ErinRose: The issues we face when trying to make sense of the firehose of information (and disinformation) directed at us today can't be addressed by a "practical application in a training program". The rules change too fast and indeed, get rewritten as we watch. Only the application of a little logic, rigorously applied, can help. If a concept as simple as "if A=B, and B=C, then A=C" is beyond the grasp of the general population, then we will get something as bizarre as the election of a Donald Trump. You didn't learn that logical construct in a Political Science course. Odds are, you learned it in sixth grade math, unless you were "coddled" and got to take Political Correctness 101 instead of the "hard stuff". And yes, reasonable people can disagree. Peace.

#Hot Coffee: I used to live in Marin; in Novato, for many years. I also was on T.I. when it was open years ago. There is NO PLACE like San Francisco, and if I had the money, I'd be living there now. What a beautiful place! (I've always wanted to attend the University Academy of Arts; fabulous!) :) I envy you your time in the city. There is nothing like the GG Bridge wrapped in a fluffy blanket of fog or the charming clang of the trolley bells as they slide up and down the rolling hills. Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower, yesssss! :D

#Hot Coffee: Thank you for this astute observation. I agree. Disrespect has reached epidemic proportions and it's appalling, to say the least. I watch B&W movies from the 20's & 30's, and people were far more respectful and aware of manners. Today, The Art of War, is the new Miss Manners handbook of etiquette. (Yikes!)

I think the problems we face today are a combination of things: Many of our grandparents came from other countries. Their lives were hard and they came to America to seek a better system of life for themselves and their families. Many were very politically aware and activists in their own right. People were politically engaged. They hid their trials and tribulations from their offspring and sent their American children to school thinking non-critical thinking education alone would keep them safe. They developed this mantra about letting children have their childhood and not troubling them with the problems of adulthood. So, the kids went to school and became oblivious to the political and daily suffering and struggles of the previous generation. The new Americans grew up under the ever broadening democracy of the 1960's and 70's, and everyone believed nothing could ever stop or change this. Meanwhile, the forces of human evil (banksters, MI Complex, etc.,) were hard at work hatching a plan to dismantle democracy and return us to a feudalism now known as fascism.

Story: I was in Scandinavia several decades ago and heard the tale of Lapps/Sames having big problems with their reindeer. The previous year had seen a very tough winter and the Sames needed to drive their herds to offshore islands that were rich in senna (moss) for them to eat. In winter, the Sames usually drive the herds to the water's edge and then force them to cross over to the island(s) where they then spend the rest of the winter. However, this penultimate winter was so rough the Sames were afraid to drive the baby calves into the sea for fear of drowning them. So, the Sames built flat barges and ferried the calves over to the islands to winter there. Fast forward to the following winter: The Sames drove the herds to the water's edge but the now yearlings didn't want to go into the freezing Arctic waters. The Sames were having a terrible time of it because the reindeer were waiting for the barges to ferry them across!

The point here of this true story is, that our grandparents protected our parents from all they had gone through, and taught our parents to play, have fun, just go to school, enjoy life, stay young as long as you can, and don't worry about anything. Our parents passed this template on to following generations and most of us believe in allowing children to "have a childhood". I'm not stumping for child labor here. I am saying that children have to be taught about, or grow up with an understanding of the dangers of certain people who form classes and then try to OWN everybody else for the sake or their solipsistic egos and pecuniary gains. This is a real danger.

Another problem is that education has been manipulated to suit certain classes. We have been taught that capitalism is good and socialism and communism are bad. Schools at all levels have not taught about each system and delved into the pros and cons of each. Ever since Bernie Sanders came on the scene, we have had a struggle to get socialism into general discourse because we have been taught it is evil without even knowing what it really is (or that Jesus Christ was the biggest socialist the world has ever known.) When and where is Marxism examined and studied for any merit? Instead, we put blinders on, declare ourselves the best, believe we are inviolate, and the results have been disastrous.

I am a firm believer in good education. I'm not talking about reading, writing, and arithmetic; these are skill sets; not education. I'm talking about schooling kids in critical thinking; "Socratic Method", so they can tell the difference between right and wrong. I live in the Deep South and have done so for over a decade. One in-my-face take-away is that southerners have NO IDEA what the difference is between right and wrong; everything is cherry picked and negotiable according to local mores/politics and dominating families. Also, the South was agrarian. Animals were not kept as pets but represented products to be killed and sold. If you allowed yourself to become attached to a chicken or a goat, you ended up paying the emotional price when it landed on your dinner table because the crops failed that year. Even the family dog had to earn his keep in the fields or risk being put down merely because it needed to eat and that represented a net loss of income. This suggests a place to begin for their lack of compassion, while the boom-and-bust cycles of crops frequently dictated an all-encompassing poverty.

