TikTok has been flooded by videos of mostly young Americans proclaiming the discovery, deep meaning and righteousness of Osama bin Laden’s “letter to the American people.” We live in a sick era. Here is one TikTok post with almost 110,000 likes. Shocking though this may be, it is in fact the downstream detritus of cultural pollution we are seeing. The source is upriver. It is time to talk about it.
The American far-left is losing its mind at the absolute worst time imaginable. I always reassured myself that, however much I may have disagreed with them, they were reasonable, educated, logical, and not easily beguiled by propaganda or disinformation. I believed the criticisms from the far-right were mostly claptrap.
To my horror, I now realize my self-assurances were unfounded. From Hamas apologia to SF's Potemkin town government to these allegedly paid flag-waving adoring fans of a dictator, I am dismayed.
It seems the far-left is turning on the Democrats. It is turning against Pax Americana just like the MAGAs are. They favor Muslim jihadists like the MAGAs favor Putin.
The center must stand athwart both of these fringe elements of our polity.
I find this description of a Hamas apologia tiresome. If the Israelis had not had their boot on the neck of Palestinians for 75 years there would be no Hamas, which came to be quite late in the game. If it were you or us being treated like second class people you would lash out too. Yes it is unforgivable behavior and should be punished into oblivion but not at the expense of innocent Palestinian citizens whose babies are worth every bit as much as the Israeli ones. Get that belligerent thug, Netanyahu, out of there and replace him with a peacemaker and Hamas will start to lose its credentials and people who blame Israel will stop blaming Israel.
Bull. The Arabs have only rejected every two-state proposal and subsequently attacked the Israelis. Each time they lose badly, lose more land, lose more autonomy, and greatly worsen their condition.
Hamas doomed their citizens to this. They intentionally put their women and children in harm's way. That was their plan. Israel has no choice but to wage war on their terms.
Boot on the neck, eh? Yes the Ps are oppressed. And so are countless other minorities all over the world. But do they employ terror tactics to protest or overcome their oppression? And just curious, but have you ever visited or lived in Israel? Do you know how many Ps have been employed in Israel? The wall and fences became necessary only when P violence escalated to levels unacceptable in civilized society. How would America react if, say, Native Americans were lobbing rockets into cities, kidnapping civilians and creating mayhem, instead of building casinos?
They, the average person is not employing terrorist tactics. Hamas is not just made up radical Palestinians. They also come from other countries. Educate yourself please.
Oh do please educate me. Where do Hamas fighters come from? The moon? I lament the loss of life caused by asymmetric warfare. But did you protest what happened in Mosul? Fallujah? Afghanistan? Syria? If not, why not? And have you ever visited or lived in Israel? I have. I visited the border 8 years ago. No one I met wanted to attack Gaza then. They merely wanted peace. Then came October 7. The places I visited were attacked without provocation. They are now gone. Regardless of where the Hamas fighters came from, the atrocities they committed are among the worst in modern history. Excusing their actions as if Palestinians were not responsible is like saying Germans did not know about the death camps in their midst. I’ve been in Germany too. WWII was caused by Germans and Germany. And so, Dresden suffered, and 2,000,000 Germans died. Yes, a tragedy, but would you blame the Allies, or the 17 million innocent victims, for what happened?
It does not surprise me that Jews want peace. Of course they do and their responsibility for what is happening is distant. They voted to choose from among the myriad "parties" on offer and have too often wound up with a jerry-rigged government of the hard right that explains rockets tossed over the border from the north and the west. You don't have to go there to understand that displaced people are angry and when they are also designated as second class citizens and restricted in their movement and activities then some among them will display that anger. What peace-seeking Jews want is available if they will just elect a more benevolent government. All the other places you mentioned have nothing to do with this, still there have been protests about the cruelty and lack of fairness in each of them, not least Bush junior's stupid wars.
Don't conflate "Palestinians" and Hamas. It is Hamas that did the damage that started this. Palestinians are the victims of Hamas, even if there was some form of 'election' that brought Hamas to power. It filled a void that was made possible by and, at points, aided by Israeli leadership (BiBi). My criticisms of Israel is of it's leaders, it's not a criticism of Jews. In every crisis that arises like this, it's the power-monger-leaders that initiate it. It is always the citizens that suffer the damage.
