All factions, at certain points, succumb to the impulse to censor. But for the Democratic Party's liberal adherents, silencing their adversaries has become their primary project.
I'm grateful to you, Glenn. I would never recognize my own party now. I was a faithful Democrat in 2016 and I can't believe what has become of it. I can't believe we're living through this. What in the hell could they possibly be thinking? They're going to pressure Spotify to "cancel" Joe Rogan? They're completely insane.
I grew up in a union home. One of my parents was a union organizer. We always voted Democratic. I volunteered for the Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012. I voted for Jill Stein in 2016. I don't recognize this party anymore.
I was teacher and of course the unions supported the democratic party in the past, and that made sense, but it hasn't been the party of the working class for decades. Clinton pushed the party much further right, but by time he came into office he didn't have to push hard. It was going that way since Carter, or that is what Thomas Frank in his book Listen Liberal had to say and they're are many who will back him up.
Bill Clinton ended the Democrats being the party of the Working Class (actually.. Ronald Reagan). Clinton knew they couldn't win without corporate money, and he had ties to banking, so he moved the Democrats to the party of the Bankers, and Bankers ended up taking over the world, and since most bankers have enough money, they only crave more control. Here we are!
I'm fully aware of what Ronnie was. But his win prompted Democrats to shift how they needed to beat Republicans. Hence they moved to Corporate and banking money. Now they basically own backing and Pharmaceuticals.
I read Thomas Frank's book "Listen Liberal" and "What's the Matter with Kansas." a while back and he and others who have written on this issue push the shift toward the right for democrats back to the Carter years. Although I do know that Clinton really shifted the party it to the right. I know the democrats are no longer a party of the people as they once were. Before Trump people talked about the fact they sidelined their liberals and depended on corporate America to fund their campaigns which made their agenda top priority. I certainly recognize what you are saying and when Obama wanted to push Tpp the liberals were everywhere talking it down. Good! Now being a democrat is a good thing and means you adhere to liberal ideas and support a party that does as well, what a joke, a total sham.
Neither of you two have linked or cited a single fact or evidence to support your theories. This is not how you bring people into your way of thinking.
Try citing things. Try offering evidence to support your theories other than some over-educated book nerd.
Clinton made massive, coup-level changes to our way of life and to the Democratic Party. For the latter, he created the DLC and the Third Way -- both a death knell to everything the Democratic Party once represented. To the former, with the 1996 Telecom Act, he deregulated the broadcast/media industry permitting the current tight, impermeable consolidation of the entire mass media system, he pulled the rug out from under welfare recipients, he repealed Glass-Steagall, passed the 1994 federal crime bill ushering in the mass incarceration of American law-breakers.
Tried to like your post, but it won't let me...agree that the 1996 Telecom Act was the big one - it is the ROOT of the very argument we are having over censorship and concentration of media into hands of big money alone. Glass Steagall was up there in turning the stock market into a casino for speculation rather than investment.
I'm not familiar with all you stated here, some of it. He also backed NAFTA. Obama wanted to push the Tpp trade agreement and I remember liberals up in arms, and rightly so. Thanks for the info.
Yes, NAFTA, which moved our manufacturing base to countries with cheaper labor and left so many Americans jobless. I knew I'd left something important out - thanks.
Hard to believe but Nixon was the last "liberal" president - that is how bad it has gotten since the 70s. We have been back tracking the New Deal ever since.
Most people wouldn't agree that Nixon was a liberal, but I am deeply grateful to him. Although many say it was totally political and not heart felt, he instituted more environmental policies then any other president. He signed into law the Clean Air Act, etc. etc, and one I am very grateful for is the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and following that the no dumping act so our marine animals can live and thrive in clean water. I know there are many environmental problems, and things have not been followed through on, but no one else instituted so many significant environmental policies. Amen.
Hi Bert. I enjoy the comment section almost as much as the articles. I share your puzzlement, but I think I'm starting to "get it". For years, I could not understand why corporate America has become overwhelmingly Democratic, along with organized labor, academia, Hollywood and the media. It's because they are all elitists who want to dictate to us. And the Democrats have been eager to capitalize on authoritarianism. The GOP is not innocent either. It's why so many (in the GOP as well as Democrats) hated Trump. He correctly put his finger in their eye, and all us who voted for him must be demonized, marginalized and banished. Less understandable, however, is the phenomenon described aptly by Candace Owens, that of most blacks every four years buying into the same Democrat propaganda ("those Republicans are racists"), forgetting who made up the "Solid South", who ran the fire hoses, wielded clubs and police dogs, segregated the schools, segregated buses, segregated lunch counters, etc. Democrats are doing it still, starting in the schools and colleges, but under a different pretext: that whites "deserve" it. Then, and now, Democrats' motto is "segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."
Unionized Florida teachers are forcing children without masks to go back home and not get into the indoctrination centers. DeSantis should call in the National Guards or have State Police with German Shepherds force those teachers to quit reenacting the debacle of segregation.
The time is ripe for all parents to have control of their education $$ and place their kids wherever they will get a decent education.
Agreed. When you look at our history objectively everything you say here about racism is true. This generation is so dumbed down in regard to history, they will never get it. They are still on the plantation of the Democrats.
I noticed that the BLM lady who stole millions from her cause moved into a mostly upper class white neighborhood, just like the Obama's.
Each group is run by leaders. The Democrats learned that you don’t have to buy off every member of an interest group; you just have to buy off the leaders of the groups that represent them. Look at what has happened to the Anti Defamation League under former Obama staffer Greenblatt.
I have faith in neither party. I rate politicians on how they vote and how they act when they are in the majority. I really don't like what we are getting right now. So at this point the Republicans might be the lesser of two evils. Always subject to change.
Bert, since you mentioned the "lesser of two evils", this was a comment on Matt Taibbi's blog:
"Our elections have acquired an unhealthy sameness, every cycle we get to choose between polio and syphilis. It makes me wish "common cold" would at least appear on the ballot..."
Of course unions should not have faith in R's. But unions do not represent workers - they sponge off workers. R's aren't perfect, nor are bosses, but both care more about workers than unions do. It's how Trump won. Ever heard of West Virginia?
Why would they have any faith in politicians whom tell them outright they will shut their jobs down? Whether miners or pipeline builders, that's a 'youre fired' from the ultimate boss.
Because if you look at history you can see the sordid relationship between Organized Labor, the Mafia, and the Democratic party. Once the DNC got the mafia out, they kept everything else. This is the 'spoils system' the DNC promotes and is why the Republican faction broke with the party.
Union Arbitrator household here. I think I know exactly what it is actually... Corruption doesn't know party lines. Most of the unions failed due to it, and now the nation at large will.
I still remember a question and answer with my dad 40 years ago when I asked him why all the other people at his union hall drove Mercedes' and Cadillac's and we had a crappy old beat up Ford Pickup Truck. His answer has always been with me... "I couldn't live with myself." As a former Marine, I don't think that he could indeed.
