very hopeful for retribution, or even peaceful resolution. 'bds' may not be a decisive tool, but it is at least non-violent pressure deserving support.
    1
  4310. public corruption in the conduct of the national government is no new thing. when government is a closely held prize of virtual civil war, newly empowered politicians commonly start looting, while they can. the main reason several states have constitutions establishing democracy is that even the uppers got sick of the corruption endemic in oligarchy.
    1
  4311. very comforting to know, that when i put down the sceptre of world domination, due to death, i can regain control through robot agents stationed at the grave.
    1
  4312. if you rely on the probity of people who work in secret, you are naive. some will abuse their power. and every once in awhile, the truth comes out: many people now believe hoover himself directed operations against a great many politicians, with the purpose of constraining their activities in directions he wished. some was simple appropriations for his personal use, some was directing the activities of state, a dictator in secret. so trump has solid ground under this particular lie. indeed, the functioning of american government is commonly crooked and politicians commonly despised for good reason. trump's personal character is publicly known, simply because he was not a member of the establishment. those who are members are sometimes just as bad, a bit more discreet.
    1
  4313.  earth ocean  i figured out that the usa constitution was a bad thing during the vn war, and became a gossiper in the slave quarters. kbd warrior became possible with the production of dial-up web and proto-search engines. if you are satisfied with the way things are going, why are you on this site? do you dislike the concept of democracy?
    1
  4314. the dnc is entitled to run their nomination process as they wish. candidates may apply to attend debates, or not. this is not a function of the state. in retrospect, bernie may wish he had stayed true to his socialist principles, and run a web based independent campaign. but he got in bed with the devil, and delicacy precludes my reporting what happened to him. more importantly, americans should know they don't live in a democracy. simple experience might tip you off, but the great majority succumb to the national myth, founded on diseducation and simple lies, endlessly repeated. worse yet, your status as a [optional] work unit is re-enforced by the resulting dimunition in brain capacity. in short, yer toast. plenty of company, and many live years in mental chains, so don't stir yersellf, the whole nation is sliding down a snow slope with you, and you can chat together and watch the trees flash by. most flash by.
    1
  4315. by the way, she isn't currently serving.
    1
  4316. aside from helvetia, 'democracy' is a doublethink euphemism for elective oligarchy, in service to wealth. and the swiss are losing it, eroded by the e. u. all around them, a worse threat than the encirclement by the axis.
    1
  4317. some people have read '1984,' and taken a lesson from the concept of double-think and newspeak. homer sap is going to take a population crash, perhaps to extinction, because we can not seem to out-grow the alpha male model of society. resulting elite rule, is selfish and short-sighted. the best we can do is establish democracy, but that seems too hard for us. many think we have democracy, because there is voting, so it's hard to mobilize popular effort to actually get democracy. newspeak and double-think are fatal diseases, worse than the black death.
    1
  4318. the american political system is functioning just as it was intended to be. if you are satisfied with the result, you wouldn't be reading this. if you are not, why haven't you figured out that the game is rigged?
    1
  4319. why do you give one man this much power? you have heard of democracy, but you run your federal government like a kingdom. the constitution is obsolete. democracy works pretty well in california, why not scale it up?
    1
  4320. the only question is how many 'trumps' are going to jail. trump won't be 'winning' anything, due to losing trials. which is a bit unfair, the beltway is filled with crooks, why pick on trump, as though he was the only one.
    1
  4321. putin may be a zhu ge liang of our times. i hope he continues to understand that usa is his major enemy, and the rise of china will enable him to hold nato in check. xjp is just as smart and has a much stronger economy behind him. together they might save us from the evil empire.
    1
  4322. there is no threat to democracy in the usa. you haven't got it. never did- madison explained why and how. and you don't know what it is, due to 'double-think'. ignorant brain-washed couch potatoes couldn't maintain a democracy any way. there is democracy in california, and a few other states. it maybe is no accident that they are the prosperous ones.
    1
  4323. lesser evil is nonsense, but why is there no third choice? because in a political system in which the plurality leader wins, game theory leads all parties to be the same in matters of concern to the big donors, and offering small variations of cultural nature to attract individual voters/ small donors. this shakes out into the tweedledum and tweedledumber scenario of usa. if you want to change things, extra-political methods needed.
    1
  4324. get democracy, and as much socialism as the majority want, and life will be better for most americans. so obvious that one marvels that it needs discussion. if 'get democracy' needs explanation, you can't have it or hold it.
    1
  4325. if china trades with iran, why does usa have any reason to kidnap huawei officer? if huawri trades with iran under a different name, why is that any concern of the usa?
    1
  4326. lies are the bullets before bullets, warfare by propaganda. people have to figure who is lying, if they are interested in the truth, but many people just want to hear the lies they subscribe to. a very depressing reality. i am not a great fan of the prc political system, but for now at least, it has delivered a rush towards general prosperity unprecedented in human history. it's very hard to explain that away, although other governments must try to do so. the usa in particular enjoyed a period of general prosperity after ww2, the fruit of ww2 'socialism', and later a period of unmatched military dominance after the collapse of the ussr. they are not used to looking like 'yesterday's men.' but they are, and only lies and sabre-rattleing maintain a shaky front of continuing dominance. this is a period of great danger to the world. as trump demonstrated, and now biden, their national direction is in the hands of incompetents and sociopaths. cross yer fingers, because sanity is not in charge.
    1
  4327. if you had democracy, you could get m4a through citizen initiative. why don't you want democracy?
    1
  4328. there is a surprising amount of reference to democracy in a world with but one nation that practices it. i have long assumed that all the world's political actors acquiesce in this lie, to pacify the sheep. the prc makes no claim to democracy, merely asserting that the cpprc is working for the good of the people. currently, this is a reasonable approximation of the truth, by comparison with the lies told by other 'developed' nations. democracy is too difficult for homer sap, for the species breeds arrogant and selfish 'leaders' in profusion, while the great majority are too poor and ignorant to organize resistance. environmental collapse will be the likely result. that may prevent extinction.
    1
  4329. a nation founded to protect slavery is still unaware that the constitution does not support democracy, it is explicitly an oligarchy with the usual injustice and corruption built in. people with unmonitored power are always crooked. people who imagine they are 'progressives' are a bit uncomfortable at times, but can do nothing effective about it, because the mechanisms of democracy are not present. citizen initiative is the mechanism of democracy, and you don't have it. until you get it, all talk is just gossip in the slave quarters. revolution is necessary, a transfer of power from the politicians to the citizens.
    1
  4330. they built a strong left movement in russia, didn't work. result dictatorship. they built a stronger left movement in prc, now its more capitalist than left. which is why i recommend getting democracy. they did that in switzerland, and still going strong.
    1
  4331. do you ever wish that you lived in a democracy? open administration directed by frequent and regular referendum, under control of the electorate through citizen initiative? will never happen, if you just wish. politicians own you, and they sell you to the rich. cheaply. make them extinct, by demanding democracy, or else.
    1
  4332. mr hartman makes a living by supplying a platform where hobby ranters can release our anger/dismay/amusement for public response. his teaser statements deserve tolerance in return. he's harmless, more or less. content yourself with your own observations, without suggesting medical intervention.
    1
  4333. "'hasn't worked out real well," neither reich, nor wolff will face reality. capitalism works very well, for capitalists. and it will continue to do so. if you don't like the result, you need a different political system. i recommend getting democracy. a nation directed by its citizens, through referendum and initiative, will treat its people well, for they have the power to make it so. neither reich nor wolff recommend the getting of democracy, i suppose they despise the character of the usa people, and imagine revolution is beyond their capacity. or maybe they just like talking that does not lead to action. in any event, they both are looking for 'the answer' under the street light, where it ain't. by comparison, with no tertiary degree, mao realized and said, "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." it took him about 40 years, but he revivified his nation.
    1
  4334. are you worth 100 rmb? unlikely.
    1
  4335. dr h, you have surpassed all previous posts, and i regret thinking that you should stick to particle physics. in my view, this subject should not need discussion. any view point based on the word 'more' is suspect. let's get down to 1 billion people, replace them with trees and species, and then spread the wealth sufficiently to induce frequent singing and dancing.
    1
  4336. the thing is, biden was engaged in cheap corruption, with his son. that is the weak floor on the dem party. we can reasonably assume if biden was president it would be a classier level of corruption. i used to wonder why people voted for politicians, in the face of hundreds of years of evidence that it was counter-productive. about half dim, half lazy. 100% incurable. the political culture of the usa is at a low point, but it began as a prop for slavery, and expropriation of the indigenes, so you would have to hope some progress is evident. not much.
    1
  4337. it's nice to hear mr dore broadcast what i have known since the 60's. but what i've learned in the meantime is that the chumps are not revolution quality people. so nothing will change until the whole rotten society collapses, through poverty and alienation.
    1
  4338. so harris is 'left?'
    1
  4339. There's a reason Islamists bring war to USA. 'you got it coming.'
    1
  4340. not as a people, except in the sense that ignorant and hopeless serfs do not make heroes of revolution. save the blame for the elite, who have options and habits of command. usa was born bad and never recovered. emigrate if you can.
    1
  4341. most likely result will be to let trump win. there is nothing attractive about either candidate, so the middle term result will be a slightly leftier democratic platform. none of this will help usa much. usa needs a new constitution. one that transfers power from wealth to the citizens. no public figure says this, to my knowledge. so usa will continue to decline, eaten from within by the parasites of wealth. if you are too dim, too, ignorant, too hopeless, to fight for democracy, then you will die a slave to whatever elite controls your nation.
    1
  4342. there's a certain '1984' flavor to usg activity, i caution others to avoid interacting with usans, as insanity is clearly a communicable disease. however incredulous your reaction may be, suspend judgement- caligula was followed by nero, with commodus and elagabalus still to come. it is already clear that elections in the usa do not improve on that standard of national managers. further tip; get out of usd, now!
    1
  4343. china has its share of superstition, but has not been much troubled by religion. india, otoh, has too much. this is not the only reason for the massive difference in development, but it must be a large part. and it's incurable in any useful time span, since politicians find religion of lasting use. they reinforce one another. perhaps, like the austro-hungarian empire, india as a single political entity is dysfunctional. partition would allow some relatively modern states to join the international world.
    1
  4344. you got here when james madison sold his constitution to the grandees that controlled state congresses. his major selling point was that it would prevent the taxes of the rich being diverted to the uses of the poor. and it worked. he concentrated political power in the hands of a few hundred politicians, a number small enough that they could be owned by the rich for much less than the cost of taxes. you stay here by being ignorant, submissive and selfish. no cure in sight, usa has had a good run, chiefly due to geography, but prospects are depressing.
    1
  4345. not sure he is failing. he decided he had to draw the line with ukraine inside, before it became outside. reasonable decision, lot of russians eat ukrainian wheat. nato has become the usa/nato military expansion arm of the evil empire. blinken was frank, "nato goes everywhere." putin has been frank, too, "not here."
    1
  4346. it is an unpleasant truth, not widely accepted, that usans are capable of talking, but short on action, in the national sphere. you could have democracy within a year, if 50 million wanted it. but they don't, do they. if you had democracy, m4a would follow, and much else. seemingly easy, yet nothing happens. in truth, usa is a nation of slave-minded people, living on their knees to politicians.
    1
  4347. don't blame trump. blame the sycophants you vote for, terrified of upsetting their real masters, in washington.
    1
  4348. huang he and yangci begin in tibet. that is why it must be under chinese control.
    1
  4349. who you gonna believe. it's not definitive, but when rebuttal begins with "fuck you!" i'm inclined to file under "caught red-handed!"
    1
  4350. india is important, partly because there are so many of you, partly because of the cultural variety under one political roof, but mostly because cows are sacred. clearly you are marching to a different drum. it's a worry. 100 years ago, india and china were toiling along the road together, but look at you now. is there anyone in india willing to say, "maybe we are doing something wrong...?
    1
  4351. here's another view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6xuY5SRKto
    1
  4352. there's the policy of the usa, and the policy of the cia, and the policy of their 'native' operators. don't imagine for a moment that all, or any, are in step. chaos results, but that suits the general policy of the usa, which is well-served by chaos.
    1
  4353. a nation formed to prolong slavery and license extermination of the natives can not be surprised by official and cultural acts of brutality. there is much religion in the usa, but very little morality.
    1
  4354. is cia/nsa a threat? depends if you want to participate in another criminal war such as iraq.
    1
  4355. well, the deal is, when japan was beaten, begging for peace, usa demonstrated that they were perfectly willing to use nuclear weapons, and ussr had better keep talking polite. once ussr, and prc, realized that city-busters were demonstration devices, they were polite.. now they have their own, not as many as usa, but after the first 50, the extras are more of a transfer device, tax-payer->.share-holder. in case you haven't been paying close attention, there is recent news that a 'dooms-day' submarine has left port into the arctic sea, and shook tracking. this charming device is a mine-layer, apparently it puts down nuclear weapons up-wind of major cities, relying on the wind to dust the target. slick solution to the crowded-sky, total surveillance problem of ballistic missiles.
    1
  4356. they only landed in normandy to hold some of western europe. no one in the usa army had any illusions about mixing it with the red army.
    1
  4357. 'minus 2' will need a bit of explanation. but prc has handled the virus pretty well, given the very limited medical assets they have on hand. this is why they have relied very heavily on isolation to control spread. hospitals and medical staff were adequate, barely, before the virus came, but were over-whelmed with the over-load. they have responded with vaccine development but roll-out has not been all that was needed. so they continue to rely on spot isolation, and some spots are big. the lesson for prc government must be to spend more money on preparation for sudden-onset load.
    1
  4358. economics professors think politics is for others. very wise. no one has an answer for political questions, because the 'i want, get out of the way' aspect is difficult to resolve without gunfire. of course, economics without politics is somewhat barren - no use pursuing ideas on what should be done, if there is no visible path to change. nonetheless, clerks beavering away in the public service can sometimes ameliorate the results of the 'i want' policy making. homer sap is smart enough to destroy the world, not smart enough to save it. 'saving' needs social action, destruction arises from personal drives. i think it was fermi, who asked, "where are the others?" they probably killed themselves, just as we are doing.
    1
  4359. the t34 was cost effective, and the /85 was good enough to fight the opposition, and had points of superiority in field conditions. but it was no wonder machine, the panther was substantially superior when running, and maintained a high kill ratio. but the germans simply were overwhelmed by numbers. they tried to compensate with quality, and it didn't work.
    1
  4360. it's not for you, it's for those crooked enough to get elected while pursuing their own self-interest.
    1
  4361. like to drop in to wonderland, now and then. people who live in fantasy instead of reality have caused american decline, not the chinese. but there is nothing you can do about it, so carry on. when enough countries have switched from usd to rmb, the american economy will simply collapse. about 1/3 have already done so, and the final turn-over will be a period in months. would-be survivors better start a subsistence farm in the backyard.
    1
  4362. comments below more useful than the 'friend' of the show. but he said some useful things, from which you can extract one good principle: usa was founded to preserve slavery and the rule of the rich, and that heritage will cripple usa to its end. sooner the better. california should declare independence, after referendum on that question. it is a viable nation, and has a democratic constitution. usa can't stop them, without shooting, and the risk of that is small- usa can't even dominate afghanistan. would need courage, of course, but nothing like what the swiss showed in ww2.
    1
  4363. anyone can say anything, but every word must be passed through the sieve of self-interest. the retired head of mi6 would be on my short list of people to disbelieve, ab initio.. i can believe putin is showing signs of stress, he has been wrestling with this gamble for months. but coming down on the side of 'shoot' may be his best chance to remain in power. certainly, usa/nato has long-term plans to occupy eastern europe, blinken just said so. several times. when the evil empire says 'we are coming for you,' why would you disbelieve them? the play is protracted, the invasion is gentle, as such things are measured. outcome not clear. at best, putin will control the borders and trade, with sporadic bits of violent resistance. but that is a victory, considering the size of the enemy. the evil empire is massively stronger than anyone else. but the orcs in charge won't risk ww3, they might die as well as common people, nuclear weapons being undiscriminating. vlad has bet his life, and so far, he looks like winning. the longer he looks like winning, the more empty the tough words and threats of usa/nato appear. perhaps xjp will re-evaluate his program for taiwan, as a result.
    1
  4364. solar and wind are already better, and battery storage adequate and improving rapidly.
    1
  4365. i don't need a documentary, i watched what was being done in vietnam. cured me of patriotism. if 85% have an unfavorable view of prc, i assume that is the 85% who have succumbed to usa brain-washing.
    1
  4366. the fact that plutocracy has returned should inspire revolution. but no public figure says so. usa is a disgusting, decadent, militarist monster, and no one says, "we need a new constitution." but nothing will be done without revolution. your masters are content, the people do not concern them. why should they act against themselves? this cheese is ripe for military dictatorship, but the generals are content too. they already enjoy some power, and their chests are covered with trinkets. 'special forces' can count coups without the need for actual war. and that is why the police are being militarized. they are the army of internal control. why is usa 'back in the 30's?' because usa wasn't fixed, back in the 30's, and it won't be fixed now, either.
    1
  4367. reform is impossible, without political direction. so revolution is necessary. aim for 'peaceful' but prepare to enforce, with force. the web makes organization easy, get 100 million signed up to the core of democracy, and you might not have to open fire. core? "we, the citizens of the usa are the masters of our nation, and will direct its activity and laws with referendum and initiative."
    1
  4368. stop pretending you live in a civilized nation. stop pretending you live in a democracy. if you want civilization and democracy, beg helvetia to let you in. they'll laugh, move to california as a reasonable 2nd best. join the 'secede' movement there. or start one if necessary.
    1
  4369. the cia plots the death of nearly anyone of note, there are people whose salary depends on generating plans. a nation with a bureau of murder has left all morality behind, there was never much in a nation founded to protect slavery.
    1
  4370. comical. i was in it, and after awhile, you realize you are standing on someone else's land, and they aren't gonna quit. america coulda won, without a shot fired. uncle ho wanted to be friends with usa, he wasn't married to the chinese, or even like them, enemies for a thousand years. but he was a 'commie,' and truman wanted to get elected. dumb? not really of course, politicians don't get shot at, that's for the chumps. so here you are 40-odd years later, trying to cozy up to the 'commie vn to contain china, which is turning out to out-produce usa in new technology.
    1
  4371. not empty- bezos took amazon to ireland, and got richer still. it may be that getting democracy is too hard. but without democracy, talk about what should be done is empty chatter in the slave barracks.
    1
  4372. it started to turn my stomach when they were napalming rice farmers in vietnam. usa is the evil empire.
    1
  4373. doesn't anyone realize, the party of the rich is in control? that when the democrats are in control, the rich still rule? trump, or his advisors, noticed that one time dem supporters were very unhappy, and created a political victory out of that unhappiness. i have never heard any politician talk about substantive solution to endemic unemployment from globalization. dems not only allowed it, they failed to notice it. because, they had no answer. to busy smoothing the path of vwallstreet, and printing billions to cover their crimes. trump is an embarrassment in many ways, but he is a signal that the american political system, the constitution, has once again shifted all the national wealth to the rich. nothing new there, but when both parties are parties of the rich, some new party, some new demagogue will seize power with empty promises, just as trump has. he may be a one term president, don't count on it. but he is only the messenger, more will come. have to come, since the structure of the state makes no provision for change without violence. so enjoy the midterm victory. it's like obama's 'victory'- skillful public speaking, but empty. power remains with the rich, that is what the senate and supreme court is for.
    1
  4374. always nice to hear a voice against the 'great satan,' but prof wolff is not a revolutionary, only a philosopher. not original, either- most of what he has to say was said by chomsky for the last 50 years, with no visible result. as marxists, perhaps wolff and chomsky should have accepted that usa is not ready for revolution, and likely never will be. but we don't have unlimited time to struggle for justice, since current political conditions seem to be driving the human race over an environmental cliff. we must preserve earth or die, so struggle is necessary, regardless of the chance of success. while we are talking about 'what must be done'. we should also be talking about 'how can we do it.' no use agreeing on what should be done, if you have no power to do it.--- and that is the case today. which is why i often suggest to get democracy first, use initiative to drive change against the will of the rich and entitled. if you find that democracy is impossible, and have no capability with armed revolution, then you can realize that talk about 'what should be done' is just gossip in the slave quarters.
    1
  4375. humble usans should be glad those selfless knights of the lower class are working day and night to improve the conditions of the lowers. you don't know any selfless knights? was referring to the democratic party, especially the dnc. maybe you believe that, move on. in reality, politicians are not your friends. at best, they are your pimps. i hope i am not surprising you. get democracy people, and make politicians extinct. you can run the nation yourself, directing the public service with referendum and initiative. if you think that's impossible, stop complaining- no one will help you, if you won't help yourself.
    1
  4376. it's no kind of meritocracy. politically, it's an elective oligarchy. since it is modeled after georgian britain, you could call it elective aristocracy. functionally, it is responsive to the wishes of money, private or institutional, and that is as close to plutocracy as homer sap has achieved., most wealth is inherited so elective aristocracy is true both functionally and historically. merit has little to do with it. but so what? if you think democracy might be better, for most people, you have to first imagine a way to get it. not easy. the material is not there.
    1
  4377. not a mystery, everyone in usa makes money somehow, or starves.
    1
  4378. there is only one democracy, helvetia. it is a prosperous and progressive nation, much more so than the usa.
    1
  4379. As elsewhere, locals who profit from USA occupation divorce themselves from their society. USA was not there bringing civilization, just temporary domination. There was no 'lost' just discarded. BBC has no reputation anymore, anyway. Nothing went wrong, and if BBC doesn't understand this, they are dim, as well as corrupt.
    1
  4380. your president is on life support from usa. no shame. but consider revolution.
    1
  4381. when politics is an elite activity, journalism is just gossip. when politics is democratic, journalism is unnecessary, the web age makes journalism obsolete. retrain as a writer of soap opera, a flourishing profession. there are a lot of muslims in central asia, it should be natural that they connect and conduct their societies together, pakistan turned its back on india long ago, afghanistan has had enough of cia meddling, both can profit from trade with xinjiand at one end and iran at the other, creating a commercial and military protection from usa meddling. sadly, indian politicians have decided to chase usa approval. unlikely to be good for india, but politicians everywhere look out for their personal interests first.
    1
  4382. roosevelt presumably knew what democracy is, and knew usa was not a democracy. so he was just another cynical liar. in a democracy, the people rule. in an elective aristocracy, politicians rule. you figure it out.
    1
  4383. if usa was a democracy, the world would be a much different place. but it's not. if you don't understand this, you have an excuse, you are lied to from birth. no great shame in it, no nation has democracy, and even the swiss are finding it increasingly more difficult to sustain the proto-democracy with which they defied the nazi-fascist encirclement of ww2. there is some shame in lying about it, though. you are deceiving young people, and enlisting them in mental slavery.
    1
  4384. "but we have elections!" elections are not democracy. you live in an oligarchy, with cosmetic lies about its function. you can figure this out, for yourself, simply by reading the constitution. and looking around you. or you can consult a recent vlog published by princeton university, doing a statistical comparison of public opinion vs government activity. result was a graph showing zero connection. zero connection with the wishes of the lower 90% of usa. very good correlation with the rich 10% . this is a stunning demonstration of plutocracy. yet if you trouble yourself to read documents from the founding of the nation, you discover that surprise is not appropriate. madison said his constitution would deliver that result, and it has.
    1
  4385. pakistan was a green and pleasant land 3000 years ago. it may be reverting... just need a little time to trade camels for boats.
    1
  4386. get democracy. when the people rule, life will improve for most right away, and nearly all soon after. only the '1%' may have consider a permanent move to their private island.
    1
  4387. what is striking about political 'discussion' in the usa is the acceptance of impotence. usa is not a democracy, no such thing as referendum or initiative, and the people are not citizens, only civilians. the resulting passivity while watching the actions of their masters is pretty much universal. even the people who 'criticize' their masters have no expectation of consequence. most only do it to make a living. everything is done for money, in the usa, plutocracy infuses every level, every facet, of usa culture.
    1
  4388. nowadays, usa soldiers are mercenaries, paid to take resources and markets with gun fire. considering the pay you get and the lively possibility of death or horrible crippling and disfigurement, you can see trump's viewpoint, regarding losers and chumps. the truth is, if you are not born the son of a billionaire, in usa you are a loser, and if you play by the rules, you are a sucker. do not understand why people don't want democracy. imagine the joy of a citizen initiative, in compelling everyone to publish their financial activity, trumps would become extinct!
    1
  4389. well, it is simply psychological engineering. it makes people in the west unhappy, as most are well aware of their social shortcomings, and glad that they private. i would support this kind of engineering if society was a democracy, and all public activities were indeed, public. that would largely prevent abuse. china is not a democracy. neither is any other state, with the limited exception of helvetian confederation. but, non-democratic though it may be, norway publishes everyone's tax records. a good start on encouraging public spirit through trust, supervised. well done, norway! well done, china too- if you escape abuse of this system. which seems unlikely, chinese people are much like the rest of us.
    1
  4390. is there no one in the usa that yearns for democracy? this party routine more resembles the selection for senators of republican rome.
    1
  4391. a co-op can only grow very slowly, over generations. a hired labor company can grow rapidly, with injected capital. and that's why co-ops are few. they will usually be smothered by liquid money. co-ops are not democratic. they are not a political organization. democracy can happen in a hired labor society, the swiss do it. co-ops can do business in an elective aristocracy, such as the usa, and many other nations. capitalism 'fails to save you' because it is an economic feature of elective aristocracy. neither capitalist nor aristocrat cares about you, because you have no power. you are not a citizen of democracy, just a consumer.
    1
  4392. until you learn to tell the difference between democracy and voting for politicians, you are doomed to disappointment.
    1
  4393. get democracy. then make things happen.
    1
  4394. in a democracy, everyone votes on public activities. and majority rules. this leads to socialism, in some degree. without democracy, wealth and position rule. so get democracy, if you can. it won't be easy, because the constitution establishes the rule of wealth, and you must get a new constitution. politicians won't give it to you. so revolution is necessary. too hard? then you are slaves.
    1
  4395. thank you for that timely warning. or do you imagine that is humorous. i certainly do.
    1
  4396. no, it doesn't. it needs an army of revolution. all those 2nd amendment guns, and never a single leader.
    1
  4397. wouldn't you rather be voting for, or against, m4a, or major investment in roads, rail and power generation that doesn't poison the planet.? game show politics may have a lot to do with the decay of american society.
    1
  4398. in fact, the usa was created to empower the plutocrats of the day- the plantation plutocrats who were 4 of the first 5 presidents. and the civil war didn't change that. the constitution centralized power, and the rich bought the politicians from earliest days to today. get democracy, use citizen initiative to control the elite. there is no other way,
    1
  4399. sanders is a talker. you need a revolution. get democracy, use initiative to reshape america. politicians won't do it, you have to do it.
    1
  4400. first you get the power to do, then you do what needs doing. saying 'ain't it a shame,,,!' however often, but ignoring that that you can't fix it, seems a bit childish. unless there's a living to be made, in wringing yer hands verbally. what passes for 'left' political discussion is mostly just boiling the pot. nothing will ever come of it. get democracy, use referendum and initiative to fix things
    1
  4401. btw, someone tell bernie real class would be conceding the the race to biden, and asking his supporters to stay home. participating in the american political system just legitimizes plutocracy.
    1
  4402. rosa luxemburg said something similar.  @syourke3 
    1
  4403. all of those big ideas should be presented to the american voter through referendum. that is democracy, i don't call them american citizens, because you don't have democracy, why isn't that everyone's big idea? get democracy first, everything else follows.
    1
  4404. need a new constitution folks. use california for a model. once the electorate has effective and accessible initiative power, things will start to get better for most. but first, what you need is just a little courage. no shortage in the uniformed bandits you send to market usa freedom and justice, but ordinary civilians remarkably meek.
    1
  4405. jimmy dore just joined the 'mean well, not bright' demographic.
    1
  4406. putin has been restrained and selective in managing this war. his soldiers, less so. he didn't want to be tsar of ukraine, just wanted a buffer between him and nato. usa/nato says 'we go where we want.' the problem for putin is, hurting ukraine causes no pain in the dc beltway. indeed, usa can offload munitions indefinitely, may even make a profit. so someday soon, vlad has to quit kicking the puppet. perhaps he could pour arms into yemen, or venezuela. maybe cuba regrets not getting the missiles still. somewhere in there usa may back off. or we move on to general war. in short, vlad has options, and very possibly he has a training program in mind, to bring some humility to the usa.
    1
  4407. they are both politicians. there is a great flexibility in that character. why do you persist in the notion that politicians are working for you?
    1
  4408. there are no 'other democracies.' except the swiss. they are the only democracy, a proto-democracy at that. usa is not a democracy, the 'citizens' do not rule. they don't even know what's going on. they certainly aren't consulted. how can you say 'democracy' when there is no citizen initiative? nor even referendum? have another look at '1984.' pay attention to the purpose of 'doublethink,' which is loading one word with several contrary meanings, to wipe out the ability to think clearly or consult effectively with others. or don't americans read '1984' anymore? or you think it doesn't apply to you? that is american 'democracy.'
    1
  4409. have you noticed that the politicians that sent soldiers to afghanistan have little to say?
    1
  4410. I'll say again, geez you guys are slow learners. USA a not a democracy. Politicians rule not the people. One result is a people with the political capacity of cattle. So, you need democracy, but are incapable of getting it, or using it. So USA decays, and no visible cure. Get to the country,learn subsistence farming.
    1
  4411. are you really eager to look like a gangster? china is not afraid of taiwan. they are afraid of the usa. they have good reason.
    1
  4412. when are you going to get off your knees, and demand democracy? seems easy to do...
    1
  4413. why do you keep complaining about what your masters do? the reason you have so many guns is to resist oppressive government. yer afraid of the army? why wouldn't the army be on your side- you don't recruit them from the rich.
    1
  4414. tg makes a good whistleblower, are you sure she is working for the welfare of the usa? do you think american officers of state should be supporting hindu nationalists? theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/ maybe not?
    1
  4415. there used to be funny stories told, about the last days of the louis 16 regime. voltaire made a career of it. the actual masters of the usa government are the faceless deep state. the nominal leaders are such low caliber people that they have made themselves irrelevant. but there's a thousand laughs there. only if you were smart enough to get out, 50 years ago, mind. if you are actually there, well, there's a chinese phrase which catches it: 'forced to laugh, while sobbing.'
    1
  4416. perhaps the quality of your politician/masters will inspire americans to consider getting democracy? or is the quality of the people similar to trump and biden?
    1
  4417. fun, but obsolete. recognition techniques are becoming useful. feynman was a leading physicist and a great raconteur. hope they gave him a front-row spot in the cemetery.
    1
  4418. they will allow it for so long as to make recovery impossible. survival requires sane management always, not intermittently.
    1
  4419. as soon as airlines are back in business, emigrate. usa is locked in a culture pod, and the festering is making alarming little 'pop' noises. gonna explode soon.
    1
  4420. democracy is the english word taken from the greek phrase 'demos kratia' - meaning, the citizens rule. you don't have it. the swiss have it. california has an even better democracy, if only they seceded. but you don't have it. one consequence is a relentless diseducation that causes usans to talk about 'our democracy.' no discussion that starts with a fantasy can have a useful outcome. 500.000 dead is not trump's fault. put a chimpazee in charge of a nation, you can expect even worse. your problem is not trump. it is your constitution. worse, it is the level of your national education, which so far not said a word about the utter incompetence of the constitution to deliver a just and effective political management of the nation.
    1
  4421. approving of a trump action induces anxiety, but getting out of syria is probably a good idea. likewise, afghanistan. neither occupation has any goal but 'security,' and the connection to security is not visible to many.
    1
  4422. mr hartmann, and many others, has not grasped the fundamental nature of the usa polity: it is not a democracy, it never was. this is not an accident. in his promotion of the constitution to the constitutional convention,, madison 'voiced a consideration' of democracy only to dismiss it, as it would lead to the taxes of the rich being spent on the needs of the poor. so he pointed out how his document would prevent this unwelcome result. the management of the state was placed outside the reach of the common people. no referendum, no initiative, politicians would rule as they wished. elections? meaningless. enough politicians are bought, enough lies are broadcast, to get the result desired by the rich. sinema is a typical politician, youthful enthusiasm corrupted by money. don't blame 'citizens united' for this situation. politicians have always been bought, lies always told. the problem is deeper: you are not a citizen of democracy, the power of decision lies not in the hands of the people, but out of reach, and often out of sight. and deeper still: raised in such a society, you don't think like a citizen, you are submissive to politicians, when you should be yearning to raise their heads, on bloody poles
    1
  4423. your political system is pathetic. a creature like trump should never get near power. how did it happen? not an act of god, not even a con game--- lying is part of the system. the system chugged away and here you are. not clear the alternative would be any better, and the dnc came up with an alzheimer's hack for the next one. how can he lose, right. clinton would have said the same, but. the constitution is your fundamental problem, it generates the ignorant people, the selfish richos, the venal pollies. fixing your society would be easy, for angels, no others need apply. perhaps if you advertise? "help wanted, angelic powers required?"
    1
  4424. clinton implies tg is a manchurian candidate, when she is in reality simply a thorn in warren's shoe. difficult to imagine what constructive purpose clinton can have, except to store up credit with whatever candidate is finally nominated. perhaps she wants to be sec-state for buttigieg? the tone of her attack raises the possibility of simple, personal malice, arising from the fact that tg has impugned the rulers of usa, openly accusing them of callous militarism. which stings a bit, due to being clearly true. in fact, i would have some respect for tg if she simply said that usg has been guilty of war crime from birth. but that's a bridge too far for a practicing politician.
    1
  4425. step one: get democracy, so the coppers know they are working for the citizens, not the rich. step two: no use talking until you do step one. you have to promote yourself from civilian to citizen. may require gun fire, certainly requires character.
    1
  4426.  @harmgregory4560  that's possible, but usans talk endlessly about democracy, when they don't have it, and shoot foreigners they don't like. so i'm clear about some things.
    1
  4427. yeah, well good luck. so far all i've seen is weather underground, which left me undecided between tears and laughter. give them credit for seeing the problem, and doing something. but blowing up public buildings was not an answer. joining a political party doesn't work either, have you watched the schooling of aoc? i knew what to do in the 60's, but discovered no one else thought i was right. so now i beleive some cultures don't have the character necessary to revolution. they just decay and collapse.
    1
  4428. that israeli reporter should be getting hardship posting money, and free life insurance for his family benefit. israel began in evil, like the usa. neither shows any sign of repentence. dare not, admission of fault would result in bankruptcy.
    1
  4429. if you don't have democracy, if you don't want democracy, if you don't know what democracy is, you will be ruled by an elite. sometimes it's the military , sometimes it's a religious structure, sometimes the rich rule, with help or tolerance from generals and priests. commonly it's a mixture of all three, usa is that sort. aristotle had a word for each for each of the elite rule types, he was smarter and better educated than most americans, and much less indoctrinated by national myths. he favored democracy, as the best that h. sapiens could manage. the men who shaped the american government, otoh, did not. that is why the constitution establishes 'plutocracy.' madison was rich, his peers governed the state congresses, and together they made a nation ruled by the rich, with a bit of help from generals and preachers. 'outsiders,' such as manning and assange, can point out the hypocrisy and simple lies that keep the commoners in place, but so long as the rich own the media, they end up in jail, or dead. they say they are doing it for the people, but probably not. everyone knows what happens to whistleblowers. more likely whistleblowing satisfies some inner urge of the blower. a magnified verbal 'finger.' meanwhile, the people get on with their lives, for the most part never hearing the whistle, much less picking up a gun and surrounding the dc ring road.
    1
  4430. guess what - climate change is happening. it's slow enough that you have to rely on science to explain what is happening, and this allows politicians to lie about it on behalf of polluters. usa is too stupid to figure this out. not genetic, sustained lies and defective public education has created a nation of chumps. normally, evolution selects out such a society. but the rest of us are worried that you will attempt to divert attention elsewhere, with threats of war. then we're all screwed. so, please guys, lift yer game. get rid of yer politicians, votes or bullets, whichever is quickest.
    1
  4431. why blame trump? his character and history is well-known. his presence in the wh should make known to anyone that the usa political system is not fit for purpose. keep in mind that before trump held any office, the chinese economy and global presence was overtaking usa so rapidly that you could reasonably say the constitution was obsolete. you are running a 21st century nation with a management system designed to freeze usa in the late 1700's.
    1
  4432. it is a source of continual amusement, that americans refer to their nation as a 'democracy.' it is not, it never was, and that is by design. it was born to protect slavery in the south, expropriation of native lands and, almost incidentally, to escape british taxation. the constitution was not established by "we, the people" but by state congresses in control of the rich, 90% of the men and all of the women were excluded from the vote. there was one state run on democratic principles: rhode island asked its voters about the constitution through referendum, it was rejected. most of the history they fed you in high school was air-brushed, and most of the history you need to know was never mentioned. which is why americans are chained to plutocracy, simple ignorance, heavily coated with lies. how to escape to reality? here's the good part: there is no escape. dim, ignorant people don't survive. they need fairy godmothers to lift them up to citizen quality people, and there are none. bummer.
    1
  4433. you are lacking 'by the people' because the man who wrote the constitution knew that democracy would lead to the taxes of the rich being put to the service of the poor. so he made sure democracy didn't happen. did it very well, most americans think that what they've got is democracy, only improved because it's done for them by politicians. ignorance is the ultimate weapon of the elite- keep the chumps ignorant, and they can be made to cut their own throats.
    1
  4434. 'registered voters?' i think the people who pay attention to politics don't bother to register. i hope, instead, they are planning revolution, or secession. more likely they are just looking for permanent residence far from the usa.
    1
  4435. the contrast between biden and sanders demonstrates that one of them shouldn't be in the democratic party. but the american political system is frozen in the madison/powdered-wig stage of history, and nothing good can happen.
    1
  4436. 'get back to normal?' how much longer is that going to be good enough?
    1
  4437. trump is a boil on the face of plutocracy. by now, you should know that talk about 'american democracy' is simply a malicious lie serving to mystify an ignorant usa public. more interesting, is: what to do about it. if you want actual democracy, it will take action to get it. most of the work can be done by an 'enthusiast' group, but more than half of the electorate must be informed and led to a referendum. too much trouble? watch you nation collapse. it will happen, the orcs are in charge.
    1
  4438. americans have never believed in fairness, if there was money to be made by injustice. ask the iraqis, and many more.
    1
  4439.  @teddydog6229  but it never happens, and there is no mention of the possibility, nor reflection on the lack. that is real slavery, of the mind.
    1
  4440. the swamp is the system. the whole purpose of the system is to free big money from public use, or even, surveillance. why do you keep talking about democracy, when ordinary people don't even know what's going on, much less have any control over public activity. madison promised the constitutional convention that his constitution would prevent democracy, and it visibly does. clearly, no one in the usa understands this, due to a total collapse in study of national history. you can understand why politicians don't like to be reminded of these matters, more disturbing is flight from reality among teachers, and pundits, and bloggers.
    1
  4441. the structure of the state precludes any wide spectrum. madison intended that the constitution he submitted would make it easy for the rich to rule, and his design has been brilliantly successful. fundamental change is impossible without at least a threat of revolution. successful revolution needs a large proportion of ex-middle class members to enlist the ex-labor in sufficient numbers to discourage the army from supporting the elite. usa will have to get much worse for those conditions to emerge. the fragility of the usa economy exposed by the virus suggests 'possible revolution' could appear in 5 years. but don't get excited, revolution usually collapses into military rule, and democracy is impossible in any event, the character of the usa public is too 'sicilian' for democracy.
    1
  4442. freedom and liberty are fantasies. but if you make yourself a member of the ruling class, you maximize your range of activity. the only ruling class that empowers most people is democracy. get democracy, and you can do anything not forbidden by the majority. this a big improvement over having to do what some dictator thinks is good for him.
    1
  4443. complain if you wish, but do nothing, you will. you are nothing but political cattle, and your masters are untroubled by the noise. meanwhile, mr hartmann makes a nice living by offering a public confessional for you to pour out your indignation. that's politics at the grass-roots in an oligarchy. 'making a living' from political distress is a peculiarly usa characteristic. in fact, revolution is very unlikely, because the leaders will be bribed cheaply, or shot, cheaply. there is a market price in usa, for everything.
    1
  4444. first, who do you trust to tell you the truth? if you have an answer not part of your immediate family, you are a fool. not that most people are not usually truthful, more or less, but you can't put strangers into 'ok', ' not ok' boxes. so let everyone speak. you figure out which is likely to be lying. fox has its followers, they like what it says. dip in now and then, to reassure your opinion that they are useless. people. but i suggest you should never trust anyone who says, "just listen to me!" unless you like what fox says. and if it's a government who says, don't listen to them!' despise the government, and fear it.
    1
  4445. get democracy, and stop relying on the promises of liars.how? re-write the constitution of california, scaled up, and present it to congress for enactment. fire a few shots over their heads to stimulate clear thinking.
    1
  4446. that was not a cop. a rich iq 80 narcissist thought a demo would do the job, but p45 was and is, genuinely dim. so are most of the people who support him. never a chance that trump would succeed in this after a lifetime of incompetence at everything. but usa oligarchy is collapsing, because membrership in the ruling demographic does not require competence. a trump as president? followed by a biden? don't you realize, 'anyone can be president' is a recipe for disaster?
    1
  4447. nothing was solved in the 30's. bandaids were applied, until tojo and hitler invigorated the economy with rage. what defeats corporate plutocracy? nothing. plutocracy is the principle on which the fundamental laws of the nation are built, and until the constitution is scrapped, nothing useful will happen. there will be change, dictatorship is on the horizon, but there is no future there. how to create a future? simple. but apparently impossible. none of the talking heads raise the possibility that usa was built to deliver plutocracy, and so a new construction is necessary. and that is why all the talk has been, and is fruitless. for all his flaws, mao hit on one timeless reality: political change is the transfer of power from one group to another, and power is not talk, it is the application of force.
    1
  4448. haiti's problems began long ago, with a military occupation and looting, by the usa marine corp.
    1
  4449. prc has made a misjudgement about how much money to spend on public health. doctors and hospitals were over-loaded before the virus erupted. so lockdowns were necessary. eventually, vaccination should bring the situation under control, but it might be 3 years of continual suppression of movement.
    1
  4450. Don't blame Reagan. The basic law of the nation was designed for the convenience of the rich. If you can not or will not face reality and get democracy, then the rich will continue to rule, and the nation will continue to rot.
    1
  4451. kidnapping mwz forces various nations to choose if they will stay with usa, or back china, as the rising power. europe would like to remain unencumbered, but usa can not tolerate that. as they are losing in trade and technology. the long view is in china's favor. it may be that it is too late to use force in place of ability, but usa has no other cards to play. bad luck for meng, individuals should not be the pivot point of national struggles, but she is rich, and very well-connected- strange if she can not extricate herself.
    1
  4452. the constitution was written to prevent democracy, and it continues to do so. the existence of politicians is meant to be a fire-wall between voter and action, and it works because politicians can be bought in sufficient number to ensure the rule of wealth, commercial and private. the only cure is a transfer of power from politician to electorate. 'transfer' is revolution. until you bite that bullet, nothing good can happen. when the electorate decides, it's called 'democracy.' usa has never had it, but thinks it does. no hope, really- a nation that dim can never thrive.
    1
  4453. there is no democracy in china. very, very, little in the usa. so, unless you are in the revolution business, move on from governance to performance. there, prc better than usa in every way. neither perfect, we are dealing with human beings, but for every china weakness, you can match a usa weakness, and worse.
    1
  4454. the dnc is not your friend. fortunately, doesn't matter a great deal who is president, china rising e. u. splitting, only good news lately is bolivia coup, and that;s a mixed blessing, as the whole world knows what happened, and didn't quite happen in venezuela. turns out, mr hopeandchange is planning to run again, as a republican, while mrs. clinton is planing to run again as a fascist. really, this crop of actual candidates is a bit bland. i guess that's what 'progressive' means in modern usa.
    1
  4455. fortunately, most usa security secrets should be made public. less fortunately, the usa constitution was a contemptible document at birth and hasn't improved. it is entirely responsible for the standard of national management that is totally focused on enriching the already rich. trump's presence in the whitehouse is a clear demonstration, but by no means the worst. since there is no visible discomfort about these matters in usa public life, improvement is not going to happen.
    1
  4456. the usa is an elective aristocracy. this has 2 long-term dysfunctional results: the leadership ossifies because getting in is much harder than staying in. the people decay for lack of effective participation. at this stage, only a party of revolution can do any good. it must begin as 'peaceful' revolution, but the reaction from the rich and powerful will likely result in violence being necessary. at that point, the 2nd amendment will finally get the use it was designed for. will it happen? probably not- usa has the sicilian disease. is there even time for revolution? probably not. the need for green power is greater than the need for democracy, since extinction is a lively possibility. the usa was born to empower the rich, preserve the slave plantations and enable the clearing of inconvenient autocthones. from that birth in evil it will be only appropriate for the usa to poison the planet for personal wealth and political advantage. it has always been a land of bubbas and snidely whiplash, thinly disguised by the occasional hedges and chomsky..
    1
  4457. once you grasp the notion that politicians should not be in charge of the nation, you may ask, "why not try democracy?" but that doesn't happen in modern usa. brain-dead, the whole nation. there is a fatalist acceptance that nothing can be done, possibly most believe that nothing needs to change.
    1
  4458. you are ready for democracy, but most are not.
    1
  4459. no point in discussing legality, in dealing with the usa government. they make their own rules, as they go. murder, invasion, collateral damage, all in the book. consequently, resistance of any nature is ethical, in a struggle for survival. julian assange, for personal reasons, entered into war with the usa government, struck some heavy blows but appears to have ended his struggle in captivity. not clear yet. being concerned about the nature of his struggle, 'was this real journalism?' is absurd. the struggle against tyranny is not a game, and there are no rules.
    1
  4460. iran can not afford to be without nuclear weapons.
    1
  4461. stolen from kissinger, i think.
    1
  4462. comical. the best bet is usg blew up the pipelines. there is nothing usg won't do, in pursuit of power and money. dr. sachs is risking his life. cia has a ready supply of 'lone gunmen' who deal with inconvenient truth-speakers.
    1
  4463. the fall of the usa is a much-desired event, presuming fossil fuel use declined rapidly as well. no such luck.
    1
  4464. of course politicians are crooked. the difficult question is, why do people put up with politician rule? if the answer is, because they are ignorant, dim, and passive, then why report profit taking by yer masters? it will do no good. well, it will enrich j. dore. but aside from that, it is simulated politics, politics to entertain the masses. nothing wrong with entertainment, although corrupting the naive youth has a moral dimension best not examined closely.
    1
  4465. of course the dnc is trying to direct voting result, that's their business. but the usa is not a democracy, madison said his constitution would create a plutocracy, and it has. voting for people is not democracy, it is non-violent civil war to determine which gang of aristocrats will rule for awhile. they need money, to scam the chumps who believe the nonsense about democracy, so the rich get their wishes done, hence, "plutocracy." ms gabbard is no better- she wants to be one of the 'aristocrats.' people who want real change are plotting revolution. there are probably dozens of them, with secret handshakes. nothing will happen in the usa, but the organic decay built into every human society ruled by elites, which is nearly all of them. the sad truth is, you can't have democracy without citizen quality people, and such people do not develop often in elite societies.
    1
  4466. the problem is, the democratic party is not an assemblage of saints working tirelessly for the common american. a nation willing to entrust their future to politicians deserves to be dudded at least once a week. if yer dumb, lazy and credulous, the politicians will lie to you endlessly, because you are, and they can.
    1
  4467. right. trump has no ideology, just personal concerns. infantile.
    1
  4468. workers unionize, nations ally, or collude, depending which side you are on.
    1
  4469. you got nothing better to talk about? violence in iraq and syria, walking away from support of the poorest usans? giving out pizza to voters at the polling station is bribery. should be stopped. but usa is so totally rotten, that a little traditional poll queue bribery [it used to be beer] is just quaint.
    1
  4470. one of the consequences of elite rule, is crap education. swedes are reputed to be human, but they seem to be so much more civilized than usa that we must suspect superior genes. imagine encouraging every one to get the best education available- what would it lead to?
    1
  4471. of course not. the pretense is endless, the label useful in duping usa people, and in excusing imperial activity in foreign affairs. but madison promised his listeners in the constitutional convention that his document would prevent democracy and ensure the rule of wealth. and he delivered. the citizens do not rule, in the usa. that is the meaning of the word, 'democracy.' this word is an english version of the greek phrase, demos kratia. "the citizens rule." usa is not a democracy. the greeks had a word for the usa type of government 'oligarchy.' since 536 people rule a nation of 330 million, it is an oligarchy.
    1
  4472. let's quit fooling around. seal the airports, start shooting anyone who looks rich. what's the use of all those guns swashing around the usa, if they are never used for moral rectification. unfortunately, neither this nor any other practical plan to create a prosperous and just society has been published in recent years. i include bernie's well-meant yearning for a better new deal. he hasn't said anything about establishing democracy, sine qua non. i'm pressing you to extend your education, this is the most important sentence in american politics, chiefly by its absence. the fundamental law of the federation was expressly designed to ensure the rich few ruled the many un-rich, and look around you - it continues to work 230 years later. at what point are american leaders/intellectuals/progressives going to realize the game is fixed? never, because they are not eager to hand the wand of power to the little people. until the little people decide to stand up and take, h. sap. is doomed.
    1
  4473. it's nice that there's a voice of sanity. but very very depressing that the result is only, 'well said.' more appropriate would be 'meet in front of white house march 1st, bring torch and rope, and as many angry armed friends as you can.'
    1
  4474. well, it is a disease. but it can be controlled by not letting victims spread it further by holding unelected office.
    1
  4475. it;s all a puppet show. no one in usa politics dares to cross the zion lobby.
    1
  4476. this is where hedges fails, in my view: he is well-aware of the injustice in usa society, and speaks with knowledge and passion about it, but he accepts it, he talks of rebellion but has no plan to offer, that will change america. and yet, effective rebellion is easy. it just needs a large minority of the electorate to send the same email to the dnc, and local dem candidates, every monday morning: "i will not again vote for the democratic party until party policy is to amend the constitution to create an effective and accessible power of citizen initiative, making the electorate the sovereign power of the nation." this is non-violent revolution, a transfer of power from an elite group, politicians in office, to the citizens of the nation. it might not work. if it doesn't, abandon hope, or arm yourselves and advance on dc. my own view is that americans are not citizen quality people, and are incapable of concerted action. that's why chomsky speaks without passion- he knows from long experience, that americans wear mental chains. hedges hasn't learned this yet. chomsky has no hope, hedges hasn't lived long enough.
    1
  4477. any government works for itself, because its made of human beings. so a nation that wants to look after most of its ordinary people must be a democracy, so that the people can be the government. pretty obvious, eh? unfortunately, if you raise children to trust strangers, they do. and when politicians promise to look after you, they lie. and everyone knows they lie, and let's them rule, nonetheless. homer sap is a natural slave. you just gotta pat him on the head and say, "good dog."
    1
  4478. the virtue of democracy is that everyone gets to vote on individual issues, should school be free, yes or no. should we resist invasion, yes or no. and so forth. but usa is not a democracy, you only get to vote on who should rule us, for awhile. this inevitably results in a gang mentality among those who actively contend for power, and a passive ignorant mob of those who see no advantage in participating in that struggle for power. this national character is not unique, it is commonplace. usa however is burdened with an inflexible constitution which has been all too successful in empowering the rich against the mob. usa consequently has been badly managed from birth. it is, or at least has been, the most powerful society for about 150 years due only to its resources, space and unthreatened boundaries. but the world has moved on, madison's constitution now delivers absurd leadership by comparison with its competitors. so usa is doomed, china will surpass it, europe may surpass it, even india might. see russia for a likely next stage. and these macro concerns make most usan political discussion trivial. like those medieval churchmen who were reported to concern themselves on the number of angels dancing on pinheads, usans can not lift their gaze and ask important questions. too be fair, i suspect many ask trivial questions because they fear the important ones are unsolvable and threatening.
    1
  4479. homer sap is going to regret letting politicians drive the bus. too late to stop the crash, but i console myself with hopes that survivors will hunt them down and stone them.
    1
  4480. well said. we have paper ballots, several scrutineers from various parties and electoral commission, and get it done in a day, usually. hard to think how cheating could happen. and we even have some proportional seats. long way from democracy, much better than usa.
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  4481. let's boycott usa at olympics because of: vietnam, iraq, chile, el salvador, afghanistan, and many more - chomsky has a list, about 100 crimes. i have to believe that the character of the usg is related to the character of the people, not all, but most. so change is near impossible. and of course, other governments are about the same, within their capacity to do evil. it's just that usa is the biggest monster. homer sap has beaten all the animals, and holds its own against disease, but controlling itself is too hard. extinction is the likely result.
    1
  4482. the usa constitution was written to make sure the rich ruled the nation. and they do- it worked. it is not a sacred document. don't listen to people who get misty-eyed about it. tg wants to be president. she would be dangerous to world peace. have you ever thought about making the usa into a democracy? letting politicians run the place is what got you here.
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  4483. theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/ hindu aipac?
    1
  4484. homer sap got in the habit of doing what the biggest monkey said long ago, and with the assistance of his beta hench-monkeys, that gorilla has been keeping himself in maximum comfort ever since. since alpha and betas suffer last and least, they are not inclined to worry about us. we eventually invented democracy, as a concept, but have not been effective at installing it. too bad - it would be the saving of us as a species. it's the only way to get things done for the common good, and it seems out of reach. scientists have wondered, publicly, why we don't hear radio signals from critters living on other planets. turns out, it's quite simple: shortly after getting radios, we burn down the planet.
    1
  4485. watching usa politics, used to be fun. horrifying, but laughter was possible. frinstace, 'democracy now' always raised a smile, as everyone knows usa is not a democracy, never was, and never will be. quelle blague! still, wish upon a star... if one was confident that la clinton would be a better president, trump would be a disaster. mais non.
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  4486. both those men despise trump, and are amused by his discomfort- which may end in jail.
    1
  4487. these were rhetorical questions, of course. too hard, no and yes are the answers.
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  4488. ms iversen, the turks are never on the right side, just read some history. mind you, no one in the middle east is a clean-skin, but the kurds have never been strong enough to indulge in genocide, while turkey is hated by all its neighbors for a good reason.
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  4489. as they debase the currency, the legislators sensibly increase their wages to maintain standard of living. better to add a bit more, as they will meet successive crises in the same way. american chumps are evidently so naive that they think hoping for new faces on the trough is sufficient response. sorry, more effort is required, the purpose of the 2nd amendment is to allow you to shoot politicians. but nobody does, so something really hard id required- you have to organize and establish democracy. too hard, i think. so go back to whining.
    1
  4490. usa was born bad, explicitly designed to be ruled by the rich, and equally to prolong the the practice of [african] slavery. from that base, and the legal structure to enforce it, little wonder that that the modern nation is a cess-pool of every kind of injustice. the problem is incurable.
    1
  4491. usa gummint is the usual sort, staffed by sociopaths and nudged by narcissist plutocrats. that's homer sap for you.. the plebs get on with their lives, however they can. it's getting harder lately, because the rich are maintaining or expanding their take from the national income, while the national income is under pressure from prc and other resistant nations, notably iran and russia. only an active, large and well-organized popular movement can shake the status quo, none in view. usa peeps are ignorant, cowed, genuinely desperado. whence the endemic crime and occasional mass murder. i wouldn't give a damn, except the looming climate crisis threatens every living thing on earth, and the orcs who run usa are making it worse. anyone who is remotely surprised by this bolton brag simply hasn't been paying attention. the classical greeks had a word for it, that's where we get 'idiot.'
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  4492. the biggest threat to your 'democracy,' is that you think you have democracy.
    1
  4493. a clear statement of where homer sap should be going. could have wrote it myself, except i've been saying similar things since the late 60's with no visible response. homer is alienated, miseducated, maleducated, very possibly asocial whether by genetic predeliction or childhood conditioning. i fear you are shouting into a void. no matter, it's the only game in town, so keep doing it. there will be great upheavals from climate collapse, it may inspire a wide-spread belief that change is necessary, and we may hope that it will be a constructive change. fingers crossed!
    1
  4494. wrong. never born.
    1
  4495. btw, those little red flags clustered around the toe of florida probably it a fire under the orcs of cialand.* there will be an anthill disturbed appearance for the next few years, they may even resort to marines landing. *cialand is an autonomous state located in down-town dc. they have their own flag, which they only fly in public on the anniversary of jfk's death. by some ironic coincidence that happens to be the cia's summer picnic day. quirks of history, eh?
    1
  4496. 'cruel, wasteful, unnecessary. ' maybe, but if you ask why it happens, the answer is 'those who make decisions don't care.' which is why you must first get power, then talk about what changes you want to make.
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  4497. india is not in china's pocket, nor is anyone else. people who are unhappy with usa will smile at prc now and then, as a means of resisting usa plans, or aggression. a relatively healthy situation, which may prevent another iraq invasion, or afghanistan occupation. iran may even hope that public association with prc will prevent israeli bombs and raids. the people of the usa tolerate a sociopathic government, which conducts foreign affairs with raids, bombs and the occasional invasion. while constantly referring to 'american democracy.' which is not democracy at all. the people do not rule, or even know what is being done, in their name. this says something shameful about usa character. lincoln freed the slaves, but still they are not masters of their nation, just civilians, or less politely, chumps. no great shame in it, homer sap nowhere impresses. but usans do not use their vote to rebel. a 10% turn-out would begin to re-mold usa behavior, voting only for unaffiliated locals would help, too. but they don't. either chumps, or creeps. and their masters are a danger to racial survival. indeed, between looming war and accelerating climate collapse, usa is the starring actor in the sterilization of the planet.
    1
  4498. you won't look in the dark, and the answer is not in the light. get democracy, and socialism will follow. madison said so, which is why the constitution is not that of democracy. until you face reality, you can't change it. it will need another 20 years and mass impoverishment,* before someone stands up and says,' let's march. bring yer gun.' usually that results in simple classic tyranny. china was lucky, they just got a new dynasty, red mandarins, which so far is much better. usa won't be lucky, no respect for political theory - the guy who stands up likely to be some semi-literate hay-seed. * assume for the support of hope, that climate change is under control. real possibility that political action no longer of use.
    1
  4499. a better plan would be to liberate people from politicians.
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  4500. as far as i know, only helvetia maintains a reasonable approximation of democracy, and it is visibly corroding under the stress of e.u. encirclement. greece, otoh, doesn't pretend. everyone in the west is told daily that rule by politicians is 'democracy.' but the word itself gives them the lie: it means a society 'ruled by the citizens.' california would be a very good approximation of a democracy, if independent: referendum, initiative direct the state in large matters, and in constant use. a few other usa states come close, but elsewhere, the people do not rule. and they are not really citizens, civilian would be polite. you would think a notable greek would understand these distinctions, but yf found the greek state to small a stage for his talents, and contents himself with being a celebrity 'international.'
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  4501. still imputing 'democracy' to the usa system? i wonder what it will take, to break the bubble?
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  4502. never charged with rape. swedes just wanted 'to talk to him' about possibility that he insisted on sex without a condum. this appears to have cia fingerprints on it, there is a long story here. he offered to respond to questions at the ecuadorean embassy, not good enough for the swedes. he feared the swedes would pass him on to the usa. i am very glad he helped expose usa crimes, but for a very smart man, he acted very foolishly. should have stayed undercover but couldn't resist celebrity, and groupies. two of the latter sold him to the usa, inadvertently. or so they say- one has a bit of history with politics.
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  4503. save your disdain for people who think politicians should run the nation. democracy is possible, but it will need more than disdain to wrest control away from the pollies. american people are not sufficiently angered to attempt the role of citizens, so nothing will improve.
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  4504. why not get democracy, and vote for 'what should be done,' instead of 'who should we anoint to be our masters?'
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  4505. trump is a pitiful creature. the constitution, plus just barely enough votes, made him manager of the nation for 4 years. isn't anyone worried about that?
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  4506. if taiwan is part of china, usa is a bandit aggressor. and usa has said often, 'taiwan is part of china.' as for democratic, if you imagine usa is democratic, you are mistaken.
    1
  4507. russia distributes malicious gossip to disturb american elections, america sends assassins or armies wherever they can. there is no end to their hypocrisy. i have come to understand that 'the great satan' was not hyperbole.
