tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post3836460306792853926..comments2024-03-28T16:08:29.578-04:00Comments on Sardonicky: Whither Progressivism?Karen Garciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612731479365562803noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-81517467923720516762013-05-18T17:57:29.498-04:002013-05-18T17:57:29.498-04:00A public thanks, @Karen, for running my piece as a...A public thanks, @Karen, for running my piece as a cross-post at Sardonicky, and thanks also to everyone who commented here.<br /><br />The points made by commenters about the difficulty of a workable strategy in the face of entrenched institutional forces and public ignorance and apathy are certainly true; i.e. @spreadadoption's points about many Americans having grown up with Reagan or after, and thus having no personal experience with better times for the lower- and middle-classes, or governments that operate with that as a driving principle.<br /><br />But as I see it, that only means that we need to diversify our strategies and increase our game. Though contemporary conditions differ, @Denis Neville's quotes from The White Rose remain relevant. Above all else, I think that we must remember that the modern "softer and gentler" tyrannies control their populace not with massive physical repression, but rather, mostly psychologically. That indeed includes some outright intimidation, but, more often, relies on the more subtle methods of the propaganda model, coupled with --- and this is very important --- widespread discouragement of those who might otherwise mount challenges to the status quo. So I think it is incumbent on anyone who wants proper and substantive change to resist those feelings of discouragement, and to continue on with acts of opposition, which will vary from person to person, but have the potential to grow into a concerted movement that will eventually prevail. As that lottery slogan goes: "You can't win if you don't play!" --- and that's no less true of political opposition.<br /><br />Thanks, @Pearl for that Howard Zinn quote, and your comments, which look at the problem from yet other perspectives.<br /><br />And @Jay - Ottawa properly brings up the subject of economic boycotts (which I've advocated in the past). Yes, in a capitalistic economy, I do think that stands as one of the people's strongest weapons. @Jay says "But only one corporation at a time." I mostly agree. For those old enough to recall, that singling-out of one corporation at a time is what striking auto workers very effectively did for years. In today's dog-eat-dog world where "market share" has taken on even greater importance than in the past, no company wants to lose market share to a competitor. Boycotts must also be enduring enough to immediately switch boycott targets to a different competitor when a settlement with the original target is reached --- otherwise that settlement puts the settler at a competitive disadvantage, and serves as motivation against settling. We can, however, take on multiple different economic sectors at the same time --- i.e. one fast-food corporation, one clothing manufacturer, one meat packer, one hotel chain (and that is not necessarily at odds with what @Jay might have meant strategically).<br /><br />@Zee: I haven't yet checked my email. I'll look forward to hearing from you --- but I'll also look forward to you continuing to make your points at Sardonicky.Fred Drumlevitchhttp://www.freddrumlevitch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-57939696745040858142013-05-18T15:02:26.381-04:002013-05-18T15:02:26.381-04:00While many of us (with good cause) are feeling pre...While many of us (with good cause) are feeling pretty hopeless, many others are trying to understand the realities we face so that we can prepare for whatever lies ahead. No, I’m not referring to the so-called “preppers” who are today’s bomb-shelter builders, the lone survivalists. Rather, this is the power of negative thinking, which we all can (and maybe should) engage in. It’s about imagining Black Swans and preparing for their arrival. It’s about understanding and accepting the truth of what’s going on in our government and doing the best we can, like David versus Goliath. It’s about rejecting what Barbara Ehrenreich called being “bright-sided” - the American inclination toward feeling exceptional and ever-optimistic, through the power of positive thinking, hope, and prayer, as reinforced by decades of government and corporate propaganda. It’s about understanding our opponent’s game and finding ways to strengthen ourselves to oppose it and turn the game in our favor. <br /><br />To me, hope is not good enough, it’s insufficient... and hopelessness never sits well for more than a few minutes. Our problem, as I see it, is that we haven’t yet found a viable, realistic strategy to fight the overwhelming tyranny and stupidity we face. But I do see signs that in a decentralized way we’re working on it, and that in itself is reassuring... well, thrilling actually. Here’s an update from Dr. Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese on what are among the first actions in our revolution: http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/05/17/popular-resistance-percolates-throughout-the-land/<br />spreadoptionnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-72084112776299950292013-05-18T11:52:51.258-04:002013-05-18T11:52:51.258-04:00Jay,
