The Washington Post published this editorial.
Trump said at the convention that he is the only one that can fix all our problems. Only dictators think that they are “the only one” and the salvation of the nation. That’s scary.
Trump has said that he will not necessarily support our NATO allies, as we have long pledged to do. The Baltic nations must be terrified as he withdraws America’s promise.
Trump has said he will appoint judges to the Supreme Court in the mold of Justice Scalia.
Trump has said he will eliminate gun-free zones in and around schools.
Here is the beginning of the editorial:
DONALD J. TRUMP, until now a Republican problem, this week became a challenge the nation must confront and overcome. The real estate tycoon is uniquely unqualified to serve as president, in experience and temperament. He is mounting a campaign of snarl and sneer, not substance. To the extent he has views, they are wrong in their diagnosis of America’s problems and dangerous in their proposed solutions. Mr. Trump’s politics of denigration and division could strain the bonds that have held a diverse nation together. His contempt for constitutional norms might reveal the nation’s two-century-old experiment in checks and balances to be more fragile than we knew.
Any one of these characteristics would be disqualifying; together, they make Mr. Trump a peril. We recognize that this is not the usual moment to make such a statement. In an ordinary election year, we would acknowledge the Republican nominee, move on to the Democratic convention and spend the following months, like other voters, evaluating the candidates’ performance in debates, on the stump and in position papers. This year we will follow the campaign as always, offering honest views on all the candidates. But we cannot salute the Republican nominee or pretend that we might endorse him this fall. A Trump presidency would be dangerous for the nation and the world.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I have come to agree with Diane that this the moment to support Hillary. Trump will surely bring not only oligarchy, but true fascism.
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How is the same thing better and by a pathological liar.
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Joanne,
You are repeating the Republican talking points. Donald Trump is a pathological liar. Calling Hillary that phrase was popularized by William Safire, the conservative columnist and a speech writer for Nixon.
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Diane Ravitch, that is so true.
I don’t know how anyone could say they want to prevent Hillary from becoming President because she is a “pathological liar” while having no concern whatsoever about a proven “pathological liar” like Donald Trump being president.
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Trump is not only a pathological liar, he has a proven record of cheating people of their life’s savings, of defaulting on his debts to working people, and of discriminating against black people in renting apartments.
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“I don’t know how anyone could say they want to prevent Hillary from becoming President because she is a “pathological liar” while having no concern whatsoever about a proven “pathological liar” like Donald Trump being president.”
Who here has expressed “no concern whatsoever” about Trump being president, other than FL Teacher? I keep hearing about these other Trump trolls but haven’t seen them. And the rest of us vehement pro-Sanders or Stein/anti-Hillary folks are sharp critics of Trump and pretty much without exception pledged not to vote for him EITHER.
You don’t want us to love Hillary or hate Trump. You want us to vote for Hillary out of fear of Trump.
But for me, none of this has to do with my fear or my hate. It has to do with my love for progressive politics and truly ethical behavior towards people. Not one among Trump, Clinton, Pence, or Kaine is even vaguely familiar with either of those touchstones of my political life.
You can’t scare me with Trump into voting for Hillary any more than you can scare a RINO with Hillary into voting for Trump. These are just facts. And you don’t need to distort reality by throwing out the absurd red herring that progressives who won’t get behind HRC are uncritical of Trump. How desperate are you to seem to be on the moral high ground? You don’t get there by utterly misrepresenting the people you oppose and wish to move to your view.
And on that subject, Diane’s strategy today of claiming that we’re swallowing Republican talking points from the ’90s to the present is equally unfair and ineffective. First, I’ve delved into Clintonland back into the ’70s and was aware of what we were getting in Bill during the ’92 primaries when I voted against him and for Jerry Brown in New York. I read Nat Hentoff’s column religiously at the time, and Hentoff was reporting a huge opposition to Bill Clinton coming from local journalists in Arkansas and the surrounding region. Hentoff is hardly a right-winger and he presented these people as trustworthy. Ensuing decades have supported what they were telling him as quite true.
Right-wing conspiracies in the ’90s, almost all of them hypcritical, against President Bill Clinton and his wife were undoubtedly real. However, I think they’re both dirty as sin. Maybe all politicians are, but they seem particularly tainted, and it’s not like it’s just the male partner here. It’s not even vaguely reasonable to try to cover up who and what they are simply because there are GOP dumbasses who can only raise nonsense because to raise the real Clinton wrongdoing would be to blow the whistle on someone for what you’re guilty of yourself, possibly even more glaringly so. You’re not going to get a lot of GOP Congressfolk screaming about her comments on the death of Khadafi. That’s their selfsame song. But the Benghazi attack is a perfect place for them to go nuts, because it appears to be a failure of her and Obama to be more prescient, vigilant, and ruthless than was GWB in his first year in the White House. The GOP just carps about lack of their phony brand of patriotism and knows that most Americans will eat that garbage up without considering what should be said along those lines vis a vis George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
Progressives aren’t taken in by snipe hunts about Benghazi, Whitewater, and the rest of the petty or contrived or off-point attacks by the GOP. We are concerned about her real failings and weaknesses as any sort of liberal, humanitarian, progressive, or true Democrat. Sanders is more progressive, more humane, more honest, more selfless, more in touch with the poor and ethnic minorities, and more of a feminist than Hillary will ever be even in her dreams. No Trumpmonster will ever make me forget that.
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Michael Paul Goldenberg said:
“Sanders is more progressive, more humane, more honest, more selfless, more in touch with the poor and ethnic minorities, and more of a feminist than Hillary will ever be even in her dreams.”
No one is arguing that point. (Correction: I might argue about the feminist label, but on the broader meaning I agree.)
If this were a question about voting for Bernie or Hillary, what you just said would be most relevant. That’s why I pulled the lever for Bernie in the primary. (I mean, filled in the little mark — I just can’t get used to not having those old voting machines anymore).
But this is about whether Hillary is a flawed candidate who is significantly better than the alternative or whether she is a completely corrupt woman who will do whatever the people at Goldman Sachs, or Eli Broad, or whatever the enemies of the little people tell her to do. So many people on here keep characterizing her as the second of these, and I don’t buy it. I don’t even understand how you believe it. It is as if that “vast right-wing conspiracy” of the Bill Clinton years may not have succeeded in deposing him, but succeeded in forever winning the hearts and minds of citizens.
From day one of the Bill Clinton Presidency I saw a media attack and scrutiny that was beyond anything I have ever seen to this day. Bill Clinton was a draft dodger. Hillary fired the travel office personnel who had been doing a remarkable job for the sole reason of making sure that her pal was guaranteed to take over and make millions. (Never mind that Billy Dale – while not embezzling funds — was actually depositing funds into his own personal bank account and used a handwritten ledger to keep track of the office and had never subject travel to competitive bidding — true!) Should the Clintons have been more forthcoming when accused of practically treasonous crimes? Yes, like many others I wish Bill Clinton would have said “I had a physical relationship with Monica Lewinsky but although she did pressure me for more I didn’t “go all the way” because I fooled myself into thinking that was staying true to my marriage vows that I had promised my wife.” I wish Hillary would have said “yes, our cousin who has a travel agency took one look at that office and said it was the biggest mess she had ever seen and ripe for embezzlement and I demanded something be done”. I found it frustrating, but I also found it frustrating that the media turned every single mis-step into a criminal enterprise. Clinton was a guy who worked for George McGovern! He was known to carefully read up on policy trying to balance competing interests. And he was portrayed as being more corrupt than Richard Nixon in everything he touched.
So yes, I see the same thing happening with Hillary. I see the same kind of people buying into how awful and corrupt she is based on the same innuendos I saw during the Clinton years. I like some of Nat Hentoff’s writing and I find others appalling (although he tends to be somewhat consistent with his anti-abortion anti-death penalty belief).
I agree that Hillary isn’t the progressive she was characterized as being when Bill Clinton was elected. But the only reason not to vote for her is because you either think she is no difference from Trump (which I find a ridiculous notion) or because you believe there can be no change in the Democratic Party unless you burn down the house, and if some immigrants and children and minorities and other people get crushed along the way, well that’s fine because it is the ONLY way to bring about any change. I don’t believe that and neither does Bernie. That’s what he tried to tell you last night. Prevent Trump’s election and keep fighting for progressive policies.
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It may be telling, #NYCpss, that you DON’T see that Hillary is no feminist and Sanders is: that’s what one part of her strategy has been from the beginning: paint herself as a feminist woman, paint Sanders and his supporters as sexists and misogynists (including his millions of women supporters) and let the blather flow. And it did and still does. If I had a dollar for every comment I read from a Hillary supporter over the last year about how Sanders lived off of various women, wrote a rape-fantasy piece in the early ’70s (you have to have read it to appreciate how truly dishonest that misrepresentation is), etc. I recommend as a remedy to the first half (that Hillary is a feminist) FALSE CHOICES: The Faux Feminism of Hillary Rodham Clinton, edited by Liz Featherstone. It isn’t from the “vast right-wing conspiracy” and it isn’t written by men. I have ties to the feminist movement of the ’60s and ’70s. I can’t see many of the women who were part of that being sanguine about Hillary Clinton as a representative of them, their work, their vision, etc.
That said, I have to respond to this: “But the only reason not to vote for her is because you either think she is no difference from Trump (which I find a ridiculous notion) or because you believe there can be no change in the Democratic Party unless you burn down the house, and if some immigrants and children and minorities and other people get crushed along the way, well that’s fine because it is the ONLY way to bring about any change.”
First, of course, there are significant differences between Trump and Clinton. But many of them strike me as more a matter of rhetoric and bluster on his part than what he believes, would do, or would fight for if he were POTUS. I suspect more similarities than differences on many issues in practice. They’re both well-practiced at exploiting the poor, the weak, the needy, the gullible, though not through the same channels. He does it in the context of business and “charity”; she does it in the contexts of politics and “foundation work.” There are more parallels there than might immediately seem obvious. But the underlying themes are greed, self-interest, accruing of power, and giving an outward semblance of “good works” when it’s convenient, expedient, unavoidable, but always to one’s own benefit if humanly possible. See the Clinton Foundation’s “charitable work” in Haiti for starters.
Trump is playing to the Teabillies, the bigots, the knuckledraggers, and also a lot of not so heinous people who are sick to death of seeing themselves screwed by . . . well, big government, big business, Wall Street, the power elite. Clinton is playing to moderates, new Democrats who blossomed in the late ’80s/early ’90s, neoliberals, Wall Street, people who in the ’80s would have been called Yuppies, and not a few Republican RINOs who can’t abide Trump (in some ways like how establishment politicians of the day couldn’t abide Huey Long, though I’m not suggesting unending parallels between Trump and Long).
Neither Trump nor Clinton appears to give very much of a damn about those of us on the left. Certainly not the Old Left of my parents’ generation, the New Left of mine, or the Occupy, Green, and related movements of recent decades that all are for the most part wild-eyed radicals compared to just about anything Republican or comfy in the world of the Clinton Democratic machine. Hillary & the DNC, despite the rhetoric of this week, really don’t think they need me or those like me to beat Trump. Polling is starting to suggest that they are delusional. But that’s not our fault: we’ve told them and told them, and Nate Silver’s numbers are showing that we’ve been right.
I don’t know if there can be change in the Democratic Party, but I know that it must change or it will become irrelevant. Why support Republican Lite when you can have Classic Republican? Of course, similar things are going on within the GOP, so perhaps in a generation both these parties will be as dead as Dillinger. No problem, from my perspective. Parties are only useful when they stand for some things worth fighting for. Do either of these bloated, self-serving organizations even have any principles left at all other than their insatiable hunger for power and money?
I’m not for burning things down that have usefulness and structural integrity. I am for razing eyesores, unsafe structures, etc. How that metaphor applies to the GOP and Democratic Party isn’t 100% clear yet. But I don’t support violence. Neither does Sanders. And he’s wise not to do so, in my opinion.
Now as to your last shot at us recalcitrant progressives and our refusal to go along to get along: first, people get hurt as things stand. Lots of people. And it will get worse if we just continue to play ball with the existing two-as-one-party system. I don’t swallow the narrative that a Trump victory will mean more violence against various groups than we’ve seen under either the monster George W. Bush or the hero Barack H. Obama. If anything, I would expect such violence to increases with a Hillary victory because the same idiots who act out already will be outraged by their version of the Hillmonster getting in, far more than they’ll be elated and acting out of some new sense that anything goes if he wins.
Keep in mind that they burn couches on the streets of greater East Lansing when Michigan State loses more than when it wins. And regardless, completely drunken lunatics really don’t need much excuse or justification for acting out. Neither do bigots for the most part. And when they believe they’re being “suppressed” they become more dedicated and devious, in my opinion.
I’m not suggesting even vaguely that a vote for Hillary is a vote for worse violence. I’m saying that that endemic violence of the ignorant and hateful is with us and will be for generations to come, I suspect. Who wins the November 2016 Presidential election isn’t going to make any difference that would sway my vote. Trying to put some hypothetical increase in violence you predict under President Trump on the heads of progressives (or that we want to bring that about by not voting for Hillary) is really a nice try, but it cuts zero logical or factual ice with me. I’m sure you really believe it, but the sweet attempt at suggesting that I’m just a white-privileged liberal racist who can afford to see Trump win is both a pile of garbage and an already-tired Clinton tactic that takes a page out the right-wing “liberal racism” playbook the GOP has been using since the ’80s. I’d be angry at you for trying that if I thought that it would alert you to just how ethically bankrupt that sort of play really is.