Admittedly, "left" is a loaded word. I actually hate our one-dimensional nomenclature. But I'm referring to those low-information social justice warriors who are generally a few sandwiches short of a picnic. They are ignorant of world affairs and history. They see people they perceive to be "oppressed" but they don't know half the story. They think the enemy of their enemy is their friend. So they stand up for jihadists who throw gay people off buildings. They are so unbelievably wrong. But they will be the death of us. They will stay at home in November and throw the election to Trump.
Every person thinks they are the whole world, including me, and ...others which will go unnamed.
But the death of us all, which you say the ill Informer left is going to be the cause of, was already written in the stars when our sentience began in some unknown epoch...we have become what we were meant to be, which is the inventors of A.I., and that will make all human intelligence irrelevant, redundant and
unnecessary. We are doomed because of all the innate flaws we always had, whether we are
intelligent or ignorant..
We have reached the expiration date of humanity, due entirely to our own' nature.
Or maybe we don't know how to deal with the firehose of information, misinformation, and disinformation we have to contend with. That is new and it is extreme. Our educations didn't prepare most people to navigate this. I think that's really what you're describing. Our doom doesn't have to be fait accompli.
As Plato once said, and I shall use it bere, refering to my ceritude that life is over for humanity inasmuch that we humans will NEVER undo the immediate lethal results coming of the harm we have already already done to Earth,---plato: " Never say never...because no philosopher can ever day NEVER".
Bernie would fit right in with Canada’s Liberal Party, a very centrist party, but he sure as heck wouldn’t fit in with our left party, also know as the New Democratic Party. No illusion, the latter doesn’t resemble the USA’s Democratic Party.
Kevin, Potempkin Village indeed. A government that cannot deal with its problems, but hides its shame before an even more craven beast is doomed to fail. I don't recognize my country or maybe it was there all along and I couldn't see.
As a child in NYC, at 12 years old, in 1954, I heard NEW YORKERS ( our best citizens always lived here) say that this nation was already a police state.Voila!
Sorry Steve, but I am forced to disagree on this one. Your analogy with imperial Japan is misguided. I had a Japanese mentor who grew up in Manchuria and then emigrated to the US after WWII. Japan’s experience in the 19th and 20th centuries does not parallel China in the 21st century.
Yes, Xi is an autocrat. But even Yamamoto regretted the direction Japan took. China does not have to be our enemy, and as St Exupery said, businessmen can forge peace. In the meantime, Russia is waging a REAL war on the West. It is therefore sane policy to drive a wedge between China and Russia.
I suggest that you reconsider your worldview in the light of realpolitik.
The businessmen who are also humanists is a class that is nonexistent . If some form of The Good comes from a capitalist nation using profit and loss as a measure for negotions, it is an accident.
Too simplistic. Business per se does not have a moral dimension, it is merely an extension of human experience. The first aborigines swapped flint for food. Substitute the word translation for business, or just go back to the root busy-ness. As for capitalism, it is merely a form of finance. Also without moral dimension. There can be “good” and “bad” capitalists, and the same applies to mercantilists, socialists etc.
So here is one example. Was Andrew Carnegie (capitalist) good or bad? I grew up in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where Carnegie started his steel empire. My neighborhood included the Carnegie Museum, the Carnegie Library and Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University). The bottom line is that transactional behavior or trading can build bridges. They can help to tear down the walls often created by polity-cal nation-state separation. That is why engaging with China makes sense.
Andrew Carnegie was not bad, he was merely a human being under the influence of the power of wealth. Few ever could choose poverty otherwise, such as monks. Marx chose it.
Who knows if Andrew was bad?
But we do know capitalism IS . Only vis a vis unacknowdged socialism have we kept the USA going. But now, the billionaires have the last stage ready for them to take their control. The have always had ways to keep ignorance going and keep its hates alive and now we are close to the rich class's final long sought goal: fascism and dictatorship. First, to serve the rich, using capitalism, had to come Autocracy. Plutarchy, Oligarchies and finally dictatorship.
Of all economists, I discovered that Henry George's premise was the best solution to found all society upon. I became a Georgist.
