Judging by Thom's blog it looks like by far, even if they don't realize it, the vast majority of citizens support Democratic Socialism. This also means the vast majority would support Bernie if only they could hear his message of economic, social, and environmental justice.
One thing about Trump I keep warning my Foxmerized friends and neighbors about is the reality of who he really is. I tell them to judge him by his actions, not his rhetoric. First of all he's running as a Republican, secondly if he really meant what he says about jobs leaving this country and the free trade that has caused it, he wouldn't be having his clothing line manufactured in China and Mexico. That's like the used car salesman telling you how great the car is he's selling you, but the reality is, you end up driving home a lemon.
Trumps true feelings about the working class have been exposed with union busting efforts at his own Vegas Hotel, not to mention the fact he feels wages are too high in the United States.....Does this sound like a man who really cares about the outsourcing of jobs? Anyone who thinks he really does is a god damn fool. He wants your vote for self gain of endless money and power, nothing more! Haven't we had enough of this? He admits to being one of the Fascists who bought off our government. He's the establishment we're all trying to escape! His lies may sound like he's anti establishment, but not his actions,.....for gods sake wake up!
The Democratic base won't be taking advantage of anything... Thom ignored the 800 lb donkey in the room: For years the Democratic party has been scamming their own base and had people rally around entitlement largesse and each citizens right to get their share of government pie from the pockets of those who actually worked and made the money.
Democrats are headed for their own rejection of the Democratic party, felt when Sanders has to say bye, bye due to the "special delegate math " which ensures a Clinton nomination.
The irony will be not that hand out entitlements have gone away, it will be that those who want more entitlements and have been groomed to see them as a right will reject Hilary and the Democratic party precisely because they are not given their pot of public gold and a true socialist government.
So many plan to NOT vote for Hilary also.
Isn't that funny? BOTH parties hoisted by their own petards because after decades of fooling their bases and cultivating a certain mentality... The FAILURE to pay up means a lot of birds are coming home to roost for BOTH PARTIES.. And it smells like CROW. EAT UP. Lol
Then the only one who can beat Trump in November is Bernie. Too many people really dislike Hillary. Her record on the environment is abysmal. Supporting Keystone as Secretary of State, ordering the phony feasibility report, pushing fracking, and pushing GMO. And using the office of the Secretary of State to influence bad environmental policy. What would happen as President?
If Democrats & independents remain fractured as they are now... anti-Hillary (should she win the election), either voting Trump, Jill Stein, write-in Bernie if happens to be available in your state, stay home because you have a boo boo lip & are pissed off, in addition to being up against voter ID suppressions laws, Trump will be your next president. By Trump's own admission, his main tenet of the Art of the Deal, is to say what you need to say to get what you want at the moment. There is no commitment behind what he says. He is taking his supporters for the proverbial ride.
Every disaster you mention dianhow will also be done under a Hillary presidency. It's way past time to start breaking the two corporate party stranglehold on this country...
I'm not hearing Thom's support of Trump DonaNicole. I hear him pointing out facts... that mass populous is tired enough of the corp crap to actually go for Trump because of what he's spews (not because he really can do what he says or even that he knows what he's talking about). Thom has always supported Bernie. What I hear is that IF Hillary gets the nomination which the word is (even though I am not giving up hope yet) she has, Trump might be able to win because of the talking points he makes. Just because she's a Democrat doesn't guarantee her being voted in. The danger here is that SCOTUS depends on a Dem getting in.
Both parties are corporate owned and will do more of the same - cater to their corporate masters at our expense. Bernie was always meant to sheepdog dissatisfaction within the Dems and progressives back into the Dem party (lesser of two evil ploy). To loosely quote Jill Stein (who's running for president on the Green party ticket) "Voting for the lesser of two evils guantees the evil you were trying to avoid".
Thanks for your post on language function. We have little general understanding of this basic human tool and would do well to develop an informed public wise to things like propaganda techniques now so pervasive in our culture.
Regarding the recent program comment re the adoption of solar power in the third world, women spend time gathering firewood daily which could be better spend on other tasks. (Side effect - reduced deforestation!)
Trump should be confronted by his lie, telling people that the Chinese are taking our jobs, when exactly the opposite is true. The corporations are 'GIVING' China our jobs.
Of course the dummies within the U.S. can't think that far.
For whatever reason, a lot of female Trump supporters don't seem phased by his misogynistic comments. Most of them are low income blue collar background & Christian. More educated women who support him simply baffle me. No words.
