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Response to #12: Trolls are those who continuously post transparent falsehoods and unsourced nonsense, what they euphemistically call "alternative opinions." Sometimes under the guise of liberalism but upon closer scrutiny, their rantings and ravings mostly skew to the far right, including right-wing conspiracy theories, Republican talking points, and libertarian delusions of "big guvmut," which are Wall Street's main talking points. Go figure.
If left unchallenged, their crude lies and largely deliberate misinterpretations of objective reality fester and spread. For instance, it only took Trump less than three months to convince most Republicans that Biden did not win the election fair and square. And look what that Big Lie did to our nation!
When trolls are called out for their bullshit, as they should be, they reflexively play the victim as if they are the reasonable ones being wronged, rather than simply recognizing and accepting outside reality. That is true Trumpian-style mind rot through and through.
This is the real divide in American politics -- between those who seek truth and justice and those who succumb to misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information. Anyone paying a modicum of honest attention knows full well that it is the Republican Party of late and its wingnut dead-enders, hands down more than any other players on the scene, who are the most responsible for the destruction of our democracy. "Bothsidesism" is just another uninformed fallacy.
By the way, (a bit of authoritarianism leaking out?) Democrats don't have "leaders"; they have elected representatives. Read the Constitution.
@Worn out door knobs: EOs apply only to the executive branch of the federal government. They give direction to agencies about what to prioritize and what not to prioritize. EOs, however, cannot violate established law or the Constitution.
After years of contemplating it, I finally have realized the fundamental flaw of the founders of this country: They did not create a "Bill of Responsibilities" to go with the "Bill of Rights".
I suppose they could not imagine a time when over half the population would simply not understand why they began the Constitution with "WE THE PEOPLE...".
I can't name the 10 Responsibilities - nor should any one person.
Three things of high importance to me are: Care for the commons, Responsibility for paying the common bills (otherwise known as taxes) in proportion to your ability to pay, and a Responsibility to be truthful.
Most of the things that would be listed in a Bill of Responsibilities would be "common sense", or common courtesy. Unfortunately, the last 4 years show that our leaders will not always be "men of good faith", or even people who understand or believe there is such a thing as common courtesy.
It was almost 400 years from the reign of Nero until the Fall of the Roman Empire. On the other hand, it was almost exactly 11 months from the signing of the Munich Agreement until Hitler invaded Poland to start World War II.
Do we need a minor correction, or is this the beginning of the end?
Either way it is a test to see if WE "can long endure".
Good morning Jollyjaws, what a post you put up. I have been trying to communicate what said so brilliantly since I joined this forum. The general public on BOTH sides of the political aisle is being manipulated by a select few Republicans and Democrats that are just searching for more power and control. I just finished my second re-watch of the American version of Netflix's House of Cards. How it parallels what is going on right now is astounding. Warren Buffett and his oil hauling choo-choo railroad vs. a modern pipeline is one of the recent and obvious examples.
Prepare yourself to be jumped on by a number of people here that are fixated on just one political side and attack over and over when their leaders are questioned. There is no room in their heads for listening to alternative opinions you know. I suspect you will read the word troll a lot in the coming hours.
There is hope, cable news channels are in a rating freefall. Maybe with some luck, the Facebook and Twitter crowd will tire of shouting at each other and both suffer a huge loss in followers and people will start using alternates to Google.
Good luck to you,
Fins to the left, fins to the right
Wow. they get it in the United Kindom and 74 million do not understand it here.
Where did 20 million vaccine dose disappear to? My guess Israel. Jared?
I'm sorry but I'm liberal also.
There is a fine line between stupidity and common sense
Both parties are corrupt. Both have billionaires manipulating them.
There is no valid reason that civil liberties and those who want to wear masks can't coincide. It is a danger to let a government tell us how to live our lives and what is frightening or scary or fearful. 9/11 gave us fear so does this virus and it brought more control more spying on us
and destruction. We give up our freedoms regularly for this government. We still keep believing it's ours.
The reality of our lives is that both of these parties are against us. The trick in the situation is recognizing it.
Either way we are being toppled. Behind closed doors the men that promote their on our side having agenda that they give to us from their masters.
The Republicans are blatantly obvious. Billionaires have bought them and they were told to move the country towards fascism. To fear the populace about socialism at its dangerous as compared to how dangerous fascism is in its black and white death march like in Germany.
FDR saved America with programs. Those programs just like every other thing can be corrupted and they are. Pharmaceuticals that Rob us insurance companies that Rob us. Everything this government does robs us.