"As for capitalism, it is merely a form of finance. Also without moral dimension".
When I read " Das Kapital", a description of capitalism and its effects on the whole world, I saw moral dimensions abounding.
Didn't you ?
Since the premise for your comments seemed absolutely heartless, I couldn' t read the rest.
If you have read Marx ( including his biography,), the man who reshaped our entire view, through documentary evidence-
-scientifically- of economics, and after studying Marxism even for one hour are still unmoved and found you can dismiss his soul wrenching findings by saying "it is merely a form of finance. Also without moral dimension", what more do we have to say?
I tried again to browse your comments.
Andrew Carnegie was not bad, he was merely a human being under the influence of the power of wealth. Few ever could choose poverty otherwise, such as monks. Marx chose it.
Who knows if Andrew was bad?
But we do know capitalism IS . Only vis a vis unacknowdged socialism have we kept the USA going. But now, the billionaires have the last stage ready for them to take their control. The have always had ways to keep ignorance going and keep its hates alive and now we are close to the rich class's final long sought goal: fascism and dictatorship. First, to serve the rich, using capitalism, had to come Autocracy. Plutarchy, Oligarchies and finally dictatorship.
Of all economists, I discovered that Henry George's premise was the best solution to found all society upon. I became a Georgist.
So San Francisco can’t remove these homeless people from the streets on most occasions, but a visit from Xi finally mobilizes the Mayor and her minions to clean up the streets? Outstanding!!!
Perhaps we should invite Orban, Erdrogan or Kim Yong-Un next. Just saying...:)
It seems to me that all world leaders clean up "the riff raff" before a big event. The Olympics come to mind. Newsum is not doing anything differently than any other politician when it comes to hosting a dignitary.
Agreed. However, the irony is just incredible. Nothing can be done except when a foreign leader or an international event is being held; then they can find the strength to mobilize and cleanup the streets.
Plenty of progressives, like me, believe Hamas committed horrific atrocities. This does not, however, mean we should support Israel going overboard with leveling Gaza and killing thousands more civilians that will only ignite terrorism.
I do think the main job of the President of the United States is to lead us to a foreign policy that most Americans want -- restraint, instead of militarism and an end to endless costly wars.
You want centrism? Check out the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and, together, left, center and right can put the neocons on the unemployment line.
PS My progressive Jewish friends (all boomers like me) taught me the meaning of "never again," moving out of WWII. Never again for any people.
Politicians have always lied about war and their goals. It's about the money. Steve, look at what happened to our 20 year war when "George the Lessor" decided to go after Bin Ladin. Republicans like Dick Cheny were foaming at the mouth with oil dreams; contractors were salivating thinking of all the armament needed. As usually, it is our POC, who are lead to believe it's patriotic to go to war, too bad they aren't told "it's the economy, stupid".
No matter how many assurances China gives about their peaceful intentions regarding Taiwan and Asia they cannot be trusted. They are merely waiting until they are strong enough and we are distracted by petty infighting until they strike.
Bashing the Left seems to be becoming the latest political sport. Sure, we may not like how China is handling a billion people or how it is controlling its economy or any number of other things that they are doing under a non-Democratic leadership, things we find reprehensible, but spitting in their faces and saying “put up your dukes” satisfies only the belligerent among us. My guess is that President Biden would like to prevent war if he can by keeping communications open as worked before, when we were on the brink, and maybe Gavin cleaned up the streets because he was embarrassed and maybe the entrepreneurs who were glad-handing Xi are just opportunistic, greedy assholes. It is of little surprise that the many ugly facets of our society, becoming more apparent each day, are confusing the young idealists that we once were.
110,000 views. Wow, shocking. Of course they were all supporters of Bin Laden. I mean a paltry few million students have not read his letter. Maybe some of those students just wanted to learn something. How many people have read Mein Kampf since WW2? A few more than 110,000 and not all of them were future Nazis. I'm shocked that you would start your daily takedown with that antidote, then move on to condemning the people that live in SF for greeting a visiting world leader (did no one wave flags at Trump?). Then you fill space with some old text to make your point.. All you did was speculate (like a former well known Fox anchor) on everyone's purpose for being there. Did you have any direct communications with any of the attendees? I've been wondering why the media has grown quiet on Ukraine and why Xi, who not long ago met with Putin in China, is now meeting with Biden. Many think it is because of China's financial troubles. Maybe he came for more than one reason and maybe they weren't nefarious. Only time will tell us. Oh, and everytime MSNBC or Steve talk about OBL's letter they get more people to read it and create even more alarm and disgust.