Writing in someone or going for Green Candidate will cause another Huge US disaster. Trumo is an arrogant bulling blow hard ! Trump may insult a world leader & cause WW 3 with his caustic termper. T RUMP speaks of 'making America Great .. but never says how ! Trump has not a clue how to do so. Running a corp is NOT training for leadership in gov't . Its takes rationality & compromise which Trump lacks . IF we elect another GOP President out of anger or disgust US will again live throught more war, war profiteering , death, maiming of our Veterans , unfair tax laws & pro wealth policies . GOP vows to end the FDA EPA even the parks system.. Creator of our Beautiful National parks ' There for decades to come to enjoy their serienity & beauty ! Our Economy, veterans, middle class, quality eduation, good paying jobs, womens rights, will suffer greatly .. Bush Cheney Greenspan GOP Newt Rove Tom Delay Sen Phil Gramm ( made 900 K on Enron scandal ) GOP shut down gov't , costing taxpayers billions . Years of anti middle class policies , lied into wars , wasting trillions, GOP deregulation, amnesty , privatizing, creating massive war debt, passing Huge un funded corp tax cuts, loopholes, subsides led US to 2008 global crash- TARP trillions bail out to Wall St crooked banks . WE must NOT skimp on higher eduaction/ college AN investment in US future economy. NOTE We are now living in the ' 2 nd Gilded Age' Reasonaable, rational caring folks must NOT allow that
Trump easily wins with election fraud unless our friends at Anonymous intervene. The conservative/fascist machine will stop at nothing to maintain their control over the Judicial branch. Trump will quickly appoint a Fascist. Given that hacking digital voting machines is child's play, and Conservatives have already proven their ability to commit election fraud in the states like Florida and Ohio......Trump easily wins.
Thom I have followed you for years, but this sounds very much like support for Trump. You were supporting also only Bernie and not Hillary. I think I am going to give you up, Thom.
You mean Thom that Hillary will change her stance on trade AFTER Obama signs TTP and TTIP? Give me a break. The Democratic Party NO LONGER represents the economic interests of working people. The GOP never did and the D Party used to before Al From and Bill Clinton came along 25-30 years ago. And since then, we've had a Democratic Party dominated by corporate shills. And on top of that, the best candidate to come along since FDR that truly represents the workers (Bernie Sanders), the Democratic Party did everything they could to dismiss him and the progressive base. No more corporate Democrats!!
The trouble is, Hiarly won't change her tune on trade deals. Four years of her means four more years of disadvantageous trade deals. Trump is running to the left of Hilary on trade as well as on war policy. If he were not such a bozo, vulgarian, and racist, he'd have my vote.
As a Bernie supporter myself, I will struggle to vote for Hillary in November. However, is it unethical, or unprincipled, to vote for the lesser of two evils or (better stated) to vote for one candidate so that a greater evil does not prevail?
Tell me Trump doesn't take Wallstreet money and I have a bridge in Michigan to sell YOU!!
Like his financing of big bohemith sky scrapers were all self funded, plus his bankruptcy let's say four? Yeah he's talking the talk but he'll never walk the walk! Congress will make him more hated than Cruz!
Hillary is going to do what Wall St is paving her path to the White House with $100 bills to do: more "free-trade agreements" that will replace democratic self-government with corporate self-government. If you think, as Thom thinks, Clinton opposes the TPP, I have a bridge to nowhere I'll sell you.
Clinton is going to lose to Trump because revolutionaries, not Bernie's sheep, will either write him in or vote for the Green Party candidate. That's the Bernie or bust pledge movement.
I want to see President Bernie set up a web site, accessible from a web browser and from any government office lobby and from kiosks around the USA, that allows people to log in with their social security number, green card number, drivers license number, or whatever, using a password that they set at a government agency after positive identification, where the site lists politicians, along with people who would like to, or are willing to, run for a political office, and allows anyone logged in to choose to be listed as willing to run for a given political office... and I would like such a site to allow people to cast a "for" or "against" or "undecided" vote with regard to any bill or referendum or candidate or amendment, and to express approval ratings and such.... and to change their votes and counted opinions at any time. ....so we could finally have a TRUE democracy... for the first time ever.
Ah, I FINALLY found how to get to the blog... I'm guessing too late for anyone to see this comment.
