Physio is over until Monday! However, between my knee and my back . . . sitting at the computer is difficult and painful. It is times like this that I wish I had a lap top so I might be able to work longer. Oh well, maybe some day. The stats are . . . (fill in the blank).
Puzzle — Today’s took me 2:57 (average 5:31). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes
Alternet — The Republican Party has put down the dogwhistle and picked up a megaphone.
After two Bostonians allegedly beat up a homeless Hispanic man in August, one told police he was inspired by Donald Trump’s message that “all these illegals need to be deported.” In response, Trump explained “that people who are following me are very passionate. They love this country and they want this country to be great again. They are passionate.” Later, he clarified that in no way, of course, does he condone violence. In June, Trump kicked off his campaign by calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” and drug-trafficking criminals. “Some, I assume, are good people,” he added.
Last Monday, five people were shot at a Black Lives Matter protest in Minneapolis. Three white men have been arrested in connection with the incident. It is important to emphasize that the investigation is in its very early stages, and it has not been confirmed who did this, or why.
It is, however, clear that leading Republicans have engaged in extraordinarily racist and xenophobic rhetoric that incites and legitimates vigilante violence. On Saturday, Trump fans allegedly attacked a Black Lives Matter protester at a Birmingham rally. “Maybe he should have been roughed up,” Trump said.
Click through for the rest. I wonder how long it will be before the Southern Poverty Law Centre lists the Republican Party on their list of hate groups?
The Nation — I have come to believe the fears of white Americans are really just reflections of the things that white supremacy and empire have done to others. White America has not been terrorized by people of color; we have terrorized people of color. Black wealth is not based on stealing from white people; white wealth is based on stealing from black people. Instead of confronting the reality of our history and what our country has become for most people, too many Americans would rather kill those mourning their dead and send orphans and widows to a hellscape we created — all in order to preserve the myths of whiteness, masculinity, and empire.
I have to imagine the white men who commit these egregious acts of terror do so out of a silent, personal fear that the myths of whiteness and masculinity engender in themselves. The dehumanization white supremacists perpetrate on others has to be, in part, a projection of the dehumanization they feel themselves. The sad men that hang out on 4chan plotting the destruction of innocent others don’t believe they can be the strong, virile, white male dominators they are prescribed to be. No one who feels good about themselves talks as much as Donald Trump does about how he is a “winner” and other people are “losers.” No one who is confident of their humanity would deny acceptance to a 5-year-old orphan refugee.
Click through for the rest of this interesting article. I remember back in a high school history class discussing the concept of humans always looking for another to hold in contempt, whether for economic, racial, religious or other reasons. It was a fear of being at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak. As the author has said, there is a lot of projection. I hate myself so I am going to make you seem to be less than me, and then I'll feel better. It is a transitory "fix" that solves nothing in the long run.
Daily Beast — “The drought exacerbated existing water and agricultural insecurity and caused massive agricultural failures and livestock mortality,” write Kelley et al. “The most significant consequence was the migration of as many as 1.5 million people from rural farming areas to the peripheries of urban centers.”
It is precisely from those populations, uprooted and uncared for, that the group now known as ISIS drew its local recruits and cannon fodder as it rebuilt its ranks and spread its control over territory in the last three years. The core slogan of the Islamic State, “Remain and Expand,” speaks powerfully to people forced off their land and struggling just to survive.
Ironically, among the politicians in the West who deny the impact of climate change and at the same time refuse to accept refugees from war and “economic migrants” from these benighted, blighted lands, the answer to “Remain and Expand” is “stay there and die.”
Bernie Sanders has said that climate change is the greatest national security threat.
This short Democracy Now video makes further points about anthropogenic climate change.
And another short video on climate change as a national security threat.
In my mind, there is no doubt that climate change IS a threat to national security for every country.
My Universe —
. . . and it does! I can attest. My 3 groom my hair regularly!
13 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 02/12/2015”
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Sorry to hear about your back and knee problems causing you so much pain when sitting too long. And I bet the reports kept you busy for for quite a while. I hope you've finished with them soon. My personal experience with a laptop is that when you do a lot of typing then the best way to use it is in an upright position, and that's not very different from sitting upright in a chair. Any other position tires your arms and shoulders rather quickly or cuts out too much circulation. I rather spend my money on a really good adjustable chair which takes off much of the strain on my back.
Alternet: Whether it's rallying their "Christian" followers against Muslims or Planned Parenthood, or their white base against Black Lives Matter or illegal immigrants, the Republican party has success with its fascist approach to everything that is "not them". It works, they're heard and the dead and injured are multiplying. As true fascists they throw any responsible far from them and blame it all on the other group that is next: the libruls.
Alternet is right in claiming that the Republican Party has become the largest hate group in America, but they've been that for a while and went public with it when they refused to accept a democratic majority decision in the form af the first black president. And in the past seven years their hatred of a black president and underlying racism has been allowed to grow and spread and the Republican party has since then stepped into the realms of fascism.
For the past few years I, as an outsider, have always thought that the populism the Republican Party used to cater to its base was rooted in the most un-American ideology despite its outward appearance. I had hoped that any Republican with any sense would leave the party behind and the number of registered Republicans would decrease dramatically. But either the two party system works against this or – and that is the scariest of all – the un-American has become the very-American: loudmouthed/foulmouthed, xenophobic, racist, pseudo-Christian, violent, dumb and completely divorced from reality. This is the America that Faux News and many other mainstream media present to its viewers and the world and this is the America Republican candidates for the presidency present to the country and the rest of the world. Fact is the Republicans have the majority in Congress and fact is there are many more red than blue states. Dare I conclude that this is what America has become?