And corruption grows in direct proportion to government
Enjoyed a good discussion with a millennial the other day on this topic, who was batching about money in politics. I explained it this way. Pretend you start a little coffee shop, using city water, as does the big paper company down the street. The water commissioner decides to levy a tax in order to "green up" the water supply. Could be any reason
The tax increases the cost of a primary input for you and the big company. While you might throw up your hands, what do the P&G's of the world do? They take the guy out for a nice dinner, lube him up a bit, promise to support his political career.....if only he creates a friendly carve out. It won't have P&G's name on it. No one will really know about it. They might even need his incredible insight for an important upcoming leadership conference, right while his son applies to those big name schools. Say! They may even know someone who could you know, put in a good word
What options does the little guy have? He could join an industry lobby group, which then plays the same game, minus the winning percentage. How about house owner Joe schmo, the plumber, the teacher? They have zero influence. They have nothing to offer
The water guy quite likes the arrangement. He's learned insertion into everyday life brings more power, prestige and of course money. He's something of a local bigshot. Why stop there? A bigger position means more opportunity. Meanwhile, he's incentivized to further insert himself into daily life
Note that the lowest guy on the totem pole, who has no voice in the conversation and nothing to offer, gets stuck with the short straw (not to mention the tab). These are exactly the people you're describing. Ironically, some of these people will advocate the loudest for the initiative, because it aligns with the dogma in which they believe- wrapped in a nicely phrased package by the water commissioner himself
As for P&G? By strange coincidence, they happen to strongly support the water commissioner and his righteous campaign. You'll hear all about it on their social media channels
Crony capitalism is not capitalism. It's the opposite. Whenever you find yourself surprised by a corporate political stance, this is exactly what's behind it. Take a peek under covers. Warning- those aren't pillows (anyone else miss John Candy?)
The worst possible way of getting money out of politics is putting politics in money. It will not fall to regulation. In fact, regulation merely encourages it.
All these fancy sounding PC (vomit inducing) bills are nothing but a sophisticated version of the used car guy selling George Castanza Jon Voigt's used LeBaron convertible
Bill Clinton lost me in the 90s with his war against Serbia (both sides were awful) and his pro-business and anti-worker actions. He bombed Iraq within his first month in office. There has not been a left since at least that time. Instead we have only had lesser of two evils, both of which eventually have led us to the hell we now have - as it is evil on all sides. Time to give up voting for a party, backed by money, and instead vote for independent candidates backed only by ideas. Even the newly formed People's Party will be compromised in short time. Money always moves in and co-opts the people.
Clinton bombing Yugoslavia is was what got my attention too. It was a flagrant war of aggression against a country that had not attacked or threatened to attack the United States or any other member of NATO.
We had no business getting in the middle of a territorial dispute between Serbia's security forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army. In any event, it was the KLA that instigated the war and Clinton took their side.
Interesting in light of Ukraine/Russia. Ukraine now claiming Russia bombed children's hospital. Maybe, maybe not. None of us can know unless we are on the inside in the governments involved.
I gave up on Obama after he appointed Rahm Emanuel and then after he acted as a despot who did not believe in the rule of law and executed Bin Laden. No, I was not a fan of Bin Laden, but whatever happened to legal process?
Obama killed little children with drones on just his third day in office. In Waziristan, wherever 'Waziristan' is? You know, to "protect America" or some shit.
Then he did it again, and again, and again. He only stopped because he left office. Trump not only continued with Lord Obama's drone kill programme, he doubled down on it, just as Obama doubled down on buh's drone war.
I don't know what 'biden' is doing, because the press in America no longer functions properly.
*a quick search for the quote returned a link to Huffpo. The article in question though, is now gone. Go figure.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.” - Orwell
M. Owen, I'm not challenging you; I really want to know your opinion:
Did DJT really continue BHO's drone strikes? Did the intelligence agencies trick him into it, by any chance?
I don't doubt you that the intelligence agencies, abetted by Party establishments, or at least control-freak elements hidden within the Parties, have engaged in what you claim over the last decades.
What I want to know is what you think can be done about it. Despite you thinking I'm an idiot, would you please tell me what we should do about this state of affairs.
I am really sorry. You did not deserve that. I am in Ottawa today/. We are under siege and I am in a bad mood.
I never did think you were an idiot.
Social Media is something I am trying to avoid as it only makes it worse. My local supermarket is closing early as people are screaming at people for wearing masks. My wife's job is in jeopardy.
I certainly don't want to make your situation worse by arguing, but over the last year I have come to believe that Social Media will actually be part of the solution. In any case, I have always valued your posts, as I judge you get the big picture, and you have knowledge of things that I do not. Also, I know my optimism can rub pessimists the wrong way, and pessimism is next to the skepticism the general public seems to be lacking today. Please keep posting when you can.
My brother is a long-hauler out of Michigan. He knows the pain a truckers' strike/blockade would cause, but judging by his community's sentiments, he thinks it's coming. I sure hope these gov'ts stand down in time to avoid it.
His cabinet picks gave him away, which is why I am of the view that a primary candidate should state their cabinet picks...this is where you learn who and what the candidate really supports. If Trump runs again, he should name his cabinet during the process - to see if he really will choose big money hacks or actual swamp drainers.
Unfortunately, not workable. Cabinet picks are not going to make irrevocable commitments that far ahead of an election. That has sometimes been a problem even with VP candidates. Also, suppose one or more of the cabinet picks changes his mind, after the election, what is the recourse then?
So what? Did OBL mastermind it? Was he just used by the "buhs"? Doesn't change what I said, except maybe we should have PUBLICLY water-boarded him to get to the truth.
It's ultimately our (the People's) fault for not so demanding.
But I certainly wish you luck proving your claims.
Btw, have THOSE "Republicans" captured DJT? (Or do the People finally wake up, USE DJT to reclaim control of the intelligentsia?)
There were plenty of warnings. Bill Clinton was one of the greatest misogynists of his time, but exceeded by his wife HRC. Oh, and the 1994 Crime Bill ("bring THEM to heel".) (Who was "them"?) Then there was Barack "I'm really good at killing people" Obama who revealed his true (lack of) character long before 2012. For example, his serial lying about what Citizens United actually said.
We were told over and over again, that if were not for "Russian interference" Hillary would have run.
If so why did she not run in 20? That fact is all we need to know. No one in power or who is possession of the facts believes that ridiculous lie. Hillary lost because she's a loser. Hillary lost because not enough people voted for her.
Here’s a list of all the speeches for which Clinton received a fee of $500,000 or higher, including the year, location, host and actual fee:
2003 -- Japan, $500,000 Sakura Asset Management (Japanese finance corporation) (A note: This speech was canceled, but the fee went to Clinton’s presidential library foundation);
2008 -- California, $500,000, Power Within (life coach Anthony Robbins’ brand);
2010 -- Russia, $500,000, Renaissance Capital (Russian finance corporation);
2010 -- United Arab Emirates, $500,000, Novo Nordisk (Danish pharmaceutical company);
2011 -- Nigeria, $700,000, THISDAY (newspaper);
2011 -- Austria, $500,000, Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation (Austrian nongovernmental organization);
So in the time Clinton left the White House in January 2001 and when his wife stepped down from secretary of state in February 2013, Bill Clinton gave 13 speeches for which he made more than $500,000. Eleven of those occurred since January 2009, when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state. Only two happened before then.
im the same as you, voted nader bernie etc etc, but something happened to liberal brains when that orange man descended his escalator in 2015...was like an extreme psychic fracturing that led to a monumental nervous breakdown (only exacerbated by covid and floyd) and shows no signs of abating. it's like some sort of millenarian fever that most likely ends up burning down everything in its way....
i really dont see how this ends (or when), but seeing glenn put it all together like that is scary...
The "left" at the end of the day is an extension of the state. Their entire platform and policy has for decades proven this. Oh shit you dont agree with the state? Fuck you, we will throw you in camps like Stalin did.
