Open Thread – Page 13 – Politics Plus

Open Thread September 8 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:14 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 082024

Yesterday, the radio opera was Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades” based on Pushkin’s novelle of the same name. (There is also a comic opera by the same name by Franz von Suppé supposedly based on the same story, but it’s very different. The Tchaikovsky opera is as serious as a heart attack – in fact, there’s a heart attack in it. Leave it to Tchaikovsky to kill off all three principals in the same opera.) None of the characters is particularly admirable, but they are interesting. There’s a paranormal twist at the end. It’s one of only two opeeras I know of where the old lady is a soprano and the young one is a mezzo (the other being “The Consul” by Menotti.) Lots of drama and also nice music.

Also – I’m not going to try to describe this email from Sean Astin – I’ll have to quote from it:
This Sunday, I’m inviting you to the Heroes 4 Harris Kamala-Con national livestream event with heroes from Star Wars, The Avengers, Hellboy, Batman, Dark Knight, Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride, Hercules, The Neverending Story, and so many other sagas.
You can see me, Sam Gamgee, and others talk with real-life democracy heroes like Adam Schiff, Alexander Vindman, and the Tennessee Three about how we can defeat real-life foes in 2024.

https://www.cpr.org/2024/09/05/msu-denver-simulation-skills-hub-lab-health-care-training/
I was afraid I wouldn’t find another good news story worth sharing, but it appears I had too little faith. This one – well, it’s summed up by this quote: “Having a simulation gives me the opportunity to learn from my mistakes,” Mercado said. “Whereas in the real world, I would learn from my mistakes, but it could be at the cost of somebody’s life.”

This link will take you, if you wish, to a long comment by a user whi has been an economist for 18 years, and who debunks the idea the the only obligation of a corporation is to the shareholders. He suggests that corporations should also be responsible to other stakeholeders – such as workers, consumers, and the environment. When I was in grad school for my MBA, we were actually taught that (except the environment was not mentioned – it was just over 50 years ago and although the destruction was already well under way, few then realized it.) I have no idea what happened to this philosophy. Of course even then it was more honored in the breach than the observance. But today, corporations don’t even bother to talk the talk.

Open Thread September 7 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:07 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 072024

Yesterday, Robert Reich published his first post in his new series on Project 2025. Also, the names of the two Trump** staffers who accosted the cemetery employee were learned and released by NPR and you can probably find them just about anywhere now. Left Action alreade has a petition to prosecute the one who got physical (Michel Picard – Jen Luc and Patrick Stewart would both be disappointed.) Finally, since Wonkette and Talking Points Memo and others are recommending Joyce Vance as the authority on the meeting in Judge Chutkan’s courtroom regarding the election interference case, the least I can do is provide the link. Oh, and one more thing — not only is Liz Cheney voting for Harris – so is her father.

Wonkette is not exactly noted for good news, but it was Wonkette which referred me to this story, which made Rebecca (Wonkette owner and editrix [her term]) cry (I don’t know how hard that is – she comes across as pretty tough, but she wouldn’t run the project if she didn’t give a damn about others.) Why can’t all people act like this?

I know everyone who reads here loves animals. This story is something I had not thought about, but now that I know it exists, I can see how badly it is needed. It didnn’t happen in my home – but many substance abusers, including alcoholics become so impossible to live with that human loved ones leave before they hit bottom. And then it’s the animals who are vulnerable.

Open Thread September 6 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:06 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 062024

Yesterday, I read in HuffPost that, now that Jpe Biden has dropped out, his job approval numbers started to go up and have steadily continued to rise. That is certainly a good thing, but it still made me cry, to think of all the artisis, musicians, ans so many others who were nort appreciated until after their deaths. Yes, Joe is still alive to see some of this. But the full measure of his contributions to America will not be appreciated until later – and may be much later. He deserves better. However, there is some bad news with good news. I guess it’s really not news that the Russians are at it again, but it is news that the DOJ just made some important arrests in connection with it. And here’s the official video version.

My response to this was “More of this. Please.” Not just to the story but to the activism iy chronicles. For those of us for whom voting is second nature and not difficult, it’s challenging to grasp how difficult it is made (especially by Republicans) for some (especially for people of color – any color but “white”) and how widespread that suppression is. There really is a need for more – much more – of this kind of activism – and for recognition and praise for what already exists of it.

We could use more of this also. After yesterday, I decided some respite was needed, amd my sources have been co-operating so far.

Open Thread September 5 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:06 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 052024

Yesterday, Robert Reich took on the issue of Elon Musk (and also shared his infantile response.) Also, a couple of things happened that i don’t kow enough yet to discuss – a Jack Smith filing and the exposure of a “Media Corporation” in Tennessee as part of a Russian influence operation (which apparently Elon Musk is involved in, as should surprise no one.).

This post by Dan Froomkin is somewhat like yelling at a cloud. Except that he isn’t old (around his mid-fifties), and this cloud is something that actually exists – journalistic integrity (or more correctly, the absence of it.) But, like a cloud, there will be no one listening – certainly not the big guys, and if perhaps some with less clout do listen, they will likely go unheard by the general public.