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Michael Paul Goldenberg,
First, what an insult you just made to so many women. Hillary is no feminist — she is just pandering to us and we are stupid enough to believe it. Like Obama’s parents, who knew to use a fake birth certificate in case he wanted to become President, Hillary talked about women’s issues as a Wellesley grad thinking that 40 years in the future some silly stupid women might confuse her for a feminist.
And you misunderstand me. I am not concerned about violence in the street. I am concerned about families losing benefits, living in poverty, arrested or killed because the cop decided they were dangerous and no one cares. I am concerned about health care and people being stuck. What happens when a society absolves itself of caring for its most vulnerable people? When it is too much bother if they can’t “lift themselves” with the few cents tossed their way? That is a kind a violence that I believe is very dangerous for this country. And rather than create a movement for change, it can just create a movement toward a man offering all the answers.
Bernie started a great movement and his supporters have the patience of toddlers. I’m sorry, but that’s what it feels like. If in 4 years a Hillary administration demonstrates the disdain for progressive ideas that Obama did, by all means mount a primary challenge, vote her out, or even vote so that the Republican wins.
But you blasé attitude about a Trump election strikes me as a very privileged way of looking at the world. I suspect if you were a young African-American teenager or a Muslim about to be faced with a President who is a happy enabler of racists and haters of “others” you would not be so smug about what you are doing. It’s easier to call for tearing down the house if you know you are one of the protected groups.
I hope Diane Ravitch allows you to respond. I find it hard to believe you can’t be reasoned with. You are free to vote for Jill Stein or whoever you want. But I think this election matters and I hope no one else is as misguided as you to think that it doesn’t because they don’t happen to be the target of Trump and his supporters’ prejudices.
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“If in 4 years a Hillary administration demonstrates the disdain for progressive ideas that Obama did, by all means mount a primary challenge, vote her out, or even vote so that the Republican wins.”
Oh for pity’s sake. Really? Like it’s that easy. Hillary is not even an incumbent this time around and look how hard it was to mount a challenge against her. How often is a sitting president successfully primaried? Never? And even if someone could make a reasonable challenge, don’t you think the DNC would wipe the floors with him/her even worse than they did to Bernie? Yeah, let’s let her get into power and then, when she does exactly what the Left has been telling you she’ll do, then, we can just primary her. Wow, get me a Staples Easy Button!
As far as “even vote so that the Republican wins”, I’ve covered that several times. Who do you think the Republican is going to be in 4 years? Cruz? Someone equally batpoop crazy? Don’t you think you’re going to be singing the same tune then? No, it’ll be, We have to re-elect Hillary because ______________ is sooo scary!! Heck, we even heard that we had to re-elect Obama because milquetoast Romney was sooo scary!. Lather, rinse, repeat.
As far as Hillary being a feminist, do you think the women of Walmart would agree with that? What about the women of Libya, Haiti and Honduras? What about black women whose husbands, brothers, boyfriends and sons are getting beaten up, jailed and killed by the police? What about women who have used up their lifetime allotment of “welfare” thanks to welfare “reform”? What about women whose children are growing up in polluted environments thanks to Hillary’s support for fracking? Are all of those things (and more) feminist?
Michael laid out in very patient detail why he is not and cannot vote for Hillary, yet you respond by calling him (and all of us) “toddlers” and saying we “can’t be reasoned with”. Sigh. Whatever. At this point, I’m almost beyond caring who wins the presidency. We had a shot at a truly decent human being and reasonably progressive candidate, but Hillary and her minions went and sunk him, and now we’re supposed to turn around and vote for her in spite of all the unethical things they did to get there. Anyway, either you need our votes, in which case you need to learn to negotiate in good faith human to human, not lord to servant (and understand that you have to), or you don’t need our votes, in which case quit badgering us over not voting for HRH HRC. Good luck in November.
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Dienne, I respect you a lot and you make some good points. Maybe it is naive to think change can happen in 4 years. Maybe it will take 8 years. Maybe 20. I still remember President Obama opposing gay marriage and it hasn’t even been 8 years since he was elected.
Regarding “false feminism” – by your standards very few of us are feminists. Very few of us are environmentalists. We buy cheap products made by child labor. We use our iPhones or computers or inexpensive shoes or something else made with cheap labor. We make compromises every day.
Yes, there are times when Hillary compromised in a way that hurt women. But at the same time she FOUGHT for other things that helped women far more than any of us who sit here and voice opinions. We heard some of it tonight. Do you know how much support she has in the African-American community? And you seem to just dismiss it like you do my belief that she is as much a feminist – if not more – than Bernie. You are as guilty as I am of being condescending. (And I apologize to you for that sin — I am truly sorry and do not mean to be.) We are all wrong about her and she is a complete fraud.
“We had a shot at a truly decent human being and reasonably progressive candidate, but Hillary and her minions went and sunk him.” I wanted Bernie to win and I truly believe that is an exaggeration. Did they play hardball to win? Yes. Were there actually more people of voting age who went to the ballot and voted for Hillary? Yes. And what is most telling — but you seem to dismiss — is that in states with huge numbers of African-American voters, Hillary won big. Yes, she may never take those states in the general election, but there is a reason that this woman painted as the most cynical and corrupt politician wins among groups who have felt disenfranchised in the past. People who will be most affected by a Trump victory.
I will repeat again — I am not a Hillary fan although tonight’s convention made me like her a whole lot more. I WANT you and me and all Bernie’s followers to hold her feet to the fire and fight for progressive ideas. I don’t expect to win all of them, but I expect this country to move in a more progressive direction if she wins, not a less progressive one. I may be wrong but I am far more willing to take that chance than see Trump win. That’s all.
I don’t want you to vote for Hillary and after reading yours and Michael’s posts I will stop trying to change your minds. But if I see a post that says “this election doesn’t matter” or “Hillary is a war criminal” or some other attack I think is wrong, I will probably still post to argue with that opinion.
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Thank you NY parent for this wonderful comment…you speak for me.
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” Sanders is more progressive, more humane, more honest, more selfless, more in touch with the poor and ethnic minorities, and more of a feminist than Hillary will ever be even in her dreams.”
Michael Paul Goldenberg
And yet, Bernie lost. There was no “rigging.” And last night at the convention, Bernie moved to make Hillary Clinton the nominee by acclamation.
Okay, she is no perfect nominee. But honestly, she has a far better track record than The Yam, and one or the other of them will be appointing federal judges.
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All true.
Too bad the alternative is almost as bad, and the one candidate who was truly for the people got cheated out of a fair shot at the nomination.
When Trump gets elected, don’t blame the Bernie or Busters. Blame those who foisted a flawed and corrupt candidate on us.
Going to the store for some popcorn so I’m prepared for the next batch of emails released that show how morally bankrupt the DNC and their candidate are.
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“there was nothing that the DNC did that seriously harmed his chances or meaningfully impacted the outcome of the nomination contest. The emails showed that some staffers talked about undermining Sanders — and that there was real hostility between the DNC and the Sanders campaign — but those DNC staffers never followed through.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/07/26/the-alleged-russian-hack-of-the-dnc-should-be-one-of-the-biggest-stories-of-the-year-why-isnt-it/?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-e%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
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Trump is a unique threat to democracy http://wpo.st/-oho1 No time to risk 3rd party voting in “safe blue states” http://www.arthurcamins.com
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Excellent article, spot on.Trump is Silvio Berlusconi but with nuclear weapons and the most powerful military on earth. Scratch that, he’s worse than Berlusconi.
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Trump is indeed a new threat to democratic and constitutional rights–the right-wing populist with a mountainous ego, insatiable desire for power, impulsively insulting, unfit to govern anything, a personality disorder well-suited to getting rich in this society. That leaves Hillary, the old threat to democracy, the agent of the billionaire class for her entire career, the proponent of neoliberal looting of the 99% by her Wall Street sponsors. Yes, defeat the new threat. Then what about the old threat of oligarchy which has impoverished tens of millions of families and undermined the public schools Hillary pretends to support? The Dem convention bloviates about Hillary Fighting for Us. She isn’t, hasn’t, and won’t. Even Bernie in his sad speech last night and in his choice to surrender too soon for too little, cannot say what has to be said to honestly face the current crisis: Trump must be defeated by voting for Hillary, a candidate to whom lying and self-serving are a lifetime habit. Voting for H instead of T, for the old oligarchy instead of the new right-wing populism, is thinkable only if a robust org of progressive opposition to Pres. Hillary is immediately constituted to hold her feet to the fire. Voting for H rewards her for her lying, deception, and loyal service to the oligarchy, and must be accompanied with a strong progressive org planning to continually act against her oligarchic moves in office which threaten average families, planetary destruction, etc. She may very well switch back to supporting TPP once in office, for example, because that is her opportunistic way of working.
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Yes. We must do what we have needed to do all along, build a multi-racial progressive movement. That is not new. The DNC did not give in. They fought back. Not surprising. Power is not relinquished easily or in one election cycle. In that context, voting for Clinton may be disappointing, but is not a betrayal. It is not delusional. It is not an endorsement. It is smart and strategic because the risks of Trump getting elected are simply far too great.
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I am astonished about this characterization of Hillary. I supported Bernie, and I agree that we need to have an immediate progressive opposition, but I read this and feel as if I am living in some alternative universe.
Hillary has NEVER fought for us? I am sorry, but her entire life has been spent trying to make this country better for vulnerable people. I don’t agree with how she always went about it, but your accusations that it was ALL self-serving is disgusting. This kind of characterization — picked up by independents — is why Trump has an excellent chance of winning.
She is far from perfect and I prefer Bernie. But I do not understand how you can think so little of Hillary.
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^^I should clarify that yes, Hillary has also fought for things that were about Wall Street donors. But that has never been all that she fought for.
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^^just re-read, and obviously that was a typo saying I supported Trump. I meant Bernie! And no, that wasn’t a freudian slip – if you have read my rabid anti-Trump posts you will know how much he scares me.
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You’re right, NYC parent, she fought hard for NAFTA, welfare “reform”, “three strikes” and the repeal of Glass-Steagall. All of those have immensely benefited vulnerable people.
Oh, wait….
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First of all, I did not say she ONLY fought for the things that helped vulnerable people.
I see Hillary as I see President Obama, who I have been bitterly disappointed with. I think Obama handed over the DOE to billionaire reformers just like Bush/Cheney handed over the Environment to corporations and the mining industries.
But is your contention that 8 years of Obama was no difference than 8 more years of Bush/Cheney or their successors? I often agree with you, but I find that to be ridiculous.
Hillary is just more of Obama, with the promise that maybe she will be better on education. And Trump makes Bush look like a reasonable man, and that scares me the most!
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Hillary has always supported children. It is our obligation to nudge her towards understanding the harm that charters have caused to children and public education.
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ira: this seems to me to be spot on (I wish I could have said it as well myself). Hillary’s election in November (if we are fortunate enough to get that result) WILL return us to the neo-liberal status quo — UNLESS progressives are prepared to follow up immediately and consistently after the election with a call for change. Change to the way elections are financed; changes to the way the DNC runs itself, and changes to substantive policies regarding Wall Street, education, trade, jobs creation, taxation, environmental regulation, and a host of other issues.
This election is merely a means of preserving the best possible (or least bad of two alternative) field on which to continue this effort. But the time, money and energy of progressives will be wholly dissipated in fighting other and worse problems, if Trump is elected.
The down ballot elections also matter hugely — not just at the federal level but at state and local levels. Some states are so badly gerrymandered at this point that there may be little they can do for a decade or so. But others can be influenced by putting more progressives into office to begin to change the tendencies toward corporate oligarchy that are currently taking hold in state legislatures.
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“UNLESS progressives are prepared to follow up immediately and consistently after the election with a call for change”
We’ve been calling, loudly and repeatedly, for change for many, many years now. We have been ignored and ridiculed. What motivation do Hillary and/or the DNC have to heed our calls if our standard response every election season is, well, I don’t like [fill in the blank Democratic candidate], but s/he’s better than [fill in the blank Republican], so I have to vote for her/him? If they know they have our vote no matter how hard they kick us in the teeth, why would they ever change? And what’s our recourse? Uh, okay, well, I’ll still vote for you, but I’ll hold my nose while I do it – take that!
Sorry, I’ve seen this movie too many times before and I don’t like the ending I see, especially for my kids down the line. Trump will probably be worse in the short run, but maybe that will give Americans the motivation they need to turn off The Bachelorette and get out in the streets where they need to be. I guess things don’t hurt badly enough yet if you can draw 100 times more people to a Pokemon Go event than to a protest to save our schools.
Please note, as I’ve said about a million times, no, I’m not voting for Trump. But I’m not voting for Hillary just because of Trump.
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Progressives will have to keep the heat on in order to pressure for change. Bernie promised to continue to build his “revolution.” He and his supporters will be watching Hillary carefully. Democrats cannot afford to alienate his base, or it may unleash a third party which would cripple the Democrats.
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NYC public school parent:
I’d like to know of some of these accomplishments of hers, because I have heard nothing about how she has tried to make life better for vulnerable people. I don’t believe she has made life better for regular people either.
I think so little of her because anyone else who committed such crimes involving email would have been fired. She’s being rewarded.
If you didn’t believe the dice were loaded, this is clearly evidence.
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Too many readers have imbibed GOP hate-Hillary propaganda
Do you trust Trump to care about anyone but himself and his own family?