The ultimate evolution of the DNC in America is the very communist/socialist regimes they claim to hate. It is the only possible outcome when everything they do reflects building up government at every single turn.
The government isn't the solution, it's the problem.
Icono...there you go, making with the Simplistic-s, so everyone can understand the direction, like " building up the government at every single turn"...yep.
In 2016 for example, when the state of CA legalized cannabis for recreational use, via proposition 64, you changed a mostly self-regulated industry into a state controlled one.
What was the result? A complete destruction of the market and a takeover by the big corporate interests, driving out small business owners and limiting the options that customers had.
Steinwetz said that in 2015, Flow Kana worked with 800 retailers out of approximately 5000 in the market at the time. Today, according to the Bureau of Cannabis Control, there are only 830 storefront retailers in all of California. Meanwhile, active cultivation licenses are up 35%. There are less businesses able to sell the increasing amount of product created by more cultivators than ever before.
It gets crazier than that. NJ had a referendum in 2020 which passed with strong support. Legalization law was passed in February 2021. There still has not been a single ounce of rec pot legally sold in NJ. Bureaucratic foot-dragging at its finest. Then there are the terms of the law itself: growing plants for yourself remains illegal, but posession of up to SIX ounces is legal.
Back in "the day" I did a little small time pot dealing, just enough to provide me with a free personal stash and maybe a couple of drinks at the local night club hot spot. I NEVER had that much grass on me at any given time to do that, and today's stuff is far more potent than what I had to sell. If you're walking around the neighborhood with 6 ounces on you, you are supplying that neighborhood (not that I have an issue with that :)
The media lost its grip on us somewhere in 2016. I think it was due to Bernie (and to a lesser extent Trump)'s rise and the media's inability to control the narrative.
The Shock doctrine is no longer effective. Too many shocks too close together. Now that demagoguery against differing points of view aren't working, we bring in censorship.
Yes remember in 2016 the DNC had fake primaries and let their voters think Bernie could be a candidate but in reality it was already HRC?
Then they did this in 2020 again when Bernie won the first couple of primaries and again the second Biden won ONE, everyone fell in line?
Say what you want about the shithead RNC but they at least actually gave their voters a choice during the primaries instead of a pretend one. Anyone who doubts it just look at Trump and how he treated Jeb LOL
What I don't get is how CNN is still on the air after rigging the debate for Hillary. It's one thing to have a POV bias, another entirely to actively engage in cheating. I have little use for Sanders but that is irrelevant, CNN got no punishment for it's actions, the only punishment it's ever received was from defamation lawsuits.
"Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the party was considering amending its rules to ensure its candidates do not attend the debates because of concerns about "whether the CPD credibly can provide a fair and impartial forum for presidential debates.""
Part of me thinks that was due to Hillary's inability to see a woman have a reasonable chance of winning the presidency because she, Hillary, could not.
Yes, for many here it was the case that they lost us in 2015-2016. But the most important thing is that they are slowing losing others over time. It's classic you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time... we're slowly working thru those in the middle getting it. Many with less ability for independent thought are stuck, and some are just partisan... but eventually there is too much suspension of distrust required for almost everyone to sustain the charade.
And, of course, our schools are hard at work turning out legions of bipedal ruminants who can't tell the difference between crital thinking and critical race theory...
Ironically, history shows that democracy dies, not when a blowhard like Trump stumbles into the presidency, but when there's extreme wealth inequality, when the middle class is eviscerated, and when it becomes more difficult for the poor to rise into the middle class. Those real factors have become grotesquely amplified by the lockdowns.
Yet the media is still obsessed with Trump.
An aside: I saw Don Lemon's first interview with Trump as a candidate - it was a total softball interview done for ratings it seemed.
More than this - the DNC and HRC were funding the DJT campaign with donation after donation in the wikileaks. When this bit was released, Russiagate came in to distract the people from the reality and it worked.
The underlying causality wasn't Trump, really. It's the social media AI and new media business model where outrage sells even more than before. Trump, who literally trained in playing the heel in professional wrestling, basically leveraged this landscape to rocket him to the top of the national consciousness. But make no mistake that the tech and media landscape, especially AI bots regularly finding the things that cause outrage to drive profit and engagement, underlie it all and will and are perpetuating it all now. The AI algos of social media are the most important part because all of the left journos are on social media and were among the first and most affected victims, so it spills over into their writing and work even more.
Former FB exec Chamath Palihapitiya would agree with you.
The linked article is more than 4 years old. The situation is even worse today.
"A former Facebook executive has said he feels “tremendous guilt” over his work on “tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works”, joining a growing chorus of critics of the social media giant.
Chamath Palihapitiya, who was vice-president for user growth at Facebook before he left the company in 2011, said: “The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation, misinformation, mistruth.”"
It all clicked for me finally when I saw "The Social Dilemma" the documentary. In particular, I noticed that the Pew data on how the left moved more left and the right moved more right had a time element. The left moved left from 2010-2015 and the right moved right from 2016-. That is consistent with their relative timeline of uptake of social media. Before that I couldn't figure out why our country seemed to be leaving reasoned discourse behind.
In the future, we may find that those that enjoy longform content and make better, more reasoned decisions clash with those who absorb their content in emotional short bursts but have the strength of the Borg due to their connectedness. Strength of the Borg, but the ability to reason of a swamp frog.
It's not only the DNC. It's all politicos, including the supposed neutral ones. Trump was not a member of their caste, who broke through the firewall of the 2-party oligopoly. Anyone in this ecosystem -the "journos," the "consultants," the "NGOers," the "bureaucrats," the "GoodGov-ers," the "beltway gossipers," the "NEA funders," the "Kennedy Center" types, EVERYONE who makes their living on Government Largess saw the writing on the wall that the Barbarians were at the Gates. So they started punishing the Barbarians who voted for the guy.
Of course, after 4 years of being yelled at, they literally breached the Gates, to take selfies and lecterns. Which was spun as an attempted revolution, complete with zip ties and everything.
a mass hysteria event mostly propped up by the left, using it to their advantage to take, take, take and hold more power. I haven’t recognized the “liberal” party in decades.
One of the most effective ways that power controls people is to divide them over some minor issues that are meaningless to them. They then sit back and laugh and laugh at us.
not really. they just happen the be the ‘party’ in power, though we really know it’s just a uniparty used to distract and divide, as you’ve said. I don’t stand with a single one of our politicians because none of them stand for us. we need to vote out every incumbent and reboot the gov.
The scariest thing Trump ever did (to the uniparty) was talk about moving government offices away from DC and spreading them around the country to places with lower costs of living as a means of lowering costs. The response to that trial balloon said everything you need to know.
The Left has wanted censorship for years. Trump just shined a light on them. I went to law school 1983-86 and a guest lecturer from the philosophy department in our first year advocated for "speech codes" on campus to ban "offensive speech" (his own?) The Left has NEVER believed in the Bill of Rights in its entirety. Their mantra forever has been that the 2nd, 9th and 10th amendments have no meaning. That's 30% of it. According to their religion, only the courts "give us" our rights. Law school itself is a brainwashing exercise, especially federal tax, teaching that judges, not the constitution, are the ultimate law. Legal commentators preach BS like the "living constitution" - to be twisted at their whim. It's how we got to where we are with Roe. Even Ginsburg disapproved of it.