Here's an article about a brand new smar...Jay,<br /><br />Here's an article about a brand new smartphone app which helps consumers avoid putting their money in the pockets of assholes like the Koch brothers and Monsanto. Hey, it's a start, right? <br /><br />http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/05/14/new-app-lets-you-boycott-koch-brothers-monsanto-and-more-by-scanning-your-shopping-cart/<br /><br />Pearl,<br /><br />Thanks for the Howard Zinn quote. I'm gonna save it for whenever the world gets me too down. In other words, I'll be reading it right after watching the headlines from Democracy Now every weekday. :)<br />Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-59077608409915086262013-05-17T23:05:19.536-04:002013-05-17T23:05:19.536-04:00Denis: After skimming (couldn't read it too cl...Denis: After skimming (couldn't read it too closely) your article about the liberation of Dachau recalling your visit there on its 25th anniversary, I thought about Anne Frank whose book and short life had such an influence on me.<br />She was 6 years younger than me and there but for the grace of god, I could have gone.<br /><br /><br /><br />She was one voice, but what a voice!<br /><br /><br />From Wikipedia:<br /><br />Frank aspired to become a journalist, writing in her diary on Wednesday, 5 <br />April 1944:<br /><br />I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant,to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that's what I want! I know I can write ..., but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent <br />...<br />And if I don't have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can't imagine living like Mother, Mrs. van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! ...<br /><br />I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that's why I'm so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that's inside me!<br /><br />When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that's a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?<br /><br />- Anne Frank<br /><br />She continued writing regularly until her last entry of 1 August 1944. She <br />died at the age of 15 of typhus at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp<br /><br /><br /><br />Pearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-16885634132729997802013-05-17T21:39:39.907-04:002013-05-17T21:39:39.907-04:00Fred, you’ve summed up very nicely (with a wealth ...Fred, you’ve summed up very nicely (with a wealth of references at every turn) what’s been going on; and you’ve gone down the full list of what must happen for the country to get back on the road to liberty and justice for all, starting with putting the Pentagon beast on a strict diet. <br /><br />Last November I was astounded by the poor showing of third parties. If there ever was a time when third parties should have surged, it was 2012. Reason told us voters would turn away from the Duopoly and place their hope in third parties. But the people have become wet wood; no Progressive match can set them ablaze. People cheated by the Duopoly continue to vote for the Duopoly. Critical thinking is disappearing like our civil liberties.<br /><br />By now, people ‘ought’ to have found a way around the media’s news blockers and fakes. Fair-minded citizens ‘ought’ to agree with your assessment and ‘ought’ to agree with the solutions you recommend. Society ‘ought’ to get itself sorted out along the course you map out. And those corrections ‘ought’ to break out into action soon, as you say, even before an ideal critical mass of people becomes informed and energized.<br /><br />However, like others here, I come away saying: BUT HOW? Become an activist – HOW? Doing what, exactly? And if we ever solve the HOW, where do we find the WILL, in sufficient numbers, to carry through on the HOW for as long as it takes to unseat the plutocrats and their authoritarian lieutenants? The progressive cadre has been stumped on these two questions for decades. We keep circling back to the ‘oughts,’ not the hows.<br /><br />I have only one suggestion on the how: boycotts, the targeted corporations to be designated centrally by a wise progressive panel that knows how to avoid the legal traps. Boycott one of the banks that screw us. Boycott one of the networks that propagandize. Boycott the myriads of products of one offending corporation. Give them a taste of austerity. But only one corporation at a time.<br /><br />A serious boycott means we will go without and live more frugally. Recall Gandhi’s spinning and salt campaigns. At least it will be OUR agency in the driver’s seat, for a change. Watch a stock plummet in the market because of a boycott. Send CEOs into a panic one by one. Starve the corporate beasts one by one until we can drown them one by one in the bathtub. <br /><br />Some corporations are odious to the devil himself. Properly informed, you can convince family and friends to boycott one targeted corporation faster than you could ever change their politics or change their moral foundation. <br /><br />Progressive chieftains, whom should we tag first? Then let the boycott go viral.Jay–Ottawahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10360356126450612113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-76866511609186418252013-05-17T21:14:13.067-04:002013-05-17T21:14:13.067-04:00@ Pearl – that is a terrific quote by Howard Zinn ...@ Pearl – that is a terrific quote by Howard Zinn and your comment that “We all have an important role to play” is spot on!!!<br /><br />Hopelessness? Or, The White Rose?<br /><br />When I lived in Germany, I visited Dachau on the 25th anniversary of its liberation. A survivor’s recounting of his experience remains with me today. How had he survived? How could that have ever happened?<br /> http://www.scrapbookpages.com/DachauScrapbook/DachauLiberation/LiberationDay2.html<br /><br />William L. Shirer in his famous book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich wrote about how easily it was to be taken in by the lies in a totalitarian state and how useless it was even to try to make contact with a mind which had become warped and for whom the facts of life had become what Hitler and Goebbels, with their cynical disregard for the truth, said they were.