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When she came in as First Lady, she wanted to reform health insurance. It was a genuine desire because she believed our system was flawed and for years there was talk and no action.
I know it got screwed up and maybe she got burned. But I saw that unfold and I don’t believe for a second she did it for the 1% or some personal gain.
Yes, she has been way too friendly to her big donors and their Wall Street ideas. I prefer Bernie because he wasn’t afraid and Clinton is way too cautious — I feel as if that whole health care debacle back in 1993 or 94 scared her too much. But I don’t think she wants the oligarchs to win. I do think she cares. And I don’t think that she values her own power above all. I think she wants to make this country better and sometimes makes bad compromises.
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I don’t think either candidate will do anything but enrich themselves or their buddies if elected. They’re two peas in a pod.
Death by drowning or death by suffocation are our choices, and that makes me angry.
Look at all the smart, innovative, honest, and industrious people we have in this country.
Is this really the best we can do?
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^^^”crimes involving e-mail”? Really? I truly don’t understand what you mean. You actually think Hillary was selling out American interests to get rich? And that is why she used a personal server? There is absolutely no evidence of that.
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“I don’t think either candidate will do anything but enrich themselves or their buddies if elected. They’re two peas in a pod.”
This is the kind of statement that makes me mourn for the future of this country. If voters are not able to see any difference between Trump and Clinton, why would we ever trust them to eventually vote for a candidate who will make things better?
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I don’t hate Hilary and I am not parroting the GOP hate speech.
I work for the federal government.
On the first day of work, I signed a bunch of paperwork. One of them was about not putting government stuff on personal devices. It is one of the few immediate firing offenses.
Yet we see that she gets away with it.
None of them have our best interests at heart. They only do when it is concurrent with their best interest.
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Tina,
That matter of the server was thoroughly investigated by the FBI. The judgment was that it was not a criminal offense. I wouldn’t say she “got away with it.” Donald Trump will use that against her every day for the next three months.
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The FBI recommended against criminal prosecution, but they’re report certainly did not exonerate Clinton. In fact, it showed that she knowingly, uh, didn’t tell the whole truth about what she had on her private server and the classification of said emails.
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ay, ay, ay, bad spelling day. “Their”, not “they’re”.
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I didn’t say it was criminal…I said it was a firing offense. Mrs. Clinton did not get fired.
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She “didn’t tell the truth” because she didn’t realize that among the 20,000 e-mails there were 5 that had been mis-classified as secret?
Can one of you Hillary haters explain your theory of what happened? Hillary said “send me any classified e-mails you want because I want to use my own server”?
Hillary said “send e-mails only to my server because there’s lots of talk about how I am twisting the arms of terrible dictators to donate tens of millions to the Clinton Library in return for me making sure the US government is doing their bidding?”
The FBI said there was carelessness in using that server. Very little carelessness as far as I can tell — it sure seemed as if the state dept. made every effort NOT to send classified material there or there should have been lots more than 5 that had no actual secrets in them.
Can one of you explain? Hillary was so corrupt that she was selling the state dept to the highest bidder and that’s why she had to keep it on her sever?
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NYC – have you read the FBI report and/or the IG report? They do *not* exonerate Hillary. They clearly show that she did what she did knowingly and intentionally and against protocol and advice. Just because they chose not to prosecute does not mean she is blameless. As Tina pointed out, at the very least it was clearly a fire-able offense. Why do we want to elect someone to POTUS who should have been fired from the State Department? (And please don’t say, because Trump. That dog don’t hunt.)
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Dienne,
Please. Enough.
Be sure to welcome President Trump, who is currently fending off hundreds of lawsuits from people who say they were defrauded.
Clinton or Trump will be elected in November.
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“Enough”? Am I being told to shut up and go stand in the corner? If anyone can tell me what I’ve said about Hillary that is wrong, I will gladly retract it. But her record is clear and I’ve done my homework. I cannot and will not vote for the so-called “lesser” evil. You can if you want, but don’t badger me about my choice. The only reasons it’s between Hillary and Trump are (a) because the establishment engineered it that way and (b) you are all so deeply mired in neoliberal learned helplessness, There Is No Alternative propaganda that you don’t believe the people have a right to govern themselves – we have to take whatever least bad choice is being offered to us. As the saying goes, if you think you can’t do something, you’re right. So, congratulations, yes, you’re right that the choice is Hillary or Donald. Let me know if you ever get to the point where such a ridiculous forced choice upsets you enough to do something about it.
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Dienne…last year I refused to engage with you when you went on a personal rant here about Rafe Esquith, without knowing any facts other than what Eli Broad and the LA Times wanted the world to know.
It was worthless to try to interact with you then, for you kept saying you know more than lawyers like Mark Geragos, and certainly more than I do in the LA community, and more than anyone. Your rationale was that you worked for lawyers. When I asked if you are a lawyer (yes I finished law school before I chose academe) you said NO… but that you, in essence, know more than they do even though you work for them as a paralegal.
I have always respected your intelligent comments here, and have often agreed with you…but now you are out of line.
I have hesitated to bring this up, but you are once again sounding more and more as though you have the same grandiose opinion of yourself…and it sounds much like Trump. You are determined to get your way and your are insulting others. Hope that for such a smart woman, you stop this behavior and stay in the conversation, but with some grace and reflection. You let us in on your personal struggle yesterday, and I can understand that stress can undermine courtesy…but to insult Diane, and many others us is not a way to win your points.
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Ellen, do you have any idea how condescending this comment is? And I remember a lot of ranting by a lot of people here about the Esquith topic, chiefly by you. But not by Dienne.
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To both Michael P G and FLERP (whomever you are)….since you both decided play the role of Galahad, please feel free to contact me at
joiningforces4ed@aol.com
and we can discuss this. Not fair to the others to waste even more time and space, after all the endless and rather insulting diatribes here today. Seems the pots have decided to blacken the name of a kettle.
FYI….Dienne and I had personal back and forth last year about Esquith at our personal email addresses…..and I avoided engaging her a few weeks ago here when she again insisted on her auto de fe of him, without a trial or evidence. Yes, I do believe in waiting for a court trial before condemning someone who has been a stellar teacher.
And now the melody continues to linger on.
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Were you not aware of her efforts during Bill’s first term to make affordable health care available to more people?
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Oh the Washington post said it????? That changes everything. Smh.
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Mark…when you consider that the Washington Post is now owned by Jeff Bezos, billionaire owner of Amazon, and that they published a full page ad last week saying they would NEVER endorse Trump, it does indeed’ “change everything”….this is the second most read, most respected print media in the nation, and when they offer an article such as this one, it is being read worldwide.
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Ellen,
It does not change everything. The WaPo is influential in their eyes only. The internet has changed the information game. Their views/endorsements mean a lot less than they used to.
And if it’s being read “worldwide” – sorry, but the election is only for US citizens. Many of whom are smart enough to figure out the paper has morphed into Bezos’ personal mouthpiece.
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Ah, so…Matt…you are correct that the internet is the most read news source.
People world wide read our news media through this cyber source, and as I read the WP and the NYTimes, the Guardian, Haaretz, Al Jazeera, and others, daily online, so do many people in cyberspace.
They read about Trump’s threats to dropout of NATO, to nuke, to water board, to carpet bomb, their countries and their people, and they think according to many reports, that America could soon have a very dangerous isolationist billionaire Prez who will start the last WW.
My own articles on Gulen are read in Turkey, and I am a non entity in the media world…so you must understand that WP will be read from the US to Nepal, to Russia,etc. today. It is not Bezos that these foreign readers consider, but it is the perceived current American ethos that scares them…and rightly so.
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People living in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia must be terrified about the possibility of Trump being elected. The Russians will walk in and take over again. That’s the end of NATO. Trump has said it is a European problem, not ours, if the Russians choose to expand their borders. USSR?
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Where are Allen & John Foster Dulles and James Jesus Angleton when we need them? Seems like the Cold War is back and that Commie sympathizer Donald Trump is helping the Russians become the Soviet Union all over again. Will we have a new Rosenberg trial soon?
No chance that your thinking on all this comes from an overreliance on the New York Times propaga. . . er, reportage on that region? The left-wing sources I read tell a rather different story about such matters, and I don’t think it’s because they have any love for Vladimir Putin. Sometimes, the Boogie Men are actually better than the “freedom fighters” they’re trying to stop (not TOO much antisemitism informing things in the Ukraine, for instance). I’m no fan of Putin, but if you want war with the Russians, let’s go with Hillary’s plan for Syria and see how that plays out.
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“Hillary’s plan for Syria”???
You make a valid point about the Putin fear sounding a bit like Cold War rhetoric. Although I think the issue isn’t the fear of the US turning red but why Trump seems so in thrall to a very bad guy who seems to have no issue flattening his enemies via questionable means (or am I just falling for anti-Putin propaganda?) I agree that sometimes there is no good decision. But that’s the same reason I am sympathetic to all the possible missteps made by Clinton/Obama/Kerry in the middle east.
The impression I get is that Hillary is not talking about the US taking a unilateral step anywhere. Doesn’t she want to work with NATO?
The best and the brightest made some terrible decisions in 1960s Viet Nam. Then they doubled down on them. Did they make those decisions because they were corrupt? Would a Richard Nixon election in 1960 have been better for the country? Or worse?
We can’t know. All we can do is choose the better candidate. I trust Hillary Clinton 1,000,000x more than I trust Trump to conduct a foreign policy in the best interests of this country and this world. I realize there are no guarantees, but I strongly believe that any mistakes she makes will be because she thought she was doing the right thing — not because she is corrupt or a megalomaniac. And I don’t think the same about Trump.
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@ Michael Paul Goldenberg:
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/all-signs-point-to-russia-being-behind-the-dnc-hack
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I believe that there are very powerful forces in this country that will never allow a Trump presidency.
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I doubt that. Those powerful forces could not stop him from when the Republican nomination.
And leaving us with the first Tea Party President in Pence is just as scary.
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That force was sits in the White House . I can think of several actions .That Luke Obama could take to Improve her odds. One would include a pink slip at DOE , Another a ceremonial burning of 30 chapters and 2000 pages on Wednesday night .
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That force sits
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NYC
The stakes are much higher now that he is the official GOP candidate. I would bet the ranch that we will never see Trump in the White House. Come hell or high water, he will be stopped if he gets close. Just my gut.
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So Pence takes over?
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I refuse to and don’t live my life in fear.
I trust that this country can weather any presidency, hell we weathered 8 years of Georgie the Least. Trump can’t be any worse than that. I trust that our system can handle narcissistic con men, hell it handled Tricky Dick. Can Clinton be worse than him?
It has handled the assassinations of 4 presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy. I trust the checks and balances that are in place even though I don’t always agree with the outcomes.
I don’t vote out of fear, I vote for what I believe is in the best interests of this country and that right now is to break the stranglehold of the political duopoly. Therefore I vote 3rd party.
Were all the dissatisfied and more importantly those who feel disenfranchised voters to vote for what they believe in versus out of fear of the greater of two evils we’d be in a hell of a lot better shape as a country.
And as far as the polls go, for me anything under 15 points at this stage is close. Close races make a lot more money for those who gain from a protracted election season, i.e., the media and advertising agencies.
I will use my vote to vote my conscience and beliefs, not to stop anyone. And my conscience dictates that I vote with the long haul in mind so that we can eventually break the stranglehold that the two headed monster of oligarchical duopoly will be slayed and flayed. I will vote FOR something/someone not AGAINST something/someone just as I have since my first presidential vote. That means voting 3rd Party Green, for Jill Stein.
Personally I have my doubts that both the duopoly’s candidates will actually still be in the race come November.
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Duane…first of all you wrote that you are retired in a bucolic area of the country, so maybe nuclear fallout will not reach you. Second, I do understand you assertion re voting not from fear, but from conscience. Wish I could agree since you know how vociferous about Hillary I have been….however, with Trump already ahead in the polls, and with Nate Silver saying if the election was today, this maniac would win…I disagree with you.
Jill Stein could broaden her base by running next time as a Dem…as Bernie chose to do…and look at his amazing success. But right now, a vote for Stein (whom I deeply respect) is definitely a vote for Trump.
She still only has 3% of those polled. Enough to cause damage to the Dem, and also a win for Trump.
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Don’t agree with you at all, Ellen.
Amazing how politics make that happen, eh!
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As I said in my post, I refuse to live in fear!
This is what I am seeing so much of these days:
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Ellen Lubic, I wish you wouldn’t use the “nuclear fallout” words (unless you mean that figuratively, as in rounding up terrorist sympathizers is “nuclear”.)
Duane, I read your post and I realize where the (few) educational reformers who truly want change are coming from.
When you say that breaking “the stranglehold of the political duopoly” is what you believe is most important, because until that is done we can have no change, I hear echoes of what the educational reformers say. Maybe your post gives me a bit more perspective as to where they are coming from.
Educational reformers (aside from the ones seeking only self-interest) see the teachers’ union and entrenched interests the way you see the Democratic Party. They are so convinced the union is so irretrievably broken that no change can be made to make things better – it needs to be destroyed.
I think there are genuine reforms that could be made to public schools and there are some entrenched interests that prevent them. But I also believe those reforms can be made as long as we keep fighting.
Ironically, the Tea Party should tell you that keeping up the fight does work. They have been running candidates for a decade, starting with some who were a joke, and the Republican establishment fought them tooth and nail. And yet the Tea Party prevailed.