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  4508. no. a bad decision can get made any time one person decides, even in consultation. especially if done in a hurry. so, the smaller the decision group, the shorter the time, the more danger. another charm of democracy. my standard is the swiss: surrounded by the axis, when informed by hitler that he was sending a management team to integrate c.h. into the axis, three things happened: first, general commanding swiss militia called first response cohort to action stations. second, national administration formulated a referendum, saying, "shall we comply?" third, two weeks later the citizens replied , "no!" you could say the time was short, but the question was simple. 4 languages, 3 cultures, all voted more than 95% no! consequently, even when conditions got difficult, food short, bombs and bullets occasionally flying from all directions, the swiss never worried about their compatriots, all were swiss, and those very few who weren't were easily dealt with. i should mention, the 'citizens' were men 18 +, they took the athenian view that the fighters and diers should decide things. but they are more civilized now. they are also strangely prosperous for a nation with no natural resources but ski slopes. but usa has the worst possible government style: elective aristocracy---- .sclerotic, short-sighted, and greedy. usa could easily wander into an extinction decision, in fact, you already have. flying the flag of 'capitalism' ,' guarantees extinction, on a finite planet. but this is not solely trump's decision. an entire national culture is running towards a cliff.
    1
  4509. usa just prints money, transfers it to military corporations, some makes guns, some enriches share-holders. war in ukraine is wind-fall profits, with no [usa] casualties. peace? don't be foolish.
    1
  4510. be thankful. he's not in the war room.
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  4511. don't blame the democrats- the weak link is visible in every mirror. democracy is rule by the people, and you ain't got it. and you don't want it, too much trouble to get it. might be fighting and dying involved, and certainly a lot of name-calling. and yer too busy. the usa was designed to be run by the rich, and the design was good, not least in creating a society that looks out for itself, and devil take the losers. it's not a matter of biden vs bernie, or even trump vs anyone. it's a matter of "who decides?"* - shall it be the will of the citizens, or the decision of politicians. *aristotle figured this out, thousands of years ago, and you still don't know. talk about 'mortal ignorant,' or what?
    1
  4512. record these conversations, they'll be priceless material for a stand-up comic in 5 years time.
    1
  4513. first you must catch your rabbit. talking about politics without the power of citizen initiative is like listening to adolescents talk about which car they will buy, when they get a license. except, americans will never get a license.
    1
  4514. no, mr janssen, what is good for america is good for america. the rest of the world sends very few children to international meetings. usa continues to have a following, because nations may profit from the scraps, or rulers take protection from submission to usa. i do what i can to remind the world, that 'democracy' has a meaning, and it is nothing like what is practiced by the usa, at home and certainly has no international application at all. the tide is turning, and it is no longer immediately fatal to reject usa demands. a few who do are murdered, and many are bought, but resistance has reached self-sustaining levels. it is unfortunate that the two major nations resisting usa hegemony are themselves oligarchies, russia might even be a dictatorship, but the moral standing of the usa elective oligarchy is no better. homo sapiens has touched democracy, but it clearly is not natural, and i suspect we will destroy our world before we get there. in the meantime, it seems best to support the less bad nations, prc and russia.. by the way, your nation murders people who oppose them. it is foolish to suggest that others have rights, while the cia is a licensed killer.
    1
  4515. bernie ain't gonna fix it, folks. he's not an idiot, he will pop some facial pimples, but usa has a history and culture that will not be changed by one old man in the oval office. just look at what little fdr achieved, with much greater resources.. he didn't change the constitution, and the constitution allows the government to be bought, one politician at a time. that is a constant economic pressure which generates outcomes that benefit the rich. plutocracy is informal, almost invisible, but always in power. welcome to gilded age, mark 2.
    1
  4516. you believe what it profits you to believe. usa education offers little assistance in knowing reality, so lies start off on equal footing. the dems lie, cheat and steal as much as the gop, in the fundamental areas of government: maintenance of empire and rewarding the rich. since they are visibly not the friends of truth or the common person, it is difficult for them to pretend to be different, anywhere. when all choices are bad, rational people quit looking for the better. the structure of the usa was corrupt from birth, the inheritors have no interest in reality.
    1
  4517. it's not rape when american companies beg to be allowed to produce and sell in china. you could say it's selling out the american middle class, but that's their own fault. too lazy to get rich, too lazy to join the military, to lazy to sell drugs, or their daughters. while trump is a truly contemptible human being, he also is perfectly representative of the american elite, aside from not bothering to hide his contempt for everyone else. but not unique, there, either. america was born to preserve the wealth of slave plantation plutocrats, and it did until the civil war. then it served to defend the wealth of industrial and mining plutocrats, just as it now defends bankers. the constitution defends wealth- period. it was designed that way. american reverence for the constitution is a cosmic joke, one which is wearing a little thin.
    1
  4518. another possibility is that china is planning to move 50 million families from country to city.
    1
  4519. if yer high school history class was worth a damn, they would have shown you how the usofa gummint was designed to be run by and for the rich. there's no secret about it, as madison had to persuade the state gummint grandees to accept his proposed constitution. when they were assured they would profit from the new constitution, they voted to establish. it begins "we, the people..." but that was just the first lie, ordinary people were not consulted, except in rhode island, by referendum. they refused to accept, until all the other states had done so, by congressional action. it turns out, usa 'we, the people' are chumps, then and now.
    1
  4520. who should drop out? from whose point of view? they aren't there to please you, didn't you know that? most will drop out when cost overtakes chance of success. the only interesting element so far, is discovering that idle billionaires could buy their way in to the selection process. not a great surprise, but a useful marker in the transition from simulated democracy to naked medieval buying of mobs. i confess to a certain amount of guilty pleasure in seeing the emerging nature of american society- not suddenly worse, but definitely degraded in the visible sale of public office. of course, merely the sale of a chance at public office. but in a way, that is crookeder still.
    1
  4521. usa is a contemptible nation. i didn't realize it until i was grown. i suppose most nations try to lie to their children, although brown kids, especially poor, brown kids probably learn reality pretty young. but it is the most powerful military nation , by far, and likely to kill at any scale, in search of money, or simply to preserve fear, so other nations do not evince contempt, and many are just as bad, within their limited capabilities. homer sap invented morality, ethics and law, so that we could live together and dominate nature, and that worked, roughly. but even there, natural savagery is likely to end us, unable to leash greed and arrogance even in defense of our environment. poor julian. something wrong with that man's head, to assault the lies of the usg without any attempt at concealment. what did he think was going to happen? did he imagine the people of the usa would applaud his efforts and protect him?
    1
  4522. and donald trump is gone. until the next one. won't be long, the system doesn't weed them out.
    1
  4523. a democracy is a society ruled by its citizens. their tools of management are referendum, initiative and recall. the federal government has none of those features, and is not a democracy. all other societies are oligarchies. there are several sorts, usa is a plutocracy. the man who wrote the constitution was frank that he was empowering the rich to rule.
    1
  4524. it didn't begin with reagan, who merely used the structure of the usa constitution as it was designed to be used: it was written to empower the rich, and it works. great design, mr madison! get democracy, use citizen initiative to create a peaceful and prosperous nation.
    1
  4525. you can reasonably complain about the character of politicians, but they are what they are because they can be. and that's because you are too lazy, too dim or too frightened to take power from them. it turns out, when you are raised to think like serfs, you do. revolution comes from a dispossessed middle class, able to enliven the serfs and organize them. not yet visible in the usa, and maybe never will be. normally, the generals take over next.
    1
  4526. i love to read usa response to their gummint activities abroad. you complain about the money, while your troops destroy nations. you deserve each other.
    1
  4527. there is something you can do. every monday morning press a button on your pc, sending the same email to every office-holder in your electorate. it says: "i am voting against you, until you publicly promise to promote democracy in the federal government. i want administration under the direction of regular and frequent referendum, and occasional citizen initiative" easy to do, easy to advocate, and effective, if enough people are sick of politician rule. this is revolution, in the digital age.
    1
  4528. hey, morality is for losers. pimps and politicians can't afford it. don't blame them - blame the poor chumps who put up with it.
    1
  4529. wrong, but a good description of 'plutocrat.' an oligarch is one of a few people who run a nation. there are military and religious oligarchs, who operate directly. plutocrats normally are shadow rulers, bloomberg is rare demonstration of direct economic plutocracy, if he succeeds, which he won't.
    1
  4530. the scandis are socialist nations, and have the highest standard of living in the world. what a co-incidence!
    1
  4531. you might mention that india was boasting about beating up chinese troops.
    1
  4532. Prof Wolff mistakes the motivation of the USA elite. They are looking after themselves, not the nation. That wasted money was not wasted, some bought votes, some inflated shareholdings, some punished Iran for its resistance, to encourage submission from others. USA is the evil empire, ruled by selfish and arrogant people. Don't expect intellectual aspects in USA foreign policy. It is driven by greed and brutality.
    1
  4533. it is usa that is ringing south china with warships. prc is not patrolling the east coast of usa. hasn't anyone noticed?
    1
  4534. the usg is hopelessly obsolete. the ruling plutocracy sustains their political agents to ensure reform is unlikely, and the absurdly over-fed military coerces markets and resources into usa grasp, while creating a voter base personally indebted to the plutocracy. only revolution can improve usa.
    1
  4535. you start as a gofer, when they think you can be trusted with the coffee money, you are promoted to 'stategist 1. allowed to offer in- house opinions. when you clearly have the song-book memorized, you can be a strategist 2, with actual pay. then you are allowed to speak at friendly and simple-minded sites. et cetera. [haven't seen one of those in awhile, have you. ] aoc has decided she likes being a politician. it's like working in a whore house, you gotta be flexible. and that's all you are entitled to expect of her- she ain't a revolutionary, and you ain't gonna fix usa from within congress. no one in the usa seems to have decided to fix the usa, no visible signs of revolution as yet, most seem to think just changing faces will do it. or so they say. in the age of gig economy, making a living by talking about something has infested politics. it's not really lying when you need to lie, to go on eating.
    1
  4536. stop complaining, organize a citizen action group to extract power of citizen initiative from congress, use it to make usa a better place. too much trouble? impossible? might cost yer job? sorry, democracy is not free. you only get it if you will fight for it.
    1
  4537. xi does not have 'good chemistry' with a man now exposed to all the world as a fool, a crook, very possibly a traitor. xi will extract what he can from this crippled duck, while continuing his long term plans for the extension of chinese wealth and power. it's about even money that trump will be indicted, rather than re-elected.
    1
  4538. if you want to change things in society, first you must have the power to change things. get democracy, then talk about what needs to be done through citizen initiative.
    1
  4539. think twice about tulsi: theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/ she tells a compelling story about the american militarist machine, but that just makes her a whistleblower. in her spare time, it appears that she is the 'manchurian candidate' for a hindu aipac.
    1
  4540. it's comforting to believe you know how things started and will continue. it may prove to be the down-fall of homer sap.
    1
  4541. your problem is not manchin, nor biden. your problem is that you accept rule by political grandees, much like georgian britain, when the constitution was written, and modeled on that society. on a deeper level, you accept the lie that usa is some kind of democracy. this ensures that you will never have democracy. i wish i thought some group was aware of the need for actual democracy and doing something to achieve it, but none in view.
    1
  4542. populism is what happens when the elite groups need to appeal to plebs for support. it doesn't happen in democracy, because the citizens have control of the state. call it the sickly sibling of democracy, the one that can only cheer from the sidelines, in a wheel-chair. in any event, the appearance of bloomberg as the anointed child of the nominally 'people's party' is genuinely amusing, i would underline the fact that gore vidal put it well, when he remarked that 'the usa has a right-wing party, and a farther right-wing party,' but at the same time, it is futile to talk about reality in a nation so blinded by myth and concerted lies. even if bernie gets in, folks, yer toast. there is no one in public life who has a clue about how to save a nation whose ship of state was aimed towards a distant reef at launching, with no means to change course.
    1
  4543. presumably iran can put their oil in russian ships, or chinese. is usa going to stop them?
    1
  4544. in the early 60's, kruschev got tired to usa nuclear missiles parked in turkey, so he did a deal with castro and began shipping missiles to cuba. kennedy was sane, and secretly promised to close down the missile threat from turkey. and the missile-bearing ships turned around. but nowadays, usa masters are desperate, and must have new markets to support military, and corporate profits. so they buy a government of ukraine, and vlad says, "basta!" poor finland is uncomfortably close to this scene, and have never been close to russia emotionally. not even nodding friends. so they are easily bought. can't blame them. in actual fact, they could stay out of nato and flourish, putin doesn't look for trouble. still, nato might be seen as insurance. of course, joining the other team will lead to fatal consequences, if the bombs start to fly.
    1
  4545. well, if msnbc is sufficiently worried about a crew of garage complainers to actually give them a mention, you know yer drawing blood. fang'em!
    1
  4546. if you had democracy, you could fix health care with initiative. but no one says, "let's get democracy, and fix health care, and a great many other problems as well." why is that?
    1
  4547. if you won't demand democracy, why complain when your masters ignore you?
    1
  4548. if you had democracy, you could fire these pollies, even jail them. but you don't. they let you wring yer hands, tho' "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains."
    1
  4549. trump is actually a good fit for usa president. the usa is a society completely relaxed about murder done abroad, whether 1, or a family, or a nation. at home, poverty is what happens to inferior people, a matter of no concern to good americans. drug addiction is dealt with by police or gunfire, and kept to certain neighborhoods of inferior people. employment in usa is finally slimmed down to day-hire, or day and a half or 2 jobs in a day, for just enough money to support population, so long sufficient hungry immigrants take up the slack. a dim-witted sociopath with defensive vanity is just what the nation must have in the front office. no one with an ounce of self-respect would want to front this failed state.
    1
  4550. btw, does wearing a big hat indoors cover for a gross mis-guessing of performance? is all of usa politics just dress up play-acting to mesmerize the chumps?
    1
  4551. the skin is thin because usa and its clients have been pissing on prc since 1947. they are tired of it, long ago, and feel strong enough to complain in safety. not strong enough to shoot down the pelosi plane, which seems to me to be appropriate: she was entering china without invitation or permission, and accompanied by a bandit gang. there was a time when india was not an appendage of the usa government, but it appears that the difference in progress made by india compared to china requires a strident voice about china, and smiling accommodation to usa. does this really cover any embarrassment?
    1
  4552. actually, democracy is 'rule by the citizens.' not rule by politicians. but a nation reared in ignorance and frequently frightened by a world they know little about, will swallow any lie.
    1
  4553. you need a new constitution, pete, one that begins, "we, the citizens of the usa declare that we are the masters of our nation, that all public activity is done within our view and control. "...and more, about the referendum, initiative and recall power with which the citizens direct the nation.
    1
  4554. they never eat politicians. pity.
    1
  4555. with luck, the climate collapse will end rocket-pollution of near-space, in time to reduce casualties from falling junk to tolerable levels. thank you, dr h, for this news report. it's as useful as formal media, and more reliable, i hope.
    1
  4556. get over the constitution. it is not your friend. it is the tool that rich people use to run usa. if this is too hard to grasp, start with the promise madison made to the constitutional convention, that it would empower the rich. he was right. look around you. next, think about the constant reference to money in election campaigns. you think that doesn't matter? finally, if usa were a democracy, the people would become citizens - shareholders in the management of the nation through referendum and initiative. why are you not demanding democracy? do you like rule by the rich?
    1
  4557. there are 'no' democracies, with the limited exception of the swiss. politician rule is not democracy. princeton university recently published an investigation of the federal government from which it was discovered that voting for politicians had zero effect on national law and activity. in short, the nation was an oligarchy, with a puppet show 'democracy.' eu parliament is no better. politicians rule, not the electorate. if you can't have democracy, at least face reality.
    1
  4558. bernie shouldn't have said that. he's a politician, he's communicating for the purpose of getting elected, so he got sloppy. you don't deserve any better. you let politicians rule you. chumps.
    1
  4559. very hard to take over a real democracy. but there are none, but the swiss. most developed nations are elective aristocracies. the people in them are continually told they are democracies, but that's simply a lie. see orwell's 'doublethink.' no use talking to people that begin their discussion with the phrase "in our democracy,' it took a lifetime to create that assumption, only gunfire will shake it loose. which is why usa will never be a democracy- they think they've got it, poor bunnies.
    1
  4560. Listen up,sheeple! This here paddock is yearn, the grass and water is, not the land. See those fence posts, stay inside untill the truck comes for you. Now get out there and eat, whole world loves fat lambs. That's economics, money in, more money out. But putting up fences and controlling the life within is politics. You live in a society where you are sheep, politicians are sheepdogs and they follow whistles and hand signals from the rich. If you eliminate the sheepdogs and replace the rich, you won't be rich, but you will be citizens in a democracy. Socialism follows and everyone eats, at least. The reason socialism gets nowhere is because socialists don't grasp the necessity of getting power first.
    1
  4561. this discussion presupposes that candidates are acting for the public good. for any children with an unhealthy interest in usa politics, not the case! some are here for the fun of it, got a few hundred million to spend, and some free time. some are here for brand enhancement, angling for a cabinet post. now and then, yang comes to mind, they see the nation being badly managed and have few suggestions they want to press, without any chance of getting nominated. chillun, don't believe what you hear, little of what you see. this is all verbal pole dancing, to confuse and mystify the voters. biden, leading any poll? ay, caramba!
    1
  4562.  @user-gl1lr2qn6y  you have corn? and yer own piece of pavement?
    1
  4563. neither germany nor india has any claim to moral superiority. aside from costa rica,* nations don't. they are all ruled by politicians, and a few 'strong men' of various titles, not a gram of moral quality in the lot. this should be a matter of personal shame to every human being, we let them rule. leave yer stones at the door, homer. shouting, "you do it too, and worse!" begins the corruption of young people. * whatever their other failings, costa rica does not maintain an army. presumably they don't oppress their own people, or wage war on others. astounding! bravo!
    1
  4564. brits still insist they have 'democracy.' so do yanks. neither willing to admit to reality. humanity came up with the idea of democracy, but it never caught on. the word is in constant use, as various kinds of lie, most often to soothe the cattle that they are not cattle., they are 'citizens.' they ain't.
    1
  4565. i still haven't heard anyone explain when or how democracy is going to come to europe. voting for which master is not democracy, folks, it's just feudalism with arrows replaced by ballots, civil war replaced with elections. you can call this progress, but clearly it is leading humanity to extinction.
    1
  4566. pr. wolff accepts the premise that usa is a democracy, when it is clearly, not. it is an oligarchy, ruled by a few politicians. haven't you figured that out? he suggests democracy is possible 'at work.' nonsense. democracy is the label for a nation in which 'the citizens rule.' that's what 'demos kratia' means. the workplace is not a nation, and the nation is not a democracy. he never talks about this reality, it is in his 'too hard' basket. he makes a living by assuming the brand of 'anarcho-syndicalism' which does make him stand out. but it's silly, and diverts attention from reality. your problem is the common one of rule by a degenerate elite. the cure is getting democracy. the problem is, you are too ignorant to understand this, and pr. wolff doesn't help.
    1
  4567. i hope bernie is elected. seems possible, although dnc support will be half-hearted. it would be very interesting to see what he could accomplish. i suspect, very little, and short-lived. usa is not a democracy, and the people in consequence are dependent in character- the limit of their hope is a kind master. that will happen seldom, or never. "save us, obernie-wan!"
    1
  4568. it seems anglophone nations have reached a social evolutionary senescence, with nominal leaders distinguished only by incompetence. it is no longer wise to have english as a second language. mandarin the obvious choice.
    1
  4569. if they wanted real war. there would be silence. threats are necessary to silence the people while great sums are spent on 'defense.' and 'defense' in turn is not 'defense,' it is rewarding patrons and gathering votes. in the pretend-democracy, it is only the 2nd and 3rd layer of language that has any connection to reality.
    1
  4570. usa is not a democracy. until you change that, the nation will be run for the rich, by their politician agents, with the connivance of the 'i'm doing good' middles.' is it possible to get democracy? not if you don't try.
    1
  4571. her 'brothers and sisters' are mercenary soldiers, who kill for a paycheck. but it must be admitted, renting them out like whores is a new bottom in usa activity.
    1
  4572. not a psychopath. a sociopath. when ordinary people tolerate the rule of any elite, it 'pays' individual members of the elite to exaggerate the characteristics of the elite. in the end, society 'selects' nut-cases to rule them. no cure, but society can prevent by establishing and maintaining democracy. not a useful prevention, since homer sap has little talent for getting democracy. so the ship of humanity sails on, towards extinction.
    1
  4573. most myths are about usa. freedom, equality, democracy, endless charming stories for children. all empty lies. the truth is sinister - military bases encircling the world, invasions, assassinations, drone bombing, poisoning of water and air as a tool of war. and they felt it was necessary to 'test' their new atomic weapon, to impress on the world of the intention to be master. i hope the human race will 'sanction' the whole nation, before it destroys us all.
    1
  4574. fdr had an opportunity to institute democracy, and didn't. that should damn him for eternity, but americans are unable to chastize their masters, for lack of democracy. not sure if god will take up the slack.
    1
  4575. good point, about welfare protection of children. but that's true of any society. someone should examine swiss society. they are no one's idea of a socialist nation, but actual democracy somehow seems to spread money around, through subsidized areas of commerce. and industry. i really admire yang, clearly smart and cares about his country, neither of which is visible in the politician caste. but i don't think you can fix usa without 'revolution.' while power is concentrated in a few hundred people, wealth will be concentrated too. democracy is necessary.
    1
  4576. neither party was ever any kind of political party beyond a device to get power and make money from it. most parties are like that, they only differ in the demographic they appeal to for power. the democratic party began as the political agent of the slave plantation grandees, slipped into impotence through the civil war, and eventually recovered power by collecting the votes of the dispossessed of the '29 depression. but they were not troubled by principle: as the demographic center of the nation shifted towards middle-class prosperity, they abandoned the poor. now it suits them to move further up again. this strategy evolves naturally from the electoral laws of the nation. it has nothing to do with any principle of management. it is entirely a vote-gathering tactic: be just like the other guy in all important matters, and more centrist in a few unimportant matters. gop could do this too, but haven't been willing to throw scraps to the poor or middles. trump may have broadened their minds, we'll see in 2022. you are not entitled to better management of your nation. if you are too dim, ignorant and lazy to demand democracy, with menace, you will be ruled by some elite. no elite will treat you better than cattle, either get off your knees or get used to pain.
    1
  4577. no one should recognize israel. they are a bandit nation. so is usa, so they get along very well. but both are bandit nations with nuclear weapons and good delivery systems, so public figures have to be polite. or so the rulers of nations are wont to tell us, since they will be the ones shot at if the bandits are greatly upset by frank truth. personally, i wish they were braver. i'm pretty sure the israelis would not shoot the leader of a western, developed nation. they have all the enemies they need, already.
    1
  4578. the death of democracy in britain will not happen until the birth has happened, in the normal course of things. and that is not yet, and since no one in britain has any notion of what democracy is, gestation unlikely to succeed. pommy cousins, democracy can not happen in a nation with a monarch, neither can it happen in a nation whose people are content to submit to the rule of politicians, as they are functionally subjects, not citizen quality. not yer fault of course, a thousand years or yer figurative knees, bound to result in selective breeding towards fore-lock tugging and curtsey dipping.
    1
  4579. taxes are pre-historic, and long obsolete as a device for funding national activities. institute digital money, and clip off x percent of every transaction. efficient, fair cheap and difficult to escape. never happen unless democracy happens, which seems unlikely. prc might be heading in that direction, too early to say. not a democracy, but very interested in efficiency.
    1
  4580. tg is waiting for american politics to be high-minded and public-spirited, and she won't participate until both parties are staffed with wise saints. it's a laugh a minute, and the real chuckle is the serious submission of talking heads to the antics of politicians. trump is america's answer to caligula, and they still don't understand how bad is the trouble they are in. to be fair, the rest of the world is in even bigger trouble, while that moral defective learns to enjoy the pleasures of starting another war.
    1
  4581. be patient, you can have the ice ferarri of your dreams soon. they'll be at the back of the lot, under a dusty price reduced! sign.
    1
  4582. oz doesn't have a medicare for all system. there is private insurance and private facilities, that offer drugs and treatment not available to the national service. but it's a good national service, cheap, effective and free to pensioners. usa could do worse than copy it.
    1
  4583. montani semper liberi. but politicians don't do latin or history.
    1
  4584. accusations of slave labor come strangely from a nation with private prisons, largely black inmates, working for slave wages.
    1
  4585. israel is a bandit nation, the attack dog of usg in middle east. no reason to be polite to them.
    1
  4586. pr wolff never talks about democracy. but the rule of the citizens is the only driving force which responds to the will of the citizens. socialism without democracy is a car with no engine. do you marvel that it doesn't move much?
    1
  4587. be serious. zed is wholly-owned by usg. the whole government was bought in 2015, and usg wants its pay-off. didn't 30 billion get your attention?
    1
  4588. india would be better off, by far, in close partnership with prc. india's politicians suspect they would be worse off, since they are responsible for the glaring difference in progress between the two nations.. to be fair, the great majority of indians are actively entwined with religion, which cannot help retarding progress. india is capable of modern life, and there are pockets of excellence, but allowing cows to wander along city streets is a measure of india's tragic insanity.
    1
  4589. a worthy goal, you may have to settle for being really good at being you.
    1
  4590. i despair! "why is that not illegal?" you don't know? it's ok to gossip for a living, swift and voltaire made an art form of it. [ yer not in that league ] but there is a profound ignorance in usa, of history, politics, even philosophy. it arises from the view of your masters that ignorant people can be managed without showing them the gun. "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains." my favorite rosa luxemburgh quip, and fits usaeese precisely.
    1
  4591. not bad. but the rot starts at the top, and at the beginning. the usa was founded to preserve slavery, enable ethnic cleansing, and ensure the rule of the rich. and it achieved all those ends, except slavery only got an extra 70 years. from that beginning you can see why usa is on the downward end of the imperial history.
    1
  4592. you can't have a sensible conversation if you don't understand the fundamental laws of the nation. the usa is not a democracy. lincoln lied. the nation is not ruled 'by the people.' it was the intent of james madison that there be a political structure of elected aristocrats who were themselves rich, or working for the rich. he said precisely that, in promoting his constitution to the grandees of state government, who decided to establish the federal government with those characteristics. only rhode island resisted. the key feature of the constitution is that the people have no power to direct or legislate, as that would inevitably lead to the taxes of the rich being spent on the concerns of the poor. as usually happens, the rich get richer, the poor more numerous and the society collapses. this happened in 1929, and the usa was pulled back from collapse by ww2. we are now in the second 'gilded age' and there is no prospect of rescue. normally the military take over at this point, after civil war breaks out. there is nothing to be done, the ship of state was never in the control of the people, and the rich are too rotten to save themselves, and the nation. even referring to 'democracy' in america reveals a staggering level of national ignorance, not just of history, but of current reality.
    1
  4593. sanders is the token lefty, toothless and not very bright. doesn't realize 'getting along' with evil just makes evil stronger. or more likely, 'hey, it's a living.' in any event, he ain't gonna save democracy, by legitimizing the rule of the rich. first, usa has to learn, that democracy is the rule of the citizens, not politicians. no sign of that happening. second, must accept that transferring power from politicians to citizens will not happen through polite discussion. the second amendment was explicitly inserted in the constitution to allow for instruction of elites at gunpoint. it ain't there to protect your deer-hunting. have you figured it out, yet?
    1
  4594. usa is not a democracy, never was, never intended to be. one result is a passive and ignorant populace, incapable of getting democracy even if they realize the lack.
    1
  4595. the usg is a contemptible organization, run by sociopaths, and it has created a populace of ignorant and frightened wage slaves that submits to any kind of militarism in the name of security. if the usa was a horse, you would kill it as an act of kindness.
    1
  4596. the only 'bill' you need is the one establishing citizen initiative. until you get that, you've got nothing.
    1
  4597.  @davidlazarus67  change is difficult, nearly impossible. but until the people stand up and say, 'we want to be masters in our nation, at whatever cost.' then there can be no change. if you believe the people are ignorant cattle, the game is lost. while you are willing to leave the direction of the nation in the hands of the elite, you can accomplish nothing. in short, shooting is necessary, not voting.
    1
  4598. i remember a time when i was young, when an army flack announced at the day's 'follies,' that they had to kill everyone in the village, to save it from communism. they were only vietnamese people, didn't count. so these events in texas come as no surprise. usa is the evil empire, infested with sociopaths, many in office. what is a bit unusual at this event, the evil comes from not shooting. so tell me, is anyone gonna lose their job, at least? this texas cop force should be disarmed, stripped of uniform, and branded on the forehead.
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  4599. The virus destabilized PRC, as elsewhere. But less than most.. smart people make the decisions in PRC, USA has Trump's and Biden's. Get RMB, folks and teach yer kids Mandarin.
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  4600. by voting, you legitimize the rule of politicians, instead of citizens. how's that working out? what have you got against democracy?
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  4601. usa is at war with the world, but only shoots when that is necessary. usans are ignorant cattle, and will welcome war, see '1984.' nothing to be done for that nation, the rich are in control, with the agency of the politicians they have on retainer. the impending climate collapse may save the human race from the environment destruction, but usa will negate that salvation with nuclear war, in defense of profits. the people can save themselves by organizing and seizing power, if they were capable of such action, but they are not.
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  4602. it's funny- while china was interdicted from world trade, it was poor, now they are dominating world trade, and they are cheats. chavez had one real weak point- usa hated him. he was chummy with fidel, how dare he! i think the management of china has been so superior to usa that the koch brothers fear they may not be able to transfer their inherited wealth to the next generation. it's melting, with the usd - yuan ratio. the petrodollar has been brilliantly successful, but saudi is becoming a stench on the world scene and is no longer a reliable base of worth. venezuela would be a valuable successor, more oil and close at hand. maduro is the only blot- he won't go quietly. maybe he won't go at all- the castros rode out 8 presidents, and are not quite done yet. history is worth knowing, it often is valuable to understanding the present and near future. which is why elites commonly expunge it from the record. trump is not in office because of his virtues. he is there because of the corruption in the democratic party. instead of educating the people, empowering the people, they joined the republicans in keeping them ignorant and powerless. so the best new people in congress are democrats, the party of betrayal of the people. not a hopeful sign. the new progressives may do some good, the electorate is hungry for a better share of the american pie, but i am not hopeful. none of them have suggested establishing democracy. so even if there is some progress today, the rich will ride it out, and buy back their nation tomorrow. it's happened before.
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  4603. that's the difference between democracy and elective oligarchy. in the first, the chickens make the big decisions. in the second, the oligarchs decide. in both cases, those who decide, profit. so, do you want the majority of people to prosper, however modestly, or do you want the gangsters to profit, as much as they can steal? and they do steal, quietly when convenient. lately, the character of the chickens has become so despised that the foxes are being blatant.
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  4604. disappointing. more useful to park the ship in the canal and disable it. israel is making noises about digging an alternate course, this will surely inspire usa support. indeed, usa might build it for them. which leads to the question, cui bono? 'who benefits?' in legalese.
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  4605. they are losers, and suckers. they fight for pay, against people whose only crime is to resist the monsters in the u.s. government. the pay is pathetic, danger great, so usa 'pays' them with cynical 'reverence' on the well-founded belief that the only reason the army doesn't revolt is civilian respect. usa covers its shame with 'reverence' for the people who do usa's dirty work. just think about the character of your president: selfish, greedy, liar, coward- is he unique in usa history? he is in fact the living embodiment of 'greed is good' usa culture.
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  4606. well, you rebelled to preserve slavery, continued with genocide, and since the monroe doctrine, have been growing an empire of greed. only natural that resistance well-based on contempt should result.
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  4607. i take the view that letting politicians run society is a tragic mistake. better by far to pick up the nearest sharp implement and advance on the halls of power in great numbers, extorting democracy - or else. but homo sapiens is not good at acting on a long view, and it will be our miserable fate to enact the collapse of civilization, very possibly followed by extinction.
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  4608. 'the intelligence community' is widely believed to have engineered the assassination of jfk. they murder foreigners indiscriminantly, as do the uniformed services. many of the public servants dance for the politicians to protect or enhance their careers, and the politicians have the worst reputation of all. there is a certain amusement in the view of one branch of the usg investigating others, but justice will not appear, having led the nation shortly after it was born.
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  4609. she sings, she enlightens, she scolds, little wonder her address has crept to the top of my web entertainment list.
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  4610. at the base of our endless conflicts is the reality no one can confront. too many homer saps on this planet. declining resources, increasing demand, environmental decay and impending collapse. there is going to be a massive population reduction, and not clear if the result may be actual extinction.
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  4611. i can only assume dr h has found current commercial support inadequate, and had accepted a retainer from the barsoom tourist ministry.
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  4612. china has the politburo led by xi, america has trump, senate following along. just on the quality of leadership, you can tell who is likely to be smiling, 5 years from now.
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  4613. voting for politicians is not democracy. democracy means 'citizen rule.' not politician rule.
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  4614. Someone suggested that human society should be a nation ruled by laws, not by men. Can't imagine where such an idea came from, as there are no such nations. Helvetia might deserve an honorable mention...
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  4615. you might think learning that biden is crooked too, just not with the inherited advantages of trump, would lead americans to the notion that relying on the probity of politicians is a chump's plan. but you'd be wrong. no one ever examines the structure of american society, considers its history and founders, and concludes that democracy is necessary. who was it, that suggested that expecting different results from continual failures, is a working definition of insanity? i've forgotten and its not important, because he was wrong. there are at least two reasons, and stupidity is most common. national insanity is possible, but when 'progressives' don't catch on either, you have to wonder if fluoridation has clipped the top off the gene pool.
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  4616. continual inflation, moderated at intervals by massive inflation. those few remaining readers of 'decline and fall...' will be nodding their heads. a more homey explanation is simply that there must be just enough money in circulation to facilitate commercial life so too with toilet paper- factories only make money when they fill a market at maximum production. then someone disturbs the society, and toilet paper disappears for awhile. so too with money- it disappears into foreign exchange gold and trunks under the bed next to the toilet paper stash. so a temporary cash dump attempts to repair the social collapse. but that under-bed money will reappear and shlump goes the value of the usd. what a way to run a nation! academics who participate in this medieval charade should be ashamed of themselves. and it;s not necessary- a modern nation has cured all this nonsense with telephone money. aka wechat. china, of course, humanity's vanguard nation . who wudda thunk? and they have not had a toilet paper famine, unlike australia. and usa of course. backward nations, both.
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  4617. accusation is easy, disproving any accusation can be hard to impossible. that's why law courts use 'must prove guilty' rather than 'must prove innocent.'
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  4618. not really doing better reporting. any fool can tell the truth. real reporting effort and talent only required when the goal is to adjust reality.
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  4619. it is a legitimate political party, and regularly holds more offices than dems. neither party is concerned with the welfare of the nation, unless it coincides with personal wealth and power. if you are too dim to get and operate democracy, then you must endure whatever parasites come to rule you.
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  4620. you might need change, but most see no problem, if they just had a little more, usa is doomed by its history and culture.
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  4621. when you find yourself sympathizing with putin and sbm, you realize just how rotten usa is. not 'become.' it's just that the myths are worn away, and usa is naked now.
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  4622. it's a major tax problem in the usa, only there it's admired. in china, it can get you a bullet in the brain.
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  4623. on the contrary, trump is very american. it's just that he is not a politician. you don't have to be a politician to be a creep, although it's head-start.
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  4624. do not complain about public speech. how else will you know what they are thinking? or lying, about, at least. the nation that started with a declaration that ' all men are created equal ' spoken by a group who profited by the labor and trading of slaves is not entitled to evince horror or contempt at the current conduct of public affairs. the usa was born evil. since most of the people in 'private prisons' are brown, and/or poor, work for cigarette money wages, change is less than you imagine. as in every nation, the people who are born into usa do not appreciate the view from elsewhere. you speak of democracy constantly, but nowhere in the foundation law is there any mention of the word, nor any mechanism for the will of the people to direct the nation. 'democracy' from your mouth is a myth. your armies are widely spread, bring death as 'special forces,' without declaration of war, only expressions of desire for dominance. 'peace' from your lips is a sick lie. 'free speech' is a jewel, but it is of little use to a populace of powerless civilians. you must get citizen initiative, before you can be a citizen. if you are content to be ruled by the elite of wealth, 'free speech' is just the whining of children, and it will be curtailed, if it ever looks like causing trouble to your masters.
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  4625. fighting to the end may or may not have turned the course of the war, but the total commitment of men an women of the ussr was part of the mix resulting in victory. a lot of that victory mix came in the factories that flooded the battlefields with 'good enough' weapons that ultimately overwhelmed superficially superior german equipment. the germans had to win quick, which is why they found themselves wearing summer uniforms in russian winter. being stopped in front of moscow meant the war was lost.
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  4626. This is not funny. But , if USA paid reparations for all it stole, murdered, or exterminated, there would be Peace in earth, as we all divvy up the gold.
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  4627. non-voters are 'woke.' unlike moore, they know that voting for politicians just leads to more misrule, by politicians. it's what got usa to where it is. i suppose he means well, but his enthusiasm is misplaced. usa needs a revolution, not another election. it will happen. maybe democracy will result, unlikely. much more likely, some general will 'rescue' america from politicians. this is the best americans can hope for, due high incidence of ignorance. many, for instance, think they have 'democracy.' james madison told them otherwise, the entire history of usa tells them otherwise, but still they don't know. that's not ignorance alone, that's also malevolent diseducation. but mother nature doesn't care, dumbnosity leads to extinction too.
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  4628. difficult to understand why a person who says she is 'conflicted' about the use of torture is a darling of the left.
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  4629. so a 'democratic socialist' has been ennobled to the upper caste! if the history of the 1930's is any guide, it will do no good. you need revolution, not participation. you have heard of democracy, why don't you want it?
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  4630. prc would like to displace usa as a world hegemon, but their immediate goal is simply to diffuse the military threat of usa, through creation of a political and trade structures . indian political figures seemingly have no tolerance of prc success, since that success throws a very unflattering light on indian political culture. well, they should be ashamed, although humans generally find someone else to blame for one's own failure.
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  4631. bernie has to get all the 'left' support, and it has to be about 45% of the total, because the rest of the field is 'right,' he'll be lucky to pick up another 6% from them. meanwhile, back in the usa, there's a whole world of lumpen troglodytes who froth when they hear 'socialist,' except for a few who just throw a box of shells in the pick-up and start driving towards where ever bernie is. no 'left' votes there. and there's a back-up plan, with a 'lone gun man,' a cut-out shooter, and a cia budget expense item, something like 'account maintenance.' usa politics is endlessly interesting, a bit of tom clancy, a bit of john sandford, and lots of 'wizard of oz.'
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  4632. When USA is in view, the other party is the victim. Vlad is just the more recent. The Iraqis are victims, disastrously. Afghanistan, Syria and many more. I wonder what a shrink would say about USA politicians!?
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  4633. those with power, use it to get more power. same with wealth. if you have neither power nor wealth, and want a better life, you combine with others to get power. either gang rule, or democracy, but gang rule is easier. getting democracy is really hard. especially if you want to be in a gang. so the poor and powerless stay that way. and humanity drifts towards extinction.
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  4634. when you print large sums of money, inflation normally results. only ww3 can save you, and recent attacks on prc suggest that this method is in train.
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  4635. well, it's quite simple: the people of the usa choose to live in a plutocracy, and social and political activity tends to be driven by money. it's not just a billionaire picking up a phone and telling his house politician to do something, it's fitting your life in the slots formed by the managers working for the rich. if you collectively had a scrap of self-respect, you would be plotting revolution, but another aspect of plutocracy is just measuring your life by making money.
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  4636. politicians are not the answer, they are the enemy. demand democracy.
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  4637. beto is a light weight, who sees no reason why he shouldn't be president. after dubya and trump, who can say he is wrong. but if you must vote for a king, please give andrew yang some attention. he's the only candidate so far that has shown me brains, experience, even wisdom, and hasn't got into the spotlight with dark money, since he and his friends got lots, and not by inheritance nor theft. they actually made money with smarts. he highlights the difference with trump by noting he is asian and can do math. i would add, trump turned billions into millions, yang actually made money.
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  4638. Fry is a decent man, so if listened. But he has confirmed my estimate of conditions, so we are safe. Unless some nutter gets control of enough home to, Ignite the conflagration. Perhaps you see why I think getting democracy is vital to our survival?
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  4639. numbers are extruded from the aether, which is why, en masse, they quite resemble that primordial flux. i've often wondered what the uniform of particle wranglers might be, when we all are just what we do.
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  4640. well, no. you have to examine the word 'we.' your masters, the politicians and their patrons, create enemies, in their greed and lust for power. you just suffer the consequences. this reality would lead competent adults to see the need to establish democracy. but you are not that, and you see no farther than the most recent lie.
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  4641. poor tulsi? i suspect that charming lady is laying the groundwork for a return to dc in about ten years at the head of a tank battalion, a squadron of fighters overhead, expressed support from most generals, silence from the rest, and cheering from the descamisados, of which there will be great numbers then. her response to badgering about 'adversaries' might have been a question: "what are we doing that they don't like?"
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  4642. what a way to manage a nation. china is going to roll over you, and no one will be surprised.
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  4643. perhaps signing an extradition treaty with a nation that regards coups, invasion and assassination as foreign policy tools shows contempt for the rule of law.
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  4644. capitalism isn't really a system, better thought of as a euphemism for greed, in the political sphere. greedism is realized by an attenuated political management, just sufficient for commerce to survive. if you don't like the result, learn to shoot, and small unit field tactics also handy. you can change the system without actually shooting, but yer current masters must be confronted with sufficient military potential to choose living retirement over violent retirement.
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  4645. once they got the bugs out, a good design. but too complex, not well suited to snow and mud. 1 to 1, might beat a t34/85, but sovs could put 10 'good enough' tanks in the field for every panther.
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  4646. i could tell you precisely what to do, to save yourselves, and the planet. but after a long life watching h' sap. in action, i've decided some other species deserves my wisdom. racoons ? octopi? cockatoos? so many species look like a better bet, this may need long investigation. try not to blow the place up while i get your successor dialed in.
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  4647. get democracy. use the will of the electorate to shape america for the good of all. how? i leave the details to the ones who must fight for democracy. but you must be willing to fight, or nothing will happen. power does not transfer without struggle, and the only way to avoid bloodshed is to recruit such numbers that resistance is futile. not even hard, in a web age, if the character is there. or courage, if you are a romantic. without courage, don't struggle. unwilling to fight? learn to live on little, with nothing in old age. want to sing and dance, instead of recruit? enjoy while you can- 10 years at most.
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  4648. laughable notion, crated in the 1800's by comparison with tired old monarchies. the last 30 years have set new records for development in prc, and almost all the boats have risen, as well.
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  4649. employers want workers for just as long as they have work to do. workers want a predictable working life, with adequate pay and conditions. a primitive society, such as usa, resolves this dilemma with constant struggle between the parties, generally leading to immiseration of the workers and collapse of society. if homer sap wants to survive on a planet with limited resources and limited environmental resilience, he must develop a society based on democracy, and resulting socialism. so far, little indication of any capacity to achieve these conditions. you are doomed! as a species, very possible. as a civilization, certainly. but as individuals, go on talking, action can be left to the survivors, if any.
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  4650. trump is the very model of an usa politician. dim, selfish and rich. not all are rich when they start, of course. but not many die poor. trump is not 'authoritarian' unless 3 year olds are. he is vaguely aware that he is not bright, daddy told him so, often. soldiers frighten him, so he didn't start a war- count yer blessings. that simple fact makes him better than most usa politicians. he's not a casual mass murderer, as they are. the simple fact that the usa political system generated such a national 'leader' should convince any educated usan of the necessity for a new constitution. not a word is heard in this area, so the rest of the world must be fearful of what kind of psychotic will turn up next.
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  4651. in the usa, 'political discussion' is entertainment and profession. in the usa, the 'citizens' are actually 'civilians and audience.' in the usa, nothing is going to change, because the masters are happy, and the cattle have no horns. in the usa, '1984' has come into being by the attrition of time as cosy lies become unnecessary. even in the usa, the mechanics of entropy prevail, and the nation will collapse into a 2d facsimile of 3d reality. no one will miss it. those still living within may not notice.
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  4652. usa will encourage anyone to fight, and sell them guns to do it. they don't get too involved in ukraine, because putin scares them. taiwan is a bigger prize, and prc has no recent track record in military prowess. the downside of civilization, quite unlike usa. so usa politicians 'visit,' making their bones as the mafia put it, raising election funds thereby, and perhaps a few votes as well. fortunately for humanity, xi jinping has a plan for taiwan which includes not trashing the place. it is, after all, part of china, and a valuable one. he thinks 'not shooting' will win the war. and he is ceo of a society of bureaucrats capable of long term plans. quite unlike usa. i recently indulged in a metaphor on the situation, usa is a dangerous fighting bull, xjp the matador. the bull will die, the matador probably not. but there will be a show of horn-dodging and bandillerros first, hold yer breath!
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  4653. he will have to stay in office another 10 years before the death toll might stir rebellion.
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  4654. don't hold yer breath. i.c.e. is the motive power on which modern society is built. when you evolve to democracy* you can begin to design a society in which public welfare is a constraint. but yer not there yet, and show no promise of that much progress. *no, you haven't got it. that's just one of the lies your masters use to save on the cost of whips and cattle prods. if you think you do have democracy, only shows how easy it is to fool children.
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  4655. enjoyed the 'apology,' waiting, waiting for the enforced resignation. politics in the usa is just kabuki, with real apology to charming japanese cultural feature. nothing in america is honest, everything is for sale. plutocracy seeps into every aspect of american culture, even their 'special forces' and simple assassination teams are fighting for markets and resource control.
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  4656. the question is, when trump was known to be an inferior person with no visible talent beyond lying and self promotion, how is it that no professional politician in either party could beat him? i suggest the answer is that the basic structure and culture of usa is rotten, and replacing trump with hillary would not improve things for the bottom 50% of america.
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  4657. if you want a society that is responsive to the needs of most of its people, i have good news: there is such a society, it is called 'democracy.' democracy is responsive to the needs of most of its people because 'most of its people' are masters of the nation. simple, innit. why would you tolerate anything else? why is simple, too: elites control police and army, and education and public information. 'most of its people' are alienated individuals. think 'ranchers' and 'cattle,' and you have the human tragedy. in the prc, the elite is currently dominated by a man who has some personal experience with life at the bottom of chinese society, and who is trying to spread the benefits of society more equally. fragile, indeed. yet better by far than the situation in developed nations. there wealth and political power are largely unconcerned with the commoners. covid is only a serious problem because of the blip in the economy caused by large numbers of ill people. the death rate is unremarkable. it will not change 'capitalist' nations, because they are merely nations owned by the greedy. the greedy are here to stay. it is an economic disease of homo sapiens. the cure is in politics, not medicine nor economics. get democracy, and greed can be controlled.
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  4658. they are above you, and they serve themselves. usa not a democracy, did you miss 9th grade civics class.
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  4659. every child should be warned, about sex predators, and politicians. sadly, it's not enough to warn, about politicians, they continue to flourish. indeed, even stupid and visibly corrupt politicians can hold any office in the nation. what that says about the ordinary usan, well, there are many aspects, let's just say things can't get better with the material at hand.
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  4660. usa is suffering from a national disease whose lasting effect is paralysis of mental faculties. suppose for a moment that usa was a democracy. referendum in frequent, regular, use and initiative continually called on to direct public activity. can you see that great benefit would follow? but no one suggests that democracy is useful, and great efforts to get it worthwhile. the nation is paralysed by the constitution, which was written to prevent democracy. you are forced to believe that rule by politician is inevitable, when it is not. usa today is the result of rule by politician. and you accept it? brain dead.
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  4661. a good assessment of the cv19 problem. not the disease, but rather the blame game. various human societies met the disease with widely different capabilities and widely different cultures. we are god's petrie dishes! patient zero is of mild interest to medical science, but burning interest to those governments who visibly failed to use their resources to support the lives of their people. your discussion is the best i have seen, and should dissolve blame from anyone: cv19 appears to be widespread long before it became critical. i'll relay this vid as often as possible- everyone should see it. well done!
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  4662. do lies move you deeply? usa standard of living continues to fall, and only the rich are stronger. large chunks of many usa cities are abandoned, buses and trains fall into disrepair, 30% of highway bridges are evaluated as 'dangerous.' those usans who don't travel through that part of town are living in a fantasy.
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  4663. you don't vote for law, policy or plans, you vote for people. this is an evolution of aristocracy, the voting used to be violent, but it has nothing to do with democracy. bernie won't save you, no one can. a nation of ignorant and passive civilians will inevitably be exploited by the elite. you have to stand up and demand citizenship, to save yourself. no visible interest in getting democracy, so get used to being passed from hand to hand, there are many more trumps in your future. unless the accumulation of trumpoids leads to climate collapse and extinction, all too likely..
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  4664. this is nature's remorseless plan: old, slow, young or dumb die first, improving the gene pool. now, you may be surprised that this 3rd world reality operates in the usa, but that just demonstrates you are in the 4th category. democracy, and resulting socialism, is easy to figure out, and easy to get. but it does need citizen quality people. and there's the problem. assuming that usa is not a notably defective gene pool, just for the moment, this nation is a clear demonstration that if you raise kids to be ignorant and selfish, that's the kind of grown-ups you get. the usa elite knows this, and that's why usa public education is crap. what to be done? enter 'vanguard party.' mixed results there. modern russia better by far than tsarist russia, low bar, eh? otoh, modern china is powering ahead, so much so that usa elite has abandoned seduction and shifted into confrontation. that ain't gonna work either. can there be a vanguard party, in usa? no visible evidence. you are just too dumb. i blame james madison. a genuinely evil man, set usa on a path to destruction. i think the indians say 'karma?'
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  4665. you don't have rights. only members of the ruling class have rights. the great majority of usans have privileges, as children do. they are not citizens of a democracy, they are civilians in an oligarchy. privileges are flexible, at the convenience of the masters. only in a democracy do the people become citizens, the ruling class. didn't they teach political science in your school? in modern times, only the swiss have democracy. they decided not to submit to the nazis by referendum. they were an island of freedom in a sea of military dictatorship, by choice of the citizens. the people of the usa are not of that quality. they submit to injustice because they are born in it, and raised on a diet of lies. rebellion may happen, but revolution needs more than rage, and the middle class is more concerned with holding their declining share of national wealth than with organizing revolution. they watch the degradation of the poor with averted eyes, hoping not to join them. but they will, and soon.
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  4666. usa political system is not fit for purpose. usa people do not have the character and education needed for democracy, and are incapable of revolution. but some states have and use a democratic constitution, notably california. they should save themselves by leaving the federation.
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  4667. you could have democracy, if even a large minority of usans had sufficient intelligence, education and character to play the role of citizen, rather than civilian. but there is no large minority, and you can't have democracy. so usa will role on towards its default status, 'banana republic with bloated military.' a mixture of laughable and terrifying.
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  4668. not enough to whine about unfair system, you have either learn to smile at your masters, or revolt, and chuck them in the waste bin. smiling is the best short-term solution, they might pat you on the head and throw you a biscuit. long term, they'll find they don't get any value from you, so into the mulcher you go.
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  4669. war seems inevitable, as usa has achieved military superiority over any other nation, and its ruling clique has lost any sense of personal risk. in this condition, putin has made the right decision, simply because it would be senseless to allow any further economic success to the usa. if you must fight, fight when you are strongest. russia can not conquer usa, but can do sufficient damage to make the usa rulers wonder if their own personal bunkers will survive, their own wealth turned into historical curiosity. so far, things have gone well for vlad. usa/nato has confined their reaction to economic action, which leaves vladimir unblooded and deserving of some admiration from those like me, who enjoy watching successful resistance to the evil empire. this issue will not be resolved quickly. ukraine was being used by the usa for the development of bio-weapons. there is a public and active element of neo-nazis in ukraine. this creates a 'clear and present danger' to russia, which might excuse the current military incursion. blinken's statement threat 'nato can go where it wants' is nothing less than a declaration of war. nato is, i remind you, a military union of states against ussr, and has continued as an implement of forceful expansion even after ussr dissolved. vlad knows what he's doing, and has probably made the right response. he's clearly not sleeping well, since he is very much the underdog, in his struggle with the evil empire. 'right response' as may be, success or even survival not certain.
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  4670. surely the word 'amazon' will trigger 'predatory business practice' in the most unwary. but bezos is just doing what the constitution was written to achieve. don't blame him, he would be a fool not to enjoy the birthright handed to him by james madison.
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  4671. don't blame the rich. they do what they can, what they want, and you let them. the second amendment was written to permit resistance to tyranny, by armed militias. but it's not enough have guns, brains and courage also required. both lacking.
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  4672. china would have invaded if they could, but bad weather intervened.
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  4673. whatever justification is offered by apologists for the cpprc, the transformation to a mixed economy was marked by rampant corruption, chiefly selling pubic organizations to well-connected party people for peanuts. great fortunes resulted. that corruption continues, peasant/co-op lands being expropriated by developers at the low end, big deals being done by the family of the 'princelings' now in power. xi jinping talks a good game, but his bother-in law is a big-time wheeler-dealer with large 'hot money' overseas exposed by the 'panama papers.' and now xi has organized his indefinite stay in power. his 'anti-corruption credentials are looking a bit thin. but we are working with human-beings here, angels have left the building. xi seems to be leading china back to its rightful place as a center of power and culture on planet earth. whatever his failings, when i compare him to the activities of the usa elite, he appears by contrast to be a saint, and-whip-smart as well.
    1
  4674. the rich don't like to see poor people with too much time free, it might generate ideas of revolution. no use talking about, 'what should we do?' if you haven't got the power to do anything, or the courage to get power, or the brains to organize. now get back to work!
    1
  4675. good news, for a change. a very mixed bag, chiefly bound by a common interest against the evil empire. as much as we can hope for, working with h. sap. not sure how happy india is in that group, with prc. both would have mixed emotions.
    1
  4676. one hopes so, but the next 20 years will be indicative.
    1
  4677. 'force our companies?' are you all insane? american companies beg to be allowed to make and sell in china. after years of sanctions and trade exclusions backed by the usa, do the chinese owe america anything? i suggest not. and if usa is not happen with china, leave it alone, return to america, and watch the world pass you by.
    1
  4678. it pays politicians ro lie to voters, listen to donors. smart people would establish democracy and eliminate politicians.
    1
  4679. you don't have to guess, madison wrote that his constitution didn't need amendments, jefferson insisted, he would not support the establishment without the bill of rights. so, madison said, 'ok, can't hurt.' jefferson thought a state militia could resist a national army, with support from other states. he was right, at the time. this is in history books, but i came across it in '52, so can't point which one.
    1
  4680. when are usans going to admit that they do not live in a democracy. that's a rhetorical question, no question mark. never, appears to be the answer. so long as you submit to the rule of politicians, this is what you get, and deserve. democracy is possible. but it needs citizen quality people. they seldom occur, in an oligarchy. in an oligarchy, people grow up with a submissive character, never imaging that ordinary people can run a nation. a 'catch-22' situation, oldies would say. but, begging your masters for kindness never works, and they always fall farther into corruption of character, leaving behind any sense of fairness or duty. so finally there there will be brutal repression, because no one gives up power easily. this wouldn't matter, but this time over-population makes poor social management fatal. if you are young, you may wish to organize a revolution. the oldies aren't going to leave a livable space.
    1
  4681. it reduces to this: the state must run the nation [socialism ] and the people must run the state [ democracy ]
    1
  4682. there is no 'american' democracy. the political system there is elective aristocracy. democracy means 'the citizen's rule,' and that doesn't happen, in the usa.
    1
  4683. listen to pompeo? nah. he's a sociopath and brags about his cia career. admitted to lie cheat and steal, as a cover for murder. xinjiang is part of the prc, just as california is part of usa. some in both provinces would like to declare independence, but only xinjiang is being susidized by the cia. california would do better as an independent nation, xinjiang probably not.
    1
  4684. another good feature of democracy, is that no one is above the law. but usa is an elective monarchy, and the president is "commander-in-chief." you can see why many would think trump is untouchable. in the end, every nation is ruled by its army. in a democracy, the army is the citizens. but the usa is not a democracy. so it comes down to, which general will have the support of his colleagues? and will he pretend to 'advise' the president, or put him in jail. fortunately for trump, the democratic party is complicit in the crimes of the usg, interested chiefly in personal power, and will not rock the boat enough to legitimize the adjudication by generals. it might come to trump getting on a plane to 'farawayandoutofreach-istan' if the generals get involved. and of course, once the generals realize that a despised politician guild will not be supported by the people, they are in power forever.
    1
  4685. there are publicly available documents in which madison reveals his aversion to democracy, and his method, through the constitution, to make sure it didn't happen in the usa. until you get new constitution, yer screwed. too hard? i told you yer screwed. lazy, fearful people are natural slaves.
    1
  4686. since the nation of afghanistan has not attacked oz, i suggest that every oz soldier is participating in war crime, just by being there. soldiers should be in jail, politicians who sent them there one row over and twice as long.
    1
  4687. The cancer is the constitution. It establishes a variety of oligarchy, best labelled 'elective aristocracy'. Congress is few, so easily bought. The cure is getting democracy. No one in USA understands this ,. So nothing constructive can be done.
    1
  4688. so many guns in the usa, so little courage. unfortunately, the higher the level of civilization, the lower the level of gun ownership. usa is hopeless. revolutionary thinking is confined to a traveling stand-up show. mind you, voltaire would recognize the phenomenon. but he got nowhere, with changing society, either. it's just a gig. julian is just one person, usg murders by the 10's of thousands. and there is nothing to be done. usg presides over a truly modern society, not unlike that envisioned in '1984,'
    1
  4689. are you sure he is serious? colbert hit the big time by playing a conservative.
    1
  4690. hasn't anyone asked why they don't have citizen initiative in usa?
    1
  4691. you are governed by sociopaths, under a set of laws designed to make easy the rule of the rich. sachs says 'plutocracy,' but he may be over-estimating the verbal capacity of usa peeps. the nation is rolling off a cliff, and you are reading boff-lines from a comedian, when you should be organizing revolution. the sad truth is, the gummint quality determines the serf quality. so usa is screwed. from birth - that "give me liberty..." guy wanted freedom to profit from the slave labor of africans. same mind-set from the owner of amazon. but please, on the way to the trash-heap of history, could you please refrain from blowing up the planet.
    1
  4692. it's quite simple: elites are voracious, they have no sense of limits, and think sharing is for morons. they will destroy the environment and be content so long as they profit from it. homer sap can only counter this human social depravity by getting democracy, and using it to establish balance with the natural world. so far, getting democracy has been out of reach, and homer doesn't even see the need or use for struggle. population collapse will result, and if soon enough, it may prevent total extinction. but scientists have long been remarking at the total lack of evidence of life on other planets, so it seems possible that getting control of the environment just leads to extinction. not today, or in my lifetime, but if i were young i would struggle for democracy, and/or thin out the sociopaths who infest positions of wealth and power. they are a clear and present danger.
    1
  4693. wind and sun are all we need, as soon as storage is good enough. battery development is visible and will transition into the central power source, almost certainly. fusion power would have niche value at least, and it keeps a few scientists from begging in the streets, so, why not?
    1
  4694. amazing! china has prospered mightily using means that were part of the usa history, but now the usa is hurting from those same measures. considering the treatment china has received from usa, economic blockade and threats of nuclear bombing, why would americans believe they deserve more from china? in any event, the quality of leadership in china appears to far superior to the american system, and they are able to formulate plans to develop the nation. hard to see how america can cope, without starting ww3. aka ww last.
    1
  4695. i didn't have to travel far to learn what usa 'freedom' is. i just joined the air force, and they took care of the travel. like most of the ground crew, i never was shot at. but, as a radio monitor, mandarin and vietnamese, i got some idea of what our guys were up to. occasionally, the ugly reality leaked into public view, you probably heard about 'mylai.' about 350 viets were gathered up from their village and machine-gunned. the grunts involved were not charged with murder, they were discharged instead. an officer did a couple of years 'confined to quarters' and then released. why was mass murder treated so lightly? because it was commonplace, and part of the command direction of the war. every officer from 1st lieutenant to westmorland should have been hanged, if the munich standards were applied. so i am not a civilian of the usa any more. leave if you can, you are living in a moral hell hole.
    1
  4696. imagine running a nation with methods prevalent in 1700's. now look around you.
    1
  4697. democracy might save the usa, but no one wants it. most don't know what it is, and a fair few do know, and hate it.