Suggesting in this article that the Democrats are saviors is complete crap. Their facade is nicer it suggests helping others and giving money to the disenfranchised. However it also is corrupt.
Everyone needs to know that the owners of the world are moving humanity toward enslavement in world order.
How easy it is to create a virus and make the world bend over for the rich and the elite and the corporations.
if we can't wrap our heads around that then we deserve to lose our freedoms.
Under the Republicans we lost our freedoms with Patriot act that all of our Congress has renewed over and over again. Obama brought us NDAA.
When we recognize that both these teams are puppets for the elite and their job is to destroy America ever so carefully so the citizens don't wake up.
This virus is a pandemic for the entire world because world order is what they want.
has anybody read about global reset that they're doing over in Switzerland behind closed doors?
When we think one of these sides is better than the other we are absolutely inane.
If people want to wear masks they have that right and so do people who don't want to. No person who wears a mask is going to get it from a non-masker.
Remember at the foundation of the country when people said give me liberty or give me death. Now it's give me a mask and make me bend over. people willing to give up their freedoms don't deserve it.
there is still evil in the world and it it has mastered how to manipulate sheep who don't read and don't see what's going on around them. How naive to think that we have one side of this that's the good side??
Wake up!!! Biden was chosen to win and get in.
It makes the people feel that they have a democracy still.
We have no idea about the elections cuz we have no paper trail so the election could have been manipulated toward Biden. For sure it was manipulated toward GW between 2000 and 2008. Remember that? Remember hanging chads and Kerry saying he was going to fight till the end to determine if there was fraud in that election and never did.
The masters of the chess board know how stupid we are.
This virus was created for just this purpose.
Let's think about stimulus packages when we're 26 trillion dollars in debt plus. that giving money away that's worthless is going to save the Titanic from going under.
I'm on social security and I don't want to stimulus.
I have money coming in why should people with money coming in get more money? This is the insanity that is destroying us. Give the money to people who have no money coming in who have been kicked out on the street.
We are doomed because people have no clue that this kind of deception is going on right in front of their face.
911 was a deception. Controlled opposition and control of the media and lies have been going on since the world began. America is going to fall because we cannot recognize evil. It didn't go away it went underground and our government brought it over here after world war two and put them in the system and diseased us.
If I get a virus I will get ill and go through a process of sickness. The propaganda that the media has given us about this virus and celebrities coming forward and suggesting a loan together and not being selfish and on and on is manipulation. There is evidence that nurses have come forward and said they were told to have every illness that's flu-like to be considered covid. People have gotten misfirised and gotten better without a vaccine and it's ludicrous what fear will do to people. With 9/11 you look and see what we got for our fear and the Boogeyman that the government gave us.
Trump was upset that his first set of impeachment lawers wanted 3 million upfront. This is despite the fact that he has raised 170 million for his defense. Who knew that telling lies and inciting a riot could be so profitable?
I don't think there was one day during Trump's presidency when I did not fear what bad things he might do that day. He may be out of the White House but he was enabled by the Republicans in Congress, by billionaires and big corporations, and by right wing media, and millions of Americans have been indoctrinated to follow him and them. He and they must absolutely not be fogiven or forgotten, much as I would like to be able to turn to more positive things. That will have to wait until those responsible are held accountable.
The attempted coup at the Capitol was not imaginary. The withholding of relief for workers and small businesses was not imaginary. The deliberate neglect of COVID was not imaginary. The fight against sociopaths in power must not cease.
Roosevelt appointed the first woman cabinet member, Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins. She was The Woman Behind the New Deal (a book by Kirstin Downey). There is a poignant passage in the book describing Secretaries Perkins and Ickes looking out an office window watching old, apparently starving, women going through the garbage. They pushed Franklin as far left as they dared, and of course, human rights champion Eleanor Roosevelt helped. When people approached FDR for solutions concerning the programs, he was famous for sending them to Frances. Lucky for us, she really loved the American people and worked her ass off. Her picture should be in the Oval Office as well.
Biden has his own place in history for picking Vice President Harris. She is a hard worker too. He also has some compassionate people for his cabinet picks. Throw in the fantastic Dr. Jill Biden, and I think we have a good prescription for what ails us. Joe said he would level with us. We need the truth more than ever.
Labels are a problem; we should create the socio-economic system that brings liberty and justice for all. It will need constant work because things are invented and times change. Also when you know better, you should do better. President Biden seems to have learned a great deal. He listens. Isn't that refreshing? I wonder what issues those older grand-daughters and grand-son have to discuss with him about the world they want to live in.
Let the pushing begin!