It feels sometimes as if the progressives always give up to soon. Bernie started a great movement that should continue on. You don’t need to do the dangerous thing and blow up an institution to reform it. That’s what some educational reformers think because they are taking an easy way out. I have always been frustrated at Democrats not sticking more to their guns and always taking the easy way out.
I think Bernie can be the beginning of a real progressive movement. Having Clinton as the Dem. Party nominee doesn’t affect that ability to continue this movement. But having a Trump Presidency could just as easily quash it as encourage it. And even if it does ultimately lead to a “new” stronger progressive party, at what price to vulnerable citizens?
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NYC Parent: Well stated.! The current political climate requires that we be pragmatic about our future. I hope the young people continue to revolt and protest for change, but I hope it can happen within the Democratic party. I prefer evolution to revolution. We have already experienced too much chaos and disruption in public education. Teachers need to get back to teaching as it is what our students need.
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NY Parent… I absolutely meant the words, “nuclear fallout”, and meant them literally. Between the US and Russian nuclear arsenals, there is enough nuclear material to blow up the planet…and with hostile Pakistan, and India, and No. Korea…and too many others who have nuclear capability, we cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend all is going well.
Idiot Trump has threatened repeatedly to unleash nuclear warfare…and with his threat/promise to drop out of NATO, and with his love affair with his longtime buddy Putin, you better believe him. Words Matter!!! If I lived in the Baltic region I would be terrified at the thought of a President Trump who has vast anger management problems and NO self control as we keep witnessing, plus being a political ignoramus.
Now as to Hillary…many of us here who are educators and have been writing on this blog since Diane did us the huge service of starting it over 4 years ago, and have supported Bernie. We recognize Hillary’s flaws, and we recognize that Bernie seems to represent us better.
However, HILLARY IS OUR ELECTED DEM CANDIDATE.
So now, rather than focusing on things which gave us pause in her history, it is OUR OWN BEST INTEREST to see that she is elected.
My hope is that Bernie will be nipping at her heels (with his 14 Million voter/supporters egging him on) to keep her focused on Left leaning promises she made…and with our help…he will help her stay on course. I think they will now be forced to be a permanent team, since Bernie has shown the world how many humane and smart progressives there are in America, and we are not about to shut up.
We need to seek more progressive candidates to run from top to bottom of the ticket…and we need to keep doing the $27 routine to finance their campaigns.
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If it’s nuclear war you’re worried about, I don’t recommend Hillary. She’s the one rattling Putin’s cage with talk of no fly zones in Syria and her meddling in Ukraine.
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Dienne…as a mother, grandmother of two little boys, and public policy specialist and lifetime educator…I am worried about a great deal in this dangerous world. The economy.. with so much debt and so much inequality, healthcare… which should be universal and single payer for all… like all other industrialized nations, public education …which most of us agree on, and yes, warfare leading to a nuclear disaster.
Today, in LA, our Chief of Police Beck was on CBS news encouraging our residents to all be on the lookout for any untoward and suspicious activity with people, packages, etc. and encouraging us to immediately report this (as is done in Israel). This is the world we are living in.
If you are not worried, Dienne and Duane, you must either be snoozing too much or be sipping a lot of alcohol.
My son works in a 20 story building in an area of LA that has often been called a prime target for ISIS dirty bombs (nuclear material, NYC parent)…or other mayhem. Today we hear of an elderly priest in France being stabbed to death and ISIS saying the murderer is one of their followers. Everyday we seem to hear reports of mayhem all over the world, with a surge by ISIS.
No need to belabor this…but suffice it to say…I feel safer with professional government officials who work with the military and with all aspects of knowledgeable people in and out of our administration before making tactical decisions……….than a maniac ego freak Prez who insists he hates advice from generals and is “the only who will make all the decisions to keep us safe”. His side kick tea party VP might suggest we pray to his god, Jesus…but only if we are straight, since he thinks all others are not fit to even use our bathroom. Two men really unfit to lead.
Hillary and Bill, at least, have worked a lifetime with all the most well educated and experienced minds all over the world.
Trump has never worked with more than mostly naked girls in beauty pageants. Do you really think Trump can get better info from Miss Brazil or Miss Russia, than Hillary can get from physicist Stephen Hawkings and economist Joe Stiglitz, etc.????
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Ellen Lubic: “If you are not worried, Dienne and Duane, you must either be snoozing too much or be sipping a lot of alcohol.”
That appears to be both unfounded and uncalled for.
You’re not the only person who takes things seriously, and those of us who don’t agree with you aren’t asleep or drunk. We simply see the world differently in many respects. Are you not slipping into Trump territory with the name-calling and character tearing-down? Ironic, don’t you think?
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huh? what? (rubbing eyes) time for a beer and another nap!
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If I may correct your statement, Ellen: “. . . have worked a lifetime with CONCEITED SNOBS WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES the most well educated and experienced minds all over the world.”
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Ellen
I would be a much happier camper if I thought Hillary would work with Stiglitz,Baker, Reich… you and I know that is a bit of fantasy.
As for Trump on foreign policy, he will delegate power to the same neo-cons that have been running the show . I was more frightened tonight by Albright’s portrayal of Russia . Dienne has a point there.
We do not want to rekindle the cold war over what would be perceived as National interests if roles were reversed. Nor would we look kindly to someone encroaching on one of our client states. We certainly have a long list of abhorrent dictators who we support . At the top of the list would be the terror supporting Saudis.
Jeffery Sachs certainly not unhinged has called for a complete rethink on foreign policy and Immigration in an article on Brexit. . Just as Bernie would not want to be in the same room with Trump on economic issues . I am sure that Sachs would tell Donald to take a hike on these issues . But there are similarities .
That said Trump is not qualified to be President , he probably is suffering from some personality disorder. But I see his greater threat to the American people as being that he will delegate economic policy to Pence and Ryan. It will devastate millions of Americans. It will crush most of the same people who are _____stupid enough to vote for him.
But the never Hillary people here are not Trump voters . My question is what can Hillary say to those Trump voters who don’t belong there . But have been driven there . Perhaps we can have Hillary lip-sink any of the above mentioned economists.
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Joel,
Who are “the never Hillary people here”?
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NYC public sch parent – Your 1:55 comment (to E Lubic) is well taken. It has only been in the last year of many reading comment threads at political articles that I have been struck by how similar the heart-felt verbiage is coming from both far-right and far-left commenters, and realized they are coming from the same emotional place. I completely agree that progressives need to take a page from the Tea Party playbook: start local, build a strong grass-roots organization, make ourselves heard with public demonstrations, begin electing representatives one by one, play for the long game.
For a long time now, progressives have been sitting in an ivory tower, casting condescending intellectual pot-shots down on the masses and their stupid game of ‘democracy’. I am so grateful to Bernie Sanders for encouraging progressives to engage in the political process.
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This is the same Washington Post that ran 16 negative stories on Bernie Sanders in 16 hours: http://fair.org/home/washington-post-ran-16-negative-stories-on-bernie-sanders-in-16-hours/
Bezos is clearly anti-Trump and has said so publicly. WaPo has been in Hillary’s pocket since the beginning. I am surprised anyone would take what they say seriously – WaPo now is simply an extension of Amazon/Bezos.
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as above…hate Bezos if you will, but WaPo carries great weight. Wish the NY Times and the LA Times had leadership that would denounce Trump.
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Matt,
Is everyone paid off who supports Hillary and not Trump?
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Diane,
Absolutely not. I’m sure there is corruption on both ends. If Trump could pay off the Washington Post, I’m sure he would!
Just pointing out the obvious that some people seemed to have missed – WaPo is not what it used to be.
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Matt
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the Washington Post is being run by Bezos or Bozos –or both.
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Ms. Ravitch, you understand what a proper education looks like, at least you did at one point in your career. In your book, “A Century of Failed Education Reforms,” you wrote that an academic education, not utilitarian, was “the ladder out of the gutter to the university:”
Behind this consensus was an implicit understanding that access to education was a democratic right, and the role of the school in a democratic society was to provide not just the three R’s but access to the knowledge and thinking power necessary for every citizen.
The promise of liberal education was that all children would study the same knowledge that had once been available only to elites: literature, mathematics, grammar, geography, and Latin. Unlike Europe, which was burdened with rigid class barriers, in America it was believed that the public school could enable any youngster to rise above the most humble origins and make good on the nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all.”[1]
[1] Ravitch, Diane. Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
If at all possible, could you explain how Hilary’s record indicate she would do anything to promote such a philosophy in the classroom today?
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To MPG:
I do not know your profession, and your family members’ professions in order to give you an accurate picture how weasels with legal system on their side and they harass you or implant evidences to get rid of you. For instance, there are a conscientious teacher like Rafe Esquith in LAUSD and many others.
It is okay if you do not understand the implication in business tycoons who can commit treason and nothing can affect them, because they control legal system at the highest Supreme Court justice level.
They damage environment, destroy national economy, and bully in rental control, medical insurance and OUTSOURCE public services. People suffer and quietly die in the dark = jail cell.
Please see prisoners of war in fascism and Communism. Americans will soon experience with greedy ruling class without conscience. Could you understand all stories from survivors according to documentary? Back2basic
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Thom Hartmann is not in Bezos’s pocket, he’s not friends with Eli Broad and Thom has been a Bernie supporter from many years ago. One of the regular segments on his show has been Lunch With Bernie on Fridays. He’s a good progressive and he has said pretty much the same things that are in this WP op ed. Yes, the WP is corporate media but by accident or whatever it has stated the truth. But please feel free to label me as a Thom Hartmann drone. By the way, Thom condemns charter schools and school privatization.
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Thank you Joe for being a voice of calm and studied reason all through this. Your comments are always so worthwhile. I too have been a long time admirer of Thom Hartmann…and in years past, when he spoke at my program at the university, prevailed upon him to run for office. He thought I was nuts but he is exactly the sort of person I would love to see run for office. These are the people who we could really support as we have supported Bernie..
Joe, you and Arthur, and Ira, and Laura, and Left Coast teacher, and Geronimo, and retired teacher, and others I am forgetting, keep me hopeful about both education and about our nation. Just knowing how many great colleagues are in cyberspace is comforting in these tough contentious times.
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Seriously? A “unique” threat to our faux democracy? Would that it were so. We could all unite around Hillary and feel really good about doing so.
Why, then, are millions of us not so sanguine about an HRC presidency? And is Trump a bigger threat than was Sarah Palin, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Spiro Agnew, or Richard Nixon?
I want to hear someone say that with a straight face.
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Don’t worry. Four years from now we will have the re-elect Hillary because Ted Cruz (or whatever Republican nutjob nominee) will be THE BIGGEST THREAT TO DEMOCRACY EVER!!!
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@Dienne: exactly. I meant to add that point about Cruz, et al.
In 2008, the GOP and Teabillies lost their minds over Obama: virtually none of the bad (from their perspective) things they predicted happened, while lots that should have made them happy DID happen. They managed to spin the conservative/reactionary things into more Sky-Is-Falling nonsense; it didn’t get them back the White House in ’12, but they kept screaming and the sky still didn’t fall and they still didn’t EVER say a single good thing about him. Meanwhile, a lot of us on the left who supported him came to realize we got taken in and sold a bill of goods. Ain’t happening this time, particularly as Hillary isn’t even pretending to be progressive other than calling herself one, a move that merely seems to assure moderates and pseudo-liberals.
So this year’s ploy from the DNC is to sell Trump as Barry Goldwater reborn coupled with the 2nd coming of George Wallace. Anyone not quite convinced besides me? Well, only millions.
But I see we’re being told that we must live in rural America if we’re not afraid of World War Trump. Is it supposed to start the day of his inauguration or perhaps sometime in February 2017? And, of course, there is NO CHANCE that Hillary Clinton, a proven warmonger, might start a war here and there? Besides, we’ve been told all week that Donald Trump is in business with Vladimir Putin. So that would SEEM to take Russia off the table as a war opponent under Trump, no? Hillary wants to bomb Syria, a direct provocation of Russia, but NO CHANCE that we’d see nuclear bombs after that move, I guess. . .
Chicken Little is the right model for all too many Democrats and Republicans and Teabillies these days. I doubt that anyone in power here or likely to be in power plans to drop nuclear weapons or provoke other nuclear countries to do so. If there is a nuclear strike, the odds are that it will be by terrorists, whether state-sponsored or not. Despite the 3 AM phone call ad Hillary ran in ’08, I didn’t feel in danger of being vaporized under Obama, nor would I under Trump. We weren’t safer under LBJ than we would have been under Barry Goldwater: we may, in fact, have been far less safe; certainly the thousands of dead, ruined, and MIA US troops were less safe with Johnson.
You want to be safe, Cowardcrats and Dumblicans? Elect Bernie Sanders. Tulsi Gabbard has spoken eloquently on this point (heard her do it live at U of Michigan on March 6th when she introduced him to an arena of wildly enthusiastic thousands). Don’t fall for the Hill-Shill/Trump-bilge fear-and-hate-filled rhetorical nonsense. Another four to eight years of Corpocrats is a guarantee of more American exceptionalism, whether Brand D or Brand R, and the only people who will be safer and better off don’t give a flying fart about us.
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Arg. I mean, “have to”, not “have the”.
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I will say with a straight face that Donald Trump is a bigger threat to our nation and the world than any of those you named.
He supports nuclear proliferation, breaking up NATO, Citizens United, and ending gun control.
He will appoint a Supreme Court that will eliminate reproductive rights, gay rights, and any regulation of corporations.