    1
  4698. perhaps they want to rule the world, but so far the chinese politiburo has distinguished itself from the usa by reclaiming much of the land widely labeled 'china' while not sending warships and armies to foreign lands. best of all, in a contest with an evil capitalist empire, china has been demonstrating peaceful, economic measures to resist the american empire. to put it simply, deng xiao ping handed american capital a sharp knife and invited it to gut itself as a profit-making action. they duly destroyed much of the american economy, without a shot fired.
    1
  4699.  @helengarrett6378  they are in what is called 'the south china sea. ' there is a reason for that. the brits, later the americans, claimed every water 12 miles from shore or more, as their highway. they were strong enough to do so, now they are not.
    1
  4700. 'we' didn't do anything. usa not a democracy, when are you going to stop pretending? your king-for-awhile abandoned the kurds, but he is a person of no honor, and known to be so. are you ever going to figure out that letting politicians run the nation is always a danger and certainly results in bad management? unfortunately for the world, no.
    1
  4701. "usa has one right wing party, and one farther right-wing party." -gore vidal
    1
  4702. there is a famous saying in the military world, that attack plans only last to the first contact. in fact, with some adjustment, the german plan worked quite well for about 3 months. well done! there is more to war than battle. munitions production, quality of serving military personnel, and number and quality of replacements are also vital. with the available appreciation of sov assets, hitler/high command decided that time was on the side of the soviets. but the earliest available date was sept 1. if it had been jun 1, the world might be a much different place. but they were busy elsewhere. it is wrong to say they made a mistake. war is not chess. they took on an enemy that proved to be stronger, following political imperatives arising from hitler's demand for lebensraum, facilitated by his successful guess that france would be a push-over, and leave time for barbarosa. the mistake was in dreaming of a german empire, and even that was not out-landishly wrong. execution was as good as human abilities could deliver - even when losing the germans were better soldiers, better led than opponents. they were beaten by inadequate numbers, inferior production, with a bit of help from the russian winter. indeed, arriving in front of moscow in summer uniform by itself meant the game was up.
    1
  4703. you didn't know?
    1
  4704. well, if only they would just kill themselves, singly, groups and crowds, the world would be a better place. but they kill outside the barn, out of greed, and in very large numbers indeed. anything from assassination to nuclear bombs. then there's poison dust and napalm. there aren't any where near enough mass shootings in usa, it's just the guns aren't pointed at the politicians. why is that?
    1
  4705. amusing, no doubt, but you need a good viewpoint. mars, for instance.
    1
  4706. at the very least, chinese business will not come to canada again. canadian exports to china will decrease. besides, toadying to usa is going out of fashion.
    1
  4707. usa is not a democracy, so it's people are not citizens. human societies get along just fine with elite rule, often for hundreds of years, but but wealth and power corrupt, and resulting bad management causes collapse, sometimes simply by being unable to cope with neighbors. populism is one of the mechanisms unhappy members of the elite use to improve their status. it is symptomatic of elite decay, which is visible everywhere in usa today. the process will continue, there are no threatening neighbors, increasing rot will result in decomposition of the federal government, which will probably stimulate military rule.
    1
  4708. perhaps because huawei is out in front with 5g technology, usa is protecting apple?
    1
  4709. if modi said something nice about prc, just a little reminder about who is boss. if he said something nasty, likewise. no use having the world's biggest military machine if you let anyone forget. india should welcome the bri, make a rude gesture towards usa, and join the modern world.
    1
  4710. of course not. but some lead questions are just key-suckers, innit? what will you guys do for a living if a asteroid wipes out dc?
    1
  4711. still no call for democracy. partly because usans think they already have it. their 'leaders' encourage this delusion.
    1
  4712. usa cared nothing for uighurs when prc was the cheap workshop of usa. current professions of outrage are a nonsense. and i presume enough people have told the usg that they will not join a boycott, that usg has resiled from the functional boycott performed against ussr. good news! the tide has turned against the usa.
    1
  4713. interesting quantum phenomenon is the appearance of physicists on the web, explaining the world at the unseen and difficult to grasp level. in days gone by, they had to content themselves with salaries and the occasional junket to colloquiua at tropic resorts. nowadays access to mass audience has transformed them into media stars, rolling in quantum money.
    1
  4714. hoover could only do what the congress would allow, and the senate was not progressive. and contrariwise, it is surprising how little fdr could do with a majority in both houses. fdr was willing to use temporary measures but rejected long-term measures, notably refused to establish democracy. so the only chance to modernize the constitution passed with little improvement, hence the current depressing situation. usa elite are content with elite rule, plebs can whine all they like, nothing will be done till the shooting starts.
    1
  4715. that's a joke. putin invaded because he knew what usa and its clients were doing and would continue doing. he may not be hopeful of success, but he was very sure doing nothing was fatal.
    1
  4716. imagine holding an election if you are not certain of winning! even the cia is becoming old and weary.
    1
  4717. as it happens, they are still the majority party in the senate, have the oval office, and have shaped the supreme court into their image, so instead of 'republican,' let's just call them 'american.' since i was watching when the democrats brought 'democracy' to vietnam with napalm and poison dust, 'republican' is too restrictive, it suggests democrats are good people.
    1
  4718. don't see why cgtn/prccc don't just publish the address of this video they like. it is much more valuable to them in foreign eyes if you are independent. perhaps they see an advantage within prc, in co-opting your active participation. i tend to support prc in its existential struggle with usa, because i am intimately acquainted with usa crimes and sins. but don't associate yourself with any government. homo sapiens can not handle power without corruption.
    1
  4719. and stop whining about the democratic party. you've had about 230 years to figure what politician rule is like, and you still act surprised and betrayed. if you haven't got the smarts to get and use democracy, learn to love 2nd class/2nd rate life and be grateful if yer betters let you eat.
    1
  4720. the process is murder, apology laughable. why not send a murder squad? too expensive? can't take casualties when random murder is both cheap and safe? the usa is evil, avoid contact, it rubs off.
    1
  4721. don't get excited. bernie is not a democrat, and the dnc will stop him if they can. and they can: they could simply ignore his pluralities and hand the nomination to one of the other candidates. the dnc wants the usa to be a wholly owned nation of the politician caste- it is in their self-interest. bernie is an embarrassment, seeking office without dnc support. if he wins, their income drops. worse, if he wins, it will be a barren victory, both parties will ignore his attempts at legislation. i think it will be best if he is nominated, and loses. best for the nation, best for the planet. there is going to be a second 'great depression' soon. better by far that trump is in office. the person who picks up the pieces will likely be andrew yang, backed by enthusiastic supporters in both houses. and the depression may save the planet, due to greatly reduced economic activity. something to think about, a comfort if things don't appear to go well for bernie.
    1
  4722. mr hedges is a national treasure. like chomsky, he is rolled out by various [would-be] pundits from time to time, to show that usa public figures are capable of sane, responsible analysis of current events. but so what? almost all usans are dispossessed of political consequence, by law, custom and ignorance, and respond by ignoring politics, leaving the rich and their political agents to use the nation as an engine of personal wealth and position. you can't have a democracy without citizen quality people, so hedges and chomsky labor in vain, and without hope, written on their faces. they are a living shame to all that hear them, and do not create revolution. less dramatically, the course of empire is not affected by prophets, it is driven by greed and arrogance, so revolution needs desperadoes, people who have nothing to lose, and a burning drive to change things. usans cling to the edge of survival, because the culture has dissolved any comradeship and concerted effort is impossible.
    1
  4723. people's party will do no good. you need democracy. but i'm afraid you are too weak to be citizens, you can only be 2nd class supplicants of some champion who soon will be as bad as the current politicians. no future there.
    1
  4724. many people think trump is incompetent, but they are wrong. inheriting great wealth, a sociopath character, and an iq of about 90, it naturally took him a long, long time to find his metier, which it turns out, is to be president of the usa. usa was in deep trouble before he came to office, it is quite simply corrupt and decaying. this is not trump's fault. he hasn't improved things, of course, but nor could anyone else. trump in fact perfectly embodies usa, from bloated body, to 3rd rate mind. boasting and lies have been characteristic of usan public figures from the birth of the nation, trump is very much in the national tradition. gore vidal could have made an additional career just commenting on this cartoon figure of usa. but there is nothing to be gained by pointing out trump's flaws, except the new cottage-industry of using the web to gossip for coins thrown by viewers. voltaire and swift made something of this art, their like has not yet appeared . the alternative presented by the opposition party was hillary clinton. if you are sure she would have been better, i pity you. thinking americans, with education and experience, should be publicly canvassing the support for a new constitution. nothing less will save you from russia's fate. not sure there are any, but possibly the intelligent response to conditions in the usa is to be silent preparatory to emigrating.
    1
  4725. the structure of the usa state is hopelessly obsolete. the parties are independent, self-interested and unconcerned with producing good governance of the nation. but this is merely a reflection of the people ignorant, impotent and uninterested in a system unresponsive to the lower half of the nation. political nonentities are the natural result of a constitution written to ensure the rule of wealth.
    1
  4726. no, you need democracy. since you don't know this, another gang of parasites will make no difference.
    1
  4727. usa not a democracy, but athens was. also notably evil, at times. democracy is not a reference to virtue, just an answer to the question "who rules?' but elites have a long-noted tendency to be evil. when the people rule, there is a benefit in treating others well, as they are your partners in dealing with the world.
    1
  4728. they used to put copper into silver coins, and the result was silver washed copper coins, valued as such. why do such a silly thing? it's not silly, in the short term. it keeps the powerful in power, for another week, another year. that's as far ahead as human society can plan, it appears. which is why we are destroying the environment.
    1
  4729. on the strength of dipping in to various talking heads here on the print, i feel qualified to solve india's problem. it is breatakingly simple, i marvel that indians have not come to this conclusion: invite, no, beg, china to run india for 50 years. you may have to pay them, but it will be worth it.
    1
  4730. a good way to ensure the continuing rule of the repubs. what you need is a constitution establishing democracy. this might take a bit of gunfire.
    1
  4731. scientists conning politicians? next the pope will be selling get-out-of-hell cards to anyone who feels the need. homo sapiens, yer shameless. i should add, dr h does a clear and suitably simple survey of where nuclear power generation is, right now. if homer sap was in charge of his local national entity, he could make an informed vote at referendum time, or participate in an initiative. but homer is not, outside of helvetia. so what is the use of public education? nowadays it is direct funding of scientists, such as dr h. nothing like it when i was young. used to be scientists had to be very polite to power, now, less so. on balance, a good thing.
    1
  4732. china will win, simply because they are led by smart people capable of making and executing long-term plans. the usa is led by politicians, who are on a drip from the rich. they think no further than the next election, and the next political 'contribution.
    1
  4733. yes, another suggestion that displaced factory workers should joyfully retrain as brain surgeons, in a 6-month course sponsored by the factory that is closing down. not only clueless, but pernicious nonsense.
    1
  4734. citizens of a democracy will know what the administrators know and do, because they are the rulers in a democracy. civilians in an elite-rule society will only know what their masters want them to know. tg 'demands' to know, but has no more legal basis than a 14 y. o. 'demanding' a later home-by hour. if you haven't got the sense to establish democracy, get used to being kept in the dark. and don't be too impressed by ms. gabbard- she sounds good, but knows full-well she has no 'or else.' it's just grand-standing.
    1
  4735. the best winning is staying out of war. but armed choppers are primarily tools of guerrilla suppression, since armies tend to have the means of shooting back with effect. if you need them, it means some of the people are really angry at the government.
    1
  4736. oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light... . a nation of amoral thugs.
    1
  4737. trump is not crazy, although narcissistic sociopathy is an unwelcome feature in public officers. but the real mental health problem lies in the inability of ordinary americans to realize they are saddled with a dysfunctional state structure. in professional language the problem is metastatic dumobopathy compounded with ignorophrenia.
    1
  4738. you will know reality has pierced the national myth when no one stands. of course, many will be sitting, to avoid lynching.
    1
  4739. cia dunnit, to ensure germany remembers who their masters are. besides, they enjoy reminding murrikins who their masters are, as well.
    1
  4740. don't complain. you vote for politicians, you get politicians. you could organize, get democracy, run the nation 'by the people, for the people.' [ lincoln lied, he was a politician ] i say 'could,' but that presupposes a nation with large number of would-be 'citizens.' but the reality is different. usa is a nation of chumps, working, if lucky, to support a government of gangsters
    1
  4741. welcome to reality.
    1
  4742. there is a blindness in usa, or a refusal to connect the lack of democracy with the decay and increasing poverty of the people. apparently, it is just 'too hard' to get democracy, so we will pretend we have it, or pretend the lack doesn't matter. texas republicans want to secede, and i hope they succeed. would raise the national average iq, and they could invite trump to preside, saving usa a pension. but the whole nation is characterized by a severe lack of education, by design. how else do you get 300 million voters to allow politicians to rule you?
    1
  4743. let's not get too excited. usa kills a few dozen every month, with drone bombs. god is just adjusting the score.
    1
  4744. for a long while, the swiss 'army' was the swiss citizens, armed and uniformed. by no coincidence, the swiss was the only nation that was a functioning democracy, and only fought in defense of the nation.. the situation is less clear nowadays. every one else* has a professional military, usually under nominal control of a political group. often they conscript soldiers as needed, avoiding expense and civilian unrest between wars. in the usa, in principle, the army does what it is told to do. and they don't complain, so long as they are doing killing, with few casualties. but sometimes people interject an aspect of efficiency, or even ethics. this is silly. you are not defending the nation, you are killing people on the orders of a politician. in my lifetime, usa has given up all pretense to ethical behavior. they have always been bandits, the battle hymn of the marine corps was a list of their more presentable raids, invasions and occupations.. but now, they simply create new language to explain the necessity and regrettable violence used in spreading the usa imperium. i feel a little sorry for this soldier. he has had his nose rubbed in the character of the people he kills for. it's embarrassing. he thought he could get by with skill and courage, but it turned out, if you work for the mafia, leave your conscience in a little box in the attic, it'll just get in the way of your profession. * almost forgot costa riica! they very wisely stay out of sight.
    1
  4745. there is so much about usa law and custom that is contemptible, that it hardly seems worthwhile to quibble about roe v wade undoing. really, when you think about it, don't have sex unless you want to make a baby. rape, and seduction of minors, is a different story. since you are playing with lives, hang 'em. if you submit to life in a medieval society, it's very hard to resist oppression from the elite. the fundamental problem is, self-styled progressives are unwilling to do whatever it takes to establish democracy. would-be citizens must be prepared to fight.
    1
  4746. so there you see it, folks, next contest is between a dim-witted sociopath with a hair-shaped symbiont living on his head, [ may be in control? ] and a demented dnc puppet with flying hands and a pull-cord speaker generating phrases 5 words long, or less. here's the bit of interest to sociologists: usans are unsurprised at the functioning of their management selection process, not one word said about the quality of the result. every one in america despises one or both candidates, without connecting their quality to the constitution which produced them.
    1
  4747. "previously democratic government?" what are you smoking! switzerland was surrounded by axis, now euro nations and remains a democracy. other nations, ruled by gangs who call themselves parties, find that different gangs takeover. and have bad names for the winners. are some of those gangs better than others? yes, but it is notable that only 'the' democracy said "we'll die before surrender, and so will a lot of you." you cheapen the word democracy, and muddy the idea of citizen self-rule, by using 'democracy' as a substitute for elective oligarchy.
    1
  4748. this is not mind-blowing, it is a commonplace fact of human society. it doesn't have to be this way. ordinary people can, and should, organize a movement to install democracy, and then use the power of citizen initiative to shape a socialist paradise. there, problem solved, just needs actual doing. i leave that to the young and motivated. get busy!
    1
  4749. you didn't 'allow,' because the usa is not a democracy, and you had no tools to direct the nation.
    1
  4750. demonseed says he has no control over his country. very true. the usa is not a democracy. no accident, it was designed to be ruled by the rich, and the design, the constitution, has been very successful,. nothing can be done, except revolution. and there are no revolutionaries in sight. let's hope they are working in secret.
    1
  4751. the important point is not that biden is unloved, rather it is that it doesn't matter. the myth of 'american democracy' is not only burned away long since, the people have not responded to reality with revulsion and action. they are truly enslaved, and utterly passive in the face of their revealed degradation. marx classified such a people as 'lumpen proletariat' and wrote them off as agents of change. lenin took the message, and acted with just a few energetic associates as the 'vanguard' of the masses. thus legitimizing his dictatorship. a very thin mask indeed, and the source of the ultimate failure of communism in ussr. mao was smarter, or luckier. china is a mixed result, but clearly better by far than it was. very possible that chinese people are better off than usa, or soon will be.
    1
  4752. with humility, point yer kid towards ubuntu if there is any inclination towards coding for a career. newbies welcome, talent will flourish , and there can be a good living in it.
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  4753. well, trump looked very american to me. usa needs to start over. write a new constitution. doesn't anyone want actual democracy? if you don't want democracy, then a trump is an unsurprising result, and much worse will be along soon.
    1
  4754. it exists, my word on it. but physics doesn't pay well, unless you lever it onto a yt channel income stream. of course, there may be layers of reality, and if this excites you, dr. h. has you covered.
    1
  4755. you don't have democracy, you don't seem to understand that you don't have democracy. you are not citizens of a democracy, you are civilians of an elective oligarchy. the 'elective' confuses you, but voting for a politician is not democracy. you are told you are too dim, ignorant or childish to be a citizen, but, lucky you, politicians will take care of you. and you say you believe this, in the face of all evidence, because you are ashamed at your lack of courage to resist. tulsi can't save you. no one can save you. you have to stand up and save yourself. but i think you just ain't got what it takes.
    1
  4756. it's good for you, dr h. helps piece out whatever pittance particle probers earn with a good subject for discussion. i can see you displacing neil degrasse tyson in the not too distant future. and today i learned a great deal more about mesmer, helpless to withdraw from your survey of human foolishness in the field of science.
    1
  4757. the dems blame the reps, and contrariwise, and both are right. if you vote for politicians, you are a chump. in a democracy, the citizens direct activity through referenda and initiative. but you are not citizens, you are chumps.
    1
  4758. you can't expect politicians [or stand-up comics ] to lead a revolution. they are doing very nicely from 'things as they are.' only revolution can turn around the ship of state. doesn't have to be violent, if the politicians agree to put themselves out of power, but they seldom do. the real problem is, less than half of usa knows what democracy is, and much less than that will fight for it. so yer screwed. the situation is not entirely hopeless, other nations have pulled out worse conditions, prc comes to mind, but usa hasn't got a mao ci dong. and marxism is a bit obsolete, anyway. so what to: if you have a modern profession, emigrate. but you probably are doing fine where you are. maybe worried about the kids? if you don't? immigrate. find a scrap of land and raise chickens and vege. go on the barter economy, and learn to shoot, with bow and sling shot. can't leave the city? deal drugs.
    1
  4759. war is profitable, for some. didn't you know? there are a few giant corporations whose output is munitions. if you don't use them or sell them, it's hard to get the taxpayers to support them. so there is endless stories of enemies plotting against the good and 'democratic' usa. but talking about these matters is fruitless. the people of the usa have no control over these matters, and many red states only survive and vote red, because of these munitions factories. the depressing truth is, usa is a nation of political dimwits, the product of education and myth-making, who are pacified by lies and made fearful by ignorance and myths.
    1
  4760. serious snipers use bolt action single shot weapons.
    1
  4761. much as i admire the management of the prc, lending money to the usa is clearly foolish, in the financial sense. otoh, they have a grip on american society which will preclude some of the nastiness tha usa practices on the weak. they can destroy the usa economy by dumping those bonds. of course, they would lose billions, no matter how clever they are. but it would induce every foreign government to get out while they can. exit usa from world trade, and history. they have to do this sometime, usa management is simply suicidal, since it is of secondary importance to the personal wealth of the owners of the nation. china must choose a time when they can drift out the door with other early adopters. finance is more exciting than many people realize!
    1
  4762.  Rebecca Conn  they take very good care of their land, where possible, but earlier industrialization did poison some land and rivers. reclamation is proceeding, as world leadership in green energy releases energy demand on coal.
    1
  4763. if you mean oligarchy of the rich, it began with g. washington. none of those men committed treason, for they were absolved of all crimes when they were not prosecuted, and nixon merely lost his job. there is a case for tyranny in trump's career, for he came to power against the elite by harnessing the anger of the dispossessed. but this is almost admirable. hillary would have had another war on america's charge sheet, like so many who haven't been shot at, she is a fierce warrior. why will you not discuss the obvious? america is an oligarchy because the founding document established rule by a few. america is corrupt because every elite is corrupt, it is the human response to power without oversight. democracy is possible, many states have it, and real democracy makes corruption difficult. but no one suggests getting democracy, oligarchy is sacred scripture in your benighted land. raise your discussion above personalities, consider principles. if you must use 'democracy' in your discussion, why not first talk about getting it?
    1
  4764. time to beg cuba to host russian missiles again.
    1
  4765. blue states should secede. shoid be easy- they pay the mercs wages.
    1
  4766. nuclear weapons are a very good thing, if your nation has a delivery system and sufficient warheads to discourage any sane nation, however large. the current prosperity of china would be directing profits to wall street, if they were not nuclear armed. india's continuing backwardness would make it an easy target for bullying, as the british did, but now it is secure from that danger. even north korea is safe, although it's possible prc just doesn't want it, and cia can see no conceivable profit for usa. ukraine, now, is much more attractive to usa, first they dispatch the military arm of european branch of empire, nato, and soon ukraine will be theirs. all that wheat, at fire-sale prices! ooops! putin disagrees.
    1
  4767. you are satisfied to choose a king pro tempore, from a group of two promoted by professional politicians, and are continually surprised at the results. i am continually surprised at your surprise.
    1
  4768. did flynn actually come up with something useful on clinton? seems unlikely that kgb would tell him anything. but he has been useful about trump. god could certainly send trump to hell on what we know so far, but there is no god, or he can't be bothered. so prosecution will have to come from people. the usa is not a nation of laws, but of people. and the republican senate will keep trump out of trouble, maybe even when he leaves office. if america was a democracy, they would scrap the constitution, because they are not a democracy, because of the constitution. and that was what madison had in mind, a constitution out of reach of ordinary people and so making rule by the rich enduring.
    1
  4769. phd candidates spend a year or more documenting the structural flaws behind the collapse of american society, some of them make a few dollars publishing their thesis as a popular book. of these, some say the reagan presidency was the beginning of the end. my view is the day the usa constitution was established marked the beginning of the end, simply because it codified a society unresponsive to the needs of the great majority of its people. rome didn't fall, it slumped, remaining a potent force over much of its several hundred years of decline. the usa is likely to follow that pattern, a gradual decay as asia re-assumes its leading place in human society. visit china, if you can: it will begin to install some modesty into american arrogance.
    1
  4770. mao was not an unmixed blessing, but he understood the value of education and health care. and the rule of the communist party ensured that all were putting their shoulder to the national wheel. so he frightened the capitalists, who squashed china's development very effectively. deng xiaoping found a way around that, and the result is the wonder of the world, and more to come, almost daily. india could not be more different, there is a reason they lag china by a country mile. many reasons, no doubt. they will improve, but a nation that takes religion seriously, and uses it to classify people at birth, is carrying a severe handicap.
    1
  4771. i would say, if you daily indicate that the usa is run by, and, for an elite, would you join a citizen action group whose sole purpose is to establish democracy? or, do you speak for a living, like colbert, but not so funny, to viewers whose interest is simply to avoid joining the 'loser' class? just academic interest...
    1
  4772. perhaps libertarians should be asked, "why has prc prospered more than any large nation over the last 30 years? the prc is the exemplar of 'managed' capitalism, but that government control has made prc the wonder of the age. i won't ask them. they are fantasists. mcconnell, otoh, is pragmatic - he is nearly done, and is secure in his wealth, and sees no advantage in playing along with the new new deal. real pragmatics have moved their money to ireland, of course. asking why is pointless. just poor kids with their noses pressed against the window of the candy store. why not ask, "why don't we get democracy. and real socialism?"
    1
  4773. this is not just a web war, usa tried to strangle prc at birth, there was public talk of nuclear attack during the korean war. they don't trust usa, not even a little bit, nor should they. it may be they are strong enough to to discourage war now, but economic struggle will continue, aided by usa military threats and actual attacks on peripheral targets. usa must lose the economic war, it's political system is antique, and does not generate survival oriented national behavior. just look at the character of the people who control congress and wh--- do they look like like premium people?
    1
  4774. actually, it was originally ' m'aidee' ' which is 'help me!' in french. approximately. but those ignorant anglo-saxons needed something easier to spell. moving on to the important question, india contending for the prize of 'least effective response to the virus.' of course india would be hopeless. a poor nation, over-populated for its area, few medical resources, and directed by the usual gang of political parasites. and yet, 100 years ago, india and china were very similar. i cannot resist saying, a little bit of communism seems to have set china on a more constructive path. but, there is more to it. perhaps india is not a natural nation state, and should be dissolved?
    1
  4775. facts don't matter. there is no mutual compact between state and person. consequently, the natural condition is war of all against all, mitigated by then necessity of not being the first one to shoot, unless confident of military victory. the usa is basically a very primitive society. come back when you decide that democracy and socialism is better than living in a nation where every city has a no-go area.
    1
  4776. usa is a formal oligarchy, by design, from birth. it was promoted to the grandees of state congresses as such, protecting them, and the nation, from democracy. the refusal of american talking heads to admit usa is not and never was a democracy makes political discussion inane and inconsequential.
    1
  4777. yes, it's a fudge. the aether is vibrating like a jelly dish on a bumpy railway track, and local variation of the intensity of the physical constants which control the motion of matter cause the aberrations which are now 'explained' by dark matter. all will become clear when i get around to writing a paper.
    1
  4778. americans don't seem to understand that they don't live in a democracy. the people do not rule. politicians do. and the politicians look out for themselves, notably by being kind to rich people. the usa is a functioning plutocracy, by design. madison said that was his aim, and he was very successful. i used to wonder why people put up with it.
    1
  4779. usans rattle on about democracy, as if they have it. they don't. they should know they don't. some states have 'democracy,' if independent. so why do they claim a status, citizen, when they know they don't have it. they are merely civilians. ignorance and wishful thinking, among dimwits. more cynical lying malevolence among the richos. democracy is voting to direct the state. voting to choose your masters is just another form of oligarchy. directing the state makes you a citizen, choosing a master makes you a chump. jan 6 ? a trivial event, but embarrassing - a make-believe coup by a rich jerk enacted by dimwits, never any threat to the nation. except for the embarrassment, of course. so hard to pass yourself off as 'leader of the free world' when one of those 'leaders' couldn't organize a children's birthday party. usa presidents are seldom obviously intelligent, but trump was the only one in my lifetime to be visibly dim. he was no threat to anything, except the facade of competence at the top of the evil empire.
    1
  4780. it's not corrupt. it's just a business, like everything else in usa. they have no duty or responsibility to the general public. if you are too ignorant to know you don't live in a democracy, or to lazy to start a revolution, then you have to take what your betters give, and pretend it's good enough.
    1
  4781. it's clear mr. hartmann is too happy with where he is to lead a revolution, but at least he does something to publicize the need for revolution. i'm fairly confident the usa will not have revolution, due to the quality of the people, so we will have to wait for general gabbard to re-appear in dc at the head of a tank battalion. about 10 to 20 years from now. enough americans will despise their politicians then to welcome her with garlands of flowers, to which she is already accustomed.
    1
  4782. usg has something better than the prc digital money - a printing press and chumps who put up with politicians.
    1
  4783. 'a long time ago' was the establishment of the constitution, which created the elective oligarchy that continues now. the only cure is a new constitution. this will not happen. best possible result is secession by states which have a democracy constitution, california a notable example.
    1
  4784. don't blame those in power- they are looking after themselves in the usual fashion. if there is blame, blame those who yell shame! and then turn to other news. there is no democracy in the federal government of the usa, or citizen initiative would have made it a different nation long ago. consequently, if your are sick of the greed and incompetence in the management of the nation, you must create a power of citizen initiative through organization leading to revolution. the transfer of power from congress to electorate is revolution, but if you get great numbers in public support, perhaps the politicians will go quietly, head on shoulders. make no mistake, as long as the rulersdo not fear you, they will not submit. as long as you fear to act, they will not change. now go back to whining, the do-ers, if any, are too few in a nation of slaves. "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains." rosa luxemburgh, poor lady- she stood up, in a nation of slaves.
    1
  4785. there are occasional references of 'poor health' for putin. it may be that usg is simply planning on out-living him. more immediate, the usg is concerned only with its own power and prestige, and wide-spread pain resulting from its activity is of no interest. people of usa have heard of democracy, but they are not citizen quality, and can not find the courage to get democracy. so their masters can do as they please, so long as secrecy and lies shield reality from the peons.
    1
  4786. look into 'tyrant.' bonapartism is just for lazy and ill-educated pseudo-pundits.
    1
  4787. they lied to us! imagine! we were propping up a corrupt government. what a shock! impeach! tough talk. where in the law is there any power to control politicians? you won't take the responsibility of governing yourselves, our politicians promised to to take care of us! why? because you are ignorant, lazy, passive- and let politicians rule.
    1
  4788. wrong to complain about aoc. she is making her way in the world according to the rules. give some thought to changing the rules. or shut up--- complaining about the rules without being able or willing to act against them is somewhere between hypocrisy and cowardice.
    1
  4789. the government of the usa was modeled on that of georgian britain, as closely as possible. madison thought that government was the best that humanity could devise. but he also thought that the rich should rule the usa, as the aristocracy ruled britain, so perhaps his goals and methods might not be publicly acceptable nowadays. but the rich rule still, in practice, and in private they presumably think king george 4 got it right. mattis can tell a sinking ship as well as anyone, no credit to him in leaving it. trump's fast-draw resolution of the syrian morass was out of step with the 'deep-state' government, who never saw a war they didn't want to visibly win, and seldom one they didn't want to be in. partly of course, because they were not actually in it. but the important point here, is that serious questions are being decided by one individual, hopelessly incompetent, of contemptible character and no experience. when will americans start to ask, 'maybe we need a new constitution?' because trump is there lawfully, and is obeyed as he should be. there has to be something wrong with the law, don't you agree? 'the law' is the constitution.
    1
  4790. offer mandarin, arabic spanish and hindi in every school from year 1.
    1
  4791. In fact, you can't unt forever. Well, I can't.
    1
  4792. Patience 'count
    1
  4793. if you participate in celebrity politics, why are you complaining that others do too,. this site is unconcerned with issues of immediate consequence to the nation, you are immersed in the national culture, 'who will be our master, and will they be kind.?' no one talks about issues of consequence, simply because the american people are not citizens of a democracy, they are only consumers of gossip about their 'betters.' on a less depressing note, the rise of bloomberg has rubbed the national nose in the distinction between democracy and plutocracy, and perhaps a few young people will realize their oldies have been lying to them. perhaps eventually this understaanding will lead to the west coast and northeast seceding, leaving bubbaland to become independent farmers brewing their own whisky and telling lies about fish they nearly caught in the local crick.
    1
  4794. trump himself is just a crook with a big bank account, reputed to be much lees than daddy left him. his crimes are personal. america's big problems are systemic, and it probably doesn't matter who sits in the oval office, the ship of state has no helm and has been headed for rocks from launch. some rocks are coming in view.
    1
  4795. hope it doesn't come - have to wear a faraday cage when you left the house.
    1
  4796. thank you dr h, i am now plausible at the office coffee pot, on this central subject of the month. i wonder, could you do some analysis of current events that might dissolve my suspicion that usa sees nuclear warfare as the solution to economic competition from prc? i realize sociology and aberrant psychology are far from your central interest in material things, but you are clearly smarter and saner than the weasels running the usa.
    1
  4797. mr dore, i will give you credit for meaning well, side-of-angels-wise, but voting for people is not democracy in the first place. then, the scrabble for power has an internal logic which directs the activities of the major parties. useless to complain about it, unless you find some pleasure in complaining about gravity. productive discussion should be directed towards getting democracy, a preliminary discussion of what it is would be helpful.
    1
  4798. the problem ain't trump. handing the keys to the oval office to any one person is insane. or would be, if the voter had a choice of democracy instead. but you don't. you are born to elective oligarchy and daily told it is wonderful- just like democracy, only better because done for you by professionals. the same logic would lead you to look for a wife in a brothel. usans have no hope. locked in a dysfunctional society that creates slave minds. ironic punishment for inheriting a nation founded to sustain slavery.
    1
  4799. don't blame the capitalists, punkin. they are doing what comes natural. blame yerselves for being ignorant and passive 'civilians.' which is the euphemism for 'chump.' in the web age, and even beggars might have a wrist radio, communication is simple, revolution easy to organize. all that's lacking is spine. and without that, no amount of marxism can help you. even marx figured that out, during the 1848 spasm.
    1
  4800. no, you need to get democracy. until you do, talking about what should be done is children talking about what they will do, when they grow up.
    1
  4801. i will settle for deportation to labor camps in africa.
    1
  4802. when it is clear that, ukraine is going to 'lose,' their government should ask for conditions of peace. if ukraine does not get massive support, munitions and soldiers, they are going to lose. usg will smile at them, and say, 'fight on, for liberty!' and give them guns, and verbal support. this is a war between usa and russia, and usa can not lose, not a single soldier, only money, and that is printed daily, in endless supply. so, don't tell ukraine to give in, that is their right. but don't tell them to fight, either, because neither usa nor india is going to risk war with prc. 'openings' for india? are you some rat looking for a meal on a corpse?
    1
  4803. and yer going to watch the republicans flourish. the dems are hopeless. politics is hopeless. the game was rigged by the establishment of the constitution. it allows the rich to rule, through their owned politicians. but no one says, "let's get democracy!" politicians don't want democracy, they would be out of a job. the rich don't want democracy, they would be much less rich. and the rest don't want democracy, it needs effort. so, 'steady as you go,' on a course to disaster.
    1
  4804. fdr did not lift usa out of depression. selling munitions to europe did. fdr hired my father to sweep the mess hall in a forestry camp in oregon, he was only 15 and grateful for a bed and a lot of pancakes. joined the army as soon as he could, with deep gratitude to japanese government who made this profession open to semi-literate country boys who could shoot straight and not fussed about killing. the notion that fdr was a champion of the poor is just a national myth, about like g. washington and the cherry tree.
    1
  4805. simple test of veracity: if anyone says or implies, that usa is a democracy, you are being lied to. 1. nowhere in the constitution does it say 'democracy.' 2. nowhere in the constitution is there any mention of rule by referendum and initiative. 3. there is zero co-relation between public opinion and government action, except with the top 10%, they have good response, i.e. plutocracy.
    1
  4806. because fdr was neither in favor of democracy, nor socialism. he hosed down incipient revolution with welfare projects, until the germans created a very resilient market for munitions, later greatly expanded by the japanese. ww2 saved american plutocracy. no wonder many rich americans loved the nazis.
    1
  4807. why get excited about aoc? if you are willing to be ruled by politicians, this is what you get, and worse. democracy is possible, but it needs citizen quality people, which usans are not. no great shame in it, homer sap is, in general, ruled by elites.
    1
  4808. but he still doesn't understand that the problem isn't capitalism, the problem is the lack of democracy. but no politician is going to hand over the political fishing pole, and generally they don't hand out fish when they can avoid it, which is usually the case. americans 'deserve' what they get, because they put up with elective oligarchy. revolution, knuckleheads.
    1
  4809. in your lifetime, there was serious thievery in olden days.
    1
  4810. the interesting part, is that these people are being paid after trump is out of power. perhaps it's an investment, to encourage succeeding scum to go along with the program.
    1
  4811. and it has nothing to do with 'republican' and 'democrat.' politicians are not your friends. but a people who submits to them can not expect any better.
    1
  4812. mr hedges makes a living by holding a mirror to usa blemishes, but his facial expression tells a story of continual horror and simple disgust. he only persists out of some sense of duty. usa is a society built on a lust for money. it is entering on its terminal stage, i believe, and the rot is increasingly visible. there will be endless grist for chris to report, but it can't be good for his health. or sanity.
    1
  4813. humanity needs democracy, but homer sap just ain't smart enough. or maybe he just just doesn't get the right education.
    1
  4814. if you are at all surprised by this 'scandal,' you haven't been paying attention. i you don't like the results of government driven by plutocrats with secret methods of information control, then get democracy. or emigrate. or learn to be happy in an orwellian dystopia. the problem is not zuckerberg. it is the willingness of home sap to leave the power of government in the hands of a small group.
    1
  4815. at what point do americans realize they need a new constitution? choosing a king-for-awhile is so yesterday. and you don't get a good king, because dimwit narcissist sociopaths fit the selection process best. although alzheimer dements are being trialed as a viable alternative. it turns out there is such a thing as a national character, and usa is not impressing anyone with its management style: dimwit in the lead, zombies shlumping along behind.
    1
  4816. yer on the edge of enlightenment: one more step to making politicians extinct, and using democracy.
    1
  4817. blame madison: he explicitly claimed his constitution would ensure the rule of wealth, "for the ages." however, inevitable is a great overstatement. revolution needs more than oppression. there must be planning, organization, mass mobilization to forestall military pre-emption, and none of that is visible in usa. i live in hope there is at least secret planning, but i suspect those childhood inoculations took something from american character.
    1
  4818. replace 'usa' with 'evil empire' and no apology to reagan's ghost. the evil empire is not uniquely evil, quality is just ordinary evil. but since it's big and rich and heavily militarized, the evil is magnified past what other governments can aspire to.
    1
  4819. it's fun, watching the northern hemisphere lurch into ww last. greedy psychos driving spineless chumps into extinction. i'm confident the spineless chumps will include enough armed and enraged country boys to weed out the psychos, but it's too late, and weeds recover anyway.
    1
  4820. stop whining. you don't have the smarts and courage to get and use democracy, so you get treated like chumps at the carnival called politics in the usa. serves you right.
    1
  4821. vote for a politician, get a politician. when will usans get tired of politician rule? doesn't have to be this way. if you want democracy, you can have it. politicians are not going to give it to you, it would make them obsolete. but if you vote for a candidate whose only function is to install national management by referendum and initiative, the result will be a foundation initiative. assuming most people want democracy. if not, leave.
    1
  4822. if you are too dim and too lazy, to get democracy, then some elite will screw you. evolution in action.
    1
  4823. trump is not house-trained. he is perfectly typical of affluent america, but as he was born rich he doesn't have any of the habits of false modesty that most politicians acquire early in their career. we laughed when dubya said a 'c' student could be president, but it's less funny when you are confronted with the reality that a vain, dim bully can do it too, simply by pointing out the flaws in other candidates, real flaws, on the record. i despise trump, any sane person would, but he has done usa a favor, just by being a mirror to his nation. like him, of course not. but he has been useful, and many 'progressives' have not learned the lesson he has offered. they don't want to learn, because action is required, and they are hoping someone else will do the lifting. biden is not much improvement, if any. someone will be pulling his strings, just like trump. but if you are too lazy, or too dim, democracy will not come, and usa will not improve.
    1
  4824. the point of no return was the establishment of the constitution. it flash-froze the plutocracy of the day into a formal state that excluded democracy and installed a wealthy elite in power. much has happened since , but by no accident, the wealthy elite still direct the nation. every elite rots, out of simple greed and arrogance, and eventually it cannot command effective defense against exterior forces, since the soldiers either will not fight, or decide to run the nation for themselves. it took a long time for the roman empire to fall, usa will be quicker, as it has used hegemony rather than occupation. but the climate crisis will likely be the engine of destruction, econonic and social pressures can destroy a nation as easily as bombs. military rule will be termed 'temporary' as response to natural disaster, but continual disaster needs continual military rule.
    1
  4825. usa is run by politicians, who look after themselves. they also look after the people who pay for the necessary advertising. the interests of the nation are 3rd, or 4th or 5th. the people of the usa would be better off if they had democracy, but they are told from birth they already have it, in a new improved version, all effort done for them by selfless saints called 'politicians.' usa is a write-off. ignorant people, degenerate elite. and an irrelevant intellectual class, with neither power to educate nor interest in action. the only question remaining is whether usa destroys the world in attempting to hold on to power.
    1
  4826. there is no good politician. they only maintain power because the people are ignorant, and unable to support one another against the parasites. the cure is to get and maintain and use democracy. it seems to be just out of reach of humanity. if we don't destroy our world, perhaps we may evolve to the level of citizen of democracy.
    1
  4827. when yer right, yer right.
    1
  4828. the japanese made a great airplane, if you compare its performance with the money and materials necessary to make it. but they never had any chance of success against the size and wealth of the usa. their initial successes against china and tsarist russia gave them a distorted appreciation of their own capabilities.
    1
  4829. it's not a referendum, you only have referendum in a democracy, and the usa ain't a democracy. call it a plebiscite- since you don't have democracy, yer only a pleb.
    1
  4830. we have learned lots, but the mechanisms of oligarchy are too strong for us. this may result in extinction.
    1
  4831. getting involved with this situation reveals high levels of some hormone, one which suppresses headaches.
    1
  4832. this presumption of good nature in the aukus triad is charming, but simply wrong. their only concern is profit. [for the usa, the others are hoping for crumbs]
    1
  4833. boy, that was a compelling argument, history, current facts and well-articulated logic. don't hurry back. and thx for displaying your character so clearly. @atrociousconsequences4432 
    1
  4834. well, brand identification is as vital to academics as to car makers. a polite and cultured nutcase is welcome to put his case to any willing to listen. that would be, not me. no doubt some nations are ill-run. but since usa would be at the head of the list, why continue this line of thought. who can bell that cat? but it's even worse. a hopelessly backward nation such as afghanistan* has demonstrated, again, that it's too hard, also. and some consume money and soldiers at a rate even usa can not endure. i helped 'civilize' vietnam, and it educated me as to who needed education- see 2nd line. *in fact, afghanistan was making good progress before the cia de-progressed it. there is no place in hell hot enough for the usa.
    1
  4835. functionally, he was the center of state level resistance to the american invasion of the middle east. considering the relative strengths, perhaps the best guerrilla commander since zhu de. a very tempting target for the evil empire. but in a legalistic sense, killing him pasted a target on every american general in the area.. perhaps that's why there was that hastily written letter saying, "we're leaving." some one wanted to go home. naturally, the evil empire threatened further and massive death if iran dared to resist. the villains always do. nazis started at 10 to 1 in france, and 100 to i in balkans. the world is waiting with varying degrees of interest to see the rate for the evil empire. trump is a comic book villain, pompeo is the real killer. trump's cheney. either one may come up with the necessity of wiping out a city in iran. anything less will not get results desired.
    1
  4836. and while i'm here, there are no democracies. even the swiss have fallen into the hands of politicians.
    1
  4837. i hope they had to bury powell under an assumed name. maybe they showed him a picture of his granddaughter taken through a sniperscope.
    1
  4838. tg is a great whistle blower, but people who want to be commander in chief need a wider view than that. before you get enthusiastic, find out who's paying the bills.
    1
  4839. it turns out that building an 'empire' in foreign lands has long term consequences. for example, some people in the occupied land learn to hate you. the middle east has been and continues to be occupied by people from europe, and notably, the usa, and those western governments complain about not being welcome there.
    1
  4840. only need one part: entrance to all tertiary education by competitive evaluation. academic performance and test to university, add talent test for performing arts, manual tests for trades. free.
    1
  4841. economic growth is necessary to sustain the populace while bleeding off of personal profit for non-productive activities. it will end when resources fail and rebellion becomes revolution. at which point there will be total collapse of economy and polity. this political evolution potentially results in an environment unsuited to life, and will at least cause massive population crash. the politicians can not avoid this path, being committed to maintaining office ahead of racial survival, the people can not avoid this path due to lack of organization and education. time for a leninist vanguard party, or military coup or a descent of angels. none are in view, so study subsistence farming, and facility with small arms.
    1
  4842. i would have complained, but some people need 3 words where 1 would do.
    1
  4843. click on gore vidal quotes and you have usa in 30 seconds. people who get upset about politicians contending with pimps for low rung on the profession ladder should grow up. or be well paid for losing virginity several times a week. what to do about the usa? 1- ignore it. 2- figure a way to exploit it. 3- change it with gentle persuasion. 4- rip it up and start over. 5- leave. i recommend no. 1, or no. 5 2- is for sociopaths. you know who you are. 3- is for saints, reward delayed until dead. 4- is for thrill seekers with patience, rare breed, none visible in usa, but silence may suit their methods. if you are and reading this, get a move on, i'm old and want to see some results.
    1
  4844. in the declining years of usa, there is a certain justice in the appearance of a trump in national politics. a person whose only asset is great inherited wealth, notably stupid, selfish as a spoiled child. he sums up in his bloated body the aspirations of the founding fathers. he is the ideal american, produced by the law and culture made by those slave master/plutocrats who began lying with "we, the people..." and continued to throw the bodies of soldiers into defense of the notion that slavery was not only natural, but productive. in fact, george washington was the 'father of his nation,' but it is an evil place he sired. and he did it to preserve slavery. it was the source of his wealth, and the other 'great names' of american founding fathers, madison and jefferson were also dependent on the enslavement of africans. do you wonder where the character of modern usa comes from?
    1
  4845. you need a national administration. [not a government, necessarily] in a democracy, the citizens direct the administration. but there are no democracies, not even the swiss. they can claim 'proto-democracy' so we have governments, and call ourselves 'citizens' when we are really only civilians. some worry about this, but it is pointless- homer sap appears to be incapable of democracy. and anarcho-syndicalism is adolescent fantasy.
    1
  4846. trump is fit to be president, the standards are low. truman, reagan and dubya did more damage than trump has, so far- and getting out of syria is probably the right call. america's problem is not trump. the constitution is obsolete, and the resulting political guild so inbred and self-satisfied that good national management is impossible. this is one of the largest factors in the decline of the american empire. another factor is the invitation of that incompetent american management to 'communist' china, to join the capitalist world trade society. it turns out the chinese are better at capitalism, presumably due to their political system. trump is not only fit, he is symptomatic of a degenerating capitalist society: predatory, no longer creative, corrupt in business and private life. he is more american than abe lincoln. calling him 'unfit' is mere embarrassment at seeing the american ethos so nakedly displayed. trump will be brought down, and likely replaced by someone who will declare war on iran, and thus prove himself 'fit' to rule the crumbling empire.
    1
  4847. if you want the benefits of democracy, and socialism, it's quite easy: first get democracy, use initiative to shape the economy. the constitution makes getting democracy difficult, so just tear it up and write a new one.
    1
  4848. mr hartmann is chock-full of good ideas, which are generally wasted, because the rulers of the usa like things the way they are. [with them on top.] that's the beauty of democracy, because the citizens are the rulers, and they can make good ideas happen. but usa is not a democracy, and no one sees the need to get democracy. so it's just, "wouldn't it be nice..." with no result.
    1
  4849. aoc is a politician. be thankful if she doesn't eat babies instead of bacon. parts of miami are very 'conservative' indeed, being filled with the grand children of the rich cubans who fled castro. for a guess, aoc is one.
    1
  4850. nothing like infinite growth needed. long past optimum level already.
    1
  4851. can't throw out the charges, the resulting damages suit would de-commission a carrier group, and might cost someone their seat in congress. i am compelled to take seriously the kabuki theatre of usa politics as they have an absurd number of nuclear weapons, but but logic, justice and sanity don't live there anymore, i suspect never did.
    1
  4852. anti-gravity is possible, and as soon as i figure out gravity i will tell you how to do it.
    1
  4853. a nation founded to extend slavery and further enrich the plantation masters that were the plutocrats of early usa can not be said to have degenerated in its pursuit of wealth, but things clearly are not improving. usa is not finished, but the good times are over and even the elite will have to modulate their arrogance in foreign affairs. domestically, they will continue to ride above the mob for some considerable time - modern enslavement with drugs is at least as effective as chains, revolution is the only cure, and it's out of reach - hard to see any effective resistance under modern surveillance technology.
    1
  4854. The world didn't buy into neoliberalism , it was imposed by usg under direction of 'wealth', corporate and private. The cure is getting democracy, simply because when rule is 'by the people,' the result will be 'for the people.' But this cure is never mentioned in USA. Why is that?
    1
  4855. talk all you want, but nothing of substance can be done until you address the fundamental problem of the usa. it is not a democracy. consequently, the business of state can be hidden from the people, the actions of the state can be against the interest and well- being of the people. elections are not a safe-guard, they are merely a circuit-breaker, to prevent the crimes of the elite from developing into revolution. so long as you must put your faith in a 'good king', to save you from an evil elite, you are no citizen, but only a serf. perhaps the lack of democracy is not the fundamental problem, but rather that the quality of people. being born and raised in an aristocracy generates forelock-tuggers and curtsy-dippers. in any event, tulsi ain't gonna save you. she certainly can't. and if she were queen of the usa, the result would disappoint. no individual is going to save you--- it needs the people standing up, and telling the politicians, "be gone! we will run our nation now."
    1
  4856. 'a country run by sociopaths' is accurate, but more often than not it has been the case. trump encapsulates usa today, but there have been equally colorful bandits in the whitehouse before. khomeini called usa 'the great satan,' and without taking the religious connotations seriously, he nonetheless transferred the opinion with accuracy. america's tragedy is that the criminal government has created an amoral populace, cynical, passive, and utterly unable to break from the course set by madison, of plutocracy 'for the ages.' public intellectuals seem strangely blind to the society around them, commonly referring to usa as a democracy, and poisoning all further discourse. usa is consequently incapable of change, and will decay somewhat in the path of ussr, leaving behind a gangster nation.
    1
  4857. actually, mao led a quite austere life. and china was an authoritarian society. but remember it was born into a world where most of the world's governments hated and feared a society dedicated to the welfare of the lowest. russia and china and vietnam had to fight for their lives from birth. it shaped them. but you can't condemn them for being paranoid and violent, they were dodging bullets and bombs from day 1.
    1
  4858. the combination of personal charm and occasional revelation of interesting interfaces with the unknown is likely to enrich dr h well beyond the salary of a researcher in a german fizz institute. can't stay away. but sometimes i wonder if we are children building sand castles between the tide lines. there are pressing problems facing humanity that are apparently more difficult than flash-freezing eureka moments, but do not attract the brain power in the best of homer sap. very possibly smart people recognize where progress is possible, and where it is not.
    1
  4859. all those foreign bases cost money. the only reason they exist is to transfer taxes to munitions share holders. when a big sailing ship developed a big leak, unrepairable at sea. they kept it afloat as long as possible by pumping, then took to the boats. but no one is pumping usa, and like the titanic, the boats are for the rich.
    1
  4860. mr. hartmann, shame on you! militias are the keystone of democracy. and helvetia, the only democracy, defends itself with militia, not armies. of course, you don't know what a democracy is, so you don't understand the role of militia. a democracy is a state ruled by its citizens, not by politicians. armies are the tools of elites, capable of aggressive war. militias fight in defense. at home.
    1
  4861. adelstein spends more every year on buying politicians, and he is an 'israeli', by inclination. the real problem is that american politics is driven by money, and that is on purpose: it was madison's intention, explicitly stated, that the rich should rule, and his constitution has delivered the desired result brilliantly. if you are too dim, too ignorant too fearful of change, then you must continue to live in a plutocracy, because that is what you inherited. by design, there is nothing you can do about it, without revolution. if you accept your fate, i extend my pity.
    1
  4862. put not your faith in politicians. demand democracy.
    1
  4863. he still hasn't started a war, be thankful. although dispatching 2 carrier groups to the south china sea is worrying. usa doesn't need defending, there. that is preparation for attack. prc is strong enough to make war unattractive to sane and competent people, but not many of those in the usg. i wonder if the people of usa will ever grow up? trump is just a symptom, folks- your nation has cancer of the brain, and it has spread widely throughout the populace. even if there are sane people in the usa, they are not in control;, and certainly can not prevent disaster.
    1
  4864. bernie is obviously the better man for america, by just about any measure. yet here he is, losing heavily on a day when lefties thought they would be locking down the nomination. since they must, they come up with new reasons to win. the rust belt should be bernie's, late california vote counting should be bernies. may be. but so what? it's still just a plurality, not a majority. and since all the remaining candidates endorse biden on the way out, even a plurality is very shaky. bernie won't be the candidate. and a good thing too. usa has a 'fate,' a confluence of disasters, a well-deserved punishment for vile character which trump so well personifies. let him carry the can.
    1
  4865. interesting times, but the interest is chiefly in deciding how to stay alive as dying empire struggles with emerging challenger. paks and taliban are very interested indeed. india gov seems to have nailed its colors to the usa bottom, which will have momentous consequences for the indian people. not sure they are interested, as they weren't consulted. farther away, the interest declines. but i incline towards the welfare of the prc. the usa i know to be genuinely evil, rotten by any definition. and they spread their evil around the world. china's sins are largely domestic, and mostly unintended.
    1
  4866. there is some socialist element to the gnd. that saves having to think, a great comfort to fox and friends. aoc will be in congress until she is old enough to be president, brace yourselves. i don't mind dumb people, if they know it. but it's hard to be polite to people who laugh at aoc, without considering where she's from, and how she won her position. she beat the 3rd most senior democrat, a man who looks a lot like a friend of fox. she is the emissary of satan, foxies, and she's gonna getcha!
    1
  4867. stop complaining, serfs. you don't live in a democracy. it doesn't bother those that know it. most think what they have is democracy, only more convenient because done for them, by experts. if you are dim, or ignorant, or lazy, you are exploited by the strong. wolves eat lambs, and rams too, if they get out of their station. that's life. i've never come across an american 'what shall we do' discussion. perhaps the serious people work in secret. but secret revolution is difficult to imagine. in any event, if you are not hungry, you don't revolt. even if the elite is driving the nation off a cliff, you don't revolt. and that is why nations and empires end: exterior conditions arise that stress them, and members simply don't care. crash!
    1
  4868. well, it's always nice when a public voice reports the reality of the electoral system. but unfortunately, knowing the system is inflexible is not good news. a third party is not the answer. politician rule is not the answer. your problem is not which party, it is the reality that any party will be owned by the rich. when 536 people make the major decisions for the nation, you only have to buy half plus one. and they are bought. what have you got against instituting democracy, so that more than half of the electorate have to approve of proposals put by the public service? do you really think politicians are more concerned with the welfare of the nation than the ordinary people?
    1
  4869. you don't need another party, you need democracy. but, here's the hard part--no one will give it to you or do it for you. a nation of couch potatoes can talk as much as they like, but waiting for someone else to make you into a citizen will be a long wait. civilian, is all you will be.
    1
  4870. sometimes i think we took a wrong turn long ago, when we stopped talking and started measuring.
    1
  4871. the usa public has been taught to sanctify the political process, to cover the practical reality of their impotence in public affairs. the rulers are corrupt. the ruled are idiotic. that is a failed state. don't laugh at colbert, he may say, may feel, that he is weeping for the character of the person who won the whitehouse, but his tears spring from the hopeless decadence of his nation, top to bottom, side to side. there is no saving of the usa, and that is worth weeping for.
    1
  4872. stop laughing, people- this is your political system at 'work.' there is a certain sour humor, of course.
    1
  4873. that's funny. it's usa ships off the china coast, not prc ships in the caribbean. and they don't support taiwan independence because they hope the taiwan government will take-over in beijing.
    1
  4874. pete is right about optional public health plan. us of a is not inclined to socialism, and just getting something better than obama care is about the limit of your hope. but nominate bernie and see what happens, even elect him and see what happens: you will discover that presidents don't pass legislation. might not even get past pelosi, much less the senate. mayor pete is going to be senator pete soon, and may even be a democrat. anyone can be. much good it will do you.
    1
  4875. you would be insane not to want a nuclear bomb capacity for iran. it is the best security against usa invasion. look at israel - they would just be a page in history book if they didn't have the bomb. of course, they have little to fear from usa, but many others in the neighborhood hate them.
    1
  4876. obviously not.
    1
  4877. add it all together, and mayor pete will have to wait. maybe a lifetime. more likely retrain as a lobbyist. fortunately, bloomberg had some free time in his schedule, an interest in politics as a hobby, and could pick up the anyone- but- bernie banner. doesn't have to win, just keep the 'centrists' in the collective majority. easy to understand enthusiasm for bernie, but he's swimming within the shark nets, and reality is out there in the election ocean. the best outcome for usa is to see trump beat whoever is anointed as the dem 'centrist' candidate, and watch the usa and the environment collapse under trump. that will prepare the way for yang plus a socialist congress.
    1
  4878. not brilliant, and a poser. but he was a medium size dog in a big dog's fight, so something to be said for keeping head retracted. he must have suspected the germans were smarter than he was, so he concentrated on 'not losing.'
    1
  4879. this question is rhetorical, i hope. the people who framed the usa constitution were aiming for stasis. there is a 'presider', a body of old rich white men, and a body of gentry, to carry the claims of the people to the attention of their 'betters.' the establishment document of the prc is recent, action-oriented and tasked with lifting china into the front rank of nations. so the chinese have much better leadership now, and this will continue until the new 'mandarinate' of the cpprc is over-taken by age and corruption. usa will never recover until it gets a new kind of government, and none is in view-- even what passes for intellectual discussion only concerns itself with personalities. humanity needs democracy, for survival. but it seems to be too hard, just unsuited to the capabilities of homer sap. extinction looms, 'missed it by that much!' will go on the last tombstone.
    1
  4880. none of that is treason. it's just usa politics. the problem arises from the lack of democracy. this results in a struggle for power among elite groups, with no judges and few laws. the madison constitution was and is a contemptible document, and it is also hopelessly ineffective in modern conditions. nothing to be done about it, usa flourished due to its initial physical conditions, but that advantage has lost all relevance. the culture of the nation is dysfunctional. usa is in no danger from external sources, so it will stew in its own juices. banana republic, next stop!
    1
  4881. usa is a moral cesspool, an example of what happens to humanity when you begin with slavery and continue with 'greed is good.' usa was born evil, and there is no recovery. but we can strive to keep it from ruining the planet.
    1
  4882. bernie wants to be president. second time around and still hasn't learned a thing. biden is easily replaceable, but he has a great charm- as close to a president-puppet as you can easily find. tell bernie it's over, somebody.
    1
  4883. is there no one in usa who can inspire a [ would-be ] citizen's movement to compel the establishment of democracy? you don't have to put up with the rule of politicians, unless you are ignorant and fearful and lazy. then you do.
    1
  4884. anyone surprised? normal service has resumed. trump has legitimized more imperial activity. don't you ever get disgusted when you hear the phrase our/american democracy?
    1
  4885.  @henryrollins9177  people said much the same thing about czechoslovakia, and look how that worked out. usa is a gangster nation and likely to regard venezuela as a profitable low-hanging fruit. the people of usa have been unconcerned about the crushing of the venezuelan economy and presumably are ready for the next step. i can do nothing for venezuela but point out that usa intends to own it. have you got some better plan?
    1
  4886. capitalism is merely greed, wrapped in arrogance and spray-painted with essence of whore's virtue, to add a bit of seduction to the process of theft. but that's the way the usa is, and they have the biggest army - maybe we should put our gaze down and obey? there will be no answers of any value from a tea party of philosophers and economists. typically, some general has a notion of how to run a nation more effectively, and there are plenty of civilians who are willing to run things under god's direction. democracy is the answer, in my view. i admit that the chance of getting democracy anywhere, soon, is close to nil, so it is an answer to a question never asked. i marvel philosophers do not discuss it. perhaps they are too wise to open a discussion doomed to end in impotence. 'leaders' don't want it, 'followers' don't want it, 'talkers' can do nothing.
    1
  4887. if tulsi believed a word of the pnac lies, she shouldn't be president. after dubya and trump, usa needs a bit of smart and sane, for a chance to recover. if she didn't, then she is talking like just another would-be parasite of a politician. people went to iraq, under orders, to kill people who the president didn't like. i can sympathize with people joining the military as an alternative to starvation, but tulsi was not hungry.
    1
  4888. everyone in norway can see the tax file of anyone in norway. world does not end. a great many crimes are prevented. but usa has a soft spot for crime, done with an accountant.
    1
  4889. whatever was driving the t34 won the war,
    1
  4890. trump is too dim to be dangerous. de santis is just yer standard politician, a sociopath with language skills. but the danger lies in the quality of murrakins.
    1
  4891. politicians aren't going to cure you, they are the disease. get democracy, or they will kill you as they extract the last drop of blood on behalf of their retirement programs.
    1
  4892. if you imagine the us intel caste is virtuous, your nation is in danger.
    1
  4893. topped 120,000? it was replaced yesterday. the real crisis is too many people, and politicians can do nothing about it. herd immunity? can you achieve that when the epidemic is starvation? it's bad enough that nothing* is being done, but refusing to admit something must be done will lead to extinction. *credit where due: china's one-child policy, followed by a two child policy was helpful, but the idiot western world cried "shock! horror!" some nations are reducing their population, but until poor people everywhere join with sensible middles, h. sap is headed for disaster. cv-19 will be locked back on as 'helpful, but should have been magnified."