Good observation on the Orange Man. In the beginning of his term his oral attacks on progressives were kinda humorous, one could see it as a response that NO ONE else made hence forth, and chuckle. But after a while it got really ugly and their anger grew and blossomed into outrage and attack. They organized on Twitter and learned how to respond, as a collective mass of humanity. Now they are using Twitter and other tools to wage war on their all of their enemies. I’m a free speech person and don’t let people like Joe Rogan bother me, he has had some very good interviews too (Bari Weiss and Ira Glasser). But the mob is using Twitter to attack Spotify to erode its market capitalization - that’s economic espionage and crosses the line of civility in my opinion. I have a few friends that think this way and I have distanced myself, hoping their fever passes.
Joe has always had an uncategorizable, eclectic mix of guests. The only reason the liberal media has had any traction at all in smearing Joe is because followers of the liberal media are profoundly incurious. How many have gone to his site and simply scrolled through the episodes to see precisely who Joe is talking to? How many have ever listened to Joe parse out difficult and contentious topics in science, economics and politics by challenging his guests and asking probing questions? Joe is a very smart guy. His critical thinking skills are excellent. He works hard to be well-read and prepared for the intellectuals he talks to, in addition to the MMA fighters and comedians (whose convos I avoid because I find them boring), and the fascinating adventurers, explorers, extreme sports aficionados, inventors, artists, politicians and iconoclasts…
Your comment that “he has had some very good interviews too” seems to imply that “Joe is largely a purveyor of garbage but once in a while he manages to have a normal guest who is liberal and who I respect.” If that’s all you can come up with, it’s better than nothing, but it doesn’t do justice to the skill, discipline and intelligence it takes to do what Joe does for a living.
Good thoughts, I get Joe’s skill and do agree, he is very talented. I’ll have to take some time to listen to some more of his podcasts, to broaden out the net so to say.
well stated. For me, his best shows are with people I often have never heard of, or on a topic I know little about. I avoid his MMA eps, because Im not a big UFC guy, and the ones with his comedian buddies.
avoiding the comedians means that you're avoiding the best content. The only podcasts worth listening to are hosted by comedians... Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget RIP, Marc Maron, Artie Lange (still ticking)...
I love comedians. I love stand-up. But the best content? That hasn't been my experience. Now, as a general matter, a podcast hosted by a comedian is the definition of Joe Rogan's podcast, and I find Joe's interviews very interesting a good portion of the time. Although I haven't listened to him in a long time, Marc Maron was somebody whose insights I enjoyed and who had a very intense interview style.
However, when Joe gets together with his comedian buddies for a marathon schmooze, even if they're comedians whose stand-up I enjoy, like Tom Papa or Jim Gaffigan, I have found those episodes really dull. Most comedians are most interesting when they are doing comedy, not talking about the mundane aspects of their lives.
There are a few exceptions: Bill Burr, and of course Dave Chappelle, who I could listen to all day, he's so smart.
James Lindsay is much more the reason that Biden and Democrats want Rogan canceled than the COVID doctor episodes. Lindsay spells out in full what is afoot with the "progressive" Soros funded agenda.
No. I think your best bet is to scroll through his podcasts, read the descriptions of his guests, follow up with a search and see if the guest intrigues you. Keep in mind that Joe is not really a political animal, believe it or not. He is a heterodox generalist with a wide range of interests.
Also, so many famous people talk to Joe that it’s possible somebody you admire has already spoken to him and you might hear a good conversation that way if you search for his name in combination with theirs.
You missed that Trump also demolished GOP lunatics. But soon after winning he selected "his generals" (one worse than the other), Pompeo, bible-idiot Ben Carson, Bolton -- an incompetent clown...
PS: Shame on you --- Bari Weissis a racist who adores apartheid and "kill-all-Palestinians" extremists...
I'm grateful to you, Glenn. I would never recognize my own party now. I was a faithful Democrat in 2016 and I can't believe what has become of it. I can't believe we're living through this. What in the hell could they possibly be thinking? They're going to pressure Spotify to "cancel" Joe Rogan? They're completely insane.
I grew up in a union home. One of my parents was a union organizer. We always voted Democratic. I volunteered for the Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012. I voted for Jill Stein in 2016. I don't recognize this party anymore.
I was teacher and of course the unions supported the democratic party in the past, and that made sense, but it hasn't been the party of the working class for decades. Clinton pushed the party much further right, but by time he came into office he didn't have to push hard. It was going that way since Carter, or that is what Thomas Frank in his book Listen Liberal had to say and they're are many who will back him up.
Bill Clinton ended the Democrats being the party of the Working Class (actually.. Ronald Reagan). Clinton knew they couldn't win without corporate money, and he had ties to banking, so he moved the Democrats to the party of the Bankers, and Bankers ended up taking over the world, and since most bankers have enough money, they only crave more control. Here we are!
I said Clinton, a democrat, shifted his party further right. Reagan was a republican.
I'm fully aware of what Ronnie was. But his win prompted Democrats to shift how they needed to beat Republicans. Hence they moved to Corporate and banking money. Now they basically own backing and Pharmaceuticals.
I read Thomas Frank's book "Listen Liberal" and "What's the Matter with Kansas." a while back and he and others who have written on this issue push the shift toward the right for democrats back to the Carter years. Although I do know that Clinton really shifted the party it to the right. I know the democrats are no longer a party of the people as they once were. Before Trump people talked about the fact they sidelined their liberals and depended on corporate America to fund their campaigns which made their agenda top priority. I certainly recognize what you are saying and when Obama wanted to push Tpp the liberals were everywhere talking it down. Good! Now being a democrat is a good thing and means you adhere to liberal ideas and support a party that does as well, what a joke, a total sham.
Neither of you two have linked or cited a single fact or evidence to support your theories. This is not how you bring people into your way of thinking.
Try citing things. Try offering evidence to support your theories other than some over-educated book nerd.
Clinton made massive, coup-level changes to our way of life and to the Democratic Party. For the latter, he created the DLC and the Third Way -- both a death knell to everything the Democratic Party once represented. To the former, with the 1996 Telecom Act, he deregulated the broadcast/media industry permitting the current tight, impermeable consolidation of the entire mass media system, he pulled the rug out from under welfare recipients, he repealed Glass-Steagall, passed the 1994 federal crime bill ushering in the mass incarceration of American law-breakers.
IMO, the worst of these was the 1996 Telecom Act.
Tried to like your post, but it won't let me...agree that the 1996 Telecom Act was the big one - it is the ROOT of the very argument we are having over censorship and concentration of media into hands of big money alone. Glass Steagall was up there in turning the stock market into a casino for speculation rather than investment.
This is not really the topic, but I too have trouble "liking" posts.
Just liked yours OK (as a test). You on a real 'puter or a phone? If the latter, maybe Google's getting some revenge on Glenn :)
Me too. On this and other sub stack authors. Coincidence? Day after day and different times.
As do i.
I'm not familiar with all you stated here, some of it. He also backed NAFTA. Obama wanted to push the Tpp trade agreement and I remember liberals up in arms, and rightly so. Thanks for the info.
Yes, NAFTA, which moved our manufacturing base to countries with cheaper labor and left so many Americans jobless. I knew I'd left something important out - thanks.
NAFTA gets nothing like enough hate.
Hard to believe but Nixon was the last "liberal" president - that is how bad it has gotten since the 70s. We have been back tracking the New Deal ever since.
Most people wouldn't agree that Nixon was a liberal, but I am deeply grateful to him. Although many say it was totally political and not heart felt, he instituted more environmental policies then any other president. He signed into law the Clean Air Act, etc. etc, and one I am very grateful for is the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and following that the no dumping act so our marine animals can live and thrive in clean water. I know there are many environmental problems, and things have not been followed through on, but no one else instituted so many significant environmental policies. Amen.