He thinks climate change is a hoax.
Richard Nixon is a close runner-up because of his disregard of the Constitution, as is George W. Bush for plunging the entire Middle East into chaos.
But Trump is still the greatest danger to our nation and to the world because of his ignorance of the Constitution, of domestic policy, of foreign policy, and his certainty that he is The One to Fix It All. He listens to himself, and as he once said, he gets his military advice by watching talk shows on TV.
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Dienne, you make a good point.
In 4 years, if Ted Cruz was running, I would also be terrified. And I don’t know if I am more frightened of a Donald Trump Presidency — because I truly believe he is a narcissist sociopath who will do whatever is best for himself personally — or a Pence presidency, because Pence is a true believe in all the things that I find so terrifying.
I would say that I don’t like the idea that progressives take their ball and go home if they don’t “win”. Bernie knows that. He isn’t caving because he has no moral compass. He is supporting Hillary because he knows it is better than the alternative — even for progressives — and he plans to fight hard for another day. Not blow up the party with no regard for how the most vulnerable Americans are collateral damage. Bernie CARES about those most vulnerable Americans.
That’s why I am voting for Hillary. And will start fighting the good fight for a progressive agenda Jan. 21.
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Michael Paul Goldenberg
July 26, 2016 at 1:57 pm
“Hillary Clinton, a proven warmonger”
This is the kind of rhetoric I despise both when it comes from Trump or the people in the educational reform business. Fine to criticize Hillary. But really? “A proven warmonger”?
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@NYC psp: what would convince you that HRC is a war-monger? I just go by her voting record in Congress, her actions as Secretary of State, her positions in debates, her comments in interviews, her likely pick for key positions in foreign policy according to her own campaign and THEIR statements about Syria, her consistent pandering to the Netanyahu government of Israel (see this year’s AIPAC address): you know, facts.
What do you use to support the claim that the words “proven war-monger” are misapplied to Sec. Clinton?
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“we’ve been told all week that Donald Trump is in business with Vladimir Putin. So that would SEEM to take Russia off the table as a war opponent under Trump, no? ”
Well, maybe Putin and Trump plan to corner the non-irradiated land market ( in northern Siberia?) and make a killing ….after they have made a killing.
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Nixon is a piker by current standards.
And gone entirely are the days when illegal activities by those at the top of the food pyramid were actually prosecuted.
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NYC Parent – so have you read HARD CHOICES yet? The hard cover version, before Clinton edited out her boasting about Honduras and toned down her boasting about Libya? Like MPG asks, what would it take to convince you if her own words don’t?
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I should say Nixon was a piker with regard to threatening our democracy.
He was certainly not a piker when it came to dropping bombs on poor people in third world countries.
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Setting up hypothetical situations is fine for a soap opera, but life in America is presenting citizens with a real life drama and a unique dilemma.
Of the two candidates, one. Hillary, is a Yale lawyer who was First Lady of the US, then a Senator, then Secretary of State. She has shown amazing inner strength to hang in while undergoing microscopic invasion of privacy over almost everything from her private life to her many professional actions. And she still managed to be chosen by the voters to be the Dem Candidate for Prez.
The other, Trump, actually made a fortune as a huckster (e.g.Trump University, daughter Ivanka actually sold thousands of her pink dress that she modeled last week when introducing her father, while saying at the Rep convention that she loves him)… and as a TV reality show performer who is famous mainly for saying the two words, “you’re fired”.
However in real life, he collapses and sounds off with tweets and insults at any little thing that makes him feel threatened. What happens when No. Korea sets off another nuclear weapon? Will he tweet that their leader has uglier hair than his? Will he immediately, without consulting anyone, pick up the red phone and insert the code to wipe them off the face of the earth?
And then there is Jill Stein…a good speaker, seems and intelligent and humane woman, but has never participated in real government. A nonentity in this political climate.
Yes, I have had my issues with the Clintons since their foray into the WH, but given today’s world, I CHOOSE HILLARY…but I will watch her closely and I will join with other Bernie supporters to shout out my opinions.
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To MPG:
Please tell me with a straight face that you have solution to deal with billionaire men and women club IF Supreme Court Judges are with them.
I am really interested to know how you react when you and your spouse and children are wrongly accused by someone who just want to harm you regardless of reason.
Would you call Trump-buster to bail you out? Oh, it is tough luck someone is the weasel who controls Supreme Court. Ouch!
I assume that you are conscientious, talent person and you treasure your rights and people’s rights. Back2basic
(For example: Maybe, it is your children are very talented and have a promotion that someone’s children also want it)
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#m4pot2: Sorry, but I can’t fathom either your statements or questions sufficiently to offer a coherent reply. If you want a serious response, you’ll have to make your intent or inquiries in a way I can understand. Otherwise, don’t think I’m ignoring or avoiding your comment: I’m simply unable to comprehend it.
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I truly am amazed that anyone would vote for a pathological liar and someone that has sat on the coat tails. Abused woman who were sexually assaulted by her husband. Took money from countries with the worst human rights records. How has she helped people in need. Prove it to me with solid facts. Left alone to speak with out assistant and she falls on her face. The facts only the facts
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“abused women who were sexually assaulted by her husband”
Obviously you don’t need any proof at all for your attacks. You are just as certain as Donald Trump is certain that Obama wasn’t born in the USA.
Since nothing I say will dissuade you of your certainty that Bill Clinton has raped many women, I will leave you with this: if you represent how the majority of American voters think, then I will not be surprised when Donald Trump wins. I hope you do not.
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Accusing Bill Clinton (or Jack Kennedy, for that matter) of raping or “sexually assaulting” women crosses a line I’m not personally willing to traverse.
Stating that they were philanderers on a serial level, however, is almost impossible for anyone to deny. I don’t think even Hillary has the temerity to claim that Bill didn’t have sex with a lot of women not named Hillary Clinton after they were married. What she would do is deflect the question. It would probably turn out that Vladimir Putin was behind every one of those women who raped poor Billy.
But let’s be frank here, shall we: it’s simply not possible to offer ANY sort of criticism of Hillary Clinton that won’t be deflected, denied, spun, ignored, or turned into something about the person who raises the issue or the source or the vast right wing conspiracy or sexism or racism (after all, Bill WAS the first black president. . . ) or misogyny or fear of a strong woman with power or Putin did it or Bernie Sanders should show his tax returns or ANYTHING but an honest conversation about Hillary Clinton’s actual track record from her days at the Rose Law firm and her service on the board of Wal-Mart, to the governor’s mansion in Little Rock, eight years on Pennsylvania Ave., a term or so as NY’s US senator, her failed run for POTUS in ’08 and the positions she took then against Obama (e.g., ‘my upstate, gun-toting constituents are good people who must have the right to all the guns they could ever possibly want’ [not a direct quotation, but try viewing the debate tapes from ’08]), her days making Henry Kissinger proud as our Secretary of State, her mysterious Wall Street pep talks that we’ve still not been allowed to read, and through the debates and machinations of this primary season: the woman is an uncanonized saint, it turns out, and those who won’t acknowledge it are just “haters.”
And if that doesn’t work, there’s the DONALDTRUMPMONSTER who’ll getcha if you don’t watch out.
Call me a misogynistic, woman-fearing, Trump-loving, racist bully, but I’m not voting for her.
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joanne: Therefore you will be voting for which candidate? You think Trump has such a great record with women and women’s issues?
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Trump on Roger Ailes: Trump continued: “It’s very sad. Because he’s a very good person. I’ve always found him to be just a very, very good person. And by the way, a very, very talented person. Look what he’s done. So I feel very badly.” [for Ailes, NOT the women]
Trump also praises Alex Jones, tin foil king of the USA. Trump has appeared on the Alex Jones show and praised him!!!!!!!!!!! Trump said to Alex, “I will not let you down.” Geezus, what does it take.
Trump is far worse than Hillary.
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Michael Paul Goldenberg,
First, thank you for acknowledging joanne crossed a line that unfortunately we are going to see crossed all the time in the next few months. It’s been crossed since 1992 over and over again.
Bill Clinton is a philanderer. When he and Hillary sat down for 60 minutes he admitted it. He did not stay true to his marriage vows. What he denied is having a 12 year sexual relationship with Gennifer Flowers as she claimed which I suspect is true. I suppose you can parse the definition of 12 year sexual relationship (does it count as “12-year relationship” if Clinton had sex with her once before he married Hillary and once more 12 years later?) Despite their power difference, it is outrageous to think that Clinton somehow pressured or fooled Monica Lewinsky to have sex. That doesn’t make it right, but he just didn’t seem like he was putting pressure on her — more like he was trying not to give in to his strong temptations and lack of any self-control when it came to women).
Does my posting the above mean that I think Hillary Clinton is beyond criticism? No! Criticize her policy choices all you want — I will very likely agree with much of your criticisms. I want to keep pressure on her to be more progressive and choose progressive cabinet members if she wins. Characterizing people who are telling you that she is not entirely corrupt and only interested in pleasing whoever pays her top dollar as thinking she is Saint Hillary is unworthy of you.
I think we both agree that Hillary Clinton is far more conservative than Bernie. I think we disagree in whether she is entirely corrupt or just a typical politician with some wrong headed ideas like Barack Obama. Some of her ideas are more wrong headed than Obama’s and some better. She doesn’t mind making a buck or taking a million for a speech if someone will pay her. But is that her primary reason for being in politics? I think Hillary wants to make the country better and not just because she thinks she will be rewarded. She is far from flawless, but I don’t think Bernie is a saint either and I voted for him. People are flawed. All of them. But some people have a moral compass and some don’t seem to. I know you think Hillary doesn’t have one but I just don’t understand what convinces you of that.
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To joanne:
Is your major in political science or in economy? You sound like a “child talk.”
Could you prove that Dr. Stein or Johnson, with solid facts, have substantial experiences in both domestic and foreign policies in favors to commoners?
Could Dr. Stein keep a peace within a small unit like a harmonious marriage with or without a conflict? Could you imagine that if Dr. Stein is in Hillary’s position, Monica could be seriously damaged in fame and fortune (not just a slap in a face), and her ex-husband would be…(not speculate!)
Being as women, please assess your emotion, intelligence and patience in order to appreciate and admire Secretary Hillary Clinton.
I am old enough and have been through many unpleasant and dangerous set-up to kill me at work because of people’s jealousy.
This Presidential election is the “ultimate” STOP to all weasels who abuse their fortune to destroy conscientious people.
If people want to IMPRISON or to break up all shady business tycoons. NOW, it is your chance to listen to your conscience and wisdom of leaders who has 40+ years experiences in politics (Senator Bernie) and in education (Dr. Ravitch). Back2basic
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To all Bernie Supporters:
Please trust your intuition about Bernie’s years in political experiences from being Mayor, Congressman, Senator, and honorable Presidential candidate with money fundraising from all working class people.
You love (=admire and agree to support with heart and logical mind) Bernie, his principle, his ideology and his political experience.
I love Dr. Ravitch (=admire and agree to support with heart and logical mind), her principle, her wisdom, and her profound care for the well being of American Public Education, American educators, American young learners.
Here is our idol’s important message to us:
[start quote]
We become stronger when black and white, Latino, Asian-American, Native American — all of us –STAND TOGETHER. Yes. We become stronger when men and women, young and old, gay and straight, native born and immigrant FIGHT TO CREATE the kind of country we all know WE CAN BECOME.
[end quote]
Please put your doubt away, please come together to DEFEAT a cancerous
[…Citizens United, one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in the history of our country. That decision allows the wealthiest people in America, like the billionaire Koch brothers, to spend hundreds of millions of dollars buying elections and, in the process, undermine American democracy.(From Bernie’s speech at DNC) ]
Senator Bernie gives his supporters all reasons why he is honor to support Hillary:
1) Hillary Clinton will nominate justices to the Supreme Court who are prepared to overturn Citizens United and end the movement toward oligarchy in this country.
2) This campaign is about moving the United States toward universal health care
3) she wants to see millions more Americans gain access to primary health care, dental care, mental health counseling and low-cost prescription drugs through a major expansion of community health centers.
4) the leadership we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform and repair a broken criminal justice system.
5) the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party. Among many other strong provisions, the Democratic Party now calls for BREAKING UP:
A) the major financial institutions on Wall Street, and
B) the passage of a 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act.
It also calls for strong opposition to job-killing free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
6) I have known Hillary Clinton for 25 years. I remember her as a great first lady who broke precedent in terms of the role that a first lady was supposed to play as she helped lead the fight for universal health care.
I served with her in the United States Senate and know her as a FIERCE ADVOCATE for the rights of children.
7) Our job now is to see that platform implemented by a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House and a Hillary Clinton presidency —
and I am going to do everything I can to make that happen.
8) Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president and I am proud to stand with her here tonight.
Please remember that we cannot shake off dirt (= weasels) out of sandwich (= society).
However, we can, yes we can ELIMINATE poop (= tycoon with billions dollars to destroy our democracy BY SUPREME COURT JUDGE to imprison them and to BREAK UP their gangs in banking industries, pharmaceutical scheme, food poison corporate GMO, and healthcare insurance sheme, rental control and living wage…) from sandwich (=community of all conscientious educators, workers and students)
The odor will fade away ONLY IF we all listen to the wisdom of leaders whom we love.