<br /><br />Hopeless? Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.<br /><br />“No class or group or party in Germany could escape its share of responsibility for the abandonment of the democratic Republic and the advent of Adolf Hitler. The cardinal error of the Germans who opposed Nazism was their failure to unite against it. ” ― William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany<br /><br />Hopeless? The White Rose stands for courage, bravery and political responsibility.<br /><br />“Nothing is so unworthy of a civilized nation as allowing itself to be “governed” without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct…if they abandon the will to take decisive action and turn the wheel of history and thus subject it to their own rational decision; if they are so devoid of all individuality, have already gone so far along the road toward turning into a spiritless and cowardly mass – then, yes, they deserve their downfall…”- from The First Leaflet of The White Rose<br /><br />“For through his apathetic behavior he gives these evil men the opportunity to act as they do; he tolerates this “government” which has taken upon itself such an infinitely great burden of guilt; indeed, he himself is to blame for the fact that it came about at all!…”- from The Second Leaflet of The White Rose<br /><br />“Why do you not bestir yourselves, why do you allow these men who are in power to rob you step by step, openly and in secret, of one domain of your rights after another, until one day nothing, nothing at all will be left but a mechanized state system presided over by criminals and drunks?…” - Excerpt from The Third Leaflet of The White Rose<br /><br />“The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.” ― Sophie Scholl<br /><br />http://zenpencils.com/comic/108-sophie-scholl-the-fire-within/<br /><br />"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776Denis Nevillenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-1217555148352724022013-05-17T18:48:32.560-04:002013-05-17T18:48:32.560-04:00Part 2:
If the progressives want to see change, t...Part 2:<br /><br />If the progressives want to see change, they have to create it in their own progeny. I have relatives and friends who are still raising their kids and grandkids with the old value system- if you work hard you can succeed and then get mortgages to pay for their college educations for jobs that may pay well. What are kids today really learning at university and how are they planning to make use of what they may be learning. I read about lots of partying still going on, cheating by students even in the elite universities with serious students working alongside others playing the same old games of<br />avoiding reality. Watching the levels of movies, TV, news reporting is a<br />real dumbing down, but this is where parents or grandparents like ourselves<br />have to be doubly responsible. I have loaned my 3 grandaughters their<br />college tutitions to be paid back to my favorite cancer charity within a<br />certain time frame and talk to them about the political work I do and why. I hope it takes but regardless, I have tried and I think it will bear fruit for the future. So even within a small framework we can be influential with relatives and friends. My husband who was highly knowledgeable in the<br />political sphere was always very effective when colleagues made ignorant remarks and he knew how to disarm them with humor and interesting facts that turned their comments around against them. He was never afraid to speak up<br />about matters that no one wanted to tackle.<br /><br />We all have an important role to play even though we are aware that we will<br />probably spend the rest of our lives in the shadow of the misery and<br />ignorance going on. You all inspire me with your thoughts, even when they<br />seem to diverge but basically you are in agreement because you all hate the<br />suffering people have to undergo under the administration of people in power who do not care about their fellow beings as long as they have what they want and I admire you all for that.<br /><br />Here is the quote from Howard Zinn - wish he was still around.<br /><br />TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places-and there are so many-where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."<br />Howard ZinnPearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-51118069091990542702013-05-17T18:47:14.078-04:002013-05-17T18:47:14.078-04:00Part 1:
I find all your responses to Fred`s well ...Part 1:<br /><br />I find all your responses to Fred`s well thought out column most interesting and sad that you feel rather hopeless about the possibility for improvement.<br />However, Spreadoption brought up some interesting comments about his own son<br />and friends not being overly concerned about their having to take low paying jobs and living off the largesse of their parents by sleeping on a floor, etc. They will begin to think more seriously about their plight when their parents will no longer be able to offer them sustenance (and shouldn`t) and<br />they will want to marry and have a family and get tired of getting up each morning to work at a crummy job and not have proper health coverage or enjoy vacations, especially as they age. The dreams of having a good income by joining the Wall Street mentality is not going to happen since by that time<br />Wall Street may be in bankruptcy.<br /><br />Reality will be forced on them and I hope the Spreadoptions of the world<br />have tried to bring up their children with the truth about what is ahead.<br />The next generation(s) may not have parents that can help, in fact may have to help them as well and recognize that the hopes for the future we all dreamed about no longer exist.That is when push for change may happen especially when the wealthier heads of families can no longer keep their children and or grandchildren in the lifestyle they expected.<br /><br />Pearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-69111931069236284402013-05-17T17:54:48.664-04:002013-05-17T17:54:48.664-04:00Fred--