Nixon was a human monster. But many of his policies were classically liberal. Go figure.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1996/08/04/our-last-liberal-president/cec55416-5f85-4872-9fde-2a93eaa49b88/
He also made peace with China.
'biden' will bomb them.
Oh, please, a "human monster"? Give me a f'ing break.
And Mr. Nixon was NOT a Classical Liberal; he was a modern liberal (a crony-Capitalist).
A Classical Liberal would NEVER even consider, let alone enact, price controls.
The DNC abandoned the unions for the new immigrant labor they supported via NAFTA and other legislation like open borders.
Still strange that so many unions are still blindly faithful to Democrats. That has always puzzled me.
Hi Bert. I enjoy the comment section almost as much as the articles. I share your puzzlement, but I think I'm starting to "get it". For years, I could not understand why corporate America has become overwhelmingly Democratic, along with organized labor, academia, Hollywood and the media. It's because they are all elitists who want to dictate to us. And the Democrats have been eager to capitalize on authoritarianism. The GOP is not innocent either. It's why so many (in the GOP as well as Democrats) hated Trump. He correctly put his finger in their eye, and all us who voted for him must be demonized, marginalized and banished. Less understandable, however, is the phenomenon described aptly by Candace Owens, that of most blacks every four years buying into the same Democrat propaganda ("those Republicans are racists"), forgetting who made up the "Solid South", who ran the fire hoses, wielded clubs and police dogs, segregated the schools, segregated buses, segregated lunch counters, etc. Democrats are doing it still, starting in the schools and colleges, but under a different pretext: that whites "deserve" it. Then, and now, Democrats' motto is "segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."
Unionized Florida teachers are forcing children without masks to go back home and not get into the indoctrination centers. DeSantis should call in the National Guards or have State Police with German Shepherds force those teachers to quit reenacting the debacle of segregation.
The time is ripe for all parents to have control of their education $$ and place their kids wherever they will get a decent education.
I agree, let the money follow the child.
I tried to upvote your comment Chuck, for some reason it wouldn't take???
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Agreed. When you look at our history objectively everything you say here about racism is true. This generation is so dumbed down in regard to history, they will never get it. They are still on the plantation of the Democrats.
I noticed that the BLM lady who stole millions from her cause moved into a mostly upper class white neighborhood, just like the Obama's.
Each group is run by leaders. The Democrats learned that you don’t have to buy off every member of an interest group; you just have to buy off the leaders of the groups that represent them. Look at what has happened to the Anti Defamation League under former Obama staffer Greenblatt.
Why would unions have any faith in Republicans…the party of the bosses?
I have faith in neither party. I rate politicians on how they vote and how they act when they are in the majority. I really don't like what we are getting right now. So at this point the Republicans might be the lesser of two evils. Always subject to change.
Bert, since you mentioned the "lesser of two evils", this was a comment on Matt Taibbi's blog:
"Our elections have acquired an unhealthy sameness, every cycle we get to choose between polio and syphilis. It makes me wish "common cold" would at least appear on the ballot..."
The only way forward.
Of course unions should not have faith in R's. But unions do not represent workers - they sponge off workers. R's aren't perfect, nor are bosses, but both care more about workers than unions do. It's how Trump won. Ever heard of West Virginia?
Spoken like a faithful company apple-polisher.
Why would they have any faith in politicians whom tell them outright they will shut their jobs down? Whether miners or pipeline builders, that's a 'youre fired' from the ultimate boss.
Because if you look at history you can see the sordid relationship between Organized Labor, the Mafia, and the Democratic party. Once the DNC got the mafia out, they kept everything else. This is the 'spoils system' the DNC promotes and is why the Republican faction broke with the party.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoils_system
By 1816, the Federalists were no longer nationally viable, and the U.S. became effectively a one-party polity under the Democratic-Republican Part
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic-Republican_Party
every article on this site you are here talking shit on Republicans.
YOU LIVE IN FUCKING CANADA
mind your business bitch tits
Yeah, OK, Phyllis Schlafly.
You DO live in the 19th century, don't you.
For sure. Yet, they continue to reap the myth that they care about the working class and people of color.
Union Arbitrator household here. I think I know exactly what it is actually... Corruption doesn't know party lines. Most of the unions failed due to it, and now the nation at large will.
I still remember a question and answer with my dad 40 years ago when I asked him why all the other people at his union hall drove Mercedes' and Cadillac's and we had a crappy old beat up Ford Pickup Truck. His answer has always been with me... "I couldn't live with myself." As a former Marine, I don't think that he could indeed.
And corruption grows in direct proportion to government
Enjoyed a good discussion with a millennial the other day on this topic, who was batching about money in politics. I explained it this way. Pretend you start a little coffee shop, using city water, as does the big paper company down the street. The water commissioner decides to levy a tax in order to "green up" the water supply. Could be any reason
The tax increases the cost of a primary input for you and the big company. While you might throw up your hands, what do the P&G's of the world do? They take the guy out for a nice dinner, lube him up a bit, promise to support his political career.....if only he creates a friendly carve out. It won't have P&G's name on it. No one will really know about it. They might even need his incredible insight for an important upcoming leadership conference, right while his son applies to those big name schools. Say! They may even know someone who could you know, put in a good word
What options does the little guy have? He could join an industry lobby group, which then plays the same game, minus the winning percentage. How about house owner Joe schmo, the plumber, the teacher? They have zero influence. They have nothing to offer
The water guy quite likes the arrangement. He's learned insertion into everyday life brings more power, prestige and of course money. He's something of a local bigshot. Why stop there? A bigger position means more opportunity. Meanwhile, he's incentivized to further insert himself into daily life
Note that the lowest guy on the totem pole, who has no voice in the conversation and nothing to offer, gets stuck with the short straw (not to mention the tab). These are exactly the people you're describing. Ironically, some of these people will advocate the loudest for the initiative, because it aligns with the dogma in which they believe- wrapped in a nicely phrased package by the water commissioner himself
As for P&G? By strange coincidence, they happen to strongly support the water commissioner and his righteous campaign. You'll hear all about it on their social media channels
Crony capitalism is not capitalism. It's the opposite. Whenever you find yourself surprised by a corporate political stance, this is exactly what's behind it. Take a peek under covers. Warning- those aren't pillows (anyone else miss John Candy?)
The worst possible way of getting money out of politics is putting politics in money. It will not fall to regulation. In fact, regulation merely encourages it.
All these fancy sounding PC (vomit inducing) bills are nothing but a sophisticated version of the used car guy selling George Castanza Jon Voigt's used LeBaron convertible
learn more about fascism and socialism. you'll recognize it then.
Bill Clinton lost me in the 90s with his war against Serbia (both sides were awful) and his pro-business and anti-worker actions. He bombed Iraq within his first month in office. There has not been a left since at least that time. Instead we have only had lesser of two evils, both of which eventually have led us to the hell we now have - as it is evil on all sides. Time to give up voting for a party, backed by money, and instead vote for independent candidates backed only by ideas. Even the newly formed People's Party will be compromised in short time. Money always moves in and co-opts the people.
Clinton bombing Yugoslavia is was what got my attention too. It was a flagrant war of aggression against a country that had not attacked or threatened to attack the United States or any other member of NATO.