    1
  4894. good whistleblower, but that doesn't qualify her for the oval office. of course, anyone can be president, as trump has demonstrated. but maybe you don't need a hindu 'aipac' when you already have one too many with the jewish aipac. check this out: theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/
    1
  4895. nobody wonders if , just maybe, there is something wrong with the american system. it's all personalities, like a game show with a beauty crown for the winner. i must conclude the is an intellect destroying drug in coca-cola.
    1
  4896. and this is just bad management, presumably. imagine if someone wanted to block the suez canal, for a month or two. or the panama....
    1
  4897. let's suppose dem and rep plans are the same, how to choose? dems offer subsidized childcare, is that enough? because that's how america came to be invading nations, bombing them, killing individuals who might not like usa. neither party has any real principles, beyond searching for power, and if you don't understand what they are, and have made your nation to be, then enjoy your 'non-sucking' child-care. at the same time, is it really wise to make much of the world despise you? your children may come to regret your unconcern about other people's children.
    1
  4898. spit was the moviestar, but hurricane nearly as good and produced in greater numbers. might have won the battle of britain by itself. the whole western front was a side show, ussr beat the nazis. but allies did at least save themselves from total occupation of europe by red army. probably a good thing.
    1
  4899. so hard to pin a label on human beings, they keep having independent ideas. worse, they change their minds as they go.
    1
  4900. start with biden and trump.
    1
  4901. and stop wringing your hands about the kurds. they have been betrayed by every american president who took an 'interest' in the middle east. trump is not the worst in that list. the american political system is hopelessly ineffective, it is the chief reason the usa is decaying at home and abroad. and the politician parasites who infest it will not fix what supports them in great prosperity. since the usa is not a democracy, no one can change it, except those who have no interest in change. short of revolution, of course.
    1
  4902. except it's not resilience, it's passivity. a cow-like submission based on poor education and a well-founded suspicion the the normal functioning of the political system will not have good outcome for most. i hope bernie gets the nomination, and the oval office. his subsequent failure may initiate a more active response to america's problems. but you are more likely to get biden, warren or even buttigieg. anyone still hopeful doesn't understand the problem. or makes a living by saying he's hopeful.
    1
  4903. why not start a citizen initiative to make 15$ a national threshold?
    1
  4904. nonsense. trump hasn't started a war, yet. probably won't. has given a chunk of change to the already rich, but that was primarily the work of congress. he has underlined, bold-printed and red-colored the absurdity of the american constitution. that document allows any american over 35 and native born, to be president. and, once again, 'anyone' is laughably misplaced. but not dangerously so- dubya was dangerous, massively destructive, trump merely comical. which is why the commentariat is frothing, they hate the blatant exposure of the primitive ineffectiveness of their government system. as far as danger goes, compare trump with dubya, trump withdraws from the syrian quagmire, dubya turns the middle east into a seething swamp. and you call trump dangerous?
    1
  4905. socialism is a coat of paint put on the political structure of society. no amount of paint will make up for an inadequate political structure. when the people do not rule, socialism only lasts as long as it is convenient to the rulers, and that is never long, for power breeds selfishness in the elite. usa is an elective aristocracy, and can never be a socialist nation unless there is revolution. which simply means, the would-be citizens of democracy must demand a transfer of power from politicians to electorate. i say 'would-be' because being a citizen of democracy requires a certain level of courage, and self-respect, which is not visible in the usa populace. that is why talk is eternal, action non-existent.
    1
  4906. not for long. that's why poor people move to california, and rich people move to texas. california taxes go up, industry leaves, to alabama. media decries california management, republicans get power, end welfare measures. usa is hopeless, simply because no one will admit the constitution is crap.
    1
  4907. not all that shocking. usa is a zombie nation. or maybe the vampires have been taking too much blood. i got out in the early 70's, and my first return visit i was, indeed, shocked to see upwards of 400 people sleeping rough on the grounds of the sanfran central library. that was shocking, but there was plenty more, so you get over it. serves 'em right, so many guns, and no revolution.
    1
  4908. the fatalist acceptance of their government activities, however maleficent, is the fundamental measure of how 'democratic' the usa is. not at all. there is little use in condemning the crimes of politicians, when the character of their victims is supine acceptance.
    1
  4909. trump can't help being dumb and crazy, daddy's fault. but how did he get to be president? constitution's fault. why is nothing done to get better management of the nation? politician's fault. why do you put up with this? your fault.
    1
  4910. not to worry, mr gupta, while india is too much in the shadow of usa anyway, you can always ask usa about their invasion of iraq, and consequent occupation. that should shut them up, and you could follow with questions about afghanistan, and syria. usa is not a moral nation, quite the contrary. i am surprised that modi sees some political advantage in being their lapdog. india might be better off as an independent nation, the swiss profit from this position greatly. certainly, submitting to politician rule is bad for the people. perhaps indians are less capable of political participation?
    1
  4911. usg is backing ukraine, with money, guns and leaders. going well, for the last few days. so now they dare tell xi that taiwan is a usa 'protectorate,' step 2 on the road to client state. at some point, prc must either give up hope of reclaiming this province, or start shooting. can not shoot taiwan, if they want a sustained peace within the nation. so they may wish to 'test' a few missiles 'around' the usn fleet currently circling taiwan. step by step, we evade climate catastrophe, by blowing up the world.
    1
  4912. comical. china has not held a gun to anyone's head, and said, "give us yer tech knowledge." they did say, "give us yer tech knowledge, if you want to screw your own workers and make millions by out-sourcing." and american ceos did just that. betrayed their nation for a dollar. screwed their workers for a dollar. and this is china's fault? are you crazy, or blind?
    1
  4913. there are no democracies, although helvetia came close for awhile. they had a referendum about resisting nazi occupation! voting for people is not democracy.
    1
  4914. getting out of syria might be a good thing. purely random good choice by trump, if you wish. but usa went there to turf out assad, and assad does not look like leaving.
    1
  4915. it spreads rapidly, but not fatal enough. you need at least bubonic, preferably ebola levels, before the political character of the nation can change. there will be no act of god, sorry. usa is firmly in the grip of the devil, being created with sacrifices to mammon. and the devil is well-pleased with his handiwork, as usa is going to make the major contribution in cooking the planet, genuinely hellish.
    1
  4916. listen up, children. you let politicians rule your nation, and then are amazed that they act like an elite class. yer not entitled to be angry. you are dim, ignorant and fearful. you let them push you around, and only complain when they rub yer face in yer submission. they do worse in secret and you don't complain about that. sorry, they are the grown-ups, you are the orphan children. well, actually - they are the elite, you are the cattle.
    1
  4917. the people of the usa could organize and extract democracy from the politicians. but they don't. cow character will be ruled by hyena character. evolution in action. slavery down the road and approaching fast, and just a way station towards extinction.
    1
  4918. iran would have to be ruled by fools not to get nuclear capability however they can. it seems to me in the russian interest to supply this need, since only a confederation of nuclear armed nations can resist usa aggression. the people of the usa can control their masters, by getting democracy, but either do not have the will, or are frightened by the cost of revolution. so they will continue to supply the blood and tears of aggressive war. so, it's a choice of military armageddon, or climate catastrophe, either and both driven by the insensate greed built in to usa culture from birth. god help the human race, for we have created the engine of our own doom.
    1
  4919. i do like to see jones in a froth, he does it well, long experience. and so re-assuring, things not going his way is commonly a good thing. usa has no reason to be in afghanistan and finally realized it. no reason to be in iraq either, and both are simply war crime. oz is miring itself in usa crime, for no visible national advantage. presumably politicians think it benefits them, personally. when there is no national goal, behavior appears haphazard, because personal benefit must be hidden.
    1
  4920. and then the man with the gun has a chat with the banker, and gets a share. the banker throws in a uniform and calls it personal security.
    1
  4921. revising figures is not proof of evil intent, is rather the result of being able to assemble data previously held in dispersed locations, especially of people who died not in hospital. figures will go up everywhere as temporarily overwhelmed hospitals bring conditions under control.
    1
  4922. worse, politicians.
    1
  4923. last time i looked, senate and house controlled legislation. even imperial presidents can only suggest. while most of the politicians in office got there and stay there by defending the rule of wealth, presidents are powerless. just cast your mind back to mr. "yes, we can!" there was a time real progressives controlled the nation, briefly. social security remains, little else. the constitution was not changed to democracy, and the rich bought back their nation, one politician at a time. america will lean leftish for awhile, but without fundamental change the usa is a plutocracy.
    1
  4924. i don't blame politicians for being selfish and corrupt. the nation was created by such people, and they ensured their successors would be similar people. that is the nature of any elite, some add brutality and sadism. ordinary people have it in their power to create a better place in the nation, for ordinary people. just get democracy, use initiative and referendum to reshape society. simple, innit? i wonder why it doesn't happen.
    1
  4925. if you haven't got the smarts, the courage, the patience, to demand democracy, then the elite will squeeze you. why shouldn't they? yer just cattle to them. of course, getting off yer knees is unnatural, you were raised that way. that's why you will stay on yer knees, and pray for an angel to enter politics. sorry, no angels. but please, stop complaining that those nasty hyenas are eating you, of course they are, it's their nature. and yours, to be eaten. do it quietly, yer cries of pain are disturbing my ears.
    1
  4926. the rot set in with the establishment of the constitution.
    1
  4927. no one is eager to rely on usa policies, they change with the wind. imagine leaving national policy in the hands of politicians! racial survival depends on evolving past politician rule. they are driving the planet into environmental collapse.
    1
  4928. well, now you know. you don't live in a democracy. i assume you know. but that's only half the equation. the other half is, do you want to live in a democracy? evidently, not.
    1
  4929. if you are too dim to get or use democracy, then you must expect to be duped. powerless and ignorant people may hope to be protected, but the result is something like accepting the status of cattle. the people of the usa rely on politicians to protect them, while the politicians themselves are the biggest parasites, and predators. i wonder why this is hard to understand...
    1
  4930. israel may imagine it can maintain military superiority forever, or perhaps just can't think of a way to appease the hatred they have inspired over the last hundred years. it can't be much fun to be a young person in israel wondering when and how that bill might be presented. now, russia is offering to take the palestinian helots under its wing. the combination of desperado and russian bomb-maker will give mossad something extra to worry about. all of humanity has a phrase which translates as 'serves you right!' and israel is over-due. but i think russia has nothing to gain by arming palestine. they may simply wish to create a friend who can be a cheap work-shop, or an intelligence source. probably it is that simple, creating a little extra worry for mossad and cia. if russia wants to cultivate iran, and palestine, as partners in resistance to usa and its clients, there is nothing mossad can do about it. it is just another facet of the re-adjustment of international affairs from changes in power and prosperity. mossad is not shy about killing a few people it doesn't like, but killing russians will be very expensive.
    1
  4931. usa is finished. the machinery is still there, but the lies have worn out. now everyone knows that the usa exists for the pleasure of a few billionaires. this guts the legitimacy of politicians, and military rule is the usual consequence. have a look at what crawled out from under a rock recently - 'grk tv.' prc gov is fresh and vital, they will achieve world dominance soon. but they are as fragile as every elite rule, the rotten children of that elite will be in charge soon, and the wheel will turn again. but this planet has resource limitations. the environment is crashing around us, while elites come and go. only democracy has any hope of long-term survival, and the chance of homer sap getting there is small.
    1
  4932. nope. a lula comes and goes, but he is unsupported by his senate, and the same is true of usa. usa had a brief leftish flowering with fdr, but even mass unemployment and widespread bankruptcies did not lead to fundamental change in the structure of the nation. blame fdr, he refused to install citizen initiative, he was an elitist, only doing what was necessary to prevent real revolution. so don't get excited about lula, this is superficial activity, brazil will continue to stagger along with no plan and dysfunctional structure, as will usa. getting democracy, and with it a socialist society, has proved to be too hard for homo sapiens, and perhaps we never will, the doomsday clock is ticking. but homer is incapable, and his masters unconcerned. shame really, missed it by that much!
    1
  4933. you would think that population growth by itself could by tied to any amount of environmental degradation., but this an observation we avoid making. look to the end of that tunnel, there is no light. what to do? quite simple, really: organize a pan-global democratic socialism, and breed out greed and arrogance along the way. i leave execution to the reader as an exercise in citizenship. when we have that under control we really must give some thought to the life cycle of the sun, real problems arise there.
    1
  4934. useless to talk about 'should-be.' the people who have power are not going to change the machine that gave them power. perhaps oregon state has effective and accessible power of citizen initiative? aka, 'democracy.' if so, get busy. if not, yer screwed, unless you are ready for revolution?
    1
  4935. the swiss have imperfect democracy, the rest no democracy at all. the usa is the evil empire, and all who support it will find history condemning.
    1
  4936. well, it's nice that you are upset about the way things are going. but the general level of education and culture does not seem to be identifying causes and solutions. it should be pretty easy to see why things are not going well for most people. and you can rely on democracy to fix things- madison said it would, and went on to say that's why his constitution blocked democracy, as it visibly has. and there is the national psychosis: you refuse to admit that your society is not a democracy. presumably it would be too shameful. all the facts are evident, but remain outside usa public discussion.
    1
  4937. Fang'em!
    1
  4938. yes, indeed. in a democracy, there are only public administrators, and citizens. politicians extinct. and unmourned.
    1
  4939. why do 'progressives' never raise the question of getting democracy? once you accept the constitution, injustice is built in.
    1
  4940. a public "this doesn't concern you" would have been appropriate, from germany and russia, but other eu nations took the view that "this doesn't concern us." perhaps russia and germany would have been wiser to spread the gas, and the concern.
    1
  4941. the dnc is a political gang, trading power for money. but that's ok in usa. so long as democracy and socialism are suppressed, your masters are content to leave visible power in the hands of the gangs. usually, anyway- the entry of bloomberg may be a belated feeling that he would like to be president, or it may simply be a public-spirited action to divide the primary voting further, so that the super delegates can ensure that some centrist candidate prevails. the dnc clearly would rather see trump win, than bernie. and this is a good thing: another 4 years of trump will destroy the usa economy and it will be trump's doing. this may make real reform possible.
    1
  4942. you may wish public health was more enveloping, more active and better informed. but, everyday, there are about 120,000 more humans on the planet, in spite of the best efforts of trump to reduce them. he's not winning, but there's still way too many bodies on the earth- millions starve, every year. still not enough. 3700 auto deaths every day , drop in the bucket. so cv19 ain't gonna help us, nor is any of the traditional means. china tried 'one child,' and 'two child' is still the goal, but too many backward nations still haven't figured it out. to be fair, quite a few have negative numbers, but it ain't enough. i'm sorry, we have to cross ebola with the common cold. only way to get back under 1 billion. and that's the only way to keep from boiling the oceans. really sorry, but we have to hope some mad scientist is taking matters into his own hand.
    1
  4943. nothing a politician says is written in stone. they all lie. they all pretend they know what to do, and further pretend they can do it. if elected, reality re-asserts itself, and the chumps are surprised. that's why political discussion is a nonsense- mere kabuki. i marvel that anyone wants to participate in the usa political system, unless they see a dollar in it. it should be clear to all by now that the usa political system has led the nation to bankruptcy and moral collapse. you need a new one, but there is no one in public life saying, "we have no clothes!" they are just saying, "put me in office and i'll wave my wand!" well--- news flash: the rocks of the planet are filled with the bones of creatures whose bodies became obsolete, the pages of history books will tell a similar story, of great nations reduced to blocks of stone strewn about a desert landscape. you need a new constitution, and anyone who says, "not necessary, just put me in office, and the wheels will turn again!" is simply lying, or crazy.
    1
  4944. tg is dead wrong about impeachment. trump won a very close election, but his behavior since should inspire revulsion, best expressed by impeachment. he might well survive the process, while republicans hold the senate, but this is not a political question, more concerned with requiring some standard of moral behavior from people wielding power. what ever her personal feelings may be, she at least manages to simulate some kind of ethical standard. you don't see much of that in politicians, remember it so you can tell the grandkids you saw the last evidence in the usa congress.
    1
  4945. they stand for getting in office, and profiting from it. just like the dems. you might think the solution is to direct the nation with referendum and initiative, and make politicians extinct. it's called 'democracy, ' why would you want to let politicians rule you?
    1
  4946. usa exists to protect wealth from taxes, and license expropriation from the weak. and if the people are too ignorant, or too afraid, to resist with organized force - then nothing will change.
    1
  4947. cnn is a business, not a clearing house of popular opinion. you live in a plutocracy, and still haven't figured out what that means.
    1
  4948. relax. the war mongers are just transferring tax money to their munitions shares. more hunger and homelessness will result, but usans are used to poverty and will not do anything about it.
    1
  4949. i will always wonder why yv didn't stay in greece and establish democracy there. it appears concrete achievement is less attractive than celebrity talker.
    1
  4950. proposition for discussion: after more than 200 years of politician rule, americans have not noticed that it doesn't work well, unless you are rich. so, why doesn't it work for everyone and/or why haven't they noticed?
    1
  4951. you can't be all those things, and a democrat supporter.
    1
  4952. this case has displayed the usg as guilty of kidnapping and extortion. they are elsewhere shown to be guilty of mass murder, so mwz may feel relieved to escape with her life. but the price of freedom is no access to reparation for the crimes performed by the usg and its canadian hench-hyenas. usans watching this story might reasonably feel some sense of shame, but most will merely be surprised that mwz walked, at the cost of whatever ransom is extracted from huawei. a shameless nation, ruled by gangsters.
    1
  4953. getting security from usa? al capone offered security, too. he was more reliable than usg. i try to be charitable, after tears of observation of homer sap, i must conclude that any creature that dim is headed for extinction. some are smarter than others: putin saw what happened to saddam hussein, and resolved to seek his own security. clearly, working for or with usa/nato has no future. indeed, it is a terminal disease.
    1
  4954. physics is fizzed by homer sap, normally at the bright end at the spectrum, but subject to the other weaknesses that characterize our tribe. can't see any harm in it, it comes with compensations, such as sexy bodies and a sense of humor. be kind to your colleagues, when you can, they are doomed, too.
    1
  4955. if bernie can not sweep the rust belt, who is his constituency? the south east has belonged to republicans since lbj, and the mountain states belong to the right-wing nutters, but on policies and promises, the rest of usa will profit from a bernie presidency, except- why? many think biden can beat trump. bernie not. blame the media. many think bernie's promises are empty, as they should. presidents don't legislate, and very possible house and senate will hate him. but worst of all, 'come-back' is admission of defeat. bernie and his children's crusade thought they would sweep the field on tuesday, and they needed too, the dnc would only nominate bernie if every one loved him, and they plainly don't. over-promising is counter-productive, whenever you don't deliver. americans have to grow up. the constitution is largely responsible for the continuing domination of wealth in usa. it has to be changed, one way or another.
    1
  4956. you have to hope chang is on a retainer from the cia. if he believes china is going to lose, and isn't paid by the cia , his old age is going to be pitiful.
    1
  4957. i'm sorry, children- there will be no massive change agent appearing on behalf of the democratic party. you will go on swallowing the lies, because you have no choice, short of revolution. and that needs some mixture of character and desperation, neither of which will appear in professional talking heads video. fortunately, there is some interest in seeing which empty suit lies his/her way into the oval office. particularly beguiling now that obama-in-white-face buttigieg is slithering into real contention. you would hope the usa voter had absorbed that lesson from obama himself, but when it comes to dim, murrikins have an endless supply.
    1
  4958. ukraine doesn't like russia, they have their reasons. like finland, who held their nose and were 'co-belligerents' with nazi germany against russia. then ussr. important to keep in mind, the russia-ukraine war is being fought by usa, chiefly, they have learned to use proxies. very sophisticated.
    1
  4959. and usans should start shooting politicians on sight, like feral dogs that are foaming at the mouth, from rabies. unless, it occurs to me, most of them admire the people who are leading them into nuclear war. bubba-land, i used to call them, although a bit hard on anyone who could chew gum and spell 'fall-out.'
    1
  4960. might well be ignorant, up to you to explain why. people generally don't know what they don't know, should surprise no one. in my view, almost all americans are blank pages about nearly anything more complex than the rules of baseball. not their fault, precisely, the national education system is a joke.
    1
  4961. usd is held up by threats and perceived power. since its position is fragile, reaction to any change in position is exaggerated.
    1
  4962. usans are 2nd class people. functionally, they allow politicians to rule them. that is material evidence of an underlying sense of inferiority. not only are they willing to be ruled by politicians, they never dream of being citizens of a democracy. "knows me place, sor" they came by it naturally, an evolution of their british heritage. king = president, lords = senate, commons = representatives. the only distinctive feature is the substitution of wealth for heritage. considering the character and competence of their masters, you might think they would be ashamed not to revolt, but so far, never a quiver. all those personal firearms and the only militia are the occasional laughable would-be right-wing storm troopers. they must put something in the water!
    1
  4963. there is no part of usa that is not cancerous, from political cells engendered with african slavery. nothing to be done, unless the federal union is dissolved. then those states with a democratic constitution can make slow progress towards socialism. the others will be too weak to cause trouble.
    1
  4964. there's no votes in ja. the people who are gonna keep trump out of jail are not fans of ja or justice. pretending your society has any notion of virtue is counter-productive.
    1
  4965. the usa is the evil empire, and there is nothing to be done about it. leave if you can, stay out of sight if you can't. not surprising, it was created to preserve slavery and wealth of slavers. washington and jefferson are reported as heroes in usa education, both were racist monsters. then they followed up with ethnic cleansing of the native americans. this heritage shapes the modern nation, as daily shootings of black men attest.
    1
  4966. you live in an 'elective oligarchy.' the limit of your ambition is to have kind masters. there are none. you are not citizen quality people, you do not aspire to direct your nation with democracy. people with slave minds can not expect to be better treated than a machine.
    1
  4967. if you haven't got the brains to see the need for democracy, haven't got the courage to fight for it, and haven't got a fairy godmother to fix the world for you, it's better not to complain about the results of politician rule. because people will think you are childish.
    1
  4968. yer getting an insight into china, from usa military? [insert laughter here ] lift yer eyes, add other sources, and think a bit, and you will get an insight into usa military thinking. this is even more valuable, since usa is determined to rule the world, unless vlad can create an obstruction for some useful period. while there have been bloody noses, notably vietnam, and barren adventures in afghanistan and somalia, iraq did seem to pay off with some cheap oil. but usa military is relentless. unlike the usg, prc is ruled by people who seem to be sane, and competent. they may well be treating the india border as a test field, but there are no grand strategic plans afoot there. it's convenient and safe, due to the woeful state of indian governance and popular education. over the last 100 years, india and china have diverged radically, and it's not enough to blame britain. you didn't have japan to contend with. so, why? something intrinsically wrong in india. perhaps if you asked xi jinping politely for advice?
    1
  4969. demand democracy, gun in hand.
    1
  4970. fortunately for the world, i am not xjp. i would have instructed prc af to warn pelosi aircraft and attendant fighters that they are entering prc airspace, fired a few warning shots, if no change of course, shoot her down. pretty sure she would have said 'go back.' very likely, lead af officer would have turned anyway. but xjp doesn't seem to mind laughter, and may be secure enough to continue with the long view. hold yer breath, the shoe hasn't dropped.
    1
  4971. guns are just a tool, but it's so much easier to say, "baaad gun!" than to wonder why so many usans want to kill people. but that subject is never examined, presumably in the 'too hard' basket. to be fair, it is too hard. there is no tool to change usa culture, because it is not a democracy. so, no citizen initiative. some people beg their masters, in political power, to disarm the criminals and nutters, so that slavery is more comfortable. but there is money in the gun trade, so this begging doesn't get much result. besides, a nation of sociopaths provides the cheap soldiers of vigorous capitalism that is the usa version of empire.
    1
  4972. bitcoin is 'anarchy' for techheads. it's about as useful as tulip bulbs, but there is a kernel of good sense within it. the prc is bringing that kernel to fruition in its digital money program. really, if usa doesn't destroy the world in a vain attempt to maintain hegemony, prc may be the national leader in scientific management of economics.
    1
  4973. what does a president do? nothing, without control of house and senate, at home. abroad, raids, bandit attacks, attritional murder by drone. how many of these democrats can do something, besides kill? why are they running?
    1
  4974.  @nergispaul9022  madison and jefferson were back and forth in letters about the 2nd amendment, with never a mention of slavery. a touchy subject for men who profited from slavery while being public advocates of liberty. but state 'national guard' military units were the result of the second amendment.
    1
  4975.  @johnriverdavis3497  the principle of democracy is that public activity goes on in public, and is directed by the citizens through referendum and initiative. there is literally no 'government,' only public clerks working openly and without power until directed by the citizens. currently that is only happening in the confederation of helvetia, among nation states, and not an ideal democracy even there. the swiss were notably independent during ww2, shooting in both directions, as required. but i suspect the embrace of the eu may have more effect than the nazis, the swiss have had to bend a bit more than their grandfathers did. the swiss evolved into democracy, and retained politicians. so not a perfect demonstration of democracy. we only have homo sap to work with. the important point in the beginning of any discussion of political systems, is that electing politicians to rule you is not democracy, not even close.
    1
  4976. swwword was the frosting on an interesting cake.
    1
  4977. laugh, criticize or weep, you are the cattle, they are the predators. you've heard about democracy, but you can't organize an action to get it. too hard? should be easy in a web age.
    1
  4978. he was summoned to it. they will explain what they want, as he prostrates himself.
    1
  4979. true, but revolution not possible now, maybe never. leave if you can.
    1
  4980. perfectly natural. 109's were one of the best designs of the war, and parts supply just down the road. swiss managed a remarkable balancing act, sustaining neutrality while surrounded by one warring group, who sent frequent test/intruders, and over-flown with occasional bombing from the other. they did it by shooting in both directions as required, while doing business with germany to keep swiss and refugees eating. they were not greatly out-numbered, every able-bodied man was a trained soldier, and field shooting was a popular swiss sport. i read a quote from one swiss soldier, "we each only have to shoot twice, german army dead."
    1
  4981. there is apparently a living to be made from this gossip, and as i tour around the various sites, it is mildly amusing to see people mixing personal opinion and national myth. they get more of my time lately, as the local library has been closed due to 'the virus.' forget about bc and ad, it's bv and wv from here on. there will be temperature detectors at every doorway, and an alarm on entry, similar to the alarm if you leave the library without registering books. but this alarm will have a cop with a breathalyzer. and into the drunk box on the pick-up you go. and biden? trivial matter. dubya was sane, and could finish simple sentences. and he invaded iraq on a lie, in pursuit of dominance over the oil fields. that was important. but if you make a living by talking, you gotta talk, and sometimes the issue is not war and peace. sometimes it's plague. or even bidem. you could do something with trump's hair 'style' and his weight. both perfect pointers to a man obsessed with vanity and self-gratification. call in a psychologist, with luck he might report markers for sadism and bill-skipping..
    1
  4982. facebook and youtube are not public services. they publish what they think benefits them. this will always be the case, 'public' services are no better. if you want a society that aims for justice and prosperity for all you must get a society directed by all. there is such a society, called 'democracy.' you don't deserve democracy, because you let small groups of politicians run your society, on behalf of the rich. democracy requires citizen quality people, and usa only has civilian quality. passive watchers, a few complainers, and not enough revolutionaries to field a croquet team.
    1
  4983. why am i reminded of the 'magician's apprentice'?
    1
  4984. if you don't like china- leave. return to usa, plenty to criticize there.
    1
  4985. your reverence for the constitution is misplaced. the constitution put him in office. and many worse things.
    1
  4986. once you decide to fund an empire by printing as much money as necessary, you can fight this war to the last ukrainian. usans will suffer for it, economically, but it's a frog in the cook-pot situation. and there is a large demographic that enjoys watching other people's wars on tv. we can be certain that usa will collapse, very suddenly, when the international bond market dries up. but there will be all kinds of bad stuff happening at the same time, and no one will enjoy it.
    1
  4987. the real 'progressive movement' died in the early 1900's. they accomplished quite a bit- most important, in my view, is to establish democracy in several states. most visibly, california, which has referendum, initiative, and recall, and uses them as a demonstration of what democracy is. since then, 'progressives' have quit trying for democracy, and settle for tribalism- 'if he's our guy he's good.' elections are not democracy, btw, they are just gang politics, with ballots replacing bullets. one consequence of gang politics, is that no one pays much attention to public activity such as law, policy and plans, because ordinary people can not vote for such things. instead, 'politics' is personal, 'vote for me, because i'm a [good guy, progressive, family man, or your conduit into the treasury, or all of the preceding.] which makes american politics notably juvenile. madison was explicit that his constitution did not establish a democracy, which he feared, as it would lead to socialism. that is why there is no citizen initiative in the constitution. ordinary americans are locked out of political power, unless they are ennobled by election. at which point, they behave like politicians, do you like the result?
    1
  4988. you never had democracy, but as the pretense tatters, you naturally feel a bit nervous. be at ease, grasshopper. a generation or two of ancien regime poverty will instill in your grand children a great deal more spine than your parents gave you. the royal blood will flow, and the generals will restore order in the resulting national slum.
    1
  4989. the usa is an elective aristocracy. in practice, it is also a functional plutocracy. this is not an accident, the constitution was written to achieve this state. why is the word 'democracy' heard? because it is cheaper to rule with myths, than with bullets. since control of state activity is beyond the reach of ordinary people, their economic position sinks to whatever level suits their rulers. prof. wolff never talks about the reality of power, for it might disturb his pension plan. revolution commonly does. revolution needs planning, organization and sustained courage. so far, no such activity has made a public appearance in usa. perhaps someone beavering away in secret meetings. but probably not. most societies decay and die, from the infirmities inherent in their early history. usa will be one such. in the meantime, cassandras such as wolff and hedges piece out their pensions with observation and description of the decay process. the only benefit i can see is that some will be inspired to move self and family as far as possible from the looming collapse.. the comments here are generally in agreement, but has there ever been a birth of revolution? one symptom of a terminal society is a general and well-founded belief that nothing can be done.
    1
  4990. don't blame politicians for being what they are. they reflect the education, intelligence and character of the general populace. usans could have democracy, if they knew what it was, and wanted it. but either or both are lacking. so 'elites' rule the nation, for themselves. it's almost easy to get democracy, but no one seems to want it. a nation of chumps will be ruled by a gang of parasites
    1
  4991. gm might have done the same with hillary in office. but she didn't offer to bring back manufacturing jobs. she did promise to protect banks and brokers, and probably that cost her the office. it's only sensible to vote for someone who doesn't ignore you. if they deliver, you win. if they don't you break even.
    1
  4992. it's not the worker's party, it's the other party. in a plurality wins society, the parties will be alike in matters of interest to the rich, slightly different in cultural matters of interest to the rest. which is why many don't vote in the usa. either they are offered nothing, or they get what they want from both parties. usa was designed to be ruled by the rich, the design was successful. the middles can take it from them, but not without risk and cost, so they support the uppers in hope of small favors. usa has been very stable under the constitution, but lately a lot of middles are losing their place. that's where revolution grows.
    1
  4993.  @thomhartmann  i often do. very pleased to see a second voice of sanity.
    1
  4994. you may well be right, ms iversen, although i would not ascribe this china focus to trump. the china policy is rather the creation of the 'deep state' and will continue after he is gone. china's ascendancy is the struggle of the age, while trump's focus extends no further than his most recent flattery.
    1
  4995. this is actually a good plan, and should be enough to get the youth vote. start with trump, supremes, senate and house. follow with gates, bezos, and all holders of inherited millions. ah, what a wonderful world, in our dreams.
    1
  4996. 'invites?' change commonly requires violence, often involves national insolvency, or conquest. usg looking a bit frazzled, but until the generals pull the plug, the politicians will dance to the music of money. a people incapable of revolution will just have to endure, if they can, market their children if they can't.
    1
  4997. 700$ jacket is relevant. it classifies sanders as a politician, not a saint, and not a revolutionary. this is a handy distinction, because a politician is not going to fix america. the framework of america, the constitution, has shaped the nation, and the shape will not change until the constitution changes. that is the work of a revolutionary. 'progressives' wish for a fairy god-mother, who will take care of them. sanders plays to that wish, and made a good living from it. but while he was making his living, america re-entered the 'gilded age,' its natural state. he is not the answer.
    1
  4998. if usa had democracy, public affairs would not be done in secret, which greatly constrains crookery. but it doesn't. usa is elective aristocracy, and the aristocrats insist on secrecy, for they wouldn't last a minute if their activities were known to the public. implying usa a democracy is not helpful, unless you wish to support lies and myths as a basis for social activity. because usa is not a democracy, elitist groups of any nature are able to plot for control, since the is no constraint on secret political activity. 'privacy' is sacred, justice is not.
    1
  4999. does no one in usa yearn for democracy?
    1
  5000. guys, there are no good politicians. get democracy, and vote for laws, for actions, for policies. voting for people doesn't work, when are you gonna figure that out?
    1
  5001. the only quasi-respectable public figure in usa put his name under the iraq invasion. from then on, my motto has been, 'trust no one in usa.'
    1
  5002. al-q is a creation of u.s. foreign policy, less politely, its wars of aggression in the middle east. evacuate the middle east, and al-q is a local problem, and let the locals deal with it.
    1
  5003. the usa is the biggest problem to the people who are not rich, or serving the rich. that 2nd phrase includes oz, to my great regret. i am a little surprised that kevin is not saying this, but looking for honesty in a politician is a fool's search.
    1
  5004. doing what's popular is called 'democracy.' it seldom happens, and that's why homer sap is heading for extinction.
    1
  5005. unfortunately, the winner-take-all voting scheme of usa states means that small left parties make life easier for big right parties. the dems started as a party for the people, but it doesn't pay. what pays in the electoral environment of the usa is to be just like the right wing party, so you will get support from big money, and add a few trivial features, of a social nature. that's why the democratic party, and the usa, is what it is. if you want change, you must change the system, not good enough to twiddle with features. if you, haven't got the combination of courage, smarts and persistence to organize a revolution, better to run for office, like aoc. she won't accomplish much, but it's a living. and she can look forward to a long career as she more and more resembles pelosi.
    1
  5006. did you know, that 'democracy' used to mean 'rule by the people? how did it change? see george orwell's idea of 'double think.' if you pollute the brains of children, you can stop effective resistance to control for lack of vocabulary. you don't live in a democracy, but 'democratic' is constantly used as a 'good' word, excusing violence abroad and exploitation at home. democracy will result in a certain amount of socialism, but socialism without democracy is likely to result in stalinism. so get democracy first, and let the citizens decide how they want to live. so why does bernie want socialism first? indeed, no mention of getting democracy at all. you'll have to ask him, but my guess is he thinks americans are too dim for democracy, but hungry enough to want state support. he may be right, or he simply wants to be 'boss.' a common failing in politicians, since they are literally nothing without power.
    1
  5007. i suppose it's only natural to talk like the presidency is important. you can vote for a president. sort of. but what's actually important, you can't vote for. so there is a disconnect between talk and action as wide as the sky. this may be why the usa is sinking, china surging ahead. closer at hand, these talk shows are just faux politics in a nation where real politics happens out of sight. there's a living in it, and welcome to it. but i wish there was more substantive talk, with some relevance to the future of the world, and humanity. there are vastly more important questions to ask, climate crisis comes easily to mind.
    1
  5008. if you are unwilling to get democracy, at whatever cost, you will be the serf of some grandee who can command thugs with money or military orders. i'm sorry, the rich and powerful will hold on to their position so long as they can command thugs, and you are not willing to resist. revolution is necessary, and however peaceful your intentions, if you will not fight, you will not win. and you better get busy. conditions are not improving.
    1
  5009. well, you brought peace to vietnam, iraq, afghanistan and helped bring peace to assorted other small groups, if by peace you mean mass death.
    1
  5010. in a nation where the president is doing real estate deals on alternate days, it's only fair that the dem ex-vp get to throw a little r. e. gravy to family and friends. if you haven't got brains enough to want democracy, or courage enough to get it, then you must console yourself by whining about the good fortune of your betters. imagine having a trump for a 'better,' what will you tell the kids?
    1
  5011. there is no right to know, in oz. it is not a democracy. maybe in switzerland, they have democracy, more or less. nothing to be done about it, ozzies are cattle and think what they have is 'democracy,' so why struggle?
    1
  5012. there will be no fruitful discussion between lions and sheep until the sheep organize and arm themselves. the minimum wage is not the problem, the problem is that the minimum is a gift, not a right. the gift will not be given. it must be taken, probably at gun-point, and just as important, held by political organization, establishing democracy. democracy will allow the sheep to stay in control of the lions.
    1
  5013. maybe if you started voting for action, through referendum and initiative, voter apathy would be less of a problem. it's called 'democracy,' and you haven't got it. but voting for which slime ball will get his snout in the trough has little appeal. otoh, a nation that puts up with politician rule is too debased by maleducation and misinformation to figure this out. so go on talking guys, pretend it matters.
    1
  5014. when you see a skunk, you should anticipate a smell. in my case, when i hear an officer of the usg, i anticipate being lied to. doubly true in the dirty game of covert war. bolton is a notably degenerate human being, listen to him for 3 minutes and file under 'contemptible.' but there are no decent human beings in the spy game. none. and the entire usg is rotten. you can't work in a secret government and remain untainted.
    1
  5015. unfortunately, it's not about who should president: in the end, it should be about what the government is doing, at home and overseas. changing the faces between obama and trump didn't make all that much difference. if americans had citizen initiative, things would be very different. but you are not citizens, just civilians. watchers, while your masters loot the nation and the planet.
    1
  5016. he grinds up, presses and extracts precious body fluids from the bodies of nubile maidens. that's why trump remains slim, handsome and over-whelmingly charismatic. fortunately, the supply of nubile maidens is very small, or we would be faced with an impossible choice between equally godlike politicians.
    1
  5017. it ill becomes you to sneer at warren after sanders did so. why should she be the only one left out of the prize share-around with victory. she is a professional politician, not a saint. if biden should win and warren not on board, she would have to re-train as a lobbyist. think of the shame! really, americans should be ashamed to submit to politician rule. anyone who does so is not entitled to sneer at the ethics of politicians.
    1
  5018. very eager to see bernie as the dem candidate. if he fails to turn the path and character of the usa, then submit yer emigration papers. fdr had a much better chance, and failed, but i believe he was an elitist, however enlightened, while bernie is at least a true socialist.
    1
  5019. this is the result of 230 years of constitution.
    1
  5020. oz sent soldiers to the warcrime in iraq. and vietnam. if oz pollies had any sense of shame they would keep their mouths shut about foreign affairs, for about forever. but they are pollies, and have none.
    1
  5021. there are way too many elons.
    1
  5022. if the usa peeps had 3 brain cells between them, they would scrap the constitution and replace with democracy. but there you are.
    1
  5023. it's here to stay, and if humans don't want to live in ant colonies, hopeless slaves of the elite, they better get democracy soon. i see no sign of that happening.
    1
  5024. contre nous la tyrannie!
    1
  5025. i 'know' a little more, thank you, dr. h. there is vanishingly little opportunity to display this kind of erudition in my remaining years and environment, but it puts a charmingly self-satisfied smile on my face.
    1
  5026. your politicians are uniformly contemptible, you can't leave the country, and your job is insecure. all that's left is to enlist in the army and visit other nations, purpose theft and murder. you could consider revolution?
    1
  5027. i sometimes wonder why usa people don't want democracy. but then i come across bar charts which make it clear that about half of usa prefer to live in a police state, as it prevents the poor from troubling the middle class. once you realize that, it is clear that only armed insurrection can improve usa.
    1
  5028. you don't get coups, in a democracy. but when power is concentrated and the people alienated from political activity, it is easy and profitable for a general to promote himself.
    1
  5029. should it be otherwise? should they wipe your ass for you? be thankful they are looking after their own patch. puts them way ahead of usa. @stevendavidson9329 
    1
  5030. well, that save having to know anything. @weekendworrier2468 
    1
  5031. there's too many h. [not-so] sapiens on the planet. normal culling is from the bottom up, economically, but some day the numbers of the poor will be high enough to start culling from the top. by then the rich will have looted the nation and moved to their holiday island.-by then the aleutians might be most attractive. doesn't have to be like this. the web makes it possible for the lowers to communicate and organize. but they are too busy staying alive, it needs a recently dispossessed middle class to get the revolution going. and lately, there's a lot of them.
    1
  5032. i hope bernie wins, and actually does some good. both are unlikely the establishment has weathered much tougher times. the structure of the state is very resilient- there was a brief window of opportunity in the 1930's when fdr might have been able to establish democracy, but he didn't even try. since the 70's, normal service has resumed, gilded age mk 2 in full flower. if bernie gets in as the usa dives into a second greater depression, he will have an opportunity, but probably overrun by generals. by all means, pray for bernie- but he can not save you. only you can save yourself and the nation by pressing for democracy.
    1
  5033. couldn't resist the hook. it is widely known that lefty women are hot! hot! hot! well, they were back in the 60's when it was a matter of personal concern. but why did they vote for biden? he wasn't trump. why did they vote for trump? because he wasn't a politician. usa is a primitive place, and remarkably ignorant- they tell each other they are a leading democracy, a nonsense. a vote for biden is a vote for biden. not a vote for some action, plan or law. it is probably going to strengthen the rule of the rich, even if he throws a few coins to the poor. it is likely to lead to invasion of some nation like venezuela or iran, in search of wealth through banditry. democracy is rule by the citizens, through referendum, initiative and recall. you haven't got it, you never had it, and you are too ignorant to realize you are chumps. you put up with politician rule when it is visibly crushing you. the quote from rosa l. is history, and usa chose barbarism.
    1
  5034. big balloons with pv screens painted on the fabric. sailing ships with electric motors. and reliance on communication over transportation. this not hard. just needs a gun to the head of politicians. better still, make them extinct.
    1
  5035. modern china is more sophisticated than ussr ever was, and much less troubled by internal plotting and assassinations. once deng xiao ping outlasted the dinosaurs of communist struggle, he put the banderilleras of cheap labor and market access into the usa bull and dragged prc into the modern era. he deserves equal regard with mao. any recent visitor to prc is likely to be dazzled by communication and transport they enjoy. half of which they owe to the greed and selfishness of usa plutocrats. no doubt in my mind they will be the leading human society, if they manage to avoid war with usa.
    1
  5036. this is a non-story, about people who think they can bring order and ethics to a whorehouse by applying for a management position. yang doesn't have much to offer in politics, he's on the wrong side of some ethical questions, but he did inject some reality into usa society with ubi. even rome had to feed the mob from quasi-public coffers. this will come to usa, cv19 just speeded up the process. biden is a disaster, trump may well beat him, and you can't be certain that's the worst result. the class of politicians nowadays is not worse than before, but they are much less careful about masking their character from the chumps. the usa political system is obsolete, unjust, undemocratic and rotten. worse, it has created an electorate of disaffected, alienated and cynical people, incapable of driving any significant reform. yer toast, sliding down the ladder of relevance, and gossiping about personalities like a teenage clique. on the plus side, real decay is much more interesting, more educational than following activity in bern, which is an actual democracy, in a squeaky clean nation.
    1
  5037. some people think she is the front person for a would-be hindu 'aipac' style grip on american policy. what do you think? theintercept.com/2019/01/05/tulsi-gabbard-2020-hindu-nationalist-modi/
    1
  5038. if you had democracy, you could make politicians extinct. the public service could run the nation under the direction of the electorate, speaking through referendum and initiative. but you would rather whine about those crooked politicians.
    1
  5039. individuals can offer a counter-voice to national propaganda, but it only supports those who already have left the sheep behind. not sure it does any good. not many are listening. the elites are unlikely to preserve our world, it is in their interest to loot the resources for personal wealth. if our species is to survive, we have to match our numbers and demands to the carrying capacity of the planet. that means getting control of society from the elite. we must establish democracy, to survive. but, can we? how?
    1
  5040. that's the wrong question. you will have whatever system your masters require. 'better' is whatever they decide. are you a member of the ruling elite?
    1
  5041. most of humanity's problems arise from selfishness and arrogance, and the cure is socialism on a structure of democracy. but very few people say so, and the result will be inadequate response to the climate emergency. hard times are coming, and population collapse is likely, extinction possible. it's time to stop talking and start shooting. or at least, threaten to shoot. the world's masters are not interested in discussion.
    1
  5042. Trump is a symptom, not a disease. USA society was born evil, and there is no visible struggle towards virtue.
    1
  5043. stop voting for politicians. get democracy. at gunpoint. don't have to shoot, but power is never transferred without threat. use citizen initiative to reshape the nation. sounds too hard? yer doomed.
    1
  5044. sad, about coral reefs, and koalas. who will be sad when h. sap. is gone? perhaps the last h. sappy could leave a note, "i'm really sad." for visitors from proxima centauri 4.
    1
  5045. the west was horrified when the twin towers fell. barbarism! they cried. i thought at the time, that 3000 dead was trifling, compared to the 100,000s of thousands usa and its hench-creatures had killed. when hiroshima and nagasaki were bombed, extinguishing 200,000 in a literal flash, of whom possibly none had any effect on japanese war decisions, and all died to frighten the ussr because japan was beaten and begging to surrender. but no cry of barbarism was heard. the arrogant hypocrisy with which the usg labels its enemies de jour is truly sickening, but we have to endure it. only as long as that crooked and murderous society remains strong - being hated and despised, a little weakness may lead to fast collapse. we live in hope.
    1
  5046. shouldn't give cia credit. army has lots of special forces trained to support local forces. i think vlad must win or die here, so ukraine is going to bleed. usg doesn't care.
    1
  5047. funny how people think their own opinion is as good as anyone's. but there is a reason for it: no one else is looking out for you, so on the subject of survival, your opinion matters as much as any giant brain. britain is not a democracy, and brits are not educated to think like citizens. so when they are presented with an opportunity to express their needs for change, they seize it, however uncomfortable the fit. someone wanted a blue passport, wasn't given a blue passport plebiscite, so voted for brexit. dawkins is a contemptible man, less intelligent than he imagines, selfish and vain. listen to him carefully, and make your own estimation of his value. not high, in my view.
    1
  5048. the new mandarins have led china through the cv19 contraction with appropriate action and unique results. it is clear that prc will be the central economy of the world in a few years. unless the usa attempts to redress their political failings with military action. fingers crossed!
    1
  5049. this is a rare true statement. but if biden gets in, they will add, "haven;t you got anyone at all above this level?
    1
  5050. no, they can't. and if usa was a democracy, it would be a socialist nation. that is why madison wrote a constitution modeled on the britain of george III. he was explicit about it: democracy would lead to the taxes of the rich being spent on the needs of the poor, and he intended to prevent that from happening. look around- he was very successful, don't you think? the federal government of the usa is no kind of democracy, and its people are not citizens. they are civilians, divorced from the management of their society. to put it simply enough that even americans might understand, a nation not run by the people will never be run for the people. andrew yang will not change things, for he dare not say, "we need a revolution, a transfer of power from politicians to the electorate." maybe he is not smart enough to understand this, certainly he is smart enough not to say it. electing him would certainly be interesting, but ultimately futile, the system is proof against any man not supported by the military. mr, 'yes we can!' should have tipped you off about this. [what was his name, again?] but andy won't be president. some hack politician will be. that's all you deserve. a nation of cattle will be run by dogs for the benefit of the current plutocrats.
    1
  5051. transition may be too kind. one choice which remains is to end military expenses [nearly, of course] and bring the occupying armies home, park the aircraft carriers, and start building roads, rails, schools and hospitals.not an immediate fix, so not possible. the other choice is to blame china and start shooting. that's the usa way, god help the human race.
    1
  5052. the thing about rotten government is, it doesn't confine itself to the powerful. every part of society is infected. coppers have power, and are easily infected. a nation filled with guns, to defend the people from corrupt government, is unable to act, because guns are useless without organization. so the guns are only tools of murder, in or out of uniform. the only cure is revolution, but that needs character not present in usa society. just another banana republic.
    1
  5053. ja is not a hero, just a whistleblower. some admiration due, but i suspect he did not understand the consequences of his action. people who jump into the tiger cage at the zoo to demonstrate 'bravery' also demonstrate idiocy. his action should help the understanding of the character of the usg, but it also demonstrates the character of the great majority of american people- passive cows and would-be thugs. although the usa is no kind of democracy, the people do have the means to frighten the political class. they do nothing, many applaud the suppression of dissent.
    1
  5054. the structure of the society determines what the society is capable of doing. with the current voting system, the democratic party maximizes its chance of getting power by mimic-ing the republican party in most respects, to peel off a few 'right' votes, while pacifying its base with a few nonessential cultural features, because 'they have no-where else to go.' this paradigm has been productive since the 50's. it has also resulted in the democratic candidates being captured by money, since advertising has replaced principles. as the economy collapses from the rule of greed, people are driven to seek alternative political support. it won't work until there is general collapse and mass support arises. the history of the great depression suggests that no sustained improvement in society will result. usa needs a new constitution, establishing democracy. since no one says so, it won't happen. therefore, the general collapse will be terminal.
    1
  5055. there are nutters, and other needies to follow them. more dangerous are the scam artists looking for money through pretence to power. really, if your society is incapable of educating children to reality and adult performance levels, then crazies and thieves can prosper. usa enjoys a high level of technical capability, but socially, still in the middle ages.
    1
  5056. why do americans put up with rule by politician? democracy is possible, just needs people to stand up and tell their masters, "it's over. write a constitution establishing democracy, and if we approve it, you can go on living."
    1
  5057. console yourselves, uk and usa have no notion of democracy, and india is not substantially worse, just a little more primitive. all three nations are ruled by politicians, a profession less moral than bank robbery, which occasionally indulges in mass murder.
    1
  5058. he has to dictate the rules, on a level field prc would run rings around usa.
    1
  5059. put the boot in, follow with dancing on face.
    1
  5060. wold leaders may love him, ordinary people don't.
    1
  5061. i'll try again: oz soldiers, or uniformed murderers, your choice, are all over the web, no 'alleged' about it, and yer worried about a tweet? you should be begging your current errand-runner of the usa to dis-engage from usa.
    1
  5062. the only problem, it is insurmountable, is that usa is not a democracy. you can only vote for people to rule you. you can not vote for peace, or war, neither can you vote for higher taxes on the rich, and better schools for all. worst of all, you don't know you are cattle, wishing for better masters. citizens of democracy don't wish for better masters, for they have no masters. they rule themselves.
    1
  5063. not a matter of facts. he renews hopes and wishes. there's a living in that. @chrissuka2557 
    1
  5064. yang talks about plans and ideas, everyone else talks about money. i almost feel sorry for americans, except their 'special forces' and simple assassins are the only growth profession in the nation, but practicing their profession all around the world. the complacency with which corruption in both parties is discussed suggests that change will be long in coming, and more likely to be collapse of any pretense at morality in public life. imagine a sicily, writ large on the northamerican continent, with the most dangerous military on the planet.
    1
  5065. the way things are going, these kids will be peddling sanlunzi for chinese tourists- mandarin a great survival asset.
    1
  5066. this morning i discover that biden demands regime change. yf is very smart, but it's useless being smart, if you don't have power.
    1
  5067. no one can make a deal with trump. his word is worthless. his aims totally selfish and never much concerned with the day after tomorrow. a genuine 'capitalist' as the modern euphemism for 'bandit.' but china is capable of long term planning, and not much troubled by the effort of simply waiting for trump to leave the stage. since every day trump is in office costs america heavily in lost opportunity to adjust to changing conditions, xi jinping is likely to play 'ropeadope' with trump. the outcome is very likely to advance china's position in the world.
    1
  5068. daily i am reminded that usa society is psychotic.
    1
  5069. it is no less than amazing, that americans continue to swallow their political system, and even boast of it.
    1
  5070. eventually you realize talk is useless. emigrate, if you can, subsistence farming if you can't. voltaire came that, "cultivate your garden. ' and then the world shook, for a little while. but the threat to the environment means quietism is no longer survival oriented behavior. interesting times, are here to stay.
    1
  5071. it's also 'incredulous' that a commentator doesn't know he is 'incredible.' big turn out the result of revulsion at the defective human being the usa political system selected for the white house. perfectly natural. can't you afford educated english speakers?
    1
  5072. i don't take americans seriously, because they like to talk as if they lived in a democracy, when they don't. this excuses them from the hard task, getting democracy, and using it to shape and direct the nation. they are perennial adolescents, talking endlessly about what needs to be done, but never admitting they have no power to do.
    1
  5073. i look at it as evolution in action. the elite specializes in bleeding the nation, and over generations, get really good at it. the ordinaries specialize in response, to lay still and think little, because that costs little. and there you have it, a giant muscle bound elite with weak legs and heart. quite like the sabre-tooth tiger, they have pictures in ecological history books.
    1
  5074. i don't know who is no 2, but everyone who fought the wehrmacht needed some obvious extra advantage to win. the sovs beat them, but were losing 2 vs 1 even after kursk.
    1
  5075. usa is not a democracy, never has been. weren't you told? and consequently the people are not citizens, merely civilians - they are brought up ignorant. instead of correcting the administrators with initiative, guiding the administrators with regular referendum, they complain that 'democracy doesn't work.' of course it doesn't work, if you haven't got it.
    1
  5076. folks, the reality is, capitalism is just a label for the notion that government should not interfere with rich people getting richer. it is not a political system, it is a psycho-social disease found in every political system. it's not important, simply because the gun can always over-rule the gold bar. the american political system is run by politicians. they tend to be responsive to rich persons, but they can say no at any time. the system is not capitalism, it is elective oligarchy. however, the responsiveness to wealth can be toxic. in the 1920's it was even worse, and arguably threatened the survival of the nation. worse, it stimulated little flowers of quasi-democratic socialist legislation. but this was damped down with band-aid socialism, re-enforced with military spending. you can't fix capitalism. it is built-in to human behavior spectrum. but you can create a political system that controls greed. it's called democracy.
    1
  5077. at least you have stopped saying meng must be released. logic and law have nothing to do with it. poor lady will wind up in an american jail, unless chinese commandos grab bezos. and i'm sure he travels under heavy protection.
    1
  5078. you can reasonably blame the british, not only for their rule, but also for creating a nation from a motley collection of backward kingdoms. indian politicians inherited an asian eu without the technology or infrastructure. in 1900, china was in a similar place, so we can say "was it the japanese invasion that helped jump-start the nation, or the somewhat accidental empowerment of the communist party of china? " perhaps it is simply a history of being chinese, since tang times, language and culture long integrated. in any event, modern politicians are not going to help much. india is going to muddle along, at best.
    1
  5079. that would be your iphone?
    1
  5080. maybe bernie wants to win by showing america a better path ahead. maybe he figures if he is elected because he has outlined a program to make america a better place, he will be entitled to demand appropriate support in congress. maybe he feels if americans will only support him if he attacks biden personally, he won't get much support from congress. americans don't deserve good government. they put up with rule by politicians, you would be better served by pimps. if you are unwilling to be a citizen in a democracy, too much effort required, then being ruled by a trump is the natural result. quit complaining, it's yer own fault.
    1
  5081. democracy is not in danger, because you haven't got it and don't know what it is. what you have is elective aristocracy and it might be in some danger, but who cares?
    1
  5082. if you had democracy, you could improve usa in many ways. but you don't, so you won't. the usa was created to be an informal plutocracy, administered by an elective aristocracy, and madison told you exactly that. had to, to get the grandees of post-revolutionary usa to agree to enact the constitution. does no one get history in school, anymore? democracy is rule by the citizens, not by politicians. when you claim democracy, you reveal ignorance or mendacity. and you pollute the language in a way described by orwell as 'newspeak' and 'double-think,' when he was attacking ussr. poor man, britain and usa are equally culpable.
    1
  5083. you can only betray if you are trusted, and no sane adult has ever trusted an american politician. usa chumps must make do with hope, hope much diminished by endless disappointment.. mr. hedges is an treasure, but i think usa does not pay much attention to him. not his fault- there is a chinese aphorism that goes something like "when you sing to cows, don't expect applause." the problem is the lack of democracy. not only does that create great disparity of wealth, it creates a populace so alienated from politics that the people can not conceive of a better life. neither do they have any sense of community, a great assistance to the ruling elite. in short, madison created the nation he wanted, "for the ages," and it's rotting. leave if you can.
    1
  5084. elections are not democracy. referenda, and initiatives even more, are democracy. and you should know it: madison told the world that his constitution would prevent democracy, because he did not want the taxes of the rich spent on relief of the poor. and so it has, still effective 230+ years later. it's quite simple: you concentrate legislative power in about 500 people, and you buy enough of them to own the nation. until you figure this out, talk is meaningless.
    1
  5085. india is balancing between usa and prc, and would be usa client if it was not evident that prc might, just, be the winner. seems unlikely, usa has that grossly over-grown military. but sometimes usa loses, to weaker nations, and it turns out that military strength is not the inevitable arbiter. and usa has laughable management., visible clown car. prc has plans and patience. if i were running india, i would give some thought to joining with prc in resisting the evil empire. by itself it would mute the usg aggression, the world would be a safer place. prc has shown it can lift its own people, and nation to the front rank of nations. it might do the same for india. but of course, this will never happen. indian politicians would fear for their power, and prc might not think indian politicians were friends worth having. they certainly haven't done much for india.
    1
  5086. my god! now there are 2 of us!
    1
  5087. carter was a politician, he defended the murderers of mylai to hold support in the south for his presidential ambitions. call him ' best of breed, ' if you wish, but it's a low standard. americans don't deserve better government. if you are willing to assent to the rule of politicians, what you see is what you get. democracy is possible, but unlikely as long as the limit of your hope is to find a just and loving fairy god-mother in politics. you need better quality people to sustain democracy, and your choice of king-for-awhile is naturally of the same low standard. you can't breed race-horses out of donkeys.
    1
  5088. get democracy first. put the electorate in charge of the nation. then, and only then, will usa have any hope of a just and prosperous society.
    1
  5089. mm is implying that wealthy people are driving homer sap into extinction? surely not! i'm pretty sure homer had better get democracy pronto, and socialism soon after, or greed will demonstrate the universal principle that if you eat everything, you die of hunger. there are probably too many of us on the planet already, but that problem will cure itself in the traditional ways. long term racial survival can only come from government of the people by the people, every kind of elite group has demonstrated incompetence, if the health of the ecosphere is a goal. the ascendancy of a trump highlights the hopeless obsolescence of the usa political system, it is in terminal decline. the best we can hope for is that the evil empire, yes, that's you, yankee, recedes gently into the history books without destroying the planet. mm, and many others, has suggested strongly that the soft landing is very unlikely. he has done us a service-- thank you, sir.
    1
  5090. sigh. it's nice when web pundits get excited, but also depressing. in a nation of mental slaves, nothing is going to change. rant is understandable, but progress needs more. so easy for teen-age girls to organize fan clubs on the web, but grown-ups can't stir themselves into mass demonstrations. "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains." r. luxemburgh
    1
  5091. everyday added evidence of how hopelessly obsolete the usa political/economic system is. watching is amusing, in a mildly queasy way, you have to feel sorry for a nation of half-wits tethered to a medieval constitution. presumably they weren't born stupid, they were raised to believe this idiocy. but they all do! even the 'progressives,' who aren't progressive- they don't want change, they just want a kind master. truly, a horror show.
    1
  5092. a measure of political idiocy is the fact that some say they trust usa institutions. i would guess they uniformly are floating in the top 10% of the economy. of course they 'trust' them.
    1
  5093. a bit of b. s.from enjeti. china notified the w.h.o. in a timely fashion. reported the first death, jan 2. second death a week later. " On 20-21 January 2020, a World Health Organization (WHO) delegation conducted a field visit to Wuhan to learn about the response to 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV).  The mission was part of the on-going close collaboration between WHO and Chinese national, provincial, and Wuhan health authorities in responding to 2019-nCoV. The delegation visited the Wuhan Tianhe Airport, Zhongnan hospital, Hubei provincial CDC, including the BSL3 laboratory in China’s Center for Disease Control (CDC). The delegation observed and discussed active surveillance processes, temperature screening at the airport, laboratory facilities, infection prevention and control measures at the hospital and its associated fever clinics, and the deployment of the rRT-PCR test kit to detect the virus. " and a lot more. w.h.o. was on this from earliest out break, in response to chinese notification. claims to the contrary from usa government is simply lying to cover their gross mismanagement. any epidemiologist will say that 1 or 2 deaths a week may not be significant, but needs close attention. there was no close attention from many western nations and they have suffered from it. singapore and taiwan did pay attention, rolled out testing procedures and materials, and fared much better. china was not at fault here, and anyone saying so is ignorant and presumably biased.