Another righteous rant, this time from Heather Cox Richardson. Being a historian, she makes the analogy between MAGA and Confederates during Reconstruction, and, yes, it’s too close for comfort. Calling it a rant is probably an exaggeration, but it struck me that way. There’s also not much we can do about this (always excepting voting Blue) and Heather can’t suggest one, because our ancestors cannot provide an example of a solution they didn’t even try very hard to find.

Open Thread September 4 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 042024

Yesterday, Joyce Vance decided that her (paywalled) post from last Friday was “so timely and so important that I’ve taken it out from behind the paywall” and republished it here. I do realize not everyone knows someone in high school, or a parent with a child in high school, or a grandparent. But lots of people do, and even if one doesn’t – I don’t – it’s still good information to have, and good to know that people are working on it. When more people vote, we win.

Well, this was certainly not on my bingo card. But I like it. A lot. I really hope there is a Democrat somewhere who is just goofy enough to run with it who has, or can get, the funding for it. It might not even need to be a very large run. Just one, with the right publicity, would do teh trick.

Robert Reich takes on mergers – and specifically the proposed Kroger-Albertson’s merger. I expect you all already knew this was a terrible idea. But possibly not all the details of just how terrible an idea it is.

Open Thread September 3 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:05 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 032024

Yesterday, I was referred to this article by a poster at Democratic Underground. It’s at Salon, which I have long thought is one of the most, maybe the most in depth organ on cultural issues at least, and often beyond. Actually,that’s a reason why I don’t cite it more often than I do – I don’t have the time or energy to go that deep often, and I don’t expect you to either. But I am citing this one.

There are ways to sugarcoat this – and that’s part of the problem. It’s gonna take a whole lot of votes to offset it. I think the votes are there, but we will need every single one of them. GOTV matters as – well, not as never before because it mattered this much in 2016 and we didn’t succeed. But it matters that much again.

I would not call this an unseen problem – anyone who looks at national election results nationall since 1980 (and particularly since 2000) sees it clearly. I would call it an unacknowledged problem, since no one but Democrats (and not all of us) and the National Popular Vote interstate Compact is pointing it put. And why would Republicans point it put? It’s the only way they can win ( almost said without cheating, but, for on thing, it is a forme of built-in cheating, and for another, if it isn’t enough for them, they cheat in other ways, as in 1976.) I do not intend to badmouth decent and honorable Republicans (mostly historical) such as Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, T. Roosevelt, Margaret Chase Smith, Mark Hatfield, Adam Kinziger, and others (mostly historical.) But the few that are left had lost control of the party by 1980. None of this is unseed. It’s merely unmentioned.

Open Thread September 2 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:02 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 022024

Yesterday, Faithful America declared the week which begins today and runs through the 8th to be Christians Against Trump** Week. Now that’s the kind of CAT person you don’t even have to like cats to be. Sane Christians with any pet, or no pets, are welcome. The idea is to use social media for good to spread the truth that Chrisutanity is not about Trump**, and what it is about. Most of us are probably not on social media of any kind, but if anyone is, this is the week to spread truth on it.

Robert Reich is working on another video series whic, like “DEBUNKED!” will air on Fridays, starting September 6. It’ll be called “Spreading the Truth about the 2024 Election,” which seems a little unwieldy, but accurate. There’s more information at the link. I will, as I did with “DEBUNKED!” link to each installment in Saturday’s Open Thread.

This from Talking Points Memo is by itself, at least for me, more than enough reason to defeat DonOLD at all costs. But it’s scary. If I wanted to illustrate this story, it should likely be witha picture of a projector, because this is all projection. Violence is always from people with an authoritarian stand, It’s neither of the right nor of the left. But here in the west authoritarians have drifted strongly to the right, because a righ wing economy produces de facto oligarchy, which assists establishing authoritarian rule.Personally, I have observed violence at leftist protests, but not from the left. Where it has occurred, it has come from right wing counterprotesters.

Open Thread September 1 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:12 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 012024

Yesterday, the radio opera was Puccini’s “Todca.” It is so rooted in both locale and history that it must really be a challenge for a company to present it in modern dress and settings, but they do try. One of the photos showed the tenor and soprano with luggage and she was holding what appeared to be a Polaroid print. Aother photo showed a stage split vertically, something I hadn’t seen before but very appropriate, since while the soprano is upstairs with the villain, the tenor is being tortured in the dungeon, and they actually show that. It’s an opera which really hits me (in the most cathartic possible way) whenever I see or even hear it. And even in the original time and place it’s relevant now – there are still bullies with more power than anyone should have. Also yesterday, Steve Schmidt posted a new “Schmidt Storm.”

I am so old that to me a “Swiftie” is something like “Wow, that is one deep ditch!” said Tom gorgeously.But I have no difficulty admiring Tatlor Swift and these fans. This is kind of a fluff piece, but hey, it’s Sunday.

I wanted another story which was at least not a disaster, even if not 100% good news, and I thought of this one, which I had seen in Colorado Public Radio’s newsletter, and started looking for it. I couldn’t find it at CPR and hadn’t saved the newsletter, but I found it with DuckDuckGo at, of all places USA Today. Ironically, the name of the song which was interrupted was “It Matters to Her.” I gather she doesn’t want to file a complaint but there is enough evidence (witnesses) for the state to consider pressing charges

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