We had no business getting in the middle of a territorial dispute between Serbia's security forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army. In any event, it was the KLA that instigated the war and Clinton took their side.
Interesting in light of Ukraine/Russia. Ukraine now claiming Russia bombed children's hospital. Maybe, maybe not. None of us can know unless we are on the inside in the governments involved.
I gave up on Obama after he appointed Rahm Emanuel and then after he acted as a despot who did not believe in the rule of law and executed Bin Laden. No, I was not a fan of Bin Laden, but whatever happened to legal process?
Obama killed little children with drones on just his third day in office. In Waziristan, wherever 'Waziristan' is? You know, to "protect America" or some shit.
Then he did it again, and again, and again. He only stopped because he left office. Trump not only continued with Lord Obama's drone kill programme, he doubled down on it, just as Obama doubled down on buh's drone war.
I don't know what 'biden' is doing, because the press in America no longer functions properly.
He dropped more bombs on the Mideast than Bush did.
And Obama once quipped about how he was really good at killing people. And to think he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
"Turns out I'm really good at killing people. Didn't know that was gonna be a strong suit of mine." - Obama
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/obama-s-warning-1.3339895
*a quick search for the quote returned a link to Huffpo. The article in question though, is now gone. Go figure.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.” - Orwell
I remember that. He now has his third term he wanted so bad, thru Biden.
And you know his team intentionally leaked that to make him look like tough guy.
Yes, he did.
M. Owen, I'm not challenging you; I really want to know your opinion:
Did DJT really continue BHO's drone strikes? Did the intelligence agencies trick him into it, by any chance?
I don't doubt you that the intelligence agencies, abetted by Party establishments, or at least control-freak elements hidden within the Parties, have engaged in what you claim over the last decades.
What I want to know is what you think can be done about it. Despite you thinking I'm an idiot, would you please tell me what we should do about this state of affairs.
In any case, I apologize for pissing you off.
I am really sorry. You did not deserve that. I am in Ottawa today/. We are under siege and I am in a bad mood.
I never did think you were an idiot.
Social Media is something I am trying to avoid as it only makes it worse. My local supermarket is closing early as people are screaming at people for wearing masks. My wife's job is in jeopardy.
I will address your other questions later.
Thanks for being reasonable! :)
Thank you.
I certainly don't want to make your situation worse by arguing, but over the last year I have come to believe that Social Media will actually be part of the solution. In any case, I have always valued your posts, as I judge you get the big picture, and you have knowledge of things that I do not. Also, I know my optimism can rub pessimists the wrong way, and pessimism is next to the skepticism the general public seems to be lacking today. Please keep posting when you can.
My brother is a long-hauler out of Michigan. He knows the pain a truckers' strike/blockade would cause, but judging by his community's sentiments, he thinks it's coming. I sure hope these gov'ts stand down in time to avoid it.
His cabinet picks gave him away, which is why I am of the view that a primary candidate should state their cabinet picks...this is where you learn who and what the candidate really supports. If Trump runs again, he should name his cabinet during the process - to see if he really will choose big money hacks or actual swamp drainers.
If anyone were to actually try to drain the swamp, he would be killed.
Didn't he name his Supreme Court pics while running?
Unfortunately, not workable. Cabinet picks are not going to make irrevocable commitments that far ahead of an election. That has sometimes been a problem even with VP candidates. Also, suppose one or more of the cabinet picks changes his mind, after the election, what is the recourse then?
Exactly. The People needed to see and hear OBL in person and on trial. Then we should have witnessed the hanging.
Osama worked for the CIA during the Russian war.
No way was he going to be allowed to testify in open court.
The bin Laden family and the buhs' were business partners and pals. On the morning of 911 buhs senior was having breakfast with bin Laden's brother.
So what? Did OBL mastermind it? Was he just used by the "buhs"? Doesn't change what I said, except maybe we should have PUBLICLY water-boarded him to get to the truth.
It's ultimately our (the People's) fault for not so demanding.
But I certainly wish you luck proving your claims.
Btw, have THOSE "Republicans" captured DJT? (Or do the People finally wake up, USE DJT to reclaim control of the intelligentsia?)
Buhs is SCUM
There is no proof you would accept is there?
If you were waterboarded you would admit to shooting Kennedy. ha ha ha
I will never read or reply to you again. You can go now. Bye.
There were plenty of warnings. Bill Clinton was one of the greatest misogynists of his time, but exceeded by his wife HRC. Oh, and the 1994 Crime Bill ("bring THEM to heel".) (Who was "them"?) Then there was Barack "I'm really good at killing people" Obama who revealed his true (lack of) character long before 2012. For example, his serial lying about what Citizens United actually said.
I’m relieved my parents didn’t live to see what happened to their beloved party. They would have been mighty disappointed
Me too......
Thats because Hillary Clinton is no longer acting politically correct because she knows she can never be President.
We were told over and over again, that if were not for "Russian interference" Hillary would have run.
If so why did she not run in 20? That fact is all we need to know. No one in power or who is possession of the facts believes that ridiculous lie. Hillary lost because she's a loser. Hillary lost because not enough people voted for her.
I wish that was true, but suspect she has designs on 2024.
God I hope not. Hope the socialists remember:
Here’s a list of all the speeches for which Clinton received a fee of $500,000 or higher, including the year, location, host and actual fee:
2003 -- Japan, $500,000 Sakura Asset Management (Japanese finance corporation) (A note: This speech was canceled, but the fee went to Clinton’s presidential library foundation);
2008 -- California, $500,000, Power Within (life coach Anthony Robbins’ brand);
2010 -- Russia, $500,000, Renaissance Capital (Russian finance corporation);
2010 -- United Arab Emirates, $500,000, Novo Nordisk (Danish pharmaceutical company);
2011 -- Nigeria, $700,000, THISDAY (newspaper);
2011 -- Austria, $500,000, Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation (Austrian nongovernmental organization);
2011 -- Netherlands, $600,000, Achmea (Dutch finance corporation);
2011 -- China, $550,000, Huatuo CEO Forum (business conference);
2011 -- United Arab Emirates, $500,000, Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (international environmental information organization);
2011 -- Hong Kong, $750,000, Ericsson (Swedish multinational communications technology company);
2012 -- Nigeria, $700,000, THISDAY (newspaper);
2012 -- Austria, $500,000, Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation (Austrian nongovernmental organization);
2012 -- Italy, $500,000, Technogym (fitness equipment manufacturer).
So in the time Clinton left the White House in January 2001 and when his wife stepped down from secretary of state in February 2013, Bill Clinton gave 13 speeches for which he made more than $500,000. Eleven of those occurred since January 2009, when Hillary Clinton became secretary of state. Only two happened before then.
im the same as you, voted nader bernie etc etc, but something happened to liberal brains when that orange man descended his escalator in 2015...was like an extreme psychic fracturing that led to a monumental nervous breakdown (only exacerbated by covid and floyd) and shows no signs of abating. it's like some sort of millenarian fever that most likely ends up burning down everything in its way....
i really dont see how this ends (or when), but seeing glenn put it all together like that is scary...
That is exactly what happened. It was a mass hysteria event that broke the left.
The "left" at the end of the day is an extension of the state. Their entire platform and policy has for decades proven this. Oh shit you dont agree with the state? Fuck you, we will throw you in camps like Stalin did.
The ultimate evolution of the DNC in America is the very communist/socialist regimes they claim to hate. It is the only possible outcome when everything they do reflects building up government at every single turn.
The government isn't the solution, it's the problem.