This article on China and fighter pilots, etc. is what Mr. Schmidt does well: Warning us. He is shamelessly, incorrigibly hopeful in his hopes for a worthwhile America. He searches long and hard for subjects for his Warnings. His is a righteous objector and sees our dire flaws, yet is a believer in the inherrent Goodness of man. That is easy, but let's now ask the tough question:
He and I both fear we will lose our democracy and become a fascist State. I ask Mr. Schmidt: why and how did billionaires take us to this perilous condition? The poor didn't do it.
Right now, the United States has a choice of separating China and Russia or letting Russia continue to go after Ukraine with China’s help. I’d much rather cultivate China than let Russia do it. Xi is vile, but, unlike Putin, he is not crazy. If economics and business can help lead to that quaint concept of detente, and, in so doing lead, perhaps inadvertently, to peaceful coexistence, I say go for it!
When those who are elected to govern us epically fail time after time to provide basic needs (food, shelter, water, education) and flat out refuse to take up/legislate societal issues (immigration, housing, water, voting rights, charitable scams, internet propaganda, corporate theft, etc.), we, Americans, are left hopeless, rutterless, exasperated and manipulated.
Just as Republicans, knowingly or unknowingly, intended, sowing chaos by avoiding the people's work, is the center piece of their "less is more" platform.
Time to cease pointing at everyone, anyone other than our delusional selves and our lack of humane politics and policy as the problem.
Going back to a day or two ago’s warning blog, where Steve compares the fracturing of the two party political system to a more parliamentary like power structure. He is positing the need for creating alliances among non-majority factors to get majority control.
My impression is this that if no presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes, the decision maker for who is the next president goes to the House of Representatives. Even if the 2024 vote washes away the Republican majority, there would be a lame duck Republican majority of the House that could easily elect a Trump or a Trump clone.
Strategy demands some back room deal making that keeps the Democratic party’s bloc intact, it seems to me, or a lot of heavy lifting is wasted. L
An outstanding essay. Regarding the Uyghur, the kids reposting the bin Laden letter simply don't believe the Chinese government has concentration camps. I thought my son, 27 (yesterday!), had been exaggerating about the students at his college. Nope. They also don't believe 1400 Israelis were murdered by Hamas terrorists (or else they deserved to die). So painful when it comes from the left, from people you thought were you thought were friends, who will listen to nothing that counters the false narratives in which they now are so invested.
Kevin Please do not confuse a criticism of Israel to be an endorsement of Hamas. Hamas is a pure evil manifestation of Palestinian complaint that is supported by less than a quarter of the Gaza population.
Even evil and awful old Trump does better than that. Since Israel seems to find a two-state solution to be anathema to their aspirations, then I expect the offers of same to these oppressed stunk. It is hard to believe that any Palestinians prefer apartheid. The situation is intolerable and must change. It will not change under present Israeli leadership. 75 years is more than enough!
It doesn't take much intellect to pierce the icing on the bin Laden letter to find the staleness and rot beneath. That bin Laden writes, if this is indeed his writing as it may be, glowingly on a topic one approves with, cannot be separated from the terrorism that over all else defines bin Laden. I'm concerned about global warming (climate change), too, but that doesn't make me want to ally with a bin Laden. He's a terrorist.
The American far-left is losing its mind at the absolute worst time imaginable. I always reassured myself that, however much I may have disagreed with them, they were reasonable, educated, logical, and not easily beguiled by propaganda or disinformation. I believed the criticisms from the far-right were mostly claptrap.
To my horror, I now realize my self-assurances were unfounded. From Hamas apologia to SF's Potemkin town government to these allegedly paid flag-waving adoring fans of a dictator, I am dismayed.
It seems the far-left is turning on the Democrats. It is turning against Pax Americana just like the MAGAs are. They favor Muslim jihadists like the MAGAs favor Putin.