The way the Republicans negate climate change in the face of 150 countries (aka the rest of the world) embracing the idea that this is the last chance we can stop things from becoming worse, and are even trying to derail the Paris talks, only underlines what I said above. America is big and America is still rich compared to others, but there will come a time when the rest of the world may think it's better of without America and start to look for other leaders to follow. And this may be happening right now in Paris.
Thanks Lona. The back especially, but also the knee, have been long time issues that have created pain for years and affected my ability to get around. However physio has greatly reduced the level of pain so I continue with the physio. I am inclined to think that the "un-American has become the very-American: loudmouthed/foulmouthed, xenophobic, racist, pseudo-Christian, violent, dumb and completely divorced from reality" at least as far as the volume goes. But there is still hope, especially with Bernie sounding off.
AlterNet: The Clowns have a large following, spreading their xenophobia, lies, callous hatred, and embracing this as truth. When will they wake up to see the violence it's caused?
The Nation: Excellent article, passing on to my friends to read. Though I doubt most won't. sigh…..
DB: One can just look out in my town to see the effects of climate change/global warming. 2 floods/massive fires that have displaced a couple hundred folks here and ruined the forests. Add that to other states, it multiplies. Add that to other countries, and the number is in the millions. This can't be ignored any longer. Yes, Mr. Sanders is spot on saying that this a National Security Threat. Of course, the ID's are in constant denial, and say/do what's good for them, and not for the people.
My Universe: How cute! While my cat thinks my hair is odd, she loves my toes. When I move them, she pounces on them, (socks or not). Makes for cheap, yet fun entertainment. Use a doughnut t cushion, when sitting, I have one, and it's sure does help with the pain of sitting. They are fairly reasonable in price too. Enjoy your day. Thanks, Lynn.
Pat, when it comes to toes, my furballs see them as prey and jump on them, claws out. I prefer the kitty "head rubs" as it does not hurt and it stimulates the brain. A Care2 friend called it CLBST (CAT LICK BRAIN STIMULATION THERAPY).
Beast:
Excellent videos. All 3 videos are worth watching and listening. They give a more broader scope of the realities of climate Change for the World. Recommended.
Be sure to watch Amy Goodman's show "Democracy Now!" as she broadcasts from the Paris Climate Summit 2015. Amy has many guests and conducts interviews with people from all over the world. You will not find these interviews, stories in mainstream medias. http://www.democracynow.org/
Glad you enjoyed the vids Jim. It was their broader scope that appealed to me.
5:49 (5:31) Lots of symmetry!
If it's any consolation, a laptop doesn't work a bit better for me. Au contraire. I still have to put it on a table, and I have no control over the (much smaller) monitor height. But you may have more lap than I do.
AlterNet – And the suckers are being suckered in, just as they were in the 1930s. It is both disgusting and terrifying. They had better hope that when the powers get to them, there is someone left to speak for them. But I doubt it.
The Nation – Been saying this for years. Just not so well, which is why Max Berger is published and I am not. They are not afraid of what black Americans, women, Hispanics, etc. are going to do. they are afraid of what they would do if they were in their place.
Daily Beast – Climate change is a threat, not just to national security, but to every living thing. Apparently it is too big for deniers to see it. Now if it were the size of Godzilla, they might. Meantime, Bernie does see it and speaks eloquently. Would there were more.
Universe – I no longer have my live-in hairdressers. But at least I don't buy expensive things from TV.
Amen to more Bernies JD.
"… they are afraid of what they would do if they were in their place." — AMEN!
hope you feel better.
3;31
SPLC should have hate-listed the Party of Death years ago.
Good point!
Amen Bernie!!
Hugs!
Thank you. I will, but this an ongoing issue, just particularly debilitating right now. But it always could be much worse.
You don't have to
over your puzzle time. I think you're getting your puzzle mojo back.
Thanks.
Alternet/Nation: White fear, and insecurity, the same things that are involved in the increased death rate among blue collar Americans, including suicide, drive the attacks, verbal, and physical, on black, and muslims. Howad Zinn wrote, very clearly, about how putting others down can make even the lowliest of the sociologically low feel better about themselves. It's a dangerous game of one-upsmanship!
Berniae and global warming: One of the most recent idiocies to come from Hairball was his tireade against Pres. Obama for spending time nd energy on the Paris talks. What a POS! Like, what, if he becomes president, he'll be a "One Note Johnny" pushing nothing but xenophobia, unable to deal with more than one issue at a time? "Yeah, that's the ticket," as the comedian used to say.
DB: The continuing litany of imbecility coming from the right, and their inability to connect any dots, except, perhaps, in their portfolios, is astounding!
"The Hippy Dippy Weatherman," stoped doing weather forcasts, he said, because he realized that they were always the same, as I recall, "it's always changing, and changing again," or something like that. well, for the politicians of the right, it is also "always the same, " just the words that express the idiocy change, not the idiocy!
Lynn, I hope you feel better! In general, when one can, stnding is btter for us than sitting.
Not even sure they can connect the dots in their portfolios. when a person is starving, they will do what is necessary to get food. If that means going to war, then so be it. Either die from starvation or die from a bullet. Dead is dead either way.
Thanks everyone!