Please people come together to show your support and truly understand the CRITICALLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE of AMERICAN SUPREME COURT POWER if it falls into the hand of WEALTHY FAMILIES or individual like Peter Thiel = THERE WILL NEVER BE THIRD OR SECOND MAJOR PARTY = only scarecrow and mouthpiece opposite leaders, because all the true opposite leaders will be in jail or assassinated by zombies = KKK supporters
If you love, respect and trust Senator Bernie’s wisdom and Dr. Ravitch’s wisdom, please do a big favor for our children and grandchildren in a solid unity of voting Secretary Hillary of a Democrat party to have the SUPREME COURT JUDGES in people power.
My love and salute go to all of conscientious Americans in this November 2016 Presidential Election, because the world peace is in your vote. Back2basic
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It’s not about Bernie. It’s about what he started. I’m sorry that he decided to stick with his original promise rather than grow with his own movement. He had his reasons I suppose. But I have mine and Bernie is not my leader or my hero, although I still respect him.
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It’s interesting that Sanders always said in his speeches that the revolution was not about him.
He was right.
Which makes it very ironic that he his now trying to get people to follow him (and be quiet at the convention!) back in line when he has been leading them out of that line for the past year.
Despite his speeches, I think he still has a hard time seeing that he created something much bigger than himself — and that it will be very difficult (if not impossible) to put the genie back in the bottle at this point.
That’s a good thing, in my opinion.
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Bernie never expected to be anyone’s “leader and hero”. He wants what is best for this country.
What is sad is that his supporters cannot see that retreating temporarily to fight another day is very very different than a suicide mission. Bernie doesn’t care about the Democratic Party — he cares about THIS COUNTRY. He has no intention of stopping the fight but he knows in order to have the fight, you need a democracy, not an oligarchy. A revolution sounds nice until you read some history or look around the world to see how many people get killed. And most frequently the “winner” of that revolution ends up being a ruthless dictator instead.
I still believe change can come within the Democratic Party if the people who followed Bernie had half the patience of the Tea Partiers and keep the fight going instead of tearing down the house. They are playing a dangerous game because the end result is as likely to be a repressive strong man as it is the progressive country they hope. And the fact that people are going to roll the die after ONE election defeat? That scares me more than anything. No wonder the progressives can’t seem to make any traction in this country. Stand and fight. Don’t tear it down. You lost ONE election and not by a lot and with little resources. Imagine what the future can being if we keep fighting instead of tearing down.
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There is a Yuge difference between not getting back in line and refusing to be quiet like good little boys and girls and “tearing things down.”
But I suspect you actually know that.
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Who said you had to “get back in line and be quiet”? I am thrilled there is a vocal progressive movement.
Will a Trump Presidency “tear down” our democratic institutions? I don’t know. I’m not willing to roll the dice.
How many African-American mothers of teenage sons and Muslim-Americans are willing to “roll the dice” after seeing the kind of hatred spewed at the Republican convention?
I guess if you aren’t all that worried that Trump’s policies will affect you, it’s not a big deal. Let him win and (ideally) destroy the party with overreach. No doubt some of the people who elected Hitler thought that.
And yes, I’m sorry for the Hitler analogy. But we are talking about electing a demagogue who cares nothing for democracy and has spewed hateful untruths about the “other” (minorities, Muslims). If I was one of those other, I would be terrified at his election. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s condescending of me to assume that those “others” that Trump demonizes wouldn’t feel as you do and agree that Hillary doesn’t really care about anything but herself and hopefully Trump’s election will lead to a better candidate next time. Is that what you believe? Do you tell them don’t worry, Trump won’t be able to really do anything and he doesn’t really mean those hateful things he says?
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“get back in line and be quiet” is effectively what Sanders told his supporters at the convention: keep the protests off the convention floor.
And you have no clue what I believe (or don’t believe) am worried about or am not worried about, so you may want to quit speculating — as much as you clearly love to do it.
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Over a period of time, I have become so fond of you dear Back 2 Basic. You are a good mediator and a peace maker. So glad you posted Bernie’s own words here, that he spoke on an hour ago. Thank you for your comments.
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You really think Bernie’s telling supporters not to disrupt the convention is telling them to get back in line and be quiet?
I am sorry for my tendency to speculate about what people believe in my writing. I will try to put it in a different way.
I think it is terrible for anyone who is not a member of any of the minority or religious groups that Trump demonizes and the kind of “wink wink nudge nudge” encouragement he is giving to some of the most hate-filled supporters to act as if a Trump election is just business as usual in this country. No need to worry as “this too shall pass”.
I saw a picture of Hillary tonight that some people seem to think doesn’t exist. A young woman with ideals who tried to help people. Yes, tonight showed her at her best, and yes, she has sold out to many interests, but never with the kind of “I don’t care, I just want mine” characterization some posters on here believe is all that she is.
To say that it’s worth taking a risk on someone spewing the dishonest and hate that I saw at the Republican convention because she is far from perfect is a luxury that is easier for someone who isn’t one of the groups Trump doesn’t mind demonizing if it helps him “make the sale” to the American people.
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To whoever still do not understand the critical implication of Supreme Court Judge power in America.
Please see Russia, Germany, China and Viet Nam in their revolutions. Most of all, please take a look in Turkey. There will never be a MEANINGFUL second or third party EXISTING FOR gullible educated dreamers.
If you love, respect and trust Senator Bernie’s wisdom and Dr. Ravitch’s wisdom, please do a big favor for our children and grandchildren in a solid unity of voting Secretary Hillary of a Democrat party to have the SUPREME COURT JUDGES in people power.
My love and salute go to all of conscientious Americans in this November 2016 Presidential Election, because the world peace is in your vote. Back2basic
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Read the written transcript and watch Trump’s videos without the sound.
You do not need to be special ed expert to see that something is wrong with the way Trump processes questions and thinks. He seems to have a thought disorder that leads to excessive repetition of the same point with one or more self-aggrandizing phrases I have yet to see any ability to sustain a train of thought.
Then there is the coat-tail effect that his election is likely to produce. Here is the example;
Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke announced his US Senate campaign Friday in Louisiana, promising to defend the rights of European Americans.
“Thousands of special interest groups stand up for African-Americans, Mexican Americans, Jewish Americans, etc.,” he said in a YouTube video. “The fact is that European Americans need at least one man in the United States, one man in Congress, who will defend their rights and heritage.”
Duke, a former Republican state representative and convicted felon, said his emphasis on the rights of European Americans is what distinguishes him.
“The New York Times admitted that my platform became the GOP mainstream and propelled Republican control of Congress,” he said. “I’m overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve championed for years. My slogan remains ‘America First.’ Source http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/22/politics/david-duke-senate-race/
I will vote for Hillary.
I think Trump has a shot at winning.There is big money and big FOX news and allies attacking her candidacy. She is certainly less than an ideal candidate but the prospect of Trump as presidennt scares the pee-wadding out of me. (That is deep southern expression for a lady who can be so stressed she might pee).
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I am with you. The prospect of a Trump presidency is too overwhelming to accept. While Hillary may not be an ideal, she is the only real chance we have to stop a divisive demagogue. The world is a dangerous place, and I would much rather trust Hillary to make a judgment call than Trump and Pence.
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And you don’t mind that Henry Kissinger has sung the praises of Sec. Clinton. . . which between him and David Duke has actually been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people, including many, many non-whites?
If we’re going to play the game you’re playing by pinning Duke on Trump. . . how far are you willing to take it? George Wallace was a southern Democrat. Bill & Hillary Clinton are southern Democrats. Arkansas was and remains a racist state. . . the Waltons own Arkansas. They may well own Bill & Hillary. . .
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Michael Paul Goldenberg,
No one will try to make you vote for Hillary.
Promise. You will vote for Stein or write in Bernie or not vote. That’s your right.
Now, please, as a favor, stop posting your hatred for Hillary on this blog. You made your point. We know you hate Hillary.
Please, enough is enough. If you continue to flood the blog with different versions of the same point (MPG will never vote for Hillary), I will insist on not more than two comments a day, unless you have something different to say.
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Dear Michael: while you and I disagree (on whether to support Hillary), your arguments have had a certain logic and consistency (like Duane’s). I don’t agree that they are right — but could — until now — follow how you get to your position, based on your assumptions and your stated values.
It is quite clear that the rise of David Duke correlates with Trump’s success with, and influence on the Republican Party. Mr. Duke says so himself.
Trying to tie Wallace and the Clintons together because both are Southern Democrats is just plain silly (and you are plainly smart enough and educated enough to know why things like the history of the Democratic party in the south over the last 50 or 60 years, etc. make the comparison invalid.
Perhaps you merely mean to be tongue in cheek, rather than otherwise — but if so, given the gravity of the debate we are having here, I would have preferred to know your real thoughts on the point Laura was making.
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#JEM: first, if you look at how I prefaced the Wallace/Clinton business, it should be clear that I was using it as a reductio example of where these things can go. It wasn’t a serious suggestion that Wallace’s views or actions lead to any conclusions about the Clintons. Hillary isn’t actually a Southerner, and she didn’t start out as a Democrat, either. Bill is a different sort of Southerner than George Wallace in many ways, though they both seemed to like the ladies. Nothing wrong with that, except when there is. . .
But my point was and remains that BLAMING David Duke’s latest blather on Trump is silly and cheap and convinces absolutely not one single person who was thinking about voting for Trump to now vote for Hillary or a single Berniecrat to vote for her on that basis, either. That’s all. Whether Duke crawled out from his latest swamp because “Trump inspired him” has nothing to do with the REALITY of Donald Trump or this election. Voting for Trump is a vote for David Duke only if you happen to be voting for Trump because you like David Duke and that’s what got you to vote for Trump, or if you gravitated to Duke, a previously unknown person to you, because of Trump. Reality is that Duke’s been around far longer than Trump has as a POLITICAL figure, and only the younger Trumpturds didn’t already know (and in some unknown number of cases approve of) Mr. Duke’s ‘ideas.’
This all comes pretty close to the other argument I am refuting and rejecting: that progressives who don’t vote for Hillary are just white-privileged self-centered jerks who don’t care about poor or ethnic minority people or women. Sorry, but that dog won’t hunt and neither does the one that tries to tie Duke around Trump’s neck. The latter neither invented nor would likely invite the political ideas of David Duke into his campaign. Maybe the DNC has paid Duke to shamble out of the swamp just to make Trump look worse than he already does to minorities and anti-racist whites. But most likely, Duke is just trying to kickstart once again his pathetic political career.
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Michael,
Did you see my message?
You are taking over the blog.
Please limit yourself to no more than two comments daily.
Please.
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Sorry, Diane. I wrote to you privately about this once I actually saw the first request. You might share that here or not. I won’t do so if you prefer that it remain private.
In any event, I expect to be banned in Blogston, so to speak, in short order. Guess I’ll have to start my own political blog to deal with the ensuing storm that will engulf us regardless fo who wins the Ugly Contest and ugly contest in November. There will be no dearth of things to scrutinize regardless of which unacceptable insider wins. Michael Moore and now Nate Silver say it will be Trump. Anyone know if Harold Stassen is on the ballot this year?
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Michael,
I don’t think anyone really knows for sure how many died in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia due to Kissinger/Nixon, but based on estimates I have seen, I’d have to say that “tens of thousands” is probably off by an order of magnitude or more.
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SDAMPoet, are you including only Americans? The low estimate of total deaths in the region caused by the war from ’54 to ’75 (that’s after the defeat and departure of the French following Dien Bien Phu) in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos is 1.45 MILLION people. That’s a lot of tens of thousands. The high estimate is 3.595 million.
I don’t think I misspoke. I was being really conservative. Like the US government at the time.
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yes, exceedingly conservative.
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when I said “off by an order of magnitude or more”, I meant too low by an order of magnitude or more.
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Oh, in that case, yes, but on purpose. I often think most Americans vastly underestimate how many people died in that disaster.
Then try giving the numbers on Soviet deaths at Stalingrad. We are so isolated from historical facts here.
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Getting back to Laura’s insghtful comments….I agree. Trump clearly has prefrontal lobe problems. He cannot control his rage nor his responses. He erupts and acts in haste without evaluating what the result of his tweet remarks will be. He seems not to understand that this careless and callow behavior remains in cyberspace forever.
He also does not have any Empathy, a vital human trait. He constantly shows himself to be an overblown, totally self involved, and very angry person. Often this is found in Aspergian and Autistic syndrome. Maybe there is this element as well…since someone here mentioned that he keeps repeating a phrase, a thought. His mental state is far from normal.
This cannot be just Adult ADD or ADHD.
It seems rather a lifetime condition now exacerbated by his aging. I have suspected that he is now is a stage of dementia where he has no mental cutoff ability, and thus does not care that he let’s the world seem him bully and demean those with physical challenges, those of other races, and anyone who stands in his way.
These are also the kinds of people he surrounds himself with…and seeing his sons also choose trophy model wives, in his words “a good piece of a.., shows the standard he set for his children. I was in shock today when I read that Yvanka had been hustling her clothing line as she spoke at the podium last week, and she has sold out the entire stock of her dresses.
Is this presidential behavior? As we learn more, I hope more rational choices are made by both disappointed Bernie supporters, and those who really think Trump is Big Daddy and can save their world.
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JEM,
“. . . your arguments have had a certain logic and consistency (like Duane’s)”
Smiley face!!
Thanks for the kind thought!!
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Politics brings out the worst in everyone. As long as people rely on the coercive power of government to bring about the changes they desire, people will continue to foster the worst in their fellow man.