I believe that no matter what kind of job you do, everyone should be educated to the maximum possible; right down to refuse collection agents. I think it is a mistake to link education with what job you can get or do. This is just another form of feudalism or caste system. Everyone should be able to think and reason properly; it makes for a healthy society. My thesis is: If people are properly educated, they won't fall into the trap we now find ourselves in with a handful of narcissists dictating the life we all lead. We should pass on the ability to think properly to our children and this will give the society cohesiveness and resilience. This must be so, or we wouldn't have thugs like ALEC spending all kinds of money to be allowed into our educative system to manipulate what people are being taught. Garbage in is garbage out.

So, between grandparents and parents with good intentions and a lack of a uniform educative system that teaches critical thinking, people don't know how to take on the oligarchy who have been covertly at restructuring everything in their favor; and to our detriment. I have no idea how this all can be turned around at this time. My guess is, there is nothing that can be done; we are just going to have to go through it and hopefully the generations that follow will abandon their own poverty and a new cycle will begin. But many of us won't be around to see how this all plays out. Unfortunately, human beings are too prone to being bought off and doing the wrong things. Couple this with people (southerners) who have no moral compass (for all their self-promotion,) and the future looks dark, indeed.

Erin Rose

If you add the people on both coasts that think food shows up at safeway by some miracle and eggs just grow in a carton... and not that the people they insult grow the wheat for their bread... or a rifle is used to put down an injured animal not just for shootings in the inner city....I agree with you 100%.

Once upon a time people could find a reason...at least one reason to show each other a little respect....sadly that is long gone. Disrespect is contagious.

Thank you for your story.

"Like a foxmerized family that won't discuss what fascist propaganda is, many American families are unwilling to admit they're being lied to."

In fact those same foxmerized citizens who voted for Crooked Donny are going to bare the brunt of his cuts to the ACA subsidies...something like 70% of those who will be harmed voted for him. If that doesn't prove my point, I don't know what on earth would. The guy is kicking you in the nuts and you still wave his flag with a grimace.

Speaking of the flag, the American flag has been turned into a fascist symbol, and that really pisses me off. My friends have taken to wearing patches of the original 1777 flag out of respect to our founders....in my opinion, the modern flag only symbolizes right-wing ignorance right now.

What will it take for Kochpublican voters to finally wake up and admit the party they voted for only represents its Fascist owners?

Has anyone tried to talk sense to a foxaganda victim recently? if you have, you know exactly what I'm talking about. A brick wall has more sense.

"Take a Knee" if you're a true Patriot!

Democracy cannot be discussed in public like it used to. the News used to get out with television. The rich own all the TV stations and all but a few radio stations. You only hear what you have been given.. Nothing.. Nothing but lies.

Many believed the Obama years represented our last chance to bring the "masses" back together, working toward the common good. Just the opposite happened. We're more split apart by class, race and ideology than we were a decade ago. Democrats finished off dividing and conquering their own voting base. Liberals have deeply alienated much of their base with their years of promoting middle class elitism, etc. Race is too "touchy" to discuss.

So -- here we are. The hard right took power, and there is no opposition party. What happens, happens, and I think all we can do is adjust.

#1 - And more!

Educational decline is intentional... the cause is also dictated... by and from wealth!

"keep the peasants ignorant" is an ethos of those in power... and has been for centuries

I call this influence fascism these days... against which 2 World Wars were fought... each yet caused by wealth

Wealth guard it like a mother will child

Nicely summarized, Thom. Now tell it to the bovine masses that don't give a shit about anything beyond bread (pizza) and circus (Monday Night Football). We lost that battle several decades ago through the decline of decent public education.

Donald Trump is a genius!! Blowing up Obamacare will force Democrats and Republicans to work together to provide health care. Although, 157 million families in the USA have health care through their employers, and won't be affected by the health care "explosion". The only answer is Democrats and Republicans must set aside their differences and negotiate a solution. You know what, I believe the Democrats and Republicans will work together for a solution. Of course, the washed up lefties will resist. They'll hold their breath for single payer. Resisting won't help those in need of health care now, but I don't think the washed up lefties care. They want the issue, not a solution. Remember, holding your breath is hazardous to your health, hold it for too long and you'll die.

Kind of amazing, even for Trolls, to attack teachers for being overpaid and receiving to high of benefits. They cannot collect Social Security in retirement. Why would anyone want to teach with the low pay, now low job security. I live in a district overrun by the right wingers. All they want is Charter schools that believe in a conservative curriculum. Teachers have left the area and school costs are going up. Glad that my kids are grown up and got an education from the highest ranked public high school in the state, that also ranked above the private schools.