It probably goes without saying, but "...Fred--<br /><br />It probably goes without saying, but "Anonymous" is "Zee."Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-37636746566139325722013-05-17T17:53:26.389-04:002013-05-17T17:53:26.389-04:00Fred--
I think that I will send you a few remarks...Fred--<br /><br />I think that I will send you a few remarks within a week <i> via </i> e-mail. There are too many length (and time) constraints associated with commenting here on your well-thought out essay.<br /><br />Look for something with "Subject: From Zee." If you don't see anything within the week, well, check your "Junk" or "Spam" folders, which I am sure some will consider an appropriate place to look for thoughts from me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-30424511407643096682013-05-17T16:23:59.615-04:002013-05-17T16:23:59.615-04:00Thanks, Fred, for your highly-researched and beaut...Thanks, Fred, for your highly-researched and beautifully-written work. It's an excellent summation of where we are in this country and how we got here, and your outline of the changes needed is on the money. But I'm reminded of the visitor who asks the old Vermonter for directions. "Well, ya see, you can't get the-ah from he-ah." <br /><br />Occupy was wonderful... while it lasted. As I often say, I remember Kent State at times like this. In effect, we live in a brutal dictatorship.<br /><br />Pearl mentioned her hope for "the newer generations coming up." Whatever changes we get will occur with them, long after we're done. But I don't have any sense that their world will be much like the one we current progressives have in mind. For one thing, they are all post-Reagan, meaning they have no concept of our American good years from 1945 to 1970, our Happy Days. They have no experience with a booming economy when the American Dream was truly possible (though never guaranteed, of course, nor for all citizens). <br /><br />My son, graduate of a Little Ivy college, is adamant with me that I waste my time trying to fight the Money-Power. He's a solo start-up entrepreneur with a global territory, hoping to make enough money soon to fund a career in alternate and self-sustaining living arrangements around the world. Meanwhile he's living on the floor of his mom's condo (literally! For some reason he prefers sleeping on the floor). His friends and former classmates are mostly all in a similar boat, working for low pay in dead-end jobs. None seem much interested in trying to change anything; it's more about doing the best you can with "what it is." None share my son's vision for something bigger and better. <br /><br />But is that any different from our generation? How many of us fought to do something really important, and how many mostly just went along day-to-day? I, for one, was so dedicated to my career, and then family as well, that I was totally oblivious to Vietnam and the whole Nixon-thing. I did think Reagan was an idiot-bastard, but that was as far as it went.<br /><br />Since 2008 I've been expecting an L-shaped recovery. The discouraging thing is, we haven't hit bottom yet. For now, each of us is going to have to deal with “what it is.”<br /><br />As for the visions we progressives hold? I often run thought-experiments, trying out different strategies, and I always run up against the same conclusion: I can't see how we get there from here.<br /><br />spreadoptionnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-13336837924777503682013-05-17T16:02:37.678-04:002013-05-17T16:02:37.678-04:00Not only is there no political will for such refor...Not only is there no political will for such reforms, there is no viable route to creating that political will and good reason to doubt that even in the presence of the will there would be a way.<br /><br />Reform is a dead end. Protest is hard to organize and easily ignored. Occupy is the only example of a left wing protest that actually was noticed by the media and therefore some portion of the public. Obviously it had to be brutally crushed to preserve the status quo.<br /><br />As James said, our destination is inevitable.Charles Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02975241234146573609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-92007468310600657692013-05-17T14:48:10.156-04:002013-05-17T14:48:10.156-04:00"Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est" / “K..."Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est" / “Knowledge is power.” ― Francis Bacon<br /><br />Fred said…”For the majority of the populace that does not take the initiative to actively seek out reputable alternative information sources, mainstream media’s minimal to non-existent coverage of progressive thought effectively equates to suppression.”<br /><br />"The concentration of power and the subjection of individuals will increase amongst democratic nations in the same proportion as their ignorance." - Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1840<br /><br />James Madison believed that the very basis for government's responsiveness was the assurance that its citizens would have sufficient knowledge to direct it. If citizens are to govern their own affairs, either directly or through representative government, they must be informed about how best to determine their affairs and how best to represent and execute them. If they are not well informed… <br /><br />"A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives." - James Madison, Letter to W. T. Barry, August 4, 1822<br /><br />Sadly, “As many as six out of ten American adults have never read a book of any kind, and the bulletins from the nation’s educational frontiers read like the casualty reports from a lost war.” ― Lewis Lapham, Gag Rule: On the Suppression of Dissent and the Stifling of Democracy<br /><br />Lapham about the White House press corps: "I could never escape the impression of a flock of ducks -plump and well-kept ducks, ducks worthy of an emperor's garden - waddling back and forth to the pond on which the emperor's gamekeepers cast the bread crumbs of the news." <br /><br />Their drug is war. Glenn Greenwald writes today, “Washington gets explicit: its 'war on terror' is permanent. Senior Obama officials tell the US Senate: the 'war', in limitless form, will continue for 'at least' another decade - or two.”