The center must stand athwart both of these fringe elements of our polity.
I find this description of a Hamas apologia tiresome. If the Israelis had not had their boot on the neck of Palestinians for 75 years there would be no Hamas, which came to be quite late in the game. If it were you or us being treated like second class people you would lash out too. Yes it is unforgivable behavior and should be punished into oblivion but not at the expense of innocent Palestinian citizens whose babies are worth every bit as much as the Israeli ones. Get that belligerent thug, Netanyahu, out of there and replace him with a peacemaker and Hamas will start to lose its credentials and people who blame Israel will stop blaming Israel.
Bull. The Arabs have only rejected every two-state proposal and subsequently attacked the Israelis. Each time they lose badly, lose more land, lose more autonomy, and greatly worsen their condition.
Hamas doomed their citizens to this. They intentionally put their women and children in harm's way. That was their plan. Israel has no choice but to wage war on their terms.
Boot on the neck, eh? Yes the Ps are oppressed. And so are countless other minorities all over the world. But do they employ terror tactics to protest or overcome their oppression? And just curious, but have you ever visited or lived in Israel? Do you know how many Ps have been employed in Israel? The wall and fences became necessary only when P violence escalated to levels unacceptable in civilized society. How would America react if, say, Native Americans were lobbing rockets into cities, kidnapping civilians and creating mayhem, instead of building casinos?
They, the average person is not employing terrorist tactics. Hamas is not just made up radical Palestinians. They also come from other countries. Educate yourself please.
Oh do please educate me. Where do Hamas fighters come from? The moon? I lament the loss of life caused by asymmetric warfare. But did you protest what happened in Mosul? Fallujah? Afghanistan? Syria? If not, why not? And have you ever visited or lived in Israel? I have. I visited the border 8 years ago. No one I met wanted to attack Gaza then. They merely wanted peace. Then came October 7. The places I visited were attacked without provocation. They are now gone. Regardless of where the Hamas fighters came from, the atrocities they committed are among the worst in modern history. Excusing their actions as if Palestinians were not responsible is like saying Germans did not know about the death camps in their midst. I’ve been in Germany too. WWII was caused by Germans and Germany. And so, Dresden suffered, and 2,000,000 Germans died. Yes, a tragedy, but would you blame the Allies, or the 17 million innocent victims, for what happened?
It does not surprise me that Jews want peace. Of course they do and their responsibility for what is happening is distant. They voted to choose from among the myriad "parties" on offer and have too often wound up with a jerry-rigged government of the hard right that explains rockets tossed over the border from the north and the west. You don't have to go there to understand that displaced people are angry and when they are also designated as second class citizens and restricted in their movement and activities then some among them will display that anger. What peace-seeking Jews want is available if they will just elect a more benevolent government. All the other places you mentioned have nothing to do with this, still there have been protests about the cruelty and lack of fairness in each of them, not least Bush junior's stupid wars.
Exactly!!
Don't conflate "Palestinians" and Hamas. It is Hamas that did the damage that started this. Palestinians are the victims of Hamas, even if there was some form of 'election' that brought Hamas to power. It filled a void that was made possible by and, at points, aided by Israeli leadership (BiBi). My criticisms of Israel is of it's leaders, it's not a criticism of Jews. In every crisis that arises like this, it's the power-monger-leaders that initiate it. It is always the citizens that suffer the damage.
My Brother! Good for you. I feel the same
Thank you.
There IS NO FAR LEFT HERE!
The entire European contentent has a left, not us. Bernie Sanders is as close as we ever got. I love Bernie
Bernie is our conscience.
Admittedly, "left" is a loaded word. I actually hate our one-dimensional nomenclature. But I'm referring to those low-information social justice warriors who are generally a few sandwiches short of a picnic. They are ignorant of world affairs and history. They see people they perceive to be "oppressed" but they don't know half the story. They think the enemy of their enemy is their friend. So they stand up for jihadists who throw gay people off buildings. They are so unbelievably wrong. But they will be the death of us. They will stay at home in November and throw the election to Trump.
Every person thinks they are the whole world, including me, and ...others which will go unnamed.