    1
  5094. usa has lost the tech war, spent too much money on munitions. whoever installs 5g will be master of the world. i prefer china. i already know how bad usa is, and so have reason to hope china will be better. hard to be worse, according to snowden. germany unimpressed also.
    1
  5095. actually, a flat tax paid on every transaction, and all transactions done on the web, is by far the cheapest and most efficient way to fund public activity. it also makes it difficult for special interests to be rewarded by politicians. no use bribing them. in fact, it makes politicians extinct. but poor people can't afford to buy things? give them yang's ubi. democracy and socialism go together, which is why madison made sure the usa constitution prevented democracy- he wasn't going to support poor people!
    1
  5096. calm yourselves, however it turns out, you will have colluded in putting a politician in power. civilized people vote for and against, referendum and initiative. this system is called democracy, and apparently you have been mis-informed, as many people think ennobling politicians is democracy. a little hint: 'democracy' is from a greek phrase, which means, "citizens rule.' not "politician rule."
    1
  5097. these numbers presumably reflect the family strength and regard for education. black kids come from a heritage of slavery, jim crow and generations of hopeless poverty. can't fix that over night, and many americans don't care about fixing it at all. the only immediate cure is to educate every child as much as they can handle, so that talented black kids can begin to get into the middle class. maybe just eliminating elite schools would be a good idea: make sure classes are available in every school for various levels of interest and ability. i saw kim struggle with school name, and almost 'straightened her out' myself, but saw it was unnecessary. she is turning a clear and strong appraisal of current affairs into reports of educational advantage to americans, you are fortunate if you discover this resource. laugh at her parochial ignorance, but maintain respect. it doesn't get better than this, as far as shining a bright light into shady corners of america.
    1
  5098. another exercise in looking where the light is good. you can run a nation this way, but there's a reason you seem to be going backwards compared to china. poor management about sums it up. the cure is a new constitution. that's too hard. sabre-tooth tiger was boss predator for awhile, but the weather changed faster than the tiger did, and soon they were gone. so too, usa. the only feature of interest is how much destruction usa does to the world on the way out.
    1
  5099. the decision to use battery power is personal- you've done your part. the decision to use coal-fired power stations is political, vote green and they will stop doing that. hydrogen will have niche markets, better batteries coming soon.
    1
  5100. this has nothing to do with democracy. political gangs rule europe, not the people. vote for which gang suits you, from what is available, and turn the tv to sports channel. you are not a citizen, you are a consumer. you would be a slave, except it's cheaper to hire people as needed.
    1
  5101. first figure out what you want to say, then say it. endless waffle does not impress.
    1
  5102. imagine thinking the dubya cabinet are assets...
    1
  5103. what is wrong with populism? are you implying the voters don't know what's good for them? how do you feel about politician rule? are you being led by the best minds, the best characters, the elite of usa society?
    1
  5104. moderates often wish to emulate the rich, just don't have the money. but they certainly have nothing to spare for those lazy poor people. the rich can hire poor people by the hundreds, for the price of meal twice a day. and there is the economic model of rome, and usa. the genius of madison was to transplant the model of the british monarchy to his usa, with wealth replacing lineage. he was well-acquainted with roman society and used their 'senate' as the model of political control, blocking any tendency towards democracy. high and low, people vote to improve their lives, and for most that means eating better.
    1
  5105. economists have a built-in sense of inferiority. they would like to design a society from their economic principles, but no one ever lets them do it. the bullies in politics always make the decisions. almost invariably, the decision they make enriches self and supporters. and that is the way things are, complaining is fruitless. you want a better society? get power. it can be collective power, but it precedes economic design. classical athens showed how to get democracy, and socialism, in that order. but it's hard to emulate them, conditions now seldom resemble conditions then and there. but a few principles can be extracted: athens depended on its navy, so the rowers of their warships were the largest single group of the society, with a natural and encompassing collective viewpoint. when they went on strike, the nation stopped. this real power compelled the creation of formal power, the gradual creation of genuine democracy. so, if you want socialism, first recognize a large, preferably majority, segment of society, and bring them to see the utility of democracy. then you can enact socialism with the support of most of the electorate. this is the only way to get 'legitimate' socialism. prouhon failed, marx can be said to have succeeded, with china, except, the success involved dictatorship, and a surprising regression to private wealth with consequent poverty. it is success, but unlikely to last long. switzerland stumbled into a quasi-democracy, which is both stable and prosperous. there may be a lesson, there.
    1
  5106. batteries will save humanity, until the next crisis. if we learn to recycle, and mine the asteroid belt, we can survive until the sun blows up. the only real danger is the person standing next to you. we have some socially dysfunctional dna. interesting times are built in.
    1
  5107. mfa sounds good. tell me, are you going to close private hospitals, put every doctor on a government salary?
    1
  5108. sane, informed and very relevant. you may have prevented ww3. full credit for intent, anyway. but the monsters that float to the top of nations don't pay much attention to us.
    1
  5109. try to be real, now and then. shaking hands suggests that she tolerates behavior , previously labeled 'sexist,' and that her previous statements are retracted, which she can not do. the bomb is thrown, war is declared. presumably, her team has decided that 'we can not win, on present tactics, so throw a bomb or retire.' sometimes the celebrity dance contest turns nasty. polite or nasty, it does not result in good national management. when are you going to figure that out?
    1
  5110. i started suggesting, "we should get democracy" back in the late 60's. almost everyone said, 'but, we've got it!" in fact usa is not a democracy, nor is anyone else*. but near universal acceptance that rule by politicians is democracy means homer sap is doomed. any elite rule will put personal advancement ahead of general welfare. *the swiss have a case, but i think they are losing it, due to ceaseless pressure from the eu society with which they must deal.
    1
  5111. you don't have rights and freedoms, because you don't live in a democracy. in a democracy, the people rule, that's what the word means, in greek. it's a phrase: 'citizen-rule.' usa is an elective aristocracy, a functional plutocracy, nothing like a democracy. in a democracy, when the ghost of aristotle asks: "who decides? the citizens answer: 'we do." you don't decide anything, except which politician/weasel rules you. that makes you a 2nd class human, the weasel, 1st class. tulsi can't save you at best, she doesn't want to save you. she wants to be your mother-weasel. salvation doesn't come from politicians, it might be better achieved by making them extinct, and you being part of the nation that 'decides,'
    1
  5112. what is this 'democracy' that is in danger? usa people don't rule. they don't even know what's going on.
    1
  5113. tell elon to take it with him to mars.
    1
  5114. stop complaining about the dnc. the usa is not a democracy, the dnc is a business like any other in a plutocracy, and if you don't like the results, step over to the nearest mirror and you will see the the cause.
    1
  5115. any elite society will limit the intellectual opportunities of the children of the many. when selfishness of the elite begins to visibly erode the lives of the many, panic begins to appear. as they are incapable of correcting the elite, and incapable of effective organized resistance, panic will drive flight from impending starvation into mindless rebellion. see 'jacqueries'.
    1
  5116. bush lied, lbj lied, many more usans died. and vastly more more sub-human 'foreigners.' but they don't count, do they. trump is a defective human, it's true, but not even in the first rank when it comes to killing people. why get excited? yer problem is not trump, it's the constitution- and the society it has created. and there's yer fundamental problem: trump is not an aberration, he is the distilled synthesis of the usa people. embarrassing?
    1
  5117. you can't lose what you never had. you can't get what you don't understand. democracy does exist, barely, and some usa states have it. notably california, which would be about 6th richest nation in the world, if independent. but the usa is an oligarchy, a thinly disguised plutocracy, and has been from birth. you can't change anything, if you let your masters define reality.
    1
  5118. they do pay taxes, if required by the masters of the nation. that is not citizens, it's politicians. are you a politician?
    1
  5119. usa is 'stronger' today, and prc weaker. i suspect a few rounds across the path of pelosi's plane would have turned her around. glad it wasn't my decision. if this was the turning point in taiwan's independence, pelosi's corruption will never be referred to again. not in usa, anyway.
    1
  5120. i am surprised at the passivity of cali voters. you have a good approximation of democracy, and the power to compel information, and even action. but if the people are zombies, no amount of democracy will help. i suspect the 1st initiative should be to leave the federation. just to get their undivided attention.
    1
  5121. tg will not be the dem candidate for president, but she can reasonably hope to hold her position in the house, and perhaps win a long and fruitful career in the senate..that's the best america can offer to a politician that is not willing to be silent about the costs of imperial capitalism. but she will never bring real change. that needs revolution.
    1
  5122. stop whining, churls. you've heard of democracy, but you let politicians rule you. anyone with so little self-respect must submit to the rule of 'betters.' even if the 'betters' appear to be trash.
    1
  5123. elections are not democracy. they are merely civil war with ballots replacing bullets. few die, but the result is aristocracy.
    1
  5124. saagar is, i presume, a supporter of the principle of free speech. but maybe not. if he doesn't like you, shut up. not sure if he is merely dim, or crooked. needs further attention.
    1
  5125. madison said his constitution would prevent democracy, and it has.
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  5126. you can't get a new day out of re-cycled political hacks. was tempted to say political whores, but yer average working woman has higher character. usa has to pick up the gun and say "establish democracy, or else." until you do, ms brockovich is singing to an empty concert hall.
    1
  5127. let's look at the track record of national management, of china, and the usa, over the last 40 years. pretty consistent, both of them, and summarized neatly by looking at trump, and xi jinping. any other questions?
    1
  5128. it's not your country. read the constitution.
    1
  5129. friends high and low, and he can read. presidential timber, in usa.
    1
  5130. why would any adult trust a politician? why would any nation submit to trusting a politician? are you all insane?
    1
  5131. if you don't have enough collective spine to establish democracy, you must endure whatever nod to populism your masters think best. all hail, dnc!
    1
  5132. yes, you will, or worse.
    1
  5133. i never hear a word about actually getting democracy. without it the elite will continue to bleed the nation for their private welfare. 'democracy now?' democracy never.
    1
  5134. there really is no such thing as a right to free speech. but in a democracy, the citizens will demand the right to hear information. they have that right, held from power, because they are the masters of their society. the right is not held by any other kind of society, however much you may hear the word. many societies have a privilege of free speech, it ends when the government decides to end it. no individual can have rights, for lack of power, unless they are members of the ruling group. assange has done a favor to the people of the usa, and most repay him by supporting their government in its plan to punish him severely, to discourage imitators. don't do any more favors, for that nation, it is dangerous, and nearly useless. really, the whole world should sanction the usa, but unfortunately, most are ruled by elites equally evil.
    1
  5135. or do they just want to be in office in an evenly divided electorate? discussing the lack of democracy must be very embarrassing, no one ever does it.
    1
  5136. what makes you think they work for you?
    1
  5137. the good thing about bloomberg is that he rubs the collective nose of the 'left' wing of the electorate in the reality of the non-democracy they live in. they like to pretend usa is some version of democracy, because that allows them to talk like citizens, when they are not. people with big money are citizens, of a plutocracy, most are just civilians, scratching their doggy heads are wondering why their 'democratic' nation is so unequal. of course, most americans are content to live in a plutocracy, so long as they don't lose employment, or get sick. national management they leave to the real people. you can't do anything with a nation of lumpen-couch-potatoes, you have to wait until hunger is nation-wide, and some general decides the time for politician rule is over.
    1
  5138. in fact, imf says china is overtaking right now.
    1
  5139. not too late: immediate and radical action can turn things around. the physics is there, the politics is not. the people who led us here will not act. i fear we have to start shooting at them, to get their attention.
    1
  5140. i'm in favor of sport rifles in every home. but, you have to use wisely. the second amendment was supported by an explanation, which boils down to, so you can shoot a politician, if he [always he ] gets out of line. the trouble is, yer average usan is too ignorant about this to confine murder where it was intended to be. he doesn't understand what his duty is, imagines his right to a gun is for killing ducks, or children. should be a course in primary school to clear this up.
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  5141. she can't go, hasn't got a visa.
    1
  5142. why complain, if you will not act? write a transition constitution: " we, the people of the usa, are masters of our nation and exercise our command by citizen initiative. the public service will administer the nation through referendum, and their activity will be in immediate public record. signed, jack/jill usan, of 1776 maple st, ourtown, kansas." when you get 100 million signed up, the politicians will be very accommodating. if they are not accommodating, read to them the explanation for the 2nd amendment. if they obstruct you still, people who wish to be free must be prepared to fight. i'm sorry, folks-- talking ain't gonna do it.
    1
  5143. i wasted my life, by not becoming a cosmologist. imagine getting paid to worry about these matters. obviously you have to be really smart, to talk about such things in a meaningful way. but i do worry about just where the 'smart' begins. clearly it doesn't get wasted trying for world peace, which is obviously beyond human capability. the people who have been pursuing fusion power are saints by comparison with cosmologists, at least they are pointed towards a tangible goal. so continue to put the boot in, dr h, before angels dancing on pinheads becomes a fundable academic field.
    1
  5144. you should be begging yer betters in congress to switch to digital currency, and pass every transaction through gov servers. it's the only way to insure fair taxation. afraid gov will know about yer fiddles? good. you were a crook, uncaught, now yer honest cause you can't get away with anything, anymore. more important, anyone who earns a dollar in usa will pay. thinking of you bezos.
    1
  5145.  @julieannmyers8714  madison despised democracy and did his best to make sure it didn't happen in the usa. madison was rich, and made sure sure his taxes were not spent on the concerns of the lower class. and his constitution delivered the desired results. supporting that constitution joins with madison in maintaining his goals.
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  5146. no, what you need, is to get democracy first, then use citizen initiative to build a better society. relying on politicians to do the right thing is what got you in this mess.
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  5147. well, one aspect is that for the last 1000 years or so, china has been managed by professionals. the notion of a mandarinate is part of the culture. this makes china receptive to the notion there is expertise in national management, and the cp just grafted on marxism as a leadership qualification. they did come close to communism, briefly, but chose to be pragmatic. this too is part of marxism.
    1
  5148. don't get excited, albo got on a plane to bend a knee to biden as a loyal quad warrior. war is the imminent danger, not climate.
    1
  5149.  @bodybalanceU2  my mantra? sane people are frightened of the quad, and oz labor are bending the knee.
    1
  5150. can't be sure, maybe the devil?
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  5151. you have put your finger on the necessity of getting democracy. with citizen initiative, we could act to save our world.
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  5152. since the usa was born to make legal the enslavement of black africans, it should surprise no one that 'white supremacy' is still a thing in usa culture. but they aren't dangerous, directly, since most of the bubbas are dim. they do make useful thugs for the sociopaths who figure so largely in usa politics.
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  5153. yes, usa school children are told daily that they have 'democracy.' it's a lie. no one has democracy, except the swiss. they stumbled into it, almost accidental, over a long and convoluted process, and the result ain't pretty. but: when the nazis invited them to submit to a direction team from germany, the swiss said, "wait a bit, we'll get back to you," then they had a referendum. big no! and they made it stick, with a combination of resolute militancy and a bit of help from the red army. don't know how well their democracy is holding up, they are surrounded by an empire run by germany, again. humanity is not well-suited to democracy. it will lead to disaster, since elite rule is always selfish, and the natural wealth of the planet can not satisfy them. china today is the most effective society, and will supplant usa if there is no general war. a barren victory, climate collapse is going to stir humanity worse than the black death.
    1
  5154. anarcho-syndicalism has been around for more than 100 years and made no visible impression on society. if the notion of 'state' is anathema, it's really hard to compete with societies that have a power structure. just about any structure is stronger than none at all. aristotle had a lot to say about politics, but the most important aspect, he suggested, is the answer to the question, "who decides?" power decides. not wishes, not ideas, but the will of power. from which we can extract the principle: if you want a society that rewards the common person, they must hold the power. aka, democracy. not monarchy, nor dictatorship, not oligarchy, nor aristocracy. all tried, all good for a few, but not for most. and certainly not 'democracy done for you, by politicians.' that has been given extensive trial, and simply is not democracy, it is just another form of oligarchy, plus a verbal mask. it's a lie.
    1
  5155. civil war unlikely, but assassinations, arson, mob violence might happen. trump has no personal connection with usa, and he is no leader. he's just a banner behind which unhappy people march. as it happens, a lot of unhappy usans are would-be sturmabteilung thugs, brown-shirts-in-waiting. some more competent person will come along and organize this thread of usa populace. i wonder when he will appear, and how far he will get? maybe soon, but not far. usa too heterogeneous, unlikely to form the size of group that took over germany.
    1
  5156. i guess people who have real jobs are to busy to drop in for a chat, but what is a 'strategist,' who pays him, and is he just a re-badged bag-man?
    1
  5157. there is a demographic to be satisfied, and extract money from. the end point of capitalism is simply to commodify every thing and action. along the way, humans are transformed into production units, consumption units and fertilizer. don't complain, no one is listening. why waste energy units?
    1
  5158. because a large majority of usans are dim, selfish and brutal. of that group, half support republicans, half democrats. civilized usans, 10-20%, vote green, or not at all. the 'not at all' group is commonly 40%, because neither party is anything but a gang, a device to extract money and power from taxes. i don't know why civilized people don't actively struggle for democracy, maybe they think it's hopeless, maybe they are too civilized. but result same, usa locked in primitive politics of greed and arrogance, and the result is poor national management. you have to wonder how it is that usans commonly think they have democracy, can it simply be the triumph of newspeak and doublethink?
    1
  5159. usa is not a democracy, and never was. it was designed to be run for the rich, by the politicians, and the design has been successful.. if you want democracy, first you need enough citizen quality people. right away you see where the main problem is. even the people who imagine they are the 'left' have no notion of anything more radical than getting a kind master. nothing to be done with anyone who imagines a politician is their savior.
    1
  5160. if you pay any attention to fox [anything] you brand yourself to be dim, ignorant and bigoted. flee!
    1
  5161. ruthless warlords put their feet up in havana. che went back to the jungles, because his mission not complete.
    1
  5162. china is not paradise, and chinese are only human. but the last 20 years have been a tale of successful management and immense progress. china and its people are entitled to be proud. usa is a danger to them, and to the world, out of well-founded fear that the dominant role of usg in commerce and foreign affairs is coming to an end. speak out, everyone, in support of china, to discourage usa from using the military solution to their decaying status.
    1
  5163. dubya should have demonstrated the answer to that question.
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  5164. turns out, the nation is not being run by the people, nor for the people. should surprise no one. murrikins have heard of democracy, but it was a lie to allow politicians to run the nation, for rich people. if you are ignorant, or stupid, or crazy, gotta expect to be cheated by the smarties.
    1
  5165. if you want the features of democracy, the first thing you must do, is get democracy. no use whining about what your masters do, if you can't change the basic fact, that the answer to aristotle's question: "who decides?" is: they do, not us. you are civilian's not citizens. too ignorant, and/or too lazy to change things, as well.
    1
  5166. the chinese government performed political and economic judo on the usa. first, said we want to join world trade, may we? "only if you let us make things there very cheaply. " not a problem, says china. but you must show us how they work, or we can't make them. "not a problem says usa government." result, china in best shape since ming dynasty, usa in the toilet. this is not really class warfare, since usa doesn't have classes. just people, and disposable labor units. china doesn't have classes either. if you are in the party, or not, you may be rich or poor. and the poor can get rich, if they are smart. the rich can get poor, too, but it's harder.
    1
  5167. yep, trump loses. and the next day you have the most-unwanted new president in history, possibly by a land-slide. unlike trump, biden has been enthusiastic about several wars- notably iraq. that should get him a life term in prison.
    1
  5168. now that you have grasped that both parties are corrupt, it's time to demand democracy, and make politicians obsolete. no use talking, if you won't act.
    1
  5169. why are they unvaccinated? should have been at the head of the line. there is a characteristic of usa public life, which results in dim-witted office-holders. no wonder the chinese roadrunner is doing laps around you. i think it has something to do with the standard of public education. adding up and spelling your name not enough in modern times. one result is a creature like trump finds himself in the ceo office of the nation. doesn't anyone realize that is positive proof the constitution is obsolete?
    1
  5170. aristotle wrote a book on politics, and there is a key element that is vital to education still: he said the fundamental question to ask in the management of a state, is "who decides." a democracy is a state in which the citizens 'decide.' the usa is not a democracy. americans should never imagine they are, for they do not decide, they don't even have access to what the 'deciders' are doing. aristotle would characterize the usa as a 'plutocracy,' they had them in classical hellas, it was a sophisticated time. so when mr. hartmann asks, "should trump have the power to take us to war?" he is indulging in a rhetorical question. it doesn't matter what you answer, or what you think. the usa is not a democracy, neither you nor mr. hartmann are citizens, you are civilians who watch their masters, but do not direct events.
    1
  5171. get democracy. a people with effective and accessible citizen initiative can rebuild a nation that all can live in. how? write letter, email, twitter, whatever, and instruct your politician that you want to see his/her public support of initiative. if that doesn't happen, start shooting. to miss, naturally. at first. give 'em time to re-evaluate their role in society.
    1
  5172. how can we implement a national health service in a nation designed to controlled by the rich? but no one asked that question.
    1
  5173. usa is not a democracy. it was designed to be dominated by wealth, as it still is. it was a fascism from birth, long before the word was coined. people who refer to the usa as some kind of democracy reinforce this fascism in the ways described in '1984.' see 'double-think' and 'newspeak.'
    1
  5174. can someone explain how a single person came to be running the nation. even if he was a competent saint, it's too much. but he's a man of low character, who has made an inherited giant fortune into a smaller one through his defects of intellect, and has no, none, experience running any larger organization than his family gang. what is wrong with you people, a simple urge to survive should impel a movement to democracy.
    1
  5175. anyone who uses the phrase 'our democracy' is so deluded that further conversation is wasted. usa is not, never was, a democracy. doesn't anyone read history anymore? madison bragged that his constitution would stop democracy from happening, and enable the rule of the rich. look around you--- he was right. 'venezuelas neighborhood assemblies' are proto-revolutionary activity, right enough. but this sort of thing usually falls into the hands of a tyrant, who looks after his poor people constituency, but does not empower them. no future in that. see 'argentina.' not likely to happen in usa, there is no national sense of community. the best hope for usa is to break apart into one or two democratic republics, and a 'bubbaland' of authoritarian fiefdoms.
    1
  5176. when will usa voters wake up? usa politics is just kabuki, simulated life in the political bubble. that was a rhetorical question, no one wakes up until their children are hungry, and the solution then is almost always just petty crime. there is a limit to what can be achieved, working with homer sap. for awhile, i thought democracy might catch on, and socialism follow. maybe even world peace. but it's not in our nature. so we continue down the path to extinction, following social habits road-tested by monkeys in africa, long ago.
    1
  5177. very good summary. the lack of artillery tractors not likely to be significant, germans were horse-drawn still. this war was insane. in spite of superior training and adequate material, and gross incompetence of red army, from high to low, the wehrmacht ran out of puff in front of moscow. there were not enough of them, and they weren't properly dressed. perhaps the blame could be hung on mussolini - he needed to be helped out of the balkans and that time should have been free for an earlier start for barbarossa. if jump-off time was july, might have made all the difference. but it was insane. chance of success never very good, cost of failure immense. it doesn't pay a nation to let one crazy man run it.
    1
  5178. bernie didn't go wrong. he only has the allegiance of 10% of the electorate, and as they only talk to one another, linking up to reality with a primary vote revealed biden in the lead, and bernie's hopes were just wishes not widely shared. there is hope: biden is held up by drugs and very selective reporting, very sympathetic cameras. but i think he will stagger into the election against trump. and lose. console yourself with the predictions of many people with suitable experience and degrees, that whoever is in office after 2020 will wish he had lost. the ghosts of greed, brutality, and corruption are going to ring and infest the oval office from now on, and each occupant will be despised.
    1
  5179. if prc finds a suitable source of iron ore, w oz will secede and become nanhainan.
    1
  5180. there may be no bottom to intellectual delving, so 'no progress' might be the limit-level of h. sap. no shame in it, we are the gilding on the animal kingdom crowd. until at least some glowing sphere of swirling energy enlightens us about our galactic ranking. i do urge that a severe financial limit be put on blue sky science, until some of the intellectual power is successful in turning the planet into a garden, swords into plowshares, bullshit into elevating poetry.
    1
  5181. turned out aoc is a politician. amazing! it's your fault. you don't need politicians, they are just parasites, political pimps. just get democracy, and decide things by referendum and initiative. but, how to get? mass demos, for a start. but that is only consensus building. at some point you will have offer a choice of peaceful retirement, or the noose. not up to it? then stop whining, if you won't fight, you must be a slave to those who will. politicians are notably health conscious, but they have police and soldiers who shoot for a living.. fortunately, both can decide to work for the people.
    1
  5182. why stop there? impoverishing the lower half of the nation will bring health dangers to the uppers, for a number of reasons involving violence.
    1
  5183. If you can find a healthy and biddable one under 10$, they can be a good investment.
    1
  5184. the problem with supporting a charge of treason, is that the establishment politicians are worse. supporting them in anything is kicking yourself in the face. fortunately, you don't matter. you can talk all you want, and pretend to be grown-ups, the real people will settle this as suits them best.
    1
  5185. it's really simple: all federal power is held by 535 congress-creatures, and one president-thing. result, money is concentrated too. are you surprised? you shouldn't be, madison said his constitution was designed to accomplish exactly that goal, and it worked. democracy would be the answer, except a nation of slave-minds can not conceive of being citizen-quality people. they are content to be civilians, and complain about their masters. there will be a ubi, or endemic banditry. the rich will travel in convoys of armored cars for short trips, helicopters are too dangerous, and live in walled communities, if they find it inconvenient to work from their own tropic isle.
    1
  5186. usa problems are not economic. they are political. power is concentrated, so money is concentrated. and vice versa: they are joined at the hip. if you want general prosperity, it's simple: establish democracy and use citizen initiative to spread the wealth.
    1
  5187. there is no progressive movement. there is a regressive movement. the bad guys won, in 1789. the twitch of civilized activity in 1930's was strangled by 1970, and normal service resumed. it's like being born with bad genes.
    1
  5188. or at least the appearance of those virtues.
    1
  5189. when 'parties' have no principle beyond getting power for politicians, they get in bed with any who help get that power. no mystery there. and no hope. india was as poor as china in early 1900's, and as powerless. look at them now! china was as diverse as india, india had the brits, china had the japanese. so why has china prospered, and india, well, not so much. for a guess, the japanese concentrated the minds of china, and marx gave a national framework, while india still sanctifies cows. certainly the squabbling of indian politicians offers no clear path toward modern society for all the nation.
    1
  5190. you may think looting is not a protest, i agree. it's just opportunism of a person who resides in the usa, but is not a part of the society. otoh, i reckon, if society doesn't have a place for you, aside from a cell, then it's only sensible to commit a crime and enjoy the proceeds while you can. so, while it's not a protest, you could describe looting as an act of contempt , for a society that is very contemptible.
    1
  5191. actually, it was nation-building.but that was a lie useful in the day, new day, new lie. i know how usa peeps live with the reality of being labor units in a society made for the rich, just keep your eyes focused on the day's gig. if you are lucky enough to have one. pearl buck sketched out the life and character of shanghai rickshaw pullers in the 30's, they looked like martians when i read the book in the 50's, but now there is a universal quality. think uber driver and you've got it. the trouble with real revolutionaries is that they must be clandestine, right up to 'now!' so live in hope, however unreal that may seem.
    1
  5192. in a real democracy, if you have politicians, not necessary, and they don't deliver, you can start and support a citizen initiative. that's what democracy means. but you don't live in a democracy, and you won't do anything to get it. you will go on relying on politicians to 'look after' you. doesn't seem to work, does it.
    1
  5193. trump ain't half smart enough. but he has handlers, pompeo is visible, who are capable of anything. this is not an effective way to run a nation, and i recommend getting democracy. but the eternal problem for the human race is that if you are raised in a natural, hierarchical, society you don't acquire the character and education to be a citizen. solution, those usa states with democratic constitution should secede. california is bigger and richer than most nation states, and in federation with other such states would be a major player on the world stage, presumably on the side of the angels. just a suggestion...
    1
  5194. pr. wolff continues to ignore the fundamental question of human society. 'who has power to decide?' he has to. his field is economics, not politics. throughout history, whatever small group has that power to decide, will use it to look after themselves very well, and family and friends also. prc is a fresh society, they have only bloomed over the last 30 years, so structural corruption has been somewhat controlled. but the possibility is built in, and it will flourish. in the meantime, their advance has been the wonder of the age, and their increasing global presence is a very welcome counter-balance to the evil empire. [ aka usa, for late-comers ] i presume their society will rot, like every other elite rule, and i'm sure that 'connections' get things done in china that the central committee of the party deplore, unless they are doing it themselves. no matter. homer sap had better find a way to stop the usa before it burns down the planet, and prc looks like our champion, with an asterisk.
    1
  5195. you see, that's why you should have got democracy. when the people can steer the nation, with referendum and initiative, war, and poverty become rare, even obsolete. but getting democracy requires citizen-quality people. and there ain't enough, in the usa. that's not an accident. you've been raised to be passive chumps.
    1
  5196. bernie is far better than the rest, but the rest are trash, or in tg's case, 'good in 'parts.' that doesn't matter. what matters is the structure of the state, the character of the people, and the 'born to rule' aristocracy of wealth. no one person can change things. this is the work of james madison. he abstracted the nature of the british state and transplanted it in america. it has endured ever since, with wealth in command. he said his aim was the rule of wealth, that is how he got the assent of state legislators [the people were never consulted, except in rhode island, where they wisely refused the constitution]. i am occasionally reminded of the science fiction novels of isaac asimov, who enjoyed popular success with his novels of 'future history' and robotics. i read them, pretty much all, many years ago, because they were chock full of ideas, even if the prose was uninspired. he realized that individuals could not make 'right decisions' until conditions made them right decisions. bernie can't fix things, too much is not ready to change. you need a revolution, but conditions are not right. by the time they are, some general will demonstrate that conditions are right for a coup.
    1
  5197. not necessary. it is possible now to 'bargain' goods and services on the web, without the intermediate currency.
    1
  5198. the purpose of being in afghanistan is to keep prc from a direct land route to iran. pakistan may make the link, anyway. but just assume, 'the evil empire is being evil,' it saves time.
    1
  5199. putin's grip on power may be illusory. the recent resurgence of ukraine, with whatever base, has to stress the regard of generals, and putin himself. unless the battle starts going russia's way soon, a change of leadership is very possible. but who could replace him? his reserve strength is simply that the whole government has been publicly committed to the war. his successor would have to preside over massive reparations.. something like this situation kept the nazis and japanese fighting long after success was possible.
    1
  5200. there are no nations with a rule of law, except possibly helvetia. everyone else votes for people, not laws.
    1
  5201. it's your nation, folks. but only in the sense that a steer might say 'this is my feed-lot.' you've heard of democracy, but you live at the mercy of politicians. do they put some drug in your morning food?
    1
  5202. in 2021, you live in a society designed for the comfort and security of southern slave masters. too ignorant to fight for democracy, most just scrabble for a living from the left-overs of plutocrat dominated economy. what is to be done? 1. emigrate. there are better places, if you have something to offer. 2. retire to the country.. subsistence farming and meal delivery will keep you afloat. 3. crime. only if it benefits the local capo, whether it be a crooked sheriff, or any politician. 4. run for public office. anyone can win, since there are visibly no plans or principles involved.
    1
  5203. if you are parsing the speech of a sociopath in the highest office, you have made him more important than he is. politics in the usa is kibuki,; politician and civilian are both caught in the myth. imagine living in a society which makes it possible for a trump to influence public affairs. if you were sane, you'd be ashamed. we used to laugh at the dark ages, characterizing them as times and societies where churchmen counted angels on pinheads. counting trump's lies is in that neighborhood, with much less excuse.
    1
  5204. of course. they are much more sophisticated, and their self-confidence is greater, for good cause. perhaps too, there is a sense that marxist-leninist futurology is making clear approach to reality: capitalism is cutting its own throat, out of innate necessity. prc will be the world's leading society soon, unless usa destroys society with nuclear war. interesting times. when you add in the greater threat of inadequate response to climate catastrophe, not a good time to be young.
    1
  5205. you don't have to be ruled by politicians - democracy is possible. stand up, remove knee-pads, demand rule by citizen initiative. easy, innit? why haven't you done it sooner?
    1
  5206. so when are you gonna get organized, and establish democracy? should be really easy with the web, and so many guns in the usa. but it's not easy, very possible a majority of usans don't want democracy, do admire their 'leaders,' and love the possibility of licensed violence. in which case, blue states could secede if they acted in concert. it would be nice, if nominally 'democratic ' states, established democracy.- kind of 'natural' like.
    1
  5207. this will come as a shock, to many: politicians lie. have to. they find themselves in a social category once held by force, war lords, aristocrats, with immediate threat of dispensing violence. so they lie. it works pretty well, so long as the chumps are not driven to throwing stones. democracy is possible, modern education and communication make it easy and effective. but it needs citizen quality people, and there is nearly none. homer sap is naturally dim and ignorant, and the slightly less dim and ignorant can pretend to positions that really should be consigned to history books. and that's why the mightiest empire of all is somewhat fragile. no real enemies, but high and low are filled with 2nd rate people, living off the credit and reputation of earlier days.
    1
  5208. it's much simpler than you think: madison concentrated power in congress, senate and supreme court to make sure democracy didn't happen. democracy leads to socialism, he was rich, and wasn't having it. concentrated power can be bought, and it visibly is, the result is plutocracy. usa has none of the functions of democracy: no referendum, no initiative, no recall, nor any right to even know what your masters are doing. it is simple- get democracy or watch the nation decline into a banana republic. simple, but impossible. you are not citizen quality people. you will continue to submit to politicians, by assuring one another that it just needs voting for the right person. but there are no 'right persons.' if there were, you wouldn't see this train wreck of history before you.
    1
  5209. the foundation of the usa was a conscious response by usa slave plantation owners to evolving british common law which was making slavery unprofitable, and ended in making it illegal in britain long before the usa. washington used that foundation to steal about 500 acres from the iroquois, most of whom supported the brits. spoils of war, but colonial elites were not concerned with anything in the war of independence, but wealth and the getting of more. was the result 'great?' i prefer 'profitable, for some.' as it is today.
    1
  5210. if you once admitted that the usa is not a democracy, maybe you could do something to actually get democracy.
    1
  5211. you are right to be afraid. but if you are too dim, too lazy, or too crazy, to get democracy then every government is a threat. the technology is coming, count on it. if the people rule it will be a benefit. if politicians rule, a threat. now, i'm curious, why don't you want democracy?
    1
  5212. it's simple, really: poor people move to california, because of the better social services. rich people get tired of paying taxes, and move to a state with poor social services, and low taxes. the end state is the fracturing of the nation, perhaps with civil war. yer watching history being made.
    1
  5213. usa won every substantive battle. but american casualties were not accompanied by any visible achievements. neither was there any visible goal, beyond the determination of lbj not to 'lose' vietnam. american mothers were not impressed, and their middle class sons were to valuable to lose for nothing. so that was the end of conscript armies fighting wars for the american imperium.
    1
  5214. reading about the usa, or listening, has a certain thrill, you can often get glimpses of a nation whose corruption is seeking new depths. one feels like hanging around, in case the crash happens before bed-time. but of course, collapse might equally take years, because this nation was rotten at birth. it was created by rich men whose goal was government by the rich, for the rich, of the rest. the constitution achieved that goal, magnificently. as here we see today.
    1
  5215. either presidents are not dictators, or usa is not a democracy. 'wannabee' is not yet possible, you need overt military support for real dictatorship. the fact that house and senate might be acting against the interests of the people is not dictatorship, just oligarchy. and that is what the usa has always been. 'elections' are merely a masquerade, to pacify the cattle. the upper class don't care which of them run the nation, just so long as it is not run 'by the people, for the people.' 'of the people' is all they need, and that is what the constitution provides.
    1
  5216. this is thinking outside the box, true. but go a step farther, and you will realize the wealthy elite will always have a political party as their agent. they can buy one, and will. indeed, nowadays there are a few people who can from their own funds buy a party. koch bros. come to mind, and that adelson creature. so the repubs are theirs, currently, and you can't get in. perhaps the 'tea party' was an attempt, from the lower-class lizard brain demographic.
    1
  5217. there is a way to pay for it. but she had other uses for the money. i presume the kids have oldies, who will not be voting for feinstein. she did treat the kids well enough, except saying there wasn't money verges on lying.
    1
  5218. 'special advisor' sums it up. they'll have 'special forces' next. quite reminds me of the progression to our visit to vietnam, bringing freedom and agent orange. i'm really looking forward to the first nuclear bomb. what's russian for 'little boy?' and will it erase kyiv, or baltimore?
    1
  5219. free speech is of great value. if they can put you in jail for what you said, you live in a police state. but usa is more flexible. you can say what you want, if you own the media machinery. in olden times, they called this plutocracy. not a word you learn in school anymore. you can change reality if you own the language. that orwell guy warned of this, but usans thought he was talking about someone else.
    1
  5220. it's not joe biden, it's elective oligarchy. when power is concentrated in a few hundred politicians, they will be bribed, rented, bought, and compromised. that's why democracy is better, if your aim is the general welfare. but madison wrote his constitution to prevent democracy, and was successful. you don't have referendum, initiative or recall, nor do you have the power to compel administrators to work in public. so of course the political elite is rotten- you allow it.
    1
  5221. i believe pr wolff is wrong about the number of slaves in athens. most households didn't have one. so they couldn't be a majority. the silver mines were worked by slaves, generally war prisoners ended up there. but hundreds rather than thousands. but citizens were a minority: men only, born to an athenian woman. the 'hoipolloi' was a catch-all phrase for non-citizen residents, of which there were many. they were free, but did not fight, or participate in politics. the athenians, like the swiss, were clear about politics: it was about power, born from a spear, or rifle. to be a citizen required readiness to fight for city, or nation. which is why the swiss don't have an army, they are the army. or so it was until recently. being surrounded by the eu is corrupting them
    1
  5222. by the way, the reason athens became a democracy was because it was a sea power: the core of athen's power was the trained rowers of the navy. they were 90% of the military age men, and the poorest of them. they couldn't afford the armor worn by the middle class hoplites, and as a body in the direction of the state, absolutely decisive.
    1
  5223. last time i looked, an arrest required a warrant from a judge. but congress can ultimately make what laws it wishes. further demonstration that usa is not a democracy. what will it take, to inform usa of reality? rigid refusal to see reality is a form of insanity. every time 'our democracy ' passes your lips, you are participating in mass psychosis.
    1
  5224. britain handed her a remote control, and she pressed a button. civilized people don't run nations like that. the age when rule is passed around like a toy should end. humanity is destroying itself by allowing 'leaders' to do as they please. the best we can do is democracy. unfortunately, this assumption is devalued by the quality of the 'we.' very possibly 'we' is incapable of democracy. certainly none in sight, with a very limited helvetia offering a scrap of hope. but i'm afraid we spent too long doing what the alphas said. the habit is genetic.
    1
  5225. blather. trump is very much president, and he owes no respect to mr reich. it's true that trump is doing little that mr reich approves of, but mr reich didn't win an election. has he ever won an election? nope. apparently he confuses being educated with being an official. the problem here is, that the constitution has put into the oval office, a dangerous and contemptible clown. a rational response would be, "we need a different constitution." i recommend democracy, for several compelling reasons, not least making obsolete, even extinct, creatures such a s trump. fools like reich might be less visible, as well.
    1
  5226. usa should be frightened of a trump-biden debate. would confirm world-wide opinion that usa political system is a degenerate shambles.
    1
  5227. talk all you want, but the constitution of the usa generated this government, and others just as bad. why not think about a new one?
    1
  5228. not at all sure why tg isn't popular, but she ain't. easy to see why ay isn't popular, chock full of ideas to patch usa political and economic short-comings. makes most people nervous, if they even bother to hear him. i have read that horses will run back into a burning stable, unlikely, but it is used to describe why americans continue voting for politicians in the face of hundreds of years of experience: they are dumber than horses.
    1
  5229. as the roman republic shifted into the imperial mode, augustus changed little in roman daily life. for many years thereafter, the senators would attend the forum and discuss state affairs. the only significant difference was, caesar no longer listened. madison feared that a strong national army would allow some general to seize power, and that is why there was none until ww1 made it necessary, and profitable, and ww2 also saved the nation by going into the munitions business on behalf of the allies. trump is an unlikely caesar, but usa has been in imperial mode since the korean war, and he inherits a government already debased by assassination at home and abroad, by mass murder for profit, and his personal character matches neatly with the national ethos. don't make fun of trump- he is president, and you are not, and it's not an accident.
    1
  5230. do what you think best with isis, if you can catch them alive. but don't be eager to imagine the conduct of u. s. armed forces is notably better.
    1
  5231. i get tired of listening to these people. none of them address the fundamental questions of motivation and power. governments are corrupt because they are run by politicians for politicians. the politicians may be responsive to generals, or to plutocrats, or both, but they control education and information to obviate any meaningful popular control. if you want government 'for the people,' it must be government 'by the people.' without democracy, sustained and peaceful society is impossible, since oligarchs of whatever nature will loot society and the planet for their personal pleasure. democracy, btw, is rule by the people, through referendum and initiative, in a society where holding secrets from the electorate is a crime. because public activity is public, criminal activity becomes extremely difficult and virtue will prevail, for lack of alternatives.
    1
  5232. my bet is on allan dulles organizing both murders, with tacit permission of lbj. jfk had to go, after firing dulles for the cuba fisco.
    1
  5233. it's hard to conduct a simulated society when large numbers of the people don't even pretend to follow the rules. trump and his moral dwarves iare unimpeded by any social rules, which appears to magnify his power. unfortunately, usa is so crooked that large numbers of people cannot distinguish him from his opponents. yer own fault. you haven't got whatever resources of intelligence and character are needed to establish a democracy, so you must live through the last years of a truly degenerate plutocracy. it wouldn't matter, except the climate crisis needs action, and the state of political evolution in homo sapiens can't even put out a wildfire.
    1
  5234. since orstralia pals around with american 'special forces' as they terrorize various nations in pursuit of money/power/fun, i would add that usa is a more present danger to oz, and usa began the contention for power long before china could do more than defend its shores.
    1
  5235. fauci has a sacred duty to lie to politicians, and i am waiting for the indictment before i believe a single word from any politician.
    1
  5236. surprising they use rear-view mirrors.
    1
  5237. nothing like stalingrad, as yet, putin is nibbling useful but not critical pieces of ukraine, hoping for an early peace and good wheat crops. sensible, but usa is willing to fight to the last ukrainian and will keep them well-supplied with guns, money and food.
    1
  5238. mfa is not possible- the rich will always use private health care. at best, it is medicare for all who want to use it. but this is just one aspect of a major problem, which is, how can you collect taxes in a plutocracy. while the rich control politics, mfa is wishful thinking, ask mr. hopeandchange. warren is a politician. a predator/parasite on the ordinary serfs of society. if the people are incapable of establishing democracy, then they must endure their servitude. she will not help you, her kind is the enemy. to be fair, if you will not stand up and fight, then why should the parasites give you anything?
    1
  5239. stop complaining when a plutocracy acts like a plutocracy. if you want the benefits of democracy, first you have to get it. this will require effort, not just talk.
    1
  5240. nothing wrong with spying. the world would be a much more peaceful place if everyone knew what everyone else was doing. it is already well established that nsa spies on everyone. why not let huawei join in? and they don't steal- they trade, if you want to do business in china, play by chinese rules.
    1
  5241. stop complaining. you tolerate the rule of politicians. that makes you complicit in what they do. the second amendment was written to deal with the immediate problem: 500 heroes to shoot one each. tell their successors to pass laws establishing democracy. if they don't, bring on another 500 heroes.
    1
  5242. the 'quad' has only one interest, 'contain china.' from here, it looks like india should partner with prc, against usa and its clients. the only value of quadding is the resulting diversion from the primary question of indian people, "how the hell did china develop so fast, and why can't we do as well?' the diversion is a career saver for indian politicians, don't you agree?
    1
  5243. unfortunately, it is pointless to discuss what you need, if you do not start with, 'how do we get the power to do.'
    1
  5244. modern sails, pv screens, batteries and a very small diesel engine for recharging might be economic now, in some areas of trade.
    1
  5245. i'm hoping to see a t-shirt saying, 'shoot the rich!' everyone knows they are inedible, but bullet-proof? maybe not. no use talking to them, they got money, lawyers and law. got to confront them, gun in hand. what you say is up to those who do, but i hope the demand is democracy. it sounds legitimate, and it is: getting democracy is simply transferring power from rich to citizen. once you have citizen initiative, you can make whatever society most people want. won't be perfect, but it will be improvable, without the need for gunfire. if enough people show up, gun in hand, the army won't fire on the people. but if you don't want democracy, unless 'please' works, then you will be slaves forever.
    1
  5246. news flash! usg is criminal gang! sorry, it ain't news. usg has been murdering people from day 1. just ask the iroquois. or the mexicans. or miners of colorado and west virginia. then there was yer actual genocide in vietnam. as for the invasion of afghanistan and iraq, why are they still there, and shooting people? i don't mind american politicians so much- every nation has psychopaths who enjoy killing people. but why do 'normal' people hand them the army to do it with? the whole nation is sick.
    1
  5247. a people willing to submit to politician rule must expect every kind of corruption, and in time, truly degenerate behaviour. but don't blame the politicians. they are few. the people armed and angry, could make politicians extinct in a day. but they don't - when you are raised to submission, you don't shoot, you whine. the politicians despise you, they get away with theft routinely, murder often. they have good reason to despise you.
    1
  5248. when it comes to war crime, vietnam should be head of the list.
    1
  5249. @François Miville should have joined la legion etrangeres, they march slowly.
    1
  5250. worker's co-ops have been tried around the world, but generally they don't survive long. commonly they are strangled by oppressive regulation by a government in the service of wealth. the cure is to get democracy in the nation first, to create a supportive operating foundation for whatever type of socialism works best. you can not expect 'democracy' in the workplace to flourish, in a society that does have, or even want, democracy in the nation.
    1
  5251. Why Democracy Is Failing to Deliver Economic Growth -- and How to Fix It," what democracy is that? is switzerland in trouble?
    1
  5252. these guys still don't understand that the system put trump in power, and will continue to put 'trumps' in power. it was designed to do so. but if you are too dim or too crooked to see the necessity for democracy, go on complaining about plutocracy. won't help, but at least you will feel better.
    1
  5253. not immature, the people pompeo wants to talk to welcome denigration of xjp. there are quite a few. not having elections makes it harder to guess how many are dissatisfied, but while the widespread rise in standard of living suggests xjp could win elections, there are always losers.
    1
  5254. instead of crossing yer fingers and hoping yer fairy godfather/mother throws off the cloak of near invisibility, why not demand democracy? then you can participate in directing the nation yerself, instead of relying on the virtue of politicians. haven't you figured out what kind of people they are?
    1
  5255. "we must...." except, i'll break it to you gently, you are not an autocrat, nor even a citizen of a democracy. 'we must do anything' is nonsense, when you don't have power to do anything. it's childish, except you don't add, "when i grow up." usa is a nation of political teen-agers, permanently, frozen in development.
    1
  5256. don't stand in solidarity, start a citizen initiative to educate usans to a modern level of civilization. but y0u don't have democracy, are unacquainted with civilized behavior, and the best we can hope from usa is that you don't blow up the world while defending the right to get absurdly rich. it won't be your choice, your masters will decide in secret, and 'educate' you to love armageddon, the ultimate freedom!
    1
  5257. good vid. freedom to be unvaccinated is foolish, but a substantial %age of usans are sociopaths and simplenutters, so we should not be surprised at this behavior. the proper response is simply to put a wall around usa, and not let them out. speak to your local politician, if you think it will do any good. nation-wide psychosis is well-documented throughout human history, and usa is the latest and possibly worst example. i try to pity them, but they kill millions in pursuit of wealth, so i tend to use contempt instead.
    1
  5258. in fact, china has returned to the mandarinate. somewhat informed by marx and science, a cohesive bureaucracy which currently is running rings around western society. no magic involved, and the future is not rosy--- internal corruption will soon clog the decision-making process. that's humanity for you. but for now, perhaps a generation or two, great things are being done in the people's republic of china.
    1
  5259. you don't have democracy, you don't want democracy, maybe you don't know what democracy is, but you complain endlessly about what your masters do. can anyone in the usa summon up the 2 brain cells needed to connect lack of deciding power in the electorate with corrupt and incompetent management by the elite?
    1
  5260. without democracy, you are children, discussing what the grown-ups do. unlike children, you will never grow up.
    1
  5261. and neither is of any value, without democracy. and you don't realize it. so you sound like a poor child wishing for something from santa claus, and your parents can not deliver.
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  5262. the cure for fascism is democracy. neither mr hartmann, nor any other public figure in usa makes this connection. is this a universal psychosis? in the early 1900's, the real 'progressive' period, california and a few other states published 'democracy' constitutions. limited in value by participation in the federation, but demonstrating that some americans knew and appreciated the value of democracy. since then, silence. no campaign of assassination has been necessary to suppress transfer of democracy to the federal constitution. usa 'progressives' just suddenly appeared to be bought into silence. and since then, progressives are merely 'progressives.' token resistance to oligarchy, entered as a profession, rather than a mission. everything in the usa is done for money, even 'rebellion.'
    1
  5263. how ya gonna do that? madison saw ya coming, that's why the constitution is not democratic,
    1
  5264. mayor pete simply realizes that real change needs legislation, and presidents don't legislate. obama should have made that clear: "yes, we can!" turned out to be "no, i can't." the aca is the best he could do, and better than nothing, but it's a joke compared to what is achieved in developed societies. so smart candidates just say, "vote for me, and i'll do what i can." not. they have to lie, but skillfully. mayor pete paid attention to what happened to obama. he wants to be president, but he wants to minimize his lying. tough road to follow.
    1
  5265. btw, you shouldn't call hedges a real journalist. more of a martyr/saint with an interest in foreign affairs. the people of usa think the hillies are journalists, they even think the on screen staff at fox are journalists. hedges talks about reality, the others talk about the american bubble/myth. they deserve the label journalist, from numbers, if you think the usa has any connection to democracy. which is not the case.
    1
  5266. he doesn't have any friends in the military. so, unlikely he could arrange a street corner shoot out. but a smarter man will be along soon, possibly in uniform. in fact, i have suggested that generalissimo gabbard might ride into town to save you, in about 10 years.
    1
  5267. probably a ploy by the republicans to split the democratic vote. but every part of usa politics is corrupt.
    1
  5268. democracy was originally a society in which the citizens directed the activities of the state through the processes of referendum and initiative. it evolved from the experience of athens over a long period of time. democracy came to switzerland over a long period too. in both societies, the result was not smooth or pretty. but the core was similar for both, and expressed in the greek phrase demos kratia: the citizens rule. democracy is a society in which the citizens rule. usa is not such a society. it will never be such a society, until the people decide they have had enough of elite rule. this looks like never. just too dumb.
    1
  5269. news flash! china is run by smart people, well-educated with long-term programs, [compare and contrast with usa] and they are going to win a trade war. let's hope this doesn't lead to nuclear exchanges. but the usa is crumbling, and may well be led to desperate measures by the looming collapse of the economy.
    1
  5270. sedition laws were one of the excuses for rebelling against british rule.
    1
  5271. if anyone believes this it would be a worry, but i am hopeful this just a few talking heads making a good living by creating a bubble in which rupert murdoch is daily soothed.
    1
  5272. what it will mean is 'america is back!' [ cue 'darth vader' theme ] then watch israel murder an iranian scientist, secure in the knowledge that anything goes.
    1
  5273. 'our democracy?' the state is non-existent. usa is not a democracy. never was. politician-rule is not democracy.
    1
  5274. suppose you have digested the obvious: madison wrote a constitution that ensured the rule of wealth. it worked, here we are, rich rules, ok. then, the usa footprint on the world is shrinking, so the rich are taking a larger share each year, to maintain their lives. the crunch is here, will continue, will reshape the usa profoundly- the normal result is dictatorship. lenin asked, "what is to be done?" because he saw an historical pivot point, and much resulted from his response to those conditions. but we don't have a lenin, perhaps things have to get much worse, before some [to be] giant figure points a way out. but i think the human race doesn't have any time to spare. just when homo sap must reshape its activity as a matter of survival, usa is entering a final spasm of economic and military attempts at world dominance. meanwhile, at home, the celebrity dance contest that usans use in place of functional political management is discussing the moves of a sociopathic comb-over vs, demented dimwit. what to tell young people- not obvious. there is a case for eat, drink and be merry. but life will be short, and the end painful. there is a case for participation in the dance contest, but that strategy is what got you to this point- short and painful also likely. which leaves resistance. no guarantees there, but at least you are not putting your head on the block. try mass organization to create decisive voting blocs. if that doesn't get democracy in 5 years, go to plan b.
    1
  5275. increasingly, the two parties resemble the byzantine blue and green, apolitical, just a device to amuse and bemuse the chumps into believing they have a role in public life. there is a deep purpose in not educating the youth of the evil empire, empty heads are easily turned.
    1
  5276. there are two important characteristics of usa that suggest the empire will fall soon. usans are terminally ignorant.' their government is genuinely evil. [no, that's not an asset.] but size matters. population is large, military budget large, at least, perhaps not well-spent. usa could be secure, if the quality of their society was good. but it's not. high poverty, high imprisonment, low social protection, poor education, distorted taxation system. the ship of state is a rotten old tramp steamer, with a gold-plated bridge deck.
    1
  5277. stop talking about trump, start asking about the system that gave him power.
    1
  5278. why should they? it doesn't pay.
    1
  5279. teenagers can organize fan clubs with thousands of members, but american adults can not organize a would-be citizen action group to get democracy. early onset cowardice, i guess.
    1
  5280. every now and then i see the phrase 'british democracy,' it never fails to raise a smile. britland is ruled by politicians, they only flourish in a nation of morons, so they raise morons. but be fair to this 'talking-head woman.' it's perfectly possible that she is not an idiot. perfectly possible that she is instructed to say idiotic things, as a condition of continuing employment. and a site titled 'democracy now,' is not well-placed to laugh at anyone.
    1
  5281. the system is, indeed, the problem. and you can't fix it. that is the fundamental problem. if usa was a democracy, you could fix it, with citizen initiative. but usa is not a democracy. you must rely on politicians to fix it. they won't. why should they? they run the nation for the benefit of the rich, and the rich pay them. plus, they have endless opportunities to invest with insider knowledge. why isn't usa a democracy? because madison was rich, and as he put it, democracy would lead to the taxes on the rich being used to help the poor. he was not going to let that happen. his constitution has worked wonderfully well, if your aim is guarding wealth.
    1
  5282. the future is small personal comm device, possibly embedded in your body. needs an antenna but that can be woven into clothes. and access to big brother in the sky.
    1
  5283.  Blia Yang  this! what?
    1
  5284. in a democracy, there are no politicians. the public service manages the nation under direction of the voters, through referendum, and occasional initiative. when you have initiative, you don't need twitter, and rich men don't control access to free speech. but you don't live in a democracy, and you are not citizen-quality people. you live in a plutocracy, and you make jokes about it, instead of organizing a revolution.
    1
  5285. joining the fox gang at least clears up any remaining doubt about ms gabbard's character. but it may provide a steady income. always a factor in usa.
    1
  5286. when you create a populace of ill-educated people, in a society devoted to selfish advancement, you can be sure there will be a large number of would-be sturmabteilung thugs who have no future and are angry about it. usa 'progressives' do not find progress attractive, although they talk about it, endlessly. there is no 'progressive ' demand for democracy and socialism, perhaps because it would require effort and even sacrifice. usa 'progressives' want to be given a better usa, by their kind masters. that will require patience. endless patience.
    1
  5287. blyth 'devastated ' no one. he did point out that the political elite were unresponsive to his arguments, the arguments were devastated. no one in the usa seems to understand what democracy is, but until some one does, economic discussions will be in the 'belling of cats' folder.
    1
  5288. in a nation filled with guns, whose presence was explicitly provided for the chastisement of politicians, how come so few are used for political purposes? because those private weapons are mostly 'home defense' pocket pistols. the 2n amendment was perverted to this end. the only people who keep long guns are country types, who tend to be right wingers. so the kennedys are shot, and jack was an obvious political murder, with cut-outs and mystery. shrugging of shoulders and murmurs of 'lone gunmen.'
    1
  5289. if you can't trust a politician, who can you trust? i suggest getting democracy. radical, it's true. but working for kings is a no-risk environment. working for the electorate can lead to jail or ritual disembowelment. reinforces the moral quality of public servants.
    1
  5290. - unless it's our force, and our government. very hard to communicate with usa, they are selectively deaf. no matter, the evil empire is fraying at the edges, and rotting in the center. advice to usa peeps: learn humility, and mandarin.
    1
  5291. please do not complain when your guy doesn't get the respect you think due. these debates are in aid of selecting a democratic candidate by the dnc., it is not fair, the dnc likes some candidates more than others. and it's their bat, their ball. ay and tg have no chance of selection, although both might show up in bernie's cabinet. but he's not going to win either. biden, is old, and visibly dim. warren is too narrowly supported, so an empty suit named buttigieg is warming up in the bull-pen, just in case needed. he came from nowhere with nothing to say, and rolled over tg and ay, if you don't realize the race is rigged, stay away from handicapping horses.
    1
  5292. don't you ever wonder if this is a good way to run a nation?
    1
  5293. not slaves. chumps, certainly,. but i like 'cattle,' yes. firearms everywhere, a web to organize with, and still no rebellion.
    1
  5294. voting is fraud. voting for people is fantasy. in a democracy, the people known as citizens, decide the laws and major activities through referendum and initiative. usa has none of that, and its people are merely civilians, or, as i like to call them, hapless chumps.
    1
  5295. trump does a random good deed, and gets no credit. perhaps he deserves no credit, god knows what his motives are. but the notion that the usa must be at war somewhere always is a large part of the reason that american infra-structure is second rate or third, and rotting.
    1
  5296.  @danielmorales1470  i have a solution, but i'm pretty sure the solution is beyond the capabilities of the usa populace. it's so simple that i marvel the h. sapiens [usa] can not come up with it. get democracy. use initiative to create a socialist economy educate every child to understand the need to protect the nation, and the world. you may have to shoot a few people- the greedy usually don't go quietly.
    1
  5297. if you don't know what democracy is, or don't want it, you must expect to be exploited by whatever elite group holds power. the members of that elite group will also extract personal satisfaction from their power. as here you see.
    1
  5298. biden needs a "see, i tried," exercise, but he has nothing to offer. his sponsors and his handlers are determined to continue the dominance of usa in world affairs, by all means. short of war? interesting question. war would be insane, between the protagonists, but it could happen if usa pressed too hard. perhaps india and philippines could be encouraged to test prc courage. they both have reasons to kick the prc ankle, to buoy up internal power. there is no good will in the usa government, it is rotten with greed and arrogance, and possibly conscious that usa greed fed the rise to competitive power by prc. that must rankle those few in usa capable of sanity. prc government is currently much stronger in simple mental competence and national spirit. so long as the bombs don't fly, they will win. i wish that were a given.
    1
  5299. there is hope for revolution, to establish democracy. it just needs citizen quality people. sadly, usans are chump quality. perhaps domestic terrorism? nah, weather underground got nowhere. otoh, they didn't blow up politician homes...
    1
  5300. selling oz businesses to chinese, or any foreign nation , is stealing from the next generations of ozzies. the profits lost will impoverish the nation, and turn it into a pasture, or a factory, generating wealth for others. politicians who allow this should be imprisoned.
    1
  5301. .... and feeding babies to moloch. in fact, bringing all of china into a rough facility in mandarin is crucial to the modernization of china. and don't worry about dialects, they will linger on indefinitely. although, usa is in danger of becoming a multilingual society itself - all those catholic spanish-speakers are spreading out of mexico. it's not fatal, the swiss have 31/2 national languages, india about 20, one of which is english. usa is greatly hampered by its monoglot history, but that's curing itself with immigration. now let's go back to thinking of ways to demonize prc, it's much cheaper than fixing usa.
    1
  5302. only democracy can deliver justice to ordinary people, but democracy must be fought for. a nation of sheep will be fleeced, and slaughtered at the convenience of the elite. i hope someone in the usa is capable of organizing revolution, but it by no means certain. there is a cynical passivity bred into the national character.
    1
  5303. no. serfs rebel, but can't organize past the 'criminal gang' level. and there is no public voice speaking on fundamental change. usa will just decay and finally collapse. the end state is banana republic.