We are social beings and we need government structures, but all politics are local. We do not need the federal government to bring about change. The federal government is dangerous. The Supreme Court, which only requires 5 to lay down the law of the land, has become the most divisive federal branch. It’s not an accident that both sides see it as the big prize of this election. The federal government only functions for the special interests.
The establishment is succeeding in getting you to fight for its survival. That makes sense because most of you believe in the coercive power of government. However, whether HRC is elected or not, the establishment has lost control.
There will be no sunny morning in America as long as the government serves the special interests over the basic interests of the American people.
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Right, let’s give up on coercive government power and just trust that people will do the right thing on their own. That’s always worked well. In fact, that’s the whole basis of deregulation that both Democrats and Republicans are so fond of. How’s that workin’ for ya?
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“That makes sense because most of you believe in the coercive power of government.” Quite an arrogant statement but I am glad that you alone have a monopoly on the truth.
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Dienne, I didn’t say not to have any government. You think deregulation is the problem, but their are tons of regulations. When no one in government is willing to enforce the regulations, you get 2008. A new Glass Steagall Act won’t help that problem.
Joe, I said “most” based on the statements in the hundreds of comments I have read. I guess I hit a nerve. You can hide behind your benevolent intentions, but in the end it is coercive government power that forces the change you want. My brother would not choose to pay 3 times what he used to pay for health insurance, but that is what the ACA said he had to do.
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FL teacher: I think most of the people here are intelligent thinking progressives but that they do have a disagreement, to say the least, about Hillary versus Trump. I agree, the ACA was a vast disappointment; I wanted single payer or Medicare for all. Thank God and FDR and LBJ for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The ACA needs lots of work, it was too much of a sell out to the insurance companies but at least 20 million more people have coverage.
We do need government to stand between us and the rapacious corporations that can buy politicians by the trainloads. And yes, we do have to be alert to government overreach and coercion. Government overreach is starting unnecessary wars on third world countries.
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I happen to be investigating Obamacare plans at the moment. So far, I have seen expensive plans with high deductibles. I was advised that my situation was so complicated that I should not try to fill out the forms on my own.
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Abigail: I am wondering (but not asking) how old you are. Only 1 person in my family has employer paid health care. (Another is on Medicare). Of the rest of us, I find that the younger ones can get reasonable coverage (deductibles, but not ridiculous ones, etc.). I am old enough that ACA health care is quite expensive. However I am fortunate to have been in the private market for a year before the ACA went into effect, and in my state at least — it was just as bad then. My health history is great — but now irrelevant, and frankly, the insurance industry wasn’t giving me any credit for it before ACA anyway — unless you want to count the fact that they agreed to insure me at high cost, as opposed to refusing to provide insurance at all, which is what happened to millions.
The ACA dealt primarily with access. The Democrats tried — but lost — on most of the cost issues. HRC alone cannot fix that any more than Obama could. We need ta president who is committed to trying to continue to improve access and affordability of health care, but we also have to work on electing a Congress that is willing to further amend the Act to AT LEAST provide for a public option — that alone would put huge pressure on the insurance industry to deal with cost issues (which of course is why they didn’t want it before).
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I DO NOT want a single payer or Medicare type health system. I DO NOT want some government bureaucrat between me and my doctor. It will only be a matter of time, short time, that the government will decide who receives and doesn’t receive care. And it will be horribly inefficient. My sister, who has been in health care for 30 years, used to want socialized medicine until she visited Great Britain for a few months on an educational exchange program. She said that system is a nightmare.
Everyone can put away 10% of pre-tax income in an HSA. Use that money for regular health care – NO INSURANCE. Buy catastrophic insurance for expenses over 10% (minimum) or whatever deductible you can afford over that. Have government run clinics with young doctors working off their med school debt for those who can’t even afford the 10% . Make it the law that all prices have to be posted. Guarantee you prices will stabilize when people pay their own bills.
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Fl Teacher .
So please tell . When did government not pick winners and losers, Please do not limit yourself to US history where Hamilton vs Jefferson was essentially an argument over economics. I will not give that definition again unless requested . Feel free to travel the globe and back in time .
But let us talk another issue ;the other day you blamed the Union that you did not join for not delivering the economic bennifits that would have encouraged you to join. So if we do not participate we should expect others to provide for us . I get it that Unions tend to be extremely autocratic. They are that way because of those that do not participate . So now you are dealing with your state and local government in contract negotiations. How is that local control working out for you . So well that the union has been decertified .You have no collective bargaining agreement. You are probably an at will employee hired on a per-annum or perhaps per-diem basis. Now Florida was not always a Right to Work State but apparently workers in Florida were not able to exert their influence on the State level.
It would seem apparent that on every level of societal organization, someone is picking winners and losers . That is Politics and it is corruptible at every level of government. One might argue that it is easier to dominate, the smaller that unit is. Thus we have ALEC pushing right wing legislation on Local levels they can not achieve on state levels .Legislation on State levels they can not achieve at the National level . Before the Business RoundTable dreamed of a national Common Core they sought to push national standards on a State by State basis, called Common Core. Government is corruptible at every level because people do not educate themselves as to the issues .I assure far more know the name of their National Senator than State Senator or Council person. . Corruptible because people do not participate
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JEM,
I am 59 going on 60, but please do not tell anyone!
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Judging from his comments, FL teacher does not sound like a progressive or a liberal. He sounds more libertarian but I may be totally off base. Those HSAs are a duplicitous con job. How the hell are poor people, struggling middle class people or people working pay check to pay check going to put enough money into an HSA. One visit to the ER could wipe out your HSA in a flash. I had to visit the ER and the cost would have been $3000. I paid the Medicare copay and had no further charges; I was actually shocked because I expected more bills coming down the line. The HSAs were designed for rich folks who use it as a tax shelter. WE NEED MEDICARE FOR ALL NOW!!!! Don’t hand me this government overreach manure.
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Joel Herman, you are so off base it’s is difficult to imagine that you are an adult.
My main point all along has been that the federal government is particularly dangerous. That makes the progressive agenda, relying on the federal government to implement it, particularly dangerous. No less dangerous than the crony crapitalist, corporate welfare whores that currently run this country. Your answer is to point out that governments always pick winners and losers. I guess that is OK with you as long as they pick your side. Our founding fathers understood the dangers of government, and they did their best to check that danger. People have perverted the Constitution from the beginning to suit their agendas, and that is a travesty. I guess in your world I deserve derision for wishing to adhere to the principle of limited government. I must seem a naive child who needs the paternalistic protection of fine people like you.
Your 2nd paragraph on my experience with the union is incoherent. My position is that the union is useless, and it does not deserve to get part of my paycheck. I am abundantly grateful that I have not been forced to pay them dues. The union has NOT negotiated on my behalf in good faith, and I have NO say in that. The state gave the union the statutory right to negotiate for all teachers in the district. We would have been better off electing our own committees to negotiate for us. Hopefully that is what will happen now that the useless union has lost its certification. By the way, it lost its certification because it did not pay the insurance premiums to the NEA even though it collected them from the members. Someone should go to jail, but it is a corrupt system. I have over 20 years teaching in the same school and I am NOT in danger of losing my job.
Your last contention is that we can’t trust state and local government because people do not pay attention. I guess that leaves people like you to look after the poor ignorant citizens.
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Fl Teacher..re single payer health care for all…..you are kidding yourself if you do not understand, and find despicable, that right now with the INSURANCE cartel running our American health care system, we all have a high school grad deciding out life and death issues. These insurance charlatans advertise that a nurse (maybe with an AA degree) makes the decision as to whether one belongs on a kidney transplant list, or should be allowed to have dialysis, or needs brand name meds rather than generic…or all the myriad of medical issues that all people face.
Is that better than your statement that “you don’t want a bureaucrat making decisions?”
You may be happy with this corporate interference with your health care, but the preponderance of Americans do want Health Care for ALL.
In California, carefully crafted bills carried by both State Senators Sheila Kuehl and Mark Leno, both legal scholars and Dems (and both openly gay and probably the most dedicated and intelligent legislators in my voting life), were passed by our legislature
First Arnie, our Austrian actor Guv and a pal of Trump, vetoed them, and thereafter, Jerry Brown, our Jesuit Guv did the vetoing. These men in seats of power overruled the will of their constituents. Let’s hope Hillary revisits some of this since the entire Western World has universal health care, and only in our capitalist society are we so backward. Health care should be a right, not a privilege..
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A single payer/universal health care system is pie in the sky hogwash. You would have us all suffering under a VA type health care system – thank you but NO THANK YOU!
HSA’s are NOT for rich people. I have an HSA. I am a teacher, and thus I am NOT rich. My HSA gives me a lot more autonomy to make decisions about my health. I pay myself instead of sending premiums off to insurance executives.
The contention that nurses with AA degrees make transplant decisions is pure BS.
We have health care for all now. It is incredibly inefficient because of the third party payer system. A government run health system, the VA for example, will be incredibly inefficient because the government can’t do ANYTHING efficiently.
You can be sure that in a government run health care system the politicians will get their care up to the minute they die. You will be denied access to those limited resources at the first available opportunity, unless of course you have money to pay for it.
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“My position is that the union is useless, and it does not deserve to get part of my paycheck. I am abundantly grateful that I have not been forced to pay them dues. The union has NOT negotiated on my behalf in good faith, and I have NO say in that. The state gave the union the statutory right to negotiate for all teachers in the district. We would have been better off electing our own committees to negotiate for us. Hopefully that is what will happen now that the useless union has lost its certification. ”
“I must seem a naive child who needs the paternalistic protection of fine people like you.”
That might not be the description I would I would use . Perhaps delusional and incoherent child would be more appropriate.
“We would have been better off electing our own committees to negotiate for us. Hopefully that is what will happen now that the useless union has lost its certification. ”
I believe you would call that a collective bargaining agent, a union . Of course your little committee would be more successful than the last committee, the one you were “abundantly grateful that you have not been forced to pay them dues ”
Ah yes the rugged individual that you are that needs no big government intervention, your libertarian utopia will come crushing down when you rely on the nanny state to provide your retirement and your healthcare,in a few years and you will. Of course you will be living in a community with retired workers from some other states who thank god that they were forced by their coercive state to pay those union dues . Because even now most of them probably have a higher standard of living in retirement than you do in the prime of your carrier.
You have the answer on healthcare as well. Your sister I am sure is the expert on National healthcare systems and citizen satisfaction. I have the LTD model Cadillac health coverage, it costs me little. But I will be the first to admit that employer provided healthcare which was brought to us by the union movement you abhor was dying . Dying as that union movement was crushed by oligarchs in states like yours. Dying as corporate greed crushed powerless workers in state after state. In a race to the bottom that has brought us to the point where a fraudulent demagogue is now seen as” the last great white hope”. Yes these are government decisions that determined this. Primarily the Taft Hartley act that disemboweled organized labor . In the service of Oligarchs it enabled Right to Work and banned secondary boycotts.
Till the 1930s we have had the bloodiest labor history of the western world. Yes the state always came down on the side of employers .
Back to those Private Health Reimbursement Accounts that most workers will not have the resources to fund ,coupled with a catastrophic healthcare coverage . Is that your answer? . That is where most people were already at. Those who did not have the benefit of Unions ,providing or forcing through their presence quality healthcare . Corporations did not provide benefits out of the goodness of their hearts they did it to keep unions out. As the Union movement was crippled millions of non union workers were losing their healthcare. So prior to crappy Obamacare most people had catastrophic healthcare insurance that wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on . The problem with Obamacare is it is more of the same.
Yours is the world of low wages and charity wards for health care go live in it.
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Abigail Shure,
You spring chicken!! I thought you were 29!
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Trump is a unique threat but, not the only threat. If Hillary was elected and a Democratic US Senate majority, existed, the average person would expect action. They would want the economy fixed, so that it is not stagnated by concentrated wealth. Today, the 50,000 member Ohio Teamster union endorsed the Republican candidate running for the US Senate. The American public may once again have to listen to the shopworn, Democratic argument, “But, for the Koch’s…”. Only, this time, it will be courtesy of leaders from some of the unions.
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Political threats are relative like viruses. Some will kill you and are contagious. Others will just make you ill.
We must do what we have needed to do all along, build a multi-racial progressive movement. That is not new. The DNC did not give in. They fought back. Not surprising. Power is not relinquished easily or in one election cycle. In that context, voting for Clinton may be disappointing, but is not a betrayal. It is not delusional. It is not an endorsement. It is smart and strategic because the risks of Trump getting elected are simply far too great. Trump represents an existential threat to dissent, equity, and racial and economic justice.
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Linda, that is shocking that the teamsters are endorsing Portman (who supported right to work laws in the past). It’s crazy but the Dems have ignored or betrayed labor on too many occasions. The teamsters supported the Dem, Strickland 6 years ago. I know next to nothing about Ohio politics, I don’t know all the dynamics here, why exactly they are abandoning the D for an R. The GOP itself is rabidly anti-union.
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Teamster pensions are being cut. That may have something to do with the Portman endorsement. That and Republicans blame Strickland for the DHL hub closure. Or the Teamsters just vote against their own interests.
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Arthur Camins
Well stated
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Joe
The National Teamsters union endorsed Reagan in 80 and 84 so stranger things have happened. There is a long sad history in the Union movement that has had some organizations cutting private deals . The history of the AFL vs CIO being the most famous example
Rescuing those pensions may have had far more importance in terms of the internal politics of the organization. What other promises were made?