As a linguist and a language inventor, I want to point out that it's not what word a person uses which is most important, nor how the word is meant, but rather how the word is percieved to be meant. If you know a word can and likely be taken the wrong way by many people, it's generally a good idea to pick a different word. You can't make people not use a word, but you can caution them to consider the potential consequences. The terms "nigga" and "nigger" were being discussed, which are to some people two different words, to other people two spellings of the same word with the same range of meanings, and to yet other people two variations of the same word with slightly different ranges of meanings, but regardless, they are modern descendants of an oppressive slur, and in any form are almost guaranteed to carry at least some of that old derogatory meaning for at least some people. The origin of the division between the two forms under discussion is a simple matter of spoken accent, which tended and to a lesser extent still tends to be divided along cultural lines. People who use or describe one form as endearing and the other form as demeaning when speaking to their friends or relatives, and especially to their children, should be careful to point out that such a distinction is not something you can expect people with a different accent or dialect or cultural background to understand in the same way, and may cause confusion and misunderstanding.
"When did high speed internet become a necessary utility? If someone can't afford it, or can't afford to be in the "fast lane", are they being opressed? If so, when did that opression start? I didn't have high-speed internet until about 8 years ago. Was I being opressed before that? I mean, it existed. I just couldn't afford it back then.
I understand the Progressive idea that just because a thing exists, and it makes your life easier, everyone should have access to it. But that doesn't mesh with reality. There are a lot of things that exist, and would make all of our lives easier. Why stop with high speed internet?"
Electricity and water are necessary utilities, but guess what - if you can't afford it, you don't get it. Placing High-Speed, unrestricted internet access as a 'utility' doesn't mean everyone gets it for free - it simply means everyone will gain access to it and it will be cheaper.
Municipalities across the country will be better able to offer low-cost, high-speed internet access which will compete directly with large corporate interests. This will 1) further innovation in the industry in order to maintain a 'competitive edge' and 2) it will lower the cost of internet, both wireless and wired.
It's pretty sad that the richest nation in the world is 14th in terms of internet speed, especially since its point-of-origin was the US and was created, essentially, by the USDoD.
"it makes your life easier" - Sorry, but knowledge is crucial to the success of a people, and the internet places knowledge at your fingertips, so it's less about making life easier and more about having infinite knowledge at the click of a button.
That's why having unrestricted access to internet is crucial. The mainstream media is crap and the only true counter to the propaganda spread by the MSM is the internet. It is vital for our Democracy that we have easy, cheap access to high-speed internet.
Judging by Thom's blog it looks like by far, even if they don't realize it, the vast majority of citizens support Democratic Socialism. This also means the vast majority would support Bernie if only they could hear his message of economic, social, and environmental justice.
One thing about Trump I keep warning my Foxmerized friends and neighbors about is the reality of who he really is. I tell them to judge him by his actions, not his rhetoric. First of all he's running as a Republican, secondly if he really meant what he says about jobs leaving this country and the free trade that has caused it, he wouldn't be having his clothing line manufactured in China and Mexico. That's like the used car salesman telling you how great the car is he's selling you, but the reality is, you end up driving home a lemon.
Trumps true feelings about the working class have been exposed with union busting efforts at his own Vegas Hotel, not to mention the fact he feels wages are too high in the United States.....Does this sound like a man who really cares about the outsourcing of jobs? Anyone who thinks he really does is a god damn fool. He wants your vote for self gain of endless money and power, nothing more! Haven't we had enough of this? He admits to being one of the Fascists who bought off our government. He's the establishment we're all trying to escape! His lies may sound like he's anti establishment, but not his actions,.....for gods sake wake up!
The Democratic base won't be taking advantage of anything... Thom ignored the 800 lb donkey in the room: For years the Democratic party has been scamming their own base and had people rally around entitlement largesse and each citizens right to get their share of government pie from the pockets of those who actually worked and made the money.
Democrats are headed for their own rejection of the Democratic party, felt when Sanders has to say bye, bye due to the "special delegate math " which ensures a Clinton nomination.
The irony will be not that hand out entitlements have gone away, it will be that those who want more entitlements and have been groomed to see them as a right will reject Hilary and the Democratic party precisely because they are not given their pot of public gold and a true socialist government.
So many plan to NOT vote for Hilary also.
Isn't that funny? BOTH parties hoisted by their own petards because after decades of fooling their bases and cultivating a certain mentality... The FAILURE to pay up means a lot of birds are coming home to roost for BOTH PARTIES.. And it smells like CROW. EAT UP. Lol
Bernie cannot beat Trump. Too many Dems and Independents do not want a socialist government.
If Democrats end up nominating #CorporateClinton, Bernie or busters will be rejecting the Democratic Party as well.
http://www.examiner.com/article/bernie-or-busters-to-hillary-clinton-fra...
Then the only one who can beat Trump in November is Bernie. Too many people really dislike Hillary. Her record on the environment is abysmal. Supporting Keystone as Secretary of State, ordering the phony feasibility report, pushing fracking, and pushing GMO. And using the office of the Secretary of State to influence bad environmental policy. What would happen as President?