    1
  5304. it's easy to say 'trump's a disaster.' but what was the alternative? he's not president because of his virtues, but because he is not hillary clinton. and he may get a second term, because the dnc chose an alzheimer dement as the next standard bearer. the obvious conclusion is to demand democracy from the utterly corrupt politician gangs that now rule usa. at gunpoint if necessary, and it will be. but if you are not willing to fight for citizenship, you wouldn't hold it for long, anyway. i don't despise trump anymore than a i would despise a rabid dog. but people who say they have faith in the performance of the politician guild in the face of endless evidence of selfishness, corruption and incompetence, deserve pity at best.but i am less forgiving lately- you deserve trump, and worse will be along soon.
    1
  5305. i think the personalities at the top of society begin 'world wars.' only trump is stupid enough to imagine he could profit from nuclear exchange, and fortunately, he is a coward.
    1
  5306. well, it did work, in this sense" obamacare can charitably called 'token.' the fundamental structure of the usa was designed to allow a few rich people to rule nation 0f 300+ millions. the usa is not a democracy, it is an elective oligarchy, and most of those oligarchs are in debt to the rich. both parties run on money, and the very rich can afford to bribe, rent or own sufficient politicians to bend the operations of state towards making the rich, richer. the recent entry of bloomberg is simply a 'hobbyist, who can afford 100s of millions to indulge his current pastime. i can not be certain why americans don't want democracy, but my provisional guess is, a nation of idiots.
    1
  5307. contemptible as it is, there is seldom resort to sidearms to further argument. i think this may raise its position in the status ladder to about 3/4.. americans have little to proud of, allow them this much.
    1
  5308. chomsky deserves respect for a life-time of public opposition to usa policy, foreign and domestic. but he had nothing useful to say about changing things, because he had a life outside of politics, and recognized there is little that can be done. the character of the nation was set at birth, it was and is evil. when a comedian is a leading clear-sighted child, making a living by remarking "he's got no clothes!" you can guess the national future is not bright.
    1
  5309. has anyone thought that india is a fiction created by the brits, and separation into independent states would be a good idea?
    1
  5310. this is an ad for scammers, tax dodgers and the tax lawyers and accountants who make their living from helping dodgers avoid their contribution to society. prc has been nearly cashless for several years now, and the sky has not fallen. wechat is better than cash, it makes small business safe, consumers safe, and it is more convenient for everyone.
    1
  5311. love it. putting the boot to bbc and laughing!
    1
  5312. as you would expect, in any non-democratic society, particularly one whose fundamental principle is "take as much as you can, and give as little as possible." the existence of jeff bezos sums up the usa.
    1
  5313. ok, now i know. i will stay alert for contrary assertions, armed with crushing logic. may be awhile till needed. we hardly ever get into discussions of space-time at the local pub.
    1
  5314. the usa is not a democracy, the structure of the state is formulated to insure the rich rule- and it works. politicians are not going to fix things, they are the problem, not the solution. and that includes sanders. but it's worse than that- education in the usa does not produce citizens, only consumers, and parasites. aka politicians. 'progressives' nowadays are just people who hope for a kind master. this obsolete social and political structure is rotting the economy, debasing the people, and driving the usa into decline, with no end in sight. well-deserved: a nation created to preserve slavery and license ethnic cleansing has no credit stored up in heaven, and a foreign policy based on militarism earns no friends, outside the military stockade.
    1
  5315. your problem is, you'd like to take politics seriously so that your opinion would have meaning. but usa politics is a puppet show, and opinon is meaningless. if you want to be a citizen of a democracy, first you need to know what democracy is, by no means certain, and then you have to get it. you certainly ain't got it.
    1
  5316. cattle are commonly herded together, to make control easy. usa people are cattle. co-operating with people who want to use you to enhance their own power, and/or wealth will get you you nothing but poverty and early death. consult the media daily, to see your masters in action. i often urge getting democracy, so that the cattle can become citizens, and participate in creating a just and peaceful society. but this is probably too hard for you. but cattle do have several levels of resistance. 1. vote against everyone in office, at every opportunity. 2. give nothing to society, that you can withhold. 3. and if you are really angry at the species of animal currently in politics, plot revolution.
    1
  5317. the preamble starts with a lie, and continues in similar vein. the reality is available in the published statements of the grandees of the nation attending and voting on the establishment of the usa. it was not 'we, the people." most were the richest men of the nation, and the purpose of the constitution was to protect the wealth of slave plantation masters. britain was beginning to legislate against slavery, piecemeal.
    1
  5318. don't laugh at aoc, she has joined the elite, and you are paying her wages. some of you are also bribing her, no doubt. i don't know why usans put up with politician rule, some states have democracy, so it's not like it's unknown to usa people. but you don't want it, is the short answer. i've often heard people say "that's just mob rule." well, elite rule is much better, if you are in the elite, and many people figure running errands for the elite makes you one of them. the prevalence of this kind of thinking is why usa has no future.
    1
  5319. the china problem was made in the usa. as the trump regime has made clear, even their leaders are corrupt, and all of their leaders find war necessary to usa prosperity.
    1
  5320. politics as a celebrity dance contest. 'democratic strategist?' you guys have to make a living, go for it. but this ain't helping usa or h. sap.
    1
  5321. mao was wrong, if he said it, not familiar with the quote. politics often has bloodshed, within a country. that's when murder is called 'assassination.' or in the usa, 'murder by lone gunman.'
    1
  5322. this guy is blind.
    1
  5323. last time i looked, presidents don't legislate. even if bernie wins, he will accomplish little, and nothing that can't be overturned when he leaves. the only president that can change things has to bring the army with him. but enjoy your fanclubbing, it's free as well as useless.
    1
  5324. if you only educate the children of the rich, a natural aristocracy will emerge, rich and brainy, to sustain the aristocracy of the merely rich, whose grandchildren are commonly bankrupt. better still, the smart and rich may be able to reach an accommodation with the rise of military rulers, while the rich and dim have to depend on marrying their daughters to mars.
    1
  5325. congress is hijacked by billionaires? if you would trouble yourself to read usa history, you would discover the government of the usa was designed by james madison to be controlled by the rich. there is no 'hi-jacking,' plutocracy is the design condition. nothing to be done about it, short of revolution, and revolution needs [would-be ] citizen-quality people. none in sight, chance for change? zip.
    1
  5326. so russia blew up its multi-billion dollar pipeline, when it could just turn off the tap, and preserve chances of income later? that kind of argument would raise questions of sanity in those making it, except there is no sane argument for russia to do this. usa, ontoh, has an excellent.reason, bang! -presto! and germany is locked in to usa heating oil. perhaps from saudi at exorbitant prices. but not any more, from russia. so start with that opinion. if yer sane. the interesting part, is how germany feels about this. they have been loyal, sung the nato song, and now they are going to be very cold. how can any national politician be comfortable about german policy being made by terrorist bombs? and they are terrorist bombs, even if planted by cia agents.
    1
  5327. we will never know, because everyone in usa thinks rule by politicians is democracy. refer to orwells 'doublethink' and 'newspeak.' usa is a functional plutocracy, with a structure of elective aristocracy - no democracy in it. never was. madison sold his constitution to the convention as a sure preventative of democracy, and he delivered. ignorance and cynical newspeak keep the people in the corral, but they are political cattle, even so.
    1
  5328.  Susan Joseph  i suggest eu is more closely aligned in terms of development, both have centers of excellence, but india still has people following a cow and plow, and traveling in great numbers on the top of trains, being hopelessly out of touch with the developed economy.
    1
  5329. google is not a public service. if you haven't got democracy, or even know what it is, then you have to endure being screwed by the elite. in the usa, that is the rich. usa is a plutocracy, by design, always has been. if you are unwilling to struggle for democracy, it will not come as a gift. the catch 22 though, is that when you grow up as a powerless consumer, a watcher of public events rather than a participant, you don't form the character of a citizen. so you will go on complaining, but never dream of revolution.
    1
  5330. if britland were a democracy, you wouldn't have politicians to blame. so much easier to watch yer nation sink beneath the waves with no feeling of responsibility. 'they dunnit!'
    1
  5331. now, why would an iraqi hate dubya? let me re-phrase that... why wouldn't he? yeah, that makes more sense. you can see why the presidential protection squad keeps growing.
    1
  5332. digital money is a valuable advance for humanity. when all transactions must pass through tax department servers, evasion will be impossible. or at least rare. but the rich won't support this, so it won't happen soon.
    1
  5333. they are not the poorest. they are better off than their brown neighbors. the usa was born to protect slavery and the rule of wealth. and here you see the result.
    1
  5334. you just need democracy. get citizen initiative, use it to reshape the nation.
    1
  5335. the structure of the usa political system was explicitly described as ensuring the rule of the rich. and it has performed as madison intended. the only cure is revolution. since no elite hands over power until the threat of personal harm is seen as real and imminent, if you want change you must prepare to shoot. that in fact is the purpose of the second amendment. but it turned out that the people with guns are the ones who want to be loyal henchmen of the powerful. those mouthy city mouses got nothing but tasers and panic alarms. i think that's 'irony,' but it certainly ain't revolution. it is, otoh, a mild but reliable amusement. carry on 'carrying on.'
    1
  5336. do you know of any democratic nations?
    1
  5337. there are chinese apps that replace the western 'tent-poles' of public discussion, and they are censored too. but you can read them, with 'translate,' and get the other side of the events. but clearly ordinary people need a 'pirate' info platform, not under any gummint thumb. if you have any knowledge or experience here, please inform. how to get paid, for talking? if you get paid for talking, i assume you are lying. in the mean time, i just tune out anything from the usg.
    1
  5338. this is the south korean variety of fascism. makes north korea look just a tiny bit more respectable. and of course, they learned this oriental variety from the japanese zaibatsu. similar things are going on in usa, it was created to be ruled by wealth, the big money of the day was slave plantations, and 'amazon' is doing its best the recreate those conditions in modern life. i don't know why homer sap doesn't demand democracy, but if we continue to let the elite rule, they will destroy the planet.
    1
  5339. another 'strategist.' you'd think one would be enough for any party, although gofers proliferate to pump up the importance of bagmen. i think he's just a nephew.
    1
  5340. what's this 'becoming?' it was born to empower the rich, protect slavery, and license the expropriation of the land of the natives. it hasn't got any better, but perhaps no worse. then you think of viet nam, iraq, chile and nicaragua, and haiti, and maybe it is worse, in scale if not quality.
    1
  5341. in a democracy, the administrators put before the electorate referenda about changes to normal operating procedure, and the citizens decide. the citizens also have a power of initiative, to direct action not put by referendum. there is no need for politicians at all. there are no pure democracies, because human society began as warlord dominated groups, right back to the african savanna, when the 'warlords' were the biggest males, and earned their keep by getting in front of the group when hyenas or lions came by. but over centuries humanity has been drifting towards democracy, for various reasons. perhaps the best reason is that the collective decision of all the adults is likely to be better for the nation as a whole, when compared with the decisions reached by elite groups. the usa has made less progress than most industrialized economies. it is frozen in place by a constitution hopelessly ineffective in selecting good management. the current apparent choice, between a dimwitted sociopath and an alzheimer dement should persuade you, by itself. further examples are plentiful. if you are ready for a new constitution, progress becomes possible. if not, not.
    1
  5342. i suspect she meant g5 [the secret government agency, and was reminded of her duty to the ubergov]
    1
  5343. it turns out that elite rule doesn't guarantee effective rule. should surprise no one, but homo sapiens doesn't really exhibit any great intellectual power. only just enough to deal with tigers. we need democracy, and sufficient socialism to create a good life for all, and educate everyone to their capacity. then we would be homo sapiens, in truth. but progress is slow, perhaps non-existent. still, it should be clear to the dimmest, that giving control of the nation to politicians is suicidal.
    1
  5344. frau doktor h. is expanding her range into mystical philosophy. germans often fall into that habit, when logic and simple good sense are blocked by seemingly endless depths of reality. hegel made a career out of it, while english-speakers tend to search for an income, especially americans, "is there a buck in it?"
    1
  5345. i well know that the usg is a institution best removed from human society, but no one will tell me how he, or we, can do it. so listening to hedges is in the end just entertainment. it would be simple if most americans wanted it gone, but almost all are umoved, unconcerned, genuine pol;itical zombies. that is the brilliance of the usa constitution. it has created a lumpen populace with no more self of citizenship than a herd of cows.
    1
  5346. you see, mr dore, 'american democracy' isn't really democracy, they lied. doesn't matter what the chump voters want. you can tell, easily: democracy is directed by referendum and initiative, and usa ain't got it. not any, zilch. but i guess a nation of ignorant submissive chumps doesn't deserve any better, you've been putting up with it since 1789. happy 4th of july, serfs!
    1
  5347. usans should be worried if a politician gets elected.
    1
  5348. every american president murders people. ask chomsky, he's got a list, they're all on it. even gabbard doesn't care about killing foreigners, it's the return fire that bothers her. so i suggest that murrikens vote for someone most likely not to start a big war, nor collapse the world economy. leaving out the lightweights, bernie looks sensible, maybe warren, but none can control the american state. that pebble was started rolling downhill when then constitution was accepted, and it is an avalanche beyond control now. is trump dangerous? they all are. they all are astride the falling bomb, yelling "whoopee! follow me!"
    1
  5349. if nixon could come-back, pete will be with you always. next stop, senator from indiana.
    1
  5350. ordinary people wish their masters would not throw them into the meat-grinder of war, and this eventually became the impetus for getting democracy. democracy has a meaning, 'the citizens decide,' from greek, 'demos kratia.' one of the benefits of democracy, for ordinary people, is that decisions are made by the people who will pay the bill, in money or blood. don't you wish you were a citizen of a democracy? [and no, you are not.' ]
    1
  5351. relax, guys, yer safe. you haven't got democracy, never had democracy, so how can you lose it. the constitution says nothing about democracy, madison said it would prevent democracy, and he was right. and recently, princeton university printed a substantial comparison study showing literal zero co-relation between public opinion and government activity. the lack of democracy is both formal and material. politician rule is not democracy. it has no connection to democracy. it is an evolution of war-lord rule, with the weapons transmuted into ballots [ which rightly share an inheritance with bullets. ]
    1
  5352. trump is implicit in the structure of the nation. 'anyone can be president' is nearly true. the 'brake' on a sociopath of limited intellect is a senate filled with people whose status requires support of this notably dysfunctional person. anyone who doesn't yearn for a new constitution is part of the problem--- a populace of passive nongs is going to see a lot of 'anyones,' often worse than trump,
    1
  5353. personnaly, i chose to be apart from war-mongers like lbj and nixon. tg has no pacific impulses, she actively wants to kill people who hate usa, without discussing why they hate usa. you can summarize by noting that usa still occupies iraq. an invasion on a lie is still a grab for other people's oil. if anyone in usa feels a shred of shame about your nation's foreign wars, would you put yer hand up. i can't recall any interest in this particular war crime, but be assured , there is a very good reason you are hated in the middle east. several, in fact.
    1
  5354. the sovs had their collective minds concentrated by the wehrmacht, and saw the use of 'good enough.'
    1
  5355. scary stuff. but the thing is, usa is not a democracy, and the ordinary chump voter doesn't decide state activity. this kind of drum-beating is directed at the few hundred who will make the decisions. it is quite possible usa might win a war against russia, or prc, or both. but last time i looked, russia by itself had roughly comparable nuclear capacity, don't know about prc, but i bet it is not negligible. so there will be no winner. the drum beating is simply to transfer more money from public services to munitions profits.
    1
  5356. every once in a while,, reality breaks through, in the usa, and there is a bit of verbal head-scratching. they literally don't understand that usa is an oligarchy, explicitly designed to be ruled by wealth. not surprising, history is 'selective' in the usa. if you catch 'em young, you can make them believe anything.
    1
  5357. if more than half of murrakin politicians were like bernie, what a wonderful world it would be. but politicians aren't like that . in the youessofay. madison made sure it isn't like that, and would be well-pleased to see his handiwork largely intact. and still the political class think the constitution is a wonderful document. which it is, for them. the pols and the richos are the political class, and the constitution is the source of their power and wealth. as for the 'mob,' as madison referred to them, they are taught to genuflect to the word, as it protects them from the necessity of dealing with difficult questions, such as education, health care and peace or war. their smart and saintly representatives take care of all that, sleep easy. i am tempted to think americans are mortal dim.
    1
  5358. are you sure you want politicians to run your nation?
    1
  5359. well, compared to the democratic party, possibly true. in its final years, imperial byzantium had only 2 parties, greens and blues. and usa has reds and blues. neither empire had democracy, just contending factions of politicians. but a 'hate session' against the gop does simplify life, and saves both thought and constructive action. "down with gop! all hail glorious dems! " there, problems solved? the existence of political parties should shame you, since it exposes the political impotence and puerility of usa populace.
    1
  5360. much has changed since roman days, but the succession ot caesars and augustas in usa is beginning to resemble the 'decline and fall....' the structure of the state was defective at birth, and is hopelessly obsolete. bernie can't fix it, nor anyone else. the whole selection process of national managers is visibly absurd. yet the professional talking heads are the closest to political analysis, and can not rise to the level, even, of 'the late show.' this is not going to end well, or even end, just become less and less relevant to human history.
    1
  5361. i would like to believe there is an underground organization in usa, gathering support to establish democracy. have to be underground, since no visible evidence. but much more likely is a ignorant, passive and dis-spirited collection of cattle desperately scrounging for a meal. revolution comes from the middle, not the bottom, and usa middles are uneasy, but not yet fearful. so talk is all you get. problem is, the climate crisis is not waiting for homer sap [ usa ]to get active.
    1
  5362. wrong there, mate. i just hope this doesn't start a real war.
    1
  5363. your grasp of history is weak, and we don't despise usa for culture, it's the bombs, the murders and invasions that stink.
    1
  5364. a nation with democracy has no use for politicians. what a wonderful world that would be. comparatively speaking, of course.
    1
  5365. marx attempted to bring systematic analysis to human society, and made many useful observations. but the notion of gradual transformation of society into communism was just wishful thinking. it hasn't happened, and won't, because of the 'natural' character of human individuals: given the chance, individuals want to rule, and collect wealth and pass power and wealth to their children. this tendency corrupts every kind of society, so far, and ussr and prc retreated from 'communism' rather than continuing to advance to it. currently prc has a mild form of socialism, a primitive, 'guided' capitalism, under a mandarinate of a communist party that will never release power. marx rightly saw that democracy was impossible to humanity, of his time, and dreamed that progress was possible without it. it isn't. aristotle was right: the central fact of any society is: "who decides?" which means, as long as the answer is any minority group, the majority will always be exploited. prc now is the most efficient society on earth, and their 'guided' capitalism has brought china back to the first rank of nations, and is likely to make it supreme, soon. it won't last long, because the mandarinate will decay as every other elite rule has. indeed, china's history is a demonstration of the life cycle of elite rule. only democracy has the medicine for elite decay, and homo sapiens may be incapable of it.
    1
  5366. don''t worry about the debt, will follow china to digital money, and make debt disappear. it's just a number, innit? doesn't mean anything in modern times. right?
    1
  5367. yer problems are much deeper than facebook. but if you don't know what they are, you can't fix'em. you can't even talk about them. god help you. but since most species that ever lived are extinct, even god may not take much interest in yer welfare.
    1
  5368. homo [somewhat] sapiens as a race must control population. individuals and national 'leaders' see advantage in increasing population. we are doomed. depressing, what?
    1
  5369. don't despair folks, you would have won ww2 with daffy duck in charge. japan was hopelessly outclassed by usa, ussr had germans beat before usa entered the war. trump is actually not so bad- he hasn't started a war yet. he may need one to get re-elected, usans are ignorant enough to swallow whatever lies are necessary.
    1
  5370. usa is a bully problem, and no end in sight. but the world hopes the collapse of usa will erase the ability to buy or threaten other nations. when you think about it, usa is just what you would expect to evolve, from a nation born to protect slavery and wealth.
    1
  5371. the constitution was written by a sociopath named madison, who had to be clear about the aim of the proposed document, in order to sell it to like-minded grandees of the post-revolutionary nation. it was written to ensure the rule of wealth, he said so. he pointed out that the people would never have a voice in the management of the nation, that was undesirable as it would lead to the 'opulent' being taxed to support the indigent. it was explicitly a document to legitimate the rule of the rich. look around you, open your eyes - it worked! and there was a certain amount of weasel words embedding slavery in the economy of the nation, too. appealing to the 'founders' as a standard of public probity is absurd. the nation was established by men smarter by far than trump, but equally crooked. so smart indeed, that jefferson is widely admired to this day. inquire into the private life and correspondence of this person, and you will find a hypocrite of breath-taking range and consistency. usa was literally born to support slavery, plutocracy, and ethnic cleansing. holding the 'founders' up as public models is insane, they should be introduced to school children as the shame of the nation. trump is in the same mold, merely different in being notably dumb. defective people show up in every aristocracy, in every demographic. in a monarchy, they can be king. in the usa, they can be president.
    1
  5372. voting for people is not democracy, it's just a safety valve for plutocracy. before the people get to the gun-fire stage they are allowed to install new masters, who turn out to be old masters. democracy is done with referendum and initiative, there is no need for politicians, at all. why anyone would prefer to go on empowering politicians is a mystery to me. is there some genetic flaw in the people of the usa?
    1
  5373. there is a lot to be said, for gang-rape? with murder for dessert?
    1
  5374. the fundamental problem is the character of the usa. it turns out that establishing a nation to prolong slavery and legitimize the expropriation of the indigenes has long-term effects on the law and custom of the people. really, you should go back and start over. until sanity re-appears: no guns in private hands. national direction by referendum and initiative. you can't allow politicians to run the nation. no military activity in foreign nations. baaaad karma! no murder of foreign people, by soldiers or assassins. have you no shame? right now, usa is psychopathic. mass murder at home is god's way of showing you that mass murder of foreigners is naughty.
    1
  5375. what you are talking about is a 1700's political system, which was vile then - slavery among advanced nations stank - and which is vile now, for using 'special forces' as a marketing tool, and military production as a wealth transfer device. if there was half a brain in the usa electorate, there would be revolution. instead there is political commentary as an entertainment custom.
    1
  5376. you have a dangerous buffoon in the wh, but not the first. the political system is hopeless. no one is willing to offer a new constitution, because change is too hard. there will be more dangerous buffoons. usa shows the results of poor management, and it won't improve. i almost feel sorry for usans, but then you murder somebody, or a dozen, or 50,000, and i figure if you are silent in the face of the vietnam war, and the iraq war, and endless other crimes [chomsky can give you a list] then watching your nation crumble under you is well-deserved.
    1
  5377. usa is falling behind in tech race, blames china for theft. in fact, china spends more in this area and are ahead in 5g development. 'theft' not necessary. in desperation, kidnap mwz, use resulting tensions to discipline usa followers, force them to accept only american phones and equipment, even if inferior. just part of the trade war. canada is the first to be squeezed like this, oz and enzed already in line, uk welded onto usa bum. this will become a cold war of technology, which usa looks to lose. trump has given canada judge an excuse to find this a 'political' arrest, and release meng. i hope he takes it.
    1
  5378. since americans despise one another, generally for good reason, they can only stand facing each other, leaving backs unguarded.
    1
  5379. you mean they ever did? an nation that trusts politicians is an 'animal farm.'
    1
  5380. do you believe in santa claus? probably not. do you believe politicians are your friend? for a few rich people, the answer is 'yes.' for most, no. "should this be allowed?" that is none of your business. if you were a citizen of a democracy, it would be your business, but you are too dim, too lazy, too ignorant to get democracy. but you can beg politicians for relief. how's that working out? about like a sheep begging a wolf for mercy?
    1
  5381. after getting a trump followed by a biden, it's surprising that no one has questioned the structure of the state. need a new constitution?
    1
  5382. 'we demand!' not sure if aristotle gave any thought at all to 'economics, 'but he did offer the opinion that the core of human society was 'who decides? the power of decision sets the framework for all major aspects of society, and talking about change without a gun in your hand tends to be fruitless. economics is politics for the powerless, which is why most nations have a small rich and powerful elite, and large numbers of powerless and poor cattle. the rich buy politicians, the politicians pay soldiers, and that is functional economics. the economy of most nations is twisted to bring about this situation by the application of force. which is why, after giving marx some thought, mao said, 'power grows out of a barrel of a gun.' if you want change, be prepared for struggle. not dancing, but shooting. 'we demand?' in reality, she is begging, because her hand is empty.
    1
  5383. poor usa, dependent on a single individual, from a field of defectives. quite like settling inheritance from a royal family with severe inbreeding problems.
    1
  5384.  @orionsghost9511  revolution seldom begins at the bottom. it generally needs leadership from the angry middle class, who have time and a sense of entitlement. when they are cheated or attacked, they resist, and often enlist the lowers to fight with/for them. in france and china, this resulted in massive change. usa might follow that path some day, but i suspect climate collapse will shape politics soon.
    1
  5385. the usa is not a democracy. you are not citizens, you are merely civilians. don't know why you put up with it.
    1
  5386. what does 'democracy at work' mean? it sounds like the workers tell the owner what to do. perhaps, after the revolution, but not now or any time soon.
    1
  5387.  @TheGroovyJones  there were worker co-ops started in the great depression, a few lasted into the 1950's i think. my uncle was in one, timber and plywood, went bust in '54. but that has nothing to do with democracy. 'democracy' is the answer to the question: "who rules?" when the people rule, through referendum and initiative. california does this, and a few other states, they would be democracies if not under the rule of the federal government. very big if. the russkis tried to integrate worker co-ops into the state, 'soviet' if you remember the history. didn't last long.
    1
  5388.  @TheGroovyJones  a second time, for slow learners- it is precisely because the state could dominate and ultimately 'own' the co-ops that they are not the answer to aristotle's question. syndico-anarchism is not a new idea, and has not lasted anywhere as a dominant political structure.
    1
  5389. yanis is unwilling to admit that democracy doesn't exist, because it is useless to talk to slaves. he dare not recommend revolution, because he's making a good living out of 'criticism'. the elite never go quietly, so long as they have the price of a mercenary gang. his audience will clap, but they will not organize a revolution.
    1
  5390. good one, ms iversen. the dnc was willing to ignore bernie, he was just a warm-up act. they couldn't imagine clinton losing to such a vile man. they may be wiser now, but so far there has been no evidence they are. i despair of america, but one must hope for the best, because usa does so much harm. at least the 'less-favored three' might moderate the murder, if one of them slips by the dnc.
    1
  5391. they didn't tell you much about marxism, did they? not much about slavery, either. or the expropriation of native lands. usa history is a children's coloring book, with no naughty bits. without history, a people are wanderers in a dark desert, and easily led where selfish and arrogant people want them to go. i wonder, does orwell get much respect in usa? '1984' was pointed at ussr, but they were children compared to the massage of history and ideas given to usans. but remember this - marxism failed to capture attention and respect, and those few nations that based their rule on his ideas were overwhelmed by capitalist nations, or in the case of china, flourished only when capitalism was allowed to direct activity.* that's because, in my view, marxism gave no thought to politics. politics is about power, and academics hate power, and avoid it. a brute with a gun rules bright and educated academics. one of mao's winning insights was encapsulated in one of his typical pithy sayings,  "power grows from the barrel of a gun." even so, he also knew that starving people don't obey guns. *deng xiao ping was a brilliant man, and saw the utility of pretending to be bending towards capitalism. his invitation to western nations, chiefly usa, to invest in china was political gung fu of the highest order. he needed the base created by mao, but between them they exposed the primitive capitalist societies as both brutal, and naive. xi jin ping intends to use their foundation for a reclamation of marxist principles, to create a new chinese socio-political model. too soon to say how successful he will be, brutal and naive has the most guns right now. but if the bombs don't fly, we are entering a new period of history.
    1
  5392. i'm sorry, my faith in mental science has been totally destroyed. fortunately, i find a glass of wine with dinner is sufficient to prevent suicide
    1
  5393. people who weep for the middle class are uniformly silent about the lower class. but the existence of unpeople has a deeply negative effect on the sacred middle class. but you don't want to talk about reality, you are here to pretend that you are real people. the fact that your betters run the state to suit themselves and there is nothing you can do about it, would be embarrassing to self-respecting adults, unless you are raised to live in the bubble. which you are. now chatter nicely, children.
    1
  5394. you can argue that trump voters are dimmer, less well educated and/or more disconnected from usa economy, they are simply angry, fearful, desperate. or you can take the big picture and say that usa is fragmenting. a history of glorifying 'self-reliance' resulting in a society of total distrust towards any elite group, including medical professionals. trump is the only national level political figure who is not a professional politician. so a lot of people don't care at all that he is a contemptible figure, following him is a simple way to express hatred and contempt to the elite. well-merited contempt, the usa elite no longer feel any necessity to hide their disdain for the common chump. usa was hobbled at birth by its foundation principles. not immediately visible because of the physical bounties of the nation. those principles remain, as the natural resources fade. selfishness, racism, and greed are corrosive principles, written into the constitution, and the poison is taking effect.
    1
  5395. not good enough. needs new constitution.
    1
  5396. nazis in the usa? no surprise. they have them in ukraine too, are you beginning to understand why putin doesn't want them for neighbors? dubya's granddaddy had to get out of connecticut because of his nazi connections, a lot of powerful, rich, jews in connecticut, and moved to texas, where bushes were very welcome.
    1
  5397. whoever leaked these photos did the world a service. the class of pretty young women in dance-hall costume must be stamped out, before others begin to think having fun is acceptable. congratulations, ms. ball, on your good fortune, in mind and body.save these photos for any grandkids, i'm sure they will enjoy them.
    1
  5398. so, a choice between sociopathic narcissist, demented militarist, and a friendly socialist. is this spoiled for choice, or rotten past fixing? politics in usa has reached mad-hatters tea party stage. well-deserved, it's all yer own work, but i do wish you would recall those bandits, assassins and armies that you call 'foreign relations.'
    1
  5399. good story, needs telling.
    1
  5400. anyone who watches the view deserves to be ignored.
    1
  5401. already, batteries are better for most purposes. and sun, wind and water will recharge without making a mess, but homer sap's main problem is political. elite rule, concentrated power, is making a mess of the world, and talking about physics or chemistry won't fix it.
    1
  5402. the way tp democratize power is to establish democracy. i marvel daily that self-styled 'progressives' can not see the need for democracy.
    1
  5403. it ain't easy, being evil. you gotta surround yerself with lies. lucky, the pay is good, and no taxes above street capo grade. don't let israel bother you. it's usa that is the cancerous danger to the world. and it ain't going away. murrikins put up with their sociopath gummint, many of them actively praise it, so no revolution. the biggest military in the world discourages outside intervention. so homer sap is in deep trouble. we are on the path to extinction, and usa is leading the way.
    1
  5404. if people would stop referring to the usa as a democracy, perhaps it would be possible to organize and establish democracy. the usa is an elective oligarchy, purpose-built to ensure the rich ruled.
    1
  5405. this woman will be back with the army, 5-10 years from now. politicians will be so despised that a ranger squad and a gunship overhead will be enough.
    1
  5406. so what? it's just kabuki, anyway. grown-ups don't run a nation that way anymore. or so i think- not sure there are enough grown-ups in usa to run a nation, through democracy. they barely manage it in california, only 40 million, and no foreign policy.
    1
  5407. thr good news is, if homer sap was smart enough and brave enough, to get democracy, and consequent socialism, survival at a modest level of comfort is possible. the bad news, he ain't smart enough, nor brave enough.
    1
  5408. get democracy, people. politicians are parasites.
    1
  5409. the law is just a mask on power. assange has become an unperson. if all you are willing to do is talk, no one in power will listen.
    1
  5410. usa is not a democracy, there is no referendum, no initiative. choosing your master is not democracy, it is elective aristocracy. better than nothing, you may think, but the reason the nation is drifting into chaos is because the tightly held power can be bought and is.
    1
  5411. censorship empowers the government. they have too much already. first get democracy, then use initiative and referendum to direct the nation. too much trouble? then admit to being passive and ignorant cattle, just the sort of people who support murdoch media.
    1
  5412. bannon is talking about democracy. and satan sings a hymn to chastity.
    1
  5413. fox news does not have an alternative view of the universe. they see it clearly, and do their best to make sure others do not. they practice journalism as war. so what? why should they not? you do not live in a democracy. one consequence is that there is little communal spirit, it is 'all against all.' if you are unwilling to create a democracy, at whatever cost, then no change is possible.
    1
  5414. why stop there, trump murders people. but that's true of usa presidents in general. but non-usans don't count, right?
    1
  5415. i'm glad you are speaking, ms iversen, but i can not imagine any good result from it. beyond earning some money, and relieving moral distress. nothing wrong with that, very american, but i wish someone was talking about revolution.
    1
  5416. no doubt about it, trump is a 'not good' guy. so why is he ceo of usa? well, the anointed one of two political gangs gets to be king-for-awhile, after a virtual civil war called 'election.' the other gang lost, even though it was nominally stronger. as ever, numbers don't always count, as napoleon, hannibal and alexander demonstrated on several occasions. americans call this 'american democracy,' and it is american, though not democracy. remarking on trump's character is easy, wondering about the system that put him in power must be very hard indeed, for no one says a word about it. but that's another wonderful feature of 'american democracy,' no thinking required, or desired.
    1
  5417. 1st step, don't call it 'capitalism.' it's just greed and arrogance, supported by a well-paid mercenary army. 2nd, any number of dictators, kings and over-seers have calculated that working slaves to death is good business, so long as you feed them from 15 to 40, just enough. 3rd, any fool can figure out that only 10% can flourish in any society, if the top decile bleeds off the profits. finally, the cure is simple: get democracy, at gun-point. use it t build a society livable for all. aka 'socialism.'
    1
  5418. they have high poverty because if you want to be in movies, you go to hollywood, if you want to be on the dole, you go to hollywood, too. good climate, generous government. federal nations have this problem. a good reason to dissolve the federation.
    1
  5419.  @yl7806  corruption is never a thing of the past. prc has big problems, which they are not addressing. not yet, not visibly. but i generally support them, in their struggle with usa - some devils much worse than others.
    1
  5420. soros spends his money on charity, which makes him a better kind of plutocrat.
    1
  5421. a nation must have it's own currency to control its foreign trade.
    1
  5422. unfortunately, establishing democracy is not the primary goal of the democratic party. far from it, their primary goal is getting their bottoms on government power-chairs. that's why the most successful politicians spend more time with the rich than with the poor. 'taking back' is a nonsense, there has never been a time when the grandees of the party thought to give the party to the people. they only give enough to get in office. to be fair, establishing democracy might make politicians obsolete, and would certainly curtail their pay and benefits. so they hand out fish, they promise to hand out fish- but they never hand over the fishing pole. can't expect them to make themselves obsolete. if you want democracy, you must take it. if you want a kind master, choose from the politicians, prepare for disappointment.
    1
  5423. how to fix it? quell rire! there is no fix to elites exploiting the ex-workers. that generation is unpeople. their children are bandits.
    1
  5424. who decides if a nation shall be capitalist, or socialist? i think that in the usa, one man decided. he wrote a constitution modeled on georgian britain which put the rich in control of the nation, 'for the ages,' in his words. his design worked, and his intentions were clearly expressed as he promoted the constitution to the grandees of the various states, who established the constitution. it was filled with lies, notably in that the word 'slavery' never appeared, while discussion of 'indentured' labor was detailed in supporting slavery. but the first lie in the constitution was "we, the people," for the people were never consulted. except in rhode island, where they had a referendum. they rejected the constitution. after the other 12 states accepted, they gave in. madison 'considered' democracy in his promotion of the constitution, but rejected it, as it would lead to the taxes of the rich being spent on the purposes of the poor. the constitution will continue to support plutocracy until it is replaced.
    1
  5425. this will come as a surprise to a people whose army has worked for money since the 70's. hardly anyone chooses to die in defense of a small pay-check.
    1
  5426. democracy at work is nonsense. you should be struggling to get democracy in your nation. but that is too hard?
    1
  5427. doesn't it occur to anyone that the national management selection process has come up with a psychopath and a victim of senile dementia, neither over-smart to begin with? when will you twig that the constitution is obsolete? national management should not be a prize in an arm-wrestling contest by two old men in a sheltered hospice.
    1
  5428. trump's second most important asset is the democratic party. they had nothing to say about the rust belt, endless time for the bankers and brokers. of course, his primary asset is the ex-democratic voters who have finally figured there will be no help from there. much is made of the fact that trump is a phony, looting the treasury for the rich. but that is not important to the 'globalized.' they are sending a message to the democrats, that your lackeying to rich has been noted, and will be punished at whatever cost. of course, usa problems are more fundamental, and likely to be fatal. a constitution designed to sustain plutocracy has been very successful in that aim. and plutocracy is a self-consuming political structure. compare the quality of the people in the american government with those of china. it is not accident that china is flourishing while the west flounders. the trade war will be seen as trump's viet nam.
    1
  5429. right, to hell with principles, let's see if there is more money in keeping women in the work-place. this is the viewpoint that treats humans as labor units. but if you live in usa, that's the world around you. i think it began with creating a nation to preserve slavery. when you begin with humans as labor units, it's hard to shake the world view.
    1
  5430. while you support elective oligarchy, the rich will bleed the planet, to our common death. if you won't fight to get democracy, h. sap. will join the majority of species, that could not survive in a dynamic world.
    1
  5431. if you want a new society, i recommend getting democracy. just needs a lot of people who want to upgrade their status from 'chump' to 'citizen.' it's really easy. and there's the problem. you see, yer obstacle isn't the greed and arrogance of politicians and their rich patrons. they are few, and fragile. yer real problem is the quality of usa chumps. revolution is just too hard to imagine, much less organize and execute.
    1
  5432. hard to see how iran can discourage this kind of murder. their only solution is to acquire nuclear weapons. i wonder if russia or china would lend them some, as a bridging device, until they can build and deliver their own.
    1
  5433. instead of 'left-right,' lets put the conversation around 'who decides.' if all the adults, it's democracy, if one person, it's dictatorship. suppose their are 300 million voters, and 150 million plus one votes 'yes.' that's democracy only one 'voter' yes or no, that's dictatorship. 1000 voters, 501 decide, that's oligarchy. where is usa? 536/2, 269 decide the path of the nation, so it's an oligarchy. the word means rule by a few, and compared to 150 million + 1, it is very few indeed. why don't you talk about this? why talk about what you wish would happen, when you are too apathetic to act in getting democracy.
    1
  5434. ahhh, only 'try.' disappointing.
    1
  5435. not immediately fatal, and justifies their salary. the unique quality of democracy is the need for public discussion before public action. in oligarchies, people in power can act in secret, and be gone before the consequences of their theft becomes known. printing money is not by itself fatal, but if it does not generate goods and services in equal amount- the denarius was a silver coin in the flush vigor of the early empire, and had no silver at all when the goths inherited the empire. we can shift the blame on other circumstances as well, but when you can't pay the soldiers, every nation is near death.
    1
  5436. in a democracy, politics is the concern of the citizens. in an aristocracy, the aristos support or plot against the king, and ignore the people.
    1
  5437. voting for people is not democracy. allowing politicians to rule you is not democracy. so if you allow politicians to dance you around, the fault is yours: you are not citizen quality people, you are just civilians, the inheritors of the fore-lock tugging commoners of british monarchy.. why do you put up with it? are you satisfied to be cattle?
    1
  5438. tell modi, he's betting on the wrong side..
    1
  5439. the american lives were not in america. are your soldiers sacrosanct, wherever they go? you want to save lives cheaply? go home.
    1
  5440. usa is collapsing, and that's strange, with the biggest military budget in the world, you'd think usa would just take what they want from others. perhaps they do, but don't share the booty with teachers? let's be frank, usa is a plutocracy, and that means the purpose of the state is to make rich people richer. if you don't like the results, you have to change the system. i recommend democracy.
    1
  5441. you could have democracy, if most usans wanted it, but i see no sign of their wanting it. you are ruled by a parasitic group called 'politicians, and you accept it. complaining is natural, and many make a living through complaint, as here we see. this may relieve feelings, but will accomplish nothing of real consequence. you will go on being ruled by politicians for awhile, there is military rule in your future. democracy can not happen without citizen quality people, and they are a minority group in usa.
    1
  5442. usa started off as an elective aristocracy, dominated by wealth. it was in fact separated from britain to preserve slavery. from that base, little has changed, so long as you are white. overt slavery gone, but the for profit prisons are heavily filled with brown people. geography made usa rich, then strong, now the most powerful nation on earth. but less so than 10 years ago. the rise of china has been spectacular, a demonstration of what can be achieved with good management, and a shame to every other government in the world, for china is not rich in space or resources. the usa elite is getting nervous, and has recently begun a campaign to smother the prc, all means short of war. it seems unlikely to succeed, for the chinese have demonstrated determination and intelligence, and they are already too strong to be beaten without catastrophic reprisal. unfortunately, the usa elite is not accustomed to having their wishes not met, so the whole world is in danger.
    1
  5443. they are on their own side, and you are too dim to see the value of democracy. of course, even if you wanted democracy, you couldn't have it - forbidden by constitution.
    1
  5444. i presume this is not in your job application portfolio?
    1
  5445. how much longer are you turkeys going to let politicians run and ruin your nation?
    1
  5446.  @charkitte  not quite, they have a reasonable version of democracy in switzerland. even if that doesn't impress you, the rotten results of politician rule should inspire real change, it did during the 'progressive era.' communication easy nowadays, all that is lacking is will.
    1
  5447. obama may feel that 8 years president while black was sufficient legacy for the usa. considering how many white men didn't make it, he has a case. if you ever thought he was a saint, the more fool you. he offered hope and [loose ] change, and that you got. you see, that's the difference between democracy and elective oligarchy: in a democracy you vote -shall we build a bridge, school, hospital? while in oligarchy, you ennoble a politician, and he does as he pleases. did i mention usans are slow learners? no learners, in this case.
    1
  5448. so the answer to 'why are we locked in a two party system?' is, that you are locked in a two party system? the structure of the usa government is built on a constitution whose purpose is stasis. it was written by madison to preserve the rule of wealth, and slavery, and it has succeeded quite well in the first aim. slavery is now a minor feature of society, largely confined to for-profit prisons. the 'stasis' came by locking the direction of the nation away from the people. madison explained that democracy had several bad features, notably the certain outcome of using the taxes paid by the rich to serve the needs of the poor. and he wasn't having it. the people of the usa are called 'citizens,' but they are not, they are civilians only. watchers, not actors. the usa is frequently called a democracy, but that is simply a lie. it is an elective oligarchy of 535 aristocrats-for-awhile, usually a long while. why are there only two parties? because the first 70 years of the federation was a struggle between plantation grandees and nascent commerce, which slowly coalesced into parties contending for control of congress. commerce won, it needed a civil war to bring the slavers into line, but the democrat losers still had a base in the south and recovered as the republicans became too crooked to fool the voters. wilson, you should remember, was a southern gentleman, a racist to his core, but to get into office he invited b. t. washington to an informal dinner at his home, and thereby got the support of the southern democratic party, then largely african american. his wife said not one word at dinner, and left the table after a few very difficult bites. humans will do anything for power, and the democratic party is not and never has been obstructed by principles or ethics. you are ruled by two wings of a mafia gang, alternating periods of access to taxes and patronage. why you put up with it is a matter of continuing bemusement, could it be a 'submission drug' in the water, with fluoridation as a cover?
    1
  5449. prc is not a democracy, so my admiration for that society always comes with an asterisk. but at least they do not claim to be 'democratic.' many nations claim to be 'democratic,' but none are, with the limited exception of helvetia. that hypocrisy, that 'rule by double-think,' ensures the continuing oligarchy of politicians, who have no goal but personal aggrandizement. xjp may indulge himself in complaint about 'leaked' conversation, but he probably understands that everything said to a politician is used to advance that politician's career. this is a condition of human society. no one expects virtue from politicians. well, no one but children and fools.
    1
  5450. this guy thinks you are a fool. or he thinks he is very clever. when the technology exists, when the society tolerates secret government, total collection is certain. simply because there can be no supervision that is not itself suspect. a democratic society might solve this dilemma, but there are no democratic societies, it may be impossible to homo sapiens. if so, we will leave the stage by species suicide.
    1
  5451. don't worry, be happy. you can't lose what you aint got. and you won't miss it, since you don't know what it is. democracy needs a better class of people, you wouldn't be happy there. relax, watch the football, if the uppers start a nuclear war in defense of raytheon profits, you can stop scrabbliing for rent and have a nice evening's fun looting the city. just one evening, maybe none. - nothing to be done, right?
    1
  5452. if you are too dim, too ignorant, or too timid--- you can't expect to have democracy.
    1
  5453. people who make a living from talking about politics can be listened to, but it's just entertainment. i hope some real revolutionaries are organizing, with the web, it's a great asset, but they can't have a sponsor, or they become televangelists.
    1
  5454. i'm pretty sure dnc prefers trump to bernie. but dnc is not the problem. putting up with politician rule is the problem. someone is going to have to say "let the revolution begin here, and now." and then organize a few million supporters. otherwise, it's going to be more of the same, while the nation collapses.
    1
  5455. there's the problem - many think it is only necessary for me to avoid disaster. a man with a private island is likely to be relaxed about fires in siberia. h. sap. needs democracy, and socialism, in order to function effectively on a global scale. not gonna happen, not in time.
    1
  5456. people in california, and a few other states, have and use referendum, initiative and recall. they know what democracy is, and isn't. the federal government is no kind of democracy. it is an elective oligarchy, for historical reasons better called elective aristocracy, because the usa aristos are sitting in seats modeled on the british aristocracy. one consequence of the constitution and the culture which bred it, is the servile attitude of the usa people. the french would have revolted long ago.
    1
  5457. cow people are ruled by hyena politicians at the direction of lion elites. if americans were citizen quality people, they would take control of the nation by establishing democracy, reshape it with initiative, and direct it by referendum. but they are not citizen quality people. strange, because about half the american states have some or all of the structure of democracy. this is the work of the progressive party back at the 1890-1920 period. but half the states remain feudal fiefdoms, and that was enough to prevent bringing democracy to the federal government. don't complain about the quality of politicians, the fault lies in what you see in the mirror.
    1
  5458. you don't want to anger frau doktor h. but i am well-placed, hovering above affection, admiration and adoration.
    1
  5459. if you grew up in a box, you would be shaped much like a box. if you grow up in a democracy, you would think like a citizen. but you don't, and you don't. you grow up in a intellectual box, and action never crosses your mind.
    1
  5460. putin has actively resisted the usa/nato advance across eastern europe to the borders of russia, and must be defeated, or else others might think resistance can be successful. i don't know why the people of usa put up with politician rule, but the result is that the usa plutocracy is leading the nation to nuclear war. all in the name of corporation profit.
    1
  5461. long time since i heard real passion in this area. very pleasant. but poor old chomsky has been telling telling this story for at least 50 years now, no passion in him any more. because america doesn't care. one of the consequences of lack of democracy is alienation from public affairs. "nothing to do with me."
    1
  5462. let's look at the bright side: war and disease will soon decimate human population, and with some luck, carbon emissions will be reduced sufficiently to save us. a few of us. decimate not right, only 1 in 10. we need 4 out of 5. but that could happen, fingers crossed!
    1
  5463. so usa and stooges visited on a mission of mercy?
    1
  5464. its not a dumb argument. you don't live in a democracy. it's a functioning plutocracy .. the dnc is not the champion of the lower classes. it's a money and power seeking gang. bernie should have run as an independent, on his principles, but his principles were less important than getting elected. he's politician too. pretending you have democracy is the biggest obstruction to actually getting it.
    1
  5465. the thing about water, it tends to flow down-hill. pushing it up-hill is expensive. would be cheaper to move people where water is plentiful. better still, reduce total population with war and plague.
    1
  5466. i thought ma yun crossed a trip-wire by attempting to take control of his own digital money. no central bank will put up with that, nowadays. and i thought he was visiting a re-education camp, such as that deng visited, twice. perhaps he is merely under an informal house arrest. prc is not perfect, even by human standards, a very low bar. but they are doing well now, and seldom have to shoot rich men. better than usa, who only kills the poor. a clear and succinct exposition of the situation, mr janssen, though i am still inclined toward the summer camp.
    1
  5467. find out what democracy is, maybe you can get it if you try hard.
    1
  5468. rather like believing in god and living in reality. but the scandis do have versions of socialism that work, more or less. and a few others. it's not impossible to humanity. the usa problem is the constitution, and resulting culture. for them, it is impossible,
    1
  5469. no legitimacy? putin is doing on a small scale, what usa does on a grand scale. but usa does murder for profit, putin is afraid russia will be nibbled to death using salami tactics. usa/cia took pride in installing a billionaire president in ukraine, since then the rest of ukraine has fallen into poverty. well done, cia, making the world submit to wealth. i am not surprised usa is 'shocked' at putin's action, but it has nothing to do with affronted morality, you are only surprised that someone would dare to confront the evil empire in arms. putin has gambled the farm on saying "no mas." to usa. if it goes badly, he'll be dead, one way or another. but it appears he has won. like north korea, he has put his pistol on the table, and it's a much bigger gun. usa/nato has folded. words will continue to be said, and the nazis of ukraine will go on fighting for awhile, but ukraine has been saved from the dark side, again.
    1
  5470. i bet you didn't notice they are building a rail systen all around asia for some reason.
    1
  5471. something wrong when the only rules you follow are your own rules.
    1
  5472. every characteristic of american society is that of plutocracy, yet people talk of danger to their democracy. there is no danger- except in accepting the implied reality of a myth. are you all insane? blind? illiterate? madison promoted his constitution to the grandees of post-revolutionary america as preventing democracy, and the evidence of its success is all around you.
    1
  5473. it depends on whether the health, wealth and spirit of the worker is a factor in the 'efficiency' calculation. private enterprise has usually not worried about such things, and the 'satanic mills' are still around, nowadays just typified by amazon. a great many small enterprises are little better than slavery, and private prisons are slavery. doesn't matter, nothing you or prof wolff can do. no initiative, no democracy, means impotence, lightly masked by empty talk about 'what should be done,' if only we were citizens of democracy. you are not citizens of democracy, you are powerless chumps.
    1
  5474. mayor pete will make a good living out of politics, but i don't think smart and eloquent talk can make much impression on the law and culture of usa. there is too much baked-in dysfunctional character to the nation. change must come soon, but it will either be martial law or 'socialism' by another name. andrew yang is offering a vision of the latter that deserves careful consideration. there really is no second contender. i wish i had some faith in the perspicuity of the american electorate, but odds are on the modern version of dim-witted smiler with a folksy name. america deserves beto, and will probably get him.
    1
  5475. i suppose there's a living to be made, educating the thirsty for knowledge in areas public education neglects. why else would you do it? so far as i can tell, homer sap needs democracy, and some resulting socialism, if we are to survive. because what we've got, doesn't work. but, as far as i can tell, homer is incapable of democracy, and socialism without will decay for lack of feed-back. there are little outbreaks of both, the swiss deserve recognition for a rough democracy, the scandis and one or two others manage a presentable socialism, as long as the righties are kept out of office. but these are mere pimples on the face of homer who rattles between elective oligarchy, and simple tyranny. because the weak link is the human character, and it appears to be genetic. extinction must be the ultimate result, and not long delayed.
    1
  5476. there are no democracies, except switzerland. prc troubles in xin jiang may be largely incited by cia money. usa kills people daily, that it 'doesn't like. ' pew report doesn't consider lies and evil intentions, so, while not worthless, should be examined with a cold eye.
    1
  5477. tg is a russian asset. she brings a smile to putin's face when ever he thinks of her, not often, i suspect. but many things american bring a smile to putin's face. the thought of dealing with president biden might cause outright laughter. and imagine him shaking hands with president sanders, and remarking, 'so nostalgic, to meet a socialist in politics.' laughter, on both sides.
    1
  5478. i'm holding out for graphene capacitors, a real life-changer. may get fusion power first...
    1
  5479. putin has created a situation wherein usa can make war on his army in ukraine without consequence in usa, aside from printing more money. ukraine is a proxy war, and the only certain losers are ukrainian. their government might wish they had not taken the bribe. their people may wonder 'what were they thinking,,,' putin can not be enjoying the situation, he may still think it's better than submission to usa encroachment, usa masters are certainly happy, for now. the situation is stable, for the short term. when putin has carved off part of ukraine and fended off the usa/nato support, peace will descend on the corpse of ukraine. but usa/nato is remorseless, they may resile briefly, but they will be back. putin must find a way to hurt nato directly. shooting captured foreign soldiers would be a clear signal.
    1
  5480. it was never a true democracy, and your confusion there, widely shared, is the source of most of usa problems.
    1
  5481. i learned recently that the swiss have allowed usa to establish a base. being surrounded by nato is more corrosive than nazi germany.
    1
  5482. gold is old., digital money is now. prc way out in front. soon they will be the dominant society, unless usa decides to actually get some use from its nuclear threat. that will solve the climate crisis, although any remaining stragglers may have new problems.
    1
  5483. @Alan Doane quite right. but gold coins may also be less valued than arrow-heads.
    1
  5484. trump wants to devote 62% of the national budget to the military. and you think the gnd is too expensive? there's a reason china is eating your lunch, and it's easy to understand: american elite is crazy, american people are dim. china has begun the largest infrastucture program in history, usa spends its money shooting up the world. china is revitalizing greece and italy, america can't even deliver clean water to its towns.
    1
  5485. membership is optional, because nations settle their arguments with guns, not negotiation. any government that subscribes to the icc establishment of sanctions must first believe they don't, and won't, commit crimes, and also believe they will get a fair trial if they are charged. much better to stay away, and necessary if your hands are notoriously bloody.
    1
  5486. what a hollow man. he could have done some good in greece, but decided that wasn't a big enough stage for him. he will be a footless talking head for many years.
    1
  5487. yer own fault: you know what democracy is, about half the states have some or all of the features of democracy. but you tolerate plutocracy in the federal government. if you had citizen initiative, you wouldn't have to shake your fist in front of a camera, to no effect. you could vote for action, and make it happen. give some thought to getting democracy- it may be easier than convincing plutocrats to give up their fossil fuel dividends.
    1
  5488. i am more worried that assange is wearing an iron mask. but usans get the government they are willing to tolerate. i used to wonder why people there didn't organize to get democracy, but finally accepted that homer sap is ok with being cattle, once they get used to it. and this happens while growing up. this threatens racial survival, but it turns out characterizing our species as 'thinking man' was a bit too generous.
    1
  5489. shouting at trump is useless. he is a person with 90 iq driven by a sociopath father to pretend to be competent, covering his inabilities with empty boasting and simple lies. he gets away with it to some extent because usans are crippled by schools and myths. if his commercial performance were a matter of public record, he would disappear in a gale of laughter, however sour. but how did such a cartoon cripple get in the oval office, and how did the usa come to have still a system devised in powdered wig times, to ensure the rule of wealth? it's not trump, or dubya, or ronnie, or truman- it's yer antique political system, and the dysfunctional social and commercial society that flows from it. when will someone ask, "why do we have a king who can not speak above 12 y. o. level, or have any opinion not crafted to hide his ignorance?" are you all dim?
    1
  5490. the circus in dc continues to amuse the world, but usans live in a different world, and take this nonsense seriously. that would be ok, if you would just keep your many killers at home.
    1
  5491. americans are seemingly surprised by the behavior of politicians, constantly. but if you are constantly surprised, the fault is yours. politicians are what they are in response to the environment they live in, just like every other living thing. a passive and ignorant populace will be preyed on by various kinds of elite groups, just as hyenas and cheetahs eat wildebeest. hoping that some politician will be better than others is natural to victims, but it is the default survival tactic, what you do when you are too weak to take effective action. warren/her team has decided she can't win, using current methods so she threw the sabot into the machine. ends her chance [small] of victory, improves her chance of tagging on to a biden government and a successor campaign. that's politics, in the usa. the management selection process of the usa is hopelessly obsolete. it is the reason the nation is decaying. there is no visible activity to change the system, so you are doomed. sensible response would be voltaire's - "best to cultivate my garden." but if you don't have a garden, and have to make a buck, then talking about warren and usa politics has some potential benefit. for you, not the nation. that's a write-off.
    1
  5492. dr chomsky is a fund of information, much hard to find as unwelcome to usa culture. but for 'thinker' i would like to see a path to a better world, and there he is as helpless as the rest of us. i think the fundamental problem is the quality of the basic human, at least in its usa guise.
    1
  5493. comey did the usa a favor, and it cost him his job. the ruling political profession is working for itself, not the nation, certainly not for the ordinary people of the nation. nothing to be done about it, change is near impossible. but usa is visibly decaying, and the quality of its managers is the primary cause.
    1
  5494. so far as i can tell, european jews invaded palestine, very quietly, under the blind eye of the british 'mandate.' in about 1925, they were strong enough to throw off the pretense of peaceful settlers, and declare their intention of taking all of palestine, "from the river to the sea." which remains their goal, one bite at a time. the locals resisted, but without european money and guns, later american money and guns, they find themselves pressed into 'reservations,' dependent on u. n. aid for survival. a crime done in the open, worse than apartheid.
    1
  5495. doesn't seem fair, cosmologist harvesting money from biologist garden. are there no unions, in academia?
    1
  5496. the reason the difference between democratic and republican is slight is the fundamental mechanics of a winner take all voting system. that system extinguishes small parties and forces the two major parties to leave no space between them, lest the other side occupy it. the american political system is antique. but much worse, it was designed to ensure the rule of wealth. one consequence has been that national management is inferior to many other states, since private interests supersede the national needs. beginning with space, secure borders, and every mineral resource, usa grew to international dominance. but the weak governance has caused it to drift down every ladder of national excellence. even interdicted cuba manages to have a better public health system. the evidence of a very dysfunctional political system is very clear, yet there is no visible pressure for a constitutional revision. madison boasted that he had created a plutocracy 'for the ages,' and he was right. so usa will continue to decay, there will be endless nit-picking on the festering boil du jour, but there is a russia in the usa future, perhaps even an austria. and americans will comfort themselves that china's rise came from underhanded methods. well, not. as madison said, 'the gentleman in his carriage' should rule the mob. but this only works in a horse-drawn society.
    1
  5497. i was an 'american' once, got sick of it during the course of the vn war. so i left. things have only got worse since, so this was a good decision. but maybe not worse, maybe what happened is the national myths were blown away by the greed and arrogance of the 'leaders' and modern usa is what it has always been. seems likely, a nation founded to preserve slavery, enable ethnic cleansing and empower wealth is likely to start off rotten, don't you think?
    1
  5498. you can't save what you don't have.
    1
  5499. the vietnam war was an eye-opener for me. things haven't improved, and when you look back at usa history with a cold eye, it's always been crap. "what is to be done?" rhetorical question, usually in human affairs, nothing can be done. the rich have always been masters of the usa, and no change in sight. there's a living to be made, in whining, but change needs shooters, not talkers.
    1
  5500. print a trillion dollars, the ballon floats and you retire to tahiti, under an assumed name and new face.
    1
  5501. stop calling them conservative. selfish, greedy, arrogant, any or all is appropriate, and de-legitimizes their attempts at rational discussion. no use talking about m4a, as long as you submit to politician rule. even if they give it to you, they can take it back when it suits them. you need a constitution establishing democracy, and not susceptible to political meddling. saves a lot of money, too- don't have to pay politicians, and bribes have to be paid to the majority of voters, which will stimulate the economy and recycle any money over-accumulated in individual hands.
    1
  5502. extradition treaties are a political decision. if you don't like the results, tear it up. if you do, oh canada! wear what's going to happen. trudeau dunnit, folks.
    1
  5503. yf packed his bags and left his people to the mercy of e.u. bankers. greece was not a big enough stage, or what?
    1
  5504. humanity always seeks the support of god when they are intent on oppressing others. usa is coming under stress from the exhaustion of national resources, natural and human. so retreat to the support of god is an easy sell. i wish there was an easy reply, but not so. usa is baked in to the path of ignorance and violence. but at least try to avoid destroying the world on the way down.
    1
  5505. tell that to wat tyler.
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  5506. lies are weapons, cheaper than bullets, often more effective. usa is the evil empire. i do not know why usa peeps put up with it, except that as long as they are undisturbed, it's someone else's problem. increasingly 'someone else' decreases. usa was born to protect wealth, maintain slavery and enable ethnic cleansing. if you are surprised at the modern nation, look at its history. journalism without democracy is just gossip, or an exercise in self-flagellation. there is no use in telling cattle they are cattle, and the elite already know the people are cattle. well, there is one use- you can make a living telling people they are cattle, somewhat like those cowboys who kept the cattle quiet at night, by singing to them.