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Maybe the same deals that make “progressive” Sherrod Brown favor charter school expansion and, that lead him to cozy up with Portman, instead of endorsing the Democratic candidate. (Dayton Daily News)
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When going through these exercises of comparing Trump to Hillary on a policy level, I think it’s important not to forget the volatility factor. I do not have a high degree of confidence that I know what policy positions Trump would actually pursue as President. He’s not an establishment candidate with policies that have been and will continue to be vetted by the establishment, and that can be expected to reflect the establishment’s interests, which include economic and geopolitical stability. He’s not a grass-roots candidate whose policies have been vetted and shaped over time by individual voters who want practical solutions to practical problems. Trump is a personality, and a moody one at that. By all accounts, his decision-making process is autocratic, mercurial, and gut-level. And he doesn’t take counsel well, if at all.
All of which is to say that Trump is truly a wild card, more than any major political candidate in my lifetime, with the possible exception of Ross Perot. In my view, a total wild card as much more dangerous — not marginally more dangerous, but meaningfully more dangerous — than Hillary Clinton, because I have a healthy respect for the possibility that the economy is a house of cards and that things could get much, much worse than they are right now, in ways that I cannot begin to predict.
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I agree, though I also agree with Duane that it is highly unlikely there will be a calamity we can’t weather. However, more to what you say, we have a dead serious responsibility to be socially responsible here, in a situation like this.
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I don’t know how to estimate the likelihood that I will or won’t be able to weather an unknown calamity. Any Presidential candidate who prompts me to even begin that analysis is the definition of an unacceptably high-risk candidate.
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I think it is easy to say “it is highly unlikely there will be a calamity we can’t weather” if you are white and middle class.
I doubt there are many Muslim immigrants or Muslim citizens or African-American mothers fearful their teenage son might be stopped by the wrong policeman who aren’t very fearful of a Trump presidency.
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I would wager that most white, middle-class people are a few paychecks away from ruin. I know I am.
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Comes down to who is “we” and what is meant by “weather”.
Totally irresponsible to chance it.
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“Well, I can still walk!”
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FLERP we’re one paycheck from ruin. It all seems to snowball when one thing goes wrong. I saw Fudge talking on PBS and, like the Democratic establishment, she just doesn’t get it.
When Trump even hinted at NATO being a negotiable entity, he stupidly exposed weakness to Putin. That was an amateur move and demonstrates a lack of ability to lead or think strategically. Putin would interpret this as a green light to move aggressively into Europe. Remember, Dubbya made the same mistake which lead to the Kuwait invasion.
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If there is a “calamity” in the economy, it will very likely be due to policies that were in place and things that were happening well before the new president takes over.
And you can also be sure that the likely source of any calamity (Wall Street) is going to do what it wants no matter who is President, Clinton or Trump.
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Some analysts, though less learned than the better prognosticators in this blog’s comments sections, argue that the Executive Branch has some impact on economic policy, including policy decisions that must be made during severe economic disruptions. In any event, I look forward to the economic calamities of 2016 caused by policies put in place on President Trump’s watch.
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Point taken. I’ll shut up now.
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Conservative George Will speculates that Trump hides his tax returns because they show dealings with Russian oligarchs. Russia is reportedly behind the DNC hack the FBI is investigating. Conspiracy theories can cut both ways.
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George Will is very unreliable.
One of Bezos Bozos.
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Poet: George WIll occasionally writes something good about baseball, but only once in a while. Many of his baseball posts reflect his basically reactionary/conservative slant on everything else.
Outside of those accidentally good sports posts, he’s almost never right about anything. I did read one post of his last year or thereabouts that wasn’t totally wrong, but he got flayed alive by the usual politically correct suspects.
As for his comments about Trump, I’d probably trust them as much as I’d trust Trump’s comments on Hillary’s tax returns or on Obama’s birth certificate, etc., etc. So many lies and liars, so little time.
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Just imagine, president Trump will be consulting with Alex Jones for advice on affairs foreign and domestic. It just blows my mind that there has been no blowback for Trump appearing on that Alex Jones show and all the encouraging words Trump gave to Jones? Trump is the teflon man.
Trump to Jones: “You’ll be very, very impressed, I hope, and I think we’ll be speaking a lot, but you’ll be looking at me in a year, or two years—give me a little bit of time to run things—but a year into office, you’ll be saying, ‘Wow, I remember that interview, he said he was gonna do it, and he did a great job.’”
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Diana, thanks for keeping a rational head admidst arguments that have
become –not just shrill but cruel and mean spirited…I’ve taught both advanced
language and lit and and composition and creative non fiction for many (35)years and
students know that there is a difference between arguments that are big enough
to offer concessions as opposed to personal attacks…The basic argument that
we have two choices left, Trump or Clinton–and Clinton is the best choice is something
I believe but believing this does not constitute an attack on those who disagree.
Bernie himself is a man of rationality and one who is realistic which does not mean
giving up on ideals. Fielding personal and mean responses does not bring us closer to the truth .
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Thanks, Marek,
Bernie is an idealist and a realist. He ran a remarkable and historic race, and he has cemented his place in history. He will fight on. But he also understands that Trump is an ignorant, arrogant, and dangerous man who is totally unqualified to be president. That’s why he endorsed her and urged his followers to support him. I believe everyone has a right to their opinion but I also believe that people who choose to throw away their vote are taking an enormous risk with our society and our future. Bernie understands that. I wish that those who love him and his message would take his advice.
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Trolling Trump!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wired.com/2016/07/clinton-got-2-million-people-troll-trump-one-day/amp/
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I typo’d the punchline anyway. Meant to type the calamities of “2026,” not 2016.
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dianeravitch
“People living in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia must be terrified about the possibility of Trump being elected. The Russians will walk in and take over again. That’s the end of NATO. Trump has said it is a European problem, not ours, if the Russians choose to expand their borders. USSR? ”
When did these Nations become part of NATO? . I got it ,after the cold war was over . Somehow we don’t see this as a problem Here we are over 25 years after the cold war and an American President wants to restore relations with Cuba. It is like the end of the world .. America will perish if US tourists go to Cuban beaches. Some how the Russians are supposed to accept Joint military exercises and American missiles right inside the old Soviet Union. Talk about dangerous . The Russian President is not subjected to the same internal political pressures that an American President would be under? Putin does not have to be a good guy. He has 7300 nuclear war heads, that commands the respect that we would demand. Both of his invasions are explainable .They were responses to perceived NATO expansions into the heart of the former Soviet Union.
Ok Trumps an idiot , but do we hear what we are saying. Lets turn this around and ask what our response would be under similar circumstances . A US sponsored coup in the former Soviet Union the Ukraine, with Neo Nazi elements . Who is the genius that came up with that one .
You worry about a nut with his hands on the button. I worry about policy that could ignite the peril of a new cold war. Time to dial it back.
. .
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This week, Bernie acted like the man of integrity and common sense that he is.
A Trump victory would be a disaster for the U.S. and the world…Norman Thomas, the
great democratic Socialist lived to see many of his ideas i.e medicare, Civil Rights,
minimum wage,adopted eventually by Democratic party, and
become reality…Bernie’s support of Hillary is based on the idea of half a loaf is better than none…Democratic socialists like Thomas, Irving Howe and Michael Harrington rejected the
totalitarian ways of the Old Left C.P. and the New Left, SDS…Bernie is in that
democratic tradition… I don’t agree with everything he supports but integrity means
something and he has moved the party forward…and changed Hillary for the better,
in my opinion. And yes, in life the lesser of 2 evils is not just a phrase…at her worst,
Hillary is better than Trump who is the most unqualified person ever to run for
the presidency. I agree with Diane. Trump, I think, is a danger to the planet in a way
we have not seen since the end of the cold war.
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Thanks for posting that article summary, Diane. I recently wrote a more alarmist piece, detailing the danger that a Trump presidency poses to the republic: How It Happens.
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Michael,
I have been reading you nonstop for days. I commend your broad grasp of history and politics. Although, I have tried, I have found few points of contention. Your last comment trumps (pardon the pun) all that you have outlined heretofore. It will be virtually impossible for those of us now labeled progressives to maintain organized pressure on a Clinton administration. We were dispensed with tidily on Progressives’ Night. What could we possibly present that would overcome Goldman Sachs and the hedge fund crew at DFER? We had our fifteen minutes of fame and it is back to business as usual. By the way, I sent Cardova a few shekels. It was my only donation of this political season.
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Canova
My mistake!
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I stubbornly sat home in the NJ special senatorial election between Booker & Lonergan. Friends excoriated me for wasting my vote in what they imagined might be a close vote given the political climate– & how could I on principle not vote against a rabid Tea-Partier– & after all Booker had been ‘good for Newark’ [as mayor]– & wasn’t I a one-issue voter [ed] losing sight of the big picture? I felt guilty not voting as a citizen, yet could not stomach voting for Booker.
Thought back guiltily on that non-vote as both Sanders and Trump quickly amassed primary wins before our turn in NJ came. I became nervous about voting for Bernie. If Bernie won the nomination, Trump could win the election! I realized how little my non-vote in that other election had meant: my ‘principled’ position had been bogus, I’d known my abstention would have no effect on a sure win for Booker. I had a second twinge of guilt, seeing Sen Booker on the floor helping Murphy launch the Dem sit-in/ filibuster on gun control. So there could be positives to Booker as senator. I’d thought him a pure corp-bought sell-out, sure to side w/deep pockets on every issue.
Yes, I [nervously] voted my conscience for Bernie in the primary. And I won’t be sitting out any more elections.
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Thankful that HRC did not put Booker on the ticket.
Chris Christie should not have a mole in the White House
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Clinton’s election motto is “Stronger Together.” Support for charter schools and other competitive improvement strategies mean exactly the opposite: “You’re on your own, so look our for yourself!” To be competitive in the election Democrats need to be explicit about who needs to get together and what that means for unifying policies.
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If a Hillary Clinton administration fights for public schools and against the exploitative and predatory charter chains, online frauds, voucher movement, etc., I’ll be very much pleased. I’ll also be shocked beyond belief that she goes where Barack Obama refused systematically to tread. She might even earn my cautious support for 2020.
But I’ve seen nothing among the inner circles of the GOP and Democratic parties to make me think that she or any major current player will do anything of the kind. I hope I’m very wrong.
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Reformers have gotten their way because they were more organized (and better funded) than supporters of equity. They were more successful at framing their message. LBJ abandoned southern segregationists and introduced civil rights legislation because of a movement that mobilized millions to create pressure. Same with FDR and the labor movement. Clinton is susceptible to pressure too, but only if supporters of social justice are unified and mobilize successfully. Trump will be beholden to the forces of hate and divisiveness from whence he will get his authoritarian legitimacy.
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That sounds swell, Arthur, and even if I didn’t trust Hillary Clinton, I might even be willing to hold out hope and swallow the idea that all it will take is for progressives to “keep up the pressure.” Except that I must have missed how that explains the Barack & Arne Show we’ve lived through. Or the Barack & Neoliberal Wall Street Financial Advisors Show. Or several other “shows” that may be closing in January but seem likely to reopen, with possibly more nefarious casts, immediately thereafter under HRC. Not that I expect a Trump-appointed cast to put on shows I like better. But we’re talking about Hillary being brought to heel to a limited degree in a specific area and I’m sceptical. Very much so.
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“all it will take is for progressives to “keep up the pressure” is nothing simple. It is long very hard consistent work. By-the-way, “That sounds swell,” sounds a bit dismissive. Can we leave that out, please?
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Arthur, when I’m dismissive, it’s generally not subtly so. I might write, “Isn’t a pretty to think so?” the last line in THE SUN ALSO RISES. I might write, “And maybe I’m a Chinese jet pilot.” I wouldn’t write, “That sounds swell.” Because I said what I meant: it sounds swell, and if I believed it to be true, I’d be happy. The problem isn’t that it sounds crappy but I’m saying the opposite, but rather that it’s sounds good but I don’t believe it will happen.
Is that too fine a distinction? I hope not.
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Agreed, Diane. Now I’m scared she’ll put him in her cabinet as Secy of Ed…
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I am beyond shocked that after all his lies and sociopathic tendencies and now his love for dictators that nobody has the power to remove him from further running in a US campaign. He is the only one who should be deported to Russia since he likes Putin so much!!! He is not only worrying Americans but our allies as well!! This is insane.
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https://newmatilda.com/2016/03/23/john-pilger-why-hillary-clinton-is-more-dangerous-than-donald-trump/
I appreciate the opening to post the above, Enery.
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And this, too: http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/38247-focus-who-should-bernie-voters-support-now-a-debate-between-robert-reich-and-chris-hedges
Neither John Pilger nor Chris Hedges is just following some wacky GOP talking points. These are serious progressive journalists.
Trump is an undoubted disaster for the US and the world in many respects. And might not be the worst option running for POTUS.
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Abigail Shure: was that directed at something I wrote? If so, I can’t figure out which (things don’t get posted here in an organized manner sometimes). Please advise. If not, never mind.
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Yes, you Michael Paul Goldenberg! I couldn’t place it correctly.
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Michael (4:03)
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Thanks for clarifying and for the kind words, Abigail. (You like me! You really like me!)
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Thanks for your article. I believe we are all getting a good lesson in a high-functioning sociopath, and have done a lot of research on the topic. I invite you to read my post, and feel free to re-post it if you wish. Just trying to provoke thought and incite discussion. Again, thanks for helping educate people about this danger. B. Ashley https://twoifbycharmwordpress.wordpress.com/
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