So true! Worse, behind every fascist Democrat hides a cowardly Republican, not wanting to make waves.
Icono...there you go, making with the Simplistic-s, so everyone can understand the direction, like " building up the government at every single turn"...yep.
How difficult is that? thanks.
In 2016 for example, when the state of CA legalized cannabis for recreational use, via proposition 64, you changed a mostly self-regulated industry into a state controlled one.
What was the result? A complete destruction of the market and a takeover by the big corporate interests, driving out small business owners and limiting the options that customers had.
https://kymkemp.com/2021/11/24/flow-kana-ceo-threatens-to-withhold-cannabis-taxes-to-the-state-if-significant-change-isnt-made-to-help-the-struggling-cannabis-industry/
Steinwetz said that in 2015, Flow Kana worked with 800 retailers out of approximately 5000 in the market at the time. Today, according to the Bureau of Cannabis Control, there are only 830 storefront retailers in all of California. Meanwhile, active cultivation licenses are up 35%. There are less businesses able to sell the increasing amount of product created by more cultivators than ever before.
There are "fewer" government-recognized businesses, perhaps, but the product is getting sold. Probably more than ever.
Similarly, New Yorkers "legally" gambled 1.1 Billion Dollars online on sports in January 2022. And yet, the streetcorner bookies still exist.
It gets crazier than that. NJ had a referendum in 2020 which passed with strong support. Legalization law was passed in February 2021. There still has not been a single ounce of rec pot legally sold in NJ. Bureaucratic foot-dragging at its finest. Then there are the terms of the law itself: growing plants for yourself remains illegal, but posession of up to SIX ounces is legal.
https://www.nj.gov/oag/marijuana/docs/MJ_Reference_Card_3.26.21.pdf
Back in "the day" I did a little small time pot dealing, just enough to provide me with a free personal stash and maybe a couple of drinks at the local night club hot spot. I NEVER had that much grass on me at any given time to do that, and today's stuff is far more potent than what I had to sell. If you're walking around the neighborhood with 6 ounces on you, you are supplying that neighborhood (not that I have an issue with that :)
Hey, M. Iconoclast:
I just re-read this. I love it. I wouldn't change a punctuation mark. Nice writing, imo.
The media lost its grip on us somewhere in 2016. I think it was due to Bernie (and to a lesser extent Trump)'s rise and the media's inability to control the narrative.
The Shock doctrine is no longer effective. Too many shocks too close together. Now that demagoguery against differing points of view aren't working, we bring in censorship.
Yes remember in 2016 the DNC had fake primaries and let their voters think Bernie could be a candidate but in reality it was already HRC?
Then they did this in 2020 again when Bernie won the first couple of primaries and again the second Biden won ONE, everyone fell in line?
Say what you want about the shithead RNC but they at least actually gave their voters a choice during the primaries instead of a pretend one. Anyone who doubts it just look at Trump and how he treated Jeb LOL
What I don't get is how CNN is still on the air after rigging the debate for Hillary. It's one thing to have a POV bias, another entirely to actively engage in cheating. I have little use for Sanders but that is irrelevant, CNN got no punishment for it's actions, the only punishment it's ever received was from defamation lawsuits.
Let's look at who CNN used to attack Trump from 2016-2020.
Michael Avenatti - Now 2x convicted criminal.
Andrew Cuomo - Resigned in disgrace as governor over sexual misconduct.
Chris Cuomo - Fired over his own sexual misconduct scandal.
Jeff Zucker - Resigned in disgrace over sexual misconduct.
Don Lemon - Facing sexual misconduct charges
In addition, two CNN producers have also been charged in separate child sex scandals.
If you are an American, how can you respect anything that organization is putting out?
The whole Donna Brazile / Hillary Clinton relationship could be a book in and of itself, I suspect.
CNN doesn't care if they lose millions in media revenue if their party wins elections that are worth billions to the party in control.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lossleader.asp
Also this is why all RNC chairwoman sent a letter recently about this exact subject.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-party-threatens-boycott-us-presidential-debate-commission-2022-01-13/
"Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the party was considering amending its rules to ensure its candidates do not attend the debates because of concerns about "whether the CPD credibly can provide a fair and impartial forum for presidential debates.""
It's because, as GG has pointed out, liberals want to be lied to. Media stars are rewarded for doing so because they know that.
Its that once HRC lost she no longer gave a fuck and sicced all her media flunkies on her enemies.
Remember the McCarthyism she pulled on Gabbard?
Part of me thinks that was due to Hillary's inability to see a woman have a reasonable chance of winning the presidency because she, Hillary, could not.
Yes, for many here it was the case that they lost us in 2015-2016. But the most important thing is that they are slowing losing others over time. It's classic you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time... we're slowly working thru those in the middle getting it. Many with less ability for independent thought are stuck, and some are just partisan... but eventually there is too much suspension of distrust required for almost everyone to sustain the charade.
And, of course, our schools are hard at work turning out legions of bipedal ruminants who can't tell the difference between crital thinking and critical race theory...
love your name - politically homeless. me too
Ironically, history shows that democracy dies, not when a blowhard like Trump stumbles into the presidency, but when there's extreme wealth inequality, when the middle class is eviscerated, and when it becomes more difficult for the poor to rise into the middle class. Those real factors have become grotesquely amplified by the lockdowns.
Yet the media is still obsessed with Trump.
An aside: I saw Don Lemon's first interview with Trump as a candidate - it was a total softball interview done for ratings it seemed.
The files that wiki leaks released showed that Hillary wanted to run against Trump. The corporate media complied.
More than this - the DNC and HRC were funding the DJT campaign with donation after donation in the wikileaks. When this bit was released, Russiagate came in to distract the people from the reality and it worked.
Source? (Please provide link) They funded the Steele dossier - but I've not seen anywhere that they donated to DJT campaign.
Trump was perceived as a threat but that didn't bear out in reality. Exactly what did he foil in his four years? Nada.
Sadly, true. He taunted the security state but capitulated to them.
Trump destroyed their capacity to reason.
They lost the thread.
The underlying causality wasn't Trump, really. It's the social media AI and new media business model where outrage sells even more than before. Trump, who literally trained in playing the heel in professional wrestling, basically leveraged this landscape to rocket him to the top of the national consciousness. But make no mistake that the tech and media landscape, especially AI bots regularly finding the things that cause outrage to drive profit and engagement, underlie it all and will and are perpetuating it all now. The AI algos of social media are the most important part because all of the left journos are on social media and were among the first and most affected victims, so it spills over into their writing and work even more.
Former FB exec Chamath Palihapitiya would agree with you.
The linked article is more than 4 years old. The situation is even worse today.
"A former Facebook executive has said he feels “tremendous guilt” over his work on “tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works”, joining a growing chorus of critics of the social media giant.
Chamath Palihapitiya, who was vice-president for user growth at Facebook before he left the company in 2011, said: “The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation, misinformation, mistruth.”"
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/11/facebook-former-executive-ripping-society-apart
It all clicked for me finally when I saw "The Social Dilemma" the documentary. In particular, I noticed that the Pew data on how the left moved more left and the right moved more right had a time element. The left moved left from 2010-2015 and the right moved right from 2016-. That is consistent with their relative timeline of uptake of social media. Before that I couldn't figure out why our country seemed to be leaving reasoned discourse behind.
In the future, we may find that those that enjoy longform content and make better, more reasoned decisions clash with those who absorb their content in emotional short bursts but have the strength of the Borg due to their connectedness. Strength of the Borg, but the ability to reason of a swamp frog.