    1
  5507. this is not a matter of justice, merely the exercise of power.
    1
  5508. i can't see the problem- usa can just bomb the cities to rubble and gather the survivors into prison camps. while the world watches in awe. right? this tg person is simply trying to inhibit usa right to do what it wants, as the special and exceptional exponent of capitalism. that can't be tolerated.
    1
  5509. i do get tired of yanks who imply usa is a democracy. it's not, folks. not even close. assange is lucky to be alive, and can forget about freedom. usa deep state wants him dead, or better in a concrete box, to encourage silence in others. i realize you can do nothing about the lack of democracy, the nation was built to prevent it, and you would be entitled to pity. but you swallowed the lie that usa is 'special' and can be a repressive society with an aggressive foreign policy,, that's murder and invasion, and still style itself a defender of human rights. my god, you have to be stupid to swallow that. or you say you do because you are incapable of changing your nation even though ashamed. assange is troublesome, and a foreign national, so he can be turned into sausage with no fuss among the cattle. they are too busy trying to find the rent money. and if they cause trouble, no more food subsidy for the kids. personally, i think julian is an up-himself idiot who bought a miserable life to enjoy a bit of general admiration and a few groupies. he knew, better than most, the quality of the people he was irritating. he should have been operating in deep secrecy and stayed behind the mask. the groupies did for him.
    1
  5510. keep in mind, if you won't fight and can't amuse, you will be a slave. keep dancing!
    1
  5511. usa has never been a democracy, and the people have been willing to endure government by politicians of the people for the rich, from the beginning. so far, only the communist nations have had a successful revolution, although swiss came to a reasonable approximation of democracy almost by accident.
    1
  5512. i came across a similar discussion in a medieval italian book discussing trade and finance in milan. only they were talking about what you could do with silver and lead.
    1
  5513. does anyone think obama was a success as president, aside from staying alive while black?
    1
  5514. does usa now, or ever, have an effective power of citizen initiative? then it's not, never was, a democracy. 'citizens united' demonstrated that the rich rule, it did not establish the plutocracy, merely demonstrated it. "but we vote, ain't that democracy?" no. they vote in russia, they vote in china, they even vote in north korea - by itself, voting means nothing. in a democracy, not only do the people vote, the people choose what to vote for. but you only choose which gang of crooks will steal from you, tweedledum, or tweedledumber. when a biden runs against a trump, your nation was presented with a choice of senile crook or dimwitted crook, which is a precise demonstration of the value of voting, in an elective oligarchy. have you no feeling of shame? not only are you being diddled at regular intervals, they don't even bother to pretend anymore, that elections mean something, and you just take it.... that's the important thing about democracy, as a citizen you direct the nation, in concert with others. this creates a 'citizenry' of people chock-ful of self-respect and self-confidence. it was no coincidence that when hitler invited the swiss to give up and save lives, in view of the gross difference in numbers, and being surrounded by axis powers, the swiss held a referendum [democracy in action] and answered: "no." and they made it stick because they paid the cost of democracy, every healthy man was a soldier, and the national sport was field shooting. democracy makes a higher quality person. which is why usa is following in the same old historical path, commonly summarized as 'down the gurgler.'
    1
  5515. you probably shouldn't say betray, because no sane adult would trust him for an instant. his narrow election was simply a reaction to the hopelessly corrupt political caste, which had thrown millions out of work with globalism. trump's single virtue was to notify the politicians that their legitimacy was ended. the whole usa political system was contemptible from birth, and began rotting instantly. this process may have reached terminal condition, as there is no means of rejuvenation besides revolution. revolution will almost certainly be from the military, whose grip on the economy is so great that any significant reduction would destabilize the nation. the forms of government will be maintained, most likely, but some general will 'advise ' the administration of the best path. call him 'tsar.'
    1
  5516. 'our democracy?' if you think you have democracy, you are the fundamental problem.
    1
  5517. a great many more than 30 million do not have an education that fits them for the role of citizen. this is appropriate, as americans are not citizens, merely civilians. watchers of the political process, not agents in it. 'watchers' is rather optimistic, they have so little reward from participation that many don't watch, or even vote. in modern terms 'couch potatoes. ' pr. wolff is not speaking to them, clearly. they have better things to do, or so they imagine. usa needs a che guevarra, and prof. wolff is not even john the baptist. i suppose a retired academic finds these fireside talks satisfying, but his only inclination to action seems to be stronger labor unions. a barren idea, as a bit of history would suggest. in any event, read che's book, it's a bit of education in a number of areas, and as much marx as you can handle- there's nuggets in the there, somewhat difficult to find in a lot of words seemingly no longer relevant. and treat yourself to any engels you can find. revolution was just a hobby for him, a rich man's life offered many diversions, but when he wrote it was sharp and useful. capitalism is neither comic nor tragic. it's just a label for greed, backed by soldiers and police. the rich got a grip on colonial america, and flash-froze it with the passage of the constitution. i can see no path to democracy and socialism, starting from here. if those are your goals, and you maintain hope of moving towards them, good luck.
    1
  5518. you still haven't figured out that letting politicians run the nation is not productive.
    1
  5519. who's going to expel them? usa is an occupying army, and much stronger than iraq militias? why ask "what if" about nonsense scenarios?
    1
  5520. usa is no kind of democracy. if you are unable to understand that, difficult to imagine that you have something productive to say.
    1
  5521. turns out there is a hell, and satan is reclaiming title to the usa.
    1
  5522. You don't have democracy. No one does, but the Swiss. In an elective aristocracy,, decisions follow the benefit of the rulers. Too bad if the welfare of the nation is neglected. And if no one realises what is driving the activities of the nation, progress is unlikely. India is a poster child for stasis, because national myths are hopelessly unreal.
    1
  5523. and still you vote for politicians. there is an evolutionary pressure on nations, as with species. are you confident?
    1
  5524. if we can get it passed... unfortunately, even if passed, some at least, it will just be a short-term stop-gap. usa will remain a plutocracy, until a new constitution is written, and your masters will continue to bleed the nation for their private aggrandisement. you are reprising the 1930's because no fundamental change was made. ww2 saved usa, not congress. prc is determined to be numero uno, and there is nothing usa can do short of starting a war. some in the usa are already beating the drums - see 'grk tv' on youtube. they are warming up the chumps, who will pay, and die, for 'freedom.' bernie ain't gonna save you, you can only save yourselves. but passive cattle aren't gonna save themselves, and that is the usa peep. will a nuclear war solve the lack of jobs, education, and health care? do you really want to die so bezos is 'free' to move his corporation off-shore?
    1
  5525. capitalism is not truly an economic system, merely greed systematized. and democracy is a political system, in which adults born within a nation are 'citizens,' and in concert direct their society through mechanisms called referendum and initiative. you don't live in a democracy, and you are not citizens, but merely civilians. if you refuse to demand citizenship in a democracy, at threat of civil war, don't be surprised if your place in society is unsatisfying. the elite is weak, for they are few, but the people are weaker still, for lack of education and courage.
    1
  5526. how smart can he be, if he wants to interact with politicians? best case, he wins office, house and senate tell him they don't do smart, fair or useful.
    1
  5527. biden is more dangerous than trump, he'll start a war. prc is very clear about the usa: they are sharing the house with a psychopath.
    1
  5528. enjeti is a danger, but a small one. usa must learn to live with prc, or else go to war. usa corporations have not suddenly abandoned national interest for profit, it is their default condition. britain made a similar transition between ww1 an 2, and survived, as a toady to the new tough guy. now it;s the turn of usa. trump made a token effort to 'punish' prc for being more successful in global markets, but there is no reason to believe that would save usa as global hegemon. it is more likely that it would 'russianize' it.
    1
  5529. usa was never together. and they've always been ruled by an elite. i suspect your male masters want control over their sons, and that begins with control over the uterus.
    1
  5530. Some details are known, if you believe butler's memoirs. And he earned a considerable crust on the after-dinner speaking circuit. They invited SB to join Roosevelt's cabinet, and direct activities with charm and a battalion parked outside the Whitehouse. Smedley must have been a laugh a minute, when everyone had 3whiskeys and a cigar.
    1
  5531. ole!
    1
  5532. if you don't like what going on, you have to stop talking and start organizing. this is not a matter of persons, you have to change the system. i recommend democracy, because once you have citizen initiative, you can make a society that aims to give a decent life to all its members. right now, usa does not even care about the people, aside from their dollar value. a perfect shadow of the slavery on which the nation was started, humans by the dollar.
    1
  5533. custard? are you sure you don't mean pemmican?
    1
  5534. elon and neil are also pranksters, so their support should come with an asterisk.
    1
  5535. usa is not a disgrace to democracy, because usa has never been a democracy. madison explained, in antique language, that democracy would lead to socialism, and he wasn't having it. no mob rule for him. it is a late stage elective oligarchy, and rotten to the core: geriatric nutters fronting for shadow rulers of wealth and bureaucracy. chatting about the personalities currently involved is below-stairs gossip.
    1
  5536. i don't mind seeing the usa fall behind, they richly deserve it. but bloated and well-equipped armies manned by 'bubba-brained ' soldiers and directed by sociopaths might get over-excited- that's a worry.
    1
  5537. there were no good intentions. usg was committed to opposing communism any where, to ensure it was never allowed to be an acceptable form of government. jfk was not rigid in this area, and had done a deal with khruschev to allow cuban independence. when he also showed signs of tolerating a communist vietnam, he was murdered by the cia ex-head, allen dulles. never fire the head of the secret police, if you don't shoot him immediately. lbj took the lesson and fought the vc/nva as long as he could. usa learned a hard lesson: don't fight imperial wars with conscript soldiers. their mothers and fathers vote.
    1
  5538. a nation without democracy can discuss politics as children discuss sex: something done by grown-ups, not us. usans never grow up, politically. no referendum, no initiative = no democracy. terrorism happens to foreigners. mere crime happens to usans, a superior and more fortunate nation guided by wise and public-spirited grown-ups called politicians.
    1
  5539. bolton will have a war with iran, or make others die, trying. but trump doesn't have policies of his own, beyond never being hungry. i marvel that americans are content to put the direction of the nation in the power of any individual, and then leave the selection of that individual to the vagaries of the electoral circus. the continual failure of this process is having an effect on the nation's welfare.
    1
  5540. excellent!, never too many strategists,, long as they have enough pretty women to dance with. mostly, they shouldn't talk.
    1
  5541. don't despair, soon no one will want usd, and everything will be rosy. back in the 30's, there was a chance to get democracy, but fdr sold you out. he was one of the ruling class, and saw no need to change things.
    1
  5542. there is a constitution, and it limits what a president can do. president sanders might be able to tone down the murderous imperialism by just a little bit, and if speaker aoc controls the house, well, it wouldn't matter much, senate and supremes will block most legislation. the people who established the constitution were on top of society, that 'we, the people; was a lie, and they wanted stasis. even fdr, with, briefly, total control of congress and real socialists by his side did not take the opportunity to establish democracy. didn't want it, is my guess. there won't be a second chance. president bernie will talk a lot, and do a little, but the plutocracy will sail on, and undo most of what little he accomplishes. that's why you are in the second gilded age right now, and why the coming change will be military dictatorship. human society has a track record, and usa is following the track.
    1
  5543. it didn't fall in 476 ce. that was merely the hard landing of the tag-end. it started falling in many places and different times, and usa will be very lucky to last as long as 'the fall' of the roman empire. but it's a good template to hold against the usa, as there are some common features. the important one is the 'hollowing out' of the middle class with war and slavery in rome, militarism and out-sourcing in the usa. that is the path to dictatorship.
    1
  5544. a majority seems impossible, since all the other candidates endorsed biden, dnc is entitled to choose biden. trump will pressure him into idiocy, which would normally elect trump, but usa might be ready for not-trump, just as trump won by being a not-politician. usa is in deep trouble from the moribund political system they seem unable to change, indeed, they seem unconcerned about. so these charming young people make a living from chatting about nothing, with a political flavor, if celeb dance contests are political enough for you.
    1
  5545. i wish someone would say, " we need democracy." and massive agreement leads to a citizen action group which forces congress to enact accessible and effective citizen initiative. then you wouldn't need such adjectives, you would all be citizens in truth, differing in your response to different events, but united in the sovereignty of the electorate.. california is a good example, and the california constitution would be reasonable base on which to build a democracy. but you need better people than most, usa is very backward, politically. you don't need new words, you don't need new parties, you do need new people. you do need to exhume the meaning of democracy. pretty sure none of this will happen.
    1
  5546. and your point is? you live in an elective monarchy, with an elective aristocracy, that can and does operate in secret. if you are surprised that corruption happens, i pity you. but there is nothing to be done. democracy has the potential to end corruption, simply by requiring public business to be done in public. but democracy requires citizen quality people. usa is populated by orcs and hobbits. neither suited to democracy, so the hobbits must endure corruption, incompetence and oppression. orcs will deliver it for their masters, enjoying the process of walking on the weak. if you would just stay home, we could leave you to it. but orcs need to be fed, and they murder all around the world, where they find weakness.
    1
  5547. why was getting hc's e-mails a crime? in a society that likes to pretend to democracy, public activity should be a matter of public record. of course, the pretense is false, but still, you call for trump's tax record, rightly, so what kind of secrets are off-limits?
    1
  5548. no, it's not why you have a government. in the 40' and 50's, usa had an administration. there was a pretense to democracy due to the large number of ex-soldiers looking for work. but when nixon got in, the pretense ended. 'my government' was the phrase he used and he tried to put the wh ss into 'palace guard' uniforms, rather operatic. if you don't know the difference between democracy and what you got, and yer over 30, then move on, yer wasting your time. i use 'elective aristocracy' as a label for usa government, but globalization and increasing militarism is making 'elective tyranny; ever more apposite. democracy is possible, some states have it, but most of the usa is populated with serf class people, they are incapable of thinking like citizens, if you are habituated to the rule of politicians, to the point you can not even imagine participating in democracy, then your only hope for a decent life is the appearance of large numbers of politicians characterized by intelligence, education, experience and public spirit. fingers crossed!, candles lit! but buy a lottery ticket every week, that is more likely to get a good result.
    1
  5549. if you had democracy, you could discuss, then act. but you don't so chat and scratch.
    1
  5550. and this is where tg is wrong. adolescents may 'demand,' but their 'adults' may ignore. the first thing americans need to do is get democracy. most will need to have it explained, first. tg certainly doesn't know. or want to know. she just wants to be a politician, like others but with higher position. which is the best cattle can hope for- a fairy god-mother to look after them. she's not going to be elected, this time, but she'll be back. by the time she gets the prize, it won't be worth much. usa is finished, although the decline may be slow. if they go for the gun again, decline will be planet wide and quick.
    1
  5551. soon we will understand the world, and control some of it. less clear is the prospect of getting h. sap. out of the trees and into civilization.
    1
  5552. not sure why she does this- is there money behind it? but it's nice to be informed that those pointy-heads are at a point similar to 'angels on pinhead counting' plateau. defund the universities!
    1
  5553. i wonder if german physicists are not paid enough, that they must poach on the rice bowl of linguistics professors. i marvel that there are no trade demarcation rules and disputes.
    1
  5554. he watched obama sell 'hope and change' and thought he could do that too. and he does, it should work, just as well. but maybe there's a few who remember that content-free politics leaves you hungry a half hour later. but let's be fair- the whole notion of voting for people is silly. what's wrong with america, that no one sees any need for democracy? if politics is just a variation on 'america has talent,' or 'dancing with politicians,' of course you get empty suits. that's evolution in action.
    1
  5555. damn! i was just getting a vague feel for 2, 3 and 4, now this! in fact, not entirely new - if my fading memory is correct, a 5th force was posited by hollywood/cinecitta movie legitimated by bruce willis, "the 5th force." many years ago, and the movie was well forgotten. but it turns out, numero cinco is back, legitimised by dr h. she is our star of physics for people who like science dusted onto pop-corn.
    1
  5556. what does cis do for a living?
    1
  5557. cia, better? nsa spies on everyone, too. so spying is not grounds for piracy.
    1
  5558. still haven't figured it out: trump is the latest result of your national leadership process. still not the worst, several have killed more, in iraq, afghanistan and vietnam. but the count is not final. your national management is currently so bad that dnc [ presumably ] think biden can beat trump. trump is in office because they offered clinton, and they may offer her again if biden crumples like cotton candy. it's not trump, he popped up in due course from a choice of two. some equal or worse cripple will pop up if you keep pressing the same button. why do you think usa is sliding down the ladder? could it be lack of management, lack of long term planning, lack of clear goals, lack of performance standards? it's all of the above. the only good feature of trump is his transparency- through him you can see the character of the nation.
    1
  5559. when henry calls for peace, i am impelled to look for further advantage from war. vlad is gonna win, or die. many will die before he does. perhaps henry sees that many outside the usa bubble are contemptuous of usa propping up a puppet government at a cost in lives that can not have a good result. it's bad for usa image. in principle. i marvel that anyone pretends to respect the usa, but henry thinks usa should pretend to care about that non-existent respect. henry thinks like that. deep! the usa besmires anything it touches, but from a distance, unaffected by the smell, we can discuss it's attributes safely. they are amusing, in a degenerate way.
    1
  5560. foreign governments hacking usa elections is a 'given.' easy to prevent, use paper and eyeballs. but this is one good thing that trump has done- reality check on good ol' uncle joe biden. result may be bernie in the oval office, much good it will do him, or usa. of more importance, a better thing trump has done is expose the incompetence and corruption in the democratic party in general. how else do you explain a creature like trump driving the ship of state? but the constitution is the real problem, a fact every american finds it convenient to ignore. just fixing the electoral college would be spray-painting a cess-pool, but you can't even do that much.
    1
  5561. a depressing reality, innit. the only 'solution' is secession. there is no happy ending in usa history, when you start out evil, that's where you end. about half of the usa is wedded to evil, your gonna have to choose between joining them or fighting.
    1
  5562. recessions are built in, the cyclic economy is tolerated because there is easy money to be made on the up-swing, and if you are well-connected, you can profit from the down-swing too. hell of a way to run a nation, but usa is not run 'for the people.' that's because it's not run 'by the people.' lincoln lied, all politicians lie. the people of the usa are chumps. no shame in it, you are raised that way. but nothing will change until the elite bleed the nation to death. this change will likely be permanent penury, but the climate collapse may bust society right down to hunter-gather level, or extinction. do not complain about this depressing future. it's all yer own work.
    1
  5563. chungqing might be bigger.
    1
  5564. every day these charming people cry 'shame!' about the operation of plutocratic oligarchy, but no one ever says, " maybe the constitution is obsolete." apparently, bad things just happen because people want to do bad things. this is very possible. satan rules! but why wasn't i told?
    1
  5565. as long as the usa empire is threatening them, or venezuela, with bombs, murders or invasion, why would they prepare for peace? while the usa exists, the whole world must prepare for war, and anyone with a supply of oil is in danger. except the saudis, of course--- they have bent the knee long ago.
    1
  5566. money not wasted. if you intend to invade iran, it's next door. the government of the usa has the ethics of bandits. the people are cattle, and the rest of the world watches in silence. god help the human race, if this is the best we can do.
    1
  5567. censorship is always bad, even dim jerks must be allowed to offer facts and opinions for public evaluation. chomsky suggested rogan's contribution is trivial, and often wrong. he wishes people would talk about more important matters. make your own judgement about the relative value of chomsky and rogan in public discussion, but chomsky is not 'for' censorship, he just wishes people would talk about bigger problems. chomsky makes mistakes, in my view, but he has been a voice for civilization for longer than most have been alive, and deserves our respect. also, whenever you find yourself in disagreement with him, have strong arguments prepared. the 'truckers' are not the people. they are a very small segment of the population, many are contractors, not wage-workers. their main point of contention with usa government seems to be that they want the freedom to spread disease, sorry, no, they don't.
    1
  5568. so what else is new? rich people have been screwing poor people from day 1 of the federation, and many poor whites smile about it, 'cuz blacks have it worse.' usa was born to preserve black slavery, because the big rich then were profiting from it. the character of the nation was poisoned then, and there is no recovery possible without revolution. the modern history of china shows that revolution is possible within a nation of largely illiterate peasants and laborers, so you might think it should be easy in a nation that nominally teaches all to read. but not so - you are working 3 jobs and a week from hunger because of moral degeneracy. you deserve to be an orwellian casual labor unit. so you haven't got time to think, much less plot rebellion. god help you, no one else will.
    1
  5569. it's good to be upset about the character of the usg, but until it leads to action, nothing will change. around 1900, in several states, rampant corruption of the state governments led to the 'progressive' movement, which resulted in some or all of the functions of democracy being written into about half of the state constitutions. but it stopped there. democracy is possible, you might think, but on evidence to date, modern americans are resigned to being cattle, so long as they are called 'citizens.'
    1
  5570. took offence more common. politicians are antiquated. they are frogs sitting in positions of power created by crocodiles. unfortunately, the people they exploit are raised to submission, a consequence of an arrow loosed at hastings hill. democracy is not in their dna, they are content with the occasional use of the word, never dreaming of participating in society as citizens.
    1
  5571. look for 'should bees.' it's the sign of people who are not citizens of democracy. if they were, politicians would be obsolete, and public activity would take place in public view.
    1
  5572. it was born that way-- only initially the big corporates were slave plantations. the usa is not a democracy, never was.
    1
  5573. the constitution was written by a slave plantation owner, to justify the independence and freedom necessary to enslave africans. it was an attempt to flash-freeze usa society, since the creator was on top. there were provisions for change, but necessarily limited. can't have plebs interfering with society. slavery was locked in, and could only be removed by gunfire. rule of the wealthy was locked in, and continues today. it doesn't matter how ineffectual a president may be, because the senate is the master of the nation. not the people. that's why there is no referendum, no initiative. no democracy. you are governed by a political elite, and call yourselves 'citizens of a democracy.' it's simply a lie, endlessly repeated, to stupify the chumps. and that is why your national leader can be a trump, or a biden. you aren't smart enough to demand better.
    1
  5574. when someone says your right to information stops when they say so- they are your masters, and you have no rights. you have the privileges accorded to children, at the convenience of the grown-ups who rule you. and don't deserve to think you should have rights, if you won't fight for them.
    1
  5575.  @stuckinthemud4352  been to scandinavia lately?
    1
  5576. prof wolff is everywhere. on what passes for 'left' chat in usa. but it does no good. usa problems are structural, and not accessible to adjustment from outside, while those inside are making a good thing out of stasis. anyway, don't blame individual officers of state. only concerted action from outside the palace can make useful change. you want a better nation, start a revolution.
    1
  5577. define 'horrendous actions.' usa killed upwards of 100,000 iraqis, for no reason except a group known as 'pnac' directed the nation to war, out of greed and arrogance. of course, that was almost trivial, compared to the actions of the usa in south-east asia, notably vietnam. and a great many muslims are angry about the invasion of palestine by, primarily, european jews. initially supported by uk, later usa, that was a fairly 'horrendous action, don't you think.
    1
  5578. it's worse than that. madison promoted his constitution to the establishment convention as a sure defense against democracy, and, not incidentally, protection of slavery. and he delivered. the south rightly claimed the protection of the constitution, that the north had profited from for 60 years. but the north had changed its mind, more money to be made from wage-slavery, so they 'discovered human rights.' and it's the same old story today. the people that authorized the iraq invasion are simple murderers. but there was all that lovely oil, and prospects of empire in the oil lands around. likewise, nato has become a tool of empire, the ussr has gone, there is no threat anymore. then there's the vietnam war. worse, by far. still, there was personal benefit. i realized i was living among monsters., in a nation ruled by sociopathic scum.
    1
  5579. or, you could try democracy. this is a type of political structure in which a large part of the people, called 'citizens,' decide the activities and and laws of the society through referendum and initiative, and the public service carries out these directives. democracy has been tried in several states, notably california, and seems to work well. and there is the additional incentive, that politician rule has been widely tried, and is characterized by corruption and injustice. worse, in the usa, the result has been militarism as a device for corruption, the transfer of taxes to shareholders in munitions corporations. this is not only theft, it leads to large scale murder, and threat of general war.
    1
  5580. a nation of gormless couch potatoes cannot expect saintly politicians to labor on their behalf. if you haven't got enough character to demand democracy, you must learn to love your masters.
    1
  5581. is it a brilliant idea if it's thousands of years old? is it brilliant if it's communist ideology? it's not brilliant until some modern politician wins office with it, and thanks marx.
    1
  5582. yes, in my view, the only important question is political, not economic: to paraphrase aristotle: "who decides?" the usa is not a democracy, it is a purpose-built oligarchy designed to ensure the rule of the rich. no discussion that does not begin with getting democracy is likely to have any effect. people like wolff evade this question, for they have no answer.i believe a sufficiently large citizen action group could lead the usa to democracy. but is there such a group? like, i suspect, professor wolff, i think not. nor even close. humanities weaknesses appear to be fatal. which means that people like wolff are just carrion birds, gathered around the twitching carcass of humanity in the hope of a meal. no shame it it, even vultures have their place in heaven.
    1
  5583. not many japanese leaders thought they could win. but they couldn't retreat from china and korea, without being followed all the way to tokyo. just bit off more than they could chew. germans similar- committed such horrors on the way to moscow that they knew surrender was no relief, and so fought to the death.
    1
  5584. usa is approaching it's 'best before' date, but comparisons with rome and britain are not very useful. there are two aspects that makes usa hegemony nearly unique: rome and britain never had the unmatched dominance enjoyed by the usa. perhaps ultimately more important, is the impact that modern human society has had on the envirorment. usa is one of the top polluters, and simultaneously one of the least willing to acknowledge or act to reduce this threat to survival. how will it fall? it will run out of gas. military bases consume money, while adding little to human wealth. they only transfer money from taxpayer to munition corporations, while subsidizing enough soldiers to keep control of some elections. already this dysfunctional economy is glaringly visible in the rapid advance of chinese technology and trade. if we are lucky, usa will fade away like britain did. there is obvious scope for military adventurism abroad, and military coups at home. once the nuclear bombs start to fly, we are all dead, so we can reasonably hope it won't come to that. not impossible, of course. most likely result? general gabbard will lead a division of [very] special forces to capture the government in about 15v years time. the nation will heave a sigh of relief, as the politicians will have sickened everyone by then.
    1
  5585. usa began as a political device to extend african slavery, and license ethnic cleansing. in my day, they napalmed farm villages. nowadays, they hire nazis to do the blood work. usa is the evil empire of our time, and you will be on the right side simply by opposing them. this will require a certain amount of nose-holding, there are no saints in foreign affairs. it's just that usa is notably worse than others.
    1
  5586. charming performance. but, there are no democracies, with the limited exception of confederation of helvetia. all the rest are elective oligarchies, simulated democracies to dupe the chumps into submission. i expect more precision from your reports in future
    1
  5587. some reset. bjp/modi are in bed with usa, serving as attack dog, at best. if things go badly they will turn out to be deniable stooges. taliban and pakistan have well-established reason to seek trade and support from prc, who will welcome their participation in the bri. indian politicians may take comfort from usa while it lasts. but the people of india will wonder if their masters have put them on the losing side, again.
    1
  5588. no, after usa society has created a mass murderer, that person should be treated differently. most usa presidents would quality for jail, but they never go.
    1
  5589. continuing to concern yourself with trump betrays a fatal childish grasp on reality. the appearance of a buffoon in the oval office is important only in shining a light on the absurdity of the usa constitution, and the utter inability of the usa people to recognise what a pernicious document it is. democracy is rule by the citizens, not rule by politicians. are you truly incapable of noticing the difference?
    1
  5590. the possibility of fraud is discouraging, but bernie is better out of the race. the next term of office is going to be a shitstorm, better trump gets a faceful.
    1
  5591. trump ain't worried, he only has democrats to contend with. they came up with clinton last time, likely biden this time. and usa will never be alone- orstralian gummint lips glued to trump's bottom. trump ain't the problem: a management selection system that came up with trump should terrify you in the short term, depress you in the long term.
    1
  5592. every now and then, i enjoy mr enjeti. putting the boot in to obama is a worthwhile activity, and should be encouraged. but don't be too unkind- his goal was to be the first black prez, and retire, unshot, and unshot at. his followup career is harmless in the american context, and more respectable than dubya and his paint-by-nunbers pastime. meanwhile, the american celebrity dance contest rolls on, and bernie is looking possible. i hope he makes it. his time in the oval office is make-or-break for the usa, if it's biden it's rolling disaster. i'm betting on biden, the 'real' people want him. he has 'friends.'
    1
  5593. the same principle that put trump in office is propelling yang into notice: 'anyone but a politician.' the constitution was a vile document at birth, and now it is ridiculously obsolete.
    1
  5594. you are not entitled to m4a. your masters have spoken, and kicking your heels will not bother them much. the thing is, once you accept the position of second class citizen, the first class citizens are entitled to treat you as submissives, and so they do. you are not living in a democracy, and make no attempt to change that situation. you have allowed the politicians to rule from the beginning of the nation, and they are used to it. you are used to it too. you think you can be a citizen, without democracy. but you can only be a civilian, with a begging bowl.
    1
  5595. can't strengthen american democracy, because you refuse to admit that america is not a democracy. this national psychosis is untreatable. equally bad, the free market ethos is not confined to the market, but is omnipresent in the character of the people. 'i got mine, you get yours, if you can.' worst of all, usa is committed to ignoring the climate crisis which will make survival more difficult for all. to sum up: we're doomed, usa is rotting, and even the talking heads think promoting books on the 'let's play together' theme is the answer. on the plus side, watching the human race destroy itself through economic measures is a definite step up from nuclear armageddon.
    1
  5596.  @williamhanlon8159  sorry, you're too late. recommend new zealand, but they are picky.
    1
  5597. usans are used to speaking in the passive voice, for lack of participation in the national power structure. 'should be banned?' by whom? anyone can run, and if 35+ and native born, may win. he might run, likely, he might win, very unlikely. but a 2 horse race is always a gamble, and biden might collapse into drooling incapacity a week before the election. at which point, trump will say the contempt of democrat politicians for the welfare of the nation is demonstrated , again. that will be very evident, and might get him over the line, just as it did against clinton. the usa political system was crap at birth, and hasn't improved much. but democracy is too hard for you, and getting it made doubly hard by being told endlessly that you have it already, much improved by being in the control of politicians. if you are willing to swallow that myth, the second coming of trump is almost plausible. usa will suffer many more years than four, for the sins and ills of its history. considering the conditions of birth, there is no fixing of what ails you. but don't blame trump. he's just a symptom of terminal rot.
    1
  5598. of course not. the word means 'citizen rule,' not 'worker rule.' everyone knows that. almost everyone.
    1
  5599. madison wrote his constitution to serve the interests of the wealthy, particularly the plantation masters. he discussed democracy, briefly, and condemned it because it would lead to the taxes on the rich being spent on the needs of the poor. and by no co-incidence, there is no democracy, and very little concern for the poor. that remains the law and culture of the usa. until you recognize reality, you can not change it.
    1
  5600. politicians have only two goals, get in office, use it to get rich. nothing new about that. they prosper as long as the cattle tolerate them. usually the nation is ruined before the cattle are motivated to act. and that's why usa is on the downward end of its life. it looks like there may be collapse of environment as a consequence. then it's 'adios, homer sap.' democracy might save us, if we are capable of it. so far, no.
    1
  5601. there are parallels between rome and usa, and it's worth talking about them. but the fatal flaw in the usa is the lack of citizen initiative. the state was purposely designed to be ruled by the rich, and the levers of power were kept out of the reach of the common people. so too, in rome. in rome the result was aggressive war, as the yeoman farmer was driven off the land by the giant slave estates, and ended up as a city dependent, or a soldier bringing land and slaves into the hands of the upper class. any number of poor americans have entered the services, to get that vocational education that usa does not provide, and consequently fight the wars of banditry that america has been engaged in since the 50's. and there's nothing you can do about it, because there is no citizen initiative. madison was protecting slavery, and it worked- only civil war was available to change the constitution in this regard. and only revolution will save americans from penury now, and endless mercenary war. quite like rome, although roman farmers didn't have the advantage of historical example.
    1
  5602. i thought there was little or nothing in russiagate, because putin didn't get to be tsar of all the russias by doing business with shady real estate promoters. but trump has never done an honest deal if crookery was possible, so his trump tower activities would probably put him in jail for civil crime, not treason. no matter, he is still president, the democratic party still doesn't admit they put him there, and is likely to hobble the newcomers sufficiently to put trump in again. no sympathy for the american electorate, when you are dim, ignorant, and passive, you must habituate yourself to pain.
    1
  5603. if you won't lift a finger to get democracy, you can talk all you want, but your masters don't listen.
    1
  5604. mr enjeti is easily baffled, which may explain why he professes right-wing views. in fact, there is more money in buttressing the rich elite, of course. so he is at least smart enough to get with the money.
    1
  5605. and if bernie gets the nomination, the dnc swings into action in his support? seems unlikely. even as president, he will get little done, and without legislation, it will all be undone when he goes. these talking heads make a living by chatting about celebrity politics, but it's just froth. usa needs revolution. would be nice if it were a change to democracy, but no one is talking about democracy- there will be change, because the national economy is hollow and crash inevitable. it will be a coup, because the generals will be suffering too, and it will succeed, because the whole nation despises politicians, for cause. not necessarily a bad thing, by the way- china has flowered without pretending to democracy. patriotic generals might be socialist.
    1
  5606. talking about plastic toys! usa 'news and current affairs programs,' in a phrase. a society that measures everything in money and how do i get more, seems to have wandered off into the woods. not by accident: when you can't bear to look at reality, then toys fill in the time.
    1
  5607. pragmatic. used to communists, no doubt.
    1
  5608. all yer own fault: too lazy to get democracy, willing to be ruled by politicians- and amazed when evil people show up in office. all of history demonstrates that homer sap in office is either crooked or brutal, sometimes both. but you go on voting for them, hoping for a miracle.
    1
  5609. admission to college by national examination. free, admission to trades, vocational education, free, but subject to performance testing. result: smart and skillful nation. allow private schools, but don't recognize degress or certificate qualifications. but start at the beginning. get democracy, shape society as the will of the citizens expressed through referendum and initiative. why would you want to live in a society ruled by an elite?
    1
  5610. ole!
    1
  5611. if you allow small elite groups to rule you, they will limit information. if you knew what they do, you might wake up and chuck them out, so the fundamental condition of a society that aims at a decent life for the general public is getting and sustaining democracy. so it's a waste of time to argue for free speech, while allowing elite rule. the main game is getting democracy, all else is distraction.
    1
  5612. medicare for all can never be a right, because usa is not a democracy. it must always be a privilege, bestowed by a politician as a bribe for support. and withdrawn, or reduced, by another politician in response to their supporters. 'democracy' means rule by the people, not rule by politicians. if you haven't got effective and accessible citizen initiative, you haven't got democracy. you may have medicare, if you can frighten the politicians to give it to you.
    1
  5613. the general solution to the multiple eruptions on the face of human society is to establish democracy in every nation. paradise would not result, but when the majority rules instead of a few, decisions tend to be good for most, and not just a few. this requires citizen quality people. there aren't enough, in usa. or even close.
    1
  5614. still no one says, what i think to be obvious: the political structure of the usa is grossly inadequate to the stresses of modern life. it is national insanity to use a management selection process which puts a person like trump in power.
    1
  5615. congratulations, mr dore. any recognition means you are irritating someone. please continue. but be gentle with the guardian, i think they may be the best of msm, god help us.
    1
  5616. dark energy is ordinary energy bleeding into our bubble through the rupture we are taught to worship as 'god-making-light,' or 'big bang.' still difficult to imagine the outcome, but physicists for generations to come may practice their invocations, religious or secular, secure that the modest stipend humanity pays for this kind of wisdom will endure longer than they do.
    1
  5617. since you haven't got democracy, never had it, have never understood the constitution [hint: find 'democracy' in that document] and have not bothered to read the history around the establishment of the constitution, then don't worry, be happy, que sera, sera.
    1
  5618. it's nice that the peons can gossip about their betters, but when are you gonna rise up?
    1
  5619. 'brave warriors?' hit-men for the evil empire. the men who commandeered the 4 airliners were bringing the news to the people of the usa, at the certain cost of their lives. those are brave warriors. they were men from every level of society , not professional killers. the people of the usa have still not brought their government under control, and appear impervious to the notion that invading other countries is a widely despised activity.
    1
  5620. you vote for politicians known to be war-mongers, and complain. you vote for an out-sider, and he turns out to be peaceful, aside from the odd murder, but hopelessly inept in the pretense that office is anything but a device to repair his personal fortune. saints are invited to apply for office, and are driven from the field by corrupt competitors and crony plutocrats. and still, no one says, "we need a new constitution, establishing democracy." so maybe yer problem is not the rot at the top. maybe it's the ignorance and passivity from middle through bottom. in which case, mr dore is milking laughs from people with grim futures. can't envy him, but full marks for skill.
    1
  5621. should have wrapped 100 planes around pelosi's plane, and announced taiwan is prc airspace.. "turn or die!"
    1
  5622. if yang was president, and suggested that congress cut military spending, he would be ignored, or laughed at, or shot. war is the american business. corporate profits, lower class wages, but he's too smart to say such a thing. i hope.
    1
  5623. it is the usa that threatens china. china invites peace. it is the usa that has more military personnel than the next 10 nations put together. it is the navy of the usa crowding the south china sea, not the navy of prc infesting the caribbean. while prc is building roads, bridges and ports from xin jiang to piraeus, the usa is invading weak nations such as iraq and afghanistan. usa, and some of its lackeys, accuses prc of aggressive behavior. can you detect the lie? china has no need for aggression, the whole world knows prc is flourishing better than any other nation. in peace prc will supplant the usa. usa has nothing to offer, but aggression: lies, bribes, threats and simple murder, small scale and large. anyone in touch with reality knows this.
    1
  5624. hedges is simply wrong. the left fails by not demanding democracy. when you have democracy, you have as much socialism as you want. when you don't have democracy, the nation's rulers have as much wealth as they want. and until americans discover this fundamental fact of politics, things aren't going to improve.
    1
  5625. in 1920, india and china were very similar. now they are not. largely due to the cpprc, although the road was rocky in places. india is not a natural nation, and british control was a mixed condition at best. no hope for india, for they can not escape from politician rule.
    1
  5626. first you must realize that the foundation of the usa government was set in medieval britain. the structure was intended to prevent the taxes of the rich from being wasted on the needs of the poor. not only is the usa not a democracy, it was designed to prevent any change at all, since the people on top designed the structure and feared change. rightly so, madison was well aware that slavery had to go, not on moral grounds but simply because commerce and industry didn't need slavery and would ultimately supplant the slave plantation grandees with city wage workers. but not while he lived! aristotle thought that the important aspect of any polity is: who decides? in the usa, this question is not clear, because madison was a smart man, and he did achieve stability, so much so that civil war was necessary to replace slavery with wage workers. today, usa is encumbered with a ridiculously obsolete constitution, that can be modified, but only by people whose position of power is established by the constitution. this effectively means that americans are not going to enjoy the 21st century much- they have a choice of revolution, or decay.
    1
  5627. flynn and epoch. all you need to know about both.
    1
  5628. 'wireless' is wasteful. possibly unhealthy. but homer sap wants new toys, if he is rich enough.
    1
  5629. been looking at his interviews tonight. impressive. smart, experienced, clearly not afraid to get out front and say, "follow me! and you should. are americans smart enough to follow him? much less clear, but you have to figure trump has strained a large percentage of the gum chewers out of the electorate, so maybe good things can happen. best of luck, mate.
    1
  5630. usa does more cyber-spying than anyone. their 'fear' is not security, it is profit. they murder for profit, they make war for profit. right now they are lying for profit, pompeo even boasts about it, in unguarded moments. i hope china is strong enough to deter nuclear war, i fear the usg is too dim and too greedy to realize where their preparations are taking them.
    1
  5631. someone on the trump team has read '1984' and took notes. surprised any are that literate. i comfort myself that effective revolutionaries keep their mouths shut until 'the day we rise up.' whiners aren't shooters.
    1
  5632. 'social crime?' crime is what your masters declare to be crime. insecure housing is merely a fact of life, in the usa oligarchy. the people of usa could establish democracy, and use citizen initiative to provide secure housing. just needs leadership. and there is none. the concept of democracy is immanent in usa culture, but there is zero talk about getting it. i wonder why that is? is there more money in useless soothing waffle? certainly politicians will never suggest getting democracy, why would they give away power? in the end, there must be a revolution, the electorate must come to understand that politicians are not their friends. 'must,' of course, is wishful. it is perfectly possible that democracy will never come to the people of usa. it won't come at work, either - not while the owners pay the politicians. so you have to find a path to democracy from within the people. or it won't get done.
    1
  5633. if you are wrong for 18 years, you are probably not smart enough to be confident about any revised opinion. otoh, discovering that usa is no kind of democracy is not a personal opinion, it can be tested against reality easily and in a variety of ways. people believe what it prospers them to believe, and only come to reality when that prospers them too. which is largely why human society remains crooked in the face of reality, reality is not what we want.
    1
  5634. so, an employment scheme for farmer's sons, and daughters? or reserves of cannon fodder for an anticipated mass war? both, probably. but 10 years from now there will be a problem. unemployed young people with military training and group loyalty. what will they do?in germany, the answer was ' become 'nazis.' not my problem, says modi, i'll be retired to monaco.
    1
  5635. it's a never-ending story, and yet no one can see a path to revolution. 'reform' is easy, vote for me, and i'll fix it, the mating call of the politician in fund-raising plumage. some societies don't revolt, they just rot. not clear which is worse.
    1
  5636. i'm sorry, americans, you have been assessed as unworthy of medicare for all. however, we can offer very cheap medical help at your local vet.
    1
  5637. if you haven't got the courage to get democracy, at gun-point, then you will live like a serf. rights come from power, and power ultimately comes from struggle. the weak and fearful can talk all they like, but your masters don't have to listen. and they don't, why should they?
    1
  5638. nature is big and dangerous. we barely got the bears and lions under control, have a tenuous grip on the nutters who control nuclear weapons, and dr h lifts our eyes to heaven, and points out real danger. my admiration and affection for dr h continues, but in future i will have to open her essays as i used to open christmas presents, while conscious of mixed performance: hope and fear, and fingers crossed.
    1
  5639. stop whining, serfs! you are many, and have guns. could establish democracy in a fun-filled month. but you are not citizen quality people. like horses, you are born to ride, like cows, you are born to be milked. it's evolution in action, grazing animals turn sunshine into meat, predators turn meat into shit, shit supports grass. most animals are grazers, that's you. some are hyenas, that's politicians, some are lions. plutocrats. all must remain in balance, and not waste sunshine as well. but h.sapiens doesn't seem to realize this. imagine claiming that the earth is inexhaustible, pollution will clean itself, there is no limit to what you can make, use, steal.
    1
  5640. the cia secretly offered bounties to the northern alliance to kill russians. there was a movie about it, so you should know. your government murders people all around the world, it's in the news sometimes. so why get upset because people are shooting back? are you surprised?
    1
  5641. it's only a crime if the politicians think so. they are the masters of the nation. as a practical matter, even preachers are entitled to freedom of speech, which rather muddies the water. but a nation that has heard of democracy, yet doesn't want it, is badly placed to complain at what their masters do.
    1
  5642. in 1930 it was remarkable, in 1939 it was out of date.
    1
  5643. it's wonderful way to turn taxes into dividends, and mollify the unemployed with steady employment in killing foreigners.
    1
  5644. hedges, wolff and chomsky have been letting light into the usa for up to 50 years. the expression on chomsky's face suggests he is very conscious of his limited impact. it's not enough to talk, they've talked and talked. revolution is necessary, and however peaceful the revolution is intended to be, the rich will fight to the last hired gun. no shortage of such people in the usa, the police departments are generally bandits in uniform. the army recruits from the poor, so perhaps it's not clear where they will be if things get unpeaceful. my guess is usa will just drift into a 'russia' style dictatorship, if no one pulls the trigger, and the climate crisis is met adequately. that's a looong shot bet.
    1
  5645. you could have democracy, if only you organized enough people to scare the politicians. but the thing is, if you aren't citizen quality, then you are cattle class. you are allowed to whine, all you want, and that seems to be the limit of your energy. little wonder politicians own you.
    1
  5646. in fact, trump is built in to the american constitution. anyone can be president, over 35 and native born. some disastrous 'anyones' have already been there, and the resulting level of management is why, in large part, america is decaying at home, and declining in foreign affairs. and it's not just presidents- rule by politician doesn't select people who know what they are doing, beyond how to get elected and stay elected, so congress has been no asset. the constitution is obsolete. no american seems to know this, still less has there be any move for a better constitution. so america's path is fixed, downwards.
    1
  5647. i greatly admire prof chomsky, chiefly for his endurance. injecting reality into usa politics must, i think, do some good. but not much. people believe what it profits them to believe, and profit often just means allowing them to believe that what they want, they should have. his recent approval of biden, on the 'lesser evil' principle, is wrong. revolution is the lesser evil.
    1
  5648. i almost feel sorry for brits. feudal government, incompetent politicians, and half way in, half way out of the eu tarbaby. but a nation of forelock tuggers must expect to be exploited, that's just nature, red in fang and claw. life outside of the eu is possible, it just needs massive resources- norway, or massive competence- switzerland. but hope-and-glory land has only got waffle. will this be enough?
    1
  5649. comical. my clear choice for worst in my lifetime is harry truman. 1. laid the foundation for the vietnam war by allowing france to re-occupy vn. 2. backed chiang kai-shek against the advice of his own assessment team. 3. established the cia, a mistake he admitted himself, briefly. [they told him they knew where he and his family lived.] 4. threatened china with nuclear war, greatly speeding up the chinese progress to nuclear capability. pretty much single-handedly established the cold war, to compensate against republican claims he had 'lost' china. but dubya killied many more people, wasted more money than trump has, so far. rumps only outstanding quality is his visible personal failings, he is not a politician, and lies at a childlike level only. as for his contempt for women, kennedy was younger and had commercial women and volunteers imported almost daily, an ss chore not often remarked upon. it was excused by those who knew as a reaction to the drugs he took to manage back problems. more likely to cause further problems, you would think. but perhaps he had a doctor's letter. trump is a boil on the face of america, but not really important. his significance is that the usa political system put such a defective leader in highest office. this is one of the indicators that the american constitution is obsolete. the result will be fading from wealth and power and later dissolution of the federation.
    1
  5650. don't complain, mr dore, your career has blossomed due to the character of usa politicians. no use being a bright little seed of humor, without a bed of shit in which to prosper. another 5 years and they'll be comparing you to voltaire.
    1
  5651. doktor h does ask amusing questions, to which you can affix your own answers. sooo hard to get a good grade in a class like that. whimsical can be terrifying. one can only affix a voucher for any box in the candy store, or a blank cheque, to such a term paper, merely as a token of regard, you understand.
    1
  5652. google chomsky's list of usa warcrimes
    1
  5653. there are two goals in the management of a nation: one is, to provide a decent living for all its members. the other is, to extract the maximum wealth for each member of an elite group. the second goal is almost universal, but some nations strive towards the first in some degree- scandinavia most notable. republicans chase the first goal, while disguising their greed by saying anyone can prosper if they work hard. democrats are much the same, but make some gestures towards welfare. american politics are not broken. it functions exactly as it was designed to do. the default operation of america is the rule of the wealthy for the benefit of the wealthy. this principle began with the constitution, written explicitly to make possible domination of the poor many by the rich few. the '1%' rule is not new. it began with the plantation plutocrats, continued after the civil war in 'the gilded age,' and now is the '1%,' although 1/10 of 1% is more accurate. the usa is not broken, it is a purpose-built plutocracy, functioning as it was meant to do. if you don't like the results of the constitution, you must change it. i recommend democracy, if you are capable of it. but i fear you are not. it needs citizen quality people, and american culture and education does not produce many educated people with a sense of commu ity and justice. on the contrary, there are just too many ignorant 'bubbas,' simple racists and plain old sociopaths too sustain a democracy. that's why a creature like trump is in the oval office- he truly is the essence of america.
    1
  5654. without democracy, elites will continue leading us to extinction. peopl;e talk endlessly about 'what must be done, but skip over the fundamental question of 'who decides.' we are not suited to democracy, and i think that is a truly fatal flaw.
    1
  5655. i used to be smart, but repeated attempts to understand the structure of a qubit have played a role in refining my character into humble senility. stil, it's nice to watch smart people advance the capability of homo sapiens. i wish they could advance homo politicus as well, before he kills us all.
    1
  5656. surely it's not medicare for all. do you expect rich people to queue up in waiting rooms? it's medicare for the poor. and it only works, if you tax the rich. warren says she can do that, but the senate is likely to say "no, you can't." before you can fix america, you have to get the power to fix. only democracy is likely to work, and no one dares to say so because it's too hard to get in a nation which shows no sign of understanding what democracy is. most subscribe to the notion they already have it. if you are really ignorant, or really dim, well, look around you-
    1
  5657. some one should tell him relax, mission accomplished with the establishment of the constitution.
    1
  5658. i blame james madison. he created the usg, and flash-froze the nation into plutocracy. he did it to protect his private wealth, founded on the slavery of imported africans. that didn't last, but the protection of wealth did, and the lies necessary to sustain that idea have corrupted every aspect of usa. here we see nuclear warfare proposed as an aid to usa commercial supremacy. they also thought checking children's shoe-fit with x-rays administered by shoe-store clerks was a great sales device. and of course, coca-cola prospered with cocaine. but they had to use sugar instead, until recently, when that proved to be a poison, as well. to sum up, usa bad, anywhere else, better. although germany did stretch the envelop briefly with that nazi bit.
    1
  5659. once you agree to live in a holding pen managed by politicians for the benefit of the rich, it is pointless to complain about declining conditions.
    1
  5660. usa is a bandit nation. most of its people are cattle, most of the remainder are would-be neighborhood gauleiters. julian irritated the elite. an admirable action, but he seemingly didn't understand just how bad they were. that was foolish, at best. he was well equipped to maintain a secret persona, and didn't. that is turning out to be more than foolish, it has ruined his life, and may end it in a concrete cell. if you want to blow the whistle against usa, think twice, and don't. unless you already have a terminal disease, in which case give some thought to choosing a real nasty politician for company in hell.
    1
  5661. a 'constitution' is the fundamental law of a nation, and in a democracy, can only be changed by the electorate, through referendum or initiative. indeed, only democracies have constitutions. all the rest of you zombies only have the government's current regulations.
    1
  5662. make your children learn mandarin at school, if the planet doesn't drown from climate change, or burn with nuclear war, china will be the center of human society in asia.
    1
  5663. desal will allow bigger population. do you think that is a good thing?
    1
  5664. the best preparation for war with russia is close participation, without actually being shot at. russia also benefits, of course. and u.s. concern may well be feigned, never believe anything from them without 3 opinions from different sources.
    1
  5665. i am daily amused by the outrage, or at least mild discomfort evinced on this site. but effective reaction will not begin here. has anyone found a list of would-be revolutionaries, where real plotting can be organized? don't tell me where, i'm old and no longer any use with a long arm. but it would be very soothing to hear a plan is in development to overthrow the rich and bring peace to the world.
    1
  5666. "China may give up its Iranian oil imports to appease Washington." remember this statement. it seems to me wildly unlikely to eventuate. iran is less important than usa, but the rest of the world is more important than the usa. the damage to chinese reputation would be severe. there is likely to be a new president in 2020, china is in no immediate danger, so they are likely to smile and say 'no' to trump.
    1
  5667. biden isn't listening. why should he? pretending to be in a democracy saves you the effort of actually getting democracy, but empty words just results in no progress.
    1
  5668. 33% per day is exaggerated, small towns would top out quickly, as their interaction group got sick and stayed in bed. but the important part is simply this, only 1% would die, heavily loaded towards social security, so a net plus for the young ones. about 10-50% would have reduced aerobic function, but most work is sit-down jobs nowadays. really, this is just a storm in a teacup. people have to realize their place in life: if god doesn't make you really rich, then it's yer duty to beaver away for whatever wage yer betters think yer worth. and get out of the way without making a fuss.
    1
  5669. gotta blame somebody. but usans are too dim, too ignorant, and or too fearful, to get democracy. and you won't find it at work, or nation. if you want democracy, you have to sign on for revolution. sorry, no free passes.
    1
  5670. you can't lose freedoms, freedoms arise from power. you can lose privileges, extended to you, and withdrawn at the will of your masters. people who submit to an elite may beg for a privilege, even riot, but the commander of police and army will have their way. that's why the two notable democracies of western society had a militia, not an army. and that's why the usa has a mercenary army. in a plutocracy, the rulers rent their army. [ it's only rent, because the generals have the option of cutting out the middle man ]
    1
  5671. bacevich is right, and he is meaningless. america was born to be a plutocracy, and when there is money in militarism, there it is. any conversation that doesn't begin with the need for revolution is just gossip. unfortunately, revolution is impossible. learn to play a musical instrument, or ride a surfboard, usa is not going to change, except for the worse.
    1
  5672. another clear argument for democracy. but democracy appears to be unattractive to the elite, no surprise, and the plebs are not allowed near the organs of power, and information. your grandfather delighted in walt kelly- "we have met the enemy, and he is us." for a long time, h. sap. has had no significant enemies but himself.
    1
  5673. they aren't really rare, just thinly dispersed. so cheap labor has been necessary for profitable mining. india has cheap labor, china, increasingly, does not. so india will profit from rare earths, until a. i. directed machinery takes over. this is 'ho-hum' stuff elsewhere, secret weapon? working from comic books, are you?
    1
  5674. i think american progressives can force the democrat party to offer citizen initiative to the nation. i think it would have sufficient appeal to gain control of congress and lead to putting the direction of the nation in the hands of the electorate. dispersed power will lead to dispersed wealth, for power and wealth are bound together. how to do it? send an email to the dnc every monday morning: "i will vote democrat next when citizen initiative is the first element of the democrat program." naturally, you have to tell people what you are doing, and persuade them both to do likewise, and spread the word. are there 1,000,000 americans who understand the need for democracy?
    1
  5675. who is the 'good guy' in usa politics? why pick on trump? i suspect hate crime was inserted into usa public activity when madison weasel-worded african slavery into the usa constitution. trump has no politics, his motivation begins and ends in selfishness. in a way, very 'american.' that such a defective man found himself in the oval office should be glaring evidence that the constitution is not fit for purpose. but not a word is heard about substantive change. that stasis of mind spells doom.
    1
  5676. ukraine tried to join hitler, and he did recruit a ukrainian division of ss thugs. but hitler wanted to own ukraine and planned to liquidate the majority of ukraine. so the non-nazis wound up on ussr side. farmers don't make good communists. but they preferred to live. plenty of nazis in the usa too. dubya's grandfather comes to mind. that's why they had to leave connecticut, and move to texas, too many rich and powerful jews in connecticut, not many in texas.
    1
  5677. I know this: management under control by politicians is hopelessly incompetent, unless your only goal is the enrichment of the already rich. If you want a better outcome for the great majority, you must get democracy. With it will come some measure of socialism, and a tendency towards peace. There is no substitute for revolution. Elite rule is ruining the planet.
    1
  5678. it's easy to say, 'never again,' but how to prevent? one solution is to get democracy. can't think of any others. 'getting democracy' is hard, especially when no one wants it. so, it comes down to a verbal figleaf- pretend to resist, so long as it doesn't require bloodshed, or even raising a sweat.
    1
  5679. 'politician' is a profession in the usa. there are two guilds, and plenty of 'hired guns' whose purpose is to extract a living from herding the electoral cattle. neither guild is cheerful about young, active vocational competition. why should they be, it threatens their livelihood? this situation is normal, if you don't live in a democracy.
    1
  5680. don't know why ms gu made this decision, but any action that might evince dismay/contempt/horror towards the evil empire is appropriate. or maybe ms gu is betting a future in prc offers more personal rewards. a reasonable bet, so long as evil empire doesn't send an assassin, or blow up the world.
    1
  5681. every now and then dr h reminds me of my declining mental capabilities. my own fault, i keep logging on, hoping to keep up with the deep thinkers at some distance. free will is a philosophical nonsense, but a very consoling fetish. take your choice. as for spooky action, we all see examples daily from politicians, which turn out to be just well-determined self interest.
    1
  5682. if humanity survives, if civilization survives, we will all have digital currency. taxation will be extinct, fraud and corruption very difficult, and financial management will be simple. roll on! but i wish we weren't sailing into the future under a selection of oligarchies, all of them corrupt and with the potential to be '1984' re-vivified.
    1
  5683. there is a difference between democracy, and politician-rule. it's black and white. both are called 'democracy' in the usa see 'double-think.' but you can't blame politicians for taking advantage of chumps. see 'law of the jungle.' if yer dim, ignorant and passive, likely you were 'born in the usa.'
    1
  5684. india is a failed state. can reasonably assign most of the blame to britain, but how to recover from exploitation may simply have no answer. the comparison with china suggests that the communist ideology, "we are one class, one nation, and our personal well-being arises from national success," is an asset both necessary, and unavailable to india. politicians are a curse, religion is a curse and india is smothered by both.
    1
  5685. democracy is possible, the swiss do it, more or less. many states do it, to one degree or another. california has referendum and initiative and recall. but americans let politicians rule. that's because men wearing powdered wigs established the usa with the intent of prolonging slavery, and ensuring the rule of wealth. you might imagine that americans would want a more modern kind of nation, but you would be wrong. result, widespread poverty, and a trump for president. talk about slow learners!
    1
  5686. i used to ask myself, why don't people want democracy? why do they prefer to live in a nation ruled by political gangsters, or military gangsters, or simple gangster gangsters? short answer is, social evolution is much faster than genetic, but not nearly as strong. 20,000 years ago, homo sap did what the big man said, or his assistants would beat you up. so we can imagine democracy, while being incapable of escaping from our heritage of submission to the alphas. that's bad enough, but the smarties have created nuclear weapons and climate crisis, and the alphas have no clue as to keeping us from extinction. they are well-satisfied with being on top, and the future is someone else's problem. so we watch soap-opera management of the most dangerous empire of all time, managed by a cast that could be plucked from a shakespearean comedy, and no one ever says, 'we need a new system.' all the talking heads can come up with, is 'maybe a better fool , if we can find one.'
    1
  5687. why don't you know why? didn't they have civics lessons in your school?
    1
  5688. more whip! it's really hard to dislike such a sweet guy, but i wanted to. but a sweet girl says he's a rat, so i find it's much easier. in fact , in fact, good prez, bad prez, doesn't really matter. the usa ship of state was launched to empower wealth, and very successfully. only andy yang has any substantive ideas to deal with the future, the rest just want to be in office. and andy in office would discover he could do nothing. the usa was designed to make change difficult, and radical change impossible. but talking about elections is the only game in town, no referendum, no initiative, don't you wish you had recall? but you don't. and you put up with it. 'putting up with it' will be the end of the usa.
    1
  5689. best for usa if bernie gets the nomination, and loses to trump. 4 more years of trump would educate americans to value of socialism, perhaps even democracy. if bernie wins, he will be tagged with the oncoming economic crash, and greed -ocracy will be revitalized. either way, interesting times. glad i'm watching from far away.
    1
  5690. that was not a coup. it was merely a demonstration. coups require planning and organized force. trump could not organize a coup, for lack of brains and courage. but be patient. usa political system is hopelessly obsolete, and it will inspire competent people to show usa political children what a coup is.
    1
  5691. nonsense! a diesel engine in the t34 won the war. the merlin just helped britain detain the nazis until usa could save western europe from communism.
    1
  5692. she despises the press, many are despicable. usa political machinery was despicable from birth. there were some moderately lofty claims in the constitution, but all were despicable hypocrisy. "all men are created equal...." from a man made wealthy by the labor and sales of black slaves. but i learned to despise usa during the vietnam war, when villages were wiped out with napalm and machine guns, to save them' from communist infiltration. don't despise psaki, if your hands aren't clean.
    1
  5693. fang'em, if you can. but you can't. usa not a democracy, and the people are content to be screwed, as long as it's someone else.
    1
  5694. there's too many minors anyway. let's talk about billion dollar theft and actual war crime.
    1
  5695. if usa were a democracy, but, it isn't. because it isn't, the lizards currently in power can do as they please, so long as they have a lie to tell. i used to wonder why usa is not a democracy- there is a basic literacy, some states have democracy in their internal operation, but usa remains the creation of slave plantation plutocrats, chiefly madison. he said his constitution would last a long time, and ensure the rule of the rich, and so it has. something in the water, probably flourine. or a distillation of idiocy, sold as 'coca-cola.'