But the death of us all, which you say the ill Informer left is going to be the cause of, was already written in the stars when our sentience began in some unknown epoch...we have become what we were meant to be, which is the inventors of A.I., and that will make all human intelligence irrelevant, redundant and
unnecessary. We are doomed because of all the innate flaws we always had, whether we are
intelligent or ignorant..
We have reached the expiration date of humanity, due entirely to our own' nature.
Or maybe we don't know how to deal with the firehose of information, misinformation, and disinformation we have to contend with. That is new and it is extreme. Our educations didn't prepare most people to navigate this. I think that's really what you're describing. Our doom doesn't have to be fait accompli.
As Plato once said, and I shall use it bere, refering to my ceritude that life is over for humanity inasmuch that we humans will NEVER undo the immediate lethal results coming of the harm we have already already done to Earth,---plato: " Never say never...because no philosopher can ever day NEVER".
The poet historian Carl Sandberg wrote in The People Yes:
"It annoys me to die'" said the philosopher, "for I should like to see what follows."
Bernie would fit right in with Canada’s Liberal Party, a very centrist party, but he sure as heck wouldn’t fit in with our left party, also know as the New Democratic Party. No illusion, the latter doesn’t resemble the USA’s Democratic Party.
Are you canadian? Please elaborate on all you said.
Yes and I live in Canada. I have family in the US and in France and I keep a close eye on the political climate in each country.
Kevin, Potempkin Village indeed. A government that cannot deal with its problems, but hides its shame before an even more craven beast is doomed to fail. I don't recognize my country or maybe it was there all along and I couldn't see.
As a child in NYC, at 12 years old, in 1954, I heard NEW YORKERS ( our best citizens always lived here) say that this nation was already a police state.Voila!
Well said...:)
Sorry Steve, but I am forced to disagree on this one. Your analogy with imperial Japan is misguided. I had a Japanese mentor who grew up in Manchuria and then emigrated to the US after WWII. Japan’s experience in the 19th and 20th centuries does not parallel China in the 21st century.
Yes, Xi is an autocrat. But even Yamamoto regretted the direction Japan took. China does not have to be our enemy, and as St Exupery said, businessmen can forge peace. In the meantime, Russia is waging a REAL war on the West. It is therefore sane policy to drive a wedge between China and Russia.
I suggest that you reconsider your worldview in the light of realpolitik.
I agree Eric. Friends close and enemies closer. Business is transactional only and can sometimes keep politicians from doing even more stupid things.
The businessmen who are also humanists is a class that is nonexistent . If some form of The Good comes from a capitalist nation using profit and loss as a measure for negotions, it is an accident.
Too simplistic. Business per se does not have a moral dimension, it is merely an extension of human experience. The first aborigines swapped flint for food. Substitute the word translation for business, or just go back to the root busy-ness. As for capitalism, it is merely a form of finance. Also without moral dimension. There can be “good” and “bad” capitalists, and the same applies to mercantilists, socialists etc.
So here is one example. Was Andrew Carnegie (capitalist) good or bad? I grew up in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where Carnegie started his steel empire. My neighborhood included the Carnegie Museum, the Carnegie Library and Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University). The bottom line is that transactional behavior or trading can build bridges. They can help to tear down the walls often created by polity-cal nation-state separation. That is why engaging with China makes sense.
Andrew Carnegie was not bad, he was merely a human being under the influence of the power of wealth. Few ever could choose poverty otherwise, such as monks. Marx chose it.
Who knows if Andrew was bad?
But we do know capitalism IS . Only vis a vis unacknowdged socialism have we kept the USA going. But now, the billionaires have the last stage ready for them to take their control. The have always had ways to keep ignorance going and keep its hates alive and now we are close to the rich class's final long sought goal: fascism and dictatorship. First, to serve the rich, using capitalism, had to come Autocracy. Plutarchy, Oligarchies and finally dictatorship.
Of all economists, I discovered that Henry George's premise was the best solution to found all society upon. I became a Georgist.
It's difficult to read past your
"As for capitalism, it is merely a form of finance. Also without moral dimension".
When I read " Das Kapital", a description of capitalism and its effects on the whole world, I saw moral dimensions abounding.
Didn't you ?