It's not only the DNC. It's all politicos, including the supposed neutral ones. Trump was not a member of their caste, who broke through the firewall of the 2-party oligopoly. Anyone in this ecosystem -the "journos," the "consultants," the "NGOers," the "bureaucrats," the "GoodGov-ers," the "beltway gossipers," the "NEA funders," the "Kennedy Center" types, EVERYONE who makes their living on Government Largess saw the writing on the wall that the Barbarians were at the Gates. So they started punishing the Barbarians who voted for the guy.
Of course, after 4 years of being yelled at, they literally breached the Gates, to take selfies and lecterns. Which was spun as an attempted revolution, complete with zip ties and everything.
Logic and Reason are Racist.
And math and science.
Edit: How grateful I am for being self taught.
I really believe that the Clinton followers lost the plot in 2008. PUMAs? The shrieking bigot Geraldine Ferraro?
Is that Pocahontas's stage name?
Look up Geraldine Ferraro. She was whiter than you are.
a mass hysteria event mostly propped up by the left, using it to their advantage to take, take, take and hold more power. I haven’t recognized the “liberal” party in decades.
Like buhs and his crew never did that!
One of the most effective ways that power controls people is to divide them over some minor issues that are meaningless to them. They then sit back and laugh and laugh at us.
It works too, as you demonstrate.
not really. they just happen the be the ‘party’ in power, though we really know it’s just a uniparty used to distract and divide, as you’ve said. I don’t stand with a single one of our politicians because none of them stand for us. we need to vote out every incumbent and reboot the gov.
The scariest thing Trump ever did (to the uniparty) was talk about moving government offices away from DC and spreading them around the country to places with lower costs of living as a means of lowering costs. The response to that trial balloon said everything you need to know.
Bill... what is "buhs"? tha nks
buhs was and is a human monster of historic proportions. I refuse to show that creature even the minimal respect even of spelling its name correctly.
That's what 'buhs' is.
The Left has wanted censorship for years. Trump just shined a light on them. I went to law school 1983-86 and a guest lecturer from the philosophy department in our first year advocated for "speech codes" on campus to ban "offensive speech" (his own?) The Left has NEVER believed in the Bill of Rights in its entirety. Their mantra forever has been that the 2nd, 9th and 10th amendments have no meaning. That's 30% of it. According to their religion, only the courts "give us" our rights. Law school itself is a brainwashing exercise, especially federal tax, teaching that judges, not the constitution, are the ultimate law. Legal commentators preach BS like the "living constitution" - to be twisted at their whim. It's how we got to where we are with Roe. Even Ginsburg disapproved of it.
How do you know that the guest lecturer was a lefty or liberal? That was the days of Ronald Reagan, the “shining city on a hill” guy.
You’ve never ventured beyond the religion of conservatism. You mind ossified decades ago.
And the left-leaning side of the "right" (the crony-Capitalists/neo-cons of the Republican elitist establishment).
Yes.
Good observation on the Orange Man. In the beginning of his term his oral attacks on progressives were kinda humorous, one could see it as a response that NO ONE else made hence forth, and chuckle. But after a while it got really ugly and their anger grew and blossomed into outrage and attack. They organized on Twitter and learned how to respond, as a collective mass of humanity. Now they are using Twitter and other tools to wage war on their all of their enemies. I’m a free speech person and don’t let people like Joe Rogan bother me, he has had some very good interviews too (Bari Weiss and Ira Glasser). But the mob is using Twitter to attack Spotify to erode its market capitalization - that’s economic espionage and crosses the line of civility in my opinion. I have a few friends that think this way and I have distanced myself, hoping their fever passes.
Joe has always had an uncategorizable, eclectic mix of guests. The only reason the liberal media has had any traction at all in smearing Joe is because followers of the liberal media are profoundly incurious. How many have gone to his site and simply scrolled through the episodes to see precisely who Joe is talking to? How many have ever listened to Joe parse out difficult and contentious topics in science, economics and politics by challenging his guests and asking probing questions? Joe is a very smart guy. His critical thinking skills are excellent. He works hard to be well-read and prepared for the intellectuals he talks to, in addition to the MMA fighters and comedians (whose convos I avoid because I find them boring), and the fascinating adventurers, explorers, extreme sports aficionados, inventors, artists, politicians and iconoclasts…
Your comment that “he has had some very good interviews too” seems to imply that “Joe is largely a purveyor of garbage but once in a while he manages to have a normal guest who is liberal and who I respect.” If that’s all you can come up with, it’s better than nothing, but it doesn’t do justice to the skill, discipline and intelligence it takes to do what Joe does for a living.
Good thoughts, I get Joe’s skill and do agree, he is very talented. I’ll have to take some time to listen to some more of his podcasts, to broaden out the net so to say.
well stated. For me, his best shows are with people I often have never heard of, or on a topic I know little about. I avoid his MMA eps, because Im not a big UFC guy, and the ones with his comedian buddies.
avoiding the comedians means that you're avoiding the best content. The only podcasts worth listening to are hosted by comedians... Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget RIP, Marc Maron, Artie Lange (still ticking)...
I love comedians. I love stand-up. But the best content? That hasn't been my experience. Now, as a general matter, a podcast hosted by a comedian is the definition of Joe Rogan's podcast, and I find Joe's interviews very interesting a good portion of the time. Although I haven't listened to him in a long time, Marc Maron was somebody whose insights I enjoyed and who had a very intense interview style.
However, when Joe gets together with his comedian buddies for a marathon schmooze, even if they're comedians whose stand-up I enjoy, like Tom Papa or Jim Gaffigan, I have found those episodes really dull. Most comedians are most interesting when they are doing comedy, not talking about the mundane aspects of their lives.
There are a few exceptions: Bill Burr, and of course Dave Chappelle, who I could listen to all day, he's so smart.
Any suggestions on which episodes are best would be appreciated.
I’m center right on politics, enjoy business and void sports.
Douglas Murray, James Lindsay.
James Lindsay is much more the reason that Biden and Democrats want Rogan canceled than the COVID doctor episodes. Lindsay spells out in full what is afoot with the "progressive" Soros funded agenda.
👍👍
No. I think your best bet is to scroll through his podcasts, read the descriptions of his guests, follow up with a search and see if the guest intrigues you. Keep in mind that Joe is not really a political animal, believe it or not. He is a heterodox generalist with a wide range of interests.
Also, so many famous people talk to Joe that it’s possible somebody you admire has already spoken to him and you might hear a good conversation that way if you search for his name in combination with theirs.
I’ve scanned his extensive list of interviews.
Wow.
I’ll be able to find something that makes sense I’m sure.
Correction: what Joe used to do for a living. Before he got scared, before he apologized and promised to be more "balanced". He has capitulated.
Spotify market cap has a lot more to do with Fed policy than 3 million twitter bots.
I understand how the market works. The “affect” of the Twitter mob has been to neuter corporate boards into submission. That’s fucked up.
You missed that Trump also demolished GOP lunatics. But soon after winning he selected "his generals" (one worse than the other), Pompeo, bible-idiot Ben Carson, Bolton -- an incompetent clown...
PS: Shame on you --- Bari Weissis a racist who adores apartheid and "kill-all-Palestinians" extremists...
I just subscribed to journalist Weiss. I don't mind a point of view but I'm not for killing anyone. I'll see where she takes me.
Bari’s Substack page is very good. I’ve not seen her advocate for killing anyone.