If Democrats & independents remain fractured as they are now... anti-Hillary (should she win the election), either voting Trump, Jill Stein, write-in Bernie if happens to be available in your state, stay home because you have a boo boo lip & are pissed off, in addition to being up against voter ID suppressions laws, Trump will be your next president. By Trump's own admission, his main tenet of the Art of the Deal, is to say what you need to say to get what you want at the moment. There is no commitment behind what he says. He is taking his supporters for the proverbial ride.
Every disaster you mention dianhow will also be done under a Hillary presidency. It's way past time to start breaking the two corporate party stranglehold on this country...
I'm not hearing Thom's support of Trump DonaNicole. I hear him pointing out facts... that mass populous is tired enough of the corp crap to actually go for Trump because of what he's spews (not because he really can do what he says or even that he knows what he's talking about). Thom has always supported Bernie. What I hear is that IF Hillary gets the nomination which the word is (even though I am not giving up hope yet) she has, Trump might be able to win because of the talking points he makes. Just because she's a Democrat doesn't guarantee her being voted in. The danger here is that SCOTUS depends on a Dem getting in.
Both parties are corporate owned and will do more of the same - cater to their corporate masters at our expense. Bernie was always meant to sheepdog dissatisfaction within the Dems and progressives back into the Dem party (lesser of two evil ploy). To loosely quote Jill Stein (who's running for president on the Green party ticket) "Voting for the lesser of two evils guantees the evil you were trying to avoid".
Thanks for your post on language function. We have little general understanding of this basic human tool and would do well to develop an informed public wise to things like propaganda techniques now so pervasive in our culture.
Regarding the recent program comment re the adoption of solar power in the third world, women spend time gathering firewood daily which could be better spend on other tasks. (Side effect - reduced deforestation!)
Trump should be confronted by his lie, telling people that the Chinese are taking our jobs, when exactly the opposite is true. The corporations are 'GIVING' China our jobs.
Of course the dummies within the U.S. can't think that far.
For whatever reason, a lot of female Trump supporters don't seem phased by his misogynistic comments. Most of them are low income blue collar background & Christian. More educated women who support him simply baffle me. No words.
Does anyone really believe Trump is against free trade...c'mon!
Writing in someone or going for Green Candidate will cause another Huge US disaster. Trumo is an arrogant bulling blow hard ! Trump may insult a world leader & cause WW 3 with his caustic termper. T RUMP speaks of 'making America Great .. but never says how ! Trump has not a clue how to do so. Running a corp is NOT training for leadership in gov't . Its takes rationality & compromise which Trump lacks . IF we elect another GOP President out of anger or disgust US will again live throught more war, war profiteering , death, maiming of our Veterans , unfair tax laws & pro wealth policies . GOP vows to end the FDA EPA even the parks system.. Creator of our Beautiful National parks ' There for decades to come to enjoy their serienity & beauty ! Our Economy, veterans, middle class, quality eduation, good paying jobs, womens rights, will suffer greatly .. Bush Cheney Greenspan GOP Newt Rove Tom Delay Sen Phil Gramm ( made 900 K on Enron scandal ) GOP shut down gov't , costing taxpayers billions . Years of anti middle class policies , lied into wars , wasting trillions, GOP deregulation, amnesty , privatizing, creating massive war debt, passing Huge un funded corp tax cuts, loopholes, subsides led US to 2008 global crash- TARP trillions bail out to Wall St crooked banks . WE must NOT skimp on higher eduaction/ college AN investment in US future economy. NOTE We are now living in the ' 2 nd Gilded Age' Reasonaable, rational caring folks must NOT allow that
Trump easily wins with election fraud unless our friends at Anonymous intervene. The conservative/fascist machine will stop at nothing to maintain their control over the Judicial branch. Trump will quickly appoint a Fascist. Given that hacking digital voting machines is child's play, and Conservatives have already proven their ability to commit election fraud in the states like Florida and Ohio......Trump easily wins.
Bernie is the only one who can stop Trump!
Thom I have followed you for years, but this sounds very much like support for Trump. You were supporting also only Bernie and not Hillary. I think I am going to give you up, Thom.
You mean Thom that Hillary will change her stance on trade AFTER Obama signs TTP and TTIP? Give me a break. The Democratic Party NO LONGER represents the economic interests of working people. The GOP never did and the D Party used to before Al From and Bill Clinton came along 25-30 years ago. And since then, we've had a Democratic Party dominated by corporate shills. And on top of that, the best candidate to come along since FDR that truly represents the workers (Bernie Sanders), the Democratic Party did everything they could to dismiss him and the progressive base. No more corporate Democrats!!