Since the premise for your comments seemed absolutely heartless, I couldn' t read the rest.
If you have read Marx ( including his biography,), the man who reshaped our entire view, through documentary evidence-
-scientifically- of economics, and after studying Marxism even for one hour are still unmoved and found you can dismiss his soul wrenching findings by saying "it is merely a form of finance. Also without moral dimension", what more do we have to say?
I tried again to browse your comments.
Andrew Carnegie was not bad, he was merely a human being under the influence of the power of wealth. Few ever could choose poverty otherwise, such as monks. Marx chose it.
Who knows if Andrew was bad?
But we do know capitalism IS . Only vis a vis unacknowdged socialism have we kept the USA going. But now, the billionaires have the last stage ready for them to take their control. The have always had ways to keep ignorance going and keep its hates alive and now we are close to the rich class's final long sought goal: fascism and dictatorship. First, to serve the rich, using capitalism, had to come Autocracy. Plutarchy, Oligarchies and finally dictatorship.
Of all economists, I discovered that Henry George's premise was the best solution to found all society upon. I became a Georgist.
Except perhaps Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, born into an aristocratic family, who was an artist, a humanist, a pilot and an engineer.
You forget poet and author, as well. Truly a great man.
I was thinking artist was encompassing your 2 mentioned activities.
:-) Well, il y a artiste, et artiste ! Maybe I'm too specific-minded.
I’m hoping.
Well-said
So San Francisco can’t remove these homeless people from the streets on most occasions, but a visit from Xi finally mobilizes the Mayor and her minions to clean up the streets? Outstanding!!!
Perhaps we should invite Orban, Erdrogan or Kim Yong-Un next. Just saying...:)
It seems to me that all world leaders clean up "the riff raff" before a big event. The Olympics come to mind. Newsum is not doing anything differently than any other politician when it comes to hosting a dignitary.
Agreed. However, the irony is just incredible. Nothing can be done except when a foreign leader or an international event is being held; then they can find the strength to mobilize and cleanup the streets.
I guess, all it takes is state assistance...:)
Just tax the rich and stop with the clever remarks.
I truly appreciate your input. I promise, no more clever remarks! /s
Plenty of progressives, like me, believe Hamas committed horrific atrocities. This does not, however, mean we should support Israel going overboard with leveling Gaza and killing thousands more civilians that will only ignite terrorism.
I do think the main job of the President of the United States is to lead us to a foreign policy that most Americans want -- restraint, instead of militarism and an end to endless costly wars.
You want centrism? Check out the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and, together, left, center and right can put the neocons on the unemployment line.
PS My progressive Jewish friends (all boomers like me) taught me the meaning of "never again," moving out of WWII. Never again for any people.
Politicians have always lied about war and their goals. It's about the money. Steve, look at what happened to our 20 year war when "George the Lessor" decided to go after Bin Ladin. Republicans like Dick Cheny were foaming at the mouth with oil dreams; contractors were salivating thinking of all the armament needed. As usually, it is our POC, who are lead to believe it's patriotic to go to war, too bad they aren't told "it's the economy, stupid".
No matter how many assurances China gives about their peaceful intentions regarding Taiwan and Asia they cannot be trusted. They are merely waiting until they are strong enough and we are distracted by petty infighting until they strike.
Bashing the Left seems to be becoming the latest political sport. Sure, we may not like how China is handling a billion people or how it is controlling its economy or any number of other things that they are doing under a non-Democratic leadership, things we find reprehensible, but spitting in their faces and saying “put up your dukes” satisfies only the belligerent among us. My guess is that President Biden would like to prevent war if he can by keeping communications open as worked before, when we were on the brink, and maybe Gavin cleaned up the streets because he was embarrassed and maybe the entrepreneurs who were glad-handing Xi are just opportunistic, greedy assholes. It is of little surprise that the many ugly facets of our society, becoming more apparent each day, are confusing the young idealists that we once were.