<br /><br />“The social atmosphere is that of a besieged city. And at the same time the consciousness of being at war, and therefore in danger, makes the handing-over of all power to a small caste seem the natural, unavoidable condition of survival. It does not matter whether the war is actually happening, and, since no decisive victory is possible, it does not matter whether the war is going badly. All that is needed is that a state of war should exist.” - George Orwell, 1984<br /><br />“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” ― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark<br /><br />“How often the priest had heard the same confession--Man was so limited: he hadn't even the ingenuity to invent a new vice: the animals knew as much. It was for this world that Christ had died: the more evil you saw and heard about you, the greater the glory lay around the death; it was too easy to die for what was good or beautiful, for home or children or civilization--it needed a God to die for the half-hearted and the corrupt.” ― Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory<br /><br />Fred, what you have written needs to be further chewed and digested. Thank you for your thoughtful effort.Denis Nevillenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-19746862896155346362013-05-17T14:34:41.340-04:002013-05-17T14:34:41.340-04:00I will say once more that I believe that now that ...I will say once more that I believe that now that the right wingers are <br />having their toes stepped on the reactions are becoming quite noticeable. <br />Even the Repugs chant is becoming more widespread and strident and their attacks are exposing the weaknesses of the current administration right or <br />wrong. The other possibility along with them is that things will get so out of hand for most of us that the results which are already showing up are a warning to the right wingers that their golden days are being diminished.<br /><br />Either way, it will take time, unless a real bubble will break once more and rain on the whole parade stirring up real reaction all around. We have <br />almost run out of other countries to attack to distract from things going on at home but who knows? Maybe another war will really begin to stir the populace negatively.<br /><br />It is obvious that reason will not prevail especially with more and more <br />threats and silencing of the reporters and other whistleblowers to come. So while we are kvetching to the few publications that print us, we will have to watch and wait. If there is real in the streets protests from the right, we will have a chance to join in.<br />Whatever administration is in power will not be moved by we progressives but will be forced to respond to the money interests who control their <br />decisions.<br /><br />Meanwhile, continue to write and speak out wherever possible even if a small number of people are influenced. And although Krugman is afraid to go beyond his economic box, he does occasionally make a comment on the other issues. <br />At any rate he prints the reader comments coming in with Karen always making it to the top which I am sure he is influenced by.<br /><br />I don`t know whether or not I am right about this. Time will tell and <br />hopefully some sense will prevail with the newer generations coming up.<br /><br />Pearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-53410723532581605102013-05-17T13:54:46.155-04:002013-05-17T13:54:46.155-04:00Fascinating and unbelievably thorough piece, Fred....Fascinating and unbelievably thorough piece, Fred. Thanks a million for your enduring efforts in support of progressivism. Unfortunately I agree with James on the prospects for successful reform. That shouldn't stop us from fighting, though. (I'd search for that cool quote from Howard Zinn on the subject, but I gotta fly. Pearl? Denis?)<br /><br />Have a great weekend and thanks again. :)Willnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-32376501374703494362013-05-17T12:40:54.439-04:002013-05-17T12:40:54.439-04:00All fine and good, but there is no political will ...All fine and good, but there is no political will for such reforms within the Democratic Party or the electorate as a whole, even among the reasonably educated. Most people couldn't tell you the difference between the House and the Senate, never mind differentiate between a stock and a bond. And they've been propagandized so much that, even if they did know the score, would consider it a worthwhile price in order to 'keep their guns', 'go hunting with Jesus', 'keep them from coming over here', 'save us from socialism and godless communism', etc, etc.<br /><br />And those of us who know the score also know there is no chance, none, nada of even reforming the existing system. But when the spark comes the following boom will be awesome, deadly destructive and will leave this country in a shambles. There really is very little hope. Or we'll fade away into a third world country. Our destination is inevitable, how we get there a tossup.James F Traynornoreply@blogger.com