The trouble is, Hiarly won't change her tune on trade deals. Four years of her means four more years of disadvantageous trade deals. Trump is running to the left of Hilary on trade as well as on war policy. If he were not such a bozo, vulgarian, and racist, he'd have my vote.
As a Bernie supporter myself, I will struggle to vote for Hillary in November. However, is it unethical, or unprincipled, to vote for the lesser of two evils or (better stated) to vote for one candidate so that a greater evil does not prevail?
You're quoting tabloid news the examiner?? Hahaha!!
Tell me Trump doesn't take Wallstreet money and I have a bridge in Michigan to sell YOU!!
Like his financing of big bohemith sky scrapers were all self funded, plus his bankruptcy let's say four? Yeah he's talking the talk but he'll never walk the walk! Congress will make him more hated than Cruz!
Hillary is going to do what Wall St is paving her path to the White House with $100 bills to do: more "free-trade agreements" that will replace democratic self-government with corporate self-government. If you think, as Thom thinks, Clinton opposes the TPP, I have a bridge to nowhere I'll sell you.
http://www.examiner.com/article/hillary-clinton-sex-lies-and-video-tape
Clinton is going to lose to Trump because revolutionaries, not Bernie's sheep, will either write him in or vote for the Green Party candidate. That's the Bernie or bust pledge movement.
I want to see President Bernie set up a web site, accessible from a web browser and from any government office lobby and from kiosks around the USA, that allows people to log in with their social security number, green card number, drivers license number, or whatever, using a password that they set at a government agency after positive identification, where the site lists politicians, along with people who would like to, or are willing to, run for a political office, and allows anyone logged in to choose to be listed as willing to run for a given political office... and I would like such a site to allow people to cast a "for" or "against" or "undecided" vote with regard to any bill or referendum or candidate or amendment, and to express approval ratings and such.... and to change their votes and counted opinions at any time. ....so we could finally have a TRUE democracy... for the first time ever.
Ah, I FINALLY found how to get to the blog... I'm guessing too late for anyone to see this comment.
As a linguist and a language inventor, I want to point out that it's not what word a person uses which is most important, nor how the word is meant, but rather how the word is percieved to be meant. If you know a word can and likely be taken the wrong way by many people, it's generally a good idea to pick a different word. You can't make people not use a word, but you can caution them to consider the potential consequences. The terms "nigga" and "nigger" were being discussed, which are to some people two different words, to other people two spellings of the same word with the same range of meanings, and to yet other people two variations of the same word with slightly different ranges of meanings, but regardless, they are modern descendants of an oppressive slur, and in any form are almost guaranteed to carry at least some of that old derogatory meaning for at least some people. The origin of the division between the two forms under discussion is a simple matter of spoken accent, which tended and to a lesser extent still tends to be divided along cultural lines. People who use or describe one form as endearing and the other form as demeaning when speaking to their friends or relatives, and especially to their children, should be careful to point out that such a distinction is not something you can expect people with a different accent or dialect or cultural background to understand in the same way, and may cause confusion and misunderstanding.
"When did high speed internet become a necessary utility? If someone can't afford it, or can't afford to be in the "fast lane", are they being opressed? If so, when did that opression start? I didn't have high-speed internet until about 8 years ago. Was I being opressed before that? I mean, it existed. I just couldn't afford it back then.
I understand the Progressive idea that just because a thing exists, and it makes your life easier, everyone should have access to it. But that doesn't mesh with reality. There are a lot of things that exist, and would make all of our lives easier. Why stop with high speed internet?"
Electricity and water are necessary utilities, but guess what - if you can't afford it, you don't get it. Placing High-Speed, unrestricted internet access as a 'utility' doesn't mean everyone gets it for free - it simply means everyone will gain access to it and it will be cheaper.
Municipalities across the country will be better able to offer low-cost, high-speed internet access which will compete directly with large corporate interests. This will 1) further innovation in the industry in order to maintain a 'competitive edge' and 2) it will lower the cost of internet, both wireless and wired.
It's pretty sad that the richest nation in the world is 14th in terms of internet speed, especially since its point-of-origin was the US and was created, essentially, by the USDoD.
"it makes your life easier" - Sorry, but knowledge is crucial to the success of a people, and the internet places knowledge at your fingertips, so it's less about making life easier and more about having infinite knowledge at the click of a button.
That's why having unrestricted access to internet is crucial. The mainstream media is crap and the only true counter to the propaganda spread by the MSM is the internet. It is vital for our Democracy that we have easy, cheap access to high-speed internet.