    1
  5696. this is high school politics, by people who generate an income by pretending to have opinions to readers who pretend to think talk is all that's necessary. in a plutocracy, money infuses every part of the operation of the society, even those parts that have no visible connection to real political decisions. you can do away with capitalism, just devote years of your life to building a would-be citizen action group big enough to force democracy on the oligarchy. then use initiative to shape the nation to the wishes of the electorate. not mysterious, just not easy. never met anyone willing to act. so continue chatting, it's a rice bowl, and every once in awhile someone says interesting.
    1
  5697. usa determined to start ww3. uk loyal the end. i hope the first bomb lands on london, only fair. except the cabinet will be in dc, making obeisance to masters. perhaps the second bomb will fall on dc. but politicians will be in colorado, deep underground. the thing about vlad is, while the politicians live in a fairy-tale of getting what they want with bribery and threats, vlad starts shooting first. makes the odds more even, eh?
    1
  5698. until ordinary people start emailing their political representatives every week: "publish a radical plan to reduce global warming, or i'm voting for someone else! - there will be no effective action.
    1
  5699. neither was the north, and still are not, both., further- actually you can. athens much more democratic than any modern nation, and slavery common. you are misinformed as to the meaning of 'democracy.'
    1
  5700. the mask has been off usa for a long time now, and the blatant use of power in search of profit, with anything from murder to war of occupation in continual use. and it doesn't seem to matter. my view is that without democracy you cannot engage the interest of the people in controlling the orcs that float to the top of society. and homer sap doesn't naturally demand democracy - too busy finding a meal, for self and kids. he can maintain it, perhaps, but cannot get it from elite control. this will be the death of us.
    1
  5701. so lndia/usa practice military operations, and prc is the 'aggressive' one. prc has no need for aggression. their economy is the wonder of the age, china's cities are filled with parks and leading technology, and severe poverty has been largely eliminated. india, otoh, has every reason for posturing military activity. the comparison with prc should make indian people wonder why their politicians can not do as well.
    1
  5702. your respect for the constitution is misplaced. it was designed to prevent democracy, and the design works.
    1
  5703. what vital intelligence?
    1
  5704. as long as you rely on the mercy of politicians, you are not citizens, but only civilians, 'chumps.' demand democracy, unless you believe in fairy god-mothers.
    1
  5705. look on the bright side. many people, in and out of usa, have begun to realize what that nation is. we can hope that the world will shun contact and gradually blight its power. to be fair, usa was evil from birth, so 'can hope' is a faint hope, indeed. homo sapiens has always been ruled by thugs, initially alpha and beta males. the labels have changed, but the reality, not nearly enough. now they are called 'politicians' and social evolution has enabled them to rule without much need for intellect or force. that we allow such creatures to rule us means we have no future.
    1
  5706. presumably particle physicists will die out, except for a few specialist high school teachers, who also do driver-training to make a living wage. now that everything is known, or unknowable, they will join sword-smiths in the niche-profession/hobbyist category.
    1
  5707. nobody seems to think of trump as a measure of the quality of the democratic party, but he is. hillary ignored the rust-belt out-of-workers, and they bit her, unexpectedly hard. the fact is, american politicians are generally contemptible or in sanders case, ineffectual. but your problem is the constitution. you don't have democracy, you have an elective oligarchy which has always been the political agent of the elite. a plutocracy, in fact. you deserve no better. if you imagine a politician is going to look out for you like your mother, you are doomed to disappointment. you can get democracy if you demand it, but it will not be given to couch potatoes.
    1
  5708. stop blaming trump supporters for trump. he is in office only because for about the last 50 years, the rich have been reclaiming 'their' nation. it was designed for them, but the grip slipped briefly due to the great depression and ww2. but 'gilded age.20' is in place and normal service has resumed. during the reclamation, ever more americans were pushed into the 'loser' category, a group never championed by either democrats or republicans. finally, and narrowly, the 'business as usual' candidate was defeated, not because he was wonderful, but simply because he was not one of the polical 'anointed.' america is incapable of reformation, and trump will be followed by someone worse. serves you right.
    1
  5709. in fact, einstein did have trouble with math. he sketched out some useful theories but had to spend a year or two acquiring new math to make general relativity solid. www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/22/science.research
    1
  5710. i suspect bernie or biden doesn't matter. it's gonna be raining stones on the usa soon, and my guess is that being in the oval office will be a fatal mistake. but bernie could be said to deserve a shot at it, since he has been trying to make a mark on public life for a long time. biden is a joke, but that's not a notable drawback, more than half the recent presidents were unimpressive human beings, not visibly competent to run a dollar store. what would you expect, if the criteria was simply, 'over 35, native born.'
    1
  5711. so no health insurance, and cv19 ramping up. you got so many personal firearms, just for this purpose, and it turns out, there ain't no heroes in among those gun-loving americans. to be fair, most of the guns are owned by right-wing wing-nuts. but revolution is necessary, situation will not improve by polite chat on the web. i'm beginning to wish i didn't laugh at the weather underground, as pathetic as they were, they did something besides talk. bad news folks, some societies just didn't have the structure or character to survive. it's looking like usa is going to subside into irrelevance it should fracture into 2 or 3 pieces, soon.
    1
  5712. in the digital age, all public activities should be made public as they happen. a lot of crime would disappear. still a problem with politicians, but they can be made extinct. direct democracy has no use for them.
    1
  5713. doesn't anyone read the constitution? or american history? without control of house and senate, presidents can do little. bernie will never control the senate, and probably not the house, either. there are a few lefty radicals now, but they still are a minority. the democratic party is not a party of the left. they are just 'the other wing' of the political profession. fdr, with total control, just threw a few fish to the lower class, but made no attempt to establish democracy. consequently, the rich bought back what is 'their' nation, one politician at a time. around 1900, the real progressive movement was able to establish some or all of the attributes of democracy in about half the states, this needs doing at the federal level. but no one says so. it's quite simple - if you want the usa to be run 'for the people' you must establish democracy, so that it will be run 'by the people.' not impossible, california is 40 million people, 5th largest economy in the world, and a very active democratic constitution. go thou and do likewise.
    1
  5714. what are my thoughts? i think i made the best decision of my life when i visited the oz consulate in frisco and applied for a pr visa. i recommend similar action to anyone unhappy with the national culture, because it's getting worse.
    1
  5715. you have fundamental problems of governance, much more pressing than the weekly casualty report. 'democracy now!' never talks about getting democracy. symptomatic of despair? if that is in the 'too hard' basket, usa is doomed.
    1
  5716. fortunately, there is no vow of veracity taken by media agents. otherwise, children would be disillusioned before they could vote. and not bother to vote. every now and then the mask slips, but it doesn't matter---- usans are so divorced from reality that lies float into view, the face crinkles, and then smooths, and the bubble floats on.
    1
  5717. good news! god is finally punishing usa for ... well, just being the usa. greed, irresponsibility and mortal dumbosity have consequences, as all should have realized long ago. but letting politicians run the nation was always going to end badly.
    1
  5718. lecture to face good, ritual spearing even better. better times coming for africans, prc investing heavily, usa giving lots of advice.
    1
  5719. afghanistan will survive, the usa puppet government will not. pakistan may be important to usa plans on the subcontinent, but as they have already bought the modi government, not clear they need pakistan, and pakistan might well decide they need to be friends with the new rulers of afghanistan, since they created the taliban and can expect gratitude. usa knows nothing about gratitude.
    1
  5720. usa could have democracy, if most people wanted it. very easy: threaten your politician, politely. but most people don't want democracy- they don't even know what it is. so that's why you don't have it. basically, usans are serfs. not all of course, but most. homer sap is not naturally suited to democracy, and it rarely occurs. a few of the usa states would be democracies, if independent, but they are not independent and so in the federal sphere, as serf-like as any alabaman. among nation states, helvetia is a democracy, but corrupted and corroded by their oligarchic neighborhood. claiming democracy, of any nature, is hypocrisy, is out-right lie, is political propaganda. see 'newspeak' and 'doublethink' for a simple description of what has been done to you. trump is not your problem. your problem is you, and mr. hartmann. he implies that democracy is possible, and you hope that removing trump will fix something. sorry, nope, and nope.
    1
  5721. to begin with, usa is no kind of democracy. elective aristocracy is closest label, in traditional language. in reality, the 'aristocrats' are in thrall to money, so plutocracy is the underlying reality. the difference between prc and usa is simply that the usa is the reigning hegemon, and china wants its share of the world. i'm inclined to support china because greed and arrogance of usa is a danger to humanity, through war and environmental destruction. to put it in simple terms, usa maintains empire through violence, prc seeks to roll back that empire with trade and development. usa shoots, prc builds.
    1
  5722. usa has never had democracy. so relax. since you don't seem to know what it is, the lack will be painless - you are serfs by nature.
    1
  5723. "oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light....." don't know why people tolerate politicians, in a nation which licenses gun ownership for the express purpose of pruning their numbers. indeed, common sense would call for total eradication.
    1
  5724. they are rotten, but not democratic. you don't have democracy. if you know what it is, unlikely, you don't deserve democracy. democracy creates citizens, if you grow up without it, you are only a civilian, submissive, a permanent adolescent, capable of complaining, incapable of acting. what has rotted, is the false mask of 'democracy' you are sold from childhood. unfortunately, this doesn't transform the people into citizens, a slow process involving struggle and adversity. [ i am inferring from swiss history. ] but be patient. the politicians will make themselves obsolete, if not extinct, generals will take over. [ here i infer from roman history. ] life in a military dictatorship can be a little better for the lower classes, as they are the pool of labor generals need to placate, as the best source of soldiers. human history is like that, and would be acceptable if it were not likely that a radically different society is necessary to prevent environmental collapse. there is a real worry, making politics almost a trivial concern.
    1
  5725. the right move- enzed if they'll have you, oz if not. and there are other places better than usa if you have a second language.
    1
  5726. why don't usans want actual democracy?
    1
  5727. putin would like to be more isolated, but usa insists in driving its nato war puppet up to his door. like a much-battered wife, putin finally got a gun.
    1
  5728. if you will tolerate rule by politicians, you are not well placed to complain about what they do. if you are unwilling to fight for democracy, you must submit to oligarchy. as you do.
    1
  5729. 'and in other news....'
    1
  5730. .......because the constitution was written by rich men* who intended to rule the new nation by rich men and for rich men. nothing unique about that, they were merely codifying the laws of great britain, with a few local variations. there is formal provision for change, but the mechanism of change is largely under control of politicians. they won't vote themselves out of power. it will need revolution to do substantive change, so usa will drift into a banana republic, or destroy the world by trying to rule it. *chiefly madison, who was refreshingly open about his intention to make a plutocracy.
    1
  5731. k3 is here to save you from the democrat party. and the republicans. c'mon, people, this guy is from method acting, and he will never offer you the fishing pole, and the fish he offers, are getting smelly.
    1
  5732. can't survive, dead in utero. madison explained why he didn't like it, ' it would lead to socialism' [ i paraphrase ] and he killed it dead in the constitution. if he was a doctor, he would be an abortionist. what kind of education do you get, that you imagine usa is a democracy? or ever was?
    1
  5733. depending on 'good' politicians to save you, leaves you vulnerable to bad politicians exploiting you. the only long-term survival plan is to do it yourself: get democracy, use initiative to shape society, referendum to run it, through a public service operating in public. politicians, good and bad, all say, " let me rule, and i'll take care of you." it only needs a few baddies, and society crumbles, and there is never any lack of baddies. so if you don't get democracy first, you are wasting your time, and time is running out.
    1
  5734. china has stolen nothing. they invited american ceos to move production to china, and specified access to the technology involved. the ceos said, 'no problem.' they thought, 'labor costs down for years, profits up, and i retire with a golden handshake.' so, no problem, for me at least. marx said something about capitalism cutting its own throat, and here you see it. china will not collapse. their elite selection process is very much better than usa. the only fear is that usa elite may be driven to use war as a substitute for brains. they might well destroy the planet rapidly, to maintain profits. they are already destroying it more slowly, by ignoring climate change.
    1
  5735. the take-away here is nixon was a simple sociopath, and lbj was simply corrupt to his bones, and both were more concerned with staying on top of america than than the general welfare of americans. if you read the personal history of eisenhower, you will be less impressed with his 'military-industrial complex' speech too. he did warn about two aspects of elite rule in america, but after careful consideration left the greatest danger of all: congress. the people of usa will sink into poverty for lack of leadership in revolution, and would not be well-educated enough to organize or even participate in revolution to democracy. the best they can hope for is a military tyrant who will throw them a few coins, in return for civil unrest leading to the transfer of power. 'you get the government' you deserve is true, once you understand that social evolution is as unfeeling as mother nature at work.
    1
  5736. sacrilege lynching? how very picturesque.
    1
  5737. citizens in a democracy rule the state with referendum, initiative and recall. civilians in an elective aristocracy vote for people, like some celebrity dance contest. public politics is just a game show, and "you never know what yer gonna get." bernie in office will be about as useful as barry in office. the senate was invented to make sure nothing disturbs the rule of the rich. it has worked pretty well, and will go on working until the civilians decide they want to be citizens. no sign of that happening, so let's turn back to the dance floor, and enjoy good moves and tumbles.
    1
  5738. you are not. since you do not live in a democracy, you have no formal control over the activities of government. since you refuse to acknowledge this reality, there will be nothing done. fold your hands and sit quietly, your masters may throw you a few coins if you don't disturb them.
    1
  5739. stop voting, folks. it only adds a gloss of justice to a crooked society.
    1
  5740. depends. if you thought mussolini was a dictator, then yes. but anyone can speak back to trump. you just lose yer job. how much is that worth? and in fact, the general's union kept its guys safe when hitler was crossed in the early days of the war. trump isn't in that league. he knows he's a coward, his experience in personnel management is limited to saying 'yer fired!' probably enjoys it. health professionals are going to be in great demand for years to come, and 'fired by trump' will be a big plus on the cv.
    1
  5741. very depressing, to see our new master running to kiss the usa 'hand'. the public version of what was said reported gratifying attention to climate change. good if true, but they lie a lot, you know, politicians. in reality, this is a mafia gang meeting to suppress the growing strength of prc. they may be able to do it, but anyone far enough away from gunfire and falling bombs can allow one's ethical sense to guide to a hope that prc prevails against these 4 degenerates.
    1
  5742. the end of mosquitoes would be nice, but losing bees not nice at all.
    1
  5743. no, saving usa will require a visitation by vengeful angels.
    1
  5744. what happened with the left is that this framework no longer has much relevance to modern society. there is no 'left.' a more relevant model of human society is the african plains of 100 years ago: the rich occupy the predator niche, most are grass eaters, intellegentsia - monkeys. there are hold-over communal binding agents of varying strength in europe, enough to support 'left' opinion and parties, but they are hollowed out by the existence of the top predator, usa. [i prefer 'evil empire.'] whatever their socialist pretensions, the leadership finds it necessary or rewarding to follow the lead of the evil empire. there are out-liers, on the 'left,' scandis, netherland, on the right, hungary, poland, but this is ephemeral, sweden for instance, and finnland are dragged right by russia, or their leaders find it profitable to say so. humanity is entering the post-industrial stage of evolution, class bonds are destroyed by precarious employment in service work. meanwhile, in the underlying world of heat physics, the planet temperature drifts up. politics may well be extinct soon.
    1
  5745. israel is a cancer on the face of humanity, but only a little one -usa has promoted and defended the invasion of palestine from the late 40's, so it's the cause of this cancer, and many other crimes.
    1
  5746. stop complaining. if you had either brains or courage, you would be getting democracy. in the absence of either, you must endure whatever clown/monster/klutz the system puts over you, and if you are silent about it people may think you approve. no shame, then.
    1
  5747. difficult to see what crime has been committed. assange is not american. wikileaks published documents passed on from americans who had access to american secrets. he had no responsibility to usa. but he is inconvenient. if he were not in ecuadorean consulate he'd be dead. they may get him yet- britain is eager to solicit american approval and if ecuador puts him on the street he will likely fall out of an airplane over the atlantic. can't see him getting near a public courtroom.
    1
  5748. green party may eventually bend dems a bit 'left,' it happened in the 30's. but it doesn't solve the problem, look around you at the result. only democracy can bring justice and good management to usa, and seemingly, no one wants it. hopeless.
    1
  5749. the monarchy is a problem. its mere existence means the management of the nation is done to please the monarch. but getting rid of the monarch does not bring democracy. the power to rule just moves from monarch to politician, or dictator, or military junta. getting democracy is much harder, than shooting a king. you have to get a populace to stand up and announce, "we are now citizens, and rule our nation with referendum under the control of initiative." look around you. do you see a nation capable of being citizens of democracy? it is too hard for homer sap. the tribe is raised in submission to alphas, from days on the african savanna right up to today. that's not just habit to break, that is genetic inclination. it's not impossible. the swiss still have some kind of proto-democracy, many usa states would be similar, if independent. but that similar is 100 years old, without further progress, and impotent against the power of the federal nation. so the hairless ape is going to let the alphas destroy the planet. fermi wondered why the radio spectrum was not filled with communication from the stars. it's because critters that can make radios destroy themselves with powers beyond their control.
    1
  5750. if 70% of voters stay home, politicians will get nervous. if 80%, you can have democracy without gunfire--- the politicians will leave town, fearing a lynching. but even this simple plan is to complicated for murikin voters.
    1
  5751. women are pissed off. action may result, they are much tougher than men. usa is not a democracy, and usa people are too stupid or too frightened or too lazy to get democracy. but politicians are not going to loosen their grip till you put a gun to their head. [metaphor] until you have effective and accessible citizen initiative, you are not a citizen. you're just a civilian. or as i usually say, 'chump.'
    1
  5752. quite a good rant against the visible ills of the nation. but still no recognition that the constitution was not written to create a democracy, on the contrary, it was written to prevent the nation being a democracy. from which, all those ills spring.
    1
  5753. the notion that a nation should have a president is archaic, and reagan's second term was in the hands of a demented old man. arguably, out of simple intellectual incapacity, george w and harry tru,man should not have been in charge of anything more demanding than a men's clothing store. the history of the office has several interesting periods, more suited to inbred royalty than a republic, but changing the constitution is beyond the power of the people, bred to submission, and the aristos in office are well-pleased with the decaying wreck over which they rule.
    1
  5754. what a surprise. but don't worry, be happy. your benevolent and ethical politician-masters will look after you.
    1
  5755. i nominate harry truman. created the cia. exterminated two cities. betrayed the vietnamese to the vichy french, threatened china with nuclear bombing.
    1
  5756. don't blame her. driven by poverty to renting her body from alleyways. politicians are the inheritors of aristos, whose grandfathers were warlords, the gangsters of the day. nothing to do with 'democracy' democracy only happens when the people organize and demand it. should be easy in an internet age but strangely, not. turns out citizenship doesn't flourish in a plutocracy, the people are raised to be ignorant, alienated and passive. can't make a democracy out of that material. so you have politicians. think of them as leprosy of the national character- disfiguring, dispiriting and ultimately fatal. get used to life as it is, it won't get better. worse, only a matter of time. if you want to be saved, you must save yourself. subsistence farming near a country town, if you can find a few acres.
    1
  5757. who will do the banning, and what will be their justification? the rulers might decide to preserve the planet, it is their garden, after all. they will have to force the ruled into compounds, and prune their numbers, in the end the logic demands extermination. do you have any alternate plan? no use talking about 'what needs to be done,' if you refuse to discuss 'how it will be done.'
    1
  5758. inequality was and is the goal behind the structure of the usa government. madison sold his constitution to the grandees in state congresses by pointing out that it would protect the taxes of the rich being spent on the poor. noting magical in the this document, it simply concentrated power in a few hundred people, who could be bought to sufficient degree by the rich. and that is what has happened for most of usa history. it will continue until the people demand democracy, or, much more likely, until some general has sufficient personal loyalty from his soldiers that he can take power directly. but most likely, america will simply drift into 'banana republic' conditions and leave the world/empire stage to others. that is the default outcome, implicit in a constitution modeled on the great britain of madison's day- a polity he thought perfect.
    1
  5759. i need a better editor- 'protect against', 'nothing magical'
    1
  5760. 'democracy' is just a word, in english. almost empty of meaning, nowadays. but it began as a greek phrase - 'demos kratia,' you see the resemblance.... and the greek phrase had a clear meaning, it was a label for a particular kind of political society. the classical greeks had many different kinds, so many different words. like eskimos, and 'snow.' it meant a society in which the 'citizens ruled.' not kings,, not generals, and not politicians, the citizens ruled. usa is rotten from top to bottom. this always happens in a society ruled by an elite. great inequality destroys any community. the cure is getting democracy. is this possible? theoretically, easy. practically, looking at the quality of the usa people, maybe not. karl marx saw that nothing could be done with ignorant and alienated people, he called them 'lumpen proletariat,' and usa is mostly lumps. when your police are thugs, when they lie in the face of photo evidence, you should take the lesson that you are cattle. lumps, not citizens. citizens have power, you don't.
    1
  5761. this is a pointless question, directed at people without power to change the management of the nation. the only question of value is - "shall we organize a revolution, to establish democracy in the federal government?" once you have democracy, 'the power to do,' then you discuss what must be done. but that first step is a big one, and i think it will never be attempted.
    1
  5762. if you want to know the difference between democracy, and plutocracy, this interview is clear insight to the ground level functioning of plutocracy. at the other end, it's zuckerburg picking up the phone and telling pa, tell donald i need ten minutes to explain what i want, before sundown."
    1
  5763. why don't americans want to know what the 'leaders' are going to do with the power? partly because their 'leaders' don't know what they can do, the structure of the state aims at stasis. partly because it's none of their business, they have no input, nor even right to know, as to what their masters will do. calling this style of national management 'democracy' is contemptible double-think, shaming the masters for their arrogance, the people for their submission. in truth the usa began as a buttress of slavery, and the minds of the 'free' people are enslaved. there may be a god, after all- this is real irony. in any event, these debates are just simulated politics, pole-dancing to confuse the chumps as to their real status.
    1
  5764. it's not ignorance, quite. it's wilful ignorance. when what you want is not yours from principles of ethics or logic, you must create an alternative reality, in which you get what you want because [ ..... ] and you fill in with a sketchy talking point. humans don't let reality get in the way, if they can avoid it. their alternative reality may inspire laughter or contempt- but it works for them.
    1
  5765. taxation is theft. no one should be paying taxes, neither should anyone be subject to ongoing extortion. but every society has public expenses. this should be the responsabilty of every citizen. each person's contribution should be proportionate to the good received by being a member of society. this is easily achieved: clip 'x%' from every transaction and direct to the public treasury.
    1
  5766. bernie is a survivor. he may even do some good, now and then. but politicians are the enemy, not the friend, of the common person.
    1
  5767. btw: usa will not invade china. they have made plans, and publicized them, to extinguish 25 cities with atom bombs. it was back in the 50's, maybe things weren't going well in korea. they didn't invade then, when china was weak. they won't now, when prc strong. nuclear war? nutcases run the usa, anything is possible.
    1
  5768. this is your political system in action, do you find it satisfying? then there's the trump creature in the oval office. is no one ashamed?
    1
  5769. rich politicians retire and are quickly forgotten. and take yer eyes off the dancing cards: the problem is, the leader of the nation was selected by the system in the legal fashion, and this is what you got. doesn't anyone in usa understand that the constitution is the problem?
    1
  5770. how ya gonna do that, then? seeing as the constitution puts 100 people in charge of law-making, and they are easy to buy. first, get democracy. then we'll talk about what we should do, when we have power to do.
    1
  5771. good to see that fbi can add muscle to anti-revolutionary combat.
    1
  5772. a trivial matter. usa has terminal cancer, electoral college is a pimple on the bum.
    1
  5773. it's not war, yankee churls-- it's invasion, occupation and exploitation. you haven't left iraq either. what story do you tell about that?
    1
  5774. trump hasn't gone to war yet, cross yer fingers. but he might, clinton might, had she been elected, dubya did, and usa has been in the war business since ww1. getting rid of trump is no solution, getting rid of the usa is necessary. difficult, requires thought, will get back to you if i see a way.
    1
  5775. green's are no solution. get democracy.
    1
  5776. when was the usa ever a democracy?
    1
  5777. tired of being the puppet soldiers of usa.
    1
  5778. does anyone see a runaway effect in recent usa presidents? it's as if no sane and competent people want to follow on from trump, and flee the political arena. and biden is generating a repulsive electro-magnetic field as well. that two such people should find themselves in the ceo position of usa surely presages the end of empire.
    1
  5779. are you sure it's all his own work?
    1
  5780. biden winning is not good news. you would think dems had a candidate not so crippled by history and personal health. but they don't. usa political system is degenerate to the point that to be a politician is to leave the human race, abandon any appearance of ethics, and sell your soul to the apparatchiks of party. why is that? the corporate seizure of power has been left naked by the decline in usa power and presence around the world, and maintenance of profits has come to the point of cannibalization of usa social amenities. abandon hope, yankee dogs, yer screwed! and it's yer own fault, you've had plenty of time to seize power from the politicians, establish democracy, and create a stable and just society. but you didn't measure up, and the ship has sailed. kindly don't blow up the world as you slide into the dustbin of history.
    1
  5781. explain again, why iran is not allowed to export oil?
    1
  5782. 'free markets' blow up to some value greatly in excess to the material basis, some one sneezes, and the sell-off begins. is it caused by the sneeze? or is it caused by the brainless structure of the economy? china has been growing for 30 years, under government management, and even the crash of world trade has harmed them less than the 2008/9 recession. it's too soon the measure the economic disaster now triggered by cv19, but it wasn't caused by cv19. cv19 is just the intermediate agency between the butterfly wings in the wuhan market and the impending doom to neoliberal nonsense.
    1
  5783. as long as--- no one says 'got no clothes!' don't bet yer retirement fund on that, and you'll have to trade your daughter for a chicken and 2 eggs, cuz usd has only historical value.
    1
  5784. they know where your keyboard lives.
    1
  5785. get democracy. rule by the people will drive change, past the obstruction of those who have or worship wealth.
    1
  5786. if you had democracy, you could talk about 'overthrowing democracy'. but you don't so the talk will be fruitless.
    1
  5787. this is usa society. you should dissolve the federation, and start over. can't of course. the people in charge are well-satisfied with the way things are.
    1
  5788. i almost pity usans, those who realize something is wrong with their nation. but they never connect today with their initial condition, they never realize that the evil they see is the natural consequence of the national law and culture, and that, in consequence, only revolution can help. and revolution seems impossible, to a people mired in national myth. the rest of the world can only look on in horror, and try to minimize contact with this socio-political cancer.
    1
  5789. what ever his faults, he is not visibly in the pocket of the usg. i wish india could say the same.
    1
  5790. there is no hope, some societies fail from internal weakness. that would be usa. i like to think that a society founded to preserve slavery will fail because there is no sense of community in a society founded on injustice and brutality. rome lasted a long time with no humane qualities, and perhaps usa might do the same, except that the climate crisis may resolve human squabbles much sooner. in any event, when the candidates for president are a trump and a biden you can be certain that the usa political system is degenerate past recovery. usa couldn't even whip vietnam, who had no strength except courage and community, now they are up against a modern china and picking a fight as a political ploy. there is national insanity.
    1
  5791. these turkeys think that trump is the problem. the problem is a national constitution that makes trump not only possible, but certain.
    1
  5792. talk all you want, but elon has a rocket and does what he wants. i'm beginning to see why there is no interstellar radio chat.
    1
  5793. simply not so. what a silly lie!  Dmitri Kozlowsky 
    1
  5794. democracy is a label put on a political system several thousand years ago, it is the english variant of a greek phrase 'demos kratia' which means 'the people* rule.' applying it to an economic entity is not appropriate. labor unions don't rule, fortunately for those who are not in one. nor should they. the citizens should rule, as they do in switzerland. all the citizens, not union members. california has a very democratic constitution, if independent it would be as democratic as switzerland. really, they should secede. capitalism gets a good press in the usa, but only because the press is owned by capitalists. if you compare the progress of china and usa over the last 40 years, it is immediately obvious that management by the communist party of china is greatly superior to management by rich individuals. *unfortunately, demos doesn't mean 'people' in the english sense. in classical athens it labeled the warriors, eligible to vote, the citizens in political mode. the swiss did the same thing until recently. everyone should. a nation that defends itself with a militia is not inclined to bother others.
    1
  5795. imagine for a moment that you lived in a democracy: instead of voting for people, you vote for public action, for changes and addition to laws, for changes to foreign policy. in short, you are a citizen. but you do none of that, and pretend to live in a democracy. elections are not democracy, they are non-violent civil war between gangs contending for power and loot. if you were aware of this political subjection, perhaps you would be ashamed. but you are not. just children enthusing about the charade the grown-ups put on every 4 years. enjoy, but there is a reason the usa is sliding down the ladder, and you are it.
    1
  5796. there were a number of common-law decisions that spurred the colonies to independence. it was clear slavery had no future under british law. it's worth remembering that 4 of the first 5 presidents were southern slave masters. their position reflected the relative wealth of north and south. northern grandees were happy to go along, partly as they provided the ships that imported the slaves, and sold their production to europe. and it was handy to write your own tax laws, too.
    1
  5797. well done, sir. calm logical and researched. puts you out of step, dunnit. usa has initiated a modern version of cold war, and will damage prc any way they can. blatant lies are major tool of the usa, and they have plenty of others. bribery works too. and threats. let's pray it doesn't come to shooting. it turns out that reagan's 'evil empire' was his native land.
    1
  5798. china is a threat to american corporation profits. but perhaps it is unwise to use military language in commerce. unless you intend to shoot people who are better at commerce?
    1
  5799. there is no 'left' in usa. if you operate under the constraints of the usa constitution, you are, right, far-right, or deluded. so is revolution being planned? theoretically possible, but very unlikely. people who imagine they will get better results by finding better politicians are the 'deluded' demographic. easier to find vegetarian hyenas than virtuous politicians. it's genetic.
    1
  5800. bernie is a candidate, fox watchers are voters, what's the problem. for political parties, the problem is like the catholic church used to say: "no salvation except through us." maybe they still do.
    1
  5801. "from u. s. intelligence?" and you believe any word from that source? or anything from usa, for that matter.
    1
  5802. fdr didn't get usa out of depression by planning. he was saved by hitler. france and britain sent all their money for munitions, then britain started hocking caribbean islands for more munitions, then japan attacked, and the west was saved. well, europe was drained of men and money, but usa economy was very healthy. never let anyone tell you war doesn't pay. this is a lesson usa learned so well that they renamed the department of war to department of defense, and have been 'defending' ever since.
    1
  5803. should be possible to match every healthy person to work s/he can do, for a living wage. push a broom 3 days a week, drive a backhoe 1 day a week, enough to live results. free money may be necessary to prevent banditry or rebellion, but it creates a client population that dances to the government tune.
    1
  5804. the squad are politicians. not saints, and not your mothers. if you are too dim, too ignorant, too lazy and/or too frightened to get democracy, then you must beg an elite to throw you a few coins. don't be surprised if they don't.
    1
  5805. we will have peace, and a dominant china, or war, and god knows who or what will survive. usa is relying on quasi-military means already, which is an admission of social incompetence. if you are not worried, you are ignorant. the people who are directing usa activity may have already established a bomb shelter in greenland. this would not be a long term protection, but sociopaths are consistently optimistic.
    1
  5806. every now and then dr h shines a light on science which stimulates my smile muscle. but it's becoming clear why she is broadening her yt and cabaret singing career - no big dollops of cash for her!
    1
  5807. prof wolff is left over from the anarcho-syndicalist era, 1800's, though co-ops do survive, here and there. but you can't build a democratic society on a legal system that puts political power in a narrow group of politicians, who owe their jobs to the support of big money. that's why co-ops are rare, like platypuses. otoh, if you get democracy first, socialism of some sort will follow. there is only one example, so no firm conclusions can be made from a little nation [swiss] with defensible mountains. they have something like democracy, something like capitalism, and something like welfare. it ain't pretty, but like those left-over co-ops, it continues to work, surrounded by elective aristocracies, lately gathered together into a german commercial empire. quite like nazt days, but without the violence. elite rule doesn't work for long, the children of the rulers inherit wealth and are 'entitled.'
    1
  5808. more than 20 years of violent regime change. '53 in iran, '54 in guatemala, iraq and afghanistan, bleeding cuba and venezueala- any nation with nuclear weapons is in a club unlikely to be screwed with. the rest of the world is just dogmeat for the usa. tg is taking a big risk-awful lot of billionaires get spiteful when you talk about peace.
    1
  5809. al zawahiri was a warrior, against against an opponent vastly stronger. must have lived each day as a gift from god. his enemy was and is contemptible, and the fall of that evil empire will be widely applauded.
    1
  5810. even if bernie gets half of the delegates. it does not guarantee nomination: if nominated, he will pick up some trump voters, but more than half of democrat voters will not vote for bernie- that's why all the other candidates are 'centrists.' i suggest residents of states with democratic constitutions initiate a secession action. if you can get california and 1 or 2 other states to threaten the federation, it might shake those 'centrists' into reality. unfortunately, there may not be any state where a majority will support a movement for independence. possibly excepting rhode island- did you know they refused a referendum to join the federation? 'their finest day' now long gone, i wonder how many have regretted finally accepting the invitation
    1
  5811. the only 'opening' india needs is the appearance of competent leaders, with a comprehensive plan to bring the nation into modern standards of health, and prosperity. none in view. perhaps acting as usa gun-boy will enrich the actual leaders you have, but how exactly is this going to enrich the nation, without risking catastrophic war?
    1
  5812. the structure of your nation admits nuts to run, and encourages other nuts to support them. result, president trump. that structure is dysfunctional, since it rewards nuttery. you need a new constitution, but the old one has shaped a nation incapable of realizing it.
    1
  5813. let's not be too judgemental- there are no clean hands in the american political system. it is rotten from the top down, the consequence of constructing a legal system to support slavery and wealth. no amount of subsequent amendment can compensate for the lack of democracy. and lips pursed 'progressives' do not impress me- not only is there no talk of revolution, necessary, there is no visible organized resistance. words aren't going to fix it, the grandees will only listen to gunfire, doubtless from a great distance while flying to ireland, russia, or new zealand.
    1
  5814. no, it's not a coup. you'll know a real coup when it happens, by the organization and effectiveness. this was just a political temper tantrum.
    1
  5815. sanders is wrong. not making progress, just winning a few battles. not the same thing. because the usa is not a democracy, battles won in congress can be undone. that's why the prosperity of the 50's was lost- the rich bought back the congress, one politician at a time. and the democrats are no better than the republicans, it was clinton who signed the termination of the glass-steagal act, not a republican. democracy puts the will of the electorate in charge, and that is much too hard to buy.
    1
  5816. why is it so? because the man who wrote the constitution designed the nation for the benefit of the rich. what is the cure? democracy. rule by referendum and initiative. how to get it? sorry, not possible. requires people with courage and perseverance. angry, too. bummer. so what will happen? either the greed parasites will blow up the world, or usa will resemble russia, only warmer. 'ustabe...
    1
  5817. if you won't look at reality, you can not change it. you do not have representative 'democracy,' you never did, you have elective aristocracy. every elite governs for itself, turning public power to private advantage. if you want society to be run for the welfare of the majority, you must get actual democracy. 'democracy' is from a greek phrase, demos kratia, which means rule by the citizens. not 'politician rule.' representative democracy is no democracy at all, it is a lie told by the elite to blind the people to their impotence. so there is your goal, getting democracy to benefit most people. how to get it? in 60 years of talking about this, never a single hopeful response. most americans are utterly clueless about politics, some actually insist they have democracy, and quite a few like the idea of oligarchy, expecting to profit from it. revolution does not come from optimism, a genuinely naive notion. revolution comes when enraged few connect with desperate masses. optimism is for those who imagine that just a few simple 'fixes' will transform their dystopia into a green and pleasant garden. go for it, and best of luck.
    1
  5818. most will. make the most of your abilities, and you will probably be one who does.
    1
  5819. the democratic party stands for nothing beyond getting in office and profiting from it. in pursuit of this policy, it has backed slavery, jim crow and refusal to submit to constitutional amendment. the republican party has a better record, being consistently in favor of greed. neither party has any interest in establishing democracy, and the american people are too ignorant to demand democracy, or too satisfied with being in the favored demographics of the oligarchy. in any event, the nation remains at a level of social development best described as 'medieval.' the sporadic appearance of 'progressive' desires represents a small minority, and has had no effect on national policy since fdr. his reforms were small and mostly transitory, quite ineffectual, and recovery from the great depression was purely a product of ww2.
    1
  5820.  jo blo  fdr had conservative politicians for two terms, but thought wallace was necessary in 41. clearly progressives were a significant element in politics, up to the end of ww2. but i think it was skin deep. they flourished in poverty, were dropped in post-war prosperity.
    1
  5821. anymore than? dunno about russians, but usans are mortal dim. they let politicians run the nation, and they have the means to establish democracy. anyone can, but russians would have to shoot, while usans could get there by voting for candidates whose platform is " i will establish effective and accessible citizen initiative,"
    1
  5822. if bernie is pres, and house is democratic, and senate democratic, the good times will return! not. in the first place, the democratic party doesn't give a damn about the losers, the limit of their promises begin with 'the middle class.' which is why the poor don't bother to vote, and often can't jump the hurdles to voting. but the middle class must not ask for too much. many greedy people are taking advantage of the booming economy to work 2 jobs, or 3, and then blow it all paying off their hospital debt. can't do anything with people like that. but the problem is not the standard american, pathetic as she may be. there is no visible intellectual component in american political talk, and so no indicators towards forging a better society. the whole nation is on a treadmill to oblivion, except those superior people who outfitted their private island from the profits of not paying any taxes. and that demographic tends to have nothing to say, beyond "i worked hard with my tax advisors to maintain the god-given right of wealth won by great grand dad."
    1
  5823. you get the government you are willing to endure. the people of usa could organize, establish democracy and make a better life for themselves, and for the foreigners they are currently bombing. but they don't. why is that? defective genes?
    1
  5824. btw, has anyone ever mentioned that presidents don't legislate?
    1
  5825. the law is whatever the law-makers say is the law. this should impel usa peeps to become citizens, of a democracy, so that they can make the law. however blindingly obvious this may seem, this truth is never heard. the people of usa are zombies, and their 'intellectuals' mere entertainers.
    1
  5826. the second amendment had a purpose. it was to create in politicians the notion that failure to serve the people might have fatal consequences. but it didn't work. martyrs in short supply, organized revolution hopeless due to disparity in armament between soldier and militia. the people can control the government, indeed, transform it into the administration. but that requires citizen quality people. like martyrs, in short supply. so you are toast. history's loser. when they have no tool but dispensing great sums to corporations, they are getting ready to emigrate.
    1
  5827. ole!
    1
  5828. the first new policy you need is to get democracy, but andrew doesn't offer that. funny he should miss it. too hard, maybe.
    1
  5829. democracy at work is a nonsense. the word means 'citizens rule.' there are no real democracies, but the swiss come close enough to suggest democracy is possible to homer sap, enterprises can be co-ops, and powerful unions might at least have voice in the direction of large enterprises, but this has nothing to do with the management of the nation.* the management of the nation is the business of politics. at the core of politics is the question, 'who decides?' almost invariably, the answer is a person or small group who have power to rule. they hold this power while the police and army agree to let them manage the state. elections may change the face of some or all of the power-holders, but this does not by itself signify democracy. often the new face is no different from the old, in matters of concern to ordinary people. why is the word so popular, when the thing is never seen? claiming democracy makes rule easier for the rulers. even north korea does it. it confuses resistance. [ see 'doublethink' ] it makes life easier for the common person, they soothe their misery by saying ' i'm a citizen and not a slave.' * i think pr. wolff is a secret admirer of a political notion called "anarcho-sydicalism.' believers imagine homer sap doesn't need a state, will be much better off without. but those believers have never convinced enough people to disturb any nation's history, aside from the over-enthusiastic nutter who kills a prince. that's why his 'democracy at work' is all the democracy you need. so far, they are 0 for 1000's.
    1
  5830. have you forgotten dubya already?
    1
  5831. this not a new thing in usa society. does it bother you? what will you do to stop it? nothing? then stop whining, there is an unattractive aspect in whining for a salary.
    1
  5832. dinna fash yersel, laddie, your masters will tell you what to think.
    1
  5833. real democrats would start and win a citizen initiative. but usa democrats ain't democrats at all. so, plan b: move to canada, or mexico, or any place, more civilized, that will have you.
    1
  5834. the real problem is the structure of the usa. the constitution put this person in power. and hearing generals tell you they will not obey the commander in chief should worry you as much as trump. get democracy, or wait for the next jerk.
    1
  5835. if elections are just empty festivals of simulated public participation, who better to surge ahead than the poster boy. to be fair, pete hasn't had enough time to become as crooked as the older politicians, though the smell coming out of indiana suggests it's only a matter of time, not much time, until the chump voter starts wishing for another fairy godfather. obama showed brown americans could be president, pete will win the gay 'first,' meanwhile the only two candidates of any consequence are blanked out of the media. i try to be charitable, but it is crystal clear that fluoridation has destroyed the american brain in childhood. year after year, they vote for politicians, are dudded, and learn nothing.
    1
  5836. the first 'democratic' revolution that i know of, was in classical hellas. it seemed to arise from the need for rowers in state galleys. i think marx was right, that objective conditions shape national character, and that's bad news for the usa. the rowers were the lowest segment of the athenian war machine, yet the most numerous and most important. there was a class cohesion there, and an organization, which doesn't happen in modern states. possibly excepting switzerland, which used to have participation in the militia by all males physically fit. so they have democracy, too. but usa doesn't at the federal level, and it shows in the divided and disengaged attitude to politics. all nations decay, since all have rich and poor. the resulting social stresses cause the nation to collapse under exterior pressure. usa is very fortunate in that regard, defensible boundaries. however, the increasing concentration of wealth will ultimately engender a necessity to attack the rich, regardless of mercenary guards. nowadays, climate catastrophe adds a new element- soon the great majority of young people will look at their elders with contempt and hatred. endemic brigandage will result, young vs old civil war to follow.
    1
  5837. who have they got that's better? and you have a choice between trump and biden, are you sure that's clear? usa politics hopelessly degenerate.
    1
  5838. b-team is significant, the real rich buy a nation. such as ireland.
    1
  5839. so many guns in the usa, so little constructive shooting.
    1
  5840. i think the lives were lost because of the troops you sent there at the beginning.
    1
  5841. if i were an american tech ceo, i would not visit china any time soon. and there is a giant boot about to drop. seizing meng is simply piracy, and it's hard to envision china not showing some teeth.
    1
  5842. and besides, a tornado is not a hurricane-- a tornado leaves you dry, and can teach you to fly.
    1
  5843. would be cheaper to build a wall around the white house, and lock them in.
    1
  5844. britain is a wholly owned subsidiary of the usa commercial empire. the judge barked on cue of her masters leash. the health aspect is likely intended to give time for the new regime to make its pleasure known. biden is no friend of justice, and is likely also to be pliable to the wishes of the intelligence bureaucracy. assange has time for a deep breath and a sliver of hope. cia/nsa spooks hate julian because he is a personal threat: he might poison the minds of their children that daddy is a creep. and of course, there is the more publicly admissible notion that murder on every scale should be secret lest the world at large think the usa is directed by psychopaths.
    1
  5845. bad luck for omar, stepped on a sacred cow, and will be stoned for it. but, she seems to have chosen to live in usa, or her family did. choose to live in a pig sty, must expect mud on shoes. what is going on in minnesota that a brown muslim woman fresh off the boat is a congressperson* when any number of nordic farmers need the pay check. you have to suspect she is much smarter than the average nordic farmer. much smarter. from this safe distance, american politics is farce or tragedy, sometimes both. can't think what you can tell school children to instill any respect for the process. * how about 'conper,' in future?
    1
  5846. better to light one candle. but: but until you get democracy, every victory is built on sand, and will have to be fought again. half of usa states have some or all of the attributes of democracy. notably california, which has and uses referendum, initiative and recall. you must get democracy at the federal level, because those states without the power of democracy empower the rich to control the nation.
    1
  5847. you don't deserve any better. you've heard about democracy, some states 'have' it, within the limits of federal control, but you let politicians own you. a nation of slaves, pretending to be free.
    1
  5848. here's what you gotta do: first, get the power to do. until you do that, you are children, wishing on a star. i recommend democracy, but bad news: democracy needs citizen quality people. so go back to wishing, cuz you ain't got it.
    1
  5849. sorry, guys, nasty gates happens to be spot on. it's a bad case of flu, that kills old and infirm more than young and strong. the spanish flu killed even more, proportionally, but even rich people couldn't get the kind of palliative care then that they can buy now.
    1
  5850. 'the purpose of the senate is to make sure that democracy does not happen.' not a quote, but close paraphrase of madison's promotion of his constitution to the enabling convention. usans are told endlessly that voting for politicians is democracy. it is not. voting for referenda and initiative is democracy. you ain't got it. i'm pretty sure you will never have democracy. it needs 'citizen-quality people' unwilling to be ruled by politicians, or generals or priests. what you have is elective oligarchy.. by no accident, the mechanics of election make the officers of state intensely solicitous of wealth, private and corporate. effectively, plutocracy. mr hartmann asks, how can we fix this? if you are going to alter the constitution at all, why not make the basic change to democracy? leaving power in the hands of politicians will accomplish nothing at all. they will still be bought. but how can you change the constitution? you cannot. you have no power of citizen initiative. what you can do, is threaten revolution. but i think that is too hard for you.
    1
  5851. the scandis are about as good as it gets, for homer sap. "so far from paradise, so close to hell," to paraphrase el presidente diaz. they are varieties of elective aristocracy, with a monarch still. no pretense to democracy there. their saving grace has been small populations and cultural homogeneity, which has made strong unions possible, and minimal factionalism. even so, the right rules, from time to time, and the swedes were perfectly prepared to throw assange to the cia wolves, so he jumped from frying pan to fire. norway are happiest: they found oil off-shore, and declared the income public good. profits went into a sovereign fund which will subsidize for many years.
    1
  5852. what left? a few talking heads do not make much of a 'left.' the usa is not a democracy, and the people have no rights, in consequence. they have privileges, extended and withdrawn at the convenience of the elite. fortunately, education does not inform them of their real status, for knowing you are a serf is very depressing. serf? perhaps you prefer 'wage-slave?' 'the party of the people' did not wait a month to resume normal action. and no one is surprised. the 'left' submits to the myth of democracy, as easily as the 'right,' for there is only one collegiate ruler of the usa, 'the state.' and it is the agent of wealth, and always has been. madison said plainly that was the design and goal of his constitution, and he clearly has delivered. and the 'left' doesn't even know why they never make any progress. it is a blind and ignorant 'left.'
    1
  5853. every politician must lie, it is a condition of employment. another reason to get democracy, and remove politicians from decision-making. but if you are too lazy, too ignorant or too fearful to see the need and possibility for democracy, at least demand the power to execute politicians for failure to deliver on promises.
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  5854. you haven't got democracy. that's why a rich jerk can buy the presidency. and you aren't citizen quality, that's why enough of you can be bought. the foundation of the nation is a constitution expressly written to allow the rule of wealth. some historian!? doesn't know that? what is happening is the decay of plutocracy. it will evolve into timocracy - the classical greeks knew more about politics than murrikins, they even had a word for military dictatorship. once again: democracy is rule by the citizens, through referendum and initiative. see any of that around.? what you have is elective oligarchy, and the elections are meaningless theater to fool the cattle.
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  5855. so all you have to do, is beg your masters to write a law. when are you going to catch on, that usa is not a democracy. they have some democracy in california, and a few other states. i suggest that california passes a law protecting womens rights, ' in concert with other states that have initiative power. if the federal government nullifies this action, those states should leave the federation. of course, positive action demands real conviction. if all you have in you is talk, the orcs win.
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  5856. since usa is placing nuclear weapons in finland, cuba is freed to host russian nuclear weapons. of course justice doesn't enter into this reality. rather, reality is that usa is no longer the world hegemon. cuba would profit greatly by joining with russia, and prc, in showing that the will of the usg no longer governs the world.
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  5857. as long asit pays to hold usd, it's rich. when china is ready, it's history.
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  5858. if you had any power to change things, you should write a new constitution. but you don't, so even the electoral college is out of your reach. madison had to sell his proposed constitution to the grandees that ran the post-revolutionary ex-subjects of his majesty, king of england, so he publicly explained that it would prevent democracy from ever happening. and it hasn't. madison didn't say so, but orwell explained that the best way to tell a lie was to insert it into a goulash of mixed ideas---- new speak. so usans talk endlessly about why their 'democracy' doesn't seem to perform as they hope. doesn't anyone read, in that part of the world? '1984' was intended as a literary flame-thrower against the ussr, but it is at least equally apposite in evaluating the usa empire.
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  5859. madison assured his peers in the american elite, that the senate and supreme court were two features that would obviate democracy and ensure the rule of wealth. he was right. the mechanism was not absolute, but bribery has usually prevailed. it will continue to do so until a new constitution, establishing socialism and democracy, prevails in the usa. no sign of that happening, even bernie sanders is happy to assure the chumps that politicians will take care of them, if only they would vote for the right ones. but there are no right ones, nor fairy godmothers, either. and a people that wishes to be 'looked after,' will always be treated as the cattle they are.
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  5860. your final chance came when fdr blocked suggestions for democracy and socialism back in the 30's.
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  5861. bernie can't save you, anymore than fdr did. while the constitution does not establish democracy, the rich will always buy back their nation, one politician at a time. only the power of citizen initiative can save you from the rich, and keep you saved.
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  5862. usa was born crooked, and unlikely to change. so much easier to take a pill than to change society. and immediate profits for the pill people. it turns out that nations age, much as people do, and usa is actually a very old society. it is about 230 years old, while france is on its 5th republic, and had a monarchy in the middle. and staid old china has been turned up-side down several times. the arteries are hardening, they are hiring more police and out-fitting them with shock-troop equipment, while the quality of politician should terrify the world. the biggest military in the world is at the command of people who should not be trusted with a barrow-man's license. erratic behavior by common people is symptomatic of a culture that has lost all sense of reality. mass murder is frequent, but mirrors the activity of the elite, who direct their 'special forces' to kill foreigners who resist usa hegemony. we may hope this society will soon collapse, for lack of people committed to its success. but will they get off the stage without burning down the theater?
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  5863. that doesn't count. that's only conquest and exploitation.
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  5864. First we fire the one's who won't control body odor. Then we fire those who foul the air with ciggy smoke. Then we fire any one who drives too fast. And fire anyone who drives in the wrong lane. Then we fire people who shoot guns in the office. Oh, and people who spread a fatal disease.
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  5865. andy yang isn't gonna save you. not getting near the oval office, for starters. bernie in office might offer him a cabinet position, but bernie isn't likely to win nomination. usa has visibly passed its 'best before' date. tell yer kids to learn mandarin. other people's kids are already making a living in china, so be quick. when you can only vote for people, politics resembles a game show, and national management is just a temporary prize for a temporary winner. it's no accident that things are going badly in mycountrytisofthee. it's just a circus, run by clowns.
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  5866. forget about yang. he's too far out in front of murricans. even democrats are nervous around him. i should feel sorry for americans, but it's been about 230 years since the voters of rhode island rejected the constitution, and the rest of you still haven't caught on. hopeless. best you can hope for is buttigieg, more likely to be beto, he's dumb enough to appeal to dubya voters, and a 'democrat' as well. plus "he's born to be president." dnc doesn't like bernie, how can they support him now, after backing clinton over him?
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  5867. the bad news is, voters are misled. the good news is, nothing new here. voting for people is absurd, "you never know what yer gonna get" was the way tom hanks put it. just think of how many voted for dubya cause he was a cowboy. or voted for obama because he was gonna change things. but if you are dim enough to put up with voting for people, you can't expect to be looked after by those saints in politics, because real news- they ain't yer friends.
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  5868. not patriarchy, so much as just another aspect of a society incapable of offering just, efficient and effective social management. the rot is everywhere, it was built in at birth. the judge might be female, gender is not a perfect selector for brains, or character. there is no hope for the usa, even those who feel there is something wrong don't realize there is no 'fixing' a society that is functioning as it was designed to do.
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  5869. usa commonly parades its 'defending democracy' record, when in fact usa is not a democracy, it defends and installs dictatorships, and the american public seems content. many are vocal about their nations achievements.. so it's not just the elite beneficiaries of oligarchy that are 'nazis,' the mind-set is nation-wide, high and low. civilized people would re-act to 'wag the dog' actions with revulsion, where usa [and britain] welcome an excuse to shoot up another nation. can't we just 'shun' the great satan, and its british lapdog?
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  5870. In fact, the Taliban is much the same as as Saudi Arabia. USA is very polite and accommodating to Saudi, since their money is all that is propping up the USA.
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  5871. don't laugh, yanks, read a history book recently in which a foreign tourist marveled at the complete disregard for truth or reputation in american public figures, published in 1820. personal honor has never figured highly in american culture.
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  5872. not enough to get angry. gotta organize. gotta have a goal and a plan. so far, just hand-wringers.
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  5873. i was reading a book , a young and ignorant lad, when i came across the author's observation that 'money and power are bound together, and if you have one, you will soon have the other.' that seemed true, and further, it explained why humanity needed democracy if we are to have general prosperity. and that is why the rich hate democracy, and stamp it out wherever it appears. madison was frank and explicit when he promoted his constitution to the convention, 'democracy would lead the taxes of the rich being spent on the wishes of the poor,' and he was going to prevent that. as he has, in large measure. so, swiss aside, an honorable exception, there is no democracy in the direction of nations, although no politician fails to laud democracy in its modern form, done for you by him. it turns out democracy requires people of citizen quality. in education and character, and you only get them in a democracy. you see humanity's chief problem.
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  5874. as for the rhetorical lead question, "they print it and throw it from high windows into the streets." or they might as well. rome came to issuing silver coins with no silver in them. usa does the modern equivalent.
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  5875. the rich are masters of the usa, and always have been. it was madison's intent to keep military rule at bay by maintaining a small army, and arming state militias as a counter-force. very sensible. but time marches on, and this aspect of his genuinely clever blueprint for plutocracy has failed. ww1 and then ww2 created in insatiable taste for 'war' as a device to transfer taxes to munitions share-holders. since internal economy is stagnant and rotting, only 'war' is a stable cash cow for the rich. the consequence has usually been military take-over, as soon as the the rich leave with the remaining cash. not long now.
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  5876. in the only democracy, the electorate directs the nation, through referendum and initiative. in elective oligarchies, voting doesn't mater, all you get is politicians doing what's good for them.
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  5877. don't complain about the dnc. you are inferior people. you let politicians rule you. like cattle, you are. california has a constitution that would make it a democracy if it were independent, but they allow dc to rule them, so still inferior. of course, seccesion would be scary, so perhaps you could say they are smart cowards, that's inferior still, innit? usans are so degenerate, they still debate which crooked old man is the better political santa claus. to be fair, trump, biden and sanders finish under a blanket, so it's reasonable to be unsure as to which is worst, second worst and least worst. but why not get democracy and decide things like citizens instead of cattle? do you really think a trump, biden or sanders is a better person than you? what makes you think you could trust any of them with your life?
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  5878. perhaps those nations that chose to be clients of usa are governed by people who are insecure about their choice. so they are outraged when others make different choices. it calls in question their performance and judgement. oz politicians are no better than average quality, contemptible, in short. the government of solomon islands is clearly of similar standard, but perhaps the riots are inspired by the cia. that's what they do for a living. so it comes down to, butt out, oz. none of yer business.
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  5879. imagine setting the management of a nation in the hands of the 'winner' of a smear match. it's no wonder china is rolling out in front. with management selection at the 'medieval' level, usa simply can't compete.
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  5880. much as i think chris hedges is an ornament to humanity, he has a common mental block- he refers to 'democracy' as something that was lost. simply not true. usa has never been a democracy, and madison explained how and why his constitution would prevent it happening. and he was visibly successful. power is in the hands of wealth, and it's political agents. there is a word for that - 'plutocracy.' if the people want democracy, there must be a revolution. on evidence to date, this will not happen before the climate catastrophe reshapes human society, by force. that will be nature's revolution.
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  5881. when i read about discoveries of science, in the farthest reaches of the cosmos, and in the deepest crannies of matter, i marvel that religious myths have any attraction at all. but humanity finds uses still, for god/s and devils. chiefly to justify being nasty to others. a convenient balm for conscience. all religions are false. physics has superseded them, as an explanation of the world around us. you may reasonably say, 'but we need to keep them as a guide to good behavior.' but even this is weak, secular ethics works too. religion is propped up as a tool of domination and exploitation. and now, back to reality, and listening to politicians justifying the world as it is, because it profits them to do so.
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  5882. anyone around the world may wish to express contempt for the oz government in operating bandit raids in afghanistan. there is no state of war, nor any crimes by afghanis against australia. just being in afghanistan is war crime. over the last few years, personal smartphones have spread images of actual and casual murder by oz sas thugs. finally, the reality could no longer be ignored nor smothered. oz government has retreated behind the delay of 'sub judice' while expressing outrage at simulations of their real crimes. as they would. canada had a similar problem, and resolved it, in part, by disbanding the sas. better late than never. let's encourage the ozzies to do the same, as the first step in regaining some respect among nations. the court action can be no less than jailing the shooters, jailing their commanders longer, and suggesting substantial reparations to the families of victims.
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  5883. i wonder if public figures organized a recruitment page on the web, that the result might be a great and joyful gathering of people who see the need for democracy? nothing is going to improve while politicians rule. time for the voters to direct the nation.
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  5884. get democracy. you may have to read a bit, to learn what it is. the people of california can tell you- the basics are that big decisions are made by referendum, and initiative. and it is fundamental that all administration activity be public, 'as it happens.' paradise will not result, but when most of the voters have to agree to public activity, you can reasonably expect the result will be better, for most of the voters. letting an elite rule you in secret would be crazy, unless they are people, and you are cattle. that may be the case, as i can think of no other explanation for the current situation.
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  5885. pakistan is another failed state, but it was never really better, so no surprises there. how many nations are democracies? 1, just barely. elective oligarchy seems to be the best homer sap can do, a shaky and diverse best at that. the impending climate collapse will be the penalty for failure to attain democracy, with consequent socialism and careful management of spaceship earth. since most human society can not even manage itself in a sustainable fashion, we have to say to young people, "live fast and give no thought to tomorrow. it won't be arriving in a welcome form."
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  5886. and this could easily pass for political chat in the usa, where ordinary people* have no voice. don't be fooled by the quadrennial grunt. it is meaningless as a political tool, although it works well as a stupefying drug. * it's more convenient to call them chumps, but why wake them up?
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  5887. well, that's nice. so you get pelosi and biden, maybe even schumer. but they are the people that brought you trump in the first place. so bad are the democratic grandees, that even a trump looked better. well, talking about these degenerates is living, better by than deep rock mining, but the nation is no better off. the degenerates are still there. why are you smiling?
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  5888. that might be trump's best day. tpp was primarily political, prc was visibly expanding its capability, and trump tried to limit china as a capitalist nation, just as the west tried to strangle them as a communist nation. prc is proving difficult to limit. and will be the pre -eminent nation soon, so long as usa does not resort to nuclear suppression. india is likely to do better as china's friend than enemy. although india has fallen far behind chinese capability, there is a core competence which can play a strong role in asia. being usa's 'israel in asia' has less future.
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  5889.  @technatezin  democracy can demand public transactions, which makes simple corruption impossible. ideally, there are no politicians, just public administrators whose finances are in public record.
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  5890. why not face facts? near the end of his career, sanders figured his drinking buddies were more important than the silly sheep who followed him around. why not face another fact? if you had democracy you could talk about what needs to be done, instead of, who shall we anoint to be our saviour. here's another inconvenient fact: nobody realizes that not having democracy makes a difference, a big difference. an apposite quote: "Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.' from rosa luxemburgh, a woman who didn't just talk about politics, there is no 'left' in the usa, it's been bred out. there will be a change in government because it's clear the plutocrats have become 'world people' with private islands. but it will be generals who inherit the slum.
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  5891. a national home, not a jewish state. but balfour was strapped for cash and lord rothshild promised to 'help out' so the deal was done . but it must be remember that zionism formally began in 1896 with the publication of 'the jewish state' by theodor herzl. it grew rapidly, and by about 1925, jewish militias were telling their arab neighbors to get out of palestine, the jews were going to have it all, "from the river to the sea." not quite there yet, mopping up remains, but with continued usa support, muslim resurgence seems unlikely.
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