You know that you are free to not wear a seat belt.
And the car insurance is free NOT to cover your hospitalization.
You are also free to work in dangerous places and drink alcohol.
And the insurance company is ONCE AGAIN free not to hospitalized you.
Make it free to carry a gun.
As long as the end of the barrel is aimed at yourself.
And you are free not to wear a parachute.
And we all know how that one ends
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Rhetorical question, answer: Selfish dumbassery is not an excuse; it is a requirement. Maybe that's literal.
When we were children the phrase would often be said, in response to a command to do something, "I don't have to. It's a free country." A child can be excused for not understanding the meaning of "freedom" but what is the excuse for mask-denying adults?
One thing that the so called conservatives gave us in Penna was the gift of stand your ground and I would suggest that if you find one of the GOP harrassing you for wearing a mask let them know that the right of self defense includes liberal gun toting Democrats. We have a lot of them in Penna and not all of them hunt. We have licenses to carry for self defense. That is equal rights in Pa. Since the WACK O's want to carry guns on the floor of the house and senate a friend of mine suggested that Mrs. Pelosi carry a .45 instead of her gavel one day. It might make the likes of my representative, Scott Perry think twice. LOL
cuz: Do you ever have anything constructive to add?
Cuz is even more profound!
It's not an intentional dumping of poison for some nefarious reason,
but, rather, the misplaced idea that industry's existence is so important,
that they should be able to produce at any cost because, supposedly,
it's somehow better for everyone to let them produce unimpeded by
regulation.
The purpose of government is to protect us from ourselves.
That is profound!
FDR - the opposite of ...Trump! Oh dang, sorry.
"- If you're unconscious and on a ventilator because Trump told you wearing masks was for wimps, you're not free." - from above [italics mine]
Don't worry, be happy
Why are we so thick?
Thank you, Sue, you made it happen.
I agree. Treason is a serious crime that is levied against everyone in this country. The punishment should fit the crime. What would make anyone think that they could attack the Capital, threaten those in Congress with death, and directly or indirectly, due to their actions, cause the deaths of others, and not be punished? Because Trump has been excused of his treason, bribery, and all the other high crimes, and misdemeanors, they may have felt they would be treated similarly.
I know they keep letting Trump off the hook and making up excuses. He was acquitted by the Senate in the first impeachment trial, and probably will be this time too. The Supreme Court even threw out the Emoluments case twice, when it was obvious that he was funneling our tax money into his private businesses, because he is no longer in office.
It is as if a person worked at a bank, and has been told that this is their last day. They can stuff their pockets with money, and can use the “Trump Defense”. They no longer work there, so they cannot be convicted – even if they were caught on security cameras!
More excuses have been made for Trump, legally, theft, lies, his association with murderous dictators, tax fraud, and more, than any Mafia boss in history.
This can lead to a lawless country, and can indicate we are well on our way to an autocracy, or a dictatorship.
Trump's Insurrectionists did not show up when the National Guard was in DC, but they sure do not hesitate sticking a gun in anyone who is unarmed!
Personally, I do not think this is being smart, or strong.
Freedom without responsibility is tyranny.
I also believe, that my freedoms should not infringe on other's freedoms
Wow. People are STILL drinking the koolaid! I'm in awe/shock everyday the past 5 years how anyone can vote/like/worship such evil in our world! I wasn't much into politics until about 7 yrs ago when I started researching how our food system works in America. The same evil controls how we produce our foods with pesticides, chemicals, genetically modified organisms, factory farming(over using antibiotics that humans are now getting immune to so they don't save lives anymore!). And now we have lead and PFAS chemicals in our water systems,1 billion lbs of pesticides/glyphosate/chemicals being dumped on our foods every year. And they wonder WHY we're sick(including our children)? See White Wash by Carey Gillam.(and so many more books, articles, research). Are "they"(the evil among us) dumping all this poison on us intentionally? Everyday...I am in awe/shock of the cruelty becoming on humanity itself.
"These aren't the droids you're looking for." Trump who? Never heard of him. The last 90 days never happened. Republicans need to move along. Let's talk about happier subjects again, like evil socialism and baby-eating Democrats ...oh God, I beg of you, please, oh please, oh please!
Heh, heh... just offering a little friendly business advice and asking to reset the agenda ...ah, for a friend. Wait, what? "A few of your personality type appears on every forum or blog regardless of its subject matter People usually refer to them as wannabee moderators."
Been around the block "on every forum or blog" trolling, eh? Well, it certainly speaks to experience. No really, friendly advice, forgive me, but that sounds like both denial and projection on steroids.