110,000 views. Wow, shocking. Of course they were all supporters of Bin Laden. I mean a paltry few million students have not read his letter. Maybe some of those students just wanted to learn something. How many people have read Mein Kampf since WW2? A few more than 110,000 and not all of them were future Nazis. I'm shocked that you would start your daily takedown with that antidote, then move on to condemning the people that live in SF for greeting a visiting world leader (did no one wave flags at Trump?). Then you fill space with some old text to make your point.. All you did was speculate (like a former well known Fox anchor) on everyone's purpose for being there. Did you have any direct communications with any of the attendees? I've been wondering why the media has grown quiet on Ukraine and why Xi, who not long ago met with Putin in China, is now meeting with Biden. Many think it is because of China's financial troubles. Maybe he came for more than one reason and maybe they weren't nefarious. Only time will tell us. Oh, and everytime MSNBC or Steve talk about OBL's letter they get more people to read it and create even more alarm and disgust.
This article on China and fighter pilots, etc. is what Mr. Schmidt does well: Warning us. He is shamelessly, incorrigibly hopeful in his hopes for a worthwhile America. He searches long and hard for subjects for his Warnings. His is a righteous objector and sees our dire flaws, yet is a believer in the inherrent Goodness of man. That is easy, but let's now ask the tough question:
He and I both fear we will lose our democracy and become a fascist State. I ask Mr. Schmidt: why and how did billionaires take us to this perilous condition? The poor didn't do it.
Right now, the United States has a choice of separating China and Russia or letting Russia continue to go after Ukraine with China’s help. I’d much rather cultivate China than let Russia do it. Xi is vile, but, unlike Putin, he is not crazy. If economics and business can help lead to that quaint concept of detente, and, in so doing lead, perhaps inadvertently, to peaceful coexistence, I say go for it!
When those who are elected to govern us epically fail time after time to provide basic needs (food, shelter, water, education) and flat out refuse to take up/legislate societal issues (immigration, housing, water, voting rights, charitable scams, internet propaganda, corporate theft, etc.), we, Americans, are left hopeless, rutterless, exasperated and manipulated.
Just as Republicans, knowingly or unknowingly, intended, sowing chaos by avoiding the people's work, is the center piece of their "less is more" platform.
Time to cease pointing at everyone, anyone other than our delusional selves and our lack of humane politics and policy as the problem.
Going back to a day or two ago’s warning blog, where Steve compares the fracturing of the two party political system to a more parliamentary like power structure. He is positing the need for creating alliances among non-majority factors to get majority control.
My impression is this that if no presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes, the decision maker for who is the next president goes to the House of Representatives. Even if the 2024 vote washes away the Republican majority, there would be a lame duck Republican majority of the House that could easily elect a Trump or a Trump clone.
Strategy demands some back room deal making that keeps the Democratic party’s bloc intact, it seems to me, or a lot of heavy lifting is wasted. L
An outstanding essay. Regarding the Uyghur, the kids reposting the bin Laden letter simply don't believe the Chinese government has concentration camps. I thought my son, 27 (yesterday!), had been exaggerating about the students at his college. Nope. They also don't believe 1400 Israelis were murdered by Hamas terrorists (or else they deserved to die). So painful when it comes from the left, from people you thought were you thought were friends, who will listen to nothing that counters the false narratives in which they now are so invested.
Understand this if you are a teacher:
ignorance is caused from a previous lack of profound, well taught , worldly, political education. You cant blame igorance for being ignorant
Kevin Please do not confuse a criticism of Israel to be an endorsement of Hamas. Hamas is a pure evil manifestation of Palestinian complaint that is supported by less than a quarter of the Gaza population.
Even evil and awful old Trump does better than that. Since Israel seems to find a two-state solution to be anathema to their aspirations, then I expect the offers of same to these oppressed stunk. It is hard to believe that any Palestinians prefer apartheid. The situation is intolerable and must change. It will not change under present Israeli leadership. 75 years is more than enough!
Mr. Scmidt: Why...and How...did the rich class take us to the point of becoming a fascist State? The poor certainly didnt do it!
Why? And How?
It doesn't take much intellect to pierce the icing on the bin Laden letter to find the staleness and rot beneath. That bin Laden writes, if this is indeed his writing as it may be, glowingly on a topic one approves with, cannot be separated from the terrorism that over all else defines bin Laden. I'm concerned about global warming (climate change), too, but that doesn't make me want to ally with a bin Laden. He's a terrorist.